India’s Manjushree Group is entering the nonwovens market following the installation of a flexible RF smart composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil.

The Manjushree Group is a newcomer to the nonwovens industry, but since its foundation in 1983, Manjushree Technopack developed into one of the largest suppliers of solutions for rigid plastic products in South Asia and the family business grew into a group with several business segments.

In 2018 the group sold its previous core business to a financial investor and established Manjushree Ventures, with footholds in start-up financing, real estate and manufacturing – the largest of which is Manjushree Spntek as a producer of high-quality spunmelt fabrics.

Growth potential

“We invest in modern, technology-based companies that are shaping the future, for example, in the healthcare sector,” says Rajat Kedia, managing director at Manjushree Ventures. “A detailed market study revealed large growth potential in India for disposable medical products and hygiene items.”

The new company has been producing high-performance spunmelt nonwovens on the Reicofil RF line since February 2023, benefiting from both many years of experience in the packaging industry and also from already operating Reifenhäuser’s blown film lines.

“We know a lot about plastic extrusion when it comes to line operating parameters such as temperature and pressure, and processing is similar in both industries,” explains Kedia. “The main difference is in the distribution of the products – in plastic packaging, we had an established customer base and sold a lot of material to the big consumer goods manufacturers. The nonwovens market in India is meanwhile still forming, with thousands of small companies currently getting involved.”

Smaller volumes

Small-volume markets present spunmelt producers with unique challenges – many customers who buy smaller quantities still have specific requirements. In India, for example, materials for hospitals have to meet the different regulations of the approximately 30 states. There are also different specifications for colours, properties and basis weights.

“Customers are looking for better web uniformity, more softness, lighter weight fabrics and of course cheaper products if possible,” Kedia explains. “Our need was for a machine which can cater to the entire gamut of requirementst from 10-100gsm which is extremely cost efficient for colour changes, but most importantly consistent in product quality and cost. We chose the RF line from Reicofil because it is very flexible and allows us to respond to the current needs of the market.”

The RF line is a standardised for smaller and emerging markets and produces nonwovens of the highest Reicofil quality with appropriately adapted throughput. This makes it ideally suited for applications in hygiene and medical technology, and with typically 8,200 annual production hours, it is extremely reliable. In addition, operators can start production quickly because in many cases the line can be integrated into existing buildings.

“The RF is an alternative to lines with a particularly high output, such as RF5 and RF5 Plus, or special requirements, such as RF5x and RF 5 Tech,” explains Falk Roesner, Reicofil sales manager.

Prior to the line installation, Manjushree built a new production building in Bidadi, a town an hour’s drive from Bangalore International Airport.

“Reicofil’s experts helped us with process settings and machine parameters to achieve the best result with minimal downtime,” says Kedia. “Reicofil’s experience and expertise in improving products is tremendous. In addition, their world-class support and services are always available and they are open to new ideas – whether it’s products, customer experience or machine improvements.”

Manjushree Spntek is now producing high-quality spunmelt nonwovens, including ultra-soft fabrics and fabrics with special coatings for customers in the hygiene and medical industries, with weights of between 20-100gsm and in widths of 60mm to 3.2 metres, with a monthly targeted throughput of 800 tons. The materials can be used for baby diapers and feminine hygiene products as well as medical articles such as surgical gowns and drapes.

“We entered the nonwovens market to become the market leader,” Kedia concludes. “While we are new to the production of nonwovens, we are experts in meeting customer requirements with consistent quality and innovative R&D. This is our single minded focus for all our customers, large or small.”

www.manjushreespntek.com

www.reifenhauser.com