Baby Diapers                Adult Incontinence               Sanitary Napkins

Disposables Manufacturing

Frequently Asked Questions

 

If you are, or want to be,  involved in any facet of the manufacture or sale of baby diapers, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence or similar absorbent products, please read through our pages and contact our Consultant, Philip Hardy, by phone,  fax or  e-mail. 

Here are some of the more frequent questions which we have been asked about the manufacture of diapers and napkins. We have been as accurate as possible with our responses, but some of the questions depend on so many variables that we have only been able to give rough guidelines. 


Table of Contents

  1. How much do Diaper and Napkin machines cost?
  2. What production efficiency should I expect from a Baby Diaper machine?
  3. What size of factory is required for Diaper and Sanitary Napkin manufacturing?
  4. Where do I source the raw materials?
  5. How do we decide the most cost effective product for our market? 
  6. Where would I find more general information about Disposable Baby Diapers and their history.

 


How much do Diaper and Sanitary Napkin machines cost?

There is a huge range of pricing for both of these types of machines, depending on the product structure, product features and machine speed. 

The common range of prices for  diaper machines would be from $500,000 to $3,000,000. You can pay more.  Second hand machines are often available, and would range from $300,000 to $1,000,000.   

Sanitary napkin machines range from $100,000 to $1,200,000. The lower priced being slow and inflexible machines for a simple product. The lowest priced European machine cost circa $400,000. 

Back to Top

What production efficiency should I expect from a baby diaper machine?

The industry average would be an efficiency of 70% to 85%, with a waste figure of between 2% and 6%. There is also a percentage of seconds, which will vary greatly depending on the machine set-up, the pack size and the skill of the operators. Figures between 4% and 10% are common. 

Back to Top

What size of factory is required for a napkin or diaper machine? 

The length of napkin machines varies greatly, some of the more compact models are less than 8 metres long. An average length of machine of 15metres would be a good guideline. The common diaper machine would vary from 25 to 40 metres long. 

More critical to the  decision on space is the storage area required for the finished product and raw materials. These are both bulky, and normally occupy at least 2/3rds of the final factory area.

Back to Top

Where do I source the raw materials?

This is a truly international industry, with Raw Materials gathered from all over the world. A good place to meet the suppliers is at the Nonwoven Exhibitions which are held annually in three different parts of the world.
The last European exhibition, Index, was held in 2005. The Asian exhibition, ANEX, was held in Tokyo in 2006 and the IDEA exhibition was held in the Miami Beach Convention Centre in Florida in 2007. So this year, in 2008 the Index exhibition again returns to Geneva for the period April 15-18.

Back to Top

How do we decide the most cost effective diapers or napkins for our market?

This is an iterative decision making process. Starting with a very clear idea of the product that will sell best in your market, we will then find the machine that can manufacture that product.  Based on the cost of financing the machine and the cost of raw materials, we will provide you with a clear view of the feasibility of the project. It may take several attempts before a satisfactory conclusion is reached. Disposables Consultancy Service specialises in this feasibility study.

Back to Top                                        

Where would I find more general information about Disposable Baby Diapers and their history

There are many branded sites available, such as those for Pampers and Huggies. One of the best sites available for general information is that run by Carlos Richer.

Websites and magazines that often report on issues related to disposable products and their raw materials are :

Nonwovens Industry : www.nonwovens-industry.com
Nonwovens World: www.marketingtechnologyservice.com
Nonwovens.com: www.nonwovens.com

Top of page  


Disposables Consultancy Service
Copyright © 1999  [DCS]. All rights reserved.
Revised: January, 2008
 
Home - Development - New Companies - New Ideas - FAQ's - Contact