Everything You Need To Know About Color Management For Activewear And Performance Fabrics

By Ken Butts

Activewear and performance fabrics offer a myriad of challenges that make it difficult to effectively measure, formulate and replicate color from design through production. From sheerness and open fabric structures that make measurement challenging, to color formulation considerations related to product performance and metamerism/flare, there are a lot of nuances that need to be considered.

When tackling any of these color concerns for activewear or performance fabrics, be sure to consider the following essential items.

Measurement Technique

Traditional solid-colored fabrics are measured using a spectrophotometer as part of well-established color management processes. However, some activewear and performance fabrics present unique challenges that prevent using traditional tools or workflow. Take, for example, performance fabrics with open structures, like mesh, or complex compositions like heather. Or consider the various components that go into a complete garment, such as a jacket with buttons, zipper and cords.

Not that long ago, there was no technology capable of measuring either of these textile scenarios or the additional non-textile components that go into a complete garment. Thankfully, hyperspectral imaging has been introduced to the textile industry and new hyperspectral spectrophotometers can measure essentially any material a company is producing — effectively eliminating what was once known as “the unmeasurables” within the industry.

The ability to objectively measure every material as part of the color management process is particularly important, but those measurements must be compatible whether using traditional color measurement or hyper-spectral imaging. When one can measure something, not only is the color development timeline decreased significantly, but costs also are reduced. This a very exciting development for performance fabrics and the textile industry at large.

Color Formulation

When it comes to color matching, feasibility considerations are often top of mind. Color formulation software helps facilitate the shade matching process by using a sample’s reflectance curve to produce a dye formula that meets the desired color expectations. This process is used throughout the textile industry as it reduces the need for back and forth visual color evaluation and helps avoid scenarios where color development is worked on for several weeks only to learn the process needs to be started over again.

Colorant Limitations

Part of the color formulation process involves taking colorant limitations into consideration. Consider once again the athletic jacket with zippers, buttons and cords. When thinking holistically about that complete garment, colorant limitations come into play.

This is because the colorants available for the plastic zipper are quite different from those available for textiles. With textiles, on has a number of dye options available that increase the likelihood of achieving the exact shade you want. Not so much on the plastics side of things, where the colorant options are more limited. The challenge here is to match both materials so they look good without limiting the designer too severely.

Even when considering just the textiles, there are still colorant limitations. For example, a bright fluorescent shade may be available for cotton, but you can’t match it on polyester. Or perhaps it can be achieved, but it doesn’t have the wash fastness or another necessary performance characteristics.

The key here is to understand these characteristics, so one can determine what can be best achieved across these needs and still have a marketable product. It’s not just measuring the color, but understanding the ability of colors to work on these specialty fabrics in terms of color feasibility.

Fastness

Colorants also have specific performance capabilities that need to be considered as part of the color formulation process. For example, performance fabrics and athleticwear often have an elevated need for wash and light fastness. Since these textiles are exposed to sweat as well as significant amounts of natural daylight, they need high fastness properties, so the garment won’t fade over the seasons or bleed with sweating.

Colorant selection is essential to ensuring the end product performs to the expected degree. For both wash and light fastness, specific grayscale tests can be performed instrumentally to evaluate fading from light exposure or from bleeding that transfers dye to another material as a result of washing or sweating. Measuring fastness results with a spectrophotometer greatly improves accuracy and data collection compared to the subjective visual process of fastness evaluation.

Metamerism And Flare

Another performance consideration tied to colorant selection has to do with sample color change in various lighting conditions. Athleticwear purchased in store — often under LED lighting — also needs to look equally good, with similar shade properties, in natural outdoor lighting. This isn’t a given, as metamerism — when colors match under one lighting condition but not under another — and flare — when the color of a material changes when it is viewed under different light sources — can greatly impact consumer perception of an end product across different lighting scenarios.

If the end product was intended to be part of a coordinating or matching set of goods, these color discrepancies could be disastrous. With multi-sourced programs or multi-component products, issues with metamerism and flare must be identified early in the color development process to prevent these problems from showing up in the final product.

It’s important to understand how some combinations of colorants may flare less — or flare in different directions — under changing light sources. Metamerism and flare can be detrimental to your product quality and consumer perception, but can be predicted and accounted for with instrumental color measurement and computer color formulation. Customers expect consistency and associate this with the quality of goods. Variations in color are one of the first quality characteristics consumers pick up on.

