Contract service manufacturers review: in every nonwovens market and every nonwovens technology, contract service manufacturers are offering their take on how to make materials stand out from the crowd.American FlexPack www.americanflexpack.com American FlexPack specializes in single-use pouch packs used in all moistened nonwovens markets." We work closely with brand leaders, store brand developers and private label manufacturers to deliver the right combination of nonwovens with their performance ingredients. Our sourcing of materials in a tight regional supply chain gives us the ability to closely control quality and save on transportation costs," said Michael Mackey, president. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Founded in 2000, American FlexPack is currently running 24 converting lines in an 85,000-square-foot facility in Green Bay, WI. "On the skin contact side, we have carved out a strong position in cosmetics products. Consumers of products such as sunscreen sunscreen /sun·screen/ (-skren) a substance applied to the skin to protect it from the effects of the sun's rays. sun·screen n. wipes and spa and cosmetics packets are confident that each wipe is completely fresh. Since these products are designed for single use, the packaging maintains the level of moisture and the product remains uncontaminated prior to its use," added Mr. Mackey. The company's conversion of wipes and towelettes for household, industrial and automotive use for surface cleaning and treatments continues to be strong in promotional sampling, as well as in other ongoing single-use situations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The over-the-counter (OTC OTC See: Over-the-counter. OTC See over-the-counter market (OTC). ) market is a growing market for us where the integrity of each wipe is especially suited to single-use pouch packs. Our contract partnering in this and other niches is successful because of product design elements that we combine for best results," concluded Mr. Mackey. Athea Packaging www.athea.com Founded in 1965, Athea Packaging, Milwaukee, WI specializes in complete turnkey wet wipe A wet wipe, also known as a wet nap or a moist towelette, is a small moistened piece of paper or cloth that often comes folded and individually wrapped in its own wrapper for convenience, much like a packet of sugar or a condom. manufacturing, including in house blending. Armed with 100 employees, the company targets retail and institutional customers. Athea's markets include household, medical, cosmetic, automotive, industrial, and personal care. Athea is launching Surface Sanitizer sanitizer a sanitizing product capable of cleaning and disinfecting; usually a formulation containing a disinfectant and a detergent. in canisters, flat packs, and large count refill bags."The hot category or trend we see now is the need for disinfectants and sanitizers as a result of the HIN1 virus," said Joe Hemmer, contract sales for wet wipes. While Athea Packaging's facility is only four years old," There is on going evaluation with regard to expansion within the next three years," said Mr. Hemmer. Carpet Systems Inc. Founded in 1970 by Ralph Carroll, Carpet Systems Inc., Dalton, GA, got its start as a supplier of primary carpet backing in slit widths to the carpet and rug industry. It was not until 1983 when Scott Carroll joined the company that it began expanding into nonwovens converting." We started doing thermal lamination lamination a laminar structure or arrangement. in the early 1980s, and we really focused more on the nonwoven non·wo·ven adj. Made by a process not involving weaving. Used of textiles. n. Material or a fabric made by a process not involving weaving. side of the business after I joined the company. Our company was really changing its focus at that time from being a supplier to the floor covering industry, into supplying fabrics for a variety of businesses and end uses. Presently, we are primarily a converter. We also supply fabrics for a number of applications where we have added value Added value in financial analysis of shares is to be distinguished from value added. Used as a measure of shareholder value, calculated using the formula:
The company specializes in wipes, filtration, landscape, covers, packaging, home furnishings, geotextiles and automotive applications." Wherever we can engineer a composite structure, we believe we can assist our customer in increasing their profitability," said Mr. Carroll. Carpet Systems was originally located in a 12,000 square foot building on what Mr. Carroll dubbed," the busiest road in Dalton." Fifteen years ago the company purchased land and built a building in an industrial area. "We built about 25,000 square feet and then seven years later we expanded to another 25,000 square feet," said Mr. Carroll, who employs 10 people. