When nonwoven capacity competition meets the inflection point of high-end transformation, the technological gap in carding has become the decisive factor between line efficiency and product quality. At CINTE26, a carding prototype optimized for high-grammage spunlace processes drew prolonged attention from technical leaders of companies such as Andritz and Anhui Jinchun. Behind this is not merely an equipment order opportunity, but a practical footnote to the entire nonwoven supply chain shifting from 'volume competition' to 'yield competition'.
Exhibition Signal: From Standalone Equipment Display to Systematic Carding Solutions
The 19th China International Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Exhibition (CINTE26) concluded at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. As a benchmark event for the nonwoven sector in Asia-Pacific, the core highlight was not the stacking of parameters on individual machines, but exhibitors' shift toward delivering complete carding solutions tailored to the three mainstream processes: spunlace, thermal bond, and needle-punch. Jinlun Card Clothing, for instance, presented its carding system not as isolated products, but as 'process packages' integrating card wire tooth design, settings, and line speed curves, directly addressing practical issues such as rising neps and higher fiber damage rates on high-speed lines.
This transformation from selling components to selling process logic implies that equipment suppliers are now deeply involved in production-side process optimization. For buyers, selecting a carding solution is no longer just about choosing a wire type; it also requires assessing the supplier's ability to understand data from the entire production line. The intensive technical exchanges at the show confirmed this trend: discussions on product adaptation and process iteration were far deeper than conventional price negotiations.
Industry Impact: Proliferation of High-Speed Lines Forces Carding Technology Upgrades
The nonwoven industry's capacity expansion has accelerated notably in recent years, especially the continuous breaking of speed records for spunlace and thermal bond lines. However, problems such as decreased fiber carding uniformity and accelerated wire wear at high speeds have become invisible ceilings limiting yield improvement. Jinlun's showcased solutions, focused on 'high output, high speed, and high quality,' are a direct response to this contradiction—by optimizing tooth density and angles, they achieve greater effective carding area at the same width, thereby supporting faster speeds without sacrificing quality.
For downstream mills, this implies that the priority in equipment upgrades is shifting from merely increasing width to refined renovation of carding units. An old line, if retrofitted with new wires and adjusted process parameters, can often achieve efficiency close to new equipment at a fraction of the cost of a full replacement. This 'existing-capacity efficiency enhancement' path is increasingly attractive in an era of rational investment.
Notably, Jinlun's innovative exhibits were placed in the '15th Five-Year Plan' special zone for technical textiles in Hall W5. This detail signals policy direction: the state's industrial guidance is incorporating the high-end development of nonwoven equipment into planning, and core component suppliers with proprietary intellectual property and stable operational performance will gain greater policy dividends and market access advantages. For high-end lines relying on imported card wires, the window for domestic substitution has opened.
Practical Recommendations
For Buyers - When evaluating carding solutions, request trial data specific to your target grammage and fiber blend, rather than relying solely on general performance parameters. - Prioritize suppliers who can offer an integrated optimization proposal covering line speed, wire life, and web uniformity, avoiding short-term thinking based on single component replacement.
For Mills - Conduct a specialized diagnostic of carding units on existing high-speed lines, focusing on the correlation between wire wear cycles and nep growth rates to identify bottleneck stations. - Monitor policy support for technological upgrades under the '15th Five-Year Plan', and integrate carding system renovation into green and intelligent transformation projects to leverage special funds.
The value of carding technology has never resided solely in the tooth tips, but in how it directs fiber flow. When prototypes at exhibitions begin to converse with production data, the high-end narrative of the nonwoven industry gains a practical foothold. Whether equipment suppliers or mills, whoever masters the 'process discourse power' in carding will take the lead in the next round of quality competition.