After being delayed for over a year and a half due to the global coronavirus pandemic, INDEX20 will finally be taking place at Palexpo in Geneva Oct. 19-22, 2021.

For the safety of visitors and exhibitors, Palexpo is putting in place any health measures that are required, so that the event can be enjoyed and business can be conducted without any safety concerns. These health measures can be viewed on INDEX’s website at www.indexnonwovens.com.

For those who can’t come to Geneva in person, and for the first time ever, INDEX will also include an interactive and immersive virtual platform. Visitors from anywhere in the world will be able to watch presentations, interact directly with speakers, exhibitors and other participants and even arrange live discussions together.

There will also be a thought-provoking Sector Seminar Program on-site. Composed of six free-to-attend half-day seminars covering highly innovative and enterprising sectors including Infection Prevention, Smart Nonwovens, Nonwovens and Sustainability, Geotextiles, Filtration and Transportation, each sector will feature a wide selection of eminent speakers discussing up to the minute topics in the field. Each one will take place live in Geneva and, in parallel on the virtual platform, where all attendees will be able to interact with speakers, participate in discussions and Q & A sessions.

Meanwhile, live visitors can explore the INDEX Innovation Lab, an entire zone dedicated to discovering at first-hand the depth of innovation and imagination in the nonwovens industry and its suppliers.

Within the show floor, nonwovens-related exhibitors will showcase advancements in roll goods production, raw material use and machinery technology providing a snapshot of what is happening in nonwovens. The following is a look at what some of these exhibitors will have on display next month.

ACE
Stand 1128
Innovation and sustainability are the pillars of the new revitalized brand, ACE. With almost 50 years of manufacturing embossed polyolefin film for the medical, hygiene and construction markets, ACE’s experts will be in Geneva for INDEX 2020 showing a comprehensive range of sustainable film and nonwoven based solutions tailor-made to meet individual challenges.

Anna, Thierry and Frédéric are looking forward to meeting customers and visitors to the stand. They will be joined during the exhibition by other key colleagues and indeed, the company’s shareholders.

If ACE has learned one thing during 2020 and 2021, it is just how big a part its films and laminates play in protecting people and lives. And it is not only the products it offers – it is the flexibility, agility, sustainability, and service that make the difference when delivering a whole solution. And it is this package the team will be presenting at INDEX.

“As we move into new markets and applications with a revitalized and innovative portfolio of products, our team is excited about being able to make new contacts and physically meet customers, old and new,” says Tricia Featherstone, business development director at ACE. “After so long working at arm’s length, it will be a joy to get back to doing business face to face – bringing great solutions to great people and companies.”

Autefa Solutions
Stand 4035
Soaring demand in some critical nonwovens applications has made the global pandemic a period of both market growth and technical progress for companies at the forefront of the sector. The upcoming INDEX event is an ideal opportunity for equipment providers to present their latest innovations, and Autefa Solutions will be featuring novel systems targeting higher productivity, assured quality and energy efficiency.

The sales boom in some areas – notably spunlaced products for hygiene and sanitizing wipes – has clearly been driven by virus-related requirements. But Autefa is confident that the resulting “huge demand” will continue, as producers discover the benefits of the technological advances made.

Says Autefa Solutions CMO Marco Fano: “Our unique web-forming technology ideally meets our customers’ needs at this time, and we see the upward trend in order intake being sustained in future, particularly in combined card and crosslapper solutions. Our advanced spunlace manufacturing systems are able to deliver high standards of quality and performance, with the all-important advantage of rapid investment payback.”

Sustainable manufacturing is a key goal for Autefa, with a focus on manufacturing solutions which preserve both energy and raw materials. Spunlace processes can require relatively high energy usage, so Autefa has developed the unique combination of V-Jet Futura hydroentanglement machine and SQ-V Square Drum Dryer, which can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. The V-Jet Injector also enables customers to modernize existing production lines with the newest hydroentanglement technology.

Savings in raw material costs and excellent fabric uniformity are major features of the Topliner crosslapper series. In combination with the WebMax and Closed Loop system, this prevents weight increases at fabric edges – known as the smile effect – which would otherwise waste material. Autefa Solutions offers a complete range of nonwovens machinery, covering needlepunch lines, aerodynamic web forming, spunlace and thermobonding equipment. Application sectors range from hygiene and wipes through filtration, geotextiles, automotive, carpets, technical felts, wadding and insulation. In the premium nonwovens segment, Autefa Solutions is renowned for the quality, durability and performance of its technology for both forming and bonding processes, incorporating the famous brands Fehrer, FOR and Strahm.

