08.31.21
Helsinki, Finland
www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $1.5 billion
Key Personnel
Hans Sohlström, president and CEO; Sakari Ahdekivi, deputy CEO and executive vice president; Omar Hoek, executive vice president, specialties; Daniele Borlatto, executive vice president, Filtration and Performance Solutions
Plants
Belgium: Malmedy; Brazil: Louveira; China: Binzhou, Longkou; Finland: Karhula, Mikkeli, Tampere; France: Bousbecque, Brignoud, Orleans, Pont-Audemer, Saint-Severin; Germany: Osnabrück, Bärenstein; India: Mundra; Italy: Turin, Fabriano; Russia: Tver; South Korea: Hyon Poong; Sweden: Ställdalen, Falun; U.K.: Chirnside, Radcliffe; U.S.: Bethune, SC; Madisonville, KY; Mt. Holly Springs, PA; Taylorville, IL; Windsor Locks, CT
Processes
Wetlaid (Trinitex), microglass, nanotechnology (Disruptor), composites, creping/micrexing, spunmelt/spunbond, parchmentizing, coating, calendaring
Major Markets
Transportation filtration, diagnostic filtration, water filtration, wall coverings, building, automotive, food packaging, beverage, medical, flooring and masking tape
A change in ownership was among the recent headlines from Ahlstrom-Munksjö. In June 2021, Spa Holdings 3 gained title to all the company’s shares in accordance with Chapter 18, Section 6 of the Finnish Companies Act and Ahlstrom-Munksjö was delisted from the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd stock exchange.
Throughout the ownership transition, Ahlstrom-Munksjö has continued to invest in its nonwovens business. Most recently, in July 2021 the company announced it would restart one of its saturators on site in Turin, Italy, to support strong demand for high performance filtration media.
“Based on current strong customer demand, we see a need to expand our saturating capacity,” says Giuseppe Costa, vice Filtration EMEA and APAC. “We have evaluated various options and came to the conclusion that restarting the saturator we already have in place in Turin is the quickest and most reliable way to bring qualified capacity to the marketplace in a very short period,” he adds.
This decision follows a series of investments announced by the group in the last few years to strengthen the company’s industrial platform and support demand growth in the industrial and engine filtration industry globally. Recent investments to strengthen the platform include a new saturator in Madisonville, KY; a machine rebuild in Binzhou, China; capacity expansions in Fabriano, Italy, and Malmedy Belgium; and a new microglass line in Turin, Italy.
Most of these investments were announced in 2018 and completed in 2020. They included adding capacity in Turin, the company’s largest global site, and are allowing the company to develop unique filtration solutions for industrial applications. Additionally, in Binzhou, Ahlstrom-Munksjö upgraded an existing line to add production capacity and new capabilities to further enhance the product portfolio. The production line can now deliver the highest performing oil, fuel, air and industrial filtration materials, which will strengthen Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s offering and service for Asian customers.
The investment supports Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s strategic ambition to maintain a leading position in selected niches of the global fiber-based solutions market that offer positive growth outlook and are supported by sustainable market drivers. The company has responded to growing customer demand by successively expanding its filtration manufacturing capabilities globally through several new and expansionary investments in the past few years.
“This investment reinforces our commitment to our customers in Asia,” says Kathrin Hueppe, head of Asia, Filtration & Performance Solutions business area. “Improving our capability in the Binzhou plant allows us to serve their growing needs in high-performance filtration.”
In new filtration product news, Ahlstrom-Munksjö launched its first product offering, totally dedicated to filtration media solutions for electric vehicles. The company’s FiltEV platform uses its extensive technological platforms already in place. The offering highlights the innovative benefits of its new portfolio for electric vehicles and demonstrates its commitment to this market.
“We are determined to take the necessary steps that will ensure Ahlstrom-Munksjö becomes a leading filtration supplier to the electric vehicle market,” says Daniele Borlatto, executive vice president, Filtration & Performance Solutions business area. “The launch reinforces our commitment to electrification, now delivering filtration solutions for electric vehicles, alongside our FortiCell platform, of fiber-based solutions for energy storage.”
In December 2021, Ahlstrom-Munksjö expanded its latest product offering, totally dedicated to filtration media solutions for electric vehicles. The new solutions for fuel cell electric vehicles complement the products launched earlier in the year for all electric vehicles, including filtration solutions for cabin air, transmission and cooling systems. Ahlstrom-Munksjö understands the market challenges and is developing new commercial solutions to address unmet customer needs for high performance filtration materials for electric vehicles. This now includes a new dedicated filtration solution for fuel cell air intake.
