news

automotive
nonwovens

May
2013

1 Nonwovens in Automotive
Applications
2

The Market

List of Members of the

Automotive Interest Group

Upcoming Events

4 
Clothes make the man and nonwovens make the car
4 Textiles in automobiles Lower
consumption is just the beginning
4 Textiles accelerate automotive
developments
5

Lean concepts from Faurecia

#1

NONWOVENS
IN AUTOMOTIVE
APPLICATIONS
This is the first newsletter from EDANA focussing on some of the
latest developments of Nonwovens in Automotive Applications.
In todays demanding automotive industry, with a multitude of
requirements, nonwovens are increasingly being deployed as
vital components. The purpose of this series of newsletters is
to highlight nonwoven technologies, processes, and applications
for automotive end uses.

5 Floor carpets provide lightweight

soundproofing advantages
6

New Market Review

7 Utilising natural-fibre products

in the automotive supply chain
7 General Motors Supplier Quality
Excellence Award goes to Ziegler
8

Automotive Seat Concept

EDANA
EDANA is the international association
serving the nonwovens and related
industries.
EDANA provides a comprehensive
range of services and supplies its
members with the information and
data necessary for them to enhance
the industry goals and performance.
Formed in 1971 originally as the
European Disposables and Nonwovens
Association, for more than four decades
EDANA has grown and evolved, to
become today a modern industry
association with a European focus
and global influence and profile,
reflecting the changing dynamics of
the nonwovens industry.

Today, unifying the diversified interests

of more than 230 member companies
in a unique vertically integrated structure
along the supply chain, EDANA is the
single, powerful Voice of Nonwovens,
representing, protecting and actively
promoting the common interests of
nonwovens and their related industries
throughout the world, with a particular
focus on Europe, Middle East and
Africa.

More information is available at

www.edana.org.

edana automotive nonwovens news

THE MARKET
Nonwovens are expanding rapidly in the automotive Sector.
Over 40 significant applications have been identified and
more new end uses are being developed on a continuous
basis.
We can see just a few of the applications in the graphic
below.

A major new study is being carried

out by EDANA and Kellie Solution Ltd
and is due for publication later in 2013.
This work has shown that growth in
the use of Nonwovens in automotive
applications is over 6% pa CAGR.

The sector is being driven by such as

the need for lighter and more fuelefficient vehicles.

The chart below highlights some of the

major forces that we expect to drive the
market over the coming decade.

Chart courtesy of Kellie Solutions

List of Members of the

Automotive Interest Group

The consumption of Nonwovens is

currently around 28m2 per vehicle and
this is expected to rise to over 40m2 per
vehicle in the future.

6,000

4,500

3,000

1,500

2010

2015

2020

Denmark

J.H. Ziegler

Germany

Freudenberg Nonwovens

Germany

Hassan Group

Turkey

IMS Nonwoven

Sweden

Bonar

Netherlands

Rubi Industrial

Spain

Sandler

Germany

TENOWO

Germany

Hollingsworth & Vose

Germany

IPETEX

Portugal

JX Nippon ANCI

France

TWE Group

Germany

Exten

Switzerland

CHA Technologies Group Cosmotec

UK

Komitex

Russia

Tessiture Pietro Radici

Italy

We have projected an exciting period

of growth and some estimates of this
growth are set out below.

Nonwovens in Automotive million m2

Fibertex

2025

Source: Kellie Solutions Ltd, EDANA, Market Data

In this rapid expansion we are seeing

a surge in innovative and exciting
applications many of which are
highlighted in the newsletter.

edana automotive nonwovens news

www.globalautomotivecomponentsandsuppliersexpo.com

UPCOMING
EVENTS
The EDANA Automotive Group will be exhibiting at the Global
Automotive Components and Suppliers Expo4-6th June 2013
Messe Stuttgart Germany.

TEXTILES IN
AUTOMOBILES
LOWER
CONSUMPTION IS
JUST THE BEGINNING
Scanty resources and rising raw-material prices to counter this situation, carmakers are making a
powerful commitment to optimising weight and
consumption as well as new drive concepts. On
the way to sustainable mobility, textiles are
providing an important contribution - and the
applications are becoming more numerous as
well as more surprising.

TEXTILES
ACCELERATE
AUTOMOTIVE
DEVELOPMENTS
Textile materials are conquering the automobile and
will even be deployed in future applications. Even
today, most cars contain more than 20 kilograms of
manmade and natural fibers: in seat upholstery and
belts, airbags and cladding, filter and insulating
materials and in numerous further applications.
Textile researchers anticipate that this will increase
to 30 kg and even more by 2015. The reason for this:
textiles are increasingly assuming functions relating to
comfort, acoustics, safety and fuel economy.

