INDEX 17, the largest global meeting place between the players in the nonwovens supply chain and their customers, will again honor nonwovens industry supply chain members with  INDEX™ 17 Awards for “Excellence in the nonwovens and related industries.” The awards ceremony will take place on the EDANA stand at 10 am on April 4, the opening day of the exhibition.

EDANA’s INDEX 17 Awards are the highest accolade for the best examples of excellence in the industry, highlighting creativity and innovation from businesses of all sizes, and from all parts of the nonwovens supply chain.

The INDEX 17 awards jury, comprised of a former senior nonwovens entrepreneur and manager, a representative of the nonwovens industry trade press, an international independent consultant and two top academic nonwovens R&D experts, met in January to select the nominees, if any, in each of the eight awards categories, and to choose, from this group, the winner which will remain undisclosed until the ceremony.

Companies could submit only one product or process application per category, and products must have been commercially available as from July 31, 2017.  Additionally, products or campaigns must not have been commercially launched before April 2014.

In view of the number of eligible applications, the task of the jury has been particularly long, and, keeping up with the highly demanding selection criteria, it has decided to nominate candidates in only six of the eight Awards categories.

Nominees for each of these are:

Nonwoven Roll Goods          
Atex – 3D Scrubbing Spunbond
Berry Plastics – NuviSoft   
Jacob Holm & Sons – SoftFlush

Finished or composite products made from, or incorporating nonwovens
Glatfelter – Dreamweaver Gold 20 microns
Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute – Surfaceskins
TWE Group – Amphibia

Raw materials or components (e.g. fiber, binder, polymer, tape), of special relevance to the nonwovens industry and related converted products
H.B. Fuller – Conforma
Henkel – Technomelt
Magic – Spongel

Innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry
Autefa Solutions – V- Jet Injector  
GDM – Rear Wing Zero Waste

Sustainable Product
Hassan Group – Self Sufficient Relief Tents

Sustainable process or management practice
Mobi-Air – Mobi-Chill
Suominen Corporation – Blind Hiring recruitment process