INDA Presents Critical Metrics On North American Nonwovens Supply & Trade At Two Upcoming Member Webinars

CARY, N.C. — June 8, 2020 — Key highlights and insights from the seventh edition of the INDA North American Supply Report will be revealed exclusively, at no cost, to the association’s members at two upcoming webinars.

The new INDA report found that North American nonwoven production exceeded capacity increases for the third year, while nonwoven material trade decreased, primarily due to declines with China.

Both webinars will start at 2 p.m. and will focus on the following key results:

  • June 23 – Capacity and production supply-side developments on the nonwoven industry’s improving operating rates and crucial supply/demand balance as the market entered the pandemic
  • June 24 – Highlights of trade, imports and exports of nonwoven material with a focus on the decline from China and an increase from the rest of the world

The programs will include a 25-minute live webinar presentation with 25 minutes dedicated to answering members’ online chat questions in real-time. For registration information, visit: https://www.inda.org/inda-webinars/

The report is based on extensive research, producer surveys and interviews with industry leaders, including INDA members and nonmembers. It provides an overall view of North American supply, including the key metrics of capacity, production and operating rates in addition to regional trade.

“INDA’s North American Supply Report furthers our objective of providing valuable data and actionable industry information to enhance decision-making,” said Brad Kalil, director of Market Intelligence & Economic Insights. “As always, the increasing participation of nonwoven producers providing their insights and results makes our success possible.”

In the 2017 report, INDA introduced production by end-use market. For the 2019 report, production by raw material usage has been added. The 70-page report contains 34 figures and 11 tables.

Along with the quarterly INDA Market Pulse and monthly Price Trends Summary, the annual report is provided to the 365 INDA member companies and associates as part of a member’s only benefit. The data gathered for this report serves as the foundation for the biannual North American Nonwovens Industry Outlook, which will be available for purchase this fall.

A sample of findings from this year’s Supply Report include:

  • In 2019, North American nonwoven capacity increased to 5.479 million tons, a net increase of only 0.9 percent (51 thousand tons) over 2018. This growth figure accounts for the addition of new lines and machine productivity increases as well as line closures to arrive at a net increase growth figure. In the last three years, 64 lines have come online and 23 lines have shut down. The majority of the new lines are producing engineered materials for transportation, home/office furnishings, and filtration markets.
  • North American imports and exports, in tonnage, decreased 3 percent and 18.6 percent, respectively, year-over-year, led by declines in trade with China. However, the trends of downward exports and upward imports continued. Over the last five years, exports have declined 7.7 percent annually and imports have increased 7.8 percent annually. Even with the significant shifts in North American trade dynamics, nonwovens tend to stay where they are produced, with the net trade balance (imports less exports) accounting for less than 5 percent of the region’s capacity.

Posted June 8, 2020

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

Toray Composite Materials America Implements Operational Reductions And Restructuring

TACOMA, Wash. — June 5, 2020 — Toray Composite Materials America Inc. (CMA) is announcing a realignment of U.S. operations and a corresponding reduction in headcount to better position for an extended downturn in its commercial business streams.

CMA will immediately suspend operations in its Spartanburg, S.C., plant and significantly reduce capacity in its Tacoma, Wash., prepreg facility. These actions will result in a reduction of roughly 25 percent of the workforce across CMAs facilities in the United States.

“Decisions that directly impact our associates and their livelihood are never ones that we take casually,” said Dennis Frett, president and CEO. “But, these actions are absolutely necessary to reduce our costs and position the company for the future,” he added.

Due to COVID-19 and the corresponding collapse of global air travel, demand for passenger aircraft has been significantly reduced. Furthermore, global macro-economic conditions are reducing the demand for industrial products. “Considering industry analysts and recent actions by other aerospace companies, we see a three-to-five-year timeline until we return to a sales volume that resembles anything pre-pandemic,” says Timothy Kirk, vice president of Aerospace Sales.

These urgent actions will enable CMA to reduce its costs to partially mitigate the immediate downturn in business. Additionally, CMA will enhance its cooperation with business units in the United States to better meet customer expectations and adapt to a changing market.

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: Toray Composite Materials America

EcoBrite Linen Earns Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certification

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — June 5, 2020 — Ecobrite Linen, a full service linen and laundry service provider to long term care health facilities, recently achieved the Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification for its Skokie, Ill., plant. Hygienically Clean is the quantified, validated standard and measure for hygienically clean textiles in North America since 2011, and this certification reflects this laundry’s commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and its capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

  • Employees are properly trained and protected;
  • Managers understand regulatory requirements;
  • OSHA-compliant; and
  • Physical plant operates effectively.

