Japan is said to have a large number of companies that were established more than 100 years ago. While respecting tradition, they have also been carrying out innovation according to the times. One of these companies is a nonwovens manufacturer. Founded in 1817, Tsujitomi & Co., Ltd. based in Higashi Omi, Shiga Prefecture is 200 years old. The company started from linen and ramie fabrics, and also undertook linen and ramie spinning. In 1963, it entered the nonwovens business, and today has transformed into a manufacturer specializing in nonwovens.
Tsujitomi offers a wide variety of nonwoven products including chemical bonded, needle punched, thermal bonded and spunbonded, as well as various secondary processed products. Its progress toward innovation does not stop here, and the company is promoting a global strategy. It advanced its business to China in 1995, and is establishing a new company in Vietnam this year with production scheduled from 2019.
At ANEX 2018, Tsujitomi will promote global operations levering on its extensive line of nonwovens and QR. Tsujitomi President Takayuki Tsuji says, “We want to gain new customers.” The President is also considering the development of human resources, saying, “I hope that our young employees will interact with the people of exhibiting companies to deepen their connection.”
President Tsuji has extensive connections in the nonwovens industry, which are also linked to business. This can be seen in the fact that the company collaborates with several nonwovens related companies such as OEM business.
In addition to producing a wide variety of nonwovens, many of its products are personalized. One item to be on display this time is a thermal-bonded material in which the web is formed in six directions. Featuring a good balance of strength in longitudinal, lateral and diagonal directions, its excellent dimensional stability is used to advantage in the base cloths of meltblown nonwovens for cabin air filters.
The spunbonded material produced on domestically made equipment of which only a few number are installed in Japan is mainly used for building materials. Another chemical-bonded item can be used in combination with air random webs and parallel webs, which possess good uniformity and strength balance and can be made to have various hands.
The global strategy is being implemented aggressively, and its Chinese subsidiary, Jiaxing Huali Non-Woven Fabric Co., Ltd. currently has ten lines, which is the same number of nonwovens lines as in Japan, and another line is being added. It also has plans to add one more line.
Elegant Nonwoven Tsujitomi (tentative name) is to be established this year in Vietnam with 50% equity investment by the Chinese subsidiary. One needle-punch line, resin processing equipment and a heat treatment machine are to be installed from 2019, with plans to sell to the domestic market mainly for automotive materials. Its aim is to have a three-line setup in the future.