“I am very pleased to introduce our new filtration solution for fuel cell air intake,” says Cedric Vallet, Head of Business Development, Industrial Filtration & New Vehicles. “By protecting fuel cells from harmful gases and particulates, we ensure the effective operation of the fuel cell over the entire service lifetime of the vehicle.”
Additionally, the company has developed new capabilities to test gas adsorption performance at its Pont-Evêque R&D center in France.
Investment has been completed to assist strategic, high-priority R&D projects to develop next generation molecular filters for fuel cell air intake filters, premium cabin air filters (for EV and ICE), and clean room environments.
Gas adsorption performance is the primary technical feature of molecular filter media, with specific products designed to treat gaseous pollutants, thus decision was taken to have internal capability installed at Ahlstrom-Munksjö.
The new capability will enable Ahlstrom-Munksjö to speed up both product development and technical customer support, in addition to being able to insource quality control tests.
Within its wallcovering business, Ahlstrom-Munksjö remains on track expanding production capacity at its Malmedy plant in Belgium, specialized in the production of nonwovens for wallcovering. The €10 million investment, announced in January 2020, will double the capacity of the plant and diversify the production to also cover filtration materials. The investment will create some 40 new jobs locally.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a leading supplier of wallcovering materials with an extensive range of nonwovens for the high-end segment. The market for high-end wallcoverings is expected to continue to grow due to increased demand for digitally printed wallcoverings, new and innovative textures and colors, supported by increased customers’ demand for home decoration and new trends in interior design.
In North America, the company has launched WallStar Digital wallcoverings to the North American customized digital printing market, and launches Ahlstrom-Munksjö WallStar Digital, its new portfolio of fiber-based solutions for digital printing applications. Demand for customized digital printing is growing, led by changing consumer demand, where personalization is extremely important. Digitally printed wallcoverings can be used to change a room quickly, while at the same time add impact through use of personalized designs. Environmental aspects are also of high importance, as consumers in North America become more aware of sustainability and the type of materials they wish to use. Consequently, digital printers are looking for PVC free media which allows printing in small, unique, personalized quantities.
WallStar Digital is a directly printable, PVC free, nonwoven portfolio from Ahlstrom-Munksjö, delivering benefits for both printers and end users. For printers, the portfolio delivers media with high dimensional stability and excellent printability. Media are fully compatible with Latex, UV, and laser jet printers. For end users the media is PVC free, has a luxurious touch and is simple to install and remove. Facilitating change and use of new designs.
“40+ years of experience serving the North American wallcoverings market and an unique set of various technologies put us in a very good position to meet the demands of the North American digital wall cover market,” says Pierre Mary, vice president, Nonwovens. “The expansion of WallStar Digital into North America will help establish Ahlstrom-Munksjö as one of the leading suppliers to this market.”
Throughout 2020 and into 2021, Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s medical business remained strong on Covid-related demand and the company’s ability to adjust its business to respond to these new needs. In 2020, the company tripled its legacy face mask capacity by redistributing allocations, looking outside traditional manufacturing footprint, repurposing existing product originally not meant for face mask applications, outsourcing non-essential businesses, qualifying external like capabilities that were available and restarting dormant assets.
Some of these masks were developed in sync with the French norm committee (AFNOR) published guidelines to expand the availability of face masks for non-sanitary. Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Reliance Dextex and Reliance SMS range of products were among the first materials validated by French Army laboratories for the use of category 1 civil masks to be used by the population. In addition, Reliance SMS showed best-in-class performance and was declared comparable in performance to surgical masks.
In May 2020, Ahlstrom-Munksjö expanded its face mask capabilities through the launch of its Extia Protect product range, specifically designed for face mask applications. The Extia Protect portfolio consists of a full range of high-performance fiber-based solutions for face masks, including filtration layers, cover stocks, lace media and reinforcement layers. Each component of the range has been designed to meet specific requirements of the different type of masks, including respiratory masks, surgical masks, but also civil masks.
Outside of face masks, Ahlstrom-Munksjö has introduced the TenderGuard product portfolio which consists of remarkably soft, comfortable and protective fabrics. TenderGuard BioBased and BioFilter fabrics are designed for civil use and source control for infectious disease. They are biodegradable and compostable under controlled conditions according to European Norm EN13432. TenderGuard Natural and Smooth fabrics are designed for medical face masks. They are protective, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly.
