NONWOVENS

Issue 2 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

Trends
MARKET TRENDS

Nonwovens Initiatives: Variation Management . . . . . . . 2 Nordson Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . 3 Melter Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Nordson Products . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Product Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Employee Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Trade Shows/Conferences . . . . . 7

Wetness Indicator Market Advisory

Wetness indicators are becoming increasingly common in diapers and pants used for baby care as well as adult incontinence as producers seek to add consumer-valued features to gain a competitive edge and increase market share. While the application has been used in adult incontinence for more than 20 years, there is now increased interest in adding this feature to baby diapers. Multinational brands are implementing the use of wetness indicators on a global basis, with increased activity in emerging markets. And, it is expected that private label producers will follow. For those unfamiliar with these features, a wetness indicator material reacts with exposure of liquid (urine) as a visual sign (color change) for parents or caregivers that a disposable absorbent hygiene article needs changing. Wetness indicator material is typically applied similarly to a hot melt adhesive on the inside of the backsheet material where it contacts the absorbent core. These materials require special equipment considerations to be successfully and reliably applied in production. A Market Advisory is available that details this market trend, the opportunity and the Nordson solution. This is the first in a planned series of communications identifying nonwovens applications and their Nordson system solutions.

NONWOVENS EVENT CALENDAR

13-17 October 2013 35th Annual INSIGHT Conference St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.A. http://www.marketing technologyservice.com/ Organizer: MTS 23-25 October 2013 Shanghai International Nonwovens Exhibition (SINCE) Shanghai, China www.since13.com Organizer: CNTA 27-30 January 2014 VISION Consumer Products Conference Dallas, TX U.S.A. http://www.inda.org/ inda-events/vision Organizer: INDA 08-11 April 2014 INDEX 2014 Geneva, Switzerland http://www.index14.ch/en/ Organizer: Edana

Nordson Patent Awards

Each year the Nordson Patent Awards ceremony is held to recognize the contributions of Nordson inventors, both past and present. Nordsons ability to continue to innovate is critical to both our and our customers ongoing success. Among this years honorees were Joel Saine, product development engineer, and Chuck Ganzer, senior project engineer. Saine and Ganzer formally received their patent for their pioneering work on the Allegro nozzle for elastic attachment at the May 2013 ceremony. Congratulations to all patent holders and many thanks for your contributions.

Chuck Ganzer (above) and Joel Saine (right) each received their patent awards from Corporate Vice President Jim DeVries for Nozzle for applying adhesive to strands patent - Allegro elastic attachment nozzles

Nordson Nonwovens Trends | Issue 2 2013

Measurement is Enabled (UNDERSTAND)

120

Closed-Loop Flow Control Enabled (IMPROVE)

Production: Variation from requirement
120

110
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 7.0 0

Long time to stabilize system = Waste

Poor Quality Contamination

110
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

MD Variation
Controlled

MD Variation Ramp Up: Delivery lags Undersupply Target Flow: Follows production line Ramp Down: Delivery lags Oversupply
19.3 20.1 20.9 21.7 22.5 23.3 24.2 25.0 25.8 26.6 27.4 28.3 29.1 29.9 30.7 31.5

Excess Material Contamination

Clean

Ramp Up: Vastly improved

Production: Close tracking

Clean

Target Flow: Follows production line

Ramp Down: Vastly improved

7.8

8.6

9.4

Target Adhesive Flow

Actual Adhesive Flow

time

Nonwovens Initiatives: Variation Management

Variation management is at the heart of our OptiBond Solutions for Nonwovens. The goal is to advance the state-of-the-art in delivery and dispensing of material through nonwovens improved process control. The benefits to our customers are higher-quality products produced faster, more efficiently and at lower cost. Our basic methodology to enable variation management is captured as Measure, Understand and Improve (MUI).

OptiBond Solutions

In 2013 we have expanded our portfolio of OptiBond Solutions in our three product categories: Controls Controls can be either melter integrated or standalone to accommodate variation management capability on new or existing production lines. As mentioned, a number of recent developments fortify the portfolio of control capabilities. VersaBlue Plus melters recently joined AltaBlue Touch melters to comprise the offerings featuring melter-integrated flow monitoring and control support; melter-integrated controls are ideal for new systems, offering the most economical and elegant solutions. Additionally we have released the Concert series standalone controllers. The Concert flow controllers offer a means to retrofit the installed base of melters to enable flow verification and vastly improve control of material delivery, as well as offer flexibility to move a system from production line to production line.

