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.