SMS Nonwoven Fabric: A Buyer's Guide to Structure, Uses and Specifications

SMS is the fabric that sits between simple spunbond and the heavier medical barrier fabrics. It is strong enough for gowns and coveralls, soft enough for hygiene products, and its meltblown middle layer gives it a barrier that plain spunbond cannot offer. For a converter, it is often the most versatile roll in the warehouse.

This guide is for converters and distributors buying SMS nonwoven fabric in rolls. It explains how SMS is built, how it compares with plain spunbond and with SSMMS, and what to put in the specification.

What SMS is

SMS stands for spunbond–meltblown–spunbond. A layer of fine meltblown fibres is sandwiched between two layers of spunbond on a three-beam line, and the three are bonded together into one fabric. The spunbond faces give strength, tear resistance and a soft hand; the meltblown core resists fluids and particles. The fabric is 100% polypropylene and naturally hydrophobic, so water-based liquids bead up instead of soaking through.

Our SMS is made on fully automated, contact-free lines with German Reicofil technology and robotic packing, which keeps weight and appearance even across every roll and keeps the fabric clean for hygiene and medical converting.

SMS compared with spunbond and SSMMS

• Plain spunbond (SS or SSS) – strong and economical, but with no meltblown barrier. Right for bags, covers and many hygiene layers.
• SMS (3 layers) – a good balance of strength and barrier. Used for diapers, basic surgical gowns, drapes, wraps and protective coveralls.
• SSMMS (5 layers) – adds a second spunbond and a second meltblown layer for extra softness, better fluid resistance and higher barrier protection. Chosen for reinforced surgical gowns, sterile wraps and medical kits.

If your product needs more protection than SMS gives, see our SSMMS nonwoven. If it needs strength but no barrier, PP spunbond is the economical choice.

Where SMS is used

• Surgical gowns and drapes
• Sterilisation wraps
• Medical kits and covers
• Diaper leg cuffs and backsheets
• Protective coveralls
• Sorbent coverstock (SMS pads)

The last use surprises some buyers: SMS is also the toughest cover construction for absorbent pads. In our oil-only and universal ranges, the SMS construction puts spunbond on both faces for maximum durability on floors with foot and trolley traffic.

How to write the specification

• Weight – the gsm of the finished SMS fabric.
• Colour – white, medical blue or green, or any colour matched to your shade.
• Treatments – any finish the end product needs, agreed with us before production.
• Width and roll – slit width, roll length or diameter, and core size.
• End use – tell us what the fabric becomes, so the grade is set up for it.

One point for medical buyers: we supply the fabric. Approvals for the finished gown, drape or wrap in your market are the responsibility of the company that makes and sells the finished product, so plan your own product testing with the fabric you choose.

How to test samples

• Weight and evenness – weigh pieces from across the width and look through the fabric against the light.
• Barrier – check how water-based liquids behave on the surface and whether they pass through under pressure, in the way your end product will be used.
• Strength and softness – compare tear strength and hand feel with your current fabric.
• Converting – run a trial roll through cutting, sealing and folding on your own line.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using SMS where SSMMS is needed. For high-fluid procedures, the extra meltblown layer matters.
• Paying for barrier you do not need. For bags and simple covers, plain spunbond does the job for less.
• Leaving out the end use. The same gsm can be set up differently for a gown, a diaper cuff or a sorbent cover.

What to ask a supplier

• Do you make SMS on your own lines, and with which technology?
• How do you keep production clean for hygiene and medical converting?
• Which weights and colours can you supply?
• Can you slit to my width and wind to my roll length and core?
• What is the minimum order, and can I combine SMS with other fabrics in one container?

How we supply SMS

Samridhi Crreation has manufactured nonwovens in India since 2004, on its own spunbond, meltblown, SMS/SSMMS, needle-punch, spunlace and hot-air-through lines. We supply converters and distributors worldwide, including under their own brand. The minimum order is one 40'HQ container, and 5–6 different products can be combined in it, for example SMS with SSMMS and spunbond. We ship FOB India from Mundra or Nhava Sheva, with CIF and DAP on request, and provide REACH and SVHC declarations for customers in the European Union. Samples are free, and we pay the courier.

See the layer structure and applications on our SMS nonwoven page, or send us your specification for a quotation and samples.