Cone Forms Partnership With Oritain For Supply Chain Traceability

GREENSBORO, N.C., Cone Denim, an Elevate Textiles brand, will become the first denim mill to offer the highest-level of end-to-end traceability through a new partnership with Oritain, a product and supply chain traceability specialist. The tracing method employed by Oritain uses forensic science and statistics to evaluate naturally occurring elements in the cotton fiber. These inherent elements are specific to environmental factors, such as soil composition in a specific location, and result in a “fingerprint” that Oritain creates. These Oritain Fingerprints cannot be destroyed, replicated or tampered with, and the fingerprint may be tested at any point in the supply chain to verify claims of origin.

“Traceability and sustainability are no longer just industry buzzwords but strong-held values fast becoming the gold standard for our customers and the consumer,” said Steve Maggard, president, Cone Denim. “Our partnership with Oritain enables Cone Denim to
be the first denim mill globally with the ability to provide documentable transparency that are admissible in a court of law, underpinning sustainable and ethical sourcing claims. Through scientific verification of cotton origin, customers can be assured that Cone Denim products do not contain any cotton from prohibited regions, offering an elevated level of confidence and scientific peace of mind to our customers and our wider stakeholders.”

September/October 2020

United Sewing Automation Opens Face Mask Facility In Mount Airy, N.C.

United Sewing Automation Inc. (USA) recently celebrated the opening of its Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-registered automated medical-grade face mask manufacturing facility in Mount Airy, N.C. The masks — made using materials that are sourced in the United States — have a three-ply design, built-in adjustable nose bridge and nylon/elastic cord ear loops. All and the masks are tested for protection against bacterial and airborne particulates, liquid barrier protection, breathability, and are rated Class 1 for flammability. USA’s new ultrasonic welding machines and affiliated automated production equipment can produce more than 1,000,000 face masks per week.

“Due to the significant shortage of personal protective equipment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to do our part to help fill this void by manufacturing medical grade face masks at our facility in Mount Airy,” said Ben Webb, USA’s CEO. “We’ve installed new high-tech automated production equipment that now produces large amounts of face masks quickly and efficiently. We believe that Americans deserve the highest quality face mask protection and we are committed to providing them to America’s families. Our masks are not available for export until this pandemic is over. We will continue to work until the demand is met. Our goal is to provide a mask for every face in America every time one is needed. We are all in this together.”

September/October 2020

Bemis Associates Acquires Safe Reflections International

Bemis Associates Inc. recently completed the purchase of Taiwan-based Safe Reflections International LLC, a manufacturer of reflective products for enhanced apparel safety and visibility. The two companies have a history dating back to 2009 when they partnered to introduce Bemis Brilliant® Color Reflective Film — a bondable aesthetic film product that combined Bemis Associates’ adhesive with Safe Reflections’ Brilliant Color Reflective technology.

“Our company has a long history of identifying strategic partnerships, new products and industry opportunities in order to sustain growth and longevity,” said Steve Howard, CEO, Bemis Associates. “We see this acquisition as one more step in that direction.”

“As a global industry leader, our goal is to continually innovate so that our products drive the visibility industry in workwear, activewear and fashionwear,” said Joey Koppes, owner of Safe Reflections. “It’s an ideal supplement to their Brilliant Color Reflective Film product line.”

September/October 2020

Industry Pushes For Enhanced PPE Production

By Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

It is no secret that those U.S. yarn manufacturers and fabric makers that have the capability to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic better than many others in the textile industry.

Many companies came together and focused on producing face masks, isolation gowns and other medical textiles to help keep front-line healthcare workers, emergency responders and other essential personnel safe.

The problem is, however, that overall U.S. PPE production capacity trails behind some other countries and falls well short of meeting domestics needs. “It is not good when, in a time of national crisis, we have to rely on companies in China and other nations to provide us with critical life-saving apparel and accessories,” said a well-placed industry analyst. “We must learn a valuable lesson from the current pandemic and prepare not to be caught short again.”

To that end, the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) recently launched a paid social media video campaign that highlights the extraordinary efforts the industry has taken to respond to the PPE shortages.

