From Bottle To Fabric: Seat Upholstery Made Of PET

INGOLSTADT, Germany — February 25, 2020 — Sustainability is a central pillar in the Audi corporate strategy. This applies to technology as well as to the production processes. Seat upholstery made from secondary raw materials are being used for the first time in the fourth generation of the Audi A3. Up to 89 percent of the textile used consists of recycled PET bottles, which are transformed into yarn in an elaborate procedure. This results in fabrics that guarantee the same quality standards in terms of look and feel as conventional textile upholstery.

Turning the old into the new

The bottle disappears in the hole of the reverse vending machine, and the customer in Germany gets 0.25 euros. But what happens then? While still in the shop, the disposable bottles are compressed for truck transport in order to save space. Once they have arrived at the recycling plant, they are sorted by color, size and quality. Foreign matter such as the caps are separated. A mill then crushes the bottles into flakes, which are washed, dried and melted down. Nozzles shape continuous plastic strands out of the mass. Once they have dried, a machine chops them into small pieces. This results in granulate, otherwise known as recyclate, and this undergoes extrusion to create threads. Wound onto coils, these are used in the final stage to manufacture materials.

More than 100 PET bottles in a single A3

All in all, up to 45 PET bottles with a capacity of 1.5 liters are used per seating system. On top of this, an additional 62 PET bottles were recycled for the carpet in the new Audi A3. Other components in the interior are also increasingly made of secondary raw materials, e.g. insulating materials and absorbers, the side panel trims of the luggage compartment, the loading floor and the mats. The goal is clear: The percentage of recycled material in the Audi fleet is to rise considerably in the coming years. In the process, the premium brand will continue to offer its customers products with the high level of quality that they are used to.

At present, the seat upholstery is not yet made completely of recyclable material. “The lower layer of woven material, which is connected to the upper material with adhesive, is what poses the challenge. We are working on replacing this with recyclable polyester,” says Ute Grönheim, who is in charge of material development in the textiles division at Audi. “It is our goal to make the seat upholstery completely from unmixed material so that it can be recycled again. We are no longer very far away from this.” In the long term, all seat upholstery across all model series will be made of recycled material.

Three recycled covers on offer

There are three different material designs for the Audi A3; they have an up to 89 percent share of recycled material. One of these is the steel gray material “Torsion” for the design selection on which yellow contrasting stitching creates visual highlights. In addition, the material “Puls” is available. In the S line, it features the black and silver color combination and is accentuated by rock gray contrasting stitching. Later on, it follows in black and red with contrasting stitching. In the equipment line in question, these designs form the basic offering and can be combined with side bolsters made of artificial leather.

Posted February 26, 2020

Source Audi

Gerber’s Innovation Center Empowers The Digitization Of The Furniture Industry

NEW YORK CITY — February 25, 2020 — The Gerber Innovation Center in New York City opened for the furniture industry on February 19 with a one-of-a-kind microfactory experience. The undisputed leader of connected platforms hosted a full day of workshops, live demonstrations, and customer case studies to discuss the current challenges the furniture industry is experiencing with customization. Gerber demonstrated how companies of all sizes can conquer customization, creativity, speed and eCommerce challenges by integrating their entire process from design through production using the latest software and hardware solutions.

“Gerber’s furniture microfactory experience is unlike anything else,” said Ketty Pillet, vice president of Marketing at Gerber Technology. “We designed this experience for the furniture manufacturers to be able to actually experience the on-demand process from design to print to production, leveraging the latest innovative technology.”

Like all industries, upholstered furniture is currently seeing a large demand for customized products and faster delivery times, causing a bind for companies who are still relying on manual processes. Those who fail to digitize supply chains relatively soon will continue to struggle as Gen Z, a generation who chooses to ignore predefined trends, starts to enter the furniture market.

The event was truly an end-to-end experience with an overview of industry trends and challenges, a customer testimonial from Bassett Furniture, and several presentations on the most innovative technology including CAD, digital printing, automated cutting, and even a laser solution from Virtek which aids in assembly.

During their all-day event, Gerber showed just how quickly on-demand manufacturing can happen by leveraging their integrated and connected platform to develop customized seats and pillows. The integrated solution, which features the latest in pattern making, digital printing, and IoT enabled digital cutting, streamlines the entire process and allows the company to remain both cost effective and sustainable by connecting different groups of users. The company also announced the launch of AccuMark February 2020 for the furniture industry which will allow them to reduce their time to market and allow for more creativity with a digital printing embedded process.

