Sustainable
The UK’s University of Leeds has developed an innovative system for the objective evaluation of fabric handle, which uses established and proven test equipment underpinned by scientific principles, which account for key material properties.
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.
Tanatex Chemicals will be present at Techtextil 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany from 11-13 June 2013, showcasing several innovative solutions to the world of technical textiles.
ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, participated in the Sistema Italia trade mission to Indonesia from 6-8 May, promoted by the Italian Ministries of Economic Development and Foreign Affairs, and organized by ICE – the Italian Trade Promotion Agency, the government organization which promotes the internationalization of Italian businesses abroad.
Formax, a leading manufacturer of speciality composite reinforcements, has launched a new recycling initiative at its Leicester, UK production facility. Thanks to the creation of a dedicated Recycling Division and the installation of two bespoke machines, Formax says it is now able to reprocess the majority of its glass and carbon fibre waste.
EDANA’s European annual statistics on Nonwovens Production and Deliveries for 2012 were recently disclosed at its Nonwoven Producers Forum.
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.
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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.
Italian protective fabrics producer Argar Technology, a division of Argar S.r.L, has launched three new flame retardant (FR) fabrics ranges which it will be showcasing along with its current range of innovative products at this year’s leading technical textiles exhibitions – Techtextil 2013, and A+A Safety, Security & Health At Work 2013.
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.
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.
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.
The two global nonwovens associations, EDANA and INDA are joining efforts to promote the free and fair trade of Nonwovens globally starting with an active role in the upcoming US-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement negotiations. EDANA will volunteer Nonwovens for ‘fast track’ elimination of the current 4.3% tariff on nonwoven imports into the EU from the US. There currently are no tariffs on EU Nonwovens coming into the US.
The prestigious IDEA13 Achievement Awards have been presented during a special ceremony at IDEA13, the International Engineered Fabrics Conference and Exposition, in Miami Beach, Florida. The famed Entrepreneur Award and Lifetime Achievement Award were also presented.
Autefa Solutions will introduce a new concept fibre recycling line for nonwovens at this year’s Techtextil in Frankfurt, the core components of which, will be high performance balers and a compact tearing machine.
The latest developments in nonwoven applications for Ingeo biopolymer, a low-carbon-footprint polymer made from renewable plant material, will be on display at IDEA13 in Miami, Florida this week. NatureWorks says it will show new grades of Ingeo along with a range of final products which will demonstrate the commercial reality of the biopolymer.
As part of its efforts to further concentrate on its core business of manufacturing fibres, Lenzing AG has agreed to sell 85% of its shareholding in plastics business (Lenzing Plastics GmbH) to an Austrian bidding consortium led by Invest AG, the investment company of the Raiffeisen Banking Group Upper Austria based in Linz.
The overall response from the exhibitors and visitors at the latest edition of Techtextil North America was confirmation that they were pleased with the show and venue, organisers say. The tenth edition of Techtextil North America took place from 19-21 March at the Hilton Anaheim in Anaheim, California.
Whether it’s for wind power systems, aerospace technology, stadium roofs made from high-tech membranes, geogrids made from polyester used in landscaping or nonwovens for insulating and roofing, technical textiles cover a very wide range of applications.
Freudenberg Nonwovens will be exhibiting its wide range of products and technologies at IDEA 2013 – the International Engineered Fabrics Conference & Expo, which is being held from 22-25 April in Miami Beach, Florida.
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.
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.
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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.”
Despite having only really emerged since the 1940s, the value of the worldwide composites market is now estimated to be worth an annual €77 billion and to account for around 550,000 jobs worldwide.
Procter & Gamble, the company behind consumer brands including Pampers, Gillette, Ariel and Tide has announced that 45 of its facilities have now achieved zero manufacturing waste to landfill, which marks a major step towards the company’s long-term vision of sending zero manufacturing and consumer waste to landfills. P&G says that over the past 5 years its work to find worth in waste has created over $1 billion in value for the company.
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.
Nominations are open for the 2013 World of Wipes Innovation Award, which recognizes and rewards innovation within the entire wipes value chain that utilizes nonwoven fabrics in a way that expands the usage of nonwovens.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a process that it says enables recycled paper and cardboard to be used as a raw material for cost effective nonwovens. Hygiene and home care products, such as nappies, sanitary towels and cleaning cloths, are among the many items that the researchers say can be manufactured from the biodegradable nonwovens.
TenCate and BASF have welcomed Owens Corning, a leading global producer of glass fibre reinforcements for composite systems, as partner in their strategic alliance for thermoplastic automotive composites. The goal of the alliance is to develop optimal solutions in thermoplastic composites for automotive mass production.
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 comprehensive new report entitled Latin American Nonwoven Markets: Trends, Forecasts, and Analysis 2012-2017 is now available from INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry.
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.
The DiloGroup will present its portfolio of fibre processing equipment to the Turkish market when it exhibits at the ITM Texpo Eurasia 2013 which is being held together with the Hightex 2013 in Istanbul from 29 May to 1 June. This exhibition is also an important platform for the East Mediterranean, Southwest and Central Asian markets in general.
Vita Nonwovens is to discontinue production of its EnGuard GlassFree Insulation, a consumer ready wall and ceiling insulation batt. The strategic decision comes in an effort to refocus and prioritize opportunities elsewhere that will more efficiently enhance the company's growth and profitability.
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.
German nonwovens producer Sandler AG has reported a 6th successive year of growth in sales, increasing its sales volumes to Euros 247 million in 2012.
International technology group Andritz will present the latest technologies from its three nonwoven competence centres - Andritz Asselin-Thibeau, Andritz Küsters, and Andritz Perfojet, at Hightex/ITM 2013 in Istanbul in May.
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.
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.
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According to the latest The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) State of Trade Report, output of global yarn production rose in Q3/2012 in comparison to the previous quarter due to higher output in Asia South and America, while production in Europe and North America was down.
The Textile Institute has announced details of its latest intensive training short courses for the textiles industry. The Institute is a leading provider of short courses for the industry, drawing on over 100 years of textiles knowledge.
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.
INDA, Association of the Nonwovens Fabric Industry has announced it has entered into a strategic alliance agreement with the China Nonwoven and Industrial Textile Association (CNITA). CNITA is the Chinese government-approved national association for the nonwovens and technical textiles industries in China.
NatureWorks, supplier of biopolymers based Ingeo fibres, has announced that the company has located its first Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Bangkok and has expanded its team of senior commercial, managerial and technical personnel to enhance support of Ingeo customers throughout the region and to expand business.
As part of its Green Packaging Initiative launched in 2011, organic food supplier Ja! Natürlich took a further step to avoid plastics recently by introducing a range of 100% biodegradable fruit and vegetable nets made from Lenzing Modal fibre. Accordingly, onions, potatoes and beetroots are now being packaged in the ‘green’ nets.
A total of 15 of the most innovative and successful new products in the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industries over the past three years have been nominated as finalists for the prestigious IDEA13 Achievement Awards.
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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 Teijin Group, one of the world's leading suppliers of high-performance fibre, is participating at Technotex 2013, India’s premier exhibition of technical textiles, which will be held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India this week from 17-19 January. Teijin’s debut appearance at the show will highlight the group’s expanding initiatives to develop the Indian market for high-performance materials.
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.
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.
Clariant has signed an agreement to sell its Textile Chemicals, Paper Specialties and Emulsions businesses to SK Capital. The total consideration of the sale amounts to approximately CHF 502 million, out of which approximately 460 million in cash, equivalent to 6.3 times the estimated full year 2012 recurring EBITDA of those businesses. The divestment has been approved by the Boards of both companies. Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2013.
Alexium International Group (Alexium) announced it has received its second progress payment on a US Air Force contract this month, with additional progress payments on the contract expected over the next five months. Alexium’s says its financial position is strengthening, based on growing revenues from the US Air Force contract, awarded earlier this year and continued revenues from its commercial roll out of its novel FR nylon treatment.
Huntsman Textile Effects has launched two AEEA-free (amino-ethyl-ethanol-amine) alternatives for two of its key silicone softeners used in the manufacture of apparel and home textiles.
Dewatering breakthrough from RHL means textile finishers can finally say goodbye to conventional rubber squeezing
Lenzing’s lyocell cellulosic fibre Tencel turned 20 this week. Lenzing celebrated the anniversary by holding a commemorative ceremony and a customer symposium and here we look at the brand’s past, present and future.
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 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.
Five new consumer products that utilize nonwoven fabrics in an innovative manner have been nominated as finalists for the 2013 Visionary Award.
ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) will mark 2013 with a push towards internationalisation with 30 new members. This is the primary objective emerging from the initiatives promoted by ACIMIT for the upcoming year, and approved at the Association’s Board of Directors meeting held last 13 November.
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.
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published its ‘State of Trade Report’ for Q2, 2012 which shows that global yarn output for the quarter was up and estimates for global yarn and fabric output in Q3/2012 are positive - the outlook for Q4/2012 is unchanged/positive. The following is the main body of the report – the full report with detailed statistics can be downloaded at the foot of this article.
Cygnet Tex-Web has won a £5m contract to supply five PAN precursor creels to Jiangsu Hengshen Fiber Materials Co, one of the largest carbon fibre and composites manufacturers in Jiangsu Province, China.
The fourth edition of the ‘Worldwide Outlook for the Nonwovens Industry’, has been published, by INDA, the leading Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, in strategic partnership with EDANA the International Association Serving the Nonwovens and Related Industries.
Teijin Limited has announced that Teijin (Thailand) Limited in the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate of Thailand’s Ayutthaya Province, which was flooded by torrential rainfall in October 2011 and then resumed partial operation in February this year, returned to full-scale production on October 31. All three Teijin Group polyester production facilities in Thailand affected by the flooding are again operating normally.
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.
Graniteville Specialty Fabrics, a recognized leader in the production of specialty coatings and coated fabrics, has announced that it has purchased a state-of-the-art technical coatings line. The new high-speed equipment further expands the South Carolina based company’s capabilities by fully encompassing a broad range of width options in woven, knit, nonwovens and films.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
The Board of Directors at INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, this week appointed David Rousse as its new President. As of 15 October Rousse will assume the position currently held by Rory Holmes, who has announced his retirement in mid-2013. Holmes has held the position since 2003.
Monforts’ Klaus A. Heinrichs talks about his company’s participation in the VDMA’s Blue Competence initiative.
Blue Competence is an initiative launched by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) to demonstrate the know-how and experience of its members for sustainable solutions. Key points of the campaign are technologies and products that conserve raw materials, reduce emissions and sustainably improve the living conditions of people.
Huntsman Textile Effects and HeiQ have announced a strategic business alliance with the launch of PURE by HeiQ, an innovative, new-generation silver product that is said to set it apart from other odour control solutions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Four unique new products have been nominated as finalists for the second annual RISE Durable Products Award that will be presented at INDA’s RISE Conference in late October.
The RISE Durable Product Award will be awarded to a durable nonwoven product using nonwoven fabric and/or technology that is commercially sold and utilized in the consumer or industrial marketplace.
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.
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.
The Teijin Group announced today that Tokyo-based Toho Tenax Co., Ltd., the group’s carbon-fibre composites business company, and Shanghai-based Teijin Aramid Asia Co., Ltd., the group’s aramid-fibre business, will participate in China Composites Expo 2012. The show is Asia’s largest composites exhibition and will take place at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai from 5-7 September.
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.
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.
Lenzing Tencel and Lenzing Viscose fibres, which are based on the renewable raw material wood, were recently awarded the OK compost HOME certificate from Belgian certification company Vincotte. Vincotte examines and recognizes products which are suitable for both industrial composting as well as for disposal in individual garden composters.
Building on the success of its previous European filtration conferences and exhibitions, EDANA has announced the programme for the fifth edition of FILTREX, to be held in Cologne, Germany on the 17-18 October, 2012.
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.
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.
Specialty chemicals producer Clariant is rebranding and from today, 16 July 2012, will have a new appearance, a new logo and a new motto. A striking new high quality movie has also been made to communicate the new image. The Swiss company says the rebrand marks a new episode in its history because with its current portfolio it is better situated than ever before.
EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries, has released a public summary of its annual statistics on Nonwovens Production and Deliveries for 2011. The report is said to show growth in production volume for 2011 of 5.7%, with several market segments recording their best output ever in both tonnage and square metres, including baby diapers, medical, personal care wipes, civil engineering, automotive and agriculture.
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.
Visitors to ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 are said to have greatly appreciated the commitment of the German textile machinery industry on the issue of sustainability. On occasion of the region’s leading textile machinery exhibition from 12th to 16th June in Shanghai, the VDMA Textile Machinery Association presented its sustainability initiative Blue Competence for the first time in the Asian market.
According to ACIMIT, the association representing the Italian textile machinery builders, last month’s ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition provided positive indications for Italian exhibitors, in spite of the current uncertain economic outlook. In addition, the association says the Italian green label certification initiative was greeted with special appreciation.
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.
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.
Groz Beckert Chairman Thomas Lindner was accorded a special honour on 22 April this year. In his capacity as President of the VDMA (German Engineering Association). Dr. Lindner officially opened the Hanover Fair 2012 with none other than German Chancellor Angela Merkel, China's Minister-President Wen Jiabao and the Mayor of Hanover Stephan Weil.
The 2013 edition of ShanghaiTex aims to pioneer the transformation and upgrading of the Chinese textiles industry by bringing a full array of textile products, machinery and technology from China and all over the world under one roof.
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.
ITMA, the world’s most established textile and garment machinery exhibition, will put the spotlight on innovations that promote sustainability for its 17th presentation in Milan, Italy, in 2015. A trendsetting showcase of exciting innovations since 1951, the theme chosen for the 2015 edition is ‘Master the Art of Sustainable Innovation’.
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.
Population figures in Asia are increasing all the time, and are being accompanied in many countries by enormous growth in the nonwovens markets. Here, Groz-Beckert, a company with 1500 different product types, explains how suppliers of mechanically bonded nonwovens can share in the success of nonwovens in Asia.
