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CAB brings entire range of nonwovens production together

07 May '12

3 min read

The inaugural Converting and Bonding (CAB) 2012 Conference attracted more than 160 professionals from all aspects of nonwovens production to a highly successful recent three-day event at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, S.C.

Evolving from the highly regarded Needlepunch Conference, the CAB Conference was organized by Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA). The first-ever event in late April encompassed all bonding and converting technologies, including needlepunch, spunlace, chemical, spray, foam, powder, thermal, through-air and ultrasonic.

“Bringing the entire range of nonwovens production together at one time provided the opportunity to explore the far-reaching capabilities of all of these various technologies,” pointed out INDA President Rory Holmes. “The Conference attracted a diverse audience looking for information on and solutions for their bonding and converting needs and these attendees were able to find those solutions from the very diverse range of nonwovens bonding technologies on hand.”

Setting the tone for the three-day event was a Bonding Tutorial presented by Holmes, followed by a Converting Tutorial taught by David Kessenich, of Paper Converting Machine Company. Both speakers guided attendees through a step-by-step review of the latest bonding and converting technologies.

An “Influences” session explored the outside factors impacting all aspects of converting and bonding, with topics ranging from “Recycling of Production and Post-Consumer Waste and Utilization of Sustainable Materials in the Development of New Performance Products” to “Raw Materials” to “Mattress Recycling.” As part of this session, a presentation on “Washington Policy in 2012 & Beyond: What to Expect When You're Not Sure What to Expect,” was made by INDA's Jessica Franken

A well-attended Spunlace Panel that featured Suominen's Mark LeMere, PGI's Mike Putnam and Ginny Casstevens of Jacob Holm Industries provided attendees with insight into what the future holds and how spunlace technology will play a role in markets ranging from medical products to consumer and industrial wipes.

A final session on “Market Applications” tied all of the topics together by exploring where these converting and bonding technologies can be utilized in the marketplace. Topics included “New Materials for Automotives,” “Agro-Products,” and “The Advanced Energy Race.”

Another special feature of CAB 2012 was a Speed Networking Lunch that allowed attendees to meet more people in two hours than they could have on their own during the event. Participants had two minutes to connect with a fellow attendee before they moved on to their next contact.

Like all INDA conferences, CAB also provided ample time for networking, with multiple receptions and table-top events bringing attendees together in a more informal setting.

INDA is the leading global association of the nonwoven fabrics industry. Since 1968, INDA has provided a variety of industry focused networking events to help members increase sales and market share.

Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA)