Cretes Has Solutions for Hemp Processing

Cretes, located in Wevelgem, Belgium, develops and builds industrial turnkey systems for the processing of bast fibers such as flax and hemp, handling of process waste, and manipulation of textiles and fabrics. The company has provided hemp processing technology to top industry manufacturers in France, the Netherlands, and Sweden – all key hubs for hemp production.

As a specialist in hemp processing technology, the challenge lies in processing straw that exhibits high variability in thickness, retting degree, and fiber content. Cretes’ technology is known to be 100% reliable for processing high volumes of quality hemp into valuable products at very high capacity, and is trusted by the most prominent players in the hemp industry.

“Cretes is a prominent machine manufacturer,” says CEO Edward Vandeputte. “Engineering and innovation are in our veins; it is what we live for. We have over a century of experience in designing and building machinery for the processing of bast fibers. Yet, every day, we strive to improve our machines, making them better, faster, more robust, and more efficient. This innovation means reducing the cost of maintenance and energy consumption. We also prioritize the safety of the operators and maintenance technicians who ultimately work with our equipment. Automation has played an increasingly significant role in our development over the last couple of years. Our focus is to offer value to our customers through lasting cooperation!”

“We see an increased demand for hemp processing systems on a global scale,” says Vandeputte. “Popular and innovative end-use applications are nonwoven insulating mats for the construction industry, fibers for degumming and blending with cotton, and building blocks from shives for the construction industry. Interest in composite material is also increasing but requires further study.”

“We believe hemp has a bright future ahead. We are only at the start of a hemp is a leading manufacturer of hemp stalk processing systems, with customers in France, the Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania, South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, etc. Cretes has extensive experience with equipment for bast fibre processing, including the processing of hemp straw into high value fibers, as well as processing all the aspects of the products (such as the shives or hurd). Cretes revolution,” he says. “Hemp textiles are a significant addition to the existing flax linen industry. Both products are unique, but they share strengths on the agricultural, processing, and product levels. Breakthroughs are on the verge in the construction industry – innovative building blocks made from hemp shives are a top-quality, ecofriendly, breathable, and highly fire-resistant product. Hemp nonwoven mats for building insulation will soon conquer market share, if they remain competitive against the more traditional, energy-consuming, and CO2-boosting mineral wool mats.”