Oerlikon enters into a strategic partnership in the high-growth market for disposable nonwovens

The Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group is entering into a strategic partnership with the Italian company Teknoweb Materials s.r.l. aimed at extending the nonwovens production systems portfolio to include the high-growth market for disposable nonwovens. Within the context of the most important international trade fair for the nonwovens industry – the ‘Index’ in Geneva, Switzerland – opening today, Oerlikon announced that the two companies have come to an agreement in principle on establishing a new, jointly-owned company. This is expected to be completed within the next few weeks. With this development, Oerlikon strengthens the Oerlikon Neumag nonwovens systems business within the Manmade Fibers segment and expands into the attractive disposable nonwovens market.

Teknoweb Materials is an established technology provider focusing on nonwovens used in disposable products. The company has – in the form of the Arvell® technology – its own patented and particularly energy-efficient manufacturing process, with which wipes can be produced using an efficient spunbond-airlaid nonwovens process instead of the complex carded-spunlace process. The Arvell® technology dispenses with hydroentanglement and subsequent drying, which results in considerable energy and hence cost savings for customers. Together with Oerlikon Neumag’s know-how and equipment for manufacturing technical nonwovens (durable nonwovens), both partner companies will in future occupy a significant position within the nonwovens production solutions market. The newly-created, combined technology platform offers considerable synergy potentials and the ideal prerequisites for launching innovative products.

Advance into a CHF 300 million market

As a result of the partnership, the Manmade Fibers segment further advances its interests in the attractive disposable nonwovens market. With a market volume of around CHF 300 million and average growth of between 4 and 5 percent expected over the next few years, the disposable nonwovens market is particularly interesting for Oerlikon Neumag. In addition to the markets for technical nonwovens production solutions in which it already operates, this will also allow Oerlikon Neumag – with its machine and systems solutions – to participate more actively in one of the, in terms of volumes, fastest-growing areas within the overall nonwovens market in the future. Drawing on Oerlikon Neumag’s innovative airlaid, meltblown and spunbond technologies and the Teknoweb’s innovative nonwovens solutions, the newly-formed company will have excellent market access with a global sales and service network. Together, it will be possible to tap into market potentials more swiftly.

Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment, comments: “We are pleased to be announcing this strategic partnership with Teknoweb. With this, Oerlikon Neumag gains access to innovative technologies, hence expanding its product portfolio as a total solutions provider for nonwovens production systems. This allows us to expand into an attractive new market. Not least, the collaboration underlines our strategy of broadening the Manmade Fibers segment product offerings, with the aim of making its overall portfolio – currently with its primary focus on the filament business – more balanced in the long term.”

Fabio Zampollo, CEO Teknoweb Materials, explains: “Our objective was to join forces with a strategic investor with outstanding know-how, excellent technologies and machine and systems solutions. Oerlikon offers all these from a single source. Furthermore, we will in future also profit from professional engineering and the global service network of the entire Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment.”

Joint presentation at the Index 2017

At this year’s Index, taking place in Geneva between April 4 and 7, Oerlikon Neumag and Teknoweb Materials will presenting a broad range of technologies for the efficient manufacture of nonwovens. At trade fair stand 2314, the experts of both companies will be providing information on process solutions for industrial applications such as filtration, roofing, geotextiles, automotive, medical and hygiene applications and also disposable nonwovens.