Future materials in the shape of technical textiles and composites for the mobility sector and lightweight engineering were the major focus in Chemnitz from 8 - 10 May 2012 when more than 1300 visitors attended this year’s combined mtex - LiMA trade fair and symposium.
A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG is strengthening its commitment to technical textiles with the appointment of a new Business Development Manager to expand its product portfolio for this growth market. Monforts has appointed Jürgen Hanel as the new Business Development Manager, strengthening its commitment to technical textile 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.
Teijin Fibers and N.I.Teijin Shoji, the Teijin Group’s products converting business companies, have announced that they will participate in Asia Nonwovens Exhibition (ANEX) 2012, one of the top three exhibitions in the global nonwoven industry, which will be held at the KINTEX exhibition center in Seoul, South Korea from June 13 to 15.
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.
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.
Around 1300 exhibitors from 28 countries are gearing up to showcase their latest technologies at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 as the countdown for the third combined show begins.
The five-day exhibition will open on 12 June at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) and is expected to draw strong response from Asian buyers, especially Chinese visitors from major textile manufacturing making hubs in the country.
As sustainability continues to be a key topic influencing purchasing decisions throughout the global supply chain, the careful selection of raw materials like fibres is one of the first steps towards green products.
At the recent EDANA Eurasia Nonwovens Symposium in Istanbul, the importance of conventional textile manufacturing to Turkey was underlined, in addition to the growing role of nonwovens in increasing trade with neighbouring countries.
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.
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.
After a sharp reduction in global shipments of new textile machinery in 2008 and 2009, as a result of the global financial and economic crisis in 2008/2009, deliveries of new textile machinery surged in 2010 and even stronger in 2011, in most cases to new record highs.
The Italian textile machinery industry is getting ready for the ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition which will be held in Shanghai from 12-16 June where its focus will be on technologically sustainable solutions.
Naturally Advanced Technologies (NAT) which produces and markets CRAiLAR, a natural fibre made from flax and other bast fibres, has entered a joint development agreement with leading cellulosic manmade fibres producer Lenzing. The agreement calls for the companies to evaluate the blending of CRAiLAR Flax fibres with Tencel (Lyocell) and Lenzing Modal.
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.
According to Germany’s VDMA Textile Machinery Association, the forthcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME in Shanghai is an excellent platform for German technology suppliers who will play a key role in the technological upgrading of the Chinese textiles industry.
Alexium International Group has announced today it has received a letter of intent from Duro Textiles to license Alexium’s novel flame retardant (FR) treatment under an exclusive commercial agreement. The scope of the license would cover Duro’s nylon product areas for military, government agencies, upholstery, and industrial workwear markets in North America.
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.
Teijin has announced plans to establish Teijin Product Development China Co., Ltd. in August this year to conduct fibre and textile product research and development in Nantong, Jiangsu Province commencing April 2013. The move will enhance the Teijin group’s R&D functions in China and enable collaborative development with local partners to respond quickly to business opportunities in the fast-growing market.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT), which produces and markets CRAiLAR, a natural fibre made from flax and other bast fibres, has earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label for its CRAiLAR Flax Fiber.
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.
The current challenges in the economic climate do not seem to have adversely affected demand for space at the third ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition and due to the overwhelming response, the show owners say they have now booked the remaining available space at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC).
Teijin has announced it has formed a partnership with the China Chemical Fibers Association (CCFA) in order to pursue business opportunities in the fields of chemical fibres and related industries in China. This is said to be first time the CCFA has entered into a comprehensive alliance with a foreign privately owned business.
ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, has organized a Meeting Point where exhibiting Italian machinery manufacturers involved in the production of machines for technical textiles will show their innovative solutions at Techtextil North America from 24-26 April in Atlanta. Companies exhibiting with ACIMIT are Cormatex, Dell’Orco & Villani, Loptex, Ratti Luino and Saspe.
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.
Lenzing has continued on its dynamic growth path by posting record results for 2011. Despite a significant weakening of the global fibre market in the second half of 2011, Lenzing again achieved double-digit growth rates in sales and earnings, and surpassed the threshold of EUR 2 billion in consolidated sales for the first time in the company’s history. Operating margins also improved from a 2010 high and set a new record.
The annual Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show which takes place on the 17th-18th April this year at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry is used to showcasing the very latest high-tech manmade fibres and materials but this year, Armadillo Merino will be demonstrating how it believes Mother Nature can work wonders in helping to protect the workforce.
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.
The JEC Composites show is always characterised by a high level of innovation from an industry that now employs 550,000 professionals worldwide and generates an estimated €72 billion in revenues.
The nomination process is now open for the second annual RISE Durable Product Award that will be presented at the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE) Conference in October.
Ahlstrom Corporation, a global high performance materials company, today announced the publication of its second stand-alone Sustainability Report. The publication can be downloaded as a PDF file at the foot of this article.
DyStar Textile Services (DTS), the service division of the DyStar Group, has introduced its Sustainable Textile Service Programs which aim to help brands, retailers and their Industry partners reduce the impact of their products and processes on the environment and optimize supply chain costs.
Researchers in New Zealand say they have found that nine months is all that it takes for merino wool garments to biodegrade when buried in soil. The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) carried out research where two sets of trials compared the biodegradation behaviour of knitted merino and polyester fabrics when buried in soil.
From sound insulation to submarine cables and wound care, Freudenberg offers a wide range of nonwoven solutions customized for specific customers and applications. In addition, Freudenberg Nonwovens says, it can offer such customized solutions anywhere in the world from Dubai to Australia or even Bogota. With its claim ‘The Solution Engineers – Wherever You Are’, the company aims to differentiate itself as a reliable partner able to offer its customers tailor-made solutions on a global basis.
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).
Ever since the media began discussing the amount of water needed to produce a pair of jeans, the image of an entire industry line has suffered. And unjustly! In fact, the textile industry is very committed to the protection of the environment, and so is the textile care sector.
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.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT), which produces and markets CRAiLAR, a natural fibre made from flax and other bast fibres, announced that TSX Venture Exchange has named the Company to its 2012 TSX Venture 50, a list assembled based on quantitative measurement of top performing publicly traded companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). NAT was ranked fourth in Clean Tech sector.
A year after its launch at Expofil, Filature Miroglio, manufacturer of the Newlife fibre platform presented its Newlife Eco-Innovation Library at last week’s Première Vision in Paris. The Italian company reports great interest and turnout for Newlife and the innovative materials made with its 100% recycled premium fibre.
The Switzerland based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published its State of Trade Report for the 3rd Quarter of 2011. The organisation reports that global yarn and fabric production were up in Q3 and that estimates for Q4 are also positive.
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ACIMIT, the organisation representing the Italian textile machinery manufacturers says that orders for Italian textile machinery sector are now back on the rise.
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.
After the success of its 2010 Nonwovens Symposium in Baveno, which drew more than 200 delegates, EDANA has announced the programme for the first Eurasia Nonwovens Symposium, which will take place at the Sheraton Ataköy Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey from the 10-11 May 2012.
Nike announced this morning that it has entered into a strategic partnership with DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V., a Netherlands-based company that has developed and built the first commercially available waterless textile dyeing machines. By using recycled carbon dioxide, DyeCoo's technology eliminates the use of water in the textile dyeing process. The name DyeCoo was inspired by the process of ‘dyeing’ with ‘CO2.’
Over the past decade there has been a marked increase in the development of nonwoven technologies for the successful processing of alternative raw materials, including natural fibres, and for the recycling of waste materials.
DyStar has announced it has joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the collaborative venture established in 2011 by leading apparel retailers, suppliers and manufacturers with participation from academics and NGOs.
Innovative Italian warp knitter Sitip launched its latest collections of high quality technical fabrics in fashion colours for performance active wear and swimwear at last weekend’s ISPO in Munich.
The Teijin Group has announced the launch of a program in China for collecting and recycling used uniforms, in collaboration with Shandong Asahi Green Source Hi-Tech Farm Co., Ltd. and Shandong Asahi Green Source Milk Products Co., Ltd., both subsidiaries of Asahi Group Holdings.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT), producer of one of the first new natural fibres in decades, CRAiLAR, announced today it will partner with Tuscarora Yarns, a leading yarn innovator, to explore a range of new blended yarns using CRAiLAR Flax.
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.
Bayer MaterialScience has begun construction of a multipurpose production plant for polyurethane coating raw materials at Chempark Leverkusen.
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.
Disruptive RST technology company Alexium has begun the commercial roll-out of its flame retardant, oil and water repellent nylon, which it says has met key technical milestones for flame retardancy, water repellency and durability.
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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.
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
Market leader in the production of cellulose fibres Lenzing
is to exclusively produce the lyocell based specialty fibres Smartcel and
SeaCell which were developed by German company Smartfiber AG of Rudolstadt.
The
two companies have been cooperating for some time and under the newly expanded
arrangement Lenzing will produce the fibres at the Lenzing site in Upper
Austria.
In 2007, Lenzing granted Smartfiber a license for the pilot
production of new types of lyocell spe
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
Despite the current global economic slowdown, the world's leading
textile machinery manufacturers are said to be still strongly attracted to the prospects
offered by China, the world's largest textile producer. This can be seen from
the overwhelming response received by the combined textile machinery show, ITMA
ASIA + CITME 2012, which will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo
Centre from 12 to 16 June 2012, organisers say.
At the close of space application,
Messe Frankfurt has announced Miguel Caballero, the' Armani
of Bullet Proof Clothing', as the Keynote Speaker for Techtextil North America and
Texprocess Americas 2012, to be held 24-26 April 2012 at the Georgia World Congress Center in
Atlanta, Georgia.
Designer, Miguel Caballero known as the ‘Armani of Bullet
Proof Clothing' founded his label in 1992 in Colombia's capital, Bogota. The
Miguel Caballero bulletproof clothing line was especially created for those
The third edition of the biennial Techtextil India 2011,
which took place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai earlier last month, welcomed
3814 visitors from 27 countries to visit its 130 exhibitors.
The exhibiting countries were (in order of highest
attendance) India, Germany, PR of China, France, Belgium, South Korea, USA,
Sweden Netherlands, Japan, Turkey, Thailand, Italy and UK. The show also
included national pavilions from Belgium, PR of China, France and Germany.
V
Unifi has confirmed that car maker Ford's new Focus Electric
model features seat fabric made from the company's Repreve recycled fibre. More
than 20 plastic bottles per car are said to be used in the recycled material.
Repreve is made from a hybrid blend of recycled materials
and manufactured by Unifi, Inc. which says that 22 plastic, 16-ounce water
bottles are used in the seat fabric of a single Focus Electric. The figure is
based on the amount of Repreve branded fib
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF)
has published its State of Trade Report for the second quarter of 2011. Year on
year global fabric production was down for the quarter and although estimates
for both yarn and fabric production are negative for the third quarter, the
outlook for the fourth quarter is positive in both cases.
The ITMF reports as follows:
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
Alexium's ‘nanoscopic
shrink-wrap' gains traction
Adrian Wilson reports
It's been a year of solid achievement for Alexium in
commercialising its potentially disruptive RST technology.
The company is working with major prospective commercial
partners and also started-up a new production line at its headquarters in Greer
in South Carolina, USA, which triples its capacity.
And Alexium's Business Development Director John Almond
reports that the first mass market application for RST are getting c
According to a series of new Textiles Intelligence reports,
global demand for technical textiles is on the rise as new applications and new
markets continue to emerge. The reports can be purchased via Innovation in Textiles by following the
links below:
Innovation and
Internationalisation Drive Success in the German Technical Textile Industry;
New Technologies
for Making Up Technical Textiles and Clothing; The World
Nonwovens Industry: Part 1 -- The Leading Ten Producers;
Lenzing has announced that it's Tencel and Lenzing FR fibres
have been certified as 100% Biobased by the US Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
The Biobased certification is part of the BioPreferred program which
encourages government agencies and contractors to purchase products that are
biobased or made from significant amounts of biobased materials.
The purpose of the BioPreferred program is to increase the
US government's use of environmentally-friendly products
Students are being urged to apply now for a 2012 EDANA grant
to participate in the forthcoming Nonwovens Research Academy which is being
held in Gothenburg, Sweden on the 19 & 20 April 2012.
The event is being
organised by the European nonwovens association EDANA.
The Nonwovens Research Academy aims to promote fundamental
understanding and knowledge of the science and technology of nonwoven fabrics,
products and processes as well as related disciplines.
EDANA say
Following several quarters of sustained recovery since the
lows recorded during the 2008-2009 period, Italy's textile machinery sector is
now seeing a downturn in orders.
According to an economic survey carried out by the Italian
machine builders association ACIMIT, the downturn already evident in the second
quarter of 2011, was confirmed during the summer July to September period.
ACIMIT says the overall index* of orders for the year's
third quarter shows a 45% decrease
Freudenberg North
America is finding that its recyclable innovations are not only good for the
environment and its customers - they are also good for job growth.
Freudenberg aims to lead the way in recyclable product
innovations that include materials used in everything from mattresses,
wallpaper and brooms to building materials, landscaping and automotive
interiors.
The company says its innovations kee
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
ITMA 2011 Barcelona was a successful and rewarding event for
DyStar, which shared its sustainable textile processing knowledge, products and
solutions with its guests and visitors as well as attendees of the Sustainable
Textile Leadership Roundtable (STLR) and Textile Dyestuff & Chemical
Leaders Forum (TDCL).
Representing DyStar as one of the panellists at the STLR,
John Easton, Ecology Solutions Manager, commented:
"I think the one big idea
that come out
Specialty chemicals company Clariant today officially
inaugurated its Textile Chemicals Business Unit (BU) headquarters in Singapore.
Along with the inauguration of the BU headquarters, Clariant
is also celebrating the relocation of its global textile application technology
lab to Singapore.
