Jonas Beisel has joined Germany-based Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG as a textile technologist at the company’s Advanced Technology Center.
Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore., has named Ratnakar Lavu the company’s first global chief digital information officer.
Cameron Bailey has been named executive vice president, global supply chain, for VF Corp., Greensboro, N.C. He serves on VF Corp.’s senior leadership team and reports to CEO Steve Rendle.
The board of directors for the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) has promoted Diana Wyman from technical director to executive vice president. She replaces Brian Francois who is leaving the organization to pursue another opportunity.
Spartanburg, S.C.-based Milliken & Company named Steve Layton president of its newly acquired Polartec business.
Bemis Associates Inc., Shirley, Mass., named Michael Johansen president. CEO and president Steve Howard will focus on his role as CEO.
Bagwell
Benjamin “Benji” Bagwell has joined Organic Dyes and Pigments LLC, Lincoln, R.I., as a business development representative. He will be based out of the Union, S.C., location and his territory includes accounts in Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
Rich Williams was elected to serve on the board of directors at Kontoor Brands, Greensboro, N.C.
New York City-based PVH Corp. has named Stefan Larsson to the newly created role of president. He is responsible for managing PVH’s branded businesses and regions and each of the three brand CEOs and regional presidents report to him.
In other appointments, Cheryl Abel-Hodges was named CEO of Calvin Klein Inc. She replaces Steve Shiffman who is leaving the company to pursue other interests.
Freudenberg Performance Materials is a global manufacturer of technical textiles with manufacturing facilities in 13 countries and annual sales close to $1 billion.
At the recent Techtextil 2019 show in Frankfurt, Textile World sat down with Freudenberg Performance Materials CEO Dr. Frank Heislitz to discuss the activities of his company, as well as his views on the influencing factors occurring in the technical textiles industry.
Textile World: It’s now been a little more than a year since you were selected as CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials. Have things gone as you expected? What have you found to be the most challenging CEO issues?
Dr. Frank Heislitz: It has been both for me — and the industry as well— a demanding year. I don’t think anyone anticipated the raw material price increases we’ve experienced over the past year, especially during the second part of 2018. The cost driver was oil prices, but there were also some chemical shortages in the supply chain like PTA [purified terephthalic acid].
TW: Do you see the raw material prices coming down?
Heislitz: They’ve come down a little right now. I think they may stay on the high level but below the peak they reached in the last six months. In looking at the average in 2018, I see the prices overall higher this year.
Another challenge for me in terms of scheduling — and was one of my key objectives — was to communicate internally with all the 25 sites within the company in person. I visited almost all of the locations around the world in the last year and gave “townhall” presentations about our performance and direction. There was a lot of interaction with our employees.
TW: What did you learn from these visits?
Heislitz: I learned we had highly engaged people in the company. That makes me very proud to work for this company. There were some very good ideas and feedback that came from the employee meetings.
TW: What are the strengths of Freudenberg Performance Materials?
Dr. Frank Heislitz, CEO, Freudenberg Performance Materials
Heislitz: One of the key strengths is that we are so diverse. In Performance Materials, which is itself part of the larger Freudenberg Group, we develop and manufacture wovens, nonwovens, knits, foams and composites. We are serving many major end markets such as construction, medical and automotive. Thus, we benefit from this diversity. One end-product market may be down, but others will be ok. One geographic region may be experiencing an economic slowdown, but another may be growing. This type of product and geographic diversity gives us a stability. We are a family-owned company, so we are looking for endurance and we are willing to invest in long-term research.
TW: Can you give an example of long-term endurance?
Heislitz: Sure. An example where we have a lot of endurance is in the area of continuous new mobility. Take our gas diffusion layers development for fuel-cell for the automotive industry. We started the development more than 18 years ago. There wasn’t a market for it at that time, but we looked at the future. When we started the work, it was a huge investment. It was clear back then it would take a while for the market to develop for the products. Just in the last couple of years have we started to see some traction in the marketplace.
You can also apply these needs of long-term endurance developments in areas that are now becoming increasingly important such as safety, energy density, and making products lighter and more efficient. Sometimes you have the vision but must wait for the market to arrive. Freudenberg has the diversity and resources internally to investigate new opportunities.
While much of the market focus has been on electric vehicles, there is a new demand for more efficient fuel cells too. Gas diffusion layers create greater efficiency, making sure there is the right distribution of hydrogen when it comes together with oxygen. The combination produces heat and energy. Gas diffusion layers act like a separator, ensuring the end distribution of the gas is fairly uniform. The result? Better performance. So, this type of new technology in the automotive industry is not about safety, nor is it replacing anything. It’s about efficiency. What’s new is the market has now arrived a point for the technology to be used. And, since last year we have total in-house production. While we were originally thinking of this technology for automotive, there are other vehicle markets we hadn’t considered when we were developing the technology; for example, fuel-cell technology is being used for forklift vehicles. Fork-lift batteries are being replaced by fuel-cell systems.
To be successful, we always must look for new ideas that build the pillars for our company like medical and healthcare products — areas where we have invested a lot of time and resources. It is always about understanding market trends. Take healthcare: Look at us as a society. We are getting older and along with an aging population more and more people suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes. Freudenberg has been developing smart textiles for the health industry.
TW: What’s driving the sustainability demand? Techtextil’s theme is sustainability. You see it used everywhere on the show floor. Recycled fibers, circular economy … they seem to be the “catchwords” of 2019.
Heislitz: Consumers are driving the demand for more sustainability. You can look at movements going on today such as “Friday for Future,” a movement across Europe that was founded by one schoolgirl in Sweden demanding climate change action, saying you adults, you politicians don’t care about our future. It is a strong movement. Even my own daughter is now asking me what Freudenberg is doing in sustainability. Society is more educated and socially more mobile and engaged through Internet platforms.
When we started in 1991 recycling PET bottles, they have been considered as waste and were inexpensive to obtain. Now you have auctions for purchasing used PET bottles. The cost advantage is not so much anymore.
In general, virgin fiber is easier to process; however, I think Freudenberg has the competence to process recycled materials such as our recycled polyester fiber that goes into automotive carpets, insulation material and as backing material for bitumen membranes for roofing.
TW: Can you give us your quick impressions of market conditions in North America, Europe and Asia? I hear at this show a lot about “a pause.” Can you talk about this?
Heislitz: Pause is not just about the political situation in Europe, nor just about the textile industry; it’s about the global uncertainty. It’s of course the discussions about Brexit, about North-Korea, China, what’s going on in Turkey, the European parliamentary elections, the status of major trade deals. People are taking a wait and see on many segments of the industry.
In Europe, we are waiting for clarity of the Brexit situation with the United Kingdom. The unclarity does not help us at all. The GDP [gross domestic product] at about 1.5 percent is also slower in Europe than Asia and North America. Also, I would not want to see any additional duties or tariffs since Europe is an export driven region. We don’t need anything more to slow down the economy. Construction and automotive segments are still very solid. Currently, I don’t see any big troubles in the major end-markets but a lot of unclear certainties regarding the near future.
TW: Ok, let’s talk about Asia; there’s a slowdown in China.
Heislitz: I lived in China between 2008 and 2011. At that time, they still had double-digit growth but even then, people were worried because the economy was slowing a little bit. GDP is now about 6.5 percent. Everybody is nervous that it’s not double-digit but maybe it is more sustainable now at 6.5-7 percent. The basis has changed. There is still a lot of opportunity for all of us. The past growth has been driven by exports. Even so, there is still a huge demand in the domestic economy.
TW: How is the automotive industry in Asia?
Heislitz: We have seen a slowdown in the first quarter.
TW: Any potential new Asian markets outside of China?
Heislitz: Good question.
