High Tech Teamwork

By David Hunt

Look around the conference room and you'll see business leaders from across the state with two things in common: They're major players in one of North Carolina's fastest growing industries and they're competitors.

The semi-annual meeting, at the Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, is the result of a remarkable collaboration that brings business leaders together to work for the collective good of the nonwovens industry. After intense discussion, they'll decide how to allocate more than $1.5 million to underwrite as many as 20 research projects. This research – much of it carried on at NC State – will lead to new processes and innovative fabrics, and help drive economic development throughout the state.

This research is one of the reasons the nonwovens sector has thrived in North Carolina while the larger textiles industry has faced tough economic and competitive challenges.

"NC State is one of the very few organizations in the world that has focused on this segment of the industry," says Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, associate dean in the College of Textiles and director of the Nonwovens Institute. "We have become a global resource and innovations partner for the industry."

That's a crucial role to play in a complex industry that depends on technology to remain competitive.

Nonwoven fabrics – like baby wipes and coffee filters – are created by combining fibers, pulp, particles, films and chemicals. Manufacturing processes vary depending on the type of fabric but typically involve the use of heat, water or chemicals to bind the fibers together. Some fabrics, like diapers, are disposable while others, like air filters and carpet backing, are more durable. Common nonwoven products include surgical gowns, air filters, upholstery padding, facemasks, insulation, feminine hygiene products, tea bags, and disposable clothing.

"The industry is driven by innovation and intellectual property," says Pourdeyhimi. "But the high cost of research and development really puts a strain on companies, especially smaller firms."

Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi directs the Nonwovens Institute at NC State.

That's where the Nonwovens Institute helps. For annual dues of $20,000 (or less for smaller companies), members get access to the results of the research and an option to license technologies developed by the institute.

In addition, companies can work on specific developments with the faculty, staff and researchers at the institute's state-of-the-art facility on NC State's Centennial Campus – the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center.  The university's experts offer a range of services, from full-blown research projects to product development, process analysis and employee training.

The expansive center operates a polymer laboratory, an imaging laboratory, an analytical laboratory and two pilot facilities for the manufacture of various forms of nonwovens.  But the institute's most valuable assets, says Pourdeyhimi, are its graduates. About a dozen students a year complete the graduate certificate in Nonwoven Science and Technology offered by the College of Textiles. Demand for skilled workers is so high that most are hired by major nonwovens firms before they graduate.

"The content of our course materials comes right out of the research center," Pourdeyhimi explains. "Consistent with the mission of a research extensive university, the knowledge we create becomes the basis for our education - and the engine for the creation of the next generation of products."

The impact of NC State's work in nonwovens has been dramatic. North Carolina has attracted nearly $350 million in investments by nonwovens companies in the past few years. Industry powerhouse PGI opted to launch a $40 million expansion of its plant in Mooresville, N.C., noting that cutting-edge research has helped place the state at the center of the intellectual knowledge base for the entire nonwovens industry.

The prospects for further growth are bright. Pourdeyhimi predicts the filtrations market, for products such as air and water filters, will be a $100 billion business by 2020. NC State wants North Carolina to tap the lion's share of that potential. The university has applied to the National Science Foundation for the funds to launch a filtration center at the Nonwovens Institute by July 2008.

"The amount of energy we generate is just phenomenal," Pourdeyhimi says of the institute. "This little group at NC State has made a significant impact on this industry."

 Links

• Novolon: From Great Idea to Global Marketplace

• Lab Gives Boost to Nonwovens Industry

• Nonwovens Institute

• NCSU College of Textiles