More than two years after the Coronavirus shut down most of the world and created an unprecedented demand for face masks, respirators and their crucial ingredient—meltblown nonwovens—investment continues in this category for nonwovens. Even as dozens, if not scores, of lines have been added globally in the past 18-24 months, new lines keep being announced. Just in the past few weeks, two new lines­­—one in Germany from Neenah and a Japanese investment from Mitsui Chemicals—have been ordered seemingly signaling that growth prospects remain for meltblown nonwovens.

This is surprising considering the virus seems to (finally) be waning and mask mandates are being lifted in many areas. (Of course no one has a crystal ball and we have certainly thought the pandemic was behind us before.) Also, at least some producers have their doubts whether current capacity levels will be used and some are reporting oversupply situations even as some previously announced lines are not yet complete.

In this month’s issue, associate editor Tara Olivo reports on the meltblown market (see page 50) and uncovers how meltblown manufacturers are targeting areas beyond face masks. We’ll see why investment continues in this category.

Speaking of investment, new lines across all of the major technologies for nonwovens have been popping up all over the place during the past 24 months as manufacturers have worked hard to meet demand not just for PPE but also for products like baby diapers, adult incontinence products and disinfectant wipes. This has not just grown the industry in size but also in scope and the rate of new product introductions throughout the supply chain has been quite impressive. This is particularly evident among the IDEA Achievement Award Finalists, which showcase innovation across several categories. For a full list of the finalists, see page 151. The winners will be selected by industry members and announced during the IDEA 2022 show in Miami Beach, FL, later this month.

No doubt, even more new products and innovations will be on display at IDEA this year, showing just how much has changed since the last time the industry convened in Miami Beach three years ago.

As always, we appreciate your comments.


Karen McIntyre
Editor
[email protected]