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to EcoBrite Linen on their certification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: TRSA

Sensient Technologies Corp. To Sell Its Digital Ink Business To Sun Chemical And DIC Corp.

MORGES, Switzerland — June 5, 2020 — Sensient Technologies Corp. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell 100 percent of its shares of Sensient Imaging Technologies and certain other assets related to the production of inks to Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corp. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2020.

Sensient Imaging Technologies S.A. has built a trusted brand that delivers innovative digital technology to its customers, setting the standard for digital inkjet printing. As a supplier of digital inks, Sensient has a reputation for high quality solutions that add value to customers around the world. Sensient’s experience in water-based solutions has resulted in innovations for a number of industrial markets and the ability to align these developments with Sun will further strengthen this proposition.

“As announced last year, the sale of the inkjet ink business will strengthen our focus on our core businesses,” said Paul Manning, Sensient’s chairman, president, and CEO. “We are pleased that we can transition the business to a buyer that is committed to the industry. Our service and quality commitments to our customers will be maintained, and we will work to ensure a seamless transition.”

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: Sensient Technologies

W+D/BICMA Develops Face Mask Line Capable Of Up To 1 Million Disposable Surgical Masks Per Day With A Lower Cost Mask Design

NEUWIED, Germany — June 4, 2020 — Reacting to the worldwide shortage and peak demand for high quality lower cost face masks, the W+D/BICMA hygiene group of Winkler+Dünnebier has developed a fully automatic, high-speed face mask converting line for the production of high quality disposable face masks: Auxilium FM. This new converting line has a speed of up to 150 meters per minute (492 feet per minute) and is able to produce up to 1 million high quality face masks per day making it one of the fastest mask production machines in the world, according to the company.

Adding to the manufacturing throughput efficiency of up to 800 face masks per minute is also a unique product concept, reducing the costs per piece by using for the ear loops standard materials which are common in the hygiene industry. The machine comes with CE sign and is suitable for Industry 4.0 applications. It can be equipped with various options such as fully automatic stacking, camera system for inline quality control, inline flexoprinting and many more.

The Auxilium FM mask line laminates and converts three or more layers of appropriate nonwoven materials (spunbond, meltblown, thermobonded or others). By converting suitable raw materials, producers may apply for EN 14683 I, II or IIR certification for masks they made on this quality machine. It combines W+D/Bicma’s proven technology in highspeed nonwoven processing with newly designed features like nose clip and earloop application.

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: Winkler+Dünnebier GmbH

DFG Funds Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 280 On Carbon Reinforced Concrete – Joint Proposal Of TUD And RWTH Aachen University

AACHEN/DRESDEN, Germany — June 5, 2020 — On May 29, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) decided to fund the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC)/Transregio 280 “Carbon reinforced concrete” at Technische Universität Dresden, short TUD, and RWTH Aachen University with the participation of the Institut für Textiltechnik, short ITA, with 12 million euros ($13.6 million) over the next four years.

The CRC/Transregio 280 “Design Strategies for Material-Minimised Carbon Reinforced Concrete Structures – Principles of a New Approach to Construction” breaks with the traditional way of designing reinforced concrete plants. The interdependence of reinforcement and matrix is being investigated in depth and a completely new design and construction strategy for building with carbon reinforced concrete is being developed.

Carbon reinforced concrete enables completely new design and construction possibilities in the building industry. The reasons for this are its very high strength and the possibility of a very low concrete overlay of only a few millimeters, as carbon, unlike structural steel, does not rust. However, the successful use of the new material, which was awarded the German Future Prize in 2016, requires completely new design and production strategies, which are being investigated in the CRC/Transregio.

Up to now, textile reinforcements have been coated and cured prior to component manufacture. This process is called offline consolidation. These stiff semi-finished products are not suitable for the production of complex components based on new, digital and continuous manufacturing processes (including 3D concrete printing and concrete extrusion). Therefore, ITA is investigating in the sub-project B02 of the CRC/Transregio how forming and consolidation steps are shifted in time by prepreg systems into the concreting process and how they can be applied within the new digital continuous manufacturing processes. In addition to established curing mechanisms, such as by heat or UV radiation, new approaches are also being researched. These new approaches include activation via the alkalinity of the concrete, microwaves and induction

The TUD and RWTH Aachen were awarded the grant on the basis of many years of experience in the research field of textile reinforced concrete. The material textile reinforced concrete was developed in two special research areas at both universities from 1999-2011 and was first fundamentally researched.

