09.07.23
Helsinki, Finland
www.ahlstrom.com
2022 Nonwovens Sales: $1.6 billion
Key Personnel
Helen Mets, president and CEO; Jorn Jensen, CFO; Daniele Borlatto, EVP Filtration division; Emanuelle Picard, EVP Building Materials division; Mark Ushpol, EVP Food & Consumer Packaging division; Sophie Haan, EVP Technical Materials
Plants
Belgium: Malmedy; Brazil: Louveira; China: Binzhou, Longkou; Finland: Karhula, Mikkeli, Tampere; France: Bousbecque, Brignoud, Orleans, Pont-Audemer, Saint-Severin; Germany: Osnabrück, Bärenstein; India: Mundra; Italy: Turin, Fabriano; Russia: Tver; South Korea: Hyon Poong; Sweden: Ställdalen, Falun; U.K.: Chirnside, Radcliffe; U.S.: Bethune, SC; Madisonville, KY; Mt. Holly Springs, PA; Taylorville, IL; Windsor Locks, CT
Processes
Wetlaid (Trinitex), microglass, nanotechnology (Disruptor), composites, creping/micrexing, spunmelt/spunbond, parchmentizing, coating, calendaring
Major Markets
Transportation filtration, diagnostic filtration, water filtration, wall coverings, building, automotive, food packaging, beverage, medical, flooring and masking tape
Since October 2022, the company formerly known as Ahlstrom-Munksjö has been operating under the name Ahlstrom. The name change follows the owner reorganization of its Décor business, which is now operating as an independent company under the Munksjö name.
In June 2022, Ahlstrom announced its intention to accelerate the pace of its strategy execution and set a goal to become the preferred sustainable specialty materials provider through a clearly defined purpose, sharper strategic focus and ambitious sustainability targets. A new operating model and reporting structure, effective as of July 2022, was implemented to effectively carry out the work.
The company now operates through five end-markets and corresponding business areas—filtration, food and consumer packaging, healthcare, building materials and technical materials.
“This is a natural step for us as the name Ahlstrom has more than 170 years meritorious history. We are serving five growing markets and are leading the development in all these areas among the top companies,” said former president and CEO Hans Sohlström. “We will continue to operate through 38 plants in 13 countries and with some 7000 employees who represent more than 50 nationalities.”
Within filtration, earlier this year Ahlstrom announced it would add calendering capabilities at its filtration media production plant in Hyun Poong, South Korea. This technology further advances synthetic filter media solutions by improving mechanical strength and opening a wide range of possibilities in terms of filtration performances. The investment was fully operational during the second quarter of this year.
New synthetic materials have more surface area available, therefore extending the filter lifetime and offering a more sustainable alternative to competing materials. The media can be used for both air and liquid filtration applications including air pollution control, oil, and fuel filtration. Products are easier to convert, which offers further savings for filter manufacturers. These capabilities reinforce Ahlstrom’s purpose to deliver products that purify and protect.
“This investment is another example of our commitment to our customers in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Kathrin Hueppe, head of Asia, Filtration. “Improving our capabilities in the Hyun Poong plant allows us to serve their growing needs in high-performance filtration materials.”
“With this investment, we are expanding our technology capabilities as well as our competences in the field of full synthetic materials. We are eager to engage with our customers in new developments, which will further improve filtration performances and contribute to energy savings. Durability and the ease of converting contribute to the lifetime of filters, which is at the core of our strategic path in sustainability,” says Tamara Quatrano, VP, research and product development Filtration.
Meanwhile, in new product news, Ahlstrom has a new range of renewable and sustainable filtration solutions for automotive applications. Ahlstrom ECO is a technology supporting the increasing sustainability demands of the global transportation market and offering a new choice for filter manufacturers.
This renewable and sustainable filter media utilizes lignin-based* impregnation, replacing fossil-based resin. The resin solution contains a significant amount of bio-based, renewable lignin, while the mechanical properties and the durability of the filter media, even in challenging environments, are maintained.
According to Ahlstrom’s initial estimates, the new lignin-based impregnated filter media displays a lower carbon footprint than a standard fossil-based resin media. Additionally, the lignin-based impregnation recipe brings a significant reduction, between 50-70%, of formaldehyde emissions during the curing process.
Ahlstrom is partnering with Tecfil, an automotive filter manufacturer in Latin America, who is incorporating Ahlstrom ECO solution into a final filter design. “Ahlstrom ECO is a perfect example of how we are living up to our purpose to purify and protect with every fiber for a sustainable world, and our commitment to innovate fiber-based specialty solutions to our customer’s needs and to help them solve some of the global challenges, “says Quatrano. “We are pleased with the joint activities with Tecfil and proud to be able to offer this new, renewable solution to the market.”
