Beaulieu Fibres International Launches UltraBond, The Cost-Effective Solution For Fully Recyclable, Latex-Free, Sustainable Carpets

WIELSBEKE, Belgium — January 10, 2019 — Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI) unveils a unique opportunity for carpet manufacturers to create fully recyclable needlepunched carpets, and benefit from production and resource savings, without influencing performance.

Launched at Domotex 2019, new UltraBond is a patented polyolefin bonding staple fibre that eliminates the need for latex or other chemical binders to bind nonwovens. It opens up a new path for creating 100% polypropylene (PP) needlepunch carpets which meet the same performance requirements as traditional latex-bonded carpets while reducing the end-of-life environmental impact. Functional properties such as pilling resistance, resistance to wear and abrasion, and also UV resistance are guaranteed.

Using UltraBond manufacturers finally gain the potential to cost-efficiently produce 100% recyclable carpets. In addition to the general benefits of making recycled PP available for the plastics production chain and reduced waste generation, environmental advantages and financial savings arise from a total lack of water and less energy use. As a 100% dry process, thermal bonding uses no water and results in a total absence of waste water. There is also a reduction in the VOC level of the carpet. This all leads to a significant reduction in a needlepunch carpet’s ecological footprint.

The sustainability benefits are quantified through lifecycle analysis (LCA) of an exhibition carpet application — among the primary applications for needlepunch carpets. Evaluations show that the absence of water consumption directly translates into a large energy saving of 93% when using UltraBond compared to a latex bonding solution, and also a potential annual water saving of over 20 million liters for 100 million m2 of exhibition applications in the EU. Without the addition of any other bonding agent, CO2 emissions are reduced by 35% over the full production process.

Karena Cancilleri, Vice President Beaulieu Engineered Products, Beaulieu International Group, commented, “Recyclability and achieving a greener, more cost-effective production process without compromising on current performance levels are significant unsolved topics within today’s carpet industry. By eliminating the need for latex and chemical binders through UltraBond, we offer needlepunch manufacturers a breakthrough they have been looking for that boosts environmental and economic sustainability. We see textile flooring as just the beginning. Together with our customers, we look forward to exploring the potential of this unique thermal bonding fibre in other applications such as laminated nonwovens or as an alternative to dry powders.”

Discover more about UltraBond from the Beaulieu Fibres International team at Stand B56 Hall 11, Domotex 2019 in Hannover, Germany from January 11-14, 2019.

Posted January 10, 2019

Source: Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI)

HomTex Acquires Southern Proper®

ATLANTA — January 9, 2019 — HomTex Inc. — the Alabama based global textile, apparel, and home goods leader — has announced the acquisition of Southern Proper®. By tying together the innovative and exceptional quality that the HomTex family of brands is known for, along with the tried and true marketing and authenticity of the Southern Proper brand, this strategic move will create a lifestyle brand engine for producing unique consumer goods across the home and apparel markets both domestically and abroad.

With the acquisition of the brand, the HomTex leadership will work with the Southern Proper team to enhance and build superior product quality, expand categories and fuel growth beyond its current footprint. Founder and CEO Emmie Howard will continue to lead these efforts for Southern Proper and collaborate with the HomTex vision to create a family of truly exceptional labels within their family of brands.

“This strategic acquisition of Southern Proper not only aligns two great entrepreneurial efforts, but enhances the overall strength of our heritage of HomTex as an industry leader.” said Jeremy Wootten, president and CFO of HomTex. “We are pleased to have such a complementary brand in our repertoire and expand our consumer base.

“We have been making products for 30 years that actually make people’s lives better. With our products, consumers sleep better, feel better and now we are pleased to announce they can dress better too”.

Southern Proper and HomTex will be launching several product expansions in 2019 including Southern Proper for the Home.

Posted January 10, 2019

Source: HomTex Inc.

New SAF™ Superabsorbent Fabrics At IDEA 2019

GREAT COATES, England— January 8, 2019 — This year the International Engineered Fabrics Conference and Exposition (IDEA) is back in Miami after a stint in Boston three years ago. Technical Absorbents will again be exhibiting as the event makes its way back to the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center. It will be concentrating on the promotion of its SAF™ superabsorbent fabrics and will be bringing along a number of new samples.

The company will join hundreds of other companies at the event — which attracts nonwovens scientists, users, and senior thought leaders from the industry — who will be presenting their latest ideas and innovations to over 7,000 visitors between March 25-28, 2019.

