INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced 15 leading companies are finalists in five categories for its IDEA16 Achievement Awards competition, which is being held in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine. Voting is now open online at: nitesh_non.rodpub.com/idea16-achievement-awards.

The awards recognize the brightest innovations from the leading companies, individuals, and new products in the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry. Winners will be announced and honored at IDEA16, the World’s Preeminent Event for Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics, May 2-5, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) in Boston, MA.

INDA’s Technical Advisory Board has selected the finalists. Industry professionals can now select their top choices in each category on the magazine’s website. 

Finalists range from a new patterning process to form special and unique artwork within flushable wipes substrates, and a laminate that passes the highest level of protection against viruses in the surgical gown and protective apparel industry to a fluff pulp made of 100% highly sustainable Eucalyptus planted and harvested in Brazil.

The finalists are: 
VOTE NOW!

IDEA16 Equipment Achievement Award – Best new equipment introduction

Andritz: Flushable Substrate Patterning Process
Andritz has developed a new patterning process to apply special & unique artwork onto flushable wipes. This unique patterning process will allow wipes producer to cleverly differentiate their product and even support disposal correctness by consumers by branding their product in ways that will resonate with consumers. The key value proposition: This process adds a pattern without increasing fiber bonding, thus facilitating wet-strength release when flushed.

ITW Dynatec: Ultra Strand Coating System
Our latest and revolutionary strand applicator can provide customers in the disposable hygiene market with the highest line efficiencies. The new technology has a patent pending design and the highest efficiency adhesive coating on strands ever designed to provide the best product performance and less product issues. The new Ultra SCS features the next level high-speed technology (up to 1400 pads per minute – 700 MPM) as well as Rapid Change-Over (RCO) design for quick maintenance solutions, among many other beneficial features.

TECHNOplants: MULTIline Pre-Card
The pre-card includes a system to vary the configuration of the clothed cylinders, allowing to vary their position between each other depending on the fibers and products that have to be processed. The delicate mode is suitable for delicate, easily breakable fibers like glass fibers and natural fibers, but it is also suitable to preliminary open and work the standard synthetic fibers (polyester, rayon, …) before the introduction into the main airlay section, in case of production of low-weight products (250 gsm or less). The “heavy” working mode allows to use the pre-card as a very flexible and complete airlaying system on its own: the “aggressive” fiber opening gives production capabilities similar to the ones of our main airlay carding section. On the other hand the same aggressive action is extremely useful for the production of particularly low weight fabrics (100 gsm or less) in combination with the main airlaying section. Completing the picture, we introduced a recovery system of the process air, to meet the growing demand from our customers to take care of energy saving and cost saving.

IDEA16 Roll Goods Achievement Award – Best new roll goods introduction

AVINTIV/PGI: AAMI 4 Laminate
A 60 gsm breathable and fully impervious laminate that passes AAMI 4 standard – the highest level of protection against viruses in the surgical gown and protective apparel industry. The material delivers outstanding barrier properties and comfort while moving moisture away from the body to the outer fabric surface.

Freudenberg: Evolon 3D
Evolon, Freudenberg’s microfilament fabric, is traditionally known for its very distinctive qualities of being smooth, soft and uniform. Thanks to a specific process integrated into the Evolon production line, water jets – already used to bind the material and generate the microfilaments – model the fabric’s structure on standard designs or on designs adapted to the specific needs of certain clients. Evolon 3D preserves the high performance of original Evolon, while increasing its bulkiness and volume and by taking on a feel and a look that are even more like fabric. Like the original Evolon, Evolon 3D can be washed again and again without losing its structure. It can be used white or dyed in colours of the client’s choice. Transfer printing multiplies the possibilities for design and personalization and also produces very good results on Evolon 3D.

Jacob Holm: Softlite™ lightweight nonwovens
SoftLite™ fabrics cater to the need for lighter and softer hygiene products. With basis weights as low as 15 grams, SoftLite™ fabrics are not only lighter, but they also provide the high performance and soft comfort end-users need. The key features of SoftLite™ include excellent stretch and recovery, ultimate softness at required strength, skin sensitivity and it can also be engineered for optimal fluid management. SoftLite™ is ideal for ultra-light and extremely soft diaper stretch ears, topsheets and backsheets in baby care, feminine care and adult incontinence applications.

IDEA16 Raw Material Achievement Award – Best new fiber/raw material introduction

BASF: Saviva™ SAP Technology
Superabsorbent polymers are polymers that can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of a liquid relative to their own mass. Based on its round shaped particles with micro-pores, SAVIVA™ has an innovative liquid distribution mechanism, making it a highly efficient superabsorbent polymer in a diaper core. It has been tested comprehensively in laboratories, in diaper prototypes and with end consumer in home-use test, confirming its outstanding properties and its performance in the diaper. With its unique properties and efficiency SAVIVA™ is making a substantial contribution in terms of weight reduction of diapers and also addresses the needs of a changing social environment.

