Belgium, German and Italian Pavilion participants at Cinte Techtextil China looking to capture demand for European products

European technical textiles products have a strong reputation in the Chinese industry, and as such, the Italian and Belgium Pavilions have attracted some of these country’s biggest players. The Italian Pavilion, organised by TexClubTec and ICE – Italian Trade Agency, will feature, amongst others, automotive textile supplier Finelvo, yarn machinery producer Fil Man Made, testing company Centro Tessile Cotoniero e Abbigliamento Spa and yarn supplier Monosuisse Group, joining for the first time.

This year’s Belgium Pavilion features the likes of Europlasma, Plastibert, CTF 2000, Bekaert and the Belgium-based European headquarter of American firm Conwed Plastics. Europlasma is a producer of innovative nano-coating solutions based on low-pressure plasma technology, and the company believes the use of plasma treatment for technical textiles will be the new “mega trend” in the industry due to its low environmental impact.

They also see much potential in the Chinese market for athleisure textiles produced with minimal environmental impact, and as such, will feature PFC-free 3D treatments for athletics footwear, PFC-free DWR fabrics, DWR membrane, hydrophilic (blood) filter cloth and more at the fair.

Fellow coating and finishing producer CTF 2000 is just as positive about the Chinese market, “due to the shift from producing commodities to specialty products,” believes Mr Luc Carlier, Managing Director. The main products they will be showcasing at the fair are halogen-free blackout, washable halogen-free back coating for upholstery, as well as their W.TC1000-series treatment for protective wear fabrics which can be washed up to 100 times. Plastibert, meanwhile, will promote a range of coated textiles on PUR and PVC bases at the fair.

Given recent global trends, as well as those in China, some of the most innovative products at this year’s fair are bound to be wearable technologies. “Wearable technologies are taking China by storm,” reports Bekaert’s Global Product Market Manager, Mr Lieven Tack. “China is the leading manufacturing centre for many applications and industries, including the production of innovative technical textiles, so this creates new opportunities for growth and innovation.” Bekaert’s focus at Cinte Techtextil China will be on their Bekinox® range of highly conductive and cut-resistant fibres and yarns. Among the many applications for this product are smart textiles, heatable textiles, protective clothing and RFID tags, and depending on their use, the yarns can be either 100% stainless steel or blended with other materials such as cotton and polyester.

Mr Tack also expressed optimism in the future of the Chinese market. “In order to keep meeting the high quality, performance and processability criteria, Chinese producers of technical textiles look to the West for reliable supply partners of conductive fibres and yarns,” he concluded.

Conwed Plastics’ main product at the fair will be their lightweight extruded and bi-oriented plastic scrims which can be used to enhance the characteristics of nonwovens and technical textiles. According to the company, by integrating a lightweight plastic scrim a total weight reduction of the composite can be achieved, the total tensile strength can be increased and therefore, the total cost of ownership can be reduced.

The company’s BDM for Asia-Pacific, Mr Frank Theunissen, reports positive news coming out of the Chinese market. “We’ve seen increased interest in our products from Chinese manufacturers in the last few months. We see large potential in the Chinese technical textiles market, mainly in the sub-market segments of hygiene (cleaning wipes) and adult incontinence diapers.”  Nonwovens suppliers target big results at fair as Medtech sector experiences strong growth

Along with the international exhibitors, Chinese suppliers provide a wide range of sourcing options for buyers, particularly in the Medtech application area this year. Chinese producers are responding not only to strong global consumption, but also rapid domestic growth in this sector, with demand in China for medical textiles products expected to be 323,200 tons in 2016 and reaching 424,600 tons in 2019. Some of this sector’s best producers will be at Cinte Techtextil China, including Nanhai Beautiful Nonwoven which specialises in the Medtech area and ranks number two in terms of nonwovens production capacity in China. They were one of the first Chinese companies to produce protective clothing used during the Ebola virus, and also provided anti-nuclear radiation suits for staff working in the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Hismer is another nonwovens supplier in the Medtech sector participating in the fair. They were one of the first manufacturers in the world to mass-produce pure chitosan fibres, a process which has been recognised by the Chinese Academy of Engineering as world-leading. Zhejiang Kingsafe Nonwoven is another top producer of spunbond, spunlace and hot-rolled nonwovens. Their nuclear-proof nonwovens constitute products used by the Chinese army, and they have been recognised as one of the top 100 key provincial technical centres in Zhejiang province. Other suppliers at this year’s fair include Nbond Nonwovens which offers spunlace products for the medical, beauty and industrial fields; Tiandingfeng Nonwovens whose high-strength coarse denier polypropylene spunbond geotextile is a perfect substitute for polyester geotextiles; and Jiangsu Hengli Chemical Fibre which will exhibit high-tenacity polyester yarn, polyester chips and more.

Pic: Dilo offers complete lines for nonwovens production and introduced a lot of innovations at ITMA last year (c) 2016 Messe Frankfurt

Jinda Corp which falls under the membrane product category is one of the major exhibitors at Cinte Techtextil China this year. Their export business accounts for more than two-thirds of total sales, and they report that they have achieved steady results in recent years despite weak demand in the market. Sales Manager Mr Lu Huimin also explained that the fair was an ideal platform to generate new business given constant change in the market and product applications. “As the most professional exhibition in the Chinese technical textiles industry you can target the right buyers at the fair, and these buyers are placing orders onsite,” he said.

Cinte Techtextil China’s product groups include technology and machinery, woven and knitted fabrics, nonwovens, coated textiles, composites, surface and bonding techniques, fibres and yarns, and more. The fair is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA).

To find out more about this event, please visit: www.techtextilchina.com.