Digital twins help to mimic spiders to make sustainable fibres
6 February 2025 
A Finnish company has developed a technology that produces fibres sustainably from natural and waste materials, using much less water, energy and harmful chemicals than traditional processes. To help it design its plant and reach the market quicker, it turned to digital twins and other advanced automation technologies.
Spinnova is a Finnish company that has developed a patented technology for producing textile fibres from wood, pulp, leather or agricultural waste, without needing to use harmful dissolving chemicals. It has developed a machine that can transform cellulosic pulp into textile fibres. The technology uses a mechanical process that mimics how spiders weave their webs. The fibres can be processed into yarn and fabrics in a similar way to conventional fibres.
According to Spinnova, its fibre production process emits 74% less CO2 and uses 98% less water than conventional cotton production, generates no process waste and needs no harmful chemicals.
The company claims that its technology is the only process in the world that can convert cellulose into textile fibre in this way. When spinning the raw materials into filaments, the suspension flows through a unique nozzle at a high pressure. A precise extrusion process causes the fibrils to rotate and align with the flow to create a natural textile fibre. This fibre is then dried, collected and post-processed, ready for spinning into yarn.
The Spinnova fibres can be blended with other fibres and integrated into conventional or novel textile-processing methods. They can be processed in a similar way to cotton. The fibre’s characteristics, such as its anti-odour properties and look-and-feel, are comparable to those of other natural cellulosic fibres, such as cotton. As well as being used in textiles, the Spinnova fibres can also be used in other applications such as insulation and composites.
In 2021, Spinnova announced plans to build its first commercial-scale fibre production plant in a joint venture with the Finnish pulp producer, Suzano. Called Woodspin, the facility opened in May 2023, with a capacity to produce 1,000 tonnes of sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable textile fibre from responsibly-grown wood, every year.
Woodspin has recently signed an agreement to supply the Puma sportswear brand with fibre for several years. The two companies will collaborate to develop products from Spinnova fibre for future Puma collections, particularly in its Sportstyle category. According to Howard Williams, director of global innovation in apparel and accessories at Puma, the fibre technology “represents a new gateway into the world of man-made cellulosic fibre production, using water instead of chemicals”.
The Woodspin factory was simulated and commissioned virtually using a digital twin technology from Siemens’ Tecnomatix digital manufacturing software portfolio. The simulations including the plant’s operations, material flows and what if-scenarios, as well as identifying potential bottlenecks. This saved time, helped to maintain quality and increased the efficiency of the factory operations.
A digital twin was also used to speed up, optimise and coordinate the R&D of the raw material base using Siemens’ Opcenter software, ensuring a consistent quality from raw materials to the finished fibres.
The plant’s automation architecture is based on Siemens’ Totally Integrated Automation concept, with TIA Portal integrating line control, safety technology, end-to-end diagnostics, drives and field devices in a unified platform. Spinnova uses Siemens Industrial Edge to collect, process and send operational data to the cloud for analysis to track key performance indicators such as energy consumption. Spinnova’s cybersecurity is based on a defence-in-depth strategy using cybersecurity technology from Siemens. Siemens says that its Xcelerator automation technologies, software and services helped Spinnova to reduce its time-to-market.
“Working with Siemens has transformed how we approach manufacturing,” says Spinnova CEO, Tuomas Oijala. “Their technological expertise has enabled us to ramp up production quickly and brings credibility to our mission. This collaboration isn’t just about advancing technology; it’s also paving the way for a sustainable future in the textile industry.”
