Textile World March/April 2023

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As time and technologies progress, the definition of a textile’s performance will also continue to evolve.

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DITF has developed an environmentally friendly and economical process for carbon fiber production using lignin as a precursor.

Final preparations are underway for the 19th edition of ITMAto be held in Milan, Italy, this June. 35

Separate Cotton From

From Editor The U.S.Textiles Leadership Development

AAcommon topic of conversation among U.S.textile executives is a shared concern about the development of future industry leaders.Often the question is focused on,“What can the industry do to attract bright young people of all stripes that will advance the industry into the future?”

This question affects existing companies but also the development of new companies chasing innovations and enhancing the definition of U.S.textiles.

This issue of Textile World features two articles that may help point to possible solutions.

One is the continuing developments at the Conover,N.C-based Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC),part of Catawba Valley Community College.

The MSC’s mission is captured in the article’s subhead:“The center’s Incubator Program is seeking entrepreneurs looking to realize their dreams.”The MSC assists new companies to manufacture product onsite with access to the MSC’s equipment,resources and services.

Companies including Nufabrx,InnovaKnits, Yu Apparel Corp.and Evolved by Nature, currently take advantage of the Incubator Program.Their stories are inspiring and illustrate how the MSC assists these start-ups in realizing their vision — offering pilot-scale manufacturing and providing necessary shared resources that would be out of reach for a typical start-up.

A new 75,000-square-foot facility was recently constructed adjacent to the current space —Manufacturing Solutions Center II — a partnership between the City of Conover, MSC,Catawba Valley Community College and private investment firm Whiskbroom. The additional space extends the opportunity to more entrepreneurs.

TW also spoke with Dr.Andre West,associate professor,and director of the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) at Raleigh,N.C.-based

NC State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, about the recently announced Flex Factory.

West explained that the Flex Factory is a twophase project with phase one,“The Prototype Lab,”providing an environment for“students, researchers,start-ups and industry where ideation,innovation,collaboration with a focus on sustainable manufacturing can thrive.

“Phase II involves a complete space up fit and renovation to bridge our current Senior Design course space with the Flex Factory space and add additional features including a materials library and conference rooms.”Phase II is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.

The Flex Factory concept forges a strong link between textile students and the realities of industry and entrepreneurship.

West stated that there are fours things necessary for the Flex Factory’s success.First, assistance with acquiring the latest textile equipment – for the Flex Factory to be a “working showcase for cutting-edge equipment, especially equipment with a small footprint.”

Second,projects from industry are needed to challenge the students and faculty.

Third is funding to make Phase II happen at the university.

And lastly,industry engagement is encouraged because “ ...seeing it first-hand with the machines running is the best way to understand the vision.”

MSC and the Flex Factory are both first-class examples of leadership development — honing new companies and students,soon to be the industry’s new blood,into catalysts of change enhancing the U.S.textile industry.

James M. Borneman jborneman@TextileWorld.com

APublication

EDITOR IN CHIEF

James M. Borneman

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Rachael S. Davis

TECHNICAL EDITORS

Dr. Lisa Parillo Chapman

Dr. Peter J. Hauser

Dr. Trevor J. Little

Dr. William Oxenham

Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi

Dr. Abdel-Fattah Seyam

Dr. Andre West

ECONOMICS EDITOR

Robert S. Reichard

YARN MARKET EDITOR

Jim Phillips

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jim Kaufmann

Stephen M. Warner

INTERNET CONTENT EDITOR

Rachael S. Davis

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Julie K. Brown-Davis

ADVERTISING BUSINESS MANAGER

Denise Buchalter

ART & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Julie K. Brown-Davis

OWNER/PUBLISHER

James M. Borneman

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

UNITED STATES & CANADA Turner Marketing &Media, LLC +864-594-0921 sturner@textileworld.com

EUROPE (except ITALY)

Sabine Dussey +49-171-5473990 sabine.dussey@dussey.de

ITALY

Ferruccio & Filippo Silvera +39-022-846716 • Fax +39-022-8938496 info@silvera.it

ASIA

James M. Borneman +678-483-6102 jborneman@textileworld.com

MEXICO, CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA

Virgilio L. González

+58-412-622-2648 • Fax +58-212-985-7921 vlgonzalezp@gmail.com

INTERNET & CLASSIFIEDS

Julie Davis

+678-522-0404 jdavis@textileworld.com

Serving America’s Textile Manufacturers

Non-contact precision spray technology and plasma treatment for sustainable finish applications.

Providing a wide range of jet, jigger, beam dyeing machines and infrared laboratory dyeing equipment.

Finishing and coating lines for woven and knit fabrics, technical textiles and nonwovens.

Detwisting, opening and web guiding for all fabric constructions.

Scouring and bleaching ranges for wovens and tubular/open width knits. Cold pad batch and vacuum extraction.

Textile calenders for softening, lustre change, embossing and recalipering of textile substrates.

Water treatment and water recovery plants in textile facilities.

Fabric surface finishing equipment: napping, sueding and shearing.

Circular knitting machines for apparel, mattress, home furnishings and footwear markets.

Turbotex Scrim Fabric machine.

In-line vision systems for weaving and warp knitting machines, tenter frames, compactors, coating/laminating ranges.

Automatic dispensing of powder dyestuffs and liquid chemicals for laboratory, and bulk textile production.

Automated inspection and packaging systems for rolled goods.

For additional information on these companies contact Ian Mills at imills@fi-tech.com.

PO Box 683155 | Marietta, GA 30068, USA

Telephone +678-483-6102 | www.TextileWorld.com

Tex-Tech Industries Expands In WinstonSalem

Specialty textiles manufacturer Tex-Tech Industries, Kernersville,N.C.,has announced plans to invest more than $24 million in a new manufacturing center in Winston-Salem,N.C.The expansion will create 49 new jobs — including managers, operators,technicians and sales personnel — with expected average salaries of more than $67,000.

“Expanding in Forsyth County was the best decision for our company,” said Tex-Tech CFO Kelly Moore.“Being centrally located on the East Coast and having access to a growing advanced manufacturing talent pool were some of the differentiating factors for our decision to grow here.“

Champion Opens New Dyeing Plant

Champion Thread Co. (CTC),Gastonia,N.C., recently inaugurated a new state-of-the-art thread- and yarn-dyeing operation in Clover,S.C. The investment features sustainable technologies such as dyeing equipment with low liquor ratios and on-demand boilers that reduce dyehouse emissions. Existing employees are being retrained and the company is recruiting to fill new positions at the plant.

“In addition to boosting our service,this investment supports our ongoing focus on building lean,flexible

manufacturing operations and environmentally sustainable products and operations,”said CTC President Matt Poovey.“Our teams’impressive commitment to seeing us through the pandemic made this investment in the American textile workforce a simple decision for us.”

Navis TubeTex

Honored Finishing machinery supplier Navis TubeTex, Lexington,N.C.,recently was awarded the North Carolina Governor’s Award for Excellence by Governor Roy Cooper.The honor recognizes one company each year that has made significant contributions to increasing North Carolina exports.The award was presented by Governor Cooper to Navis TubeTex President and CEO William Motchar and Senior Director of International Sales Jeffrey Dixon at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh,N.C.

Intradeco Buys Indera

Miami-based Intradeco Holdings reports it recently acquired Intradeco Holdings,a Yadkinville,N.C.based supplier of thermal underwear products. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.Indera Mills Owner,John Willingham,will continue with the company as president of Indera,a Division of Intradeco Apparel Inc.

“We at Indera Mills are excited to become part of

Milliken, Glen Raven Announce

PFAS Elimination

Recently,Spartanburg, S.C.-based Milliken & Company announced it has eliminated all per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from its textile fibers and finishes portfolio. The company selected a PFAS-free durable water repellent technology readily available in the marketplace and accredited by bluesign® after an assessment period. In addition,Milliken — known historically for its textile chemistry innovations — developed a new non-PFAS soil release technology.However,after working to develop an alternative oil-repellent technology and deciding there was no suitable option,the company decided to exit those lines of business.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment and tribute to our team who worked around the clock to develop solutions that meet our customers’performance requirements and reflect our purpose to positively impact the world for future generations,”said David Smith,executive vice president,Milliken & Company,and president, Milliken’s Textile Business.

Glen Raven Inc.,Burlington,N.C.also reports it has begun to phase out

PFAS chemicals across its global portfolio with all production to be transitioned to non-PFAS solutions by the end of 2023.

Glen Raven notes that the switch will not impact the ability to clean Sunbrella® fabrics,but will reduce the oil repellency. To combat this issue, Glen Raven has developed a proprietary cleaning solution for oil-based stains — Sunbrella Extract™ Oil-Based Stain Remover.

“Since 2015,our global research and development team has been working with accredited research laboratories and universities to evaluate and develop the best alternatives to PFAS-based finishes,”said Dave Swers,president and COO of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics.“We have invested significantly in this work and the solutions we’re introducing will allow us to continue providing anyone who purchases our fabrics with the bestin-class performance they expect while minimizing our environmental impact as an organization.Our Sunbrella Contract fabrics have included non-PFAS solutions since 2019 and we look forward to implementing non-PFAS solutions across our portfolio.”

work.These important values align with those of Intradeco.Together,we will build a thermal underwear business second to none in the world.“ TW

DISCOVER THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FROM 350+ COMPANIES

Industry’s leading tradeshow - Techtextil North America is set to return in May 2023 with an incredible lineup of exhibitors, enhanced show floor features and educational opportunities that reflect industry trends!

Co-located with Texprocess Americas, this key business event is where the industry will converge to exchange ideas and discover the newest innovations and technologies in technical textiles, nonwovens and sewn products. Over the three day event, you will have access to technical sessions curated by industry leaders, networking activities and complimentary show floor Tech Talks highlighting the latest tech and trends - just to name a few!

Visit our website to learn more: www.TechtextilNA.com

May 10 - 12, 2023

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

ITMA 2023:

“Transforming The World Of Textiles”

umbrella title include advanced materials, automation and digital future, innovative technologies, and sustainability and circularity.

Global Uncertainties

On the tails of a global pandemic, organizers and exhibitors aren’t daunted by the current clouds of a global banking crisis and the war in Ukraine, among other economic difficulties. ITMA Services recently reported that the 200,000 square meters of exhibition space reserved for the exhibition at the Fiera Milano Rho is 100-percent booked by exhibitors. More than 1,600 exhibitors from 44 countries are expected in Milan and there is a waitlist for exhibition space of some 100 companies.

“Since the last ITMA exhibition in Barcelona in 2019, the world has changed drastically due to the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical situation,” said Charles Beauduin, chairman of ITMA Services. “Despite various disruptions, we are glad that space in ITMA 2023 is fully booked. Companies are buoyant about the outlook of the market with most borders now fully open.”

ITMA 2023 will be held June 8-14, 2023, at the Fiera Milano Rho fairgrounds in Milan, Italy. Milan is hosting ITMA for the sixth time since its inception at the now 19th edition of the show. ITMA is owned by the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) and is organized by ITMA Services.

