05.04.23
The international nonwovens community came together once again in Geneva last month for INDEX 23. Attendees were delighted to see such a global presence, with 610 exhibitors from 43 countries showcasing their products over 50,000 square meters of gross exhibition space. This represented a significant increase in exhibitors compared with 2021 and is a clear indication that the entire nonwovens industry is back in business. The number of attendees also increased, with 12,017 visitor entries from over 100 countries joining the event.
Confirming the attraction of this unique event, exhibitors made the most of the four intensive days to meet potential new customers and extend business with existing clients. As the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition, INDEX once again presented an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate the latest breakthroughs and innovative developments across all nonwovens’ applications to thousands of visitors from around the world.
The INDEX Lab, an exchange hub displaying samples from innovations and new developments, also showcased the winners and runners up from each of the five categories of the INDEX Innovation Award. Open to any EDANA member company or exhibitor at INDEX 23, the winners were announced on the first day of the exhibition during a dedicated ceremony at the EDANA stand. The “Nonwovens Journey,” an immersive experience that looks at the innovative role of nonwovens, as well as how innovation has progressed in time around both sustainability, and how nonwovens are used in everyday life, also allowed visitors to discover the versatility of nonwovens.
“We are here to do business, but the nonwovens industry showed me that our supply chain is also one big family,” says Murat Dogru, EDANA’s general manager. “It was a real pleasure to see the industry reunited once again in person to exchange, smile, negotiate, network, debate, and much more as we addressed challenges and discussed innovations.”
“It has been heart-warming to see so many representatives from the younger generations who feed the industry’s need in terms of new ideas, sustainable solutions, and business architecture,” adds Pieter Meijer, chairman of the INDEX Advisory Board.
Running alongside the exhibition itself, there was also a full program of side events that were enjoyed by participants: Exhibitor Product Presentations from 33 exhibitors; a series of informative seminars covering a myriad of topics including medical nonwovens, sustainability, circular economy, geosynthetics, textiles, mobility, fair trade, gender equity, innovation, and market trends; country-specific briefings offering insights into the nonwovens market in various regions around the world; and a nonwovens tutorial intended as an induction to nonwovens for those new to the industry. These topics were all presented by leading industry experts and guest speakers, including among others, the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Concern for the environment has in recent years become increasingly important, and once again remained a key topic at INDEX 23, with companies pushing to achieve further CO² reductions and circularity across the supply chain.
Continuing from its success during Covid-19, the INDEX 23 Mobile App and Virtual Platform was back. This tool offered participants – both in Geneva and those following from home – the chance to watch presentations live and interact with speakers, exhibitors, and other participants. Attendees were able to plan their visit and organize meetings, which was highly appreciated. Video recordings from the sessions will remain available online in the app and platform for the coming weeks.
“As INDEX 23 comes to a close, we are pleased to announce that INDEX 26 will take place as usual in three years from April 21-24, 2026, and look forward to welcoming the nonwovens community here again at Palexpo, in Geneva, and discovering how much further our dynamically evolving industry has progressed,” says Magali Fakhry Dufresne, director of INDEX.
“Based on my previous experience with trade shows and everything that I heard from our members since I arrived at EDANA, my expectations for INDEX were already extremely high, but even so I was still blown away. It was an exceptional week, from the moment I first stepped foot in Geneva on Sunday, until now, the last day of my first INDEX. The future of this exhibition looks really bright, and I’m excited to work with the EDANA and Palexpo teams to see how we can continue to flourish and evolve for the next edition,” concludes Dogru.
“In our approach to offer fibers that build futures, we prioritize the delivery of a fit-for-purpose performance fiber that also embraces circular economy and boasts sustainability-related properties. Through collaboration, and by leveraging our R&D capabilities, we can help nonwoven producers to take positive steps towards their sustainability targets and product performance goals,” comments Maria Teresa Tomaselli, general manager, Beaulieu Fibres International.
For more sustainable hygiene nonwovens, BFI offers the Meralux Bico Trilobal class of fibers, enhancing raw material savings, nonwoven basis weight reduction, significant CO2 reduction, and recyclability potential. With their particular cross-section shape, these unique polypropylene / polyethylene fibers achieve a reduced weight of fibers with the same fiber coverage compared to a round Bico PP/PE fiber. Savings of up to 54% fiber use can be achieved, resulting in a 57% carbon footprint reduction. Meralux Bico Trilobal fibers offer possibilities for higher opacity, higher bulkiness and improved liquid management, to bring significant improvements to the dryness of nonwovens for hygiene applications. Moreover, the fibers are designed for recycling thanks to the use of polyolefin polymers.
On the path towards 100% recyclable industrial applications, choose UltraBond, Beaulieu Fibres International’s innovative bonding staple fiber to gain a significant ecological footprint reduction for 100% polyolefin nonwoven products and eliminate the need for latex or other chemical binders.
Nonwoven producers benefit from a reduction in production and energy costs, and ultimately from a lower carbon footprint, as processing UltraBond requires no water and happens through thermal bonding, a 100% dry process. This “greener” production process is highlighted in Rewind event carpet, a 100% PP needlepunched flooring solution. During production it requires 85% less energy and 100% less water, and generates 55% less CO2 compared to traditional event carpet.
As of March 2023, Beaulieu Fibres International is able to offer bio circular products from all three manufacturing sites. The ISCC Plus certifications for both the Belgian and Italian plants confirm to the nonwoven market that the development of sustainable fiber solutions with a negative carbon footprint is now possible.
“This project plays an integral role in further elevating our profile and is a strategic step toward strengthening our value proposition as an essential partner to absorbent hygiene customers around the world,” says Vanécia Carr, general manager, EAM. “With this increased capacity we can enhance our capabilities and improve our efficiency in delivering high-quality products.”