The lab will be the main application development facility for
all new products developed globally by Clariant's Textile Chemic
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
Modular flooring manufacturer InterfaceFLOR has signed a
pan-European agreement with waste management specialist, SITA. The partners in sustainability have joined
forces to recover end-of-life carpet tiles from customers across Europe and
maximise their use.
Rather than being
sent to landfill, the tiles will be returned to InterfaceFLOR to be re-used by
the company's social partners or fully recycled in to n
A Dutch football club has installed a new 100% recyclable
artificial grass pitch which uses a patented weaving technique which results in
the turf fibres remaining upright.
Thanks to GreenFields, HHC Hardenberg (HHC) football club has a 100% recyclable artificial
grass football pitch. HHC took the initiative for the project and by
collaborating with GreenFields, artificial turf manufacturer TenCate Grass
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
According to the VDMA, German exhibitors at ITMA drew very positive conclusions from September's ITMA 2011 in Barcelona.
83% of exhibiting VDMA members assessed their overall experience of the fair as good to very good. 91% said the quality of visitors was good to excellent and a survey of the German exhibitors, 134 of whom responded, showed that more than two thirds of the participants had already closed deals before the
Japanese fibres giant Teijin Limited announced today that it will donate 20 million Japanese yen (approx. 260,000 USD) for relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by severe flooding in Thailand. The donation includes 15 million yen provided to the Thai government.
The Teijin Group says it attaches great importance to the affected area, where it operates key polyester manufacturing facilities.
Teijin extends its s
RITE Group Conference seeks paradigm shift through traceability
17 October 2011
Debra Cobb reports from London
How can the apparel textile industry link together its diverse efforts toward sustainability in a way that is meaningful to the brand, retailer and consumer? Can a system of supply chain traceability help reduce "greenwashing" and convince consumers to care about the provenance of what they wear?
"Supply Chain Traceability and Metrics" was the focus of the 5th annual RITE Group Conferen
CIRFS, the Brussels based European Man‐made Fibres Association has published its latest statistical report on developments in the global man‐made fibres industry. The report, ‘Information on Man‐made Fibres' is the 47th edition of this valuable summary of the dynamic and growing man-made fibres industry.
It brings together data on the production of acrylic, cellulosic, polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, wool and cotto
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
Japanese high performance fibres supplier Teijin will be exhibiting at Techtextil India, the international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, which is being held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, India next week (10-12 October).
Teijin will present high-performance solutions incorporating aramid, carbon and polyester fibres for diverse applications, including protective, energy-saving
EDANA, global association and voice of the nonwovens and related industries, has announced its programme of events scheduled for the remainder of 2011 and for 2012, as well as an overview of the planned activities for 2013 and 2014.
"Our members and companies within the industry have been clear in their desire for high-quality events that address specific sectors of the nonwovens and related industries. Our programme of events meets this
Adrian Wilson in Barcelona
Without a doubt, savings in energy, water and raw materials were the key drivers for the machine and process innovations on show at this year's ITMA in Barcelona.
ACIMIT and the VDMA - as the respective textile machinery trade associations for Italy and Germany - were by no means unique in emphasising the ability of their member companies to develop processes and technologies that provide a low environmental impact.
ACIMIT launched its
Scientists at the University of California Davis (UC Davis) have developed a self-cleaning cotton fabric that they say can kill bacteria and break down toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues when exposed to light.
"The new fabric has potential applications in biological and chemical protective clothing for health care, food processing and farm workers, as well as military personnel," said Ning Liu, who cond
Lenzing has launched an eco version of its Modal fibre at this autumn's trade shows. The Austrian company's new Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is said to be produced by an innovative, eco friendly manufacturing technology.
"The Lenzing group has always set the technological and environmental standards in the cellulose fibre world. To maintain its reputation as the industry's Best Practices model, enormous investments in the environment are re
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT) has entered into a purchasing agreement for a minimum of one and a half million pounds of CRAiLAR Flax fibre with Brilliant Global Ltd, the Hong Kong-based private label knitwear manufacturer which produces a broad spectrum of sweater and accessory items in natural fibres for globally recognized brands. The agreement is to commence in October 2011.
"This agre
As ITMA opens here today, Germany's VDMA Textile Machinery Association has announced the launch of a new internet portal for the global textiles industry www.machines-for-textiles.com . The machine builders association says the portal will be a useful tool for textile manufacturers who want to get quick and easy access to information on German technology.
Who produces machines for tailored fibre placement? Who offers machin
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
Century Place a US based supplier to the textile rental trade is using Ecosure, a fibre made from post consumer PET polymer, in its latest line of knitted rental uniforms.
Poole Company, a manufacturer and distributor of recycled and virgin polyester fibre says its EcoSure fibres, which Century Place has selected for its range, are certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) as being manufactured from 100
Keynote speakers have been announced for the NETInc Innovative Nonwoven's Conference, to be held Sept, 13-15, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference covers key technical developments in the nonwovens business and offers peer reviewed papers, expert speakers and a wide range of networking opportunities.
"The keynote speakers for the NETInc Nonwovens conference will address a range of important issues including legislative, m
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
Germany's VDMA Textile Machinery Association says a hot topic at the forthcoming ITMA in Barcelona will be ‘efficient production', as growing energy and raw material prices lead textile manufacturers around the world to optimize their cost structures and processes.
"At ITMA, the German textile machinery manufacturers will present advanced technical solutions that offer excellent value for mone
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
Triton Systems, Inc. has launched its Invexus brand of high performance, durable, conformal, nanothin coatings which are deposited via its patented atmospheric pressure plasma liquid deposition technology.
Invexus for liquid repellent, primer and anti-microbial applications was developed by the ASSET (Advanced Solutions in Surface Engineering Technology) division at Triton.
"Our coatings formulation capabilities coupled
Leading experts from around the world will gather in Barcelona at the fourth Industrial Fabrics Association International Advanced Textiles Europe conference (AT Europe '11) which is being held alongside ITMA 2011 with two consecutive morning sessions on 26 and 27 September 2011. ITMA, the world's largest international textile machinery exhibition, runs from 22-29 September.
According to the organisers
ITMF Annual Conference 2011
‘New Paradigms in the Global Textile Industry'
To be held 19-20 September 2011, Barcelona
The ITMF Annual Conference 2011 takes place next month in Barcelona, Spain from 19-20 September 19/20, 2011 prior to the start of ITMA 2011 (September 22-29, 2011). Delegates will also participate in the ITMA/ITMF World Textile Summit 2011 on September 21.
The theme of the ITMF Annual Conference "New Paradigms in the Global Textile Industry" is said to reflect that the circumst
In the 1st quarter of 2011 global yarn and fabric production fell compared to the previous quarter but rose in comparison to the 1st quarter of 2010. The decrease in global yarn production resulted from lower outputs in Asia, Europe and South America.
It has to be noticed here that the reduction of yarn production in Asia in the 1st quarter 2010 is mainly
A new spin on an old technology will give scientists and manufacturers the ability to significantly increase their production of nanofibres, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.
"Collections of nanofibres, because they are porous and lightweight, are useful in applications ranging from water filtration to tissue regeneration to energy storage. But although nanofibres are relatively inexpensive to pro
IntertechPira has announced that Smart Fabrics 2012 will take place April 17-19, 2012, at the Conrad Miami Hotel in Miami, Florida. The event, now in its eighth year, is expected to bring together experts from a variety of industries, including textiles, fashion, electronics, technology, research and academia, all of which play a unique role in the emerging smart fabrics industry.
"We are thrilled to be back i
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
California's Amyris, Inc. has signed a collaboration agreement with Kuraray Co., Ltd. to develop innovative polymers from Biofene, a renewable hydrocarbon building block made using Amyris's technology.
Under the agreement, Kuraray will use Biofene to replace petroleum-derived feedstock such as butadiene and isoprene in the production of specified classes of high-performing polymers. Upon successful completio
Huntsman Textile Effects (TE) today challenged the textile industry to work in partnership and take on responsibility for environmental sustainability throughout all areas of the textile supply chain in order to reduce the global impact on the use of increasingly scarce resources such as water and electricity.
"The textile dyeing and finishing industry is one of the heaviest global consumers of water and energy. By 2030
US based polyester fibre producer Unifi is to partner with Polartec to launch an innovative new program for recycled textiles with the launch of its REPREVE Textile Takeback Program.
"Millions of pounds of textile manufacturing scraps end up in landfills every year and the REPREVE Textile Takeback Program will give fabrics a second chance by recycling them back into REPREVE recycled fibres," the company said in a sta
Garnett Controls Ltd (UK) is launching its new generation retrofit control systems for textile machinery aimed at replacing traditional inefficient drive systems with economic, easy to use, and expandable systems.
Utilising the latest in touch screen technology which Garnett pioneered in the retrofit carding sector, the new range of panels are targeted at the company's principal area of activity, carding, spinning and nonwovens,
According to show owner CEMATEX, visitors to ITMA 2011 can look forward to knowledge-sharing, cross-fertilisation of ideas and more collaborative interactions with some of the world's leading textile researchers and educators.
A total of 46 institutions have applied to take part in the Research & Education (R&E) pavilion, making it a key highlight at this year's ITMA exhibition which will be held at the F
Leading manufacturer of warp knitting and warp preparation machines, Karl Mayer will be presenting at this year's ITMA 2011 exhibition for the first time with all of the company's business units on the same 1400 square metre exhibition stand.
"Visitors will have the opportunity to see machines which will be demonstrating all their capabilities for producing completely new textile materials, and all of them have an impressive, excep
DyStar says it is continuing to move ahead of expectations in spite of difficult market conditions as it returns to profitability. Overall sales revenue increased by approximately 15% over the same period last year.
"We wouldn't have achieved such good progress without the continuous and dedicated efforts from our employees or the strong support from our shareholders," commented Steve Barron, CEO of the DyStar Group.
"And we have made a number of chang
Organisers of the ITMA 2011 textile machinery exhibition are extending the area dedicated to fibres and yarns at this year's show due to what they call overwhelming demand.
Debuting at the show's 60th anniversary, the fibres and yarns section was due to occupy the whole of Hall 4. However, due to strong demand from fibres and yarns producers, an additional area in Hall 5 has been allocated.
Visitors to ITMA 2011 at the Fira de Ba
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
Polyester fibre producer Teijin Fibers has announced today it will present its urethane-alternative environmentally friendly high-performance polyester cushioning material for bra cups, called ELK, at Interfiliere in Paris from July 9 to 11.
ELK is said to be lightweight, durable, cushioning, and breathable and does not yellow easily, making it an ideal cushioning material for bra cups. According to Teijin it is also is environ
The 7th edition of the Advances in Textiles, Machinery, Nonwovens and Technical Textiles" (ATNT 2011) international conference is to take place in Coimbatore, India from 15-17 December 2011.
The ATNT conference originated in 2004 through the efforts of Lubbock-USA based Texas Tech University and has grown in significance over the years and attracts over 200 people from many parts of the world.
This year's event will be held
FibeRio Technology Corporation has announced it has been selected by the editors of R&D Magazine as a winner of the 49th Annual R&D 100 Awards. The accolade recognizes the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year.
FibeRio's rapid development and launch of the Cyclone L-1000 product line incorporating Forcespinning technology for nanofibre pr
Performance Fibers, a specialist manufacturer of industrial polyester fibres and fabrics with operations in The Americas, Europe and Asia, showed just some of its extensive product range at the recent Techtextil in Frankfurt. The USA based company, which is owned by Sun Capital, serves some of the world's largest and most critical markets, including energy, transportation and safety.
Developing next-generation t
Theme day: Intelligent textiles for physical training, therapy and safety
Readers wanting to learn more about intelligent textiles that can:
Treat depression
Integrate physical training into everyday life
Increase safety at festivals
Can sign up for this theme day in the interest group for intelligent textiles. According to the organisers, attendees will gain insight into the latest breakthroughs within IT-enhanced textiles and get the opportunity to meet other comp
Italian narrow fabrics machine builder Comez will take part at this year's ITMA 2011 in Barcelona with important innovations including new and renewed machine models. The Italian company says it will highlight the excellence of its technology from its broad range of machinery for the production of narrow fabrics.
The company's exhibit of mechanical and electronic models of crochet knitting machines, a technology in which Comez is world leader, have been developed for man
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
ITMA 2011 is focused on innovation driving the business, with cutting-edge solutions for the entire textile value chain. Huntsman Textile Effects has announced it will showcase recent innovation delivering real value to mills, brands, retailers and consumers in terms of performance and total process cost reduction.
"Sustainability is a key topic today and Huntsman continues to commit significant resources to developing technologies and products with lower environmental im
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
Germany's VDMA -Textile Machinery Association is organising a series of one day conference and exhibitions called ‘German Technology for the Chinese Technical Textile Industry', which will take place from 5 to 9 March 2012 in Jinan, Hangzhou and Guanzhou.
Sixteen well-known companies from Germany will present their innovative technologies and solutions for the production of technical fibres and yarns, technical fabrics
The ninth edition of Techtextil North America Symposium will be held from 24-26 April 2012 at the Georgia World Congress Center in at Atlanta, GA.
"We are pleased to announce that in 2012, ATME-I (American Textile Machinery Exhibition-International) will be incorporated into Techtextil North America. Also in 2012, Texprocess Americas (formerly SPESA Expo) will co-locate with Techtextil North America in adjacent halls providing tremendous value for textile and sewn pro
The third ITMA ASIA + CITME combined exhibition is expected to draw positive response from leading textile machinery manufacturers as the Chinese textile industry continues to expand. The show will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 12 to 16 June 2012.
According to its owners, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), China Textile Machi
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
"Imagine plugging a USB port into a sheet of paper, and turning it into a tablet computer." It might be a stretch, but ideas like this have researchers at North Carolina State University examining the use of conductive nanocoatings on simple textiles - like woven cotton or even a sheet of paper.
