The Nonwovens business unit of Germany-based Freudenberg & Co. KG has installed a regranulation unit at its Kaiserslautern plant to enable it to reprocess and reuse materials that have been rejected from its production process. The unit represents an investment in excess of 700,000 euros.
The new unit melts, cools and chops up rejected material to produce granulate that then is used to produce nonwoven materials. "This production loop allows us to use raw materials more effectively," said Steffen Reuther, plant production manager. "It also makes a contribution to environmental protection. Especially in view of the increasing scarcity of natural resources such as oil, on which our raw materials are based, the recycling of rejected materials is extremely important."
The Kaiserslautern plant, established in 1970, produces spunlaid nonwovens for applications including carpet, construction, horticulture and hygiene products. The site also houses production for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies and Helix Medical, and employs a workforce totaling some 560 associates.