The show is regarded as the largest and most comprehensive

global textile machinery trade show. Held once every four years, ITMA has evolved into a platform for emerging trends, innovative solutions, new knowledge and best practices. It is also known as a place to network and establish new relationships, as well as rekindle relationships and catch up with old friends.

The overall theme for ITMA 2023 is “Transforming the World of Textiles.” Four sub-themes under this

With Italy as the host country, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) reports Italy-based exhibitors are fully committed to ITMA 2023. “Our manufacturers are very confident about next June’s event,” said ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi. “As shown by the figures on the Italian presence at the event: Almost 400 Italian exhibitors, about 36,000 square meters, with an increase in the occupied surface area of over 20 percent compared to the previous edition held in Barcelona. 30 percent of the total exhibition area at ITMA 2023 will be taken up by Italian machinery manufacturers.”

ACIMITis promoting the activities of its members at ITMA2023 under the theme “Shaping the Future.” “Shaping the future is a concept that aims to show how Italian manufacturers are key players in the develop-

Final preparations are underway for the 19th edition of ITMA to be held in Milan, Italy, this June.

TW Special Report

Colocated & Associated Events

Thursday, June 8

ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award Presentation

(By invitation only)

Launched in 2015 by CEMATEX, the awards honor collaborative efforts in innovative and sustainable products in two categories — Industry Excellence and Research & Innovation Excellence.

Friday, June 9

ITMA Textile Colourants and Chemicals Forum

10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The fourth iteration of the forum will cover trending subjects in the textile colorants and chemical industry including reducing carbon footprints in chemical treatment, improving dyehouse output treatment, fiber fragmentation and working towards safe and sustainable chemistries. Content is aimed at brands and retailers; color and chemical specialists; dyestuff, color and chemical manufacturers; sustainability managers; and technical engineers and dyehouse managers. Featured keynote speakers are Prasad Pant, director, South Asia, ZDHC Foundation, India; and Sophie Mather, co-founder and executive director, The Microfibre Consortium, England. Registrants must be ITMA 2023 visitors with a valid ITMA badge. The forum has an additional registration fee of 219 euros (or 189 euros with a supporting organization preferential rate). VAT at the prevailing rate, if applicable, will be added to the registration fee.

Innovator Xchange —

Presentation by ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award

Winners and Finalists

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Winners and finalists of the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Awards will present their innovations to a wider audience. Innovator Xchange

events are free to attend with a valid ITMA 2023 visitor badge.

Saturday, June 10

ITMA Nonwovens Forum

10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

The forum focuses on expanding nonwovens applications and integrating nonwovens manufacturing into current manufacturing operations. Topics cover nonwovens machinery and processes, emerging applications, trends and the latest innovations in nonwovens manufacturing with sustainability in mind. Dr. Bryan Haynes, technical director, Global Nonwovens, Englandbased Kimberly-Clark Corp., will present the keynote speech. Registrants must be ITMA 2023 visitors with a valid ITMA badge. The forum has an additional registration fee of 219 euros (or 189 euros with a supporting organization preferential rate). VAT at the prevailing rate, if applicable, will be added to the registration fee.

Innovator Xchange — Advanced Materials

10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

ITMA’s Innovator Xchange offers visitors the chance to learn about the innovations on display at ITMA as well as gain insight from industry experts in four trending areas over four days of sessions. The keynote speaker for the first session, Advanced Materials, is Parikshit Goswami, professor of Technical Textiles at the University of Huddersfield, England. Goswami’s areas of expertise include flexible materials and chemistries for functionalizing textiles. Innovator Xchange events are free to attend with a valid ITMA 2023 visitor badge.

Sunday, June 11

Innovator Xchange — Automation & Digital Future

10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

ITMA’s Innovator Xchange offers

visitors the chance to learn about the innovations on display at ITMA as well as gain insight from industry experts in four trending areas over four days of sessions. The keynote speaker for the second session, Automation & Digital Future, is Kevin McCoy, vice president Made, New Balance Athletics Inc., Boston. McCoy is a product expert with experience in footwear development from ideation to mass production. Innovator Xchange events are free to attend with a valid ITMA 2023 visitor badge.

Partner Event — ZDHC Impact Day 2023 organized by the ZDHC Foundation

The ZDHC Impact Day 2023 will highlight the organization’s efforts, achievements and impact over the past year. The group also will share its new strategy for the next seven years including the Roadmap to Zero until 2030. The event is open to ZDHC contributors, friends of ZDHC and selected industry stakeholders. Contributors receive two free tickets. The fee for inperson attendees is 599 euros, and 199 euros for virtual participants. Attendees must have a valid ITMA 2023 badge.

Monday, June 12

Innovator Xchange — Innovative Technologies

10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

ITMA’s Innovator Xchange offers visitors the chance to learn about the innovations at ITMA as well as gain insight from industry experts in four trending areas over four days of sessions. The keynote speaker for the third session, Innovative Technologies, is Dr. Jess S. Jur, director of Ecosystem Technology, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Dr. Jur leads efforts to discoveradvanced textile technologies for the defense market. Innovator Xchange

events are free to attend with a valid ITMA 2023 visitor badge.

Partner Event — Planet Textiles Day 1, organized by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition

8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Planet Textiles is an international sustainability conference organized by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). This year’s two-day event will cover the latest Higg Index updates, the role of manufacturers in driving change and the future of science-based targets, as well as explore innovations in circularity, sustainability measurement, decarbonization, and more. Participants must be registered ITMA 2023 attendees with a valid ITMA badge. Tickets cost 340 euros for non-governmental organizations/non-profit personnel, 750 euros for SAC members, and 850 euros for non-SAC members.

Tuesday, June 13

Innovator Xchange — Sustainability and Circularity 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

ITMA’s Innovator Xchange offers visitors the chance to learn about the innovations at ITMA as well as gain insight from industry experts in four trending areas over four days of sessions. The keynote speaker for the fourth session, Sustainability and Circularity, is Germán García Ibánez, head of Sustainable Raw Materials & Circularity, Edificio Inditex, Spain. García Ibánez is focused on sustainable raw material sourcing strategies, next generation materials, dyeing technologies, textile-to-textile recycling, traceability and impact measurement. Innovator Xchange events are free to attend with a valid ITMA 2023 visitor badge.

Partner Event — Planet Textiles Day 2, 8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

ITMA 2023 Sector Plan

machinery. … ITMAremains a fouryearly milestone in technology, where industry visitors rightly expect to see the best and latest ideas from their suppliers.”

Like ACIMIT, the Swiss Textile Machinery Association also reports robust participation from its member companies at ITMA 2023. “… its importance is underlined by the participation of more than 50 Swiss exhibitors, most of which are members of the textile machinery association. We will be there in Milan, because we know it’s the perfect opportunity to show the world what we offer,” Buchwalder emphasized.

ment of the entire textile supply chain, able to outline virtuous paths that testify to the proactive nature of the entire sector and that enables the future of the sector to be shaped through the three pillars, technology, digitalization, and sustainability, which are also the key themes of ITMA 2023,” Zucchi explained.

Zucchi did caution that positive results in 2022 for Italy-based machinery manufacturers —including production and export increases of more than 10 percent year-onyear — do not cancel out obstacles companies continue to face. “The critical issues following the COVID19 pandemic have been amplified by the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict,” Zucchi noted. “Even in this early 2023, unfavorable conditions to business still exist, such as high inflation, constraints on the functioning of value chains, and energy commodity prices above the average of recent years. However, forecasts prepared by our Economic Office show an improvement in the second half of the year and in the 2024-26 period, which gives us hope.”

ACIMIT suggested that ITMA 2023 could be a driving force to stimulate investment in the global textile industry.

At a recent press conference to discuss ITMAand why it is the “greatest show on earth,” Cornelia

Buchwalder, secretary general of the the Swiss Textile Machinery Association —the representative body for Switzerland’s producers of textile equipment, systems and services — reminded attendees that ITMA serves as a benchmark of progress in the textile industry.

“Not only for us, but for the visitors from the textile manufacturers, ITMAis vitally important, and a major element in the overall development of the textile industry worldwide,” Buchwalder said. “The 2023 ITMA is fully booked — clear evidence of its continued appeal as the essential marked place for textile

She also pointed out during the press conference that while much information is available online today, there still is nothing better or more exciting than seeing a new machine running live and in person. “Live demonstrations at timed intervals are often crowded with eager visitors — for a good reason,” Buchwalder said. “It’s the way to be inspired and find solutions that could literally change your business outlook, and actually grow your profits.

“Ultimately, ITMAis a celebration of achievements of the global textile community, and an opportunity to foster the kind of innovative developments that future generations will be proud of,” she concluded.

Spinning, Winding, Fibers, Yarns & Fabrics, Research & Innovation, Start-Up Valley Knitting, Testing Printing & Inks, Colorants & Chemicals

Weaving, Nonwovens, Braiding Garment, Embroidery, Composites, Logistics, Recycling, Software, Equipment, Services Finishing

Figure 1

ITMA Exhibitor Previews

with integrated floor plan. This interactive floor plan allows visitors to explore and locate exhibitors on the show floor while learning more about the product offerings.

Register To Attend

Visitor Attractions

ITMA offers plenty for visitors to do and see. The comprehensive range of exhibits spans some 20 sectors of the textile industry. The sector plan color codes exhibits to help visitors find what they are most interested in seeing at the show (See Figure 1)

Innovation is the name of the game, and ITMA offers several ways for visitors to learn about the latest textile innovations. The Start-Up Valley is a new initiative featuring companies in early stages of developments “with new and game changing solutions and technologies to support and inspire innovation for the textile, garment and fashion industry.” Sixteen start-ups were selected by an expert panel from a pool of applicants.

ITMA 2023’s Research & Innovation Lab forms a hub for innovation at the show. The lab features 20 organizations from 11 countries to showcase new developments from educational and research institutions as well as the industry. The Innovation Video Showcase also will highlight innovations in materials, and textile and garment technologies offered by exhibitors.

In addition, the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award will recognize the achievements of the global textile industry in advancing sustainability using innovative solutions and notable research.

Education Opportunities

Visitors to ITMA 2023 also can take advantage of the education offerings hosted by ITMA as well as partner organizations (See “Collo-

cated & Associated Events”). This year, ITMA is hosting the complimentary Innovator Xchange event. The sessions will focus on the ITMA Innovation Award winners and finalists as well as the four ITMA subthemes of advanced materials, automation and digital future, innovative technologies, and sustainability and circularity. ITMA also is again offering the Textile Colourants and Chemicals Forum as well as the Nonwovens Forum. Partner events include the ZDHC Impact Day 2023 and Planet Textiles.

New 2023 Show Features

Organizers have launched the ITMAconnect platform for 2023 show participants. The year-round sourcing platform and knowledge hub is now open and comprises five main facets —an agenda to view, bookmark and register for ITMA events; artificialintelligence powered business matching to pair people, companies and products for in-person meetings; exhibitor digital space to learn more about the participating companies; a schedule to view and manage meetings and events; and a smart messaging system for chat and video calls with exhibitors. The platform allows visitors to engage prior to the exhibition, and conversations will also be able to continue after the event.