The Technical Absorbents stand — number 1241 — will be SAF branded as the company continues to raise the profile of its fibrous superabsorbents in the industry.

“IDEA has always been a great event for us,” explained Commercial Director Paul Rushton. “2019 is an exciting year for Technical Absorbents and SAF. Our development team has developed a number of new superabsorbent fabric technologies and we are keen to demonstrate these in Miami.

“Our washable nonwoven fabric range has been expanded. These are suitable for hygiene and other garments that require moisture management for either comfort and/or evaporative cooling. We now have a range of gsm variants to better suit individual product design requirements.

“Our first unique, fully maceratable, 100-percent SAF fabric was launched towards the end of 2018. This range has now also been further developed with fabrics ranging from 240-420 gsm. These are suitable for applications that require higher levels of absorbency, including hygiene and medical.

“Finally, we also now have a complete range of ultra-thin, low basis-weight carded, hot air-through and airlaid nonwovens. These are ideal for products that require a soft, discrete absorbent core that still offers high levels of absorbency performance.

“We hope that we can share our new fabric portfolio with more people at IDEA, and create some exciting new ideas for their use.”

Technical Absorbents will be on stand 1241 at IDEA. Meetings can be arranged in advance by emailing info@exploreSAF.com or, simply visit the stand and meet with one of the team.

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: Technical Absorbents (TAL)

Lenzing Expands Offering For Nonwovens In A High-Tech Application Facility

LENZING, Austria — January 9, 2019 — The Lenzing Group is expanding its offering of solutions for the cosmetics, hygiene and medical sectors. Heiko Arnold, Chief Technology Officer of the Lenzing Group, and Jürgen Lehmann, President of Hof University of Applied Sciences in Saale, Germany, have signed a cooperation agreement to utilize a new spunlacing line for nonwoven applications. The collaboration between the company and the university will initially last for a period of five years and gives Lenzing access to use the machines and technologies.

The Lenzing Group will take advantage of this new technology center for nonwoven applications located on the Münchberg Campus at the Hof University of Applied Sciences as soon as it has been completed at the beginning of 2020 and will focus on further developing and testing its fibers there. As a result, it will gain access to the newest state-of-the-art machinery and technologies which its customers and partners also use to process LENZING™ fibers. In this way, it will be possible to develop new product qualities and applications in collaboration with the university.

A significant share of LENZING fibers is designed for daily cosmetics and hygiene products and is also being increasingly deployed for medical purposes. Many people come into contact every day with LENZING fibers without knowing it, for example in face masks, cleansing tissues, baby wipes, incontinence products or moist toilet tissues.

“The cooperation with the Münchberg Competence Center of the Hof University of Applied Sciences is a further milestone in implementing the sCore TEN corporate strategy. It will enable us to intensify customer intimacy with our partners in the hygiene, cosmetics and medical industries and support them even more effectively in developing new products”, said Lenzing Chief Technology Officer Heiko Arnold on the occasion of signing the agreement. “This will serve as the basis for sustainable and innovative solutions which consumers can use in daily life with a good conscience”, he added.

“We have been working together for many years with all customers and partners along the value chain and also aim to intensify our cooperation with manufacturers of brand-name products. Utilization of the facilities made available by the Hof University of Applied Sciences will allow us to carry out more extensive testing and develop new applications more quickly”, stated Wolfgang Plasser, Vice President Global Business Management Nonwovens. “As a result, we will open up new product groups in the medical sector, for example in wound care, in light of the fact that nonwovens made of our fibers do not contain any chemical binding agents”, he adds.

“This cooperation enables both partners to optimally use the nonwovens machine and comes close to being a unique form of collaboration between the research community and industry in this segment. Textiles are more than just clothing. At the university we offer the entire range of academic training, from bachelor’s and master’s degrees to doctoral programs. Textile engineering is a future-oriented profession”, said Jürgen Lehmann, President of the Hof University of Applied Sciences.

With this cooperation the Lenzing Group will be able to further expand its product portfolio. Its fibers made of the sustainable raw material wood boast a particularly good ecological footprint, are biodegradable and are considered to be a viable solution against the increasing plastic pollution of land and water.

