The Lilly & Joshua Ronn Center for Nonwovens

Nonwoven fabrics are broadly defined as sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments mechanically, thermally or chemically. They are made directly from separate fibers or from molten plastic or plastic film. The manufacturing processes do not require converting the fibers to yarn followed by weaving or knitting therefore they are usually much cheaper than equivalent woven or knitted fabrics.

The production of nonwoven fabrics is fully automated and requires limited man power hence these industries are suitable for the developed countries. Recently, the non-woven industry has become the main manufacturing source of technical textiles and is now a multi-billion dollar industry in the world.

Joshua Ronn, an expert textile industrialist in Israel and Canada, and a distinguished member of the International Board Member of Shenkar, saw the potential of the nonwoven industry to Israel. Joshua funded and established the Lilly and Joshua Ronn Center for Nonwovens at Shenkar.

The Center is capable of producing needle punched fabrics. It is also possible at this stage to add and cure resins, or chemicals, to a large variety of staple fibers including high performance fibers and metals. The Center conducts research projects in conjunction with Israeli industry as well as being used for educational purposes.