Industry Talk
According to the latest International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) published this week by the ITMF (International Textile Manufacturers Federation) shipments of new textile machinery fell in 2012 in most segments compared with 2011, although a new record was set for shipments of large diameter circular knitting machines.
In the run in to Techtextil, the leading trade fair for technical textiles and industrial nonwovens, organisers Messe Frankfurt have published the following article on the spread of nanotechnology in technical textiles. The article shows how nanotechnology is being used in a growing number of applications from clothing, through construction to regenerative medicine. Techtextil takes place in Frankfurt from 11-13 June.
.jpg&w=140&h=104&zc=2)
Well known industry consultant David Rigby (formerly David Rigby Associates) is now providing personal advisory and consulting services to business owners, CEOs and senior managers in technical textiles and industrial nonwovens, with the aim of helping them create more profitable and sustainable futures for their businesses.
This video was made by Robert Newton a TV documentary producer whose family were in textiles in North Carolina for generations. Newton got the idea for the documentary after he found himself constantly correcting people who said that the textiles industry in NC state was dead. It’s a full blown TV documentary which lasts 30 minutes but its well worth watching.
The prestigious IDEA13 Achievement Awards were presented during a special ceremony at IDEA 2013 Conference & Expo at Miami Beach, Florida earlier this week and INDA the organizer of the event, together with Nonwovens Industry Magazine presented the famed Entrepreneur Award to Suominen Nonwovens.
Energy efficient membranes, silicone-coated textile fibres, a new master batch for tintable polypropylene or new technologies for integrating systems into apparel – these are just some of the inventions of the ten winners of the Techtextil and Avantex Innovation Prizes.
Mount Vernon Mills is proud to announce Carolyn Black, a 20 year veteran of the textile industry, has joined the company as FR Technical Specialist. In her new role with Mount Vernon Mills, Carolyn will focus on the company’s flame resistant fabric brand, Mount Vernon FR and her goal will be to increase Mount Vernon FR brand awareness among end users, especially in the Canadian provinces.
The two global nonwovens associations, EDANA and INDA, are to partner to co-organise a new edition of EDANA’s Outlook conference programme for Latin America early in 2015.
Gregory Walter Haggquist of Cocona Inc. has been honoured by the AATCC Technical Committee on Research (TCR) as the recipient of the 2013 TCR Service Award in recognition of his achievements and service to the Association. The award was presented at the 2013 AATCC International Conference in Greenville, SC on 11th April.
In this two part feature, Debra Cobb takes a look at a new high-tech wave of interactive functional yarns and fabrics which are designed to deliver a whole range of benefits to wearers.
Clarion Events North America, Inc. announced today that a collaboration agreement has been signed with the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) regarding Clarion’s annual ExpoProducción event in Mexico City. The collaboration will include an IFAI Pavilion and Conference to be held within the annual ExpoProducción trade show in Mexico City beginning with the February 2014 edition.
Under the slogan ‘Three Degrees of Natural Motion’ Nike is introducing three special edition shoes which will be available this week in Europe - the Nike Flyknit Racer, Flyknit Trainer HTM, both of which incorporate the company’s revolutionary Flyknit seamless flat knitted uppers, and the Inneva Woven a lightweight shoe with a woven upper.
In line with Techtextil trade fair motto ‘Innovations for Life’, Groz-Beckert will be presenting what it calls practice-oriented innovative applications with a focus on technical textiles for the automotive industry, at this year’s show. The leading German manufacturer of needles, parts and fine tools will be showing in hall 3.0 at booth F03 at this year’s show which takes place from 11-13 June in Frankfurt.
.jpg&w=140&h=104&zc=2)
Perspectives by Bill Smith - a new regular column for Innovation in Textiles.
When I began my consulting practice in 1986, I discovered a book called “Innovation – The Attackers Advantage” (Summit Books) by Richard Foster, then a Director of the major consulting firm McKinsey & Co. His message: ” . . . companies must return to the attack . . . the annals of business is filled with . . . companies that seemed profitable yet were in the midst of bankruptcy because they did not anticipate when their present products would become unprofitable and underestimated the strengths of their competitor’s attacks.”
Typar Geosynthetics, a division of Fiberweb Inc., is introducing a new line of AASHTO Class geotextiles at Geosynthetics 2013 which took this week in Long Beach, California, from 1-4 April. According to the company, the new geotextiles line was manufactured from the ground up to meet the requirements of AASHTO M288 with the exceptional strength and durability of Typar Geotextiles.
Alexium International has announced that its affiliate company Alexium Government Solutions LLC (AGS) has been awarded a US Government contract to develop FR treatments on military fabrics. The work will be completed over a 4 month period as Phase I of a US Marine Corps SBIR project and has a value of USD$80,000. An additional USD$70,000 option can be exercised at the discretion of the DoD in Phase I and after completion Alexium can be invited to proceed to a Phase II with additional funding of up to USD$1Million.
The Dornbirn-Man-Made Fibers Congress (MFC), the leading conference for the man-made fibres industry, will take place for the 52nd time in Dornbirn, Austria from 11-13 September 2013, where over 100 papers will address key industry issues under the banner - ‘Communicating the Future of Man-Made Fibers’.
Horticulture in the Netherlands is big business. Not only is the country an international leader in flowers, plants, bulbs, and food products; it is also in innovator in solutions for greenhouse horticulture. According to the NL Agency, a division of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dutch greenhouses cover an area of more than 10560 km2, with a focus on technologies that facilitate energy efficiency and adaptability to climate change. A new Netherlands-based company called Elasol, established in 2012, has developed one such technology that uses an innovative elastic, warp-knit textile in an intelligent system to help balance sunlight, shade, temperature and humidity.
Cesare Citterio, textiles entrepreneur and owner of Cifra SpA, a world leader in the field of seamlessly knitted garments, is a man on a mission – a warp knitting seamless mission - or as Citterio likes to call it a ‘WKS’ mission.
Teijin is to establish a specialized department to accelerate materials business incubation through technology acquisitions and alliances with immediate effect. The new Technology Alliance Development Department, established under Teijin’s New Business Development Group, will strategically grow materials related businesses by identifying promising partners and mergers and acquisitions opportunities. Alliances are envisioned for undertakings ranging from R&D to business model creation.
Fibre producer Invista has acquired Ashburn Hill Corp., along with its associated intellectual property, including the Tecgen brands and a manufacturing operation in Texas. The company says Tecgen flame resistant garment products will expand its existing performance and protective fabric offerings, as well as add a new skill set to the company.
A new publication from Textile Media Services – Agrotextiles: A growing landscape with huge potential – provides a unique overview of woven, knitted and nonwoven fabrics and other textiles used in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, floriculture and landscape gardening, as well as in fishing and aquaculture. These include fabrics for livestock protection, shading, weed and insect control, and for extending the growing season of plants and crops.
Lenzing has succeeded in achieving the second best business result in its history in the 2012 financial year in spite of difficult market conditions in its core fibre business. The Austrian company’s Annual Report published today says that this can be attributed to new record fibre sales volumes and good performance of its specialty Tencel fibre. Readers can download the full Lenzing Group Annual Report 2012 at the foot of this article.
Market leaders in the sportswear sector will present specialist technologies at Texprocess, the leading international trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials from 10-13 June this year in Frankfurt, Germany, in co-location with Techtextil, the international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. The following text, provided by the show’s organiser summarises some of the leading technologies which will be exhibited.
Nike has announced a strategic partnership with Swiss company bluesign technologies to accelerate the supply of sustainable materials and chemistries for use in its products. The strategic partnership unlocks the potential for bluesign technologies’ industry-leading assessment tools to become accessible to materials suppliers, at an unprecedented scale and pace.
A new large scale plant for the production of polyester fibre and a new generation of nonwovens will be built in Russia this year by CJSC Kotovsky Nonwovens Plant, one of Russia’s largest producers of nonwovens.
Adverse conditions in the water sports apparel market are leading to a rise in industry takeovers, according to a new report from the business information company Textiles Intelligence.
Technical textiles will have a key role to play in the challenge of building with less and designing lighter, stronger and yet more efficient buildings.
Texprocess Innovation Award: Honouring innovative solutions in textiles & apparel
28th February 2013 0 commentEntries are invited from all Texprocess exhibitors for the second ‘Texprocess Innovation Award’, which will be presented at this year’s Texprocess, Leading International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials, in Frankfurt am Main from 10 to 13 June 2013.
Already catering to German, English and Chinese speakers, the long established Reutlingen, Germany based company Stoll is now launching its website, www.stoll.com , in Russian.
TissueGen Inc., developer of a cutting-edge absorbable polymer technology for implantable drug delivery across a wide variety of therapeutic applications, has announced that its patented extrusion technology enables absorbable fibres to be loaded with a wider variety of drugs and biologically-based entities than previously possible.
Alexium has announced it has secured Chinese patent rights which give it the ability to expand in China without competition and increases its patent portfolio to reach out to the global marketplace.
Combining innovation, technology, and styling to combat the difficult economic climate, apparel and fabric suppliers generated positive energy at last week’s ISPO in Munich. The four-day fair, featuring apparel, gear, textiles, and accessories for winter sports, was the most successful ever, according the Messe München organisation. Some 81,000 visitors from 109 countries crowded the halls, where 2,481 exhibitors from 52 countries filled 103,220 square metres of space with displays of expertise.
Two leading developers of biomedical textiles and modified polymers aim to increase value-added offerings to medical device OEMs through a bicoastal US presence. Biomedical Structures (BMS), a developer of biomedical textiles for medical devices and other advanced clinical applications, and Modified Polymer Components (MPC), which specializes in the design, rapid prototyping and manufacture of reliable, highly precise polymer components for medical device OEMs, today announced their merger.
Just a short time after UK start up, MMT Textiles Ltd announced on www.innovationintextiles.com that it had invented and patented a method of constructing bio-responsive fibres and yarns so that they react to humidity levels in a micro-climate, the London based company revealed this week that it is now close to bringing the technology to market.
According to researchers at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, wearable computers which can withstand washing are one step closer thanks to a technology which integrates electronic micro devices into yarns. The academics developed a prototype garment to demonstrate the technology, which they say could be used for medical and military purposes.
Nike has launched its latest running shoe incorporating its Flyknit seamlessly knitted uppers technology and it looks like being a real winner on all fronts.
Schoeller Textil AG has appointed Stefano Tonizzo as head of its knitted textiles business - Business Unit Knits. Tonizzo is said to possess a comprehensive knowledge of knitted textiles thanks to many years working at Greuter Jersey AG. Since September 2010, he has been working in sales at Schoeller Textil.
Technical fabrics and performance apparel have a key role to play in finding new international niche markets for Colombia’s textile industry.
This was immediately apparent at the 2013 Colombiatex trade fair which celebrated its 25th anniversary from January 22-24 in Medellin – a city that has changed perhaps more than any other and beyond all recognition over the last quarter of a century.
The Netherland’s IJsselland and North-East Gelderland fire brigades have ordered a total of 1850 new uniforms which give the optimal protection of inherently heat and flame resistant materials from TenCate Protective Fabrics. The order is the result of two European tenders.
Cotton Club, a leading global manufacturer of cotton and hygiene products, with its own production facilities and trade offices in Russia, Turkey, China, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, plans to start construction of a large plant for the production of innovative textile products in Russian city of Dankov (Lipetsk region). Construction will start in the second quarter of 2013, according to an official representative of the company.
.jpg&w=140&h=104&zc=2)
Huntsman Textile Effects and DyTech Taiwan have announced a collaboration, which the two companies say, is set to drive sustainable excellence and world-class standards of high quality dyes and specialty chemicals for the Taiwan textile industry”.
The International OEKO-TEX Association has reported it is currently working on an optimised, independent certification system for environmentally friendly and socially responsible companies which will replace the current OEKO-TEX Standard 1000, launching this summer.
Scientists from Rice University in Texas have unveiled a new carbon nanotube (CNT) fibre that looks and acts like textile thread and conducts electricity and heat like a metal wire. The following article was published on the University’s website just a few days ago and the scientists are published in this week’s issue of Science.
Its official - the next edition of Techtextil will be bigger than ever before. According to organiser Mess Frankfurt, the number of exhibitor registrations for the trade fair, which will be held in Frankfurt am Main from 11 to 13 June 2013, is already significantly higher than at the comparable time two years ago.
Lycra brand owner Invista has announced that it has joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a group representing more than 60 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, suppliers, nonprofits and nongovernmental organisations working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products around the world.
Philip Lehner, long-time chairman and CEO of Leigh Fibers, passed away on 5th January at his home in Hingham, Massachusetts. He was 89.
Milliken has announced the launch of Consequence 2.0 and Yarn Storm, two new collections from the global floor covering division. The introductions aim to provide designers with innovative floor covering solutions - to create unique interior aesthetics through multi-dimensional patterning and colour.
At a recent International Press Conference for the Texprocess and Techtextil fairs to be held in Frankfurt in June, Francesco Marchi, Director General of EURATEX, highlighted the importance of the textile and clothing industry, its coming challenges and the role of technical textiles and new processes in the industry. In Mr Marchi stressed the importance of world-class fairs like Techtexil and Texprocess Fairs to the sector.
To learn about how different types of sewing thread can help in the manufacture of specialist technical textile products, as well as with more conventional textiles, readers should visit Texprocess 2013, from 10-13 June and Techtextil 2013, from 11-13 June. The two exhibitions are being held concurrently at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany.
Cytec Industrial Materials, in conjunction with the Rail Alliance, recently held a successful rail symposium at the National Composites Centre (NCC) in the city of Bristol in the UK.
Biomedical Structures LLC (BMS), a developer of biomedical textiles for medical devices and other advanced clinical applications, has announced the expansion of its facilities for medical textile development and manufacturing. The company has complemented the expanded capacity with the appointment of medical device industry veteran Jonathan Howe to vice president of research and development.
Outlast Technologies, the market leader for temperature regulating phase change materials (PCMs), is rolling out its new brand identity this New Year with the aim of sharpening its profile.
French technical textiles manufacturer Porcher Industries has opened a new manufacturing subsidiary - Porcher Modern Materials - in the Borovsk district of Russia’s Kaluga Region. The opening ceremony which took place on 18 December was attended by Vladimir Potyomkin, Deputy Governor of Kaluga Region, as well as Porcher representatives including Viktor Burkov, Director General, Porcher Modern Materials.
Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fibre product converting company, has announced the start of full-scale production at N.I. Teijin Airbag Fabric (Nantong) Co., Ltd., a joint venture engaged in manufacturing and sales of fabrics for automotive airbags.
Germany’s Hohenstein Institute is now offering testing and certification of protective/safety gloves in accordance with a number of industry standards.
Geotextiles producer Agru America Inc. is investing US$39.1 million to expand its operations in South Carolina, according to a report on the Plastics News website yesterday.
UK based Armadillo Merino was presented with the NatWest ‘Product Business of the Year 2012 Award’ in London on Friday. The Derbyshire based ‘new start’ company’s knitted tops and leggings in single jersey and rib structures, made from super-fine merino wool, are said to be the ultimate in comfort, with qualities that are ideally suited to those professionals exposed to endurance, extreme weather or potential risk of fire or burns.
The presence of Boeing and Citroen at the latest confrence held by CELC – the European Confederation of Flax and Hemp – illustrates how seriously the potential of flax and other bast fibre fabrics to replace glass in composites is now being taken.
Leading seamless circular knitting machine builder Santoni has reported strong sales of its machines into the sportswear sector especially for the production of merino wool based seamless garments. Sportswear manufacturers are mainly interested in the Italian company’s SM8 TR1 machine for single jersey garments with mesh effects – particularly in 24 gauge for zonal knitting or body mapping in natural fibres such as merino wool.
South Carolina based Mount Vernon Mills is now offering its Amsoft finish on all fabrics available within the brand’s six collections, to enhance the comfort of flame resistant garments made with Mount Vernon FR fabric.
UK based Armadillo Merino reports that the Italian navy is set to order thousands of its British developed hi-tech garments, which give unprecedented next-to-skin protection and performance in action.
Teijin has announced today that it has started operating its pilot plant for the fully integrated production of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) components at its Matsuyama Factory in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. Plans to build the pilot plant were announced exactly a year ago and capital expenditure is said to have been over two billion yen.
Leading Russian textile producers are considering switching to the production of synthetic fabrics and technical textiles from traditional natural fibre fabrics, in an attempt to increase the industry’s profitability and to reduce dependence from the ever rising global cotton prices.
Alexium has announced a major advancement in the development of its Flame Retardant (FR) treatments and curing methods. The company has developed its novel, non-halogenated FR chemistry for nylon so it can be applied with a standard oven as well as Alexium’s microwave technology. The ability to use traditional heat curing methods, aims to significantly lower entry barriers to key markets and speed up market introduction.
25 German textile machinery manufacturers presented their latest solutions at two VDMA conferences this month in Istanbul and Gaziantep in Turkey. Almost 600 participants from the Turkish textiles industry used the opportunity to learn how German technology can help the sector to cope with the tough competition from Asia and several German companies were able to close deals with Turkish customers during the events.
Forward thinking Scottish industrial textiles manufacturer Scott & Fyfe Ltd celebrated the official opening of its new Innovation Space and Museum on 12 November, which the company describes as another important step on the way to a long-term sustainable company based on a partnership business model.
Textiles Intelligence and the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) have agreed to cooperate in making Chinese language editions of two of Textile Intelligence’s business and market information publications available to the Chinese fibre, textile and clothing industries.
