Nonwovens Network Newsletter

Nonwovens Network Newsletter #1 2001 (Jan-March)

Macart buys Longclose

Macart Textiles, of Bradford, UK, has purchased the name, goodwill, intellectual property, patents and trade names of the Longclose Group.

The Longclose premises in Leeds have been closed and drawings and machine records, customer and supplier records, spare parts stocks, patterns and jigs will be moved to Macart in Bradford.

The Longclose name will continue to be used as a trading division of Macart and a full spare parts and technical service will be provided.

The new contact is Tony Blakey. Tel: +44 1274 525920. Fax: +44 1274 502050. e-mail: tony@macart.com

Forward-looking event

The Department of Textiles at UMIST in Manchester, UK, supported by the Worshipful Company of Weavers, is organising a one day international conference entitled ‘Tomorrow’s Textiles’, on Wednesday May 25 2001.

Among speakers are Dr Richard Scott on fibres and textiles for military uses, Dr J A Barnes of DuPont Airbag, Jean-Marc Sitar of Rhodia on performance and innovation in protective clothing and Robert Rix of Gorix on conductive material applications.

The R & D Institute of Textile and Leather in Bucharest, Romania will present its findings on both new technology for inflatable systems and the development of light and water proof woven structures for portable burner systems, while Sulzer Textil and Stoll will give papers on tomorrow’s woven and knitted textiles.

Newly Developed foam-like nonwovens for upholstry in vehicle interiors will be the subject of a presentation from the STFI in Chemnitz, Dr Y Li of Hong Kong University will speak on the advanced engineering design of functional textiles and UV protection of textiles will be the subject of a paper from the Hohenstein Institute.

Contact: Dr Prasad Potluri. Tel: +44 161 200 4128. Fax: + 44 161 955 8128 e-mail: prasad.potluri@umist.ac.uk

Certain cure

The UK mill of Hollingsworth & Vose at Winchcombe is being expanded with a new state of the art curing oven. This will allow H&V to advance the cure of its solvent phenolic impregnated filter grades. The advancement of cure of these grades at H&V will allow the filter manufacturer to save energy costs, increase throughput, and reduce emissions.

Dr Anthony Lawson, based in Winchcombe, is leading the resin development for these new grades and it is expecteed he will significantly broaden the spectrum of resin technologies for H&V. New products are being developed and and main applications will be automotive filtration of intake air and lube oil.

A new line of Ashrae media designed specifically for European market needs, available in 60-65, 80-85, and 90-95 micron ratings has also been introduced.

Vita's difficult year

British Vita achieved profits of £80.1 million in 2000, despite what chairman Jim Mercer referred to as "the most difficult year our businesses have encountered for some considerable time."

"In all three divisions, substantial raw material price increases and the difficulties in recovering these from our customers were the main reasons for our reduced profitability," he added, "but actions and initiatives implemented during the last twelve months now allow us to look forward with more optimism."

Nonwovens continued to develop strongly in Continental Europe, both organically and by the acquisition of Texidel in France.

The UK operations completed their major re-equipping programme towards the end of the year, but in the process adversely affected their profitability in what was said to be an already very difficult market place.

DSG busy Drypers US

Unconfirmed reports are that the global Drypers diaper operation has been sold off to various buyers.

Bids for the US operations were said to have involved a number of companies, with DSG (Disposable Soft Goods), headquartered in the UK, successful with a bid of $38.5 million.

Mabesa has bought South American operations for $15.5 million and Kimberley Clark has acquired businesses in Puerto Rico at $11 million.

Navis, an MBO team has taken charge of Drypers in Malaysia for $9.6 million, in addition to assuming $5.2 million of debt.

The total comes to almost $75 million and is $10 million more than the company expected.

Woundcare alliance

Smith & Nephew and Beiersdorf AG have received clearance by the EU Commission of their agreement to create a joint venture medical products company with sales of around £300million.

A requirement is the divestiture of a number of businesses in Europe with sales of around £8 million.

BSN Medical will combine the traditional woundcare, casting, bandaging and phlebology businesses of the two companies.

"We have high expectations for this new company, which will be a global leader specialising in the more traditional products, enabling Smith & Nephew to focus on its core businesses of higher growth, advanced medical devices," said S & N chief executive Chris O’Donnell.

Smith & Nephew finalised its major restructuring in 2000. This included the disposal of its Consumer business, the agreement to form BSN Medical, an agreement to acquire Beiersdorf’s Advanced Wound Management business in April 2001, two augmenting acquisitions, and a capital restructuring.