“Gerber’s solutions have helped us dramatically improve our process by reducing costly mistakes,” said Roger Leonhardt of Bassett Furniture. “Since using their software, we’re saving as much as 1 to 1.5 yards for every mistake that is prevented, which is up to $20,000 in savings.”

One of the biggest values of Gerber’s platform is its ability to connect the print-to-cut process. As Mike Sanders of Top Value Fabrics stated, digital printing is a crucial component for on-demand production because it allows a designer to take their artwork and turn it into a unique decor piece that no one else has. By implementing a digital printing process, designers are able to do any quantities of yardage in as many colors as they like with photo exact prints, unleashing creativity.

“Digital printing is so much further along than I thought,” said Bruce Beamer of Teknion Limited as he watched vibrantly printed textiles pass from the Kornit Presto direct-to-textile printer to the GERBERcutter® Z1. “Today’s event has really educated me on the latest technologies out there, some of which I was not aware of.”

The Z1 is equipped with Gerber’s PrintSync device which integrates the printing and cutting process into one step, allowing for shorter lead times and reduced labor costs. The device can connect with any direct-to-textile printer with in-line drying capability.

Posted February 26, 2020

Source Gerber Technology

Public Relations Agency Carmichael Lynch Relate Expands Home And Design Practice With Sunbrella Brand

MINNEAPOLIS — February 26, 2020 — Performance textile supplier Sunbrella has selected Carmichael Lynch Relate as its public relations agency of record following a competitive search. The agency was selected based on its creative reputation as well as its industry knowledge and strong relationships in the home and design space. Sunbrella is the newest member of the agency’s home and design practice group, which includes Formica, Marvin, MasterBrand Cabinets, Sherwin-Williams and TruStile. Carmichael Lynch Relate will handle strategic planning and media relations as well as influencer strategy and execution for the iconic brand.

“We were looking for a collaborative, strategic partner in our journey to strengthen engagement and preference for the Sunbrella brand and share our story as an innovative category leader that provides value for our customers,” said Steve Pawl, chief marketing officer at Sunbrella. “Carmichael Lynch Relate demonstrated that they’re expert practitioners of public relations with a deep commitment to data, insights and results. We look forward to working with them alongside our other agency partners to build on the Sunbrella heritage and take it to the next level in this increasingly competitive category.”

“Sunbrella is an ideal addition to our home and design practice and we’re thrilled to be working with them to make the brand even more memorable,” said Julie Batliner, president of Carmichael Lynch Relate. “Its heritage, design leadership and performance expertise provides powerful storytelling opportunities and the team is committed to bringing these to life.”

Introduced in 1961, Sunbrella is an innovative fabric brand that has defined performance and satisfied customers for decades. Supported by a rich family heritage, commitment to innovation and impressive design leadership, Sunbrella has revolutionized the way the world thinks about fabrics. Sunbrella fabrics integrate style and comfort with exceptional performance qualities: proven durability, fade resistance and easy care, with offerings crafted for a variety of home, marine and commercial applications.

Posted February 26, 2020

Source Carmichael Lynch Relate

Archroma Tianjin Named “Green Factory” By Tianjin Authorities

REINACH, Switzerland — February 26, 2020 — Archroma, a global supplier of color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced that its affiliate in Tianjin, China, has been named “Green Factory” by the Tianjin authorities.

The nomination was granted as of January 1, 2020, following an evaluation process conducted under the authority of the Tianjin Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, which selected 56 other companies only to receive that same distinction.

The Green Factory list comprises companies comprehensively evaluated and scored against 92 indicators, in areas such as site intensification, production cleanliness, energy consumption efficiency, raw material recycling, environmental impact, product ecological profile, and carbon footprint. The initiative takes place in the wider framework of fostering Green manufacturing, one of the nine strategic objectives defined by the Chinese Authorities under the “Made in China 2025” plan, which led to the Industrial Green Development Plan published by The Ministry of Industry And Information Technology in 2016.

The production site in Tianjin is fully integrated into the Archroma Management System and was externally certified to ISO 9001. In the preparational system upgrade, additional external certifications to ISO 14001, ISO 50001 and OHSAS 18001 were completed in November 2019. Commitments to the United Nations Global Compact and Responsible Care® are complementing the local framework.

This distinction adds on to a long list of previous initiatives by Archroma to further foster sustainable operations in Tianjin, such as the upgrade of the site boilers with low emission technology in 2017, the ‘safe enterprise’ award given by the local industry park in 2018, and the investment in advanced ozone oxidation technology for waste water treatment.