Korean company Yejimiin is introducing a new generation of sanitary pads in December. 숲속이야기 Tencel is the first pad on the market to feature a top sheet based on 100% Tencel and in addition to being available in the Korean market, the product is to be exported to the USA for Korean women living overseas.
Healthcanal.com reports that Australian scientists are part of a team which is developing a new artificial muscle with exciting possibilities for use in self-powered intelligent textiles that could automatically react to environmental conditions like heat or sweat.
The market for chemical protective clothing is set for robust growth over the next few years, according to Chemical protective clothing: providing a life-critical barrier a new report from the business information company Textiles Intelligence.
Glen Raven, Inc. has been recognized as the North Carolina Manufacturer of the Year in the large companies category —defined as companies with more than $250 million in annual revenue. The NC Manufacturer of the Year award program is organised by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, with sponsorship by McGladrey LLP and Fifth Third Bank.
Secant Medical, which specializes in the custom design, development and manufacturing of implantable biomedical textile structures for medical devices, will exhibit the unique benefits of biomedical textile engineering as an enabling technology platform for device design at the BIOMEDevice Exposition and Conference in San Jose, CA on December 4-5, 2012.
Lenzing successfully conducted a test run of its fifth production line at its Indonesian subsidiary PT South Pacific Viscose in October. With an additional nominal capacity of 80,000 tons of viscose fibres per annum, the annual total capacity of SPV will increase to 320,000 tons once Line 5 has been fully launched.
Gore-Tex producer W.L. Gore & Associates has invested in a new building at its Livingston site in Scotland. According to an STV report today, the environmentally friendly construction of the £5 million building has allowed energy consumption to be reduced by 25%.
TenCate Protective Fabrics in partnership with Lion Apparel has secured a major order for the delivery of TenCate Tecashield inherently heat and flame retardant fabrics for the turn-out gear of the Amsterdam-Amstelland fire brigade in the Netherlands. The TenCate fabrics will be mainly used for the lightweight outer shell, the protective thermal liner and reinforcement inserts.
According to scientists at Germany’s Hohenstein Institute, in addition to modern sportswear, the market is increasingly demanding functional undergarments for the fashion and business sectors.
A new ‘cutting edge’ facility for technical textiles, nonwovens and composites development opened its doors in the city of Roubaix, in the Lille region of Lille of Northern France, this month.
The Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology Group (GBMI) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya • BarcelonaTech (UPC) has improved the antimicrobial properties of medical textiles using an enzymatic pre-treatment combined with simultaneous deposition of nanoparticles and biopolymers under ultrasonic irradiation.
Alexium International Group Limited (Alexium) has announced that it expects to receive a cash payment of approximately $205,000 from the Australian Government under the 2012 Research and Development Tax Incentive (Australia) scheme.
Nilit has announced it will be introducing its Nilit Breeze cooling yarn to Asian markets at the forthcoming Intertextile Shanghai 2012 tradeshow. Nilit Breeze, the Israeli company’s most recent innovation, is said to be a revolutionary nylon 6.6 fibre that has been proven to cool wearers by almost one degree Celsius in comparison to fabrics knitted with standard fibres.
The Trützschler Group has expanded its manmade fibres product range by taking over the personnel and know-how of SwissTex Winterthur AG, the carpet and industrial yarns spinner.
Researchers at a top Scottish university have helped develop headwear that uses smart textiles for women with cancer related hair loss. Micro-encapsulated textiles, which offer added comfort as well as aroma-therapeutic benefits to cancer patients, are now being used in a luxury handmade headwear range.
Adrian Wilson reports
Advancing the contribution technical textiles play in regions affected by natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes is the goal of the new €9 million European FP7 S(P)EEDKITS project.
Dr. Christian Heinrich Sandler, Chief Executive Officer of Sandler AG, has been awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit by Bavarian State Premier Horst Seehofer. Given as a ‘token of honouring and appreciative recognition for outstanding services rendered to the State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people’, the order is an appreciation of exceptional commitment to the common welfare in the state.
Focusing on the topic of “consumption,” over 135 delegates from brands, retailers, government organizations, NGOs and academia joined in the 6th annual conference of the RITE Group (Reducing the Impact of Textiles on the Environment).
International technology group Andritz which offers a full range of complete nonwovens lines for the production of technical textiles will be presenting its expertise in complete lines and advanced systems for high-end technical nonwovens at the India ITME exhibition which runs from 2-7 December in Mumbai. The group’s Küsters, Asselin-Thibeau, and Perfojet businesses will be showcasing integrated solutions for all nonwovens segments for the Indian market.
Alexium International Group (Alexium) announced today that its growing revenues are from multiple sources as a result of commercial development agreements, license payments, and a project funded by the US Department of Defense.
Huntsman Textile Effects and the Netherlands’ DyeCoo Textile Systems are joining forces to develop and grow DyeCoo’s Supercritical CO2 textile processing technology with the aim of creating more sustainable products which will benefit the industry as a whole.
Novel supermicro fibres based on cellulose and cellulose-2.5-acetate are being developed at ITCF Denkendorf (the Institute of Textile Chemistry and Chemical Fibres) in Germany.
Vienna stock exchange listed Lenzing, the global leader in man-made cellulosic fibre production, has acquired a 100% shareholding in the Czech pulp producer Biocel Paskov A.S. Lenzing has held a 75% stake in the company since it acquired its majority stake from the Austrian Heinzel Group, which has now sold its remaining 25% shareholding to Lenzing.
INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry has announced that nominations are now open for the prestigious IDEA13 Achievement Awards, which it organizes in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine.
Seamless knits specialist Tefron has announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with X-Technology Swiss R&D AG (XTS), under which it has been granted exclusive rights to manufacture, market and distribute XTS sportswear brands in North America.
In marking its 50th anniversary in 2011, the Dornbirn Conference celebrated the contribution of the manmade fibres industry to society over the last half a century.
At the 2012 event in Austria from September 19-21 – with over 100 individual presentations and record attendance of over 800 delegates – the emphasis was very much on what the industry can now contribute over the next fifty years and what major changes are on the horizon.
“Fashion Stories” was the Autumn/Winter 2013/14 theme at Première Vision, the trade show for high-fashion fabrics held in Paris September 19 – 21. Combining historical references with a high-tech future, juxtaposing urban living with nature and the elements, and seeking adventure whilst yielding to emotion, a new generation of compact, dense, and tactile fabrics incorporated surprising technical aspects, developing a new relationship between fashion and active sportswear. This was achieved via all manner of woven, knit, and assembled double cloths which displayed a new level of technical know-how, allowing fabrics to express dual personalities.
Just weeks after the closing of the Olympics, Nike has been granted an interim injunction against adidas for patent infringement by adidas’ adizero Primeknit shoe which it released in July on the eve of the London games. The patent or patents in question protect Nike’s revolutionary Flyknit shoe range which sport seamlessly knitted uppers produced on Stoll flat knitting machines.
The UK government has announced £2.3 million of ‘in principle’ support for a new textile and clothing skills programme jointly led by Bolton headquartered NWTexnet and the Huddersfield based Textile Centre of Excellence.
In this two part feature, Debra Cobb takes an in depth look at the world of textiles which deliver cosmetic benefits and concludes that there is potential for cosmétotextiles to go beyond beauty and deliver wellness, therapeutic, and medical benefits. You can read Part 1 at Beyond Beauty: The Future of Cosmétotextiles.
In this two part feature, Debra Cobb takes an in depth look at the world of textiles which deliver cosmetic benefits and concludes that there is potential for cosmétotextiles to go beyond beauty and deliver wellness, therapeutic, and medical benefits.
Creativity, production speed and design quality through digital printing
Miroglio Textile will be taking one of the key challenges faced by the textile sector to the very heart of Prémiere Vision this week by means of an unprecedented performance by Stefano Arienti, an important Italian artist, which will entail the creation of new fabrics in real time.
A forward thinking Scottish industrial textiles manufacturer is planning to put ownership of its business into the hands of its employees. Scott & Fyfe Limited, the Tayport based technical textiles manufacturer has announced it will transform itself into an employee owned company. The business is currently owned by the Tough family.
Alexium International Group Limited (Alexium) (announced today that the Australian patent office has granted a patent for the “Method for Attachment of Silicon-containing Compounds to a Surface and for Synthesis of Hypervalent Silicon-compounds” (Australia Patent No. 2006290509).
Organisers have released early details of speakers and topics in the expanded free-to-attend Open Forum conference programme at the second annual UK Plastic Electronics Show, which will be held at the UK’s NEC in Birmingham on 7-8 November. The show is part of the Advanced Engineering UK group of events.
The UK government announced yesterday over £2 million worth of support for a new skills programme led by a consortium of employers and the Textile Centre of Excellence in Huddersfield that will improve the skills of people already working and develop the next generation of skilled talent for these industries. The partnership includes manufacturers from textiles, technical textiles, apparel and textile services sectors, trade associations and Creative Skillset.
Mr Zhang Jie, Chairman of the China Hi-Tech Group, visited A. Monforts Textilmaschinen in Mönchengladbach last month, to see for himself the latest addition to his group of companies with its worldwide activities.
NatureWorks and Sulzer’s Sulzer Chemtech division announced this week that Sulzer has shipped proprietary production equipment to NatureWorks’ Blair, Nebraska facility that will enable NatureWorks to increase production of Ingeo biopolymer and produce new, high-performance resins and lactides.
The recently-announced bankruptcy of Konarka illustrates just how tricky it is to bring groundbreaking new technologies to market – however smart they may be.
The company is the latest in a list of companies who over the past decade have attempted the fusion of technologies – in this case mass manufactured solar cells with plastic films, but the marriage of electronics with textiles is just as applicable – and come unstuck at the lengthy lead times and endless financial resources required for successfully launching such products.
Reactive Surface Treatment (RST) technology provider Alexium announced today that it has been awarded a $200,000 contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory to demonstrate its Cleanshell CB treatments for chemical and biological protection applications. The contract follows two other purchase orders by the US Army in the last twelve months and is expected to further validate RST technology for defence applications.
International Newsletters has announced that the speaker on nanotextiles has been confirmed for its TCL2012, International Conference on Textiles Coating & Laminating. Dr. Dirk Hegemann from the prestigious Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) will address the subject Nano Textiles: What can be expected from it?
Alexium announced this week that it has successfully demonstrated its Reactive Surface Technology (RST) treatments for functionalizing temperature-sensitive fibres such as high-performance polyolefins to add new properties such as antimicrobial, adhesion promotion, and flame retardancy.
With ten months still to go, Techtextil, the International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens in Frankfurt am Main from 11 to 13 June 2013, is already almost fully booked.
“Over 90% of the exhibition space occupied in 2011 has been reserved; 86% has actually been firmly booked. Never before have we had such a good result at such an early stage”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies.
All the signs are that Texprocess, Leading International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials, in Frankfurt am Main from 10 to 13 June 2013, will be a success. With a year still to go before the doors open, over 50% of exhibition space has already been sold and the market leaders are on board.
.jpg&w=140&h=104&zc=2)
Entering its third decade as three important days each year for the global filtration business, the Filtration 2012 International Conference and Exposition will return to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 13-15 November 2012.
Advanced composites manufacturer Umeco is helping put a spring in the step of Paralympian athletes taking part in the London games next week by supplying materials for prosthetic limbs known as blades to specialist supplier Ottobock HealthCare.
The University of Manchester and Beyond Surface Technologies AG have joined forces in the development of sustainable technologies for textiles.
The two organisations have come together to provide alternatives to fossil-based raw materials currently used in textile processing.
RHL calendering and squeezing equipment scores in geotextiles and medical sectors
New investment during 2012 by US technical nonwovens producers is said to be highlighting the benefits of calendering and water extraction technology from Richard Hough Ltd. (RHL), of the UK. Significant installations so far this year have been commissioned by leading suppliers to the geotextiles and medical sectors.
In a year of several key sporting events, most notably the London 2012 Olympic Games, the major brands in the summer sportswear industry are battling for market share, according to the latest issue of Performance Apparel Markets from the business information company Textiles Intelligence.
Experts wishing to give a lecture at the symposiums during Techtextil in Frankfurt, the international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens being held from 11 to 13 June 2013, are invited by the organisers to submit their manuscripts. The deadline for receipt of the manuscripts is 31 October 2012.
Freudenberg Nonwovens is expanding its adsorptives business by investing in new equipment. Four years after the opening of the plant, the company is sending out a clear signal for the expansion of its business in this segment in Littleborough in the United Kingdom.
The recent symposium on cosmétotextiles held at Interfilière Paris highlighted the growing success of these hybrid fabrics, as well as posing questions about their future.
A cosmetic textile is defined by the French Office for the Standardisation of Textile and Clothing Industries as “a textile article that contains a substance or a preparation that is intended to be released sustainably on to the different superficial parts of the human body, especially the skin, and which claim particular properties such as cleansing, perfume, change of appearance, protection, maintenance in good condition, or correction of body odours.”
In an article for Commodity Online yesterday, Seshadri Ramkumar, Associate Professor of Nonvwovens at Texas Tech University, reports that the technical textiles market in India will skyrocket to US $ 28.7 billion by 2016-17. The prediction comes from information provided by India’s Textiles Ministry officials.
Sales of textile-based automotive airbags are set to increase rapidly between 2010 and 2017 following two tough years in 2008 and 2009 when global sales of light vehicles fell sharply, according to a new from the business information company Textiles Intelligence.
In a sensational move just one day before the Olympic opening ceremonies, adidas has revealed the adizero Primeknit, its first one-piece upper performance running shoe featuring what it calls “a new seamless engineering technology.”
Images released tonight show a running shoe with an upper very similar to Nike’s Flyknit flat knitted which goes on general release today.
Industry rumour mills have been running at warp speed (no puns intended) since we published an article on Nike’s Flyknit integrally knitted running shoe upper in February on our Knitting Industry website - see Nike Flyknit – a seamlessly knitted running shoe!.
Now having taken a closer look at the knitted upper, we can reveal that Flyknit is without any doubt made on an electronically controlled flat knitting machine.
The recent Interfilière show in Paris confirmed the importance of the cosmetic textiles or cosmetotextiles market for producers and marketers of next-to-skin knitted fabrics.
Interfilière organiser Eurovet, has published a seven page report on Cosmetotextiles (cosmetic textiles), which summarises a symposium held at the Paris show and which was jointly sponsored by Interfilière and La Federation de la Maille et de la Lingerie.
According to a new series of Textiles Intelligence reports, textile and clothing markets are likely to remain subdued in 2012, given the considerable uncertainty in the global economy, and the fact that the debt crisis in the Eurozone continues to hit business and consumer confidence.
Messe Frankfurt USA announced today it has hired Kristy Meade as Group Show Director, Textile Events, responsible for managing the teams producing Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas, Texworld USA Winter/Summer, Apparel Sourcing and Home Textiles Sourcing Expo.
The high performance fabrics beloved of mountain sport enthusiasts are fast becoming a fixture on clothing racks. Their growing popularity is providing a boost for the Swiss textile industry.
Growth in sales for the industry overall has been in the “double digits for the past few years,” explains Moritz Becher. He is editor at Outdoor Guide, Switzerland’s biggest alpine and outdoor sport magazine.
Wool’s credentials as a textile fibre that promotes health and wellbeing were presented by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) at the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) World Congress this week in Melbourne.
A new technology which combines the outstanding natural features of cork with those of high performance fabrics has won one of the coveted Outdoor Industry Awards the Outdoor 2012 show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
According to the Hohenstein Institute, 50 % of everyone in Germany practices sport at least once a week, which is still fourth place in a European country comparison. Wearing knee-length compression socks, the institute says, was long viewed as uncool by sportsmen and women, but more and more active sportsmen and women have reported the positive effects of wearing these special elastic socks.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the textiles supply chain. Since Texcare 2012 (Frankfurt/Main) it is stretching out its fingers into the dirt trapping mat industry, too. For the first time Milliken from Manchester and Austria based Kleen-Tex Industries presented product ranges with piles made from recycled polyester and nylon fibres.
Clarion Events North America (Clarion) announced yesterday the launch of ExpoProducción, a new trade fair primarily for the apparel and sewn products manufacturing industry in Mexico and Central America.
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012, Asia’s leading textile machinery exhibition, which was held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 12 to 16 June 2012, ended on a high note for the organisers with record numbers of visitors and exhibitors.
Prepregs produced by Umeco Structural materials have been used by Australian composites parts manufacturer LSM Advanced Composites Pty Ltd. (LSM) on the Deepsea Challenger, a pioneering submersible which completed a record-breaking solo dive to the deepest place on Earth - the Mariana Trench - on the 26th March 2012.
Following the successful completion of an environmental impact assessment, work has started on Lenzing’s new 67,000 tonnes per annum Tencel fibre production facility at Lenzing in Upper Austria. The build is expected to take two years.
Technical textile production in Japan continued to increase in 2011 after growing substantially in the previous year, according to a new report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence called ‘Statistics: Fibre Consumption for Technical Textiles in Japan’.
Many of the benefits of disposable nonwoven wipes in the workplace over laundered and reusable cleaning materials (what are referred to in the US as ‘shop towels’) have been pretty well demonstrated over the past 30 years.
In an ambitious drive to reach zero manufacturing waste in its North American facilities, Freudenberg North America's 16 companies will increasingly pursue industrial processes that focus on recycled product content, plant recycling, lower water and energy consumption and increased use of sustainable materials over the next decade, the company said in a statement this week.
The Russian government is investing more than USD$20 million in the implementation of a major project, regarding with the design and further launch of production of innovative textile fabrics.