The centerpiece is a large-scale Dan-Web airlaid production line, which augments Domtar’s position as a leading global absorbent materials and technology business. The investment will accelerate its airlaid nonwoven business, which has become essential to hygiene product manufacturers, and will bolster its ability to offer diverse product offerings through its complete portfolio of airlaid materials: multi-bonded, thermal-bonded, and hydrogen-bonded airlaid, in addition to absorbent laminated products and pulp.
Domtar now ranks as the third largest airlaid producer in the world, and the second largest in the U.S.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Domtar, EAM has been developing and manufacturing innovative, high-quality absorbent core solutions since 1998 and today is recognized as a leading provider of a wide variety of fiber-based products, including market pulp and airlaid nonwovens.
With its focus on collaboration and innovation, Domtar is equipped to satisfy its customers’ specific technical requirements as it provides seamless service to customers purchasing absorbency materials that are used in baby diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products and other hygiene solutions.
“As a proud manufacturer of high-quality nonwoven materials, we are excited to showcase our innovative and sustainable specialty solutions designed to enhance consumers’ everyday life,” says Thomas Fahnemann, president and chief executive officer of Glatfelter.
The GlatPure portfolio provides a range of bio-based and absorbent hygiene components derived from renewable materials. This new generation of absorbent hygiene components consists of a fully functional topsheet, acquisition distribution layer, absorbent core and backsheet. GlatPure materials are made with 100% plant-based and renewable fibers and can be functionalized by organic binders, resulting in the ability to be biodegradable.
Sontara Silk is a facial mask that perfectly fits facial contours, is luxurious on the skin and has minimal impact on the environment. When infused with lotion, the mask has enhanced elasticity, conforms closely to the skin, and has excellent adhesion. Sontara Silk has superior translucency and ensures an even penetration of active ingredients on the skin. Sontara Silk fabric is manufactured with premium fibers derived from natural raw materials that allow the product to be biodegradable and compostable.
Sontara EC Green is the latest addition to the Sontara EC product line of effective and superior cleaning products, adding a more sustainable option to the proven performance, reliability, and quality of its Sontara EC portfolio. Sontara EC Green is a unique, high-performance, 100% cellulosic wipe, made from proprietary Sontara technology. The product’s ultra-pure production process creates a 100% bio-based and compostable wipe without any binders or chemicals.
Glatfelter and Organoclick, the inventor and supplier of the bio-based and home compostable binder OC-BioBinder, have collaborated in the development of an airlaid material that is 100% bio-based, biodegradable and certified as home compostable. By optimizing the use of renewable raw materials and adjusting the airlaid composition, Glatfelter has been able to create soft, but strong, organic-based tabletop products. These advantages and features allow the product to degrade in consumers’ composts or offer the opportunity to the food service industry to dispose of the napkins together with other organic waste. This material can be used for many other applications as well.
Continuing to support customers’ sustainability objectives and provide sustainable source materials for hygiene applications, Indorama Ventures’ portfolio includes Deja CO2 neutral fibers, a carbon neutral solution for PP staple fibers. The range highlights Indorama Ventures’ ambition and ability to produce PP, PET and rPET mono and bicomponent fibers with a lower carbon footprint.
Indorama Ventures’ development of Biotransformation Technology for nonwovens and fibers was shortlisted under the ‘raw materials or components’ category of EDANA’s INDEX Innovation Awards. Through its 10-year partnership agreement with technology innovator Polymateria, Indorama Ventures is applying Polymateria’s unique biotransformation technology to fibers and nonwovens.
Biotransformation is the world’s first technology that is capable of delivering full biodegradation of Polyolefin products in the open terrestrial environment. Polyolefin-based materials produced by this technology are especially useful for applications where materials may be leaked into the environment as unmanaged waste.
Meanwhile, Avgol, an Indorama Ventures company, used INDEX to showcase its commitment to developing solutions that deliver meaningful change. The company presented a holistic approach to sustainability with everything from its biodegradation technology and the use of more natural components, to introducing new materials with improved carbon footprint and recyclability.
The Kansan Materials team has been hard at work perfecting the wetlaid line and the line is almost ready for launch. The KM Wetlaid production line has advanced features and capabilities that enable it to produce high-quality wetlaid materials efficiently and cost-effectively, which could help to meet the growing demand for wetlaid materials in various industries such as hygiene, filtration, medical, and more.
Kansan has been providing crucial manufacturing solutions in every aspect of wet wipe production from the flat pack and cross-fold converting machines to flow wrappers, lid applicator robots, case packers, and palletizers for 30 years. These state-of-the-art production systems are highly versatile and designed to process the most delicate nonwovens with ease for manufacturing various types of dry and wet wipes, baby wipes, wet toilet papers, general cleaning wipes, disinfectant wipes, and many more. Kansan’s wet wipe converting machines can also work with the new generation flushable and biodegradable raw materials with high efficiency and productivity.
According to a UNEP study on marine litter and microplastics, eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year. A significant portion of this pollution comes from single-use plastic products, including conventional period products such as pads or panty liners. The need for sustainable alternatives has never been greater, and this collaboration between Kelheim Fibres, Sandler, and Pelz is a much-needed step in the right direction.
The partnership between the three companies was formed under the Open Innovation principle, which allowed for creative idea exchange and facilitated the development of a truly innovative product. According to Jessica Zeitler, R&D specialist at Sandler, “Our collaboration with Kelheim Fibres and pelzGROUP is a great example of how companies can work together to create solutions that benefit both the environment and consumers. We are proud to be part of this project and the opportunities it offers.”
For hygiene product manufacturer pelzGROUP, it is important to combine sustainability and performance to achieve broad acceptance in the market. “Our panty liner meets the strict requirements of the European Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) while also matching the performance of conventional synthetic products. At the same time, our new panty liner has a completely European supply chain. This means short distances and therefore low CO2 emissions, and – especially in times of global disruption – reliability for our customers,” emphasizes Dr. Henning Röttger, head of Business Development at pelzGROUP.
