One of the recurring challenges in the nonwovens sector has been achieving uniform, stable webs at extremely low basis weights. For many producers, going below 15 gsm often meant compromising on quality, reliability, or production efficiency. Recent trials at Trützschler’s Nonwoven Customer and Technical Center (NCTC) in Egelsbach may well change this perception.
The German machinery manufacturer has demonstrated that its NCT-X card is capable of delivering highly uniform webs at just 10 grams per square meter (gsm). This breakthrough not only reinforces Trützschler’s leadership in carding and blending technologies, but also points to a new era of resource efficiency and sustainability in nonwoven production.
Why Lightweight Nonwoven Webs Matter?
In an industry where raw material costs represent a significant portion of total expenses, reducing basis weights while maintaining quality is a game changer. Meeting performance requirements with 10 gsm webs means producers can achieve the same functionality while consuming less fiber, lowering costs, and reducing environmental impact.
Trützschler’s technology offers an added advantage through its T-BLEND system, ensuring dosing accuracy within ±1%. This level of precision is particularly critical when working with expensive bi-component or specialty fibers, where even minor deviations can affect product quality and profitability.
Market Opportunities
The implications are vast:
- Hygiene products – lighter yet effective topsheets
- Wipes and composites – optimized layers with less material
- Technical nonwovens – cost-efficient production of functional composite fabrics
By supporting processes such as needle-punching, hydroentangling, and through-air bonding, the NCT-X card also gives manufacturers the flexibility to tailor lightweight webs to multiple end uses.
Editorial Perspective
From our vantage point at Kohan Textile Journal, this innovation represents more than just a technical achievement. It underscores how machinery manufacturers are responding to global market pressures: rising raw material costs, sustainability demands, and the need for flexible, efficient production.
As buyers and producers increasingly look for “doing more with less”, solutions like the NCT-X card could set a new benchmark for the industry. The key question now is not whether ultra-lightweight nonwovens are possible — but how quickly manufacturers across different sectors will adapt and scale them.
By Behnam Ghasemi – Editor-in-Chief, Kohan Textile Journal