Meanwhile, a fully automated production line for protective face masks has been developed by Autefa Solutions. The HiPerMask system can output over 50,000 masks per day, meeting international standards EU FFP2 and FFP3, as well as US N95 and N98.

The HiPerMask line consists of a material feed, nose clip feed and positioning, ultrasonic welding units, ear loops or head loop stations, mask folding, punching, and dispensing of the masks into a collection container. A vital factor is high process reliability, with reproducible product quality at an output of over 50,000 masks per day. Emerson Branson ultrasonic assembly technology is used for respirator and mask shape welding. The nose clip unit ensures precise feeding of the clips; there is a printer for labelling on both sides, including individual numbering and company logos; and a mask folding unit has automatic centering using a vision sensor and linear unit.

As an option, mask strip welding can be carried out as an ear loop station or as a headband station, with band length adjustment. Another outstanding feature is the ability to shape and weld the protective mask contour for different shapes and sizes.

Bast Fibre Technologies
Stand 1157
Bast Fibre Technologies Inc. (BFT) is a triple-bottom-line, cleantech fiber engineering firm manufacturing specialty natural fibers for applications throughout the nonwoven industry. Using advanced fiber processing technology, BFT transforms raw bast fibers from hemp and flax plants to meet the exacting standards required by nonwoven customers. With the inevitable transition away from synthetic materials, BFT fibers will become vitally important for the production of truly sustainable nonwovens ranging from cleaning wipes to personal care products.

BFT’s proprietary processing technology carefully individualizes, softens and brightens bast fibers to meet stringent nonwoven technical standards. Critically, the intrinsic structure and function of the fiber is retained as it existed in the plant, allowing the performance advantages to be passed to the nonwoven fabric. BFT’s farm-to-fiber quality management system ensures performance and consistency by monitoring more than 100 critical process parameters throughout the supply chain and manufacturing process. Additionally, BFT’s technology enables the enhancement and customization of bast fibers for specific nonwoven end uses and customer requirements.

BFT believes in the need for true sustainability that goes beyond climate neutrality to repair our planet. BFT creates truly natural fibers for nonwoven applications from annual, renewable bast crops that are biodegradable, compostable, and completely plastic free. By disrupting the traditional take-make-waste linear economy, BFT will allow global nonwovens companies to accelerate sustainability goals and work towards a circular zero-waste future.

BFT currently offers two products:

• sero – premium hemp fiber: Ideal for home and commercial wipes, fluid management applications (diapers, hygiene, mop heads etc.), and a variety of other nonwovens, BFT’s unique processing system yields hemp that is clean, strong, and consistent.
• noval – specialty linen fiber: Optimized for next-to-skin applications (baby wipes, make-up removers, topsheets, etc.) and processed specifically for nonwovens, linen fiber is an ideal choice for premium a luxury product applications.

Among other custom fiber treatments, BFT’s cohesion enhancement technology makes it possible to create nonwovens that are made from 100% hemp fiber. Rigorously tested for quality and performance on global standard formation equipment, BFT fiber is delivered with a COA certifying average length, diameter, brightness, and other relevant characteristics.

Bostik
Stand 2138
Bostik, the adhesive solutions division of Arkema, has announced it will exhibit at INDEX20 Oct. 19-22, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland, in both in-person and virtual formats.

Bostik, as a platinum virtual exhibitor at INDEX20, will host visitors in a physical booth and exhibit innovative and sustainable adhesive solutions designed to meet diverse application needs across markets. Bostik will also exhibit on a virtual platform provided by Palexpo with a digital immersive experience, especially for those unable to visit the exhibition in person.

At INDEX20, Bostik will introduce StayX Adhesive Technology for feminine hygiene and light adult incontinence pads. StayX delivers best-in-class stay-in-place performance, as verified by Staybility, a patent-pending test designed by Bostik to fill a gap in the typical product development testing process.

In addition to taking inspiration from StayX Adhesive Technology, manufacturers of absorbent hygiene articles and hygiene industrial players can visit physical booth 2138 or Bostik’s virtual booth to discuss Corporate Social Responsibility. Experts will be on hand to provide details on Bostik’s ‘Responsibly for Hygiene’ commitment, which supports article producers to meet their own sustainable development objectives and the sustainability needs of their consumers. Bostik will be wrapping up its eighth webinar ‘Responsibly for Hygiene’ webinar series just before the Expo, and will have plenty to share on this hot industry topic.