We still believe in China. What they are doing in China, they are doing for the global market. The product quality demand is going up for those made in China and are now comparable to European, U.S. and Japanese products.
TW: How about market conditions in North America?
Heislitz: Overall, the economy is doing well at 2.6 percent GDP. I am a little bit concerned because OEM [original equipment manufacturers] production numbers seem out of order. Production numbers are not increasing like I would like to see. New cars have better technology, so I am surprised there is not greater turnover by the U.S. car buyers.
My bigger concern if you talk about the overall North American situation is about the labor market. The unemployment rate in America is very low. I think for all industries it will be difficult to find qualified workers. In North America, the medical market is a key focus for our company.
TW: The nonwovens associations got together at the recent IDEA®19 trade show organized by the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), and it seems the organizations are intent to separate nonwovens from the textile sector, probably because of trade-related issues. Is this drive coming from the nonwovens industry itself?
Heislitz: Certainly not from our company. That’s why we changed our name to performance materials. We have knits, wovens, nonwovens, foams and composites.
TW: Do you consider nonwovens a textile?
FH: I would say yes. We had a big discussion about this when we changed our name to Freudenberg Performance Materials.
Editor’s note: Stephen M. Warner is the publisher of BeaverLake6 Report, beaverlake6.com, an online newsletter covering the activities and trends of the global technical textile markets.
Advanced Textiles Conference returns to IFAI Expo; new features include Leaders Panel and 5K Fun Run.
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IFAI Expo 2019, will be held October 1-4, 2019, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Organized by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), the event is expected to draw global visitors for “four days of buying, selling, networking, learning and fun — all designed to help participants grow their bottom line,” according to IFAI.
IFAI Expo serves all aspects of the industry, and highlights segments targeted to specific markets including specialty fabrics, advanced textiles, smart fabrics, shade and weather protection, military, marine, geosynthetics, and fabrics structures, among other markets.
“IFAI Expo 2019 attendees will enjoy three-and-a-half days of networking, education and exhibits displaying the latest in industrial and specialty textiles,” said Steve Schiffman, CEO and president, IFAI. “Numerous education and networking opportunities await attendees on and off the show floor including focused, deep-dive classroom sessions; campfire sessions; and interactive networking designed to help attendees connect and thrive. Plus, IFAI Expo 2019 attendees will discover new features like the Industry Leaders Panel where top experts will share their experiences and insights, a 5K Fun Run/Walk, and the newly redesigned Opening Reception that will feature special experiences to delight attendees.”
The opening reception, which is included in all registration packages and is open to attendees as well as exhibitors, will be held from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. onsite at the Orange County Convention Center on level 2, S230.
Orlando, the home of Mickey Mouse and Disney World, offers a unique opportunity for a behind the scenes tour of Walt Disney. Only 20 spots are available for the tour, which will take place on Tuesday, October 1, from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Visitors will be treated to an insiders look at the Creative Costuming workshop, one of the world’s largest laundry facilities, and Central Shops — the engineering services location where skilled craftspeople build set pieces and attraction vehicles — among other experiences. To learn more about the tour and to register, visit the IFAI Expo website.
Show Floor Activities
As always, the expo show floor features a diverse array of exhibitors, as well as equipment workshops and education demonstrations, campfire sessions, Advanced Textiles Lounge, IFAI Hub/Membership Lounge, Fabric Sourcing Center, Testing Demo Zone and Industry Awards Gallery.
New features in 2019 include the Product Showcase located in the IFAI Hub on the show floor, which highlights products made by IFAI members and is designed to provide inspiration; and the “Pet a Puppy Booth” hosted by the Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) and the Pet Alliance of Orlando where puppy cuddles will be for sale with proceeds going to support both organizations.
The 2019 expo will feature opportunities for education on the show floor — Campfire: Shade and Weather Protection; Campfire: Specialty Fabrics; Campfire: Advanced Textiles; an e-Textiles Pavilion that will host discussions; and various open meetings. Organizers report the show floor education opportunities are a great way to pick up business-building tips, learn from experts and share best practices.
The Manufacturing for Good demonstration booth will again be featured on the show floor. This year, IFAI will support A Gift for Teaching, a non-profit organization that helps students in need of school supplies. Member companies are donating expertise and supplies to make pencil pouches during the expo. Attendees and exhibitors are also asked to donate supplies to the effort.
For a complete list of all the events and happenings surrounding the four-day expo, please see the “Schedule at a Glance.”
Educational Events, Awards
The expo features an extensive educational conference schedule. First up is the Advanced Textiles Conference, which is making its return to the expo lineup this year. Held on Tuesday, October 1, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., the Advanced Textiles Conference requires an “All Access” registration. Included in the registration is an additional 10 hours of Advanced Textiles classroom education held October 2-4. Content focuses on aerospace; medical, safety and protective; smart fabrics; and fabric advancements. During breakout times, participants have the choice of three sessions and are free to move between rooms during the conference. The conference will be followed by a reception for attendees from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Education continues Wednesday through Friday with Expo Plus conference sessions running concurrently with the show floor. Wednesday features mostly Shade and Weather Protection sessions, and Thursday focuses on Specialty Fabrics with some Advanced Textiles sessions also hosted both days. Friday hosts “State of the Industry” sessions.
Awards
IFAI will again recognize new and innovative products and services found on the show floor with the Show Stopper program. The annual International Achievement Awards (IAA) — judged by industry experts, editors, architects, educators and design professionals — will honor innovation, technical skill and design excellence. In addition, the four Student Design Competitions sponsored by four IFAI divisions will recognize student talent in Advanced Textiles, Awning and Canopy, Fabric Graphics, and Fabric Structures. The Industrial Fabrics Foundation also will present Innovation Awards in six categories with one achievement honored with the overall top prize.
Keynote Address
This year’s keynote speaker will be featured Wednesday, October 2, 2019, from 8:30-9:45 a.m. prior to the show floor opening. All exhibitors and visitors are invited to attend Thom Singer’s talk titled, “Connecting with People in a Social Media Crazy World.” According to IFAI, Singer “will lead us on a journey of exploration about how we can maximize our brand and reputation in a world where everyone is looking at their electronic gadgets instead of looking other people in the eyes.”
For more information about IFAI Expo 2019, please visit ifaiexpo.com.
RISE® will highlight plastics in the environment and market shifts and trends.
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RISE® — The Research, Innovation & Science For Engineered Fabrics Conference — will be held September 24-25, 2019, at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. The ninth edition of the conference is co-organized by the Cary, N.C.-based Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) and NC State University. The event is designed to accelerate new thinking with “two days of in-depth technical exploration into ‘what’s next’ and ‘what’s needed’ from the most prescient leaders in materials research, and innovative science as applied to engineered fabrics,” according to INDA.
This year, the emphasis is on sustainability — sustainable additives, sustainable polymers and sustainable recycling — as well as new product developments amid market shifts and trends that drive advances in nonwovens.
Andrea Ferris, CEO, Intrinsic Textiles Group, is the featured keynote speaker. Her presentation will focus on Intrinsic’s CiCLO® technology, which was developed to allow polyester to biodegrade in marine environments, wastewater treatment plants and landfill conditions at rates similar to fibers such as wool.
Other speakers at this year’s event include: Teresa Clark, ENSO Plastics LLC; Sandi Childs, Association Of Plastics Recyclers (APR); Dr. Susan Selke, Michigan State University – School of Packaging; Dr. Isao Noda, Danimer Scientific; Vanessa Mason, PrimaLoft Inc.; Thomas Carlyle, Lenzing Fibers Inc.; Dr. Srikanth Pilla, Clemson University; Dr. Matthew Tipper, Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute (NIRI); Richard Morell, Groz-Beckert USA Inc.; Dr. Vicki Barbur, Battelle; Dr. John Connaughton, UNC- Charlotte; as well as INDA’s own Director of Market Research and Statistics Brad Kalil, and Director of Education & Technical Affairs Chris Plotz, among many other speakers.