According to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the project involves the participation of about major 10 Russian research institutes, which will provide their latest developments in the field of production of innovative textile fabrics.
Teijin Fibers has launched a new polyester knitted fabric that is said to offer total comfort during perspiration through enhanced absorption, quick drying and prevention of both chill and stickiness.
All over the world there are do-gooders who give their all to serve a noble cause. In the management of an enterprise, however, they would become a liability because the primary goal of an enterprise is to earn money. For a long time, combining benevolence and the need to earn money has been inconceivable.
A consortium, led by Umeco involving Aston Martin Lagonda, Delta Motorsport Ltd., ABB Robotics and Pentangle Engineering Services Ltd., has been established to examine the potential for using high-performance composites in mainstream automotive applications.
Around 200 textile research professionals met at the end of May in St Gallen, Switzerland at the international Fiber Society Spring Conference to keep abreast of current trends in research and development in this field.
Alexium has announced it has appointed David Lambert, Lt Colonel US Chemical Corp (Retd.) as Process Chemist and Production Transition Manager in a move aimed at complementing the existing Alexium team’s skills.
By Valérie Lamontagne.
A few weeks ago I attended the annual Smart Fabrics Conference 2012 held in Miami, Florida. This industry-focused event brings together owners, players, entrepreneurs and developers from various textile-based R&D fields interested in intelligent embedded technological applications.
Dr. Anton Reinfelder (AR) is Managing Director of Groz-Beckert subsidiary Groz-Beckert Asia Private Limited, based in Chandigarh, India. He has corporate responsibility for the knitting and sewing divisions at two factories, local purchasing and also sales in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Federal-Mogul Corporation has enhanced its innovative line of Thermflex exhaust insulating sleeves. The optimized design can now be tailored to fit any combination of exhaust pipe and tube geometries, helping to increase efficiency of a vehicle's exhaust system, while protecting sensitive nearby vehicle components. Additionally, the unique flexible manufacturing process produces an exhaust sleeve that is application-specific, eliminating the need for custom tooling.
Dow Chemical Company announced the introduction of its technology platform for Rhoplex Econext Acrylic Binders for the North American hygiene and medical market yesterday at the World Of Wipes conference. The series of low and ultra-low formaldehyde binders allows companies to manufacture end-use nonwoven products with minimal levels of formaldehyde and comply with the industry’s most stringent standards.
Jeremy Moon, founder and CEO of Icebreaker, the New Zealand company that pioneered the outdoor merino wool apparel category, has been awarded the World Class New Zealand Award for Manufacturing, Design and Innovation.
Two of the strongest and most innovative textile and technology companies in the stretch knits and wovens sectors are joining forces. Swiss companies Schoeller Textil AG from Sevelen (St. Gallen) and the Eschler Group from Bühler (Appenzell Ausserrhoden) are to unite under the banner of Swiss quality, global presence and wide ranging know-how.
Messe Frankfurt has announced that the eleventh edition of Techtextil North America and the second edition of Texprocess Americas will be held from 13-15 May 2014 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 51st Dornbirn Man-Made Fibers Congress will take place from 19 – 21 September 2012 in Dornbirn in the Vorarlberg region of Austria, where over 700 delegates from more than 30 countries will meet to discuss the future of the man-made fibres industry.
Production is now underway for the 2012 GOCarbonFibre conference, due to take place in London this October. Organisers Smithers Apex says it is excited about the return to Europe, and building on last year's resounding success it has a fresh new angle for this year's programme.
The first edition of Texprocess Americas took place April 24 – 26, 2012 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The show was co-located with Techtextil North America and aimed to create a synergy making the largest and best technical textiles, textile machinery, nonwovens, sewn products and equipment trade show in the Americas.
The ninth edition of Techtextil North America, now incorporating ATME-I, took place April 24 – 26, 2012 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The show was co-located with Texprocess Americas which resulted in a dynamic synergy creating the largest and best technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery, sewn products and equipment trade show in the Americas.
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 live 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.
The tenth edition of Techtextil North America TTNA), the leading trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, will take place from 19-21 March 2013 at the Hilton Anaheim in Anaheim, California.
ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, is organizing two important workshops in Mumbai and Ichalkaranji, India, in order to respond to strong demand for Italian technology from the local textiles industry.
Lear Corporation, a leading supplier of automotive seating and electrical power management systems, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire automotive fabrics manufacturer Guilford Mills
W. L. Gore & Associates has launched a new website which aims to provide a comprehensive resource for its latest products and technologies and to improve the online experience for visitors. The new site features videos and animations to illustrate the science behind Gore’s fabric technology and there is also an improved customer support section, detailing how to buy, care for, and repair Gore fabrics.
The specialist trade fair Composites Europe and the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) are to further strengthen their cooperation with an international conference programme to continuing education on the web.
Phase change materials (PCM) developer and marketer Outlast Technologies has been acquired by Golden Equity Investments, (GEI), a Colorado private equity firm that invests in operating businesses.
Karl Mayer Malimo has a new business manager as of 1st April. The new man at the helm of the 100% Karl Mayer owned subsidiary, and hence the technical textiles business sector, is Jochen Schmidt, a 42-year-old who has risen through the ranks after ten years at the German company.
April 17-18th will see the UK’s biggest ever event solely dedicated to showcasing the world’s best workwear, personal protective equipment (PPE) and corporate clothing. Taking place at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, the Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show is a truly international event set to attract more than 2000 visitors and exhibitors from over 20 countries, from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, China and the USA.
Technical textiles were probably not the prime concern of many of the 700,000+ visitors who flocked to this year’s Geneva Motor Show from March 7-17, but beyond the sleek exteriors of the latest vehicles there was convincing evidence of their increasing adoption.
Teijin Limited announced today it will open its Teijin Composites Application Center (TCAC), a technical centre to develop automotive and other industrial applications of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composite products, in Auburn Hills, Michigan on 1st April.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.(NAT), which produces and markets CRAiLAR, a natural fibre made from flax and other bast fibres, announced key developments this week toward advancing its first full phase of production in order to supply its CRAiLAR fibre to global partners.
Having secured significant additional finance in the past few weeks, Alexium now has a clear roadmap for accelerating the industry take-up of its potentially groundbreaking new flame retardant and oil and water repellent nylon treatment.
Italian circular knitting machine builder Santoni and its sister company Lonati, the world’s leading hosiery machinery manufacturer, are heading to Moscow this month. The two Brescia based companies will be exhibiting at technical textiles exhibition Techtextil Russia and textile machinery show Inlegmash, which are taking place at Moscow’s Expocenter-Pavilion Forum from 12-14 March (booths FD90 and FD120).
German knitting machine manufacturer Harry Lucas has launched a range of new knitting machinery developments for 2012. Following a successful ITMA in September last year, the company has upgraded a number of its models and introduced new variants to meet customer demands.
DyStar has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) with the objective of strengthening its commitment towards sustainability.
Sportswear and sports shoe giant Nike Inc. has announced the launch of a revolutionary new running shoe which uses state-of-the-art integral knitting techniques to create a one piece upper which is virtually seamless. The Nike Flyknit upper is engineered for precision fit and aims to create the feeling of a second skin for runners.
Switzerland’s Schoeller Textil AG has a new medical textiles business called Schoeller Medical AG. The new subsidiary will focus on innovative healthcare projects and has launched its first product line of incontinence products.
Leading manufacturer of warp knitted seamless (WKS) garments Cifra, which has recently signed a collaboration agreement with circular seamless giant Tefron, exhibited at ISPO in Munich last month for the first time, claiming the show was a resounding success. Cifra says buyers were actually queuing to get on to the company’s booth at the 17 hall, 80,000 visitor sportswear and sports equipment show.
TenCate Advanced Armour has opened a sales office in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Mr Jacob Abelsen who has previously been the regional agent of TenCate Advanced Armour has been appointed director of the new entity in Singapore.
Interface, Inc. announced today that the company has received two Good Design awards for excellence in both its commercial and residential product lines: InterfaceFLOR's World Textiles Collection originating from the company's European region and FLOR's Reoriented floor covering solution produced in the United States.
On 9 December 2011, Prof. Stefan Mecheels, Head of the Hohenstein Institute, opened the new test laboratory at the International Textile Testing and Service Centre in Hong Kong. It was an opportunity to tell the approximately 70 invited guests from all around the world about the work of the Hohenstein experts.
Canada’s Trimera Group has announced the launch of its brand new Catalyst I warp and weft knit seamless knitting development and production centre in Montreal in March 2012.
Swiss high-tech group Oerlikon has now become a Premium Partner of the Sauber F1 Team. The group, which owns Oerlikon Textile, is intensifying its involvement with the Swiss racing team, and the Oerlikon logo will be prominently displayed on both sides of the upper engine cover of the new Sauber C31-Ferrari as well as on team gear and equipment.
YKK launched a revolutionary new zipper concept at ISPO Munich 2012 last week called Ultra Light Zipper, which is being developed to answer the ongoing lightweight trend in sports and outdoor apparel.
Hologenix, manufacturer of Celliant, a responsive textile technology for apparel, bedding and veterinary products, has announced the formation of a Science Advisory Board.
W. L. Gore & Associates is among just five workplaces to appear on every list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For since the rankings debuted three decades ago. The global technology company, which continues to expand its workforce, earned the No. 38 spot on the 2012 list, now available on fortune.com.
India is witnessing a revolutionary phase in the horticultural and agricultural sectors with both small and large companies investing heavily in the latest technologies. In March, the Ministry of Agriculture-sponsored Inter-Horti Expo will become the focus for the industry with both domestic and international exhibitors vying for a piece of the action and displaying their latest products.
.jpg&w=140&h=104&zc=2)
The latest in product development, technology, and international trade updates for the sewn products industry will be presented by industry experts and leaders from around the world during the 2012 Texprocess Americas Symposium being held April 24 - 26, 2012 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 2012 MTEX - the International Trade Fair & Symposium
for Textiles and Composites in Transportation, which will be held in Chemnitz,
Germany from 8 - 10 May 2012, will underline the growing importance and
opportunities for using textile materials in every area of vehicle
manufacturing.
According to organisers Messe Chemnitz, the applications on
display will range from developments for vehicle interiors to vehicle
components made of composites and the organisers s
Ahlstrom has signed an agreement to invest in Porous Power
Technologies, a Colorado, U.S. based company developing technology for
lithium-ion battery separators. Under the agreement, Ahlstrom will subscribe
for approximately 49% of the shares in Porous Power while the remaining 51% of
the shares will be held by the current owners of Porous Power. Ahlstrom has an
option to acquire the remaining shares at a later stage.
Ahlstrom, together with Porous Power, will be offe
Kertak Nanotechnology, a leading manufacturer of ceramic
nanofibers located in the Czech Republic, has invested in FibeRio Technology
Corporation's new continuous nanofibre production system, the Cyclone FE 1.1
with Forcespinning technology.
Kertak manufactures cutting edge ceramic nanofibers for a
broad range of industries including batteries, fuel cells, catalysts, solar
cells and high end cosmetics.
"Ceramic nanofibers have been extensively researched and the
o
IntertechPira has announced the agenda for the 8th annual
Smart Fabrics 2012 conference which includes speakers from Adidas, M.I.T., Nike
and Philips Lighting.
The scheduled presenters for Smart Fabrics 2012 include:
· Dr. Vicki A. Barbur, VP Research and
Development, M-Segment, Cardinal Health
· Stacey
Burr, VP Wearable Sports Electronics, adidas
· Hap
Klopp, Chairman, Cocona Fabric
· Sti
AIC group is putting the finishing touches to making 125
tonnes of equipment operational for the National Composites Centre (NCC) in
Bristol. The project has taken around seven months.
The NCC is the country's leading organisation bridging the
gap between academic research and manufacturing.
The NCC aims to bring together dynamic
companies and enterprising academics to develop new technologies for the design
and rapid manufacture of high-quality composite products. Thou
Teijin Limited and
the Tokyo Institute of Technology have co-developed a highly conductive carbon nanofibre
(CNF) which is said to have a high linearity structure which offers 30-40%
greater electrical conductivity compared to conventional CNF.
The primary application envisioned for the new CNF is for
battery components, including lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, capacitors,
electrode additives, plastic additives, fuel-cell gas-diffusion layers and
plastic reinfo
Groz-Beckert has
launched an iPad app called myGrozBeckert for weaving, knitting, felting,
tufting and sewing, which it says will keep textile manufacturers up to date on
the company's product range and provide them with a set of useful conversion
and calculation tools.
Weavers for example who want to convert yarn counts and
determine healds, drop wire weights and the highest row densities of drop wires
can do so quickly and flexibly with the myGrozBeckert app and the T
With 11,283 certificates issued in the last year alone, and more than 9,500 companies
involved in the scheme in over 90 countries, the OEKO-TEX organisation says its
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 has once again confirmed its position as the world's
leading certification scheme for textiles tested for harmful substances.
That was the conclusion of this year's meeting of the heads of
OEKO-TEX institutes, which, in view of the growing number of certificates
issued to production
TenCate Advanced Composites North America has expanded into
a facility adjacent to its Morgan Hill (California), USA site.
The new ‘world class' space will encompass thermoplastic
composites manufacturing, R&D labs and office space.
TenCate produces
mainly thermoplastic and thermoset composites to the aerospace industry and the
company says there is a growing demand for durable lightweight composites, both
from the traditional composites markets an
The Textile Institute with the support of the Manchester
& Cheshire Section and the Technical Textiles SIG will be building on the
success of last year's event and hosting this one day conference on 30 November
2011. ‘Managing Innovation in Textiles 2011' aims to explore how
major innovations will affect industry, the environment and our lifestyles
going forward.
Keynote speaker, Dr Batchelor is one of Unilever's leading
Inventors and Innovators, with over 100 published pat
One of the world's leading trade fair companies and a
leading fashion school have joined forces to promote sustainable fashion.
Messe Frankfurt, Germany's leading trade fair organiser and
the international École Superieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (Esmod)
have signed a cooperation agreement in Paris with the common aim of promoting
sustainability in the fashion business.
Member of the Messe Frankfurt Executive Board, Detlef Braun
described the partnership as bein
TenCate Advanced Armour EMEA opens its new facility in
Primarette, France, for the production of lightweight armour systems for
aerospace applications on Thursday 3 November 2011.
TenCate Advanced Armour is a leading global supplier of a
wide range of armour composite materials for ballistic protection and after
signing a first major contract for aerospace armour solutions in December 2009,
the company has started a design and qualification process for lightweight
KPS Capital Partners, LP has announced that it has entered
into definitive agreements to acquire American & Efird, Inc. (A&E) from
Ruddick Corporation through a newly-formed affiliate, A&E Global, for
$180.0 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments.
A&E, headquartered in Mt. Holly, North Carolina, is the largest
U.S. manufacturer and the world's second-largest manufacturer and dist
A+A 2011, the leading International Trade Fair with Congress
for Safety, Security and Health at Work posted record last week when it took
place from 18 - 21 October.
60,100 trade visitors, the highest number in the event's
history (2009: 55,800), gathered information on current trends and product
innovations in the field of occupational health and safety and the implementation
of smooth-running operational procedures from the 1600
Sabine Anton-Katzenbach reports from A+A in Dusseldorf
The biannual trade show A+A in Düsseldorf is a must for everyone who is involved in safety and health at work. And it is an important newsroom for the latest technical textiles applied in protective clothing and work wear.
In 2011 the sector is heading for a new generation of protective wear: it combines multi-risk protection and high comfort such as sweat management, breathabili
Teijin Aramid introduced its latest unidirectional laminate fabric, Twaron UD41 at the A+A show in Dusseldorf yesterday, which has been specially developed for bulletproof vests to provide extra protection from different types of attack.
Twaron UD41 is aimed at groups such as soldiers or police units, and even private citizens who require such protection.
According to Teijin Aramid, the new fabric, which is based
India's technical textiles industry is expected to grow to a value of Rs 1,58,000 crore by 2017, a senior government official said at the opening of Techtextil India 2011 in Mumbai, Moneycontrol reports.
"The technical textiles industry is forecast to grow at Rs 1,58,000 crore by 2016-17, with a projected growth of 20%. The industry has grown to Rs 63,000 crore in 2011-12 from Rs 41,000 crore in 2010-11, which is 11%
A Japanese government-sponsored initiative known as Cool Biz has encouraged companies to allow employees to dress more casually, including shedding the traditional suit coat and tie, in an effort to save energy for the past few summers.
This year, however, in the aftermath of the March 11 disaster and resulting decline in electrical power production, an updated version of the energy initiative, called Setsuden (pow
Just a few days before the ITMA in Barcelona, Karl Mayer has announced that, as of 1 January 2012 its Malimo stitch bonding technology will be transferred to textile machinery manufacturer Christian Pinkert Textilmaschinen.
The Malimo technology, which was first developed in 1949 by Heinrich Mauersberger in the former East Germany, will be going home to Chemnitz to Christian Pinkert's factory on Annaberger St
DuPont won a civil lawsuit for $919.9 million against Kolon Industries yesterday, with the jury finding that Kolon stole trade secrets and confidential information regarding DuPont's Kevlar aramid fibre.
Kolon, a South Korea-based company, was found liable for misappropriation of trade secrets, and the jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond, Va., found that its act
India's Ministry of Textiles has granted Rs 24.5 crore (US$5.1 million) to the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) to set up a research centre to develop sports related textile technologies.
According to a recent report in the Economic Times, The National Centre of Excellence (NCE) in Sportech will run with industrial partners, including Reliance Industries Ltd, Kemrock Industries (Vadodara) and Kusumgar Associates
Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Beijing Chinamex International Investment Co. Ltd. (Chinamex) in Beijing, China, to develop the Chinese market for protective fabrics.