"Normally, conductive nanocoatings are applied to inorganic materials like silicon. If we can find a way to apply them to textiles - cheap, flexible materials with a contorted
Naturally Advanced Technologies (NAT) has announced it has entered into a short-term CRAiLAR Flax fibre development agreement with Cintas Corporation beginning June 2011 to support evaluation of processing CRAiLAR flax fibre in corporate identity uniform programs.
"Cintas is the leading uniform brand in the U.S. and we are looking forward to supporting their manufacturing processes," said Ken Barker, CEO of NAT. "This agreement is further validation that NAT promises a
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
Interview with the President of the French Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association
The French Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association (UCMTF) President, Bruno Ameline and the Secretary General, Evelyne Cholet, report on the present state and the perspectives of their member companies. These are 35, mostly SME's but leaders or among the world leaders on niche markets and specific applications. Their total annual turnover is around 1 billion Euros (1.4 billion USD), most
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
Following a strong investment boom that reached its peak in 2007, shipments of new textile machinery were in strong decline aggravated by the global financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. However, in 2010 global shipments of new textile machinery recorded a very strong up-swing.
In comparison with 2009 global shipments of new spinning machinery jumped by +75% (short-staple spindles), +163% (long-staple spindles) and +212% (open-end rotors), texturing spindles by +132%,
Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, opened its doors on Tuesday in Frankfurt and closed yesterday, counting 24,500 visitors* (2009: 23,902). Over half of the visitors to the show and its Material Vision cutting edge materials exposition are said to have come from outside of Germany, the world's leader in technical textiles.
The mood at Techtextil 2011 was extremely good with the main halls ‘buzzi
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
With a total of 1561 exhibitors from 60 countries, the new
trade-fair combination of Techtextil, Texprocess and Material Vision opens its
doors this week in Frankfurt am Main for the first time.
With this constellation including the new Texprocess trade
fair, we are all set for a highly successful premie and offer an
international spectrum of products and services revolving around the production
and processing of textiles and other innovative materials,, Detlef B
CALL FOR PAPERS
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural conference ‘Managing Innovation In Textiles’, papers are now invited for the 2nd international conference to be held in Manchester on 30 November 2011.
The technical textile industry has seen major developments in the production of technical and industrial textiles. An extensive variety of innovative products have been introduced into the world market as a result of techno
50th Anniversary, 14 - 16 September 2011
Communicating the future of man-made fibres
Umbrella Theme: “Man-made Fibers – the Next 50 Years” – a good choice
Plenary Speakers and Visionaries Enlarge the Spectrum of Lectures
Panel Discussion on the Topic of Reduced Availability of Natural Fibers
Increasing Number of Participants Expected (Registration of Early Birds, Edition Copies Pre-programme)
Importance of Congress Underlined by Parallel Events
Tree-planting Ceremony at t
Warp knitting machine builder Karl Mayer will be exhibiting
alongside its subsidiary, Karl Mayer Malimo, a pioneer in the field of
technical textiles, at this month’s Techtextil in Frankfurt. The well-known Obertshausen
based company, not only builds efficient, flexible machines for producing
functional textiles but it also develops new applications and markets for warp-knitted
products.
Malitronic
“The end-uses currently showing the most potential are the
se
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
Unifi celebrated the official opening of its REPREVE
Recycling Center yesterday; an $8 million investment which will allow the
company to expand production capacity of its REPREVE recycled fibre.
REPREVE is a family of recycled polyester and nylon fibres
that can be used in a wide range of applications, including apparel,
automotive, seating and panelling fabrics. Since its introduction in 2006,
REPREVE has grown from a single recycled polyester fibre into an entire
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
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Below is a sample selection of recently pu
Leading producer and processor of multi-filament polyester
and nylon textured yarns Unifi Inc. marked the dedication of its Yadkinville,
N.C., facility to late founder, G. Allen Mebane IV on Tuesday, 26 April.
A dedication ceremony at the G. Allen Mebane Industrial Complex
in Yadkinville recognized Mebane’s positive impact on Unifi, the textile
industry and the community. Speakers included Bill Jasper, Unifi chairman and
CEO; Roger Berrier, president and COO and
The advanced position of the nonwovens industry in respect
of many aspects of trade was apparent at INDEX 11, which took place from April
12-15th in Geneva, Switzerland.
Needless to say, the show made new records in respect of
both exhibitors and visitors.
New classification
for nonwovens?
EDANA – the trade body primarily representing the European
nonwovens industry – announced in Geneva that along with fellow trade
organisations INDA, for North
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
RadiciSpandex Corp., a U.S. RadiciGroup company engaged in
the production of RadElast spandex, is developing the world’s first
eco-friendly elastane using a 100% renewably sourced material (biopolymer).
“The innovative product line will be the world’s first
spandex consisting of 80% biomaterial made from a 100% renewable source (corn),
as opposed to propylene, an oil derivative,” a statement from the company said
to day.
According to RadiciSpandex, not only
The third edition of the combined ITMA ASIA + CITME show will be held from 12 to 16 June 2012 at the
Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The show aims to continue to be the
leading marketing platform for textile machinery manufacturers tapping into the
vibrant Chinese market.
“According to Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA), the
global market for textile machinery is projected to reach US$20.75 billion by
2015. The Asia Pacific region is expected to dominate as t
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT) has announced it
has entered into a short term CRAiLAR Flax fibre development agreement with
Levi Strauss & Co. Commencing April 2011 to support evaluation of
processing CRAiLAR flax fibre in woven casual apparel products, specifically
denim and non-denim, bottom and top weight fabrics.
"Levi's and Dockers are the quintessential denim and
casual wear brands," said Ken Barker, CEO of NAT. "We are very
excited to be working
Techtextil is the most significant global trade fair for
technical textiles and nonwovens and will once again attract a specialist audience
to Frankfurt from 24 to 26 May 2011. Oerlikon Saurer’s Allma product line, a
known innovator in twisting and cabling of technical yarns and tire cord, will
exhibit its Allma CC3 in the combined version as two-for-one and cabling
machine. The company’s latest innovations and energy saving solutions will be
the central topics for vis
The new test criteria for product certification under OEKO-TEX
Standard 100 which were published by the International OEKO-TEX association at
the beginning of the year became mandatory for all certification processes on 1
April, when the three-month transitional period came to an end.
“The OEKO-TEX association would like to take the opportunity
to point out to all companies that OEKO-TEX certification also covers all
textile-relevant SVHCs (substances of very high con
Without making a lot of noise about it, some automotive
suppliers have embraced sustainability for years by producing sound-attenuating
components with shoddy made by Leigh Fibers from recycled denim and other
textile materials. QuietLeigh recycled fibres
have become the industry standard for acoustical padding, contributing to
quieter rides while helping to keep tons of old jeans out of landfills.
Leigh custom-blends QuietLeigh fibres to suit suppliers'
productio
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
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Textile Outlook International reports provide an overview of
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for senior executives in the fibre, textile and apparel industries – a
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
The current challenges facing the global wipes business,
ranging from the instability of raw materials to the environmental ‘friendliness’
of finished products, will be the focus of the upcoming World of Wipes (WOW)
International Conference, set for June 14–16, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead,
Atlanta, Georgia.
The full agenda for the event, which annually attracts
hundreds of participants from the wipes supply chain, provides three days of
educational seminars
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
The French textile machinery manufacturers group, which
considers itself as part of the technical textiles industry, is all set to
welcome technical textiles and nonwovens producers at Techtextil in Frankfurt
from 24-26 May this year.
“We understand the unique needs of the technical textiles
producers and the importance of providing them tailored solutions to address
their specific requirements. Our main objectives are to help them design new
marketable products and produ
The North America Nonwovens Industry Outlook 2010-2015 has
recently been published by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry.
The comprehensive report is the result of extensive interviews combined with
market and production information provided by suppliers and converters, and covers
various aspects of nonwovens production and consumption in North America. According
to INDA the report is a unique forecasting and strategic planning tool for
companies.
“Kno
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT) has agreed to a
ten-year CRAiLAR fibre supply agreement with Hanesbrands Inc. that will
commercialize NAT's proprietary flax fibres. Terms of the agreement were
undisclosed. The deal represents NAT's initial commercialization agreement for
CRAiLAR and establishes the foundation for continued adoption of its
proprietary flax-based fibre.
The all-natural CRAiLAR process is said to be the first to
The words ‘Swiss Made’ are a highly regarded mark of origin,
not only for watches, chocolate and precision tools, but also for textile
industry products. A fine example in textiles is Hermann Bühler AG, which
produces top-quality, super-fine yarns in Supima cotton and Micro Modal on
48,000 spindles at its site in Winterthur, Switzerland and a further 32,000 spindles
at a subsidiary factory in Jefferson, Georgia, USA.
Many of the Bühler yarn brands,
supplied to
Polyester fibre and yarn producer Trevira is to show its first
fibre developments made from PLA biopolymer Ingeo made under license from NatureWorks
alongside it established polyester specialties for hygiene and technical
applications at this year’s INDEX 2011 nonwovens show.
“Sustainability is an increasingly important issue in all
textile applications, also in the nonwoven sector. Polyester has many
properties that from the outset make it a material that is compati
Teijin Limited has announced that it has joined the United
Nations Global Compact as part of the company’s commitment to socially
responsible sustainability.
The U.N. Global Compact is a set of principles for
self-conduct that participating organizations worldwide follow in their
independent efforts to achieve sustainable growth. Participants are required to
support and implement 10 basic principles covering human rights, labour, the
environment and anti-corruption.
“Th
Leading German manufacturer of warp knitting machines Karl Mayer will be presenting its latest warp knitting technologies for technical applications, including a talk on spacer fabrics, at next week's Techtextil North America 2011 exhibition. The leading North American show for technical textiles is being held from 15 to 17 March at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre in Las Vegas, NV, USA.
An accompanying symposium will also take place which aims to add value to the exh
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
Preliminary 2010 data drawn up by ACIMIT (the Association of
Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) is said to show that a decisive
recovery is under way for Italy’s textile machinery sector, in the wake of a
2009 which had been marked by a conspicuous drop in production.
In terms of value,
Italy’s textile machinery production recorded an 18% increase on 2009, from 1.9
to 2.3 billion Euros. Exports drew a similarly favourable increase, at +19%,
reaching a value of ju
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
The 6th Annual Public Conference of the European Textile
Technology Platform will take place on 31 March – 1 April 2011 in Brussels.
With this year’s event entitled ‘Societal Challenges – Textile Solutions’, the
European textile and clothing industry and its research community aim to
demonstrate to EU policy makers and the press how innovative textiles can help
a
Techtextil, the world’s
biggest trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, will present a
comprehensive symposium programme for exhibitors and visitors from 24 to 26 May
2011. As in the past, the 16th Techtextil Symposium and the 6th Avantex
Symposium are being held under the patronage of EURATEX – European Apparel and
Textile Confederation. Top speakers will present the latest product, material
and technology developments and offer a future oriented view
Preliminary figures show that Austria’s
Lenzing Group, market leader in man-made cellulose fibres for the textile and
nonwovens industries, has achieved record financial results in 2010. The
determining factors for the result are reported as being the dynamic expansion
of fibre production, very strong demand for the company’s fibres and
significantly higher sales prices compared to the previous year.
Preliminary consolidated sales¹ increased by 45% from EUR
1.22
One of the most powerful men
in Chinese textiles, Du Yuzhou, president of China National Textile &
Apparel Council (CNTAC), is to address international industry leaders at the
ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit later this year.
Mr Du is one of a trio of speakers newly announced by the
organisers of the summit, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, on
September 21. He will outline China’s strategic ambitions for its textile
industry and report on progress in
Cellulose fibre manufacturer
Lenzing Fibers is one of the winners of
this year’s ispo Eco Responsibility Award 2011. The Austrian company was
declared winner in the new Fabrics & Fibres category for its sun screening
Tencel Sun fibres, here in Munich yesterday.
“Tencel Sun fibres by Lenzing are so-called “man-made
cellulose fibers” – meaning they are derived industrially from natural raw
wood, consisting of about 40% cellulose. The natural origin of the
Advansa has announced that an
Independent Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) has confirmed the CO2 footprint reduction
of its ECO2Technology for its ThermoCool fibres. Advansa says the peer-reviewed
study was conducted by TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific
Research) an independent research organization that focuses on applied science.
According to Advansa, the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study confirms an average
reduction of 80% in emissions of global warming ga
American Textile Machinery
Association (ATMA) and Messe Frankfurt USA have agreed on the inclusion of
American Textile Machinery Exhibition–International (ATME-I) with Techtextil
North America every even year starting in 2012. The two exhibitions successfully
co-located last May in Atlanta.
ATME-I will provide textile machinery, equipment, and
products and service suppliers a broad textile and apparels industry base to
showcase their products and services. ATMA
The European Apparel and Textile
Confederation (Euratex) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) have
officially announced their support for Texprocess, the new international trade
fair for processing textiles and flexible materials, in Frankfurt from 24 to 27
May 2011. Both associations will be represented with an exhibition stand at
Texprocess and invite their members to visit the exhibition. Additionally, Euratex
will hold a meeting of the ‘Technical Cl
Ken Barker, CEO of Naturally
Advanced Technologies announced yesterday at the Texworld 2011 Conference in
New York that the company is prepared to begin shipping initial orders of Crailar
Flax Fiber from its Kingstree, South Carolina facility as early as March of
this year. The company says it has developed the capacity to rapidly increase
production thereafter to meet the demands of its development partners and to
respond to increasing interest from new custom
According to Messe
Frankfurt, the current number of registrations for Techtextil 2011,
International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens, indicates yet
another successful exhibition. The organiser says that by the end of December, over
90% of the space used in 2009 had already been booked and there was equal
interest from new and returning exhibitors for the 24-26 May 2011 show.