Conference participants also have the opportunity to tour the 60,000-square-foot NWI, which is a global partnership between industry, government and academia. The more than $50-million-dollar facility features state-of-the-art equipment, pilot lines and analytical technology. The institute operates on an “open innovation” platform and “engages experts from industry and higher education in building next-generation nonwoven applications, while also providing training and guidance to the field’s future leaders.”
RISE® Innovation Award
INDA also will announce the winner of the annual RISE Innovation Award, which recognizes “innovation in areas and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry which utilizes advanced science and engineering principles to develop unique or intricate solutions to advance the usage of nonwovens.” Finalists — selected from disposable and durable product categories including raw material advances, advances in process or manufacturing technologies, new products, or application development — will present their technologies to attendees on the first day of the conference. Attendees will vote on a winner, which will be announced on Thursday afternoon.
“This year we focus on some material science solutions to the growing issue of plastics in the environment along with some other eye-opening developments to help technology scouts bring new ideas into their product development plans,” said Dave Rousse, INDA president. “Partnering with the Nonwovens Institute, we will hold the event on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh and tour the impressive pilot lines at the NWI. Lots of value packed into two full days.”
For more information about RISE® — The Research, Innovation & Science For Engineered Fabrics Conference, please visit riseconf.net.
AAPN’s 2019 pro:Americas Annual Conference held at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach, Fla., attracted more than 200 attendees.
AAPN’s annual meeting featured relevant speakers and discussions, and provided lots of opportunities for networking and developing business relationships in the apparel supply chain.
TW Special Report
The Americas Apparel Producers’ Network’s (AAPN’s) 2019 pro:Americas Annual Conference was set against the backdrop of the beautiful Faena Forum and Faena Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla.
The two-day event was packed with meaningful presentations that resonated with the more than 200 attendees who came from every aspect of the supply chain. Always on message, AAPN Managing Director Mike Todaro opened the meeting with his take on where the organization stands and how the network remains focused on gathering the right people to develop Western Hemisphere business strategies.
Keynote Speaker Nancy Giordano, founder and CEO of Play Big Inc.
The keynote speaker, Strategic Futurist Nancy Giordano, is the CEO and founder of Play Big Inc., where she considers the emerging intersection of technology, business and society. She spoke about ways to deal with change and the speed of change happening with culture and technology. She offered six ways to “Play Big:” to wonder versus resist; navigate versus replicate; contribute versus extract; be connected versus alone; engage in leaderING versus leaderSHIP; and to be audacious versus incremental. There was emphasis on leadering as a way to play big and have an impact on the world in a more dynamic and more humanistic way.
Other speakers included Barbara Zeins, Gerson & Gerson; Kurt Cavano, retired/founder GT Nexus; Paula Rosenblum, managing partner, RSR Research; Veronia “Roni” Start, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising; Tony Anzovino, Haggar Clothing Co.; Suzy Ganz, Lion Brothers; and Matt Hornbuckle, Stantt Shirt.
In an AAPN first, day one featured an all-female panel discussion comprised of Lynsey Jones, Carter’s; Jill Coleman, Alvanon; Pam Peale, DeSL; Maggie Martinez, Seaboard Marine; Linda Tiberi, Under Armour; and Rosenblum. Kim Macaulay, Kim Macaulay Associates Inc., moderated the panel who discussed the topic, “Is manufacturing coming home?”
AAPN’s first-ever panel featuring all female participants tackled the topic, “Is manufacturing coming home?”
Day two also featured a panel discussion among “The Genius Panel” comprised of Keith Dartley, Swisstex Direct; Chase Johnson, Contempora Fabrics; and Jennifer Knight, American Woolen Company. The conversation was moderated by Bureau Veritas’ Rick Horwitch.
AAPN Leadership Awards, Women’s Initiative
During the meeting, Todaro conferred the AAPN Apparel Industry Leadership Award on six people. The recipients, honored for contributing exceptional leadership to the organization, were:
David Ha, TexOps;
William Yidi, Finotex;
Industry Veteran Jeannamarie Cox;
Sandy Brink, Advanced Manufacturing Group;
Tom Glaser, VF Supply Chain;
Devin Steele, eTextileCommunications; and
Suzy Ganz, Lion Brothers.
This year, AAPN also launched its AAPN Women initiative to promote women within the supply chain. The organization’s website features AAPN (Women) Stories that puts the spotlight on female members of the organization and offers some insight into their careers paths and accomplishments.
As mentioned, the all female conference panel was a first for AAPN and grew out of the desire to promote women in the network. During the annual meeting, women also were invited to the “AAPN Women in Miami” cocktail reception held at the Art Deco-style Saxony Bar at the Faena hotel. The reception aimed to promote networking and foster a sense of camaraderie among the women in the organization.
“It’s so nice to see more and more women attending our annual conference each year; in fact, they almost took over the entire agenda this year!” noted Sue Strickland, AAPN’s executive director.
Observations From The Meeting
“This is my 25th year in the AAPN,” Todaro said. “Every year, EVERY year, these conferences get bigger, better and more important. Meeting as a supply chain is unique. Meeting as the Americas is unique. Meeting with so many key industry leaders in unique. We’re a one-of-a-kind network that learns from ourselves. We featured eight agenda events, six speakers and two panels — a total of 17 people, excluding me and our president Tony Anzovino — and only four of them were men! Lots of networking, lots of business transacted, lots of relationships formed, lots of trust. AAPN put the Americas on the map, and in May the Americas met at the AAPN.”
Jim Briggs, national sales manager, Adele Knits, attended the event for the first time as a non-member. After the event, Adele joined AAPN. “The AAPN event in Miami was better than advertised,” Briggs said. “This networking event connects manufacturers with apparel producers in a unique and meaningful way. It was inspiring to see so many companies with similar goals and objectives. We’re glad we joined AAPN.”
“The AAPN event in May was the first event for e.dye Ltd. as a member and it was a great chance for getting connected with the member companies,” said Jim Chi, vice president, marketing and sales, e.dye Ltd. “More importantly, it was the people of AAPN that made the event memorable. I had the chance to connect with company founders and senior level leaders to gain insights from their experiences. Finding common ground on important topics like sustainability initiatives and innovation efforts made our conversations flow.
“The presentation by Suzy Ganz of Lion Brothers was fantastic,” Chi offered. “Sharing the details of the difficulties and the risks that were taken to change HOW they operated really resonated with me. Same for Matt Hornbuckle of Stantt challenging everyone to think differently and DO differently.
AAPN President Tony Anzovino
“I see being part of AAPN as a way to closely engage others in our industry and promote relationships that will evolve into the next generation of apparel/textile companies,” Chi continued. “We have challenges with everything from sustainability, trade policies, transformative technologies, and a generational transfer in leadership. This is how I envision being part of that future and how e.dye will engage in supporting the member companies.”
“With more than 210 attendees representing over 130 companies, this was clearly the most important networking event in the Western Hemisphere, and possibly globally,” said AAPN president Anzovino. “Where else can you witness the talent and experience of the speakers and panels in a two-day session – and have the access to these individuals plus the executives and leaders that were in attendance? This continues to be the ‘must attend’ event of the year.”
AAPN’s Sue Strickland, Mike Todaro Honored During 2019 pro:Americas Annual Meeting With Lifetime Achievement Award
On the first day of the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) annual pro:Americas conference, Sue Strickland, executive director, and Mike Todaro, managing director, were honored with lifetime achievement awards.