“Our viscose speciality fibers are an environmentally friendly and high-performance alternative to synthetic materials,” says Dominik Mayer, project manager Fibre & Application Development at Kelheim Fibres. “They are at the very beginning of the product value chain and yet have an enormous impact on the functionality of the end product. Open innovation allows us to bring all partners in the value chain to the table, to find the best solution together in a very short time and bring it to commercialization - the collaboration with Sandler and pelzGROUP is an important milestone in our AHP journey.”
The panty liner will soon be commercially available under the pelzGROUP’s Cosmea brand.
At the trade show, The Lycra Company commercially launched Lycra EnviroFit fiber, one of the many fibers that the company has developed as part of its Planet Agenda sustainability platform. With its unique chemistry, Lycra EnviroFit fiber utilizes thinner yarns, reducing the amount of fiber per article and helping conserve resources without compromising product performance.
“We are thrilled to introduce Lycra EnviroFit fiber, which reduces fiber weight while maintaining the overall quality and performance that personal care products require,” says Scott Blackadar, president, personal care at The Lycra Company. “Having less mass means fewer resources and less energy are consumed during diaper production. This fiber will appeal to manufacturers who want to significantly reduce their product’s environmental impact and help improve its carbon footprint.”
In addition to continuously improving its range of fibers for personal care products, The Lycra Company also focuses on providing total solutions for the challenges its customers face. The company is offering two unique delivery technologies aimed at improving the spandex unwinding process and improving diaper line productivity that were promoted at the show.
The Lycra Company showcased the Trio Loop Technology at INDEX, the latest yarn control system from BTSR International S.p.A. Trio Loop Technology, in combination with MATRIXCUBE tension controlled plug-and-play unwinding systems, improves yarn tension control and adds more troubleshooting options to further improve diaper line productivity.
The Lycra Company is also the exclusive global distributor of the new and improved Knotter Type 093E for diaper production. This breakthrough innovation by Mesdan S.p.A. offers manufacturers greater efficiency and reliability by eliminating manual knot tying and reducing machine stops.
“Anticipating the growing demand for more sustainable nonwoven solutions, we have focused our development resources over the past several years on the circular sphere to accelerate our journey towards climate neutrality,” explains Tonny De Beer, chief product, technology & sustainability officer at PFNonwovens Group. “For PFN’s nonwoven products, fossil-based resins are today the main contributor to the carbon footprint. Therefore, using the Borealis Bornewables instead of standard fossil-based resins will significantly reduce the carbon footprint, even enabling products with a carbon footprint under zero.”
Bornewables can be used as direct drop-in replacements for comparable fossil-based polyolefins. In PFN’s nonwoven production, they required no changes to the existing manufacturing process while delivering the same high quality and performance as previous non-renewable virgin materials.
The Bornewables PP used by PFN is made with second-generation raw material feedstock derived entirely from waste and residue vegetable oil streams. The renewable content in all Bornewables products is mass balance accredited under the (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certification standard, confirming their authenticity and fully transparent traceability from the raw materials to the finished products.
“The combination of our expertise in polymer science and development with PFN’s processing know-how has resulted in nonwovens that make full use of the Bornewables advantages to minimise CO2 emissions. Together we are reducing both waste and fossil depletion, while delivering cost-efficient products for the hygiene market with a premium look and feel,” adds Peter Voortmans, global commercial director Consumer Product at Borealis. “At the same time, it serves as a role model of Borealis’ commitment to re-invent essentials for sustainable living in collaboration with value chain partners who share common goals.”
This will be the first spunlace line in South America outside of Brazil, and it will include the 130th TT card sold by Andritz. The line will process viscose and polyester fibers to produce over 10,000 tons of nonwoven roll-goods per year for conversion to wipes.
With this investment, Quimicolor is adding its own roll-goods production line to its existing converting plant for the production of wipes. It will thus be able to control the quality of the products over the whole supply chain and make production more efficient as well as flexible. On-site production of roll-goods will have the added benefit of avoiding the intercontinental shipments needed before and thus substantially reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Thanks to Andritz’s support in accessing financing solutions, Quimicolor has obtained attractive financing for this investment through a buyer’s credit under the French export promotion scheme.
Antonio Mandivil, CEO of Quimicolor, says: “This investment will allow us to take our business to the next level. It will enable us to better serve the growing Latin American market and open new business opportunities. Andritz has supported us in every single step of this challenging project that will make us pioneers in spunlace production in our region while continuing to offer hygiene and household products with an excellent quality-price ratio for all market segments.”
Based in Medellín, Quimicolor has been producing skincare and household products for the Latin American market for more than 18 years.
Respunsible is a spunbond brand manufactured from recycled polypropylene. A preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was carried out by RadiciGroup to demonstrate the correlation between the reduction in environmental impact and the percentage increase in recycled material. The final results demonstrate that a variable percentage of from 50 to 70% recycled material leads to a reduction in CO2 emissions of from 30 to 40%, compared to a fabric made of 100% virgin material, without comprising high technical performance.
Additionally, since RadiciGroup has achieved ISCC PLUS certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), it can offer bio, biocircular or circular polypropylene spunbond and meltblown nonwovens, in which the sustainable polypropylene is biomass balanced. This certification signifies traceability along the supply chain and verifies that the certified companies meet high environmental and social standards.
Active for over 30 years in the manufacture of nonwovens, the group continues to invest in an increasingly sustainable offering and high-performance technical products that meet the requirements of numerous industrial segments.
“Since 2020, we have had a technologically advanced meltblown production line,” says Enrico Buriani, CEO of the Nonwovens division of RadiciGroup Advanced Textile Solutions. “This allows us to make composite structures, sold under the brand name Radimelt. Now our goal is to expand our filtration applications, diversifying and developing new business, for instance vacuum cleaner bags or HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system filters, where we can meet the high efficiency and mechanical resistance demanded, thanks to our latest generation technology.”
