More sustainable packaging material

Freudenberg Performance Materials extends its range to cover microfilament textiles by using Evolon® technology for technical packaging.

Microfilament textiles made using Evolon® technology are considered as the leading materials for high-end protection in automotive applications. Freudenberg Performance Materials now extends its range of available weights and mechanical properties, special finishes and protective features in order to fulfill the requirements of other applications and industries. Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles are innovative materials for the packaging and transport of highly sensitive parts, providing enhanced surface protection while bringing significant operations savings. They provide an extremely durable soft and smooth surface which is anti-scratch, breathable, and absolutely lint free.

Damages to moulded plastic parts, painted parts or highly complex parts are prevented.

Freudenberg Performance Materials has recently supervised comparative scratching tests involving its latest variant of microfilament textiles and several competitive products. Only the Freudenberg solution created no damage to painted metallic parts during this intensive lab test.

High-performance protection provided by Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles results from its unique, world-wide patented Evolon® technology. Bicomponent filaments are spun, then hydro-entangled thanks to high-pressure water jets, and split to generate microfilaments which are 100 times thinner than a human hair. Unlike staple fibres, filaments cannot release fibres or lints because they are virtually endless. At the same time, extremely fine microfilaments avoid micro-scratches on sensitive parts.

Thanks to their unique construction, Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles are successfully being used by automotive suppliers for packaging their sensitive parts during the storage and transportation process. Moreover, numerous converting possibilities of the fabric allow flexible integrating into various container systems.

Solutions for more industries

In addition to automotive applications, Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles offer a high-performance solution for many other packaging applications such as consumer electronics, consumer appliances, custom countertops, aerospace products, lighting systems, to name a few.

Packaging of heavy parts

The heavier grey variants of Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles for packaging, ranging from 100 gsm to 240 gsm, are designed for the transportation of heavy parts. EVO 200 SG SP and EVO 240 SG SP provide high mechanical strength, which make them the ideal eco-friendly substitute to conventional PVC compositions. Their good tensile strength properties remain in the range of acceptable variation ratios when exposed to outdoor conditions. Recently, some of those packaging materials have been also granted a Ultraviolet Protection Factor of 80, the highest value of the demanding ‘UV Standard 801’. UV Standard 801 is the only standard to verify to durability of UV protection in “real-life” heavy use conditions. Other features developed include anti-static and water-repellent treatments.

Packaging of medium-sized parts

A grey 80 gsm version of Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles for packaging has been recently introduced to provide an economical alternative for medium-sized parts. It is 20 per cent lighter and offers the same anti-scratch, lint-free protection and colour fastness as the rest of the range. It is especially suitable for light electronic components.

Packaging of small luxurious parts

Last but not least, with their lighter 40 gsm version, Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles for packaging material can be used for small luxurious parts. The fabric supplants PE sheets, foams and paper layers to protect small precious items such as deluxe cosmetic and perfume packaging components. The smooth soft microfilament textiles made using Evolon® technology ensure no scratch or transfer of texture on the protected part. As there is no binder in the fabric, no greasy substance can release on the parts either.

Contributing to waste prevention

Whereas waste prevention is an issue of increasing importance in all industries, Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles for packaging material help manufacturers to be significantly more sustainable. Thanks to using Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles during the transportation, defect rates of transported sensitive parts plummet. Being easy care and washable, packaging pouches made of Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles are an alternative option to disposable packaging materials and have a much longer lifecycle than conventional durable packaging materials. All this generates significant savings of materials and resources.

Freudenberg’s microfilament textiles made using Evolon® technology are free of solvents and chemical binders, and the water used during the production process is recycled and re-used internally. The Freudenberg manufacturing site of microfilament textiles is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 50001 accredited.

Freudenberg Performance Materials is a leading global manufacturer of innovative technical textiles offering differentiated value propositions to a broad range of markets and applications such as Automotive Interiors, Apparel, Building Materials, Hygiene, Medical, Shoe Components and Specialties. The company generates sales of over €900 million and has more than 20 manufacturing sites in 14 countries and more than 3,800 associates. Freudenberg Performance Materials has many years of experience in technical textiles and applications. The company attaches great importance to social and ecological responsibility.

The company is part of the Freudenberg Group. In 2014, the Freudenberg Group employed over 40,000 people in some 60 countries worldwide and generated sales of more than 7 billion Euros (including pro-rata consolidation of 50:50 joint ventures).

For further information:
Holger M. Steingraeber
Tel: +49 6201 80-6640
Fax: +49 6201 88-6640
Email: holger.steingraeber@freudenberg-pm.com
Web: www.freudenberg-pm.com