Tony Anzovino, AAPN president and chief sourcing and merchandising officer, Haggar Clothing Co., invited some of AAPN’s directors and members of the executive committee to the stage as he presented Strickland and Todaro with the award. Carlos Arias, CEO, Winds Enterprises; Kurt Cavano, founder, Infor/GTNexus; Rick Horwitch, vice president, global retail & supply chain strategy, Bureau Veritas; Juan Zighelboim, president, TexOps; Joe Cuervo, senior strategic sourcing manager — materials, Kohls; and Ron Roach, president, Contempora Fabrics, thanked Strickland and Todaro for their dedication while sharing a few words.
(left to right): Kurt Cavano, Mike Todaro, Sue Strickland, Ron Roach, Joe Cuervo, Juan Zighelboim, Rick Horwitch, Carlos Arias and Tony Anzovino during the presentation of the lifetime achievement awards to Todoro and Strickland.
Strickland has run the organization since 1991 when it was known as the American Apparel Contractors Association. Todaro joined her in 1995. Membership numbers dropped drastically following the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, but through hard work and a willingness to embrace change — opening membership to the Americas in 2001, later the world; changing the name first to the American Apparel Producers Network, then in 2013 to the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network to reflect the changing nature of the organization; hosting conferences in Central and South America; adding regional conferences across the United States to allow less-senior personnel the opportunity to participate in the network; and establishing the Carolinas Mill tour to help educate brands and retailers on steps in the garment production chain with a focus on the supply chain available in the Carolinas — AAPN is thriving and growing today.
“It is truly a lifetime that they’ve worked hard at this, and it was time to honor that,” said Anzovino. “After all these years, the fact that they are so open to change is amazing and is one of the reasons this network has grown so much in recent years and continues to grow. Certainly the highlight of our Annual meeting was honoring Sue and Mike for their dedication to the industry in the Western Hemisphere. Their passion for not only the apparel and textile sector, but for all of us individually is what continues to bring the network together. I have been honored they have allowed me to serve the past two years as president of the organization and watching them both continue to grow and learn has truly been an inspiration.”
“I can think of no two people who have helped to elevate the supply chain in the Americas, and the world, more than the two of you,” said Horwitch. “While doing so, you have helped to make the world, and millions of lives, better. You are educators and connectors. You innovators and disruptors. We are not only members of the AAPN, we are part of a global, interconnected, network.”
“I have known Mike and Sue for more than a dozen years,” said Cavano. “Through their leadership, the AAPN has brought together a unique cross section of the entire apparel supply chain. They built an organization that focused on the Americas when the rest of the industry was abandoning it. Fast forward to now and as the Americas have reemerged as a key component of almost every company’s supply chain, AAPN leads the conversation and serves as the heartbeat of this renaissance.”
“I know of no other organization in our industry, or any industry, that truly lives and breathes professional networks,” said Walter Wilhelm, chairman, WWA Advisors. “Sue’s and Mike’s contributions to openness throughout our supply chain have been simply invaluable.”
“When you think about dynamic duos, you think of Batman and Robin, Palmer and Nicklaus, Simon and Garfunkel, etc.,” said Juan Zighelboim, president, El Salvador-based TexOps.
“But we are so blessed to have our own dynamic duo in Mike and Sue. You have made the world, and our world, a better place and we’re so grateful to you.”
As soon as AAPN’s annual meeting was over, the “dynamic duo” was right back to work planning the organization’s upcoming regional meetings in Portland, Dallas and Mexico City. Visit aapnetwork.net to learn more about those events.
Notable names from the U.S. textile industry recently gathered to celebrate former National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Augustine D. “Auggie” Tantillo and wish him well as he enters retirement. The cocktail reception and dinner featured a roast led by Allen E. Gant Jr., chairman of Glen Raven Inc. Executives in attendance had the chance to express their gratitude to Tantillo for his knowledge and dedication to the textile industry for more than 30 years, while also recounting personal anecdotes.
Tantillo (left) with Allen Gant
After the roast, Tantillo entertained the gathered crowd with stories from his time as an employee in the office of the late South Carolina Senator James Strom Thurmond Sr., which was his first job in Washington after he graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics.
Bill McCrary (left) presented Tantillo with a football signed by his Alma Mater Clemson University’s football coach Dabo Swinney
During his multifaceted, 38-year career in Washington, Tantillo represented the textile industry for more than 30 years in the policy arena. He was deputy assistant secretary for textiles & apparel at the U.S. Department of Commerce under President George H.W. Bush, and also served as the executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition.
Auggie looked on as Andy Warlick (left) presented his toast.
“Auggie Tantillo is a great institution and a great resource for the industry and has a strong legacy of really fighting for this industry on a whole host of trade and regulatory issues,” said Kim Glas, newly-installed NCTO president and CEO. “This industry has seen a great benefit from Auggie’s work over the past 5 years. He’s made a huge difference and is a giant in essence.” Tributes and thank yous from the industry for Tantillo were plentiful (see below).
“The textile industry owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Auggie,” said C.G. “Leib” Oehmig IV, president and CEO, Glen Raven Inc. “Through his leadership, NCTO has become recognized as a thought leader in global trade and has earned a seat at the table on major policy issues. On a personal note, my friendship with Auggie is something that I will always treasure.”
Tantillo Tributes
“Auggie Tantillo is the best association president I have ever had the pleasure to work with. His knowledge of the textile industry is unmatched. His institutional knowledge of previous trade agreements is amazing. NCTO has always out-punched its weight class and it is because of Auggie Tantillo.”
— Anderson D. “Andy” Warlick, chairman and CEO, Parkdale
“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. For Auggie Tantillo, that portrait was a masterpiece. Auggie’s contributions to the textile industry are immense, and his experience in Washington uniquely positioned him to be one of our greatest advocates. Having Auggie at the helm of NCTO advanced our entire industry by leaps and bounds, and we wish him the very best as he moves on to his next great portrait.”
— Jeff Price, president, Milliken Performance and Protective Textiles division
“Auggie has been outstanding as president/CEO of NCTO. He is a true Southern Gentlemen and commanded the respect and confidence of all he came into contact with on Capitol Hill and in other agencies of the government. He will be missed.”
— Jim Chesnutt, chairman, National Spinning Co. Inc.
“Auggie has been a determined fighter for the interests of the textile industry and the many people who make a living directly and indirectly as a result of the jobs this industry creates.
I wish him well in his retirement and he will be missed as a friend to us all.”
— Jay Self, president, Greenwood Mills Inc.
“Working for Auggie over the last six years has truly been my honor. He is held in the highest regard by friends and colleagues of the industry he has represented so well for many years, and those of us who have been privileged to work so closely with him have witnessed first-hand his incredible knowledge and discerning wisdom. He has qualities that are increasingly rare, and I am grateful to have worked with someone of such distinguished character and integrity.”
— Robin Haynes, director of finance & administration, treasurer, NCTO
“Auggie Tantillo has made an invaluable contribution to the U.S. textile industry through his dedication and wisdom in championing for domestic textiles. His long-standing career, built by mutual respect and wisdom, has spanned many levels in Washington and throughout our industry. I wish Auggie the best in his retirement as he leaves a successful legacy!”
— Robin Perkins, CEO, Frontier Spinning
“Auggie has been a tremendous asset to the industry as ‘the voice of the industry in Washington, DC.’ Although the industry is relatively small in its lobbying effort, Auggie made sure that the administration understood and responded to our stance on issues. I was always impressed with how impactful he was considering that he was so calm and matter of fact in his presentation of issues. Personally, I appreciate Auggie’s sense of humor and his humble leadership.”
— Jim Booterbaugh, CEO, National Spinning Co. Inc.
