DuPont Advanced Printing Launches Dye Sublimation Ink

WILMINGTON, Del.— September 14, 2016 — DuPont Advanced Printing today announced the launch of DuPont™ Artistri® Xite S1500 dye sublimation ink. Backed by more than 25 years of digital inkjet manufacturing and technical support, the innovative ink is now available for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and printers. Artistri Xite S1500 offers superior product consistency, jetting reliability and color print performance.

“We are excited to add Artistri Xite S1500 to our family of inks. This is an ink that delivers what our customers expect from DuPont — exceptional color saturation, printing efficiency and innovation. This is the next step as we continue to build our portfolio and meet the growing needs of the digital textile market,” said Eric Beyeler, global marketing manager – Digital Inks, DuPont Advanced Printing.

Artistri Xite S1500 ink is a new digital ink offering for printing on polyester textile substrates. Designed to work with coated dye sublimation papers, the ink meets the needs of quality conscious textile printers in multiple areas including garment decoration, fast fashion/couture, point of purchase signage and trade booth construction.

“Artistri Xite S1500 achieves exceptional color standards with deep, rich blacks and outstanding color saturation. It also offers excellent jetting characteristics, which means less cleaning and ink waste, lower down time on press and a more trouble-free workflow. The quality control and manufacturing expertise from DuPont ensures that the ink the user purchases will be consistent and predictable batch-to-batch,” said Ken Hogrefe, technical marketing manager – DuPont Advanced Printing.

Earlier this year, DuPont Digital Inks announced the launch of new and improved DuPont Artistri inks that will deliver brighter colors, shorter production cycles and higher production throughput for direct-to-garment and roll-to-roll digital printing.

DuPont Advanced Printing brings together leading technologies and products for the printing and package printing industries. DuPont Cyrel® is one of the world’s leading flexographic plate-making systems in digital and conventional formats, including the new Cyrel EASY photopolymer plates and Cyrel FAST plates and processing equipment. DuPont Izon provides anti-counterfeit solutions and document security systems to corporate and government entities. DuPont Artistri offers high-quality inks for consumer, commercial, office inkjet and textile printing applications.

Posted September 14, 2016

Source: DuPont Advanced Printing

Delta Apparel Completes Sale Of Maiden, North Carolina Textile Facility

GREENVILLE, S.C. — September 13, 2016 — Delta Apparel Inc. today reported that it has completed the sale of its Maiden, N.C., textile facility and certain assets used in those operations. The closure of this facility in July 2016 was part of the company’s previously announced manufacturing realignment aimed at maximizing production at its lower cost facilities, eliminating duplicative fixed costs, and leveraging the latest dyeing and finishing technology available. The realignment is expected to significantly lower production costs, improve gross margins and ultimately boost operating earnings by an estimated $8 million annually, or approximately $0.70 per diluted share.

More than half of the expense associated with the manufacturing realignment was recorded in the company’s fiscal 2016 third quarter earnings, and the remainder, approximately $0.12 per diluted share, will be recorded in the company’s fiscal 2016 fourth fiscal quarter. Cash flow realized from the sale of the Maiden assets was approximately $1.7 million, which will be used to lower debt levels.

Robert W. Humphreys, Delta Apparel’s Chairman and CEO, commented: “While it was a difficult decision to close the Maiden facility, we are pleased that the new owner plans to continue using it as a wet-processing facility that will provide continued employment opportunities in the Maiden community. We have successfully partnered with established domestic textile producers to source fabric for our made-in-the-USA products previously produced at this plant, and will continue to sew the fabric into garments at our Rowland, N.C., apparel facility.”

“In addition, we are efficiently sourcing in-country fabric to use in our Mexico sew and screen print facilities, which now serve as a quick-turn operation to support continued growth in our full-package catalog programs. We began increasing fabric production in our Honduran textile facility in June, and have successfully increased output in that facility on schedule, and should be at full production levels by the end of calendar 2016.”

Posted September 14, 2016

Source: Delta Apparel

ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 Exhibitor Preview: Picanol

IEPER, Belgium — September 2016 — As one of the world’s leading weaving machine manufacturers, Picanol has always had a very close relationship with the Chinese textile industry. This relationship is not a matter of chance or coincidental developments: on the contrary, it is the result of long-term, strategic planning by the Picanol management.

In this firm belief, Picanol sent its first pioneers to explore the possibilities in the Far East, already in the early 1950s. Picanol took part in one of the first international exhibitions held in Beijing. This was the period when Picanol salesmanagers, still based in Ieper, criss-crossed the Orient to promote its weaving machines at exhibitions and technical seminars.