When it comes to color management for activewear and performance fabrics, there are additional nuances and considerations that should be kept top of mind. With the right tools in hand and the appropriate processes implemented, it’s possible to effectively and efficiently manage color for any textile category, including activewear and performance fabrics.

Editor’s Note: Ken Butts By Ken Butts is a global key account team manager at Datacolor, Lawrenceville, N.J. Butts has more than 25 years of experience as a solutions consultant in the textile and apparel industry. While with Datacolor, he has analyzed existing product development processes and implemented effective color management solutions for more than 40 of the world’s most well-known retail/brand apparel companies and their global supply chains.

June 25, 2020

New Blood

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor

While 2020 is turning out to be a rather interesting year from any number of different perspectives, one perspective I’m actually glad to see is the large number of people who are beginning to understand that the textile industry truly is an “essential” business to the United States and the world. The advent of the global coronavirus pandemic has reiterated just how important textiles are to sustaining and protecting our everyday lives in a number of ways. Yet, the textile industry continues to instill a perception that often includes images of sweat shops, rusted out mills and dye houses, decrepit run down mill towns and low wages. Well, ok, the low wages one may still be a bit true, but regardless, the reality is that most in the general public still thinks of the U.S. textile industry as being dead, if not remnants from a by-gone era.

Now, given the realities of living through a global pandemic, imagine the look on the faces of people who thought textiles were irrelevant as they eventually realized that personal protective equipment (PPE), the variety of protective masks that many — including my niece — have started home sewing businesses to produce, as well as linens, bedding, and unfortunately even the body bags seen on the evening news, are all products of the textile industry. Lest we forget about the filter media in respirators, ventilators and clean air systems, the swabs for testing, the curtains and room dividers being used to separate patients, the list goes on and on. And it doesn’t take long to realize that the textile industry is far from dead; it is in fact a very integral part of our everyday lives. But the majority of those reading Textile World, already know that, at least I hope we do?

One of the most relevant lessons learned over the past several months is that while we really do live in a global economy, having a strong, efficient and competent localized supply chain is paramount to surviving any number of global challenges. The real question, and the purpose for the above commentary, is that many facets of the textile industry are certainly not dead, and in fact appear to be reinvigorated as many companies focused on essential product categories look to improve their local supply chains. So how do we in the industry keep this new found momentum moving forward?

And given this new attitude and a re-emphasis on a strong textiles supply chain, I think most would agree that this industry could definitely use an infusion of new faces, new business perspectives and new employees. Maybe even a new localized and even global marketing campaign to convince prospective workers and the public in general that the textile industry has in fact changed, or maybe evolved into an industry full of advanced technologies, incredibly diverse products, applications and much, much more than those old images, opinions and perceptions continue to portray.

Prior to this new era in which we currently reside, virtually anyone I spoke with throughout the textile industry supply chain expressed a need for “new blood” at pretty much every level from operators, technicians, engineers, chemists to industry and product savvy sales folks, managers and everything in between. But almost universally, the biggest need is for machine mechanics, fixers and technical types who actually understand textile machinery and have the experience and wherewithal to make the products run and machines hum.  Yep, the machine whisperers! The folks who can identify a problem just by listening to the machine run, then massage and coax it back to life with a subtle turn of a wrench or tap of a hammer or even simply a few choice words offered in a way that only the machine can understand. Unfortunately, the really good ones still working, if you can actually find them, are getting older and older. Of great concern is the fact that there are fewer and fewer young ’uns or apprentices coming in to fill the growing void.

Part of this ongoing challenge is that in addition to the negative perception of the textile industry, there continues to be the largely incorrect notion that you need to have a college degree to get a good job, and a stigma may be attached to someone choosing not to go to college. The perception and emphasis on the need of a college degree for recent generations has resulted in a reduction of people looking to the trades as a career option and with that it feels like something we used to refer to as “good common sense” has regrettably gone away … but that’s a subject for another article. We’ve all seen it demonstrated time and again that intelligence is not only the result of having a Bachelor’s, Masters or Ph.D.-level education and I will offer that many of the most intelligent down to earth people I’ve ever met are machine operators, mechanics and technicians who never went to college. They may not be able to recite a Shakespeare sonnet or spell Pythagorean theorem, but they typically have a common sense view of the world and understand how to get the most from their position in life.