The partners' objective is to market flame-retardant (FR) fabrics for defence applications, police and emergency response. TenCate says that, as in many other emerging markets for high performance mate
Groz-Beckert is to launch its offer to the textiles industry of a comprehensive training programme under its new Groz-Beckert Academy at ITMA in Barcelona this month. The company says the entirely new offer is distinctive for its hands-on practicality, experienced trainers, and the fact that it covers the complete spectrum offered by its Technology and Development Centre (TEZ).
Know-how along the entire te
The organisers of Techtextil India have announced program details for the Techtextil India Symposium which is being held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai from 11-12 October 2011 alongside the exhibition.
The symposium has been designed to offer practical advice to companies wanting to become involved or to increase their involvement in technical textile markets.
Speakers will address topics such a
The western Indian state of Maharashtra is to get its first technical textiles park at Ichalkaranji off Kolhapur in the state's western region. According to a report in the Business Standard yesterday the project involves an investment of Rs 110 crore, Rs 50 crore of which will come from central and local government subsidy.
The balance of Rs 60 crore will be raised through members' contributions, loans and subsidie
According to a report in India's Economic Times yesterday the country's technical textiles industry is projected to grow to Rs.1.4 trillion ($31.4 billion) by 2016-17, with healthcare and infrastructure sectors accounting for a major chunk of the consumption.
The report quotes from a FICCI-Wazir Advisors-Ernst & Young Knowledge joint paper published last Thursday which also said that the tec
The Lenzing Group has reported record results after the most successful first half year in the company's history.
Following a very good first quarter 2011, sales and earnings were significantly surpassed in the second quarter of 2011 and the company has now set its guidance for the full year 2011 at the upper end of the initial guidance announced in the first quarter, forecasting EBITDA of EUR 470 million to
Bluffton, Indiana based McHenry Knitting and Manufacturing, Inc. has been acquired by Protective Industrial Products, Inc. (PIP), a leading supplier of personal protective equipment.
The new owners say a new PIP company, McHenry Manufacturing Inc. (MMI), will operate the business in the same manner that made McHenry one of the leading suppliers of knitted and cut-and-sewn personal protective products in the indus
A new book from Woodhead Publishing , edited by B J McCarthy of TechniTex Faraday Limited, UK, entitled ‘Textiles for hygiene and infection control' offers insight into design and production techniques for hygiene textiles.
Chapters discuss a range of applications, such as the use of textiles for incontinence and the book is expected to provide an essential reference for manufacturers, designers, engineers and prod
Secant Medical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Prodesco, has announced a realignment of the organization with changes in its management and internal operational structure. Management changes include the appointments of internal management to senior vice president, vice president, and director levels as well as minor shifts to the company's organizational structure.
The appointments, which became effective as of Tuesday,
Interface Founder and Chairman Ray Anderson dies aged 77
Ray Anderson - 1934-2011
Ray C. Anderson, founder and Chairman of Interface, Inc., lost a 20-month battle with cancer on Monday. Surrounded by his family, he died at his home in Atlanta, it was announced by Company President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Hendrix.
An honours graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology's school of industrial and systems engineering in 1956, Anderson founded Interface in 1973 to produce the f
TenCate Protective Fabrics Americas, a market leader in inherently flame resistant (FR) fabrics for protective apparel, has strategically enhanced proprietary manufacturing processes to meet supply chain challenges in the industrial safety apparel market.
TenCate says it has worked with its supply chain and is planning ahead for trends in reduced availability of FR cotton and the expected increased demand
The following interview was conducted by Kettenwirk-Praxis (KWP) in the run up to ITMA in Barcelona.
KWP: Karl Mayer is one of the largest exhibitors at ITMA 2011. What do you expect to achieve by exhibiting at ITMA?
Fritz P. Mayer: We are hoping to meet highly qualified visitors from all over the world at ITMA 2011. We are particularly geared up to welcoming visitors who lead the way in their own particular fields. As part o
Celebrating its 20th anniversary as a very important three days each year for the global filtration business, the Filtration 2011 International Conference and Exposition will feature more than 120 exhibitors from all links in the filter supply chain at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, from November 15-17, 2011.
Exhibitors will be showcasing the latest products, technologies and end products for filtration; while an extensive t
According to media reports the Indian government now estimates that the country's growing technical textiles sector will reach US$36 billion by 2016-17. According to an article on www.commodityonline.com by leading technical textiles academic Seshadri Ramkumar of Texas Tech University, an estimated annual growth of 20% is expected.
The Indian government is promoting the growth of the technical textil
Groz-Beckert says it has set a new benchmark in customer service by setting up Sewing Expertise Centres world-wide for fast answers to application problems, making at the same time a closer connection to its customers.
Groz Beckert's Sewing Expertise Centres offer extensive knowledge in all areas of the sewing industry, from clothing to cars and other technical textiles.
The aim is that
As working in the operating theatre calls for maximum concentration for often for several hours at a time, a commissioned project at the Hohenstein Institute looked at the question of the effect that the clothing worn in the operating theatre has on the surgeons' ability to concentrate.
The Hohenstein researchers used a computer-based occupational psychology test which enabled them to measure and record th
Last Thursday (7 July) saw the official opening of the Open Innovation Center Advanced Materials (OICAM) in Nijverdal, the Netherlands. The new innovation centre is a network of companies and knowledge institutions inside and outside of the Netherlands' province of Overijssel that focuses on sharing knowledge, research and development concerning high-grade materials and materials technology.
The centre was opened by Dr T
From 27th June to 30th June 2011, forty-three students aged 14 and 15 spent the week enjoying a unique learning experience at The University of Manchester. The four-day Smallpeice Trust Engineering Materials residential course, hosted by The University of Manchester's School of Materials and sponsored by LATEST2 (Light Alloys Towards Environmentally Sustainable Transport) was designed to give students a taste of this
Innovation in Textiles RESEARCHSTORE - for your market research needs
6 July 2011, Manchester
Innovation in Textiles (www.innovationintextiles.com ) has teamed up with market research leader Datamonitor to give readers quick and easy access to selected quality market research for the textiles and clothing sector.
Innovation in Textiles' RESEARCHSTORE website, which is also accessible via the Innovation in Textiles main website, gives readers the opportunity to buy information from a catalogue of
By GROZ-BECKERT KG
For more than 150 years, Groz-Beckert has supported the world's textile machinery builders developing from being simply a manufacturer of knitting machine parts into the most important system supplier of precision components in the field of textiles and beyond.
Step by step, the company has branched out into the business sectors of sewing machine parts, felting and structuring needles, gauge parts
Reclaimed textiles are being reinvented as an innovative alternative to insulation by a Scottish firm. Design & Research Studio Kraft Architecture has unveiled its ‘Thermobond' insulation product which blends wool waste fibres to help buildings retain heat.
With support from Scottish Enterprise the Glasgow-based company has developed Thermobond as an addition to the multi-billion-pound insulation market and a useful tool in helping Scotland to achieve a low carbon and
Huntsman Textile Effects has announced the appointment of Mr. Kent E. Kvaal as the new Vice President of its Business Specialty Textiles Unit.
"Kent E. Kvaal is based at the Textile Effects headquarters in Singapore, and as Global Vice President of Specialty Textiles, he will continue to drive this important business unit internationally," a company spokesperson said.
"Specialty Textiles is dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions to a demanding set of markets in
Techtextil, the world's primary event for generating business between manufacturers and users of technical textiles and nonwovens has extended its industry leading position with more than 24,500 visitors from 96 countries attending last month's Techtextil 2011 in Frankfurt. Visitors saw a host of innovations presented by 1207 exhibitors from 50 countries.
"This is a great success from both the national and internati
Now a privately owned business following the ending of its contract with England's North West Development Agency, technical textiles cluster organisation NWtexnet held a breakfast briefing session for the region's industry on Wednesday June 1st 2011 in Bolton.
Professor Richard Horrocks, Chairman, announced a number of new initiatives around research and development (R&D) at the Industry Forum* event held at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel, which was attended by o
To support the rapid growth in vehicle production and airbag fitment rates in Asia, Autoliv Inc., the global leader in automotive safety systems, has begun the construction of an airbag cushion manufacturing plant in Chonburi, near Bangkok. Autoliv's existing airbag cushion plant in Thailand opened just two years ago.
The new facility will have capacity to produce 4.6 million cushions corresponding to 15% of Autoliv's global manufacturing capacity for cut and sew textile c
Adrian Wilson reports from Techtextil in Frankfurt
One thing I noticed at this year's Techtextil was a considerable rise in both exhibitors and visitors from Russia, compared to the last show two years ago.
There are no figures available from show organiser Messe Frankfurt to confirm this as yet, but there are many signs that the economy in Russia is currently very favourable for major technical textile markets - if only anyone quite knew how to get in.
Take the autom
The UKs Materials
Knowledge Transfer Network and Medilink North West are hosting an event called Medical
Materials & Textile Solutions for an Ageing Society, aimed at bringing together
industry, the National Health Service (NHS) and university professionals to
share the latest developments and advances in this highly significant area of healthcare.
The event will be held at the Manchester Conference Centre
and Hotel, Sackville Street, Manchester, United Kingdom on 15
The Textile Institute has announced the launch of its
prestigious 2011 Medals and Awards. Following on from the success in 2010, the
Awards are expected to acknowledge the dedicated work of individuals and
provide recognition for organisations showing outstanding achievement.
The Medals and Awards are presented under the authority of
the Institutes Council, and are conferred upon individuals and organisations
in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the t
The Gores Group, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm,
today announced that it has partnered with management to acquire Sage
Automotive Interiors, Inc. a leading supplier of high-performance specialty
fabrics, from an affiliate of Azalea Capital, LLC. Financial terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Sage is one of
the worlds leading providers of automotive bodycloth, including a range of
knitted and woven technical t
Performance Fibers, the specialist manufacturer of
industrial polyester fibres and fabrics with operations in the Americas, Europe
and Asia, has announced the appointment of Greg Vas Nunes as President of Performance
Fibers Europe. Mr Vas Nunes has already assumed
the role from the end of February this year and will be based at the company's European
Headquarters in Luxembourg. Developing next-generation technologies and products for
industry and consumer
Fritz P. Mayer, Managing Associate of Karl Mayer
Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH, Obertshausen has been elected for the second time
as Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association in Frankfurt on 6 May
2011.
Mrs Regina Brückner, Managing Associate of Brückner Trockentechnik
GmbH & Co. KG, Leonberg and Karlheinz Liebrandt, Co-owner of Liba
Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Naila are Vice-Chairmen. Prior to this, the member
companies of the Textile Machinery Associatio
Two North American companies with a combined 168 years of
textile and fibre recycling experience, have formed a strategic partnership to
increase the volume of post-consumer textiles saved from landfills. Leigh Fibers
and Trans-Americas Textile Recycling have teamed up to offer Green Loop, a comprehensive fibre and
textile recycling service.
Trans-Americas works with retailers, municipalities and
charitable organizations to recycle used clothing/post-consumer textil
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an interim
recommendation for Bayer CropScience’s new LifeNet mosquito nets for malaria
prevention and control. Bayer says this is an important milestone on the road
to the worldwide LifeNet product launch which is scheduled to take place before
the end of 2011.
According to Bayer, LifeNet is the first innovation in this
field for more than a decade. Deltamethrin, the active ingredient recommended
by the WHO, has been directly
Innovation in Textiles is now offering readers the opportunity to buy online, business information
reports on the technical textiles and nonwovens industries.
The authoritative reports are compiled and published by
Textiles Intelligence, a highly respected and leading provider of business
information and cover the global man-made fibre, nonwoven and technical textile
industries, as well as performance apparel and corporate wear.
Below is a sample selection of recently pu
The Performance Forum
“To say that the Performance Forum at Performance Days is
unique is no exaggeration,” says show organiser Weichert Agencies.
Season by season, designer Alexa Dehmel sets up nine tables
plus the Innovation Tower, where she presents the exhibitors’ most important
fabric trends and innovations sorted by topic. Performance Days also provides
the quintessentials of these trends in advance to registered guests via a
mailing, which the organ
Bill Mills, an experienced UK based textiles specialist, has
moved on from NWtexnet the UK regional development agency funded support
organisation, to set up his own textiles and business support consultancy.
Using his global contacts and over 20 years experience in
the textiles industry, Bill will now be offering the following services in
conjunction with his partners and associates:
A full range of fabric and garment sourcing through
Pakistan, China and Viet
India’s government owned National Textiles Corporation (NTC)
has announced it will invest Rupees 4.25 billion in a technical textiles joint
venture to meet the fast growing demand in healthcare and infrastructure sectors,
according to a report in The Hindu.
“We plan to diversify into technical textiles space. This is
an emerging sector. We will rope in a global firm that will provide technology
to the venture and help to market the produce,” the NTC Chairman and Ma
Netherlands headquartered Sioen Industries, a producer of
technical textiles, fine chemicals and high-tech protective clothing, has
announced it has reached an agreement for the sale of one of its subsidiaries,
Roland International.
Roland International produces finished curtains and
tarpaulins for international road and rail transport sectors. The company
slogan ‘built stronger to last longer’ expresses the philosophy of the company
which after restructuring was put u
Innovation
in Textiles is now offering readers the opportunity to buy online, business
information reports on the global fibre, textile and apparel industries. The
reports are compiled and published by Textiles Intelligence, a highly respected
and leading provider of business information.
Technical Textile
Markets reports provide an overview of the global man-made fibre, nonwoven
and technical textile industries. They provide market data and analysis of new
and established markets for technical
Innovation in Textiles is now offering readers the opportunity to
buy online, business information reports on the global fibre, textile and
apparel industries. The reports are compiled and published by Textiles
Intelligence, a highly respected and leading provider of business information.
Textile Outlook International reports provide an overview of
the global fibre, textile and apparel industries. They are essential reading
for senior executives in the fibre, textile and apparel industries – a
Innovation in Textiles is now offering readers the
opportunity to buy online, business information reports on the global fibre,
textile and apparel industries. The reports are compiled and published by
Textiles Intelligence, a highly respected and leading provider of business
information.
Performance Apparel Markets reports provide an overview of
the sector for performance apparel and corporate wear. They provide market data
and analysis of new and established markets for performance fibres, fa
The Industrial Fabrics Association International has
released its ‘Market Watch: Geosynthetics Market Snapshot’ for 2011. The
report's chief focus is on the U.S. geosynthetics marketplace, particularly as
it relates to market size and growth, predominate materials/polymers;
applications used in the U.S. market, trends, opportunities, threats, and
market outlook.
IFAI Market Research Manager Jeff Rasmussen created the
report to give businesses the essential data
How can light be controlled without a switch or dimmer?
Isabel Cabral, a guest researcher at the Swedish School of Textiles, asked
herself just that question. Her project 'Light Filters,' where textiles control
the light, is now on display at the Smart Textiles Origami exhibition at the
Textile Museum in Boräs.
Isabel was originally a product developer and started taking
an interest in smart textiles during her studies in Portugal and Barcelona. For
six months, she has be
Euratex, voice of the European textiles and clothing
industry, says the European textiles and clothing industry is now deeply
concerned with the current situation in the raw materials markets. The Brussels
based organisation has urged the EU to take prompt action to reduce pressure in
the markets which have lead to a lack of availability and price increases for
the major textile raw materials.
When presenting the recent Position Paper on Raw Materials,
Mr. Alberto Paccan
Around 70 academics, students and industrialists from the UK
attended an inaugural lecture by Professor Tilak Dias, at Nottingham Trent
University’s Newton Lecture Theatre at the end of February. Professor Dias
holds the Chair of Knitting in the School of Art & Design at Nottingham
Trent University and directs the activities of the School’s Centre for Research
in Advanced Textiles (CReATe).
Within the School of
Art & Design, Professor Dias is leading the
Ten Cate Geosynthetics Asia has announced the successful
completion of the acquisition of the geosynthetics activities of Emas Kiara
Industries Berhad, a publicly listed company based in Rawang, Malaysia. The
completion of this transaction provides TenCate Geosynthetics with a
significantly larger position in the supply of geosynthetics solutions to the
Southeast Asian markets.
Emas Kiara Industries
is an important full-line producer and supplier of a wide range of g
Readers interested in getting their marketing message in front of
tens of thousands of technical textiles industry buyers in 2011 should check
out the advertising opportunities now available on Innovation in Textiles.
Request a copy of our new Media Information for 2011 now,
by emailing us on advertise@innovationintextiles.com.
Innovation in Textiles’ high quality daily content is now
being delivered to a huge online community via our network of websites,
e-newsletter
Biomedical Structures, LLC (BMS), a provider of biomedical
textiles for medical devices and other advanced clinical applications, has announced
the acquisition of medical textile manufacturer Concordia Medical, LLC, a
division of Concordia Manufacturing, LLC.
Also based in Rhode Island, Concordia Medical supplies medical implant
technology utilizing biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative
medicine.
Biomedical Structures specializes in the adva
The event aims to bring close to 250 textile industry professionals
to the city for an experience that will stretch the imagination, providing
insights into future industry, retail and consumer trends as well as a unique
networking platform.
The company will use the two-day forum to introduce its
international clients to the new features of its best-known brand, Lycra fibre
and the event will also offer attendees a privileged overview of industry
trends for the next five
The Netherlands’ DSM Dyneema has formed a partnership with
EuroFibers BV in which Eurofibers becomes a Premium Distribution Partner for
UHMWPE fibre manufactured by DSM Dyneema. The new agreement becomes effective 1
April 2011 and is specific to Scandinavia, Denmark, United Kingdom, Benelux,
France, Italy, Greece and the Iberian Peninsula.
