Posted April 20, 2016
PFÄFFIKON, Switzerland – Oerlikon has signed an agreement to acquire the entire staple fibers technology portfolio of Trützschler Nonwovens & Man-Made Fibers GmbH, Egelsbach, Germany, each companies announced separately.
Trützschler is part of the German Trützschler Group, a specialist in fiber preparation for the yarn spinning and nonwovens industries. The acquisition expands Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment’s technology portfolio and opens up access to new customers in the market for synthetic staple fibers, Oerlikon said.
Trützschler's business with spinning plants for carpet yarns (BCF) and industrial yarns (IDY) is not affected by this change, it said.
Oerlikon said it is strengthening its technology and market position in its core business areas by taking advantage of the ongoing consolidation in the chemical fibers market, triggered by the market downturn in China.
Oerlikon acquires Trützschler’s staple fiber technology
With the acquisition of the former Fleissner staple fibers technology portfolio and the intellectual property (IP) of Trützschler Nonwovens & Man-Made Fibers GmbH, the segment becomes a leading technology and equipment provider in the global staple fibers market, according to Oerlikon.
The acquisition expands the Manmade Fibers Segment’s staple fibers technology expertise and broadens the segment’s customer base and service business in the respective areas. As staple fibers projects are increasingly tied to continuous polycondensation facilities, the Manmade Fibers Segment is well positioned to operate as a provider of complete solutions, Oerlikon said.
An ‘ideal fit’ for Oerlikon
“The acquisition of the staple fibers technology portfolio of Trützschler is another important step in line with our strategy to strengthen our position outside the filament business, where we occupy a leading technology and market position,” said Dr. Roland Fischer, CEO of the Oerlikon Group. “The ongoing consolidation in the chemical fibers market presents interesting opportunities and we are taking this step to ensure that the Manmade Fibers Segment will merge stronger from the current market weakness and profit from the positive long-term market perspectives.”
Staple fibers technology is one of the core technologies within the manmade fibers industry. In 2015, the produced staple fibers totaled 18.5 million tons, or some 33 percent of the total synthetic fibers capacity. Synthetic staple fibers are produced by these main conversion steps: polymer production, spinning further down to baling. The liquid polymer is either produced in a polycondensation plant or polymer chips are melted in an extrusion line.
Staple fibers are made from different polymers, including: polyester, polypropylene, polyamide, recycled materials (rPET) or renewable polymers (such as polylactic acid, PLA). Those fibers are used in various applications such as apparels, nonwoven fabric production, reinforcement, filling, insulation and further special applications.
“The former Fleissner staple fibers technology portfolio of Trützschler Nonwovens & Man-Made Fibers GmbH is an ideal fit for our business,” said Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment. “It enhances our existing technology offering and broadens our service business. Furthermore, it opens up attractive business opportunities with key customers in that field. Combining the staple fibers process solutions and key components of both companies will enable us to increase customer value through developing further innovations. In addition, we will be able to offer the entire range of customer services for all installed machines and plants of the former Fleissner staple fibers technologies.”
Staple fibers technology is one of the core technologies within the manmade fibers industry. In 2015, the produced staple fibers amounted to 18.5 million tons, or some 33% of the total synthetic fibers capacity. Synthetic staple fibers are produced by the main conversion steps: polymer production, spinning further down to baling. The liquid polymer is either produced in a polycondensation plant or polymer chips are melted in an extrusion line. Staple fibers are made from different polymers, including: polyester, polypropylene, polyamide, recycled materials (rPET) or renewable polymers (such as polylactic acid, PLA). Those fibers are used in various applications such as apparels, nonwoven fabric production, reinforcement, filling, insulation and further special applications.
“The former Fleissner staple fibers technology portfolio of Trützschler Nonwovens & Man-Made Fibers GmbH is an ideal fit for our business," said Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment. "It enhances our existing technology offering and broadens our service business. Furthermore, it opens up attractive business opportunities with key customers in that field. Combining the staple fibers process solutions and key components of both companies will enable us to increase customer value through developing further innovations. In addition, we will be able to offer the entire range of customer services for all installed machines and plants of the former Fleissner staple fibers technologies.”
Trützschler to focus on nonwovens machinery, filament lines
Trützschler said it will concentrate on the strategic development of its two other businesses: nonwovens machinery and filament lines.
“With this restructuring in Egelsbach we will focus our capacities and competencies on the key topics of our nonwovens’ customers,” said Dr. Georg Reinhold, managing director and CEO of Trützschler Nonwovens & Man-Made Fibers GmbH. “It will shorten the time to market of our innovative solutions and will further strengthen our worldwide service. Trützschler’s name stands for technological innovations as well as for a high level of customer focus. In this regard, we will set new standards.”
Sources: Oerlikon and Trützschler