Interiors

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

At next month’s R+T in Stuttgart, a leading trade fair for roller shutters and sun protection systems, fibre manufacturer Trevira will be presenting its range of polyester fibres and filament yarns for interior sun protection applications. These include flame retardant fibres and yarns, as well as hybrid yarns for the manufacture of stiffened fabrics.

Bissell Homecare has been named the winner of the prestigious 2012 Visionary Award, presented at the VISION 2012 Consumer Products Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana this week. Bissell’s Stomp ‘N Go Lifting Pad is designed to make cleaning carpet stains easy and simple.

Bayer MaterialScience has begun construction of a multipurpose production plant for polyurethane coating raw materials at Chempark Leverkusen.

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

The 7th Annual Public Conference of the European Textile Technology Platform will take place on 29 – 30 March 2012 in Brussels. The scope of this one-and-a-half-day event will be to present and discuss how future EU research, innovation and industry policies and programmes can better support the research and innovation efforts of the more than 140,000 small to mid-sized companies in the EU textile and clothing sector.

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.

When digital inkjet printing first emerged in the 1990s, it was a welcome innovation for printing flags, banners, and POS textiles, made primarily of polyester. Using disperse inks for direct printing or water-based inks for sublimation, the technology was the answer for quick-turn, small runs or single pieces needed in the display business.

A record number of exhibitors - 2,634 in total - took part in his year's Heimtextil show for home textiles in Frankfurt from January 11-14th. At the same time, the approximately 70,000 visitors to the show were slightly lower than in 2011, reflecting a decline in those from European nations particularly hard hit by the debt crisis - notably Italy, Spain, Greece, France and The Netherlands. By contrast, there was an increase in the number of visitors from Russia, the Middle East

Sustainability is the mega-trend of our time. The range of sustainable products and services is constantly on the rise. However, the concept of sustainability cannot be viewed in isolation but demands a holistic approach: it is not a case of "either ... or" but rather "both ... and". Sustainability, as we understand it today, means the use of resources to meet our needs without depleti