The company will highlight its improvements in hygienic and medical solutions and showcase its latest product offerings in spun lace
SICAM SRL is a globally established manufacturer of machinery and complete plants for the textile and nonwovens industry. The Italian manufacturer offers a wide range of machinery for the bonding of nonwovens using thermo-chemical processes. The company’s focus in recent times has been oriented more towards the recycled nonwovens production. SICAM is all set to showcase its solutions during the forthcoming Techtextil India 2021 trade show scheduled to be held from November 25-27, 2021 at Mumbai. In India, SICAM and its full product range is represented by Soham Enterprises.
The two companies have joined hands to cater to the needs of the Indian market in the nonwovens segment, as well as offer customised turnkey solutions. SICAM’s journey started over half a century ago. The company was founded in 1953 by Idres Zanardi, who decided to manufacture textile process machinery. His son, Stefano Zanardi, the current Managing Director of SICAM, joined the company in the early 1980s. Subsequently, there was an expansion of the product range. The first batch of technologies for nonwovens, which is now the key focus area of the company, was introduced during that time. The third generation of the Zanardi family joined the business in 2016.
Speaking exclusively to The Textile Magazine, Stefano Zanardi says that while 2020 was a very challenging year, it also brought some opportunities for the future development of the company’s business. He explains that the ongoing pandemic is creating a new level of awareness and attention about the importance of sanitizing the environment and taking care of yourself, protecting your own self and the others too. “This is the main reason why, after a detailed analysis of the markets and its needs, we are focusing on our already existing lines dedicated to the hygiene and medical field with spun bond, spun melt and spun lace,” he says.
“We are also investing in the improvement of these technologies and giving the opportunity to our customers to buy a turnkey solution or a personalised one since customisation is one of our strengths. During 2020 we started some of our medical and hygiene product lines in China, Polonia and Turkey. We created the base for 2021 to be the year of the establishment of SICAM. Two of our huge turnkey projects are already in progress,” he further informs. The company offers a quality range of products for the technical textile industry too.
Technical Textile Industry
Listing the product range, Zanardi states, “Our production includes a wide range of machinery for drying, heat-setting and finishing of fabrics which are custom-made and ready to respond to the needs of our customers. The range includes machinery such as multilayer stenter frame and flat stenter frame, tunnel dryer for loose fibres, relax dryers, carbonizing plants and tunnel ovens for PES and PP.” He feels that the company’s products have a clear-cut competitive edge over other similar products that are vying for a share of the growing market in India. It is the vast experience of the company that helps, opines Zanardi. He adds that the company offers to the market the possibility to customise each line of machinery with an internal engineering department dedicated to finding the perfect solution for the unique needs of a customer.
“I can summarise the three main reasons that give us an edge over the competition: We are experienced, innovative, and totally flexible and adaptable to the market. This is the why we are also able to cover a wide range of sectors, starting from automotive and civil engineering, textile, filtration, geo textile, medical, hygiene and home furnishing,” he explains. The company has doubled its production capacity in recent times. According to Zanardi, this can be attributed to a mix of different factors such as increased demand from the hygiene and medical sectors which in turn has created demand for spun lace and spun bond lines. The company’s aggressive marketing campaign has helped too.
India: A Key Market
Stefano Zanardi mentions that the Indian market is a key one for SICAM and the company’s aim is to increase the brand’s awareness and sales here. He feels confident that nonwovens will witness great expansion in the next few years in India and the company would like to be one of the most credible representatives in the Indian market. “The response to our company and products is extremely positive here. Around 50 per cent of the online traffic to our website comes from India and roughly 25 per cent of our yearly sales are to Indian customers,” he adds. For example, the company’s spun bond equipment under the brand name KTex has been sold in India and received good recognition.
“This year too we are witnessing excellent opportunities in India with demand for our spun lace and spun bond equipment. We have already sold one spun bond line to Alpha Textiles. We expect to start their manufacturing here during the second half of 2021,” he reveals. Meanwhile, participation in trade shows and exhibitions globally has been one of the key strategies of SICAM to connect with customers from different markets and understand their real needs. With the onset of the pandemic, it has been participating in online trade shows, as for example a virtual trade fair dedicated to the Indian market.
Techtextil India Participation
The company shares a very good rapport with Messe Frankfurt India, which is organising the Techtextil India 2021 trade show. The company intends having both physical and digital presence at the event as it believes that in the future more and more exhibitions will move to this hybrid format. While it is not gearing up to launch any new product, the company is planning to showcase the improvements in its hygienic and medical solutions, with its latest product offerings in spun lace. Forecasting the trends for the near future, Zanardi feels that in the nonwovens’ field the focus is shifting to the hygiene, disinfection and medical segment.
“The pandemic has created the habit of using wet wipes and some of the demand will be retained even after the pandemic is over. This is because a lot of people have gotten into the habit of carrying disinfection wipes with them since they are so easy to use and discard. The use of wipes, cotton pads, masks and all the other sanitary disposal items is also connected to the biodegradability and sustainability of these kinds of items,” he feels. He adds that following this worldwide trend, the company will increasingly concentrate on its existing lines dedicated to these segments and will also strive to improve the sustainability of each step of its production.
Our production includes a wide range of machinery for drying, heat-setting and finishing of fabrics which are custom-made and ready to respond to the needs of our customers. The range includes machinery such as multilayer stenter frame and flat stenter frame, tunnel dryer for loose fibres, relax dryers, carbonizing plants and tunnel ovens for PES and PP.
– Stefano Zanardi
“The pandemic has created the habit of using wet wipes and some of the demand will be retained even after the pandemic is over. This is because a lot of people have gotten into the habit of carrying disinfection wipes with them since they are so easy to use and discard. The use of wipes, cotton pads, masks and all the other sanitary disposal items is also connected to the biodegradability and sustainability of these kinds of items.