This material can also be used as an inner or outer coverstock layer of a civil face mask. It is highly breathable, biocompatible, and non-irritating, so it’s gentle on the skin and comfortable to wear for long durations. Mainly comprised of polylactic acid, which is a biopolymer made from sustainable and renewable sources, TenderGuard BioBased is an alternative to synthetic spunbond material.
www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $1.5 billion
Key Personnel
Hans Sohlström, president and CEO; Sakari Ahdekivi, deputy CEO and executive vice president; Omar Hoek, executive vice president, specialties; Daniele Borlatto, executive vice president, Filtration and Performance Solutions
Plants
Belgium: Malmedy; Brazil: Louveira; China: Binzhou, Longkou; Finland: Karhula, Mikkeli, Tampere; France: Bousbecque, Brignoud, Orleans, Pont-Audemer, Saint-Severin; Germany: Osnabrück, Bärenstein; India: Mundra; Italy: Turin, Fabriano; Russia: Tver; South Korea: Hyon Poong; Sweden: Ställdalen, Falun; U.K.: Chirnside, Radcliffe; U.S.: Bethune, SC; Madisonville, KY; Mt. Holly Springs, PA; Taylorville, IL; Windsor Locks, CT
Processes
Wetlaid (Trinitex), microglass, nanotechnology (Disruptor), composites, creping/micrexing, spunmelt/spunbond, parchmentizing, coating, calendaring
Major Markets
Transportation filtration, diagnostic filtration, water filtration, wall coverings, building, automotive, food packaging, beverage, medical, flooring and masking tape
A change in ownership was among the recent headlines from Ahlstrom-Munksjö. In June 2021, Spa Holdings 3 gained title to all the company’s shares in accordance with Chapter 18, Section 6 of the Finnish Companies Act and Ahlstrom-Munksjö was delisted from the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd stock exchange.
Throughout the ownership transition, Ahlstrom-Munksjö has continued to invest in its nonwovens business. Most recently, in July 2021 the company announced it would restart one of its saturators on site in Turin, Italy, to support strong demand for high performance filtration media.
“Based on current strong customer demand, we see a need to expand our saturating capacity,” says Giuseppe Costa, vice Filtration EMEA and APAC. “We have evaluated various options and came to the conclusion that restarting the saturator we already have in place in Turin is the quickest and most reliable way to bring qualified capacity to the marketplace in a very short period,” he adds.
This decision follows a series of investments announced by the group in the last few years to strengthen the company’s industrial platform and support demand growth in the industrial and engine filtration industry globally. Recent investments to strengthen the platform include a new saturator in Madisonville, KY; a machine rebuild in Binzhou, China; capacity expansions in Fabriano, Italy, and Malmedy Belgium; and a new microglass line in Turin, Italy.
Most of these investments were announced in 2018 and completed in 2020. They included adding capacity in Turin, the company’s largest global site, and are allowing the company to develop unique filtration solutions for industrial applications. Additionally, in Binzhou, Ahlstrom-Munksjö upgraded an existing line to add production capacity and new capabilities to further enhance the product portfolio. The production line can now deliver the highest performing oil, fuel, air and industrial filtration materials, which will strengthen Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s offering and service for Asian customers.
The investment supports Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s strategic ambition to maintain a leading position in selected niches of the global fiber-based solutions market that offer positive growth outlook and are supported by sustainable market drivers. The company has responded to growing customer demand by successively expanding its filtration manufacturing capabilities globally through several new and expansionary investments in the past few years.
“This investment reinforces our commitment to our customers in Asia,” says Kathrin Hueppe, head of Asia, Filtration & Performance Solutions business area. “Improving our capability in the Binzhou plant allows us to serve their growing needs in high-performance filtration.”
In new filtration product news, Ahlstrom-Munksjö launched its first product offering, totally dedicated to filtration media solutions for electric vehicles. The company’s FiltEV platform uses its extensive technological platforms already in place. The offering highlights the innovative benefits of its new portfolio for electric vehicles and demonstrates its commitment to this market.
“We are determined to take the necessary steps that will ensure Ahlstrom-Munksjö becomes a leading filtration supplier to the electric vehicle market,” says Daniele Borlatto, executive vice president, Filtration & Performance Solutions business area. “The launch reinforces our commitment to electrification, now delivering filtration solutions for electric vehicles, alongside our FortiCell platform, of fiber-based solutions for energy storage.”
In December 2021, Ahlstrom-Munksjö expanded its latest product offering, totally dedicated to filtration media solutions for electric vehicles. The new solutions for fuel cell electric vehicles complement the products launched earlier in the year for all electric vehicles, including filtration solutions for cabin air, transmission and cooling systems. Ahlstrom-Munksjö understands the market challenges and is developing new commercial solutions to address unmet customer needs for high performance filtration materials for electric vehicles. This now includes a new dedicated filtration solution for fuel cell air intake.
