Nonwoven Product Development and Innovation

The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) & North Carolina State University

August 13 - 16, 2024

From stage-gate to patent landscaping to market intelligence and decision making via a hands-on case study - attendees will be exposed to the full lifecycle of nonwoven product development.

The Nonwoven Product Development and Innovation Short Course is a dynamic training that integrates relationships, perspectives, and team dependencies between product design, manufacturing, purchasing, marketing, and business disciplines. This course is designed to be accessible and valuable to both those who are new to the field and/or come from a non-technical background, as well as seasoned nonwovens professionals.

Following the in-class portion of the course where attendees will learn about critical product development methodologies and tools to help ensure success (patent landscape, innovation culture, commercialization strategy, design of experiment, etc.), the hands-on segment of the training will highlight the utility of the stage-gate process.

Attendees will spend time in NWI's state-of-the-art nonwoven fabrication and testing labs, which include technology for taking a product from the lab to pilot scale and final testing. The course's hands-on exemplar will provide attendees the opportunity to work through options for creating a new nonwoven product, examining tradeoffs from raw material selection to end-product functionality. In doing so, emphasis will be placed on how to effectively utilize the stage-gate process to explore feasibility in terms of material availability, manufacturing readiness level, and costs.

Featured Topics Include:

• Product Development - Stage Gate
• Intellectual Property Considerations
• Market Research and Marketing Strategy
• Innovation Culture Practice
• Commercialization
• Sustainability and Circularity
• Design of Experiment
• Laboratory - Hands-on developing a specific produce utilizing NWI's world-class nonwoven production labs.
• Prototype Testing

Who should attend?

• Business and Product Development
• Finance and Purchasing
• Manufacturing and Engineering
• Process and Plant Management
• Quality Control
• Research and Development
• Technical Sales and Marketing

Course agenda and presenters subject to change.

INDA/NWI Member fee: $2,500
Non-member fee: $3,300

Register OnlineCourse Schedule

Nonwoven Bonding Fundamentals

The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) & North Carolina State University

October 3, 2024

The Nonwoven Bonding Fundamentals will provide a detailed overview of the major fabric bonding processes used to make nonwovens. The course will cover success factors for calendering, hydroentangling, and needle-punching, including troubleshooting techniques and guidance for process improvement.

Attend this course and you will learn:

• How nonwoven bonds are formed and how strength is achieved
• The importance of line speed and temperature control in determining the effectiveness of thermal bonding systems
• The impact of jet pressure, jet strip design, and energy transfer to the nonwoven material in determining the desired bonding results in hydroentangling
• The nuances of needle geometry, needle board design and process parameters in determining the results of needle-punch bonding processes
• The evolution of nonwoven bonding technology and what the future holds

Who should attend?

• Business and Product Development
• Manufacturing and Engineering
• Quality Control
• Research and Development
• Technical Sales and Marketing

Course agenda and presenters subject to change.

INDA/NWI Member fee: $1,250
Non-member fee: $1,750

Register OnlineCourse Schedule