“We continuously challenge the status quo to make our industry sustainable. Therefore, this is a fantastic and pioneering recognition for us all at Archroma and underpins that we are on the right track”, comments Andreas Wickli, president of operations at Archroma.

Rongwen Wang, Archroma’s head of operations in China, adds: “With that in mind, we are constantly deploying tremendous efforts towards running an eco-advanced production operation in China, focusing in particular on reducing waste and preserving water and energy. We are therefore extremely grateful and proud to be listed as Green Factory by the Tianjin Bureau of Industry and Information Technology. Because it’s our nature!”

Posted February 26, 2020

Source Archroma

INDEX™ 2020 Exhibitor Preview: Beaulieu Fibres International

WIELSBEKE, Belgium — February 26, 2020 — European polyolefin and bicomponent (BICO) fiber supplier, Beaulieu Fibres International, will announce at INDEX™20 completion of its pilot line in Terni, Italy, the start-up of the state-of-the-art multifunctional production line in Terni, and the new BICO line in Belgium. The company invites the Nonwoven sectors to join efforts in accelerating the development of innovative and sustainable solutions for a rapidly changing global market (Stand 1340).

“We are delighted to launch our new pilot line, extending our capabilities as a reliable partner for product development,” comments Maria Teresa Tomaselli, general manager at Beaulieu Fibres International. “It will enable us to support each customer in reducing the time-to-market of new products, clustering their requirements in new fiber solutions that can be thoroughly tested to ensure they will hit the mark in answering their end-market needs and challenges before any production is upscaled.”

In addition to speeding up developments and future production efficiency, the pilot line offers customers the chance to minimize the need for sampling on our production lines. It also opens up opportunities for them to collaborate early on with customers across the value chain to explore novel concepts or particular end-product benefits.

New products are also on their way to show. For nonwoven converters serving the hygiene segment, Beaulieu Fibres International will unveil Meraspring to the European market at INDEX™20. The BICO-fibers are made with polyethylene (PE) in the sheath and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the core, and are the latest addition to the hygiene portfolio.

With the trend for comfort in hygiene, Meraspring enables nonwovens to combine softness and loftiness that provides a cushioned and even a “well-being” experience for end-users of applications such as diapers and fem-pads. The fibers are available in a range from 1.7-8.9 dtex with hydrophilic, hydrophobic and well-being finishes depending on the properties required in the final product. To improve opacity TiO2 can be added. This gives a cotton-like appearance to the nonwoven.

Our specialty fibers are the BICO-Trilobal versions, named Meralux®. Thanks to their trilobal shape Meralux fibers provide superior opacities compared to nonwoven made with BICO-round full-dull fibers, allowing basis weight reductions without losing coverage in the nonwoven. Therefore it is the ideal fiber for topsheets. Used as ADL it improves the liquid performance as the surface area is bigger than in a round fiber. The resilience levels compared to a round fiber are also higher, which is related to its shape.

The fast-growing filtration market will also get high profile in this year’s INDEX showcase, as Beaulieu Fibres International presents a whole new range of MONO and BICO fibers which comply with global food contact standards — a one-stop-shop offering for the filtration industry. Additionally, a new range of dry PP fibers for use in electret filtration applications will also be promoted.

All eyes will be on UltraBond, entering the filtration market, as the fiber enables production of a 100-percent PP self-supporting pleatable filtration media with excellent filtration performance and which can be made fully recyclable. UltraBond is amongst the innovations shortlisted by EDANA for the INDEX™20 awards. A technical presentation and nonwoven samples will be available at Stand 1340.

Posted February 26, 2020

Source Beaulieu International Group

Composites Industry Trade Show JEC WORLD 2020 Postponed

PARIS — February 26, 2020 — Yesterday evening, based on the latest assessment of the situation and after consulting its board and key stakeholders of the composites industry, the JEC Group decided to postpone the 2020 edition of JEC World to May 12-14, 2020.

The recent spread of the coronavirus in new countries last week, and especially countries playing an important role in the composite materials industry such as China, South Korea and Italy, has obliged the JEC World organization team and key stakeholders of the industry to reassess the current situation. Increased travel restrictions from authorities, but also at corporate level, both from exhibiting and visiting companies, have drastically reduced the potential attendance to the show. Moreover, the latest developments of the coronavirus have significantly increased the concerns of participating companies about the health of their employees. JEC Group has the same concerns, having health and safety of their exhibitors, visitors, partners and staff as a number one priority.

