Beaulieu Announces New Pilot Line

06.25.19

More capacity on the horizon for growing geotextiles segment

At ITMA, Beaulieu Engineered Product’s announced a new, fully operational pilot line supporting R&D projects for industrial and hygiene applications. It will also support the development of innovative fibers for new markets and applications. Beaulieu Fibres International’s (BFI) pilot line answers increasing customer demand for co-developments. It is extremely flexible and can replicate any type of staple fiber spinning technology, using different type of polymers and additives, and different type of cross sections.

More capacity on horizon to boost cost-efficient, strong geotextiles: new high tenacity staple fibers capacity will be available from the end of 2019 at BFI’s Italian plant. BFI’s high tenacity fibers HT8 offer unique high tensile strength without compromising on elongation. The fibers provide opportunities to reduce geotextile system cost by maximizing machine efficiency and ensure desired performance at reduced weight - up to 15% compared with standard geotextile fibers.

New PET-core BICO staple fibers bring loft to hygiene products: the fibers are available in a dtex range from 1,3-6,7dtex/40mm in both polymer-configurations PP/PET (Polypropylene / Polyethylene terephthalate) and PE/PET (Polyethylene /Polyethylene terephthalate). The specific use of PET in the core improves the resilience/loft of the nonwoven. The use of PE in the sheath provides softness as required in topsheets, for example, while the configuration with PP in the sheath answers the requirements for ultrasonic bonding. Fibers come in an antimony (Sb)-free version, as required by the latest hygiene safety regulations.

Realizing 100% recyclable sustainable needlepunched fabrics: BFI’s new and unique polyolefin staple fiber UltraBond eliminates the need for latex or other chemical binders to consolidate nonwovens, contributing to a fully recyclable system. The award-winning innovation opens up a new path to create 100% PP needlepunched fabrics which meet the same performance requirements while reducing the end-of-life environmental impact. CO₂ emissions are reduced by 35% over the full production process during fabrics’ production.

Renewable natural resources for carpets - biomass-balance EqoBalance PA6 yarns: following their pioneering introduction in mid-2018, Beaulieu Yarns is seeing interest increase in 2019 in its drop-in alternative for carpet manufacturers. EqoBalance yarns support the global goal of strong, immediate CO₂ emission reduction, allowing a reduction of up to 75% of CO₂ eq/kg compared to Beaulieu Yarns’ fossil-based products.

These Green Product Award winning yarns deliver the same quality and performance as the fossil-based equivalents, and enable carpet manufacturers to contribute to a sustainable future through less use of fossil resources and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Beaulieu Yarns’ EqoBalance is the very first yarn certified by TÜV Süd as meeting the new REDcert standard on the “use of sustainable biomass for material purposes in the chemical industry.”