The growing installed base of Picanol machines in China, as well as the increasing demand for a higher level of service & support resulted in the establishment of the Picanol Service Centre, which was set up in Shanghai in 1987. A network of local service engineers was also established to serve the other South-Asian countries.

The next step in the history of Picanol in China was the set-up of PST, Picanol Suzhou Textile Machinery Works, thus starting its career as a Chinese textile machinery manufacturer. This set-up took place in 1994 and we celebrate this year the 22 years existence of Picanol Suzhou Textile Machinery Works.

PST was Picanol’s first production line outside Belgium, and the technology and organisation were based entirely on the assembly concept employed at the company’s headquarters in Ieper. Today PST houses a complete production unit with 3 assembly lines for 3 product types (GT-Max, GTMax-i with rapier technology and the OMNIplus-X with airjet technology), a mechatronics division, a sales, service and spare parts organization. The majority of the Chinese management, engineers and technicians have been trained in Belgium.

Machines produced in PST aim at the top layer of the mid segment and are besides in China, also quite succesful in the new emerging textile regions outside China. The Belgium produced machines are built for the top segment.

Posted September 14, 2016

Source: Picanol

TM Capital Advises Berkshire Blanket In Sale To SUMEC Group

ATLANTA — September 13, 2016 — TM Capital — a middle market investment banking firm with offices in New York, Boston and Atlanta — served as exclusive financial advisor to Berkshire Blanket Inc., a portfolio company of CSW Private Equity LLC, in its sale to SUMEC Textile Light Industry Co. Ltd., a subsidiary company of The SUMEC Group.

Berkshire Blanket, based in Ware, Mass., with its primary showroom in New York City, is the leading designer, importer and marketer of blankets, throws and soft home goods in the United States. Since its inception 23 years ago, Berkshire has created new, innovative, industry-leading fabrics, technologies, styles, designs, patterns, textures and colors suitable for all ages, seasons and occasions. These products are sold under the Company’s brands in addition to private label and licenses through a “who’s who” roster of specialty, wholesale club, department store, mass merchant, and internet and TV retailers, including: Bed Bath & Beyond, TJX, QVC, Costco, Ross, Target and Macy’s.

New York–based CSW acquired a majority interest in Berkshire in 2006.  During its ownership, CSW pursued a series of initiatives designed to improve the Company’s performance and support accelerated growth. As a result, Berkshire more than doubled revenue while engineering transformative change in its product mix. A business which had previously derived 91 percent of revenues from blankets is, today, a diversified soft home goods resource generating nearly 50 percent of revenue from non-blanket offerings.  Enhancements included strengthening design and strategic sourcing resources, leadership upgrades and significant investment in ERP systems. These initiatives positioned Berkshire Blanket to both weather the Great Recession and expand its product breadth and key account relationships.

CSW partner and Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Holdings Michael Smart commented:  “Berkshire has been established and built into an authentic brand with an enviable market position and attractive opportunities to expand into adjacent home goods categories. We are gratified that SUMEC recognized this value, and we wish them continued success.”

TM Capital worked closely with CSW and Berkshire’s management team to craft an investment thesis highlighting the Company’s value as a platform for growth. TM Capital Managing Director and partner David Felts stated: “Our collaboration with CSW has spanned many years, and we’re thrilled to have been selected to represent CSW in this important transaction.  Leveraging almost three decades of experience and relationships in the soft home goods industry, we were able to coordinate a robust, global marketing process that ultimately resulted in completing an attractive transaction with SUMEC.  This transaction reflects a continuing wave of cross-border interest in companies with established brands and strong relationships with the largest U.S. retailers.”

Mr. Smart added: “We were impressed with TM’s nuanced understanding of the Company, sector and the universe of potential buyers. We knew the highest value would likely come from a buyer with strategic synergies and an ability to further leverage the platform we built. The TM team did a great job crafting that thesis and then accessing a global buyer universe with individually-tailored messaging.”

Baker Hostetler LLP acted as counsel to Berkshire Blanket and CSW. Reed Smith LLP advised SUMEC.

Posted September 14, 2016

Source: TM Capital Corp.

