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Winter sportswear brand Toronto-based Karbon uses sustainable fiber insulation products made by Italybased Thermore. Karbon chooses the insulation based on the application and required performance. This Karbon Topaz Jacket features Ecodown Ocean Blown Free Fiber, which is designed for maximum loft and visual appeal.
(Image courtesy of Karbon)
ITMF Chairman Dr. Christian Schindler shares his thoughts about the organization and the textile industry ahead of the 2024 ITMFAnnual Conference.
NCTOChairman Norman Chapman outlined key industry facts and explained policy issues during NCTO’s 20th annual meeting.
Industry Events Coverage
18 Techtextil North America: Raleigh Homecoming
Technical textiles show settles into its new schedule with the 2024 edition taking place in Raleigh, N.C.
20 AT Expo: Striking The West Coast
The next edition of the Advanced Textile Association’s AT Expo takes place in Anaheim this September.
22 SAMPE: Much More Than Just A Conference
The materials and process engineering conference recently convened in Long Beach, Calif., for the 2024 edition.
24 Technical Textiles And Processing Technologies On Display
The 2024 Techtextil and Texproces shows in Frankfurt, Germany, showcased the best of the industry in a one-stop-shop environment.
26 SYFA Conference Covers A Wide Variety Of Topics
The SYFA recently held its spring conference under the theme “Creativity, The Economy and Policy In 2024.”
Impacted companies need to start thinking about technolocy strategies in order to comply with the coming EU Digital Product Passport mandate.
To obtain electronic copies of print articles, please contact ProQuest at www.proquest.com. To obtain microform copies, please contact NA Publishing at www.napubco.com. POSTMASTERsend address changes to: Textile Industries Media Group, LLC, PO Box 683155, Marietta, GA 30068. Send Canadian address changes to: Textile World, c/o The Mail Group, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada. Customer #7007632 Publications Agreement #40612608.
American DORNIER: Rich Heritage Of Innovation & Quality
Oliver Meier shares his thoughts on his experience as a textile executive and the weaving machine industry as he enters his second year at the helm of American DORNIER.
50 Rieter’s New Generation G38 Ring-Spinning Machine Redefines Boundaries
The G 38 features new technical solutions and minimal energy use.
52 Enhancing A Plant’s Performance
Some plants may run perfectly, but others can benefit from tips on how to improve production.
56 Lectra Presents Furniture On Demand With Valia
Lectra recently showcased its “Furniture On Demand” enhanced with Lectra’s Valia platform to industry insiders.
Nonwovens/Technical Textiles
Curious Since 1849
Textile World recently spoke with Dr. Andreas Raps, the newly appointed CEOof Freudenberg Performance Materials.
A USDA grant is helping the PA Flax Project revitalize the flax-to-fiber industry in Pennsylvania.
ASIA James M. Borneman +678-483-6102 • jborneman@textileworld.com
INTERNET & CLASSIFIEDS OPPORTUNITIES Julie Davis +678-522-0404 • jdavis@textileworld.com
Editor
Labor: A Scarce Resource
AAttracting and retaining new talent is a recurring theme among U.S.textile manufacturers.According to The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) “Q2 2024 Manufacturers’Outlook Survey,” the industry’s murmurs reflect a stark reality.
According to the survey,“More than 67 percent of manufacturers cited the inability to attract and retain employees as their top primary challenge,followed by rising health care costs 66.7 percent,an unfavorable business climate 59.6 percent and a weaker domestic economy 56.8 percent.”
The modern manufacturing environment also sets a high bar when it comes to finding candidates that have skills or an aptitude to acquire the technical skills necessary to perform on a highly automated,computercentric shop floor.
With an aging workforce,the focus on new workers has been amplified and textile manufacturers must fight to overcome misplaced perceptions of an antiquated industry. If you are familiar with today’s textile plants, this may seem strange; but to the uninitiated, the reality of the plant floor and the level of advanced technology remain a true mystery. Additionally,in a post COVID world,the rising demand for a flexible work schedule is on an employee’s short list.However, remote work is difficult to mesh with a 24-hour-a-day work environment.
On the bright side,the demand for worker education and training has spawned opportunity for vocational trainers and Science,Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) educators.
At the recent Synthetic Yarn and Fabrics Association (SYFA) conference,Jasmine Cox, executive director of the Textile Technology Center (TTC) at Belmont,N.C.-based Gaston College,gave a presentation about TTC’s focus on training and its new, in-depth education programs.
According to the college:“The Textile Technology Associate in Applied Science degree program at Gaston College prepares students for work as Textile Technicians involved with product development and testing, machine operation,fiber construction and other projects,and as Textile Designers. Students interested in continuing on to earn a bachelor’s will also be able to transfer their credits to a four-year college or university.”
This is a thoughtful approach to spanning the skills gap of today’s hiring environment.
Textiles is not the only manufacturing sector facing worker shortages and the industry is competing for new workers with other sectors.Improving incentives,developing an appealing work environment,and providing a clear opportunity path goes a long way to attracting and retaining a skilled workforce.
This is all in the context of a rapidly changing manufacturing technology frontier,which has created a significant focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based employment solutions.
NAM posits several areas of potential success — efficiency gains; improving and promoting a safe,secure work environment; accelerating product development and innovation; AI assisted training and simulations; and an AI supported Supply Chain Integration with increased transparency and responsiveness.
Labor,a scarce resource? Yes,but automation and AI will sharpen labor’s focus on a long-term safe,highly productive and globally competitive manufacturing environment.
James M. Borneman jborneman@TextileWorld.com
Panda Biotech Opens Hemp Facility
Panda Biotech,Wichita Falls,Texas,recently celebrated the grand opening of its 500,000-square-foot industrial hemp facility. The new facility has a capacity of 22,000 pounds of hemp fiber per hour making it the largest industrial hemp processing facility in the Western Hemisphere.Speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration included Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce CEO Ron Kitchens,Panda Biotech President Dixie Carter,Panda Biotech COO Scott Evans,Southern Ute Indian Tribe Chairman Melvin J.Baker and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is a Panda Hemp Gin equity partner.
Allegiance Flag Expands
American flag manufacturer Allegiance Flag Supply,Columbia,S.C., has announced a $6.3 million investment to expand its operations. The company makes more than 1,000 hand-sewn American flags each day and the investment supports that endeavor while adding 84 jobs.
“We are beyond excited about this new expansion,” said Allegiance Flag Supply Co-Founder Wes Lyon. “Charleston County has been our home and with this new chapter for Allegiance,we’re hopeful that
it will continue to be for a long time.We’ve still got a lot of growth to go and we’re hopeful the positive benefits of that growth will continue to reverberate loudly across the community,”
KMFabrics Invests In New Facility
Velvet fabric producer KM Fabrics has announced plans for a new 200,000square-foot production facility to replace the home it has occupied for the past 45 years.The new facility, located only a few miles away from the existing space,is expected to be up and running by late 2025. Staff will work in both the current and new locations until the move is complete to minimize production disruptions.The new plant is organized across one floor,compared to two in the current space,and has a streamlined layout as well as new equipment.
“Weaving and dyeing velvet fabrics is extremely difficult and requires specialized knowledge,”said Paul Tantillo,KM president & CEO.“We’ve created a skilled and diversified workforce with decades of experience,and it was important for us to keep our team intact.Staying in West Greenville promotes revitalization in our community and allows us to scale.We will be moving our team of over 100 employees,and also plan on hiring additional staff across the board.”
USTR’s Chief Textiles And Apparel Negotiator Tours Six North Carolina Plants
The U.S.Trade Representative’s (USTR’s) Chief Textiles and Apparel Negotiator Katherine White recently toured some North Carolina textile companies to learn more about the industry and the facilities.Six National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) member companies — American & Efird,Parkdale Mills/U.S.Cotton,TSG Finishing,Shuford Yarns, Schneider Mills and Unifi — hosted the newly appointed White,showing off their state-of-the-art facilities.
Later,White participated in a roundtable discussion with textile executives at Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center.Urgent priority issues in Washington were highlighted including: increased Section 301 China tariffs on finished textile and apparel imports;
Standard Fiber Adds Atlanta Location
Home textiles company Standard Fiber,Henderson, Nev.,is growing with the addition of an Atlantabased production facility and distribution center. The investment will enhance customer service and reduce logistics costs across its diverse business segments, according to the company. The Atlanta facility is close to major highways and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and is not far from the Port of Savannah.
closing the de minimis loophole;expanding the Western Hemisphere coproduction chain and maintaining the yarn forward rule of origin;and supporting domestic supply chains with Buy American and Berry Amendment policies,among other issues.
“We are in an urgent economic situation where these serious issues the industry is facing need to be resolved immediately,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.“We believe USTR’s development of supply chain resilience policies is a strong step in the right direction for helping secure the U.S.textile supply chain into the future.We look forward to working closely with Katie and Ambassador Katherine Tai to advance policies that bolster our domestic production.”
“Our business model requires strategically located,multi-site capabilities to ensure reliability, increased customer delivery speed,and reduced transportation costs,”said COO Rob Tillman,who will oversee Standard Fiber’s Atlanta,Henderson and Mexico facilities.“By replicating on the east coast the excellent service levels we provide in the west out of Henderson,Nevada,we give our customers added confidence and peace of mind that makes working with us priceless.” TW
ExecutiveForum
ITMF: International Forum For The Global Textile Industry
The International Textile Machinery Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) Director General Dr. Christian Schindler shares his thoughts about the organization and the textile industry ahead of the 2024 ITMF annual conference.
TW Special Report
TThe International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is a Switzerland-based organization dedicated to the global textile industry.Its mission statement includes a commitment to connect, inform and represent its member companies all with a mind to strengthen relations both within and outside of the textile industry.
Member companies are able to cooperate on an international level with other members as well as organizations representing sectors allied to their industries.ITMF provides members with surveys, studies and publications, and also hosts an annual conference for learning and networking opportunities.
Dr.Christian Schindler is director general of ITMF. He recently chatted with Textile World about the organization,benefits of membership and ITMF’s upcoming annual conference to be held later this year in Uzbekistan, among other topics.
Textile World : ITMF has attracted a diverse group of members.Why do members join? What are the benefits of membership?
Schindler: ITMF is a platform for the entire textile value chain spanning all segments from fiber producers to producers of home textiles and garments including textile machinery producers and even retailers.Associations and companies join ITMF because they benefit from a unique set of statistics, reports and surveys,as well as from a unique network that looks at the entire textile value chain.Being part of a global network helps international-oriented companies to better understand the dynamics of the global textile value chain. Building an international network of colleagues and friends is an important aspect of joining ITMF.
TW : Please tell readers who are unfamiliar with ITMF about the data that ITMF collects and the
publications and reports that are available to members.
Schindler: There are several statistics that ITMF publishes on a regular basis.First,for around 50 years,ITMF has published the annual so called “International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics”(ITMSS), which is a compilation of shipments of new textile machinery to any country in the world.This publication illustrates how many new ring-spindles,rotors, texturing spindles,shuttleless looms,large circular knitting machines or tenters were shipped to any country in any given year.People can see the investment intensities as well as the major investment destinations.Second, the so called “International Production Cost Comparison”(IPCC) has been published every other year since the 1980s.In this publication,the production costs in U.S.dollars of yarns down to the finished fabrics are compared in
14 different countries/ regions around the world. This publication helps to understand the cost competitiveness of a country/ region.Third,ITMF’s “Global Textile Industry Survey”(GTIS),which is conducted every other month,provides the entire textile value chain with information about the state and outlook of the industry covering all segments from fiber producers to producers of home textiles,garments and technical textiles and regions from South America to East Asia.There are also other publications like the “International Textile Industry Statistics”(ITIS) that provides data about machinery capacities and fiber consumption in countries around the world.
TW : What were the main results of the 26th GTIS,the most recent survey as of TW ’s press time?
Schindler: ITMF’s 26th GTIS clearly highlighted that the entire textile value chain is faced with a very
Dr. Christian Schindler
difficult business situation. As the graph shows (see Figure 1),the balance between companies claiming to have a “good” business situation —13 percent —and a “poor” one —42 percent —is -29 percentage points (pp). Business expectations remained positive at +25pp,which is what we saw in the March survey.
The reason for this lackluster business situation is the lack of demand and higher costs for energy, raw materials,logistics, labor,or capital which is weighing heavily on companies’profit margins (See Figure 2).Of course, geopolitics with wars in Ukraine and Gaza were, and are,not helping to improve business and consumer confidence.
Nevertheless,the survey also revealed that there are more companies seeing a more favorable business environment in six months —36 percent —than a less favorable one —11 percent.But it seems also clear that there will only be a gradual improvement given the fact that 53 percent of respondents expect that the business situation will be unchanged in six months.It can be said that there is the hope that the downward cycle that started at the end of 2022 is coming to an end in 2024, which can be regarded as a transition year.
TW : As someone with an inherent international perspective,how do you perceive each of the active economic areas —North America,Mexico,Central and South America,
Europe,China,India and Southeast Asia —in terms of opportunities, challenges,growth and specialization? Any specific areas that could be highlighted for strong growth or a lack of growth?"
Schindler: I think that the U.S.economy is the one that has outperformed all developed economies in 2023 and continues going strong in 2024.While demand remains relatively strong,the U.S.retail industry was,and still is,sitting on inventory that was built up in 2021 and 2022.Once inventories move back to normal levels — and they are slowing coming down since the end of 2022 — brands and retailers will start placing more orders again.Another country that is seeing strong growth is India,which was the fastest growing developing country in 2023.The country has a strong domestic market whose retail market is
becoming more and more mature and continues growing driven by demographics and by attracting more and more investments. Therefore,it provides a lot of opportunities to the textile and apparel industry. China has seen a decent growth in 2023,albeit from low 2022 levels.The country is still by far the largest producer of textiles and apparel and has an enormous domestic market to serve.Nevertheless, the country is faced with challenges like a shrinking population,a troubled real estate market,a deflationary tendency and persistent youth unemployment.Europe is still struggling the most as it was more strongly impacted by rising energy prices.Just like in 2023,the world economy is growing at around 3 percent in 2024. This is lower than the historic level of almost 4 percent between 2010-2019.
TW : The United States is in an election year and inflation is in the news even in the textile industry. Is inflation a global issue at the moment? Is inflation affecting European machinery manufacturers and/or affecting investment in various regions?
Schindler: In general, inflation is a global phenomenon that was fueled by several factors.Fiscal and monetary policies around the world were expansionary at the start of the pandemic which provided companies and consumers with a lot of needed support. While demand surged in 2021 and 2022,supply chains were disrupted and sometimes broken. Products or semi-products were in high demand that supply could not meet, and shipping containers were not where they were needed,for example. All this led to supply and demand imbalances that
Figure 1
ExecutiveForum
resulted in rising prices. Furthermore,rising energy prices in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 added to higher costs and dampened demand.As of the end of 2022,the textile and textile machinery industries found themselves in a perfect storm of rising costs and dwindling demand.Consumers saw their disposable income fall in 2023.But with inflation falling back significantly since the peak in early 2023 and higher nominal wages across many industries,real wages are growing again which should eventually strengthen demand.As for investments,textile machinery companies are struggling just like textile companies. In 2023,some machinery producers benefited from a long order backlog,while order income remained low.Given the low order intake in the textile industry,only companies with a solid balance sheet will be able to invest now and prepare for the upswing that will eventually come.
TW : In September, ITMF will host its annual conference,which for the first time will be held jointly with the International Apparel Federation (IAF).What are the benefits of hosting a joint event with the IAF?
Schindler: The main benefit is that we will have one event for the global textile value chain and that all those persons that are affiliated with both organi-
zations will only need to travel once.Furthermore, the strength of two organizations coming together for one event will provide additional insights for each other’s members.
TW : Why Uzbekistan and what unique opportunities does the location offer? How does hosting the event benefit the textile industry in Uzbekistan?
Schindler: Uzbekistan has seen enormous change in the last 10 years,especially since the new president, Mr.Shavkat Mirziyoyev, started to transform and open the country.The number of private investments in the cotton, textile and apparel industry is significant.ITMF’s International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics reveals that especially in cotton spinning machinery Uzbekistan — with a population of around 35 million — was among the
five biggest investors during the past 10 years. But also in the other downstreamsegments,a lot of investments took place. Worth noting is the important fact that Uzbekistan was also able to get rid of the so-called cotton ban in 2022,introduced in 2010 by the cotton campaign,a coalition of human rights NGOs,independent trade unions,brand associations, responsible investors and academics.Uzbekistan is the “new kid on the block” that offers interesting sourcing alternatives being located between China, India and Europe.
TW : For someone who has never attended an ITMF annual conference before,what can they expect from the event? What are your hopes for the attendees?
Schindler: First,all attendees will learn of course a lot about the
Uzbek textile and apparel industry,but also about the country that is one of the safest countries in the world and that it offers a lot of history and culture as well as very divers and attractive landscape. Second,the conference will cover very important topics like how regulations in different regions will impact the global textile industry,and how innovation and collaboration will shape the way companies will produce and serve markets.The general theme “Innovation,Collaboration & Regulation — Drivers of the Textile & Apparel Industry”will serve as a guideline for the discussions among industry experts. One important aspect of the ITMF & IAF Conference 2024 is certainly the unique opportunity to meet colleagues and friends from around the world from the entire textile value chain. TW
Figure 2
NCTO Chairman Norman Chapman outlined key industry facts and explained policy issues during NCTO’s 20th annual meeting.
By Norman Chapman
2024 State Of The U.S. Textile Industry
TThe National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) represents the full spectrum of the U.S. textile sector — a production chain that employs 502,000 workers nationwide and produces almost $64.8 billion in output annually. We are an essential industry that equips U.S. warfighters and one that pivoted overnight to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID pandemic.
The U.S. textile industry has made significant investments in the United States. Its innovations are unparalleled and its contributions to local communities and the U.S. economy are critical.
While the domestic textile industry is a key contributor to the U.S. economy and critical part of the military and public health industrial base, our sector is facing a crisis of historic proportions as the result of rapidly deteriorating market conditions coupled with unchecked foreign predatory trade practices and diminished customs enforcement activities.
On the economic front last year, our industry saw historic inflationary pressures, a severe global slowdown, weak consumer demand, a glut of retail inventory that translated into poor demand for future orders of textiles, and a contraction in manufacturing.
The fallout also extends beyond our borders to hemispheric partners — parties to U.S. free trade agreements including CAFTA-DR and USMCA — who, along with U.S.
textile producers, form an integrated, vertical textile and apparel coproduction chain and represent the counterweight to production in Asia.
To address these troubling trends, NCTO has been highly engaged with industry allies in Congress and the Biden administration to confront the severe crisis and challenging issues facing the industry.
NCTO hosted or participated in numerous congressional and administration visits throughout 2023 and into early 2024.
In July, NCTO executives and staff united to participate in a critical Washington fly-in and met with some of the most powerful members of Congress as well as the nation’s top trade chief.
We outlined policies critical to NCTO membership including: closing the de minimis loophole; strengthening customs enforcement; holding China accountable; strengthening our domestic procurement laws; maintaining the yarn-forward textile rule in CAFTA-DR and other trade agreements; and passing the Farm Bill and Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB), which are so critical to our domestic industrial base.
We are literally making national news every night on de minimis. This is no longer an issue that is on page three of national news; it’s on the front pages of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Time magazine.
This is a massive, coordinated effort involving NCTO and textile industry
leaders who have had significant accomplishments that have turned the tide and changed the trends of conversations in Washington.
We cannot thank those members enough who do so very much to support our activities and go way above and beyond.
Especially given the velocity of things coming at us this year — several members repeatedly came to town like Andy Warlick, Eddie Ingle, David Smith, and so many other leaders.
