INDEX Award Winners Announced
04.18.23
Suominen, Henkel, Fiberpartner, Curt G. Joa and Sparkle honored
EDANA honored five companies for “Excellence in the nonwovens and related industries” this morning during the INDEX 23 Awards. Throughout the four-day exhibition the shortlisted entries will be displayed at the INDEX Innovation Lab, an INDEX exhibition showcasing how innovation and sustainability are driving the nonwovens industry forward.
Open to products that were made commercially available by January 31, 2023, and selected by a jury of experienced industry peers, EDANA’s INDEX 23 Awards are the highest accolade for excellence in the nonwovens value chain. The following companies were presented with awards at the EDANA stand.
Hydraspun Circula is one the first nonwovens on the market to be produced with recycled paper and virgin cellulosic fibers. It is challenging to use a waste source as a raw material in nonwovens due to high quality and hygiene requirements, which makes Hydraspun Circula stand out as a successful example of innovation.
This entry caught the jury’s attention for its innovative use of post-consumer waste, and its ability to demonstrate that innovations in nonwovens can support the circular economy and sustainable production. The jury also recognized Suominen’s efforts in transforming their product portfolio into an environmentally sustainable range of solutions.
Smart Adult Care transforms a conventional diaper into a smart, connected medical device. This is a vital step into the future of patient-centred care and smart hygiene services. Equipped with a lightweight, flexible printed sensor and reusable pod, the diaper enables remote monitoring of moisture, movement, and temperature. It was developed in cooperation with Henkel’s IoT partner Smartz AG.
Nonwoven-based absorbent hygiene products already make a significant contribution to the comfort and well-being of many elderly people. For the jury, the well-considered and field trialed Smart Adult Care solution, will not only take this to the next level, but also make life considerably easier for nurses and healthcare staff working under a lot of pressure. The integration of sensors into disposables has been suggested for all kinds of applications, but this is a big step forward in what is practical and achievable now.
A future proof bicomponent fiber core sheath construction, developed from materials with a low carbon footprint, this component was designed to biodegrade in the environments where most plastics eventually find themselves: landfills and ocean water. The BioBased PE is produced from sugar cane and has a negative carbon footprint. The Recycled PET is GRS certified. PrimaLoft Bio an additive technology that enables polyester and fabric fibers to biodegrade in the environment. Fibers can be processed in a variety of nonwovens technologies and used for different applications. The jury recognized that the hydrolytic biodegradation of fibers in landfill is beneficial for some nonwovens applications.
JOA’s ESC-8 Electronic Size Change unit offers a previously unavailable push-button product changeover technology. It uses numerous methods and processes that are truly unique to in-line product changeover and flexibility. As one example, each absorbent insert carriage within the ESC-8 unit is controlled and cammed independently leading to unparalleled process flexibility and user control.
The jury was impressed by this innovation associating flexibility and cost efficiency for the pant-type products industry.
Made from bagasse fibers, SugaFluff offers a wood-free, sustainable, cost-effective, high performing and truly circular alternative source of fluff pulp for absorbent hygiene products. No extra land is required to grow bagasse fibers for SugaFluff, as sugarcane bagasse is an abundantly available by-product of the sugar industry.
Shortlisted in two categories, the jury found this to be an excellent example of sustainability in all its dimensions, and of real relevance to the nonwoven industry and its related markets.
Open to products that were made commercially available by January 31, 2023, and selected by a jury of experienced industry peers, EDANA’s INDEX 23 Awards are the highest accolade for excellence in the nonwovens value chain. The following companies were presented with awards at the EDANA stand.
1. Nonwoven roll goods
Suominen—Hydraspun Circula NonwovenHydraspun Circula is one the first nonwovens on the market to be produced with recycled paper and virgin cellulosic fibers. It is challenging to use a waste source as a raw material in nonwovens due to high quality and hygiene requirements, which makes Hydraspun Circula stand out as a successful example of innovation.
This entry caught the jury’s attention for its innovative use of post-consumer waste, and its ability to demonstrate that innovations in nonwovens can support the circular economy and sustainable production. The jury also recognized Suominen’s efforts in transforming their product portfolio into an environmentally sustainable range of solutions.
2. Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens
Henkel – Smart Adult CareSmart Adult Care transforms a conventional diaper into a smart, connected medical device. This is a vital step into the future of patient-centred care and smart hygiene services. Equipped with a lightweight, flexible printed sensor and reusable pod, the diaper enables remote monitoring of moisture, movement, and temperature. It was developed in cooperation with Henkel’s IoT partner Smartz AG.
Nonwoven-based absorbent hygiene products already make a significant contribution to the comfort and well-being of many elderly people. For the jury, the well-considered and field trialed Smart Adult Care solution, will not only take this to the next level, but also make life considerably easier for nurses and healthcare staff working under a lot of pressure. The integration of sensors into disposables has been suggested for all kinds of applications, but this is a big step forward in what is practical and achievable now.
3. Raw materials or components (e.g., fiber, binder, polymer, tape), of special relevance to the nonwovens industry and related converted products
Fiberpartner—BicoBioA future proof bicomponent fiber core sheath construction, developed from materials with a low carbon footprint, this component was designed to biodegrade in the environments where most plastics eventually find themselves: landfills and ocean water. The BioBased PE is produced from sugar cane and has a negative carbon footprint. The Recycled PET is GRS certified. PrimaLoft Bio an additive technology that enables polyester and fabric fibers to biodegrade in the environment. Fibers can be processed in a variety of nonwovens technologies and used for different applications. The jury recognized that the hydrolytic biodegradation of fibers in landfill is beneficial for some nonwovens applications.
4. Innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry
Curt G. Joa, Inc.—ESC-8JOA’s ESC-8 Electronic Size Change unit offers a previously unavailable push-button product changeover technology. It uses numerous methods and processes that are truly unique to in-line product changeover and flexibility. As one example, each absorbent insert carriage within the ESC-8 unit is controlled and cammed independently leading to unparalleled process flexibility and user control.
The jury was impressed by this innovation associating flexibility and cost efficiency for the pant-type products industry.
5. Sustainable Product
Sparkle Innovations—SugaFluffMade from bagasse fibers, SugaFluff offers a wood-free, sustainable, cost-effective, high performing and truly circular alternative source of fluff pulp for absorbent hygiene products. No extra land is required to grow bagasse fibers for SugaFluff, as sugarcane bagasse is an abundantly available by-product of the sugar industry.
Shortlisted in two categories, the jury found this to be an excellent example of sustainability in all its dimensions, and of real relevance to the nonwoven industry and its related markets.