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Investment in acupuncture equipment slowed after the new crown outbreak in 2020, and now machinery suppliers are ushering in new investment worldwide. Growth in core markets such as geotextile, filtration, and automotive drove this expansion.

Oliver Doering, director of sales and marketing at Trü tzschler Nonwovens, said that the company expects durable nonwovens to play a greater role in the coming years. He said: "Classic industrial applications such as geotextiles, filtration and automotive nonwovens will grow further because they are related to industrial production. We see great potential in these industries, especially in emerging markets."

On the other hand, new end uses are also emerging. "Nowadays, needle-punched non-woven fabrics are replacing foam to improve the comfort of seats and sofas. The demand for plastic-free, more environmentally friendly materials will definitely grow. The third factor is the need for material reuse and recycling. Needling technology based on precise fiber preparation and carding/blending equipment is an excellent technology for processing recycled fibers."

Marco Fano, CEO of Autefa Solutions, added that the main advantage of needle punching compared to other coil forming technologies is the wide range of applications. He said: "The needling production line is characterized by easy operation, low energy consumption, excellent product quality, repeatable production, and reduced operating costs. Another reason for using needling technology is its extensive raw material base, including natural fibers, because the price of raw materials in the man-made fiber industry is expected to rise."

Relatively low investment requirements also add to its appeal. "This makes it easier for manufacturers to assess the risk of investing in the development of new products based on needle technology when they are more cost-conscious," Fano said."

According to Dilo Group CEO Johann Philipp Dilo, the field of staple fiber needling technology is vast and highly subdivided in many special areas. These include carpets, housewares, mattresses, bedding and upholstery applications, wipes (industrial and domestic), gas and liquid filtration media, sound and thermal insulation solutions, various other technical applications, as well as geotextiles, synthetic leather, upholstery fabrics, clothing, shoes and bags, and more medical and hygiene products in the future.

Dilo said that the versatility of needle punching is due to its gram weight ranging from 30 to 3000 grams per square meter, as well as the great flexibility of using different fiber materials, from natural fibers, man-made fibers, organic or inorganic fibers to Metal fibers, fiber length ranges from 15 to 150mm. The fineness typically ranges from 0.9 dtex to hundreds of dtex. He added: "It is obvious that acupuncture technology is the most versatile and can combine all these different parameters to create different products."

Dilo has witnessed the recent investment process in the needling sector, especially in the US and Europe, where these lines are mainly used in the automotive, filtration and geotextile markets.

"Following the COVID-19 epidemic, there was a rapid recovery in Q4 2020 and during 2021, with investment rates returning to normal levels. Of course, this market environment is now again under pressure from the crisis in Ukraine and some uncertain political developments. However, our business data show continued and steady investment in a complete modern needling line with a high degree of automation and ease of operation."

Machinery supplier Andritz (Andritz) saw a stronger business recovery than in 2021. "In the Western market, demand for geotextiles and technical textiles is very strong in 2022," said Guillaume Julien, sales director for the needle business at Andritz Asselin-Thibeau.

Julien explained that the car market also continues to play a key role in Andritz's needling business, although car production still has not returned to flourish. "The market rebound is expected to be in late 2023/early 2024, with China being the focus. In 2022, the world's 1/3 cars are produced in China (23.7 million in China and 13.1 million in Europe), and BYD China is the second largest car producer after Tesla."

In addition, he added, "Europe, mainly Italy and Germany, seems to be increasingly questioning the policy of banning internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035, mainly due to the energy crisis caused by the incident in Ukraine. Coupled with the aging of European cars, this trend may also further promote vehicle production growth in Europe and surrounding regions in the short term."

Investment continues

For Andritz, 2022 was a record year for sales of the company's complete needle production line, thanks in part to the multiple production lines ordered by Zhejiang Yan Brand. These production lines enable Yan Brand to achieve the most advanced technical characteristics in terms of product quality and line performance.

Since 2019, Yan Brand has cooperated with Andritz many times. The first contract was signed in 2019 and three complete needle production lines (including one PTFE production line) were ordered. Recently, Yan Brand ordered four new production lines from Andritz, including the aXcess cross-lager and the eXcelle needle punching machine.

In June 2022, Strict and Andritz launched their third cooperation. This cooperation is to introduce cotton tire molding equipment for the needle punching production line of PTFE needle felt products, which is mainly used in the field of smoke and dust filtration in waste incineration plants.