What’s more, color is a central feature in the RadiciGroup portfolio: the color chart is extensive and in continual evolution. Tailor-made colors can be formulated according to specific customer needs.
“Thanks to highly crimped fibers with reduced fiber size, our XHL nonwovens offer a new level of quality with super soft touch for nonwoven products made from them – such as top sheet and back sheet,” explains Markus Müller, vice president Sales & Marketing of the Reifenhäuser Group. “At the same time, we achieve a huge improvement in the carbon footprint of up to 30% thanks to reduced resource use.”
The RF5 XHL technology relies on the specially patented BiCo process. This combines two different raw materials in one fiber in the spunbond process, creating a bimetallic effect and optimally crimping the fiber. This results in a weight reduction of up to 25% for fiber sizes at 1.0 denier. At the same time, thickness increases by up to 30% compared to state-of-the-art material.
The new RF5 XHL lines are also equipped with particularly energy-efficient components, enabling resource-saving nonwoven production at high line speeds. To reduce production waste to a minimum, all raw materials are made of polypropylene (PP), for simple and efficient inline recycling. In contrast, common mixed-material fabrics made of PP/PE or PET/PE are very difficult to recycle. In addition, to meet the ongoing demand for more sustainable nonwoven products, RF5 lines also process bio-based raw materials on request.
With c.Hub, the new data connection platform of the Reifenhäuser Group, Reicofil offers its customers a digitalization solution that is consistently tailored to the requirements of nonwovens production. Customers have the possibility to securely network the data of their Reicofil lines, peripherals as well as ERP and MES systems via the c.Hub middleware, to store it centrally for easy analysis. Line operators can thus monitor and document their production and increase production efficiency based on data. Coming with various software bundles, c.Hub is offered as an on-premise solution, i.e. it can be operated locally and remains under the full data sovereignty of the user.
From one of the thinnest and most complex printed backsheets, textile backsheets as well as film solutions for feminine hygiene, to films for wound care products: RKW produces a wide range of premium hygiene films and diverse nonwovens, as well as a variety of specialty products. With its premium backsheet and topsheet films, RKW serves a global customer base in the areas of baby care, fem care, adult incontinence, as well as numerous customers in the medical field. “INDEX is the industry trade show and provides the best opportunity to exchange ideas with business partners, meet existing and potential customers, and discuss the latest trends and developments in the industry while showcasing our broad product range of innovative films, nonwovens and laminates for hygiene products and medical applications,” says Oliver Solorzano, director Sales Hygiene.
For more than 45 years, RKW has been producing high-quality backsheet films and is one of the leading experts in sustainable, safe and comfortable film solutions for baby diapers, feminine hygiene products and discreet and reliable solutions for adult incontinence. The current product portfolio for hygiene products includes both breathable and non-breathable solutions, pouch films, elastic films, nonwovens, laminates and closure system components – including brands such as Hyfol, Aptra and RKW HyCare.
In addition to hygiene, the RKW Group also has a long tradition in the production of films and special products used in the manufacturing of wound care and medical products, including plaster films or cover films. RKW also showcased these product solutions at INDEX 23, including the Medifol brand for wound care products and Aptra breathable films for technical applications.
The first technology is a rapidly dispersing short-cut version of TruCotton (TC-1S-SC) for the wetlaid industry. This treated short-cut fiber allows for fast introduction to water even though greige, unbleached cotton is naturally hydrophobic and, thus, difficult to submerge and disperse in wetlaid systems. TruCotton can add value to wetlaid substrates, as it is a hydrophobic cellulose which will add bulk density and not suffer wet collapse or swelling like other absorbent natural materials. Trial amounts of this short-cut fiber are currently available.
The second material advancement are commercially available TruCotton-based nonwoven materials which readily absorb any type of oil. This technology is pertinent to any industrial wipe producers looking for a sustainable natural fiber which will readily absorb oil without the need for petroleum-derived fibers. This wipe is currently produced in the U.S. by a major nonwovens spunlace manufacturer.
Confirming the attraction of this unique event, exhibitors made the most of the four intensive days to meet potential new customers and extend business with existing clients. As the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition, INDEX once again presented an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate the latest breakthroughs and innovative developments across all nonwovens’ applications to thousands of visitors from around the world.
The INDEX Lab, an exchange hub displaying samples from innovations and new developments, also showcased the winners and runners up from each of the five categories of the INDEX Innovation Award. Open to any EDANA member company or exhibitor at INDEX 23, the winners were announced on the first day of the exhibition during a dedicated ceremony at the EDANA stand. The “Nonwovens Journey,” an immersive experience that looks at the innovative role of nonwovens, as well as how innovation has progressed in time around both sustainability, and how nonwovens are used in everyday life, also allowed visitors to discover the versatility of nonwovens.
“We are here to do business, but the nonwovens industry showed me that our supply chain is also one big family,” says Murat Dogru, EDANA’s general manager. “It was a real pleasure to see the industry reunited once again in person to exchange, smile, negotiate, network, debate, and much more as we addressed challenges and discussed innovations.”
“It has been heart-warming to see so many representatives from the younger generations who feed the industry’s need in terms of new ideas, sustainable solutions, and business architecture,” adds Pieter Meijer, chairman of the INDEX Advisory Board.
Running alongside the exhibition itself, there was also a full program of side events that were enjoyed by participants: Exhibitor Product Presentations from 33 exhibitors; a series of informative seminars covering a myriad of topics including medical nonwovens, sustainability, circular economy, geosynthetics, textiles, mobility, fair trade, gender equity, innovation, and market trends; country-specific briefings offering insights into the nonwovens market in various regions around the world; and a nonwovens tutorial intended as an induction to nonwovens for those new to the industry. These topics were all presented by leading industry experts and guest speakers, including among others, the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Concern for the environment has in recent years become increasingly important, and once again remained a key topic at INDEX 23, with companies pushing to achieve further CO² reductions and circularity across the supply chain.
