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Integrating Multiple Technologies To Produce Best-in-class Wet Wipes

Elixrr Industries is one of the few spunlace nonwoven Manufacturing companies capable of integrating more than five technologies in one line, producing high-quality, high-performance customized and cost effective nonwoven fabrics. Elixrr blends natural and synthetic fibers and manufactures different types of hydroentangled nonwovens. With their unique technological capabilities, they can make diverse nonwoven fabric rolls using the most advanced 5+ Nonwoven Technology. Built over an area of 15,000 square meters, its fully automated facility can produce 16,000 to 18,000 MT of nonwoven fabric rolls in a year.

Since you have installed one of the latest plants on wipes using pulp and carrier fiber could be viscose or cotton. Can you briefly describe about the technology and the products which you are you’re making now?

Our state-of-the-art wet wipe production facility utilizes pulp and carrier fibers, such as viscose or cotton. In essence, we’ve installed a cutting-edge hybrid pulp composite line. Our goal is to utilize pulp as a base substrate, while also offering flexibility to incorporate additional layers of carded fibers, such as viscose, polyester, cotton, or blends, through the carding process.

We have the capability to augment our products with the spun bond layer, enabling us to produce spun bond pulp wipes. Additionally, we can create a more niche product using all three layers: spun bond, pulp, and a card layer. This is primarily used in the European baby wipes market, offering a premium, softer feel and enhanced product stability due to the spun bond layer.

Any particular reason to select this the combination technology because India is not very big market right now in terms of wipe but it is started to increase?

Our goal was to enter the export market with a product that differentiated us from the existing players in India, who primarily use polyester viscose or cotton technology. While researching potential markets, we noticed a growing emphasis on sustainability and a shift towards using more pulp.

Pulp offers several advantages, including being the cheapest raw material available and mostly sustainable and biodegradable. These factors led us to invest in a hybrid production line as we are witnessing a trend towards plastic-free products in the UK, Europe, and, to some extent, the US in certain sectors.

For biodegradable wet wipes, pulp and viscose are the primary materials used. While 100% viscose is also considered biodegradable, pulp and viscose combinations are more common. Pulp polyester is also a niche market with industrial applications, but it still has a demand.

Do you have any options to use pulp as well as bleach cotton?

Yes, we do have the capability to process cotton, but we haven’t done so yet. We’ve installed the necessary equipment, but haven’t actually tested it with cotton. Cotton is not much used being a bit more costly. Which kind of pulp we are using right now?

The primary material used for wet wipes is wood pulp, specifically NBSK (Northern Bleach Softwood Kraft Pulp) from Northern Europe or Canada. These regions have well-established sustainable forestry practices like reforestation, ensuring that the pulp production process is sustainable and environmentally responsible.

What is the fiber length of the pulp you are using? Have you ever tried using only pulp for making the fabric?

The fiber length for the pulp we use is very short, typically around 3-4 millimeters. While we explored the possibility of producing flushable wipes, our current machinery is not designed for that specific application. Our equipment is only capable of producing biodegradable wipes, not flushable or moist toilet tissue. No, we don’t have the technology for using only pulp for making the fabrics.

Right now you are exporting majority of your products. Are you able to break through Indian market to give it to some wipes manufacturers?

Currently, we supply to domestic market with regular polyester resource wipes and plan to continue serving this market with similar products. Our production capabilities allow us to effectively meet the demand for this grade of products. However, we are still establishing our presence in the pulp-based wet wipe market in India. While there is a small market for this type of product, we are actively working to expand our position.

What is the different costing of your products?

While pulp is a cheaper raw material, its processing challenges can increase costs. Therefore, a 30% reduction in raw material costs due to adoption of pulp as raw material, doesn’t necessarily translate to a similar reduction in product costs. As 100% viscose is 5-7% more expensive than polyester viscose, many manufacturers still choose polyester or polyester viscose. This is likely due to the Indian market’s immaturity and the preference for polyester’s superior product performance.