“I am very pleased to introduce our new filtration solution for fuel cell air intake,” says Cedric Vallet, Head of Business Development, Industrial Filtration & New Vehicles. “By protecting fuel cells from harmful gases and particulates, we ensure the effective operation of the fuel cell over the entire service lifetime of the vehicle.”
Additionally, the company has developed new capabilities to test gas adsorption performance at its Pont-Evêque R&D center in France.
Investment has been completed to assist strategic, high-priority R&D projects to develop next generation molecular filters for fuel cell air intake filters, premium cabin air filters (for EV and ICE), and clean room environments.
Gas adsorption performance is the primary technical feature of molecular filter media, with specific products designed to treat gaseous pollutants, thus decision was taken to have internal capability installed at Ahlstrom-Munksjö.
The new capability will enable Ahlstrom-Munksjö to speed up both product development and technical customer support, in addition to being able to insource quality control tests.
Within its wallcovering business, Ahlstrom-Munksjö remains on track expanding production capacity at its Malmedy plant in Belgium, specialized in the production of nonwovens for wallcovering. The €10 million investment, announced in January 2020, will double the capacity of the plant and diversify the production to also cover filtration materials. The investment will create some 40 new jobs locally.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a leading supplier of wallcovering materials with an extensive range of nonwovens for the high-end segment. The market for high-end wallcoverings is expected to continue to grow due to increased demand for digitally printed wallcoverings, new and innovative textures and colors, supported by increased customers’ demand for home decoration and new trends in interior design.
In North America, the company has launched WallStar Digital wallcoverings to the North American customized digital printing market, and launches Ahlstrom-Munksjö WallStar Digital, its new portfolio of fiber-based solutions for digital printing applications. Demand for customized digital printing is growing, led by changing consumer demand, where personalization is extremely important. Digitally printed wallcoverings can be used to change a room quickly, while at the same time add impact through use of personalized designs. Environmental aspects are also of high importance, as consumers in North America become more aware of sustainability and the type of materials they wish to use. Consequently, digital printers are looking for PVC free media which allows printing in small, unique, personalized quantities.
WallStar Digital is a directly printable, PVC free, nonwoven portfolio from Ahlstrom-Munksjö, delivering benefits for both printers and end users. For printers, the portfolio delivers media with high dimensional stability and excellent printability. Media are fully compatible with Latex, UV, and laser jet printers. For end users the media is PVC free, has a luxurious touch and is simple to install and remove. Facilitating change and use of new designs.
“40+ years of experience serving the North American wallcoverings market and an unique set of various technologies put us in a very good position to meet the demands of the North American digital wall cover market,” says Pierre Mary, vice president, Nonwovens. “The expansion of WallStar Digital into North America will help establish Ahlstrom-Munksjö as one of the leading suppliers to this market.”
Throughout 2020 and into 2021, Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s medical business remained strong on Covid-related demand and the company’s ability to adjust its business to respond to these new needs. In 2020, the company tripled its legacy face mask capacity by redistributing allocations, looking outside traditional manufacturing footprint, repurposing existing product originally not meant for face mask applications, outsourcing non-essential businesses, qualifying external like capabilities that were available and restarting dormant assets.
Some of these masks were developed in sync with the French norm committee (AFNOR) published guidelines to expand the availability of face masks for non-sanitary. Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Reliance Dextex and Reliance SMS range of products were among the first materials validated by French Army laboratories for the use of category 1 civil masks to be used by the population. In addition, Reliance SMS showed best-in-class performance and was declared comparable in performance to surgical masks.
In May 2020, Ahlstrom-Munksjö expanded its face mask capabilities through the launch of its Extia Protect product range, specifically designed for face mask applications. The Extia Protect portfolio consists of a full range of high-performance fiber-based solutions for face masks, including filtration layers, cover stocks, lace media and reinforcement layers. Each component of the range has been designed to meet specific requirements of the different type of masks, including respiratory masks, surgical masks, but also civil masks.
Outside of face masks, Ahlstrom-Munksjö has introduced the TenderGuard product portfolio which consists of remarkably soft, comfortable and protective fabrics. TenderGuard BioBased and BioFilter fabrics are designed for civil use and source control for infectious disease. They are biodegradable and compostable under controlled conditions according to European Norm EN13432. TenderGuard Natural and Smooth fabrics are designed for medical face masks. They are protective, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly.
This material can also be used as an inner or outer coverstock layer of a civil face mask. It is highly breathable, biocompatible, and non-irritating, so it’s gentle on the skin and comfortable to wear for long durations. Mainly comprised of polylactic acid, which is a biopolymer made from sustainable and renewable sources, TenderGuard BioBased is an alternative to synthetic spunbond material.