How SINAATEC Spa successfully entered the spunbond market without previous nonwoven expertise

Technology

nonwovens

In 2022, Reifenhäuser Reicofil supplied two nonwovens lines to SINAATEC Spa. The special thing about this: Reicofil not only sold lines to Algeria for the first time, but also accompanied the company on its fast and successful entry into the spunbond market.

SINAATEC is pursuing ambitious goals. The young company from Algeria aims to produce high-quality and innovative nonwovens. SINAATEC wants to use them to make itself indispensable in Algeria's healthcare and hygiene sector. The challenge: when it was founded, the company lacked expertise in the production of nonwovens. In Algeria itself, there had not even been any significant production of nonwovens for medical and hygiene purposes to date. However, demand in the country was high and is still growing.

SINAATEC SPA

SINAATEC (Société Industrielle Algérienne des Applications Techniques) is an industrial company in Algeria, specializing in the production of non-woven fabrics. Based in Algiers, the company was founded in 2019 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the MADAR HOLDING Group. The sole shareholder of the holding company is the Algerian state.

SINAATEC has set itself the main strategic objective of introducing new technologies in Algeria in order to significantly reduce its dependence on foreign countries. The Managing Director of SINAATEC is Mohamed Lamine Bouchelouche.

In addition to the polymer industry, the MADAR HOLDING Group operates in several other business sectors.

www.sinaatec.com

Reason enough for the Algerian government to turn its attention to this market. It is doing this through SINAATEC as part of the state-owned MADAR Holding. SINAATEC's ambitions are therefore in line with the government's goals of making the country less dependent on imports. Accordingly, the state is promoting SINAATEC as a newcomer in the nonwovens market. There are also a number of location advantages that have pushed the project to date, as Roberto Canosa, Sales Manager at Reicofil, knows: “Algeria has oil reserves and therefore has an essential raw material for the production of plastics in its own country. In addition, the energy and labor costs are very advantageous in an international comparison,” says Canosa. “The opportunities to become the decisive factor in the domestic market with our systems and know-how were therefore very promising”.

Two nonwoven lines for a variety of applications
Reicofil was to become another important factor in SINAATEC's business success. In 2022, the nonwovens specialists from the Reifenhäuser Group delivered two lines to Algiers: a single-beam meltblown line and a RF5 Composite BiCo line. With the mono-meltblown line, SINAATEC produces nonwovens with a high filter effect, as required for surgical and FFP2 masks. The BiCo system can be used to produce nonwovens with a large volume, high strength and enormous softness for the hygiene and medical market. Thanks to downgauging, the high quality with fine fibers is achieved with a reduced basis weight. Thanks to its high barrier properties, the material is suitable for diapers, feminine hygiene products and surgical gowns.

Reicofil's image as a benefit
Before supplying the systems, however, Reicofil first had to win a tender process against numerous manufacturers from Europe and Asia. What spoke in favor of the extrusion specialist? “For one thing, Reicofil submitted the most comprehensive offer,” recalls SINAATEC CEO Mohamed Lamine Bouchelouche. “Secondly, Reicofil's reputation as a reliable partner with innovative technology encouraged us to accept the proposal. Especially as the two offered systems were efficient, precise, but also flexible to use and adapt in line with our quality and productivity objectives.”

Reicofil's support beyond the start of production helped us to become more and more financially efficient in operations. This means that we were able to quickly optimize our use of resources and maximize our returns."

Mohamed Lamine Bouchelouche

CEO SINAATEC

Advice on setting up production and access to the network
According to Roberto Canosa, the Reicofil experts provided advice after the contract had been awarded. For example, regarding the construction of silos and electricity issues. “Reicofil then also provided us with valuable support in setting up the plants on site, in terms of process optimization, among other things,” says SINAATEC CEO Bouchelouche. “This guaranteed that we were able to streamline our operations right from the initial construction phase.” Thanks to Reicofil's advice, SINAATEC was able to minimize set-up costs and lay the foundations for a rapid market entry. “Reicofil's support beyond the start of production helped us to become more and more financially efficient in operations. This means that we were able to quickly optimize our use of resources and maximize our returns," says Bouchelouche. Meanwhile, Reicofil manager Canosa names other aspects that should help SINAATEC to enter the market: “We provided advice at an early stage on building a distribution network and which steps should be prioritized in this regard,” says Canosa. “We also supported SINNATEC in establishing a network in the nonwovens market. After all, we have a lot of contacts in the industry.”

Next goal: expansion
At the end of 2024, it can be said that SINAATEC successfully entered the market. The consistently high quality of the nonwovens and the flexible scalability of the Reicofil systems are important success factors for operating cost-efficiently and sustainably. For this reason, those responsible are already looking at further sales markets. First and foremost in North Africa. SINAATEC considers itself to be well equipped, especially in production. “Reicofil's comprehensive market knowledge has made us aware of the need to comply with global standards in our nonwoven production right from the start and to position ourselves well,” emphasizes Bouchelouche.

Bouchelouche appreciates the partnership-based relationship with Reicofil: “We have been able to get to know many Reicofil employees beyond the project. Over time, this has resulted in more than just professional relationships. This has helped us to overcome some of the misunderstandings that always arise in such an ambitious and intercultural project.” SINAATEC still relies on the technical support today and appreciates the speed of response and commitment. “With its systems and advice, Reicofil has become a very valuable partner for us and will remain so,” summarizes Bouchelouche with satisfaction.