EuroFibers will play an active role in developing new and
servicing existing markets for fibre from DSM Dyneema. It will also offe
Scottish technical textiles manufacturer Scott & Fyfe has
recently started collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art in order to
create a culture of sustainable innovation.
The first workshop
took place from 19-20 October 2010 in the Centre for Design Innovation in
Forres in north east Scotland’s Moray Firth area. The first two days covered how
the design process can be applied to maximise opportunity spotting and the
methods will be used within the organisat
According to a recently published report by the ITMF
(International Textile Manufacturers Federation), the strong global recovery in
yarn and fabric production since their lows in the 1st quarter of 2009
continued into the 3rd quarter of 2010. In its State of Trade Report – STR Q3/2010,
the ITMF says that both global yarn and fabric production rose compared to the
2nd quarter of 2010 as well as to 2009’s 3rd quarter.
The report says that output increases in yarns could
TenCate Grass has substantially expanded the production
capacity of its most sustainable synthetic turf product, TenCate XP Blade. The
start-up of an additional production line in Dayton (Tennessee, US) will enable
TenCate Grass to meet the sharp increase in global demand for these
wear-resistant synthetic turf fibres.
“ As a result of the strong, structural growing demand for
TenCate XP Blade, existing capacity has already been fully utilized for a
considerab
Leading technical textile and nonwovens companies from around the world will showcase the latest
products and advanced technologies in textiles, nonwovens and materials during
Techtextil North America 2011 this month in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Techtextil North America represents all vertical aspects of
the technical textile industry from research and development, through raw
materials and production processes, to conversion, further treatment and recycling.
Some of the highli
220 participants from 24
countries representing the entire PPE value chain, end users and public
authorities attended the PPE Conference 2011 which took place on 1-2 February
in Brussels.
The Conference showcased the activities of the European Lead
Market for Protective Textiles exploring the evolving needs of end users,
emerging technology and innovation trends as well as business developments in
the European and global markets for Personal Protective Clothing and
A great entrepreneur and pioneer in the crochet knitting
machine technology
Mr Luigi Omodeo Zorini passed away on 24 December 2010, at
the age of 86. He was the founder and president of Comez based in Cilavegna
(PV), Italy, and had passionately dedicated his life to his work.
Born on 25 May 1924, Mr Luigi Omodeo Zorini began his
entrepreneurial activities in Cilavegna in 1953, together with his brother
Mario, founding the company Costruzioni Meccaniche Zorini Comez for the production
of ‘croc
Seminar to focus on the growing role textiles will play in
innovative health care applications
14 January 2011, Elon - Hohenstein Institute, a leading
worldwide provider of textile testing and certification services, will present
a free webinar on textiles for health care applications on Wednesday, 2nd
February at 12:00 noon EST. The webinar is presented free of charge and is part
of Hohenstein’s ‘Under 1 Roof’ education series on textile innovation, testing
and certification.
Hohenstein
Jeffrey M. Koslosky, Director of
Technology and Product Development with Secant Medical, an industry leader in
design, development, and custom manufacturing services for implantable
biomedical textiles, will be a key speaker at two of the symposium sessions on
February 8th and 10th, 2011, during the Medical Design & Manufacturing
(MD&M) West Conference in Anaheim, CA.
At the first session, ‘Materials for Implants and Other
Demanding Biomedical Ap
Teijin Fibers Limited announced
today that it has developed a new polyester fabric that is gentle on the human
skin by stably maintaining its mildly acidic pH level, similar to healthy skin.
Teijin says that it will be the world’s first commercial polyester material to
offer pH control.
Teijin Fibers will begin selling the new fabric in time for
spring/ summer 2012 sportswear and it will also be marketed for general apparel
and other applications. The fabric will be ex
Roger Milliken, one of the
last in the tradition of those great industrialists who built America's
manufacturing success, passed away on December 30, 2010 at the age of
ninety-five.
His five children issued the following statement: "Daddy lived a rewarding ninety-five
years. We are grateful, as was he, for
the friendship and support from so many that enabled him to live a full,
productive, creative, and passionate life.
He enjoyed every minute of it."
VDMA’s Foundation of
the German Textile Machinery Industry has honoured three successful junior
engineers in an award ceremony held as the closing event of the VDMA Textile
Machinery Forum at Groz-Beckert’s headquarters in Albstadt-Ebingen.
executive partner of Brückner Trockentechnik GmbH & Co.
KG and Board member of the Foundation presented the awards. In her celebratory
speech at Groz Beckert’s new Technology and Development Center (TEZ), Brü
The representative bodies for
the European Textile and Clothing Industry, Euratex, and the European Textile
Machinery Manufacturers, Cematex, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for
closer collaboration in research, technological development innovation and industry
promotion.
The agreement aims to foster stronger collaboration of the
two European industry bodies in fields such as research, technological
development and innovations as well as the promotion of a
UK based warp
knitter of technical fabrics Baltex was awarded the prestigious prize for
Product Innovation at the Textile Institute's centenary World Conference in
Manchester at the beginning of November. Baltex was awarded the prize for work
it had done on 3D knitted fabrics under its XD Spacer programme. At the same
time Baltex’ Managing Director Charles Wood was also awarded the Fellowship of
the Institute (C.Text FTI) at a ceremony held in Mancheste
Fiberweb has launched a new
website which showcases its Defencell Force Protection Systems, a lightweight
ballistic and blast barrier solution that offers weight and space savings over
existing protective barriers. Created exclusively for US military personnel,
DefencellUSA.com provides performance data that highlights how the Defencell
system can effectively reduce the number of containers necessary to transport
and construct ballistics fortifications in both
A free white paper from
Leigh Fibers explains the Top 10 ways a manufacturer can turn scrap into useful
raw materials, with big benefits for the environment and the company’s bottom
line.
The white paper, ‘Waste Should Not Be Wasted — The Top 10
Ways To Make It Work For You,’ looks at waste from different perspectives, some
of them often overlooked. Among these
are material reclamation, disposal costs, and new product development,
marketing, and li
Interview with Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels, Head of the
Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim
Q. Since they were
founded in 1946 the Hohenstein Institutes have developed into one of the
world’s leading research and service centres serving the textile industry and
associated areas. There are currently Hohenstein subsidiaries in 27 countries.
To what do you attribute this strong international orientation?
A. It has always been our aim to give our clients inten
A high-level conference on the
latest developments and future trends in personal protective clothing and
equipment (PPE) is to take place in Brussels from 1-2 February 2010.
The conference is being organised by Euratex and the European
Textile Technology Platform together with other key stakeholders of the
European PPE sector such as the European Technology Platform on Industrial
Safety (ETPIS), the European Safety Federation (ESF), the European Textile
Services
A Texas Tech University textiles
researcher is to receive an honorary fellowship from the world’s largest
textile and fibre association. Seshadri Ramkumar, head of the Nonwovens and
Advanced Materials Laboratory at The Institute of Environmental and Human
Health (TIEHH), will be given the honorary fellowship on 28 January 2011 by The
Textile Association (India), with members topping 22,000.
“Fellowship recognition is of significant importance to
academics and s
Netherlands headquartered TenCate has entered into an agreement to purchase the geosynthetics activities of Emas
Kiara Industries Berhad, a publicly listed company based in Rawang, Malaysia. TenCate
says the transaction will provide its TenCate Geosynthetics business with a
significantly larger position in the supply of geosynthetics solutions to the
Southeast Asian markets. The purchase is
expected to be finalized in early 2011.
TenCate Geosynthetics develops and
The Hohenstein Institute, a
leading provider of textile testing and certification services, will present
its MedTex Symposium on textiles for health care applications on Tuesday,
December 14th from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM in the Dogwood Room at the North Carolina
Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. The symposium is open to
the public and is presented free of charge.
Hohenstein’s MedTex Symposium will feature a panel of health
care specialists who will
Teijin Limited announced today
that it will enter the high-performance polyethylene (HP-PE) market by
establishing its first production facility in Emmen, the Netherlands, aiming to
start commercial production in the second half of 2011.
Teijin plans to grow its HP-PE business quickly through
innovation and market cultivation, targeting a global market share of 15% to
20% by 2015. HP-PE, which generally comes in the form of fibres or tapes, is
produced with ultra-high-
Consolidated Fibers named exclusive distributor of Basofil in North America
9th November 2010 0 commentUS based Consolidated
Fibers has signed an agreement to become the exclusive supplier of Basofil
staple fibre in North America. Basofil is an advanced technology melamine fibre
designed to blend with commodity and synergistic fibres. Key physical
properties of Basofil are said to be excellent dimensional stability, Superior
Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) value, low thermal conductivity and
ultraviolet (UV) radiation resistance.
According to Consolidated
Leading Belgian research institution
Imec and its project partners have announced the launch of the European FP7
(Framework Program) project PASTA (Integrating Platform for Advanced Smart
textile Applications) aimed at developing large-area smart textiles. Imec says
that large-area manufacturability is an essential aspect in bridging the gap
between lab prototyping and the industrial manufacturing of smart textiles for
sports and leisure wear, technical textiles for
Strata Geosystems India, a
subsidiary of North Carolina based Glen raven Inc., which produces
high-tenacity geogrids, has received the ISO 9001:2008, the internationally
accredited standard which was developed by the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
representing some 130 countries.
"Strata Geosystems takes its quality performance
commitment to customers very seriously," said Narendra Dalmia, CEO an
TenCate Advanced Composites Europe
announced today that a contract has been
signed to supply TenCate Cetex carbon fibre fabric laminates for use in the new
Airbus A350 XWB and other EADS applications. Delivery of TenCate Cetex will
start to several Tier 1 and Tier 2 partners of Airbus that produce fuselage
panels and components for the Airbus A350 XWB.
TenCate Cetex
material, which is characterized as high strength and low weight, will be
applied to the stiffening
Manchester weather at its very
wettest failed to dampen the spirits of attendees from around the world at the Textile
Institute Centenary Conference held here from November 2-4th.
The venue was Manchester’s Midland Hotel, where the
Institute was inaugurated a century ago – in a notable period in which Rolls
also met Royce to kick-start the British automotive industry at the same
location, and in the year that Manchester United played its first football
match.
I
Innovative new
production technology developed by DSM Dyneema is said to enable the
manufacture of yarn that delivers significantly increased cut resistance performance.
Dyneema says its new Diamond Technology now makes possible the production of
protective gloves that combine the ultimate in cut resistance with extreme
comfort.
Developed over a period of four years, the patented
ultra-high strength yarns produced with Dyneema Diamond Technology enable
pro
CEMATEX owner of ITMA, the world’s largest
textile machinery show has announced that Italy will host the 17th edition of
ITMA at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre in Milan, from 12 to 19 November
2015. Fiera Milano won the international bid organised by CEMATEX, the owner of
the ITMA show, after beating three other short-listed bidders from an original
list of 12.
The high profile exhibition is returning to Milan after 20
years, and the news will be welcomed no
FibeRio Technology
Corporation has announced it is to launch the first ever nanofibre production
equipment utilizing Forcespinning Technology at the Filtration 2010 and
Materials Research Society conferences in Philadelphia and Boston,
respectively, from November 30 - December 2. The Cyclone L 1000 series produces
nanofibres with average diameters of 500nm and below and it features solution
and melt spinning capabilities.
Forcespinning is an award winning technol
Vita Nonwovens, a leading
manufacturer of thermal bonded polyester technologies has launched EnGuard
Blanket Insulation, which is said to be an environmentally friendly material which
provides long lasting superior thermal and acoustic insulating properties.
According to Vita, EnGuard's low impact manufacturing
process implements recycled plastic, PET bottle flake, providing a sustainable
alternative to traditional insulations. The company says that unlike othe
Japan’s Teijin Group announced
today that three of its outstanding Teijin products have been selected for
display at Japan Experience; an exhibition organized by the Secretariat for Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) Japan 2010 and scheduled to take place in Yokohama,
Japan from November 7 to 14.
The three Teijin products are Biofront, a highly
heat-resistant advanced bioplastic; aramid fibre used in lightweight and highly
protective clothing; and the PU_PA EV e
German manufacturer of knitted
sportswear Schneider Sportswear OHG from Albstadt in Baden-Württemberg has been
awarded the Hohenstein Institute’s first Wellness Label for textiles and
clothing. The company’s senior management was presented with the label for use
on its products in September by Silke Off, Head of the Laboratory for Clothing
Physiology at the Hohenstein Institute, who had played an important part in
designing, developing and introducing the n
DSM Dyneema is to present the
results of new research that confirms use of its Dyneema ultra-strong
lightweight fibre in fishing nets can yield major energy savings for fishermen,
and make an important contribution to the sustainability of the fishing
industry. The company will talk about the results and conclusions of its latest
‘eco-footprint’ analysis at the Energy use in Fisheries Symposium, which takes
place in Seattle on November 14-17.
DSM Dyneema commission
Invista, owner of the
Lycra fibre brand, has teamed up with sports apparel brand Fila, to develop and
release the Fila Body Toning System (BTS), a collection of engineered body
toning workout apparel featuring Lycra Sport fabric. Aimed at the women's
fitness industry, Fila’s BTS is said to shape the body and dramatically improve
workout efficiency.
According to Invista, BTS apparel is designed to increase
muscle exercise by as much as 50%, which the compa
DuPont has
launched has launched a new product called Kevlar XP for Hard Armor to provide
extra protection and extra performance in ballistic applications. The product
is initially targeted at military and police helmet markets and tactical plates used in ballistic
protective vests.
According to DuPont, an Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) used by
the U.S. military today can weigh almost four pounds and DuPont Kevlar XP for
Hard Armor provides a half pound (0.5 lb
US based Zephyr Technology,
developer of Physiological Status Monitoring (PSM) solutions, announced
recently that it had been working with the Chilean Government in its efforts to
monitor the health and fitness levels of the 33 trapped miners in the run up to
week’s dramatic rescue at the San Jose mine, near the city of Copiapo, north of
Santiago.
For the two weeks prior to the rescue, the miners were preparing,
sending keepsakes up in the same capsules that
Oeko-Tex is to offer a
free online seminar that overviews Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 certification, the
independent validation that textile manufacturing facilities are operated with
environmentally and socially responsible methods. The free one hour webinar
will be presented on November 10 at 12:00 noon EST as part of the Oeko-Tex
Connects series that the association launched in May.
Like the well known Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification,
which tests textiles to
Teijin Group’s carbon fibre
business Toho Tenax has announced that its German subsidiary, Toho Tenax Europe
GmbH, started full-scale operation of its fourth carbon fibre production line
at its Oberbruch plant this month, following initial start-up in September.
The 1700 ton capacity Line 4 was completed in August 2009,
but as a result of declining demand for carbon fibre due to the economic
downturn since the autumn of 2008, the line’s originally scheduled start
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, has announced that a research and
development effort by the University of Notre Dame, the University of Wyoming,
and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, has succeeded in producing transgenic
silkworms capable of spinning artificial spider silks.
"This research represents a significant breakthrough in
the development of superior silk fibres for both medical and non-medical
applications," said Malcolm J. Fraser Jr., a Notre Dame Professor of
A research and development effort by the
University of Notre Dame, the University of Wyoming, and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories,
Inc. has succeeded in producing transgenic silkworms capable of spinning
artificial spider silks. Watch the video:
Further reading:
Kraig Biocraft
Laboratories in spider silk breakthrough
US based Leigh Fibers has
established a dedicated business unit to divert discarded carpet and plastic
from landfills and turn it into fibres and densified product used by plastics moulders. Current and near-term equipment installations
will give Leigh Carpet & Plastics Recycling, LLC the capacity to keep more
than 100 million pounds a year of used carpet out of landfills, which would
increase the volume currently diverted in the United States by about
Albany International announced
on Friday that its aerospace composites subsidiary, Albany Engineered
Composites, Inc. (AEC), will be further expanding its operations in Rochester,
New Hampshire. AEC expects to construct a new plant adjacent to its current
Rochester operations in 2012 and to begin initial production in 2014. The plant
will support the company's activities associated with Safran's aerospace
programs and will employ up to 300 people.
AEC has been w
As part of its ongoing efforts
to serve the changing needs of global players, ITMA will feature a brand new section
on fibres and yarns for its 2011 edition which will be held from 22 to 29
September at Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía, Spain.
The new fibres and
yarns section of the exhibition will feature natural, man-made and technical
fibres, as well as natural, synthetic and technical yarns. With the new inclusion
ITMA 2011 exhibits will now be classified into 18
Unifi Textiles (Suzhou)
Co., Ltd. Is continuing in its drive to be a global leader in sustainable
textiles with the introduction of Repreve FDY, a 100% recycled fully drawn
yarn. Launching at the 2010 Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Show, Unifi
says the new Repreve product offering includes the most comprehensive selection
of recycled fully drawn yarn counts in today’s market.
The Repreve family of recycled products available from UTSC
now includes:
Rec
Specialty chemical company
Clariant announced today that its Textile Chemicals Business Unit (BU) will
relocate its headquarters to Singapore. Clariant says, the move, which is due
to be completed by mid 2011, places the Textile Chemicals BU management team at
the heart of the world’s main textile markets and closer to its global
customers.
The new Singapore headquarters will accommodate the entire
senior Textile Chemicals BU management team together with the global
Johnson Controls Inc (JCI) has
announced it is planning to buy French manufacturer of automotive interiors textiles
Michel Thierry, of Laroque d'Olmes. Details of the acquisition were not
disclosed.
