Ehime, Japan
www.shinwa-jpn.co.jp
2024 Nonwovens Sales: $90 million

Key Personnel
Kazuhisa Inoue, president

Plants
Shikokuchuo, Mitoyo, Japan

Processes
Chemicalbonded, thermalbonded, spunlace, spunbonded, meltblown, electrospinning

Brand Names
Nanovia, Neofil

Major Markets
Wipes, filter, medical and houshold mateials, faicial mask, agriculture, geotextiles, counter cloth

Shinwa manufactures nonwoven fabrics in Japan, China  and Indonesia. In Japan, it produces chemical bonded, thermal bonded, spunlace, spunbonded, meltblown and Electrospun nonwovens, while in China, its subsidiary Shandong Xingao Industry (SXI) manufactures thermal bonded nonwovens and various types of filters, and in Indonesia, its subsidiary Shinwa Nonwovens Indonesia (SNI) manufactures spunlace nonwovens.

In Indonesia, production of spunlace nonwoven fabrics began in 2016 with a facility capable of producing 12,000 tons per year, and in 2024, a new facility with a capacity of 12,000 tons per year was introduced, increasing the total production capacity to 24,000 tons per year. SNI’s spunlace nonwoven fabric is sold in Japan and Southeast Asia for use in wet wipes. China’s SXI manufactures thermal bonded nonwoven fabrics and filters for automotive air conditioners and home air purifiers, producing more than 15 million automotive filters annually.

In Japan, Shinwa has facilities for chemical bonding, thermal bonding and spunlace (two lines), and has a facility with a capacity of 4000 tons for spunbonded. In addition, a facility with a capacity of 300 tons per year began operating in 2024 for meltblown nonwoven fabric. In addition, new electrospinning equipment has been introduced to further advance the development of nanofiber nonwoven fabrics.

Nanofiber nonwoven fabrics are used in cosmetics such as face masks, but product development for filters and other applications is also underway. The new facility has a large production capacity, so the nonwoven fabric produced there is expected to be cost-effective. Regarding meltblown nonwoven fabrics, it is developing nonwoven fabrics with electret processing, but electret processing is not corona discharge but water treatment. Electret processing using corona discharge requires high-voltage equipment, but water treatment does not use such equipment, making it highly safe. In addition, electret processing is said to have a higher charging effect than corona discharge, resulting in filters with low pressure loss and high collection efficiency.

Plants: Shikokuchuo, Mitoyo, Japan; China; Indonesia
Processes: Chemical bonded, thermal bonded, spunlace, spunbond, meltblown, electrospinning
Brand Names: Nanovia, Neofil
Major Markets: Wipes, filter, medical and household materials, facial masks, agriculture, geotextiles, counter cloth

Shinwa was founded in 1957 and currently produces nonwovens in Japan, China and Indonesia. In Japan, the company produces chemical bonded, thermal bonded, spunlace, spunbond, meltblown, and electrospinning nonwovens. In China, subsidiary SXI produces thermal bonded nonwovens and various filters, and in Indonesia, subsidiary SNI produces spunlace nonwovens. In Indonesia, the company started spunlace nonwoven production in 2016 with a capacity of 12,000 tons/year and increased the total production capacity to 24,000 tons/year by 2024 after adding a new facility. SNI’s spunlace nonwovens are sold in Japan and Southeast Asia for wet wiper applications.

Since 2010, China-based SXI has been manufacturing thermal bonded nonwovens and filters for automotive air conditioner filters and household air purifiers, with an annual production volume of more than 15 million automotive filters. In Japan, there are facilities for chemical bonded, thermal bonded, and spunlace (two lines), with spunbond facilities having a capacity of 4000 tons/capacity. Meanwhile, a 300-ton/year capacity meltblown nonwovens facility was recently installed. In addition, the company is developing nanofiber nonwoven fabrics and has three electrospinning facilities. Spunbond nonwovens are mainly used for disposable diapers, but demand for this application has been declining, so the company is developing bicomponent type and polylactic acid nonwovens. The company’s thermal bonded nonwoven fabrics are used for topsheets of diapers, and spunlace nonwovens for topsheets are being developed as an alternative to thermal bonded nonwovens.

Shinwa’s nonwoven brands include Nanovia and Neofil. Nanovia is an electrospinning nonwoven composed of nanofibers with fiber diameters ranging from 50 to 500 nm. It is used as a filter, while Nanovia, made from collagen, is used for skincare sheets. Neofil is a washable and regeneratable air filter media. Meltblown nonwovens can be made from a variety of polymers. Mixed fiber types, in which PE and PET fibers are mixed, are also manufactured.