Early this month, INDA’s Research, Innovation, Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference (RISE) will kick off the fall season of conferences relevant to the global nonwovens industry. The RISE conference tends to focus on the technology side of nonwovens, showcasing new developments that will likely shape the future of the industry.

In conjunction with the conference, INDA has sponsored an awards competition. The three finalists for the RISE Innovation Award showcase how diverse technological developments in nonwovens are. First up is DiviDiaper, an interior  for a diaper that separates liquid and solids within the diaper and contains an inside slot where a catheter can be drawn. The product, which reduces urinary tract infection, was developed by parents of an infant needing multiple surgeries.

The second finalist is Evolon New Generation, the next version of Freudenberg’s microfilament technology, which was launched with great fanfare in 1998. This new generation opens up new doors for Evolon in markets like bed linens, thanks to super micro-filament technology. The third finalist is Suominen for its Intelligent Nonwovens, which allows users to embed digital features into nonwovens for product traceability and safety and provides brands with a new sophisticated marketing tool.

The difference in these technologies and the way they are going to market illustrates just how diverse the nonwovens industry is. With one finalist, you have a set of concerned parents looking for better options for their child and others like him; another one is one of the world’s largest nonwovens producers upgrading an existing technology to show how far nonwovens have come in recent decades; and finally, with an intelligent nonwoven, the third finalist is showing how nonwovens can provide increased functionalities.

New functionalities and ultimately frontiers for nonwovens is what the RISE conference is all about and INDA has surely recruited an interesting crop of speakers not only for the RISE event, but also for its Filtration Exhibition and Conference, which will be held in early October. Later this fall, the hygiene industries will meet up for two important conferences, Outlook in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Hygienix in Orlando, FL. Then, in November the third edition of GoWipes Europe will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Each of these events will showcase innovation in nonwovens in their own unique way.


Karen McIntyre
Editor
[email protected]