Focus on the development and innovation-CNHPIA visit

More than a decade ago, top sheet of sanitary napkin was mainly composed of two types of materials, perforated PE film and nonwoven, of which the perforated PE film became popular at the time with its “dryness”. However, after 2008, consumers’ demands for the softness and comfort of sanitary napkin and diaper have become higher and higher, and internationally renowned and domestically-recognized hygiene products companies use air through as top sheet, ADL, out cover and waist band. This has also promoted the progress and development of air through nonwoven industry. At present, air through has become the mainstream of top sheet materials.

In the field of air through nonwoven, the influence of one company cannot be ignored. This company is Beijing Dayuan. Since its establishment 21 years ago, the company has been focusing on the R&D and production of the nonwoven industry. With a pragmatic and innovative entrepreneurial spirit, it has been intensively working to achieve self-transcendence. From the beginning, it only produced thermal bonded nonwoven and now has thermal bonded, air through and spunlace nonwoven. The three major categories, especially in air through nonwoven, have become leading supplier in Chinese personal care industry.

What kind of production, management and innovation that Beijing Dayuan is relying on?

And under the downward pressure of the economic environment in recent years, why they can still maintain steady development? With these doubts, on May 22, 2017, the Vice president of CNHPIA Zhang Yulan and 5 members of the secretariat were invited to visit the Beijing Dayuan and its production site and lines. General manager Zhang Zhiyu, Vice general manager Zhang Jingfeng and other team members attend the meeting and exchange of views.

Secretariat of CNHPIA visited Beijing Dayuan

Focusing on the personal care nonwoven industry 21years

Beijing Dayuan was established in 1996 and is headquartered in the Shilong Industrial Zone in the southwest Beijing. It is a company specializing in the production of air through and spunlace nonwoven. The company introduced a spunlace production line in 1996. In 1998 Spunlace business and DuPont set up a joint venture, named DuPont Daiyuan Nonwovens Co., Ltd.. Beijing Dayuan, which spun off its spunlace business, continued to produce thermal bonded nonwoven and introduced air through production lines in 2000.

In 2009, Du Pont withdrew its capital and shareholders repurchased shares, and established Dongfang Dayuan Nonwoven Co., Ltd. Dongfang Dayuan continue to produce and sell of spunlace nonwoven. In 2013, Beijing Dayuan established a factory in Suzhou to produce air through nonwoven. In 2015, a factory was set up in Tianjin to produce spunlace and air through nonwoven. In the same year, Beijing Dayuan and Dongfang Dayuan merged to establish Beijing Dayuan Nonwoven Fabric Corp., Ltd. The new company produce air through, thermal bonded and spunlace nonwoven, with three production bases: Beijing Plant, Suzhou Plant and Tianjin Plant. Registered trademarks are Dayuan® and DDN®, Dayuan® is a trademark for air through and thermal bonded nonwoven, and DDN® is a trademark for spunlace nonwoven.

From the beginning, it has provided nonwoven to Shuermei and Anerle sanitary napkins. Since then, Dayuan has always been focusing on and deepening its efforts in the field of hygiene market. Nonwoven products and equipments have been constantly improved and upgraded. Dayuan can produce air through with a quantitative range of 18~80g/m². It is one of the biggest air through suppliers in China with capacity 25,000 t/yr. And now the innovation of embossed, aperture and printing process, make the air through nonwoven beautiful appearance and performance. Air through is mainly used in sanitary napkin, baby diaper and pants. Spunlace nonwoven has a capacity of 8,000 t/yr and the basis weight of 30 to 100 g/m², which provides a substrate for wipes and facial masks.

According to the introduction of Zhang Jingfeng, deputy general manager, the industry faced with intense competition since 2002. Dayuan began to promote quality system, product performance and added value, for high-tier product development in order to enhance the overall competitiveness of enterprises and to win more Great development opportunities.

