1990 - the year that was.1990--The Year That Was the author takes his annual look back and ahead as the nonwovens industry moves into a new year and a new set of challenges It's that time of year when we evaluate our position in the world of nonwovens and set our goals and projections and sign our business plan in blood. Most of us look back at the events that should determine the future. Was it a year of progress for our industry? Did it demonstrate our capabilities and did the markets grow as we predicted? Can we determine that it is a good investment for the coming years? Let us review some of the nonwovens happenings in 1990 and see if we can learn from the past to evaluate our present and assist in predicting our future. Nonwovens Happenings in 1990 * Accurate Products opens R&D melt blown line. * Air Laid Tissue of Denmark increases dry forming capacity. * Akzo Colback spunbonded receives ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. certificate and offers new spunbonded products. * Amoco/Nippon to produce "Claf" nonwovens. * Asahi increases flash spun production. * Automatik Fourne adds melt blown. * Barnhardt expands cotton bleachery. * Biax completes one of world's largest melt blown lines. * Biodegradable plastics Biodegradable plastics are plastics that will decompose in the natural environment. Biodegradation of plastics can be achieved by enabling microorganisms in the environment to metabolise the molecular structure of plastic films to produce an inert humus-like material that is less continue developments. * Bonlam SA starts spunbondeds in Mexico. * Chave and Early Div. bought by Filtration Systems. * Chicopee introduces binder free spunlaced fabrics. * E.R. Carpenter expands high loft capacity. * Corovin plans to add fourth spunbonded line, announces the company is still for sale. * Courtaulds to produce "Tencel" fiber in U.S. * Daiwabo produces microfiber mi·cro·fi·ber n. An extremely fine synthetic fiber that can be woven into textiles with the texture and drape of natural-fiber cloth but with enhanced washability, breathability, and water repellancy. spunlace. * Dexter acquires Storalene operation. * Don & Low increases spunbonded production. * Dow cancels plans to build PET recycling plant. * Dry Forming Processes AB goes out of business. * Environmental concern and legislation continues. * Evanite enters filtration with glass microfiber. * Foss buys Waterbury. * Foss acquires Tandem Fabrics. * Freudenberg acquires Wettex AB sponge manufacturer. * Freudenberg Taiwan spunbonded plant starts production. * FTC FTC See Federal Trade Commission (FTC). investigates degradability de·grad·a·ble adj. That can be chemically degraded: degradable plastic wastes. de·grad claims. * Fibre Extrusion Inc. (Gates) produces PET fiber. * Hercules shuts down "Pulpex" operation. * Herty buys Sandy Hill Sandy Hill (French: Côte-de-Sable) is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario located just east of downtown. The neighbourhood is bordered on the west by the Rideau Canal and on the east by the Rideau River. wet laid line. * High temperature resistant nonwovens continue to grow. * Hobbs filtration purchased by Hollinee. * Hoechst Celanese markets new bicomponent for nonwovens. * Hoechst Celanese expands superabsorbent capacity. * Holzstoff purchases James River James River or Dakota River River in the U.S. rising in central North Dakota and flowing southeast across South Dakota. It joins the Missouri River about 5 mi (8 km) below Yankton after a course of 710 mi (1,140 km). Nonwovens. * IFC (Internet Foundation Classes) A class library from Netscape that provides an application framework and graphical user interface (GUI) routines for Java programmers. IFC was later made part of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). See JFC, AFC and AWT. See also ICF. Nonwovens acquired by Babykins of Canada. * INDA establishes position on disposables. * INDA Journal of Nonwovens Research becomes established. * INDEX `90--the largest nonwovens show ever. * Japan Vilene adds melt blown capacity. * Kanebo doubles spunbonded capacity. * Kanebo starts spunlaced sales. * Kaymac reveals plans to install spunbonded line in South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. . * Kimberly-Clark settles suit with Reifenhauser. * Kuraray adds resin bonded plant (hydroentangled). * Lantor acquires Grain Processing technology for Fiber-Taxis. * Libeltex buys Brinkhaus. * Mitsubishi adds hydroentangled capacity to nonwovens. * National Starch starch, white, odorless, tasteless, carbohydrate powder. It plays a vital role in the biochemistry of both plants and animals and has important commercial uses. buys Borden. * Neuberger expands spunbonded development. * Nippon Ester expands thermal bonded fiber production. * Nordlys opens new nonwovens facility in France. * Novotex starts spunbondeds in Brazil. * Peltex of Caracas to produce spunlaced. * Poly-Bond adds another spunbonded line. * Polyester bottle conversion to fiber continues to grow. * Polyfelt to build second spunbonded plant. * P&G invests in composting. * Rodel begins in-house needlepunched operation. |
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