“We appreciate the opportunity to show the disposable hygiene market our knowledge and understanding on CSR, sustainability and innovation,” says Diane Toonen, global strategic marketing director for Bostik’s Nonwovens Business Unit. “We look forward to coming together with the entire industry soon.”

Filztuchfabrik Rodewisch
Stand 1150
Rodewisch manufactures belts and wires for nonwovens producers with extrusion, carding and airlaid lines around the world. Its fabrics are essential components in the forming and bonding process of nonwovens for medical use, protective apparel, face masks and diapers.

Rodewisch woven belts with conductive features provide perfect in-line performance,  static discharging, minimal noise and perfect web release.

Rodewisch produces top quality “Made in Germany” forming and bonding belts using raw materials from Europe and invests continuously in the most modern production machinery and R&D.

In association with its clients Rodewisch is able to manufacture custom-made belts for each application with the latest high tech materials and features.
Rodewisch stands for continuous quality and quick product delivery, along with service and installation support worldwide.

Rodewisch offers forming and bonding belts for spunbond lines (S, SS); meltblown lines (M, MM); composite lines (SMS, SMMS); carding lines; airlaid / airlay lines; and thermal bonding.

Focke & Co
Stand 1651
A new packaging system for diapers that stands for utmost care in product treatment, solidity, durability and proven technology, developed by Focke & Co, will be launched live at INDEX 2021. The modular machinery design of the new Focke stacker and bagger equipment offers economic solutions for various applications for the diaper industry. Increased efficiency and an open design enable easy operation and maintenance. Neither various bag styles nor sustainable materials affect the operation planning with this packaging line.

The stacker module itself stands for high flexibility to combine multiple modules such as one or more bagger and / or cartoner, flow wrapper, case packer as well as further packaging solutions. Using the new Focke Stacker Bagger model offers benefits of standard equipment customized to the needs of the operation, high compression capability and unique in-line compression for gentle product handling. Innovative machine functions supported by servo driven motion design sequences provide additional value to packaging.

Equipped with Focke VISU 3000 and in connection with digital services such as remote or condition monitoring aspects, this equipment is future proven. Focke VISU 3000’s new modular design allows simple extension by further functions and requirements. The on-screen help as well as integrated machine documentation support the operator in his tasks and enable quick solutions to any issues.

Focke & Co is a leading manufacturer of packaging machines worldwide and offers customer-specific packaging solutions for the hygiene & tissue industry.

General Nonwovens
Stand 2241
General Nonwovens of Turkey is a member of Imam Kayali Holding which is active in different fields of trade and industry since 1928. General Nonwovens has been producing nonwoven fabrics for over a decade. During this period, the company expanded its operations to three factories in Turkey along with the expansion in offerings made to the nonwovens industry. At the end of 2019 General Nonwovens announced its latest investment in Reicofil 5 plus technology which sets new standards for spunbond and composite nonwovens. The new multi-beam line is located at General Nonwovens’ third site in Sakarya, Turkey. The 4.2 meter wide SSMMS line is in commercial production now and primarily serves the hygiene industry, adding 26,000 tons of capacity to General Nonwovens’ operation.

General Nonwovens not only serves the local market but also to the U.S. and EU markets with a 50-50 split. Hygiene, automotive, filtration, medical, technical textiles, coated and laminated fabric end uses covers the majority of the markets served.

General Nonwovens’ HyGen brand products are widely used in the hygiene industry namely: topsheet, backsheet, ADL, leg cuffs, front ears and core-wrap. A very soft air through bond fabric is also served for those who are in search of soft-touch fabric for premium disposable product end uses. Apart from the HyGen brand; FilterGen brand is served for filtration industry, MediGen for medical industry, TexGen for coated and laminated fabrics as well as home textiles, AutoGen for the automotive industry and IndiGen for industrial and technical textiles applications.

General Nonwovens will be welcoming guests during the INDEX20 show at booth number 2241 exhibiting its full range of products.

