Football Fever: Continental Ensures Seating Comfort At Major Sporting Events In The United States

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — January 16, 2020 — The technology company Continental equips some of the largest and most important stadiums in the world with its upholstery materials, including the Hard Rock Stadium in North Miami, home of the Miami football team. In early February this stadium will host one of the largest sporting events in the country. There will hardly be any empty seats in the 65,326-seat stadium. With a game duration of three to four hours, plus a halftime show, football fans will spend almost a whole day there. To fully enjoy the game, comfortable seats are a must. In the sunny state of Florida, comfort doesn’t just mean a well-padded seat. On about 230 days per year, the sun shines mercilessly at the stadium for hours on end. Continental has developed a solution to ensure that the seats are kept at a comfortable temperature.

“We ensure comfortable seating for football fans while using a special ‘cool colors’ technology,” said Jim Hill, who is a passionate football fan and within Continental heading the North American region for its business area ContiTech. “In addition to nanocoating, we use special color pigments that reflect up to 80 percent of UV radiation in the near infrared range. The result: the heating of the upholstery, made in our Winchester, Virginia, plant, is reduced by about 20 percent and the material remains cooler than other textiles by up to 15 degrees Celsius.”

However, stadium operators are faced with completely different challenges. In Miami, not only are the temperatures high, but the humidity is too. This challenges the seating material quite a bit — not to mention the regular wear and tear at the events. A surface material must withstand this so that the stadium still looks its best years later. For the comprehensive renovation of the arena in 2015, the operators opted for Continental’s skai cool colors Venezia material and incorporated it into more than 7,000 seats.

About 85 percent of the material consists of a PVC composite, about 13 percent is made of PES knitted fabrics and vinyl. The nanocoating makes the upholstery material not only extremely UV-resistant, but also weather- and stain-resistant. This also makes it very easy to clean. Even drinks, food scraps or shoe marks hardly leave any visible traces on the seats.

Visually, the operators like the material’s fine textile look, which makes it appear elegantly sporty. The woven structure also provides a pleasant feel. Another important factor is the color. The option “iceblue” perfectly matches the colors of the Miami football team.

“Thanks to the range of 12 colors, we can supply tailor-made solutions for our customers,” Hill explained.

At Home in the Soccer World

Many soccer clubs in Germany are also taking advantage of this benefit and have equipped their stadiums with seat cushions in club colors. Thanks to the skai surface material, fans — whether in Munich, Wolfsburg or Mönchengladbach — are assured of a comfortable seat at every game throughout the season. The same applies to ice hockey games and track-and-field meets. In total, seat covers from Continental are used at more than 50 sports arenas worldwide and are a regular fixture at the most important sports events — particularly in Europe.

The material was so well received in the U.S. that it was given an award by the North American Seating Company. The use of the material is not limited to stadiums only. It is also used in restaurants, public places, residential areas, healthcare, retail and other outdoor applications. Soon the material will appear on screen in front of millions and millions of people — even if the 7,000 seats at the world’s largest football event are guaranteed to be occupied by people in the audience.

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for the sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. Continental generated sales of 44.4 billion euros in 2018 and currently employs more than 240,000 people in 60 countries and markets.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: CONTINENTAL

HanesBrands Renews U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership To Support Environmental Stewardship

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — January 16, 2020 — HanesBrands today announced that the company has renewed its partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport program.

Hanes, which has been a program partner for three years, recently submitted its data on shipping and energy-conservation efforts associated with the transportation of raw materials and distribution of finished products. The SmartWay Transport program reviewed and validated this information before approving the company’s partnership renewal.

Since 2008, Hanes has reduced carbon emissions from transportation by more than 50 percent, helping the company achieve a total 34-percent reduction in carbon emissions across its supply chain operations.

“We’re very proud to participate in the U.S. EPA’s SmartWay Transportation program, as it is integral to being successful in our overall environmental sustainability program,” said Robin Hager, director of global logistics, freight and customs.

The SmartWay Transport program was developed in 2003 by the U.S. EPA, industry stakeholders and environmental groups. Annually since its inception, the partnership estimates that the program has helped save nearly 280 million barrels of oil, or more than 5.3 billion gallons of gas, along with $38 billion in fuel costs. Additionally, emissions have been reduced by 134 million tons.