We met with the highest levels of the cabinet and the highest levels of the Congress. Our industry’s effectiveness, breadth and prowess was noticed by all, and the urgency of what we were asking for as an industry became a huge priority for everyone in Washington — no matter the party affiliation. Recently, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) team responded to our urgent calls for a significantly stepped up textile and apparel enforcement plan to help address trade fraud — and that wouldn’t have happened without the concerted effort by the NCTO staff and the members who engaged here in Washington.
NCTO’s work is noted at the highest levels of our government. In July, President Joe Biden made a historic visit to NCTO member Auburn Manufacturing Inc. in Mechanic Falls, Maine, elevating the U.S. textile industry’s profile and reinforcing its competitiveness and economic contribution. This
is the first visit to the industry by a sitting president in decades.
I would like to sincerely thank our staff, led by NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas and the entire hard working NCTO team, as well as our industry leadership for successfully navigating through challenging economic times and polarization in Congress, while partnering with the administration and key congressional offices to secure a number of critical achievements last year.
NCTO’s effective advocacy efforts resulted in a long list of accomplishments in 2023, including intensifying pressure on Congress and the administration to close the de minimis waiver system and step up enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA) and import fraud; safeguarding the integrity of our free trade agreements; enhancing government procurement of U.S. textile-based products; and maintaining a strong position on China trade enforcement including tariffs on finished textiles and apparel.
Before laying out NCTO’s policy wins in 2023, I want to quickly recap how the industry fared “by the numbers” last year.
By The Numbers
Given the economic and trade headwinds the industry faced in 2023, the fact that the industry only registered slight declines in some of the key metrics is a testament to its resilience and strength. In 2023, the value of U.S. man-made fiber, textile and apparel shipments totaled an estimated $64.8 billion compared with $67.4 billion in shipments in 2022.1
Here are additional key industry facts:
•U.S. exports of fibers, textiles and apparel were $29.7 billion in 2023 compared with $33.9 billion in 2022.2
•The United States is the second largest individual country exporter of textile-related products in the world.
•The U.S. textile and apparel industry invested $20.9 billion in
Value Of Shipments ($ billions)
new plants and equipment from 2012 to 2021, the last year data is currently available for this figure.
Recently, U.S. manufacturers have opened new facilities throughout the textile production chain, including recycling facilities to convert textile and other waste to new textile uses and resins.3
Onshoring and nearshoring trends continued to strengthen Made in USA production and our vital coproduction chain with the Western Hemisphere, while NCTO continued to press for effective enactment of policies in Washington aimed at expanding Berry and buy American rules to fuel growth in Americanmade products for the military, PPE and federal agencies.
At the end of the day, some key fundamentals for the U.S. textile industry remained sound, while others weakened due to the issues outlined above. We remain committed to
growing our businesses and working with the administration and Congress to help shape effective policies that will ensure future expansion of this vital and strategic industry.
While we expect to see ongoing challenges this year, which will test our resolve, we know collectively as an industry this will not weaken our resilience or our innovative spirit.
Policy Issues
Now, I would like to highlight a few accomplishments NCTO staff achieved during the year.
Customs Enforcement NCTO actively engaged with the administration and Congress to press for stepped up enforcement against unfair trade practices by China and other foreign competitors, sounding the alarm on the damaging impact this fraudulent activity is having on U.S. textile producers and our Western Hemisphere trade partners.
Exports of Fiber, Textiles & Apparel ($
Capital Investment ($
resentative Blumenauer and other congressional members to elevate the issue, which was covered by several news outlets and have sent numerous communications to the Hill.
There are numerous other issues requiring NCTO’s focus and resources, such as advocating for full enforcement of the Make PPE in America Act, amplifying support for the Section 301 case against China’s intellectual property abuses, promoting tariffs on finished products, and the need to pass a new Miscellaneous Tariff Bill with immediate and full retroactivity.
We called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to immediately step-up enforcement against slave labor in supply chains under the UFLPA, fraudulent origin claims under free trade agreements, “de minimis” shipments that facilitate illegal trade, largely bypass duties and inspection, and put the industry at a competitive disadvantage.
Another significant accomplishment was coordination on a bipartisan letter led by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) calling on CBP to ensure Chinese companies aren’t evading U.S. laws against forced labor and costing American jobs, by stepping up oversight and enforcement provisions in trade agreements with Central American and North American trading partners. As a result of these efforts, DHS Secretary Mayorkas announced a comprehensive textile enforcement plan to address enforcement concerns raised by the industry recently — this made the top of the Wall Street Journal.
De Minimis — The Section 321 De Minimis provision continued to be at the forefront of congressional scrutiny and hearings, with both Democrats and Republicans weighing in with concerns on this legal provision in U.S. trade law.
The impact of this loophole is devastating, facilitating nearly 4 million imported shipments a day that may contain goods made with forced labor, counterfeits, toxic products, and illicit narcotics such as fentanyl.
NCTO leaders held several meetings with lawmakers and the administration and testified at a key congressional hearing and a roundtable, amplifying the critical need to close this loophole that is hurting our members and giving China a dutyfree backdoor to our market. We worked with allies like Rep. Dan Bishop who held two hearings drawing attention to de minimis and how it makes policing the UFLPA impossible. NCTO and our industry is leading the way to close this loophole.
In addition, several members of Congress weighed in with letters to President Biden to close this loophole, including a joint letter from Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a separate letter led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and a letter led by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)
Three bills were introduced in 2023 — including bills from Senator Brown and Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) — to combat de minimis abuse.
In February of this year, NCTO worked to build a coalition of diverse stakeholders to launch the Coalition to Close the De Minimis Loophole, representing thousands of voices from the families of victims of fentanyl fatalities and nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations to labor unions, domestic law enforcement associations, domestic manufacturers and business associations.
Several coalition members participated in a press conference with Rep-
Due to time constraints, I cannot delve into all these important issues. But please know that without exception, NCTO is highly engaged on every policy matter that affects the U.S. textile industry with the intent of shaping policy determinations in a manner that directly benefits U.S. textile investment, production and workforce.
Industry leadership and involvement is of paramount importance. From contributions to NCTO’s TextilePAC to arranging congressional visits, the industry can make a difference and help raise the level of awareness about its importance to the overall U.S. economy and workforce, and to the local and state economies it supports.
Conclusion
The business environment for the year ahead will continue to be rife with challenges for our industry and likely will lead to additional plant closures and layoffs, which we have already seen in the first quarter of 2024. But I remain cautiously optimistic for the following reason: NCTO’s strong advocacy on behalf of the industry in helping institute policies that support our industry, reform ill-conceived policies, and fend off challenges to our strong free trade agreement rules.
In 2024, we will continue to engage with Congress and the administration on critical policy issues impacting our industry and I am confident we will achieve positive policy wins for this industry as a unified voice in Washington.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES), NAICS 313, 314 & 315
We will continue to work in conjunction with our Western Hemisphere trading partners and capitalize on the onshoring and nearshoring trends that we are seeing and strengthen our co-production chain, investment and employment.
That concludes my formal remarks.
On a personal note, I have been honored to serve as chairman of a highly effective organization and dedicated staff and I know I hand it over to our new chairman who is well positioned to navigate the headwinds and trade battles.
I truly am optimistic about the innovative strength of the industry and its resilience to economic and trade challenges. With the support of this effective trade and lobbying organization in Washington, we can overcome unforeseen challenges and continue to cement our position as an integral sector to the U.S. economy and the Western Hemisphere. TW
References:
1U.S. Census Bureau Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders (M3) Survey, and Annual Survey of Manufacturers (ASM) value of shipments for NAICS 313, 314, 315 & 32522, 2021 data used to estimate NAICS 32522 figure.
2U.S. Department of Commerce data for Export Group 0: Textiles and Apparel
3U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES), NAICS 313, 314 & 315
Editor’s Notes: Norman Chapman is president and CEO of Inman, S.C.-based Inman Mills. He served as the 2023 NCTO chairman. At the annual meeting in Washington, Charles Heilig, president of Gastonia, N.C.-based Parkdale Mills, succeeded Chapman as NCTO chairman; and Chuck Hall, president and CEO of Spartanburg, S.C.-based Barnet, was elected vice chairman.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. NAICS
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.
Textile calenders for softening, lustre change, embossing and recalipering of textile substrates.
Foam generators, in line chemical mixing and blending systems.
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.
Slitting, spooling and rewinding machines. Ultrasonic slitting for loom state and finished fabrics.
Automatic dispensing of powder dyestuffs and liquid chemicals for laboratory, and bulk textile production.
Automated inspection and packaging systems for rolled goods.
Textile Coating ranges, digital, flat bed and rotary screen printing and loop steamers.
For additional information on these companies contact Ian Mills at imills@fi-tech.com.
Raleigh Homecoming
Techtextil North America settles into its new schedule with the next edition taking place in Raleigh, N.C., in August.
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•Navigating the Intersection of Wearable Technology, Medical Textiles and Legal Compliance;
•Department of Defense Trend Forecast;
•Real World Circularity: Stitching a Sustainable Future in the Textile Industry; and
•Durable Water Repellency: Balancing Performance and Sustainability. (See Schedule Highlights sidebar).
Tech Talks will take place on the show floor. These sessions are free for all show attendees and center on solution-oriented discussions about new technologies, hot button issues and more.
AAfter back-to-back years in Atlanta, Messe Frankfurt’s Techtextil North America (TTNA) trade show has settled into its new schedule with the nonAtlanta show now happening in even years. The 2024 edition of the event — a show dedicated to the technical textiles and nonwovens industries — will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, August 20-22, 2024.
“We are thrilled to be getting back to Raleigh, after a three-and-a-halfyear gap due to the show schedule shift,” stated Kristy Meade, vice president, Technical Shows, Atlantabased Messe Frankfurt. “Techtextil North America Raleigh feels like a homecoming with NC State as our official academic partner and so much of the industry, both exhibitors and attendees, alums of the area.”
Show Floor Organization
As always, exhibits will be categorized using 12 application areas: Agrotech; Buildtech; Clothtech; Geotech; Hometech; Indutech; Medtech; Mobiltech; Oekotech; Packtech; Protech; and Sporttech. This arrangement helps visitors find the
products and services they are interested in based on product application.
Exhibitors from Germany will share their latest innovations on the German Pavilion located in the center of the show floor.
New in 2024 is the History of Textiles Museum, which is presented by North Carolina State University. Exhibit areas located throughout the show floor will focus on the history of the industry from early pieces of machinery up to present day innovations including automation.
Learning Opportunities
Techtextil North America 2024 will host a symposium, as well as Tech Talks and Student Research Poster Program on the show floor.
The Techtextil North America Symposium is dedicated to showcasing advancements in research and technology for the textile industry, highlighting the latest trends and innovations, with a focus on sustainable textile practices. Sessions will take place all three days of the show. Symposium topics this year include: •Smart Threads and Healing Fibers:
A complete list of symposium and Tech Talk titles and speakers will be available on the Techtextil North America show website prior to the event. All event information, including any last-minute changes or updates, also will be located on the Techtextil North America 2024 mobile app, which will be ready to download later this summer.
A mainstay feature, the Student Research Poster Program, also is a must-see show floor exhibit featuring both undergraduate and graduate level research and textile innovations. Students from around the globe have the opportunity to share their research findings with visitors by way of the poster program.
2024 Techtextil North America Innovation Awards
During the 2024 edition of the show, organizers will present the Techtextil Innovation Awards to deserving entries submitted in advance and chosen by a jury of industry experts. According to Messe Frankfurt, the award: “ … reflects the innovative content of the Techtextil North America trade fair as well as the future-oriented products of the exhibitors. It honors cutting-edge developments that foster new and unconventional ideas and visions and supports cross-industry dialogue among researchers, manufacturers and users.”
An award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, August 21, at noon on the Tech Talks Special Feature Stage located in booth 1033.
Visitor Information
On the opening night of the show, all attendees can participate in the Opening Night Reception, which will be held at the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center on the NC State campus from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The reception requires a ticket for entry, which is included with the full experience pass or may be purchased separately as an add-on.
Visitors to Techtextil North America can register to attend and purchase exhibit hall badges, symposium passes and reception tickets in advance online. Tickets may also be purchased in person on show days, but advance registration is suggested in order to expedite the entrance process.
The show floor is open Tuesday, August 20, and Wednesday, August 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursday, August 22, the show floor is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit To Network, Learn
The show floor will be smaller and cozier than the average Atlanta show, but the sense of community, opportunity to interact with colleagues, and chance to stumble upon new and interesting technologies remains the same as always.
“This year we have a focus on Integrating Technology and attendees will have opportunity to see the latest from technical suppliers from across the globe, highlighted by the Innovation Awards and Student Research Program, as well as learn from an engaging line-up of speakers in the Symposium and the onfloor Tech Talks,” Meade noted. “We are confident that the 2024 edition is sure to be THE meeting point for the industry.” TW
For more information about Techtextil North America 2024 and to register, visit techtextilna.com.
Techtextil North America Schedule Highlights
August 20
Symposium Topics
NextGen Minds: A Tapestry of Student Research Projects.
Smart Threads and Healing Fibers: Navigating the Intersection of Wearable Technology, Medical Textiles, and Legal Compliance.
Department of Defense Trend Forecast
Due Diligence and Transparency: What? Why? How?
Tech Talks
De Minimis and Buy America and Other Regulation/Policy Updates.
Testing and Standards: The Most Efficient Path to Textile Sustainability.
The Engineered Fabric Platform.
NC Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine.
125 Years of Textile History.
August 21
Symposium Topics
Real World Circularity: Stitching a Sustainable Future in the Textile Industry.
Durable Water Repellency: Balancing Performance and Sustainability.
Building Resilient Supply Chains Through Near Shoring and Co-Production.
Revolutionizing Apparel Production: Unleashing the Power of Digitalization, 3D Development, and AI Innovation. .
8:00 a.m.-9:15 a.m.
9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
2:45 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.-12:30 p.m.
1:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
8:00 a.m.-9:15 a.m.
9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
. 2:45 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Tech Talks Medical Technologies.
Innovation Awards Ceremony.
Advances in Post Consumer Textile Recycling.
Sustainability in Nonwovens.
PFAS: What Is It and What Can We Do?.
August 22
Symposium Topics
Talent Recruitment and Retention: Practical Solutions for Rebuilding Your Workforce.
Empowering Women at Work: Bridging the PPE and Workwear Equity Gap through Fit and Digital Innovation.
11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.-12:30 p.m.
1:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
8:00 a.m.-9:15 a.m.
9:45 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Tech Talks
Promise of 3D, What the Future Requires from Today.
Resume Building and LinkedIn.
Career Networking — Invited Speakers, Seniors, Students Looking for Internships.
11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.-12:30 p.m.
1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
(information accurate as of TW ’s press time)
AT Expo: Striking The West Coast
The next edition of the Advanced Textiles Association’s AT Expo takes place in Anaheim this September.
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member division open meeting. Also on the show floor, ATA announced the return of a pet rescue fundraising booth, as well as the Demo Booth — a hands-on educational space for makers and materials suppliers.
The optional add-on AT Expo Annual Fun Run/Walk will take place Wednesday morning, September 25, at 6 a.m. Participants will meet at the Hilton Anaheim and be led by experienced locals on a walk or run through Anaheim. Runners can choose a pace group and distance — 1 mile or 5 kilometers. Proceeds benefit the Work Ethic Scholarship Fund.
New Features
AAfter multiple iterations held in east coast cities, the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) is taking its Advanced Textiles (AT) Expo to the west coast for the 2024 edition. The expo will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. Education sessions begin on September 23 and the show floor is open September 24-26, 2024.
“ATA is excited to host the textile industry at Advanced Textiles Expo in Anaheim, California, September 24-26,” said Steve Schiffman, ATA president and CEO. “Being in California allows us to reach new people that may not travel to the east coast. Advanced Textiles Expo continues to bring thousands of textiles professionals who serve many markets together for education, networking, and an exhibit floor full of textiles/ materials, new innovations, and equipment. This year’s show has several new features including the Next Gen(eration) Takeover Day, the Textiles Challenge, programming on
specialty textiles, shade and weather and emerging technologies.”
What To Expect
The show will again be collocated with Messe Stuttgart’s Sun Shading Expo North America, which will be held September 24-26, 2024. According to ATA, the collocation of the events for these two complementary industries offers value in terms of connecting with customers, suppliers, end-product manufacturers, and industry counterparts, as well as providing growth opportunities. Attendees have access to both events including the combined show floor, show floor education and networking receptions. The only exceptions are AT Expo’s conference, which is only open to AT Expo registrants; and Sun Shading Expo classroom education, which is only open to Sun Shading Expo registrants.
The show floor will feature the ATA Hub, which is a great place to learn more about ATA or join a
ATA has planned several new features for attendees at the upcoming expo. The Next Gen(eration) Takeover Day is Wednesday, September 25. At 10 a.m., a hands-on LEGO ™ networking workshop will take place on the show floor. Designed to foster new connections and teach industry concepts, teams will collaborate to build Lego models that represent key elements of the industry. Later that afternoon, from 12:30-2:30 p.m., The NextGen Textiles Meet-up will take place. This fun activity begins with participants building a Lego avatar to represent their personal style. Afterwards, fast-paced networking rounds will give participants the chance to meet new people and mingle with industry influencers.
The Textiles Challenge, another new show feature, is a skill-testing, hands-on activity featuring — as the name suggests — textile challenges. Preview and practice rounds will take place on Tuesday, September 24, with qualifying rounds and the final round taking place on Wednesday.
On Thursday, ATA is giving women a chance to connect before the show floor opens. Interested attendees should gather at the Hilton Anaheim at 7 a.m. for the Women’s Networking Walk. Following the walk, women can participate in a leadership session titled “Balancing Priorities for Success” at 9:30 a.m. The session begins with a keynote
followed by a panel discussion featuring industry leaders who will share their perspectives and advice. Wrapping up the event is a development session on strategies for establishing boundaries and setting priorities to obtain a work/life balance.
Nighttime Fun
To kick things off, the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA) is hosting the Awning Pub Night at Bowlero Anaheim on Monday, September 23 at 5 p.m. RSVP’s are required by August 26.
On Tuesday, September 24, AT Expo will host the official opening reception at 4 p.m. The reception is included with all registration types to give all participants the chance to mix and mingle to wrap up the first full day.
Those who opt to purchase a separate ticket when registering can move from the opening reception to Industry Night, which this year will be held at the Anaheim House of Blues starting at 7 p.m. As always, live music will be provided by ATA member band Hangin’ by a Thread.
Education
The one-and-a-half day Emerging Technologies Conference begins with a full day of presentations on Monday, September 23, and an Emerging Technologies Networking Reception at the close of the sessions. On Tuesday, additional sessions will be held in the morning. Topics will cover a variety of subjects from healthcare and electronic textiles to green chemistry and testing. A full lineup of speakers and topics is available on the AT Expo website.
Education continues on the Emerging Technologies show floor stage beginning Tuesday afternoon. These more informal, 30-minute sessions are designed to be interactive and digestible. TW
For more information about Advanced Textiles Expo — including the full conference schedule with speakers — as well as to register, please visit advancedtextiles expo.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all activities at the Anaheim Convention Center.
*Emerging Technologies Conference requires a separate registration, but includes Advanced Textiles Expo.
**Requires an add-on purchase during registration
(information accurate as of TW ’s press time)
SAMPE: Much More Than Just A Conference
The materials and process engineering conference recently convened in Long Beach, Calif., for its 2024 edition.
By Jim Kaufmann, Technical Editor
JEC and other events tend to focus more on product introductions and increasing sales. As such, SAMPE events are generally smaller than CAMX, and certainly the JEC trade fairs, but unquestionably still remain viable and worthy of participation.