CLOTHES MAKE
THE MAN - AND
NONWOVENS MAKE
THE CAR
There are now more than 40 applications for nonwovens
inside automobiles. That means that over 35 square metres
of flat textile surfaces can be found inside one of todays cars.
Visible nonwovens, however, account for only 10 percent of
the entire amount, i.e. roughly 3.5 square metres.
What other areas of application exist? What are the names
of the technologies employed, and what criteria have to be
taken into consideration? The following articles answer
these questions and many more.

LEAN CONCEPTS
FROM FAURECIA

FLOOR CARPETS
PROVIDE
LIGHTWEIGHT
SOUNDPROOFING
ADVANTAGES

At a recent financial summit in London, Tier 1 automotive

supplier Faurecia showcased its latest technologies and
materials that are enabling car makers to achieve up to 22kg
in weight savings.
These include the Peugeot 208s latest acoustic package that
has cut the weight of this component by 60% and the injected
natural fibre door panels now being employed in European C
Segment cars that are 40% lighter than previous versions.
The wood fibre door panels on premium sedans like the
Mercedes SL allow 20% weight reductions, with similar
savings being achieved by Faurecia innovations such as thin
slush skins, cellular polypropylene instrument panel carriers
and synthetic premium skins.

Teijins V-Lap lightweight, sound-absorbing polyester

nonwovens have been selected for use in the floor carpet of
the new Mitsubishi Outlander, a midsize crossover vehicle
launched in Japan in October.
The floor carpet was developed by Hayashi Telempu
Corporation, a manufacturer of interior automotive parts.
V-Lap was adopted as the sound-absorbing material for the
carpets back side.

Faurecia is a significant user of nonwovens, as the secondlargest supplier of acoustic packages and the leading
supplier of floor carpet and package trays. Each year it uses
an estimated 20,000 tons of felt, 50,000 tons of processed
heavy layer and 24 million square metres of needlepunched
carpet.

V-Laps vertically oriented nonwoven structure performs as

well as conventional sound-absorbing materials yet weighs
only half as much, helping to improve fuel efficiency through
vehicle-weight reduction.
Going forward, Teijin aims to expand the global market
for V-Laps use in various sound-absorption auto parts,
including ceilings and doors.

At its London conference, executives outlined the companys

strategy for achieving sales of 22 billion by 2016,
boosted, among other initiatives, by the opening of 25 new
manufacturing plants in China, 20 in North America and
seven in East European countries, as well as significant
expansion in Russia.

V-Lap is a nonwoven fabric comprising fibres that are

oriented vertically. It is made by a unique manufacturing
method to produce a structure that is bulky, lightweight and
easy to mould. It was first utilized as a cushioning material for
seating bedding, but its superior sound-absorbing property
has led to its use in vehicles for sound proofing. Teijin is
also developing V-Lap as a heat-insulating material for use
in next-generation houses. Nonwoven products with added
functionality can be produced through composite fabrication
by bonding V-Lap to other films.

edana automotive nonwovens news

http://www.sustainablenonwovens.net/index.
php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11570
%3Arobin&catid=124%3Anews-free&Itemid=2

NEW MARKET
REVIEW
Nonwovens are being increasingly employed in vehicles
because of their low weight and low cost, according to a
new report which predicts that the use of textiles in the
automotive industry is set for significant growth.

Nonwovens are being increasingly employed in vehicles

because of their low weight and low cost, according to
a new report which predicts that the use of textiles in the
automotive industry is set for significant growth.

Furthermore, the use of recycled materials in nonwovens for

automotive applications is increasing. A growing proportion
of needlepunched nonwovens for automotive applications,
for example, is being manufactured from recycled polyester
derive from plastic bottles. There has also been an increase
in the use of natural fibre nonwovens in vehicles. In many
applications, natural fibre nonwovens are used as the
substrate in composite parts. In the future, there will be
significant growth in the market for passive safety devices
which include airbags and seat belts as a result of new
US legislation which will make the fitting of side-impact
airbags mandatory on all vehicles in 2013. The automotive
safety market has grown faster than the automotive market
as a whole for many years, and will continue to do so for the
foreseeable future.

The average weight of textile materials in a mid-size car has

increased from 20 kg in 2000 to 26 kg today, and by 2020 it
is expected to reach 35 kg. The increase stems from a rise
in demand for greater comfort and safety, and efforts aimed
at reducing the weight of a vehicle in order to lower fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions.
In terms of fabric type, it has been predicted that woven
fabrics and knitted fabrics will continue to account for a
predominant share of the global market for automotive
textiles. This prediction holds true despite a rise in the use of
nonwovens and an increase in the penetration of composites.
As far as nonwovens are concerned, there are now more than
40 applications for nonwovens inside cars, equating to over
35 square metres of flat surfaces, according to the report
according to the report, Automotive Fabrics: Expanding
Opportunities in the Vehicles of Tomorrow, published in the
latest issue of Technical Textile Markets from the business
information company Textiles Intelligence.