Hanes uses SmartWay’s tools and innovative approaches to assess the environmental and energy efficiency of shipping within its supply chains and help reduce fuel use and associated emissions. SmartWay has more than 3,000 partners, including manufacturers, shippers, logistics companies, and truck, rail, barge and multimodal carriers.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: HanesBrands

Epson Debuts First Industrial Direct-To-Garment Printer Bringing New Levels Of Customization To Growing Digital Textile Market

LONG BEACH, Calif. — January 16, 2020 — Epson today announced its first industrial direct-to-garment printer, the SureColor® F3070. Designed to provide low total cost of ownership (TCO) and reliability for exceptional performance and savings in high-production print shop environments, the SureColor F3070 is Epson’s first direct-to-garment printer to leverage dual printhead technology and a bulk ink pack system, providing remarkably low ink cost and minimized waste compared to Epson cartridge systems. It touts all new automatic garment height adjustment and easy user maintenance features to increase production and reduce downtime for garment print shops creating custom apparel. The new printer will be on display in Epson’s booth (#2049) at Impressions Expo in Long Beach, Calif., from January 17-19, 2020.

“The printed textile market is seeing tremendous growth, complemented by new printing technology innovation,” said Tim Check, senior product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc. “We are committed to driving the digital textile market and excited to expand Epson’s award-winning product line to deliver our first industrial direct-to-garment printer for high-production print shops. Designed for mid-to-large size garment printers looking for a high-production, cost-effective equipment, the SureColor F3070 can produce a full-size shirt in about a minute, allowing shops to print hundreds of shirts per day.”

Ideal for digitally printing custom garments on variety of fabric types including cotton, linen and rayon, the SureColor F3070 is designed to meet the increasing market demand for unique clothing driven by the millennial population in the U.S.1 The printer leverages a new dual 2.6-inch PrecisionCore® printhead for high-quality output at production speeds with true one-pass printing for both color and White ink. Coupled with the first bulk ink system integrated into an Epson direct-to-garment printer, it is capable of housing 1.5 liters per color and 3.0 liters of White ink for less frequent refilling, lower operating costs, and less waste.

First ever automatic printhead height adjustment is set based on garment thickness and texture for optimal print quality without user interference, and easily switches between thin t-shirts and thick sweatshirts with less downtime between garments. Built for reliability, the SureColor F3070 features an ultra-durable linear rail system and CNC milled print carriage, designed for years of production, and features user serviceable parts, including printheads, and low maintenance time ideal for high production print on-demand service providers, fulfilment houses and in-house print on-demand production.

More about the SureColor F3070

Delivering high image quality, productivity and reliability in an affordable, highly intuitive design, the SureColor F3070 offers advanced features for the garment printing industry, including:

  • PrecisionCore Printhead Technology — Dual 10-channel printheads with 16,000 nozzles delivering industrial quality output at impressive production speeds.
  • Bulk Ink System — Replaceable bulk ink packs for less frequent ink refilling and lower costs compared to our ink cartridge systems.
  • High-Quality Direct-to-Garment Printing — Epson UltraChrome® DG inks* are durable, vibrant and safe, with outstanding color performance, plus equal pricing for color and White inks.
  • Automatic Printhead Adjustment — Optimized for garment thickness for improved print quality without user intervention.
  • Low Total Cost of Ownership — Low maintenance time and cost with dedicated cleaning solution channels and fabric head wiper system.
  • Fast Loading for More Productivity — Easy-to-use, all-new quick-load platen reduces traditional hoop platen load times.
  • Intuitive, Easy-to-Learn Workflow — Updated Epson Garment Creator Software, available for macOS® and Windows®, includes cost estimator, text tools, hot folders, and automation SDK.
  • Designed Exclusively for Direct-to-Garment Printing — An entirely purpose-built system featuring Epson’s PrecisionCore printhead, Epson UltraChrome DG ink system and robust hardware.
  • Scale Seamlessly — Scale production capability with additional printers featuring an easily repositionable compact design that operates on standard 120v power.

Support & Availability

The SureColor F3070 (estimated MSRP $49,995) offers a standard Epson PreferredSM Limited Warranty, limited on-site warranty with U.S.-based phone support. The Epson SureColor F3070 will be available in July 2020 through Epson Authorized Professional Imaging Resellers.

* This product uses only genuine Epson-brand ink. Other brands of ink and ink supplies are not compatible, and even if described as compatible, may not function properly.

1 Printed Textile Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Ink Type, By Product, By Technology, By Application (Fashion, Household, Technical Textiles), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 – 2025, Grand View Research

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: Epson America Inc.