Teijin To Acquire Continental Structural Plastics

TOKYO — September 13, 2016 — Teijin Ltd. announced today that it has agreed to acquire Continental Structural Plastics Holdings Corp. (CSP), an automotive composite supplier in North America, for $825 million. CSP will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Teijin. Through this acquisition, Teijin intends to establish the foundations of an automotive composite products business in North America, and to accelerate its expansion as a tier 1 supplier of high-performance composites to the global automotive market.

The shares of CSP will be purchased by Teijin Holdings USA Inc., the Teijin Group’s holding company in the United States. The acquisition is scheduled to be completed in December 2016 after satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

CSP is a leading manufacturer of thermoset composites in the automotive industry and is the world’s largest sheet molding compound (SMC) manufacturer for automakers. Since its establishment in 1969, CSP has provided leading-edge technologies in lightweight materials and composite solutions such as glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) for the automotive industry. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., CSP provides full-service engineering support, and holds more than 50 patents covering materials development and manufacturing processes in composite materials formulation and design. Its Class A surfaces produced by its SMC technology have been adopted by various automakers in the US, Europe and Japan.The company has 14 facilities in the US, Mexico, France and China and approximately 3,200 employees. It posted consolidated sales of over USD 634 million in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015.

Teijin will benefit from CSP’s established sales channels in the North American automotive market, which will enable the combined business to provide a broader range of solutions that meet automakers’ demands for weight reduction and durability, utilizing the company’s thermoplastic composite technologies.

The integration of CSP’s technical expertise in thermoset composites and Teijin’s leadership in complementary thermoplastics creates significant synergies for comprehensive multi-material applications to meet diversified demands from the automotive industry. Through this transaction, Teijin aims to become an automotive solution provider by expanding its offerings beyond carbon fiber and glass fiber materials, in collaboration with other materials manufacturers. Teijin intends to expand its product portfolio from materials to component design, implement a global supply chain and help achieve vehicle weight reductions in order to comply with tighter environmental regulations being introduced after 2020.

The combination of CSP’s thermoset capabilities, especially its GFRP technology, and Teijin’s high-performance composites such as carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP), will help reduce weight and component count in finished products. This will in turn improve recycling efficiency and offer automakers value-added solutions that meet their requirements for more environmentally friendly components at lower cost. Teijin will also utilize CSP’s European Center for Advanced Technology in France and Teijin’s own composite production facilities to enhance its global development capabilities, allowing the combined business to better address the requirements of European, Japanese and Asian automakers. The automotive composite products business of the Teijin Group is targeting annual sales of USD 2.0 billion by 2030.

Jun Suzuki, President and CEO of Teijin Ltd., commented: “Since being appointed as Teijin’s president in January 2014, I have pursued business models that help provide value-added solutions by combining and integrating our own materials, healthcare and IT technologies. We are confident that the platform for automotive composite products business we will gain through the acquisition of CSP’s complementary technical expertise in thermoset composites and GFRP know-how will trigger further development of our integrated high-performance materials business, one of our key strategic fields.”

Suzuki added: “Utilizing such synergy effects, and as outlined in our 2014 Transformation and Growth Strategies in Revised Medium-Term Management Plan, Teijin aims to provide consistent upstream-to-downstream solutions and realize one of the company’s growth concepts, which is high-performance materials technologies that create new value. The Teijin Group will continue to evolve, aiming to become a company that supports future society leveraging our core strengths in integrated high-performance materials and healthcare.”

Teijin is implementing a solutions-oriented business model as part of its long-term management vision, with development of composite applications for mass-produced automotive components one of its priorities in the field of high-performance fibers. Environmental concerns such as CO2 emission reductions and improvements in fuel efficiency are now global issues; accelerated development of tough and lightweight eco-friendly composite components is therefore a pressing task in the automotive industry. Teijin is now focused on establishing a platform for business development in automotive composite products, aiming to provide a wider range of solutions for automakers.

Teijin established its Teijin Composites Innovation Center in 2008 and has focused on developing leading-edge composite product technologies and applications. In 2011 the company developed the world’s first mass-production technology for CFRTP, with a production interval time — or “takt-time” — of just one minute. Teijin subsequently established a technical facility in the US and a pilot plant for the fully integrated production of CFRTP in Japan. In 2012 it branded the world’s first CFRTP product — Sereebo™ — and has been preparing this for commercial use via high-volume production methods in collaboration with domestic and international enterprises. Meanwhile, Toho Tenax Co., Ltd., the core company of the group’s carbon fibers and composites business, has developed an integrated production system for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) using its Tenax® Part via Preform (PvP) technology that considerably reduces carbon-fiber waste compared to conventional preform production methods. Furthermore, Teijin obtained ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for its evaluation capabilities in 2015 and ISO/TS 16949 accreditation for automotive production and relevant service part organizations in 2016.

