Industry Talk

The Switzerland based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published its State of Trade Report for the 4th Quarter of 2011. The organisation reports that estimates for Global Yarn and Fabric Output in Q1/2012 are negative but that the outlook for Q2/2012 is positive.

Hohenstein scientists led by Dr. Jan Beringer, in conjunction with Hochschule Reutlingen and Rökona Textilwerk GmbH in Tübingen, have developed innovative test methods to investigate the acoustic and aeroacoustic properties of textile materials.

The long awaited relaunch of the leading free content website for the knitting and hosiery industries is here at last. Innovation in Textiles’ relaunched sister site Knitting Industry (www.knittingindustry.com ) went on Wednesday afternoon offering readers even greater benefits than before.

In cooperation with Amoena Medizin-Orthopädie-Technik GmbH, a developer of specialist bras, swimwear and breast prostheses, researchers at the Hohenstein Institute have developed a special bra for breast cancer patients. The new bra, which was developed under a publicly funded research project (AiF no. KF2136714HG0) can be worn during and directly after radiation therapy and takes into account the high sensitivity of the skin which often occurs during treatments as well as changes in breast volume.

The global sporting goods market—including sports apparel, athletic footwear, and sports equipment—is on track to reach sales of $ 303 billion US by 2015 (according to a report by Global Industry Analysts), with a growth curve outperforming that of total retail in both the UK and the US; and is expanding even more rapidly in the newly-affluent, youth-driven markets of emerging economies. While brand, heritage and style trends contribute to the sales of athletic apparel and equipment, the sporting goods market also relies heavily upon technology as a marketing tool.

Developer of biomedical textiles for medical devices, Biomedical Structures (BMS), has introduced a new advanced tapered medical textile solution for tendons, ligaments and other orthopaedic applications. The company says its advanced weaving capabilities provide a high-precision medical textile solution able to match the anatomical construction of tendons and replicate performance.

Dr. Sam Moore of Hohenstein Institute America will present interim findings from a long term study of the effects of nano silver particles on the environment. The presentation will be made at the joint conference of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) and the Southern Textile Research Conference (STRC) to be held May 20-22, 2012 at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort in Pawley’s Island, SC.

In this third part of a three part feature on sustainability Sabine Anton-Katzenbach discusses how retailers, producers and importers have begun campaigning for working conditions that are socially sustainable, within the scope of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The mass manufacturing of textiles and apparel will return to developed regions like Europe and the USA, but probably not in any recognisable shape from the past. The only question is what timeframe this will take.

This new one-year Masters degree has been developed to meet the industry’s demand for a postgraduate course within the field of fashion knitwear design and product innovation in knitted technical textiles. Aimed at graduates and professionals from both design and technology backgrounds, the course integrates creative and technical perspectives within the context of advanced fibre materials and computerised flat-bed knitting technology.