Frank And Oak Announces New Sustainability Goals To Be Met By 2022

MONTREAL — January 16, 2020 — Fashion and lifestyle brand Frank And Oak kicks off 2020 with an increased commitment to sustainability and the announcement of new sustainability goals to be achieved by 2022. The five ambitious goals further the brand’s commitment to reducing its impact on the planet with an emphasis on utilizing recycled materials and harnessing renewable energy sources and carbon offsets to neutralize the brand’s environmental impact.

Recently certified as a B Corporation (2019), Frank And Oak has devoted itself to environmental and social sustainability. Certified B Corps meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability and are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment.

“The climate crisis is an issue that is deeply important to us at Frank And Oak. Over the last few years, we have been able to be nimble and agile to adapt our business practices to better serve our planet, and as well, our customers,” said Ethan Song, Frank And Oak’s CEO and cofounder. “Though we have made significant strides, we recognize that there is still so much we need to do as the climate crisis continues to worsen. This is why we have set such ambitious goals, to remain accountable to ourselves, our customers and our communities.”

The Montreal-based company has outlined five sustainability goals that involve eliminating the use of virgin materials and increasing responsible energy and operations practices. The five goals include:

  • Goal 1: Zero virgin plastic 
— By 2022, Frank And Oak aims to cut all virgin plastic in their supply chain. The first step towards this goal is currently underway as the brand begins to use exclusively 100-percent compostable, plant-based bags for shipping, while also removing excess shipping packaging.
  • Goal: Zero virgin polyester — 
Frank And Oak will only use recycled polyester fibers to make shell fabrics, labels, and trims in an effort to eliminate all virgin polyester in its supply chain by 2022.
  • Goal: 100 percent offset of greenhouse gas (GHG) scope 1 emissions
 — Frank And Oak will increase its collaborations with local and international partners to reduce logistics mileage and offset last mile GHG. By 2022, Frank And Oak will further these offset activities to include all markets it operates in.
  • Goal 4: Increase the use of renewable energies — 
Frank And Oak plans to run its headquarters, warehouse, and retail stores on 100-percent renewable energy by 2022. New facilities will have green energy sources, water meters, and waste management systems incorporated into building plans.
  • Goal 5: Encourage zero-waste philosophy — 
Frank And Oak headquarters will remain Fair Trade certified and it will also continue to work with local partners to use furniture that is either second-hand or sustainably made in all Frank And Oak stores and the brand’s headquarters. Frank And Oak’s zero-waste philosophy will be enforced company-wide by providing employees with training, zero-waste challenge initiatives, and reusable materials.

In the face of the climate crisis, Frank And Oak recognizes the urgency to do their part and the necessity to come together as individuals to effect real change in local communities and globally. These ambitious sustainability goals will act as a roadmap for the brand over the next two years as they continue to perfect their products and operations to attain a more sustainable and climate-positive future.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: Frank And Oak

Pinnacle Textile Industries Acquires Topps Safety Apparel

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. — January 16, 2020 — Pinnacle Textile Industries LLC, King of Prussia, Pa. — a manufacturer of service apparel, aprons and napery dedicated to servicing the rental and hospitality markets — has purchased a majority of the assets of Topps Safety Apparel Inc. of Rochester, Ind., a manufacturer of public safety and flame resistant uniforms offered through a network of leading distributors and garment rental operators.

Topps Safety Apparel, originally established as Toppmaster in 1938 by the Elin brothers, has been owned and operated by the BTQ Group and its President, Alan Dorrell, since 1997. In the 1990s, Topps became one of the first manufacturers to attain (UL) certification of compliance to NFPA standards.

Pinnacle is excited to continue the Topps brand as its FR Safety brand as well as a compliment to its existing Pinnacle Worx brand of industrial work clothing.

Patrick Methven, Pinnacle’s president and founder commented: “The acquisition of the Topps Safety Brand fulfills our goal of entry into the safety uniform category, expanding our customer base to include distributors focused on the oil/gas and utility end user sectors while at the same time expanding our product offering to our existing customer base. Topps’ attention to detail and quality are hallmarks of the brand from which Pinnacle fully expects to build upon as well as to provide a deeper, off the shelf inventory for quick shipment of the most popular styles and sizes, something Pinnacle Textile is well known for.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: Pinnacle Textile Industries

Pendleton Woolen Mills Announces Formation Of Outerwear Division

PORTLAND, Ore. — January 16, 2020 — Pendleton Woolen Mills, the lifestyle brand with roots as a Pacific Northwest woolen manufacturer since 1863, announced that as of January 1, 2020, it has successfully re-acquired its outerwear license from Item House Inc. and has retained the team that has helped elevate Pendleton’s outerwear line. This transaction is the culmination of a long and successful partnership for two Pacific Northwest companies. Pendleton is focused on leveraging the technical fabric and outerwear expertise of Item House to expand on Pendleton’s history of innovation in fabric and apparel suited for the outdoors.