This year’s SAMPE event drew more than 200 exhibitors and 2,700 visitors. “In my opinion, SAMPE was a function of quality over quantity,” stated Eric Smith, vice president of sales and marketing for Re:Build Manufacturing based in Framingham, Mass. “This location [Long Beach] continues to prove itself to be one of the flagship locations for this event given its proximity to aerospace, defense and composites companies and contractors. The SAMPE staff’s engagement and coordination was instrumental in the success of the show.”
TThe Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) held its annual conference and exhibition, SAMPE 2024, in Long Beach, Calif., recently. However, unlike other trade shows and conventions, a SAMPE event really does have the feel of a large family reunion or maybe a college alumni event. Truth be told, as an organization focused mainly on materials and process engineering, SAMPE events tend to take on a different look and feel than a typical textile conference. Part of this difference comes from the fact that SAMPE is a global, memberdriven organization with regional chapters throughout North America, as well as other global geographic locations. In North America alone, there are 23 regional member chapters and currently 49 different student chapters at colleges and universities. A list of global, regional and student chapters can be found on SAMPE’s website, sampe.org.
Many SAMPE event participants —either exhibitor, conference
speakers or general attendees — have been a SAMPE member since their days as a college or university student — which for some of us translates into a lot of years. That level of familiarity creates a different type of energy or synergy, almost like a homecoming at these events, and this year was no exception.
In general, a SAMPE conference and exhibition focuses more on the technical and engineering aspects of materials, and as such, the material focus has evolved more towards composites and fiber reinforced plastics segments. The aerospace industry abounds as a starting point for many discussions as its testing, evaluation and acceptance of new materials and processes often sets the standards for other industries and applications to follow. The majority of discussions certainly have a business intent, but the bulk of those conversations center more around performance attributes. Conference programs tend to focus on technical concepts, new or advanced processes and problem solving, while CAMX,
“SAMPE shows are always a good opportunity to see and interact with industry colleagues,” offered Judy Johnson, business development manager for carbon fiber manufacturer Hyosung Advanced Materials. “This year’s show had plenty of traffic in the exhibit hall where good discussions ensued.”
One inspiring observation made during this year’s SAMPE conference and exhibition was the number of younger people in attendance. It is nice to see SAMPE’s emphasis on getting young people involved in engineering pursuits, which starts with the student chapters at the colleges and universities. These student chapters not only provide the name recognition, but also prompt students to get involved in a number of different ways while learning at the same time. At SAMPE 2024, there were student poster sessions on a variety of topics that received awards, as well as awards for technical papers, which in many cases featured student input.
Keynote speaker Stephen Heinz, vice president of Research and Innovation at Belgium-based Syensqo Corp., stopped at one point during his presentation to ask the students
in the audience to stand. Heinz then suggested that the students and professionals in the audience introduce themselves and encouraged each to not only make an impact on the industry, but perhaps each other’s professional career as well. Several networking events were held throughout the event for the young professionals that also promoted diversity, equality and inclusion in all facets of the event and their professional lives throughout the industry.
SAMPE has always featured student competitions and this year was no exception. This year’s events included additive manufacturing, building a fuselage, and the triedand-true building a bridge contest that featured several different structural categories. Student groups organized, designed and built prototypes that were brought to SAMPE and physically tested on the show floor throughout the day. What other trade
show allows attendees to watch tests of scaled fuselage or bridge segments while student engineers and others in the crowd cheer teams on or groan at a premature failure?
SAMPE student chapters in many cases are supported by the SAMPE regional chapters, which through sponsorships and fundraisers, can provide travel funds or assistance making it easier for the students to attend SAMPE events. Many regional chapters also establish student scholarships to help pay a portion of the student’s education and housing costs.
Regional SAMPE chapters hold their own events to generate income, promote networking and other social activities geared at building camaraderie, the chapter’s presence and professional community standing. A fine example of this occurred during this year’s Long Beach event as the Carolinas Chapter hosted a farewell
party for Tom Haulik, the recently retired director of carbon fiber sales for Hexcel Corp., Stamford, Conn. Haulik didn’t invent carbon fiber, but he certainly has been instrumental in selling it over the years. His presence and standing in the composites industry were confirmed by the many attendees who came to thank him for all his friendship, support and guidance throughout a distinguished career. In a fitting tribute, Haulik was named the Honorary Lifetime Ambassador of SAMPE’s Carolinas Chapter.
Next year’s SAMPE 2025 Conference is slated for May 19-22, 2025, in Indianapolis, Ind. But also remember to check out and support your local SAMPE chapter’s upcoming events. Along with the national events, these local chapter happenings provide excellent opportunities to network, talk business and occasionally have a bit of fun. Hope to see you there! TW
Technical Textiles And Processing Technologies On Display
The recent Techtextil and Texprocess shows in Frankfurt, Germany, showcased the best of the industry in a one-stop-shop environment.
By Jim Kaufmann, Technical Editor
Techtextil opened with a panel discussion on opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
(Image courtesy of Messe Frankfurt/ThomasFedra)
process under one umbrella event allows visitors in many cases the opportunity to seek out every aspect of the industry’s supply chain from raw material development and manufacturing to that raw material evolving into a textile, potentially adding a performance enhancement of some sort, and then exploring the technologies necessary to assemble that textile into an end product like a piece of clothing, running shoe, automotive airbag, personal protective equipment, composite structure or any of thousands of other products.
TTechtextil, the biennial trade fair organized by Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany, is considered to be the granddaddy of global trade events focused on the technical textiles industry. Collocated with Texprocess —a sister show focused on processing textiles and flexible materials — it is considered a significant and important industry event for the global exhibitors and visitors who participate. For readers who haven’t been, this big brother to Techtextil North America, also organized by Messe Frankfurt, is akin to one spending a couple of days at the largest shopping mall in North America, the Mall of America. There, one can find a store and shop for pretty much any consumer good imaginable. In a similar fashion, between Techtextil and Texprocess, virtually every aspect of the technical, industrial and performance textiles marketplace and supply chain is to be found in Frankfurt.
This year’s combined Techtextil and Texprocess hosted more than 1,700 exhibitors from 53 different countries. During the four-day event
these exhibitors greeted more than 38,000 visitors from 102 different countries. “I felt it was very well attended and the quality of visitors was exceptional,” offered Torry Losch, chief commercial officer, Hailide America Inc., a polyester and tire cord manufacturer based in Alpharetta, Ga. “All visitors to our booth were high-quality customers, or potential customers, who fit well within our target markets. Well worth the trip, and I look forward to the next one in two years!”
“For us Techtextil was very good,” added Will Motchar, president and CEO of Navis TubeTex, a finishing machinery manufacturer based in Lexington, N.C. “A lot of potential projects were discussed with current and new customers around our finishing technologies that offer significant energy, water, and chemical savings.”
In general terms, Techtextil encompasses all aspects involved in developing, producing and/or enhancing an input material or textile, while Texprocess focuses on taking that input textile or material and assembling it into a product. Having Techtextil and Tex-
Having Techtextil and Texprocess together in one space also allows for unique synergies via the intermingling of technologies and varied mindsets throughout the different segments in the exhibit halls. For example, a fashion designer can interact with all components of their existing supply chain, and also venture into other segments of either the textile or processing sides to gain inspiration from a completely different sector that they may not interact with during their usual daily tasks. It really can’t be stressed enough how important these unexpected synergies continue to lead to innovations throughout all aspects of the industry.
As with most recent trade fairs, two primary overriding themes were prevalent throughout both Techtextil and Texprocess exhibitors; the continuous incremental and occasionally step-change improvements being made throughout all aspects of product functionality and the continued global importance and commitment to product and corporate sustainability, recycling and circularity.
20 Years Of Techtextil
This year’s Techtextil marked an anniversary as it was the 20th edition of the show. The first event, held in 1986, was a much smaller affair than today’s large-scale extravaganza, but
some of the exhibitors who were at that first fair still participate in Techtextil almost 40 years later. Organizers honored those founding companies with a plaque and bottle of champagne as a thank you during a special ceremony on the second day of the fair. According to Messe Frankfurt: “Their commitment and passion have made Techtextil what it is today: a beacon of innovation and a meeting place for industry experts.”
With the industry’s overall focus on sustainability, there was a notable increase in the number of exhibitors showing performance materials incorporating natural fibers at Techtextil. President Clare King and Product Design and Development
Lead Birgit Leitner with Propel LLC, a product innovation company based in Providence, R.I., spoke about the changing times and also found inspiration during Techtextil. “We were last at Techtextil in 2019, prior to COVID and there found a high level of focus around e-textiles which were highly represented back then,” Leitner said. “What stood out to us this year, was the shift from e-textiles to a very strong focus on sustainability. Both large and small companies have embraced this trend, showcasing innovations in sustainable materials, eco-friendly production processes and circular economy solutions.” The women noted that the “Sustainability@Techtextil” label allowed visitors to easily identify these companies. They also found the curated section titled “Regenerative? Moving Beyond Sustainability” incorporating keywords such as “Cultivating Localism,” “Enriching Communities,” “Replenishing the Land,” “Radical Transparency,” “Naturally Abundant,” “Biological Fabrication,” “Preserving Heritage,” and “Restoring Biodiversity” interesting and rather inspiring.
A few companies focused on natural products that Leitner and King mentioned were:
•Kombinat Konopny, a Polandbased vertically integrated hemp company;
The “Regenerative? Moving Beyond Sustainability” showcase introduced Techtextil visitors to a variety of homegrown, natural fiber products and unique biomaterials.
•Lavalan®/Baur Vliesstoffe GmbH, a Germany-based company focused on increasing awareness of homegrown wool and it’s many performance-based uses;
•Studio Sarmite, a research and design studio in Frankfurt focused on creating closed-loop concepts through transforming industry waste and its byproducts; and
•Malai Eco, an India and Slovakiabased company that is developing flexible, biocomposite materials made from organic bacterial cellulose grown on agricultural waste sourced from the coconut industry in Southern India, which have a feel comparable to leather and paper.
In addition, one couldn’t help but notice the growing focus on “better living through chemistry.” New technologies observed centered around chemistries that can turn polymers into biodegradable forms, generate natural fibers, enhance processing and processability of combined materials, improve colors and color fastness, impart specific performance characteristics, among other attributes.
Texprocess
Not to be outdone, Texprocess showcased innovative processing technologies targeting the cut, sew and converting industries. Artificial intelligence (AI) was featured prominently in a number of areas. AI is now being employed in a number of ways to improve cutting room layouts and
nesting efficiencies, aid in the use of raw materials and energy consumption, catalogue assorted samples and physical parameters that can then be used for quality refinements, just to name a few applications. Innovative machine designs, enhancements, tooling and technologies including robotics are being employed in order to improve efficiencies as well as allowing these facilities to be able to do more with less numbers of human labor requirements. This is not necessarily to reduce headcounts as some may fear, but more an answer to the lack of qualified and skilled workers in many of these areas.
Frank Henderson, president and CEO of Henderson Sewing Machine Co., a sewing industry equipment supplier based in Andalusia, Ala., felt that: “Texprocess was a good setting that provided industry leaders highlights into the state-of-the-art design, cutting, sewing and manufacturing possibilities in this vital, global textile supply chain. Techtextil once again demonstrated the technical textile industry’s innovations and advances in automation, digitization and creativity while once again illustrating its continuing importance to the global economy!”
Techtextil North America will also take place this year, in Raleigh, N.C. (See “Raleigh Homecoming,” TW , this issue). The next Techtextil/Texprocess trade fair will be held April 2124, 2026, in Frankfurt. A trade fair well worth the effort to attend! TW
Andrew Talarico, Circ
Alasdair Carmichael, NAPCOR
Bart Krulic, Palmetto Synthetics
Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, NWI
Jordan Schindler, C2 Clothing 2.0
Economist Mark Vitner
SYFA Conference Covers A Wide Variety Of Topics
TThe Charlotte, N.C.-based Synthetic Yarn and Fabric Association (SYFA) recently held its annual Spring conference at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel in Charlotte. The conference, entitled “Creativity, The Economy and Policy In 2024,” covered topics on the economy, technical fiber developments and trade.
Outgoing SYFA President Hardy Sullivan of Thies Corp. opened the event with a review of recent SYFA activities. The association also conducted a business meeting where it installed new President Meredith Boyd of Unifi Inc., as well as new board members (See sidebar)
On behalf of the membership, SYFA Secretary and Treasurer Alasdair Carmichael thanked Sullivan for his service to the organization, particularly during the celebration of its 50th anniversary, which occurred during his tenure.
A Variety Of Presentations
The event’s first speaker was Piedmont Crescent Capital’s Mark Vitner, whose “Economic Update” presenta-
The SYFA recently held its spring conference in Charlotte, N.C., under the theme “Creativity, The Economy and Policy In 2024.”
TW Special Report
tion reviewed the economic climate the industry is facing. Vitner, a wellknown economist in U.S. textile circles, was realistic about the economic challenges facing textiles and the challenges of a global environment in a post-pandemic election year.
Andrew Talarico and Taylor Greene from Circ Inc. in Danville, Va., discussed the challenges of developing a circular product lifecycle that captures and recycles textile waste throughout the supply chain and at garments endof-life in their presentation named “Addressing Textile Waste — a Blueprint for an Industry Wide Shift.”
Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, The Nonwovens Institute (NWI), offered a presentation on designing polylactic acid (PLA) blends titled “Promising Materials Development Using
PLA.” He noted that for this sustainable fiber to be an option in nonwovens, there needs to be an emphasis on elongation properties that enhance performance.
Fibers That Promote Health
With “The Future of Health and Wellness is...,” Jordan Schindler, C2 Clothing 2.0, discussed developments in using textiles for controlled delivery of therapeutics, as well as the bright horizon for new product development beyond what is currently available in the marketplace.
“Neolast ™ Stretch Fiber from Celanese” was presented by Celanese’s Rick Tobar. This new polyester development offers elastane-like stretch characteristics and performance, while mitigating elastane’s sustainability issues (See “Quality Fabric: NEOLAST™: A New Way To Stretch,” TW , this issue).
Jasmine Cox offered a “Textile Technology Center Overview” of Gaston College, highlighting the Textile Technology Center’s focus on training and newly created in-depth
Meredith Boyd, Unifi
programs that were developed to support manufacturing.
SYFA board member Bart Krulic, Palmetto Synthetics LLC, explored opportunities offered in synthetic fiber development in a presentation titled “For Staple Fibers...What if?” Krulic focused on product development and innovation by considering the “what if?” idea of creating performance fibers using an array of polymers.
Michael Hubbard of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), presented “Opportunities in International Markets.” Hubbard, well-known for his long history with the industry, offered companies a look at unlocking new opportunities by exporting their products. He also introduced new EDPNC hire Jeri Barutis, highlighting her expertise in trade and textiles.
The final presentation of the conference was delivered by Pete Mento with DSV Air and Sea Inc. His discussion, titled “Shifting Economic & Geopolitical Issues Continue to Create Challenges for Supply Chains,” was dynamic and his background in standup comedy certainly helped him engage the crowd on less-thanexciting economic issues.
Conference sponsors included Diamond Sponsor Premier Fibers Inc.; Gold Sponsor Jomar Softcorp International Inc.; Silver Sponsors Goulston Technologies Inc., Pulcra Chemicals LLC and Unifi Inc.; Bronze Sponsors Burlington and DAK Americas LLC; and Patrons Milliken & Company and Polyspintex Inc. Gaston College Foundation also hosted an exhibit table at the conference.
A Forward Focus
Closing remarks were given by newly instated SYFA President Boyd. She has been an active member of SYFA for many years, and a generosity and willingness to share her knowledge and experience of the fiber industry have always been a great asset to SYFA.
SYFA will hold its fall conference October 24-25, 2024, at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel. TW
Michael Hubbard, EDPNC Taylor Greene, Circ
Jasmine Cox, Textile Technology Center
Pete Mento, DSV Air & Sea
Rick Tobar, Celanese
2024-26 SYFA Officers, Board of Directors & Committee Chairs
Officers:
President — Meredith Boyd, Unifi Inc.
First Vice President — Chris Schultz, Shakespeare Co.
Second Vice President — Kim Hall, PYM Kings Mountain
Immediate Past President — Hardy Sullivan, Thies Corp.
Past President — Dan Sistrunk, Milliken & Company
Board Of Directors:
Michael Becker, Michael S. Becker
Nikki Brooks, Goulston Technologies
Bart Krulic, Palmetto Synthetics LLC
Ted Oh, U.S. Fibers
Celeste Ramsey, Indorama
Bill Rothermel, Precision Fabrics Group
Joshua Sansbury, Fi-Tech Inc. Harrie Schoots, Revive USA
Managing Director — Rodney D. Turner, Turner Marketing & Media
Secretary-Treasurer — Alasdair Carmichael, NAPCOR
Technical & Research Committee:
Chairman — Chris Schultz
Vice Chairman – Vacant
Membership Committee:
Chairman –
John Amirtharaj, Premiere Fibers
Vice Chairman —
Bart Krulic, Palmetto Synthetics
The EU’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative will accelerate the transition to a global circular economy.
Preparing For The EU’s Digital Product Passport:
A New Mandate For Sustainability
Impacted companies need to start thinking about technology strategies in order to comply with the coming EU Digital Product Passport mandate.
By Megan Brewster
SSet to impact any company worldwide that sells products in the European Union, the fastapproaching Digital Product Passport (DPP) mandate is a firstof-its-kind regulatory framework designed to create transparency around product information and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Under the new DPP regulations, most end-use and intermediate products sold in the European Union will require a DPP by 2030. The DPP is a type of virtual label with information about a product’s origin, materials used, manufacturing processes, recyclability and more. By providing details about a product’s journey and environmental impact, the goal is for DPPs to empower consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions and pave the way for a greener, more ethical future. This foundational framework is expected to become the information backbone of the global circular economy.
Any company that sells products in the European Union will be
impacted by the new DPP regulations, including U.S. companies, which exported more than $350 billion in goods to the European Union in 2022 alone. However, even with the best intentions, many of these companies lack access to the information across their supply chain that is required by this legislation. While mandates directly impacting manufacturers and retailers are still a few years out, it is important to start preparing now to stay ahead of the regulatory curve.
What Is A Digital Product Passport?
A DPP is a digital record containing key information related to a product’s composition, origin and lifecycle. Under the forthcoming legislation, companies selling products in Europe will need to collect and share detailed data on an item’s verified sustainability attributes via DPP, including information about the materials used, manufacturing processes and recyclability. Most products sold in the European Union, from tires and building supplies to
clothing and laundry detergent, will require this attached identifier.
To understand the DPP legislation, it’s important to understand the broader regulatory framework that underpins it. The EU Green Deal, set forth by the European Commission in 2020, is aimed at reducing emissions by 55 percent and making the European Union climate neutral by 2050. As part of this deal, the commission brought forth the Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Set to reshape the way products are manufactured, distributed, and reintegrated into a circular economy, the ESPR is a broader framework, delegating the responsibility for establishing granular rules to future regulation through delegated acts. While some delegated acts are set to focus on specific product categories, others will expand on technical and operational elements, such as rules around DPPs.
Who Will Be Impacted Under DPP Legislation?
In this new regulatory landscape, the responsibility for ensuring compliance with DPPs extends beyond the borders of the European Union. Not only will finished products sold in the European Union need to adhere to DPP regulations, but also any components, materials, or semifinished goods involved in their production, regardless of their origin. This will dramatically reshape global value chains, necessitating suppliers and manufacturers worldwide to gather and submit the DPP data for their products destined for the European market.
While specific data likely will vary by product category, product sellers will be required to report on the following under DPP legislation:
•Potential for repair, maintenance, refurbishment and upgrades;
•Presence of harmful substances;
•Resource consumption or efficiency;
•Recycled materials content;
•Reusability, remanufacturing, and recycling potential;
•Environmental impacts, including carbon footprint; and
•Anticipated waste generation.