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: The Lenzing Group

Epson Certified Solution Center Now Open At Grimco In Los Angeles

LONG BEACH, Calif. — January 9, 2019 — Epson today announced Grimco in Los Angeles has opened its Epson Certified Solution Center. The operational solution center showcases the comprehensive portfolio of Epson professional signage, textile and photographic print solutions, allowing Grimco to provide its customers the opportunity to view creative print applications, engage with product experts, participate in demonstrations, and run test prints using their own files.

“We are excited to partner with Grimco and offer this new solution center for the local print services community,” said John Meyer, manager, Wide Format Channel, Epson America Inc. “Leveraging decades of expertise and experience in advanced print technologies, Epson is committed to providing customers with the best solutions that exceed customer expectations resulting in increased profit for the print service provider.”

This new Epson Certified Solution Center is located at Grimco’s offices in Long Beach, Calif., in the Los Angeles area. It will provide customers with an immersive experience, including:

  • Full suite of SureColor® production equipment;
  • Extensive print samples and applications; and
  • Comprehensive customer training opportunities.

“Having the Epson Solution Center in our Los Angeles location has provided a unique and positive experience for our customers,” said John Schmuecker, senior director of hardware, Grimco, Inc. “It’s not every day that customers have the opportunity to talk to product experts and run test prints of their own files before making such an influential purchase for their business. We look forward to continuing to partner with Epson to provide our customers the best service and hardware to help their business thrive.”

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: Epson America Inc.

My Size Names Jessica Hoopfer Director Of U.S. Sales

AIRPORT CITY, Israel — January 9, 2019 — MySize Inc., the developer and creator of smartphone measurement solutions, announced today that it has named Jessica Hoopfer as its director of U.S. Sales. Hoopfer will oversee all U.S. sales initiatives and personnel, with a focus on introducing My Size’s suite of smartphone measurement solutions to U.S. businesses seeking innovative technologies within fashion, retail, shipping, and DIY that improve efficiencies, enhance customer experience, and reduce operating expenses.

Prior to joining My Size, Hoopfer served in a variety of sales, operations, and growth roles, most recently as Director of Global Strategies and Growth – Retail for NAPCO Media. She also served as Head of Americas – Operations and Sales for Rakuten FitsMe, a fit recommendation technology for retailers. Hoopfer has experience working with Fortune 100, 500, and 1000 retail brands, growing sales development teams, and showcasing the impact Fit Technologies can have on a business’s operations, sustainability, and consumer experience.

“Consumer behaviors when shopping online are changing, and retailers need to make a concerted effort to meet demand. It’s no longer just about convenience; consumers want a personalized shopping experience that ensures they can buy exactly what they need without worry of an incorrect purchase that causes inconvenient returns,” said Hoopfer. “My Size has a suite of smart measurement technologies for retailers that can significantly change the way consumers shop online every day. I’m excited to join My Size as the Company continues its U.S. focus, and look forward to bringing powerful retail solutions to businesses and brands across the country.”

This is the second strategic sales hire My Size has made in the last month as it continues an emphasis on the U.S. retail market. In December of 2018, the Company added Tao Fleury as its U.S. Sales Manager.

“We believe Jessica’s experience working directly within the Fit Technology space will be a tremendous asset to My Size. Her relationships working with U.S. retailers and brands will be an important asset as we continue to push our suite of sizing technologies into the market and grow our U.S.-based sales team,” said My Size CEO, Ronen Luzon. “We are thrilled to have Jessica join My Size, and to utilize her expertise to lead our U.S. sales team and educate the market on how our technologies can positively impact their business and their customers.”

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: My Size

Frankfurt: The Hotspot For High-Tech Textiles

FRANKFURT, Germany — January 9, 2019 — Technical textiles for all applications and a wide range of textile technologies: from May14-17, 2019, Techtextil will bring together more exhibitors from even more countries than before.

Around four months before it opens its doors, Techtextil is almost fully booked, exceeding once again booking levels for the previous event at the same time of year. With its trend theme, ‘Urban Living – City of the Future’, the leading international trade fair also takes a look ahead to see how technical textiles will shape urban life in the future.

“Every two years, Techtextil mirrors the range of applications for textile materials. Leading international experts from the most diverse industries — be they from architecture, the automotive industry, medicine, the fashion industry or personal protection — come together at Techtextil in search of lightweight, durable and sustainable materials”, said Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt.

