#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2018-11-01

Toray to expand air filter business in Republic of Korea

Toray Industries, Inc. has announced its decision to establish a joint venture company in Republic of Korea together with MCM Co., Ltd., a company under the Chung Ho Nais Group, which is engaged in the sales of water purifiers and air cleaners. The company will be capitalized at 6 billion won (about 600 million yen), with MCM having a 60% stake and Toray investing 40%.

The new company, named M&T Engineering Co. Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “M&TE”), will combine the assembling and processing as well as automation expertise of MCM with Toray’s integrated design and development technology starting from fibers and filter materials to assembled units, so as to build a local production setup for high performance filters necessary to expand the business in Republic of Korea as well as to supply to Korean manufacturers with global presence.

The Chung Ho Nais Group has a high share of the South Korean water purifier market, and has a broad business base with sales to major global players in the country in addition to exports to some 60 countries.

Toray has been producing non-woven fabric for air filters since 2012 at Toray Fibers (Nantong) Co., Ltd. (TFNL), its fiber production base in China, building a local production and supply structure adapted to the Chinese GB standards* so as to contribute to the measures against atmospheric pollution, which has become a serious social issue.

M&TE, the new company, will assemble filters that use TFNL’s non-woven fabric for high-performance filters, thus accelerating the sales expansion in the country as well as around the world by directly supplying to major home electronics and automobile manufacturers.

The global demand for air filters is expected to continue growing primarily in Asia and other emerging countries. In particular, the Korean market is an important target, given the anticipated spreading of the filter business to other parts of the world led by global players in various fields such as automobile and home electronics, in addition to the steady demand for the air cleaner application.

Toray and MCM will position M&TE as the base for global expansion of the air filter business, and along with strengthening the response to the local customers, will implement a strategy that will leverage the superiority of both companies while identifying new areas of applications.

*Chinese GB standard

Chinese national standards related to air cleaner initial performance and performance life.

Reference / Company profiles

1． M&TE

（1） Name ： M&T Engineering Co., Ltd.

（2） Location ： Inside MCM Co., Ltd. site in Jinchun-kun,
Republic of Korea

（3） Representative ： Jinsoo Kim, Representative
Director & President

（4） Business ： Assembly and sales of air filters

（5） Capitalization ： 6 billion won (600 million yen)

（6） Established ： October 2018

（7） Investment ： MCM – 60%, Toray – 40%

2．Toray Industries, Inc.

（1） Location ： Chuo-ku, Tokyo

（2） Representative ： Representative Director and
CEO Akihiro Nikkaku

（3） Business ： Fibers and textiles, functional products, carbon fiber composite materials, environment and engineering, life science, and other manufacturing and sales.

（4） Capitalization ： 147.9 billion yen

（5） Established ： 1926

（6） Sales ： 2,204.9 billion yen (the fiscal year ended
March 2018)

3．MCM Co., Ltd.

（1） Location ： Jinchun-kun, Republic of Korea

（2） Business ： Manufacturing and sales of water
purifier filter, RO filter, etc.

（3） Capital ： 1.5 billion won

（4） Established ： 2009

（5） Sales ： 46.3 billion won (2017)

Toray develops recycling technology that retains carbon fiber strength and surface quality

Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has developed a recycling technology that can decompose diverse carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) made from thermosetting resins while retaining the strength and surface quality of those fibers. The company drew on this technology to create a nonwoven fabric employing recycled carbon fibers.

HEAD launches more sustainable(1) BOOM RAW racquet on Earth Day by using Toray’s bio-circular carbon fibers

HEAD continues to innovate with the launch of the BOOM RAW tennis racquet, an encouraging development in the search for a more sustainable future for racquet sports. All of the carbon fibers are bio-circular carbon fibers in the limited-edition and highly innovative BOOM RAW racquet, which offers the same explosive power - along with the same fun, feel and easy playability - as the regular, in-line BOOM racquet. The bio-circular carbon fibers are manufactured by Toray and its subsidiary Toray Carbon Fibers Europe.

Toray develops durable reverse osmosis membrane

Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has developed a highly durable reverse osmosis (RO) membrane (see glossary note 1). This innovative offering guarantees the long-term provision of high-quality water. It also maintains the superior removal performance of Toray’s existing membranes vital for reusing industrial wastewater and treating sewage.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

Navis TubeTex announces U.S. partnership with Icomatex

Navis TubeTex, a global leader in advanced dyeing and finishing machinery solutions, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Icomatex (www.icomatex.com), a respected European manufacturer of high-quality stenters and textile finishing equipment. Under this agreement, Navis TubeTex will exclusively represent the Icomatex stenter line in the United States.

ADVANSA launches ADVA®tex: A new step toward textile-to-textile recycling

ADVANSA has introduced ADVA®tex, a new filling fibre made entirely from recycled pre-consumer textile waste, positioning the material as a significant step forward in textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling. The fibre is designed for use in duvets, pillows, mattresses, and furniture applications and is available in three versions.

KARL MAYER celebrates 35 years of EL pattern drive

KARL MAYER is celebrating an anniversary this year: on 30 November 1990, the first warp knitting machine with electronic guide bar control, the KS 4 EL, was delivered – another milestone for patterning. As early as 1980, the SU gearbox with the MRS42SU had initiated the transition from mechanical chains to digital data.