Nonwovens manufacturer Shalag U.S. Inc., Oxford, N.C., and parent company Israel-based Shalag Industries Ltd. have announced plans to invest $16.6 million for a new production facility in South Hill, Va. The plant will create 52 jobs. Shalag specializes in through-air bonded and carded thermobonded nonwovens that are used in diapers, feminine hygiene products, air filtration and wipes products, among other applications.
“Shalag US Inc., and ownership are looking forward to adding a nonwovens line in South Hill, Virginia,” said CEO and general manager Rodney Clayton. “When our new line is complete and running at anticipated levels, it will increase our overall production capacity in the U.S. by 25 percent. Some factors in the purchase of the South Hill location are the strategic location, the company’s objective to reach more customers, and the ability to diversify its portfolio.”
The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary, N.C., recently signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Brussels-based EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, to explore a strategic alliance and leverage the combined resources and expertise of the two organizations. The hope is the alliance will enhance scope and value to members, offer joint advocacy and representation, bring operational synergies, and enhance innovation and growth. INDA and EDANA are in a due diligence phase to evaluate the prospect.
“This potential alliance represents an opportunity to combine our strengths while openly engaging on the global issues affecting the industry,” said INDA President and CEO Tony Fragnito. “Better coordination will enhance our ability to serve the industry and our members while retaining our regionally focused support and representation.”
DILO Group, Germany, was bestowed with a 2024 Innovation Award for its MicroPunch nonwoven needling development during the CINTE Techtextil China trade fair held recently in Shanghai. Winners are selected based on the “calibre and contribution potential of their products,” according to event organizer Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
Dilo’s new MicroPunch intensive needling technology allows a wide variety of lightweight nonwoven fabrics to be produced using only a mechanical process incorporating a needle board containing approximately 45,000 needles per meter per board. According to Dilo, the technology produces a nonwoven with properties similar to those of hydroentangled nonwovens using up to 75-percent less energy compared to other bonding technologies.
Germany-based Trützschler Nonwovens and Italy-based Texnology S.r.l. are partnering to provide a complete needlepunching and thermobonding line to Peruzzo Productions Group company O.R.V. Manufacturing S.p.A., Italy. The production line will be used to manufacture filter media, among other products.
O.R.V. selected the machinery after customer trials conducted at Trützschler’s Nonwoven Customer Testing Center in Germany. “With Trützschler Nonwovens and Texnology, we are pleased to have found two partners with whom we can realize this major project based on the shared values of a family-owned business,” said O.R.V. Manufacturing CEO Gabriele Zanella.
“We strive to set new industry standards while implementing environmentally conscious solutions,” added Nicola Olivo, co-owner, Texnology. “Together, we leverage the unique strengths of each company and transform these values into high-quality products.”
Modern Meadow’s BIO-VERA® material can be used to make items traditionally made using leather such as handbags and pouches.
Under intense scrutiny for its ecological footprint, the textile industry is developing ways to combine material science and existing manufacturing processes to pave the way for a more sustainable future.
By Dr. David Williamson
For nearly as long as humans have lived, they have dyed materials. Early craftsmen discovered that natural dyes found in the bodies of insects, mollusks and plants could be isolated and used to transform common textiles into culturally defining works of art. Tyrian purple, for example, was so difficult and costly to produce that few in the ancient world could afford it, and so the color purple became an iconic symbol of Roman royalty. To this day, the significance of color as a medium for personal and cultural expression has not faded. Whether it’s the deep indigo of Japanese textiles or the vibrant reds of ancient Peruvian fabrics, color tells stories — of status, geography, and tradition — that words often cannot.
What began as a niche art has since evolved into a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Modern dyeing practices, powered by synthetic chemicals and large-scale production facilities, allow manufacturers to dye materials at a rate and scale unimaginable to the dyers of antiquity. Yet, this growth has come at a significant environmental cost. The global textile industry is now under intense scrutiny for its ecological footprint. The apparel and footwear sectors alone are responsible for up to 8 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and significant amounts of water used and effluent produced, creating stress on regions given how water is already a diminishing resource. The demand for color has become entangled with some of the most pressing sustain-ability challenges of our time.
