The congress brought together more than 400 participants from industry and academia, with over 100 expert speakers addressing technological innovation, sustainability and future developments in fibre production. Participating organisations included Barmag, Sembis, Fraunhofer, CETI in France, research institutions in Aachen, Germany, and Fibernamics in Portugal.

Against a background of increasing decarbonisation pressures and changing market conditions, the event provided a platform for discussing new technologies and collaborative approaches to the industry's challenges.

Expanding capabilities beyond conventional melt spinning

FET specialises in the design, development and manufacture of customised fibre extrusion equipment for research and industrial applications. The company's established expertise includes melt spinning systems for multifilament and monofilament yarns as well as nonwoven production.

During his presentation, Hunter outlined how FET has expanded its technological portfolio to address applications requiring alternative spinning processes.

These developments include meltblown systems for producing non-continuous nonwoven fibres, spunbond equipment for continuous-filament nonwovens and wet spinning systems for materials that cannot be processed using conventional melt spinning technologies.

The expanded portfolio enables FET to support customers working with a wider range of polymers and specialised fibre applications.

Solvent-free gel spinning technology receives Techtextil Innovation Award

One of the key developments highlighted was the FET-500 Series, a gel spinning system designed for rapid, small-scale processing of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

According to FET, the system enables gel spinning without the toxic solvents typically associated with conventional UHMWPE processing. This approach offers new possibilities for fibre research and development while addressing environmental and handling challenges associated with traditional production methods.

The technology received the Techtextil Innovation Award 2026 in the New Production Technology category.

Supporting fibre development and sustainable processing

Environmental considerations were another focus of Hunter's presentation. FET aims to help customers reduce pollution and material waste during research, development and production by providing specialised processing technologies and equipment.

The company's Fibre Development Centre allows customers to conduct trials with their own materials and evaluate different processing methods before moving towards larger-scale production.

According to FET, the facility has successfully processed more than 130 different polymer types in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats, demonstrating the versatility of its equipment and processing expertise.

Next presentation at COMPAMED 2026

FET will next exhibit at COMPAMED 2026 in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 16 to 19 November. The company will be located in Hall 8B, Stand 8BJ109.