According to a report in Wisconsin’s Journal Sentinel, Glendale-based
Johnson Controls said the deal will make it one of the global leaders in
textiles and integrated trim and set the stage for growth. Michel Thierry whose
product line includes automotive textiles a
TenCate Advanced Composites USA has
announced that it has signed a commercialization and supply agreement with 3M
for the supply to TenCate of 3M Matrix Resin for the creation of customized
TenCate prepreg products, bringing innovative 3M technology to multiple new
markets.
As leading thermo set
and thermoplastic prepreg developer and producer, TenCate supplies its high
tech materials to various markets, including but not limited to space,
aerospace, marine, infra
DSM Dyneema is expanding its portfolio
of products based on Dyneema, with the first in a new series of vest grades of
unidirectional (UD) material. Dyneema SB51, which the company believes will
create a step-change in the protection achievable with Soft Ballistic (SB) armour,
has been developed for use in ballistic vests that combine minimum weight with
high protection performance against handgun ammunition, fragments and knives.
Dyneema SB51 builds on the success that
Techtextil North America Symposium has been praised as ‘world class’
and ‘the best symposium of its kind’ by the trade press. In order to assure the
continued popularity of the symposium, the Techtextil North America Symposium
Advisory Council has been created. The 2011 Advisory Council consists of six
well respected professionals that attend and exhibit at Techtextil North
America as well as academia known for their contribution to the technical textiles
an
Polyester producer Teijin Fibers, announced
today that its Eco Circle closed-loop recycling system for polyester received
an ICIS Innovation Award 2010 in the ‘Innovation with Best Environmental
Benefit’ category.
The award recognizes Eco Circle as an innovative
chemical-based recycling technology and Teijin’s efforts to protect the
environment through polyester recycling. Eco Circle is said to help conserve
oil resources and reduce waste by repeatedly recycli
TenCate Protective Fabrics USA has
reported a surge in demand for its TenCate Defender M product during the fourth
quarter of this year. Sales for the year are forecast to reach approximately US
$ 60 million during the last quarter of 2010 (29 million US dollars in fourth
quarter 2009 alone). Increased demand is expected to last well into the first
quarter of 2011.
According to TenCate, the ramp up of TenCate Defender M
fabric consumption started during the third
Sage Automotive
Interiors has successfully installed BarcoVision WeaveMaster, KnitMaster and
QualiMaster manufacturing execution systems (MES) in its five USA plants. All
systems are linked with the company’s Jomar Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
When Sage was
established in September 2009, a major IT project was set up to select and
install a company wide ERP system and replace the legacy monitoring and
inspection systems with a standard solut
Teijin Aramid and Dutch
research and technology company Avantium announced yesterday that they have
entered into an R&D partnership to explore high-performance polymers. The
partnership builds on Teijin Aramid’s leading position in polyaramids and
Avantium’s catalytic technology for producing building blocks for green
materials and fuels. Avantium is a research and technology company that is
unlocking a new generation of biobased chemical building
Anvil Knitwear, a leading
manufacturer of sustainable apparel, premiered a digital short at Farm Aid 25:
Growing Hope for America Concert at Miller Park in Milwaukee on 2 October, as
part of its sponsorship of the event. The thought provoking video educates
consumers about the impact of pesticide use on the environment and farmers and
encourages consumers to support organic farmers.
“As the largest buyer of US grown organic cotton, Anvil has
made a commitment to do
Teijin Techno Products, one of the
core companies of the Teijin Group’s aramid fibres business, announced today
the development of a groundbreaking fire fighting suit that it says offers the
world’s highest levels of heat-barrier performance and comfortable, lightweight
design.
Developed in cooperation with Akao Co., Ltd., Japan’s
leading manufacturer of fire fighting apparel, the suit is made with TripProtech
aramid fibre fabric newly developed by Teijin Techno Pr
The boxfish (Ostraciidae) was the
rather unlikely role model for the design of the Mercedes Bionic concept car,
attendees at the recent 49th Dornbirn Manmade Fibres Conference in Austria were
told.
Matthias Runar, of the Mercedes design centre at
Sindelfingen in Germany, which houses 420 of the company’s 500+ designers,
explained in Dornbirn that bionics is being integrated into design processes,
primarily to find new ways of cons
Following five years of research
and development, UK based Dreamskin Health Ltd has launched what it calls the
world's first range of hydrating, medical-grade silk garments designed to
relieve the itching and irritation of eczema and dermatitis.
The secret to the new garments is a proprietary biomimetic
copolymer matrix which is firmly bound to the surface of the silk and assists
the water and temperature regulation functions of the skin. "The Dreamskin
polymer is a
The Lenzing group, market
leader in cellulosic fibres, plans to significantly expand its production
capacities and will invest EUR 120 million in both Europe and Asia in the projects
which will be completed by 2011. Key measures include the expansion of pulp
supply and the increase in the Modal production capacity in Lenzing (Austria),
a significant expansion of the site in Heiligenkreuz (Austria) and the
reconstruction of the English site for Tencel in Grimsby (UK)
In a market dominated by ‘petroleum-based’
clothing, pioneering New Zealand merino company Icebreaker, says it is offering
a natural alternative to the synthetic knitted fleece. Icebreaker, which has pioneered
merino outdoor clothing since 1994, is introducing Realfleece in its
Fall/Winter 2010 collection.
According to Icebreaker, Realfleece is a premium natural
alternative to a synthetic fleece, but unlike synthetics, looks good enough to
wear out socially.
A textile finishing technology
used to produce clothing that keeps the wearer cooler under sunny conditions
could be in line for one of Europe’s top design prizes. Coldblack, co-developed
in Switzerland by speciality chemicals company Clariant and textile technology
specialist Schoeller Technologies, has been nominated for the German Design
Prize (Designpreis Deutschland) 2011.
Coldblack technology, which the inventors claim provides
efficient heat management as w
Italy’s RadiciGroup has
announced a new investment at its production site in Casnigo, which is engaged
in the production of polyamide 6 and 66 BCF yarn sold under the Radifloor brand
name.
The investment of about Euros 10 million will go towards the
installation of new spinning lines for the production of polyamide 66 and
polyamide 6 solution-dyed BCF yarn. The new lines are expected to be put into
operation in the middle of 2011 and will complement the ex
Edited by S C Anand, University of Bolton, UK, J F Kennedy,
Chembiotech Ltd, M Miraftab and S Rajendran, University of Bolton, UK
Woodhead Textiles Series No. 75
14 September 2010, Cambridge – Woodhead Publishing has
published a new book called ‘Medical and healthcare textiles’, which the
company says provides a comprehensive overview of medical textiles from the
risk of infection control and barrier materials through to directives,
regulations and standards shaping the medical device ind
Biomedical Structures invests in clean room for weaving, knitting and braiding
13th September 2010 0 commentBiomedical Structures LLC,
a provider of biomedical textiles for medical devices and other advanced
clinical applications, today announced that it has expanded its textile
engineering capabilities with a new purpose-built clean room for high-density
weaving and advanced braiding infrastructure for polymer and wire materials. BMS will support this growth by complementing
its engineering expertise by hiring new employees to the company’s technical
workforce at
Organisers of the GO carbon
Fibre 2010 conference are urging delegates to book their place at the
conference now to avoid disappointment and late booking fees.
The upcoming Global Outlook for Carbon Fibre 2010
conference, taking place on 29 - 30 September in Valencia, Spain, will cover
topics such as market analysis, materials insight, virgin CFRP production, CFRP
recycling, technical assessment of the latest innovations in production,
materials handling, resour
The International Conference
on Technical Textiles and Nonwovens, which is being held from 11-13 November
2010 at IIT Dehli, in India has issued a call for papers. The conference is
being organised by the Department of Textile technology at the Indian Institute
of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
The main objective of the conference is to bring together
industry, research organizations and academia involved meaningful discussions
on existing technical textile products, ex
Building on the success of
the first two IFAI Advanced Textiles conferences (in Berlin and Brussels), IFAI
presented a third successful edition in Paris 16-17 June, in the modern
Congress facilities of UICP (right next to the Eiffel Tower).
The Industrial Fabrics Association International hosted 70
participants from Europe and the U.S. at the 2010 conference, which focused on
major applications of technical textiles and investigated new technology
solutions and
A base layer garment in a knitted
net structure made from merino wool has won the Scandinavian Outdoor Award for
Summer 2010. According to competition judges Woolnet from Norwegian sports underwear
brand Aclima showed an “innovative approach in terms of material, form and
durability”.
Aclima’s WoolNet is based on an open knit structure that
allows the garment to breathe and keep the wearer cool and dry. The net
construction also traps air that insul
The Yeh Group, a leading producer
of functional knitted fabrics has announced plans to introduce DryDye fabrics
which use an exclusive waterless dyeing process that the company says will save
it millions of litres of fresh water annually. The announcement came at the
recent OutDoor Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany and the Outdoor Retailer Show
in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Water scarcity and increased environmental awareness are
world-wide concerns which are causing a shar
Cheese, chocolate and a chairlift over
a flowering meadow taking visitors to the Swiss pavilion is apparently one the
biggest draws at the World Exposition in Shanghai which runs to the end of
October 2010.
From May to July, more then 1.1 million visitors learned
about Swiss traditions and Swiss developments visiting the pavilion. Bratwurst,
rösti potatoes, raclette and fondue are said to be proving just as popular
among the Chinese and international guests as the
Massif, a leading supplier
of flame resistant, high performance apparel to the military, law enforcement
and other high risk professions has chosen TEXbase to streamline their material
development, colour approval and compliance processes.
TEXbase is a ‘Software as a Service’ provider of
collaborative Material Lifecycle Management (MLM) software. The company says
that from concept to compliance its solutions allow businesses to reduce
operating expenses a
Protective suit
specialist TST Sweden has signed a licensing agreement with fibre manufacturer
DSM Dyneema that will enable them to use the Dutch company’s distinctive
trademark on their multilayer water-jet protective suits made with the
ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene Dyneema fibre.
TST says Dyneema is not only the strongest material, but
also the lightest, to be used in suits to protect operators using water jets
operating at up to 2000 bar i
The 2011 edition of the
Techtextil North America Symposium will be held in conjunction with the western
edition of Techtextil North America, March 15-17, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las Vegas. The symposium will parallel the theme of, “The
Innovation Interchange”, and will run concurrent with the exhibition.
This new region for Techtextil North America will further
offer speakers a potentially new audience and exposure to new industries in the
Invista, owner of the Lycra fibre brand, reports
that millions of hangtags have been ordered for the recently launched Lycra Sport
fabric. The innovative fabric was launched to the industry in July 2009 and Invista
reports that hangtags have been ordered to appear on garments in retail stores
throughout the world this autumn, including from several leading brands.
According to Invista, smaller scale retail launches took
place earlier this year where garments with Lycra Sport
The annual Ethical Fashion Source
Expo will take place on Wednesday 6th October, running in parallel with the
well established RITE International Conference at Central Hall, Westminster,
London. The Expo brings together international manufacturers, suppliers and
cooperatives working to high ethical standards and the event includes a
programme of seminars, introducing new products and exemplary supply and
production systems.
Organiser, The Ethical Fashion Forum, says tha
The growing demand for garments with wool are
beginning to make merino a favourite for Outdoor apparel and in response Mönchengladbach based Stöhr AG a manufacturer of
combed wool yarns, and Leicester, UK based Wykes International Ltd., a yarn covering
specialist, have developed a range of ThermoCool-Merino
composite yarns suitable for seamless outerwear production.
UK based Sub Zero Technologies, thermal underwear and base layer
brand has used the Thermo
German textile engineering powerhouse Groz-Beckert opened its highly impressive Technology & Development Centre (TEZ) here in Albstadt on Friday confirming its status as one of the most successful and forward thinking textile engineering businesses in the world.
Set in Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany’s wealthiest regions, which borders France to the west and Switzerland to the south, the town of Albstadt is the centre
OutDoor 2010, which was held
last weekend in Friedrichshafen last weekend
has once again shown further growth in exhibitors and visitors. Read on to see
what the organisers and exhibitors say and watch our ‘Textiles for Sports &
Outdoor’news category for more individual product and company reports.
“Always looking positively to the future, our industry, once
again, has demonstrated its unique ability to cooperate, prosper and grow.
Figures at the
Netherland’s based technical textiles
giant, TenCate has announced that its operating profit (EBIT) for the second
quarter of 2010 has soared to approximately € 27 million, up 143% from second
quarter 2009’s € 11.1 million, in advance of the publication of its half-year
figures on 26 August 2010. Operating profit for the first six months of 2010
doubled to an amount of approximately € 33 million and taking incidental items
into account, net profit doubled in
The environment and ethically sourced
fashion will be on the agenda in London this coming autumn when leading
non-profit organisations the RITE Group and the Ethical Fashion Forum run two
major textile events alongside each other.
Located together for the first time at Central Hall,
Westminster, London, on 6th October, the RITE Group conference on sustainable
textiles and clothing will welcome the Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) with its
newly named Ethical Fashion Source e
EDANA, the association serving the
nonwovens and related industries, today announced its new Board of Governors
for 2010-2011. Incoming Chairman Jean-Marie Becker (Ahlstrom) will take over
from Kenneth Strassner (Kimberly-Clark), who has retired from his previous
position. Paul Eevers (Unilever) continues his role as Treasurer, and Gerd Ries
(Johson & Johnson) continues his roles as joint Vice-Chairman with Josef
Schmidtbauer (Lenzing) who is taking the role for t
After more than 17 successful years
at the helm of the International Oeko-Tex Association, Raimar Freitag has
transferred his responsibilities as Oeko-Tex Secretary General to his long-time
colleague Dr. Jean-Pierre Haug, COO of the Swiss textile testing institute
TESTEX, effective 1 July 2010. At the
same time, he will continue to offer his experience, extensive knowledge and
contacts in the industry to the association as an advisor for strategic issues,
internationa
Intradeco Apparel Inc, a
manufacturer of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing , has pioneered numerous
energy efficient programs under its corporate sustainability objectives. However, Intradeco’s most recent success has
come from its subsidiary Inmobilaria Apopa, in Apopa, El Salvador, also known
as Inmo. Inmo has developed a process
which produces nitrogen-rich plant fertilizer from its water treatment
facility.
The recycling process was developed a
Dominant Textile, a Turkish
technical textile company that develops and manufactures a variety of
industrial and weather/temperature resistant fabrics, is to open its first UK
office in Manchester creating 10 jobs over the next five years.
The company, which was established in 2003, chose the
Northwest to expand its international operations due to its strengths in the
textiles sector and its strong scientific research base. It has taken office
space at Peter House on
Functional clothing
is on the way to being a standard part of everyday life. The outdoor industry
talk is of a "megatrend”, a new "attitude to life”. It is unlikely
that anything in the foreseeable future will change people’s enthusiasm for
experiencing nature. The outdoor sports industry is correspondingly optimistic
about the leading international fair, OutDoor, which takes place from 15 to 18
July 2010. Three key clothing themes will be highlig
As the market
continues to grow in
Asia, manufacturers are stepping up their operations. International
companies
are intensifying their supply relationships with Asian companies and
setting up
subsidiaries in the booming conurbations of the huge continent. Others
are
focussing on increasing their existing capacities and leading German
manufacturer
of warp knitting machines and warp preparation systems Karl Mayer is no
exception.
Karl Mayer has had its own subsid
3 July 2010, Almelo - The Executive Board of Royal Ten Cate
(TenCate) has appointed Dave Clarke (52) as new Global Group Director TenCate
Advanced Composites, effective January 1, 2011. Wally Moore (46), former Group
Director TenCate Geosynthetics Europe, has been appointed as Global Group
Director TenCate Geosynthetics, effective since July 1, 2010.
Jorg Huber (66), the
current Global Group Director TenCate Advanced Composites, will retire from
TenCate at the end of this year and will c
Ahlstrom, a global leader in high
performance fibre based materials, has announced that it will continue to
adjust upwards prices for its filter media products for transportation
filtration, as a consequence of the continued rise of raw materials prices.
The company says that prices of key raw materials used for
the manufacturing of filter media have continued to rise steadily over recent
months and although it has made strong efforts to mitigate the impact on its
prod
As many of you will have seen, there has been a video
sweeping the Internet worldwide under the name Liquid Mountaineering, amassing
more than 6 million YouTube views to date and featuring heavily in the media,
including The Sun, The Daily Star, the Guardian, The Metro and the Sunday
Times. As well as this UK media coverage, the video has featured on TV channels
all around the world including ESPN (USA), Fox News (USA) and The Morning Show
(Australia) to name just a few.
The documentary-type fi
- The seventh edition of Techtextil North America, which took place May 18 –
20, 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia as part of a
co-location effort with both the ATME-I show and SPESA EXPO creating the first
ever Textile & Sewn Products Industry Week in an effort that is said to
have provided tremendous value for textile and sewn products industry
professionals at all levels of the textile and sewn products manufacturing and
application su
Canadian warp and circular
knitter Syfilco Ltd has reported its business is booming following the
BP oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Syfilco, a family business founded in the
1970s manufactures
knitted polyester fabric sleeves and polyethylene netting sleeves that
are filled
with absorbent materials to create booms used to contain the spill in
the Gulf.
According to local newspaper reports, production of sleeves
at Syfilco has recently doubled due to th
Fibertect Cotton-Soaking (CS),
a three-layer flexible, inert, nonwoven, non-particulate decontamination system
that has been proven to be successful in absorbing and adsorbing chemical
warfare agents has been officially approved by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency as of 29 May.