“NCTO is launching a social media and email campaign today to show members of Congress how this industry has significantly contributed to the nation’s PPE crisis, while demonstrating the importance of immediate policies and legislation, such as Buy American mandates, to establish a sustainable domestic supply chain for the future,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“Our campaign underscores the importance of ending our overreliance on China for PPE and calls on Congress to craft policies that support domestic procurement requirements and the onshoring of jobs,” Glas added. “It is high time we had a national strategic plan in place to spur investment in the industry and ensure our country has a permanent domestic PPE supply chain to confront the next pandemic our country faces.”

Accordingly, NCTO has recommended Congress enact several policies that support the production of PPE in the United States through a long-term domestic supply chain:

  • Create strong domestic procurement rules for federal PPE purchases substantially similar to the Berry Amendment and the Kissell Amendment. The Berry and Kissell Amendments require the U.S. Department of Defense and Homeland Security to purchase American-made textile products for certain applications.
  • Implement forward-looking policies to shore up the Strategic National Stockpile and to identify, incentivize, and maintain a robust domestic supply chain for PPE and medical supplies.
  • Create federal incentives for private sector purchases of domestically produced PPE.
  • Provide funding assistance for companies to reconstitute domestic PPE supply chains.
  • Strengthen the Berry Amendment.

Several manufacturers and institutions have already begun exploring how to increase U.S. PPE production. For example, Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center (TTC)
is partnering with others in the community to create a launch pad for prototyping and testing reusable PPE products for entrepreneurs and existing manufacturers. The project has been funded by the North Carolina Legislature.

More than $5 million will be allocated to Gaston County to construct an Incubator and Extrusion Center for Advanced Fibers for Gaston College’s TTC. “I’m excited about this new initiative and the building of a new fiber innovation center,” said Dr. John Hauser, president of Gaston College. “Now we have an opportunity to expand our expertise to produce high-quality products to benefit our communities.”

Achieving Greater Productivity, Profitability

While COVID-19 issues still dominate the news, U.S. fiber/yarn/fabric makers continue to seek innovative ways to increase efficiency and productivity. A recent example is the introduction by Cotton Council International of a technical consultancy program that helps mills and manufacturers achieve greater productivity, process efficiency and, ultimately, profit for their businesses.

The program is called Cotton USA Solutions™ and is designed to help enable mills and manufacturers to optimize the use of U.S. cotton with cutting-edge offerings to profitably transform their businesses.

September/October 2020

Nufabrx Opens Innovation Center With Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Jordan Schindler and
Huntley Bossong cut the ribbon to officially open the Nufabrx Innovation Center.

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor

Conover, N.C.-based Nufabrx recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to formally christen its new Innovation Center, which is located at manufacturing partner Bossong Hosiery Mills in Asheboro, N.C. Jordan Schindler, Nufabrx founder and CEO, and Huntley Bossong, president of Bossong Hosiery Mills, cut the ribbon together to signify the opening. Tours of Bossong’s manufacturing area and the Innovation Center, where a table display of Nufabrx’s current product offerings were on display, followed along with a luncheon featuring a presentation by Schindler focused on the Nufabrx journey.

Founded in 2011, Nufabrx developed a proprietary biomaterial platform that embeds active ingredients into textiles. The company produces treated yarns at its Conover location at the Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC), while simultaneously developing product applications specific to each yarn’s performance properties. Embedded active ingredients include medications, supplements and vitamins, which respond to temperature and moisture and are released when in contact with the wearer’s skin. Schindler spoke very highly of his collaboration with MSC: “We would not be where we are today without the connections and talents that MSC afforded us.”

Schindler explains how Nufabrx’s Soliscia mask is knit.

The Innovation Center at Bossong is configured as a clean room with the appropriate control systems. It expands Nufabrx’s production capability as well as shortens the production cycle and increases speed-to-market for its products.

Bossong Hosiery was founded in 1927 and has been actively participating in developing and producing the Nufabrx branded products, which it also packages and ships. Current offerings include a variety of branded compression sleeves with capsaicin for pain relief and the new Soliscia reusable face mask. Products in development include athleisure garments and maternity wear.

Bossong’s Medical Division is ISO 13485 certified and FDA registered for Class 1 and 2 medical devices, which helps Nufabrx maintain a controlled process from the application of its proprietary technology to the yarn throughout manufacturing, final assembly of finished product and packaging.