Next-generation materials have emerged as a potential solution for the industry. These advanced materials, many created through biomanufacturing, are designed to both reduce the environmental cost of textile production and decrease contribution to landfills. Though there are many exciting applications for next-generation materials, one noteworthy opportunity lies in leather production, where there is opportunity to reduce its environmental footprint and not many alternate solutions exist.
The leather tanning process relies heavily on water- and chemical-intensive processes to achieve the richly dyed hides that are so often associated with luxury. Consumer demand for animal-free, responsibly produced leather has steadily risen, causing many to look to next-generation materials. However, leather is an ancient material that has been crafted by artisans for millennia. The material’s charm comes not from its resilience and water-resistant properties, but from its distinct look and feel.
A viable alternative to leather will thus have to be more than just ecologically friendly, it will have to inspire reverence among consumers, becoming a material that’s worth showing off. Next-generation materials have largely failed to achieve this, in part because the look of leather is so hard to replicate. But where others have failed, Modern Meadow is poised to succeed. Using a protein-based material known as Bio-Alloy® as a starting point, Modern Meadow has developed a leather-like material that not only matches many of leather’s tensile properties but allows tanners to tell their ancient and colorful stories on a new canvas.
Modern Meadow’s BIO-VERA® material matches many of leather’s tensile properties and allows tanners to tell their ancient and colorful stories on a new canvas.
Dyeing: A Dance Between Proteins and Pigments
To appreciate the significance of Bio-Alloy, it’s important to first understand how leather gets its color. The final color of any material is determined by many factors, including the quantity and arrangement of dye molecules that have bound the material, as well as the overall structure of the material.
Leather is rich in type 1 collagen proteins, which provide a unique canvas for dye binding. Collagen’s triple-helix structure, along with the various functional groups present on its amino acid backbone, create ample opportunities for interaction between dye and protein. If this interaction is strong, the dye molecules will be retained in the material and contribute to its final color.
The fastness of the material’s color depends on how the dye-protein interaction is formed, with the strongest occurring through covalent bonds. While leather can be dyed with most types of dye, it is typically done using acid dyes, which carry a net negative charge and are attracted to the positive charge of collagen fibers. This electrostatic force causes the dyes to penetrate far into the material creating an ionic bond and enabling a deep, rich color to be achieved.
This process is a delicate one that requires careful consideration from start to finish. How the hide is treated from the moment it’s received can affect the collagen’s structure and charge, as well as the hide’s permeability — all of which can affect the dye-collagen interaction and subsequent color of the hide. Similarly, contamination of tanning reagents by chelated metals in factory pipes can greatly affect dye properties. Therefore, the quality of the dyeing process — and by extension, the leather — depends on a meticulously designed tanning and post-tanning process.
Enter Next-Generation Materials
In recent years, the textile industry has sought alternative materials that can rival natural leather in performance while improving on its environmental impact. These next-generation materials, often made from bio-based or synthetic components, are designed to minimize animal, water and chemical usage during production. However, creating a truly viable leather alternative is no simple task.
One of the biggest challenges is replicating the structure and look of natural leather. The complex collagen matrix in animal hides doesn’t just dictate how dyes bind to the material; it also affects properties like breathability, water permeability and resilience. To be commercially successful, any alternative material must match or exceed these qualities while achieving the rich look of leather. Simply put, leather’s value is more than skin-deep — it’s a product of its structure.
Many leather-like materials are constructed using synthetic fibers, which possess chemical properties very different from those of collagen. To achieve the desired color, such materials would have to be treated with a significantly different dyeing process that may not be compatible with tannery infrastructure. The infrastructure for dyeing and processing leather has been optimized over centuries, with significant investments in equipment and processes. Introducing a material that requires bespoke manufacturing workflows can be prohibitively expensive for manufacturers, leading to slow market adoption. This has been a stumbling block for many synthetic leather alternatives, which, despite their promise, have failed to penetrate the market on a large scale.
BIO-VERA® offers a wider range of dye options for tanners. It can be dyed using reactive dyes, bringing an entirely new color palette to designers.
Modern Meadow’s Bio-Alloy: A Game-Changer
This is where Modern Meadow’s Bio-Alloy technology comes in.
