For the past four years, Droid has been working with wet wipes manufacturers both in Asia and Europe to help cut costs and handle limits felt by the industry. Zoe Ji, marketing manager, discusses how the company has listened to its customers to learn what it takes to be successful in wipes manufacturing.
 
 
NWI: Please tell me a little bit about the history of DROID…when it got its start and how.
 
ZJ: DROID opened its door in 2018 with the goal to make wet wipes manufacturing an easier task; to address challenges of high wet wipes manufacturing costs, limited production space and limits in convertible wet tissue formats faced by thousands of wet wipes producers at home and abroad. All of these challenges could have been addressed by a higher performance, more versatile and easier-to-use wet wipes machine, but the solutions available to end-users then were either the machines at a hefty price tag such as those manufactured within the Eurozone or the technology with less satisfying performance from Asia.
 
This is why DROID was born.

Throughout our initial journey of wet wipes machines manufacturing, a group of new players presented their challenges of venturing into modernized wet wipes production. They were so desperate for a viable solution of design and guidance of GMP-Compliant production site, automation of wet wipes production, and quality wet wipes raw material.

Catering to this demand, DROID spent years working with end-users in the wet wipes manufacturing bases, listening to both new and experienced wet wipes converters, and learning about the key to success in making good wipes. We decided to do what other wet wipes machine vendors can not do.
 
Here are 3 unique offerings that big and small wet wipes manufacturers have appreciated.
 
•High performance wet wipes machines with quick changeovers and minimized unit manufacturing cost ideal for multi-purpose needs.
• Turn-key wet wipes production expertise. Start with wet wipes product cost calculation and feasibility study with one-on-one consultation. Work with DROID engineers to make a GMP-compliant clean room design and factory plan.
• Droid will work with each of our client closely every step of the way to help comb through the wet wipes cost structure, optimize their wet wipes raw materials supply chain, and connect them with reliable raw materials manufacturers directly.
 
On our journey to help start-ups grow from “Zero to One,” empowering veterans to leap from “Good to Excellence” in wet wipes business, DROID partnered with an experienced German wet wipes converter and were turned into a German joint-venture solely devoted to best-in-class disposable wet wipes machinery manufacturing & turn-key wet wipes project planning.
 
Droid truly stands alone in the industry, and I am proudly to say no one can do better than what we do in this field.
 
For anyone who would like to explore more about DROID, here is our company website: www.droidwipes.com.
 
NW: How has DROID helped to bring better innovation to the Asian wet wipes market?
 
ZJ: Due to COVID-19 and as environmental concerns rise, innovative wet wipes producers in Asia started to look at differentiated tissue and packaging formats, meanwhile shifted their attention to eco-friendly materials as an alternative to traditional polyester-based spun-lace nonwoven fabric.
 
In case of a sanitizing & cleaning wipe, the primary hazard would be if an item is not effectively sanitized due to the product’s breakdown. Surface Disinfectant Wipes used in hospital are ideal for cleaning and disinfecting patient-shared equipment or non-invasive medical devices. It would be of a preference by hospital workers if the wipe is strong in both directions and lint-free, reducing the risk of leaving contaminated fibres on a surface. It is also considered effective when the fabric could transfer active wipe ingredients to surfaces, rather than keeping them trapped in wipe fibres.
 
Traditional polyester-based spun-lace nonwoven fabric is high-linting which makes it not a preferred solution for surface disinfecting and cleaning on medical devices, yet an innovative material is being used as an alternative solution: it is made from layers of spunbond and meltblown polypropylene fibers, bonded together in a high-heat process before a hydrophilic coating is applied.
 
Machines traditionally made in Asia are not capable to handle such materials with ease and we also have done repeat experiments, modifications and re-engineering until we make a breakthrough and roll out with an all-in-one wet wipes machine in 2020. This multi-purpose wet wipes production line is cost-effective & super versatile to run this material, spun-lace nonwoven fabric and also plastic-free biodegradable materials such as 100% cotton and fine-to-flush cellulose-based fabric.

Another innovation in wipes category in Asia is flushable wet toilet wipes wrapped in mini-sized package for on-the-go use. Wet moist paper is traditionally made as large-sized 40-,50-, and 60sheets packs. Consumers use them mostly only at home or at work but not while they are on-the-go since the wipe package is big-sized and not portable to carry in a man’s pocket or a lady’s smaller-than-ever handbag. Instead, mini wet toilet wipes commonly sold as 5-sheet or 8-sheet packs are likely to see greater popularity, as a growing number of consumers become more aware of microplastic pollutions and clogging sewerage system in relation to wipes, and they would like to make a change and stay environment conscious while on-the-go.

The obstacle in the engineering process of DROID’s R&D team was to fold and pack large-sized, easy-to-break cellulose-based moist tissue into mini-sized package with minimized rejects. Eventually we came out with a perfect solution in 2021.

The technology of DROID behind innovative wipes as mentioned above has already been put into use in with several countries in and out of Aisa such as China, Thailand, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Czech Republic, India, Saudi Arabia.

DROID will continue to work hand in hand with more global wet wipes producers, make more innovative and eco-friendly hygiene products with the mutual goal to improve the health of each human being and our environmental sustainability.
 
 
NWI: Can you give me some specific examples of how your technology is superior to wipes machinery traditionally made in Asia? How are consumer demands changing the needs of wipes manufacturers and by extension wipes technology?
 
ZJ: DROID was not born to be a follower. DROID came to global stage with an aimbition to redefine the technology traditionally engineered and made in Asia.
 
Our technology is superior to wipes machinery traditionally made in Asia in its higher efficiency and greater versatility. In a word, wet wipes producers could benefit from our technology to make multi-purpose wet wipes faster and cheaper without the need to invest with extra costs on more production lines.
 
