Nonwovens Innovation at INDEX 2026: Technologies Shaping the Future of Hygiene Products

INDEX™26 arrives at a moment when the nonwovens industry is being pulled in multiple directions at once – towards higher performance, greater sustainability and ever more exacting consumer expectations. Nowhere is this tension more acute than in absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), where softness, dryness and skin health must be delivered at industrial scale without compromise.

In Geneva this May, a new generation of technologies and materials will signal how the industry intends to resolve these competing demands. From breakthroughs in web forming and surface engineering to advances in bio-based inputs and packaging efficiency, the emphasis is shifting decisively from incremental gains to integrated solutions.

Winning combination

Among the new processing innovations to be introduced is the VoluMAX³ single-step embossing and aperturing system, jointly developed by A.Celli and Saueressig. It leverages A.Celli’s expertise in winding technologies for soft and delicate materials to preserve bulk, thickness, and softness in the final roll, together with Saueressig’s embossing and aperturing technology to enable the production of softer, drier fabrics tailored for AHPs.

3D embossing uses heat and pressure to create permanent raised or recessed designs on a fabric. While visually distinctive, its primary value lies in increasing bulk without adding weight, while ensuring gentle web handling and controlled tension throughout the process. The result is a softer, more textile-like touch, allowing nonwovens to more closely mimic cotton and reducing the synthetic feel that can be uncomfortable during prolonged skin contact.

Aperturing, if required, introduces precise micro-perforations into the web. These allow fluids to pass rapidly through a topsheet into an absorbent core, while helping to maintain a dry surface by limiting backflow. At the same time, improved air permeability enhances breathability and reduces the risk of skin irritation.

Eliminating compromise

Despite their clear benefits, embossing and aperturing have traditionally presented manufacturers with a difficult trade-off – as production speeds increase, maintaining precision becomes more challenging. Pattern definition can blur, while excessive mechanical stress may lead to the ‘bruising’ of fibres, weakening the web and compromising product integrity.

Another critical concern lies in metal abrasion. Conventional systems often rely on softer rollers, such as brass, which are prone to microscopic wear under high-speed conditions. Over time, metal particles can detach and contaminate the product – a significant liability in hygiene applications, where even minor contamination can trigger skin irritation or allergic reactions.

In addition, the accumulation of such particles within machinery increases maintenance requirements and raises the risk of non-compliance with stringent international standards.

Finally, there is the issue of downtime. Many systems require the entire production line to stop for roller maintenance or pattern changes. In a high-volume industry, every minute of stalled production represents a significant loss in revenue.

Advanced engraving

VoluMAX³ is a stand-alone line engineered specifically to solve these industrial headaches, providing the best possible product quality for the AHPs industry.

Its primary benefit is its ability to perform high-speed 3D embossing and aperturing simultaneously. This is made possible through advanced male/female engraving technology, which allows the VoluMAX³ rollers to compress and pierce the material at the same time, ensuring that the texture and the holes are perfectly aligned and creating a cohesive, high-performance structure.

The technology is also specifically designed to handle the complexities of multi-layer and composite nonwovens made from combinations of natural and man-made fibres, ensuring detailed and repeatable definition across complex material structures, with A.Celli’s winding solutions safeguarding the integrity and loft of even the most delicate webs.

The high strength and wear resistance of these rollers allow them to last significantly longer than their brass counterparts, even under the stress of continuous, high-speed operation. Moreover, steel virtually eliminates the risk of metal abrasion, ensuring that the final AHPs meet the strictest cleanliness standards, while also maintaining mechanical stability at temperatures up to 160°C. This enables consistent thermal embossing and aperturing across the entire width of the web.

In terms of productivity, VoluMAX³ sets a new industry benchmark. It operates at a maximum speed of 600 m/min and handles web widths up to 1.2 metres. To put this into perspective, this is 8–10 times faster than many competing solutions currently on the market, particularly those from suppliers who struggle to maintain pattern integrity at such high velocities.

Designed tactility

Alongside process innovation, new material constructions are also redefining performance. Shalag’s 3D Hybrid nonwovens, to be introduced in Geneva, integrate proprietary advanced embossed and apertured designs to combine dimensional texture with controlled openness.

This engineered structure enhances tactile perception, delivering a distinctive multi-dimensional haptic experience while simultaneously improving fluid management, breathability and overall comfort. The result is a material that not only performs more effectively but also contributes to product premiumisation.

Following the opening of its second US plant last year, and with further expansion planned, Shalag is introducing the Softy 3D topsheet, which combines the plush softness of air-through bonded technology with strategically placed perforations for breathability. The addition of 3D embossing again enhances both texture and visual appeal, resulting in a high-performance, consumer-facing material.

Rethinking efficiency

On the AHPs packaging front, Italy’s CPS Company will highlight the advantages of its patented Active Pull Technology which exploits vacuum application and the mechanical elasticity of wrapping films to virtually eliminate all packaging defects and at the same time guarantee a considerable circulation of the packaging material without the need to use shrinkage ovens. This results in excellent product yield and significant savings, both in energy consumption – with consequent returns in terms of environmental impact – and in the amount of packaging material used.

The technology delivers display-ready multipacks, ensures excellent sealing and maintains product integrity to set new standards in secondary packaging automation.

Material shift

A broader transition towards more sustainable raw materials will also be evident throughout the exhibition. Among the latest developments is Purocel Excel from Birla Cellulose, a new short-cut lyocell fibre variant available in a range of lengths.

Already widely used for AHPs, Purocel fibres are derived from wood pulp and offer a combination of softness, dryness and biodegradability. Their ability to manage moisture effectively while maintaining a comfortable skin interface makes them particularly well suited to next-generation nonwovens.

Pulp innovation continues to play a central role in absorbency and earlier this year, Suzano commenced operations at a new fluff pulp production line at its Limeira site in São Paulo, Brazil, increasing its total annual capacity to over 440,000 tons. Its Eucafluff is the world’s first fluff pulp derived from eucalyptus and is now gaining widespread adoption.

Eucafluff provides enhanced softness and flexibility, enabling the development of thinner, more discreet hygiene products. Its high compression capability also allows for reduced packaging volumes, lowering plastic consumption as well as transportation and storage costs. A life cycle analysis further highlights its environmental advantages compared with conventional pine-based fluff pulp.

Closing the loop

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have long been central to reducing the weight of AHPs, in some cases by as much as 50%, but their reliance on petrochemical inputs has increasingly come under scrutiny.

Japan’s Nagase is addressing this challenge with the introduction of a starch-based Biomass SAP. Originally developed for agricultural applications, where it improves water and nutrient retention in soils, the material is both biodegradable and environmentally benign.

Applied to hygiene products, it offers absorption performance equal to or exceeding that of conventional SAPs, while significantly reducing reliance on fossil-based materials. In doing so, it represents an important step towards more sustainable absorbent systems.

Cohesive systems

Taken together, these developments point to a decisive shift in how nonwovens are conceived, engineered and brought to market. The focus is no longer on isolated process improvements or material substitutions, but on the orchestration of structure, surface and sustainability into cohesive, high-performance systems.

For producers of AHPs in particular, the message from INDEX™26 is clear. Competitive advantage will increasingly depend on the ability to integrate softness, fluid management and environmental responsibility without sacrificing efficiency or scale.

As the industry converges in Geneva, the technologies on display will not simply showcase what is new, but define what is next.