In recent years, despite facing a complex and changing market environment, my country’s nonwoven industry has still shown strong development momentum and potential. It not only promotes industrial upgrading based on innovation, but also maintains a very strong momentum of investment. Especially this year’s COVID-19 epidemic has drawn more people’s attention to the fields of meltblown fabrics and nonwovens. In this environment, how can China’s nonwovens industry adhere to the leadership of innovation, how to actively promote supply-side reform, and how to achieve sustainable development of enterprises?
At the 2020 16th Nonwoven Innovation Technology Application Summit held recently, more than 200 Well-known experts from the fields of nonwovens and medical and hygienic materials and business leaders from diapers, sanitary napkins, wet wipes, facial masks, medical and other industries, as well as raw material suppliers, machinery and equipment manufacturers, discussed the current domestic nonwoven material market Hot topics such as development, technological innovation, and process application were discussed in depth.
You should think calmly after the outbreak of demand
The sudden new crown epidemic has caused China’s nonwovens upstream and downstream industry chains have brought huge challenges, but the global market has huge demand for related anti-epidemic supplies and their raw and auxiliary materials, which has also kept the overall operation of the industry positive.
In the face of the epidemic, my country’s nonwoven industry has worked together in all fields, from masks and meltblown cloths to protective clothing and disinfectant wipes, as well as raw and auxiliary materials, production lines and various instruments and equipment. Cooperation and concerted efforts from top to bottom have made important contributions to China’s initial victory in the fight against the epidemic. However, in the face of the periodic surge in demand for masks, melt-blown nonwoven fabrics, which are the key raw materials for masks, have transformed from niche products to scarcity in a very short period of time. The skyrocketing price of melt-blown non-woven fabrics once became a hot search keyword.
Jin Xiangyu, director of the Department of Nonwoven Materials and Engineering of the College of Textiles of Donghua University, said that after the outbreak of the new coronavirus pneumonia, the demand for anti-epidemic materials such as masks and isolation gowns in my country has increased explosively. , triggering a significant increase in investment in mask machines and melt-blown cloth production lines. At present, my country’s daily production capacity of various types of masks is around 1 billion, and the production capacity of melt-blown cloth for masks exceeds 1,000 tons/day. Jin Xiangyu analyzed that in the field of masks and melt-blown cloth, due to the lack of technical accumulation of new companies in the industry, there is a large gap in raw material performance, understanding of standards, grasp of indicators and technical level. There has been a situation where “only melt-blown masks are used, but the performance and performance are unknown.” The chaos of “indicators” not only caused the prices of raw materials such as melt-blown cloth to skyrocket, but also caused product quality to not meet standards. “Substantial investment is bound to intensify industry competition in a short period of time, but non-woven industry companies should always stay awake, speed up the adjustment of industrial structure, and achieve the improvement of raw materials, process technology, and production equipment. From finished product manufacturers to equipment and raw material suppliers, up Downstream companies should work together to jointly resist risks,” Jin Xiangyu said.
“The outbreak of the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic has thrust the nonwovens industry into the spotlight. At this time, we should think calmly. We must look at the development of the nonwovens industry rationally. .” said Tian Yu, CEO of Junfu Nonwoven Materials Co., Ltd. In Tian Yu’s view, when the market returns to rationality, the value enhancement and differentiation brought by product innovation will still be the foundation of the enterprise. Enterprises must innovate based on existing processes and focus on the technical characteristics of different processes. When thinking about the direction of innovation, we should not limit our thinking to the optimization of a certain process. Instead, we need to comprehensively consider the results of changes in different elements in different dimensions. Only in this way can nonwovens achieve truly differentiated innovation.
Disposable sanitary products achieve consumption upgrade
The new coronavirus epidemic has also Let consumers have a deeper understanding of the importance of the safety of disposable sanitary products. In the first quarter of this year, in the sanitary products market, due to the rising craze for masks, there was a “competition” situation with sanitary product raw materials, causing the price of sanitary product raw materials to surge. Hygienic product companies are facing a huge impact on production capacity and costs. Many Companies also choose to reduce production or switch to mask production. However, in the second quarter, as the popularity of masks receded and raw material prices fell, the sanitary products industry gradually returned to normal. Industry experts said that industry competition may become more intense in the second half of the year, and industry reshuffle, category innovation, and product high-endization will all be the focus of corporate thinking.
When talking about the innovation and development direction of disposable sanitary products in China, Jiao Yong, general manager of Shanghai Fengge Nonwoven Co., Ltd., said that the key to the basic performance of disposable sanitary products is The words include comfortable, dry, low reverse osmosis, soft, fluffy, thin, and leak-proof. On these basis, we should also extend the key points such as environmental protection, no redness, no odor, etc. Therefore, antibacterial nonwovens and related products have Obvious market advantage.
Hu Xiaoyun, Greater China Marketing Manager of the Cosmetic Raw Materials Department of Dezhixin (China) Investment Co., Ltd., said that as manufacturers seek products that reassure consumers, consumers are allowed to understand the products. Sourcing and manufacturing technologies are likely to become increasingly sought after. For example, in the field of baby wipes, consumers hope that the wipes can effectively soothe and relieve itching, and solve problems such as skin itching and rashes caused by excessive sweating, diaper use, or excessive cleaning and wiping. The product needs to ensure the cleaning function. At the same time, it has additional functions such as anti-inflammatory and astringent.
Product R&D requirementsBased on consumer needs. How should consumer research be conducted to guide product development in the sanitary products market? Li Yinqi, head of R&D at Hubei Sibao Co., Ltd., said that product development must shift from manufacturer thinking to customer thinking, and from technology orientation to customer orientation. Consumer experienceability is a particularly important direction in product design.
Zhang Xinchu, R&D Director of Guangdong Yusheng Sanitary Products Industrial Co., Ltd., holds the same view. He proposed that in the context of the new era, consumers’ demand for sanitary products is gradually becoming vertical; thinness, softness, and absorption are always the core needs of products. Zhang Xinchu explained the changes in the demand model of diaper products: In the new consumer demand model, thinness and absorption are equally important for high-end and low-end products, and price sensitivity factors have been added. Therefore, companies need to listen and find “micro-innovations” that can impress consumers. </p