The suppliers at Techtextil represent the complete spectrum of technical textiles and nonwovens. There is a significant increase in the number of suppliers in the fields of technology, as well as fibers and yarns. Suppliers of woven fabrics, coated textiles and functional apparel textiles are also strongly represented. All areas of application for textile materials are covered. In particular, representatives from industry, architecture and construction, the fashion and clothing industry, the automotive sector, aerospace, medicine, sport, and hazard protection will find a more comprehensive range of products than before.

Textile solutions for life in the city of the future

In collaboration with ‘Creative Holland’, the Dutch creative industries, Techtextil is dedicating an exhibition space to life in the city of the future with the ‘Urban Living – City of the Future’ special event. According to the United Nations[1], nearly 70 percent of all people are expected to be living in metropolises and megacities by 2050. This poses new challenges for living and mobility concepts, as well as food supplies and health services provision. Functional apparel, with smart functions for example, could also play an even more important role in people’s everyday lives in the future. The Techtextil and Texprocess exhibition area will be presenting examples of textile applications. In addition, an accompanying complementary programme will offer insights into the industry.

New: Techtextil Forum provides an open platform for exchange

On all four days, the trade fair will offer a new format of lectures, discussions and interactive sessions with the Techtextil Forum. The forum, which replaces the Techtextil Symposium, will take place directly in exhibition Hall 4.1 and all Techtextil participants will be able to access it free of charge. Trade visitors can look forward to contributions in the following thematic areas: sustainability, digital transformation, smart textiles, urban textiles, composites, and technical textiles in medical technology. In addition, both the Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress (GFC) and the textiles competence centre at the General Association of the German Textile and Fashion Industry (Gesamtverband der deutschen Textil- und Modeindustrie e. V.) are organizing a thematic block.

Awards for innovative ideas

For the 15th time now, Techtextil will be giving the Techtextil Innovation Award for outstanding new and further developments in the field of technical textiles, nonwovens and functional apparel fabrics. Both exhibitors and non-exhibitors at Techtextil can take part in the competition. Entries can be submitted online up till 18 February 2019 at: www.techtextil-award.com.

Also for the 15th time, Techtextil will be giving awards to students and young professionals for their work, as part of the ‘Textile Structures for New Building’ competition. The competition is supported by the international network TensiNet as sponsor, the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren – ILEK) at the University of Stuttgart, and the architecture and design platform Architonic. The online application deadline is 24 February 2019 at: www.techtextil-student.com. The award ceremonies will take place during Techtextil. All the award-winning works and ideas will be presented in special shows.

Focus on sustainability

Sustainability is one of the central themes of the upcoming Techtextil and Texprocess. For the first time, the two fairs will be showcasing their exhibitors’ efforts towards sustainability. The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards give prizes for sustainable textile innovations and processing approaches. In addition, the Texprocess Forum will offer a thematic block exclusively around the theme of sustainability in the textile and fashion industry, with an offshoot of Fashionsustain, Messe Frankfurt’s conference about sustainable textile innovations.

Techtextil and Texprocess are sharing an exhibition hall for the first time

In May 2019, Techtextil and the parallel Texprocess will be sharing an exhibition hall for the first time. In Hall 4.1, Techtextil will be showcasing some of the suppliers of woven, laid web, braided and knitted fabrics, coated textiles, and nonwovens, as well as selected suppliers of textile machines. Suppliers of functional apparel textiles and the ‘Digital Textile Micro Factory’ mark the transition to Texprocess, which will be showcasing different production lines for clothing, shoes, and the processing of technical textiles. In addition to these, exhibitors for product preparation, finishing, textile logistics, internal material flow and textile refinement, as well as providers of sewing solutions, will be there. In the shared hall, visitors will get an insight into the entire production process, from raw material to finished product.

In parallel with Techtextil, Texprocess, the leading trade fair for the processing of technical textiles and nonwovens (14 to 17 May 2019), will provide insights into all the stages in textile processing, including textile finishing and digital printing. Texprocess is also recording an outstanding level of registrations, above those for the last event.

Techtextil 2017 drew more than 33,670 visitors from 104 countries and 1,477 exhibitors from 55 countries. In addition, 7,091 visitors to Texprocess also visited Techtextil. The two fairs welcomed a total of 1,789 exhibitors from 66 countries and more than 47,500 visitors from 114 countries.