Another item I was reminded of not too long ago is that a fairly high percentage of people currently working in textiles most likely have a parent or relative — in my case it was my father — who was working in the textile industry and got them interested. I really haven’t come across too many folks in textiles who found the industry intriguing enough to make textiles a career without having that personal connection. This also has to change. The question really becomes how do we reverse these trends and entice new folks, young and old alike, to give the textile industry a look as a potential career and maybe help to change that negative view that the industry carries?

Austin Conner, a project engineer at SAERTEX-USA in Huntersville, N.C., and recent graduate of the Wilson School of Textiles at North Carolina State University, said: “I think when a lot of young people hear the word ‘textiles’ or ‘textile manufacturing’ they think of old stuffy mills that people their grandparents age used to work in and a lot of people who were alive to see the textile industry get largely outsourced in the 80’s and 90’s still feel that there isn’t any job security. In order to lose this stigma, I think textile companies need to do a better job promoting the cool technologies and exciting textile applications they are a part of. Maybe use modern marketing strategies such as social media more effectively to promote their businesses. Although some of the industry’s technology is rooted in the old, there is plenty of new. And new is exciting to young people!”

“The textile industry is really about more than clothing, as evidenced by its ability to rapidly transition to the production of PPE in a time of crisis,” stated Dr. Chris Pastore, professor of Transdisciplinary Studies and Engineering at Jefferson University. “It is an industry that actually remains vibrant, is constantly pushing the bounds of technology and is people oriented, all the things that I’d be looking for in a new career path.”

“Another thought is to possibly incorporate basic fiber science and textile knowledge into entry level science courses,” Conner added. “Educate youngsters in high school and college about the fundamentals of textiles and their many uses. The fact that everyone wears clothes but many people don’t know anything about how they are made is crazy!”

Fortunately, there are a few organizations and individuals who have been listening and are taken up this effort to change perceptions of the textile industry and get more people interested in the opportunities it presents. Cotton Incorporated, the not for profit U.S. cotton research and promotions company, in partnership with Young Minds Inspired, recently created a series of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Program-focused teaching kits intended to engage 4th to 8th grade students and introduce them to cotton science and sustainability. Dan St. Louis, director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC) in Conover, N.C., and a long time champion of the textile industry, has been working with STEM Education departments at high schools for years to promote STEM tours of MSC and introduce students to various textile programs MSC supports. The Textile Technology Center at Gaston College has been offering and providing textile-based education programs and consulting to the industry for more than 75 years and continues to do so. As do higher education centers like North Carolina State University’s Wilson School of Textiles and Jefferson University, formerly the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences, both of which offer a variety of textiles focused programs with an eye towards the future. But as mentioned earlier, colleges and universities are not always for everyone, so we should also promote trade schools and apprentice programs as viable options throughout the textiles supply chain with as much passion as parents have been promoting the need for degrees.

We all know that the textile industry has and continues to remain a significant component of the global economy, but as the past several months have shown us, it is an essential business and worthy of that recognition. Here’s to hoping that the textiles supply chain uses this time in the spotlight to effectively foster an image change and get more young and old people alike interested in the variety of career options that the industry offers. We need that new blood and energy to help keep that spotlight shining bright or once again, we may find our industry and ourselves looking back and wondering what the heck happened?

June 25, 2020

Sunbrella Debuts Eco-Friendly, Fluorine-Free Fabric

BURLINGTON, N.C. — June 24, 2020 — Sunbrella unveils its latest innovation — Sunbrella Assure, a fluorine-free textile that delivers water repellency, stain resistance and enhanced durability. These fabrics bring new opportunities to create healthy and sustainable indoor and outdoor spaces that are still hardworking, according to the company.

Sunbrella Assure offers stain resistance through a proprietary bio-based formula that combats the absorption of water-based spills and messes without the use of fluorochemicals. Oil-based stains can be removed easily by following the cleaning and care guide. Sunbrella Assure is also highly durable, with abrasion resistance up to 100,000 double rubs. The new fabric delivers on these high-performance standards while fulfilling the Sunbrella brand promise of design and function, as well as staying soft to the touch.