H.B. Fuller
Stand 1522
Eco-consciousness is a reality and a major global trend. In the hygiene industry, what began as a differentiation effort by startups in the industry has now become a global effort by brands owners. Regulatory pressures, circular economy, and mobile applications that allow consumers to easily check ingredients, and other types of measures such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), have made it imperative for manufacturers to focus on sustainability, health and safety through their entire product lifecycle.

H.B. Fuller is supporting manufacturers’ efforts in driving sustainability and efficiency efforts for the benefit of consumers and the planet by showcasing next-gen technologies and adhesive solutions at INDEX.

This comes to life with a range of innovative adhesives and service solutions that raise production line efficiencies; by enabling a leaner manufacturing process for increased productivity; or with the company’s latest sustainable developments, including high-performance bonding solutions for more demanding natural substrates; and all combined with an alternative packaging with a reduced carbon footprint and adhesives with an increase in bio-based content, H.B. Fuller is striving for sustainability.

The ultimate goal is to help manufacturers deliver safe articles and address the rising demand for ingredient transparency and safety.

The world is moving towards eco-oriented innovation and H.B. Fuller is focused on supporting its customers’ business and enabling them to achieve in full their sustainable goals.

Hills, Inc.
Stand 2154
Hills, Inc., the world leader in multi-component fiber extrusion technology, is planning to present its latest innovations in fiber extrusion technology. Hills’ unique polymer distribution and metering can be used in all nonwovens processes: spunbond, meltblown, & staple fibers.  Hills will be showcasing a number of samples that have been produced on Hills lines including:

• Nanofiber Meltblown webs (HEPA, ULPA, etc.)
• High Spinning Speed Spunbond
• Lofty (bulky) Spunbond
• Stretchy SB without Elastomeric Polymer
• Microfiber Spunbond
• Logo Fibers

Loptex
Stand 2555
Loptex, a worldwide leader in solutions for the identification and elimination of contamination in artificial, natural, and synthetic fibers, will be present at INDEX20 in Geneva.
Loptex will introduce the new EXA embedded technologies for the identification of contaminants.

It will also show to its existing and new customers the recent results in the nonwovens industry for medical and hygienic applications.

Mondon
Stand 1514
French company Mondon has been designing and manufacturing converting machines for four decades. Thanks to its large experience in winding & unwinding machinery, Mondon offers equipment for hygiene, healthcare, automotive and construction sectors.   

Mondon offers a full range of machines suitable for existing lines or new processing lines. Portfolio includes turret unwinders, slitter rewinders, winders and spooling lines in several widths and with several options. Great attention has been paid in the capacity to manage very accurate tension control to low weight material at very high speed. Performance is reached thanks to its background in engineering expertise developed on large scale product machines and tests. 

Mondon will present its CW-Series, a contact winder which offers maximum production quality through a fully automatic process for in-line rewinding. CW-Series has become a major equipment for nonwovens production lines. “We wanted to bring a complete solution for customers, reduced to the maximum and developed with a special focus on productivity. It also offers the latest control systems, utmost efficiency and a smooth design for easy operations and maintenance of the equipment,” says Georges Forand, Mondon sales director.

Mondon machines meet quality, efficiency and reliability. They can be applied on existing lines by adapting the design to the product. They are available in different widths from 1000 mm to 4000 mm, with optional devices such as a lifting table to load or unload the rolls. Interface parameter adjustment and mechanical design offer to the end user reliable equipment easy to use and easy to maintain.

MS Ultrasonic
Stand 2359
The MS Ultrasonic Technology Group acts as a technology and innovation leader in ultrasonic technology, develops and builds flexible special machines, pioneering series machines, modular systems and efficient components for high-performance complete solutions. MS Ultrasonic thus covers the demanding needs of customers in the automotive, packaging/food, textile, medical technology, consumer goods and electrical components industries.

This enables them to optimally weld, punch, seal, cut and rivet thermoplastics, textiles and nonwovens, as well as cut food and other materials.

The MS Ultrasonic Technology Group is part of the listed MS Industrie AG with internationally active companies.

In addition to the company’s well-known activities, MS is now placing a new focus on the continuous welding of nonwovens and other materials.

The company is incorporating its many years of experience in mechanical engineering with drive and control technology, in combination with ultrasonic technology, into the new business area. This means that customers receive ready-to-integrate systems with maximum precision from a single source.

The new MS Competence Center in Ettlingen, Germany, provides continuous welding with an innovative location and maintains a high level of vertical integration through the headquarters in Spaichingen, Germany.

