Zeus Industrial Products To Expand Aiken County Operations

COLUMBIA, S.C. — February 15, 2018 — Zeus Industrial Products (Zeus), a polymer extrusion manufacturer and material science innovator, is expanding its existing operations in Aiken County. The company’s $15.7 million investment in Aiken County complements a $15.9 million expansion in Orangeburg County and $76 million expansion in Calhoun County, both of which were announced over the last several weeks. With this project, Zeus is expected to create an additional 51 new jobs in Aiken, S.C.

Founded in 1966, Zeus develops and manufacturers polymer tubing for a variety of industries, including the medical, fluid handling and electrical markets. Zeus works with customers in collaborative relationships to design, engineer and produce fluoropolymer and specialized plastic tubing that delivers the temperature resistance, chemical resistance and high tensile strength demanded by today’s applications.

Located at 9150 Levels Church Road West in Aiken, S.C., Zeus intends to convert its warehousing operations and floor space to manufacturing space in order to increase production of existing products by installing additional manufacturing lines. The plant will also be increasing its product portfolio as several new products and new manufacturing processes are introduced over the next few years.

The initial hiring for these new positions has already begun and will continue into 2019.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to the project.

“We are truly excited about expanding our manufacturing presence in Aiken,” said John Winarchick, president and CEO, Zeus Industrial Products. “We have been pleased with the community support that we have received since commencing our Aiken operations in 1999. We remain committed to being a good citizen of the county, meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers, and most importantly, providing quality careers for all of our employees in an atmosphere that will allow them to flourish.”

“Today, we celebrate the partnership that exists between Zeus and the Palmetto State,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “I’m thrilled to congratulate this terrific company on their decision to expand operations in three counties, proof positive that South Carolina has a business-friendly climate statewide.”

“Zeus continues to strengthen its commitment to Team South Carolina, and we couldn’t be more proud,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “With its third announcement this month, this remarkable company is making a statement about South Carolina and its workforce, letting the world know that our state truly is ‘Just right’ for business.”

“This expansion by Zeus is an affirmation that Aiken County continues to provide an environment for manufacturing growth,” said Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker. “We are excited that this company will add more jobs for our citizens.”

“We are very grateful for this expansion announcement by Zeus,” Economic Development Partnership Chairman Gary Stooksbury. “This is a great win for Aiken County, and we look forward to more growth by Zeus in our region.”

FAST FACTS:

  • Zeus Industrial Products is expanding its Aiken County operations.
  • $15.7 million investment to create 51 new jobs.
  • This project complements a $76 million Calhoun County expansion and $15.9 million Orangeburg County expansion, both of which were announced recently.
  • Located at 9150 Levels Church Road West in Aiken, S.C., the company will be converting its warehousing operations into manufacturing space in order to increase production of existing products.

Posted February 16, 2018

Source: South Carolina Department Of Commerce

Supreme Corp. And VOLT Smart Yarns’ New Reflective Yarn Debuts At Première Vision Paris

HICKORY, N.C. — February 16, 2018 — Supreme Corp. and VOLT Smart Yarns, together with its partner JRC REFLEX, have developed and produced a specialty smart yarn that combines the patented processes of VOLT Smart Yarns and Coated Reflective Yarn (CRY®) to deliver a one-of-a-kind highly conductive and reflective smart yarn with capabilities to shape the future of fashion and technology. The new reflective Volt Smart Yarns was unveiled for the first time by JRC Reflex at Première Vision Paris, a global event for fashion and textile professionals held at the fashion capital of the world from February 12-15, 2018.

“Supreme Corporation’s partnership with JRC Reflex truly combines best-in-class reflective and conductive patented technologies to deliver a smart yarn that is pushing the capabilities of fashion and technology,” said Matt Kolmes, CEO, Supreme. “We are incredibly proud that the debut of our reflective Vlot Smart Yarns has helped lead the conversation about the future of fashion and technology at Première Vision Paris. Supreme Corporation and JRC Reflex continue to develop and advance high quality products that reflect its shared vision for the future of wearable technology and result in better experiences for users of wearable technology and sport textiles.”

Première Vision Paris is widely regarded as the leading exhibition to showcase the future of fashion through the lens of innovation. In February 2017, it added a new specialized exhibitor space called the Wearable Lab, an area entirely devoted to fashion and technology. Since last year, the Wearable Lab has expanded to become a 900-square-meter village that serves as a source of experimentation for the fashion industry. This year, CRY yarns and Volt Smart Yarns debuted its dual conductive and reflective smart yarn as one of the new products in the Wearable Lab.

The partnership between Supreme and JRC Reflex began in 2017, when Supreme was exploring ways to produce a smart yarn with reflective properties. Located in France, JRC Reflex is a manufacturer of retro reflective materials, including its patented reflective yarn division, CRY. CRY yarn has a polymide core that is covered with a coating that binds reflective glass microbeads to the yarn. In the combined Volt Smart Yarns and CRY yarn, the core is Volt’s Apache 2 yarn that consists of two insulated copper wires. The new core is then processed by JRC Reflex to create the world’s first reflective and conductive yarn. This yarn is mainly used in a flat bed knit process, producing conductivity for smart textiles and sportswear.

Posted February 16, 2018

Source: Supreme Corp.

Greycon Optimizes Isovolta’s Converting Processes

LONDON — February 16, 2018 — Isovolta selected Greycon to improve its production processes at one of its plants in Barcelona, Spain. After a successful trial, Greycon implemented its world-class trim optimization system (X-Trim).

“The successful trial cemented our decision to work with Greycon. We were very happy with the results that X-Trim produced and are looking forward to reaping the benefits of Greycon’s solution,” commented Xavier Pérez, head of Process Engineering at Isovolta.