“Sunbrella Assure is yet another example of how we continue to build on our legacy of smart design and environmentally conscious actions,” said Steve Pawl, chief marketing officer at Sunbrella. “Sunbrella Assure brings together the benefits of fluorine-free technology with the leading design, performance and warranty that we’re known for and has been counted on for 60 years.”

Other properties of Sunbrella Assure include:

  • Fade-resistant;
  • Bleach-cleanable and able to be sanitized;
  • PFC-Free;
  • GREENGUARD Gold certified;
  • Achieves OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and Facts Silver Certifications; and
  • Compliant with the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) and Prop 65.

The first collection, Balance featuring Sunbrella Assure, includes six different patterns in 43 colors and is available now from CF Stinson in partnership with Sunbrella Contract.

Behind every Sunbrella upholstery fabric is a five-year warranty, the most comprehensive guarantee in the industry.

Posted June 24, 2020

Source: Sunbrella

Cargill Welcomes Hank Gray To Global Cotton Business

Hank Gray

MINNEAPOLIS — June 24, 2020 — Cargill is pleased to announce that Hank Gray has joined the team as the U.S. Origination Manager for cotton within Cargill’s Agricultural Supply Chain business, effective June 22. In this new role, Gray will focus on setting and executing on Cargill’s farmer-facing strategy in the cotton space.

Gray brings extensive experience from across the cotton industry as he has worked as a trader, broker and manager for over the last two decades. Additionally, Gray has participated on the Board of Directors for American Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA), Texas Cotton Association (TCA), Western Cotton Shippers Association (WCSA) and the Memphis Cotton Exchange.

Gray will report to Robin Pigot, global head of merchandising for Cargill’s global cotton business.

“We are delighted to welcome Hank to the team and look forward to having his outside perspective drive more value to our customers,” Pigot said.

Posted June 24, 2020

Source: Cargill

VPK Group Invests In FlexoCleanerBrush™ From Baldwin Technology

ST. LOUIS — June 23, 2020 — Baldwin Technology Co. Inc. has announced that corrugated packaging market leader VPK Group has recently installed a FlexoCleanerBrush. This new system — which automatically cleans and dries corrugated printing plates in less than four minutes — has been added to VPK’s advanced 2.1-meter-wide six-color Göpfert Ovation High Board Line flexographic printer at the company’s new high-bay factory in Halden, Norway.

“We are excited about the advanced cleaning automation now enabled at our new plant,” said Robert Stade, project and technical manager of VPK Group. “Besides not having to stop production for manual cleaning, we can now regularly have multiple plates cleaned more efficiently, both during and between print runs. As a result, we have increased our production capacity and dramatically decreased our downtime.”

VPK Group prides itself on offering customers sustainable and innovative corrugated solutions. For the new plant, an independent study was conducted to validate the capacity of Baldwin’s FlexoCleanerBrush system. The study measured all performance data and validated that the automated system could fully clean and dry all printing plates in less than four minutes and pick hickeys in seconds.

“The FlexoCleanerBrush is truly an innovation for post-print flexographic printing onto corrugated boards — there is nothing even remotely comparable on the market,” said Lee Simmonds, Regional Sales Manager at Baldwin. “Thanks to the elimination of micro-stops mid-run to clean plates, print jobs are set up faster from print run to print run, and as a result, the system reduces lost hours over a week to just minutes. Further, the high print quality is maintained and even further enhanced.”

With the FlexoCleanerBrush system, an inline cleaning station installed within each print unit uses a brush that runs the full width of each printing plate. Paired with a precision spray application system, the FlexoCleanerBrush evenly distributes a mixture of approximately five percent detergent and water across the plate as it spins, gently cleaning its surface. The plates are then dried by the integrated air knife. Cleaning cycles can be controlled through the FlexoCleanerBrush’s operator panel or the integrated Göpfert human-machine interface.

Besides offering efficient cleaning during runs and fast end-of-job cleaning, the FlexoCleanerBrush system also enables operators to remove dry plates from the machine without the potential risk of plates sticking together once they are placed back in the plate-racking system. This helps to ensure increased board throughput, less downtime and a safer working environment by eliminating operators’ contact with nip points, moving parts and chemicals.

Posted June 23, 2020

Source: Baldwin Technology Co. Inc.