“There is a popular term I now hear often at Auggie’s beloved Clemson University — ‘ALL IN.’ Those words, ‘ALL IN,’ perfectly describe Auggie and his career. Since 1981, and whether in government service or government relations, Auggie has been ALL IN. He has given all of himself and has achieved immeasurable success for our industry.
Jan and I wish him the very best for his well-deserved retirement.”
— Bill McCrary, chairman and CEO, William Barnet & Son LLC
“Auggie Tantillo has been a tremendous asset to the textile industry. His ability to understand the intricacies of Washington, D.C., coupled with his deep understanding of the diverse textile business made him the perfect advocate and defender of our interests. The bright future of American textile manufacturing is due in large part to his leadership.”
Figure 1: A cross section of the configuration of the conformal conductive coating — commonly referred to as Battelle’s Heatcoat Technology — as applied to a fabric.
What does it mean for a textile to be intelligent?
By Dr. Vicki A. Barbur and Dr. Amy Heintz
Innovative sensors, coatings and novel materials designed to capture information, respond to the environment or deliver value-added performance functionality are generating new possibilities for textiles. These possibilities may represent opportunities for disruptive product offerings for wearable fabrics and industrial textiles.
Conductive Coatings: A Smart Approach To Intelligent Textiles
According to Albany, N.Y.-based Transparency Market Research’s report titled “Global Smart Textile Market to Expand at 30.8% CAGR Due to Increasing Demand in Military and Healthcare Sector,” the market for smart and intelligent fabrics is expected to grow to more than $7 billion by 2023.
The applications driving this growth range from consumer sporting goods to sophisticated medical and military uses. Smart and intelligent fabrics are already considered as a means to help athletes monitor, improve and maximize performance; regulate body temperature for patients in surgery or intensive care; recognize and signal stress or duress in firefighters and others exposed to extreme environments; or transmit data from sensors embedded in textiles within our environment to a smartphone application or central control point for monitoring and timely preventative action. Potential industrial applications include temperature-regulating textile mats for use in aviation and interior design, systems that prevent icing of airfoils, and moisture-sensing fabrics for the construction industry.
Many of these potential uses rely on an essential physical attribute embedded within innovative intelligent textiles: conductivity. The newer conductive fabrics are capable of transmitting electricity, a property that can be leveraged to produce heat or to transmit information in a dynamic way without the need for traditional embedded wires. Conductive properties can be used to deliver additional valuable performance attributes; for example, they can provide sources of power necessary for operating distributed and embedded sensors and transmitting captured information to a remote computer or handheld device.
Conductivity can be integrated into fabrics using two main approaches — using conductive threads that are incorporated into the fabric, or conductive coatings that are applied to the fabric. Conductive threads include metalized natural or man-made fibers. Such threads are highly conductive and have been implemented for embedding devices such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. However, their stiffness and roughness can reduce the flexibility, softness and drapeability of the material. It also can be difficult to precisely control the electrical properties of the fabric as it stretches or to create complex arrays and/or patterns of conductivity.
Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle has developed a conductive coating using carbon nanotube (CNT) formulations that eliminates many of the problems associated with metallic threads or coatings or embedded wire systems. CNT coatings are highly conductive, flexible and lightweight and can be applied in a thin layer that moves with the fabric and does not interfere with its drapeability or other performance characteristics. The CNT coating can easily be integrated into smart and intelligent fabrics to deliver thermal properties or, alternatively, simply conductivity.
Surface heaters apply heat where needed
Smart Versus Intelligent Textiles: What’s the Difference?
Smart fabrics are textiles that have added performance characteristics delivered through embedded fibers or functional coatings. These characteristics may be purely aesthetic — such as the light-up or color-changing dresses that have been spotted on fashion runways — or may deliver performance benefits such as heat, antimicrobial barriers or localized delivery of active ingredients. These functions are delivered passively, without direct input from the environment.
Intelligent fabrics go one step further. They are able to sense and respond to a stimulus in their environment. Intelligent fabrics require not only the core performance function, but also some form of sensor that collects information from the environment and a mechanism for responding to input from that sensor to close the loop. Closed-loop control can be built in by combining sensors with heaters or other active technologies. A conductive coating is a critical enabler for providing this functionality.
For example, rather than simply delivering heat when activated, an intelligent fabric will respond to ambient room temperatures or a person’s body temperature to cycle heating on or off as required to maintain a temperature set point. Other applications include diagnostic fabrics that monitor vital signs and send information directly to a smartphone app that recommends the appropriate response action, or protective fabrics with active functional coatings that change color to warn their wearers of the presence of an environmental contaminant.
Heater materials and lead configuration provide uniform heating.
Some of these possible applications are entirely visionary for the moment and some are already in the development phase. The basic technologies exist to drive growth of these and other similar intelligent fabrics that could soon deliver a broad range of functions and performance characteristics.
Creating Coated, Intelligent Textiles
Coated textiles consist of two or more layers that are combined into a composite material. By carefully selecting the combination of base textiles and functional coating, manufacturers can produce textiles with many different possible combinations of desirable performance characteristics. The resulting coated textile will have combined properties that cannot be offered by either component individually.
The base fabric provides the tear and tensile strength, elongation and dimensional stability of the composite material and supports the layer of coating applied to it.
The coating controls the chemical properties and features such as abrasion resistance and resistance to penetration by liquids and gases. It can also provide functional properties, including passive functions — such as easy-to-clean or antimicrobial — and active functions — such as heat or sensing.
Smart coatings — which may include CNT, resins or polymers — can be designed to deliver unique functionality and performance characteristics, including conductivity, bacterial resistance or sensing capabilities. Many smart coatings, including Battelle’s CNT conformal coating, can be added to a textile via the same methods used for more traditional coatings, including knife coating, transfer, Zimmer coating, roll-to-roll and spray coating.
Conductive coatings are thin and flexible, even on foam, retaining the underlying properties
A Conformal Conductive Coating For Flexible And Irregular Textile Surfaces
Battelle has developed a smart conductive coating with a unique blend of performance characteristics. The conformal CNT coating has been engineered for use on flexible or irregular substrates such as textiles (see Figure 1). It conducts electricity to deliver uniform warming, to power sensors and devices, or to transmit information. Unlike most conductive coatings, it does not negatively impact the properties of the fabric itself.
Most conductive coatings are engineered for use on rigid substrates and not ideal for use on soft, irregular or flexible substrates such as textiles. When applied to a soft or flexible substrate, these coatings typically lose conductivity as the material bends. They may also change the surface properties, making the substrate more rigid.
To take full advantage of the potential for conductive fabrics, the coating must allow for bending and flexing with the flexible substrate and maintain other critical performance characteristics. Battelle’s conformal conductive coating uses a formulation of dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) that is applied directly to the textile, forming a thin conductive layer that can generate heat or electricity when power is applied. Because the CNT coating can be applied very thinly while still maintaining high conductivity, it does not add unwanted weight or bulk or change the flexibility or drape of the fabric. It delivers uniform, predictable heat on soft, flexible and irregular substrates, maintaining conductivity even when bent. It offers several advantages over traditional methods for adding conductivity to textiles, for example:
Maintains even conductivity as the fabric drapes, stretches and moves;
No impact on fabric properties such as drape, softness and flexibility;
Adds minimal weight and virtually no bulk when applied because the coating is typically no more than 3 micrometers thick;
Applied in a transparent layer that allows fabric color and design to show through;
Supports complex arrays and patterns for advanced intelligent textile applications that require zonal control, closed loop feedback or integrated antennae; and
Requires minimal power for heating or electrical conductivity.
