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with a slate of new capacity coming onstream, producers look beyond commodities to add value in wipes and other markets
March 6, 2006
By: Karen McIntyre
Editor
For the past couple of years, the spunlace market has been all about wipes. As wipes have increased in popularity around the world, nonwovens manufacturers have eagerly invested in spunlace technology with the hope of capturing a piece of this high volume market. However, more recently, growth in the wipes market has slowed and the onset of new capacity has created a market focused strongly on price. Take for instance, Europe, which has already seen the onset of several new lines during the past six years with new investments from Jacob Holm, Orlandi, Suominen and Sandler as well as acquisitions by BBA Fiberweb of Tenotex and Technofibra. According to reports, spunlace production capacity is approximately 20% above what the market demands, which has created some grim conditions for producers. While North America has trailed Europe in spunlace investment, new capacity coming onstream from Spuntech, Jacob Holm and Ahlstrom is expected to shift the supply-demand ratio, at least for the time being. “There definitely is more capacity than the market needs,” said Mike Hale, group vice president of North American nonwovens for PGI Nonwovens. “This situation will require innovation and customer focus for value.” PGI has had tremendous success applying its Apex technology in the wipes market, where imaging and other finishing capabilities have allowed it to add value to the substrate. But, executives are keenly aware of the importance of markets beyond wipes for a successful spunlace business. “If you are involved in spunlace, making wipes is required, and if you want to be in the wipes business, you have to be in spunlace,” Mr. Hale continued. “But, if you strictly focus on commodity wipes markets, you will die a slow death. You have to look at markets outside of the box that are harder to get into, like automotives and filtration.” In addition to wipes market growth, U.S. consumption of spunlace is expected to come at the expense of airlaid nonwovens, according to executives. Already, industry giant Procter & Gamble has converted its baby wipes products from airlaid to spunlace and its competitors are following. “We feel wipes will continue to grow through new product introductions, said PGI’s Mr. Hale. “Innovation will be a big driver. We are also seeing the cannibalization of pulp airlaid.” While airlaid pulp has traditionally been considered a cost-effective alternative to spunlace, technological advancements have lowered the cost of spunlaced nonwovens and narrowed this price gap. And, wipes converters are favoring the more cloth-like feel and increased strength offered by spunlaced. “Spunlace feels better, performs better and it’s more durable,” Mr. Hale said. “Consumers like that.”
Spunlace and Wipes: Perfect Together
That’s not to say, however, that opportunities don’t continue to exist for spunlace in the wipes market. Manufacturers continue to play with raw material mixes and finishing technologies to create new substrates that can offer their customers a way to differentiate their products. These efforts are expected to not only improve pricing for spunlaced nonwovens but also revive the consumer and industrial wipes segments, which have seen their explosive growth slow down in recent months due largely to fewer new product introductions. “Product differentiation is becoming very important in spunlace and in the wipes market,” said Martin Davis, vice president and general manager of Ahlstrom’s global wipes business. “Different patterns, different fibers, value added capabilities are just a few examples of differentiation. With the onset of new capacity, spunlace manufacturers will need to be able to differentiate their offerings in order to be successful.” Ahlstrom, which has contributed to the increase in North American spunlace capacity with a large-scale composite line in Windsor Locks, CT, as well as the current construction of a new line in its Green Bay, WI facility, has included cotton capabilities and hydroembossing technologies on its spunlace lines. “We are able to run different fibers, such as Tencel, which gives the material improved properties over standard viscose,” Mr. Davis added. Like Ahlstrom, Israeli-based Spuntech Industries has proven its commitment to the North American market with the construction of a new line in Roxboro, NC, which is set to come onstream this spring. According to chief executive officer Gideon Krasny, the decision to build its first line in North America—the company’s third in total—was the result of favorable growth prospects in the region. In 2003, the U.S. market consumed 60,000 tons of spunlace but this is expected to increase to between 100,000 and 110,000 tons by 2008. In Europe, which Spuntech services through its two Israel lines, growth is expected but on a smaller scale. In 2003, European spunlace consumption was 120,000 tons; this figure is forecast to climb to 150,000 tons by 2008. “While there are some newcomers, like ourselves, entering the U.S. market, when you consider the growth prospects, overcapacity is not a problem,” Mr. Krasny said. In addition to higher growth levels, the onslaught of spunlace capacity in North America has been created by a need for companies based elsewhere to have a local manufacturing. Jacob Holm, for instance, reported that at one time North American business represented as much as 20% of its overall sales but currency fluctuations, among other factors, brought this percentage to as low as three before it started up its new line in Asheville, NC. “If you want to be in North America, the supply should come out of North America,” chief executive officer Peter Opperman explained. And, Mr. Opperman predicts that the pricing problems in Europe cannot continue and will have to resolve themselves in the near term. “Pricing levels in Europe are not sustainable,” he said. “The levels we are seeing and the trends in Europe—not only spunlace but also in wipes converting—are not profitable and are making it tough to do business.”
A World Beyond Wipes
The wipes market has meant big volumes and attractive growth levels for spunlace manufacturers around the world. As this market matures and more players emerge to fight for this market’s business, manufacturers must look for new markets on which to rely. Already, many of the executives interviewed by Nonwovens Industry have indicated progress in such fields as filtration, automotives, protective apparel and other technical areas. While the volumes offered by wipes make it impossible for anyone making spunlace to ignore this market, pricing levels are facing commoditization at the same time that new capacity is coming onstream. “There is not a single spunlace manufacturer who hasn’t been thinking of potential areas other than wipes for many years,” said Henri Laitevo, sales director of Suominen Nonwovens. “Some small new business areas have been introduced such as panty liners but the big bang is still to be seen. Less dependence on the wipes market would make the industry healthier since it would be less dependent on fluctuations of one narrow segment.”
Material Challenges
By far, the raw materials used most commonly in spunlaced nonwovens are viscose or rayon and polyester. However, recent rises in raw materials costs, as well as customer requirements for differentiated products, have opened the door for new raw materials in the spunlace market. One material gaining a great deal of acceptance in spunlaced nonwovens is cotton. Price increases of petroleum-based raw materials have made the price of cotton less prohibitive and cotton’s purity, high absorbency rate and durability have made it attractive to converters in the wipes and medical markets. Many spunlace manufacturers have responded to this trend by equipping their lines to handle cotton. In fact, the popularity of cotton in spunlaced nonwovens is so great that one of the world’s largest suppliers of bleached cotton, Ihsan Sons, recently forward integrated into spunlace production. “We already were the biggest producer of surgical bleached cotton in Pakistan for the last couple of decades and have earned substantial experience in producing the same,” said company spokesperson Moeen Naseer. “Our fabrics can be used to make swabs, wipes, diapers, sanitary napkins etc., and our target customers are the manufacturers of medical and healthcare applications throughout the globe including the major markets of Europe, the U.S., South America, Middle East, Far East and South East Asia.”
Ahlstrom FiberComposites
Akinal A.S.
AS Nonwovens
BBA Fiberweb
Daiwabo Company
DuPont DuPont Cipatex Freudenberg
Ginni Filaments Ltd.
Jacob Holm Industires
Ihsan Sons
Milyon S.A. de C.V.
Orlandi SpA
Polymer Group Inc.
PGI Nonwovens
Phoenix Fabrikations
Sandler AG
Spuntech Industires
Suominen Nonwovens
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