Andritz has received an order from Autoneum, headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, to supply an Andritz neXline needlepunch eXcelle line to its plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, for the production of needlepunched velour felts from 300 to 900 gsm for the automotive market.

The fabrics will be used for manufacture of carpet systems, inner dashes, and floor insulators. Start-up of the line, which has a working width of 4.4.m, is scheduled for the end of 2017.

The scope of supply includes a Dynamic eXcelle card and a crosslapper in combination with Andritz technology for drafting and needling. Andritz will also supply the process control equipment as well as the closed-loop ProDyn system, thus providing continuous web monitoring and optimisation of the end product. With a maximum speed of 20 m/min, the production capacity of the Andritz needlepunch line will be up to 1,100 kg/hr, the company reports.

Autoneum is a market and technology leader in acoustic and thermal management solutions for vehicles. It develops and produces systems and components for leading automobile manufacturers. Its customers are present in the key markets of Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Autoneum is represented at around 50 locations in over 20 countries and has a workforce of more than 11,000 employees worldwide.

“This order once again demonstrates the strong and long-term partnership between Andritz and Autoneum. Autoneum already operates several Andritz lines in Bloomsburg, PA, and Jeffersonville, IN, both USA, as well as several lines in Europe,” the company says.

Andritz is a leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors, as well as for animal feed and biomass pelleting. Other important business segments include automation and service business.

In addition, the international Group is also active in the power generating sector and in environmental technology and offers equipment for the production of nonwovens, dissolving pulp, and panelboard as well as recycling plants. The Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of approximately 25,200 employees.

www.andritz.com