As identified by the European Commission, several priority categories — for both finished end-use products and intermediate materials and components — are among the first required to create DPPs for goods produced. These priorities include sellers of batteries, textiles — garments and footwear — iron and steel, aluminum, furniture — including mattresses — tires, detergents, paints, lubricants, chemicals, and electronics. The commission also has stated that it maintains the power to extend the list of currently prioritized categories in the future to include products such as toys, cars and construction-related materials.
Among those set to be the most impacted by the mandate in its earliest stages of rollout are textile and apparel companies, retailers and manufacturers. A study by the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) — a group of Members of the European Parliament — surveyed more than 80 stakeholders to examine the benefits and challenges of DPP deployment within the textile industry. The textile and fashion sectors already face a number of critical challenges including nega-
tive impacts on natural resources as a result of fast-fashion, shortages of raw material, rising labor, energy, and water costs, as well as controversies surrounding practices within the textile industry. Against the backdrop of these challenges, the STOA study examined where DPPs will drive the most value in the industry.
STOA found that the consensus among surveyed stakeholders is that DPPs are a positive step towards sustainable product lifecycle management and increasing the circularity of textiles in the European market, and beyond. However, the study also found significant challenges among respondents regarding deployment. Among the top challenges reported in making the DPP feasible within the textile industry are ensuring access for all stakeholders of circularity, including companies that do not have the complex technologies necessary to digitize their supply chains. In addition to costs, data security, and potential impacts on global supply chains and businesses, the need for harmonization of regulations, market surveillance and traceability also were reported concerns. These challenges highlight the need for a unified framework and technical standards to help companies navigating the new DPP mandate.
Verified product data accompanies the product throughout its lifecycle.
Meeting Compliance Requirements Using RAIN RFID
Alongside reporting requirements, the DPP framework sets out technical standards regarding how data should be presented and managed. To provide this DPP information, a physical “data carrier” must be attached to products. This data carrier — potentially taking the form of a QR code; a battery-free, wireless RAIN radio frequency identification (RFID) tag; or another identifier — will link the physical product to its digital twin in the cloud, giving brands and consumers full visibility into data regarding materials used, ownership history, and instructions on recycling or proper disposal.
RAIN RFID, a passive, battery-free wireless technology that relies on radio frequency identification to connect items directly to the internet, is a strong candidate to be part of a DPP compliance solution. The technology already is widely used by retailers and logistics companies for inventory management, product authentication, shipment verification and more. This “wireless barcode” connects to detailed information regarding the specific model, batch, and individual unit through a machine-readable format that can be both maintained and easily updated. Combined with QR codes, RAIN RFID tags would provide a secure, consumer-friendly approach for companies to meet critical requirements under the DPP legislation today. RAIN RFID systems enable businesses to identify, locate, authenticate, and engage with every product tagged with a RAIN RFID tag providing real-time insights. Alongside compliance requirements, companies gain additional benefits from the adoption of RAIN RFID into their everyday operations. Offering item-level tracking throughout the full supply chain, RAIN RFID deployment is already helping businesses to solve their most forefront challenges including counterfeiting, inventory management and over-
stocks. The technology is also helping businesses modernize operations, supporting circular business models, and driving sustainability initiatives, which will ensure businesses meet the fast-approaching guidelines under the European Union’s DPP mandate. With RAIN RFID readers designed to be embedded in a variety of forms — including small, handheld form factors — it’s not hard to envision a not-too-distant future where consumers also are able to
RAIN RFID allows companies to instantly access a product’s full digital record by linking to its digital twin in the cloud.
read RAIN RFID tags using their smartphone, meaning anyone can read the information embedded on tagged products’ DPPs.
Next Steps Ahead Of The Rollout Of The DPP
With the first DPP deadline approaching in July 2024, it is crucial for impacted parties to begin preparing to stay ahead of the regulatory curve. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR) legislation — which creates a framework for DPPs — is planned to be ratified into EU law in July 2024. Following this, in December 2025, European standards organizations CEN/CLC/JTC24 will deliver harmonized standards for the DPP system. Two key dates in 2026 include the publication of the delegated act for textiles — in January — and iron and steel products — in April. These dates start the clock for respective compliance deadlines 18 months later, mandating a DPP for all products in these categories sold in the European Union — July 2027 for textiles and October 2027 for iron and
steel products. In February 2027, the Battery Passport regulation is set to take effect, requiring a DPP for all transport, industrial, and electric vehicle batteries placed on the EU market.
Positioned to redefine industry standards, the rollout of the DPP over the next three years will improve transparency and accountability into the overall environmental sustainability of products worldwide. As the first big-mover legislation of its kind, the European Commission’s DPP is already setting a precedent that is inspiring similar initiatives globally. In the United States, for example, the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) is pushing Congress to revise labeling regulations to incorporate the use of digital labels. This signals the EU's model may become the global standard, requiring companies worldwide to make DPP compliance a strategic priority.
In efforts to mitigate trade barriers for greener products and lower costs for sustainable investments and compliance, the European Union has set out to develop the DPP mandate in an open dialogue alongside international partners, while working with partner countries to assess potential impacts globally. Impacted companies should start taking steps now to ensure they have the right technology strategies in place to prepare for the DPP. The deployment of RAIN RFID as part of a DPP compliance mix means that businesses can take full advantage of its benefits, ensuring they’re meeting DPP mandates while solving key business challenges and driving new innovations and business value more broadly. TW
Editor’s Note: Megan Brewster is the vice president of advanced technology at Seattle-based Impinj, a provider of RAIN radio frequency identification technologies. Prior to joining Impinj, Brewster served as fellow and senior policy advisor for advanced manufacturing for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she supported the stand-up of the administration’s signature advanced manufacturing initiative.
Nonwovens / TechnicalTextiles
Suominen Upgrades
South Carolina Facility
Helsinki-based Suominen has invested approximately 10 million euros ($10.7 million) to upgrade one of its production lines at its Bethune, S.C., facility. The project is expected to be complete within the first half of 2025.
“With this investment we strengthen our position as the leader in sustainable nonwovens in Americas market and respond to the increased demand of environmentally friendly products,” said Tommi Björnman, president and CEO of Suominen. “This investment also enhances our operational performance in terms of safety, quality and productivity.”
Dilo Temafa Supplies Line Extension To Eco-Technilin
Germany-based Dilo Temafa reports it has sold a line extension for cleaning flax scutcher tow to Francebased Eco-Technilin. The extension, comprising a Lin-Cleaner and Lin-Comb Shaker, will be added to an existing flax fiber preparation line to improve fiber quality. The extension also will increase capacity and efficiency, according to Dilo Temafa.
Andritz Reports Recent Sales
Austria-based Andritz has received an order for a complete needlepunch line from Belgium-based Sioen Technical Felts, part of Sioen Industries. According to Andritz, the line will enable Sioen to product heavyweight fabrics of more than 3,500 grams per square meter in one single step. The line is compatible with multiple fiber types — including recycled polyester, OxPan and bicomponent — with varying fineness. The line also includes ProWin™, Andritz’s weight profiling technology, that ensures weight evenness is maximized. The
new line is expected to start production during the first quarter of 2025. In other company news, Andritz has supplied a third line to China-based Meisheng Group. The needlepunch line will be used to expand the company’s production of nonwoven synthetic leather to address the growing need for man-made suede by the automotive industry.
Diaper Company Expanding In Georgia
First Quality Baby Products LLC, has announced a $418 million investment to expand its footprint in Macon, Ga. The company, and its
affiliates, make baby diapers, youth and training pants, adult incontinence, feminine hygiene and wipes products, among other products. The expansion will create 600 new jobs and the company will be hiring executive, administrative, supervisory and production personnel.
“In March, First Quality announced that we will be increasing our baby diaper and training pant manufacturing capacity by 50 percent, and we are excited to announce our expansion will take place in Macon, Georgia,” said Allen Bodford, president of First Quality’s Absorbent Hygiene Division. TW
Milliken & Company Helping Create FR Fabric For Artemis Space Missions
Milliken & Company, Spartanburg, S.C., is developing a flame-resistant (FR) next-to-skin undergarment fabric for use on the National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Artemis missions. Artemis III plans to again carry U.S. astronauts to the moon — for the first time in more than 50 years. U.S. industry is collaborating with NASA to create a Human Landing System (HLS) to take astronauts to the lunar surface. During this part of the mission, the astronauts are at higher risk of fire because of elevated oxygen levels.
Milliken & Company is working with professional services firm Jacobs under the JSC Engineering, Technology & Science (JETS) II contract with NASA to create an FR fabric that will be worn by the astronauts as they operate the HLS space vehicles during the lunar landing mission.
Milliken is contributing its expertise in FR materials, knitting, finishing, chemical analysis and material testing. Work began back in 2023. Now in
its second phase, Milliken and Jacobs are finalizing prototypes and readying the fabric for delivery to NASA by the fall.
“Milliken views this project as an opportunity to support an American commitment to further space exploration, science and research that will positively impact future generations,” said David Smith, executive vice president at Milliken and president of Milliken’s Textile Business. “We are proud to do our part to help keep NASA astronauts safe during the Artemis missions.”
“This project feels tailor-made for Milliken — it’s the perfect marriage of the FR capabilities of our Westex® brand and the knit fabrics expertise from our Polartec® brand,” said Ramesh Kesh, senior vice president of Milliken’s Textile Business. “Combine that with our manufacturing excellence and deep bench of patented research scientists and we feel incredibly aligned to support NASA on this development.”
ExecutiveForum
Freudenberg: Curious Since 1849
Textile World recently spoke with Dr. Andreas Raps, the newly appointed CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials.
TW Special Report
TThe Germany-based Freudenberg Group originally began as a tannery in 1849. Over the past 175 years, the company has grown and evolved into a global technology company providing products,services and solutions to its customers.The company is celebrating this milestone birthday under the tagline “Curious Since 1849.”
Freudenberg comprises some 10 business groups — making products across 40 market segments for thousands of different applications — and among them is the Freudenberg Performance Materials group.The focus of Freudenberg Performance Materials is innovative technical textiles that are used in a myriad of markets including apparel,automotive,building materials, energy,filter media,health-
care,footwear and leather goods.The business group — with its 32 manufacturing sites in 14 countries employing 5,100 people — generated sales of more than 1.4 billion euros ($1.51 billion) in 2023.
Dr.Andreas Raps became the CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials in January 2024. While he is new to this role, he is in his twentieth year with the company and joined the executive council back in 2020. Textile World recently had the chance to speak with Dr.Raps to learn more about the company as well as his thoughts about the current business environment and keys for success,among other topics.Dr.Raps said that while this is a new position for him,he is very familiar with the company after spending 20 years as an employee — although his 20 out of 175,
he noted with a smile,is not so much.
TW : What makes Freudenberg unique in the textile/performance materials sector?
Dr.Raps: We are celebrating a special birthday this year — 175 years of Freudenberg,which is really a wow! I’m really happy to talk about why Freudenberg Performance Materials is unique.Our innovation strengths, research and development capabilities,our broad technology platform — one of the broadest in the industry — and our global footprint make the company unique.We are a full solutions provider. Then last,but not least, our outstanding teams. Our people really make the difference and I’m very proud to be the CEO of Freudenberg Performance
Materials.I’m traveling a lot right now and I meet many new faces every single day.I receive very warm welcomes and we have veryopen and trusting discussions that underline our culture is a very special one.
TW : What are the company’s greatest strengths and how do you differentiate from competitors?
Dr.Raps: When we talk about differentiation from our competitors,I would say we start with customer centricity.Freudenberg would not have survived 175 years without listening to and anticipating the customer’s voice.My philosophy is to start with the pain points of customers and develop valuable solutions that meet their needs.I really think when we talk about innovation capabilities,we have a very good value proposition.
Dr. Andreas Raps
Also,our global footprint allows us to follow a local-for-local strategy.Our approach is always to serve local markets with local footprint.In addition,the Performance Materials group is part of the familyowned,long-term-oriented and financially solid Freudenberg Group.This presents us with a lot of opportunities.We are in a safe harbor.We are not looking into quarterly developments,but more long-term topics.
TW : Recently the Freudenberg Group shared that it had achieved record profits in 2023.What do you believe were the keys to this success? How did the textile segments contribute to the company’s overall success?
Dr.Raps: As a member of the executive council of Freudenberg Group,I can tell you that we are a diverse technology-driven company that transforms in-depth expertise into added value solutions for our customers,who appreciate those partnerships.I repeat myself, but those partnerships are for the long run.We are not looking into single points of supply.We are in partnerships for decades and I think this makes a difference.
I would say Freudenberg Performance Materials had a reasonable year overall. We saw strong performance in some segments such as gas diffusion layers for fuel cells,condensation control and healthcare.
In 2024,we have faced severe headwinds due to geopolitical circumstances
and rising interest rates that lead to hesitation,for instance.As we all know, the global building and construction industry was particularly affected.But as a diverse company,we remain a strong,reliable partner.We need to be cautious,but we can also use this time to work on our homework and prepare the company for the future.
TW : As Freudenberg grows its manufacturing capability for medical products,does this provide an opportunity also for the textile segment?
Dr.Raps: Freudenberg Medical is one of 10 business groups within the Freudenberg Group, just like Freudenberg Performance Materials. Our colleagues have strong expertise in extrusion and shaping thermoplastic and silicone components. In our case,it’s about performance materials –basic,high-performance nonwovens and polyurethane foams.We began some 20 years ago in basic wound care and today are active in advanced wound care where we offer highly technical and sophisticated solutions.We have some exclusive partnerships with customers where we have very interesting development projects.For instance, when you talk about chronic wounds,a certain environment is needed to manage the wound,such as humidity.Products from Freudenberg Performance Materials support applications like that.It’s a very exciting area and we have a
Freudenberg Comfortemp®HO 80xR circular thermal insulation product is made using 70-percent recycled polyamide that comes from discarded fishing nets, carpet flooring and industrial plastic.
very highly dedicated and passionate team happy to add value in this arena.
TW : How does the company determine its global manufacturing footprint and where to make investments?
Dr.Raps: I already mentioned that one of our basic philosophies is localfor-local,which has been our approach for decades. For instance,we entered our first partnership in Japan in the 1960s.We are active on most of the major continents with a significant footprint.Today,we
operate 32 production sites around the world.The majority still are based in Europe,but North America and Asia are exciting markets as well.We consider North America an exciting market with reasonable growth.We currently are building a new line in Vietnam for recyclable wadding products,and also a new line in India. We have a duplication of our technologies across the globe enabling us to offer the same technologies from different regions.This makes us a valuable partner for global businesses.
Evolon®durable packing solutions are made using up to 85-percent recycled PET.
Enka Bio Carrier, made from renewable resources, is a sustainable carrier material for green roofs on urban buildings.
TW : As a leading company in the nonwovens sector,what developments are key to the future of the business?
Dr.Raps: We think that joint innovations with our customers will be a key success factor for the future.Also,when talking about the future,I think if we can make our customers successful,especially in the arena of sustainability, then it’s more than a justification for us to be committed in this area. We see sustainability and commercial aspects not as a contradiction,but things that go hand in hand with each other.
I also want you to know that when we talk about sustainability,in Freudenberg’s case,it’s not just a buzzword.We started the sustainability journey decades ago and have real stories to tell.In the early 1990s,we were a pioneer in recycling PET bottles that we turned into flake to reuse in our processes. Today,we have recycling lines in almost all of our major production locations and blend virgin materials with recycled inputs.As a company,we have retained, internalized and improved the idea of upcycling.
We also like to differentiate and talk about hand-
“We can bring positive change through our handprint —by using recycled materials, being energy efficient or by helping customers to reduce their own resource consumption.”
—Dr. Andreas Raps
print and footprint when we talk about sustainability.
The ecological footprint shows the extent to which production impacts the environment by measuring the consumption of energy and raw materials as well as the resulting carbon dioxide emissions; while the ecological handprint questions how sustainable and environmentally friendly our product is.
This means we focus not only on our own consumption and emissions, but also on whether and how our products and services can help our customers to be more sustainable.We can bring positive change through our handprint — by using recycled materials,being energy efficient or by helping customers to reduce their own resource consumption.
Using pioneering technologies,the company manufactures products for a wide range of applications from clothing,roofing and cars to highly complex wound care.We offer innovative solutions for all these and many other areas and are constantly developingthem further.In doing so,we ensure that our products are developed, produced and distributed as sustainably as possible. After all,the future of our industry can only be secured in the long term with a resource-conserving,hands-on approach.
I believe that if you want to remain competitive in the long term,you have to ask yourself the same questions.There are alternatives to the materials you have been using — you just have to use them!
TW : Are there any factors that concern you with regards to successfully maintaining and growing Freudenberg’s future?
Dr.Raps: Increasing regulation and bureaucracy are an issue.But our approach is to focus on the things we can influence. When we have threats such as this,we can also make them into an opportunity.I think the industry in general is not in very good shape right now, but we do think there are some positive silver linings on the horizon.
TW : Can you tell readers a little more about Freudenberg Performance Materials in the United States?
Dr.Raps: We have some good footprints in the United States.We have good footprints in Durham and Asheville in North Carolina,and also in Macon,Ga.We have some minor sales offices as well. Our main customer base is in the Atlanta area. We are looking for M&A opportunities because we are committed to grow in the United States.We have a great team there and we can digest more business and we are ready for that. And you know with our technology portfolio,I think we have a good technology offering for the market.We see high loyalty from U.S.customers as well,so we have a good match with our let’s say technology driven approach and our technical expertise.We feel highly appreciated by the U.S. customers. TW
Fiber World
Ambercycle Partners With Hyosung TNC, MASHoldings
Ambercycle,Los Angeles,has partnered with South Korea-based Hyosung TNC to support the integration of Ambercycle’s cycora® into brand supply chains.The textile-to-textile circular polyester is a regenerated polyester chip that meets the spinnability standards of virgin products according to testing conducted by the European Center for Innovative Textiles.
“Our collaboration with Ambercycle is another important step we are taking to help our customers meet their sustainability goals and scale solutions that both present and future generations can enjoy,”said Chi Hyung Kim,CEO, Hyosung TNC.“We’re impressed with cycora for its quality,but also for its potential to divert tons of textile waste from landfills and incinerators and reduce the extraction of raw materials used in the production of virgin polyester.”
In other company news, Ambercycle has struck a three-year polyester offtake agreement with Sri Lanka-based MAS Holdings.Under the partnership,MAS can reserve capacity for cycora for its customers, which will help Ambercycle expedite commercial-scale production as fast as possible.
Suzano Obtains Stake In Lenzing Group
Brazil-based pulp producer Suzano S/A has signed a long-term partnership with B&C Group — the main shareholder of Austriabased Lenzing Group — to take over a 15-percent stake in Lenzing from B&C Group.
“Lenzing and Suzano are two companies that have come to know and appreciate each other in recent years as relevant players on the international pulp market,”said Stephan
Sielaff,CEO,Lenzing Group.“Based on the core competencies in the area of pulp production and operational excellence,Suzano can make a valuable contribution to the successful implementation of our strategy. For us,the constellation of the two strong core shareholders B&C Group and Suzano S/A is definitely a win.”
Stein Fibers Acquires Banyan Plastics
To accelerate its growth strategy in the sustainable polymers market, Stein Fibers LLC,Albany,N.Y., has acquired recycled materials distributor Banyan Plastics LLC, West Palm Beach,Fla.
“We are excited to onboard the team from Banyan Plastics LLC,”said Jaren Edwards,president of Stein Fibers.“Together,we are better equipped to help our customers meet their published sustainability goals within the recycled plastics marketplace.Even more important is the value and efficiency we provide to recycling facilities around the world. Our combined expertise and scale will provide solutions that have never been offered on a consistent basis to both our suppliers and customers.”
