ANDRITZ at ITME 2022

The broad ANDRITZ product portfolio covers state-of-the-art nonwovens and textile production technologies, such as air-through bonding, airlay, needlepunch, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/Wetlace™, converting, textile finishing, recycling, and natural fiber processing.

TEXTILE RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES BY ANDRITZ

With the acquisition of ANDRITZ Laroche SAS, ANDRITZ has expanded its product portfolio to include airlay and recycling technology as well as bast fiber processing technologies. Complete recycling lines for post-consumer and industrial textile waste to produce fibers for re-spinning and/or nonwoven end-uses are one focus of this product range. Customer awareness and regulations are forcing clothing brands to recycle their textile waste in their own products. Recycled fibers can also be used in several nonwoven processes such as airlay for various applications, for example in the automotive industry, for insulation, mattresses, and furniture felts. 

INNOVATIONS IN SOLUTIONS FOR DURABLE APPLICATIONS

The strong increase of nonwovens in the automotive sector in recent years has also opened up new opportunities in the filtration industry. Based on decades of experience, ANDRITZ develops cost-efficient and reliable turnkey needlepunch and airlay lines.

The recent boom in the market for durable nonwoven products led ANDRITZ to develop its PA3000 elliptical cylinder pre-needler to meet the demand for higher capacities and lighter products. This state-of-the-art equipment consists of an optimized cylinder pre-needler for the production of light batts up to 6.75m width and provides greater speed (up to 18m /min depending on desired width). As a result the web layers are stitched together with optimum cohesion to maintain the web surface evenness, minimizing the risk of cloud formation, as is the case with other pre-needler designs. 

In addition, the automotive industry is shifting its focus to green technologies, and this has a direct impact on the properties of nonwoven parts in vehicles. ANDRITZ SDV2+2 double velour needleloom can indeed process composite velour fabrics and offer latex-free use for more recyclability and sustainability, strongly contributing to an environmentally friendly approach. Thanks to the ANDRITZ’s expertise in needlepunch processes and web profiling know-how (new ProWin™), manufacturers can provide the most suitable fabrics for this industry’s requirements and maximize ROI (with significant fiber savings of up to 5%).

Moreover, the airlay technology also plays a major role in durable nonwovens, such as in the automotive industry, building insulation, carpet underfelt, the mattress industry, and furniture applications. 

ANDRITZ airlay solutions have been designed to form mats from all types of fibers, from short, recycled fibers to long and coarse natural fibers, and from blends with non-fibrous components, and many more. 

Customers are welcome to conduct trials together with our experts and compare the different options available in the technical center for needlepunch processes at ANDRITZ Asselin-Thibeau in Elbeuf, France, and/or on the airlay pilot line at ANDRITZ Laroche in Cours, France.

NEWS IN WIPES TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS

ANDRITZ offers various nonwoven processes to produce best and cost-effective wipes, like spunlace, Wetlace and Wetlace CP. ANDRITZ also accompanies nonwoven producers in the move to sustainability with the aim of reducing or eliminating plastic components while maintaining the high quality of the desired product properties. This applies to all types of sustainable wipes, such as flushable, biodegradable, bio-sourced, carded-pulp or standard carded wipes. The latest development in this field is the ANDRITZ neXline wetlace CP line, which integrates the card-pulp (CP) process. This is a fully engineered production line combining the benefits of drylaid and wetlaid technologies to produce a new generation of biodegradable wipes.

To serve customers even better and offer the best possible R&D and service, ANDRITZ welcomes producers to its spunlace technical center at ANDRITZ Perfojet in Montbonnot, France. The technical center has been upgraded just recently with an inline pulp formation system and is now the most advanced nonwovens test center for wipes worldwide. 

THE NEXT GENERATION IN TEXTILE CALENDERING

The ANDRITZ teXcal Raconip TT sets new standards in textile processing for technical textiles, such as sportswear, workwear, canvas, and parachute fabric, both in terms of technological maturity and of design. The teXcal Raconip TT is aimed at customers who require versatility and operator-friendly handling along with excellent process stability in addition to constantly high manufacturing quality. 

This innovative calender impresses with a deflection-controlled roll – the Raconip TT roll. It offers maximum flexibility thanks to unrestricted profiling across the entire fabric width by means of hydrostatic pistons. This guarantees highest quality, such as absolute flatness and precise air permeability.

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ANDRITZ GROUP
International technology group ANDRITZ offers a broad portfolio of innovative plants, equipment, systems, services and digital solutions for a wide range of industries and end markets. ANDRITZ is a global market leader in all four of its business areas – Pulp & Paper, Metals, Hydro, and Separation. Technological leadership, global presence and sustainability are the cornerstones of the group’s strategy, which is focused on long-term profitable growth. The publicly listed group has around 27,900 employees and over 280 locations in more than 40 countries.