While the industry debates overcapacity, an exhibition quietly provides an answer. The 19th China International Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Exhibition (CINTE26) concluded at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, with the spotlight shifting from 'how big' to 'how refined'. Upgrades in carding equipment and processes are replacing simple line expansion as the new competitive frontier for nonwovens enterprises.
Event Background
CINTE26 is regarded as a high-standard benchmark event in the Asia-Pacific nonwovens sector, bringing together resources across the entire chain from raw materials, equipment, to end products. The exhibition's uniqueness lies in its timing—at the intersection of the closing of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the brewing of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Policy orientation's pull on technological routes is particularly evident. The special exhibition zone for the 15th Five-Year Plan technical textiles is essentially a preview of the national industrial strategy; products accepted into this zone indicate high alignment with policy dividends over the next five years.
Carding, a core process in dry-laid nonwovens, directly impacts fiber web uniformity and final product strength and hand feel. Jinlun Card Clothing's solutions for spunlace, thermal bond, and needlepunch processes focus on 'high output, high speed, high quality', addressing long-standing pain points such as needle breakage, fiber winding, and uniformity fluctuations. These are not simple equipment iterations but systematic optimizations coupling card wire geometry, grinding technology with line speed and raw material characteristics.
Industrial Impact
The exhibition sent a clear signal: the high-end transformation of the nonwovens industry is no longer a solo performance by end-product makers but is transmitting upstream to equipment and consumables. Technical personnel from leading companies like Andritz, Anhui Jinchun, Shandong Yongxin, Jiangsu Huafeng, and Huafu Group visited carding solution booths, with discussions focusing on product adaptation, process optimization, line efficiency, and technology iteration. This cross-segment deep engagement indicates downstream companies have realized that breakthroughs require joint development with upstream carding solution providers, not just changing raw materials or tweaking parameters.
For buyers, carding solution upgrades directly affect quality ceilings and cost structures. For spunlace, improved carding uniformity can significantly reduce basis weight variation, cutting raw material waste, while high-speed carding capabilities determine single-line capacity limits. With rising labor and energy costs, this 'efficiency-boosting, cost-reducing' dividend is more practical than simply expanding plants.
More notably, nonwoven applications are extending from traditional disposables and filtration to automotive interiors, high-end medical, and construction waterproofing—fields demanding exceptional consistency. These sectors' pursuit of 'zero defects' forces carding to achieve higher operational stability. The fact that Jinlun's exhibits attracted professional attention confirms its technical indicators meet these high-end application thresholds.
Practical Recommendations
For Buyers - When evaluating carding solutions, do not only look at initial equipment price; calculate total operational costs including card wire replacement frequency, energy consumption, and reject rates. - For your main products (e.g., spunlace under 30 gsm), request real production data from similar lines rather than relying solely on lab parameters. - Establish a joint trial mechanism with solution providers, engaging in card wire geometry and process design early in new product development to shorten sample-to-mass-production cycles.
For Exporters - Monitor changes in importers' testing standards for uniformity, strength, etc., and use carding process upgrades as a tool to address technical trade barriers. - In overseas exhibitions, emphasize 'high-speed carding plus online inspection' closed-loop control capability—a core selling point distinguishing Chinese equipment from low-price competitors. - Leverage domestic supportive policies for high-end technical textiles under the 15th Five-Year Plan to secure technical renovation subsidies, easing financial pressure of equipment upgrades.
The game of carding technology is a small move but affects the efficiency and quality landscape of the entire nonwovens industry. In the second half of the high-end competition, whoever first connects 'process-equipment-application' will gain pricing power in the stock market.