Continuing from its success during Covid-19, the INDEX 23 Mobile App and Virtual Platform was back. This tool offered participants – both in Geneva and those following from home – the chance to watch presentations live and interact with speakers, exhibitors, and other participants. Attendees were able to plan their visit and organize meetings, which was highly appreciated. Video recordings from the sessions will remain available online in the app and platform for the coming weeks.
“As INDEX 23 comes to a close, we are pleased to announce that INDEX 26 will take place as usual in three years from April 21-24, 2026, and look forward to welcoming the nonwovens community here again at Palexpo, in Geneva, and discovering how much further our dynamically evolving industry has progressed,” says Magali Fakhry Dufresne, director of INDEX.
“Based on my previous experience with trade shows and everything that I heard from our members since I arrived at EDANA, my expectations for INDEX were already extremely high, but even so I was still blown away. It was an exceptional week, from the moment I first stepped foot in Geneva on Sunday, until now, the last day of my first INDEX. The future of this exhibition looks really bright, and I’m excited to work with the EDANA and Palexpo teams to see how we can continue to flourish and evolve for the next edition,” concludes Dogru.
Beaulieu Fibres International Showed New Fibers
Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI) showcased its full range of resource-saving and carbon footprint-reducing bicomponent fibers for industrial and hygiene applications.“In our approach to offer fibers that build futures, we prioritize the delivery of a fit-for-purpose performance fiber that also embraces circular economy and boasts sustainability-related properties. Through collaboration, and by leveraging our R&D capabilities, we can help nonwoven producers to take positive steps towards their sustainability targets and product performance goals,” comments Maria Teresa Tomaselli, general manager, Beaulieu Fibres International.
For more sustainable hygiene nonwovens, BFI offers the Meralux Bico Trilobal class of fibers, enhancing raw material savings, nonwoven basis weight reduction, significant CO2 reduction, and recyclability potential. With their particular cross-section shape, these unique polypropylene / polyethylene fibers achieve a reduced weight of fibers with the same fiber coverage compared to a round Bico PP/PE fiber. Savings of up to 54% fiber use can be achieved, resulting in a 57% carbon footprint reduction. Meralux Bico Trilobal fibers offer possibilities for higher opacity, higher bulkiness and improved liquid management, to bring significant improvements to the dryness of nonwovens for hygiene applications. Moreover, the fibers are designed for recycling thanks to the use of polyolefin polymers.
On the path towards 100% recyclable industrial applications, choose UltraBond, Beaulieu Fibres International’s innovative bonding staple fiber to gain a significant ecological footprint reduction for 100% polyolefin nonwoven products and eliminate the need for latex or other chemical binders.
Nonwoven producers benefit from a reduction in production and energy costs, and ultimately from a lower carbon footprint, as processing UltraBond requires no water and happens through thermal bonding, a 100% dry process. This “greener” production process is highlighted in Rewind event carpet, a 100% PP needlepunched flooring solution. During production it requires 85% less energy and 100% less water, and generates 55% less CO2 compared to traditional event carpet.
As of March 2023, Beaulieu Fibres International is able to offer bio circular products from all three manufacturing sites. The ISCC Plus certifications for both the Belgian and Italian plants confirm to the nonwoven market that the development of sustainable fiber solutions with a negative carbon footprint is now possible.
EAM and Domtar Poised to Meet Future Customer Needs with Expansion
Domtar and its subsidiary Engineered Absorbent Materials (EAM) are committed to product innovation and the highest level of service. Now they can offer their customers even more options with the completion of a $90 million expansion of their state-of-the-art EAM facility in Jesup, GA.“This project plays an integral role in further elevating our profile and is a strategic step toward strengthening our value proposition as an essential partner to absorbent hygiene customers around the world,” says Vanécia Carr, general manager, EAM. “With this increased capacity we can enhance our capabilities and improve our efficiency in delivering high-quality products.”
The centerpiece is a large-scale Dan-Web airlaid production line, which augments Domtar’s position as a leading global absorbent materials and technology business. The investment will accelerate its airlaid nonwoven business, which has become essential to hygiene product manufacturers, and will bolster its ability to offer diverse product offerings through its complete portfolio of airlaid materials: multi-bonded, thermal-bonded, and hydrogen-bonded airlaid, in addition to absorbent laminated products and pulp.
Domtar now ranks as the third largest airlaid producer in the world, and the second largest in the U.S.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Domtar, EAM has been developing and manufacturing innovative, high-quality absorbent core solutions since 1998 and today is recognized as a leading provider of a wide variety of fiber-based products, including market pulp and airlaid nonwovens.
With its focus on collaboration and innovation, Domtar is equipped to satisfy its customers’ specific technical requirements as it provides seamless service to customers purchasing absorbency materials that are used in baby diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products and other hygiene solutions.
Glatfelter Highlighted New Product Offerings
Glatfelter showcased its newest product offerings, including the GlatPure portfolio, Sontara Silk, Sontara EC Green, and Home Compostable Airlaid Material.“As a proud manufacturer of high-quality nonwoven materials, we are excited to showcase our innovative and sustainable specialty solutions designed to enhance consumers’ everyday life,” says Thomas Fahnemann, president and chief executive officer of Glatfelter.
The GlatPure portfolio provides a range of bio-based and absorbent hygiene components derived from renewable materials. This new generation of absorbent hygiene components consists of a fully functional topsheet, acquisition distribution layer, absorbent core and backsheet. GlatPure materials are made with 100% plant-based and renewable fibers and can be functionalized by organic binders, resulting in the ability to be biodegradable.