“The mood is good
following Techtextil 2009, which set a new r
4 January 2011, Zurich - The International OEKO-TEX
Association has, as usual at the start of the year, updated its criteria and
limit values for use when testing textiles for harmful substances in accordance
with the OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
“For many years now, the list of criteria has provided
effective protection against undesirable chemical substances and it is used
very successfully by the textile and clothing industry and many retailers and
distributors for quality control in this area,
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
Teijin Fibers Limited, the
core company of the Teijin Group’s polyester fibres business, announced today
that it will begin full production and marketing of a new plant-based
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibre in April 2012.
Named Eco Circle PlantFiber, the new product, also available
as a textile fabric, will become Teijin Fibers’ core biomaterial for
applications ranging from apparel, car seats and interiors to personal hygiene
products. Teijin Fibers
Clariant’s Textile Chemicals Business
Unit has announced price increases for its ranges of textile chemicals and
textiles dyes of up to 15%. The price rises will take effect immediately.
“Continuing shortages in raw materials are creating an
on-going situation of rising feedstock prices for our business. This, in
combination with ever-higher energy and transportation costs, leaves Clariant
no alternative but to adjust the prices of our textile ranges for our
cu
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 delegation of French textile machinery
manufacturers headed by Christian Guinet, Commercial Manager (Textile Division)
of Stäubli France and Evelyne Cholet, Secretary General of the French
Association of Textile Machinery Manufacturers’ Promotion Commission took part
in two conferences organized by UCMTF in Syria and Turkey. The events were
attended by 500 delegates and took place on October 19 and 21, 2010. Mr Guinet
was recently appointed Presiden
The Lenzing Group, world leader
in man-made cellulose fibres, is to increase its fibre prices at beginning of
2011 by at least 10%, depending on the product. Price increases will take place
in Lenzing’s Textile Fibers as well as in Nonwovens businesses. The company
said today that the decision was necessitated by the recent strong rise in raw
material prices, in particular for dissolving pulp and chemicals required for the
production of viscose, modal and Tencel fi
430 delegates from the
Brazilian textiles industry attended the recent Conference on German Technology
for Brazilian Textiles in São Paulo and Blumenau, where decision makers as well
as technicians were informed with regard to the latest technology trends from
Germany. The twin conferences, organised by Germany’s VDMA Textile Machinery
Association and supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics &
Technology, took place in São Paulo on 3
Techtextil North America has announced
that Jeremy Litchfield, founder of performance apparel brand Atayne, will
deliver the 2011 Keynote Address. Litchfield was chosen in an effort to
highlight the high performance apparel and sporting industries as well as
sustainability issues, which in Techtextil speak translates to the Clothtech,
Oekotech and Sporttech application areas.
The address will be geared as a motivational talk on the
subject of innovative ideas that
According to Netherlands based DSM
Dyneema, a recent on commercial fishing has yielded clear proof that nets made
with its Dyneema ultra-strong lightweight fibre, yield major cost savings for
fishermen through reductions in fuel usage, and make an important contribution
to the sustainability of the fishing industry through reduced emissions of
carbon dioxide.
Dyneema, an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
(UHMWPE) fibre, is manufactured by DSM Dyneema, a compa
Icebreaker, the
New Zealand based merino wool adventure apparel pioneer, has announced the
grand opening of its first store called the Icebreaker TouchLab in Manhattan on
December 1, 2010. The 2500 square foot SoHo store will be Icebreaker’s
flagship, and located at 102 Wooster Street, between Spring and Prince Streets,
across the street from Patagonia’s SoHo store. As part of the grand opening, Icebreaker
will give away a trip for two to New Zeal
With a metallic sheen and inspirational back story, an innovative silk textile from
Madagascar offers designers and manufacturers two new opportunities: to head in
fresh directions aesthetically, and to build good will with consumers by
helping to sustain subsistence farmers and ecosystems in one of the world's
most endangered biodiversity hotspots.
Five years ago, CPALI (Conservation through Poverty
Alleviation, International; www.cpali.org
Cellulosic fibre producer Lenzing
has extended its strong first half performance into the third quarter of 2010,
generating the best quarterly result in the company's history with earnings (EBIT)
of Euros 60.8 million (Q3 2009, Euros 37.3 million).Nine-months sales in 2010
grew by 45.2 % from Euros 885 million in 2009 to Euros 1,285.5 million. EBIT
reached a new nine-month record high of Euros 168.8 million and more than
tripled EBIT for the same period in 2009 (Euro
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
Naturally Advanced
Technologies (NAT), which recently developed hemp yarns and fabrics with cotton
like properties, is now using flax fibres in the next phase of its Crailar
technology. The productivity of processing using flax is said to be twice as
efficient as it is with hemp, yielding nearly twice as much usable fibre after
going through the Crailar process.
“Today, we are pleased to announce that we have created a
sustainable, commercially viable com
Edited by R Chapman, Consultant, UK
Woodhead Textiles Series No. 102
‘Applications of nonwovens in
technical textiles’ is a new book published by Woodhead Publishing in June 2010.
The following is a product summary provided by the
publisher:
The book focuses on the variety of technical nonwoven
applications available and provides a comprehensive overview of both current
developments and likely future trends. In addition it reviews the formulation
of variou
Teijin Fibers Limited, the Teijin
Group’s polyester fibres business, announced today that it will participate in
Interfiliere Paris 2010, where it will exhibit its range of eco-friendly
polyesters. Interfiliere, the world's leading international trade fair for
lingerie and beachwear fabrics, which will be held at the Paris Expo Porte de
Versailles in Paris, France, from 4 to 6 September.
Teijin will present its environmentally friendly high
performance polyester m
Organisers would like to remind
delegates there are only a few days left to save on registration for TCL2010,
the international Textiles Coating and Laminating conference to be held in
Cannes, France from 4-5 November 2010.
If you have not already registered please note that the last
date to qualify for the early-bird rate is 8 September. To ensure your place,
please register at www.technical-textiles.net/symposium.htm , or by emailing sales@intnews.com or
calling +
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
Swiss chemicals giant Clariant has
unveiled Pad/Sizing-Ox, a new eco-efficient dyeing process that the company
says gives brand owners and retailers new opportunities to offer fashionable,
high quality jeans based on the most sustainable, resource-saving production
method to date. Visitors to the Munichfabricstart 2010 bluezone will be the
first to experience Clariant’s “latest step forward in Clariant’s Advanced
Denim technology that lets the textile industr
As with the first quarter of 2010,
the Lenzing Group has made optimum use of favourable global market conditions achieving
excellent results in Q2. Consolidated sales in the first half of 2010 climbed 43.6
%1 to EUR 847.2 million from EUR 589.9 million.
This was the company’s strongest
rise in sales ever, which it says was was made possible by higher fibre volumes
and price dynamics of global markets as well as full first time consolidation of
the company’s pu
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
EDANA has announced its Keynote
speaker for the 9th edition of its OUTLOOK, personal care products conference which
will take place in Budapest, Hungary from the 22nd to the 24th September 2010. Robert
Ward, Director of Global Forecasting for the Economist Intelligence Unit will
address the topic ‘Global Economic Perspectives: EIU’s overview of global
growth perspectives and factors.’
In his role, Ward oversees the Economist Intelligence Unit's
global forecast
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
Unifi, Inc. today released
preliminary operating results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June
27, 2010. For the 2010 fiscal year, net income was $10.7 million or $0.18 per
share, which represents the company's first profitable year since fiscal 2000
and an improvement of $59.7 million or $0.97 per share, from the prior year
period. Highlights for the 2010 fiscal year include:
Net sales increased by $63.1 million or 11.4 percent to
$616.8 million,
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
German dyeing and finishing machinery
builder Thies GmbH & Co KG has launched a new dyeing machine for both woven
and knitted fabrics that offers ultra-low dye liquor levels. The new Thies
iMaster H2O has been designed to ensure economic and environmentally friendly operation
with advanced automation at low liquor levels and offers liquor ratios (textile
dyed: water used in dye bath) as low as 1:3.7 for cottons.
Thies says the iMaster H2O is based on 40 years'
Article written by the Hohenstein Institute
On Thursday 10 June 2010, Prof.
Dr. Stefan Mecheels welcomed nearly 80 people with an interest in the textile
industry and research to the 4th Innovation Exchange at the Hohenstein
Institute. On the previous evening, the Hohenstein "Award for
Entrepreneurial Excellence in Global Textile Services" had been presented
to Christine Krautschneider, long-standing managing partner and now Chair of
the Supervisory Board of Salesi
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 ninth annual INDA Award for
Lifetime Technical Achievement is to be presented to industry veteran Terry
Young of Procter & Gamble, while the coveted Lifetime Service Award will be
given to Jay Forcucci, of Nanostatics Corporation, at the inaugural Research,
Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE) Conference, which is
being held from 20-23 September in Baltimore, Maryland.
Both men are being recognized by their peers in the
nonwovens industry for
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
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
NatureWorks LLC
and Trevira GmbH have jointly announced that Germany’s Trevira, a leading
producer of high-quality branded polyester fibres and filament yarns, now holds
a master license to manufacture Ingeo fibres. The rationale for this new
partnership was first discussed at the EDANA International Nonwovens Symposium,
held in Milan.
“Because of its technical expertise, exemplary reputation,
capability to shorten time-to-market for custom produc
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
FildiUSA, a North American producer
of recycled cotton yarn, has announced that its Ecotec recycled cotton-blend
yarns have been granted Control Union’s Global Recycle Standard. The Global
Recycle Standard validates both a yarn’s recycled content as well as the
sustainable and socially responsible manner in which it is produced. Fildi says
it is the first yarn company in the United States to earn the prestigious recognition.
“We are proud that our products a
Chinese companies have not
surprisingly moved into the production of nonwovens manufacturing machinery in
a big way over the past ten years, and at the recent ITMA Asia + CITME show in
Shanghai, virtually outnumbered the established names in this field from West
Europe.
They included Jiangsu Yingyang Machinery, which is located
in Changsu, near Shanghai and has been developing its extensive machinery range
for the past decade. It includes both drylaid and spunmelt syst
Turkish knitter Eurotex Tekstil has
introduced the world’s first seamless garments made from Biophyl
sustainable
yarns in its ‘Green is Smart’ collection. The new collection includes
eco-active
base layers with zonal patterns and elastic recovery properties for both
men
and women.
Eurotex has developed the seamless garment collection in
line with its mission to ‘increase human comfort and welfare with
state-of-art
products’ and uses Santoni seamless te
Polyester yarns producer Unifi,
has announced it will invest in the backward integration of its Repreve supply
chain to improve the availability of recycled raw materials and increase the company’s
product capabilities.
In addition to providing greater control over the production
of the recycled chip that is used to make Repreve polyester fibres, Unifi says the
new state-of-the-art recycling technology will provide opportunities for the company
to recycle po
ITMA, the world’s largest and most
established textile machinery exhibition, has put a bigger spotlight on
research and development, as well as education and training; a pavilion
will be
organised for research institutes and higher institutions of learning to
showcase their projects, capabilities and programmes.
The Research & Education (R&E) pavilion will be a
major feature at next year’s ITMA exhibition, which will be held at the
Fira de
Barcelona G
The steep reduction in global
shipments of new textile machinery in 2008 following a strong investment
period
between 2003 and 2007 continued in 2009 in most of the segments.
Compared to
2008 shipments of spinning machinery were down by -17% (short-staple
spindles)
and -26% (open-end rotors), of weaving machinery (shuttle-less looms) by
-3%
and of flat knitting machinery (electronic) by -12%.
On the other hand shipments of texturing spindles recorded
an increas
As the prestigious Visionary Award
program prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary next year, the nomination
process for the 2011 Visionary Award is now open to the global nonwovens and
consumer products industries.
INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, which
sponsors the annual award, will be accepting nominations through September 1.
First presented in 2002 at the inaugural Vision Consumer Products Conference in
New Orleans, Louisiana, the award rec
- 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
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
Lenzing's subsidiary PT. South
Pacific Viscose (SPV) officially started up its fourth production line
at the
beginning of April, with a total investment of USD 150 million making it
the group's
biggest individual investment project in recent years. Its annual
nominal
production capacity of 60,000 tons of viscose fibre for textile and
nonwovens
applications raises SPV's total annual capacity to 220,000 tons and
makes it
Asia's biggest viscose fibre production site
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
Aanti-trust authorities have approved
Lenzing’s acquisition of Czech pulp producer Biocel Paskov A.S. The acquisition
is said to be an important strategic step towards the group's long-term
extension of its vertical backwards integration. The acquisition is part of a
hedging strategy to protect Lenzing from the impact of high pulp price
volatility. Pulp is the raw material used for the production of Lenzing’s viscose
fibres.
Lenzing intends to invest 50 million Euro
Germany’s VDMA Textile
Machinery Association has reported a 130% increase in orders in the
first
quarter 2010 for German textile machinery builders compared to the first
quarter of last year. The association predicts an overall increase in
sales of
30-35% in 2010, compared with 2009.
“After two extremely difficult years, the German textile
machinery manufacturers are guardedly optimistic for the future”
explains Fritz
P. Mayer, Chairman of th
Textured polyester and nylon
producer Unifi yesterday reported improved sales and net income for its
third
fiscal quarter ended March 28, 2010 and increased gross profits for the
first
nine months. The company said net sales were positively impacted by
improved
market conditions across all of the company's key segments, as well as
continued growth in Brazil.
The company reported net sales of $154.7 million for the
third quarter of fiscal year 2010, an increa
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
Naturally Advanced
Technologies Inc. (NAT) and Hanesbrands Inc. have jointly reviewed the results
of their CRAiLAR Organic Fibers spinning trials and agreed to enter the final
stage of their joint development agreement, which is expected to result in a
commercialization agreement in the near future. Commenting on the results of
recent trials, Ken Barker, CEO of NAT said: “We are well on our way to
achieving full blown production of CRAiLAR in 2010.”
The te
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
Naturally Advanced
Technologies Inc. (NAT) has concluded further trials which it says prove the quality
and volume capabilities of its Crailar hemp fibres and expands applications to
include tee-shirts and finer gauge knit garments.
