#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2021-09-23

Absorbent hygiene and personal care markets revved up for in-person return of Hygienix™

Post-Pandemic Market Opportunities, New Technologies and Sustainability Highlight Conference This Fall in Arizona

The global absorbent hygiene and personal care markets are enthusiastically anticipating the return of Hygienix™ 2021 as a live, in-person conference Nov. 15-18, in Scottsdale, Arizona, focusing on post-pandemic opportunities, sustainability, new technologies and award-winning products.

The event will offer exciting opportunities for Hygienix participants to engage with new and existing customers in a face-to-face setting, and discover the latest innovations over four days at the Westin Kierland Resort. Highlights include two nonwovens workshops, a welcome reception, opportunities for 60 tabletop displays with receptions, eight intriguing panel discussions and presentations for the Hygienix Innovation Award™ and the INDA Lifetime Service Award. Hygienix registration is now open.

As the market emerges from the pandemic, trends in sustainability such as replacing plastic with natural fibers, recycling and composting will present new opportunities that will be addressed by 30 presenters from industry companies. Conference participants also will discover how new technologies such as smart sensors and haptics — the use of technology that stimulates the senses of touch and motion — are helping to change the consumer experience.

Hygienix sessions featuring moderated discussions with industry-leading experts and Q&A opportunities are focused on the following themes:

• New Options for Responsible End-of-Life

• Haptics: Four Approaches to Assessing Feel

• Products and Process Innovations in Global Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHPS)

• Absorbent Hygiene Products Market Stats, Trends and Policy Insights

• E-Hygiene Advancements

• Feminine Care: Challenges to the Status Quo (presented in two parts)

• New Approaches and Unmet Needs in Baby and Incontinence AHPS

Hygienix will address the latest research and statistics including:

• Understanding the State of the Nonwovens Absorbent Hygiene Market, COVID-19 Impact and Baby Boom or Bust

• Direct-to-Consumer Winners, Losers & Insights

• Evolution of Sustainable Hygiene: Opportunity, Challenge, and Future Growth

• Single-Use Plastics Policy Developments in North America

• Understanding Consumer Needs and Desires When Considering Incontinence Products

The Essential Workshops??Short-course workshops offered on Monday, Nov. 15 as a separate registration are: Absorption Systems for Absorbent Hygiene, conducted by Jim Robinson, Principal, Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC; and Global Trends in Diapers, Baby Pants and Adult Underwear, led by Carlos Richer, CEO/Director, Richer Investment S.A. De C.V.

Hygienix Innovation Award™

The seventh edition of Hygienix will feature three finalists to present their “best of the best” nonwoven technologies for the Hygienix Innovation Award™, recognizing novel nonwoven fabrics or technologies that expand the category, on Tuesday, Nov. 16 and the winner will be announced on Nov. 18.

INDA will follow all COVID-19 protocols, making hand sanitizers, face masks and wipes available for participants. More than 240 professionals from 18 countries throughout the supply chain participated in last year’s virtual Hygienix format to comply with pandemic guidelines.

This year’s relevant program content was developed by representatives from industry-leading companies serving on the Hygienix 2021 Committee co-chaired by Tom Kaiser, Attindas Hygiene Partners and Nick Carter, Avgol Nonwovens, with members from Crown Abbey, LLC; Teknoweb NA LLC; Fulflex, a Garflex Inc. Company; Cable Materials Inc.; Focus Hotmelt Company LTD; Kimberly-Clark; Colquímica Adhesives, Inc.; Metaxi SimBioSys LLC; Smith, Johnson & Associates; SynTouch, Inc.; Henkel Corporation; Birla Cellulose/Multifibres and Yarns (USA) Inc.; Nonwovens Industry; Cotton Incorporated; RKW North America, Inc.; Poccia Consulting, LLC; Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC; Pinnacle Converting Equipment & Services, LLC; Product Investigations, Inc.; Bostik, Inc.; Hermann Ultrasonics, Inc.; and Nonwovens By Design.

For the full program and latest speaker line up, visit the Hygienix website.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

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.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.