Nineteen individual institutes are involved in the CRC/Transregio 280. The spokesman of the TUD is Professor Dr Manfred Curbach, the spokesman of the RWTH is Professor Dr Josef Hegger.

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, (ITA)

Arkema Becomes A Member Of The World Business Council For Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

COLOMBES, France— June 5, 2020 — Arkema is pleased to announce that it has joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and is working in partnership with this network to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world.

“Joining the WBCSD is an important step for Arkema” explained Thierry Le Hénaff, chairman and CEO, Arkema. “More than ever, in a world faced with economic, environmental and social challenges, our mission as an industrial company is to use our expertise in materials science to facilitate the transition to a sustainable world. Together with other WBCSD partners, we will be able to accelerate this transition and provide innovative solutions that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the UN.”

“The WBCSD is proud to welcome Arkema as our newest member. As we enter the decade of delivery for Sustainable Development Goals, it is essential that companies collaborate on the interconnected (multi-disciplinary) and complex issues facing our world today. We look forward to working with Arkema to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable world,” said Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the WBCSD.

With its unique Specialty Materials expertise, Arkema contributes through its innovative solutions and the management of its activities, to addressing four major issues of today and tomorrow: growing urbanization, scarcity of resources, climate change and the challenge of new technologies.

In line with the Paris Agreement, Arkema adopted an ambitious new climate plan at the beginning of the year, contributing to a global warming target of “well below 2°C” and thus committed to reducing its overall GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions by 38% by 2030, compared to its 2015 levels (SBT* target) – regardless of the increase in its production volumes.

*Science Based Target

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: Arkema

Oerlikon Nonwoven Supplies The Meltblown Technology For Innovatec GmbH

PFÄFFIKON & SCHWYZ, Switzerland/TROISDORF, Germany — June 5, 2020 — Germany’s Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier today handed over the first notice of funding to Innovatec GmbH in Troisdorf as part of the recently launched “Nonwoven Production” funding program. The North Rhine-Westphalian company intends to produce an additional 1,500 tons of nonwoven per year in the future with the two newly installed subsidized meltblown lines of which one is from Oerlikon Nonwoven. The additional volume will enable the production of more than 1.5 billion protective masks.

Innovatec GmbH, the self-proclaimed largest nonwoven manufacturer in Europe, has invested a two-digit million Euro amount in two new production lines for meltblown nonwovens. Both lines are “made in Germany” –—and one line comes from Oerlikon Nonwoven in Neumünster. “We are very proud to have been involved in this project from the very beginning and to be able to actively support such an important nonwoven producer as Innovatec with our meltblown technology”, explained Rainer Straub, head of Oerlikon Nonwoven.

Peter Altmaier: “Effectively reducing import dependency”

Peter Altmaier said at the on-site event: “We want to significantly expand production capacities for protective equipment in Germany and thus effectively reduce our dependence on imports. Our long-term goal is to cover the entire value chain — from machines to filter fleece and protective masks. The investment by Innovatec GmbH has brought us a big step closer to our goal of an additional 4 000 tons of nonwoven annually”. In order to also promote the further value-added chain, the support program of the Federal Government was supplemented by two further modules on June 1, 2020. With these, the establishment and expansion of facilities for the production of up to seven billion certified protective masks will be supported with an investment grant of up to 50 percent.

Oerlikon Nonwoven with orders until 2021

Oerlikon Nonwoven decided already months ago to significantly ramp up their production of the machines and systems for its meltblown technology. The demand from Germany, Europe and the whole world resulted in a pleasing increase in order intake in a very short time. “We are already looking ahead to 2021 thanks to an attractive order pipeline. Our order intake is now in the upper double-digit million Euro range. We have adjusted our delivery times to the extent possible. This is what has enabled us to deliver the first meltblown line here at Innovatec GmbH. Further deliveries and installations are scheduled globally,” Straub added.

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: Oerlikon

TRSA Unveils Collaborative Conservation & Certification Initiative

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — June 5, 2020 — Kemco Systems Co. LLC, a Clearwater, Fla.-based designer and manufacturer of energy and water conservation systems, is offering a cost-effective approach for laundries to improve efficiencies with no capital investment. The all-inclusive CONSERVE program offers water-recycling-as-a-service including an opportunity to pursue TRSA’s Hygienically Clean and Clean Green certifications with support from Six Disciplines Consulting.

