Angelo Corino
Job Title: Research Engineer, Lab Manager – Meltblown, Spunbond/Hydroentangling
Years at NWI: 18
Years in Nonwovens/Materials Science: 39
Favorite Nonwoven or Something Related to Nonwovens: Running Spunbond with Hydroentangling
Angelo joined The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) in 2006 after serving for 21 years as a Production Supervisor and Lead Pilot Line Technician at Fiberweb in Simpsonville, South Carolina. While at Fiberweb, Angelo worked on a line responsible for many advancements in the company’s nonwovens technology.
Since joining NWI, Angelo has led the Institute’s Meltblown and Spunbond/Hydroentangling Pilot Labs as a Lab Manager and Research Engineer. In this capacity, Angelo works directly with NWI leadership and industry partners to develop solutions to varied nonwovens challenges. Angelo is also the Safety Officer at NWI and was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Institute’s GMP, ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 certifications.
What was your experience leading up to your joining NWI?
I gained my technical nonwovens skills as a Machine Operator at Fiberweb during the early part of my career. As I became comfortable with the nonwovens platforms, I progressed to Lead Operator, Team Leader and Lead Pilot Line Technician. I worked on production lines making baby wipes and cover stock for baby diapers, and I ran experimental trials on pilot lines working with everything from olefins to amides to polyesters to elastomers.
When Fiberweb closed the plant in Simpsonville, a colleague told me to give Behnam (Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Executive Director of The Nonwovens Institute) a call. At that time, a few of my former co-workers at Fiberweb had joined the team at NWI, so I thought there might be an opportunity for me here as well. Behnam invited me in for an interview, and I was offered a temporary position as a Lab Manager. Within three months, I was hired on full-time, and I’ve been here ever since.
What kind of work have you done/do you do at NWI? What do you find exciting/interesting about your work at NWI?
During my time at NWI, I have been heavily focused on our Meltblown and Spunbond/Hydroentangling Labs. In 2017, I moved from Lab Manager to Research Engineer/Quality Assurance/Safety Officer. In July 2023, I returned to my role as Manager of our Meltblown and Spunbond/Hydroentangling Labs, while also maintaining my responsibilities as Safety Officer.
I’ve done some work in our Staple Nonwovens Lab as well. In fact, I worked on a project in the Staple Lab that resulted in a patent for an artificial leather made from waste material, which was a fun project to be a part of.
Also, during my time at NWI I earned my bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, North Carolina.
Working at NWI is exciting because we meet so many people from all over the world and get to work on such a wide range of projects. At NWI, you never know what may be coming your way, which keeps everyone learning and expanding their skillset.
Why did you choose what you chose in the “Favorite Nonwoven or Something Related to Nonwovens” item above?
Running spunbond with hydroentangling is an interesting process because it can produce some really nice materials. You can achieve quite different results by tweaking the fiber variables and tuning the hydroentangling process, so the platform offers a lot of flexibility.
When you are not working at NWI, what are your personal interests, hobbies … any activities you enjoy during your free time?
When I’m not working, I keep myself busy with home projects. My wife and I have been married for 23 years and we have five children and six grandchildren. We have a daughter in Utah, a son and daughter in South Carolina, and two sons in North Carolina. I also have two dogs – a puggle, Lucy, and a mixed breed, Oreo. Both are rescue dogs and are family.
My wife and I enjoy traveling, and we visit with our children and grandchildren in South Carolina often. We also like to go to the beach, as well as other destinations we find interesting.
During football season, I follow the Bills since I’m originally from western New York, and I keep an eye on the Panthers as well, having been a Carolinian for 39 years now.
If you have questions about Meltblown, Spunbond or Hydroentangled Nonwovens, you can reach Angelo at acorino@ncsu.edu or +1 919.515.4550.
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