ITMAis hosting 45-minute onboarding webinars for visitors to learn about the ITMAconnect platform. Upcoming sessions take place April 11, April 27 and May 9. Visit the ITMAwebsite to learn more and RSVP for a session.

In addition, the ITMA website now features a smart exhibitor list

Visitor registration is currently open. To encourage visitors to register ahead of time, ITMA is offering an early bird rate through May 7, 2023, on its website. Visitors may purchase a one-day pass for 40 euros and a seven-day pass for 80 euros. After May 7, rates rise to 55 euros for a one-day badge and 95 euros for a seven-day badge. On site rates are 85 euros to attend for one day or 125 euros to attend for all seven. Students are welcomed anytime June 10-14 at a discounted rate of 25 euros for a five-day badge.

The show is open June 8-13 from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. each day. On June 14, the show opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m.

Looking Forward To Innovations, Collaboration

“Our visitors can look forward to ITMA 2023 to preview the latest innovation,” said CEMATEX President Ernesto Maurer. “We hope that textile and garment manufacturers, brands and retailers will take this opportunity to meet at ITMA to source and collaborate with leading members of the textile industry. In addition, they can also gain insights into industry trends and developments at various complementary events.

“Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword; the industry has to move faster to adopt the sustainability agenda to secure the future of their business,” Maurer also noted. “During the pandemic, many of our members channeled their resources into R&D activities. ITMA 2023 is perfectly timed to offer our exhibitors an opportunity to showcase these new products and cutting-edge technology. If, and when, R&D is paired with sustainability efforts, this will be the formula for success.” TW

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Knowledge, Experience Set To Gather In Atlanta Knowledge, Experience Set To Gather In Atlanta

IIt’s a tall order to organize a major trade show once every two years.

It’s an even bigger challenge to host a large, collocated event in back-to-back years. But to fall in sync with Germany-based sister shows’ Techtextil and Texprocess schedule, Atlanta-based Messe Frankfurt Inc. was tasked with hosting Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas in 2022 and again in 2023 to put the events on track with an odd-year biennial schedule.

It’s surely nerve-racking for organizers wondering if the industry will respond and support the show under the less-than-ideal circumstances, and in and ITMA year to boot! But Messe Frankfurt is optimistic that the textile industry will remain faithful and support Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2023 despite the back-to-back shows in consecutive years.

Techtextil North America is incorporated with ATME-I, and Texprocess Americas is coproduced by SPESA — the industry association for suppliers to the sewn products industry. Organizers expect more than 350 companies from more than 30 countries to participate in the

Collocated events Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas return to the GWCC on their new, odd-year biennial schedule.

events scheduled May 10-12, 2023, at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) in Atlanta.

Entire Industry In One Place

The two-in-one event gathers the entire textile value chain in one place giving visitors access to products, technologies and solutions for virtually any textile application.

Visitors will see a wide variety of product categories at Techtextil North America representing the value-added chain in the technical textiles and nonwovens sectors including Research, Development, Planning, Consulting; Technology, Machinery, Accessories; Fibers & Yarns; Woven Fabrics, Laid Webs, Braiding, Knitted Fabrics; Nonwo-

vens; Coated Textiles, Canvas Products; Composites; Bondtec; Functional Apparel Textiles; Associations; and Publications.

Techtextil North America exhibits are further classified according to 12 application areas: Agrotech; Buildtech; Clothtech; Geotech; Hometech; Indutech; Medtech; Mobiltech; Oekotech; Packtech; Protech; and Sporttech.

Texprocess Americas is promoted as the largest North American trade show displaying equipment and technology for the development, sourcing and production of sewn products. Product groups and services covered include: design, product development and automation technology; contract manufacturing and sourcing; production preparation and organization; cutting room and automation technology; fabrics and materials; fusing, setting and manufacturing preparation; textile machinery; textile finishing; knitting technology; embroidery technology; stitching, joining and fastening technology and materials; product processing and finishing; energy, air conditioning, disposal and recycling; quality control; internal material

TW Special Report

THE ADDED VALUE

FEEL of ITEMA TECHNOLOGY

It’s the technology that produced your fabric that makes your product so special.

The Itema weaving machines guarantee to worldwide weavers the most innovative technology tailored on the latest market trends: superior performances, eco-efficiency and textile mastery are the features you immediately feel when relying on Itema.

“Training Takes Time”: Texprocess Americas 2023 Introduces Show Floor Training Program

At the upcoming Texprocess Americas 2023, SPESA is launching a brand-new show floor training program brought to life by Merrow Sewing Machine Co. and the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC)— both SPESA members. The program will incorporate hands-on demonstrations with augmented reality tools to introduce replicable and scalable teaching methods for machine repair and maintenance that can help scale the industry and support growth in the Americas.

Named “Training Takes Time,” the launch is the beginning of a “long-term initiative designed to promote quality training regimens that start in the U.S. and have the potential to expand to other markets across the Americas.”

As part of the program, Texprocess Americas attendees have the chance to register free of charge for 12 two-day training programs —aimed at mechanics, machine operators and facility managers —taking place in Boston, Miami and Los Angeles in 2023 and 2024. After Texprocess Americas ends, the training classes will be on offer for $1,800 per person.

“Using augmented reality tools, experienced technicians can virtually impart knowledge on less experienced employees and incoming trainees,” said Alex Stchekine, Research & Innovation manager at ISAIC. “Technicians and instructors no longer have to be in the same room to share information, which is especially helpful for people who need to learn on the job over a longer period of time. Augmented reality technology is capable of merging two real-time video streams to demonstrate how to solve issues and teach competencies, saving time and money dispensed to travel from one facility to another.”

“There has been a massive push to bring the production of soft goods back to the Americas,” said Charlie Merrow, CEO of The Merrow Group Companies. “Training people here in the U.S. is how we support the reshoring movement. Not only are you providing people with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to find jobs, but you are also investing in your community and contributing to a more efficient and sustainable supply chain. Training is one key function to propelling the industry forward in the U.S. and the western hemisphere.”

“We have talked and talked about the importance of workforce development for the sewn products industry,” said SPESA President Michael McDonald. “Now we are turning words into action. Building and maintaining a strong workforce for the sewn products industry in the U.S. is critical. Having the Career Training & Innovation Center at Texprocess Americas this year will allow us to equip the next generation of mechanics, engineers, and specialists with the tools and resources needed to catapult the industry into its next chapter. I am looking forward to seeing Texprocess Americas serve as a backdrop to a larger industry movement here in the U.S.”

flow; textile logistics; information technology; services, consultancy and training; and research and development.

The collocated events also will feature three international pavilions in 2023 — from Germany, China and Taiwan — as well as the SEAMS Supply Chain USA Pavilion.

New For 2023

To attract visitors, new show features have been developed. “Our team is dedicated to ensuring that this year’s show offers meaningful exhibitor and attendee experiences through a host of new show features,” said Kristy Meade, vice president of Technical Textiles & Technology Shows, Messe Frankfurt Inc. “We continue to track new trends, technologies, and developments across the industry and bring them to the forefront through comprehensive education and programs.”

The show floor will feature a new Tech/StartUp Zone that groups together companies with innovative solutions, processes and products that are advancing the global and technical textiles and nonwovens industries.

Messe Frankfurt also is introducing the Innovation Awards, which will recognize outstanding performance in research, new materials, products and technologies. Awarded innovations will be on display on the show floor for visitors to explore.

The new Career and Training Center is a gathering spot for attendees to learn about job openings, meet prospective employers and build a resume in addition to learning about the industry’s career options from representatives from the Textile Technology Center at Gaston College. A professional photographer also will be on site to take headshots for interested attendees.

The Career and Training Center also will feature the “Training Takes Time” program hosted by SPESA (see sidebar)

“For the first time in more than two decades, we’re witnessing an exciting rebirth for the sewn products industry in the Western Hemisphere,” said Michael McDonald, President of SPESA. “Attending Texprocess Americas — the largest show of its kind in North, Central, and South America — is the first step for industry players to be a part of this massive movement in reshoring, nearshoring, and regional collaboration. The 2023 edition of the show is aiming to elevate attendee experience even more by adding in new components that foster learning, networking, and professional growth. I’m confident this is going to be the best show yet.”

Education Options

Visitors to Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas can take advantage of educational opportunities through symposium sessions, Student Research Poster Program and Tech Talks.

Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas each will host symposium sessions on various topics of interest. Visitors can choose a one- or two-day symposium pass when registering. The website for each show will list all of the topics and speakers as the event date gets closer and speakers are finalized.

The Student Research Poster Program returns in 2023, offering undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to share their research. Students’ work will be on display during the event and live presentations give the students the chance to engage with industry.

The show floor also will feature Tech Talks, complimentary presentations on a variety of topics including sustainability, empowering and growing workforces using technology, the next generation of technical designers, and more.

Opening Night Reception

On Wednesday, May 10 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., SPESA and Messe Frankfurt are hosting an official Opening Night Reception for Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2023. To be held at the Delta Sky360°Club at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium adjacent to the GWCC, the event includes a stadium tour covering the field, owner’s suite and locker room. This ultimate fan experience includes entertainment, food and an open bar with the purchase of a separate ticket.

Planning And Preparation

The GWCC is located in downtown Atlanta, which offers many hotels, restaurants and entertainment options in close proximity to the trade show. Show hours are from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Friday.

Visitors need only purchase an exhibit hall badge for one of the shows to gain access to both Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas. Symposium and opening night reception tickets are available as add-ons. All pricing and deadlines, as well as hotel and transportation information, are available on the events’ respective websites.

“The industry is rapidly evolving, and we’re excited for attendees and exhibitors of Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas to have a front row seat to the action,” Meade said. TW

For more information about Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2023, please visit techtextil-north-america. us.messefrankfurt.com and texprocess-americas.us.messefrank furt.com

Flex Factory: Hub For NewIdeas

TW Special Report

WWhen other universities reduced their textile education programs — melding polymer degrees into materials science,or disbanding textile departments all together — the Raleigh,N.C.-based NC State University’s Wilson College of Textiles took a different route and committed fully to the textile industry.Today,the college is the only college in North America dedicated to textile education.

As the college looks to the future — what the students need,and what the industry needs in its future leaders —it looks at innovative ways to support all involved parties.That desire, coupled with current interest in nearshoring and the demand for U.S.-produced textile products,led the college to identify a need for a space to help creative and entrepreneurial types get new product and business ideas off the ground.

To that end,the college recently announced the Flex Factory —a one-stop-

shop offering resources such as high-tech equipment,knowledge,expertise and supplies —open to students,researchers,startups and industry where ideation,innovation,collaboration with a focus on sustainable manufacturing can thrive.The idea is that the unique space will continue to evolve once it’s up and running so it can continually meet the needs of the textile industry.