Bio-Alloy has a molecular blend composed of biopolymers and plant-derived proteins. Modern Meadow has explicitly designed Bio-Alloy to contain a soy protein blend that is enriched with dye-binding sites, enabling the materials that contain Bio-Alloy to achieve deep and fast color properties.
To emulate leather, Bio-Alloy is combined with a nylon meshwork formed from upcycled rubber and consumer waste. The structure provided by the nylon, combined with the protein matrix of Bio-Alloy results in a remarkably hide-like material, known as BIO-VERA® that can be seamlessly dropped into leather tanning workflows at the dyeing stage.
BIO-VERA offers several advantages for tanneries looking to develop a leather alternative.
Firstly, the material is produced without livestock which greatly reduces the amount of GHG emissions associated with material production. Preliminary life cycle assessment studies show significant reductions in green-house gas emissions with approximately 7 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents per square meter of material. Additionally, BIO-VERA is drop-in ready, meaning no bespoke infrastructure is needed — it can simply integrate into existing tannery workflows. Notably, because BIO-VERA does not need to be delimed or tanned, it also requires at least 90 percent less water than natural hides.
As discussed, look is a critical feature of leather. BIO-VERA is capable of achieving a highly-leather-like look and feel thanks in large part to Bio-Alloy, whose protein composition is akin to that of leather’s. This means that BIO-VERA can be dyed using the same acid dyes that work on leather. However, BIO-VERA has also been designed to offer a wider range of dye options for tanners. For example, now it can also be dyed using reactive dyes, bringing an entirely new color palette to the leather industry or the bronze metallic sheen that comes with basic dyes.
Put another way, the availability of different binding chemistries in Bio-Alloy opens up a new level of design flexibility for tanners using BIO-VERA.
A Sustainable Future For Leather Dyeing
The leather industry is at a crossroads. On one hand, the demand for sustainable practices is undeniable. On the other, the challenge of developing a viable leather alternative has proven elusive — until now. With BIO-VERA and its underlying Bio-Alloy technology, Modern Meadow has developed a material that not only addresses the environmental concerns of traditional leather but also meets or exceeds its performance characteristics. By enabling manufacturers to use traditional dyeing techniques, while also opening the door to new possibilities, Bio-Alloy represents a breakthrough in the field of next-generation materials.
As the textile industry continues to evolve, innovations like Bio-Alloy are paving the way for a more sustainable future. By combining the best of both worlds — advanced material science and compatibility with existing manufacturing processes — Modern Meadow’s protein-based technology is set to make a lasting impact on the world of leather dyeing.
Editor’s Note: Dr. David Williamson is CEO of Nutley, N.J.-based sustainable materials company Modern Meadow.
WICHITA, Kan. — November 18, 2024 — Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. has announced a purchase agreement to sell Fiber Materials, Inc (FMI) business based in Biddeford, Maine, and Woonsocket, R.I., to Tex-Tech Industries Inc. for $165,000,000 in cash, subject to customary adjustment.
FMI is an industry leader in high-temperature materials and reinforced composites, with a focus on Carbon/Carbon and related composites. FMI’s applications include thermal protection systems, re-entry vehicle nose tips, and rocket motor throats and nozzles. FMI’s products are installed on critical defense platforms as well as NASA programs such as Stardust, Mars Curiosity, Orion, and Mars 2020. The program employs approximately 400 engineers and production personnel.
“Tex-Tech is excited to add FMI’s unique array of high-performance products to our existing portfolio of offerings for the rapidly growing space and defense industry,” said Scott Burkhart, Tex-Tech CEO. “Our customers demand world-class solutions, and the integration of FMI bolsters our ability to meet those demands.”
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is serving as lead financial advisor to Spirit. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as legal counsel to Spirit. Lincoln International LLC is serving as financial advisor and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP is serving as legal advisor to Tex-Tech.
SALT LAKE CITY — November 19, 2024 — EVŌQ Nano, a nanoscience company that engineers novel nanoparticles for the life, material, and textile science industries, today announced its antimicrobial medical device platform is demonstrating success in a range of applications aimed at combating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and improving the performance of implantable medical devices.
