CARY – Business leaders, product developers, and technology scouts convened at the RISE (Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics) Conference in September with TiHive named as the winner of the 2023 Innovation Award for its SAPMonit technology.
With two days of valuable insights in material science, process and sustainability innovations, industry, academic, and government experts shared their expertise in a number of key areas including :
- The future of nonwoven manufacturing
- Real-world applications and advances in filter media
- rPolymers and sustainability
- Innovative strategies and circular solutions
- Advancements in sustainable nonwoven applications
- Market statistics and data trends
A highlight of RISE was a poster presentation of fundamental nonwovens research by The Nonwovens Institute's graduate students. As an added value, the NWI offered RISE participants a tour of its world-class facilities located on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University, featuring the most extensive set of lab- and pilot-scale equipment found anywhere including all the nonwovens platform and testing technologies.
Award
TiHive’s SAPMonit is designed to inspect millions of diapers per week. It delivers lightning-speed inline inspection of superabsorbents’ weight and distribution, optimises resources, detects flaws, and accelerates R&D.
It also utilises advanced see-through cameras, high-speed vision algorithms, and secure cloud integration, revolutionising industry norms, judges said.
SAPMonit is also said to have great potential for sustainability, cost reduction, and enhanced customer satisfaction as it avoids hundreds of tons of plastic waste per year per machine.
The RISE Innovation Award finalists included Curt. G. Joa, Inc. for its ESC-8 – The JOA Electronic Size Change; Fiberpartner Aps for its BicoBio Fiber; and Reifenhäuser Reicofil for its Reifenhäuser Reicofil RF5 XHL. Together, these finalists’ innovations have the potential to reduce plastic waste by millions of kgs, judges noted.
DiaperRecycle won the 2022 RISE Innovation Award for its innovative technology to recycle used diapers into absorbent and flushable cat litter. By diverting used diapers from households and institutions, and separating the plastic and fiber, DiaperRecycle strives to decrease the climate-changing emissions of diapers from landfills.
Lifetime
The 2023 Lifetime Technical Achievement Award was presented to Ed Thomas, president, Nonwoven Technology Associates, for his decades of nonwoven contributions to the growth and success of the nonwoven industry.
RISE 2024 will be held October 1-2, 2024 at the James B. Hunt Jr. Library at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.