Textile World recently spoke to Dr.Andre West, associate professor,and director of the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) at the Wilson College of Textiles, about the Flex Factory. Before entering the world of academia as a professor, Dr.West —a graduate of England-based Huddersfield University with a degree in Textile Design — was involved in an entrepreneurial partnership that designed and produced a clothing collection that was showcased at London Fashion Week for two consecutive years.He also worked as a design

consultant for a trend forecasting company and The Design Council of Great Britain.Later,after a move to the United States Dr. West designed knitwear for a New York City-based fashion house before establishing his own knitwear business.This business grew into a vertical knitting and sewing operation that had showrooms in fashion markets nationwide as well as three retail locations.

Dr.West’s personal experience as an entrepreneur makes him an ideal person to understand the issues and potential roadblocks when developing new products or attempting to open a textile business —valuable experience as he helps the Wilson College of Textiles establish the Flex Factory.

TW : What is the Flex Factory?

Dr.West: This Flex Factory project is a twophase project.Phase I,“The Prototype Lab,”is underway to build out the equip-

ment needed to make textile and apparel products, including yarn spinning, cutting,sewing,and printing equipment,at a research scale.Phase II involves a complete space up-fit and renovation to bridge our current Senior Design course space with the Flex Factory space,and add additional features including a materials library and conference rooms.It should be completed by the end of 2024.

In the Senior Design class,seniors in textile engineering and textile technology are grouped in teams of three to four students and assigned a year-long, industry-sponsored project. Over the course of the fall and spring semesters, teams experience the design process first-hand beginning in the fall with project planning,evaluating state-of-the-art technologies and ideation,and then moving into the iterative prototyping and testing process for their ideas in the spring.Senior Design culminates in a Design Day

NC

State’s Dr. Andre West talks about the new Flex Factory and how it will benefit students and industry.

Dr. Andre West

presentation where each team demonstrates the results of their hard work.

The Phase I Prototype Lab is a small-scale manufacturing space designed for creating textile-based products.It’s perfect for quickly prototyping new ideas and experimenting with innovative designs. The best part is it’s flexible — you can use it to make all sorts of things,from finished textile products to components or accessories used in other products.

One of a prototype’s most significant benefits is its efficiency.You only need a few outside resources to get started — just a tiny amount of space,energy,materials and time.For example, we can 3D print our own buttons or exactly match the sewing thread for a house digitally printed fabric using the digital dyeing Twine machine

from Israel-based Twine Solutions.Because the Flex Factory is designed for small-scale production, you can make products in limited runs,which is excellent for testing the market and scaling up a business gradually.

TW : Why build this at the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University

Dr.West: The Wilson College of Textiles at NC State,with its 124-year history,is recognized as a world leader in textile education and research.

It’s located in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina and serves as a global technology hub for textiles.Interestingly, North Carolina and its neighboring states employ 93 percent of the U.S.textile manufacturing workforce, with 49 percent of those jobs located within a three-

Mesdan’s lab scale spinning equipment comprises four modules: laboratory carding machine; miniature draw frame; mini ring spinning lab; and mini lab knitter able to evaluate yarn cover, quality and evenness. This state-of-the-art lab equipment is versatile and allows work on different applications such as evaluating the capacity to use recycled fibers from shredding processes. Recycling post-production or post-consumer textiles is one of the tools for waste management; and it contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, this equipment will allow the creation of new fiber blends, and let research and industrial partners evaluate the feasibility of yarn using these types of recycled fibers or carbon fibers.

The Mimaki TS300P-1800 is a 1.8-meter-wide roll-to-roll dedicated direct-to-textile and transfer paper printer delivering a hybrid of costeffective dye sublimation or pigment printing while offering new levels of quality and productivity in digital textile printing. It is ideally suited to creating fashion, apparel, sportswear, furnishings and point-of-sale prototypes.

hour drive of central North Carolina.That makes NC State and the local region critical for the textile industry’s growth.

The college and the surrounding area offer two essential components that are key to the industry’s success: technology and product innovation,and a robust supply chain that can effectively bring those innovations to market. Together,these elements form a powerful engine for textile growth and development.

Within the college is the department that I manage with our team of textile industry experts,Zeis Textiles Extension for Economic Development (ZTE). ZTE provides training and certification in textiles and programs for improvement and innovation and serves the textile industry’s prototyping and pilot production needs in its five laboratories — spun yarn,knitting, weaving,dyeing and finishing,and physical testing.

Also,right across the street from the Flex Factory on Centennial Campus, we have Raleigh Founded, an entrepreneurial support organization that uses physical convening space, community connection, and hosts events.The NC State Entrepreneurship Garage is housed in this space and offers a venture creation and a common prototyping space designed for student entrepreneurs. It serves as a hub for students across campus to come together and explore their entrepreneurial ideas and interests.In partnership with Raleigh Founded, students call the Garage home where they work on challenges alongside non-university businesses. Members in this space have access to hundreds of entrepreneurial-minded peers,which makes networking and relationship-building easy.

TW : How did the idea for The Flex Factory come about?

Dr.West: This idea has been a long time in the making.So many people at the Wilson College of Textiles have discussed the need for this incubator and research space for years. And now that we’re up and running,we’re excited to see what kinds of fantastic textile products and companies will come out of the Flex Factory!

The college has a strong track record of teaching students how to succeed in the industry.We recognize that starting and prototyping textile businesses can be expensive due to the high cost of machinery and other startup expenses. The Flex Factory can serve as a valuable stepping-stone to encourage entrepreneurshipin the textile industry and empower young entrepreneurs.

At the Flex Factory,we’re all about creating a supportive ecosystem for textile startups and entrepreneurs.

Whether you're a current student,alum,faculty,or staff member,or someone with an excellent idea for a sustainable,domestically produced textile product, we’re here to help you develop your business. We offer many resources to companies,like design and fabrication tools.Plus, we’ve got some strategic partnerships that help us further our goal of growing the textile industry regionally and nationally.

TW : How did you become involved with the Flex Factory?

Dr.West: After spending seven years as a faculty member in Textile and Apparel Technology and Management teaching textile and apparel design, I became director of Zeis Textiles Extension in mid2019.There definitely were better years to be held accountable for an operation that thrives on outside

visitors and production. We began working on bringing the Flex Factory concept to fruition.Still,we had to delay the development of that space during the early stages of the pandemic when we switched our focus to mask production and supporting the textile industry with training and workshops for personal protective equipment manufacturing and sourcing.

Everyone remembers 2020 as the year of the mask or the lack of masks. The university shut down for three months around spring break.So,we looked for innovative ways to make masks.We took three pieces of manufacturing equipment and quickly turned them into mask-making machines. First,we used our pleating machine to pleat the innovative washable nonwoven fabric made at the Nonwovens Institute right next door.Next,we utilized a

The Gerber Z1 is a digital cutting solution suitable for single-ply apparel applications. Its vision systems and GERBERconnect remote diagnostics enable manufacturers to cut directly from custom-printed textile rolls by scanning the fabric and automatically generating cut files. In addition, it enables accurate identification of cut parts and composite plies by printing alphanumeric text and barcodes on various materials.

Lectra cutter that could magically re-pleat the fabric using its vacuum system.And finally,we used a sonic welding machine to complete the construction. We even knitted the elastic for the ears.

We made masks for NC State campus police and all the facilities workers that keep the university safe and functioning.The experience showed us while we had a

was so much talent in the college we just needed to focus on that talent after this event.

TW : How will students engage,and how will this prepare them for their careers?

Dr.West: This a strange one.Here is my personal view of this as I was in this predicament 40 years ago, and things have stayed the

technical equipment.Still, when they graduate,they realize that starting their own business takes a lot of money and a lot of work to be an entrepreneur and take all the risks.So,we are here to help them move their ideas to reality now they know what they are doing.

TW : How does industry play a part in the Flex Factory?

Thirdly,we need funding to make this Phase II happen at the university, and some industry members have supported this plan.With the help of the North Carolina Textile Foundation,engagement, partnership,and philanthropy will be on show worldwide.

small space,we had right equipment for the endeavor and we could punch way beyond our weight.But,it also dawned on us that the university had equipment to be used for the greater good,and like many textile companies,we had pivoted. It made us realize in manufacturing textiles and apparel,American ingenuity was not lost,and there

same in my opinion,or have even become worse. When some students walk into fashion or textile college as a freshman,they want to change the world — they have many ideas and little knowledge of how textiles work.So,over the next few years,we will teach them the reality of the industry and how to program and use this

Dr.West: We need four things from the industry. Firstly,from the textile machine makers,we see this as a working showcase for cutting-edge equipment, especially equipment with a small footprint.These machines can be utilized for research projects by faculty, students,and others,but also are used in the real world.So,we want to make this space a showroom for the best equipment in the world.Agreements with new machine suppliers would enable the Wilson College of Textiles to have access to state-of-the-art technologies and expertise, and also help the machine supplier establish a strong foothold in the southeastern region of the United States. We already have some strategic partners in place, but welcome more!

Secondly,we need projects.Our faculty and students are at the cuttingedge of technological advancements,and we need to help to get their ideas and innovations into the marketplace.

Finally,come and visit. We can talk all day long about the space,but seeing it first-hand with the machines running is the best way to understand the vision.There are plenty of showcase events happening in the future where we will do tours,but if you are in the neighborhood,let us know! The best product that comes out of the NC State Wilson College of Textiles is the students. They are amazing before they walk in the door to be taught by world-class faculty,making them even more amazing when they head out into the industry.

TW : Tell us what type of equipment is your first choice for this space?

Dr.West: We already have an abundance of equipment in our labs, especially on the research and testing side,and we have many industry-size machines that can spin yarn,knit,or weave. However,we still need prototype equipment and the equipment to finish the products thoroughly.We received a grant from the Department of Defense called Defense Manufac-

Twine Solutions digital thread dyeing system digitally dyes raw and off-the-shelf white thread — from different manufacturers — for sewing, knitting and embroidery applications. The digitally dyed thread can be used for endless applications including apparel, activewear, shoes, accessories, home décor and vehicle upholstery.

The SWGN Series machines from Japan-based Shima Seiki are WholeGarment machines that can produce a wide range of fashion accessories including gloves, socks, hats and shoe uppers with no sewing or linking required. The machine at the Wilson College of Textiles also can produce technical textiles such as industrial materials, sports items, devices for medical applications and safety, as well as process conductive yarns. The machine’s versatility makes it perfect for the Flex Factory.

turing Community Support Program (DMCSP),which enabled us to purchase some equipment for the Prototype Lab.The DMCSP aims to invest long-term in critical skills, facilities,workforce development,research and development,and small business support to strengthen the national security innovation base.

TW : How will the Flex Factory evolve in the next five years? The next 10?

Dr.West: One-word — sustainability! Nearly every student walking into Wilson College of Textiles

is concerned about this topic,but we must give them the tools to move forward.Long-term,we are developing new processes to address needs in circularity and automation.Our graduates drive the direction of the future textiles and apparel industry and will be responsible for future technology investments.

The textile industry is the second highest polluter after the energy industry. For the world to be sustainable,we must step up and do what we can to fix a problem many think is not attainable.I am seeing a

renewed focus on more sustainable fibers such as hemp and kenaf here in North Carolina; and banana and pineapple fibers can be utilized as a secondary industry in Central America.

