Products
Research and development, latex compounding, spinning, needling, rubberising, vulcanising, moulding, cutting, punching and finishing… The entire production process at Enkev is completed in-house.
Latex compounding
The in-house developed latex formulations are compounded with great care. The use of 100% pure natural latex requiring a minimum of vulcanising agents is the secret of the durability and natural elasticity of Hairlok® and Cocolok®. For specific applications, such as covering pocket springs or pressure-relieving anti-decubitus mattresses, special compounds are prepared.
Spinning
The basis of all needled and rubberised natural fibres are the curled coir and animal hair fibres. After sorting, wash-ing and drying, the fibres are curled by spinning. The curls are then fixed by prolonged steaming. This is the basic material for the subsequent treatment processes.
As China is the leading global supplier of animal hair, Enkev has its own spinning mill in this country. Together with our spinning mill in Volendam, Enkev is now the largest producer of spun hair in the world.
Needling
In the needling process the curled fibres are linked together by a special technique, normally onto a hessian or PP backing. A thin layer of latex may also be applied for enhanced binding of the fibres. Needled coir and hair are produced in rolls and sheets. Each of our plants in Volendam, China, Poland and the United Kingdom produces its own specialities. In Havivank we needle a full range of non wovens and fleeces.
Rubberising
The spun natural fibres are shaped into a fleece and sprayed with latex as part of the production process.
The latex binds the curled fibres which are then pressed
and vulcanised in several layers into resilient Hairlok® and Cocolok® sheets.
As in the case of the needling process, all our factories have their own rubberising plant.
Moulding
The freshly rubberised coir fibres are pressed in moulds and then vulcanised. Widely used applications are seat cushions and armrests for furniture. The moulds are manufactured in-house according to the customer’s specification.