Item House has been a licensee of Pendleton’s since 1999. The core Item House team will remain in Tacoma, Washington as a Pendleton Woolen Mills satellite office.

“We are very excited to continue the outerwear innovation and growth we have witnessed throughout our partnership with Item House,” said John Bishop, president and CEO of Pendleton. “This is an investment in an important product category. We’re looking forward to leveraging the expertise that our new team members have in technical fabrics and sourcing across other Pendleton lines. Our teams have been working together for years and our cultures mesh nicely.”

“We are thrilled to see Pendleton continue to build on the outerwear momentum and take the offering to an even higher level,” said Greg Davis, president of Item House. “Since our founding in 1956, Item House has been creating outerwear with a focus on quality, design and trends, which is aligned with Pendleton’s history and vision.”

The re-acquisition is an expansion of the iconic apparel and outerwear that Pendleton has been creating since the early 1900s. The transition will be seamless and is effective with the fall 2020 product line. The fall line has been a joint development and will feature a full range of outerwear for men and women.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: Pendleton Woolen Mills

Oerlikon Neumag Offers New Color Pop Compacting Unit (CPC-T) For The BCF S8 Carpet Yarn Plant At Domotex 2020

NEUMÜNSTER, Germany — January 16, 2020 —Oerlikon Neumag has its finger firmly on the pulse of its customers with the new Color Pop Compacting unit (CPC-T) for the BCF S8 carpet yarn plant, which is now available for the Polyamide 6 process. The new solution, which was on show from January 10-13, 2020, at the Domotex 2020 in Hannover, attracted great interest from many trade visitors.

Following the trend for multicolored carpets, BCF S8 sets new standards in regards to color separation. The plant, launched as a tricolor solution at last year’s ITMA in Barcelona, makes anything possible — from mélange to strongly separated. It promises carpet yarn producers even more flexible color mixing variants for product differentiation. The core component in this process, the Color Pop Compacting unit (CPC-T), offers more than 200,000 different color shades from three colors. The innovation, which has been filed for patent, is available for polypropylene and polyester polymers as well as for the polyamide 6 process.

Polyester, recycling polyester and fine titers are on trend

During numerous conversations with customers, Martin Rademacher, head of sales, Oerlikon Neumag, observed a noticeable trend for polyester in the carpet industry even outside the USA. Sustainable solutions are equally sought after: “Our customers increasingly demand plants that can process recycled polyester,” Rademacher explained.

The Manmade Fibers segment presented an additional solution by Oerlikon Barmag for polyester applications that need fine single filament titers from 0.5 dpf and high filament counts: Puffy, soft polyester filament yarns with BCF-similiar properties are produced on the basis of a POY and texturing process. Core components of the processes are the POY take-up unit WINGS HD as well as the new texturing machine eAFK Big-V.

Retrofitting business and original parts in strong demand

The orders completed in the customer service area during the Domotex show the importance of core and micro components for a stable spinning process. “All in all, we have been able to secure original parts, service and modernization orders in the six-digit euro range,” said Niels Herrmann, director for service sales at Oerlikon Neumag, with pleasure. “Our customers are very quality conscious. They know that high-quality yarn and an efficient production depend on the optimal condition of the system. Our services and trainings as well as custom-fit original parts and individual upgrades help to achieve optimal production conditions.” Sales successes could also be celebrated in the plant business: The market leader in the area of carpet yarn and filament plants secured five orders for BCF and DTY plants.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: Oerlikon Neumag

Covestro Granted The Solar Impulse Efficient Solutions Label For Two Projects

LEVERKUSEN, Germany — January 16, 2020 — Covestro has recently been granted the Solar Impulse Efficient Solutions Label for two projects, which have been proven as economically profitable as well as environmentally protective solutions: solar-powered greenhouses for drying food to preserve it, and a waterborne technology called INSQIN® for sustainable textile coating. This Label from the Solar Impulse Foundation serves as a new and credible symbol and as a guarantee of quality to those looking to implement clean solutions.

“With our Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label we want to acknowledge and publicize developments like these Covestro technologies — developments, which can boost economic growth while preserving the environment,” explains Bertrand Piccard, Swiss pioneer and founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation. “By selecting a thousand Efficient Solutions, we want to support and speed up the implementation of clean and profitable solutions in the industry.”