The company’s proprietary nanoparticle, EVQ-218, is successfully demonstrating antimicrobial efficacy when tested against multiple biofilm and proliferation assays in four unique application methods:
Integrated during the synthesis process of raw materials
Incorporated into polymer pellets for material production
Applied to finished medical devices postproduction
Added to surface modification coatings to enhance performance
“Existing antimicrobial solutions for medical devices have not met critical needs,” said Shaun Rothwell, EVŌQ Nano CEO. “By incorporating EVQ-218 into various phases of the manufacturing process, the next generation of medical devices has the potential to be equipped with antimicrobial protection to safeguard against infections and complications.”
HAIs affect over 1 million hospital patients annually,1 leading to significant morbidity, mortality, and approximately $10 billion in yearly healthcare costs.2 Extensive lab testing on catheters, luers, fittings, and coatings utilizing EVQ-218 shows strong antimicrobial protection with a >4-log reduction (99.99%) against leading pathogens implicated in HAIs. Importantly, the integration of EVQ-218 preserves the original materials’ mechanical and functional properties, ensuring finished products perform as engineered.3
Novel Mechanism of Action
EVQ-218 is the first stable, nonemissive, pure silver nanoparticle, opening opportunity for widespread therapeutic use.4 Unlike conventional nanosilvers that often trigger antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by rupturing bacterial cell walls, EVQ-218 employs a novel mechanism of action that kills bacteria from the inside.4
EVQ-218 stops bacterial growth by sequestering sulfur.
The sequestration of sulfur inhibits metabolic activity within the bacterial cell without compromising cell structures or lysing the cell wall. This avoids activation of bacterial mutations that contribute to antimicrobial resistance.
In contrast, nanoparticles with silver ions rupture cell walls, triggering activation of resistance pathways.
Characterized as a new form of silver by the journal of the American Chemical Society, ACS Omega, EVQ-218 is the first and only non-ionic silver nanoparticle with effective antimicrobial action devoid of cytotoxicity.4 The discovery and development of a non-ionic silver nanoparticle represents a pivotal innovation, unlocking the full therapeutic potential of silver without its detrimental trade-offs.
Zimlichman E, Henderson D, Tamir O, et al. Health care-associated infections: a meta-analysis of costs and financial impact on the US health care system. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(22):2039-2046. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.9763
Data on file.
Kennon BS, Niedermeyer WH. EVQ-218: Characterization of high-energy nanoparticles that measure up to NIST standards. ACS Omega. 2024;9(7):7891–7903. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07745.
HONG KONG — November 19, 2024 — Li & Fung Limited (“Li & Fung”), supply chain solutions partner for consumer brands and retailers, today announced a licensing and distribution agreement with Pendleton Woolen Mills, the global lifestyle brand headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Pendleton has signed with Li & Fung to launch the brand’s new line of swim and beachwear, featuring men’s and women’s styles sporting iconic Pendleton patterns and colors. The new line will be available to shop in Pendleton retail stores and catalogs, and at pendleton-usa.com starting in December 2024, and will also be available for wholesale distribution to retailers nationwide.
By drawing on Li & Fung’s global expertise and leadership in swimwear, Pendleton will offer customers a new category of apparel featuring sustainable materials and the brand’s trademark durability and classic American style. The collection will debut a range of items perfect for an active outdoor lifestyle: women’s reversible one-piece suits, strappy maxi dresses, and dolman sleeve kimonos and matching shorts, men’s trunks in 6” and 7” inseams, and unisex hooded rash guards. All styles will be available in multiple colorways, including classic Pendleton patterns such as Century Harding, Fire Legend, Highland Peak, Nehalem, and Wildland Heroes, among other designs. Sizes will range from XS-XXL, and items will be retailed at price points starting at $74.50.
The entry into swimwear adds to Pendleton’s portfolio of licensed products. Beloved by consumers for quality products including blankets, wool shirts, and outerwear, the launch of a swim and beachwear collection will expand Pendleton’s warm weather offerings. The collection is a fitting call-back to Pendleton’s popularity within California surf culture, dating back to The Pendletones, the original band name for the Beach Boys. Inspired by the surf uniform of the day — Pendleton shirts worn over tee shirts with khakis — the band would define surf music while wearing Pendleton plaid shirts on the covers of 45s and LPs throughout the early 1960s.