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: Messe Frankfurt

Texprocess: Full Range Of Technologies For Textile Processing

FRANKFURT, Germany— January 9, 2019 — Automation, individualization, customization and sustainability. The range of technologies at the coming Texprocess is more comprehensive than ever. Four months before its start, the leading international trade fair for the processing of textile and flexible materials is almost booked up.

Trade visitors from the fashion and clothing industry, upholstered-furniture manufacturers and all processors of textiles will find at Texprocess, from May 14-17, 2019, an even broader range of machinery and methods for processing textile and flexible materials. Once again in its level of bookings Texprocess is exceeding the results of the previous event.

“The coming Texprocess will be taking off even further. While on all sides people are talking of Industry 4.0, at Texprocess we are now talking of Impact 4.0. Trade visitors will find an impressive range of technologies which in every respect are having formative effects on the way we manufacture and process textiles, effects which will continue in future”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.

With exhibitors currently from some 29 countries, Texprocess will be showing the whole range of textile-processing technologies – from design, to layout, to cutting, making, trimming, digital textile printing, conditioning, finishing, textile logistics and textile recycling. Among the exhibitors registered will be all international market leaders, including Amann, Brother, Dürkopp Adler, Human Solutions, Juki Central Europe, Morgan Tecnica, Pfaff, Tajima, Veit and Vetron. Following a temporary absence, Sunstar will be one of those represented at Texprocess again. Among those which have registered for the first time are Browzwear Solutions, Lasembor, INL International Technology, Siruba Latin America and Summa NV. China, Japan and Taiwan have registered for national pavilions.

Micro-factories show integrated production processes

Micro-factories – an approach to textile processing which is fully networked and allows individualised products, while working rapidly, flexibly and locally – will be the focal subject at the coming Texprocess. Texprocess currently features four micro-factories:

  • The Digital Textile Micro-Factory at Texprocess and Techtextil, in collaboration with the Denkendorf Institutes for Textile and Fibre Research (DITF) and partners from industry, will be presenting three production lines in Hall 4.1 alone – one each for the manufacture of clothing, a 3D knitted shoe and for processing technical textiles, e.g. for the automotive or furniture industry.
  • RWTH Aachen University, jointly with various partners from industry and research, will be producing a smart cushion in its Smart Textiles Micro-Factory in the passage between Halls 4.1 and 5.1, thus demonstrating the industrially compatible production of a smart textile, from design to finished product, to serve as an example of the process. The prototype of the cushion will have been showcased previously at Heimtextil 2019.
  • Six firms working in several fields – visualisation, CAD cutting systems, automated body-mass calculation, layout and process automation –have also come together under the umbrella concept “World of Digital Fashion.” In Hall 4.0 they will be jointly showing the ways in which their products can be integrated and combined in various different workflows within the value-added chain, making the digital process chain into a live experience. The focus will be on the customisation of clothing and fashion.
  • Additionally, Efka, a manufacturer of industrial sewing-machine drive systems, and CAD specialist Gemini will be showing how to produce individually designed football shirts. The micro-factory presents an easy solution that most companies can implement using existing resources and structures.

Focus on sustainability

Sustainability is one of the central themes of the upcoming Techtextil and Texprocess. For the first time, the two fairs will be showcasing their exhibitors’ efforts towards sustainability. The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards give prizes for sustainable textile innovations and processing approaches. In addition, the Texprocess Forum will offer a thematic block exclusively around the theme of sustainability in the textile and fashion industry, with an offshoot of Fashionsustain, Messe Frankfurt’s conference about sustainable textile innovations.

Techtextil and Texprocess sharing a hall for the first time

For the first time Techtextil and concurrent Texprocess will be sharing an exhibition hall in 2019. In Hall 4.1 Texprocess will be showing its Digital Textile Micro-Factory, with one production line each for clothing, shoes and the processing of technical textiles. In addition exhibitors will be featuring product preparation, finishing, textile logistics, internal materials flow and textile conditioning, plus suppliers of sewing solutions. The Texprocess Special Treatment Area will also be located there, with exhibitors from the effect-finishing segment.

Also in Hall 4.1, Techtextil will be showcasing some of the suppliers of woven, laid web, braided and knitted fabrics, coated textiles, and nonwovens, as well as selected suppliers of textile machines. Suppliers of functional apparel textiles mark the transition to Texprocess. In the shared hall, visitors will get an insight into the entire production process, from raw material to finished product.

