While nonwovens producers still struggle to balance higher output with better quality, technological gaps in carding have become an invisible divide. Signals from the 19th China International Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Exhibition (CINTE26) suggest that the era of simply competing on machine count and width is fading. Fine-tuned adaptation around carding processes now determines whether a high-end nonwoven line can realize its capacity value.
Exhibition Trend: From Standalone Machines to System Solutions
Held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, CINTE26 often indicates technology routes for the next three to five years in the Asia-Pacific region. Unlike previous editions, leading equipment makers no longer just displayed individual carding machines or card clothing parameters; they brought complete carding solutions for mainstream processes such as spunlace, thermal bond, and needle-punch. This shift is more than a display upgrade—it means equipment suppliers are moving from selling components to selling production line logic, helping downstream customers lock in the balance among uniformity, strength, and energy consumption before commissioning.
For instance, Jinlun Card Clothing's carding solutions, developed around high output, high speed, and high quality, directly address common pain points such as web uniformity drift at high speeds and frequent downtime due to card clothing wear. Industry data indicates that for the same width, a 10% increase in carding speed demands a non-linear improvement in tooth precision and wear resistance. Thus, these solutions essentially recouple tooth density, angle, and process speed rather than simply adding hardware.
Industry Linkage: Head Customers Deeply Involved in Technical Verification
Notably, the in-depth exchanges at the exhibition were not mere courtesy visits. Leaders and technical staff from Andritz, Anhui Jinchun, Shandong Yongxin, Jiangsu Huafeng, Huafu Group, and others engaged in precise discussions on product adaptation, process optimization, and line efficiency with Jinlun. This joint technical verification between equipment suppliers and line operators is becoming the new normal in nonwovens high-end development—downstream customers no longer passively accept standard products; instead, they bring their own raw material characteristics, product grammage ranges, and even target client requirements to participate in customized development of carding elements.
For buyers, this means the evaluation criteria for equipment suppliers must broaden. In the past, price and delivery time mattered most; now, it is crucial to assess whether a supplier possesses a process database and can offer tooth design recommendations for specific fibers such as bicomponent or microdenier. Otherwise, even an expensive carding machine may fall into an inefficient cycle of high-speed operation, quality fluctuation, and speed reduction due to improper card clothing selection.
Policy Pull: The '15th Five-Year' Special Zone and Industrial Direction
Another strong signal was the special exhibition zone for '15th Five-Year Plan' technical textiles. Jinlun's innovative exhibits were placed there for a reason. National support for technical textiles is shifting from volume expansion to self-reliance in high-end materials. Carding, as the 'heart' of the nonwoven process, directly determines whether high-value fields like filtration media, medical protection, and automotive interiors can reduce dependence on imported equipment.
From a chain perspective, policy benefits will not be evenly distributed. Companies that achieve stable high-speed carding first will more likely secure high-end orders. In spunlace nonwovens, keeping basis weight deviation within ±3% has become a basic requirement from top international buyers, demanding stringent standards for carding machine dynamic balance and card clothing sharpness retention. Equipment suppliers stepping in now essentially help customers build a technical moat.