Investment Firm Altor Buys Renewcell Assets
Shortly after Stockholm-based Renewcell filed for bankruptcy and announced it was looking for a new owner to protect its patented process for CIRCULOSE® pulp,it was reported that Sweden-based investment firm Altor had acquired assets of the company.Moving forward,the company will operate under the name Circulose.Renewcell technology uses a closed-loop, chemical recycling process to create recycled cotton dissolving pulp from 100-percent textile waste.The pulp is used by man-made cellulosic fiber (MMCF) producers.The investment
Teijin Frontier Develops Octa®sf Spun Yarn
Tokyo-based Teijin Frontier Co.Ltd.recently introduced Octa®sf,a polyester spun yarn featuring an ultrafine staple fiber that has a hollow,eight-fin modified cross-section.This modified fiber creates a full and fluffy yarn with a soft,gentle feel,according to the company. The yarn also is lightweight and absorbs moisture when used in sportswear applications.
The fibers also may be blended with other natural and synthetic fibers.
In conjunction,Teijin Frontier is developing a variety of baselayer,midlayer and outwear fabrics featuring Octa sf yarn,which will be available for sportswear applications for the fall/winter 2025 season.The company is targeting sales of 100,000 meters in fiscal 2025 growing to 500,000 meters by fiscal 2028.
by Altor ensures the company has the resources and network needed to scale Circulose pulp production.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to our customers,partners,and stakeholders for their unwavering support and collaboration during this journey,”said Magnus Lundmark,CEO at Circulose.“Together, we will continue to drive positive change,leveraging Altor’s expertise and resources to enhance our capabilities and secure a confident future for Circulose and the broader textile community.”
“We don’t shy away from a challenge and this one is worth taking,both for the uniqueness of the patented technology and the urgency of scaling circular solutions for the entire textile and fashion industry,particularly to replace virgin cotton and MMCF,”said Clara Zverina,Altor principal. TW
Bringing Flax Growing Back To The United States
TTextile artist Heidi Barr’s search for a local supplier of linen in Pennsylvania for her home goods company left her emptyhanded and curious. Through her research, she found that linen was no longer produced in North America.The flax seed had first come to the United States in the 1600s with the Dutch and German settlers of Germantown, an area of Philadelphia just minutes from where she lived. Barr wondered what it would take to start the industry up again in the United States.She found others interested in growing flax for fiber and came across the Clevelandbased Rustbelt Fibershed linen project and Fibrevolution Inc. in Fruitland, Ore. But it was a chance meeting with a Pennsylvania farmer, Emma De Long, who wanted Barr to make her a linen wedding dress, that led De Long to hand plant a test plot of flax in March 2020 on her vegetable and flower farm — Kneehigh Farm — in Pottstown, Pa. The two women formed the PA Flax Project (PAFP) that year to build a field-to-fiber supply chain in Southeastern Pennsylvania hiring the women at Fibrevolution as consul-
A USDA grant is helping the PA Flax Project revitalize the flax-to-fiber industry in Pennsylvania.
By Kathleen Webber
tants to share knowledge about flax, its agronomy, and the processing to make it into linen.
Not long after, in September 2022, the North American Linen Association (NALA) was established, and Barr became the founding vice president on the board. A 501c6 trade association, NALA focuses on advancing the flax-to-linen industry in North America. Shannon Welsh, executive director of NALA and cofounder of Fibrevolution, helped assemble a network of national and international experts to provide members with training, education, technical advice, and networking to rebuild the industry in North America.
Recently, PAFP was awardeda $1.7 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Market-
ing Services Organic Marketing Development Grant (OMDG) to grow flax for linen and other coproducts on 12,000 acres in Pennsylvania. PAFP has partnered with the Rodale Institute, Kutztown, Pa., on the grant to reach its large network of organic and transitioning to organic farmers. A cohort of farmers is already interested in a work cooperative of producers both at the farm and the mill level. “It is a European model,” Barr said. “We chose the cooperative model not only because we believe in a democratically run workplace, but because it spreads out the risk as well as the reward across all of the stakeholders. And we’re hoping that will make us be able to succeed as a business.”
The goal of the OMDG grant is to recruit farmers, support them with education, and move the organic fiber flax from farm to market by developing a mill and a market for Pennsylvania organic fiber flax. PAFP is learning from growers in Europe on how to grow, harvest and process flax.Private funding allowed Barr to purchase three pieces of Depoortere harvesting equipment from Belgium that will arrive this summer in time
An Oregon flax field (Image courtesy of John Morgan, StereoEye Productions)
for its second farmer educational event.“The people we’re purchasing from are also sending somebody to teach us how to use the machinery,” Barr noted. “They’re very supportive of this project and I think a huge key to the North American success in linen is going to be collaboration with people in Europe. They hold all the recent history.”
Welsh traveled through Europe all over the flax-growing regions and toured mills and met other people in the industry for NALA. “Over time, everyone was starting to come to us for consulting for all kinds of things, partnerships,” Welsh said. “Heidi was one of the people that we consulted with. And we saw lots of other regions throughout North America trying to bring this crop back. It seems like to really get a supply chain for linen again, we needed to come together as a larger organization and work together as we build rebuild infrastructure and get crops growing.” NALA’s board is nine members strong and growing. Among the significant growers in North America are Rustbelt Fibershed; Fibrevolution; Chico Flax, Chico, Calif.; GreenMountain Linen, South Royalton, Vt.; TapRoot Fibrelab, Greenwich, Nova Scotia; Montrealbased Canflax; and Biolin Research Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
After securing the grant, PAFP went from no resources to being fully funded for three years, Barr said. It has hired a new director of Agriculture, a director of Development, a director of Education and a director of Value Chain Coordination. PAFP is working with partners like Pennsylvania Fibershed, a nonprofit organization working to connect the fiber and textile communities in Pennsylvania through industry development. Leslie Davidson, co-founder of Pennsylvania Fibershed said it is assisting PAFP on systems development, data collection and supply chain outreach to get farmers interested in growing the crop and getting people committed to using the fiber once it is grown and processed. Barr said flax has the potential to provide
new revenue streams for hundreds of farmers in Pennsylvania alone.
State Support For Flax Growing
Barr worked with Michael Roth, director of Conservation and Innovation at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, to advocate for adding flax fiber to the specialty crop list in the state. “Pennsylvania is the first state to have its own Farm Bill and therefore the only one with a statelevel specialty crop program,” Roth noted. Flax is now classified as a specialty crop, which unlocks funding for people who are producing the crop. “Specialty crops are crops that are of particular interest and eligible for support because they have some benefit beyond just being a crop,” Roth said.
Barr also noted that: “Flax was awarded the specialty crop status just ahead of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Specialty Crop Block grants coming open to anyone growing fiber flax.”
Shannon Powers of the PA Department of Agriculture said the Pennsylvania Specialty Crop Block Grant was created as part of the PA Farm Bill and the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant program prioritizing crops tied to fast-growing sectors, or those that have the potential to
increase our sustainability and create opportunities for farmers.
“Flax checks both of those boxes, Powers said. “Linen is among the natural fibers in demand by consumers who want to decrease their carbon footprint with plant-based products. At this point, flax has to be shipped out of the U.S. for final processing into linen, then be imported back to the U.S. PA Flax Project is working to return the flax-processing industry back to the U.S. to create economic opportunity for Pennsylvania farmers, and increase sustainability in the textile industry — an effort the PA Department of Agriculture supports.”
Barr said the hope is that other states will look at what Pennsylvania did and go to their Department of Agriculture and advocate for the same. “The more states that can get it on the specialty crop list, the more likely it will be to be added at the federal level,” Barr said.
Flax History
Flax is a bast fiber meaning that it comes from second layer of the plant’s stem. Hemp, jute and ramie also are bast fibers. There is evidence of its growth and use dating back to the fifth millennium BC in both Mesopotamia and Egypt, but the crop came to Europe in the Mid-
A flax harvest at Kneehigh Farm in Pottstown, Pa. (Image courtesy of Zoe Schaeffer)
dle Ages, where it was cultivated widely. German settlers brought flax production to the Pennsylvania colony in the 17th century, settling in the southeastern area of the state near Philadelphia. “While it had deep roots in this region, the flax industry initially lost ground to cotton in the first Industrial Revolution because cotton had the advantages of the labor of enslaved people,” Barr said. “The cotton gin was an early industrial invention that meant it became faster and cheaper to produce cotton. And so linen sort of lost ground there and then it lost ground again after the Second World War, when synthetic textiles came onto the market. NAFTA was the final nail in the coffin.”
Benefits Of Flax
A climate-positive plant, flax is easy to grow, taking 100 days from seed to harvest. Its most valuable use is for linen production. Linen is known for its durability, breathability and strength, and demand for it has grown as consumers turn away from synthetics and embrace natural fibers. “Flax is environmentally very friendly,” Barr said. “It is a lowinput crop that doesn’t require irrigation and it remediates soils, promoting biodiversity. It’s a carbon capture crop. It can be processed from field to spinnable fiber with no chemicals using all mechanical processing. So, every part of the plant has commercial uses. Plus, it yields a very versatile textile.”
Flax grows in a large variety of climates. It will tolerate a lot of different soil types, but more importantly, it’s the humidity and moisture that it needs Barr explained. In Europe, it grows in coastal regions. And in Oregon, growers benefit from a coastal climate. “Here [in PA] we have enough humidity,” Barr noted.
When the fibrous stems of the flax plant turn a yellow-brown color, it is pulled to harvest and the flax plant is left to rett in the field for a period of two to three weeks. The retted flax straw is transported to the scutching mill to be processed into spinnable fiber. Then the fiber goes to a spinning mill and then on to be woven or knit into fabric.
Three Stages Of The PAFP
Right now, PAFP is in the agricultural stage, or stage one, with interested farmers.It is followed by the mill stage, and then the mill’s stabilization stage. This year its priorities are to grow small amounts, and support farmers with education about the agronomy of the crop, so that they are set up for success as they scale. PAFP also is networking and relationshipbuilding to begin identifying buyers for what will eventually be produced at the mill. The ambitious goal is to have the mill operational at the end of year three. Its director of development is already looking for a mill building, creating the built environment strategy and fundraising so things can stay on schedule.
PAFP will likely locate the mill in southeastern Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia region — not necessarily because it’s the best part of the state, but because that’s where the bulk of its interested growers are right now. “Our goal is to have a regional scale mill and once we get the mill operational, we don’t want to expand beyond that,” Barr said. “We want to become an educational hub for others who are interested in a similarly-sized cooperative model. And we think that Pennsylvania has room for at least three and probably five, similarly sized operations.”
John England Irish linen (Image courtesy of Fibrevolution)
Scutched flax fiber is combed and then spun into yarns.
(Image courtesy of Fibrevolution)
The idea is to locate the mill within a couple of hundred miles of the bulk of the growers. These growers will plant 3,000 to 4,000 acres of crop in a four-year rotation. The closer the mill is to those acres, the less distance the giant bales of straw need to be transported.
“We will be a raw materials mill, so we’ll be producing what’s called scutched fiber or fiber that’s ready to be spun,” Barr said. “For the textile industry, our end users would be spinners or people who are creating nonwoven cloth with short fibers as well as buyers of coproducts like shive, dust and immature seed.”
The biggest hurdle to building the industry is the amount of capital it takes to build mills as part of the infrastructure. A first-stage processing or scutching mill can cost between $5 million and $10 million to build, and ideally, a mill on the West coast, in the Midwest and in the Northeast would be needed, Welsh noted. “My goal is to really disrupt our current textile system and have commercial production taking place domestically,” Welsh said. “I feel like there is a lot of momentum right now, but Isee it slowing down because every group is having to raise a significant amount of money to build the processing mills.”
However, Barr said reestablishing a whole industry requires a relatively modest investment making it attractive to investors. “In our case, the early stage funding we’ve received through the OMDG award will help us achieve funding for our mill and it’s our hope that our success will encourage investment in other regional flax fiber projects,” Barr said. “Our OMDGaward is a huge step forward and a vote of confidence by the USDA in both PAFP and the fiber flax industry in North America, which is very encouraging.”
including short fibers that can go into biocomposites, be ring spun similar to wool, or even be cottonized and blended with cotton. Everything produced at the mill will have a market. Welsh noted that global demand for the fiber is not being met by supply. European supply is not meeting with current market demands and so
Flax can also be used in composite applications such as thermoplastic honeycomb sandwich panels created by EconCore NV in collaboration with Flaxco®, both based in Belgium.
Flax linen can be found in all three main areas of design: 60 percent by volume is used in fashion; 30 percent in lifestyle and interior decoration; and 10 percent in technical applications. Welsh said through her research she learned consumers are attracted to the sustainability of the fiber, but beyond fashion and apparel, other industries also are using flax fiber for applications such as biocomposites. “They’re using flax in airplanes, cars and boats,” Welsh said. “There’s a lot of potential for this fiber in other sectors too, and I think the demand in those sectors is going up. There are more industries interested in flax fiber to replace things like carbon fiberglass. It has a lot of characteristics that perform really well.” Welsh also cited the fishing industry, which is interested in using hemp and flax in order to move away from plastic-based nets and ropes.
Innovation and Applications
The Alliance for European FlaxLinen and Hemp reports the value chain has been enhanced by new textile production processes for knitting and innovative technical applications including linen knits, fiber brands, and techniques like washed linen and water-repellent linen.
Demand And Meeting It
Barr believes there’s a movement afoot. There is a very large growing demand for linen and for the coproducts that may be produced at the mill
project could possibly fill in those gaps. According to a report by the Alliance for European Flax-Linen and Hemp, three quarters of the world’s flax fiber is produced in France, the Netherlands and Belgium —all small countries in terms of land. From 2010-2020 there’s been a 133-percent increase in flax production in Europe, but in 2023 poor weather conditions meant a smaller harvest. In the same report, the average price in 2024 across all qualities and all production regions of European Flax fiber produced by European scutchers —in France, Belgium and the Netherlands — reached 9.08 euros per kilogram, representing a year-on-year increase of 55 percent.
“A lot of the European companies, like Safilin, are starting to come out with knit textiles made of linen,” Barr said. “No one has ever really done that before. We think of knits as being cotton or poly but it can be done. And there’s a lot of experimentation being done with the end-product. So, there is the environmental end, and then there’s the business end.”
The possibilities for flax and linen are just beginning. TW
Editor’s Note: Kathleen Webber is a freelance writer and academic who teaches journalism at The College of New Jersey. She researches and writes about sustainability in the global fashion industry, innovation in creating circular economies and domestic manufacturing.
Early adopters of PrimaLoft’s RISE Loose fill for winter season 2024 include adidas TERREX.
Exploring recent innovations in insulating fibers.
TW Special Report
Staying Warm: Fiber Insulation Solutions
IIn the field of fibers for insulation, warmth, sustainability and performance are key. Italy-based Thermore S.p.A., PrimaLoft Inc., Albany, N.Y., and 3M, St. Paul, Minn., are just some of the companies pursuing fiber insulation solutions. Recently, these companies have unveiled fresh products for fiber insulation, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in textile fibers.
Thermore most recently introduced Freedom stretch insulation, emphasizing sustainability and dynamic performance. 3M recently unveiled the 3M ™ Thinsulate ™ LIGHT Series, a testament to the company’s expertise in lightweight insulation technology. In addition, PrimaLoft recently expanded its portfolio with ThermoPlume®+ and RISE Loose Fill, combining warmth and durability with sustainability. These innovations show forward progress in the field of textile fiber insulation.
Thermore
Thermore’s Freedom stretch insulation is a dynamic insulation, made
using 50-percent post-consumer recycled polyester. Designed to cater to a wide range of active pursuits, from alpine sports to cycling, Freedom insulation is available in four levels of warmth in weights ranging from 60 to 150 grams per square meter. According to the company, dynamometer testing shows that Freedom recovers to 100 percent of its prestretch size repeatedly and without issue. Thermore also reports Freedom is machine washable, dry cleanable and easy to care for. The insulation also is highly resistant to fiber migration.
Notably, it is bluesign ® and Global Recycled Standard certified, underlining Thermore’s commitment to sustainability. With its focus on performance and eco-consciousness, Thermore continues to advance the standards of textile insulation.
3M
Meanwhile, 3M unveiled the 3M Thinsulate LIGHT Series at a recent Performance Days Functional Fabric Fair in Munich, Germany. This extension of the Thinsulate insulation fam-
ily is a lightweight product, boasting a thickness of just 4 millimeters. According to the company, the insulation delivers exceptional warmth without bulk. 3M leveraged its expertise in nonwoven technologies to create the LIGHT Series products. Complementing its commitment to sustainability, 3M’s Thinsulate insulation line incorporates post-consumer recycled content and aligns with the company’s strategic sustainability framework.
“At 3M, we’re very proud of our science-backed achievements, specifically our ability to propel the science of insulation forward,” said Totti Liang, Asia-Pacific sales manager for 3M. “Our developments within the 3M Thinsulate Insulation line of products is a testament to an unending focus on enhancing performance while building thinner, more versatile textiles.”
In addition, 3M has a firm focus on sustainable production and has in place a strategic sustainability framework. According to a company press release: “3M has … pledged
$1 billion over 20 years to accelerate environmental goals, including achieving carbon neutrality across operations by 2050, with a 50 percent reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 market-based greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (versus a baseline year of 2019); reducing water usage, indexed to net sales, by 25 percent across all facilities by 2030 (versus 2019); and reducing dependence on virgin fossil-based plastics by 125 million pounds by 2025.”
PrimaLoft
PrimaLoft has expanded its synthetic down alternative portfolio with two new high-performance insulations — PrimaLoft ® Insulation ThermoPlume+ and PrimaLoft Insulation RISE Loose Fill. These innovations combine the warmth and aesthetic of natural down with the durability and sustainability of PrimaLoft synthetic fibers.
“Our latest loose fill offerings have been developed to serve a variety of needs for our customers,” said Tara Maurer-Mackey, senior vice president, Product Strategy. “Performance brands appreciate the products’ durability, packability and top thermal performance, even in wet conditions. Fashion and lifestyle partners are drawn to PrimaLoft synthetic down alternatives by the down-like hand feel, luxurious puffiness, sustainability, and animal welfare considerations. Across categories, brands value the design flexibility and ease of manufacturing our loose fill options provide.”
According to the company, PrimaLoft ThermoPlume+ was “designed to mimic the lightweight warmth, loft, softness, and compressibility of down.” ThermoPlume+ blends two unique fiber shapes in order to increase loft and the thermal properties —a sailshaped fiber shape and spherical fiber balls. This combination creates a new structural network. The empty spaces between the differing forms create a scaffolding effect that creates a structurally resilient loft, according
to the company. ThermoPlume+ has fluorocarbon-free water resistance to keep the wearer warm, even in wet conditions, and is made using 100percent recycled materials.
PrimaLoft RISE technology was first introduced in 2020 as a batted insulation. The company reports it took the unique construction of the batting and turned it into a high-performance, loose fill product. The resulting RISE Loose Fill offers thermal values, weight, compression resistance, and loft comparable to high-quality natural down, according to PrimaLoft. RISE Loose Fill, made using 100-percent post-consumer recycled materials, provides 650 fill power and is promoted as a vegan
down alternative. Early adopters of RISE Loose Fill include adidas brand TERREX and England-based outdoor brand Rab®
PrimaLoft’s latest offerings cater to diverse customer needs, from outdoor performance to fashion and lifestyle.
Ocean-Protecting Solutions
As companies look to make more sustainable products, some are helping to make the world’s oceans cleaner by featuring ocean-bound plastics in their products.
Thermore recently introduced its first thermal insulation made using 100-percent OceanCycle-certified plastics. OceanCycle is a social enter-
3M™ Thinsulate™ Light is an extension of the Thinsulate insulation family.
