Industrial

After the success of its 2010 Nonwovens Symposium in Baveno, which drew more than 200 delegates, EDANA has announced the programme for the first Eurasia Nonwovens Symposium, which will take place at the Sheraton Ataköy Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey from the 10-11 May 2012.

Over the past decade there has been a marked increase in the development of nonwoven technologies for the successful processing of alternative raw materials, including natural fibres, and for the recycling of waste materials.

In spite of an increase in production for 2011 by Italian textile machinery manufacturers, forecasts remain cautious for the current year. Provisional figures for 2011 for Italy’s textile machinery sector show a further increase in manufacturing production and exports, following a good recovery in 2010 and a recession hit 2009.

The world market for technical textiles was estimated at US$127.2bn in 2010, with Asia accounting for US$59.9bn, or 47% of the total. China, which is now the world’s largest producer of technical textiles in volume terms, is estimated to have around 11% of the industry’s total global exports by value. Moreover, China’s apparent consumption is forecast to grow at around 10% a year to 2015, and the country will continue to be a significant importer, particularly for high-tech products.

High-performance materials company Ahlstrom Corporation has announced that it has completed a significant upgrade to its Global Filtration Technical Center in Turin.

Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT), producer of one of the first new natural fibres in decades, CRAiLAR, announced today it will partner with Tuscarora Yarns, a leading yarn innovator, to explore a range of new blended yarns using CRAiLAR Flax.

Karl Mayer is aiming to extend its contact in the Chinese technical textiles market when it takes part in a series of VDMA organised symposia across China in March.

Aiming to provide information on the entire range of nonwoven bonding and converting technologies, the agenda for the inaugural Converting and Bonding (CAB) 2012 Conference includes sessions ranging from Machinery Technology to Market Applications as part of the three-day event, set for April 17-19, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, S.C.

A new book entitled ‘Handbook of Technical Textile Design’ has been launched by authors Michael and Matthew Litton; two well known Ayrshire, Scotland, based technical textiles designer/ developers. The book is available in e-format (PDF) and can be purchased directly from the authors by following the links at the foot of this article. The proceeds of the book go to charity.

Comfort and durability are key features of modern workwear fabrics. The right balance of softness; absorbency and stability are essential characteristics of an all-purpose fabric and an absolute must for rental textiles. To meet the stringent requirements of the contract rental market, Melchior Textil has developed the ‘Balance’ range. The properties of these blended fabrics with high cotton content are said to meet the rigorous demands placed on rental workwear in the healthcare sector.