S & N’s reported sales were £1,135 million for 2000, with profit before tax and exceptional items of £171million.

Advanced Wound Management, which on an ongoing basis excludes the traditional woundcare products to be taken over by BSN Medical, achieved underlying sales growth of 10%.

The acquisition of Collagenase made the company world leader in advanced wound management. Collagenase helps clean decaying matter from difficult wounds, and radically improves the healing process. Linked to S & N’s existing products, it enables the concept of wound bed preparation to be pioneered and opens the market for significant new products.

Sales of TransCyte, the tissue engineered dressing for burns from our joint venture with Advanced Tissue Sciences, and Allevyn, the hydrocellular foam dressing range, also performed strongly.

Chapelthorpe approach

An approach to directors of Chapelthorpe Group, which includes the Drake Extrusion businesses in the UK and USA, has been received from Brian Leckie, the company’s chief executive.

This is in regard to the possibility of an offer being made for the company at a price of 32.5 pence per share, on the basis that no final dividend declared by the company in respect of the year ending 31 March 2001 will be paid.

The approach is subject to the satisfactory completion of a due diligence exercise on the company and its markets, which is due to commence shortly, and it is therefore not certain that a formal offer will ensue.

Crosrol closes down

Carding machine manufacturer Crosrol has closed down, with the loss of more than 300 jobs at its plant in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The company is being run by administrative receivers from KPMG Corporate Recovery in Leeds, who are fighting to see what can be salvaged and hopeful of finding a buyer.

Crosrol had exported more than 99% of its production, which has been at the root of its downfall. The company has seen its sales suffer through the effect of the strong pound against major competitors in Germany and other European countries.

It has also been affected by problems in its major markets in the Far East, including a downturn in the Asian economies and continued poor relations between India and Pakistan.

Viscose operation closure

Acordis Cellulosic Fibres has announced that it proposes to cease production of viscose staple fibre at its plant in Grimsby, and to concentrate its European manufacturing activities in Kelheim, Germany. The Grimsby plant produces approximately 25,000 tonnes of fibre per year, and the Kelheim plant approximately 70,000 tonnes. The plan will result in job losses affecting 194 Grimsby employees.

"The Grimsby viscose staple operation has been hard hit by a combination of adverse exchange rates and dramatic rises in the costs of key raw materials and energy," said an Acordis spokesperson. "It has not been possible to recover these increases in the intensely competitive market which it serves. Kelheim. is a larger scale operation with a strong cost position and a much broader product range capability. It is therefore able to support a wide variety of specialised market applications.

For the past few years Kelheim has focused strongly on increasing the sales of specialised products.

Vertical integration

Davis-Standard has acquired certain assets of Brookes (Oldbury) Limited, a barrel and screw manufacturer located in the UK. The company will now be referred to as D-S Brookes Limited.

According to Davis-Standard president, Robert W. Ackley, the acquisition represents a vertical integration of key components within Davis-Standard’s product line.

D-S Brookes has now been moved to a new facility in Oldbury, approximately a mile away from the company’s previous location.

Davis-Standard offers a wide range of standard and customised extrusion equipment utilising extruders from 25-300mm in diameter to process polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, nylon, and other thermoplastic material with output rates up to four tons per hour.

The company has extensive experience in monofilament, multifilament, meltblown, spunbonded, and many other fibre extrusion processes.

With manufacturing space in the USA, England, France, and Germany eencompassing almosy 70,000 square metres, the company’s annual sales exceed $300 million.

Engineered for airlaid

The investment in a second airlaid manufacturing machine at the County Cork, Ireland plant of Buckeye Technologies’ has paid dividends further down the line for Automatic Handling europe. The Northwich, Cheshire UK-based company has won the contract to supply a complete roll handling and transportation system for a new A.Celli slitter rewinder that is a part of Buckeye’s major investment plan.

Buckeye Technologies has been a leading international manufacturer of high quality, value added speciality cellulose and absorbent products for over 80 years. When the Cork airlaid machine and another, larger unit in the US come on stream, total capacity of airlaid nonwoven products will be in the region of 150,000 tonnes.

The increased demand has come through growth in traditional markets such as feminine hygiene and pre-moistened wipes, plus new applications including disposable diapers and household cleaning products.

In today’s fast moving industries, methods of speeding up production are under continuous scrutiny. And with 25 years of experience in providing handling solutions to a wide variety of sectors, AHe is one of the leading companies in its sphere of operations.