Scott Schinlever Returns To EFI As Inkjet COO

FREMONT, Calif. — June 22, 2020 — Scott Schinlever has re-joined Electronics For Imaging Inc. (EFI) in a new role as COO for EFI’s global inkjet business. Schinlever, who starts in his new position today, has been charged with further expanding EFI’s market-leading industrial inkjet portfolio, while facilitating the analog-to-digital transformation throughout the industry for EFI’s current and future customers. Schinlever will be responsible for all equipment, ink, and service solutions throughout the vast EFI™ portfolio in Display Graphics, Textiles, Packaging and Building Materials.

Schinlever, who most recently was president and COO of Automation Solutions for Tolland, Conn.-based Gerber Technology, had a long career managing the marketing, growth and development of EFI VUTEk® printers and other EFI inkjet technologies. He joined the digital print industry in the late 1990s, working with the Xerox® Office Systems Group. In 2001, he took on a marketing position at the pioneering superwide-format printer manufacturer VUTEk, a company EFI acquired in 2005. Schinlever continued to rise through the ranks at EFI following that acquisition, becoming senior vice president and general manager for EFI Inkjet Solutions — the company’s largest business unit — before joining Gerber Technology in 2018.

“We are thrilled to have Scott back in the EFI family,” said EFI Chairman and CEO Jeff Jacobson. “Our industry is at a critical inflection point. I joined EFI one year ago because I clearly understood that EFI is the best positioned company in the industry to drive the analog-to-digital transformation in the industrial inkjet space. Under Scott’s leadership of the Inkjet Business, I am convinced that EFI will attain that leadership position across the diverse segments of display graphics, packaging, textiles and building materials.

“Scott has an innate understanding of and expertise in the portfolio and solution set that will enable our customers to excel as the industry quickly migrates to industrial inkjet,” Jacobson added. “We are confident he will lead our global industrial inkjet operations to the next level in his new Inkjet COO role.”

Driving growth in digital print
During Schinlever’s previous time with the company, EFI’s inkjet business grew significantly through organic growth and strategic acquisitions of innovative digital printer and ink companies. He expanded EFI’s successful move into ink manufacturing, leveraging EFI’s 2006 acquisition of digital ink and printer technologies from Flint Ink. That purchase set the stage for EFI’s breakthrough position in high-quality, production-class UV LED inkjet superwide-format printers and ink — technology that provides superior versatility and energy cost savings for a broad range of applications. The business was further strengthened with the acquisition of Matan, bringing strong systems technology to EFI. Overall, EFI’s revenues for its superwide-format inkjet products more than doubled under Schinlever, with increased profitability.

Schinlever not only expanded the company’s strengths and presence in superwide-format display graphics printing, he also helped manage the company’s strategic industrial project to develop the packaging market’s leading single-pass inkjet corrugated board printer — the EFI Nozomi C18000. He also helped spearhead acquisitions of EFI Reggiani, a leading developer of industrial textile printers, and EFI Cretaprint® — a digital ceramic tile printer market share leader with a strong position in the ceramics industry’s most competitive geographies, including India and China.

“It feels great to be back at EFI,” Schinlever stated. “In the two years that I have been away, much has changed, but the spirit of innovation and the strong desire to make our customers successful has remained strong and is increasing every day. I look forward to digging in, getting caught up, and working to take our inkjet businesses to a new and even more successful future.”

Schinlever, who works from EFI’s Londonderry, N.H., facility, has an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in managerial economics from the University of California, Davis.

Posted June 23, 2020

Source: EFI™

Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster Funds More Than $6 Million in Projects to Fight COVID-19 

HAMILTON, Ontario — June 23, 2020 — Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the industry-led organization behind Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, has announced an additional $6 million in funding for projects dedicated to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

Three Canadian companies will benefit from funding under NGen’s commitment to invest $50 million to support companies as they rapidly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by building a Canadian supply of critically needed technologies, equipment, and medical devices to aid in the fight against COVID-19.

Cloud DX, based in Kitchener, Ontario, has received $1.75 million from NGen, representing 50% of the total project cost of $3.5 million, to develop Pulsewave 2.0, a solution to remotely monitor COVID 19 patients with non-acute symptoms who have been sent home from the hospital but may require virtual care at home to fully recover. “Once production begins, Pulsewave 2.0 will be one of the only Health Canada-authorized medical devices that simultaneously gathers heart rate, respiration rate and blood pressure remotely from patients at home,” said Robert Kaul, CEO, Cloud DX. “Our solution is one key to helping Canadian healthcare providers monitor thousands of COVID-19 presumptive patients day after day, and to facilitating COVID-19 recovery by helping doctors to quickly identify and focus on those patients whose conditions have worsened.”

