This company, ZheJaingShengYuan, makes fabric, but not by weaving. It is made from polyethylene and made by layering and then compressing with needles so that it holds together and is strong. This is used as the basic material for making synthetic leather used to make purses and shoes, etc. If you have a fake leather purse or shoes, look on the inside of the "leather" and you can see it is fake because it is white-ish and synthetic looking. That is what this company makes. Fabric is big business in Hangzhou area.... historically it was a big silk area. Now all types of fabrics for the world market. One can see quite a few high end cars around. Some people are very wealthy in this area, most are what I would call lower middle class with all of life's necessities, a few are still quite poor.
Prof Si and the owner. Prof Si is showing the polyethelene used as input to the process. This is made from petroleum.
The owner explaining the process
A close up inside the machine showing the needles. They have tiny hooks on them and go up and down and pull the fibres together, but not as a weave.
The product coming off the line. Note Jimelle's new pink wool coat she had made in Shanghai !
Bales of raw material.
Another production line for putting stencil designs on some type of poly for later transfer to fabric.