“We’re excited to partner with Li & Fung on our new swim and beachwear collection,” said Bob Christnacht, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Pendleton. “Li & Fung will help us expertly navigate the waters of this new category as we broaden our offering. Pendleton has a rich connection to surf culture, and we cannot wait to bring a new way of experiencing Pendleton products to the market.”
The partnership with Pendleton also marks the continued expansion of Li & Fung’s licensing division. Building on a decades-durable reputation as a leading private label and branded partner in swimwear, Li & Fung is now rapidly growing a robust portfolio of licensing partners, spanning national brands across varying price points and categories.
“As long-time fans of the brand, we’re honored to partner with Pendleton in pioneering the next chapter of its rich history,” said Mel Limoncelli, Senior Vice President and Divisional Head, Li & Fung Brands and Private Label. “At Li & Fung, we excel in weaving a brand’s DNA into market-leading collections, ensuring each category we develop is an authentic extension of our partners. This new collection will honor Pendleton’s heritage with sustainable styles, ageless fits, and the Pacific Northwest aesthetic that has defined the brand’s iconic legacy.”
Retailers interested in the new Pendleton swim line can contact PenSwimSales@lifung.com to learn more.
FARMINGTON, Conn. — November 19, 2024 — DeBogy Molecular, Inc, a privately held biotech that specializes in antimicrobial surface modification, announced their Board of Directors has approved a new capital raise to support the Company’s plans to seek FDA approval and marketing of its patented technology with their medical device industry partners.
Founded in 2019, the DeBogy proprietary platform modifies surface structures to safely destroy bacterial, viral and fungal cells on contact. Results of the DeBogy landmark study were first published in the Journal of Orthopedic Research https://doi.org/10.1002/jor.25638, where it reported a reduction in dangerous bacterial biofilm on medical implants in mice by 99.9%, without the use of antibiotics or toxic chemicals.
“We’re excited about the next stage of DeBogy as we collaborate with established market leaders to deliver a powerful antibacterial enhancement for their products that protects the health of their customers and delivers significant advantage to their companies,” said Wayne Gattinella, CEO of DeBogy Molecular.
DeBogy intends this pre-seed offering to fund the necessary steps to bring their technology to market in advance of a future priced equity round. The Company plans to close the round by January 15, 2025.
OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — November 19, 2024 — The KARL MAYER Academy is delighted about the successful training of the important STOLL customer Accord Knits in its branch at KARL MAYER (CHINA).
Based in Madagascar, the company is one of the leading manufacturers and the largest in the southern hemisphere of fully-fashion knitwear for men, women and children. Founded in 2001, it now employs 6,000 people and collaborates with many well-known fashion brands and department stores worldwide. Its recipe for success includes a multifunctional machine park. In the modern factory buildings in the cities of Antsirabe and Antananarivo, the latest generation of digitalized flat knitting machines including STOLL’s CMS and ADF series produce knitwear with the maximum possible flexibility.
Lutz Vogel, STOLL Area Sales Manager
“We have been working together for more than fourteen years now and made a lot of progress together. We are very proud to be partner of Accord Knits”, says Lutz Vogel, STOLL Area Sales Manager of the KARL MAYER GROUP.
Support through know-how also promotes intensive cooperation, as the training from 21 October to 15 November 2024 at KARL MAYER (CHINA) showed. The course for M1plus® switchers was booked as part of an investments in new machines. Four Accord Knits programmers have been taught how to use CREATE PLUS professionally. The participants learnt about various knitting techniques – structure, jacquard, intarsia, STOLL-multi gauge® and 1×1 technique – based on the many possible applications of the new patterning software. They also have learnt more about the new options for creating fully fashioned patterns and how to work with the various knitting element types on which CREATE PLUS is founded. The pattern programs created during the course could be tested directly on the Academy’s STOLL machines.
The balanced mix of theory and practice quickly led to learning effects. The advantages of CREATE PLUS rapidly became clear. “We save a lot of time when developing knitting programs with CREATE PLUS”, summarized one of the participants.
KARL MAYER’s STOLL business unit and Accord Knits are prepared to master the future.
If you want to learn more about Accord Knits / Flexknit and its other fields of businesses, especially also about their social responsibility for the people of Madagascar, please check their website www.flexknit.com.
