In 2025,Cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric20th anniversary of birth. This technology independently developed by Steady Medical not only overcomes the global problem of wound infection caused by residue on traditional medical gauze, but also leads an industrial upgrade that runs through the fields of medical and consumer goods, becoming a vivid footnote to China's independent innovation and long-term practice in manufacturing.Original intention: to solve a global problem in the medical fieldThe beginning of the story stems from a real pain point. In 2002, Li Jianquan, the founder of Steady Medical, who had been deeply involved in the medical dressing industry for 20 years, experienced the risks of patients hiding in subtle details due to postoperative infections caused by residual yarn during surgery. The pain I personally experienced, I don't want others to experience it again. I must make this basic material completely free of yarn and fluff, so that the yarn can no longer cause pain to the patient! "This simple original intention drove him to embark on a three-year journey of hard work.
At that time, there was no successful precedent for all cotton spunlace nonwoven fabric worldwide. It is necessary to preserve the softness of cotton while being absolutely clean, without yarn ends or fuzz. This kind of fabric has never been made before in the world, and it requires the integration of three major processes: pre spinning, hydroneedling, and post finishing, which is very difficult. Almost no one believes that this path will work, but Li Jianquan is determined to 'implement this technology and help more people'.In the face of numerous difficulties such as the lack of mature equipment and complete solutions, Li Jianquan carried the belief of "making things without equipment, creating conditions without conditions" and went to Germany to live and eat with technical personnel. He repeatedly experimented day and night, and led his team to visit countries such as Italy and France to find possibilities for technological breakthroughs. In the end, the team managed to assemble a "Made in China" production line by mixing equipment from multiple countries. But this is only the first step of the Long March.After successfully producing the fabric, the team faced a new challenge of "removing impurities from raw cotton". Therefore, the team continued to tackle the problem for more than a year, staying by the machine every day, adjusting equipment, and improving processes. After 2156 experiments, 537 tons of cotton were consumed, and it took 1096 days to achieve formal mass production of all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric. A new material without yarn head and debris has been born.The all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric technology has completely broken through the traditional production cycle limit of 1-2 months for spinning and weaving, and can make cotton into a soft and non shedding "fabric" within 2-3 hours. It uses high-pressure micro water flow as the "needle" to intertwine natural cotton fibers, retaining the skin friendly softness of natural cotton while possessing excellent flexibility and cleanliness, without fuzzing or shedding debris. This technology significantly improves production efficiency, saves energy and reduces emissions, and is very environmentally friendly, known as a "great innovation in China's textile industry".Breaking through: Creating a Cotton Soft Towel Category, Driving China's Billion Dollar Washcloth MarketTechnological innovation is only the starting point, industrialization and marketization are the real tests. At the beginning of its birth, all cotton spunlace non-woven fabric suffered repeated setbacks in the medical market promotion due to its advanced technology and lack of relevant industry standards. For three consecutive years, without any orders, the production line fell silent for a while, and there were constant doubts from the outside world. In the darkest moment, Li Jianquan firmly told the team:Take the path that others don't take, do what others don't do. What we are doing now is to solve pain points for society, especially for patients. This commitment to our original intention has kept the team from giving up.In early 2008, upon learning that a domestic sanitary napkin brand was looking for new materials, a steady employee took the initiative to write a letter to persuade the customer and ultimately won the first order with sincerity. The flavor of the 28th year of the twelfth lunar month is strong, but the stable workshop is brightly lit. When the production line roared again, the all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric welcomed the dawn after a long wait. As the market opened up, founder Li Jianquan realized that "as a coil supplier alone, we still cannot effectively convey the value of cotton to consumers. We must create our own brandThe real turning point occurred during a business trip flight when Li Jianquan suffered from rhinitis. He casually took out a sample of "all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric" and wiped it, feeling very comfortable. Its soft and skin friendly touch inspired his cross-border inspiration - cotton is so breathable and natural, why can't we turn medical cotton technology into civilian use? To become a consumer brand that benefits more people. In 2009,PurCottonBrand