According to First Line Technology, which is commercializing
the product, Fibertect CS may now prove useful in recovery efforts in the
British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon
Biomedical Structures
(BMS), a US based supplier of custom-designed biomaterials and textiles used in
advanced clinical applications from orthopaedics and reconstructive surgery to
tissue engineering, has announced it has completed a private equity financing
with Ampersand Ventures. The company says Ampersand's funding will enable it to
meet the increasingly complex demands of the medical device industry with
expanded capabilities in service, technology pl
Federal-Mogul Corporation has announced
it has developed what it believes to be the world's first Polyethylene
Terephthalate
(PET) yarn to meet both halogen-free flame-retardant regulations and the
"no flaming drip" requirement. Federal-Mogul says that until now, no
commercially available, zero-halogen flame-retardant Polyethylene
Terephthalate
has been able to meet this requirement, known as the UL 1441 VW-1 flame
test.
Federal-Mogul is now developing comme
For organisers,
exhibitors and visitors, there was said to be great satisfaction with
the
progress of this season’s Performance Days in Munich (13th – 15th April
2010)
and Annecy (19th – 20th April 2010). New trends and innovations were
presented
together with the collections for winter 2011/12 and summer 2012 at the
exhibition
for decision-makers, designers and product managers from the world of
sportswear and workwear.
According to organisers,
US based Secant Medical, a leader
in the design, development and custom manufacture for biomedical textiles, has
expanded its manufacturing capacity by adding a 40,000 square foot facility in
Quakertown, PA, to support current and future business growth as a result of
market development trends in tissue engineering and transcather technologies.
In addition, the company says it has also redesigned its
entire methodology for custom-developing and manufacturing pro
Naturally Advanced
Technologies Inc. (NAT) has arranged, subject to regulatory approval, a
non-brokered private placement consisting of the issuance of up to 1,400,000
units (each a "Unit") of the company, at a subscription price of
$1.00 per Unit, to qualified investors, raising up to $1,400,000 by the company
(collectively, the "Private Placement").
Each Unit of the Private Placement is comprised of one
common share and one-half of one share purchase warrant
Sugoi Performance Apparel, a
division of Dorel Industries Inc., has announced it is to become the official
supplier of Ironman technical wear for the Ironman European Championship in
Frankfurt on July 4th 2010, for Ironman Regensburg on August 1st,
2010 and for the Ironman 70.3 European Championship in Wiesbaden on August
15th, 2010.
In addition to supplying a special Ironman edition of technical
apparel branded with the Ironman logo, Sugoi, known for high quality
The Oerlikon Textile report ‘The
Fiber Year’ which is being published for the tenth time will be available for download
from the company’s homepage www.oerlikontextile.com in June. A Chinese version of the report will be available at a later date.
According to the report, global fibre consumption went up
4.2% to 70.5 million tonnes with manmade fibres rising 4.0% to 44.1 million
tonnes and natural fibres advancing 4.5% to 26.4 million tonnes. With a world
popula
Groz-Beckert has been awarded the third
place prize at the Kyocera Environment Prize for its Litespeed system
which
helps save energy and resources in high speed circular knitting by
optimizing
needle geometries. Prize giving took place on 29 April at the Economics
Day
organised by the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Companies e.V.,
Regional
Association of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the World Conference Centre at
the
former German Bundestag in Bonn.
Backgroun
FlandersBio and Centexbel have joined forces
to organize a Biomedical Textile seminar focusing on ‘Life Sciences &
Textile Technology’ collaborations. The main goal is to initiate cross-cluster
interactions and to develop interdisciplinary research ideas leading to
innovations and commercialisation opportunities.
The seminar is open to academic experts, industry experts as
well as business developers, financial experts and service providers.
The cost for particip
Research and Markets has announced the
addition of Textiles Intelligence's new report "Personal Protective
Clothing: Ensuring Worker Safety" to its offer.
The following is a description of the report:
“Personal protective clothing offers a practical solution to
eliminating or at least minimizing, the risk of accidents, injuries or
infection in the workplace. More specifically, it provides an effective
safeguard against hazards such as extreme temperatures, fire, pote
Messe Frankfurt has announced
the launch of Texprocess Americas in cooperation with SPESA (Sewn Products
Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas), April 24 - 26, 2012 at the Georgia World
Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Messe Frankfurt USA and SPESA have concluded agreements to cooperate,
co-produce and launch Texprocess Americas in Atlanta in 2012. Messe Frankfurt
USA says that Texprocess Americas will incorporate SPESA EXPO to bring to the
Americas the
The Technical Textiles Special
Interest Group (SIG) of The Textile Institute, Manchester and The Manchester
and Cheshire Section of the Textile Institute have announced the speakers for their International Conference on ‘Managing Innovation in Textiles’. The event will
be held on Thursday 10 June and Friday 11 June in Manchester, UK. Download the full conference programme.
The global Textile Industry has in the last few decades seen
revolutionary changes in i
The UK’s Medilink Northwest and the Materials Knowledge Transfer
Network are organising a one day conference entitled ‘Dressed to Heal’ on Wound
Healing, Regenerative Medicine and Medical Textiles. The event will take place
on 19 May 2010 at Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre, Manchester.
The event aims to bringing together business, NHS and university
professionals to share the latest developments and advances in this highly
significant area of hea
Leading technical textile and
nonwovens companies from around the world will showcase the latest products and
advanced technologies in textiles, nonwovens and materials during Techtextil
North America 2010 next month in Atlanta, Georgia. The show represents all
vertical aspects of the technical textile industry from research and
development, through raw materials and production processes, to conversion,
further treatment and recycling.
Some of the highlights of the
TenCate Protective Fabrics reports
it has secured a important order from the Swedish manufacturer Gulins Business
Design AB for the supply to the Norwegian FLO (Defence Logistic Organisation) of
inherently flame-resistant TenCate Defender M fabric in the new colour dark
blue. The order involves the supply of fabric for more than 25,000 sets of
clothing over two years to protect the Norwegian marines.
TenCate says the order is the result of ongoing product
developmen
The next
Performance Days road
show, which is to be held from 13-15 April in Munich, Germany and from
19-20
April in Annecy, France, is to include a new program with lectures from
key sportswear
and workwear industries figures. As per previous road shows, exhibitors
will be
showing their new fabric collections for both winter 2011-12 and summer
2012.
Performance Days functional fabrics road show was launched
by Weichert Agencies in 2008 and as the fir
29 March
2010, Albstadt - Will geotextiles soon be successfully creating fertile
soil from arid desert landscapes? Will creative forms in mobility make
it possible for even more people to be transported efficiently in the
near future? Will textiles a few years from now be able to open up new
habitats for humanity on distant planets? The answers to these and many
other exciting questions relating to visionary textiles production are
all being researched at Groz-Beckert, the leading Germa
Bekaert Textiles, a market leader
in mattress and bedcover fabrics, is planning a number of expansions in several
of its global locations. In addition to the future design and technology centre
at the head office site in Waregem, Belgium, structural changes are also being
made to the international establishments as a result of growth in the company’s
business. Additional machinery is being installed in North Carolina, Mexico,
Australia and Turkey and at the same t
DyStar has reached agreement with
Lanxess owner of the DyStar production plants in Leverkusen and Brunsbüttel to restart
production at both sites in March.
This week, DyStar employees were able to enter the plants in
order to prepare for start-up of the facilities, the company said. According to
DyStar, orders for the necessary raw materials to start production have already
been placed.
Lanxess, owner of the buildings and facilities used by DyStar
in Leverkusen a
12 March 2010, Mumbai – According to a recent Assocham
study, India’s technical textiles industry is set to boom in the next five
years. The sector is said to be ready to double from its estimated current
value of US $10 billion today.
According to the report, the main reason for the projected
growth is the expected increase in consumption of technical textiles by India’s
growing middle classes.
According to the Business Standard, Assocham’s President
Swati Piramal said in a statem
After initial talks in Annecy, France
and a meeting with EuroSIMA President and co-founder Fred Basse during the ISPO
show in Munich, Performance Days functional fabrics roadshow and EuroSIMA have
now confirmed their cooperation.
Both partners will promote and support each other and say
they expect good synergy-effects from their partnership. Performance Days and
the recently launched Outdoor Sports Valley in Annecy has also started to cooperate.
The next Performance
Lenzing Group, leading manufacturer
of quality cellulose fibres says it has achieved a comparatively satisfactory
result in 2009 despite the difficult global economic situation. In a statement
released today with its preliminary figures, the company says this was made
possible by timely counter measures it took and also by improved demand in its core
fibres business from the second quarter on.
According to the group’s preliminary figures consolidated
sales declined
DyStar’s CEO Steve Barron says the
newly acquired company’s management sees a huge opportunity to make the
business both successful and profitable.
Speaking at a two day meeting of the company’s Executive
Management Team in Rheingau, Germany, Barron said: “It is our declared
intention to deliver according to our shareholder’s plans. With such high a calibre
and dedicated global team we see a huge chance to make the business successful and
profitable.” H
In view of the increasingly
international orientation of the Hohenstein Institute, some of the business
units of the International Textile Research and Services Centre have been
renamed as of 1 January 2010.
The main focus of the renaming was to strengthen the ‘Hohenstein’
umbrella brand name. In future, the following companies will operate under the
brand name:
Hohenstein Laboratories GmbH & Co. KG (previously:
Hohenstein Research Institute Prof. Dr
Techtextil North America
Symposium 2010 has announced that Kim Glas, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Textiles and Apparel, is to be its Keynote Speaker at its
forthcoming event.
The latest technology, applications, and the overall
direction of the technical textile and nonwovens industry will be presented by
experts and leaders from around the world during Techtextil North America Symposium
being held from 18-20 May 2010 at the Georgia World C
Xennia Technology Ltd, a
subsidiary of the Netherland’s Royal TenCate, is today unveiling its process demonstrator
for nano printing and finishing of textile materials at its Letchworth, UK
headquarters. The novel nano process technology, which TenCate says will change
the textiles industry, is based on inkjet technology, whereby ink or coating
particles are applied with great production precision and high speed. The technology will eventually enable TenCate to
DyStar’s new CEO Manish Kiri
has announced his senior management team for the DyStar Group. Manish Kiri
himself will take on the position of Chairman and Steve Barron, until now Vice
President responsible for Strategic Marketing at DyStar, will become CEO of the
DyStar Group.
Bart VanKuijk, previously Sales Area Manager for South Asia,
has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer. Viktor Leendertz will continue his
responsibilities as CFO in the new DyStar Group
Atlanta’s Georgia World
Congress Center will open its doors to the ATME-I MEGATEX exhibition from 18-20
May. The event, which is part of the Textile and Sewn Products Industry Week (TASPIW),
will also see leading exhibitions SPESA Expo and Techtextil NA in the same
hall. TASPIW will bring together leading suppliers and buyers in all areas of
the textile supply chain from textile machinery to finishing products.
Co-organised by ATME-I Inc and The American T
Leading manufacturer of
nonwovens and speciality papers Ahlstrom Corporation, has signed the United
Nations Global Compact initiative and has been registered as a participant by
the United Nations Global Compact Office.
By supporting the
initiative, Ahlstrom commits to voluntarily advance sustainability with its
stakeholders. Ahlstrom says it also wants to send a strong message along the
value chain that it is alert to environmental and social matters and i
EDANA, the trade association for the nonwovens
and related industries has announced its programme of events and training
courses for 2010 and into 2011.
“With a global scope
and outlook, we are pleased to support our members, and the broader industry with
activities that share learnings, increase engagement within the supply chain
and with external stakeholders, supporting the sustainable and profitable
growth of the nonwovens industry,” said Pierre Wiertz, G
Administrators have announced
that operations at DyStar Textilfarben GmbH and DyStar Textilfarben GmbH &
Co. KG at the four German DyStar sites in Brunsbüttel, Leverkusen, Frankfurt am
Main and Ludwigshafen are now set to restart under the new management of Kiri
Dyes & Chemicals Ltd. (KDCL).
“The investor has secured financing of the purchase price
and also met other conditions. The purchase agreement concerning operations of
the German DyStar Gro
DyStar’s owner, Kiri Holding
Singapore Private Limited, has appointed Manish Kiri as the company’s new
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Effective February 4, 2010 Manish
Kiri will replace J Mark Allan J. Mark Allan, will remain with the company as a
Strategic Advisor for a period of 6 months to assist in the transition of duties
and responsibilities, the company said in a statement issued this afternoon.
“Manish Kiri, together with the other m
Swiss headquartered Sigvaris,
a leader in graduated compression hosiery is pushing further into endurance sports
markets with its Athletic Recovery sports compression socks for
exercise-induced muscle soreness and post-practice recovery. The company will
become the exclusive provider of graduated compression socks to Atlanta’s Southern
Crescent Cycling Club.
Sigvaris, through its Athletic Recovery line of socks,
already has strategic partnerships in place w
Textile machinery offers interesting careers for French textile students
10th December 2009 0 commentThe French Textile Machinery
Manufacturers' Association, UCMTF, recently brought together students from the
four French universities which train engineers for the textile industry. The
goal was to further enhance relations with the students and to review the
careers offered to them both in France and worldwide.
The forum was organized on the campus of l’ENSISA (Ecole
Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs Sud Alsace) located in Mulhouse. Students
from ENSAIT (
Sustainability: Impacting Policy and the Future of Apparel and Textiles
24th November 2009 0 commentThe International
Oeko-Tex Association and Textile Insight will present ‘Sustainability:
Impacting Policy and the Future of Apparel and Textiles’, the next instalment
in their popular ‘Insight on What’s Next’ textile and apparel industry
roundtable discussion series, on Monday, December 14, 2009, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. at The State Club on Centennial Campus at North Carolina State University.
A diverse, expert panel has been assembled to provi
The preliminary insolvency
administration of DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. Deutschland KG today set
up a works meeting to inform the employees on the current state of the investor
process at the following locations: Frankfurt am Main, Leverkusen,
Ludwigshafen, Geretsried and Brunsbüttel.
“There is no definite investor commitment at the moment“,
explained the preliminary administrator Dr. Stephan Laubereau. “However, the
search for a suitable investo
Schoeller Technologies
AG has been awarded the Textile Design Award 2009 by the Swiss Textiles &
Zumsteg Foundation for its sun reflector and UV protector textile finishing technology
‘coldblack’.
The tenth biannual Design Prize Switzerland, which was held on
6 November attracted over 300 entries, nominated 36 projects and the eight-member
international jury selected six winners in different categories. The
competition with total prize mon
The Lenzing Group’s business upturn
in the second quarter has continued into the third quarter due to improving
demand for cellulose fibres, the company said today. However, the global
economic crisis made a significant negative impact on the company’s first
quarter figures which has had a knock on effect on sales and results for the first
nine months of 2009.
Consolidated sales in the first nine months of 2009 declined
by 10% from EUR 1,012.1 million in the c
Clariant reports Q3 improvements but still far from sustainable recovery
4th November 2009 0 comment
• Sales in Q3 down
14% in local currency and 19% in CHF
• Operating income
before exceptional items decreased to CHF 107 million from CHF 178 million in
the third quarter 2008, but improved from CHF 69 million in the second quarter
2009
• Cash flow from
operations improved to CHF 193 million from CHF 147 million in the
previous-year period
• Net debt reduced to
CHF 751 million from CHF 1 209 million at year-end 2008
• Outlook: For the
full year 2009, Clariant expects sales in loca
The Institute of
Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) at Texas Tech University is to host the
6th annual international conference on Advances in Textiles, Machinery,
Nonwovens and Technical Textiles, (ATNT) 2009.
The event, held in collaboration with Bannari Amman
Institute of Technology in India (BIT), will run from 7-9 December at the
institute’s campus in Sathyamangalam, Tamil Nadu, South India. The conference
will feature papers from natural fibres to
Alpha Pro Tech Ltd., a
manufacturer of protective textiles for the healthcare sector, including
disposable apparel and face masks, has reported a 65% increase in revenues for
the third quarter of 2009, to a quarterly record of $16.9 million from $10.2
million in the same quarter 2008. The surge was led by a 290.1% increase in
revenue in the Infection Control segment.
Net income increased 278.8% for the third quarter of 2009 to
a record $2.8 million, compared
A Texas Tech University
researcher who developed a decontamination wipe to meet a critical need for the
U.S. military, has received the Scientist of the Year award from the Lubbock
chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation.
Seshadri Ramkumar, an associate professor and manager of the
Nonwoven and Advanced Materials Laboratory at The Institute of Environmental
and Human Health received the award on 20th October for his
invention of
‘Textile Days India’, a
combination of two fairs, Techtextil (International Trade Fair for Technical
Textiles and Nonwovens) and Heimtextil India (Trade fair for home furnishings),
which took place from 10-12 October, was inaugurated by Mr. A B Joshi, Textile
Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles India. The exhibition was held at the Bombay
Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.
According to organisers, Heimtextil India and Techtextil 2009 signified the uptrend in the econ
Entrepreneurs, businesses and
academics have been networking at the University of Bolton, exploring the
future of the textiles industry. More than 150 businesses were represented at
the event which looked at how the North West could build on its textiles
industry heritage and what advantages could be gained from exploring
partnerships in countries such as India.
Transforming the Textiles Landscape: Past, Present and
Future, was hosted by businessman and Fellow of En
Icebreaker, the New Zealand-based
environmentally-driven outdoor apparel brand whose products are made from pure merino,
is giving New York City’s eco runners a treat this week and next. Take your synthetic t-shirt into Paragon Sports flagship store on 18th and
Broadway and a live seamstress sitting in the store window will turn it into a
reusable running shoe bag for free. Marathoners and aspiring marathoners will
also receive 26.2% off their Icebreaker GT
Commencing yesterday, the
Hohenstein Institute will be combining its Clothing Physiology and Textile
Services & Innovations sections to create new Function & Care
department which will provide research and testing services to the textiles
industry.