Sontara Silk is a facial mask that perfectly fits facial contours, is luxurious on the skin and has minimal impact on the environment. When infused with lotion, the mask has enhanced elasticity, conforms closely to the skin, and has excellent adhesion. Sontara Silk has superior translucency and ensures an even penetration of active ingredients on the skin. Sontara Silk fabric is manufactured with premium fibers derived from natural raw materials that allow the product to be biodegradable and compostable.
Sontara EC Green is the latest addition to the Sontara EC product line of effective and superior cleaning products, adding a more sustainable option to the proven performance, reliability, and quality of its Sontara EC portfolio. Sontara EC Green is a unique, high-performance, 100% cellulosic wipe, made from proprietary Sontara technology. The product’s ultra-pure production process creates a 100% bio-based and compostable wipe without any binders or chemicals.
Glatfelter and Organoclick, the inventor and supplier of the bio-based and home compostable binder OC-BioBinder, have collaborated in the development of an airlaid material that is 100% bio-based, biodegradable and certified as home compostable. By optimizing the use of renewable raw materials and adjusting the airlaid composition, Glatfelter has been able to create soft, but strong, organic-based tabletop products. These advantages and features allow the product to degrade in consumers’ composts or offer the opportunity to the food service industry to dispose of the napkins together with other organic waste. This material can be used for many other applications as well.
Indorama Showcased Hygiene Fibers and Nonwovens
Indorama Ventures exhibited its range of hygiene fiber and nonwoven products with innovative functionality, across multiple hygiene applications at INDEX. Working across diapers, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene applications, Indorama Ventures innovations meet customer demand for lower base material weights, optimum fluid distribution, comfort and protection. The product portfolio featured demonstrated functional attributes including strength and durability, micro and macro protection, lightweighting, sensation and experience as well as sustainability.Continuing to support customers’ sustainability objectives and provide sustainable source materials for hygiene applications, Indorama Ventures’ portfolio includes Deja CO2 neutral fibers, a carbon neutral solution for PP staple fibers. The range highlights Indorama Ventures’ ambition and ability to produce PP, PET and rPET mono and bicomponent fibers with a lower carbon footprint.
Indorama Ventures’ development of Biotransformation Technology for nonwovens and fibers was shortlisted under the ‘raw materials or components’ category of EDANA’s INDEX Innovation Awards. Through its 10-year partnership agreement with technology innovator Polymateria, Indorama Ventures is applying Polymateria’s unique biotransformation technology to fibers and nonwovens.
Biotransformation is the world’s first technology that is capable of delivering full biodegradation of Polyolefin products in the open terrestrial environment. Polyolefin-based materials produced by this technology are especially useful for applications where materials may be leaked into the environment as unmanaged waste.
Meanwhile, Avgol, an Indorama Ventures company, used INDEX to showcase its commitment to developing solutions that deliver meaningful change. The company presented a holistic approach to sustainability with everything from its biodegradation technology and the use of more natural components, to introducing new materials with improved carbon footprint and recyclability.
Kansan Demonstrates Fully Integrated Flat-Pack Wet Wipe Manufacturing Plant
At INDEX, Kansan demonstrated a fully automated wet wipe production line with a flat-pack wet wipe machine, a flow wrap packaging machine, and a lid applicator robot which are completely integrated with a case packer and a Cobot palletizer of Andropack. The flow wrap machine Acurapack 140S of Kansan and the Cobot Palletizer of Andropack was seen for the first time at INDEX.The Kansan Materials team has been hard at work perfecting the wetlaid line and the line is almost ready for launch. The KM Wetlaid production line has advanced features and capabilities that enable it to produce high-quality wetlaid materials efficiently and cost-effectively, which could help to meet the growing demand for wetlaid materials in various industries such as hygiene, filtration, medical, and more.
Kansan has been providing crucial manufacturing solutions in every aspect of wet wipe production from the flat pack and cross-fold converting machines to flow wrappers, lid applicator robots, case packers, and palletizers for 30 years. These state-of-the-art production systems are highly versatile and designed to process the most delicate nonwovens with ease for manufacturing various types of dry and wet wipes, baby wipes, wet toilet papers, general cleaning wipes, disinfectant wipes, and many more. Kansan’s wet wipe converting machines can also work with the new generation flushable and biodegradable raw materials with high efficiency and productivity.
Kelheim, Sandler, pelzGROUP Develop Plastic-Free Pantyliner
Viscose speciality fiber manufacturer Kelheim Fibres, nonwovens producer Sandler and hygiene product manufacturer pelzGROUP have jointly developed a new panty liner that is plastic-free according to the European Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). This innovative solution is a step towards reducing the amount of plastic in hygiene products – and thus also a contribution to tackling the global problem of plastic pollution.According to a UNEP study on marine litter and microplastics, eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year. A significant portion of this pollution comes from single-use plastic products, including conventional period products such as pads or panty liners. The need for sustainable alternatives has never been greater, and this collaboration between Kelheim Fibres, Sandler, and Pelz is a much-needed step in the right direction.
The partnership between the three companies was formed under the Open Innovation principle, which allowed for creative idea exchange and facilitated the development of a truly innovative product. According to Jessica Zeitler, R&D specialist at Sandler, “Our collaboration with Kelheim Fibres and pelzGROUP is a great example of how companies can work together to create solutions that benefit both the environment and consumers. We are proud to be part of this project and the opportunities it offers.”
For hygiene product manufacturer pelzGROUP, it is important to combine sustainability and performance to achieve broad acceptance in the market. “Our panty liner meets the strict requirements of the European Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) while also matching the performance of conventional synthetic products. At the same time, our new panty liner has a completely European supply chain. This means short distances and therefore low CO2 emissions, and – especially in times of global disruption – reliability for our customers,” emphasizes Dr. Henning Röttger, head of Business Development at pelzGROUP.