establishment, becoming a pioneer in the cotton soft towel category.On December 31 of the same year, All Cotton Era opened three stores in Shenzhen, marking the official entry of all cotton spunlace nonwoven fabric into the civilian market. However, due to consumers' initial lack of understanding of cotton soft wipes and insufficient retail experience, the All Cotton Era accumulated losses of over 200 million yuan in the first four years of its establishment. In a situation where no one was optimistic, Li Jianquan led the team to launch the promotion of cotton soft wipes in the simplest way possible. We need to constantly communicate with consumers, so that everyone can understand the value of cotton and identify with the concept of healthy and environmentally friendly living. At that time, our employees stood at the entrance of the store, holding cotton soft scarves and distributing them one by one to customers who came and went, allowing them to intuitively feel the good of cotton soft scarves through trial and experience. It was through this experiential communication that cotton soft scarves gradually gained recognition from consumers.Over the past 16 years, the All Cotton Era has innovatively launched a series of new product categories, achieving a leap from medical to civilian use. From the first all cotton soft towel to the all cotton surface Naisi Princess sanitary napkinNaisi BabyCotton diapers, disposable underwear and other products bring a comfortable, healthy and environmentally friendly all cotton lifestyle into millions of households. So far, the all cotton era cotton soft wipes have sold a total of 78.6 billion pieces, serving over 67 million households worldwide and expanding a market share of over 10 billion yuan in the Chinese face towel market. In 2021, the All Cotton Era led and participated in the development of the national standard GB/T 40276-2021 for soft wipes, promoting the industry towards standardized and high-quality development.Responsibility: Green Innovation and Industrial Goodness in the Medical FieldIn the medical field, the all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric technology continues to expand its application boundaries, becoming the core driving force for upgrading medical dressings and protective products. In 2011, the non-woven medical standards drafted by Steady and Stable were introduced, and all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric officially entered the medical field.In 2020, Steady Medical overcame the key technology of laminating protective clothing and took the lead in using all cotton spunlace non-woven fabric for protective equipment such as surgical gowns and protective clothing, achieving an improvement in the "three resistance" (anti blood, anti alcohol, anti oil) performance, significantly enhancing the comfort and safety of long-term wearing by medical staff.In 2023, the stable medical industry will be the first to upgrade all masks to a "cotton lining", achieving the dual advantages of medical grade protection and skin friendliness with a full cotton water jet non-woven lining. Nowadays, Steady Medical has applied all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric in the clinical solution of "green operating room", upgrading the consumables in the operating room to biodegradable all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric products, covering multiple products such as PC brush hand clothes, three resistance surgical clothes, isolation clothes, etc., solving the problem of doctors sweating during surgery, helping to improve the comfort of wearing and the focus of medical care, while reducing the risk of infection, enhancing the experience of doctors and patients, and leading the high-quality and sustainable development of the medical industry.Outlook: Guarding the Ecology with Green Technology and Bringing China's Innovation to the WorldFrom the first roll of all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric born steadily in Huanggang, to the debut of the first cotton soft towel; From the pioneer of cotton flexible scarves to one global innovation after another over the past twenty years, the all cotton hydroentangled non-woven fabric technology has not only promoted the technological innovation of "non-woven replacing spinning, and all cotton replacing synthetic fibers", but also protected the earth's ecology with green technology, allowing Chinese innovation to go global.Looking back at the process, whether it is the technological breakthroughs in the early stages of establishment or the value adherence in brand growth, the era of Steady Medical and All Cotton has always adhered to the principle of "quality first over profit, brand first over speed, and social value first over enterprise value", practicing altruism and long termism through actions. Only companies that truly create value for society and consumers can go further. "Li Jianquan stated that he will continue to adhere to the" difficult but correct path "and create a national brand that makes Chinese people proud.Twenty years is a milestone and a new starting point - in the era of stable healthcare and all cotton, we will continue to take innovation as the starting point, steadfastly practice the brand vision of "caring for health, caring for life, protecting the environment, and making the world a better place", and continue to write a new chapter of twenty years.
