Weinheim, April 29, 2013. The Freudenberg Group is investing in the expansion of production capacities for Evolon® microfilament products at its Colmar plant. The project will take the production capacity of the Freudenberg Nonwovens Business Group at its French location to 3000 tons per year. Work on the expansion has already started and is due to be completed by the end of October 2013. The total investment will be about €5 million.
At Colmar, Evolon® microfilament products are manufactured in a special process. The unique, patented production process is based on split fiber technology with water jet consolidation. Thanks to the special technology, the microfilament products manufactured are especially soft, supple and light at the same time as being highly resilient. With these attributes, Evolon® is well-suited for a variety of applications. Evolon sets global technological standards for high-performance cleaning cloths and applications in the automobile industry. Evolon® has also earned a very good reputation in the health sector over the past few years. With smart bed linen solutions for allergy sufferers, Evolon® is a leader in the European market and has also won customers in Asia, especially in China and Taiwan.
To meet rising demand from these markets and growing interest in Evolon® for new applications, Freudenberg is investing about €5 million in this capacity expansion. Following the completion of the expansion, it will be possible to manufacture products with new dimensions. In addition, the facility will be more flexible. This not only concerns the capacity increase to 3000 tons but also the expansion of product combinations made possible by separate water jet consolidation. “When the work has been completed, we will be able to combine different base materials in entirely new products in a single step,” said Dr. Ulrich Jahn, Plant Manager at Colmar.
Work on the plant is in full swing and is due to be completed by the end of October. With this capacity expansion, Freudenberg will also be expanding its workforce at the facility, setting a clear signal for the strategic development of Evolon®. Evolon® products manufactured in Europe are sold world-wide.
Freudenberg Nonwovens in Colmar is committed to the especially sustainable development and manufacture of its products. Evolon® is produced from neutral polymers and does not contain any chemical additives. With the Oeko-Tex 100 class 1 label, Evolon® is especially well-suited for sensitive baby skin. The production process is entirely solvent-free. Production is certified to ISO 9001, the ISO 14001 environmental standard and the OHSAS 18001 health and safety standard. The plant is working continuously on the sustainable use of resources and has therefore also received the ISO 50001 energy management certificate. The expansion of the production facility has been based on all these criteria.
About Freudenberg Nonwovens
Freudenberg Evolon® in Colmar is part of the Freudenberg Nonwovens Business Group and has a workforce of more than 45 people. For further information on Evolon®, please go to: www.evolon.de.
Freudenberg Nonwovens is the world's largest producer of nonwovens, with 21 manufacturing and processing sites in 13 countries. The company manufactures interlining nonwovens for the apparel industry and nonwovens for the following markets: energy, automotive interiors, hygiene, medical, building interiors, geotextiles and specialties. In 2012, Freudenberg Nonwovens realized sales of about €650 million and had almost 3,000 employees. www.freudenberg-nw.de