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Mike Putnam

Lifetime Technical Achievement Award

2011

Retired, PGI

Mike PutnamEducation
BSME – State University of New York at Buffalo

Professional Career 
Hired by Chicopee (Div of Johnson & Johnson) in 1978
Installed/started up first Spunlace line for JNJ in 1979
Involved with Spunlace development with Chicopee for 15+ Years, then transitioned into R&D @ PGI when PGI purchased Chicopee in 1995.
Mike’s lead in Process development/R&D at PGI was essential in several commercially successful substrates and their production processes including:

  • Fabric 450® which was Johnson & Johnson’s  First nonwoven operating room gown and drape product,  that was a standard in the marketplace for over a decade.
  • Commercialization of APEX® technology for NuGauze® which was J&J’s first Nonwoven “gauzelike” sponge
  • Miratec® Durable APEX® nonwoven material for textile replacement applications.
  • Swiffer®, joint development with P&G and PGI to produce an imaged scrim reinforced dry dusting nonwoven substrate
  • Kirkland® brand APEX® imaged scrim reinforced Cotton enriched baby wipe
  • Spinlace®, PGI’s spunmelt based wipes substrate

The above are some key major product successes, not to mention many other products & processes PGI has   commercialized over the years, in which Mike also was a key participant.

INDA Activities/Industry Activities:

  • INDA Member for 20+ years with J&J/PGI (INTC, TAB)
  • Mentor for multiple co-op students at J&J and PGI
  • Active member in NCRC (Industry Technical advisor to Graduate students)

Patents: List below

  Document Title Assignee Issue Date
1 US7455800 Hydroentanglement of continuous polymer filaments Polymer Group, Inc.  2008-11-25
2 US7406755 Hydroentanglement of continuous polymer filaments Polymer Group, Inc.  2008-08-05
3 US7381669 Hydroentangled filter media and method Polymer Group, Inc.  2008-06-03
4 US7091140 Hydroentanglement of continuous polymer filaments Polymer Group, Inc.  2006-08-15
5 US7047606 Two-sided nonwoven fabrics having a three-dimensional image Polymer Group, Inc.  2006-05-23
6 US7015158 Hydroentangled filter media and method Polymer Group, Inc.  2006-03-21
7 US7013541 Nonwoven fabrics having compound three-dimensional images Polymer Group, Inc.  2006-03-21
8 US6903034 Hydroentanglement of continuous polymer filaments Polymer Group, Inc.  2005-06-07
9 US6750161 Stretchable laminate Polymer Group, Inc.  2004-06-15
10 US6735833 Nonwoven fabrics having a durable three-dimensional image Polymer Group, Inc.  2004-05-18
11 US6735832 Process to produce imaged scrim composite nonwoven and product thereof Polymer Group, Inc.  2004-05-18
12 US6669799 Durable and drapeable imaged nonwoven fabric Polymer Group, Inc.  2003-12-30
13 US6568049 Hydraulic seaming together of layers of nonwoven fabric Polymer Group, Inc.  2003-05-27
14 US6463606 Nonwoven fabric exhibiting cross-direction extensibility and recovery Polymer Group, Inc.  2002-10-15
15 US6430788 Hydroentangled, low basis weight nonwoven fabric and process for making same Polymer Group, Inc.  2002-08-13
16 US6321425 Hydroentangled, low basis weight nonwoven fabric and process for making same Polymer Group Inc.  2001-11-27
17 US6306234 Nonwoven fabric exhibiting cross-direction extensibility and recovery Polymer Group Inc.  2001-10-23