Posted September 13, 2016

Source: Teijin Ltd.

Vibram USA Celebrates 100 Years Of Manufacturing In Massachusetts

CONCORD, Mass. — September 13, 2016 — Vibram®, a producer of high-performance soles and the creator of the Vibram FiveFingers® articulated toe shoe, today announced its centennial anniversary of manufacturing in the United States. The milestone celebration is set for Friday, Sept. 16, at its Quabaug Vibram Innovation (QVI) manufacturing facility in North Brookfield, Mass.

“Vibram USA’s ‘Centennial Event for the Future’ is as much about celebrating our future as it is our past,” said Mike Gionfriddo, president & CEO of Vibram USA. “This milestone represents Vibram’s commitment to innovating and manufacturing performance-oriented products here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

With the completion of the acquisition of the Quabaug Corp. last year, 2016 marks the beginning of Vibram USA committing to a five-year, multi-million dollar campaign, with investments in staff and machinery to support innovation for the next one hundred years. As such, it is upgrading QVI’s capabilities, manufacturing machines, inaugurating a two-year workforce education program, expanding its domestic supply chain and strengthening its product development and innovation processes in an effort to dominate more global markets.

“Massachusetts is home to so many great manufacturing companies and Vibram is a great example. Here in North Brookfield, Vibram supports good jobs and continues the proud tradition of high-quality products made in America,” commented Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02). “A manufacturer of essential products used by our military and men and women in uniform, Vibram is also helping to keep our country safe. I am proud to join so many in North Brookfield in congratulating Vibram on 100 years of manufacturing right here in Central Massachusetts.”

In 2016 alone, Vibram has invested $6 million for new machinery and machine upgrades to ensure modern capabilities, innovation and institutional knowledge remain in the United States. That effort includes replacing 30-year-old machines with new, more technologically advanced presses, which allow for current materials to be produced with better efficiency, quality and faster response times to meet customers’ demands. Additionally, Vibram plans to make a significant investment in Vibram USA’s materials testing and validation center to better understand the chemistry of its materials as it relates to consumer-oriented performance attributes.

In terms of a commitment to its staff, Vibram’s plans include:

  • Continue hiring for all aspects of the business, including sales, marketing, human resources, manufacturing and finance, with a focus on recruitment related to innovation of talented designers, engineers, developers and chemists. That includes both electrical and mechanical engineers.
  • A new partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide education to all 300+ Vibram USA employees, with a focus on topics such as plant layout, Lean Education Academic Network (LEAN) initiatives and quality management.
  • Provide outside educational growth programs, in partnership with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute for project management, University of Massachusetts Lowell for materials science and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for innovation management.

Gionfriddo continues, “We continue to rely upon new, young talent, who bring technical degrees from top universities with majors ranging from engineering to chemistry and physics to drive Vibram’s global innovation projects in the U.S.”

“The Governor and I want to congratulate Vibram USA on 100 years of business here in the Commonwealth,” says Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Vibram is a key component of the Massachusetts manufacturing economy and an important source of high-quality products for members of our military and individual customers around the globe.”

Vibram USA’s centennial celebration, which is open to the public, is scheduled for 10 a.m.-1 p.m., this Friday, Sept. 16, at 18 School St., North Brookfield, Mass. Scheduled dignitaries attending include Rep. Jim McGovern, State Sen. Anne Gobi and State Rep. Donnie Berthiaume. The celebration will incorporate an anniversary commemoration, factory tours and hors’ d’oeuvres. In support of the celebration, guests are asked to please bring a pair of extra shoes to donate, as Quabaug Vibram International is gathering and donating shoes to Veterans Inc. of Worcester to help support veterans in need.

Posted September 13, 2016

Source: Vibram USA

New Managing Director For Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH

SÜSSEN, Germany — September 13, 2015 — José Geraldes was appointed managing director by the Board of Directors of Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH, Germany, with effect from July 1st, 2016. With Geraldes, Suessen was able to engage a very experienced expert in the field of textile machinery.

Working for Bosch in Stuttgart, his places of employment were in Homburg/Saar and in Brazil, where he was in charge for hydraulics/pneumatics and diesel fuel injection systems. After having returned to Stuttgart, he was active in the business domain New Products in the sector of diesel injection pumps.

