Our outlook for the year 2023
What's coming, what's staying, what trends are growing and what are the expectations for 2023.
Already 2022 and the Covid period have proven that the nonwovens industry is robust and well positioned to cope with crises. That's why we can look forward to 2023 with confidence. ANDRITZ's focus areas for 2023 with its technologies and ideas for the nonwovens industry are versatile and not only follow the trends of the industry but also define them technologically.
Two major industry trade fairs as important benchmarks
INDEX, April 18-21, 2023, and ITMA, June 08-14, are important industry meetings for the nonwovens and textile industries.
INDEX, the largest showcase on the European continent for hygiene, medical, cleaning and wipes, filtration, geotextiles and packaging applications, will be the key industry event in the spring with estimated 600 exhibitors.
ANDRITZ will offer sophisticated and long-proven solutions with its machines in all the central topics of INDEX, and will not be shy with innovative concepts.
The trend in recent years towards more sustainability will also be a core topic at INDEX that cannot be escaped.
And this refers not only to the fibers used in terms of environmental compatibility, but more and more to the topic of efficient use of resources and saving energy in production. ANDRITZ can already score here with systems such as neXecodry. In many cases, the system can also be upgraded to make existing, older systems future-proof and more energy-efficient.
With two booths at ITMA
From ANDRITZ's point of view, the ITMA in Milan in June will be even bigger. For the first time, ANDRITZ will have two booths. One will be a global booth for all important technologies such as needlepunch, airlay, spunlace, and others, and the second will be a separate booth for textile recycling. This is also due to the increasing importance and innovative technologies in this area.
Both new EU directives and laws for the textile industry and trade, as well as new processes such as the chemical treatment of textile fibers, are creating new growth areas for the industry and stimulating investment.
ANDRITZ is also a technology expert in the field of processing textile waste into new nonwoven products such as those produced in airlay or needlepunch processes, e.g. in the production of insulation materials, industrial wipes, or geotextiles.
Digitalization and machinery: One focus at ITMA 2019
Sustainability remains trend topic No 1
Sustainability will remain a key topic in the nonwovens industry in 2023. Especially where disposable products are concerned. How, for example, can pure plastic components be sensibly replaced with fibers made from rapidly renewable raw materials? ANDRITZ already offers effective solutions here with its Wetlace™ CP line or Wetlace™ for flushable wipes as well as conventional spunlace lines using natural fibers.
Resource efficiency in production itself is also becoming more important, i.e. how to make better use of the electricity, thermal energy, or water required. Less is more here.
Here you find some examples from the ANDRITZ portfolio:
Recycling as an important cornerstone for sustainability
ANDRITZ has been deeply involved in the development and manufacture of recycling machinery for many years.
The recycling of pre- and post-consumer textile and industrial textile waste has great growth potential in this context.
Therefore, ANDRITZ, as a technology partner for the industry, will focus particularly on the topic of textile recycling. Among other things, as already mentioned above, with its own booth at ITMA 2023.
In addition to machine technology and equipment for mechanical recycling, the spotlight will also be on circular recycling with the utilization of chemical processes. ANDRITZ has established partnerships with Infinited Fiber and CIRC.
However, ANDRITZ has not only taken up the cause of sustainability in the production of its customers, but has also set itself dedicated goals as a Group, which the company intends to implement. Read more about this here.
Whereever this label appears:
Sustainability and ANDRITZ are part of the story
Industrial digitization
The industrial transformation is advancing, also in our industry. There is no getting around it anymore. Digitization indisputably creates competitive advantages in terms of efficiency and flexibility, and we at ANDRITZ will continue on this path with our Metris solution, because optimization processes in industrial manufacturing are hardly possible today without networking and data management. With Metris XR, we have just launched the next stage of remote support on machine installations, which will help our customers to find solutions to problems more quickly and to remain productive.
More service presence to the customer
Let's face it: Service is as self-evident as it is never perfect. There will always be customer requests that are difficult to fulfill, even if they are understandable. But one thing is absolutely certain: ANDRITZ works continuously and hard to constantly improve service quality, noticeably for our customers. Perhaps not every single activity will bear fruit immediately, but the objective is clear: customers should feel comfortable with their decision in favor of ANDRITZ.
That is why the maxim in 2023 will be: Optimize service and support wherever possible.
If you want to know more about ANDRITZ in 2023 and our focus, plans, and objectives, we recommend our global presentation, always up to date, with all the facts, figures, and data on ANDRITZ and the nonwovens, textile, and recycling industries.
Andreas Lukas, Division Manager, ANDRITZ Nonwoven, with a clear commitment for service performance all the way
