Anex Conference and Exhibition - Tokyo - May 2006

Two simultaneous conference sessions overlapped almost totally with the exhibition and were somewhat remote from it, so it was difficult to do both justice.  A printed version of each paper was available at each conference room but only during the time of the presentation and, if Japanese, with only a short abstract in English.  The organisers moderated the sessions and in the interests of timekeeping did not allow questions from the audience.  Unusually for this event, there were no papers giving statistics covering the evolution of the Asian market since the last Anex.

Conference Papers

The papers attended are summarized below.  The Appendix provides speakers summaries, as provided by the Anex organizers, of those missed.

Keynotes

The opening session, Future Directions, had papers from the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry – Textiles Division, academia (paper and textile research institutes) and industry (Teijin and Kuraray) but without interpretation or preprints. 

The interpreted keynote session was given by Unicharm’s founder and Chairman, Mr Keiichiro Takahara, and was a personal view of the people-related issues involved in leading and  growing a successful business through 45 years with three prolonged periods of negative growth.

The Future of Flushables?

Mr. Nataraj Gosavi, Director of Business for Ahlstrom Asia Pacific presented the Ahlstrom view of flushable product development and regulation.

Flushable wipes were getting some adverse publicity and the products were attracting regulatory attention

The Nonwoven Industry in the shape of a combined EDANA/INDA Taskforce was developing guidelines for development and test protocols

dispersibility of the wipes soon after flushing was the key to success...

...so Ahlstrom had developed their own test method

...which showed their wet-laid, hydroentangled products to disperse at a rate between that of dry and moist toilet tissues.

Steam-Jet Entanglement by Mitsubishi Rayon Engineering

Mr. Hajime Tatsumi of Mitsubishi Rayon Engineering described the steam jet process which has been in development for 7 years. Contrary to earlier reports in the press, this is not an alternative to water-jet entanglement, more an extension of hydroentanglement when faster drying, improved bulk and thermal bonding are required.

The MRE Pilot Line: Steam jets shown on the right...

...the web is held between two conveyors and steam injected from above and below.

Comparisons with water jet entanglement: Less mass through the nozzles at much higher velocity gives comparable total energy input...

...but the steam, unlike water, dissipates rapidly and has to pass through a screen before hitting the fibers so little entanglement results.

However its a good way of thermal bonding while maintaining bulk after hydroentanglement, and the heat input reduces the energy needed to dry the web.

Anex 2006 in Tokyo

Tokyo Big Sight - the site of Anex 2006 organised by ANNA, ANFA, and E J Krause

The Statue of Liberty next to Whitestone Bridge: this must be Tokyo (and its the Rainbow Bridge)

The Keynote address was from Unicharm's...

...exuberant founder and Chairman, Mr Keiichiro Takahara, and was a personal view of the people-related issues involved in leading and growing a successful business through 45 years with three prolonged periods of negative growth.

Said is not heard, Heard is not listened, Listened is not understood, Understood is not agreed, Agreed is not convinced. (Managers please note!)