#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2019-01-10

Lenzing expands offering for nonwovens in a high-tech application facility

The Lenzing Group, world market leader for wood-based specialty fibers, is expanding its offering of solutions for the cosmetics, hygiene and medical sectors. Heiko Arnold, Chief Technology Officer of the Lenzing Group, and Jürgen Lehmann, President of Hof University of Applied Sciences in Saale, Germany, have signed a cooperation agreement to utilize a new spunlacing line for nonwoven applications. The collaboration between the company and the university will initially last for a period of five years and gives Lenzing access to use the machines and technologies.

Cooperation with Hof University of Applied Sciences enables new product developments and tests
Intensified collaboration with brands and private labels in the cosmetics and hygiene sectors
New wound care products extend the offering for medical applications
Products made of LENZING™ fibers are biodegradable and a viable solution to combat plastic pollution

The Lenzing Group will take advantage of this new technology center for nonwoven applications located on the Münchberg Campus at the Hof University of Applied Sciences as soon as it has been completed at the beginning of 2020 and will focus on further developing and testing its fibers there. As a result, it will gain access to the newest state-of-the-art machinery and technologies which its customers and partners also use to process LENZING™ fibers. In this way, it will be possible to develop new product qualities and applications in collaboration with the university.

A significant share of LENZING™ fibers is designed for daily cosmetics and hygiene products and is also being increasingly deployed for medical purposes. Many people come into contact every day with LENZING™ fibers without knowing it, for example in face masks, cleansing tissues, baby wipes, incontinence products or moist toilet tissues.

“The cooperation with the Münchberg Competence Center of the Hof University of Applied Sciences is a further milestone in implementing the sCore TEN corporate strategy. It will enable us to intensify customer intimacy with our partners in the hygiene, cosmetics and medical industries and support them even more effectively in developing new products”, says Lenzing Chief Technology Officer Heiko Arnold on the occasion of signing the agreement. “This will serve as the basis for sustainable and innovative solutions which consumers can use in daily life with a good conscience”, he adds.

“We have been working together for many years with all customers and partners along the value chain and also aim to intensify our cooperation with manufacturers of brand-name products. Utilization of the facilities made available by the Hof University of Applied Sciences will allow us to carry out more extensive testing and develop new applications more quickly”, states Wolfgang Plasser, Vice President Global Business Management Nonwovens. “As a result, we will open up new product groups in the medical sector, for example in wound care, in light of the fact that nonwovens made of our fibers do not contain any chemical binding agents”, he adds.

“This cooperation enables both partners to optimally use the nonwovens machine and comes close to being a unique form of collaboration between the research community and industry in this segment. Textiles are more than just clothing. At the university we offer the entire range of academic training, from bachelor’s and master’s degrees to doctoral programs. Textile engineering is a future-oriented profession”, says Jürgen Lehmann, President of the Hof University of Applied Sciences.

With this cooperation the Lenzing Group will be able to further expand its product portfolio. Its fibers made of the sustainable raw material wood boast a particularly good ecological footprint, are biodegradable and are considered to be a viable solution against the increasing plastic pollution of land and water.

TENCEL™ Lyocell - HV100 achieves global denim availability in six months; Vol. 2 debuts at Kingpins Amsterdam

When TENCEL™ Lyocell - HV100 debuted at last year’s Kingpins Amsterdam in October, 17 mill partners across five countries presented fabrics featuring the new fiber. Just six months on, participation has more than doubled, evolving into a global network that spans nine countries and four continents, signaling both strong industry momentum and growing demand.

Lenzing unveils three-tier cellulosic fiber portfolio for next generation protective wear

The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulosic fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, today introduces Lenzing Solutions for Protective Wear. This integrated three-tier portfolio is anchored by LENZING™ FR fibers at the highest protection tier for inherent flame resistance and brings together complementary solutions including TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers, both EU Ecolabel-certified² and derived from certified or controlled wood sources³, within a unified protective wear architecture for the first time. The launch marks the most significant expansion of Lenzing’s protective wear business since the company pioneered inherently flame-resistant cellulosic fiber in 1977, and comes as the global personal protective equipment (PPE) market accelerates toward an estimated USD 130 billion by 2033⁴.

Lenzing commissions 14 MW power‑to‑heat facility, strengthening grid stability and heat management

The Lenzing Group has successfully commissioned a new power‑to‑heat (P2H) facility with an electrical capacity of 14 megawatts. The installation converts renewable electricity directly into process heat, is fully integrated into the existing heat network at the industrial site, and represents a key building block for a fossil‑free heat supply. As project partner, VERBUND was responsible for the energy‑market integration and will operate the facility for balancing energy marketing, enabling it to respond flexibly to short‑term fluctuations in the power grid.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.