09.11.24
Theodor-Wilhelm-Schmid-Str. 1
95028 Hof-Gattendorf
Germany
+49 9281 7391-700
info@bwf-protec.de
BWF Protec is one of four independent divisions of the BWF Group, an owner-managed group of companies with headquarters in Offingen, Bavaria.
BWF Protec was founded in 1892 as a wool felt factory in Hof, Bavaria/Germany. In the 1960s, the company started with the production of technical needle felts. In the 1990s and 2000s, BWF Protec expanded its production capabilities to include machines for manufacturing endless needled rollers and belts as well as cutting tables and punches for making up nonwoven materials. The main applications are found in the aluminum, glass, steel, automotive, aircraft and railway industries as well as heat protection and safety, high-temperature isolation and medicine technology.
The decision to produce nonwovens was made to open up new markets for the BWF Group back in the 1960s, according to Alexander Klotz, managing director of BWF Protec. Initially, the focus was mainly on filter media, but also on technical applications. These two areas were split up into two independent divisions in the beginning of the 1990s: BWF Envirotec for filter media and BWF Protec for technical applications. “This specialization made it possible to intensively develop the market for technical nonwovens and to expand the product range accordingly,” Klotz says.
Currently, the company’s nonwovens are bonded purely mechanically using needling technology. Thermal or chemical treatments are used to get additional hardening where needed. In addition to the classic production options for yard goods, BWF Protec also has the technology to produce endless round-needled products such as rollers and belts
BWF Protec supplies various industries. Its main focus is on heat & safety (e.g. PPE, welding protection, etc.), seating (fire-blocking nonwovens for train and aircraft seating), the aluminum and glass industry (transport of high-temperature materials), as well as the shoe industry, car wash industry, steel industry and automotive industry. Many more industries are profiting from the use of technical needle felts, according to Klotz. One area where the company sees big potential is in the battery industry, as energy storage becomes more and more important.
Meanwhile, cutting technology plays the biggest role in the company’s converting capabilities. “Precision cutting (2D and 3D) adds extra value and is highly valued as a service by our customers,” Klotz says. “Additionally, we have high-performance die cutting. Possibilities of sewing and welding are given at our subsidiaries worldwide.”
The company is constantly striving to open up new market segments through new and ongoing product developments. In many countries, BWF Protec already works together with local partners helping it to expand into new markets with their expertise.
Currently, the company is investing mainly in the further development of its nonwovens belt production. Additional investments in other segments and new nonwoven technologies are not ruled out, Klotz adds.
“Due to the wide range of possible applications for nonwovens, especially in the technical sector, we feel that we are in very strong position here for the future,” he concludes.