Being the leading trade show of the composites industry, as well as the festival of composites, JEC World brings together the whole industry value chain, as well as professionals from application sectors, experts from the scientific and academic world, associations and media from more than 112 countries. But the context does not allow the composite industry to get the event it deserves, which is why the JEC World team, with the full support of key stakeholders of the industry, has decided to postpone the event.

We are aware that this decision will require industry professionals, exhibitors, partners, engineers, researchers and buyers to re-schedule their attendance, which will have a significant impact on their organizations, as it will for the JEC Group. We trust though that given the current situation, which is continuously evolving, everyone involved will understand our common and industry decision.

Posted February 26, 2020

Source: JEC Group

Indorama Ventures Announces 2019 Results

BANGKOK, Thailand — February 26, 2020 — Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL), a global chemical producer, announced its full year and fourth quarter 2019 financial results as follows.

2019 Performance Summary

IVL registered volume growth of 18 percent in 2019, driven mainly by inorganic expansion. Industry-wide spreads declined to historical lows in 2019, leading to a 20-percent reduction in IVL’s core EBITDA. Operating cash flow through this period increased by 33 percent to $1.3 billion, as a result of lower prices and operational excellence. IVL has proposed a dividend of 1.225 Thai baht/share for 2019.

IVL concurrently undertook several transformative initiatives that were announced on 4th Feb 2020 at its Capital Market Day and are expected to generate benefits starting in 2020 and targeted to lead to $350 million in run rate cost savings by 2023. These initiatives and the strategic acquisition of the Huntsman Integrated Ethylene and Propylene Oxide (EO & PO) assets (code-named Spindletop); footprint expansion into a growing market in India; formation of a dedicated team to grow the PET recycling business; continued focus on working capital optimization coupled with an increased emphasis on leadership development are the key strategic priorities for the group.

Aloke Lohia, group CEO of Indorama Ventures said: “IVL now has three strong growth engines to generate continued returns for its stakeholders. The first is the Combined PET Segment, which includes its key feedstocks and recycling business; the Integrated Oxides and Derivatives Segment, which includes the recent acquisition of the Spindletop assets; the completed IVOL gas cracker in Louisiana; and lastly the Fibers segment, which serves Mobility, Hygiene and Lifestyle verticals.

“Our global reach, with around 80% of capital invested in Europe and Americas, makes our business model resilient to events happening in any particular country or region. On the other hand, our end-product strategy of serving the packaging, hygiene and safety needs of society, leads to our growth in excess of GDP growth. Going forward, we will reinforce our strengths via 5 strategic priorities: cost transformation, asset full potential, adjacency growth, recycling leadership and leadership development.”

Posted February 26, 2020

Source: Indorama Ventures

Orion Engineered Carbons Officially Opens New Technical Service Applications Laboratory In New Jersey

HOUSTON — February 25, 2020 — Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., a worldwide supplier of specialty and high-performance carbon black, has now officially opened its new technical service applications laboratory in New Jersey. Expanding Orion’s worldwide network of laboratories and strengthening Orion’s Specialty carbon black business in the Americas, the new facility will initially serve coatings and ink customers, as well as drive innovation to advance carbon black technology.

“The lab is an invaluable technical resource for Orion, for the industry and for our customers,” said Corning Painter, CEO of Orion. “We can accelerate new product developments and optimize formulations for cost-efficiency and product performance.”

Built with state-of the-art equipment, the laboratory is currently conducting coatings and inks application projects, which can optimize raw material use, increase revenue and improve profitability for both Orion and industry partners.

“We are testing in industrial, architectural and automotive coatings systems, both water- and solvent-borne, plus a variety of inks,” said Dr. Jennifer Stroh, marketing manager Coatings Americas. “We are evaluating a broad range of formula components, including carbon blacks and dispersants, and apply our special expertise in color and jetness to determine the best desired outcome.”

Specifically, Dr. Stroh said, the lab is “pushing the envelope” in automotive coatings to reach cutting-edge high jetness levels for the automotive coatings market.

The new technical service laboratory also enables customers to accelerate their own research and development in formulations containing carbon black. The lab draws on the full range of Orion’s extensive carbon black portfolio aiming to optimize formulas and help customers serve their markets better.

Posted February 25, 2020

Source: Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.

Accelerating Circularity — New Apparel Industry Group Kicks Off Project To Eliminate Textile Waste

WILMINGTON, Del.— February 25, 2020 — Accelerating Circularity, a new apparel industry collaborative project, announced today the launch of its effort to accelerate the textile industry’s move from linear to circular. With figures from the Environmental Protection Agency showing that 15 million tons of textile waste is generated annually in the United States alone, the textile industry must move from a “take, make, waste” system to a circular one, in order to avoid the massive amounts of textile waste put into landfills annually.

