Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2020-10-05

Freudenberg expands meltblown nonwovens capacity at Kaiserslautern site

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) is expanding its production capacity for nonwoven media used exclusively to manufacture certified face masks of the mouth-nose protection type pursuant to the EN14683 standard, as well as FFP1, 2 and 3 masks pursuant to the EN149 standard. The media are specially developed for and sold to the medical technology processing industry. To that end, Freudenberg is investing in the construction of a new state-of-the-art meltblown production line at the Kaiserslautern site. Commissioning of the new plant is slated for the first quarter of 2021.

â€œAs a world-leading manufacturer of technical textiles and filtration media, Freudenberg Performance Materials has deep expertise in materials for certified face masks. By expanding our production capacity in Kaiserslautern, we are making a contribution to mastering the challenges presented by Covid-19 and supplying certified type face masks as well as FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 masks in Germany and Europeâ€, the CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials, Dr. Frank Heislitz, said.

With the new line, Freudenberg is significantly expanding production capacity for meltblown nonwovens in Kaiserslautern. The world-leading technical textiles manufacturer produces these materials from extremely fine meltspun polypropylene microfibers that are several times thinner than a human hair. Masks made of these nonwovens can filter very small particles such as viruses thanks to the superfine structure of the material and its electrostatic charge.