1.     Maximized Efficiency to Minimize Manufacturing Cost

Consumers in FMCG market are constantly searching for good quality products at competitive pricing. It is the same story with wet wipes products. In this regard, the majority of wet wipes manufacturers tend to compete on price to win over as more consumers as possible. Every wet wipes producer is trying to reduce their unit manufacturing costs. They know pretty well that every penny they save is another penny they can use to defeat their competitors.

Instead of keeping their eyes on the initial machine purchase price, smart wet wipes manufacturers care more about how efficient a good wet wipes machine could be: if their wet wipes production line could run at higher speed with less downtime, they could produce more quality wet wipes in a day. By doing so, their unit manufacturing cost could be significantly reduced.

Speaking end-users’ language, DROID’s team pays particular attention to shorten formats change-over time and reduce machine downtime.

• Format change-over time on our machine is 25% faster than that from 95% Asian peers;

Specific example:
DROID has innovated in the tissue folding board and make it truly multi-dimensional. Most folding board available in the market can only fold tissue into Z/N folds with limits and restrictions on tissue dimensions, while our innovative folding board is able to manage Z/Z Interlock/N/Z+Z/LZ without the need to take it off and replace with specified folding board when switching from one folding to another, and the whole change-over process is completely tool-free! For each DROID customer, it is a joy to see that more time could be spent in running productions instead of making the change-over.
 
• Machine downtime is minimized with the help of less frequent replacement and repair of short- life components;
 
2.  One Machine, Multi-Formats & Multi-Purpose

Consumer market is fast-changing.

Most of the wet wipes producers are contract manufacturers and they do not have a say in the choice of wipes formats ( tissue sizes and fabric specs ). Their customers – the brand owners who outsource to wet wipes contract manufacturers usually come to the doorsteps with their own requests.

The problem is, each customer has different format request.

Some request to make biodegradable baby wipes; Some ask for wet toilet paper (easy-to-break & flushable into toilet); Some require to make extra large & super thick wet tissue for kitchen cleaning purpose; Some target at price-sensitive market with a demand for extra small & super thin tissue; Some look for alcohol sanitizing wipes and some need help with innovative solution to differentiate their product from competition.

By saying so, a wet wipes contract manufacturer will experience frequent changeovers from one format to the other on each wet wipes production line merely within a day, and that drives them to constantly look for a truly multi-purpose wet wipes machine which can run as many formats as possible with faster & easier changeover between each format.
 
This is where the advantage of DROID’s versatile wet wipes machine comes to the fore.
 
For example, DROID‘s flow pack wet wipes production line is able to produce wipes ranging from 10 sheets up to 200sheets per pack with a broad range of tissue dimensions with spun-lace nonwoven fabric, thermal bond, meltblown material, plastic-free biodegradable materials such as 100% cotton and fine-to-flush cellulose-based fabric. Such versatile wet wipes machine is rarely found in and out of Asia market.
 
 
NWI: How would you characterize growth in the Asian wet wipes market?
 
ZJ: Wet wipes market in Asia is seeing continued growth. South Asian market in particular with India as the representative is showing the fastest growth but price sensitive consumers are dominating the market, according to our connections and data at hand.
 
Due to ongoing hygiene concerns after pandemic, all-purpose cleaning wipes will see good retail volume growth, as consumers continue to use these products in order to sanitize while on-the-go. Task-specific wipes are likely to see greater popularity in the regions where wipes are in an increasing demand such as China, Japan and South Korea. Young generations in these regions favour convenience and quality, therefore it is likely that wipes suitable for specific uses: wipes such as kitchen wipes, deodorant wipes, make-up removal wipes, cleaning wipes and intimate wipes will be introduced by local manufacturers.
 
As social awareness of the impact of wipes on the environment increases, the number of premium wet wipes made of eco-friendly materials and containing no microplastics is also expected to increase.
 
 
NWI: Have you had any success with business outside of Asia? Explain.
 
ZJ: Thanks to DROID team’s unbeatable customer service, high quality wet wipes production lines and exclusive industrial know-hows, up to now we have rapidly gained worldwide recognition from numerous happy customers in over 20+ countries including the U.S.A, Germany, Italy, Australia, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Senegal, India, Pakistan etc.
 
With a proven track record of global customer success, DROID is on the way to become a worldwide trusted brand for high performance wet wipes machines.

“We are clear that If we bring our product and service closer to each global DROID customer, they could enjoy a hassle-free wet wipes production & able to move their products faster than their peers to the market.”
 
That is why DROID continues to expand our global footprint over time. Up to now, we have set up two offices and after sales service centers in place:
 
• DROID Germany
Located in Cologne, Germany, DROID Germany is operated as a sales office and a spare parts warehouse under the partnership between DROID and its Co-financing German partner.

In addition to meet the needs of DROID customers from Europe and surrounding areas for an effective, fast and face-to-face sales conversation, this office, consisted of German experts, is also tasked to lend their invaluable wet wipes manufacturing know-hows to improve and grow our customer’s business.

Furthermore, DROID Germany also manages to provide quick spare parts support that is included in DROID’s after-market service with an aim to offer our customers a maximized machine uptime.
 
• DROID Czech Republic
DROID Czech Republic opens its door in 2022 as DROID’s showroom & after-sales service center in Europe.  It is located in the city of Litomerice —— 20km away from the border of Germany and only 3-hour-drive from Berlin.

The facility in Czech Republic houses the latest wet wipes production lines from DROID operated by DROID’s Co-funding German partner. It will be just a short flight away if customers from European zones would like to see DROID wet wipes machines in action.
 
With a group of technical engineers at service, DROID customers around the globe (Europe in particular), can enjoy faster technical support both online and on-site. It also serves as the spare parts warehouse in Europe whenever urgent delivery is required there.