Intermediate Devices These consist of either active-metering or passive-metering devices. An example of active metering is the GP200 remote metering station, equipped with one or more motordriven pumps. TruFlow dividers and our new meters represent passive metering, that is the material flows through a gear set that turns freely there is no motor; an encoder and software are used to enable flow measurement or control. The new TruFlow meter is key to enabling the first step in the MUI process: Measure. The meter enables realtime measurement with the option to enable closed-loop flow control. It is compatible with melter-integrated controls and the Concert flow controllers. In some cases customers will take the signal directly from the meter and process it with the parent machines PLC. In all cases the new TruFlow meter helps customers Understand material delivery performance and their opportunities to Improve. Point of Application Again, these devices can be characterized as either active or passive metering. The Universal Slice applicator represents an actively-metered design and TruFlow applicators represent passive metering. Both support production flexibility and stringent adhesive dispensing control. We continue to pursue opportunities to expand the OptiBond Solutions portfolio supporting variation management. Expect additional new or enhanced products featuring improved integration of TruFlow devices to improve customer value and return on investment. System Purging Procedure There are numerous reasons to purge your hot melt system:  Routine maintenance to remove char and build-up When changing adhesive chemistries  W hen changing adhesives of the same chemistry but unsure about compatibility of materials Purging a complete hot melt system melter/tank, hose and nozzle is a reasonably simple task to keep your system running smoothly. Drain adhesive from tank and system Remove, clean and reinstall filter  Fill tank with purge material and heat to specified temperature  Run heated purge material through the hot melt system until material appears clear/clean; then drain purge material from system Add adhesive to newly clean system Please refer to equipment manuals for specific instructions for each melter and/or system. 2

Best Practices
Nozzle Cleaning Tips/Tricks Please follow specific instructions in equipment manuals, but a few aspects of nozzle cleaning are essentially universal.  Heat adhesive to softening point to ease nozzle removal.  A fter heating nozzle or immersing in cleaning solution, scrub with soft, non-metallic brush and wipe with soft cloth.  Gently blow air through orifices through mounting side of nozzles (with the direction of flow).  To clean orifices: insert pin-type probe one-size smaller than the orifice in the opposite direction of adhesive flow; do not twist probe when removing. Additional details and recommended methods for cleaning nozzles are available in Nordsons nozzle cleaning instruction manual.

Nordson Nonwovens Trends | Issue 2 2013

3.7 4.5 5.3 6.1 7.0 7.8 8.6 9.4 10.2 11.1 11.9 12.7 13.5 14.3 15.2 16.0 16.8 17.6 18.4 19.3 20.1 20.9 21.7 22.5 23.3 24.2 25.0 25.8 26.6 27.4 28.3 29.1 29.9 30.7 31.5 32.4 33.2 34.0 34.8 35.6 36.5 37.3 38.1 38.9