“Our viscose speciality fibers are an environmentally friendly and high-performance alternative to synthetic materials,” says Dominik Mayer, project manager Fibre & Application Development at Kelheim Fibres. “They are at the very beginning of the product value chain and yet have an enormous impact on the functionality of the end product. Open innovation allows us to bring all partners in the value chain to the table, to find the best solution together in a very short time and bring it to commercialization - the collaboration with Sandler and pelzGROUP is an important milestone in our AHP journey.”
The panty liner will soon be commercially available under the pelzGROUP’s Cosmea brand.
Lycra Launches EnviroFit Fiber
The Lycra Company, a developer of innovative and sustainable fiber and technology solutions for the personal care and apparel industries, exhibited its newest fiber innovations for hygiene and personal care products at INDEX 23.At the trade show, The Lycra Company commercially launched Lycra EnviroFit fiber, one of the many fibers that the company has developed as part of its Planet Agenda sustainability platform. With its unique chemistry, Lycra EnviroFit fiber utilizes thinner yarns, reducing the amount of fiber per article and helping conserve resources without compromising product performance.
“We are thrilled to introduce Lycra EnviroFit fiber, which reduces fiber weight while maintaining the overall quality and performance that personal care products require,” says Scott Blackadar, president, personal care at The Lycra Company. “Having less mass means fewer resources and less energy are consumed during diaper production. This fiber will appeal to manufacturers who want to significantly reduce their product’s environmental impact and help improve its carbon footprint.”
In addition to continuously improving its range of fibers for personal care products, The Lycra Company also focuses on providing total solutions for the challenges its customers face. The company is offering two unique delivery technologies aimed at improving the spandex unwinding process and improving diaper line productivity that were promoted at the show.
The Lycra Company showcased the Trio Loop Technology at INDEX, the latest yarn control system from BTSR International S.p.A. Trio Loop Technology, in combination with MATRIXCUBE tension controlled plug-and-play unwinding systems, improves yarn tension control and adds more troubleshooting options to further improve diaper line productivity.
The Lycra Company is also the exclusive global distributor of the new and improved Knotter Type 093E for diaper production. This breakthrough innovation by Mesdan S.p.A. offers manufacturers greater efficiency and reliability by eliminating manual knot tying and reducing machine stops.
PFNonwovens Uses Bornewables PP for Hygiene Products
PFNonwovens has teamed up with Borealis to enhance its production of nonwoven materials for the personal hygiene market and set a new industry standard by using certified renewable polymers for spunbond and meltblown solutions.“Anticipating the growing demand for more sustainable nonwoven solutions, we have focused our development resources over the past several years on the circular sphere to accelerate our journey towards climate neutrality,” explains Tonny De Beer, chief product, technology & sustainability officer at PFNonwovens Group. “For PFN’s nonwoven products, fossil-based resins are today the main contributor to the carbon footprint. Therefore, using the Borealis Bornewables instead of standard fossil-based resins will significantly reduce the carbon footprint, even enabling products with a carbon footprint under zero.”
Bornewables can be used as direct drop-in replacements for comparable fossil-based polyolefins. In PFN’s nonwoven production, they required no changes to the existing manufacturing process while delivering the same high quality and performance as previous non-renewable virgin materials.
The Bornewables PP used by PFN is made with second-generation raw material feedstock derived entirely from waste and residue vegetable oil streams. The renewable content in all Bornewables products is mass balance accredited under the (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certification standard, confirming their authenticity and fully transparent traceability from the raw materials to the finished products.
“The combination of our expertise in polymer science and development with PFN’s processing know-how has resulted in nonwovens that make full use of the Bornewables advantages to minimise CO2 emissions. Together we are reducing both waste and fossil depletion, while delivering cost-efficient products for the hygiene market with a premium look and feel,” adds Peter Voortmans, global commercial director Consumer Product at Borealis. “At the same time, it serves as a role model of Borealis’ commitment to re-invent essentials for sustainable living in collaboration with value chain partners who share common goals.”
Quimicolor to Install Spunlace Line in Colombia
At INDEX, Colombian wipes converting company Quimicolor, along with Andritz, announced the company has invested in a complete Andritz neXline spunlace line for nonwovens production to its Medellín plant. The start-up is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023.This will be the first spunlace line in South America outside of Brazil, and it will include the 130th TT card sold by Andritz. The line will process viscose and polyester fibers to produce over 10,000 tons of nonwoven roll-goods per year for conversion to wipes.
With this investment, Quimicolor is adding its own roll-goods production line to its existing converting plant for the production of wipes. It will thus be able to control the quality of the products over the whole supply chain and make production more efficient as well as flexible. On-site production of roll-goods will have the added benefit of avoiding the intercontinental shipments needed before and thus substantially reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Thanks to Andritz’s support in accessing financing solutions, Quimicolor has obtained attractive financing for this investment through a buyer’s credit under the French export promotion scheme.
Antonio Mandivil, CEO of Quimicolor, says: “This investment will allow us to take our business to the next level. It will enable us to better serve the growing Latin American market and open new business opportunities. Andritz has supported us in every single step of this challenging project that will make us pioneers in spunlace production in our region while continuing to offer hygiene and household products with an excellent quality-price ratio for all market segments.”
Based in Medellín, Quimicolor has been producing skincare and household products for the Latin American market for more than 18 years.
RadiciGroup Offers High-Resistance Sustainable Nonwovens
At INDEX, RadiciGroup showcased spunbond and meltblown for different application sectors, such as roofing, construction, automotive, HO.RE.CA. and filtration.Respunsible is a spunbond brand manufactured from recycled polypropylene. A preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was carried out by RadiciGroup to demonstrate the correlation between the reduction in environmental impact and the percentage increase in recycled material. The final results demonstrate that a variable percentage of from 50 to 70% recycled material leads to a reduction in CO2 emissions of from 30 to 40%, compared to a fabric made of 100% virgin material, without comprising high technical performance.