Complementary programme with talks and awards

The Texprocess Forum in Hall 4.1 on every day of the fair will be featuring talks by experts on current topics in the industry. Once again the Forum will be organised in collaboration with the Textile-Clothing Dialogue (Dialog Textil-Bekleidung (DTB)), the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the World Textile Information Network (WTiN). For the first time Messe Frankfurt will also be bringing a section from its conference at Berlin Fashion Week to Texprocess in Frankfurt, in the shape of Fashionsustain Berlin, thus providing a bridge to the sustainable end product.

For the fifth time Messe Frankfurt will be honouring the best new technological developments through its Texprocess Innovation Award.  Entries for the prize are possible up to 18 February 2019 at www.texprocess-award.com. Entry is open to both exhibitors at Texprocess 2019 and also to all firms, institutes, universities, polytechnics, and individuals not exhibiting. The prizes in the various categories will be awarded during the joint opening event of Texprocess and Techtextil on 14 May 2019. At the same time a special exhibition area will be showcasing all prize-winning Texprocess products.

Visitors will also find new IT solutions for the clothing industry at IT@Texprocess. Among the presentations to be shown by exhibitors will be software for customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), product life-cycle management (PLM) and supply chain management.

Sewing and clothing technology with a further sales plus

According to information from VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, a partner in the Texprocess concept, in 2017 German manufacturers of sewing and clothing technology earned 7 percent more in real terms compared with the previous year, making this the highest export result since 2003. “With export sales of 603 million euros, Germany comes in third place among exporting countries, after China and Japan”, said Elgar Straub, general manager of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies. “Our member firms’ technologies are in international demand. Our firms are constantly building up their competitive position. That is because they are continually developing and innovating.”

At the last Texprocess, in May 2017, 312 exhibitors from 35 countries showed 13,718 visitors from 109 countries the latest developments in the processing of textile and flexible materials. Moreover 11,399 visitors to Techtextil found information about the range at Texprocess. The two fairs in all welcomed 1,789 exhibitors from 66 countries and over 47,500 visitors from 114 countries.

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: Messe Frankfurt

Esquel Group, Mahlo GmbH Collaborate For Quality, Efficiency And Sustainability In Production

SAAL/DONAU, Germany— January 9, 2019 — If you hear the name Esquel Group, there is a good chance that you own one of their garments. The Hong Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer with manufacturing facilities across five countries including China has established itself as a world leader in the manufacturing of 100-percent cotton shirts and tops, producing over 100 million garments annually for well-known global textile and fashion labels as well as their own brands, PYE and DETERMINANT.

Since its establishment in 1978 Esquel Group has developed into a high-performance company and produces 24,000 tons of cotton knit fabric and 130 million meters of yarn-dyed cotton woven fabric each year. The group has established a vertical supply chain, which means that everything from raw cotton, yarn spinning, fabric production and finishing, garmenting as well as packaging is controlled by Esquel. In this way highest quality standards can be guaranteed. Furthermore Esquel also occupies a leading market position in advanced textile technology, fair employment conditions and, above all, commitment to sustainability. In order to become a ‘green player’ along the entire supply chain, a strong corporate culture and reliable partners are required. For almost 30 years now, Esquel is trusting in the machines and technology of Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG. The German machine manufacturer is the world market leader in weft-straightening machines as well as quality and process control systems.

Controlling the fabric

Along the entire production process knitted as well as woven fabrics are permanently subject to distortion, tension and elongation, which need to be controlled and corrected. Therefore Esquel has invested in several fully-equipped Orthopac RVMC-15 automatic weft-straighteners from Mahlo. “The scanning system detects and analyses the regular basic structure of the weft threads, courses or rows of tufting. It automatically adapts the control system to a wide variety of textiles, even with the most complicated fabric structures,” explained Mahlo’s Sales Director Thomas Höpfl.

And in order to stabilize the thread density of their knitwear, Esquel has decided in favor of Famacont PMC-15 thread counting system. The latest development from Mahlo determines the yarn and stitch density with the greatest precision using digital signal processing. A sensor detects the thread density before the infeed of the tenter frame and controls automatically the over-feed in correlation to the chain speed. This enables Esquel’s production team to keep the thread density always constant and thus to obtain also information on the basis weight of the fabric, which is an important factor especially for knitwear, as it is sold by weight. Esquel Group is also using the Optipac VMC-15 process control system to determine other key parameters such as humidity and temperature in their production lines. The versatile Optipac system enables the textile manufacturer to enhance their fabric quality and to optimize their productivity, while at the same time reducing significantly the energy consumption during the production process. In this way Esquel can ensure high-quality standards and achieve a sustainable production.