The coating is a result of more than a decade of internally funded research and development at Battelle. Through this work, researchers have optimized the properties, stability, manufacturing, integration and sustainment of CNT coatings and their products. The coating system has undergone rigorous durability testing throughout its development — including humidity, solvent and water exposure; corrosion resistance; cyclic bending; cyclic thermal loading; and high strain testing, which provides a high level of confidence in its use for a variety of applications.
Dispersions can be applied by low-cost, roll-to-roll processing or spray application.
The CNT coating has already been proven in the aviation industry for anti-icing and de-icing for aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, or drones). Applying the technology to textile fabrics opens possibilities for many new applications for medical, consumer, industrial and military use. The technology has been demonstrated in several fabric-based applications, including a mat heater for composite airfoils and fabric warming system for thermoregulation therapy (see Figure 2).
Market Opportunities: Heated Fabrics
Heating is the first market opportunity for conductive CNT coatings. Rather than relying on embedded wires or integrated metallic threads, the CNT coating acts as the conductor for heated fabric applications. The high conductivity/low resistivity of CNT coatings means that heat can be generated from extremely thin films, resulting in lighter, thinner and more flexible offerings than existing textile heater technologies on the market. As result, there are significant advantages for current applications. Additionally, it opens new possibilities in areas where weight, thickness or conformability requirements have made heating difficult.
Possible applications include:
Medical — Heated textile fabrics could be used to produce wearable garments that deliver improved comfort for patients and medical personnel in temperature-controlled operating rooms. Such products could also be used for thermoregulation therapy.
Automotive — The automotive industry could produce seat covers with heating properties integrated directly into the fabric, saving energy and materials required for complicated circuitry. In addition, by using these CNT coatings on other interior surfaces of the car, it would be possible to provide zonal, customized and individualized heating for occupants.
Furnishings and home goods — Heated fabrics could be used in mattress covers, upholsteries for sofas and chairs, blankets and other textile-based goods. Gentle heating from furnishings could help people stay comfortable with lower ambient temperatures, reducing overall energy costs.
Building and construction — Responsive insulating materials could be used to wrap pipes and deliver heat during freezing weather conditions. Mat underlayment can also provide floor heating. Other fabrics could be made sensitive to environmental conditions such as moisture or other hazards using powered embedded sensors.
Clothing — Thermally heated garments could improve comfort for military personnel, first responders, construction workers, athletes and others operating outdoors in inclement temperatures or indoors in low-temperature environments like operating rooms or refrigeration plants. Intelligent clothing based on smart textiles would also be capable of responding to a fall in temperature so that the wearer is never too hot or too cold.
Figure 2. Design elements of Battelle’s HeatCoat System
Beyond Heat: Responsive Intelligent Textiles
While Battelle’s CNT coating has been optimized to deliver heat to the substrates it is applied to, there are many other potential applications for conductive CNT coatings. This technology is an enabling one for a whole host of wearable technologies or responsive textiles that require integrated sensors. For example, sensors could be used to detect and quantify moisture levels or other measurements such as motion, weight, orientation, light level or vital statistics. This captured information could be transmitted to a point of use using the conductive coating.
This technology therefore opens up a whole portfolio of potential intelligent textile opportunities, such as:
Clothing that monitors patient health and reports changes to a mobile app for the patient or their healthcare providers;
Sportswear that monitors performance and movement, eliminating the need to wear a separate fitness tracker;
Performance clothing that extracts energy from the wearer’s movements to recharge or power mobile electronic devices; and
Floor and wall coverings, such as carpets that light up in the dark to lead the way to emergency exits or bathrooms or wall coverings for bathrooms and laundries that sense over-accumulation of moisture.
Medical Monitoring And Bioelectronic Medicine
For many of the aforementioned responsive systems, multifunctionality is required. Multifunction — such as electrical, ionic, and/or thermal conductivity; charge storage or dissipation; moisture retention, for example — can be built into coating formulations and applied to textiles.
One potential application for these multifunctional fabrics is for medical monitoring or bioelectronic medicine. Comfortable, efficient wearable devices are key to enabling this new wave of intelligent medical technologies. For these devices to realize their full potential, they need stable and continuous electrical contact with the person. The current state of the art is to use a hydrogel to couple the electrode to the skin. However, system performance can change with time, temperature, humidity and the patient’s movements and position.
Battelle’s CNT coating can be combined with ionic conductors to create mixed ionic electronic conductors (MIECs) that provide consistent electrical contact with the skin. The MIECs are an interconnected network of electrical and ionic conductors in an elastomeric matrix. These three components provide the multi-functionality needed to maintain contact and electrical transport from the skin to the device.
The coating is incorporated into a fabric sleeve. The system provides several benefits over existing hydrogel systems including:
Excellent conductivity with more efficient coupling with the skin;
Conductivity maintained with extension over repeated cycling;
Lower impedance with stainless steel current conductors;
Lower power consumption; and
Excellent flexibility and toughness and good mechanical properties.
Additional research is still needed to optimize the coating for wearable/washable fabrics, yet the possibilities of an integrated conductive CNT coating for textiles are nearly limitless. As demand for smart and intelligent fabrics and textiles in general continues to grow, Battelle’s CNT coating technology provides a new option for delivering resistive heating capabilities and conductivity for transmitting signals that will enable many applications not possible with today’s current technologies.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Vicki A. Barbur is senior director, IP and Technology Commercialization, and Dr. Amy Heintz is Technical Fellow, Battelle, Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Barbur can be reached at barbur@batelle.org. Battelle has been awarded several patents for its use of CNT technologies and the conformable conductive coating system. Now, the technology is ready for the next phase of development. Companies interested in exploring licensing or codevelopment may contact the company.
American Cord & Webbing manufactures both the narrow fabrics and molded components that can be assembled into custom products designed for or by military or non-military customers.
Company credits thinking outside the box and innovation for its longevity.
By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor
In this age of digitalization, hyperactivity and seemingly constant change in virtually every aspect of business and life, it has become very rare to find a textiles manufacturer, or any company for that matter, that has remained in business for more than 100 years. It is even more unique to find a successful company solely owned and operated by four generations of the same family which is still going strong 102 years later. If you are not familiar with any such companies, meet Woonsocket, R.I.-based American Cord and Webbing (ACW) proudly owned and operated by the Krauss family since its incorporation in 1917.
“Our success over the years can be traced to two core principles” offered Jordan Krauss, who with his brother Alex represents the next generation of the Krauss family’s leadership in ACW. “Having a sound base of knowledgeable, committed employees, and always striving to do the right thing to keep our customers happy. We firmly believe that price is not everything. The real question is how high a level of value can we provide to our customers,” he explained. These basic principles have certainly served ACW well since its inception.
ACW was started by Max Krauss, Jordan and Alex’s great-grandfather, who in 1915 began selling narrow fabrics and cord products in New York City’s textile district. A few years later in 1917, ACW was incorporated in New York City as a small distributor to the city’s growing fashion industry. Under Max’s leadership, the company maintained and grew through some rather turbulent times including two World Wars and the Great Depression, while increasing ACW’s capabilities and product offerings. In 1962, a few years after Jack Krauss, Max’s son, took the helm, ACW’s manufacturing facility, which now included strap assembly and a distribution center, moved to Lincoln, R.I., where the company continued to grow and broaden its offerings at a steady pace.
Mark Krauss, Jordan and Alex’s father, started working for ACW in 1979 and officially took over the business from Jack in 1988. A few years later he relocated ACW to its current facility in Woonsocket. Growth and diversification have continued along with ACW’s commitment to building upon its founding principles of growing and treating its employees well while remaining focused on providing exceptional value to their customer base. “Being located less than 20 minutes from Slater Mills where the U.S. textile industry essentially began is a nice reminder of the importance of core values and that we are helping to continue the textile industry traditions here in New England,” offered Jordan.