Kelheim Fibres: Viloft® Short-Cut (cellulosic short-cut fiber for flushables)
Viloft® Short-Cut: A cellulosic short-cut fibre that was developed for and tailored to the production of flushable products. The fibre can be processed in combination with pulp both dry- and wetlaid, without the need of any binder system. The fibre is based on renewable resources and 100% biodegradable. The special cross-section and the surface properties of Viloft® result in an increased flow resistance, providing a more efficient dispersion of the fabric in turbulent water to ensure that the fabric is safe to flush.

Suzano Pulp and Paper: EucaFluff fluff pulp
Eucafluff is the world’s first commercially available ECF fully bleached Eucalyptus Kraft fluff pulp designed for absorbent products, nonwovens, personal hygiene, disposable, and specialty applications. Eucafluff is made of 100% highly sustainable Eucalyptus planted and harvested in Brazil that delivers excellent fiberization, absorbency, and improved softness from an alternative fiber source.
 
IDEA16 Short-Life Product Achievement Award – Best new disposable product utilizing engineered fabrics

Chicopee: DuraDry®
DuraDry® is a multi-use, hygienic microfiber wipe certified for Food Contact Clearance and manufactured from 100% splittable microfibers. The product combines antibacterial properties with 99.998% microbe removal. Durable and re-usable, DuraDry® can be washed more than 365 times.

McAirlaid’s: X-Top® Pouch for Men
This product is a superabsorbent leak-proof pouch for drips, dribbles, and the light steady stream common after prostate surgery, or symptomatic of obesity, diabetes, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It features a pouch design with an absorbent core and breathable outer cover, providing reliable and discreet all-round protection and security.

WipeMeWorld: WipeMe® flushable wipe on a roll
WipeMe® is a flushable moist toilet paper on a roll within a sealed wrapper. The main characteristics of WipeMe® is that it doesn’t require changing any of the consumers behavior or habits, WipeMe® aligns with the market demand, it is simple to use, looks and feels the same as traditional toilet paper but by using flushable wet wipes, WipeMe® increases by 80% the consumers’ hygiene level. WipeMe® is eco-friendly, fully recyclable, reduces dramatically the amount of cutting trees, as one WipeMe® roll compares to 6-8 traditional toilet paper rolls. The development of the product took 3 years and it is fully protected by patents.
 
IDEA16 Long-Life Product Achievement Award – Best new durable product utilizing engineered fabrics

Impossible Objects, LLC: CBAM 3D printed pieces
Impossible Objects has developed a new, industrial 3D printing (aka “additive manufacturing”) technology that uses nonwoven fabrics – such as carbon, glass and aramid – to make strong yet lightweight fiber-reinforced composite parts. Our technology is called CBAM, which stands for Composite-Based Additive Manufacturing. Our CBAM technology makes parts that are up to ten times stronger than plastic parts made from other 3D printing technologies. This is because CBAM uses strong nonwovens such as carbon fiber fabric. In addition to being stronger, CBAM is faster. It has the potential to rival injection molding production speeds – up to 100x faster than other 3D printing technologies.

TiGUARD: Vibrance® Nonwoven-Membrane Carpet Backing
VIBRANCE® Impervious / Moisture Eliminating Membrane Carpet Backings are built into or applied to carpets which are almost universally highly porous. This Blocks 100% liquid and microbial penetration from above while it eliminates moisture from below. A Microbial Protective Membrane below carpet fibers prevents penetration of bio-hazard below the carpet and is a barrier built into the base of carpets above which decontamination by steam or by infused liquid Sporacides are reflected to decontaminate the carpet fibers. Carpets can now be decontaminated to a level similar to decontamination of hard floors.

UltraTech International: Evershield® Durable Omni Repellant formula
EverShield® is a Durable Omni Repellant (DOR) that deflects water, food, oil, and so much more. DORs have evolved from DWRs because DWR fabrics can only repel water. EverShield® uses an environmentally friendly formula using C6 chemistry and it is also water-based with no VOCs. Unlike some Durable Water Repellants, EverShield® treated fabrics can be washed at standard temperatures. No super-heated wash or drying cycles are needed to maintain superhydrophobicity or oleophobicity. Cooler water and cooler dryers mean less energy consumption and lower operating costs.

VOTE NOW!

Full details on each of the finalists are available on the Nonwovens Industry website. Votes will be accepted until April 1.
IDEA16, the world’s preeminent event for nonwovens and engineered fabrics, is expected to attract more than 7000 attendees and over 450 exhibitors from 70-plus countries. For more information on attending and exhibiting, visit www.idea16.com.