The department will be managed by Dr. Andreas Schmidt who
will be succeeding Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Umbach. Dr. Umbach will be retiring
from his active role as Director of the Clothing Physiology department
Global demand for geosynthetics
is projected to increase 5.3 percent annually to 4.7 billion square meters in
2013. Countries such as China, India and
Russia that are building large-scale infrastructure developments and face
evolving environmental protection regulations and building construction codes
are expected to post the strongest gains through the forecast period.
Geogrids are forecast to achieve the fastest
gains through 2013; however, sales of geogrids
According to leading warp
knitting machine builder Karl Mayer, technical textiles are no longer simply
materials, but they are rapidly becoming ready-to-use components. The German
company says that the manufacturing sector is increasingly following this trend
by developing tailor-made solutions which are aimed at minimising costs and
processing sequences during production and by integrating as many functions as
possible into the design of the product from the o
DyStar Textilfarben GmbH,
DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. Deutschland KG as well as DyStar Holdings
GmbH, global providers of dyes, auxiliaries and services for the textile and
leather processing industry, announced that they have filed an insolvency
petition yesterday with the Local Court Frankfurt am Main for the company’s
business operations located in Germany.
DyStar’s insolvency filing includes the company’s sites in
Frankfurt, Leverkusen, Bruns
UK based specialist warp knitter Baltex, has developed a range of novel
warp knitted spacer fabrics using
Coolmax Fresh FX, which have been independently tested at the University of
Bolton and found to outperform other spacer fabrics in their comfort
properties. The company’s new Coolmax Fresh FX fabrics, which were launched at
this year’s Techtextil, are part of its wider XD range of 3D knitted spacer
fabrics.
According to Baltex, the Coolmax Fresh FX
NW Texnet, the cluster management
organisation for England’s North West technical textiles sector, has secured
funding in conjunction
with Blackburn College, from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), to
develop and deliver a foundation degree in Project Management for the technical
textiles sector.
“The degree was proposed as a direct result of feedback we
received from a range of companies when asked for their requirements from the
region’s
Teijin Limited, announced today
that it has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI
World), a global indicator for Social Responsible Investment (SRI).
The DJSI World, which was jointly developed by Dow Jones and
Swiss-based SAM Group in 1999, is the first global stock index tracking the
financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide.
The index assesses the economic, environmental and social performance of 2,50
Massif Mountain Gear Company
and Gehring Textiles announced yesterday that they have entered into an
exclusive agreement to jointly develop and supply military forces around the
world with a new generation of flame-resistant fabrics and apparel. Under the
terms of the agreement, Massif will become Gehring's exclusive customer for new
flame resistant fabrics developed by Gehring, or jointly by Gehring and Massif,
for apparel, headwear and gloves. Gehring will
Labelling Ecologically
Approved Fabrics (LEAF) has announced its public review process for fashion and
apparel industry stakeholders to provide feedback on a new eco-labelling
program designed to showcase environmental and socially responsible practices
to the U.S. marketplace.
The review will take place online by completing a
questionnaire pertaining to a recently released LEAF public review document
which outlines the program goals and objectives. The pu
Specialst knitted elastic fabrics
producer Elastic Fabrics Europe GmbH has been awarded the coveted Oeko-Tex
Standard 1000 for its environmentally friendly production methods.
Since December 2008, the German company's plant in
Neukirchen, Hessen, has been using proven environmentally friendly production
methods to make quality products for many top brand names such as Triumph,
Felina, Chantelle, Aubade and Lejaby. After two months of preparation, Elastic was
c
Two garment manufacturers in Asia, Suzhou
Deylon Textile Co. Ltd. and Shangdong Lawrance Textiles Co. Ltd., became the
first in the region to be issued the Oeko-TexStandard 100plus label for their
products.
Suzhou Deylon Textile Co. Ltd. makes traditional headwear
for the Arab market and Shandong Lawrance Textiles Co. Ltd. produces
undergarments for the Chinese domestic market and export to Europe. Key
requirements for certification are that the labelled items a
Centexbel, in collaboration with
Fedustria, is organizing an international congress on ‘Innovations in Sports
Textiles’ in Ghent, Belgium on June 24 & 25 2010.
If you are interested in delivering a lecture, to present a
scientific poster, to exhibit samples of product innovations or if your company
desires to sponsor this international event, please download the CALL FOR
PAPERS or contact:
Ann De Grijse, Secretariat
e-mail: adg@centexbel.be
phone: +32(0)9243
David Rigby Associates
(DRA), the specialist strategic marketing consultancy in technical textiles, has
announced it has added Corporate Finance services to its scope of practice.
This is to address new client needs arising from increasing structural change
in the sector.DRA believes its new services will be particularly helpful to
those considering cross-border acquisitions and expansions.
Working with selected Corporate Finance specialists, DRA is
now p
Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) and Noel P
Hunt International Limited have reached agreement on the takeover of the
TenCate 50% interest in the joint venture Geofabrics Australasia Pty Ltd of
Cheltenham (Australia). The takeover price of the shares amounts to AUD 40
million (approximately € 23 million). The book profit on the sale of the 50%
interest amounts to approximately € 11 million and will be incorporated in the
half-year figures of TenCate.
The 50% shareholding of
TenCate Geosynthetics has announced
that it is involved in projects in both Nigeria and the United States, in which
TenCate Geotube technology is being deployed. In Nigeria, Geotube is being used
to strengthen and protect river banks in the Niger delta and in the USA, TenCate Geosynthetics is working with the U.S.
Corps of Engineers on the rehabilitation and protection of the coastal strip of
Grand Isle in New Orleans (Louisiana).
TenCate Geotube technology is a system de
Unifi, Inc. announced today
that Repreve will be featured in the new line of Sun-Drop race team and branded
apparel. Sun-Drop will sponsor the No. 01 car at the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300
NASCAR Nationwide Series Race on Saturday, May 23, 2009, at Lowe's Motor
Speedway. This will be the first NASCAR sponsorship for Sun-Drop since the late
Dale Earnhardt. This time behind the wheel is Danny O’Quinn, Jr., the 2006
NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year.
“I am p
The International Oeko-Tex
Association is known around the world for its Oeko-Tex Standard 100 which
certifies that textile products are tested to be free from harmful levels of
more than 100 substances believed to be dangerous to humans. Oeko-Tex is also
rapidly gaining global acclaim for its Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 which evaluates
textile production facilities and certifies that they are employing best
practices in environmental and social management.
“Th
A fashion show where outfits ‘tell’
blind and visually impaired visitors what they look like, and a life-size game
pitting players against zombies are just two of the projects in a hi-tech
University of Derby showcase.
The catwalk show at 7pm at the University tonight (Tuesday
21 April) mixes the expertise of fashion and multi-media technology students,
and the Derbyshire Association for the Blind (DAB), to produce an event which
lives up to its title of UNiqu
Novacel, a leader in surface
protection, has furthered its work in developing protective solutions for the
carpeting and textiles market by introducing its Novacel 9357 range, an
innovation demonstrating the company’s determination to manufacture products
that are more environmentally friendly.
Devoted to the protection of showroom carpeting
(polypropylene or needle punched fibres), and more widely to textiles, this
30-µm-thick, transparent, colourless polyethyle
Heinrich Mauersberger, the inventor of Malimo stitch-bonding
technology, celebrates his 100th birthday
March 2009 - Great inventions often stem from every-day
occurrences, a gift for observation and a dogged persistence and finally there
comes that ‘Eureka!’ moment. This was also the case for Heinrich Mauersberger,
the inventor of the Malimo stitch-bonding technology. The pioneer in textile
technology was 100 years old on 11 February this year, and a party was held in
Limbach-Oberfrohna
Consolidated sales up by 5.4% to EUR 1.33 billion
EBIT down by 19.7% to EUR 130.3 million
Expected: Significant decline in 2009 results due to global
economic development
The Lenzing Group says it
made good use of 2008, a year characterized by volatility and the deepening
financial crisis, to further extend its position as world market leader in
cellulose fibres.
According to preliminary figures, consolidated sales rose by
5.4% to EUR 1.33 bill. (2007: EUR 1.26 bi
Japanese apparel giant Onward
Kashiyama has contributed JPY10 million to a major Australian environmental
initiative, the Australian Land Management Certification System (ALMCS).This
first-of-its-kind contribution will go to support the further development and
implementation of the ALMCS.
The contribution is thanks to the apparel maker’s Onward
Green Project, which was commissioned in July 2008 with Australian Wool
Innovation (AWI) support to help improve the
Heimbach Filtration has announced it will close its Suzhou, China filtration
facility due to poor market demand for its products. The company says that the
market situation for filtration products has worsened enduringly in China due
to the economic crisis.
Heimbach says that in addition, fierce price competition in
Asia, especially in China, makes the business with filter media more and more
unattractive. For this reason Heimbach Filtration decided to give up i
Hohenstein Institute, one of
the world’s leading textile research and testing laboratories, has established
Hohenstein Institute America, Inc. in response to its rapidly growing U.S.
customer base. Hohenstein America offices will be located in Elon, North
Carolina and will provide in-country support to U.S. textile products
manufacturers, sourcers, and retailers.
“Establishing Hohenstein America is an investment in our
commitment to our U.S. customers,” say
Heinz Michel who has
headed Benninger’s Textile Finishing Division since June 2008 is to take over
as Chief Executive Officer with effect from March 1, 2009.
Benninger AG’s Board of Directors today announced the
appointment of Heinz Michel as new CEO with effect from March 1, 2009. Heinz Michel
looks back on twelve years as CEO of fibre technology components manufacturer
Heberlein, now Oerlikon Heberlein Temco Wattwil AG. Since June 2008, he has
heade
The Institute of Environmental and Human
Health (TIEHH) at Texas Tech University has announced it will partner Enercon
Industries Corp. to combine each organization’s expertise to develop technology
to advance the functionality of nonwovens and technical textiles.
Seshadri
Ramkumar, an Associate Professor in the Nonwovens and Advanced Materials
Laboratory of TIEHH, said: “The partnership seeks to explore the opportunities
of commercializing atmospheric plasma
TenCate intends to take a minority
holding in the company TigerTurf. The acquisition process has reached a stage
sufficiently advanced to justify expectations that the transaction will be
completed shortly. TigerTurf has a focus on the Austral-Asian region and is a
valuable geographical supplement to the TenCate strategic concept of end-user
marketing in the synthetic turf market.
TigerTurf is a
leading company in the international synthetic turf market, particu
Recreational Equipment, Inc.
(REI), a US national retail cooperative providing quality outdoor gear and
clothing, yesterday announced its membership with bluesign technologies ag
allowing the company to use the bluesign(R) independent standard as part of its
product design and sourcing process.
Founded in 2000 in Switzerland, bluesign is an approach to
product sustainability that considers textile environment, health and safety
issues from the ground-up, address
Icebreaker, the New Zealand
company that pioneered the outdoor merino wool apparel category, has hired
Barry Schrimsher as vice president of USA sales effective immediately.
“We are very pleased to welcome Barry to the Icebreaker
flock,” said Russ Hopcus, president of Icebreaker US operations. “He has built
a very successful sales agency in the Pacific Northwest representing companies
such as Mountain Hardwear, Osprey and Lowa. Most recently as founder of
Intertek, a leading international provider of quality testing services
to a wide range of industries, today announced its acquisition of Porst &
Partner GmbH, located in Fürth near Nürnberg in Bavaria, Germany. Porst &
Partner is a highly recognised laboratory providing consumer product testing,
environmental analyses, food analyses and microbiology. Porst & Partner is
also a well-known provider of engineering services including evaluation and
renovat
Ahlstrom Corporation announces
that it will take further restructuring measures in order to adjust its
operations to the weakening demand. The company is planning plant closures in
Italy and temporary and permanent layoffs worldwide.
In Italy, Ahlstrom has started negotiations with the
representatives of the personnel on a permanent closure of its Gallarate and
Carbonate sites, as well as on a closure of one production line in Cressa. The
measures will be implemen
Research and Markets has announced the
addition of Textiles Intelligence's new report "Performance Apparel
Markets: Business Update, 3rd Quarter 2008" to their offering.
USA-based Columbia Sportswear, a manufacturer of active
outdoor apparel, has revealed that its efforts to reduce the counterfeiting of
its products around the world have been a success. Since 2003 the company has
worked with local, national
Reportlinker.com has announced
that a new market research report related to the Car Parts and supply industry
is available in its catalogue.
‘World Automotive Air Bags Market’ is a report which analyzes
the worldwide markets for Automotive Air Bags in Thousands of Units. The
specific product segments analyzed are Front-Impact Driver Air Bags,
Front-Impact Passenger Air Bags, Side-Impact Air Bags, and Other Automotive Air
Bags. The report provides separate comp
Icebreaker, a leading merino technical outdoor apparel brand today announced
the acquisition of its distributor in Germany, Sweden and Norway from Bradshaw
Taylor Ltd. Maximilian Hofbauer was named General Manager of the new Icebreaker
Pure Merino GmbH.
The new company will be based in Starnberg, Germany and will
begin selling Icebreaker’s new Fall/Winter 2009 apparel and accessories, which
will debut at the ISPO tradeshow, 1-
Demand for TenCate
military fabrics continues to accelerate. In addition to the continued high
volume sales of the TenCate DefenderM fabrics, the US Army has granted orders
for a further large amount of Combat Uniforms made from TenCate Gen2 fabrics to
SNCT (manufacturer of army uniforms). On 21 July 2008 TenCate already announced
sales in TenCate DefenderM fabrics amounting to at least 100 million over the
then next 12 months. This new order for TenCa
Paul Hulme, President
of the Materials & Effects division of Huntsman Corporation, announced
today that the company has completed a comprehensive review of the strategy for
its global Textile Effects (TE) business.
As a result, the Textile Effects business will move to implement a new
structure that will see its operations expand significantly in Asia and consolidate
in the Americas and in Europe as it transitions from a regional to a global,
market
3M Co. said yesterday that
it is to acquire the Futuro line of health supports and compression-hosiery
products from Beiersdorf.
Futuro’s line of health supports includes knitted wraps,
braces and elastic bandages used by active consumers to treat minor sprains,
strains, arthritis and muscle pain. Futuro’s compression-hosiery products
include therapeutic and anti-embolism stockings that are sold through drug
stores, mass merchants and grocers in North Amer
Volvo Cars says it is the
only manufacturer in the car industry with a complete model range featuring
textiles that are so clean that they are certified according to the Oeko-Tex
standard. The textile standard was introduced at the beginning of the 1990s by
textile research institutes as a response to the needs of consumers and the
general public for textiles which posed no risk to health.
The mid-nineties. A long day's test-drive of the Volvo S40
and V40 in sno
Gehring Textiles Inc. ,
a manufacturer of warp and circular knitted fabrics for technical applications,
has purchased Norton, Massachusetts based Tweave Inc, a manufacturer of high
quality four-way stretch woven fabrics.
“We know that Tweave
stretch fabric has enormous potential in many of these markets,” said Skip
Gehring, president, Gehring Textiles. “Tweave is well-known and respected in
fashion, sports and intimate apparel, but demand for its spe
Companies & Markets
has launched a new research report called Textiles in Germany. Textiles in
Germany an industry profile is an essential resource for top-level data and
analysis covering the textiles industry. It includes detailed data on market
size and segmentation, plus textual and graphical analysis of the key trends
and competitive landscape, leading companies and demographic information.
Scope
* Contains an executive summary and data on value
Messe Frankfurt, organizer of Techtextil
has announced its final plans for the June 2009 and looks forward to a successful
show.
"The signs indicate growth", says Michael Jänecke,
Brand Manager Techtextil, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. "By the end of
October, with more than six months still to go, we had received over 600
registrations." More than two thirds of the total area occupied in 2007
has already been sold.
Thus, the International Trade Fair for
Outdoor Research, Inc. a leader in the outdoor apparel industry, announced yesterday that it was awarded a $54
million 5-year contract to manufacture the Outdoor Research Modular Glove System,
Generation II for the U.S. Special Operations Forces' (SOF).
Developed and manufactured by OR, the Modular Glove System
meets the Special Operations Command's requirement for a protective glove
system enabling SOF operators to perform in all battlefield conditions,
including
Intertek, the leading global
provider of international trade solutions, today announced it has partnered
with leading global retailers, consumer brands and fabric mills to launch an
unprecedented industry program to facilitate industry-wide collaboration around
better solutions for the social, environmental and quality performance of
global fabric mills.
This unique program is designed to better prioritize the
critical concerns facing responsible textile producti
NWDA funds major skills project for Northwest Technical Textiles sector
8th September 2008 0 commentEngland’s Northwest has arguably
the highest concentration of Advanced Flexible Materials (AFM) companies in the
world, with excellent prospects for future growth. AFM Materials are widely
viewed as a ‘platform technology’ – a base upon which several other important
clusters such as aerospace, automotive, chemicals, construction, biomedical,
environmental technology, maritime and sport depend.
AFM
Materials are characterised by high added value innovation and success in
export markets, w
Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com ) has
announced the addition of the "Textile Advances in the Automotive
Industry" report to their offering.
Part one discusses issues such as automotive textile
requirements from a car producer’s perspective, mapping the automotive textile
supply chain, advances in textile fabrics including nonwoven fabrics, and
recycling issues. Part two focuses on automotive interiors with chapters on
performance and style of interio
Sun 19th May 2013
