The company’s association with SICAM makes it a general contractor for hydro-entangling lines for the production of lightweight nonwovens from fine fibres with high production capacity
Dilo Group, a company that offers complete solutions for needle-felt production lines with highest production speeds and felt quality, has reported normalcy in business with the recovery process beginning mid-2020. With a traditionally high business share in China, the company had been as affected by the corona virus pandemic as others but now faces significantly better business prospects for the nonwovens industry as a whole. Comments J P Dilo, CEO, Dilo Group, “For the first time in our lifetime we were confronted by a pandemic in spring this year and have had to take note of potential consequences.”
“In numerous industry sectors, the economic summit had already been passed mid-2018 and a slowdown and return to normal had become apparent. And at that time the pandemic hit the worldwide economy with full force. Consequently, the machine building industry has had to apply its expertise to soften the economic consequences of a recession in numerous sectors. As a big surprise to many people, during the summer, signs of a recovery have been visible which have had an impact on business development in the last few weeks,” he adds.
Medical and Hygiene Products
Evidentially, such a medical crisis has increased the need for medical and hygiene nonwoven products which has resulted in new orders for machine systems for fibre preparation and web forming of hydro-entangled products. In this sector, Dilo Group traditionally stands for large card working widths and high web speeds. In Asia, there is an increased demand for higher cross-strength in this kind of product, which can be realised by using the classic random web carding technology or – even better – by combining these production lines with high-speed cross-lappers. In the general field of hydro-entangling lines, Dilo Group has had no partnership with a hydro-entangling equipment specialist.
“For this reason, we have not been able to deliver complete hydro-entangling production lines as a general contractor, starting from fibre preparation to the end-of-line equipment such as cutting, winding and packaging. The fibre preparation and carding equipment for these lines have been contracted as separate projects directly with the customers,” elaborates Dilo. However, since mid-2020, there has been a close cooperation with Italy’s SICAM which enables Dilo Group to engineer and deliver complete production lines, including all the components of hydro-entangling, drying and end-of-line systems.
This cooperation makes Dilo Group a general contractor for hydro-entangling lines for the production of lightweight nonwovens from fine fibres with high production capacity. A first project has already been contracted. “We have been recently successful with the sale of a complete line for hydro-entangled products in Portugal. The market for medical and hygiene lightweight products is booming and will require more hydro-entangling capacity. This marks the beginning of our increased activity in the lightweight and hygiene sector, complementing the classical needling and will help to improve our worldwide position in this special field of application,” Dilo states
Sustainable Nonwovens
In addition, the demand for sustainable nonwoven products is increasing. Political demands for sustainability and for reducing the energy and water consumption in the production phase are well-defined. Nonwovens used as disposables should be biologically degradable. “This is where we return to the beginning and where Dilo Group with results achieved in the specialisation of processing natural and viscose fibres can now gain further experience based on the development work with micro punch technology. The cooperation with partners in the development work has led to successes that also impact the improved lifetime of the needle modules in the intense needling technology. In the meantime, the improved economy of our intense needling process has been confirmed,” Dilo informs.
When comparing hydro entangling and needling, it is predictable that the proportion of lightweight needled nonwoven products will dramatically increase in the future and that in the area weight range below 50 grams per sq. metres the hydro-entangling process will continue to prevail. Given the worldwide efforts to reduce energy and water consumption for ecological reasons, being able to offer both technologies is a good base for further increasing business forecasts across the whole nonwovens industry. When selling its special machinery and installations, Dilo Group relies on more than 60 agents and on its own branches in Charlotte and North Carolina in USA, Moscow in Russia, Shanghai in China and Istanbul in Turkey. It exports about 90% of its machinery.