14.3

18.4

10.2

11.1

11.9

12.7

13.5

15.2

16.0

16.8

17.6

32.4

33.2

34.0

34.8

35.6

36.5

37.3

38.1

38.9

Target Adhesive Flow

Actual Adhesive Flow

time

NORDSON CAPABILITIES

As Good as the Real ThingWell, Just About

To help customers produce the highest-quality goods most economically and efficiently, Nordson must continually create and recreate ever-improving product offering added-value. A commitment to investment in R&D is helping in this ongoing endeavor, and is critical to development of our next generation products and systems. Chris Chastine, senior designer and CAD administrator reports, A few years ago, Nordson began investigating 3D production systems, commonly called 3D printers, to create equipment models and prototypes, ultimately selecting a Fortus 400mc system after a rigorous analysis of available options. This system provided the broadest, most flexible features such as a large-capacity build envelope and the capability to process a variety of materials including polyphenylsulfone (PPFS), a material with high heat and chemical resistance. Chris goes on to say, The Fortus products use fused deposition modeling (FDM), a rapid-prototyping technology that produces three-dimensional (3D) parts layer-by-layer directly from our CAD files. These 3D parts are created to exacting specifications and can be used for everything from testing the aesthetics of a design to fit with other parts, or being used in lab-based testing with actual material processing, even under high heat or pressure conditions. Traditionally creating and testing parts in challenging shapes was virtually impossible, explains Justin Clark, project engineer. Test parts had to be either machined, which could sometimes be impossible, or injection molded (cost prohibitive for one-off trial pieces) so much experimentation or cutting-edge innovation was impractical. Having an in-house 3D printer has made prototype production both time and cost efficient. CAD model files, which are created for all our system or product parts, are loaded into the Fortus software program, and the appropriate thermoplastic material is selected and loaded. The printer then begins building layers as thin as 0.005 inch (0.127 mm) to produce an accurate model/prototype of the designed part, both inside and out. There is even a smoothing station to remove the small ridges between the layers and to seal the parts if necessary for testing purposes or aesthetics.

Can you tell which are machined/molded and which are printed parts?

As these parts have the real fittings, for example threads or openings for pins, the individual prototype parts can be put together to ensure proper connections. And then, they can even be tested to make sure the individual pieces and the system as a whole function as expected and needed. Additionally, the Fortus 400mc allows us to develop and produce specialized tools that we can use to streamline and simplify our manufacturing processes. Being able to create functional prototypes reduces development time and saves costs, including tooling. This allows Nordson more opportunity for testing and experimentation of theories and concepts so new, innovative Nordson products can continue helping customers improve their product quality and process efficiency.

 These 3D parts are created to exacting specifications and can be used for everything from testing the aesthetics of a design to fit with other parts, or being used in lab-based testing with actual material processing, even under high heat or pressure conditions.
Chris Chastine, senior designer and CAD administator

Nordson Nonwovens Trends | Issue 2 2013

Melter Positioning

VersaBlue XN
n n n n n n n n

Very large capacity/dual tank Very high speed Flexible/expandable controls Remote metering TruFlow capable (2013) Wide pump selection Enhanced design Distributed controls
VersaBlue N
n n n n n n n

Medium to large capacity High speed Flexible/expandable controls Remote metering TruFlow capable Wide pump selection Integral pattern control (2013)

AltaBlue Touch
n n n n n

Medium to large capacity Medium speed Flexible controls TruFlow capable Modest pump selection
AltaBlue Classic
n n n n

Medium to large capacity Medium speed Limited proprietary controls Modest pump selection

AltaBlue TT
n n n n n

For niche applications Small capacity Low speed Limited proprietary controls Limited pump selection

