Kelheim Fibres celebrated the 4,000,000th tonne of viscose fibres in April last year. © Kelheim Fibres

After a large fire in October 2018, the long-established Bavarian fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres is currently rebuilding the heart of its viscose fibre production. In the process, the focus lies on modern state-of-the-art equipment and particularly on resource-saving and environmentally friendly production technology.

Kelheim Fibres will present its viscose specialty fibres at ITMA, a leading international textile machinery trade fair that takes place next month in Barcelona.

Kelheim’s viscose speciality fibres consist of 100% cellulose, a renewable raw material, and are therefore completely biodegradable. These fibres offer an eco-friendly alternative to mineral-oil-based fibres, in particular for end products – like many nonwovens or hygiene applications – intended for convenient one-time use.

Kelheim’s speciality fibres for this area include not only the well-known fibre Galaxy, a leading viscose fibre for the tampon production, but also short cut fibres that have been specifically designed for processing in modern wet laid plants. These fibres are designed to enable the manufacturing of completely plastic-free and even flushable wipes from 100% cellulose.

“In textiles, too, consumers value natural materials,” the company reports. “Kelheim’s range of speciality fibres for textile applications comprises spun-dyed fibres, as well as the renowned brand names Viloft and Viseta: In yarns, the flat fibre Viloft creates small air pockets, that make the textile highly breathable and comfortable – an ideal fibre for warm, close-to-the-skin feel-good clothes. Viseta is 50% finer than silk and gives clothes a flowing drape and a soft and naturally luxurious touch.”

Kelheim Fibres is a leading producer of viscose speciality fibres and the most important supplier of viscose fibres for the tampon industry. Around 90,000 tons of viscose fibres are produced and tested every year at Kelheim in South Germany. These are used in most diverse applications – from fashion, hygiene and medical products to nonwovens and speciality papers.

The fire broke out in the morning of 14 October in the main fibre spinning area at Kelheim Fibres. It was extinguished by the company’s own fire brigade with the support of local fire services, and no employees were seriously injured. The fire caused significant damage to some parts of the fibre spinning lines, and more particularly to electrical cabling, and also structural damage to some parts of the spinning area.

www.kelheim-fibres.com

Further reading

Fire at Kelheim Fibres’ viscose fibre production plant