Pulp viscose, although cheaper, offers slightly lower performance in terms of bulkiness, softness, and f latness. As consumers seek alternatives to 100% polyester, pulp viscose may become more popular. However, a shift in consumer behavior is necessary for widespread adoption of pulp viscose.

At what capacity you are working right now?

We’re currently operating at around 30% capacity, having recently begun sampling and ramping up production. As the first company of its kind in India, we face significant challenges due to the lack of an established market and infrastructure. We’re actively working to identify and target potential customers, which is a demanding process. This bold venture is unique, as there’s no direct competitor in India. While ours is the second largest production line globally, following Ecowipes in Poland, we’re still pioneering a new market.

As you have a combo of polyester and pulp for Indian market, can it be a cheaper solution to Indian wipe manufacturer?

An 80/20 pulp blend isn’t feasible for our current production. To maintain the desired GSM (grams per square meter), we’d need to use significantly more pulp. The market standard is around 35-40 GSM, and adding 20% pulp would result in a GSM of only 8-10 GSM, which our machinery can’t handle. A 50/50 blend might be more practical approach. With a 20 GSM layer of pulp and 20 GSM of card, we could potentially achieve a competitive price compared to other Indian products.

While competition is expected, our product stands out in terms of feel, performance, and biodegradability due to its unique fiber composition. Our shorter fibers, compared to traditional 38mm fibers, offer superior strength, fluffiness, and bulkiness. We’re currently pursuing certification for compostability, which we estimate will be achieved within 180 days. Given the natural degradation rate of pulp (60-90 days), we anticipate that the combination of viscose and pulp will extend the biodegradation time to approximately 180 days.

Any other technological challenges which you have faced during this the whole time?

As you mentioned, our project has faced challenges due to the novelty of our technology. Even the machine manufacturer needed to adapt their original solution to f it our specific requirements.

We’ve been actively working with them to overcome technological hurdles and streamline our offerings. We’re encouraged by the recent trend toward pulp and carded technology, exemplified by announcement of a similar CPC line in Alicante, Spain.

What about the skilled manpower availability of technical people?

India’s strong paper industry has provided us with a wealth of experienced talent, making it easier to start up and operate our pulper. Compared to the paper industry, our wet-laying process is relatively straightforward. Unlike traditional paper production, our process involves virgin pulp, eliminating the need for deinking and refining. Our machines run at a slower speed than paper machines.

But the combination of pulping and carding presents unique challenges. While we rely on the OEM for the Aquajet technology, the availability of Aquajet talent due to previous competition has been beneficial. The most time-consuming aspect has been integrating all the components into a cohesive system.

What do you see the future of this particular technology over a period of time, next 5-10 years?

While we’ve been diligently working, our current 30% capacity is a combination of both regular PV and pulp based products. Until our pulp-based sales significantly increase, we’ll continue to meet the Indian market’s demand for polyester viscose.

Given Europe and the UK’s strong push for plastic free products, 100% viscose is currently the preferred choice for overseas markets. There’s growing interest in pulp-based substrates to diversify the market and offer more options.

While recent economic challenges may have led to a potential delay in regulations, we anticipate Germany and the Netherlands will soon follow suit. Other European countries are likely to adopt similar measures within the next 18 months.

Any support you expect from Indian government also?

While we did participate in a previous government subsidy scheme, the Advanced Textile Upgradation Fund (ATUF), before it was discontinued, we haven’t received significant Indian government support for this project. I believe there’s a need for a new scheme, such as a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) or a value added scheme, that encourages the growth of fabric converters and promotes the domestic production of fabrics in India.

Are you planning to have some wipes production line also along with this so that you can be OEM to others?

Currently, we haven’t planned any strategic agreements with customers or significant investments in this area. While we might consider dry wipes in the future, wet wipes are not a focus. Dry wipes have applications in various industries, including medical, personal care, and industrial. Surface cleaning and disinfection are also major markets for dry wipes.

Is there any project for pet wipes also which is a growing market?

Yes, pet wipes, but they’re essentially the same as polyviscose wipes. While they’re not a unique product, the pet wipes market in the U.S. is quite substantial.

 

 

  03:24 PM, Oct 14

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