Thermore’s clump-resistant Ecodown Fibers Ocean insulation is Ocean-Cycle certified.
Perfect Partners: Karbon + Thermore
Many outdoor clothing brands use Italy-based Thermore’s insulation products in their products including Obermeyer Ski Wear and Stio. As a component brand, Thermore is focused on blending performance with environmentally friendly innovations.
Karbon, a brand established in 1997, is designed and manufactured by Toronto-based Schure Sports Inc. The privately held, family-owned company specializes in garments for winter sports with a focus on technical and functional design, as well as performance and style for outdoor activities.
According to the brand, Karbon uses Thermore’s fiber insulation products from Ecodown and Evodown to Freedom and more, throughout its collection. The decision to use one product over another depends on whether the garment is intended for casual or performance situations.
Karbon’s “Liquid” jacket in particular features Evodown.
“From a performance standpoint, the hand feel was exactly what we wanted,” said Peter Schure, vice president, Schure Sports. “It is light and soft, and when wet it still keeps you warm. It’s also sustainable, which is in line with Karbon’s sustainability initiatives.
“Thermore is the perfect choice as our premium insulation partner as they deliver unparalleled performance and technology that allows our garments to excel in all conditions,” he added.
Karbon’s “Liquid” jacket features Evodown insulation from Thermore.
prise focused on preventing pollution caused by ocean plastics that offers 100-percent independent, thirdparty certification of ocean-bound plastics recycling supply chains.
These ocean-bound plastics — comprised of PET bottles —are reported to make up as much as 80 percent of the plastic pollution found in the oceans. Ecodown Fibers Ocean — made at Thermore’s state-of-theart production site in Hong Kong — is extremely soft and resistant to clumping like other products in the Ecodown Family, according to the company. The thermal insulation also features a unique, multi-shape structure and is animal free. Thermore reports it is “highly concentrated on eco-friendly innovation, mostly using polyester fibers recycled from PET bottles.”
Several years ago, Primaloft partnered with Parley for the Oceans — a nonprofit organization that focuses on protecting the oceans —to develop products made using marine
plastic waste. Its PrimaLoft Insulation with Ocean Bound Plastic is the company’s latest offering. This highperformance insulation is made using 100-percent post-consumer recycled content where approximately 60 percent of that recycled material comes from plastic bottles collected within a 30 mile radius of coastal areas.
PrimaLoft Insulation with Ocean Bound Plastic’s manufacturing process is also certified by OceanCycle. “The quality of plastic quickly degrades once it’s exposed to the elements in ocean water, making it unusable for most recycling efforts,” Maurer-Mackay noted. “By capturing plastic waste before it can reach the ocean, we’re able to use the material to create products that offer our brand partners and consumers the best mix of performance and versatility with a reduced environmental impact.”
Oslo-based Helly Hansen and Isbjörn of Sweden, were the first
brands to adopt use of PrimaLoft Insulation with Ocean Bound Plastic. Thermore, 3M, and PrimaLoft bring unique expertise to the forefront of fiber insulation innovation. Thermore’s Freedom stretch insulation and Ecodown Fibers Ocean prioritize both performance and sustainability, offering a dynamic solution for active lifestyles.
3M’s Thinsulate LIGHT Series showcases the company’s prowess in lightweight insulation technology, underscoring its commitment to scientific excellence and environmental stewardship. And PrimaLoft’s ThermoPlume+, RISE Loose Fill insulations and PrimaLoft Insulation with Ocean Bound Plastic represent a fusion of warmth, durability, and sustainability, catering to a wide range of applications across industries.
As consumer demands evolve, these industry influencers remain steadfast in their pursuit of excellence, shaping the future of textile fiber insulation innovation. TW
American DORNIER: Rich Heritage Of Innovation & Quality
American DORNIER’s Oliver Meier shares his thoughts on his experience as a textile executive and the weaving machine industry as he enters his second year at the helm of the company.
OOliver Meier became the executive vice president at the helm of Charlotte, N.C.-based American DORNIER,a subsidiary of Germany-based Lindauer DORNIER GmbH,just over a year ago.The company staged a symbolic display of the change in management at its Technology Day 2023 where Meier and Peter Brust — the previous head of American DORNIER for 22 years who had retired — conducted a yarn transfer from a left-hand to a right-hand rapier. (See “American Dornier: Focus On Leadership, Technology And Training,” TW,November/December 2023).
DORNIER began life in aircraft design and construction before transitioning in the 1950s to textile equipment.Today,the company’s technologies include rapier and air-jet weaving machines; film stretching lines for biaxial polypropylene and polyester films; and the
DORNIER Composite Systems®,which comprises the PROTOS® TP for unidirectional tapes,PROTOS TW for woven tape fabrics and TRITOS® for multilayer and 3D fabrics. From its Charlotte location, American DORNIER serves the Americas with sales and support,spare parts,installation,service and personnel training, film stretching clip chain overhaul and repair, and marketing.
Textile World recently had the opportunity to chat with Meier about his first year with the company,his experience as a textile executive and the outlook for the company.
TW : Shifting into your second year as executive vice president of American DORNIER,how was the transition and how do you perceive DORNIER’s role in an ever-evolving U.S. textile industry?
Meier: My first year with American DORNIER has been excellent.The transition has been very
smooth thanks to our exceptional team that has great technical knowledge and experience in our field, and which has been very supportive of my new role.
One of the key aspects I’ve focused on during my first year at American DORNIER is preserving its historical role of more than 45 years and its current position within the U.S. textile industry.DORNIER has a rich heritage of innovation and quality in textile machinery,exemplified by our latest P2 rapier weaving machine and our new A2 air-jet weaving machine.My focus is to ensure that we keep building on this foundation to remain relevant in an everevolving marketplace.
We recently completed a successful restructuring of our strong sales and service team,adding additional team members to better position us for future changes in the industry. Support,from customer service and OEM parts on demand to technical assistance,will play an even
more important role in the future.Our Charlotte facility is well positioned to provide the support our customers in the Americas have come to expect.
TW : As a textile industry veteran whose career has always centered on leading edge technology,how does your past experience inform your new role?
Meier: I never thought of myself as a veteran, but after 28-plus years in the U.S.textile industry, Ihave gained an understanding of the unique challenges,market trends and volatility,and customer expectations.This greatly supports the business goals and strategic vision we have defined for DORNIER globally.
In essence,my past experience in the textile industry serves as a solid foundation for embracing new challenges in roles focused on leading-edge technology such as that manufactured by DORNIER.It not only informs my decision-making,but also inspires me to
TW Special Report
Oliver Meier
push boundaries,driving meaningful innovation and sustainable growth.
TW : Has your variety of experiences in the textile field affected and/or aided your relationships with suppliers and customers in your current position?
Meier: I started my career in automotive textile manufacturing; from there,I moved to software development for the textile industry,which introduced me to the era of Industry 3.0.This helped prepare me to find new opportunities in the textile machinery industry.Overall,my varied experience has enhanced my ability to better manage successful business relationships with customers,suppliers and within DORNIER.
TW : What makes DORNIERunique in the weaving sector and what are the company’s greatest strengths?
Meier: Known by many as the “Green Machine,” DORNIER’s weaving machines are a unique combination of flexibility, durability and robustness. It is not without reason that we say “Anything that
wound onto a yarn spool can be processed on a weaving machine from DORNIER.”
Next year,DORNIER will be able to look back on 75 years of innovation in the weaving industry.I believe many of Textile World ’s readers know that our roots are in the aviation industry.Mr.Peter Dornier founded Lindauer DORNIER in 1950,manufacturing shuttle looms, which evolved into positive rapier weaving machines in the late 1960s — known today as the P2 — and in the late 1980s the air-jet weaving machine — known today as the A2 — joined our portfolio.
Our weaving machines are “Made in Germany,” 100-percent designed and
Quick access to service personnel and spare parts for our customers is a crucial backbone of our business.
Another strong focus for DORNIER is technical textiles,an important and growing sector of the textile industry worldwide, but especially in the United States.The precision, versatility and maximum production reliability of DORNIER weaving machines lend themselves greatly to the development and production of technical textiles.So much so,that 10 years ago the company decided to create a separate division called Composite Systems.It focuses exclusively on the development and production of composite weaving machines for the growing demand in this market sector.To support this market,you
have to be able to manage, manufacture,and support one-of-a-kind weaving systems with individual, unique features that you may not find anywhere else.
I consider these to be some of DORNIER’s major strengths,which we use in all three of our business sectors: weaving, film stretching and composite systems.
TW : Has the U.S. market for new weaving and composites machinery improved or changed with the industry’s pivot to high-value technical textiles?
Meier: Yes,absolutely. The demand for technical textiles is increasing every year driven by applications in aerospace,automotive, filtration,and protective applications,to name just a few applications.Composite materials,especially woven composites,are one of the few textile market sectors in North America with significant growth expectations for years to come.As this increasing demand brings scalable composite production more into focus,DORNIER
Dornier’s A2 air-jet weaving machine
Dornier’s P2 rapier weaving machine
is well positioned to meet the growing need for economical mass production of fiber composite solutions in various industries.With its customized machines and systems for the production of fiber composite components, 3D fabrics and fiber tapes, DORNIER is ready to meet future market demands.
TW : As a leading company in the weaving sector,what developments are key to the future of DORNIER’s business?
Meier: Embracing digitization and automation in the weaving process is essential.This includes IoT-enabled machines, real-time data and predictive analytics,and connectivity to optimize production efficiency to reduce downtime and improve quality.
This is why we are continuously working to increase the level of digitization of our weaving machines,for example,to better track machine,fabric and weft data,as seen most recently with the A2 air-jet weaving machine.
Another future development for DORNIER in a constantly transforming industry is to ensure reliable and flexible fabric production for our customers even in challenging times.
TW : Are there any factors that concern you with regards to successfully maintaining and growing American DORNIER’s future?
— what is your perception of the current economic climate in the United States during this election year?
Market competition and technological advances are a constant challenge, but not an impediment to growth.Other areas of concern are economic developments and regulatory changes, which can have a serious impact on our business as a foreign subsidiary.
However,as long as we have a direction of where we want to be in the future,challenges are there to be overcome.
TW : As someone with an inherent international perspective — as a German
Meier: The landscape for finding and retaining dramatically in recent years,especially in the service sector.A weaving machine does not service or repair itself — at least not yet!Hiring and retaining young and qualified employees is very challenging.To counter this and to attract new talent, we offer a variety of programs like our apprentice program and a dual training system in Germany.
Meier: We like to say that in an election year, investment suffers and is often postponed until after the election.The aftermath of the pandemic,where companies invested heavily in new equipment,has a much greater lingering impact than the current election year concerns,in my opinion.
I am more concerned about high interest rates, fueled by continuing inflation,and the negative impact this has on overall economic growth and the housing market,which has a huge impact on the U.S.interior and exterior textile market.
TW : Any thoughts on the investment outlook both from a domestic and international perspective?
Meier: The year 2024 appears to be flat for new investment in our business
However,early indicators promising and show renewed interest in upgrading aging equipment in North America. A very important topic for us,the durability and serviceability of our machines are key factors.Some of our customers in the Americas are using DORNIER weaving machines that are 40 years old or older. Servicing these models with original spare parts is a central pillar for our family-owned company.
South America,on the other hand,will remain a challenge for some time. Ongoing high inflation in Argentina and the devaluation of the Brazilian real against the US dollar are significantly dampening investments in new equipment.These challenges are not new to us and we are well prepared to work with our South American customers to find ways to overcome these short-lived obstacles and to keep providing on-demand service and support. TW
Juki America Inc., Morrisville, N.C., has entered into a partnership with Sweden-based Coloreel to market and sell Coloreel’s thread dyeing technology to its sewing customers. Juki’s distributors have exclusive rights to provide Coloreel for sewing machines within North and South America.
“We’re excited about this expansion from embroidery to sewing,” said Torbjörn Bäck, Coloreel CEO. “This agreement is a strategic milestone for Coloreel as we apply our technology to the broader sewing market. Working with Juki America allows us to leverage their robust market presence and technical expertise.”
Target, Cargill To Use FibreTrace® Technology
Singapore-based FibreTrace® has entered into an agreement with Minneapolis-based Target Corp. and Cargill, Wayzata, Minn., that will permit real-time verification of U.S. and Brazilian cotton in Target’s supply chain. During its first year, the collaboration will mark 50,000 metric tons of raw U.S. and Brazilian raw cotton with FibreTrace’s luminescent pigment technology during ginning. This pigment then allows the cotton supply to be tracked and identified across the supply chain. Data is securely uploaded to Blockchain where it may be shared using FibreTrace’s platform or another digital platform of the brand’s choosing.
“Achieving full visibility to where the cotton used to produce our products is grown is among the top priorities of our sustainability goals,” said Bill Foudy, senior vice president, and president, Owned Brands, at Target. “Our partnership with FibreTrace and Cargill is an important step to improve traceability for the industry and will enable us to accelerate those efforts with our suppliers.”
Pleneri Establishes Innovation Center At MSC
Pleneri has opened an Innovation Center at the Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC), Conover, N.C. The apparel innovation company offers a digital platform that takes fashion designs and translates them into digital manufacturing instructions. The company reports this technology allows for smaller order quantities and enables small, independent designers to access tools and capabilities that previously were only available to large companies. In the future, Pleneri has plans to establish microfactories to meet the needs of designers and brands with a focus on sustainable practices and reduced environmental impact.
Jeff Neuville, director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center, highlighted the synergy between Pleneri and MSC, saying: “… Our mission is to support early-stage companies by providing access to state-of-the-art equipment, industry expertise, and a collaborative environment. Pleneri’s presence here will significantly contribute to the advancement of the textiles industry in North Carolina, showcasing the value of reshoring manufacturing back to the United States.”
Stoll Introduces CMS 703 ki
Germany-based Stoll has introduced the CMS 703 ki Knit and Wear Knitting machine. With its 72-inchworking-width and gauge range of E 6.2 to 10.2, the machine can produce seamless knitwear in a variety of sizes. Tailored for smaller budgets, the machine incorporates Stoll’s new Multiflex® take-down system, spring-loaded latch needles, multitouch operation panel, and a screen with a wide viewing angle all for a low investment cost. According to Stoll, the machine requires little maintenance and may be fully integrated into automated and digitized processes.
HanesBrands To Sell Champion IP and Assets; Focus On Innerwear
HanesBrands, Winston-Salem, N.C., has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the intellectual property (IP) and certain operating assets of its Champion business to New York City-based Authentic Brands Group. The transaction is valued at $1.2 billion, but could reach as high as $1.5 billion with an additional contingent cash consideration of up to $300 million. The contingency is based on reaching performance thresholds. The sale, expected to be completed in the second half of 2024, remains subject to customary closing conditions. There also will be a transition period during which HanesBrands will provide certain transition services for Champion including operating the business in select regions. After the sale closes, HanesBrands intends to focus on the innerwear category and its brands including Hanes, Bonds, Maidenform and Bali. Bill Simon, chairman of the board, said: “Following a thorough review of options for the global Champion business with the support of our financial and legal advisors, we are pleased to have reached this agreement with Authentic Brands Group that we believe maximizes value for Champion and best positions HanesBrands for long-term success. Importantly, we believe this transaction will enable the company to accelerate its debt reduction while positioning HanesBrands to deliver consistent growth and cash flow generation through a focused strategy on advancing its leading innerwear brands and optimizing its world-class supply chain.”
Dyeing,Printing & Finishing
Fi-Tech To Represent Zimmer Austria
Austria-based Zimmer Austria recently announced a restructuring of its business in the United States and Canada.The company’s printing and finishing equipment is now represented in the United States and Canada by Fi-Tech Inc.,Midlothian, Va.This reorganization of its sales network is a strategic move that will strengthen sales capabilities and also improve service and maintenance for existing customers.Zimmer Austria is very grateful to the Zimmer Machinery Corp.team consisting of leader Roland Zimmer,Franziska Basalone and Gerald Abele for their endeavors while representing Zimmer machinery in the United States and Canada.
Karl Mayer Launches CASCADE Energy Solution
Germany-based Karl Mayer Group has introduced Cascade,a solution for inline energy recycling on its PROSIZE® sizing machines and BLUEDYE dyeing plants. Cascade focuses on steam as a heating medium in cylinder dryers.
“CASCADE recirculates parts of the process steam in cylinder dryers, enabling genuine,efficient energy recycling within the machine,” explained Karl-Heinz Vaassen,head of Textile Drying at KARL MAYER.
For example,an Asian textile manufacturer running a dryer with 14 cylinders over 7,000 working hours can save up to $17,000 per year using Cascade,according to Karl Mayer.To illustrate the savings, the machine dashboard displays the corresponding reduction in carbon dioxide equivalents as calculated using data from a sensor that provides in real-time the amount of steam circulating in the unit.
The patented Cascade system is now included as standard equipment on Prosize sizing machines.The next
step is for the company to integrate Cascade into other dryers as well as its Bluedye system.
Archroma Launches COLOR MANAGEMENT+
Switzerland-based Archroma recently launched COLOR MANAGEMENT+,a color design and development solution created to aid collaboration between textile brands and manufacturers.According to Achroma,the solution features the industry’s largest off-the-shelf color atlas containing more than 5,700 unique colors for cotton,polyester and blends.Combined with design tools and engineered color standards created using Archroma’s SUPER SYSTEMS+,Color Management+ provide accurate color reproduction with a reduced environmental impact.The company reports Color Management+ provide recipes and references that colorists need to bring colors to life.
Campos Selects Brückner Tenter For Expansion
Germany-based Brückner Trockentechnik GmbH & Co.KG recently supplied a Brückner POWER-FRAME tenter frame with vertical transport chain to Spain-based Campos,a producer of mattress fabrics and stretchable knit fabrics.A few years ago,the company decide to expand and finish its fabrics inhouse and selected the tenter from Brückner for a variety of reasons including the quality of the machines and company philosophy.
According to Brückner,countered heating and ventilation elements in the Power-Frame tenter ensure uniform air impingement across the entire fabric width; a split-flow ventilation system and low specific energy consumption contribute to drying performance; and the robust construction and low-maintenance chain ensure long service life and low wear.
Alchemie Gets Grant To Collaborate With Taiwan’s Textile Industry
England-based Alchemie Technology reports it has received a £742,254 ($919,700) grant to help drive transformation of Taiwan’s textile industry. Alchemie will work with JSRTEX Group,a Taiwan-based textile manufacturing innovator,to help reduce emissions and wastewater in the supply chain. Textile lamination processes in particular will be targeted,and the companies will develop a digital,non-contact method for applying polyurethane to fabrics. The grant was delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
“This new collaboration between the UK and Taiwan is a key milestone for the industry, with two nations working together to put practical solutions in place to completely transform the textile finishing process,”said Alan Hudd, CEO and founder,Alchemie Technology.“We’ve been overwhelmed by the strength of the shared purpose between our two nations,and the support from Innovate UK and the Taiwanese government to bring this project to life.”
Leslie Jee Partners With TSG
Leslie Jee Textiles,a Huntington Beach,Calif.-based upholstery textile design and distribution company has partnered with TSG Finishing, Hickory,N.C.,for warehouse and distribution services.The agreement will benefit Leslie Jee Textile’s customers with more efficient delivery and service.TSG’s distribution center has a 50,000-roll capacity as well as 30,000-square-feet of open floor space for specialty product storage. The alliance hopes to harness the expertise of both companies to optimize logistics and distribution. TW
Starting From Hydrolysis & Finishing With Hydrogen
Textile supply chain practices in Germany are poised to be positively impacted by the country’s precarious energy supply situation.
TW Special Report
The re.solution team received the 2024 ACHEMA 2024 Start-up Award in Frankfurt this June.