As the world recovers from the impact of COVID-19, linen, uniform and facility services companies are seeking opportunities to reduce costs, while continuing to differentiate themselves from the competition. The CONSERVE program offers an opportunity to pursue both with water savings and certification with no upfront investment.

“TRSA welcomes this collaboration with Kemco and Six Disciplines, especially in this post-COVID environment with renewed public emphasis on hygiene,” said Joseph Ricci, CAE, TRSA president and CEO. “There has been tremendous interest in Hygienically Clean, primarily in the hospitality and food service sectors that have been the most impacted. The CONSERVE program provides these companies, and others, an opportunity to reduce costs and demonstrate their hygienic-laundering practices efficiently and cost-effectively.”

Since 2018, Six Disciplines Consulting (https://sixdisciplines.com/ ) has provided laundries seeking Hygienically Clean certification with expertise and support in the development of required documentation such as a quality assurance (QA) manual, as well as pre-inspection to ensure the plant is prepared for the certification process. Their fees are being paid by the CONSERVE program, improving a laundry’s ability to earn the Hygienically Clean designation, while minimizing upfront costs.

Further, with water and sewer costs growing at twice the rate of CPI (consumer price index), there is a growing incentive to recycle water, potentially delivering water quality better than the incoming water.  The process rejects total dissolved solids, hardness, color, viruses, bacteria and other colony forming units (CFU) as well as emerging contaminants such as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl) and microplastics. This allows plants to recycle up to 90% of their water for reuse anywhere in their process.

“This collaboration with TRSA and Six Disciplines Consulting offers our customers, and prospective customers, an opportunity to reduce water consumption and costs while improving overall operations and earning the distinguished Hygienically Clean designation,” said Tom Vanden Heuvel, Kemco president and CEO. “It is a win-win-win proposition for laundries.”

Learn more about the benefits of the CONSERVE program and the positive financial, environmental, customer and plant impacts this program and collaboration can bring to your company at www.kemcosystems.com.

“We are thrilled Kemco has chosen to support TRSA’s Hygienically Clean and Clean Green certification programs and welcome other opportunities to work with TRSA Associate Supplier Partners in efforts to highlight our industry’s commitment to the environment and hygiene,” Ricci said.

Audrey Carmichael of Six Disciplines Consulting Services will be the lead consultant for this program, and she will oversee coaching and strategic advisory services. Carmichael is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a certified ASQ Quality Auditor. She brings more than 25 years of experience in light manufacturing, product development, technical communications, QA management and continuous improvement to this role. As a full-time Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, she led and coached improvement projects in production and business processes to eliminate waste and produce more consistent outcomes.

Posted June 5, 2020

Source: TRSA

G-III Apparel Group Ltd. Announces Restructuring of Its Retail Segment

NEW YORK CITY — June 4, 2020 — G-III Apparel Group Ltd. today announced the restructuring of its retail operations segment.

The restructuring of the retail operations segment includes the closing of 110 Wilsons Leather and 89 G.H. Bass stores. The company has hired Hilco Global to assist in the liquidation of these stores, which will begin immediately or as stores reopen.

Morris Goldfarb, G-III’s chairman and CEO, said, “We have completed a comprehensive review of our retail operations segment. With a focus on enhancing shareholder value, we have made the difficult decision to close all of the Wilsons Leather and G. H. Bass stores and have entered into agreements for the early lease termination of a significant majority of these stores. We believe that this restructuring plan will enable us to greatly reduce our retail losses and to ultimately have this segment become profitable. I am appreciative of all members of the retail team for their hard work and dedication over the years.”

Goldfarb concluded: “Our wholesale business, anchored by our five global power brands: DKNY, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld, will continue to be the primary growth and profit engine for the company. We have a great base of business which we believe creates a strong foundation for our future.”

In connection with the restructuring of our retail operations, the company expects to incur an aggregate charge of approximately $100 million related to landlord termination fees, severance costs, store liquidation and closing costs, write-offs related to right-of-use assets and legal and professional fees. A significant portion of these charges will be incurred during its second fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2020. We expect the cash portion of this charge to be approximately $65 million.

After completion of the restructuring, the company’s retail operations segment will initially consist of 41 DKNY and 13 Karl Lagerfeld Paris stores, as well as the e-commerce sites for DKNY, Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld Paris, Andrew Marc, Wilsons Leather and G.H. Bass.

Posted June 4, 2020

Source: G-III Apparel Group Ltd.

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