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Noting that the company has seen the most consistent growth in the filtration market, Mr. Carroll said," We run several different products for different filtration applications. We're always being asked about a different type of product or different need for a filtration product." Finally, Mr. Carroll said," A lot of the work we do is for nonwovens manufacturers. We work with manufacturers to add value to their product line. The first type of lamination we offered was thermal lamination. Several years ago we started supplying sonic bonding services as well. The combination of these technologies affords us the opportunity to work with a variety of fibers such as polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene and nylon. It also helped us broaden the range of services that we can offer." Fluidaire Cleaning Services www.fluidaire.com Fluidaire Cleaning Services is a leading supplier of thermal cleaning systems for the plastics and fiber industries. Based in New Brunswick New Brunswick, province, Canada New Brunswick, province (2001 pop. 729,498), 28,345 sq mi (73,433 sq km), including 519 sq mi (1,345 sq km) of water surface, E Canada. , NY, the firm recently expanded its facility by installing a state-of-the-artVacuum Pyrolysis py·rol·y·sis n. Decomposition or transformation of a chemical compound caused by heat. pyrolysis (pīrol´isis), n furnace in its applications lab. The newVacuClean 254T supplied by Schwing from Germany offers unique features designed for thermally cleaning parts such as dies, spinpacks, breaker plates, manifolds, screws, and filters. This system has many unique features such as a built-in catalytic converter catalytic converter: see internal-combustion engine. catalytic converter In automobiles, a component of emission control systems used to reduce the discharge of noxious gases from the internal-combustion engine. that ensures the highest level of pollution management of off gases, extremely low energy consumption, internal sensors to ensure no thermal damage is made on the parts, special software functions for preheating or drying, space saving side loading and numerous safety and pollution controls. Robert Lasky, vice president stated," We recognized the demand for the VacuClean in the U.S. market and this marks a very important step to better service our customers with trials, contract cleaning services, and recommended solutions. We also have a demonstration model of our Fluid Bed Furnace on site." Fluidaire Cleaning Services was established in 1996 as a joint venture between Procedyne in New Jersey and Schwing Fluid technik GmbH in Germany. Together, both companies have supplied thousands of systems into the market for applications such as injection molding injection molding n. A manufacturing process for forming objects, as of plastic or metal, by heating the molding material to a fluid state and injecting it into a mold. , blown film, filament filament, in astronomy: see chromosphere. , fiber and resin manufacturing. Gessner & Associates, Inc. www.sgessner.com Encinitas, CA-based Gessner & Associates Inc. provides consulting services on projects ranging from multicomponent spunbond and meltblown development to greenfield spunbond plant specification, purchase, installation and start-up. G&A Inc. maintains relationships with Hills Inc., Fiber Science, Alex James & Associates, the University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (UT), sometimes called the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT Knoxville or UTK), is the flagship institution of the statewide land-grant University of Tennessee public university system in the American state of Tennessee. and North Carolina State University History
prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Mr. Gessner, who has applied his polymer chemistry Polymer chemistry or macromolecular chemistry is a multidisciplinary science that deals with the chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers or macromolecules. and material science background to fiber spinning and air attenuated Attenuated Alive but weakened; an attenuated microorganism can no longer produce disease. Mentioned in: Tuberculin Skin Test attenuated having undergone a process of attenuation. fiber processes when he was associated with Dow Chemical in 1980. In addition to material and product development, Mr. Gessner said his company provides technical support for spunbond and meltblown processes. Hydrite Chemical Co. www.hydrite.com Hydrite Chemical Co., established in 1929 and headquartered outside of Milwaukee, WI, is a diversified chemical company with a global reach. "We began as a manufacturer of food ingredients, food sanitation, personal care, home care and over-the-counter products. We are a distributor for raw materials as well as a manufacturer. Raw materials include alcohols, surfactants, preservatives preservatives, n.pl food additives that hinder spoilage by reducing the growth of microorganisms. Include nitrates and nitrites, benzoates and sulfites, and many others. , builders and stabilizers. It's a very broad based portfolio for distribution," said Shannon Harris, Hydrite Chemical's market manager for contract blending. