As China's nonwovens industry shifts collectively toward premium products, the question of whether carding technology can keep pace has become decisive for line efficiency and product quality. At the 19th China International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens (CINTE26), held in September 2026 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Jinlun Card Clothing's carding solutions for spunlace, thermal bond, and needlepunch processes provided a telling example—its exhibits were placed in the special zone for the 15th Five-Year Plan technical textiles, signaling alignment between policy direction and market demand.
Industrial Context: Why High-End Is a Must
China's nonwovens output has led the world for years, but homogeneity has intensified competition and squeezed margins. Public industry data show that over the past three years, prices for mid-to-low-end spunlace fabrics have fallen by more than 5% annually, while demand for high-end medical, filtration, and wiping products has grown at double-digit rates. This scissors gap forces companies to re-examine their lines, especially carding, which determines fiber orientation and web uniformity. At the fair, technical staff from leading firms—including Andritz, Anhui Jinchun, Shandong Yongxin, Jiangsu Huafeng, and Huafu Group—visited Jinlun's booth for discussions on product adaptation, process optimization, and efficiency gains, indicating that downstream needs have shifted from "usable" to "precise."
Technical Focus: How Carding Solutions Address High Output and Quality
Jinlun's offering is not a single product but a suite of carding solutions tailored to three mainstream processes. The core logic lies in optimizing wire geometry, density, and arrangement to improve fiber individualization and uniformity, maintaining web quality even at high speeds. For spunlace lines, this means processing more fiber per unit time without sacrificing strength; for thermal bond, it enhances loft and consistency; for needlepunch, it stabilizes web structure to reduce fiber damage during needling. These details directly affect product yield and energy consumption, translating into lower costs and more reliable supply for buyers.
Industrial Impact: Deepening Collaboration Along the Chain
The exchanges between Jinlun and senior executives from several leading companies went beyond ordinary supplier-buyer meetings. The direct involvement of technical personnel indicates that nonwovens producers are beginning to integrate carding equipment makers' process expertise into their own R&D. This deep engagement reflects the pressure of shortened development cycles and rising customization demands. When end brands impose stricter requirements on medical protection and high-efficiency filtration, post-treatment alone cannot compensate for deficiencies upstream in carding. Therefore, whether carding suppliers can offer data-driven customization will directly influence their market share. Jinlun's move effectively sets a cooperative model of "equipment plus process" synergy for the whole industry.
Trend Outlook: From Single-Point Breakthrough to Systemic Competition
The signals from CINTE26 indicate that high-end transformation in nonwovens is no longer limited to improvements in individual equipment or processes but is evolving toward systematic optimization across the entire chain—from carding to web formation, bonding, and finishing. At the policy level, the 15th Five-Year Plan's emphasis on technical textiles will accelerate the elimination of outdated capacity and promote advanced technologies. For carding equipment companies, future competition will hinge not only on the durability and precision of card clothing but also on the ability to provide integrated knowledge services covering fiber raw materials, process parameters, and line diagnostics. For nonwovens producers, the criteria for selecting equipment suppliers will shift from price orientation to total lifecycle cost and technical support capability. This transformation will reshape value distribution across the supply chain, granting higher pricing power to companies with technological depth and rapid response capabilities.