(left to right): Alex Krauss, Mark Krauss and Jordan Krauss — the latest two of the four generations to run Woonsocket, R.I.-based American Cord & Webbing over the past 102 years.
Valued Employees
Having a concentrated focus on workforce development has proven over and over to pay dividends to both ACW and its customers. “We have a strong core of experienced employees which has been built up over the years” said Susan Lake, ACW’s director of sales and marketing. “When young people join the company, we employ a mentorship and apprenticeship program that all go through. It really works wonders in fostering relationships between different generations of workers, nurturing cross-training and ultimately maintaining ACW’s knowledge base that has continued to grow over many years.
“We’ve also been fortunate to receive a generous amount of grant funding from the state of Rhode Island which allowed us to implement several focused training programs for operators, mechanics and others throughout the company” Lake added.
Maintaining a focus on its core values has undoubtedly helped ACW survive through several historical and also unforeseen events that could have certainly damaged lesser companies. As explained by Jordan: “A few years ago our father [Mark Krauss, then president of ACW] had a completely unexpected health scare that forced him to step away from the business. We witnessed first-hand the value of having a diverse, knowledgeable and committed group of employees. It was incredible to see everyone immediately step up and take charge of the situation without any hesitation. This was especially true of those who led our operations, sales and engineering, each of which had 15 to 25 years of prior experience at ACW. There were some obvious adjustments, but ACW continued on.
“Our entire family was, and remains, incredibly grateful to the people at ACW and those relationships we have,” emphasized Jordan.
Customer Oriented
The knowledge of the employees, as well as the cross-training efforts instilled throughout ACW from its beginning have proven beneficial to building and supporting solid customer relationships, a major contributor to ACW’s longevity and success. “ACW is unique in that for a narrow fabrics company, we can do a little bit of everything,” Jordan said. “Our sales force is trained in all ACW products and capabilities, which allows us to approach existing and potential customers from the perspective of being a resource and problem solver. We make every effort to really understand all of the customer’s particular needs for each application. We can break it down, analyze it, tell them how to make it better and then help them make more accurate informed decisions. Then we create and tailor our products to meet those specific identified needs.”
Susan Lake (left), director of sales and marketing; and Glen Florio, head of engineering and materials.
Product Focus
From its start as a sales and distribution company, ACW has progressed, through inspiration, acquisition, investment and listening to their customer’s needs and expectations, into a multi-faceted manufacturer with a global reach and a growing list of capabilities and product offerings. Today, ACW is the only domestic manufacturer of both narrow fabrics and plastic hardware in the country, remains privately held and currently employees approximately 100 people.
“We are now comprised of three different divisions — narrow fabrics and webbing, hardware and molded products, and custom fabrication and assembly,” Lake said. “ACW is the only U.S. manufacturer with these three leading product offerings under one roof. Our biggest selling point is that while most of our competitors focus heavily on one or two areas in this market, ACW is able to do it all. Most of our manufacturing is located here in the United States, which allows us to remain compliant with the Berry Amendment requirements, however we also have a growing manufacturing presence and resources overseas.” ACW is ISO 9001:2015 certified and holds several other accreditations.
Narrow fabrics and webbing, a mainstay of ACW’s business since its inception, remains the core product offering. The company manufactures a variety of narrow fabrics and webbings from inputs including nylon, polypropylene, polyester, aramids and elastics to meet diverse application needs. ACW also recently invested more than $500,000 in a new dyeing range to expand capabilities and product offerings. “This equipment allows us to custom dye narrow fabrics in virtually any color,” Jordan said. “We now use an acid steam dye process that enables dyes to more effectively penetrate the fibers providing a strong chemical bond and creating excellent color consistency and high resistance to abrasion and crocking.” ACW also offers a variety of textile finishes that include fire retarding treatments, water repellency, mildew resistance and other fabric property enhancements. In addition, it has started exploring sublimation printing as a way to further enhance product offerings.
In-house injection molding of plastics allows ACW to design and manufacture virtually any molded product from acetals, nylons, polys and other polymers. According to Glenn Florio, ACW’s head of engineering and materials: “We specialize in injection molded plastic parts ranging in size from 3/8 inches to larger parts which can be up to 8 inches in size for military, industrial and commercial applications. Our molding machines range from small to large as well allowing us to produce a complete line of proprietary, Berry Amendment compliant, plastic hardware buckles as well as custom molded products for specific customers.” In addition, “We’re the only company we know of in the world offering a full line of UL approved heat stabilized plastic hardware” Lake added.
Combining the efforts of the narrow fabrics and molding divisions resulted in ACW creating its innovative FireLoc® flame retardant products. Introduced into the marketplace in 2012, FireLoc encompasses flame retardant and treated webbings as well as a complete line of heat-resistant thermoplastic hardware engineered to meet UL/ULC and NFPA Standards for Safety. This line of products has found favor in firefighting and other emergency services, high heat and hazardous condition industrial applications.
American Cord & Webbing recently invested in a new narrow fabrics dyeing range, which allows the company to custom dye narrow fabrics in virtually any color.
“Our custom fabrication and assembly division takes the narrow fabrics and molded components that we produce and assembles them into custom products that we’ve either designed or our customers have brought to ACW to make for them,” Jordan said. “This can include belts, lanyards, dog collars and other more complex assemblies. Pretty much everything we make is customer specific. Knowing our products and capabilities intimately allows us to work backwards from the application’s particular requirements to define the needs of the products we produce. We can certainly guide customers on the direction they want to go and then quickly turn around samples for them to evaluate.”
“We’re also able to import assemblies as necessary from a selection of approved vendors,” Lake added.
Future Path
“Sometimes we think about moving more downstream to producing our own line of OEM products, but for now, we’re comfortable being where we are,” Jordan explained. “We’re a small to medium-sized manufacturer that is able to take on the bigger companies by thinking outside the box with our innovation and diversity. We really strive to do the right thing for our customers. We always strive to expend the extra effort and make things work to keep our customers happy. A lot of times that’s not normally the case for this industry.”
An excellent commentary for all companies, old or new, to embrace in this day and age and one that will likely propel ACW through another 100 successful years and more.
LUENEBURG, Germany — July 22, 2019 — eurolaser GmbH is one of the winners of this year’s TOP 100 innovation competition. In this competition, an independent jury examines the innovation management of medium-sized companies and their success on the basis of holistic scientific criteria. The Lueneburgers became one of the 100 best directly in their first participation.
eurolaser has been developing, producing and selling laser systems for precise cutting of textiles, plastics, acrylic and wood since 1994. More than 1,000 systems are in use worldwide. Today the company employs more than 100 people. eurolaser particularly convinced the TOP 100 jury with its offer for material certification. Material manufacturers send their samples to the application center in Lueneburg. There, specialists test the laser cutting properties and determine the most favorable cutting parameters. The material receives a certificate of laser suitability and the information is stored in a central database. This database provides users with important information to set their individual cutting parameters and to work optimally with eurolaser’s cutting systems right from the start.
Matthias Kluczinski, founder and managing director of eurolaser, is certain: “This award is primarily due to the commitment of our employees. In order to maintain our innovative strength, we must ensure an attractive working environment that expressly welcomes and supports personal development and initiative”.
According to Ranga Yogeshwar, the long-standing mentor, the focus of the competition is on the following characteristics of a good innovation culture: “openness to new ideas, tolerance of mistakes and a constant effort to make things new and different”. The jury, chaired by Dr. Nikolaus Franke of the University of Vienna, consists of renowned representatives from economy, science, media and politics. In 2019 TOP 100 took place for the 26th time.