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company manufactures a variety of solutions which can be used in both bottle and wipe delivery systems. "We take customer formulations and manufacture them to their specific standards. We also have a portfolio of our own formulations available, including the newly introduced Hydri-Green line of naturally derived or biodegradable blends. We have EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. registered facilities and produce both EPA and FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. registered formulations," said Ms. Harris. Midwest Specialty Products www.MSPconverting.com Midwest Specialty Products, Winneconne, WI, operates a 50,000 square foot factory for the manufacture of airlaid napkins and wipes. President Dennis Reimer Dennis Joe Reimer (born July 12, 1939) was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from June 20, 1995 to June 21, 1999. Reimer grew up in Medford, Oklahoma. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and commissioned a second lieutenant in June 1962. bought the 14-yearold company four years ago." A lot of casual dining restaurants today are using flat airlaid napkins to wrap their silverware prior to the dinner. Instead of normal tissue, which is paper made with a wet process, airlaid is made with a dry process and it has very unique characteristics to the sheet," said Mr. Reimer, who employs 30 people. Midwest Specialty Products also provides a line of towels to the abatement area, and wipes that serve industrial plants. "We also have a line we call Nature's Linen. It's the greenest tissue disposal product available. It's a tissue-based product that is reinforced so that it has enough strength so that you can pull it down. It winds back up in the cabinet and it throws away. It's not like a cloth roll. You don't have to take it back to process it and clean it. Our roll is condensed con·dense v. con·densed, con·dens·ing, con·dens·es v.tr. 1. To reduce the volume or compass of. 2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten. 3. Physics a. and you can throw it away in the garbage and put in a new one," said Mr. Reimer. The company is looking at expansion in Europe with some of its products, according to Mr. Reimer. Nelson Laboratories www.nelsonlabs.com Nelson Laboratories is a leading provider of full, life-cycle microbiology testing services for the medical device, pharmaceutical and dietary supplement Noun 1. dietary supplement - something added to complete a diet or to make up for a dietary deficiency diet - a prescribed selection of foods vitamin pill - a pill containing one or more vitamins; taken as a dietary supplement industries. "Seventy percent of our business comes from the medical device industry, 20% is from pharmaceutical, and 10% is from nutraceuticals and human tissue. We wrap the nonwovens testing in with medical device because most of the nonwovens we're testing are face masks, medical gowns and drapes drape v. draped, drap·ing, drapes v.tr. 1. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds: draped the coffin with a flag; a robe that draped her figure. , and we do a lot of antimicrobial testing on textiles," said company account manager, Jason Smith Jason Smith is the name of:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nelson Laboratories, which employs 325 people, is adding 55,000 square feet to its 62,000square-foot Salt Lake City, UT facility, and it expects the expansion to be complete by the end of the fourth quarter. Explaining that the company's testing on nonwovens validates barrier type materials such as gowns, and drapes, Mr. Smith said Nelson Laboratories has been involved in developing many of the industry regulations concerning barrier materials. According to Mr. Smith there is a trend in companies seeking antimicrobial testing." It is the big thing right now. Mostly we see a trend in the wound dressing arena as it applies to nonwovens where there is a lot of antimicrobial testing. In addition to the FDA wanting to see antimicrobial testing on nonwovens, if people are making an antimicrobial claim, they also need to take biocompatibility biocompatibility the quality of not having toxic or injurious effects on biological systems. biocompatibility 1. The extent to which a foreign, usually implanted, material elicits an immune or other response in a recipient 2. testing into account," Mr. Smith said. In addition to antimicrobial testing, companies want to show that a nonwoven or textile material may contain antimicrobial properties to prevent or even kill infections, asserted Mr. Smith. "People also need to take into account that the FDA will require biocompatibiIity testing and that testing is basically to show that the product will not cause any problems to the person using it." If it's a wound bandage or wound dressing, it takes into account cellular damage that it may cause from the product contacting the skin and it also looks for sensitization sensitization /sen·si·ti·za·tion/ (sen?si-ti-za´shun) 1. administration of an antigen to induce a primary immune response. 2. exposure to allergen that results in the development of hypersensitivity. or irritation that the device may cause," Mr. Smith said. