Evolon finds multitudes of niche applications

Created in 1999 and globally patented by Freudenberg, Evolon® has been designed to substitute different kinds of knitted and woven fabrics. Evolon® is a unique microfilament fabric combining very good textile and mechanical properties. Like traditional microfiber, it is soft, drapable and light, but it is also very strong at the same time. The Evolon® technology is a unique, world-wide patented textile manufacturing process. Evolon® has been granted the Oeko-Tex mark (standard 100, product class 1), which certifies it is free of harmful substances and suitable for contact with baby skin.

Freudenberg Evolon is part of the Freudenberg Nonwovens Group. Freudenberg Nonwovens is the world´s largest producer of nonwovens, with 21 manufacturing and processing sites in 13 countries. The company manufactures interlinings for the apparel industry and nonwovens for the following markets: energy, automotive interiors, hygiene, medical, building interiors, geotextiles and specialites. In 2011, the subgroup company Freudenberg Nonwovens, generated sales of over 660 million euros with a workforce of more than 3,150.

Jean-Frantois Kerhault, Business Segment Manager, Evolon, shares some background information on Evolon and its applications and benefits, in an interaction with the Editor of the Indian Textile Journal.

Excerpts…
ITJ Editor: Please give us some background information on Freudenberg – its inception, growth and present-day status.

Jean-Frantois Kerhault (JFK): Created in 1849 by Carl Johann Freudenberg, the Freudenberg group was originally a tannery. After having become the largest leather production centre in Europe, Freudenberg diversified into many spheres of activities. In 1948, Freudenberg was the first company to market nonwovens. At the beginning nonwovens were used to make interlinings and cleaning cloths.

Freudenberg has then developed and widen its portfolio of technologies and markets, to become one of the world´s largest producers of nonwovens, with 21 manufacturing and processing sites in 13 countries. Today, Freudenberg Nonwovens manufactures interlinings for the apparel industry and develops nonwovens for the following markets: energy, automotive interiors, hygiene, medical, building interiors, geotextiles and specialties. The company markets innovative products such as Lutradur ECO®, Vilene®, Soundtex® and Evolon®. In 2013, Freudenberg Nonwovens employed 3,200 people and generated sales of ?660 million.

ITJ Editor: When was Evolon launched? What are its applications and benefits?
JFK: Created in 1999 and globally patented by Freudenberg, Evolon has been designed to substitute different kinds of knitted and woven fabrics. It results from a unique innovative process that combines the spinning of endless bico-filaments with splitting by hydro-entanglement to generate extremely fine microfilaments. Thanks to this revolutionary technology, Evolon offers the best combination of textile and mechanical characteristics with incomparable productivity and properties compared to conventional textiles. The exceptionally versatile microfilament fabric offers product solutions for astonishingly diverse applications. On the one hand, this is based on the wide range of weights and inherently flexible product properties, and on the other hand, it is attributable to the possibility of enhancing the features of Evolon fabrics with all traditional textile finishing processes.

Amongst its numerous applications, Evolon sets the benchmark in three key areas, namely high-tech wiping, anti-allergy bedding and technical packaging.

For high-tech wiping, Evolon achieves outstanding cleaning performances, thanks to the finest microfilaments in its category. Because it is a