Needlepunch Market Report

Needlepunch equipment suppliers report an increase in orders following a slowdown early on in the Covid-19 pandemic

Known for is flexibility and low start-up investment, nonwovens producers continue to invest in new needlepunch equipment to serve a range of markets including filtration, automotive, construction, geotextiles, acoustics, artificial leather and more. New needlepunch investments include Bondex, Fibertex Nonwovens and Foss Floors in the U.S., Puerko in Poland, Chongqing Double Elephant Microfiber Material in China, Thrace Group in Greece and the U.K., and Scavone in Brazil. The needlepunch market has also gone through a period of consolidation in recent years, with Lydall’s acquisitions of Texel (Canada) and Gutsche (Germany), Freudenberg’s purchase of Slovenian company Filc, and Jones Family of Companies’ acquisition of Rontex America in New Hampshire.

While investment in the technology slowed down early last year at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, machinery suppliers are reporting an uptick in new orders.

Machinery expert Autefa Solutions has even seen a growing interest in needlepunching technology for hygiene applications and special cleaning wipes. “This certainly has to do with the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Marco Fano, global sales director, Autefa Solutions.

Jean-Philippe Dumon, sales director, Nonwoven, of machinery specialist Andritz Asselin-Thibeau, says that during the first half of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic drastically reduced investments in the needlepunch sector, except for processes in connection with medical and hygiene purposes. However, in August 2020, the market changed drastically and there was enormous activity on orders for new needlepunch equipment. “The situation has not changed since then, to the point of creating severe difficulties in meeting delivery deadlines,” he says.

According to Dumon, needlepunching is the most versatile nonwoven process available. “It is quite amazing how the needlepunch industry has been resilient to the Covid pandemic,” he says. “Many of our customers have started to produce masks or mask components with great success as there was a considerable shortage of surgical masks in the western world.”