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. Smith claimed that many antimicrobial product manufacturers use silver and other metals in their products, but as an antimicrobial agent, high levels of silver and copper can cause problems." We are starting to see a lot of problems with these devices causing cellular damage," he explained." We can detect it and say,' yes your device may be causing a problem' and can give you an idea of what may be causing it. We have tests that we perform that can show if a product is biocompatible biocompatible /bio·com·pat·i·ble/ (-kom-pat´i-b'l) being harmonious with life; not having toxic or injurious effects on biological function. or not," said Mr. Smith. Nelson Laboratories' latest offering is testing for methicillin methicillin /meth·i·cil·lin/ (meth?i-sil´in) a semisynthetic penicillin highly resistant to inactivation by penicillinase; used as the sodium salt. meth·i·cil·lin n. resistant staphylococcus staphylococcus (stăf'ələkŏk`əs), any of the pathogenic bacteria, parasitic to humans, that belong to the genus Staphylococcus. The spherical bacterial cells (cocci) typically occur in irregular clusters [Gr. (MRSA MRSA Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. See MARSA. ) and (vancomycin vancomycin (văn'kōmī`sĭn), antibiotic resembling penicillin in the way it acts. It is derived from the bacterium Streptomyces orientalis, which was isolated from soil of India and Indonesia. resistant enterococci enterococci bacteria in the genus Enterococcus. (VRE VRE vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. VRE Vancomycin-resistent enterococcus, see there )."These are antibiotic resistant strains of organisms. You have VRE and MRSA resistant to certain penicillin strains. We've brought these organisms in house. The medical device companies want us to challenge their devices against these types of organisms so that they can make a claim to a hospital or to an end consumer that the product will prevent or kill MRSA or VRE if it comes in contact with it," said Mr. Smith. Nice Pak Products Inc. www.nicepak.com www.pdipdi.com Nice Pak Products Inc., based in Orangeburg, NY, is a wet wipes manufacturer, serving the baby, personal care, hand hygiene and hard surface disinfection disinfection, n the process of destroying pathogenic organisms or rendering them inert. disinfection, full oral cavity, n a procedure used to reduce active periodontal disease, usually completed within a certain short time frame. markets. Founded in 1957, Nice Pak took the lead in the wet wipe market more than 50 years ago with its Wet Nap brand Moist Towelettes. "We introduced the alcohol swab, the first refill pack for Baby Wipe baby wipe baby n → lingette f (pour bébé) baby wipe baby n → Ölpflegetuch nt tubs, resealable label travel packs of wet wipes and the shopping cart wipe concept," said Michael Sherman, PDI's contract packaging sales manager sales manager n → gerente m/f de ventas sales manager n → directeur commercial sales manager sale n → . The company also markets the first EPA-registered food contact compatible surface sanitizing wipe. "We continue to innovate and lead the market into the 21st century with 100% sustainable offerings and products to combat the HIN1 pandemic pandemic /pan·dem·ic/ (pan-dem´ik) 1. a widespread epidemic of a disease. 2. widely epidemic. pan·dem·ic adj. Epidemic over a wide geographic area. n. ," said Mr. Sherman. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nice Pak Products also operates a healthcare, sani professional and contract packaging company called Professional Disposables International (PDI PDI Protein Disulfide Isomerase PDI Personal Docente e Investigador (Spanish: Personal Educational and Investigating) PDI Pre Delivery Inspection PDI Professional Development Institute ). Omega Engineered Technologies Nonwoven Tools Ltd. www.nonwoventools.com For almost a decade Greenville, SC based Omega Engineered Technologies has specialized in recovering needle boards. Company president Donald Hindman, explained that the hard plastic or rubber type covering that hold the needles on needle boards deteriorates after about eight years of use." People were throwing away needle boards that cost $3500. I came up with a process to recover the board using urethanes and various plastics. A board can be recovered for about one third of the price of a new one," said Mr. Hindman. Mr. Hindman cited an increased trend in companies seeking needle board recovering. In fact, Mr. Hindman claimed that last year was the company's most profitable year. He attributed the growth to an agreement with Louis P. Batson Co., Greenville, SC, for Batson's sales force to sell his company's services. If that weren't enough, Omega Engineered Technologies also services companies who have purchased new looms from major needle loom manufacturers such as Dilo, Asselin and Fehrer." They'll ship me empty needle boards and needles. We'll build cases to put the boards in, paint those boards, stencil stencil, cutout device of oiled or shellacked tough and resistant paper, thin metal, or other material used in applying paint, dye, or ink to reproduce its design or lettering upon a surface. identification numbers on them and needle the boards," he said. Companies