Conwed, a leading plastic netting manufacturer, will display its elastomeric and co-extrusion netting portfolios at Hygienix 2016 in Orlando, FL.

Rebound elastomeric netting is used in composite form with nonwovens and other substrates acting as an alternative to spandex, films and stretchable nonwovens. In hygiene products, it is used in waistbands and side panels in adult incontinence briefs and underwear and in baby training pants. Conwed has expanded its elastomeric netting portfolio in recent years, focusing on creating lighter configurations with a flat design. Flat Rebound, an elastomeric netting with flat joints, allows the creation of stretchable and smooth composites for superior comfort and feel. This flat design addresses the consumers’ demand for lightweight and breathable composites with no joints to mimic a smooth, apparel-type texture.

In addition to offering elastomeric netting by itself, Conwed also commercializes stretchable nonwoven composites powered by Flat Rebound. “A great number of hygiene manufacturers prefer receiving a stretchable composite already made instead of incorporating our Rebound netting themselves, so we have developed strategic partnerships to offer stretch laminate alternatives for waistband and side panel applications,” says Ivan Soltero, senior strategic marketing manager at Conwed.

Conwed has emphasized the importance of comfort, especially for adult incontinence applications, when developing new elastomeric netting iterations. In comparison to other stretchable, solid or perforated film composites, Rebound offers superior breathability, moisture and heat management performance. “The breathable mesh configuration helps draw moisture away from user’s skin and disperse it over a determined area where it can evaporate; contributing to a higher level of comfort,” Soltero explains.

At Hygienix, Conwed will also display its co-extrusion netting portfolio. Co-extrusion is a multi-layer extruded netting than can be subsequently oriented where different polymers can form different layers on the same netting configuration. It is a square netting construction and Conwed has the ability to build netting with A/B, A/B/A, and A/B/C layer combinations. “Netting is an ideal reinforcement and bonding element to create exceptional composites with film, paper, foil, foam, bubble wrap, nonwoven and other fabrics. It is lightweight yet very strong. It is an exceptional reinforcement material for a wide range of disposable applications,” says Soltero.