A selection of Nufabrx products

“We work well together, and it’s really developed into a true partnership,” Schindler said of the growing relationship with Bossong, now in its second year. “The Soliscia mask is a great example of this partnership as it literally took 48 hours to turn this mask from a concept idea into a viable product ready for manufacturing.” The new mask is a multi-layered, knit-to-shape construction. It features Nufabrx shea butter yarns to improve comfort and wearability, as well as CuTEC® copper yarns to deter bacterial growth.

When asked about future opportunities, Scott Fogleman, Nufabrx’s vice president of product and technical innovation, offered: “With this technology, the possibilities are endless!”

September/October 2020

PolyQuest Invests In PET Recycling Operation

Wilmington, N.C.-based PolyQuest Inc. reports it will invest in its Darlington, S.C., polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling operation. The expansion, including at least one recycled PET (rPET) resin line, is in response to demand for post-consumer rPET. The line is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2021. PolyQuest serves the fiber, bottle, film, strapping and sheet PET markets with its amorphous, crystallized and solid-state rPET resins.

“This additional investment is ultimately driven by our customers’ commitments to sustainability,” said John Marinelli, PolyQuest CEO. “They have entrusted PolyQuest
with their current and future post-consumer rPET resin supply requirements. As such, we have chosen to pro-actively expand our recycle capabilities to support their strategic sustainability initiatives and stay ahead of the curve.”

September/October 2020

Toray Introduces Biobased Ecodear Nylon

Tokyo-based Toray Industries Inc. has introduced Ecodear Nylon, a product made using sebacic acid sourced from castor beans. Toray reports the nylon is 60-percent biobased and makes it possible for the company to manufacture biobased versions of its established Entrant® and Dermizax® fabrics. Ecodear Nylon initially is available in 10, 20 and 50-denier versions, and may be spun using conventional nylon processes. According to the company, the nylon exhibits the same durability and soft hand customers would expect from a nylon yarn. The yarn is targeted to the active outdoor sports and skiing markets, and athleisure. Ecodear Nylon will be available through New York City-based Toray International America Inc.

September/October 2020

Foss Invests In New DiloGroup DI-LOOP Line

Needled carpeting manufacturer Foss Floors, Rome, Ga., has ordered its fourth complete production line from Germany-based DILOGroup. The line features fully automatic fiber blending from Dilo Temafa, carding from Dilo Spinnbau, high-speed crosslapping, pre-
and finish needling, and the specialty DI-LOOP machine.

Dilo reports the tailor-made line will have large production capacity at high fiber throughput rates and is designed for final product widths more than 6 meters.
DiloGroup, as the general contractor, will deliver, assemble and commission the DI-LOOP line.

September/October 2020

Suominen Expands BIOLACE® Product Line

Helsinki-based Suominen has added BIOLACE® Pure for wipes applications to its Biolace product line. According to the company, the chemical binder- and plastic-free product is made using “biodegradable, compostable, and renewable plant-based and wood pulp from certified forests.” The wipe will be commercially available in 2021.

“BIOLACE Pure offers our customers a unique, sustainable option that does not compromise on the most important features needed for a perfect wet wipe,” said Marika Mäkilä, manager, marketing and category management, Europe.

“Its three-layer solution guarantees optimal liquid management and the soft outer layers ensure that the wipe cleans effectively, yet softly.”

September/October 2020

Uster Introduces Uster® Jossi Vision Shield N

Switzerland-based Uster Technologies has introduced the Uster® Jossi Vision Shield N fiber cleaning system specifically adapted for high-output man-made nonwovens producers. The fiber cleaner is configured with built-in spectrascopes that look for the typical contaminants found in nonwovens including metal, wood particles, grease deposits or colored fibers. The
spectrascope operates on a greater wavelength than a conventional color camera and can detect “invisible” contamination in the infrared and ultraviolet light range as well as contamination the same or similar shade to the fibers as fine as a human hair, according to Uster.

“It is important to ensure a minimum of good fiber is lost. Trials have shown that the advanced Uster technology results in about 75-percent less waste comparing with other fiber cleaners — saving tons of raw material every year,” said Giacomo Frattesi, product manager, Uster Technologies.

“The combination of Uster Jossi Vision Shield N and Uster EVS FabriQ Vision N means that
Uster can offer a complete quality monitoring solution for the nonwovens industry,” Frattesi said.

September/October 2020

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