Kelheim Fibres GmbH and Santoni Spa have jointly developed a sustainable menstrual underwear garment based on advanced machine technology and high-quality performance viscose fibres.

The product consists of a soft outer layer and an inlay made from special wood-based fibres from Kelheim. The result is a sustainable and high-performance product that combines comfort and functionality.

The soft outer layer is produced on Santoni SM8-TOP2V or the SM4-TL2 circular knitting machines that can significantly reduce the amount of cutting waste or even allow production with zero-waste.

The Santoni XT-Machine, originally developed for the footwear market, is used for the functional inlay of the period pant. The XT allows for different layers to be produced with different yarns and knitting structures. This enables all three functions of the inlay – the absorption and distribution layer (ADL), the absorbent core and the back layer – to be knitted in a single tube, reducing production time and costs and enabling zero-waste production.

In the inlay, wood based Kelheim fibres such as trilobal Galaxy or hollow Bramante replace synthetic materials.

“Our machines have changed the manufacturing process, making garments almost seam free and offering solutions for 3D knitting,” said Santoni marketing manager Patrick Silva Szatkowski, “Our goal is to provide efficient machines to produce sustainable and comfortable garments while reducing the quantity of operations. The collaboration with Kelheim Fibres GmbH has been driven by the same values and we are proud of the excellent result.”

“With this joint development and the combination of our different areas of expertise we have expanded our range of femcare products,” added Natalie Wunder, project manager for new business development at Kelheim. “We look forward to seeing this project commercialised soon and new partners are always welcome.”

www.kelheim-fibres.com