Toray’s Nonwoven Fabrics Division aims to double its earnings over the medium term. Division General Manager Nozomi Sasaki stated that “we cannot survive with general-purpose products. We will enhance differentiated products—not only nonwoven base materials but also highly processed products developed through external collaboration—to increase profitability.”
For the company’s core polyester spunbond “Axtar,” the current differentiation ratio of about 10% will be raised to around 30%. As part of this effort, products that are not profitable when manufactured domestically will be shifted to polyester spunbond produced by Toray Advanced Materials Korea (TAK), the company’s Korean subsidiary.
Although the division is unlikely to meet its target for the fiscal year ending March 2026—the final year of the current mid‑term management plan—it still expects a significant year‑on‑year improvement in earnings, driven by Axtar. While demand for civil engineering materials remains sluggish, sales for the mainstay cartridge filters in Europe and the U.S. continue to perform well. In addition, the company’s strategic pricing policy has helped correct previously depressed prices since last fiscal year.
House wrap and civil engineering materials (needle‑punched products) that are not cost‑competitive domestically are being shifted to TAK production, while sales of the domestically produced differentiated product “Axtar PF,” known for its excellent printability, have begun in earnest and are contributing to profits.
Domestic production has also benefited from the suspension of one production line in the second half of the previous fiscal year, which optimized capacity. The remaining line is now operating at full capacity. Going forward, the division will continue shifting toward differentiated and high‑margin products, expanding sales by leveraging TAK products as well. Efforts will also be made to promote TAK’s differentiated offerings, such as coarse‑denier types.
Strengthening production capacity through development facilities / Progress in composite SB and polypropylene SB
The “Artlay” series—including polyester/polyethylene composite spunbond, flat polypropylene spunbond, and high‑rigidity polypropylene spunbond—produced using medium‑scale development equipment at the Shiga Plant (Otsu City) is expected to expand further. Some types are already on the market, and evaluations for various applications are progressing. By fiscal 2027, the company plans to install automated packaging and automated warehouse systems and adopt a four‑team, three‑shift operation to support increased production.
The division is also working on developing differentiated products that include not only base materials but also advanced processing through external collaboration. This includes utilizing TAK’s lamination equipment, outsourcing print‑processing technologies to add functionality, and collaborating with Japan Vilene. Narrowing down target applications is also under consideration.
For “Livsen,” the polypropylene spunbond produced by overseas subsidiaries, the division is focusing on finer denier, higher strength for weight reduction, polymer modification, and added functionality through post‑processing.