The company recently conducted full scale commercial
processing trials in Germany that were then replicated at the G.J. Littlewood
& Son processing facility in Pennsylvania. According to NAT, final
verification of the effec
Changes affecting the testing for harmful substances as per the Oeko-Tex
Standard 100, which were approved by the Oeko-Tex Association, went into effect
on 1 April.
In addition to the customary annual adjustments of test
criteria and limits, the most important structural change concerns company
visits which are now binding for all certificate holders, and which will form an
integral part of each Oeko-Tex product certification.
In addition, the Oeko-Tex label templa
The International Oeko-Tex
Association is to present ‘Sustainability and Value Creation in Textiles’ at
the Synthetic Yarn & Fiber Association 2010 Spring Conference to be held 20-21
April at the Sheraton Airport Plaza in Charlotte, NC. The SYFA conference theme is ‘Fibers and
Textiles for a New Decade’.
Dina Dunn, who oversees the Oeko-Tex marketing efforts in
North America, will present an overview of the Oeko-Tex fibre and textile
certificat
DyStar says that since the
acquisition of the DyStar Group and its German assets by Kiri Dyes &
Chemicals Ltd on 3 February this year, it has made major progress. Steve
Barron, CEO of DyStar told journalists: “We are pleased with the speed of
implementation of essential measures such as negotiation and signing of
important contracts with our suppliers, service and financial partners.”
In the meantime, the company’s production sites in Leverkusen
and Brunsb
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
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2010, Asia’s leading
textile machinery show, has been given a boost by the announcement from
the
show organisers that all exhibition space has now been sold for the
forthcoming
show.
According to
organisers, over 1100 textile and garment machinery manufacturers have
successfully
applied to exhibit at the second combined show, taking up 100,000 square
metres
of Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Chinese exhibitors make up
the
bigges
UCMTF President: 2010 Interview
Bruno Ameline, the President and
Evelyne Cholet, the Secretary General of UCMTF (French Textile Machinery
Manufacturers Association) report on the present state of the French textile machinery
manufacturers and analyze their strategy to bring value to their customers.
Have Textile machinery manufacturers been hard hit by the
financial and economic crisis?
Bruno Ameline
The industrial equipment sector is extremely cyclical and
our compani
TAPPI’s NET (Nonwovens
Engineers & Technologists) Division has announced that plans are underway
for 2010 NET INC (Nonwovens Engineers & Technologists Innovative Nonwovens
Conference). The conference will take place November 10-12, 2010 in Raleigh,
N.C. USA.
Sponsored by TAPPI’s NET Division and the Nonwovens
Institute (NWI), NET INC claims to be the only technical conference developed
by nonwovens engineers and technologists. Presentations at t
Lenzing AG, a company quoted on the
Vienna stock exchange and a leader in the manufacture of cellulose fibres, has acquired
a 75 % share in Czech pulp producer Biocel Paskov A.S. Biocel’s owner, Austrian
company Heinzel Holding, will keep a 25 % share in the company and manage paper
pulp distribution.
According to Lenzing, Biocel’s paper pulp production
capacity runs to about 280,000 tons per year. Lenzing intends to invest EUR 50
million in the site's capacity exp
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
The board of directors of European
nonwovens body EDANA is to meet with nonwoven producers in Istanbul in April as
part of its objective to engage local markets in the ongoing development of the
nonwovens and related industries.
EDANA says it recognises the importance of trade to both the
Turkish, and broader European nonwovens markets, and strongly supports fair and
free trade for businesses operating across the globe. With approximately 12%
market share for the
Nominations are now open for the
coveted WOW Innovation Award, one of the many highlights of the upcoming 2010
World of Wipes (WOW) International Conference in Chicago in June.
The WOW Innovation Award will honour the most innovative
advances within the entire wipe value chain, including raw materials and
ingredients, roll goods, machinery, packaging and finished products. Finalists will make presentations during the
Conference and attendees will vote on the rec
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
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
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
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
EDANA, the nonwovens and
related industries trade association has announced that the 2010 edition of the
Nonwovens Research Academy has been rescheduled to 16 and 17 November, 2010,
which is this year jointly organised with the Institut für Textiltechnik of
RWTH Aachen University (ITA).
The Nonwovens Research Academy aims to promote fundamental
understanding and knowledge of the science and technology of nonwoven fabrics,
products and processes as well as relat
Icebreaker, the
Wellington, New Zealand-based outdoor company that claims to have invented the
natural and technical outdoor merino apparel category, today announced it had
received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold
certification for its U.S. headquarters in Northwest Portland from the U.S.
Green Building Council’s Green Building Rating System.
“We are very proud to receive LEED gold certification for
our headquarters, and tha
Leading Spanish cycling brand Spiuk,
is using Advansa’s Biophyl and Thermo°Cool
technical yarns in its latest Elite Men 2010 summer collection to keep riders
cool while they look after the environment. The company’s Elite Men cycling jerseys
which are made from a circular knitted jersey jacquard fabric incorporating eco friendly Biophyl
also use ThermoCool fabric inserts in strategic areas to control body
temperature.
Biophyl is an ‘eco-polyester’ material co
With the ambitious goal of
providing a world-class conference to stimulate innovation in all aspects of
the development, production, marketing and sales of nonwovens and engineered
fabrics, the Research, Innovation & Science for
Engineered Fabrics (RISE) Conference will make its debut September 20-23 in
Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Organized by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics
Industry, the goal of RISE is to provide information and stimulation for bo
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT), a company committed to
producing renewable and environmentally sustainable textile fibres, has teamed
up with Patrick Yarns, a manufacturer of high-performance industrial yarns, to
give industry insiders a sneak preview at a group of new sustainable yarns made
from Crailar Organic Fibers, a wholly owned subsidiary of NAT, at this weekend’s
Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010 trade show Salt Lake City. Compa
Polartec
and Unifi have announced a new partnership to introduce performance fabrics
made with Unifi’s Repreve 100, which is made from 100% post-consumer waste from
clear plastic water bottles.
Polartec and Unifi’s collaborative efforts have grown
Polartec's recycled product line from less than 1% of total production to over
30% in the past four years, dramatically reducing carbon emissions and energy
consumption. The introduction
Based on a joint resolution
adopted by its 14 member institutes, the Oeko-Tex Association has again revised
and expanded the applicable test criteria, limits and by-laws of the product
certification process as per Oeko-Tex Standard 100 effective 1 January 2010. As
of December, the Oeko-Tex certificate contains a notice advising that the
"certified articles meet the requirements of Annex XVII of the REACh
regulation (including the use of prohibited azo dyes, nickel e
Research and Markets Ltd has added a guide to the tensile properties
and failure of textile and technical fibres to its catalogue. The book titled ‘Handbook
of Tensile Properties of Textile and Technical Fibres’, provides an overview of
the tensile behaviour of a wide range of both natural and synthetic fibres, examines
tensile characteristics, tensile failure of textiles fibres and factors that
affect tensile properties and discusses microstructures and each
Naturally Advanced
Technologies Inc. (NAT) has received an order from Hanesbrands Inc. to deliver
approximately 10,000 lbs of its Crailar organic fibre the first quarter of
2010.
"This first purchase order supplies Crailar fibre in a
full-scale trial using our proposed manufacturing equipment supplier in Germany
in January 2010. Thereafter, we will conduct another full scale blending trial
on commercial scale spinning equipment at a Hanesbrands facility," sai
One of the high points of the
recent European Confederation of Flax & Hemp (CELC) 60th Congress in
Strasbourg, was an awards presentation made by Georges Beylerian, President of
Material ConneXion, to members of CELC who have been recognised for their creative
and innovative use of flax and hemp.
Material ConneXion founded in 1997 by Georges Beylerian claims
to be the world’s first library resource of advanced and innovative materials
and processes for th
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2010 has
received very strong support from textile machinery makers as the world economy
continues its recovery momentum, organizers said today. With seven months still
to go before the second combined show, over 95% of the exhibition space has
already been sold.
To-date, applications grossing over 95,000M² have been
received from over 1,000 exhibitors. Chinese manufacturers make up the biggest
country group, booking almost 50% of the space
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 (
The seventh edition of North
America’s only dedicated show for technical textiles and nonwovens will be held
from 18-20 May 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Techtextil
North America assembles all vertical aspects of the technical textile industry,
from research and development, through raw materials and production processes
and finally ending in conversion, further treatment and recycling.
Held in conjunction with the exhibition is
Some of the world’s leading
companies are to discuss performance biopolymers, which reduce energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, at ‘Innovation takes Root’ which is
being held from 13 to 15 April 2010 at the Four Seasons Resort & Club in
Dallas, Texas. More than 20 presentations from companies such as 3M, DuPont,
Ford Motor Company, Frito Lay, Toray, and Toyota are anticipated.
Organiser Nature Works LLC, producer of Ingeo, a biopolymer
ma
Each of the 15,000 delegates
at the forthcoming United Nations global conference on climate change, being
held at the Bella Center, will stand, walk and rest their feet on an ultra low
carbon footprint Eco2punch carpet made with Ingeo fibres.
The 20,000 square meters (215,000 square feet) of carpet is
enough to cover nearly five soccer fields. French carpet producer Sommer
Needlepunch, part of the Belgian DS Textile Platform group and Ingeo licensee, estimate
Unifi, Inc. have announced
that the company’s Yadkinville, North Carolina plant, where Repreve recycled
polyester is manufactured, will be featured on CNBC’s Sustainability Series -
People, Planet & Profit. People,
Planet and Profit examines the bold moves companies are making to find ways to
reduce and reuse anything along the supply chain, leading to a leaner, cleaner
and greener operation.
A CNBC film crew visited Unifi’s Repreve manufacturi
The first ever Carbon Fibre Recycling and Reuse Conference, organised
by Intertech Pira, was held in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg in early November.
Over 50 delegates from all over the world attended the one and a half day
conference, which featured over a dozen presentations on subjects such as an
overview of the different recycling technologies available, operational
challenges, and end user perspectives.
The use of carbon fibre reinf
CEMATEX, the European Committee of
Textile Machinery Manufacturers, says that ITMA 2011, to be held in Barcelona, Spain
from 22 to 29 September 2011, will be the world’s most comprehensive, one-stop
platform for textile and garment makers. Online application for exhibition
space will be available from 30 November 2009.
Showcasing the entire
value chain from spinning to garment making, textile processing, technical
textiles, logistics and distribution, the exhibit
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
Teijin Fibers Limited announced
today a program in the marine clothing industry for collecting and recycling
used garments, launched in collaboration with Henri Lloyd, a major global brand
of marine apparel based in the United Kingdom. Recycling will be carried out
with Teijin’s Eco Circle, an environmentally friendly closed-loop system
incorporating technology for the chemical recycling of polyester, which was
introduced in 2002.
Teijin Fibers’ Eco Storm, a r
The newly formed Wool Carbon
Alliance (WCA) today welcomed the Australian Federal Government’s announcement
to recognise the positive role that farming and wool growing play in the carbon
cycle.
‘We applaud the Federal Government and Opposition for taking
this stance and look forward to opportunities that Australian woolgrowers may
have in accessing on-farm carbon credits in our future carbon economy,’ WCA
chair Chick Olsson said.
In a show of unity,
wo
At this month’s A+A in
Düsseldorf Lenzing presented its range of fibres made from renewable wood raw
material for corporate and protective clothing. The company reports that its Lenzing
FR and Tencel fibres have been very successful this year and are being used to
an increasing extent in textiles for corporate clothing.
Fibers of made from wood cellulose are rare in professional and
protective clothing and in most cases either synthetic or cotton fibres are
u
Eco fashion and design network C.L.A.S.S.
(Creativity, Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy), has announced the commencement
of its strategic partnership with NICE, the Nordic fashion industry educational
project. The partnership will involve a series of joint activities which will
lead to the common goal of increasing awareness and use of more responsible
materials for everyday living.
To kick-off the collaboration, CLASS has been named as the official
supplier of all
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
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) has
launched the Wool Carbon Alliance, a group of Australian and international wool
industry representatives working together to market the natural benefits of
wool as the ideal fibre to help reduce global warming.
AWI says that, according to international research, a
household can significantly reduce its carbon emissions by living with wool:
insulating with wool, wearing wool, walking, sleeping and sitting on wool. The
European Co
German high quality workwear fabrics
manufacturer Melchior Textil is to present its new ‘Organic Cotton’ line of
environmentally friendly fabrics for workwear at next week’s A+A Safety &
Health at Work exhibition in Düsseldorf.
The fabrics, which are certified to the G.O.T.S. standard,
are manufactured using only cotton from controlled organic cultivation and
processed according to stringent environmental standards all along the line, from
production
Carvico SpA, a
leading manufacturer of stretch warp knitted fabrics for swimwear and sportswear,
has introduced Advansa’s eco-sustainable Biophyl yarns into its new Amazzonia warp
knitted fabrics range. Carvico SpA is part of the Gruppo Carvico which also
owns two of Italy’s other leading manufacturers of knitted fabrics, Jersey
Lomellina SpA and Eurojersey SpA.
Based in the town of Carvico near Bergamo in northern Italy,
Carvico is one of the w
‘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
Unifi Textiles
(Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (UTSC) continues to expand its Repreve brand product
offering in Asia with the launch of Repreve polyester staple fibre. The new addition is made from 100% recycled
materials for use in spun yarns, including open-end, ring and jet spun.
The Repreve family of recycled products now includes
recycled staple polyester, recycled filament polyester, recycled filament nylon
6.6 and recycled performance fibres. Repreve is a
Teijin Fibers Limited, the core
company of the Teijin Group’s polyester fibres business, announced yesterday
that it will promote its environmentally-friendly products and ongoing
expansion into Hong Kong and South China at the upcoming Interstoff Asia
Essential, in collaboration with Teijin Hong Kong Limited, a Teijin group
company handling sales and import and export of textile materials globally.