In 1999, Geraldes moved to a new job at Groz-Beckert KG. In more than 11 years working for this company, he was engaged in various technical functions. Among others, he was head of a subsidiary in Portugal for many years. After his return to the parent company, he was head of the center for technology and development and finally head of the division for weaving accessories and weaving preparation. This included plants in Germany, Switzerland, China and the Czech Republic. In 2010, Geraldes became managing director of Christian Bauer GmbH + Co. KG.

Suessen has sold more than 10 million EliTe®Compact Spinning System spindles, and has established itself as the most versatile compact ring spinning system. Existing ring spinning machines of various manufacturers can be upgraded to compact spinning, using Suessen EliTe®CompactSet.

The well-known Open-End SpinBoxes SE 7, SE 8, SE 9 and SE 10 were developed and manufactured by Suessen. The SpinBox generations of SC series are delivered to the rotor spinning machine manufacturer Rieter in Switzerland, retrofitting packages to existing Open-End rotor spinning machines are possible. In total, Suessen has manufactured over 3.5 million SpinBoxes.

Posted September 13, 2016

Source: Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH

ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 Exhibitor Preview: Brückner

LEONBURG, Germany — September 13, 2016 — Since almost 70 years the family-owned company is one of the leading producers of textile finishing lines. Brückner supplies consulting services and lines for almost all purposes in the field of textiles, technical textiles, nonwovens or floor coverings. Highest quality, high efficiency and long service life of the machines as well as a close cooperation with the customer are the most important factors of success.

Brückner offers among other things sanforizing lines, continuous dyeing lines, infrared dryers, relaxation dryers, compactors and stenters for coating, drying and heat-setting. Services like consulting about energy saving and After Sales Service are of course a part of the company’s portfolio, too. In the company’s Technology Centre in Leonberg, Germany, customers and interested companies can make tests and develop their products. They will be supported by experienced technologists who will give useful advice to allow an even more efficient use of the lines. On the booth in Shanghai BRÜCKNER will present this year an extensive and varied program.

POWER-SHRINK Sanforizing line for the finishing of woven fabric

The rubber belt compacting line allows the sanforizing and compacting of very different types of woven fabrics. Finishing on a sanforizing line gives the fabric a more stable structure, a silky shine, a smooth hand and minimum residual shrinkage values. Typical end products are fabric for shirts and trousers, jeans, bed linen, working clothes, home textiles or upholstery material. Brückner offers single or double sanforizing lines and combinations with felt calenders depending on the product and the customer’s requirements.

POWER-COLORTHERM continuous dyeing line

With a continuous dyeing line by Brückner the customers will achieve uniform and reproducible dyeing results. The lines ensure a crease-free fabric flow without shading and migration. The symmetrical structure of the air circulation zones prevents a different shade on the two fabric sides. In addition the installed power is adapted to the low air flows required for dye drying which leads to a considerably lower energy consumption. Typical end products dyed on Brückner lines are fabrics for shirts and trousers, working clothes and home textiles.

Continuous research and development efforts have made Brückner machines today even more efficient and increased their service life and support the customers in minimizing their ecological footprint. Only one example: an indirect gas heating system has been developed particularly for the finishing of knitted fabric, which saves in combination with a special heat-recovery system energy and prevents the yellowing of the fabric. This is of particular importance in case of sensitive fabric containing elastane. If a company does not want to invest in a completely new line, Brückner offers a modification of the heating system for example from oil to indirect gas heating.

And Brückner developed a new minimum application unit. This application unit works with a minimum liquor tank of approx. 2.5 liters for each meter of working width. The minimum application quantities require in the following processes (for example drying or curing) clearly less water evaporation which has a positive effect on the energy requirement at the respective dryer. In addition there is no waste or prodigality of chemicals and no expensive disposal is required since the contents of the liquor tank can be used almost completely.

Brückner offers regarding the question of energy efficiency also the possibility of retrofitting for example a heat-recovery or exhaust air cleaning system. These systems can be retrofitted without problems also to machines made by other producers and help to safe energy and to reduce the environmental impact.

What is your concern? Brückner’s sales and service team is looking forward to meeting you and will advise you comprehensively.