Exacad, based in Boisbriand, Quebec, has received $1.8 million from NGen, covering 100 percent of the total project cost related to the purchase of new equipment, which will contribute to the increased production of advanced plastic medical molds to produce the plastic consumables needed for rapid diagnostics related to COVID-19. “Shortage of plastic consumables for rapid diagnostics is one of the major issues facing Canada in its COVID-19 response. Exacad is well positioned to meet this need by providing the molds that will be critical for the deployment of medical diagnostics and treatments for Canada’s current and future demand,” said Francois Tremblay, president, Exacad.

Myant, based in Toronto, Ontario, has received $2.5 million from NGen, representing 50 percent of the total project cost of almost $5 million, to manufacture and deploy the company’s textile-based wearable health monitoring system called Skiin. Myant knits sensors and actuators into everyday textiles, giving them the ability to sense and react to the human body. The system will enable remote detection and triaging of COVID-19 symptoms, provide patients who have limited connection to care — such as those in elder care homes, remote indigenous communities, women’s shelters, homeless shelters, etc. with access to telemedicine, and minimize risk to front-line healthcare workers. “By enabling patients to be remotely triaged and monitored on a continuous basis via biometrics captured by Skiin garments, Myant hopes to help the healthcare system optimize their resources for COVID-19 screening and keep patients connected to care in a time where physically travelling to a care facility may mean increased risk of exposure,” said Tony Chahine, CEO, Myant.

“During an unprecedented and challenging time, Canada’s advanced manufacturing companies have really stepped up to the plate and developed innovative solutions that will save lives and improve healthcare,” said Jayson Myers, CEO, NGen. “Every single one of these new manufacturing technologies will not only meet the immediate demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also build world leading capabilities in Canadian manufacturing innovation that will support the future well-being and economic prosperity of Canadians as we move forward.”

In March, NGen launched its Rapid Response Funding Program to launch production of innovative manufacturing solutions that could contribute in the fight against COVID-19. To date, NGen has supported a total of 19 projects amounting to $27 million in funding to Canadian companies undertaking advanced manufacturing initiatives to help address the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our commitment is to support Canadians through this crisis with the best Made in Canada healthcare technologies. We have an incredibly talented and motivated manufacturing base, and with the support of supercluster funding through organizations like NGen, we are creating solutions that will serve all Canadians,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

Posted June 23, 2020

Source: NGen – Next Generation Manufacturing Canada

INDA Reschedules FiltXPO™ To Collocate with IDEA® 2022 In Miami Beach

CARY, N.C. — June 17, 2020 — INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announces a new FiltXPO™ venue and date for its second edition. FiltXPO is North America’s only exhibition and technical conference dedicated to filtration and separation and will now co-locate with IDEA®, the triennial global nonwovens and engineered materials exposition, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, in Florida. IDEA, March 28-31, 2022, and FiltXPO, March 29-31, 2022, will be held as two distinct events in the same building, at the same time.

“We are moving FiltXPO out of a crowded 2021 to avoid a calendar collision with the World Filtration Congress (WFC) organized by the American Filtration & Separation Society (AFS). They needed to reschedule their event for September 2021, which is too close to the original FiltXPO 2021 dates in October. So, we’ll combine FiltXPO with IDEA in March 2022, significantly enhancing the value for more companies to exhibit and attend,” said Dave Rousse, INDA president.

FiltXPO brings a global platform to growing North American markets and features three-days of technical conference sessions with daily keynote addresses, and over 20 speaker presentations. Building off its successful 2020 inaugural event, the second edition is expected to attract 200 exhibitors and 2,000 professionals involved in the design, manufacture, sales, use or study of filtration and separation products, equipment, and services in North America. The collocation with IDEA will enhance the value of attending for all material science scouts and product developers. For full information visit: www.filtxpo.com

Industry Sectors:
FiltXPO is represented by industry sectors including: Water & wastewater treatment, petrochemicals, plastics, automotive, transportation, aerospace, chemicals and coatings, food & beverage production, biotechnology/pharmaceuticals, HVAC/indoor air quality, pulp & paper manufacturing, mining, oil & gas production, metal processing, industrial manufacturing, clean rooms, building management, and power generation.