Nordson Nonwovens Trends | Issue 2 2013

NORDSON PRODUCTS

Product Introductions
AltaSpray Plus Applicators AltaSpray Plus applicators were introduced at the recent IDEA (Miami, Florida, U.S.A.) and CIDPEX (Shenzhen, China) trade shows. These applicators, designed expressly for mid-tier application support, enhance production flexibility and efficiency by:  supporting production speeds, up to 350 m/min, with improved process air heating  reducing maintenance by reducing overspray and implementing the AirGuard feature to protect the air chamber during module changes  accommodating numerous spraying and coating technologies with interchangeable modules and nozzles Additional details regarding the benefits realized with AltaSpray Plus applicators are available in the AltaSpray Plus product data sheet. TruFlow Meters The new TruFlow meter was released in May, following demonstration and display at the IDEA and  CIDPEX trade shows. The TruFlow meter joins the TruFlow divider and TruFlow applicator as an addition to our portfolio of variation management tools. The meter in particular offers a cost-effective means for enabling monitoring and control of material delivery, even during rapidly changing ramp up or ramp down phases. It is ideally used in conjunction with melter-integrated controls such as AltaBlue Touch or VersaBlue Plus, or it can be used with standalone controllers, for instance the new Concert series flow controller. The latter represents a retrofit option for existing production lines. The output can even be accepted directly to the parent machines PLC to enable monitoring of material delivery (but not control). Please refer to the product literature for additional details. Concert Series Standalone Flow Controllers The Concert series standalone flow controller has been released following introduction at the IDEA and CIDPEX trade shows. The new controller supports up to two flow monitoring and control circuits and features the Optix user interface, data logging, on-screen graphing, local language support and a host of other features. Concert flow controllers compare the measured actual material delivery to the production requirement and continuously adjust melter pump output in real-time; this closed-loop control vastly improves accuracy of material delivery especially during production start. The controller will also support heating channels associated with the addition of TruFlow equipment (meter or divider) to a system. The product data sheet provides more information on the Concert flow controllers. Concert Series Standalone Temperature Controllers The new Concert temperature controller has been released. These controllers are designed to supplement the temperature control capabilities of current melters to maximize melter utilization. The controller will support up to six heating zones, as well as I/O specifically a ready input and warning and fault outputs. The Concert temperature controller utilizes the same economical color LCD touch screen Optix user interface as the flow controller, which significantly modernizes and standardizes controller options. Additional details are available in the product literature. VersaBlue Plus Melters Melter-Integrated Flow Monitoring and Control VersaBlue Plus melters now offer flow monitoring and control capabilities for up to four (4) channels  as an integrated option that can be specified at the time of order or added through a kit at a later date. Integrated closed-loop control continuously measures and compares material flow rate to the applications flow requirement, automatically adjusting material delivery in real-time to minimize the difference between the requirement and actual flow rates. Integrating flow control simplifies installation and provides ease-of-use through the melters touch screen interface. The VersaBlue melters intuitive, easy-to-use graphical touch display simplifies set-up and operation, and provides system status for various melter functions. Graphing and data reporting of flow control are also available. A published market advisory is available with additional information about VersaBlue Plus melters.

Nordson Nonwovens Trends | Issue 2 2013

PRODUCT UPDATES

Happy Anniversary to Allegro Nozzles

Where does the time go? We are already celebrating the one-year anniversary of the introduction of Nordsons Allegro nozzle for elastic attachment applications. Market acceptance of our newest addition to the portfolio of Universal nozzles has been exceptional. In fact, the goal for nozzle sales in the first full fiscal year post-introduction has been surpassed two-thirds of the way through the year. We are pleased to report that the transition from Nordson offerings (e.g., SureWrap and CF) as well as competitive offerings is well underway and exceeding our expectations. Customers are citing the following benefits of the Allegro nozzle:  Improved performance at high production speeds (in excess of 400 m/min). - Extended production rate support (by more than 30%) accommodates the industry trend to faster machinery. - A llegro has been qualified at speeds up to 650 m/min, the limit of our current test stand.  Improved process robustness when elastic strands are in close proximity. - W hile the performance of most elastic attachment processes begins to suffer when elastics are positioned less than 4mm on center, Allegro accommodates elastic strands as close as 2mm on center with no degradation in performance, providing product designers with additional flexibility.

Reduced maintenance requirements. - A llegro nozzles feature all-steel design delivering vastly improved durability to resist wear and withstand repeated handling. - The modified contact coating process (air is applied after application of adhesive to the elastic) is inherently more stable than spray processes. - Maintenance and inspection of nozzles are enhanced with the adhesive supply port and discharge being machined to allow cleaning by a pin probe as well as simple visual verification of cleanliness by holding up to a light.  Ease of use: drop-in physical replacement for SureWrap nozzles only small adjustments to process settings needed to optimize. - A llegro nozzles have been qualified with numerous materials and under a broad range of operating conditions of flow rates and production speeds. - As part of the Universal nozzle portfolio, nozzles are interchangeable. Customers unfamiliar with Allegro are encouraged to review the animation detailing the operation of the nozzle posted on YouTube. A comprehensive manual is also available for download from our technical documentation site that makes best practices available for the Allegro nozzle. Contact your Nordson representative to discuss how we can support your qualification of the Allegro nozzle in your production environment.