The Walmart Foundation provided a grant to Textile Exchange’s Accelerating Circularity Project. Gap Inc., Target, and VF Corp. are also funding the project and participating in a working group. The project is initially focused on researching, mapping and identifying opportunities to pilot circular supply chains which will be driven by the mechanical and chemical recycling of cotton, viscose and polyester textile waste. These three fibers cover over 80 percent of all textile fiber production and are therefore important to focus on in order to reduce textile waste. Future phases will use phase 1 data and information to execute pilots and establish new research in other geographies.

The Accelerating Circularity founding project partners include Gap Inc., Giotex, Gr3n, Target, VF Corp., Lenzing, Unifi, Revolve Waste and Fabrikology International Inc., representing technology providers, fiber manufacturers, and experts in textile waste and supply chains, as well as brands and retailers.

“Shifting the apparel industry toward more circular solutions is a complex challenge with significant technical, economic, and business implications. At Gap Inc., we have a responsibility to protect the environment and reduce waste at every stage of our production process — from design, to sourcing, to manufacturing. As we address the full life cycle of our garments, we look forward to working with these partners to collaborate, advance efforts and share learnings with the wider industry for the health of our planet,” stated Alice Hartley, senior manager of Sustainable Innovation at Gap Inc. and board member of Accelerating Circularity.

Accelerating Circularity project partners are ensuring broad stakeholder representation by collaborating with industry organizations on this work including sharing information, amplifying key messages, and the streamlining of efforts. These organizations include American Apparel & Footwear Association, Apparel Impact Institute, Circle Economy, Outdoor Industry Association, Textile Exchange, The Renewal Workshop, and United States Fashion Industry Association.

Accelerating Circularity’s board members include Tricia Carey of Lenzing, Alice Hartley of Gap Inc., Beth Jensen of VF Corp., Karla Magruder of Accelerating Circularity, Eileen Mockus of Coyuchi, and Laila Petrie of 2050.

Posted February 25, 2020

Source: Accelerating Circularity

JEC World 2020 Exhibitor Preview: Hexcel — A Trusted Partner For Urban Air Mobility

STAMFORD, Conn. — February 25, 2020 — At this year’s JEC World in Paris in May, Hexcel will highlight the growing need for innovations in composite materials to support the emerging Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market.

Urban air mobility — urban transportation systems that move people by air or enable cargo deliveries — is the next big transportation innovation. Similar to taxis or ride sharing today, UAM will help remove congestion from our streets and provide a convenient, rapid method for travel in urban centers as well as in remote areas.

Advanced composite materials will be at the heart of UAM vehicles by providing lightweight, efficient, reliable, and cost-competitive options for manufacturing. “Materials have been a key driver of efficiency for aircraft today, and they will be even more important for the emerging UAM marketplace,” said Imad Atallah, director of Strategic Marketing for Aerospace and Urban Air Mobility at Hexcel.

Already, Hexcel is a leader in advanced composite materials for the aerospace market and is a key supplier of composite materials to the automotive industry. So, the company is well positioned to offer solutions to meet the critical needs of high-rate and quick-part manufacturing cycles, in addition to low-cost needs for this space. Hexcel’s materials solutions approach for UAM is to make it greener and more sustainable, safer, more comfortable, and more affordable.

Hexcel’s broad range of carbon fiber and HexPly® prepreg solutions, including snap cure thermosets and thermoplastics, coupled with the most qualified positions on aerospace programs in the industry make the company a trusted partner for UAM. In addition to offering composite materials from carbon fibers, prepregs, honeycomb and reinforcements, Hexcel’s best-performing market solution in noise absorption on aircraft jet engines, Acousti-Cap®, provides a strong position of innovation to solve one of the most critical problems in the UAM space – community noise. “We are applying our technologies to the unique needs of urban air mobility vehicles,” Atallah said.

Hexcel’s ability to bring materials technology from the aerospace and automotive industries represents a unique strength in solving the critical challenges of UAM, especially around high-rate manufacturing, low-cost materials, light weighting, and noise. “Both thermoplastics and quick-cure thermoset materials are expected to have applications on UAM vehicles,” Atallah said. Furthermore, Hexcel’s broad product portfolio including unsized carbon fiber has proven to be the most compatible with thermoplastic resins from a consolidation perspective.

Visit the Hexcel booth at JEC World 2020, Hall 5, Booth J41.

Posted February 25, 2020

Source: Hexcel Corp.

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