The newly developed systems (MS sonxSYS Combine) for the nonwovens segment have already been tested in the high-speed range up to 850 m/min and will be presented to the trade public at INDEX.

The analysis and evaluation of various welding tasks is just as much a part of this as the in-house production of engraving rollers through to complete systems.

Nordson
Stand 2161
Nordson Adhesive Dispensing Systems, a division of Nordson Corporation, has introduced a high-performing new platform for precision adhesive dispensing. The Harmony Applicator Series is the next generation technology from a global leader in innovation.

Nordson’s new Harmony Applicators support a great variety of adhesive dispensing ranging from continuous contact or spray to demanding ultra-high-speed intermittent applications.

The Harmony Applicators have a high degree of spare parts commonality reducing the cost of ownership for this product family immensely. Configuration options include multiple hose inlets/ hydraulic zones, and mixing of dispense modules as well as easy upgradability in the field.

Training and maintenance is simplified through innovative design and advanced new features that support a single-minute exchange of certain items, including spray nozzles, filters, modules, solenoids, and OptiStroke sensors.

“Harmony Applicators deliver performance, flexibility, and improved value to meet and exceed the demands of a wide range of dispensing applications. During the upcoming INDEX trade show in Geneva in October, our customers will be able to see the features and benefits of our new applicator for themselves,” states Kai Kröger, Nordson vice president, Global Nonwovens

Nordson, the global leader in high precision dispense technology, has developed an innovative product with the Harmony Applicator aimed at helping our clients enhance their manufacturing efficiency and product quality around the world.

Tresu
Stand 4665
At INDEX 2021 in Geneva (CH), Tresu presents its customized inline printing machine technology that reduces the cost to print in branded nonwovens printing applications.
A fully automated single pass converting line with integrated inline printing technology optimizes the ability to meet brand owners’ demand for branded nonwoven goods and also offers competitive short production runs and short lead-times—with costs firmly controlled.

With a fully automated printing setup requiring a minimum of operator training, the flexible Tresu CI inline flexo printing press can help brand owners reduce stock complexity, logistics and dependence on pre-printed materials.

In fact, some brand owners have recorded up to 30% cost savings with inline flexo printing.

For applications with 3-31” web width (80-800 mm), key features such as the precise register and a unique efficient drying technology called Veloci-Dryer by Tresu, enable flexible printing with production speeds up to 1,960 ft/min (600 m/min).

Tresu inline CI flexo printing reduces brand owners’ time to market, but also allows for frequent design changes in response to seasonal trends or fashion demands.

The compact housings and built-in measures of Tresu’s inline CI flexo printing machines are also ideal for retrofitting, where space is limited but quality requirements high.
Request a printed nonwovens sample or meet Tresu at INDEX in Geneva, Booth 4665.

Truetzschler Nonwovens
Stand 2327
The nonwovens industry worldwide is turning towards eco-friendly products. For decades, Truetzschler Nonwovens develops and improves solutions in this field. At INDEX, booth 2327, Truetzschler will present the entire spectrum of sustainable solutions.

Firstly, the show is about complete production lines. Truetzschler will discuss proven high-speed configurations for spunlaced nonwovens from 100% cotton or viscose fibers as solutions for premium wipe or top sheet applications. Truetzschler Nonwovens and Voith will also present the latest developments of their pulp-based technologies. In the focus are wet-laying/spunlacing (WLS) lines for sustainable baby and body wipes as well as latest information about carded/pulp (CP) concepts already in service or under construction.

Secondly, INDEX is about components. The role of top-quality wires in carding and web forming cannot be underestimated. Truetzschler Card Clothing presents its latest wire developments. The new Z-wire targets at today’s high-speed hydroentangling lines. The special geometry minimizes fiber migration off the roller, which could occur due to air currents generated by rollers’ high rotational speeds.

Truetzschler and Voith’s booth 2327 also is about new raw materials and appropriate processes. Visitors are invited to compare and discuss dozens of nonwoven samples made from biodegradable fibers by different production processes. 

Last but not least, customers’ visits could be about opportunities for bringing their ideas into reality. NCTC, the Nonwovens Customer and Technology Center at Egelsbach, Germany, is a playground for the entire industry. The NCTC offers machinery, processes and expert’s know-how for developing tomorrow’s carded/spunlaced, crosslapped/spunlaced, wet-laid/spunlaced, carded/pulp or through-air bonded products.