Additionally, Ahlstrom has developed a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filter media portfolio using its brand-new production machine in Turin, Italy, supporting its customers in their ambition to offer best performing and premium quality filters to the most demanding end-uses. The uniqueness of Ahlstrom’s offering comes from state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies which deliver best reliability in performance as well as lower environmental impact.
The Turin investment, which included additional capacity in both filtration and energy storage solutions, comprises a state-of-the-art line specifically designed to produce glass microfiber media. The investment follows the restart of one of the saturators in the Turin plant, enabling Ahlstrom to deliver additional capacity and effectively support customer demands for high-performance filtration media.
Within Ahlstrom’s healthcare business, the company introduced Reliance Fusion, a next-generation simultaneous sterilization wrap that helps increase efficiency in the sterilization of surgical equipment trays at hospitals. Reliance Fusion incorporates the best properties of cellulose-based and polypropylene-based materials. The wraps combine wetlaid technology with high-filtration SMS (Spunbond-Meltblown-Spunbond). This material allows a significant reduction in drying time, reduces the likelihood of wet packs and leads to increased efficiency in the sterilization of trays at hospitals’ Central Sterilization Service Department (CSSD), thanks to higher throughput, and savings in energy and labor.
The Reliance Fusion portfolio consists of two simultaneous sterilization wrap options which can eliminate the need for multiple types of wraps, contributing to the simplification of the sterilization process and greatly reducing the number of products needed in stock. Reliance Fusion Light is for light-to-medium duty applications, and Reliance Fusion Heavy is for heavy-duty applications. Both options offer superior pre-vacuum steam drying time performance under high tray weight conditions.
“Honoring Ahlstrom’s rich history and decades of experience in nonwovens manufacturing, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Reliance Fusion - a solution to reduce wet packs and gain efficiency within sterile processing. We are confident that Reliance Fusion will have a positive impact within healthcare, improving operational efficiencies and patient outcomes while empowering healthcare professionals to deliver the highest standard of care,” says Kim Anders, VP Medical Business.
Within its wallcovering business, Ahlstrom remains on track in expanding production capacity at its Malmedy plant in Belgium, specialized in the production of nonwovens for wallcovering sometime this year. The €10 million investment, announced in January 2020, will double the capacity of the plant and diversifying the production to also cover filtration materials. The investment will create some 40 new jobs locally.
In other investment news, Ahlstrom is investing €15 million for new technology and converting its existing boilers at its Mosinee and Rhinelander plants in Wisconsin to reduce its carbon emissions and landfill waste.
www.ahlstrom.com
2022 Nonwovens Sales: $1.6 billion
Key Personnel
Helen Mets, president and CEO; Jorn Jensen, CFO; Daniele Borlatto, EVP Filtration division; Emanuelle Picard, EVP Building Materials division; Mark Ushpol, EVP Food & Consumer Packaging division; Sophie Haan, EVP Technical Materials
Plants
Belgium: Malmedy; Brazil: Louveira; China: Binzhou, Longkou; Finland: Karhula, Mikkeli, Tampere; France: Bousbecque, Brignoud, Orleans, Pont-Audemer, Saint-Severin; Germany: Osnabrück, Bärenstein; India: Mundra; Italy: Turin, Fabriano; Russia: Tver; South Korea: Hyon Poong; Sweden: Ställdalen, Falun; U.K.: Chirnside, Radcliffe; U.S.: Bethune, SC; Madisonville, KY; Mt. Holly Springs, PA; Taylorville, IL; Windsor Locks, CT
Processes
Wetlaid (Trinitex), microglass, nanotechnology (Disruptor), composites, creping/micrexing, spunmelt/spunbond, parchmentizing, coating, calendaring
Major Markets
Transportation filtration, diagnostic filtration, water filtration, wall coverings, building, automotive, food packaging, beverage, medical, flooring and masking tape
Since October 2022, the company formerly known as Ahlstrom-Munksjö has been operating under the name Ahlstrom. The name change follows the owner reorganization of its Décor business, which is now operating as an independent company under the Munksjö name.
In June 2022, Ahlstrom announced its intention to accelerate the pace of its strategy execution and set a goal to become the preferred sustainable specialty materials provider through a clearly defined purpose, sharper strategic focus and ambitious sustainability targets. A new operating model and reporting structure, effective as of July 2022, was implemented to effectively carry out the work.
The company now operates through five end-markets and corresponding business areas—filtration, food and consumer packaging, healthcare, building materials and technical materials.
“This is a natural step for us as the name Ahlstrom has more than 170 years meritorious history. We are serving five growing markets and are leading the development in all these areas among the top companies,” said former president and CEO Hans Sohlström. “We will continue to operate through 38 plants in 13 countries and with some 7000 employees who represent more than 50 nationalities.”
