In 1849, the tannery Heintze & Freudenberg — founded by Heinrich Christian Heintze and Carl Johann Freudenberg — opened with 50 employees in Weinheim, Germany. Almost 100 years later, in 1938, Dr. Carl Ludwig Nottebohm developed the first nonwovens to produce artificial leather. After World War II, Dr. Nottebohm developed Vlieseline interlinings, which became an immediate success. The rest is history. From its origins as a small tannery, the Freudenberg Group has become a global leader not only in nonwovens, but in many other industry sectors. In 2013, sales reached 6623 million euros with a global workforce of 39,897 people. Today five business areas are the cornerstones:
- Seals & vibration control technology
- Nonwovens & Filtration with its (former) divisions Freudenberg Nonwovens, Freudenberg Politex Nonwovens, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies.
- Household products.
- Freudenberg Performance Materials
- Specialties & Others.
Freudenberg Performance Materials
The Freudenberg Group is a loyal exhibitor at Techtextil. Freudenberg recently formed a new business unit known as Freudenberg Performance Materials. Under the motto “Innovative, Global, Sustainable” the newly formed business group will showcase its performance and presents innovative solutions at Techtextil. The show represents the first public appearance of Freudenberg Performance Materials, which officially opened January 1, 2015. It was formed by merging Freudenberg Nonwovens with Freudenberg Politex Nonwovens.
The business unit reports it is “a leading global supplier of innovative performance materials offering differentiated value propositions to a broad range of markets and applications such as Automotive Interiors, Apparel, Building Materials, Hygiene, Medical, Shoe Components and Specialties.” The business unit generates sales of more than 900 million euros, and has more than 20 manufacturing sites in 14 countries and employs more than 3,800 associates.
Seals & Vibration Control Technology
Bruce Olson, president and CEO, Freudenberg Performance Materials, said: “The name Freudenberg Performance Materials is consistent with our most important mandate: We are constantly looking for innovative and differentiated ways to meet the needs of our customers. Having acted as two successful companies on a global stage in the past, we have now consolidated our future-orientated portfolio and our know-how in the development of innovative nonwovens and high technology applications for the market.”
Exhibits
At Techtextil, the company presents new solutions in the area of advanced wound care, batteries and fuel cell components, interlinings, sound absorption and technical packaging.
Advanced Wound Care
With more than 30 years of experience in the medical sector, Freudenberg Performance Materials presents a comprehensive portfolio for advanced wound care, now complemented by hydrophilic foam solutions. The latest products from the nonwovens specialist absorb wound exudates, which creates an ideal environment for wound healing. The products are said to protect the wound from drying out, from cooling and ensure an unhindered exchange of gases and water vapor, thereby accelerating the wound healing process.
Roofing Material
Among other innovative solutions, the company will exhibit the roofing product “Terbond,” which is a polyester fiber nonwoven manufactured using spunbond technology. Terbond mainly is applied as reinforcement for bituminous roofing membranes in commercial buildings. This solution is available in various weights and is said to be capable of meeting a wide range of technical requirements.
Acoustics Nonwovens In Cars
“SoundTex M” is mentioned as one of the highlights at the company’s booth. The nonwoven product is based on an innovative microfilament technology from Freudenberg. The adjustable flow resistance claims to offer excellent sound absorption, particularly in the frequency range from 600 to 6,000 Hertz. The product also is characterized by its ease of processing for shaping, cutting and bonding. Thanks to its outstanding strength and weight ratio, the product is said to offer significant potential for reducing the weight of components.
Printed Interlinings
As the inventor of interlinings, the company underlines its approach of its global technical and creative leadership in interlining with new printed interlinings. The company offers special interlinings that can be printed with a customized design and laminated to the outer fabric. A service is offered for lamination where additional features can be added, such as water-repellent characteristics. The interlinings available for this process have been selected with care to achieve an optimum result in terms of handle and brilliancy of colors. Ideally, these materials can be used for unlined jackets and coats as well as trousers and skirts.
Evolon
Besides receiving information on these innovative solutions, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the products of the newly formed business unit at its booth, which is partly built from “Evolon,” the eco-friendly unique printing media for advertising and decoration. The latest development is also visible at the exhibition: 3-D structured lightweight microfilament wipes offering the best cleaning performance of the category for a multitude of dry or wet usages in demanding industrial cleaning.
Freudenberg Performance Materials will be located in Hall 3, Booth F37.
Have Your Say
The Rupp Report still invites companies to send in their previews for Techtextil to jrupp@textilworld.com.
March 31, 2015