Conferences:
FiltXPO technical conference sessions provide relevant, insightful information to aid in planning and decision-making, as well as concepts that add value to international filtration and separation research, development and commercialization of the latest materials and manufacturing technologies.

Audience:
The FiltXPO audience includes senior-level engineers, R&D professionals, executive management, and supply chain management across multiple market sectors.

Posted June 23, 2020

Source:

Solvay Starts Up New Hydrogen Peroxide Dilution And Packing Plant In Vietnam

BRUSSELS — June 19, 2020 — Solvay Peroxides Vietnam started production at its new Hydrogen Peroxide dilution and packing plant at Phuc Long Industrial Zone in Long An Province, Vietnam. This facility is designed to reach 24k ton capacity per year to meet growing local demand for international standard quality Hydrogen Peroxide for the textile industry and other applications.

Being the first industrial facility based in Vietnam of the Solvay group, this plant was built and made operational in full alignment with the group’s Health Safety & environmental standards. High quality Hydrogen Peroxides are supplied by Solvay Peroxythai, our world largest plant in Thailand and diluted and packed to customer requirements locally.

“With this new plant we are aiming at better serving our customers in Vietnam. To support sustainability and circular economy, the use of returnable packaging has been implemented with our distributors and customers. This action allows customers to minimize the non core operation of managing used packaging.” said Suthichai Srihawan, General Manager of Solvay Peroxides Vietnam.

Posted June 23, 2020

Source: Solvay

Esprit selects EarthColors® by Archroma for its newest ‘I AM SUSTAINABLE’ capsule collection

REINACH, Switzerland — June 18, 2020 — Archroma today announced a new collaboration with Esprit, the global fashion clothing brand, who selected the EarthColors® range for its “I AM SUSTAINABLE” capsule collection.

Esprit was founded in California by couple Susie and Doug Tompkins in 1968, and is now headquartered in Germany and Hong Kong, with a presence in 40 countries around the globe.

Esprit creates laid-back, high-quality essentials that reflect its core values of sustainability, equality and freedom of choice. The brand developed its first eco-conscious collection made of 100-percent organic cotton, back in the early 90’s.

Archroma’s EarthColors® range came to public attention for being the Gold Winner of the OutDoor Industry Award 2017, Sustainable Innovations category.

The range is regularly featured by brands such as Kathmandu, G-Star and Ternua, who are willing to explore truly innovative and authentic color options for more eco-conscious casual wear collections.

Archroma’s EarthColors is a line of patented plant-based dyes, sourced from up to 100 percent renewable resources.

Archroma developed EarthColors using non-edible waste products, from agriculture and herbal industries, to replace petroleum derived raw materials; which are the conventional raw materials used to synthesize dyes currently. This gives brands an alternative when looking for more natural ways of dyeing garments.

The colors available in the capsule collection created by Esprit: mauve, beige, blue, khaki, pink and blush hues, are made from the non-edible parts of nutshells, almond shells, rosemary, saw palmetto, bitter orange and beetroot, left over from agriculture industry or herbal extraction.

The collection is available online: www.esprit.eu/earthcolors.

The brand is working on future fall/winter and spring/summer collections with more exciting articles to discover for nature-inspired consumers.

“Colors traditionally made with plants come with some limitations in terms of color reproducibility, fastness and they require huge amounts of plants to produce the quantities needed at industrial scale,” commented Kristina Seidler-Lynders, manager social & environmental sustainability at Esprit. “So when Archroma presented us their EarthColors®, we were excited to have found a technology that would allow us to explore authentic colors synthesized from plants rather than petroleum.”

“The whole team at Esprit really embraced the possibilities of EarthColors,” said Dion Cragg, Brand Solutions Europe, Brand & Performance Textile Specialties at Archroma. “They truly pushed the boundaries in adopting the concept across every possible article, from t-shirts and scarves to canvas sandals and bags. The end result simply looks amazing, and we are so incredibly proud to be able to support such creativity with our nature-based innovation – because it’s our nature!”

® Trademarks of Archroma registered in many countries.
© 2020 Archroma

Posted June 23, 2020

Source: Archroma

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