NOTES TECH

Kelheim and Santoni Join Forces on Sustainable Menstrual Underwear

Kelheim Fibres has teamed up with Italian seamless knitting machine builder Santoni on the manufacture of energy-efficient and zero waste production menstrual underwear.

Under the terms of the project, the specialty viscose fiber manufacturer and Santoni Spa have jointly developed an innovative and sustainable menstrual underwear garment based on advanced machine technology and high-quality performance viscose fibers. The product consists of a soft outer layer and an inlay made from special wood-based fibers from Kelheim. The result is a sustainable and high-performance product that combines comfort and functionality.

The soft outer layer is produced either on the Santoni SM8-TOP2V circular knitting machine or on the SM4-TL2 machine. One of the major advantages of these circular knitting machines is that they significantly reduce the amount of cutting waste or even allow production with zero-waste.

The Santoni XT-Machine, originally developed for the footwear market, is used for the functional inlay of the period panty. The unique XTMachine allows for different layers to be produced with different yarns and knitting structures. This enables all three functions of the inlay – the absorption and distribu tion layer ADL, the absorbent core, and the back layer – to be knitted in a single tube. This reduces production time and costs and enables zero-waste production.

In the inlay, wood based Kelheim specialty fibers such as trilobal Galaxy or the hollow Bramante fiber replace synthetic materials. www.kelheim-fibres.com

FONG’s Europe to Show Airflow Developments at ITMA

James Heal Develops Sustainable Water Repellency Testing

British textile testing solutions provider James Heal has developed a solution to improve sustainability of water repellency testing in textiles. The company developed TruRain, the next generation Bundesmann tester with a water recirculation unit. Compared to the traditional options on the market, this new system uses 99% less water during testing based on a weekly program of conducting 150 tests, reducing consumption from 2,100 liters to just 23 liters for the week.

In addition, TruRain makes significant energy cost savings per workday, leading to 83% total cost reduction. Productivity is also increased through greater ease of use than traditional Bundesmann tests and can be run continuously for a week without the need to change the water. An innovative automated shower guard that protects the operator from getting wet during testing is an improvement welcomed by lab technicians using the instrument. www.jamesheal.com

Fong’s Europe has constantly evolved its dyeing systems based on the Airflow principle for achieving excellent dye penetration and uniformity while minimizing color differences between different areas of a fabric.

At ITMA 2023 in Milan, the company will introduce its latest THEN Synergy Airflow and THEN Airjetwin machines which exploit the principle to provide high-quality, efficient and eco-friendly dyeing processes for a variety of fabrics.

The THEN Airflow dyeing machines have several innovative features, including several parallel functions for reducing process time. The VPR system shortens the rinsing time and water usage and the well-proven robust and homogeneous spraying device in the nozzle ensures a uniform dyeing in the shortest process time. The very short liquor ratio also reduces the use of salt and chemicals.

THEN Airflow systems also have a unique dyeing process control system that allows for precise control over dyeing parameters such as temperature, pressure, and chemical dosing, ensuring consistent and high-quality results. www.fongs.eu