In the first half of 2026, Hongda Research Institute's new contracts surged 148.7% year-on-year, while backlog orders grew 86.4%. In the niche but technology-intensive field of spunmelt nonwoven equipment, such growth signals a substantive shift in global capacity patterns. The order boom is not accidental but a resonance of capacity expansion in emerging overseas markets and rising demand for differentiated fibers domestically.
Regional Dynamics Behind the Order Surge
Geographically, overseas projects in Turkey and Poland, with efficient installation and service, contributed the bulk of the contract increment. Eastern Europe and the Middle East have been absorbing textile capacity transferred from Europe, entering a replacement cycle for high-efficiency spunmelt equipment. Domestically, a project in Fujian passed acceptance, a Zhejiang contract took effect, and interest from new clients in Jiangsu is heating up, indicating that domestic nonwoven manufacturers, after digesting overcapacity in previous years, are re-investing in high-value-added lines.
Notably, the 86.4% growth in backlog implies heavy delivery pressure over the next 12-18 months, testing supply chain management and installation teams. For downstream buyers, longer equipment lead times may affect expansion plans, making early capacity reservation crucial.
Strategic Significance of Bamboo Fiber and Bicomponent Lines
On the technology front, the ionic liquid solvent bamboo fiber project, after three years of R&D, has entered pilot engineering design, with construction drawings expected by Q3. The industrial significance lies in bypassing the polluting viscose process, using ionic liquid to dissolve bamboo pulp directly, potentially making bamboo fiber a truly green, scalable substitute for cotton and viscose. If pilot trials succeed and the product reaches market, it will disrupt upstream fiber pricing logic and profoundly impact the cost structure of spunbond and spunlace nonwovens.
Another commercialized technology is the wide-width PE/PP bicomponent spunbond line, which has passed trial production and achieved commercial delivery with full performance compliance. Bicomponent spunbond is a high-end process for hygiene and filtration materials, previously dependent on imported equipment. The commercialization of domestic wide-width lines means local equipment makers can now compete at the same technical level as international giants, offering buyers lower procurement costs and faster after-sales service.
Management Efficiency and Industry Transmission
Hongda also completed the rollout of SAP and BIP systems and revised or established 11 institutional rules. These internal moves may seem unrelated to the market, but during an order surge, refined management directly impacts delivery quality and cost control. For the industry, management upgrades by leading equipment firms will force supply chain partners to improve digitalization to match their delivery and quality requirements.
From a broader perspective, the high growth in spunmelt equipment orders aligns with global expansion in disposable hygiene, medical protective, and filtration materials. The advancement of bamboo fiber technology offers a potential feedstock alternative that could alter nonwoven cost curves within five years. For factories and trading firms watching, this is both an opportunity and a challenge—capacity planning must keep pace with technological evolution.