Innovative in filtration technology TWE Group

The TWE Group is one of the global leaders in the development and manufacture of nonwoven products and solutions. Philip Yorke takes a closer look at a company that continues to expand and lead the nonwoven technology sector in its drive for sustainable products.

INNOVATIVE IN FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY

The TWE Group is one of the world’s biggest and most successful companies in its field. It was founded in 1912 in Emsdetten, Germany. The company operates 13 state-of-the-art production facilities across Europe, China and the United States. The TWE Group produces nonwovens for a diverse range of markets and a wide variety of applications. These range from filtration, automotive, living, building, cleaning, healthcare and hygiene. TWE started life as a jute weaving company and today specialises in the production of nonwoven products for a broad range of industries. With more than €350 million euros in revenue and over 1,500 employees worldwide, the TWE Group is one of the industry’s biggest and most respected players.

Innovative sustainability

One of the company’s many strengths is its exceptionally broad range of products and services in filtration as well as air and liquid filtration. The company’s filter media for HVAC, spray-booths, liquid filtration, process air and vacuum cleaner bags is at the forefront of market technology in terms of both performance and innovation. It has subsequently become the manufacturer of choice for many companies and sets the high quality industry standards that others endeavour to achieve.

TWE’s versatile range of air filter media contains roll goods, media for cut pieces, pocket filter and pleated elements, as well as speciali-

ties such as flame retardant and media containing micro-fibres. For liquid filtration the company’s hydroentangled, needled and chemical bonded nonwoven media sets new standards in its sector. Its solid know-how and modern labs offer the company’s customers considerable added value and its international R&D and sales teams work in close partnership with its clients with a future-orientated focus designed to create ever more innovative nonwoven solutions.

Dr. Elke Schmalz, R&D Leader, said, “We produce nonwovens for almost every conceivable application and this certainly gives us a major advantage; because of this we use synergies and can be very flexible as our wide range of technologies is globally comparable. This is also true of our dual and triple-layer nonwovens, which in turn allows us to design modular sandwich products e.g. made by hydroentangling. This is a possibility to include in sandwich products fine fibre layers, such as meltblown layers. Other media designs as well as high loft storage layers with a fine fibre layer, stiff supporting nonwoven with coarse fiber storage layer or nonwovens with incorporated functional particles can be manufactured by needling, thermal or mechanical bonding.

Simon Hueweler, Marketing Services, added, “Globally the trend is towards more sustainable and effective filter media regarding fine particle separation. We have realised and embraced this trend by developing filtration textiles that ensure the needs of our customers concerning their customised processes, and more environmentally friendly products, are met in full. We see big opportunities in the market especially for thin nonwoven products and innovative material combinations and have developed advanced energy-saving and ecological filter media too.” For further details of the TWE Group’s innovative products and services visit: www.twe-group.com

New products showcased

At the forthcoming Filtech International trade fair, TWE will be showcasing many of its existing products alongside the company’s latest environmentally friendly range of advanced filtration products.

Simon commented, “The most important products to be showcased at Filtech will be our nonwovens for HVAC and other pre-filter media, in particular those for coarse and medium dust filters. In addition, our wide range of liquid filtration products will also be on display. These products are excellent for filtration of emulsions and oils. We have also created belt filter media from which we expect to generate a high attention at the show. Our new synthetic engine air media portfolio will also be showcased at the Filtech trade fair.”

The company told Industry Europe that it plans to understand more about new market trends regarding filtration products. This is in addition to what the products of tomorrow will look like and how the company can help drive the new technology forward and create more value-added services and options for its customers. As far as the world markets are concerned, TWE has won a number of major contracts in the Middle East, India and the USA and it is these markets that are its main drivers for global growth. n