Re.solution has developed a new chemical process based on hydrolysis for recycling PET polyester with renewable energy and low water and chemical consumption.
The robust process has been further designed to overcome textilespecific recycling challenges such as accommodating fiber blends and the removal of impurities, resulting in high product quality.
The start-up has also developed a salt-waste free downstream recycling method of dealing with the hydrolysis depolymerization technology’s consumption of vast amounts of auxiliary chemicals. With the successful recycling of these additives, re.solution reports it can produce feedstock that is sustainable and price competitive with virgin feedstock.
IIt’s notable that major developments in the textile manufacturing supply chain are at present to be found at either side of the basic yarn spinning and fabric formation stages of production.
Software advances for all technologies aside, one major focus is currently on the development of more sustainable new feedstocks, fibers and chemicals — both natural and synthetic — while another is on dyeing and finishing processes, which for a long time have been the most resource draining stage in the manufacturing chain in terms of energy, water usage and waste.
ACHEMA 2024
Fittingly — given the current major interest in the recycling of synthetic fibers — re.solution, a spin-off from RWTH Aachen University, has just claimed the ACHEMA 2024 Start-up Award.
ACHEMA, held every three years, is a trade fair for the processing industries, and the latest edition recently took place in Frankfurt attracting 2,842 exhibitors from 56 nations and 106,000 visitors from 141 countries.
The event showcased the latest developments in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food processing industries — including the production of synthetic fibers — and also featured a total of more than 900 lectures, discussion panels and workshops.
Start-Ups
The fact that start-ups are now an integral part of all major processing industries was demonstrated not only by the number and quality of the applications for the ACHEMA’s 2024 Start-up Award, but also by their range — although all generally reflected the major manufacturing trends of sustainability and digitalization.
Re.solution is currently being funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the European Union as part of a research transfer program and plans are now underway for rapidly scaling the process up.
Green Hydrogen
One of the major themes of this year’s ACHEMA was the potential of green hydrogen as a key element of the energy transition, which given Germany’s precarious energy supply position, is being taken very seriously by the country.
Hydrogen is a versatile chemical feedstock and energy carrier that can be used to secure energy supplies for many sectors and if produced in a climate-friendly way, has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions and ultimately contribute to bringing them down to zero.
However, the production of hydrogen is comparatively energyintensive, which is why it should be used for applications where renewable electricity cannot be utilized directly. In addition, the costs of producing hydrogen are currently still
high, and the capacities for generating it are insufficient. This means that large investments need to be made in developing electrolysis capacities, compensating for higher operational production costs, as well as ensuring stable conditions for selling green hydrogen at an economically viable price.
Germany’s government is supporting these efforts through its National Hydrogen Strategy which has made several billion euros available from federal funds to promote hydrogen generation, build the necessary infrastructure and enable its use.
WasserSTOFF
Funded projects are now underway across the entire value chain, including the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for energy-intensive industries, and one such industry is certainly the dyeing and finishing of textiles.
Since November 2022, Germanybased A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG has been leading a consortium of industrial partners and universities in exploring all aspects of this fast-rising new industrial energy option in a three-year WasserSTOFF project. The aim is to establish to what extent hydrogen can be used in the future as an alternative heating source for textile finishing processes.
Monforts specializes in advanced technology for fabric finishing based on successive industry developments over many decades and is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1884 in Mönchengladbach, Germany, where it is still headquartered today, which is also where its Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) is situated.
Monforts Montex tenter frames — for processes such as drying, stretching, heat-setting and coating — are an industry standard for the fabric finishing industry, particularly in the denim and home textiles sectors, providing a number of advantages in terms of production throughput and especially in energy efficiency and savings. The other key technologies in the company’s range include
relaxation dryers, Thermex dyeing ranges, Monfortex compressive shrinking ranges and Montex Coat and coaTTex coating units.
Concern
The cost of energy remains a major concern for textile manufacturers and for the latest Monforts Montex tenters, the MonforClean heat recovery system with air/air or/and air/water is fully integrated into the tenter chamber. In combination with other new features, the heat recovery system results in energy savings of up to 43 percent.
The company also offers a number of options for retrofitting to existing lines such as the Monforts universal Energy Tower — a flexible, free-
water during the cleaning cycle and the entire process is controlled and monitored automatically.
Options
Within the WasserSTOFF project, tests on laboratory equipment together with associated partners have already been carried out and the results are now being transferred to an industrial-scale pilot tenter frame at the Monforts ATC in Germany.
The next stage in the project is to compare the results of trials powered partially or fully by hydrogen, with those of existing energy combinations of electricity, gas and steam, as well as fully analyzing the full impact of the various energy-saving technologies that have already been developed.
standing air/air heat exchanger for recovering the heat from the exhaust air flow of thermal processes. It can result in a 25-percent reduction in the energy consumed by a line, depending on the exhaust air volume and operating temperature.
A Monforts Eco Booster, integrated into the chamber design of the Montex tenter, is another retrofitting option. As a single heat recovery system with automatic cleaning, it can be added to existing ranges and up to 35-percent energy costs can be saved. In addition, the Eco Booster consumes only minimal amounts of
“Green hydrogen’s potential as a clean fuel source is tremendous, but there is much we need to explore when considering its use in the textile finishing processes carried out globally on our stenter dryers and other machines,” said Monforts Managing Director Gunnar Meyer. “Everybody knows that textile finishing is a high energy consuming process and to make the processes more efficient, we already offer several solutions, but as a technology leader we are also rising to the challenge of exploring alternative heating options to be ready for the future.” TW
Monforts outlined its plans to use green hydrogen at two well-attended seminars during ITMA 2023 in Milan last June.
Figure 1: The reliable automatic doffing system on Rieter’s G 38 doffs in just 90 seconds.
Rieter’s
New
Generation G 38 Ring Spinning Machine Redefines Boundaries
TThere is more to maximizing production speeds in ring and compact spinning than just offering the highest spindle speeds. Noticeable production benefits also can be achieved by significantly reducing machine downtimes. Switzerland-based Rieter has introduced a new version of its ring spinning machine G 38 that focuses on reducing downtime for maximum production efficiency.
The market for ring-spun yarns is large and highly competitive. To succeed in this fiercely competitive market, spinning mills must be highly efficient. Rieter’s latest ring spinning machine G 38 offers maximum production based on new technical solutions and upholds its reputation for efficiency by minimizing its
The G 38 features new technical solutions and minimal energy consumption.
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Special Report
energy consumption, according to the company.
Highlights of the latest generation ring spinning machine G 38 include:
•a new doffing system with a doffing cycle time of just 90 seconds;
•a 12-percent faster cop transport with SERVOdisc; and
•the new short-balloon setting for balanced yarn tension peaks to reduce the ends down rate. Combined with the highest spin-
dle speed of 28,000 revolutions per minute, the G 38 ensures maximum competitiveness in the production of ring and compact yarns in all yarn count ranges.
Doffing In 90 Seconds Leads To Production Gain
The latest automatic doffing system of the G 38 is equipped with a perfect alignment of grippers, tubes and cop trays, which enable a fast sequence of all doffing process steps (See Figure 1). The redesigned doffing system completes its cycle in just 90 seconds, which means 25 percent less time compared to the prior version of the G 38 and all known competitors (See Figure 2). According to Rieter, the advantage is particularly evident with coarse yarn counts.
With a yarn count of Ne 10 the annual production gain is 7 tons and for a yarn count of Ne 20, the production gain is 3.1 tons for a machine with 1,824 spindles.
A 12-Percent Faster Cop Transport
The new cop transport system SERVOdisc for the link system with the winding machine Autoconer X6 is 12-percent faster than the previous solution. It forwards up to 45 cops per minute directly to the winding machine. This open rail system is fast enough to remove all cops on time before the next doffing cycle is due. This is important for long machines with short spinning cycles because of very coarse yarn counts. The SERVOdisc has been optimized to be even more reliable and require less maintenance. Intelligent cop trays, called Smarttray, with an integrated RFID chip are available with the link system to the Rieter winding machine Autoconer X6.
Production Increases Of Up To 2 Percent
The limiting factors in ring yarn production are yarn tension peaks and the interaction with the ring and traveler. One of the most important tasks to maximize production is to therefore balance the tension peaks during cop build-up. A short-balloon setting optimizes these ratios and brings clear advantages in terms of less ends down and longer traveler lifetime.
In addition, the short-balloon setting allows an increase in spindle speed of up to 2 percent while keeping the ends down rate constant.
New G 38 Generation — Today’s Offering For Flexible Yarn Production
The new G 38 is available either as a machine with a fully electronic system or with a semi-electronic system. In both cases, the spindle speed, yarn twist, and yarn twisting direction — Z or S — can be changed electronically and without additional mechanical adjustment. The yarn count also
Figure 2: Data analysis shows that 25-percent faster doffing leads to production gains.
can be changed electronically using the panel on the fully electronic machine.
The Individual Spindle Monitoring (ISM) system, previously a premium feature, is now standard on all of Rieter’s ring spinning machine and for all applications. This offers a great advantage for efficient operator guidance and easy detection of spindles that are not running correctly. ISM premium is the precondition for the fully automated piecing robot
ROBOspin to produce high-quality yarn while mitigating labor related challenges.
With a million units installed, customers clearly also recognize the benefits of the add-on compacting devices COMPACTdrum and COMPACTapron in terms of yarn quality and performance. The flexible conversion into compact, slub or core yarn production, is another advantage of the ring spinning machine G 38 from Rieter. TW
Enhancing A Textile
Plant’s Performance
Some plants may run perfectly, but others can benefit from tips on how to improve production.
TW Special Report
possible? Can all machines and systems be linked or just a group?
2. Invest In Technology Because Automation And Digitization Are More Important Than Ever
MMaximizing production in a textile plant requires a combination of process optimization, quality control, technology integration and people management. This is a practical set of steps to improve production while maintaining high quality standards. Germanybased Sedo Treepoint GmbH, with its numerous installations and operations worldwide, has gained invaluable insights into running a plant efficiently. Conversely, the company also has experience with countless traps and challenges that can lead to inefficiencies if not addressed effectively.
Time is undeniably one of the most valuable resources in production. Yet, it’s also finite, impossible to stop, but possible to utilize wisely. The efficient use of time directly affects production costs. Employing the best available technology, coupled with effective automation to minimize idle times, allows for the optimization of manufacturing processes.
There is always room to grow, even in well-organized, clean and state-of-the-art factories employing experienced people. Following are some areas to examine in order to optimize plant operations.
1. Assess Current Production Processes
How is the current today, where are bottlenecks, inefficiencies and areas for improvement? Document the entire production process from raw materials to finished products and determine how effectively the current automation systems are performing their intended tasks. Are they improving productivity, reducing errors, and optimizing processes as expected? Are there still manual processes used? Are there still spare parts/service available?
If not, plan upgrades in time, before machines unexpectedly break down and disrupt production. Are there any potential risks or safety concerns associated with machine operation? What about water and energy consumption?
Can automation and a manufacturing execution system (MES) solution be scaled to future changes and growth? Evaluate how well the automation systems integrate with other manufacturing processes and technologies within the plant. Is software still supported and are upgrade possible? Is software already linked to other production units or are links
Investing in technology is crucial, particularly in automation and digitization. Advanced machinery and automation technologies streamline production processes, reducing manual labor and increasing output efficiency. Introduce cutting-edge machinery and automation to enhance production efficiency. Incorporate software solutions for inventory management, production scheduling, and quality control. Additionally, integrate Internet of Things (IoT) devices for continuous real-time monitoring of equipment and processes. Software systems made for the textile industry —such as MES, color management, energy management, automatic optimized production planning, Enterprise Resource Planning and othersystems —can help to enhance overall plant performance as well.
Seek out a neutral partner to act as a guide through this digital transformation journey. Such a partner can provide unbiased advice, independent of specialized providers focusing on singular aspects, ensuring a comprehensive approach to digitization projects.
Moreover, technology can help textile companies meet regulatory requirements and sustainability goals by enabling better tracking and management of resources and waste. Also, plan investments according to their return on investment. Some systems may be indispensable today, but are no longer supported. Plan to replace such systems, possibly in different stages.
3. Train And Empower Employees
Enhancing employee skills and fostering a culture of empowerment are essential for achieving peak performance in any textile plant.
To begin with, investing in comprehensive training programs is primary. In today’s fast-paced environment, inefficiency is no option and errors can quickly become costly. Therefore, keeping staff well-trained is crucial to ensuring smooth operations. Regular updates and refresher courses are necessary to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies and industry knowledge.
Moreover, it’s vital to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the workforce. Encouraging employees to contribute ideas for process optimization not only boosts morale but also leads to valuable insights that can drive efficiency and innovation throughout the plant. Empowering workers to make decisions instills a sense of ownership and responsibility, further fostering teamwork and productivity. A positive team spirit not only inspires employees, but also enhances productivity and streamlines workflows.
In summary, prioritizing employee training and empowerment creates a motivated workforce capable of driving ongoing improvement and success in a textile plant.
4. Optimize Supply Chain Management And Inventory
Building robust relationships with suppliers is important to guarantee the punctual delivery of high-quality raw materials to a textile plant. Fostering strong partnerships can enhance reliability and consistency in the supply chain.
Implementing lean principles is instrumental in streamlining operations and minimizing waste while simultaneously reducing lead times. Embracing lean methodologies enables a plant to operate more efficiently and respond swiftly to market demands. Furthermore, utilizing forecasting techniques helps anticipate fluctuations in demand and optimize
Use color management and recipe systems for color consistency, accuracy, efficiency and cost savings.
inventory levels accordingly. By accurately predicting customer needs, a plant can avoid overstocking or understocking situations, ensuring smoother production cycles and minimizing costs. Inventory management systems provide real-time information about stocks of raw/finished goods, chemicals and dyestuffs, for example.
5. Focus On Quality Control
To ensure high-quality output in a textile plant, it’s essential to implement stringent quality control measures at every stage of production. This includes conducting regular inspections and audits to swiftly identify and address any quality issues that arise. Investing in quality testing equipment is crucial to verify that all products meet both industry standards and customer expectations. However, use software to save quality measurements, so that the history is available. Furthermore, documenting production procedures is key to facilitating seamless adoption by both new and existing personnel. Even seemingly basic rules, such as dyeing from light to dark, should be clearly outlined to prevent any confusion or errors. Despite their apparent simplicity, adherence to such procedures can significantly impact the overall quality and consistency of the final products. Save dependencies in software formulas — store qualities, colors, and machine preferences in
the system to automate their usage, minimizing errors and ensuring seamless operations.
6. The Underestimated Importance Of Color Management Systems
Color management and recipe systems are often underestimated in the textile finishing industry but are important for many reasons.
Color Consistency — Ensuring consistent color across different batches of textile products is vital for brand reputation and customer satisfaction. Color management systems help maintain uniform color shades, eliminating variations that can occur due to differences in dye lots, materials or processing conditions.
Recipe Accuracy — Recipe systems ensure that the exact proportions of dyes and chemicals are used in every batch, leading to consistent results. This precision is essential for meeting the specifications required by clients and for maintaining uniformity in large-scale production.
Reduced Waste — Accurate color management and recipe systems minimize trial and error in dyeing processes, reducing the amount of wasted dyes and chemicals. This efficiency not only saves costs but also reduces the environmental impact.
Time Savings — By using standardized recipes and automated color matching, the time required for
adjusting and correcting colors is significantly reduced, speeding up the production process and improving overall productivity.
Meeting Standards — These systems help in maintaining the high quality of textile products by ensuring that the colors meet specific standards and client requirements. This is particularly important for industries such as fashion and home textiles where color accuracy is critical.
Reproducibility — With accurate color management and recipe systems, reproducing the same color across different production batches becomes feasible, ensuring that
cise recipe systems contribute to more sustainable production processes. By reducing waste and ensuring the efficient use of dyes and chemicals, these systems help minimize the environmental footprint of the textile industry.
Digitalization and Automation — Modern color management and recipe systems often integrate with advanced technologies like spectrophotometers, dispensing stations, solving stations, paternosters and distribution systems for example. This integration enhances the accuracy and efficiency of the color matching and dyeing processes. The transmis-
repeat orders or large production orders have identical color quality.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction — Consistent and high-quality color results lead to greater customer satisfaction. Reliable color matching ensures that customers receive the exact shade they expect, which is particularly important for brands with specific color identities.
Regulatory Compliance
Many regions have strict regulations regarding the use of dyes and chemicals in textiles. Accurate recipe systems help in ensuring compliance with these regulations by precisely controlling the types and amounts of substances used.
Environmental Sustainability
Efficient color management and pre-
sion of digital color files eliminates the need to send swatches, which is costly and time-consuming.
Rules and Formulas — By entering production knowledge in rules and formulas, dependencies and knowledge are stored in the software and automatically implemented in production.
Data Management — These systems enable better data management and traceability, allowing for detailed records of dyeing processes, recipes, and outcomes. This data is invaluable for continuous improvement and troubleshooting.
Fully integrated color management and recipe systems are fundamental to the textile finishing industry due to their role in ensuring
consistent quality, reducing costs, enhancing customer satisfaction, ensuring regulatory compliance and promoting sustainability. By integrating advanced technology, these systems streamline the production process and support the industry’s move towards more efficient and environmentally friendly practices.
7. Implement Energy-Efficient Practices
In pursuit of sustainability and cost-efficiency, it’s imperative to identify opportunities to minimize energy consumption throughout a textile plant. This involves assessing existing equipment and processes to pinpoint areas where energy usage can be reduced through upgrades and optimization.
Investing in energy-efficient machinery and lighting systems is another effective strategy to decrease energy consumption. Upgrading to equipment with higher energy efficiency ratings and implementing energy-saving lighting solutions can yield significant long-term savings while also reducing the environmental footprint. Additionally, fostering a culture of energy conservation among employees is crucial. Encourage them to adopt simple yet impactful practices such as diligently turning off equipment when not in use, to contribute to overall energy savings across the plant. By collectively prioritizing energy efficiency, a textile plant can not only reduce operational costs but also contribute to environmental sustainability.
Today’s newer machinery can collect production and energy data. Analyzing this information in in conjunction with software offerings may reveal further optimization potential.
8. Embrace Sustainable Practices
Implementing ecofriendly manufacturing processes is essential to minimize the environmental impact of a textile plant. This involves adopting sustainable practices that
Focus on maintaining plant equipment.
Combine process optimization, quality control, technology integration and people management to improve production.
reduce resource consumption and pollution. Investing in renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, is a proactive step towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. By harnessing clean, renewable energy, a plant can significantly decrease its carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future.
Furthermore, reducing water consumption and waste generation through recycling and reuse initiatives is crucial for sustainable operations. Implementing water-saving technologies and systems, along with establishing recycling programs for water or materials like fabric scraps and packaging materials, can help minimize environmental impact and conserve valuable resources.
9. Maintain Equipment: Preventive Maintenance Is Crucial
Keeping up with preventative maintenance is crucial for a number of reasons, including:
Minimizing Downtime — Regular maintenance helps to identify and address potential issues before they escalate into major problems, reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns and minimizing downtime in production.
Optimizing Equipment Performance — Scheduled maintenance ensures that equipment operates at peak performance levels, maximizing efficiency and productivity throughout the manufacturing process.
Extending Equipment Lifespan — Proper maintenance prolongs the lifespan of machinery and equipment, reducing the need for costly repairs or premature replacements.
Ensuring Safety — Regular inspections and maintenance checks help identify and mitigate safety hazards, creating a safer working environment for employees and reducing the risk of accidents or injuries.
Cost Savings — Preventive maintenance is often more cost-effective than reactive maintenance, as it helps avoid costly emergency repairs and unplanned downtime, ultimately saving money in the long run.