Recycling fabric post-industrial and post-consumer waste still has a long way to go, but the Wilson College of Textiles is forming key partnerships to share information.Our graduates drive the direction of the future textiles and apparel industry and will be responsible for future technology investments.

TW : Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?

Dr.West: Someone asked recently why I am so positive about this concept. My response was,what choice do I have? This is an opportunity to help everyone in this industry.We have talent all around us and outstanding companies work with the Wilson College of Textiles and ZTE daily. Archimedes said,“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it,and I shall move the world.”The new lever is the Flex Factory.Develop new ideas with expert help. TW

Manufacturing Solutions Center Is Helping Start-Ups Find Footing, Soar Manufacturing Solutions Center Is Helping Start-Ups Find Footing, Soar

TTucked in the foothills of North Carolina across from the railroad tracks in the quaint Catawba County town of Conover with a population of just 8,421, the Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC) is something of a hidden gem.

But several entrepreneurs with big dreams and little idea how to start a business were lucky enough to find this resource facility — and success has followed. For some entrepreneurs, growth has been exponential. And all of these industrialists credit the MSC for enabling them to find solid footing and not only survive, but thrive.

Nufabrx, InnovaKnits, Yu Apparel Corp. and Evolved by Nature — are four companies that currently are part of the MSC’s Incubator Program. More than a decade old, the program allows new companies to set up pilot manufacturing facilities in the center to make product onsite as well as gives them access to the MSC’s equipment, resources and services.

As the launching pad for these businesses, the MSC, part of Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), brings its mission —to help U.S. manufacturers increase sales, improve quality and improve

The center’s Incubator Program is seeking entrepreneurs looking to realize their dreams.

efficiency to create or retain jobs — to life. All in America.

Operating inside the MSC, these featured incubator companies all expanded to a point that the facility has been bursting at the seams in recent years. But fortunately for the center and its tenants, a new 75,000square-foot facility was recently constructed adjacent to the current space. The Manufacturing Solutions Center II (MSC II) is a joint partnership between the City of Conover, the Manufacturing Solutions Center, Catawba Valley Community College and private investment firm Whiskbroom.

The newly inaugurated building was made possible by $9 million in federal COVID-19 funding appropriated by the state as part of the PPE Initiative, which allowed the MSC to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment that can be used to test personal protective

equipment as well as numerous other products.

Incubator Program Supports Start-Ups

Since 1990, the MSC has offered innumerable services to manufacturing clients, so initiating an incubator program was a logical next step, according to Tony Whitener, Special Projects director at the center. Testing, prototyping, product development, engineering, training, marketing, production sourcing, and cut and sew are just a few of the services offered.

“If you’re in manufacturing, it’s not just the equipment you have to have to make your product,” Whitener said. “It’s all the support items such as air compressors, boilers, steam tables, washers, dryers, dye equipment and printers. And then other things we take for granted like meeting spaces, breakrooms and a receptionist. All of that is overhead for companies, so working in this space greatly reduces capital expenses. Plus, we have test-

The new Manufacturing Solutions Center II brings 75,000-square-feet of space to the center’s entrepreneurial Incubator Program.

TW Special Report

ing, product development and engineering services available. Within this ecosystem, just think how valuable that is for as startup to have these services in-house.”

Each of the incubators also operates in the textile and apparel space, to varying degrees, which allows them to collaborate on specific issues and needs, as well as provide each other counsel, advice and referrals.

Representatives of the four incubator companies all credit much of their success to the MSC. The benefits of locating inside the center have brought cost-effective resources and solutions that could not have been possible as standalone entities, they report.

Nufabrx

While in college in Seattle, Jordan Schindler suffered from bad skin, and he learned from his dermatologist that pillowcases are one of the leading causes of acne. That led him to explore the possibility of creating a product to address the issue. After developing a prototype pillowcase embedded with lavender, he solicited the help of MIT scientists, gathered a few angel investors and spent seven years developing proprietary technology to embed active ingredients into yarn itself to make medicinal application easier and more efficient.

After launching the company in 2011, he needed a place to produce in the United States at scale and one of his investors recommended the MSC. So, he flew cross country to meet now-retired MSC Director Dan St. Louis and Whitener, and, “Within 10 minutes of meeting with these guys, I knew that this was the place that we had to be,” Schindler said. “It’s the only facility of its kind in the country that’s designed to promote and grow the domestic textile industry. So we moved the business here.”

With very little knowledge of textiles, he quickly learned that the center is a hub of expertise in the discipline, and Catawba County is situated in the heart of the U.S. textile industry.

“Textiles is way more complex than many people think, so having

these resources all under roof was going to be incredibly valuable in the success of our business,” Schindler said. “I learned that textiles is a ‘who do you know’ type of industry, and people won’t just pick up the phone if they don’t know you. But when someone from the MSC makes an introduction, the people who you need to reach respond right away. It really is this network of interconnectivity, which is so important for next generation of innovation.”

And “innovation” is the lifeblood of a company such as Nufabrx, he added. Creating a new category it calls “HealthWear™,” the company’s first commercial products available in market were capsaicin-infused sleeves designed to deliver pain relief directly to areas of the body. During COVID19, the company developed antimicrobial, shea-butter infused face masks that were such a hit that the Federal Government sent three Blackhawk helicopters to Schindler’s facility to pick up 250,000 masks. The company also has launched maternity garments infused with shea butter and shapewear that will combat certain cellulite conditions, while continuing to test many other products.

“We sit at the intersection of pharmaceuticals and drug delivery and textiles and apparel,” Schindler said. “So, you think about lots of apparel companies looking for points

of differentiation, and they would love to sell in a pharmacy, right? Or vice versa, where a pharmaceutical company would love to sell in sports and apparel. And there is a billiondollar marketplace where Nufabrx technology sits at the intersection of both of those things.”

One of the biggest challenges in modern medicine is patient compliance, he noted. “Consumers don’t often remember to take pills or creams as directed, but fortunately we all get dressed every single morning and clothing contacts our skin all day every day,” he said. “So, this is the perfect platform for simplifying health and wellness outcomes.”

When Schindler moved to Conover, he employed only a scientist and a couple of contractors, so he was wearing a number of hats. But with the MSC’s resources at the ready, Nufabrx was able to speed up development tenfold, he recalled.

“There are so many things for a start-up to focus on to get a company off the ground, and the more things that you can remove from that equation, the better off the company’s chances of success are,” Schindler noted. “A company does not need to be worried about paying the electricity bill or water or how they’re going to get a compressed air line. The MSC has done an incredible job of taking all those things off the table. There are all

Nufabrx founder Jordan Schindler and Brad Seese, vice president of manufacturing and process innovation, with some of Nufabrx’s products.

these things in this environment that allows companies to focus on their core innovations of bringing a product to market, which is hard enough without having to worry about all these ancillary things. And so being in that environment allows us to focus on creativity and innovation.”

He added: “The ability to do R&D on one side of the building, walk it down a hallway, get it tested for stretch, abrasion, or moisture wicking, for example, then walk it down another hallway and do microscopy analysis and antimicrobial testing is incredible. There are all these things under one roof that you can’t find anywhere else. We

can understand the technology and terminology, denier and filament count and the different types of synthetics.”

Today, Nufabrx products are available at several major retailers such as Walmart and Target and pharmacy chains such as CVS and Walgreens. Walmart added Nufabrx products to its shelves in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, and along with its move into personal protective equipment (PPE), that precipitated the need to quickly expand.

Nufabrx opened an Innovation Center inside the facility of its manufacturing partner, Bossong Hosiery in Asheboro, N.C., and grew its employee base from a handful to

masks so quickly and bring that product to market. It’s the reason we’re able to scale. While a lot of other companies are worried about supply chain issues, we’re not sitting at a port waiting on a product to arrive. We’re able to drive down the road, get all of our raw materials, and then bring it to market. Having a domestic supply chain is the right thing to do for the country, and also the right thing to do for our business in terms of our ability to and execute and grow.”

InnovaKnits

After earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in business at Florida State, Jason Wilkins accidentally backed into the textile and apparel industry. But as co-owner of InnovaKnits, one of the first companies to join MSC’s Incubator Program in 2015, he’s all in these days.

He and his business partner Neil Tagner have built a successful, stateof-the-art textile manufacturing company specializing in flat knit consulting/development and domestic production of flat knit textiles, all produced at the MSC.

would’ve had to send out these products for testing and wait a couple weeks for them to come back versus literally a 24-hour response time, which has enabled us to bring products to market so much faster.”

Another advantage of being housed at the MSC is its textile and apparel training sessions, added Brad Seese, vice president of manufacturing and process innovation, Nufabrx.

“Our marketing folks and account managers are able to take classes here to learn about knit construction and different types of machines and processes,” Seese said. “That way, they

now nearly 45. Its space has grown from about 2,800 square feet to about 20,000 square feet at MSC II.

Last year, Nufabrx ranked number 8 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ™, a ranking of the 500 fastestgrowing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech and energy tech companies in North America.

“Being located here is one of the main reasons that our company has been successful,” Schindler said. “It’s because of this ecosystem that still exists here in North Carolina. It’s the reason we were able to make face

Wilkins and Tagner found their way from St. Petersburg, Fla., to Conover after having worked together at a medical device manufacturer that produced lower limb prostheses requiring a skin-friendly fabric liner. And that was the extent of their work with textiles. With the desire to vertically integrate and control the various characteristics of fabric, the company brought fabric production in house. Needing expertise, Wilkins hired Tagner, who had spent his career in textile mills, as a textile consultant. As the company expanded into ancillary apparel products, it invested in more than 30 flatbed or circular knitting machines, and Tagner was hired full time.

After having basically built a textile production mill inside an injection molding company, Wilkins and Tagner began to wonder: Could they strike out on their own and replicate that success as a knitting company?

Having already spent time at the

InnovaKnits Managing Partners Jason Wilkins (left) and Neil Tagner

MSC taking Hosiery 101 and 102 classes, the center already was on their radar. So, the pair reached out to Whitener and St. Louis with “tons of questions,” Wilkins said. Armed with the proper intel and ambition, and with the MSC beginning to get its incubator program off the ground, they decided to pull up stakes and head to North Carolina.

As flatbed knitting “experts” by this point, they began to look across all product categories and customers to understand the market and how their fabric formation discipline could meet those needs, Wilkins said. Looking at the entire picture, they ended up as a custom contract manufacturer.

“Niche contract manufacturing is really where we are,” Wilkins said. “We are flatbed centric. We’re very well versed in a particular machine type and a particular technology, and we are focused on products that can be, should be and need to be made with that technology.”

With two machines to start, they began to do a lot of design and development work, working with the MSC testing labs to conceive specialty products for a handful of customers. As business grew, they added two more knitting machines, then another, and slowly grew to 20 STOLL by KARL MAYER machines, 10 employees and many more customers today, Wilkins said.

InnovaKnits’ markets include performance athletic shoe uppers and compression dance socks/braces; medical items including prosthetic socks, shrinkers and masks; automotive interior fabric; aerospace fabrics; and apparel scarves.

