In close cooperation with key players in the hygiene industry, Andritz has developed a concept for producing an environmentally sustainable baby diaper made of 90% bio-based materials.

This development will be outlined at the upcoming ANEX nonwovens exhibition taking place in Taipei, Taiwan, from May 22-24, and involves a comprehensive process to recycle SAP, fluff pulp and other components of industrial waste absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), while maintaining high material quality.

The newly-developed line separates the components of AHPs and can recycle SAP and fluff pulp in a closed loop with high quality results.

In addition, Andritz will present its patented Spunjet technology which exploits the in-line hydroentanglement of continuous filaments to create a new generation of spunlaid nonwovens with unrivalled bulkiness and softness compared to standard spunbond fabrics.

Needlepunch

For durable needlepunched products, the latest neXloom eXcelle Elliptica-Type DF-4 needleloom furthers the push towards the high-speed production of lightweight nonwoven products, notably of automotive fabrics down to 40gsm at speeds higher than 25m/min, ensuring both excellent fibre dispatch and visual surface aspect.

Available in large widths up to 6.75 metres, the elliptical pre-needling capacity is an asset when producing very light felts, providing optimised consolidation and an even visual appearance by reducing the drafting ratio by 30-50% in the first needleloom.

In addition, the ProWin system represents a significant advancement in web weight evenness control, combining Atechnologies for optimal fibre weight profiling and enhancing production efficiency. This device is used to optimise CV% processes, provide a faster return on investment,and saving up to 7% in fibre costs a year. The patented ProWin system also minimises the level of instantaneous acceleration so that the same batt forming equipment can run faster with less mechanical stress and a more optimised product regularity.

Airlay

Airlay technology allows customers to process both virgin and recycled fibres as well as non-fibre particles such as foam, shredder paper and straw, and an Andritz development here is the patented new multi-density web forming robot which can be easily integrated into new or existing neXline airlay production lines.

The robot enables the density of a nonwoven to be strengthened in strategic areas both for reinforcement and to improve acoustic properties. The multi-density web forming technology is intended for the automotive and bedding industries and provides high production flexibility compared to existing technologies based on moulding. It enables the production of 3D patterns to be switched on the same line without hardware adaptations and offers the capability to create composite materials with layers of various types of fibres.

The entire Andritz Nonwoven and Textile team is at stand J417 in Hall 1 at ANEX 2024.

www.andritz.com