Chen Ping, vice chairman of Yanpai, said: "after years of development and accumulation in the filtration industry, Yanpai has become a major supplier of filtration and separation materials in China, and has the ability to provide customers with high-quality, customized, full range of industrial filtration materials for various filtration needs.

Italian nonwovens producer Manifattura Fontana has also chosen Andritz as its latest needling equipment supplier. The company's factory in Italy has added a complete Andritz neXline needling line for the production of geotextiles. This will be Andritz's second production line in just three years to the Fontana, which is one of the fastest growing geotextile producers in Europe.

The Andritz neXline needling production line will cover all process steps from fiber opening to automatic product packaging. It will also include the latest ProWin analysis technology to improve the uniformity of carding and cross-laying. Another important feature is the tarpaulin reels, which are in increasing demand in the market. Therefore, Manifattura Fontana will become one of the few manufacturers in the world to provide waterproof protective fabric rolls.

Manifattura Fontana, part of the Belgian technical textile group Sioen Industries, is a global leader in the geotextile market, providing customers with value-added geotextiles for a variety of applications, such as the construction of roads, railways, reservoirs, dams and tunnels, as well as earthworks, foundations, erosion control, drainage, waste disposal, etc.

Meanwhile, South Carolina-based AstenJohnson recently opened a new 220000-square-foot facility in Waco, Texas, the company's eighth facility in North America. The plant will have two state-of-the-art Dilo needling lines focused on growth markets such as automotive lightweight and composites manufacturing.

Codberg Performance Materials is also continuing to expand its needling business. Last year, the company established a new needling line at its production site in Škofja Loka, Slovenia, to support higher demand for multi-layer and laminated products.

Dr. Frank Heislitz, CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials, said that Freudenberg's main markets are automotive, construction and filtration, which have experienced very different cycles in the past three years. "The automotive market was strongly affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and, later, by the supply chain and semiconductor crises, and is now slowly recovering. Other markets are relatively stable, although they have also been affected by the critical situation in raw materials and energy over the past two years. Despite the current volatility, the needle market should continue to grow if we can effectively address the growing sustainability challenges."

At the same time, Autefa Solutions was recently selected as a supplier of needle-punched thread sets for several companies in Europe and China to produce paper blankets. According to Marco Fano, this felt is used to remove moisture during the papermaking process and is therefore a key component in the production of high-quality paper.

"Thanks to AUTEFA's advanced technology and expertise in this area, we have become an ideal partner for these projects," he said." Autefa Needle Wire is designed to meet specific customer needs, providing excellent performance and reliable quality. Each paper blanket production line includes a Stylus Variiliptic pre-needle machine and a Stylus main needle machine to ensure that the final product meets the highest standards.

Stylus Variiliptic pre-needling machines for papermaking blankets ensure maximum productivity after web formation. Preparing high-quality rolls is the key to producing high-quality blankets. Using a patented Variliptic drive module, the Stylus NL16 Variliptic needle punching machine ensures a better felt surface, higher production speed, less shrinkage and higher Uniformity. Stylus acupuncture finishing machine is the representative of high-end acupuncture technology.

The working width, number and arrangement of planting needles, needle type, stroke frequency, feed table and felt net tensioning system can be customized. Fully automatic control of net felt production based on leading technology, including precise stop splicing and net felt tension control. The AUTEFA needling machine uses a rigid frame to ensure high-precision needling and minimal vibration, which is not affected even under a working width of 15.8 meters. It also provides a continuous needle frequency of 1200 rpm.

In addition, Autefa Solutions also sees a growing demand for needle-punched nonwovens in technology applications, including artificial leather, especially in the clothing, furniture and automotive industries.

In addition, with sustainability becoming an increasingly important consideration for the fashion industry, Autefa has witnessed a significant increase in the demand for recyclability in textiles, with consumers and companies looking for solutions to recycle fast fashion products. In response to this trend, Autefa Solutions offers a range of solutions to process and reuse various types of fibers, including regenerated fibers, natural fibers and man-made fibers. Fano said: "Our Airlay K 12 air carding machine is combined with a Stylus needle machine or HiPerTherm oven to meet all customers' requirements for maximum production capacity and stable high quality."

This article is from Nonwovens Industry Journal
Author: Tara Olivo

Source: Jung-International Nonwoven Industry Business