Nonwovens is a kind of fabric. As the word indicates it is not a woven fabric – weaving and knitting are never at part of the production method. This is what makes it special. It is manufactured by a complex technical process – where fibres, continuous filaments or chopped yarns are formed into a web and then bonded together. Finally it is rolled up – and our nonwoven rolls are used as key components in baby diapers, hygiene and incontinence care products.
Our nonwoven fabrics are key components in manufacturing of baby diapers, feminine hygiene and adult incontinence care products. Fabrics from our product lines can be used in different applications such as barrier leg cuff, backsheet, topsheet, core, laminates and closure systems.
Our four product categories; Loft, Dual, Elite and Comfort are designed to meet different needs. All four can be used in hygiene products where low basis weight, high performance and softness are essential, such as barrier leg cuff, backsheet, topsheet, core, laminates and closure systems.
Fibertex Loft is adding a third dimension to our spunbond/spunmelt nonwoven fabric. By adding this new technology, we produce nonwoven fabrics with greater volume and a lofty structure for optimised cottony touch with an unprecedented level of softness.
Fibertex Dual is a perfect solution providing supreme silky softness and enhanced drapeability. The base is bi-component spunbond technology with an optimal polyethylene/polypropylene ratio.
Fibertex Elite is our spunbond/spunmelt nonwoven fabric with superior effects. The Elite range consists of Elite Soft, Elite Barrier and Elite Strength. It also includes Elite Sense and Elite Open Dot offering enhanced properties and distinctive visual appearance due to unique bonding patterns.
Fibertex Comfort is our standard spunbond /spunmelt nonwoven fabric ensuring high performance at low basis weight.
Using our existing spunbond/spunmelt technology platform and extensive knowhow, we have just introduced an innovative technology – Loft Spunbond – enabling production of nonwovens with unparalleled level of softness.
When properties like supreme silky softness and drapeability are requested, we use our bi-component spunbond technology. With this technology, the spunbond fibres consist of polypropylene and polyethylene in a core/sheath configuration, where the polyethylene sheath provides the enhanced softness and drapeability characteristics.
No matter which technology we use, we work with a long list of general characteristics of our nonwoven fabrics – here are some of them:
| Basis weight | 7 g/m2 – 100 g/m2 |
|---|---|
| Bonding patterns | Standard 18% oval pattern. Special softness enchancing patterns. Other patterns can be developed jointly upon request. |
| Treatments | Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Soft Antistatic Various botanicals are possible including: Aloe Vera, Olive Oil, Silk Protein, Vitamin E & Chamomile. |
| Labels | A large assortment of our nonwovens comply with the requirements set forth by various expert associations. |
| For products from Denmark, this includes the ISCC Plus label, Nordic Swan Label, Oeko-Tex 100, the EU Ecolabel and The Blue Label/Asthma-Allergy Denmark. | |
| For products from Malaysia this includes Halal certifications. |
There is a long way from resin to nonwoven in a spunbond/spunmelt process and attention to detail in every link of the chain is required.
The short version goes like this:
PP/PE polymer resin and various additives are the raw materials used in the production of our nonwoven fabrics.
The raw materials are melted/extruded and spun to form spunbond fibres and meltblown fibres in the respective fibre spinning beams.
In the spunbond process, the raw materials pass through a die plate with holes spread over multiple adjacent rows. The fibres are stretched and deposited on a moving belt.
Spunbond fibres typically have a diameter in the range of 13-17 µm/1.2-2.0 dtex.
For the meltblown process, it passes through a die plate – with holes in a row. It results in a layer of thin filaments. These filaments are afterwards stretched while passing through a high velocity hot air stream.
Meltblown fibres typically have a diameter in the range of 1-5µm.
The spunbond fibres provide strength to the final web, whereas the thinner meltblown fibres provide barrier to the final web.
The resulting product is often referred to as SMS or SMMS to signify that the spunbond(S) layers surround the meltblown(M) layers.
The web is thermo-bonded using heated rollers to form a final nonwoven with optimum characteristics.
For some products, hydrophilic or antistatic properties are desired. This is obtained by in-line application of surfactant.
The spunbond/spunmelt fabric is scanned by cameras for quality control before being rolled onto shafts in large jumbo rolls, and subsequently cut into smaller rolls and packed according to customer requirements.
Through our Innowo Print brand, we possess a unique Floxographic technology, where colours and images are printed directly on the nonwoven fabrics. For more technical information please visit Innowo Print website www.innowoprint.com
Learn more at our machine supplier’s website
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Fibertex Personal Care is the first ISCC Plus certified producer of nonwovens for hygiene and medical applications
Our plant in Denmark has obtained the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC Plus). This is enabling our site – as the first in our industry – to supply ISCC Plus certified nonwovens.
ISCC Plus works on what is known as a “mass balance system”. It supports the development of a sustainable bio-economy and circular economy, to gradually replace fossil resources and thereby significantly reduce climate emissions.
We are confident that, by taking this commitment to the next level and exploring the many possibilities together with our partners, we will support a faster transition to a more sustainable supply chain for plastics.
See the video for further information – and learn how we meet customer demand for more sustainable nonwovens.