Among the many benefits of being located at the MSC is the many visitors who tour the facility and see InnovaKnits’ machines in action, which has led to many conversations and some business, Wilkins said. Major brands and retailers have stopped by to ask questions and have come away impressed with its setup inside the center, he added. “There’s definitely a business legitimization component to this,” he said.

“We have access to shared resources that we could not afford when we first started,” Wilkins said. “Things like a boiler, plumbing and forklift. And then not to mention the assistance we get from the MSC personnel, who are experts and who know a lot of people in the industry. Plus, having a test lab onsite is a big deal for us and for a lot of our customers. There is a tremendous cost savings because of those shared resources.”

Moving into the MSC II building has provided InnovaKnits with about four times the space it previously had, allowing it to add about 25 percent more machines, hire operators and expand production, he pointed out.

“It’s a no-brainer to be located at the MSC because there is no other entity like this in the country that has these resources, is connected to the industry and has your best interests in mind,” Wilkins said. “There are hundreds of years of experience in this facility. Having this ecosystem here, in a place where people have a vested interest in your success, is much better than operating a block away and having little resources and nobody to support you.”

Yu Apparel Corp.

For years, Dr. Chao Yu, a vascular surgeon and phlebologist in Edmonton, Alberta, bought compression socks in big volumes from Asian producers. But he wasn’t always pleased with the quality, or the “one-sizefits-all” aspects of bulk ordering.

He realized there was a growing need for high-quality, true graduated compression apparel at an affordable price. He and his wife Tanya discovered the MSC and visited Conover to learn more about compression socks through hosiery courses taking place at the center. Through conversations with MSC leaders, Dr. Yu decided to have the center run samples before moving forward with the desire to start his own sock production company as an incubator at the MSC.

Knowing an expert would be needed to manage the operation, Whitener reached out to hosiery veteran Mark Bess about the potential of joining the startup. After weeks of conversations with the Dr. Yu, Bess came aboard, part time at first, in 2016 to get the business off the ground, starting with just one knitting machine.

Once launched, the company started reaching out to other vascular practices about their compression sock needs and learned that about half of the doctors would like their own private label in these products, Bess recalled. That led to the servicing of a market with huge potential.

After receiving samples, those doctors were pleased with the quality of the product, the fact that it is made in the USA with U.S.-produced yarns and that minimum orders were low, according to Bess. So, Yu Apparel began to develop brands for some of these new clients, or worked directly with others’ patients to deliver compression socks that met their needs.

Yu Apparel’s Tammy Bowman and Mark Bess, director of manufacturing

“They want the product to be right and they want quick delivery,” Bess said. “They love our products, which we stand behind 100 percent. And we can do custom orders as needed and expedite it for one-day or two-day turnarounds.”

Early on, the company created its own medical-grade brand, Yu Compression Wear, and later expanded its customer base to include airline personnel, medical personnel, education professionals and others. It also has expanded into other areas of socks.

“We have a company in Florida that does high-end dress socks, and we keep two machines running for them year-round,” Bess said. “They tried sourcing from Asia, but they said that was a nightmare. Now, they want only made-in-America products, and they love our quality and our turnaround.”

During the pandemic, Yu Apparel transitioned some of its production into face masks for medical personnel as well as the general public while also continuing to make socks. All told, the company produced about 20,000 masks that were sent all around the United States and Canada.

Launching the company and finding success would have been difficult if not virtually impossible without joining MSC’s Incubator Program, Bess noted.

“We could not have gotten off the ground without the MSC,” he said. “First of all, we didn’t know what machine would be right for us, so they secured a loaner machine for us to

test. And we didn’t know what kind of finishing we would need, or what kind of boarding equipment, or where we could do testing. And that’s where the MSC helped us. We didn’t have to spend a lot of money until we knew exactly what we needed.”

Collaboration among the incubators is not only encouraged, but practiced, Bess added.

“All of the companies here get along well and work well together,” he said. “We help each other. If one of us runs out of yarn and they can’t get it quickly, another one will loan them yarn, for example. The goal for each of us is to succeed and make product in America.”

Since moving into the MSC II, Yu Apparel has expanded from three Lonati knitting machines to 25 and is hiring more operators, which will greatly enhance its ability to grow.

Evolved By Nature

Drs. Gregory Altman and Rebecca “Beck” Lacourture — Ph.D.s in biotechnology engineering and biomedical engineering, respectively —have been partners in silk chemistry since their days as students. And when Beck was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her 20s, the duo realized reinventing silk in liquid form could replace harmful ingredients in skincare products and create a platform for entirely unique and biocompatible benefits across nearly any industry.

They launched a startup company producing orthopedic products with

silk proteins, which became a success venture that was eventually sold to a large company. Enrico Mortarino, a textile specialist, had joined that company in 2003 and would join Evolved by Nature ™ (formerly Silk Inc.) after its founding in Boston, Mass., in 2013.

Mortarino, who had done some testing at the MSC when he was with a previous company, informed Altman and Lacourture about the center and soon, the cofounders would open the company’s innovation center in the incubator at the MSC. Mortarino would lead the venture as vice president of Textile Innovation.

Evolved by Nature, which produces sustainable alternatives to the petrochemical coatings used by the leather and textile industries, also operates a full-scale, state-of-theart manufacturing facility in Medford, Mass. The company has created a proprietary technology platform of Activated Silk ™ molecules from natural silk protein, which will move global markets away from dependence on synthetics and fossil fuel derivatives and expand the boundaries of regenerative medicine. Evolved by Nature’s biodegradable, high-performance finishes have been adopted by fashion brands including Anya Hindmarch, nylon mills including Alpine Creations and Apex Holdings, and leather tanneries including Richard Hoffmans GmbH & Co. KG, Cyclica S.r.l. and Curtidos Bengala.

“The issue with a synthesized fiber is no one has really ever figured out how to make the self-assembly part happen,” said Chris Valencius, the company’s senior vice president, Strategic and Translational Marketing, explaining the technology. “And silk fiber is a miraculous material that has been developed and perfected by nature over millions of years. So instead of having one gigantic reactor, we look at silkworms as our reactor. Every silkworm has a little reactor in it already. And it uses sunlight and mulberry leaves as the inputs. And the little gland in there is

Josh Davis (left), associate lab manager, and Enrico Mortarino, vice president, Textile Innovation, Evolved by Nature.

our little reactor, and it that produces all these silk peptides.”

He added: “It’s already a very sustainable process that works incredibly well. We don’t have to replicate it. We just have to figure out a way to actually unlock the things inside the silk protein. That’s really what Greg and Beck are focused on. There is a whole universe of molecules within silk protein. You can go in and grab a couple, and that becomes the base of your textile finishing chemical.”

Utilizing 100-percent biobased products that are biodegradable and offering an alternative to petrochemicals offers a tremendously sustainable, safer solution, Valencius added. “Chemicals are the great invisible problem,” he said. “If you don’t solve the toxin and chemical problem, you’re not going to be able to achieve or advance sustainability or achieve circularity. As regulations tighten up

in the textile and apparel industry, having an inordinate amount of problematic chemistry is going to become a real knot to untangle for the entire supply chain.”

Last year, the company closed $120 million in Series C financing, which will ramp up production volumes to 900 metric tons of Activated Silk per year.

As part of the MSC ecosystem, Evolved By Nature’s innovation arm is reaping the benefits of shared space and resources, Mortarino said. “For instance, we share costs for utilities, which offers a tremendous savings,” he said. “And we have access to a wet lab and all of the equipment here at the center. For a startup, this is an incredibly sweet deal because it allows you to concentrate fully on your projects without having to worry about all of the other things that sometimes crush businesses.”

And utilizing those testing labs for a company performing research and development work is a giant plus, Mortarino added. “We are able to do testing on top of testing through the MSC’s resources, and we can troubleshoot much easier. These labs also can do third-part validation for brands that require that.”

Evolved by Nature’s threeemployee Innovation Center expanded its space from 1,800 square feet to more than 11,000 square feet upon moving into the MSC II building, he said. “We’re planning to grow quite a bit as the center adds more processing and laboratory equipment.” TW

Editor’s Note: The MSC is seeking conversations with other entrepreneurs exploring launching a start-up. E-mail twhitener@manufacturingsolutions center.org and visit manufacturing solutionscenter.org to learn more.

Rethinking “Performance” Rethinking “Performance”

As time and technologies progress, the definition of a textile’s performance will also continue to evolve.

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor I

In the grand scheme of things, it really wasn’t so long ago that the term “performance,” as specifically related to textiles, consisted of two rather basic questions — does it keep a wearer warm or cool depending on the time of year? And how long will it last until I need to replace it? Not long after, a notable refinement occurred, and the two original questions evolved into a new basic three: Does it work? —a combination of the original two questions; Can I get it?; and lest we forget the all-important question, How much does it cost?

Inevitably, it was decided that different colors were a good thing and making sure that colors could be produced in a repeatable manner was added to the growing list of performance attributes. As the textile industry continued to advance and became more technically adept using not only cotton and wool but also newly devel-

oped man-made fibers, technologies improved and new attributes added further definition to products. Fabric forming technologies became defined as the big three — weaving, knitting and nonwovens. Refinement of characteristics such as construction, pattern design, weight, tensile strength, elongation, and other properties became common place for manufacturers in order to better quantify products, while also helping to improve quality and consistency.

Fast forward again to when engineers realized that textiles could be used in areas other than clothing or linens. As a result, industrial textiles become more clearly defined, though still largely unrecognized to much of the general public. High-performance fibers — including Nomex®, Kevlar® and spandex, among other fibers — were developed, along with a variety of coatings and laminated options.

Textiles have come a long way from their early beginnings to playing a large role in allowing man to walk on the moon and beyond. By necessity, textile performance also has evolved.

Performance definitions expanded to include flame retardancy, air permeability and water permeability. Not to be outdone, the traditional textile industry became much better at creating or designing for seasons, climate characteristics and comfort levels. New methods of defining textiles using terms such as drapability, washability, colorfastness, and abrasion testing along proper documentation, specifications and certifications became commonplace.

In the present day, the word textile ostensibly continues to be associated with negative historical connotations. The nonwovens segment appears to have distanced itself from textiles altogether and increasingly textile is being supplanted by terms such as performance fabrics, engineered materials and fibrous composites — or it’s just not mentioned at all. The characterization of performance continues as the list of attributes expands becoming increasingly more comprehensive as does our collective knowledge of products and technologies across the board. Several recently coined terms or phrases including sustainability, product transparency, recycled content, circularity and social responsibility have now taken center stage in textiles and other related industries, which represent a whole host of new issues emanating from growing environmental, health and societal concerns.

Traditional Plus “New” Performance Criteria

Sustainability has become a rather complex concept as it relates to the textile industry, yet it is simply defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.” However, according to the website youmatter.world

(photo: History in HD; inset photo: Trougnouf/ Benoit Brummer)

in its “Sustainability — What Is It? Definition, Principles and Examples” article, in recent years: “because of the environmental and social problems societies around the world are facing, sustainability has been increasingly used in a specific way. Nowadays, sustainability is usually defined as the processes and actions through which humankind avoids the depletion of natural resources, in order to keep an ecological balance that doesn’t allow the quality of life in modern societies to decrease.”