In the 21 years of development, Dayuan has become an excellent material manufacturer in hygiene market.

Scientific and standardized production management to ensure product quality

Dayuan's production lines are imported from Europe, Japan and Taiwan. Advanced equipment provides the basis for product quality. In terms of production management control, Dayuan strive for excellence. Standardized operating procedures and management regulations have been formulated to standardize the production process, reduce fluctuations and losses in production caused by the movement of personnel, and thus ensure equipment operation and product quality stability. Dayuan learn from the international customers' advanced quality management experience and models, and strictly control the production details. The lines are equipped with dust-proof devices, defect detection and metal detection instruments. In addition, the company has also set up a technical innovation center, which can test the performance of raw materials and products, guide the adjustment of production plans, and bring customers excellent quality products.

Secretariat visited Dayuan Beijing production site

R&D and innovation to meet market and customer needs

The fierce market competition, the constant changes in consumer demand for products, and the demand for higher standards have driven raw material suppliers to accelerate the pace of material improvement and innovation, and provide more room for the selection of hygiene products companies to upgrade their products. “In terms of R&D and innovation, Dayuan is committed to being a driver and providing product companies with more feature-rich nonwoven.” Vice general manager Zhang Jingfeng emphasized that previously, Dayuan’s product updates were calculated in terms of 'years'. However, it is now calculated as 'month', which is usually improved in 3 to 6 months. The speed of market renewal is obviously accelerating, and the era of eating fresh food is over. At present, the company can design and provide different patterns of aperture, embossed and printing materials.

In July 2014, Dayuan installed a flexo printing production line, using water-based ink to achieve six-color printing, so that a unified combination of aesthetics and safety can be used for nonwoven for hygiene market.

The strategic cooperation with upstream fiber suppliers, spin finsh suppliers and other downstream manufacturers of hygiene products, are more effective in promoting the innovation of Dayuan products. Vice general manager Zhang introduced that the company had jointly developed and produced aloe vera with a customer in South Asia. This is not only a concerted effort in R&D technology, but also a strategy for win-win cooperation between upstream and downstream companies.

In terms of sustainable development, Dayuan has never stopped the research and development of environmentally friendly raw materials, such as PLA polylactic acid fiber, cotton fiber and Tencel fiber.

Left-handed research and innovation, right-handed production management, Dayuan focuses on the "two-handed" operation concept to provide a strong support for the stability of product quality. That is one of the factors for Dyuan steadily forward in 21 years in hygiene market.

Focus on building the world's top 40 nonwoven manufacturers

Dayuan’s marketing depends on its strategic layout of the three major production bases in China. The Suzhou plant radiates east and south China, Beijing and Tianjin plants radiate north, and relies on the geographic advantages of being close to the Tianjin port as an export product base. Currently, the company's 30% air through and 50% spunlace are used for export. Dayuan products are exported to many countries and regions, including Vietnam, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United States, Colombia, and Peru.

“Our overseas customers are more concentrated in South Asia, because Asian consumers have higher demand for softness of hygiene products, and the European hygiene market is gradually showing the trend of turning to air through nonwoven. Big source future plans are in South Asia and America. The establishment of overseas production plants in North America can, on the one hand, reduce transportation costs and at the same time be an important measure for building international companies."

On April 21, 2017, Dayuan successfully listed on the New OTC market. This is an important milestone in the development of the company and is of great significance. The management of Dayuan stated that this is an impetus and a spur, and at the new starting point, Dayuan will expand the production scale of individualized and differentiated post-processed products while increasing the scale of high-quality production, and increase the investment in R&D. Entering the top 40 nonwoven manufacturers in the world!

21 years of development, focusing on hygiene material industry, keeping pace with consumer trends in R&D and innovation, strictly stipulating standardized production management, let us realize that “consolidating the business and working hard. I believe that the future development of Dayuan as a steady stream of endless stream, continuous flow and flourishing;