However, there are a number of other areas in the automotive

industry where the use of textiles is expected to expand or
new applications for textiles are expected to be found in the
years ahead. In particular, there will be growing opportunities
for using nonwovens and other textiles in applications such
as battery separators and polyurethane foam replacement,
as well as in new heating and lighting materials and acoustic
insulation components in the interiors of vehicles. In
addition, nonwoven materials are now being employed in the
exteriors of vehicles -- especially as undershields and outer
wheel arch liners.

GENERAL MOTORS
SUPPLIER QUALITY
EXCELLENCE
AWARD GOES TO
ZIEGLER
The newly-created General Motors Supplier Quality
Excellence Award has been presented to nonwovens
manufacturer Ziegler, headquartered in Achern, Germany.
Ziegler supplies acoustic insulating materials to the
European factories of General Motors and its products
are used in various seat applications of GM Group brands
around the world.
This reward reflects our uncompromising commitment
to quality, said MD Peter Hartwig. My thanks go to all
our employees, whose professional work enabled us to
win it.

UTILISING NATURAL-FIBRE PRODUCTS

IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY CHAIN
NatureWorks and Joma Wool are two key partners for Vita
Nonwovens, based in High Point, North Carolina, which has
just successfully completed a management buy-out from
Vitafoam, a division of the UKs Vita Group.

Customers will experience a seamless transition, promised

Kevin Womble, executive VP of sales and marketing. We
have built a solid foundation and forged strong partnerships
over the years which are critical for our future. We want to
enhance our customers experience and continue to find
ways to bring value in support of their initiatives. Our new
structure will allow us to achieve these objectives with an
entrepreneurial flair.

In its pursuit of sustainable products, Vita employs PLA

Ingeo fibre in many of its products, including its Envita high
loft nonwovens and VitaSafe FR, in combination with natural
viscose fibre made from dissolving wood pulp. Joma Wool is
an exporter of greasy, scoured wool which Vita employs in a
range of its natural fibre products.

www.sustainablenonwovens.net/index.
php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11
544%3Avit&catid=113%3Aindustrial-productspremium&Itemid=2

Having partnered with a number of Charlotte-based private

equity firms for the buy-out, Vitas management will now
actively seek new markets for such materials in bedding,
furniture, hygiene, automotive, filtration and building
applications.

edana automotive nonwovens news

COMFORTTHIN CONVINCED THE

JURY, SINCE JOHNSON CONTROLS
SUCCESSFULLY TRANSFERRED
LIGHTWEIGHT AND RECYCLABLE
MATERIALS FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES
TO AN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCT. ALSO,
THIS SEAT CREATES ADDITIONAL
WEIGHT SAVING POTENTIAL THROUGH
SHORTER BODYWORK, THUS
REDUCING FUEL CONSUMPTION,
said Professor Ferdinand Dudenhffer,
automotive expert and spokesperson for
the koGlobe jury.

AUTOMOTIVE
SEAT CONCEPT
Founded in 1840, the Harrison Spinks
bedding brand is run by the Spinks family,
and their expertise in high-end mattress
and comfort technologies is also opening
up new markets in other sectors. The
company has a long history of innovation
in components and spring technology,
utilising patented machinery and design
technology.
The company is known for its innovation
skills. Chief Executive Simon Spinks
recently won the prestigious Ernst &
Young Northern Entrepreneur of the
Year for Technology Commercialisation
Award.
Simon is one of 40 outstanding
individuals from some of the United
Kingdoms most successful businesses
that were recognised in the Ernst &
Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
Harrison Spinkss spring technology
utilise nonwoven fabrics to enable
companies to replace existing filling
materials such as polyurethane foam and
polyester fibre with a 100% recyclable
alternative.

As part of our innovation process,

Johnson Controls looks to apply
technology from other industries
into automotive applications, said
Andreas Eppinger, group vice president,
technology management for Johnson
Controls Automotive Experience. With
more than 200 plants worldwide,
Johnson Controls supply components for
more than 30 million cars per year.
Johnson Controls have taken our
technology and are really developing
it into a great product said Darren
Marcangelo, Commercial Director, for
Spinks Springs. This innovation has led
to Johnson Controls, being awarded the
prestigious koGlobe in the category
Resources, Materials and Process
Optimization. The jury chose this
years winners of the international
environmental award for the
mobility industry from more
than 110 applications - a
greater number than ever
before.

In its latest innovative venture Harrison

Spinks has formed a development
relationship with Johnson Controlsto
integrate pocketed coil spring mattress
technology into an automotive seat
concept called ComfortThin.
The very thin profile seats replace
conventional urethane foam pads with
a 100 percent recyclable alternative,
and provide a five to 20 percent mass
reduction. This technology would be
available for 2015 model year vehicles.

Avenue Herrmann Debroux 46

B-1160 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 734 93 10
www.edana.org