Additionally, since RadiciGroup has achieved ISCC PLUS certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), it can offer bio, biocircular or circular polypropylene spunbond and meltblown nonwovens, in which the sustainable polypropylene is biomass balanced. This certification signifies traceability along the supply chain and verifies that the certified companies meet high environmental and social standards.
Active for over 30 years in the manufacture of nonwovens, the group continues to invest in an increasingly sustainable offering and high-performance technical products that meet the requirements of numerous industrial segments.
“Since 2020, we have had a technologically advanced meltblown production line,” says Enrico Buriani, CEO of the Nonwovens division of RadiciGroup Advanced Textile Solutions. “This allows us to make composite structures, sold under the brand name Radimelt. Now our goal is to expand our filtration applications, diversifying and developing new business, for instance vacuum cleaner bags or HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system filters, where we can meet the high efficiency and mechanical resistance demanded, thanks to our latest generation technology.”
What’s more, color is a central feature in the RadiciGroup portfolio: the color chart is extensive and in continual evolution. Tailor-made colors can be formulated according to specific customer needs.
Reicofil Launches New Technology Platform
Reifenhäuser Reicofil—a business unit of the Reifenhäuser Group—presented its new RF5 XHL production platform for the first time at INDEX 23. The suffix XHL stands for Extra High Loft. RF5 XHL is the evolution of the proven RF5 technology, targeted at super soft and drapeable nonwovens for the hygiene industry.“Thanks to highly crimped fibers with reduced fiber size, our XHL nonwovens offer a new level of quality with super soft touch for nonwoven products made from them – such as top sheet and back sheet,” explains Markus Müller, vice president Sales & Marketing of the Reifenhäuser Group. “At the same time, we achieve a huge improvement in the carbon footprint of up to 30% thanks to reduced resource use.”
The RF5 XHL technology relies on the specially patented BiCo process. This combines two different raw materials in one fiber in the spunbond process, creating a bimetallic effect and optimally crimping the fiber. This results in a weight reduction of up to 25% for fiber sizes at 1.0 denier. At the same time, thickness increases by up to 30% compared to state-of-the-art material.
The new RF5 XHL lines are also equipped with particularly energy-efficient components, enabling resource-saving nonwoven production at high line speeds. To reduce production waste to a minimum, all raw materials are made of polypropylene (PP), for simple and efficient inline recycling. In contrast, common mixed-material fabrics made of PP/PE or PET/PE are very difficult to recycle. In addition, to meet the ongoing demand for more sustainable nonwoven products, RF5 lines also process bio-based raw materials on request.
With c.Hub, the new data connection platform of the Reifenhäuser Group, Reicofil offers its customers a digitalization solution that is consistently tailored to the requirements of nonwovens production. Customers have the possibility to securely network the data of their Reicofil lines, peripherals as well as ERP and MES systems via the c.Hub middleware, to store it centrally for easy analysis. Line operators can thus monitor and document their production and increase production efficiency based on data. Coming with various software bundles, c.Hub is offered as an on-premise solution, i.e. it can be operated locally and remains under the full data sovereignty of the user.
RKW Exhibited Range of Films and Nonwovens
The RKW Group presented its broad product portfolio of films and nonwovens for hygiene and medical applications at this year’s INDEX. The spotlight was on the brands Hyfol, Aptra, RKW HyCare and Medifol.From one of the thinnest and most complex printed backsheets, textile backsheets as well as film solutions for feminine hygiene, to films for wound care products: RKW produces a wide range of premium hygiene films and diverse nonwovens, as well as a variety of specialty products. With its premium backsheet and topsheet films, RKW serves a global customer base in the areas of baby care, fem care, adult incontinence, as well as numerous customers in the medical field. “INDEX is the industry trade show and provides the best opportunity to exchange ideas with business partners, meet existing and potential customers, and discuss the latest trends and developments in the industry while showcasing our broad product range of innovative films, nonwovens and laminates for hygiene products and medical applications,” says Oliver Solorzano, director Sales Hygiene.
For more than 45 years, RKW has been producing high-quality backsheet films and is one of the leading experts in sustainable, safe and comfortable film solutions for baby diapers, feminine hygiene products and discreet and reliable solutions for adult incontinence. The current product portfolio for hygiene products includes both breathable and non-breathable solutions, pouch films, elastic films, nonwovens, laminates and closure system components – including brands such as Hyfol, Aptra and RKW HyCare.
In addition to hygiene, the RKW Group also has a long tradition in the production of films and special products used in the manufacturing of wound care and medical products, including plaster films or cover films. RKW also showcased these product solutions at INDEX 23, including the Medifol brand for wound care products and Aptra breathable films for technical applications.
TruCotton Showed Two Major Advancements
TruCotton Fibers showcased two new exciting sustainable technologies at INDEX. Both of these new advancements are based on the company’s unbleached cotton fibers for nonwoven and technical textile applications, known as TruCotton.The first technology is a rapidly dispersing short-cut version of TruCotton (TC-1S-SC) for the wetlaid industry. This treated short-cut fiber allows for fast introduction to water even though greige, unbleached cotton is naturally hydrophobic and, thus, difficult to submerge and disperse in wetlaid systems. TruCotton can add value to wetlaid substrates, as it is a hydrophobic cellulose which will add bulk density and not suffer wet collapse or swelling like other absorbent natural materials. Trial amounts of this short-cut fiber are currently available.
The second material advancement are commercially available TruCotton-based nonwoven materials which readily absorb any type of oil. This technology is pertinent to any industrial wipe producers looking for a sustainable natural fiber which will readily absorb oil without the need for petroleum-derived fibers. This wipe is currently produced in the U.S. by a major nonwovens spunlace manufacturer.