Several decisive elements

The long cooperation with the German machine manufacturer was also influenced by other factors. Mahlo and Kuantex, the local Chinese partner, have always provided the Esquel Group with an optimum in technical support and after sales service. “The best possible technical support and know-how transfer is our priority. Thanks to numerous service stations worldwide, our customers can reach us quickly and easily. This is expected from an industry leader” emphasizes Höpfl. Esquel has been building on this expertise for over 30 years and further projects are also planned for the future.

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG

RadiciGroup Offers New Soft Touch Collections On Display At Domotex

BERGAMO, Italy — January 9, 2019 — RadiciGroup has confirmed its participation at Domotex 2019, and the RadiciGroup Performance Yarn Business Area has launched its “Product Range Options” catalogue with its newest yarn collections featuring the latest market trends in textile flooring.

The new product range includes PA 6 and PA 66 BCF yarns — for both residential and contract applications — meeting the market’s quest for soft touch products capable of giving carpet a rich look and a soft-to-the-touch feel.

“With years of experience in the industry under our belt and a proven ability to develop yarns with excellent performance features,” said Arturo Andreoni, marketing director of RadiciGroup Performance Yarn, “we started working on making our yarns more pleasing to the eye and softer to the touch, as well as creating solution-dyed yarns in brilliant colours, to satisfy the most diverse aesthetic needs of today’s designers.”

To give fair attendees a hands-on experience of this perfect marriage of beauty and performance, the fitted carpet in the RadiciGroup stand at Domotex (Hall 11 Booth C48) was manufactured with Radifloor® Residential BCF PA66 1100 F 256 x2 Bright-Dull HS Superba, the PA 66 BCF yarn chosen by Condor Carpets for its new line of luxury flooring on display at Domotex at the Dutch company’s stand.

At Domotex 2019, RadiciGroup is exhibiting tapestry made by its German customer Halbmond, which uses a new printing technology to reproduce evocative imagery on carpet: the raw material is a PA 6 raw yarn developed by RadiciGroup and particularly suited for high-definition, 3D-image printing with excellent colour rendering.

“In the polyamide 6 BCF yarn segment,” Andreoni continued, “we have adopted a strategy focused on optimizing products with the attributes most sought after by European carpet makers and taking into consideration the new printing technologies available. As for PA 66 yarn, a more demanding market from a performance point of view, we have enlarged our portfolio of soft yarns. Let us not forget,” Andreoni concluded, “that, today, RadiciGroup is the only European manufacturer capable of producing both nylon 6 and nylon 66 yarns, owing to our vertical integration in the chemicals business — a ‘plus’ appreciated by the market.”

Another new entry at RadiciGroup Performance Yarn is Radifloor® Stanèt, a PA 6 specialty yarn available in a variety of colours and endowed with embedded stain resistance characteristics. Carpeting made with Radifloor Stanèt is easier to maintain: even the most stubborn stains can be removed with water alone — there is no need for aggressive chemicals. For these reasons, Radifloor Stanèt is highly suitable for both residential and contract applications.

Furthermore, the RadiciGroup Performance Yarn production chain is fully certified: the Group plants specializing in the manufacture and processing of BCF yarn (in Italy, RadiciFil in Casnigo, Bergamo, which also produces PA 6 polymers; in the Czech Republic, Logit Sro in Podborany) are certified to ISO 9001, 14001 and 50001 and OHSAS 18001. Likewise certified to these same standards is the Radici Chimica plant in Novara, Italy, which produces nylon 66 polymers. Concerning product certification, a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), was issued for the BCF yarn sold under the Radifloor® brand name. This product is also certified to OEKO TEX Standard 100. Finally, a PEF statement of compliance was awarded to the polymer 66 produced by Radici Chimica.

Besides its BCF yarns, at Domotex 2019 (Hall 11 Booth C48) RadiciGroup is exhibiting its polyamide 6, 6.10 and 6.6 staple fibres (dorix® and Radilon® Staple fibre), ideal for the manufacture of carpet tiles, and polyethylene, polypropylene and polyamide yarns used for the manufacture of synthetic turf (Radigreen®).

Posted January 9, 2019

Source: RadiciGroup

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