Full circle for UK machines

Converting Solutions Ltd (UK) has acquired the entire business properties of Alan Duffy Engineering, inclusive of all machine drawings, intellectual properties, etc., from the Valmet/Atlas Group of companies.

Alan Duffy Engineering was founded in the UK in 1983, and in 1986 it was bought by the Standex International Corporation of Salem, New Hampshire USA, becoming part of its precision engineering division. Eventually the business and manufacturing was transferred to the USA.

Alan Duffy engineering designed and manufactured many machines, especially in the field of slitting and rewinding. These were promoted under birds of prey banners – the Eagle, the Hawk, (centre wind slitters), the Harrier (centre surface rewinders), etc.

Eventually, around 1995 the company was sold to the then Atlas Converting Group.

The company has now come full circle, Converting Solutions is based in Blackburn, Lancashire, UK, Where the Duffy company was founded, and the directors of Converting Solutions were all previously senior managers at Alan Duffy Engineering.

Any companies who have these machines, which may require spare parts or service details should contact the company at Unit 5, Scotshaw Brook Industrial Estate, Branch Road, Lower Darwen, Blackburn. Tel: +44 1254 668856. Fax: +44 1254 668859. e-mail: sales@consol-uk.com.

Renault's UK boost

Collins & Aikman has signed a multi-year agreement to supply floor and acoustic systems, engine acoustic products and interior components for the 2001 Renault Trafic Van, Trafic Combi and Trafic Bus vehicles.

The components supplied will include the dash insulator, air bag component insulation, battery cover, clutch cover insulation, front floor carpet and polyurethane flooring, middle and rear floor carpet and EVA-based laminated floormats, along with medium density fiberboard mat.

Production for the various components will run between the company’s St. Neots and Newcastle-under-Lyme facilities in the UK.

"This new award is the largest contract Collins & Aikman has obtained with Renault," said Brian Batey, president of the company’s European Interior Systems Division.

PES EU duties

CIRFS – the association of Europe’s Euro 12 billion manmade fibres industry – has welcomed the EU’s decision to impose anti-dumping duties on polyester staple fibre from India and South Korea.

This supplements recent duties on imports from Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand and anti-subsidy duties from Australia, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Korea will face duties of 20.2% and India up to 35.4%.

"The duties are an essential step towards restoring fair conditions of trade in polyester staple," said CIRFS director general Colin Purvis. "European producers can now concentrate on meeting the needs of their customers in Europe and outside it, by continued investment in moderniasation, quality, product innovation and customer service."

Polyester is widely used in the manufacture of nonwovens and fillings and in 2000 CIRFS members produced around 600,000 tonnes of staple.

India and Korea also shipped an estimated 150,000 tonnes into the EC – an increase of 350% in three years.

BUSM buy-out

British United Shoe Machinery Co Ltd (BUSM) is out of receivership. Despite interest from prospective buyers, a management team led by Roger Earl, David Evans, Eddie Lansdown and Richard Scowen, has purchased the assets of BUSM and Samco-Strong Ltd, from the administrative receivers.

The team believes it has a company built on a solid financial basis and says it is now ideally placed to maintain the company’s position as a leading supplier of products and services to the world’s shoemakers.

Marsh Fern adds linings

Stockport-based Marsh Fern, the UK subsidiary of Hanes Industries, is expanding its operations with the acquisition of Bradford-based Edmund Bell & Co., the UK’s leading supplier of curtain linings.

Purchased for a cash sum, Edmund Bell supplies curtain linings to major manufacturers, retailers and distributors for both domestic and contract use.

Its linings range has over 300 variations, including blackout, flame retardant, thermal and crease resistant.

Celandine to close shop

Following the retirement of Pat McComas at the end of January, Celandine is to cease trading.

The company, based at Ilkley, UK, supplied synthetic fibres for nonwovens production.

Oasis for food contact

Technical Absorbents headquartered in Spondon, Derby, UK, has submitted a Food Contact Notification to the United States FDA for regulatory approval.

The chemical description given relates to the superabsorbent fibre Oasis which is made exclusively by the company.

FDA regulation covers the use of Oasis fibre as a fluid absorbent in food contact materials used in the packaging of poultry, meat and fish at refrigerated and frozen temperatures.

Due to the structure and performance of Oasis fibre, the company believes that absorbent material users in this market will now be able to implement new and improved high performance absorbent pad designs. It has initiated various programmes in respect of this.

Technical Absorbents is a joint venture between Acordis and Ciba.