Posted September 13, 2016

Source: Brückner

Freudenberg Performance Materials Opens New Production Facility In China: Expansion Of Business With Innovative Auto Headliner

WEINHEIM, Germany — September 12, 2016 — Freudenberg & Vilene Nonwovens brought a new production line for car headliners into operation at its Suzhou site in eastern China. This will enable the company to meet increasing demand for high-quality car roof linings and especially for quality printed products in Asia. Freudenberg & Vilene Nonwovens is currently the only manufacturer in China with its own printing facility. Freudenberg Performance Materials is the specialist nonwovens arm of the Freudenberg Group. In China, the Group is represented by Freudenberg & Vilene Nonwovens, a joint venture with Japan Vilene Company, Tokyo.

Freudenberg & Vilene Company headliners are based on nonwovens and can be finished in various ways to provide additional functionality. Apart from excellent abrasion resistance, outstanding acoustic properties and improved stain resistance, these products contribute to a marked reduction in vehicle weight when combined with other vehicle components. In addition, the company also uses a proportion of recycled products in the manufacture of its products. In this way, Freudenberg helps its customers to reduce their environmental footprint. The new facility will enable the company to increase its production volumes.

“The expansion of our activities in China underlines our expertise in automotive headliners. This move will also further underscore our position as a leading and reliable partner for our customers”, commented Bruce Olson, President and CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials.

“Freudenberg & Vilene Company is currently the only manufacturer in Asia with automotive in-house printing capabilities. This gives us the ability to offer customers innovative, individualized products with the most up-to-date designs while ensuring consistently high quality”, explained Dr. Frank Heislitz, Chief Technology Officer of Freudenberg Performance Materials. Freudenberg & Vilene Company first introduced printed headliners to the market in 2010, thus capturing a special customer need.

The automotive market in Asia continues to grow. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), car sales in China alone grew by more than 7 percent in the first half 2016 compared to the same period in the previous year. Demand for high-quality products is increasing and is especially strong for printed headliners. Asian OEMs show a marked preference for printed headliners that meet the high quality of Japanese and Korean design standards.

Freudenberg Performance Materials is an established and reliable partner to the automotive industry worldwide. In Asia and China, Freudenberg & Vilene Company enjoys long-standing relationships with Asian OEMs, where it holds a leading position in the market. A cornerstone of this success has been the ability to create numerous headliner innovations.

Alongside the production of products for car interiors, Freudenberg & Vilene Company’s product portfolio includes industrial nonwovens for the apparel industry, industrial ventilation and other technical applications.

Posted September 12, 2016

Source: Freudenberg Performance Materials Holding SE & Co. KG

Beaulieu Fibres International To Invest 30 Million Euros In Meraklon Hygiene Fiber Capacity Increase

WIELSBEKE, Belgium — September 13, 2016 — Beaulieu Fibres International (B.F.I.) has announced a 30 million euro investment to extend production capacity at its Merkalon plant in Terni, Italy, and expand the Meraklon specialty fiber portfolio with new BICO products.

The investment centers on a new hygiene line equipped with the latest, state-of-the-art long spin technology to meet the on-going increase in demand in the market for high quality polyolefin fibers. It will be housed in a new building offering space for further expansion, which will be constructed at the Terni site. B.F.I. expects to begin installation of the equipment beginning mid-2017.

The new hygiene line will enable B.F.I to add BICO polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate (PE/PET) and BICO polypropylene/PET fibers to its Meraklon product portfolio for the first time. This important step will support B.F.I’s worldwide hygiene and personal care sector customers interested in using these fibers for nonwoven applications such as baby diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine care and wipes.

Nonwovens made with the BICO fiber combinations have a higher loft/bulk and a good resilience. The higher melting temperature of the PET in the core of the fiber allows a broad bonding window during the production process. In particular, PE/PET fibers address the requirements of softness in the market in combination with a higher bulkiness through the PET.

B.F.I will also produce mono PP fibers on the new line, extending its current production capabilities for these fibers at Terni. BFI produces a broad portfolio of fibers for hygiene customers at the site including Trilobal and PE/PP BICO fibers.

Karena Cancilleri, vice president, Engineered Products, B.F.I, commented: “The additional production capacity is a key step in making the Meraklon Terni plant a true centre of excellence for Hygiene. It reinforces our on-going commitment to increase support for customers in this sector following the extension of our production portfolio with Mono Trilobal fibers and PE/PP BICO fibers in 2015. Having an additional production line at Terni will give us the capability to be more flexible in our support and to offer an even wider product range through new BICO products.”

Posted September 13, 2016

Source: Beaulieu Fibres International (B.F.I.)

1...1,6101,6111,612...2,507Page 1,611 of 2,507

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2025 Quarterly Issue Number I

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.