Employee Spotlight
Jens Fahrenholz has been business manager for nonwovens Europe for the past three years, managing all aspects of our European nonwovens customer care from application development to sales to project engineering, and everything in between. Fahrenholz brings a vast level of experience to this role. He has spent his entire working career at Nordson starting as an intern post-university with Nordsons automotive group in Ohio, U.S.A. back in 1993. Since then, Fahrenholz has spent time in project/systems engineering, programming and product development functions just to name a few. The VersaBlue melter development and evolution has been one of Fahrenholz specialties while at Nordson. He worked on the initial VersaBlue melter project and then served as project leader for VersaBlue XN melters. Now, as nonwovens business manager, hes helping drive VersaBlue Plus melter definition and design. Additionally, Fahrenholz has been integral to helping define the TruFlow variation management needs, and guiding development of the product family portfolio. While hes enjoyed working on hundreds of projects and opportunities for automotive, web coating and nonwovens, he has a particular sense of satisfaction for one. In 2007, there was a web coating project for a Japanese company with Chinese operations but for this application the actual manufacturing facility was in Toronto, Canada. This truly global endeavor took massive coordination between Nordson colleagues, and numerous customer contacts, across Europe, North America and Asia. But ultimate completion of a successful project design and install brought a lasting sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Married with a teenage daughter and pre-teen son, Fahrenholz participates in a wide range of sports including tennis, golf and soccer. And, when time permits, he enjoys traveling to the Mediterranean to relax and explore. Nordson Nonwovens Trends | Issue 2 2013 6

Trade Shows/Conferences
IDEA13 An international Nordson team hosted a mix of active and static displays at the IDEA 2013 trade show in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.A. 23-25 April. The centerpiece was an active coater display featuring many of our newest product offerings. These included:  VersaBlue Plus melter with melter-integrated point-of-application closed-loop control Allegro nozzles for high-speed elastic attachment  TruFlow meter for real-time material flow measurement Additionally static displays featured both new and existing nonwovens technologies, mostly supporting OptiBond solutions.  A new installation example had the screen of the AltaBlue Touch melter powered to show the new Optix user interface. The interconnected static equipment demonstrated how a TruFlow divider expands the melters capability to feed multiple applications.  A retrofit solution showed a classic AltaBlue melter with our new TruFlow meter and Concert flow controller demonstrating how variation management can be added to existing production lines.  The display of serial-metered material delivery architecture showed a VersaBlue XN melter connected to a GP200 remote metering station that split the material feed to several different streams. A brochure detailing Nordsons entire IDEA 2013 display is available. CIDPEX 2013 The 20th China International Disposable Paper Expo (CIDPEX) was held 28-30 May in Shenzhen, China. Nordson was one of approximately 500 exhibitors featuring the latest products, machinery and raw materials for Chinas tissue paper and disposable hygiene industry. The Nordson booth continued the Innovative Solutions for an Innovative Industry theme introduced at the IDEA13 show. Nordsons portfolio of OptiBond solutions supporting variation management was featured and the methodology of measure, understand, improve was a focus. Products supporting the theme included the AltaBlue Touch melter along with the newly-released TruFlow meter and Concert series flow controller. A TruFlow divider and a new AltaSpray Plus applicator rounded out the Nordson product offerings on display. SINCE The biennial SINCE (Shanghai International Nonwovens Conference & Exhibition) show will be held 23-25 October in Shanghai, China. The 2011 show saw 13,000 visitors from nearly 50 countries and this years show is anticipated to have an even larger, more diverse audience. Nordson China will host a 40.5 m2 booth showcasing Nordsons latest advanced technology. An active demonstration will feature the AltaBlue Touch and VersaBlue Plus melters with integrated, closed-loop flow control. Additionally, other OptiBond variation management products will be demonstrated, including TruFlow meters and Concert flow controllers. Static displays will include Nordson Universal spray nozzles, such as Allegro elastic attachment nozzles. Also, metering applicators including Universal Slice will be on display.

Nordson IDEA13 active new product offering demonstration

Nordson CIDPEX new variation management product offerings

Nordson trademarks in this issue of Trends include:

Allegro AltaBlue AltaSpray CF Concert Nordson OptiBond Optix

SureWrap TruFlow Universal VersaBlue

Nonwovens Trends is a publication of Nordson Corporation. Please submit any feedback or suggestions to: Co-editor: Alan Ramspeck, aramspeck@nordson.com Co-editor: Elizabeth Jordan, ejordan@nordson.com

www.nordson.com/nonwovens

2013 Nordson Corporation

Nordson Nonwovens Trends | Issue 2 2013