The argument could be made that many nonwoven products are already great. Nonwovens have been used to make products lighter, more efficient, and cost effective. Manufacturers develop their products to be thicker or thinner or wider or narrower to suit consumer needs. Nonwoven fabrics are out there doing their job in a huge variety of products in the marketplace.

But, if companies aren’t continuously innovating, it can open the door for someone else to step in. Improving and updating existing products as well as researching entirely new products is an important facet of any viable business. At Fiber Dynamics, we have seen the benefits of innovation with some of our meltblown products. Patrick Heery, vice president of operations for Meltblown Products, states, “We continue to advance our products by finding alternative constructions that enable us to improve upon current products in the marketplace. We are willing to try things that aren’t currently being done.”  

New product development is not an easy task, and the willingness to try new things is often a stumbling block for companies. Manufacturers often struggle with unpredictable delivery deadlines as well as limited resources in both personnel and budget. It is important to determine what your customer needs most in a new product. New products in the consumer market will have different factors than an industrial product. While an industrial product may look to achieve functionality coupled with low cost, a consumer’s preference may tend to deal with ease of use and comfort. With these factors in mind, why should manufacturers spend valuable time and resources in developing new nonwoven products for the marketplace?

• Consumers can be fickle. What they like today will probably change tomorrow. Television customers in the 1950s loved their black and white sets. In 1946, there were televisions in approximately 6000 homes. That number rose to about 12 million in 1951 and, by 1955, half of all the homes in the U.S. had one. Even though the first color broadcast happened in 1951, by 1967 not even 10% of households had a color TV. What if manufacturers and broadcasters had just stopped there because they assumed customers were happy with their black and white TVs?

• If you have a product that customers are raving about, you should probably go ahead and start developing an upgrade or a revision. After all, today’s consumer is accustomed to getting new software, cell phones and gaming devices every few years. Their desire for new non-technology products is likely to follow.  Even simple products like nonwoven wax removal strips can be made softer or wider or thinner to accommodate consumer wants and needs.

• Cultural or economic changes. You may have noticed the rise in environmentally friendly products throughout the marketplace across all industries. That is because consumers have been educated over a number of years about the impact humans have on the environment. As sustainability becomes more important to the customer, it must also become an important factor for the manufacturer.
Additionally, government regulations have added layers of complexity to the manufacturing environment, effectively forcing manufacturers to make changes to products to reduce their environmental impact. At Fiber Dynamics, our meltblown division is constantly finding ways to reduce our footprint, implementing changes such as recycling all waste we create, using very little to no water, and having very little to zero emissions.

Smart companies forecast the future and begin to make small changes to product lines well before the entire culture has shifted.  For example, as the gas shortage escalated in the 1970s, some automakers understood that the need to develop smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles was paramount. In fact, sales of those vehicles soared while sales of the heavier vehicles were  sluggish.

• Dips in sales. If your products are experiencing a slow decline in sales, it may be time to think outside the box for ways to innovate your product. Studies show that consumers respond to “new” and “improved” tags on products, especially because consumers are known to be fairly brand loyal. According to a 2013 study from Nielsen, 60% of consumers with internet access prefer to buy new products from a familiar brand as opposed to switching brands altogether.  

The product lifecycle is real and generally consists of four stages: introductory, growth, maturity and decline. Mass-produced products with peak sales are in the maturity phase, which usually means that more and more competitors will enter the market with similar products at lower prices. You can keep products fresh and, especially if competition is fierce, viable if you continue to explore ways to improve your product or even to introduce complementary products.

• Your competition. Henry Ford said, “The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all but goes on making his own business better all the time.” You can bet that your competitors are not only going to be studying all the other products in the marketplace, but they’re also going to be spending plenty of time in research and development. It is important to stay ahead of the curve. Another way to stay competitive is to diversify your product line. At FDI, we have been able to produce a wide range of products from absorbents to face mask material by varying our melt flows and machine set ups. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to create a new product.

Since new product development is such a vital part of sustaining and increasing business, companies who actively pursue improving and updating existing products as well as developing new products are ahead of the game. Companies successful at product development tend to follow a few simple guidelines.  

• Start a new product development team. If your company is smaller and tight on resources, you can enlist a few people with different roles in your company to spend a few hours each week brainstorming ideas on how to improve existing products or perhaps even brand new products that fall within your manufacturing expertise.

• Listen, listen, listen. Listen to your employees, your customers, your mother, your engineers and your custodians. Listen to everyone and anyone who has an idea about your products. Sometimes the idea that was right in your face could be the most beneficial. Be sure to keep records of all the ideas because at some point, one of these ideas is going to stick.

• Screen the ideas. Ask your product development team to sit down regularly with your list of big ideas. Some of the ideas can be thrown out immediately if the technology isn’t available, if the cost is prohibitive or if the materials exist only in an imaginary world. When an idea does seem to work, analyze it thoroughly to be sure that the product lies within the core competencies of your company.  

• Enlist the analysts and the number-crunchers. After the product idea seems like a good one, you’ll need to produce real cost estimates, including raw materials, outsourcing costs, inventory and production. Additionally, you’ll want to consider profit projections, risk costs, the overall market size and competition.  

• Consult the patents. If your product idea is totally brand new, you’ll want to enlist the help of the patent office to protect your intellectual property. There are always people looking to profit from someone else’s work.

• Produce a sample product. Get your engineers involved and produce several mock samples. Then test the samples thoroughly, even using an outside lab service if necessary. If this is a consumer product, enlist the aid of focus groups. Then, if necessary, go back and tweak the product to make it even better.  


• Release your new product to a test market. Keep your first release to a small market and do a test run with micro-level advertising and marketing. Figure out if people will buy your product, how much they are willing to spend and whether or not they are happy with their purchase. Consider this your dress rehearsal, where you will see if any final touches need to be made.

• Manufacture. If all goes well, it’s time to focus on selling your brand new product. Then, start the process all over again.      

We know product development isn’t always easy, especially if you have great products on the market that are selling well. But staying on top of the product development curve can only benefit the long-term health of your company. Work with your nonwovens manufacturing partner to collaborate on the best nonwoven fabrics for your next Big Idea.