Within filtration, earlier this year Ahlstrom announced it would add calendering capabilities at its filtration media production plant in Hyun Poong, South Korea. This technology further advances synthetic filter media solutions by improving mechanical strength and opening a wide range of possibilities in terms of filtration performances. The investment was fully operational during the second quarter of this year.
New synthetic materials have more surface area available, therefore extending the filter lifetime and offering a more sustainable alternative to competing materials. The media can be used for both air and liquid filtration applications including air pollution control, oil, and fuel filtration. Products are easier to convert, which offers further savings for filter manufacturers. These capabilities reinforce Ahlstrom’s purpose to deliver products that purify and protect.
“This investment is another example of our commitment to our customers in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Kathrin Hueppe, head of Asia, Filtration. “Improving our capabilities in the Hyun Poong plant allows us to serve their growing needs in high-performance filtration materials.”
“With this investment, we are expanding our technology capabilities as well as our competences in the field of full synthetic materials. We are eager to engage with our customers in new developments, which will further improve filtration performances and contribute to energy savings. Durability and the ease of converting contribute to the lifetime of filters, which is at the core of our strategic path in sustainability,” says Tamara Quatrano, VP, research and product development Filtration.
Meanwhile, in new product news, Ahlstrom has a new range of renewable and sustainable filtration solutions for automotive applications. Ahlstrom ECO is a technology supporting the increasing sustainability demands of the global transportation market and offering a new choice for filter manufacturers.
This renewable and sustainable filter media utilizes lignin-based* impregnation, replacing fossil-based resin. The resin solution contains a significant amount of bio-based, renewable lignin, while the mechanical properties and the durability of the filter media, even in challenging environments, are maintained.
According to Ahlstrom’s initial estimates, the new lignin-based impregnated filter media displays a lower carbon footprint than a standard fossil-based resin media. Additionally, the lignin-based impregnation recipe brings a significant reduction, between 50-70%, of formaldehyde emissions during the curing process.
Ahlstrom is partnering with Tecfil, an automotive filter manufacturer in Latin America, who is incorporating Ahlstrom ECO solution into a final filter design. “Ahlstrom ECO is a perfect example of how we are living up to our purpose to purify and protect with every fiber for a sustainable world, and our commitment to innovate fiber-based specialty solutions to our customer’s needs and to help them solve some of the global challenges, “says Quatrano. “We are pleased with the joint activities with Tecfil and proud to be able to offer this new, renewable solution to the market.”
Additionally, Ahlstrom has developed a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filter media portfolio using its brand-new production machine in Turin, Italy, supporting its customers in their ambition to offer best performing and premium quality filters to the most demanding end-uses. The uniqueness of Ahlstrom’s offering comes from state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies which deliver best reliability in performance as well as lower environmental impact.
The Turin investment, which included additional capacity in both filtration and energy storage solutions, comprises a state-of-the-art line specifically designed to produce glass microfiber media. The investment follows the restart of one of the saturators in the Turin plant, enabling Ahlstrom to deliver additional capacity and effectively support customer demands for high-performance filtration media.
Within Ahlstrom’s healthcare business, the company introduced Reliance Fusion, a next-generation simultaneous sterilization wrap that helps increase efficiency in the sterilization of surgical equipment trays at hospitals. Reliance Fusion incorporates the best properties of cellulose-based and polypropylene-based materials. The wraps combine wetlaid technology with high-filtration SMS (Spunbond-Meltblown-Spunbond). This material allows a significant reduction in drying time, reduces the likelihood of wet packs and leads to increased efficiency in the sterilization of trays at hospitals’ Central Sterilization Service Department (CSSD), thanks to higher throughput, and savings in energy and labor.
The Reliance Fusion portfolio consists of two simultaneous sterilization wrap options which can eliminate the need for multiple types of wraps, contributing to the simplification of the sterilization process and greatly reducing the number of products needed in stock. Reliance Fusion Light is for light-to-medium duty applications, and Reliance Fusion Heavy is for heavy-duty applications. Both options offer superior pre-vacuum steam drying time performance under high tray weight conditions.
“Honoring Ahlstrom’s rich history and decades of experience in nonwovens manufacturing, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Reliance Fusion - a solution to reduce wet packs and gain efficiency within sterile processing. We are confident that Reliance Fusion will have a positive impact within healthcare, improving operational efficiencies and patient outcomes while empowering healthcare professionals to deliver the highest standard of care,” says Kim Anders, VP Medical Business.
Within its wallcovering business, Ahlstrom remains on track in expanding production capacity at its Malmedy plant in Belgium, specialized in the production of nonwovens for wallcovering sometime this year. The €10 million investment, announced in January 2020, will double the capacity of the plant and diversifying the production to also cover filtration materials. The investment will create some 40 new jobs locally.
In other investment news, Ahlstrom is investing €15 million for new technology and converting its existing boilers at its Mosinee and Rhinelander plants in Wisconsin to reduce its carbon emissions and landfill waste.