Maintaining Quality Standards
— Well-maintained equipment is essential for consistently producing high-quality products that meet or exceed industry standards and customer expectations.
Overall, preventive maintenance is essential for maintaining operational efficiency, ensuring safety, and reducing costs in manufacturing operations. Develop a preventive maintenance schedule and train staff. Integrate the maintenance schedule into the software system, with reminders to follow up in time. Keep detailed records of maintenance activities and equipment performance for analysis and improvement. Stock important spare parts so they are available if needed.
10. Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Today, there a lot of data exists collected in an average plant. Check if the information provides necessary insights and see how the data can be used to improve performance.
•Establish KPIs related to productivity, efficiency, quality and cost.
•Regularly monitor and analyze KPIs to identify trends and areas for improvement.
•Use KPI data to set targets and track progress towards performance goals.
•Don’t stop at production data, but also think about how to utilize the information for other areas. Can it
be combined with energy data, customer data, quality data and more?
•Employing someone who really understands this data analysis can provide new insights beyond surface level observations. The data should be used for strategic decision making and for solving problems, as well as innovations and optimization.
11. Continuous Improvements
Last, but not least, continuous improvement is important.
•Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging feedback and suggestions from employees at all levels;
•Implement regular performance reviews and brainstorming sessions to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities;
•Stay updated on industry trends and best practices to remain competitive and drive ongoing improvements;
•Use new technologies such as using digital color swatches instead of physical samples; and
•Set up a database of rules that are important for your company. These tips are not an inclusive list but can guide a plant when reconsidering certain key areas for improvement. These tips may improve plant operations and help reach new levels of optimization. Companies such as Sedo Treepoint, with more than 45 years of experience in automation and software for dyeing and finishing operations, can offer guidance or support in implementing such measures, and conduct personalized audits to determine the best way to achieve a set of goals. TW
Lectra’s VectorFurniture iX2 is a versatile, low-ply cutter.
Lectra recently showcased its “Furniture on Demand” enhanced with Lectra’s Valia platform to industry insiders.
TW Special Report
Lectra Presents Furniture On Demand WithValia
RRecently, Lectra welcomed industry insiders to an exclusive furniture event showcasing “Furniture on Demand” with Valia at Lectra’s Experience Center in Atlanta, Ga. The event showcased the new Valia platform, which was announced earlier this year. When the product was introduced, Maximilien Abadie, Lectra’s chief strategy officer and chief product officer, explained that Lectra was continuing to innovate Furniture on Demand by enhancing the solution with Valia —a digital production preparation and planning platform for upholstered furniture. “Furniture On Demand by Lectra connects all the components in the cutting room and facilitates order and production data processing,” Abadie noted. “Our customers gain additional advantages for optimizing auto-
mated manufacturing workflows and material consumption on their production lines. With this new offer, they are fully committed to Industry 4.0 and benefit from a significant competitive advantage, offering new growth drivers for more sustainable production.”
Experience Center
Guests were welcomed to the insider event by Lectra President Americas Lenny Marano who kicked-off the event with a brief history of Lectra’s leadership in bringing advanced technology solutions to the industry through the years.
Cindy Hodnett, Furniture Today’s executive editor Home+Design, brought the guests up-to-speed with a presentation titled “The Future is Now: The new reality of home furnishings.” She illustrated trends that
set the stage for driving Industry 4.0 and new ways to manufacture.
Marano then led a panel discussion featuring Lectra’s Global Senior Vice President Business Development Furniture & Automotive Olivier Nold; Senior Vice President of Customer Success, Americas John Brearley; and CSM Director Christine Fox. The panel covered various topics including “Why Lectra implemented 4.0 solutions,” how it helps customers and how Lectra is expanding the offering.
Product Marketing Director
Clementine Mitard explained what Valia is and how it works, emphasizing the overarching achievements possible with Valia — removing complexity and dependence on expertise, while providing visibility and control regardless of upholstery type or production volumes.
In-Depth Demo
Luis Magna, Lectra’s Technical Sales director, Manufacturing, got to the heart of the matter with a Valia demonstration creating several orders for sofas with varied requirements including multiple orders and matched upholstery patterns. Magna’s presentation explained cutting solutions for made-to-order, mass customization and mass production.
Live Equipment
Lean Business Consultant Jerin Xavier and Presales Consultant Gilberto Nava then demonstrated the cutting process on the VIRGA singleply fabric cutting line and the Vector low- and high-ply fabric cutting line. Guests were able to move about the equipment and spend one-onone time with Lectra staff asking more technical questions and exploring the possibilities of the new technology for their own operations.
The Porsche Experience
Finally, guests transferred to the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta
Clockwise from top left: Luis Magna, Lectra’s Technical Sales director, Manufacturing; Product Marketing Director Clementine Mitard; and Lectra’s Furniture On Demand digitalizes production steps and automates workflow.
for a tour of the Porsche Museum as well as a presentation by Porsche Consulting Manager Simon Tabke titled, “Industry 4.0 &Factory of The Future: The Journey to The Smart Factory at Scale.” Tabke explained Porsche’s manufacturing challenges
in the 1980s and how these issues led to the company’s adoption of current manufacturing processes. Tabke was joined by Michael Kopacko, associate partner, Porsche Consulting, who explained how Porsche took this knowledge and has been able to help
Remnants of the cutting process on the VIRGA single-ply fabric cutting line after a Valia integration demonstration.
clients adopt a process to move forward with the Industry 4.0 concept in a wide range of industries harnessing Porsche’s knowledge of the “Power of the Digital Transformation.”
Attendees were treated to the Porsche Ride Experience accompanying professional drivers on a closedcircuit course pushing the limits of the latest Porsche offering, as it happened, in the rain.
More Than Furniture
The event showcased Lectra’s commitment to support the evolution of fashion, automotive and furniture manufacturers by providing technical solutions with the potential to assist the transition to an efficient and sustainable Industry 4.0 business.
The Valia digital production preparation and planning platform is one step further into the future of supporting new ways to manufacture that embrace made-to-order, mass customization and mass production. TW
Above (left to right): Lectra’s Olivier Nold global senior vice president, Business Development, Furniture & Automotive; Lenny Marano, president, Americas; John Brearley, senior vice president, Customer Success, Americas; and Christine Fox, CSM director,
Presales Consultant
and Lean
The Porsche Experience
The Furniture on Demand group ended the day of exploring Lectra’s 4.0 solutions with final presentations and networking at Atlanta’s Porsche Experience Center. Porsche Consulting Manager Simon Tabke and Associate Partner Michael Kopacko presented an overview of Smart Factory concepts developed during Porsche’s own Smart Factory transformation.
A video titled “REPLAY | PORSCHE SMART FACTORY BEST PRACTICES” is available on lectra.com for further exploration of Porsche’s journey. The video features a discussion between Porsche Consulting and Lectra focused on Smart Factory concepts and Industry 4.0 best practices. Lectra notes: “Aligned with Lectra’s Industry 4.0 digital cutting room approach, Porsche Consulting has helped enterprises across industries transform different parts of their manufacturing to accelerate how they perform.”
Right: Lectra’s
Gilberto Nava (left)
Business Consultant Jerin Xavier
Bulletin Board
Trivantage®,Burlington, N.C.,has expanded its product offerings for designers and workrooms to include: sewing machine accessories; hand tools; cutting tools; threads; invisible zippers; clasps, needles and pins; tapes; and fabrics.
Paris-based traceability platform TextileGenesis — a Lectra Group company — announced a partnership with the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®),which will enable the traceability of cellulose fibers from responsibly managed forests.
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc.,Ann Arbor, Mich.,reports its BAM-1 recombinant spider silk hybrids are now in production after successful production trials.
Online visitor registration is open for ITMA Asia + CITME,which will take place October 14-18,2024, at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai,China.Attendees that preregister can take advantage of an early bird rate until October 13.To register,visit itmaasia.com.
Avient Corp.,Kennesaw, Ga.,recently launched Rutland™ Evolve™ Bio Plastisol™ inks,which contain more than 50 percent bio-derived content,for the screen printing industry.
Eight students from North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles recently participated in a week-long tour of production sites in Vietnam.South Korea-based Hansae Co.Ltd. organized the “Summer Tour of Hansae”as part of an industry-academia collaboration between the company and the university.
Spartanburg,S.C.-based Milliken & Company was recognized as one of the 2024 Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces,a list released by Newsweek in collaboration with the Best Practice Institute.Companies were evaluated based on a range of criteria including employee engagement, leadership,company values and the overall environment as assessed by polled employees.
IACMI — The Composites Institute has added a state-of-the-art fiber sizing line from Cincinnati-based Michelman Inc. at the IACMI Collaboration Facility in Knoxville,Tenn.
South Korea-based Hyosung TNC recently joined the Textile Exchange,Lamesa,Texas, as a partner-level member.
Greensboro,N.C.-based Lee® recently introduced its first golf collection for men.
Datacolor®,Lawrenceville,N.J.,recently issued significant software portfolio updates including the integration of Colibri® support and enhancements to its color matching and quality control tools.
Registration is now open for the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) 2024 Textile Discovery Summit,which will be held in Savannah,Ga.,October 6-8.For more information and to register,visit aatcc.org/summit/.
The Association of the Nonwovens Fabric Industry (INDA),Cary,N.C., recently released the 11th edition of its North American Nonwovens Supply Report.The 2024 report offers data on key metrics including capacity,production,operating rates and regional trade through 2023.
China-based FixDye selected a polycondensation system from Oerlikon Barmag Huitong Engi-
neering Co.Ltd. — a subsidiary of Germany-based Oerlikon Barmag — to expand its capacity for recycled dope-dyed filament yarns.
Portugal-based Tearfil Textile Yarns recently inaugurated a research and development line for Finland-based Spinnova Plc’s SPINNOVA® fiber. The spinning line was provided by Switzerlandbased Rieter Group.In other Spinnova news, Luhta Sportswear Co.’s Rukka brand introduced a T-shirt made using 29-percent Spinnova fiber,6-percent cotton and 3-percent elastane.
After four years of R&D efforts,Israel-based Sonovia Ltd. and Italybased PureDenim S.r.l. have unveiled the first jeans collection made using Sonovia’s sustainable dyeing technology.
Cincinnati-based Standard Textile was named a 2024 U.S.Best Managed Company Gold Standard winner.The award recognizes the achievements of U.S.-based private companies and the successes of their management teams.
AmorSui,Philadelphia, has expanded its product line with the addition of lab coats in men’s and women’s sizes,fire-resistant clothing,and isolation gowns that are all reusable and recyclable. TW
Lee®has introduced its first golf apparel line
Trivantage®has expanded its workroom offerings.
People
Alex Zucchi was named the president of Zurichbased CEMATEX — the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers.
Mario Jorge Machado, director of Portugal-based Adalberto Textile Solutions S.A., was recently elected president of Brussels-based EURATEX. Alberto Paccanelli was named honorary president.
The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) has named Dr. Susan Kay-Williams president for the 2024-25 term.
Glen Raven Inc., Burlington, N.C., has named Joseph “Joey” Davis president of the Glen Raven Material Solutions Group. Davis replaces Dave Swers who is retiring after a 35-year career with Glen Raven.
Austria-based Borealis has appointed Stefan Doboczky CEO.
Switzerland-based Loepfe Brothers Ltd. has appointed Markus Kleindorp CEO. In addition, Gregor Stalder was named CFO.
Precision Textiles, Fairfield, N.J, has named Bill Learn director of quality control.
To support continued growth in Europe, South Korea-based Hyosung TNC recently hired Andreas Puchert as the European marketing manager.
Grant Spangler has been promoted to vice president of manufacturing for Champion Thread Co., Gastonia, S.C.
Herculite Products has hired Patrick Clysdale as Southeastern Regional manager for the Direct Sales Team; and Anthony Pappalardo has joined the company as regional sales manager covering the Midwest and Southeast for all awning and marine brands. In addition, Julie Tinsman has joined Stratglass LLC, a Herculite Products’ company, as director of Business Development.
Kimberly Peoples has joined Ultrafabrics, Tarrytown, N.Y., as the team sales director for the Residential Market. Amanda Bylsma also recently joined the company as sales manager for the Midwest region.
Paris-based Lectra named Antonella Capelli president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. She takes over from Fabio Canali who is retiring.
Columbia Sportswear Co., Portland, Ore., has hired Michael Minter as SOREL’s vice president, Brand.
The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) has elected Kevin Brown as the chair of its board of directors. Brown is senior vice president of Global Operations for Spartanburg, S.C.-based Milliken & Company’s Textile Division.
Dan Russian is the new president and CEO of Sage Automotive Interiors, Greenville, S.C. Russian succeeds Chris Heard who retired earlier this year.
Jeffrey P. Pritchett recently joined Charlotte, N.C.-based Elevate Textiles as CEO and member of the board of directors.
INX International Ink Co., Schaumburg, Ill., has promoted the following executive managers to vice president positions: Anthony De Francesco to vice president of Integrated Supply Chain; Alex Folloso to vice president of R&D Metal Decorating Technology; and Kim Hill to vice president of R&D Liquid Solvent Technology.
Christoph Kowitz is the new leader of Wacker Chemical Corp., Adrian,
Mich., a subsidiary of Germany-based Wacker Chemical. He succeeds David Wilhoit who is retiring.
The board of directors at Hexcel Corp., Stamford, Conn., have named Thomas C. Gentille III CEO and president. He replaces Nick Stanage who is retiring, but will remain on the board as executive chairman until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.
The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary, N.C., recently honored three individuals with awards for their contributions to the nonwovens industry and INDA: David Powling, Kimberly Clark Corp., Lifetime Service Award; Paul Latten, Southeast Nonwovens, Lifetime Technical Achievement Award; and Arnold Wilkie, Hills Inc., Lifetime Technical Achievement Award.
Culp Inc., High Point, N.C., hired Armando Alfaro as director of Business Development for Culp Home Fashions (CHF), the company’s mattress fabrics division.
Flexible carbon fiber composites producer Carbitex, Kennewick, Washington, has named Filippo Sartor vice president of Global Sales, and Sam Gardner vice president of Engineering and Operations.
Davis
Spangler
Russian
AUGUST
20-22 :Techtextil North America, Raleigh Convention Center,Raleigh, N.C.Visit techtextil-north-america.us. messefrankfurt.com.
SEPTEMBER
9-12 :CAMX 2024,San Diego Convention Center,San Diego,Calif.Visit thecamx.org.
10-12 :Printing United Exposition,Las Vegas,Nevada.Visit printingunited.com.
19-21 :Cinte Techtextil China 2024, Shanghai New International Expo Centre
1-3 :RISE® — Research,Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics — conference,organized by INDA and the Nonwovens Institute, James B.Hunt Jr.Library,NC State University campus,Raleigh,N.C.Visit riseconf.net.
6-8 :American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) 2024 Textile Discovery Summit. Visit www.aatcc.org/summit.
14-18 :ITMA Asia + CITME 2024,National Exhibition and Conference Center,Shanghai, China.Visit itmaasia.com/shanghai2024.
7-8 :2024 SYFA Fall Conference, Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel, Charlotte,N.C.Visit thesyfa.org.
An international textile trim manufacturer & distributor is looking for someone to join our sales and management team and help us.
Specific Responsibilities Include:
•Hire and lead team members — with a knowledge of and the ability to perform and coach the primary sales functions.
•Help develop, implement and evaluate performance goals and strategic plans for each product line and sales associate.
•Efficiently and effectively manage active and prospective accounts and actively engage with issues &/or opportunities to consistently meet goals and increase sales.
•Gain and apply knowledge about the customer’s needs and help refine our product lines, markets, applications, specifications, pricing and customer benefits.
•Help manage customer service, marketing and promotions.
•Coordinate with other departments as part of the executive team to maximize our progress and success.
Very Helpful Would Be:
•5+ years sales management experience.
•Strong skills with: MS Office, ERPsoftware
AND/OR — Strong knowledge of and/or experience working in sewn products and/or fabric & trim design, production, merchandising, selling or buying AND/OR — Existing relationships with sewn products manufacturers, and/or brands, designers, merchandisers, catalogs &/or retailers. Apply today to Donna Knight HR 423-305-7211 • donna.knight@dunlapworld.com
hire, train, test & develop employees; Work with supervisors to plan, assign, and direct work; Monitor, record & evaluate performance; Encourage, advise and train supervisors; Learn to use the ERP software to the fullest departmental benefit; Coordinate inventory checks; Approve and coordinate department purchases
•Help
Celanese and Under Armour developed NEOLAST™ as a sustainable, performance-based spandex alternative.
S Quality Fabric NEOLAST™: A New Way To Stretch
By Rachael S. Davis, Executive Editor
SCONTACTS:
For more information about NEOLAST™, visit celanese.com.
Go online to TextileWorld.com for archived Quality Fabric articles.
pandex, also known as elastane, has beenprized for its elasticity since its invention in 1958. The fiber has become ubiquitous finding its way into sportswear, leisurewear, and even denim —any garment requiring stretch properties. However, spandex suffers from some inherent challenges when talking about sustainability. Traditional elastane fibers are not recyclable, and also require the use of hazardous chemical solvents during the spinning process. In addition, the fiber deteriorates in chlorineheavy environments such as swimming pools, and doesn’t manage odors or moisture very effectively, among other performance issues.
With these challenges in mind, Celanese Corp., Irving, Texas, and Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc. partnered to create a new type of stretch fiber — one that is sustainable, delivers elite performance, and offers improved moisture management and comfort for the wearer. The resulting fiber, NEOLAST™, is a high-performance elastane alternative made from elastoester polymers using a proprietary solvent-free, melt-extrusion process.
NEOLAST fibers are woven or knit into stretch fabrics at a percentage of between 2 and 40 percent, which allows a manufacturer to either dial up or dial down the power-stretch level, depending on the application and needed power-stretch performance. The fibers may be blended with polyester, cotton, nylon, linen, rayon and silk, among other fibers.
According to Celanese, garments made using the fiber deliver stretch, durability, comfort and moisture management properties. In addition, the elastoester polymers, depicted as “NEOLAST polyester” on garment labels, are recyclable and therefore, so are garments made using NEOLAST.
Applications include sports apparel, stretch fleece, socks, medical items, shapewear, denim and narrow fabrics, to name just a few of the potential uses seen for the fiber.
“Working with a leading global brand like Under Armour to elevate the performance and sustainability benefits of their products is just the first of many great things we hope to accomplish with this innovative NEOLAST technology,” said Tom Kelly, senior vice president, Engineered Materials at Celanese. “… We are just beginning to unlock its potential and look forward to what’s ahead as we explore other opportunities with end users.”
Under Armour recently debuted the first product to feature NEOLAST, the Vanish Pro tee.
“We took a minimalist approach to the design of this shirt, eliminating distractions for the athlete and opting for classic lines that allow the NEOLAST material to shine,” said John Hardy III, senior director, Product, Under Armour. “The Vanish Pro tee’s durable material will not only increase its lifespan, it will offer consistent fit and stretch throughout the garment’s life. We’re proud to have developed the first apparel with this innovation and are excited about bringing more performance garments that utilize the future of stretch to athletes everywhere.”
“Part of the beauty of this material innovation is the value we’ve been able to add by taking things away,” said Kyle Blakely, senior vice president, Innovation, Development & Testing, Under Armour.“…
We look forward to introducing this revolutionary performance fiber across additional product lines as we work to scale it and evolve the broader industry landscape.”
The NEOLAST innovation helps support Under Armour’s goal to eliminate the use of spandex its products by 75 percent by the year 2030. “Through performance-driven sustainability and innovation, we look forward to helping athletes play at the top of their game as we work with Celanese to realize this new fiber’s potential to forge a path toward circularity,” Blakely added. TW
Under Armour’s Vanish Pro tee
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