The Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss
Oerlikon Group is entering into a strategic partnership with the Italian company
Teknoweb Materials s.r.l. aimed at extending the nonwovens production systems portfolio
to include the high-growth market for disposable nonwovens.
Within the context of the most important
international trade fair for the nonwovens industry – the ‘Index’ in Geneva, Switzerland,
Oerlikon announced that the two companies have come to an agreement in
principle on establishing a new, jointly-owned company.
With this development, Oerlikon strengthens
the Oerlikon Neumag nonwovens systems business within the Manmade Fibers
segment and expands into the attractive disposable nonwovens market.
The energy-efficient Arvell technology
Teknoweb Materials is an established
technology provider focusing on nonwovens used in disposable products. The
company has – in the form of the Arvell technology – its own patented and
particularly energy-efficient manufacturing process, with which wipes can be
produced using an efficient spunbondairlaid nonwovens process instead of the
complex carded-spunlace process.
The Arvell technology dispenses with
hydroentanglement and subsequent drying, which results in considerable energy
and hence cost savings for customers. Together with Oerlikon Neumag’s know-how
and equipment for manufacturing technical nonwovens (durable nonwovens), both
partner companies will in future occupy a significant position within the
nonwovens production solutions market.
The newly-created, combined technology
platform offers considerable synergy potentials and the ideal prerequisites for
launching innovative products.
Advance into a CHF 300 million market
As a result of the partnership, the Manmade
Fibers segment further advances its interests in the attractive disposable
nonwovens market. With a market volume of around CHF 300 million and average growth
of between 4 and 5 percent expected over the next few years, the disposable
nonwovens market is particularly interesting for Oerlikon Neumag.
In addition to the markets for technical
nonwovens production solutions in which it already operates, this will also
allow Oerlikon Neumag – with its machine and systems solutions – to participate
more actively in one of the, in terms of volumes, fastest-growing areas within
the overall nonwovens market in the future.
As said, drawing on Oerlikon Neumag’s
innovative airlaid, meltblown and spunbond technologies and the Teknoweb’s
innovative nonwovens solutions, the newly-formed company will have excellent
market access with a global sales and service network.
Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Oerlikon
Manmade Fibers segment, comments: “We are pleased to be announcing this
strategic partnership with Teknoweb. With this, Oerlikon Neumag gains access to
innovative technologies, hence expanding its product portfolio as a total
solutions provider for nonwovens production systems. This allows us to expand
into an attractive new market. Not least, the collaboration underlines our
strategy of broadening the Manmade Fibers segment product offerings, with the
aim of making its overall portfolio – currently with its primary focus on the
filament business – more balanced in the long term.”
Fabio Zampollo, CEO Teknoweb Materials,
explains: “Our objective was to join forces with a strategic investor with
outstanding know-how, excellent technologies and machine and systems solutions.
Oerlikon offers all these from a single source. Furthermore, we will in future
also profit from professional engineering and the global service network of the
entire Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment.”
Joint presentation at the Index 2017
At this year’s Index, Oerlikon Neumag and
Teknoweb Materials presented a broad range of technologies for the efficient
manufacture of nonwovens. At the trade fair stand, the experts of both
companies provided information on process solutions for industrial applications
such as filtration, roofing, geotextiles, automotive, medical and hygiene applications
and also disposable nonwovens.