Interstoff Asia Essential, a biannual exhibition for
eco-texti
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
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
The Teijin Group has announced what
it says is the first-ever program in China for collecting and recycling used
garments, which it has launched in collaboration with Li Ning Company Limited, one
of China’s leading sports apparel companies. Recycling will be carried out with
Eco Circle, an environmentally friendly closed-loop system incorporating technology
for the chemical recycling of polyester, which Teijin Fibers introduced in
2002.
As part of the program,
NatureWorks announced
today at the 2009 International Nonwovens Technical Conference (INTC) being held
in Denver that two grades of its low-carbon footprint Ingeo bio resin are now
commercially available for the production of meltblown nonwovens, fabrics
widely used in such products as wipes and filters.
“As interest grows in polymers made from renewable resources,
equipment manufacturers, process developers, and researchers have been
exploring solution
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
A special floor mat available for
the fully remodelled third-generation Toyota Prius uses an advanced Ingeo based
fibre. Known as the world’s most eco-conscious car, Toyota Prius features world
leading fuel consumption (38km/L), a solar powered ventilation system, and
environmentally friendly plant-derived plastics for seat cushion foam, cowl
side trim, inner and outer scuff plates, and deck trim cover. Now, the new
Prius adds to these bio based materials by offeri
By using 100% certified organic cotton and Repreve
recycled polyester, Canada’s Doubletex has responded to its customers' needs by
creating a line of ‘green’ fabrics. Ecoterra will be launched at the Canadian
textile industry's landmark event, Expo Hightex which will take place at
Bonsecours Market, Downtown Montréal, on 7 & 8 October 2009.
70% ‘green’ in construction, Doubletex has created three recyclable and
exciting new products built wit
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
Unifi, Inc. announced yesterday
that the company’s Yadkinville, North Carolina plant, where Repreve recycled
polyester is manufactured will be featured on the Travel Channel’s series ‘Extreme’. The Extreme Mega Factories program is
designed to take viewers on the ultimate tour of the USA’s most cutting edge
factories. The Extreme film crew visited
Unifi’s Repreve manufacturing facility on 19 May this year, and the episode
will air on the Trav
DyStar has announced the
launch of a range of Dianix dyes for polyester. The company says that its new
disperse dye selection which is available under under its econfidence program
avoids chemical contamination issues and is ideal for meeting retailers RSL and
ecolabel requirements as well as for colouration of recycled polyester.
Ecological issues are becoming increasingly important for
retailers and consumers as well as textile manufacturers and DyStar
The Merino Company says that in
response to customer demand, it has launched the worlds first certified and
traceable non-mulesed merino (n.m.m.) wool brand. The Merino Company is a purveyor
of natural fibre, textile and apparel solutions for retailers and brands globally.
According to TMC, its n.m.m wool brand platform is a
guarantee that the merino wool is sourced from growers who have a commitment to
animal welfare. Growers must have either never used the pr
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
The USA based Texas Tech University and
Bannari Amman Institute of Technology (BIT), Sathyamangalam, India, jointly
announce the 6th edition of, “Advances in Textiles, Machinery, Nonwovens and
Technical Textiles-ATNT 2009,” December 7-9, 2009.
For the past five years, USA based Texas Tech University has
been providing an international platform in the Coimbatore area for exchanging
cutting-edge topics and ideas on emerging textile fields such as nonwovens,
specialty fabri
Naturally Advanced
Technologies Inc. (NAT), a company committed to unlocking the potential of
renewable and environmentally sustainable biomass resources from hemp and other
bast fibres, has signed an agreement with G.J. Littlewoods Son, Inc. to
manufacture Crailar Organic Fibers for use in commercial products made by
apparel companies.
Littlewoods, located in Philadelphia, is a commission
dyehouse, specializing in the dyeing of synthetic fibres, as well as nat
Nilit, a global leader
in the production of nylon 6.6, will be exhibiting its newest innovative fibre,
Nilit EcoCare, at Interfilière 2009. Nilit says EcoCare is the only recycled
nylon 6.6 with deep, uniform colour.
Nilit is taking an 84 square metre booth at this year’s show,
which takes place 5-7 September at the Paris Expo in France. Interfilière is a
leading trade fair for lingerie and beachwear fabrics and this year marks the
11th time Nilit has
NatureWorks and
Avantium, two leaders in the field of sustainable materials, have announced they
have formed a development partnership in order to more fully understand the properties and
commercial potential of a new generation of polymers made from renewable
resources.
The partnership is based on Avantium's work in deriving
monomers and polymers from non food biomass and on NatureWorks success in
developing a wide range of end markets and roducts f
At Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in
Salt Lake City, July 21-24, Lenzing will present Tencel Sun, a new Tencel fibre
that provides superior solar protection especially designed to meet the
performance and sustainability demands of the outdoor apparel market.
Lenzing, a leader in the field of innovation, has developed
a new fibre that protects from solar radiation. Tencel Sun will be produced for
this season and will be presented at all of the sports trade fairs around
Indonesian polyester producer recognized for progressive environmental management
16th July 2009 0 commentThe Teijin Group announced today that
P.T. Teijin Indonesia Fiber Tbk. (Tifico), a consolidated subsidiary that
manufactures and distributes polyester fibres in Indonesia, has been awarded
“Award of Respect of Environmental Assessment” for its outstanding environmental
management practices by the governor of Banten Province, where Tifico’s factory
is located.
Tifico was commended for its progressive environmental
management practices, including strict adherence
Advansa has announced a partnership
with Asics for the launch of Asics’ high performance running apparel collection
made with Advansa ThermoºCool Eco fibres, combining innovative functionality
and sustainability within the same garment. The high performance apparel
collection will be introduced in the Spring 2010 collection and will be
available at retail in January 2010.
Asics is an acronym derived from the Latin phrase ‘Anima
Sana In Corpore Sano’ meaning ‘a so
Teijin Fibers Limited has announced
today that the Eco Circle Garment Accessories Association, an organization
dedicated to promoting the enhanced recyclability of garments through the use
of more eco-friendly accessories, welcomed Hong Kong Non-Woven Fabric
Industrial Co., Ltd. (HKNW) as its first overseas member on July 1. HKNW now
develops recyclable products such as fibrefill insulations for the apparel,
outdoor and furnishings markets, using Teijin Fibers’ Ecop
Clariant’s Textile Business, the
leading supplier of chemicals and dyes for the textile industry, took visitors
to its Techtextil 2009 stand, on a voyage of discovery. The company launched new
products that it says, give the technological and ecological edge to its technical
textiles customers. Fast-moving sectors such as mobiltech, buildtech/hometech
and medtech/ Indutech were the focus and customers benefited from
solution-based and sector-specific offerings.
The n
Teijin Limited announced today that it
had transferred its 50% ownership in NatureWorks LLC back to Cargill and
terminated the joint-venture contract with Cargill regarding NatureWorks as of
June 30.
NatureWorks, established in 1997 and operated as a
Teijin-Cargill 50:50 joint venture since October 2007, produces its Ingeo
biopolymer at the world’s largest commercial polylactic acid (PLA)
manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 140,000 tons.
Teijin, which is
The technical textile and
nonwovens sectors came in droves to its leading international trade fair, with
numbers never before seen. "Precisely because these are times of economic
uncertainty, companies have been setting themselves new targets with innovative
products and areas of application and have in part already managed to achieve
them at Techtextil. Some eight percent more exhibitors and two percent more
trade visitors represent a double plus for Techtextil,
Unifi, Inc. continues to grow its
family of Repreve recycled products with the introduction of a new fibre made
from 100% post-consumer PET bottles. The new addition offers a 100%
post-consumer option to the brand's well known 100% hybrid blend, which
combines pre-consumer and post-consumer content.
The Repreve family of recycled products now includes:
·
Recycled Filament Polyester
·
Available as 100% Post-Consumer (Recycled PET
Bot
Kraton Polymers LLC (Kraton), a
leading global producer of engineered polymers, will showcase its innovative,
eco-friendly and cost efficient polymer families at the International Plastics
Expo (NPE) in Chicago, Il, June 22 – 26, 2009.
Kraton will debut its newly commercialized Nexar polymer
product family at NPE. The Nexar polymer family is uniquely designed for high
performance breathable fabrics, water transport, filtration and separation
applications.
Krato
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
Perfection Uniforms has chosen Repreve, a
100% recycled fibre by Unifi, for a line of eco-responsible uniforms. The
announcement was made at this year’s North American Uniform Manufacturers and
Dealers (NAUMD) trade show in Las Vegas.
“Quality and integrity are important in introducing a line
of environmentally responsible uniforms, which is why we selected Repreve,”
said Steve Gilkeson, Perfection’s Vice President. “Manufacturing uniforms made
from
Industrial Nanotech, Inc., an
emerging global leader in nanotechnology, today announced that the Company's
patented Nansulate product line of energy saving thermal insulation and
corrosion prevention coatings will be featured at the upcoming International
Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITM 2009) to be held June 6-10, 2009 in Istanbul,
Turkey.
The company's Turkish distributor, Kolorgen Ltd, will be
demonstrating the energy saving effectiveness of Nansulate coatings
Ahlstrom, a global leader in the
development and manufacture of high performance fibre-based materials, will
present its innovative, biodegradable nonwoven for infusion applications at the
Tea & Coffee World Cup exhibition in Seville, Spain, June 7-9th, 2009. The
lightweight, fine filament web is designed to deliver functional benefits to
converters and consumers of tea-bags, while featuring unique environmental
characteristics. Now commercially available, it is p
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 sixth edition of Techtextil
North America took place April 21 to 23, 2009 at the Sands Expo &
Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the first ever edition on the
West Coast and organisers say that it resulted in the majority of exhibitors
and visitors being pleasantly surprised and pleased despite the current
economic conditions. Techtextil North America was previously held only on even
years in Atlanta, Georgia but will now be held annually, alt
Techtextil – 16 to 18
June 2009, Frankfurt Am Main,
Germany
Innovation in Textiles,
an online news and technical resource for the technical textiles and nonwovens
industries is bringing its readers, visitors to the exhibition and exhibitors, a preview of the latest
technical developments in fibres, yarns, fabrics and machinery and equipment,
which will be shown at Techtextil from 16 to 18 June 2009.
In addition, Innovation in Textiles will also be
reporting on t
ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile
Machinery Manufacturers) and ICE (Italian Institute for Foreign Trade) have
organized a Meeting Point at the forthcoming Techtextil 2009 being held in
Frankfurt from 16 to 18 June. The Meeting Point will host about ten Italian
machinery manufacturers involved in the production of machines for technical
textiles.
The Italian industry is paying particular attention to the technical
and innovative textiles sector and ACIMIT estimates
Teijin Fibers Limited announced today
that its chemically recycled polyester Eco Circle Fibers are now being used in
the cords of Toyo Tire & Rubber’s Proxes Ne tyres, which Toyo Tire Europe
GmbH introduced to the European market beginning in April 2009. Eco Circle
Fibers are marketed under the brand name ECOPET PLUS(r) in Japan
Toyo Tire & Rubber launched Proxes Ne in Japan last
December, as special tyres designed for environmentally oriented passenger
cars.
First time and returning exhibitors confirm the trade fair's
leading position worldwide
Range of congresses
and symposiums expanded
From 16 to 18 June, Techtextil will be the foremost platform
for users and developers of technical textiles in the fields of research,
industry, architecture and other technical areas of application throughout the
world. Over recent months, the indications have been pointing to further growth
at Techtextil with the number of exhibitors at the last event (1,
DuPont
Nonwovens and Waste Management have launched a national mail-in recycling
program to capture banners, envelopes and other items printed on DuPont Tyvek.
This would provide a method for printers and other large volume users of
printed products who are looking for a responsible and simple alternative to
adding Tyvek to the nation’s landfills.
Once recycled, Tyvek items will be repurposed for other
products such as decking, playground e
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
Textile & Sewn products industry week 2010 selected by U.S.
Dept of Commerce for prestigious International Buyer Program
The U.S. Commercial Services unit of the Department of
Commerce has selected the co-located ATME-I/MEGATEX 2010, SPESA EXPO 2010, and
TECHTEXTIL NORTH AMERICA 2010 trade shows for participation in its coveted
International Buyer Program. Exhibitors and attendees of the events will
benefit from the opportunities to meet, network, and develop business
partnerships wit
More than 100 participants from across Europe attended the
Information Day organised in Brussels by the Spanish textile research centre AITEX
“New Textiles. Research and
innovation in the textile-clothing-technical textile industry” was the title
chosen for the Information Day hosted earlier this month by AITEX. A whole day
of conferences and scientific roundtables discussed the most promising lines of
research in the near future and how innovation can cont
Universal Fibers has announced
that it has entered into an agreement with David T. Rouse, owner of Rouse Enterprises
LLC, to represent their solution dyed industrial products. Rouse Enterprises,
LLC will represent Universal's industrial solution-dyed yarn products and
capabilities to the marketplace in the United States and Canada.
Thanks to the solution-dyeing process employed, these
industrial yarns and fibres not only maintain their colours better then
conventio
Teijin Fibers Limited, the Teijin
group's core polyester fibre company, has announced that a car seat fabric made
100% from Biofront, a green bio plastic produced almost completely from
plant-based feedstock, is being used in the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid
vehicle that the Mazda Motor Corporation began leasing on March 25, 2009.
The Biofront seats incorporate an upgraded version of a
fabric co-developed by Teijin Fibers and Mazda in Autumn 2007. The new version
off
Merino
outdoor apparel company Icebreaker reports that more than 44,000 people have now
experienced Baacode, its pioneering online traceability program launched in
August 2008.