Dr. Christian Haessler, head of sustainability at Covestro, welcomes the new labeling: “This is an excellent confirmation by independent experts that our company is much committed to truly sustainable developments, which are beneficial for society, create value and reduce the environmental impact. This includes above all the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

Ideas that bear fruit

The solar greenhouse dryer is an efficient, decentralized, cost-effective and sustainable solution for reduction of post-harvest losses in agricultural products. The high efficiency of the dryer is achieved through the use of polycarbonate for construction of a parabolically shaped greenhouse. The material is transparent to visible and in particular infrared light and shows good thermal insulating properties, allowing the dryer to heat up quickly.

The installation of solar dryers for food preservation is part of Covestro´s “inclusive business” approach, with which the company wants to strengthen local economic development, alleviate poverty and support social progress by integrating low-income communities in the value chain. So far Covestro has provided the materials for the installation of more than 1,500 solar dryers in different sizes in India and different ASEAN countries, by that significantly increasing the income of regional farmers.

Sustainable manufacture of coated textiles

With its INSQIN technology, Covestro significantly increases the sustainability of textile coating. The technology is based on waterborne polyurethane coatings, making textile production more eco-friendly and easier to handle. Using INSQIN, the production of coated fabrics also requires up to 95 percent less water and 50 percent less energy.

For implementation of the technology, Covestro is working directly together with brand owners in the apparel and footwear industries as well as with textile manufacturers. Only recently, the company also introduced the technology in the automotive industry, where INSQIN enables more sustainable, flexible and durable coatings in the car interior — with a premium look and feel.

The World Alliance for Efficient Solutions, founded under the auspices of the Solar Impulse Foundation, collaborates with start-ups, companies, institutions, NGOs and investors to create synergies, share knowledge and build relationships for speeding up the implementation of clean and profitable solutions.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: Covestro AG

The National Retail Federation Welcomes Senate Passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)

WASHINGTON — January 16, 2020 — The National Retail Federation welcomed today’s Senate passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

“The world has changed dramatically since the United States, Canada and Mexico first agreed to tear down barriers to free trade a quarter-century ago,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “This updated agreement will modernize trade among our closest trading partners and pave the way for continued prosperity across the borders of North America as the global economy continues to evolve. This agreement will support the millions of U.S. jobs that depend on free trade with Canada and Mexico and will ensure the continued availability of affordable everyday necessities for American families.”

NRF has been a leading supporter of the administration’s efforts to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement. Shay cited provisions on digital trade, customs procedures and trade facilitation as key improvements in the new agreement.

The USMCA was approved by the House in December and now goes to President Trump for his signature.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)

The Felix Schoeller Group Starts 2020 With A New Organizational Structure

OSNABRÜCK, Germany — January 16, 2020 — The Felix Schoeller Group’s new organizational structure took effect on 1 January 2020. The reorganisation follows the steps towards increasing internationalisation the company has taken in recent years. With production facilities around the world — in Germany, North America, China, Russia and India — the German Osnabrück-based specialty paper manufacturer is with immediate effect delegating more responsibility to the regions. There has been a reshuffle at management level of the Felix Schoeller Group.

“The Felix Schoeller Group is not just a company with global operations; it is also a global manufacturing company with production sites worldwide,” says the Group’s CEO Hans-Christoph Gallenkamp. “To enable us to act quickly and efficiently on the international stage, we have reduced the number of European representatives on the management board and added international representatives,” he continued, explaining the decision.

Hans-Christoph Gallenkamp will in future, in addition to his role as CEO, also take on the role of CSO, which means he will have the ultimate responsibility for sales.

The other members of the Felix Schoeller Group’s management board are Mr Matthias Breimhorst, who is new to the board and will take on the role of CFO, Mr Georg Haggenmüller as COO, and Mr Stephan Igel as CSO, EMEA. They are joined by the new regional managers Mr Michael Szidat as CEO for North America and Mr Peter Cornelissen as Vice CEO in China.

Mr Guido Hofmeyer and Mr Gerhard Hochstein have left the Felix Schoeller Group’s management board. Both men will retain their functions as executive vice-presidents of Schoeller Technocell GmbH&Co.KG – Mr Hofmeyer as CIO and Mr Hochstein as CTO of the technical central functions.

Posted January 16, 2020

Source: Felix Schoeller Group

1...1,1131,1141,115...2,627Page 1,114 of 2,627

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2026 Quarterly Issue Number I

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.