usually send 10 to 20 boards at one time, but Mr. Hindman boasted," I've done as many as 75 boards when people put in new equipment. They don't have the time to put 100,000 needles in a board. A person can do about 3000 needles an hour." In January 2009, Mr. Hindman, who is an engineer with 35 years of nonwovens experience launched a second company called Nonwoven Tools Ltd. The firm provides training for people in the nonwovens industry. Noting that he built nonwovens plants throughout the Southeast, Mr. Hindman said," One of the greatest needs I've seen in the last 15 years in the nonwovens industry is a lack of training for the people who actually run the machines." Nonwoven Tools provides training at a company's plant or via the Internet."I also offer nonwovens companies data base programs for tracking data such as waste, downtime and production," he said. One new strategy Mr. Hindman is using to promote his services is a weekly e mail newsletter for employees of needlepunch plants. Each week he provides an expanded definition of a nonwovens term. Shine Plastic Co. www.shine-plastic.com Shine Plastic Co. Ltd. was founded in 2000. Located in Qixian Economic Zone, Fengxian Area Shanghai City, the company concentrates on research and development of processes for injection and blow molding products. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Our technology allows us to produce double-color injection and thin-wall products," said Nicole Deng, sales manager. Shine Plastic Co.'s products are used in wipes and cosmetics packaging and the company sells its products in the U.S. and Europe." We have adopted professional producing technology, advanced equipment and a quality control system. We passed 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. 9001 certification in 2005 so that we can finish the whole process from exploration, design, lapping and processing plastic goods." We have a" people-oriented, customers-respected" management philosophy, and we uphold the quality of our manufacturing, and strive for continual improvement, excellence and customer satisfaction, while investing in the development of our employees. We believe in cooperation with all of our suppliers and believe we offer the best quality, excellent service and competitive prices to customers," Ms. Deng said. Spunfab Ltd. /Keuchel Associates www.spunfab.com Spunfab Ltd., Cuyahoga Falls, OH, specializes in adhesive webs made of 100% thermoplastic A polymer material that turns to liquid when heated and becomes solid when cooled. There are more than 40 types of thermoplastics, including acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene. adhesive polymer resins. With 30 years of experience in polymer adhesives, the company's Spunfab's exclusive web structure yields unparalled consistency, excellent breathability and control of porosity and superior control of drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. and feel, according to the company. Spunfab adhesive webs can be used in various applications, ranging from clothing and intimate apparel to armored protective covers. Spunfab adhesive webs have also been used in medical applications, carpets, construction materials and technical textiles. Spunfab's chemistry is pre-qualified, and the applied quantity is pre-measured so there is no mess, no mixing and no solvents. Spunweb adhesive webs are activated by utilizing one of the recommended sources of heat and pressure: thermal, RE or HF frequency and ultrasonic. Spunfab webs are available in a wide range of polymer formulations, basis weights and roll widths and can be developed to meet special requirements or to meet particular industry codes and specifications. The company's core product offerings include pre-measured, solvent-free, reactivatable, recyclable, breathable breath·a·ble adj. 1. Suitable or pleasant for breathing: breathable air. 2. Permitting air to pass through: a breathable fabric. , porosity, drape, softness of hand, uniform cover and environmental friendly. Tufco Technologies www.tufco.com Green Bay, WI based Tufco Technologies was founded in 1972. The company's facility, which was built in the late 1980s is 280,000 square feet. Armed with 230 employees, Tufco Technologies specializes in the production of wet and dry wipes, wide web flexographic printing and hot melt adhesive lamination. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Michele Cherney, senior vice president of sales and marketing said," We produce branded products for consumer companies. We just installed a state-of-the-art fully automated canister line that will produce a wide range of wipes in round canisters. The company started production in late August and will serve multiple markets. Ms. Cherney added" We can produce rolls ranging in size from two and a quarter inches up to 10 inches in diameter and have the capability of producing antiseptic wipes to help battle an outbreak of the H1N1 virus." Tufco Technologies also produces flat pack wipes for applications including baby wipes and cleaning wipes. by Sandra Levy * Associate Editor |
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