With this year’s Earth Day on April 22, sustainable
consumption will be even more on consumers’ minds. According to Earth Day Network
(www.earthday.net), the day will include the organization’s launch of its Green
Generation Campaign, which culminates with the 40t
Industrial
Nanotech, Inc. has announced that the one of the Company's exclusive
distributors signed a contract with Coats Plc, a textile manufacturer based in
England, to coat the machinery in their yarn dyehouse facility located in
Bursa, Turkey with the Company's award winning nanotechnology based thermal
insulation and corrosion resistant products, Nansulate® EPX and Nansulate® High
Heat industrial coating. The project will commence the week of March 16, 200
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 2009 which will be held from April 21-23, 2009, at the
Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.
Techtextil North America represents all vertical aspects of
the technical textile industry from research and development, through raw
materials and production
DelStar
Technologies, Inc. has announced that they have developed a unique DelPore
meltblown media that is biodegradable and compostable. Designed specifically for
the air filtration industry, the product is manufactured from PLA (polylactide)
and electrostatic charging has proven to enhance its efficiency.
DelStar Technologies developed the new DelPore media for
short-term disposable air filtration applications, including medical facemasks,
respirators,
Huntsman and Genencor introduce eco-friendly bleaching solution for textiles
5th March 2009 0 commentHuntsman Textile Effects and Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, have introduced
Gentle Power Bleach, a revolutionary solution for bleaching textiles in a more
environmentally friendly way.
Gentle Power BleachTM is a new bleaching technology from
Huntsman based on a first to market enzyme innovation from Genencor. The new
peroxide bleach system allows for low temperature bleaching of textiles at 65°C
and at a neutral pH range. By lower
Naturally Advanced Technologies appoints industry veteran VP to advisory board
3rd March 2009 0 commentNaturally Advanced
Technologies Inc., a pioneer in commercializing the use of bast fibres
including industrial hemp for use in casual apparel, performance yarns,
industrial filters and absorbent pulp and paper products, added Jeremy K. Jones
to its advisory board. Jones, an advanced materials industry veteran, will also
be consulting with the company on its partnership and business development
agreements related to its CRAILAR(R) technology.
"We are thrilled that
Search is on for new ideas, visions and concepts
Promoting the dialogue between research, manufacturers and
users
On the occasion of Techtextil
2009, Messe Frankfurt is organising the Techtextil Innovation Award for the tenth
time and the Avantex Innovation Award for the fifth time.
To be held as part of the International Trade Fair for
Technical Textiles and Nonwovens, the competitions are open to companies,
institutes, universities, polytechnics and indivi
Radici Yarn SpA, an Italian
company belonging to the Radici Group Fibres business, has obtained UNI EN ISO
14001:2004 certification for its environmental management system related to the
development, manufacture and marketing of polyamide 6 polymer and polyamide 6
and 66 master batches, staple fibre and continuous filament yarn at its Villa
d'Ogna (BG) and Pistoia (PT) production sites.
The company says that this certification was a very
important step for Radici Y
Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a provider of
DNA-based security solutions completed the successful application of SigNature
DNA at every stage of the woolen textile manufacturing process in Yorkshire,
UK. This first phase of the "DNA in Textiles" project was fully
funded by Yorkshire Forward in collaboration with the Textile Centre of
Excellence, and its consortium of companies. Applied DNA is embarking on the
next phase of its wool protection program, a multimillion dollar
co
The start up of a
cogeneration plant at Freudenberg Politex in Novedrate, Italy, allows the
internal production of thermal and electric energy. The new cogeneration plant
produces 5 MW of electric power and also satisfies the needs for thermal energy
of the entire site with around 4 MW. The recovery of thermal energy, in its
noble and less noble state, allows for a 75% exploitation of the cogeneration
plant.
Riccardo Sollini, President & CEO of the
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
The Teijin Group announced today
that it will participate in the 18th International Engineering and Technology
Fair (IETF 2009), which will be held at the Bangalore International Exhibition
Center in Bangalore, India, from February 23 to 26. Teijin’s first appearance at
the exhibition will support the company’s initiatives to expand its
environmental business in the fast-growing Indian market.
The biannual IETF showcases the latest trends in engineering
and manuf
The Teijin Group announced today
that Thai Namsiri Intertex Co., Ltd. (TNI), a consolidated subsidiary
manufacturing polyester textiles in Thailand, will launch a program for
collecting used polyester items and then recycling them into new polyester materials
through Teijin's ECO CIRCLE(tm) closed-loop recycling system. This will be the
first such program launched by Teijin in Asia other than Japan.
The program includes the launch of a recyclable men’s jacket
mad
Billy Hunter reports from Expofil/ Premiere Vision
Lenzing has launched its Tencel
botanic denim for ecoists here at Expofil/ Premiere Vision. There is no doubt
that denim manufacturing has a high environmental impact and in response Lenzing
in collaboration with supply chain partners, proposes to optimize the
production process from fibre to finished garment, using the latest thinking
and best technology available to create true ‘low impact’ denim jeans.
Lenzi
Focus on new impulses for the combination of natural fibres
and technical textiles
To mark the International Year of Natural
Fibres, Messe Frankfurt will hold a Natural Fibre Congress during Techtextil,
International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens, in Frankfurt
from 16 to 18 June 2009.
The aim of the congress is, inter-alia, to bring natural
fibres into closer contact with technical applications and to show trade
visitors the benefits of natural fibres
10-12 March 2009. Rome
UK - Smart Fabrics are big
business. The smart textiles market is expected to hit US$642.1 million globally
by the end of 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate of 28.3%. These
figures are set to increase yet further into 2009 to keep pace with new
applications emerging in the sector. Accordingly IntertechPira is to present
the 5th annual Smart Fabrics conference, a global forum for all the
developments you should know about.
Smar
3 February 2009, Charlotte, NC - PGI announced yesterday
that it is strengthening its corporate sustainability program with a focused
and expanded initiative in this area led by the company's first Chief Sustainability
Officer (CSO).
John Heironimus, Chief Marketing Officer for the company,
has been appointed to the newly created position of CSO. Heironimus has been
with PGI for two years, following an extensive career in various marketing and
development roles with consumer products compan
Bluesign Technologies
AG has announced that it is to cooperate with Benninger AG. Benninger will
endorse the Bluesign standard as a Bluesign supporter with a focus on process
optimisation and process engineering. Benninger says that the idea of the Bluesign
standard perfectly reflects its company philosophy.
Only the ‘Best Available Technologies’ in process
technology, resource efficiency and product quality and a simultaneous reduction of the ��
The public awareness
campaign for the International Year of Natural Fibers (IYNF) kicked off in Rome
yesterday. The IYNF launch is the beginning of a year-long series of events
across the globe that will seek to support farmers and associated industries in
raising awareness of the benefits of natural fibres over synthetic and
petroleum-based textiles, which are not viewed as sustainable.
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) is a supporting
organization of
Researchers at Monash
University in Melbourne have revolutionised the design of a fuel cell that
could make hybrid cars more reliable and cheaper to build and help reduce
carbon dioxide emissions. Goretex is the high-tech clothing material worn by
mountaineers and polar adventurers but now the Monash scientists have made a
fuel cell with it that could cut the world's output of carbon dioxide from
cars.
The breakthrough came about through the design of a fuel
cell
Teijin Fibers Limited, a
Japan-based global polyester polymers, fibres and textiles company and Swany
America Corp., a leading manufacturer of ski gloves and mittens renowned for
their enduring construction and cold weather performance, announced on Friday the
launch of a closed-loop recycling program for used polyester ski gloves.
As part of the collaboration, Swany America will use Teijin
Fiber’s ECO STORM(r), a recyclable, waterproof and breathable material ma
Second edition of US-European Networking Event - April 2-3,
2009, Brussels, Belgium
Building on the success of the first edition of Advanced Textiles in June
2008, and the endorsement of the international audience, Industrial Fabrics
Association International (IFAI) and IHOFMANN announce a second conference to
be held 2-3 April 2009 in Brussels, Belgium.
As the headquarters of the European Union, NATO, various
stakeholder institutions and international large-scal
Nilit, a global
leader in the production of nylon 6.6, has announced that it has recently
completed the scale-up of its recycled yarns, a unique combination produced
from polymer waste and other polymers. The company says that the development represents
a breakthrough in yarn engineering and production.
Fabio Kahn, Director of Nilit's Fibers Division, says: “The
development shows Nilit’s continued dedication to innovation in research and
develop
The Teijin Group announced today
that it will participate in Offshore Arabia 2009, which will be held at the
Dubai International Convention Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from
January 11 to January 13. Teijin will partake in the exhibition for the first
time, aiming to support its expansion of environmental business in the Middle
East.
Offshore Arabia 2009 is an international conference and
exhibition that promotes sustainable energy and environmental protect
Teijin Fibers Limited announced
today that it will start supplying chemically recycled Ecopet Plus polyester fibres
for the cords of Toyo Tire & Rubber's Proxes Ne tyres, which are special tyres
designed for environmentally oriented passenger cars.
Ecopet Plus is created through a closed-loop recycling
system called Eco Circle, which was developed by Teijin and will be used for
the carcass, which functions like the framework of a tyre. According to Teijin
Fibers,
Performance Fibers CEO named as keynote speaker at Techtextil North America Symposium
4th December 2008 0 comment Performance Fiber's CEO,
Richard C. Brown, will present the keynote address "Adapting to Changing
Times” at the Techtextil North America Symposium being held April 21-23, 2009
at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The address will focus on how the fibre industry has changed
and how companies adjust to changes in order to remain competitive. Other
topics in the opening session will include global participation, the state of
the manufacturin
Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik
GmbH, Obertshausen, has signed a contract to take over the Weaving Preparation
Division of Benninger AG in Uzwil. In future, it will operate under the name of
Karl Mayer Textilmaschinen AG. With this strategic acquisition, Karl Mayer takes
over Benninger’s current product portfolio, together with the service and components
operations, which will remain in Uzwil.
The merger sees the emergence of a leading interna
Solterra Renewable Technologies, Inc. names Dr. Ghassen E. Jabbour as Chief Science Officer
24th November 2008 0 commentHague Corp./Solterra Renewable Technologies, Inc., a solar technology and quantum dot
manufacturing company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Ghassen E.
Jabbour to the position of Chief Science Officer. In this new role, he will
lead the development and characterization of Solterra's thin film Quantum Dot
solar cell products.
Dr. Jabbour is the Director of Flexible and Organic
Electronics Development at the Flexible Display Center (FDC) and a
Naturally Advanced Technologies' lead scientist wins Life Sciences Achievement Award
24th November 2008 0 commentDr. Wing Sung, BSc,
MSc, PhD, Principal Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada
(NRC), was awarded the inaugural Clean Technology Innovation Award from the
Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) on November 18th for his work
with NAT developing CRAILAR(R), its new organic fibre technology that creates
an environmentally friendly alternative to cotton, and for his work reducing toxic
effluent in the production of paper and textiles.
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
Naturally Advanced
Technologies Inc. (NAT) has spun hemp yarn and knitted fabric on conventional
cotton equipment with no modifications at North Carolina State University using
CRAILAR(R) Organic Fibers technology. The trials were sponsored by Hanesbrands
Inc.
Tim Pleasants, Spun Yarn Lab Manager, NC State University,
said, "We successfully carded and spun a blended CRAILAR yarn on our
cotton ring spinning system. The resulting 20/1 Ne* ring spun yarn was knit
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
The Association of Italian Textile
Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade
(ICE) will hold two technical workshops on Italian textile machinery for the
production of technical textiles and nonwovens in China. The events will take
place in Hangzou (24 February, 2009) and in Wuxi (26 February, 2009).
Approximately ten Italian manufacturers of machinery for
technical textiles and nonwovens will introduce their updated technologies,
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
Teijin Fibers Limited has announced
that ECO CIRCLE, a closed-loop recycling system for used polyester products
that employs unprecedented chemical recycling technology, has welcomed its
100th company as a registered participant. Since its launch in 2002, ECO CIRCLE
has been participated in by companies that share a commitment to promoting
progressive environmental activities through product development, collection of
used materials and recycling.
While the original
Warp knitting machine builder Karl Mayer has worked closely with its system partner
Texion Software Solutions to develop Texion’s Procad warpknit 3D the latest
addition to the Procad family of software solutions for manufacturers of warp
knitted fabrics.
The production of modern warp knitted fabrics is an
engineering science in itself. Anyone involved should have specialist knowledge
of yarn properties and finishing processes a
Hollingsworth & Vose Company (H&V), a leading supplier of engineered papers and nonwovens,
announced today it has reduced formaldehyde to near zero levels across its
entire StitchBackers line of wet-laid
nonwoven embroidery backings.
“The transition to low-formaldehyde backing responds to the
demands of fabric converters, embroiderers, and customers seeking more
environmentally friendly clothing components,” said Jim Vogt, Director of
Mar
International Natural Fibres Conference to be held during Techtextil 2009
20th October 2008 0 commentMesse Frankfurt to hold an International Natural Fibres
Conference during Techtextil 2009
UN General Assembly declares 2009 to be the International
Year of Natural Fibres
Messe Frankfurt
launches new internet site on the occasion of the Year of Natural Fibres
As part of the International
Year of Natural Fibres, Messe Frankfurt will hold a congress on natural fibres
during Techtextil - International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and
Nonwovens – in Frankfu
Anyone wishing to take
part in the next Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt am Main from 16 to 17 June
2009, as a symposium speaker, is now cordially invited to apply. Both symposia
are taking place at the same time as the Techtextil fair, the International
Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens and Avantex, the International
Forum for Innovative Apparel Textiles, which from this year is an integral part
of Techtexil. The fair will open its doors in
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
Magid Glove & Safety is
leading the movement in environmentally friendly hand protection with today's
introduction of Bamboo ROC(TM) Gloves, the industry's first general-purpose
work gloves manufactured using a 100% bamboo fibre shell.
Made from one of nature's most sustainable resources, Bamboo
ROC Gloves are available in two industrial-grade styles - the Bamboo ROC GP169
and GP199. Bamboo ROC GP169 Gloves feature a 100% bamboo seamless brown machine
knit shell wi
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