Product transparency, as the term implies, denotes the open disclosure of detailed information specific to the content and origins of products and any inputs used to create them. The term is becoming more visible and prevalent in many market segments. Social responsibility represents the efforts made to educate and entice businesses, professionals and consumers in taking a more active stance towards ensuring that today’s products purchased, the places where people live and work, or activities we all pursue are not a detriment to our personal health and/or the environment we inhabit.

Collectively, these issues are quickly rising to the forefront of many different textile industry segments. As a result, there has been a complete rethink of how performance is defined because “We’ve now reached a stage where traditional product attributes no longer provide enough information to tell the whole story,” noted Joe Walkuski, president of Boseman, Mon.-based Texbase Inc., during a recent joint workshop presentation with Ben Galphin, founder of Outsider Innovation, Charlotte, N.C.

During their presentation, Galphin and Walkuski pieced together and defended their view of what performance attributes for many textile products either have already expanded to include or likely will expand to include. To the more common or traditional textile performance attributes, Walkuski and Galphin added three equally important new

segments — traceability, utility, and the aforementioned sustainability.

Traceability highlights the growing and extended responsibilities being progressively demanded by consumers and increasingly legislated by governments of textile brands and their manufacturers to defend the authenticity of supply chains, the inputs used and resultant products produced. Traceability also encompasses an increased need for verification of environmental and social good. For example, is there verification that the products are being manufactured in a societally ethical and safe environment and the inputs used are validated to be what the specification says they are? Regulation of potentially harmful chemicals, reduction in counterfeiting and possible manufacturer liabilities are also considered within this segment. “We have seen an increase in testing requests from customers who want to verify and confirm that what they received is actually what they intended to purchase,” reports Katrina Penegar, testing lab manager for the Textile Technology Center at Gaston College, Belmont, N.C.

As technical knowledge and capabilities increase, the utility of everyday fabrics in virtually all market sectors are also increased, adding to a performance rethink. Growing technologies

contributing to this rethink include antimicrobial and antiviral ingredients or finishes, active insect protection from tick and mosquito-borne diseases, drug- or vitamin-infused yarns and fabrics, effective thermoregulation from sun exposure, and protection from increasingly severe weather events, among other technologies. The advent of smart textiles is creating further utility in this realm as people become more accustomed to incorporating electronics in some form or another into their wearables or other more advanced technical applications. In addition to testing, validating and verifying the continued effectiveness of these and other technologies, consideration must also be given to ensuring that new testing methodologies or refinement of existing ones are following suit in order to accurately measure new aspects associated with performance.

Fundamentally, sustainability refers to doing more with less, but it has become an all-encompassing umbrella term that appears to have transcended products, markets and industries. From the textile perspective, Galphin and Walkuski effectively summarized sustainability as “carbon, fiber and social accounting.” Accounting in this instance is more about the details attributed to specific actions being taken. For

Graphic from the Walkuski and Galphin presentation explaining how performance attributes have evolved over time.

example, what are we doing or what is still needed in order to reduce carbon footprints? How can we eliminate microfiber generation and fiber shedding as well as plastic waste globally? And of course, how do we become more socially aware of the impact of the actions we take or maybe do not take? Even increased consideration of the items we purchase and whether collectively our actions will lead towards a more sustainable environment should be taken into account.

Green Products

By all appearances, industries and individuals indeed are beginning to take action. “We’ve seen a big shift in interest towards making the world healthier,” Penegar said. “Everybody wants green products and natural fibers of all types are gaining in interest because consumers are realizing that they don’t want items that may end up in the ocean or a landfill, possibly for a few hundred years. But, unfortunately, not all green fabrics are actually green, so we test.”

Efforts are ongoing to reduce the use of potentially harmful chemicals in dyestuffs and other textile treatments. Several companies have recently announced that they either have, or will, eliminate the use of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS or forever chemicals, from their products. The “reduce, reuse, recycle” movement continues to gain in popularity as does circularity, especially with younger generations as the environmental harm from waste streams is brought to light.

Impact Beyond Textiles

The initial focus of many of these efforts began with apparel, but similar efforts are being found in other industry segments as well. The commercial building industry, certainly in the United States and Europe, has noticeably increased its efforts, and possibly to a degree, confusion, stemming from the bevy of programs currently cited for many new commercial builds. These include, in no particular

order, the Health Product Declaration Collaborative, the Living Future Institute, Cradle-to-Cradle, Clean Production Action, Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association, Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), International Well Building Institute’s WELL, and the Living Building Challenge (LBC), among other programs and certifications. The LEED program is probably most recognizable currently with architects, builders and building owners, many of whom are intent on making every effort necessary to be awarded a coveted LEED rating for their buildings. LEED ratings are based on a series of credits or points achieved specific to how that building addresses segments such as climate change, impact on human health and water resources, and how it contributes to supporting biodiversity, a green economy, community and natural resources. The effective use of textiles in building construction can in many cases improve a LEED rating.

In a similar vein, the LBC has upped the ante of LEED by taking a more “holistic approach to building that requires all project stakeholders to consider the real-life cycle impact of design, construction and operation.” From a textile perspective, product transparency is a requirement, but where LEED provides credits for the use of recycled content, LBC goes further requiring that qualified buildings not use any materials, chemicals or elements that are found on its Red List. The list comprises items “known to pose serious risks to living creatures and the greater ecosystem that are prevalent in the building products industry.” The Red List is updated annually and represents the “worst in class” substances. It contains chemical names, trade names and synonyms, as well as chemical abstract service numbers to properly identify the items in question.

Of course, these ongoing and ever evolving activities will continue to be ongoing and ever evolving. As a result, the need to rethink performance and

the attributes that define performance in textiles will continue to evolve as well. This ever-changing landscape offers job security for those who deal with the subject on a daily basis. That said, there is one attribute that hasn’t been mentioned since the very beginning of this adventure and is likely to remain the most critical factor — cost.

Unfortunately, sustainable production and virtually all of the aforementioned performance properties do not come free and, in many cases, can be costly! Walkuski and Galphin summed up their presentation by offering: “Sustainability, however you wish to define it, has effectively become the new performance! There is a very real cost associated with sustainability, not only the raw materials and manufacturing costs, but also the costs associated with developing viable solutions. There remains the very real question of worth versus risk versus company initiatives versus customer acceptance and everyone’s continually changing perceptions.”

The old profound truth that “one thing leads to another” seems rather appropriate as the ongoing challenge that every company — whether it be manufacturer or supplier, marketing agency, engineering firm or consultancy — either is facing or will soon be facing are the ultimate questions; What level of risk are they willing to absorb? And how do we actually pay for these efforts? This question includes the necessary work being done to not only rethink performance, but also define and monitor it. Ultimately, the answers may come down to how far is the consumer, as well as the companies involved, willing to go in order to realize the costs and absorb them in some manner or form? Performance, regardless of how it is defined, certainly brings value to those who strive for and appreciate it, but in the grand scheme of business, societal norms, various increasing environmental concerns and consumer sentiment, are we willing to accept the risk or somehow collectively able to pay for it? One certainly hopes so! TW

Carbon Fibers From Lignin

Carbon fibers are typically produced on an industrial scale using polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The stabilization and carbonization of the fibers takes place with long dwell times in high-temperature furnaces. This production method requires lots of energy and results in expensive finished fiber. In addition, toxic by-products must be separated during manufacturing, which is a costly and energy-intensive procedure.

A novel process developed at Germany-based DITF Denkendorf (German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research) enables large energy savings in all the processing steps. Lignin replaces PAN in the production of precursor fibers, which is converted into carbon fibers in a second process step. Lignin as a starting material for carbon fiber has so far received little attention in industrial production. It is an inexpensive raw material that is available in large

quantities and is a waste product during paper production.

New Ways To Carbon Fiber

The new process for producing lignin fibers is based on an aqueous solution of lignin. For this purpose, wood is separated into its components —lignin and cellulose. A sulfite digestion process enables the production of lignosulfonate, which is dissolved in water. An aqueous solution of lignin is then the starting material for spinning the fibers using a dry spinning process.

During spinning, an extruder presses the spinning mass through a nozzle into a heated spinning shaft. The resulting continuous fibers dry quickly and uniformly in the spinning shaft. Lignin fibers spun from an aqueous solution is a completely new and environmentally friendly approach, which does not require the use of solvents or toxic additives.

The following steps for the production of carbon fibers — namely stabilization in hot air and subsequent carbonization in the high-temperature furnace — are similar to those of the usual process when PAN is used as the precursor fiber. However, lignin fibers also show their advantages here because they can be stabilized particularly quickly in the oven with hot air and only require relatively low temperatures for carbonization. The energy savings in these process steps compared with PAN are around 50 percent and represent a real competitive advantage.

Lignin Fibers Spun From Water Offer Technical Advantages

The dry spinning process allows high spinning speeds. As a result, much more material is produced in a shorter time than is possible with PAN fibers. This is another competitive advantage, which nevertheless does not allow any compromises to be made on the quality of the lignin precursor fibers — the fibers are in fact extremely homogeneous, have smooth surfaces and no adhesions. Such structural features facilitate further processing into carbon fibers and ultimately also into fiber composites.

In summary, the precursor lignin fibers obtained in the new spinning process show clear advantages over PAN in terms of cost efficiency and environmental compatibility. The mechanical properties of the carbon fibers produced from them, on the other hand, are almost comparable — they are just as strong, resistant and light as is known from commercially available products.

Carbon fibers made from waterspun lignin fibers are likely to be of particular interest for applications in the construction and automotive sectors, which benefit greatly from cost reductions in the production process. TW

Water-spun lignin precursor fibers (inset), stabilized carbon fiber (left) and carbonized continuous filament carbon (right). (photo: DITF)

DYEING,

NC State researchers investigate using a cocktail of enzymes to reduce textile waste.

By Laura Oleniacz

Researchers Separate Cotton From

Polyester In Blended Fabric

In a new study, Raleigh, N.C.based NC State University researchers found they could separate blended cotton and polyester fabric using enzymes — nature’s tools for speeding chemical reactions. Ultimately, they hope their findings will lead to a more efficient way to recycle the fabric’s component materials, thereby reducing textile waste.

However, the researchers also found the process requires more steps if the blended fabric was dyed or treated with chemicals that increase wrinkle resistance.

“We can separate all of the cotton out of a cotton-polyester blend, meaning now we have clean polyester that can be recycled,” said the study’s corresponding author Sonja Salmon, associate professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at NC State. “In a landfill, the polyester is not going to degrade, and the cotton might take several months or more to break down. Using our method, we can separate the cotton from polyester in less than 48 hours.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, consumers throw approximately 11 million tons of textile waste into U.S. landfills each year. Researchers wanted to develop a method of separating the cotton from the polyester so each component material could be recycled.

