Logistics Portal
Neumünster, January 14, 2012. At this year’s Domotex in Hannover Oerlikon Neumag presents the carpet yarn machine S+ for polyester. Looking back at 2011 the S+ was Oerlikon Neumag’s most successful machine covering 85% of the sold BCF polypropylene capacity. With the launch of S+ for polyester, which is said to be the upcoming polymer for carpets, the portfolio of Oerlikon Neumag BCF is extended by another state of the art version.
The best selling machine in BCF technology of 2011, the S+, is made available for the upcoming polymer for carpets: polyester. The S+ for polyester is for sale starting from the Domotex 2012.
In 2011 Oerlikon Neumag was able to conclude over 40 orders in total with leading carpet producers mainly from Turkey, USA, China and Middle East. The order volume exceeded an annual capacity of 100.000 tons. More than half of all orders were for the S+ polypropylene which was introduced at the last Domotex. Oerlikon Neumag’s market share today is 70% in BCF for polypropylene. The first lines which were already installed in 2010 are running successfully at 1850 dtex with winder speeds up to 3200 m / min at 99% efficiency.
Since Oerlikon Neumag sold its first polyester BCF lines in 1999 the demand grew fast, year after year, driven by the USA. Nearly all polyester carpet yarns worldwide are produced on Oerlikon Neumag lines. The use of polyester for carpet yarns is popular because of different reasons. Primarily BCF substitutes polyester spun yarns because it is more cost efficient in production. The cost advantage applies in particular to heat set yarn for tufted residential and high pile carpets. The yarns are thicker and bulkier resulting in carpets with a very soft and comfortable touch.
Further, polyester carpets are highly resistant to UV light without the need to add any UV stabiliser during production.
The price for polyester raw material has declined below polypropylene since 2010. In addition polypropylene has fluctuated very strongly whereas polyester was stable and is projected to remain so until 2015. Moreover polyester raw material can be used from regranulated material or bottle flakes and is widely available worldwide in suitable IV ranges.
