Oerlikon Neumag expands spunlaid pilot facilities

Oerlikon Neumag, a business unit of Oerlikon Textile, expands its spunlaid pilot plant at its headquarters in Neumünster, Germany.

In order to optimize the development activities in spunlaid, Oerlikon Neumag is expanding the existing one-beam spunbond line in its Spunbond Solution Center with a J&M meltblown and a second spunbond beam.

The replacement acivities will start beginning of next year and will take approximately six months. The new line will then be available again for customer trials mid of next year.

With the new state-of-the-art pilot set-up, Oerlikon Neumag is able to demonstrate the full capabilities of its spunbond and meltblown technologies in SMS materials and opens new opportunities for the further development of multibeam processes and composite materials.

Oerlikon Neumag consolidates Spunbond and Meltblown R&D facilities

Oerlikon Neumag also consolidates its spunbond and meltblown research and development efforts at its headquarters in Neumünster, Germany.

In October 2006, Oerlikon Neumag acquired the Nordson Fiber Systems Group (formerly J&M Laboratories) and its existing bicomponent SMS pilot line in Dawsonville, Georgia, to strengthen its position in meltblown technology. In order to optimize the development activities in spunbond and meltblown and to interlock them better with Neumag’s other nonwoven technologies, Oerlikon Neumag has now decided to concentrate them at its headquarters.

"With this move we do not only concentrate our R&D activities at our headquarters but we also provide our customers fully integrated state-of-art pilot facilities", says Dr Tarik Vardag, Head of Oerlikon Neumag. By mid 2008, a J&M meltblown beam and a second spunbond beam will be added to the existing Spunbond Solution Center in Neumünster allowing full demonstration of SMS spunbond materials.

The pilot facility (COE) in Dawsonville will remain activated through March 2008 in order to complete previously committed programs requiring usage of the multi-beam spunbond and meltblown pilot equipment.