In total, the award-winning companies plan to create around 18,000 new jobs between 2018 and 2020. New products and innovations account for a good third of the turnover of these companies. This is common to all medium-sized companies that cultivate such a culture of innovation. In this way, the products and processes in the companies always remain up-to-date and open to new aspects and approaches. eurolaser is also set for growth with new products and a constantly growing workforce.
The award ceremony took place on 28 June 2019 as part of the 6th German Medium-Sized Business Summit in Frankfurt. Around 1,200 representatives of medium-sized companies attended the award ceremony. The event has a firm place in the calendar of innovators who use the environment for networking.
Reusing waste and limiting the introduction of virgin materials are of tremendous economic and environmental value.
By Eric Joo and Jee-Eun Oh
Stemming from stories about the effect of plastic pollution on animals to microplastics in the Marianas Trench1, awareness is growing about the impact of plastic waste on the environment. This, plus awareness of sustainable materials, has led to increased consumer adoption of environmentally friendly products with special attention given to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), also known as polyester. In addition to the waste and pollution aspects of plastics such as PET, the reduction of resources also is driving changes as recycled PET (rPET) saves significant amounts of energy, carbon dioxide, and petroleum resources compared to virgin PET2.
As consumer consciousness evolves and becomes ever more aware of the growing problems regarding plastic waste, major brands and retailers — including Adidas, Nike, Walmart, Ikea and Coca-Cola, among others — have responded by undertaking various sustainability initiatives around PET use and waste in apparel materials and packaging. For example, Adidas has announced that it will use 100-percent rPET in its garments by 20243, Ikea has committed to this same goal by 20304, and Coca-Cola has announced that it will recycle one bottle for every bottle that it sells by 20305. Unilever also committed to 100-percent recyclable plastic packaging by 20256. Clearly, demand is growing, and the use of rPET will continue to increase. But with limited supplies of recycled material, there are significant challenges to meeting this demand.
Primary Issue: Supply Versus Demand
One of the primary issues facing increased growth and supply of rPET is the lack of an available, existing supply. Currently, the majority of PET is recycled using mechanical methods to recycle PET bottles by washing, flaking and melting the material to be formed into textile grade fiber or filament. In addition to mechanical recycling, there are alternatives such as chemical recycling that breaks PET down from a polymer to monomer or more basic chemical components and upcycling, which takes fabrics or old clothes and breaks them down into fiber components for spinning into yarns. The main drawbacks of chemical recycling are the high cost and relatively limited capacity. However, there are various new initiatives for improving and lowering the cost, spearheaded by companies such as Carbios, GR3N, Loop Industries, Resinate Materials Group and Worn Again. The challenge regarding upcycling is that upcycled products tend to be of lower quality and are generally only suitable for use in blends or coarse count applications. As the textile industry uses mostly inputs from mechanical recycling of PET bottles, this article will focus primarily on this source of material.
Mechanical recycling of PET is achieved through the reprocessing of primarily PET bottles. Global PET production for 2018 is estimated at 79.3 million tons, of which 55.5 million tons were used in fiber and filament applications. Global collection of PET bottles was only 12.8 million tons and during the process of converting the used PET bottles collected, approximately 2.2 million tons is lost as waste, leaving 10.6 million tons as usable flake7. Of the remaining flake, approximately 56 percent is used in fibers, which means that 5.9 tons is used in fiber applications8 ranging from nonwoven industrial end-uses to automotive, home and apparel textiles. There is only a very limited supply of recycled flake available to meet the growing demand for recycled products across a wide range of industries.
The primary problems that exist on the supply side are with waste stream collection and recovery. Waste stream collection is limited through lack of incentives, piecemeal regulations and inefficient collection practices. On the recovery side, the waste stream is not optimized for recycling, making the processing of waste materials difficult and expensive. There are many opportunities for improving cost and efficiency of recycling with varying degrees of cost and difficulty.
In the United States, only approximately 29 percent of PET bottles are recycled9. The main reason for this low rate is the lack of a uniform incentive system to motivate consumers to recycle bottles. One of the most effective methods of incentivizing bottle collection is through regulations that offer a financial incentive. In states that have implemented container rebate values (CRV), recycling rates exceed 70 percent, but in those states that have not implemented a CRV system, recycling rates are 20 percent or lower10. Other countries, such as Japan, have implemented mandatory recycling and have realized recycling rates of approximately 84 percent11.
Quality, As Well As Quantity
In addition to improving recycling rates, there are additional opportunities to enhance the recyclability of PET materials. During the recycling process, bottles are crushed, washed and flaked. Any contamination or inefficiency of process results in loss of materials and utilization rates in the United States in 2017 were estimated at 79.1 percent for PET bottles12, which means that approximately 20.9 percent was unable to be recovered as clean flake.
Two of the main contributors to flake loss are bottle design and waste contamination. With regard to waste, encouraging practices that enable better recovery such as dual or multi-stream recycling, can lead to higher quality of recyclable materials13.
The way in which the United States collects bottles lacks standardization and results in great variability of materials. Collection practices may range from bin sorting of different materials, single bin recycling and single-stream recycling. This creates difficulties when consolidating materials because the materials are mixed and sorting is needed prior to processing. In addition, practices such as single-stream recycling, while resulting in higher recycling rates, often creates waste material that is cross-contaminated with other materials. Japan has one of the most advanced recycling industries in the world and one of the main contributors to this status is because of regulations in place since 1997 that call for consumers, industry and government to cooperate in recycling and reusing plastic containers14. The result of this regulation has led to an increase in the plastic recycling rate from 46 percent in the year 2000 to 83 percent in the year 201515.
With respect to the design of materials, selecting plastics that are easier to recycle and not combining different materials into the same packaging can lead to a much higher rate of recovery16. Packaging and materials often are designed for ease of manufacture, cost savings or market impact and sustainability is not always considered. In the case of water bottles, these choices lead to designs that may feature different types of plastics, utilize label adhesives that are not easy to wash off, and incorporate colorants that limit the use of the plastic. By designing bottles and packaging for a circular economy and limiting or prohibiting the use of adhesives, colorants, or property altering additives, the recyclability of materials can be greatly improved17.
Solving The Issues
Addressing the limited rPET material supply base will help tremendously in meeting sustainability goals, as well as improving the overall health of the planet. However, gains in only bottle collection will not be sufficient to meet growing demand. Substantial improvement can be made in the collection of bottles, but the majority of virgin polyester production and thus waste18is not used in bottles. Therefore, methods of collection and recycling of items such as clothing, fabrics and carpets will need to be undertaken as well. Mechanical recycling for these types of materials is even more challenging than bottles, and as such, significant strides in the area of chemical recycling will have to be made so the recycling process can break down the polymer, remove any contaminant impurities and convert the polyester component materials back into PET.
Currently, there is no single company that is capable of addressing the limitations of the supply chain with regard to rPET. At this time, because of supply constraints, prices for rPET are higher than that of virgin PET and the processing costs also limit the end-use applications to companies that can support a higher cost structure. There are some brands and retailers that are leading the way, supporting the higher cost and helping to develop the supply chain. However, more effort will be needed in terms of long-term commitments and significant capital investment. To meet the needs of only recycled materials for PET bottles alone for the U.S. market, it is estimated that $3 billion will be required19. With regard to chemical recycling, there is much needed research and development in the technology to realize a cost-effective process that also can deliver the scale required to meet growing demand.
The challenges arising from shifting supply chains to meet changing demand from virgin PET to rPET are significant. However, the benefits of reducing the environmental impact by reusing waste and limiting the introduction of virgin materials are of tremendous value. With the right partnerships and development, the future could be very bright for rPET.
Editor’s Notes: Eric Joo is general director of Honduras-based United Textiles of America S. de R.L. de C.V.; and Jee-Eun Oh is an educator based in Los Angeles.
