TechTextil comes to South America: Sao Paulo will host a key event for the technical textiles and nonwovens industries.

The South American nonwovens and technical textiles segment is now valued at approximately $ 1.6 billion in this sector and Brazil is the market leader with about 72% of the technical textile and nonwovens production in South America, generating $1.2 billion a year. Brazil has produced in 2001 for example, the same amount of disposable diapers as Japan, a country that has a per capita income much higher than Brazil.

TechTextil South America Exhibition and Techtextil Congress South America 2003 will be held on the ITM Expo in Sao Paulo, Brazil from November 11-13, 2003. The show is the key event in South America for the technical textiles and nonwovens industries.

This year, Guazzelli Messe Frankfurt, the organizer for this fair, enlarged the show floor by 20%, reaching 6000 square meters. The space already oversold with more than 160 exhibitors already scheduled for the show. Organizers also expect a significant increase in the number of visitors to the show--as many as 6000 potential buyers, mainly from South America.

The fair will focus on all groups of the Techtextil concept, including nonwovens and fabrics producers, machinery manufacturers, raw materials suppliers, consultants, converters and associations.

We have already confirmed attendance by the most important companies involved in the techtextil nonwovens business including Companhia Providencia, DuPont Cipatex, Fitesa, Ober, Fabril Scavone, Tri Soft and Polystar. Together, these companies specialized in basically all of the major nonwovens technologies like spunlaced, spunbonded, meltblown, needle-punched and thermal bonded. On the technical textiles side of the business, a number of other important manufacturers are scheduled to exhibit. These include Rhodia Technical Fibers, DUSA, Ernetex, Honeywell, Cobafi, Teadit, TS Cabos, Ferrari, Verseidag Indutex, Textil Assef Maluf and Texiglass.

Raw materials are also playing an important role in the show. All types of materials including staple fibers and industrial filaments, from companies such as Polipropileno with Fitesa, Polystar, Mazzaferro, Etruria, Fil Man Made Group; polyester from Ecofabril, RhodiaStar and Cobafi; Polyamide from Rhodia Technical Fibers; artificial fibers from Lenzing and Acordis as well as Nomex and Kevlar fibers from DuPont will be displayed.

A large share of the show floor will be occupied by suppliers of raw materials for the hygiene market such as hot melts. These include National Starch, H.B. Fuller, Henkel, Adelbras and Bostik Findley. Turning toward absorbent core technology, on hand will be Buckeye Technologies with its airlaid material, Degussa and BASF with superabsorbent polymers and binders and oils for spinning, flame retardants. Other additives will be presented by significant players such as Ciba, Wacker and Zschimmer & Schwarz.

Although the show in Sao Paulo will be held exactly 10 days after the ITMA machinery show in Birmingham, U.K., all of the important machinery suppliers will have a presence in South America. Rieter South America, Reisky, Karl Mayer, Schlumberger Group, Dilo Group, Albrecht, Ferrostaal, Erema, Fehrer, A. Celli and Grafwill will all be represented at the show by their Brazilian sales representatives.

Additionally, manufacturers of disposable hygiene products machinery will be present. Exhibitors in this realm include Fameccanica, Fabio Perini, GD do Brasil, Maqmantas, Optima and Nordson.

Congressional Focus

Scheduled to be held parallel to the show is the TechTextil Congress South America 2003. The lectures will focus on a large technical and marketing approach covering both the technical textiles and nonwovens segments. Much of the program relates to the constant search for new products and technology by the major specialists and companies in the segment the sector.

Among the notable segments featured in the congress is Mobiltech where lectures will focus on developments made by technical textiles and nonwovens suppliers in the automotives industry, new materials for acoustical absorption in transport vehicles. In this block, Laroche, Waytech and General Motors do Brasil will lead the lectures.

The industrial sector will be highlighted by different. speeches that will cover raw materials for technical textiles such as polypropylene, polyester, polyamide and cotton for use in many final uses. Lectures will be led by Rhodia, Polystar, Cobafi, Lenzing, MBB and Verseidag.

The hygiene market was the most popular segment. Response to the call for papers in this segment was so great that organizers had to form two segments on the subject. Topics include airlaid nonwovens, the use of superabsorbents, hot melt absorbent technology, advances in elastic structure adhesions, a new generation of nonwovens, wet wipes machinery. Important companies involved in this market include Buckeye, Degussa, H.B. Fuller, Nordson, Invista, Companhia Providencia, National Starch, BASF and Fameccanica.

The Protech segment, which covers personal protection, will include several important companies such as Ciba, Fil Man Made, Teadit and Wacker. Lecture topics will include textiles effects, thermal protection, cotton applications and coatings with silicone.

Two subject areas new to this year's symposium include marketing, new developments and new business opportunities as well as national and international markets and its mechanism of defense.

RELATED ARTICLE: What the attendees have to say ... about techtextil.

It is an event focused on the hygienic and personal market, a sector of our interest and that presents a great potential in the country. Techtextil's credibility has also been another relevant point for our participation. Although it is going to be our first time in the show, we have no doubts about the business opportunities it will provide us.

--Guilherme Polisel, business manager, PC & RDP 

Through our chemical specialities, Ciba intends to offer products and services, improving enormously the performance of technical textiles with our Integrated Textile Solution. As a joint marketing action and promotion, we have decided to take part in Techtextil for the first time, once we consider it to be an ideal communication channel to reach new market and clients.

--Oswaldo Luiz Ingarano, marketing textile chemicals--Mercosur Textile Effects from Ciba Especialidades Quimicas

I've always found advantages to participating in Techtextil for being an event eminently technical and one that focuses a specific sector without losing business. Despite our tradition in the market, we take advantage of the participation to approach our clients and expand our brands visibility.

--Ingrid Wahle, business director & external affairs, South America for DuPont

Being the main South American event for the sector, Techtextil makes it possible for our existing and potential clients to meet at the very same spot. Due to the presence of a specialized visitors group, we traditionally use Techtextil for our launchings, as nearly almost every simple contact does add value to our business.

--Sergio Bortolatto Jr., technical commercial manager from GD do Brasil

Techtextil is a fair of worldwide importance and, in Brazil. it has demonstrated a highly qualified visitation. We want to use the next edition to settle the Italian group M&G , which acquired Rhodia-Ster a year ago, as supplier of polyester fibers ['or various sectors from the nonwovens industry.

--Luiz Henrique Bittencourt, Fiber Commercial Manager for Rhodia-Ster (M&G Group)

We have participated in Techtextil Show since its first edition. This has led to being more present in the awareness of mainly small and medium customers. We became known in th hygienic and disposable sector through the visibility provided by the fair.

--Joao Luiz Cruz, sales supervisor at Henkel

Freddy Gustavo Rewald Naotecidos Consultoria Sao Paulo, Brazil