In the study, researchers used a cocktail of enzymes in a mildly acidic solution to chop up cellulose in cotton. Cellulose is the material that gives structure to plants’ cell walls. The idea is to chop up the cellulose

so it will “fall out” out of the blended woven structure, leaving some tiny cotton fiber fragments remaining, along with glucose. Glucose is the biodegradable by-product of degraded cellulose. Then, their process involves washing away the glucose and filtering out the cotton fiber fragments, leaving clean polyester.

“This is a mild process — the treatment is slightly acidic, like using vinegar,” Salmon said. “We also ran it at 50 degrees Celsius, which is like the temperature of a hot washing machine.

“It’s quite promising that we can separate the polyester to a clean level,” Salmon added. “We still have some more work to do to characterize the polyester’s properties, but we think they will be very good because the conditions are so mild. We’re just adding enzymes that ignore the polyester.”

They compared degradation of 100-percent cotton fabric to degradation of cotton and polyester blends, and also tested fabric that was dyed with red and blue reactive dyes and treated with durable press chemicals. In order to break down the dyed materials, the researchers had to increase the amount of time and enzymes used. For fabrics treated with durable press chemicals, they had to use a chemical pre-treatment before adding the enzymes.

“The dye that you choose has a big impact on the potential degradation of the fabric,” said the study’s lead author Jeannie Egan, a graduate student at NC State. “Also, we found the biggest obstacle so far is the

wrinkle-resistant finish. The chemistry behind that creates a significant block for the enzyme to access the cellulose. Without pre-treating it, we achieved less than 10 percent degradation, but after, with two enzyme doses, we were able to fully degrade it, which was a really exciting result.”

Researchers said the polyester could be recycled, while the slurry of cotton fragments could be valuable as an additive for paper or useful addition to composite materials. They’re also investigating whether the glucose could be used to make biofuels.

“The slurry is made of residual cotton fragments that resist a very powerful enzymatic degradation,” Salmon said. “It has potential value as a strengthening agent. For the glucose syrup, we’re collaborating on a project to see if we can feed it into an anaerobic digester to make biofuel. We’d be taking waste and turning it into bioenergy, which would be much better than throwing it into a landfill.”

The study, “Enzymatic textile fiber separation for sustainable waste processing,” was published in Resources, Environment and Sustainability.Co-authors included Siyan Wang, Jialong Shen, Oliver Baars and Geoffrey Moxley. Funding was provided by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation, Kaneka Corporation and the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science at NC State. TW

Editor’s Note: Laura Oleniacz is Public Communications Specialist at NC State News Services.

(photo: Sonja Salmon)

High Point, N.C.-based Culp Inc. — along with its consolidated subsidiaries, CULP — has promoted Stephen Dudek to manager of Business Development for Culp Home Fashions (CHF), the company’s mattress fabrics division. He reports to Jeff Veach. Culp also recently hired Pat Rosser as the vice president of Global Operations for CHF. In addition, Culp has announced the retirement of CHF Senior Vice President of sales and marketing Mike Cottonaro, effective April 30, 2023. He will work closely with CHF division President Tommy Bruno and Veach to ensure a smooth transition.

Matt Dunbar was named president of Minneapolisbased Cargill’s cotton business within its North American agricultural supply chain. He is responsible for driving Cargill’s end-to-end strategy in the cotton space.

Israel-based Delta Galil Industries Ltd. has appointed Mark Stocker president of the Delta Galil Branded Division. He reports to CEO Isaac Dabah.

Rand Ledbetter has announced he will retire after a 20-year career with Herculite Products Inc., Emigsville, Pa.

HanesBrands, WinstonSalem, N.C., named Lorenzo Moretti president of Champion Europe. The company also appointed Mark Irvin to its board of directors; and Bobby J. Griffin announced his retirement from the board when his current term expires at the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.

Karl Mayer North America a subsidiary of the Germany-based Karl Mayer Group based in Greensboro, N.C. — has named Mariano Amezcua president. He replaces Tony Hooimeijer who recently retired after leading the division for almost 20 years.

Hudson, N.C.-based Sattler Outdura — a division of The Sattler Group, Austria — has named Chris Caldwell and Julie Talbert sales managers for Outdura. Both report to Sattler Outdura CEO Ulrich Tombuelt.

Lubbock, Texas-based cotton producer Shawn Holladay was elected chairman of the National Cotton Council (NCC), Memphis, Tenn., for 2023. Joe Nicosia, a cotton merchant in Cordova, Tenn., was elected vice chairman. In addition, Dr. Andrew

Jordan was honored with the Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award; and the late Kenneth Hood was named the recipient of the Oscar Johnston Lifetime Achievement Award during NCC’s 2023 annual meeting.

Dr. Portia Yarborough has joined Cincinnatibased Michelman as chief science and sustainability officer.

Memphis, Tenn.-based Cotton Council International (CCI) — the export promotion arm of the NCC — elected the following officers for 2023 at its recent annual meeting: Steve Dyer, president; Carlos C. Garcia, chairman; J. Lee Cromley, first vice president; Carlo Bocardo, second vice president; Gary Adams, secretary; Bruce Atherly, assistant secretary; and John C. King III, treasurer. The following people were newly elected as CCI directors:

Aaron Pena; Gene Seale; Neeraj Rana; Nick Kastle; Wesley Rentz; and Matt Dunbar. The following people were re-elected as CCI directors for 2023: Producers — Philip F. Edwards III, Barry W. Evans, John F. Lindamood, Richard Gaona, Matthew R. Hyneman, Neal Isbell and Paul “Paco” Ollerton; Ginner

— George G. LaCour Jr.; Merchant — Beau

Stephenson; Cooperatives

— Frederick Barrier, Donald A. Robinson and Kevin Brinkley; Warehouseman

— Vance C. Shoaf; and Manufacturers — Robin Perkins and James Martin

The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary, N.C., has named Mark Snider chief market and industry analyst. In addition, the organization recently welcomed six new people to its board of directors: Ricardo Fasolo, managing vice president, Fitesa Inc.; Neil Johnson, president, AstenJohnson; Chris Roeder, director – Strategy, Marketing & Innovation, Global Cellulose Fibers, International Paper; Dr. Paul E. Rollin Jr., senior principal – Global Hygiene, ExxonMobil Product Solutions Co.; Jodi Russell, vice president R&D, Cleaning Innovation, Packaging & Sustainability, The Clorox Co.; and Julie Schertell, president and CEO, Mativ.

Spartanburg, S.C.-based Polartec®, a Milliken & Company brand, recently promoted Dr. Ramesh Kesh and Eric Yung. Dr. Kesh now oversees all Polartec business units as well as Government and Defense business units in addition to his role as senior vice president at Milliken & Company. Yung was named vice president of Milliken & Company and managing director of Polartec. TW

Amezcua (left) and Hooimeijer

Dunbar

Yarborough

MAY

1-4 :AAPN Carolina Mill Tour. Visit aapnetwork.net.

10-12 :Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2023,Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), Atlanta.Visit techtextil-north-america.us. messefrankfurt.com and texprocessamericas.us.messefrankfurt.com.

23-24 :Elementary Nonwovens Training Course,organized by INDA, INDA headquarters,Raleigh,N.C. Visit inda.org/training/elementarytraining.php.

23-26 :FESPAGlobal Print Expo 2023, Messe Munich,Munich,Germany. Visit fespa.com.

JUNE

6-8 :Absorbent Hygiene Training Course,organized by INDA,INDA headquarters,Raleigh,N.C.Visit inda.org/ training/absorbent-hygiene.php

8-14 :ITMA 2023,Fiera Milano Rho, Milan,Italy.Visit itma.com.

19-21 :Outdoor Retailer Summer,organized by the OIA,Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City.Visit outdoorretailer.com.

25-27 :STA and Annual Fiber Buyers Group Meeting,Hilton Head,S.C. Visit southerntextile.org.

JULY

9-11 :2023 AAPN pro:Americas Conference,Eden Roc Hotel,Miami. Visit aapnetwork.net.

17-20 :World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference,Atlanta Marriott Marquis,Atlanta.Visit worldofwipes.org.

19-20 :Furniture Manufacturing Expo, Hickory Metro Convention Center,Hickory,N.C. Visit furnituremanufacturingexpo.com. TW

Fabric Of The

Quality Month

By Rachael S. Davis, Executive Editor

Lofty Fleece y Shedding Goals

TThink fleece, and Polartec® likely comes to mind. The words Polartec and fleece fabrics have become ubiquitous over the years. The company, today a Milliken & Company brand, introduced its original PolarFleece in 1981. But as fleece fabrics have been caught in the crosshairs of the microfiber pollution issue, Polartec sought to innovate and develop a new fleece fabric that would reduce home laundry fiber fragment shedding.

added. “Shed Less Fleece is a natural progression of this curiosity toward our goal of reducing fiber fragment shedding to near zero in all of our performance fabrics.”

CONTACTS:

For more information about Polartec’s Shed Less, please visit Polartec.com. Go online to TextileWorld.com for archived Quality Fabric articles.

Its new process, Shed Less, comprises yarn, knitting, chemistry and manufacturing techniques to create a fabric that reduces home laundry fiber fragment shedding by an average of 85 percent compared to the baseline fabric, according to the company. The fabric was tested using the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists’ (AATCC’s) TM212-2021 test method for fiber fragment release during home laundering.

Shed Less produces a lofted fiber — required to impart a soft hand to the fabric — that resists breaking and rubbing off during home laundering. All the other properties fleece is known for —such as warmth, light weight and breathability — also are maintained using the Shed Less manufacturing process.

“Polartec has a long tradition of EcoEngineering its products to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Dr. Ramesh Kesh, senior vice president, Milliken & Company. “Shed Less is the latest progression of these efforts and the result of many years of research and development.

“While performance fabrics contribute a small percentage of the fiber fragments shed by the global textile industry, Polartec has been researching root causes and mitigation strategies for many years,” Dr. Kesh

“In 2016 we began looking into how we might test for fiber loss because there wasn’t a lot of research on the issue,” said Aimee LaValley, Polartec Textile Development, Dye and Chemistry manager. “This led to new products like Polartec Power Air™, new manufacturing processes, as well as our participation in the TextileMission workgroup to study the issue on an interdisciplinary basis.”

TextileMission, a three-year collaborative initiative of academia and industry to reduce the impact of textile microplastics, was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The Association of the German Sporting Goods Industry, Hochschule Niederrhein — University of Applied Science; TU Dresden — Institute of Water Chemistry; Vaude Sport; WWF Germany; Adidas AG; Henkel AG; Miele & CIE; and Polartec LLC were some of the founding partners of this collaborative effort.

In addition to modifying its manufacturing techniques to produce Shed Less, Polartec has installed vacuum and filtering systems for surface finishing machinery to reduce the spread of fiber fragments. The company also upcycles all fabric waste to be used in other products.

Polartec 200 Series Fleece is the first fabric to benefit from this new manufacturing process. The Shed Less Fleece is currently available in the United States and the technology will be applied to other fabric platforms and worldwide manufacturing locations in the near future. TW

Polartec® has engineered Shed Less technology to produce fleece fabrics that reduce home laundry fiber fragment shedding.