Isovolta is a leading international manufacturer of electrical insulating materials, technical laminates and composites with a strong presence in multiple industries ranging from the construction and building material industry, to the solar and energy technology.

The Isovolta plant in Barcelona has six slitters and is dedicated to converting PET films, Papers and Laminates. Some of the challenges Isovolta experienced were two-stage “slitters-secondary slitters” optimization with very narrow order widths and a range of master rolls stock sizes.

Greycon was chosen as the X-Trim system was able to handle this complexity in standard and adding benefits in terms of waste reduction, reducing knife changes and pattern count.

Abder Guezour, Global Business Development manager, said: “We are very pleased about the outcome of this project and the challenge we are helping Isovolta to overcome. We have worked with a number of converting plants like Isovolta; while these plants can be seen as medium size, the planning and the optimization challenge is by no means trivial. We are proud of continuing to serve customers from a wide spectrum of industries and dimensions and consistently achieving quick pay-back for these projects as is the case for Isovolta.”

Posted February 16, 2018

Source: Greycon

Superior Linen Supply Recertified Hygienically Clean

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — February 16, 2018 — Kansas City, Mo.-based Superior Linen Supply has again achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The laundry was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

  • Employees are properly trained and protected;
  • Managers understand regulatory requirements;
  • OSHA-compliant; and
  • Physical plant operates effectively.

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Superior Linen Supply on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Posted February 16, 2018

Source: TRSA

Gore Innovation Center Enriches Silicon Valley Startup Community With Collaborative Partnerships And Events

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — February 15, 2018 — W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) recently unveiled its expansion in Silicon Valley with an 11,000-square-foot co-innovation space and lab. Focused on helping startups achieve breakthroughs at scale, the Gore Innovation Center in Silicon Valley combines Gore’s material science expertise with innovative companies that have the hunger, momentum and collaborative ideas necessary to disrupt the Aerospace, Automotive, Digital Health, Consumer Electronics, Fabrics, Industrial and Medical industries.

“The Gore Innovation Center is a place for experimenting with new ideas, pushing boundaries and bringing together diverse talents to deliver transformative solutions that improve lives,” said Linda Elkins, co-leader, Gore Innovation Center. “Gore has built a reputation for solving complex technical challenges in the most demanding environments, bringing deep knowledge and foundational materials to Silicon Valley to drive ideas forward and build prototypes to create value for all partners.”

Gore offers its rich material science expertise honed over 60 years of exploring and implementing successful applications — from implants in the human body, to clothing worn on expeditions to Mt. Everest, to electronic cables transmitting signals from Mars. The Gore Innovation Center recently signed a joint development agreement and cash investment with digital health startup Kenzen. Gore engineers and scientists are working hand in hand with Kenzen to develop a comprehensive wearable monitoring system employing biosensor data and predictive modeling to anticipate avoidable injuries. By incorporating Gore’s advanced materials, Kenzen will enhance the comfort, reliability and durability of these on-skin applications.

Additionally, the Gore Innovation Center — W. L. Gore & Associates’ first remote innovation center — hosts events to foster technology innovation and collaboration within the Silicon Valley community. Upcoming events include:

  • LightSpeed Accelerator Pitch & Innovation Showcase — In partnership with LightSpeed Innovations, an accelerator formed to mentor and invest in aerospace tech startups, this non-traditional pitch event will be held on Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gore Innovation Center. The event will start with 10 pre-selected aerospace startups, then move into one-on-one, company-investor meetings. Innovation leaders will also host a discussion on investment and innovation industry trends.
  • Digital Health Innovation Day 2.0 — Bringing together the Silicon Valley digital health community to educate and inspire startups and innovators, Digital Health 2.0 takes place on March 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gore Innovation Center. Featuring a keynote that explores digital health obstacles followed by engaging industry discussions, the agenda includes thought leaders from Kenzen and Bonbouton, as well as Gore scientists and engineers. Participants will explore digital health challenges and solutions to product development obstacles.

Paul Campbell, an expert in corporate innovation and a serial entrepreneur, recently joined Gore to bring his world-class innovation management experience to its innovation center. Campbell joins co-leader Linda Elkins in working to find new products, technologies and business models where Gore materials can uniquely add value.

“Having spent over a decade creating innovation programs and incubation centers for Fortune Global 500 companies, I am thrilled to share Gore’s rich history of deep science and innovation with Silicon Valley startups,” Campbell stated. “The Gore Innovation Center, with a prototyping lab and co-working space, offers startups the chance to collaborate with Gore scientists and peers on advanced material science challenges.”

Posted February 15, 2018

Source: W. L. Gore & Associates

Datacolor® Introduces Handheld Color Matching Tool – ColorReader

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — February 15, 2018 — Datacolor®, a global leader in color management solutions, announced today the launch of ColorReader, its second portable color identification and matching tool. The new device complements Datacolor’s professional color matching device, ColorReaderPRO, and is targeted at a wider audience for an affordable price of 99 euros excluding VAT. ColorReader provides accurate and fast color selection, enabling professionals and homeowners to identify the colors of paint and everyday objects.

“We hear time and time again from designers, homeowners and painters who’ve spent a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect paint to match their color inspiration — whether it be a decorative throw pillow or even a piece of artwork. In the end, they settled for a color that still wasn’t quite right,” said Susan Bunting, product marketing manager, Datacolor. “Therefore, we set out to develop the latest product in our line of color management solutions. We wanted an easy-to-use color identification tool that is affordable for all.”

Smaller than a deck of cards, ColorReader is an ultra-portable, Bluetooth® connected color selection device that works in conjunction with the ColorReader mobile app to precisely identify colors based on the NCS® 1950 and RAL® Classic, Design and Effect color standards. Users can create and manage color palettes by saving and sharing paint colors.

“With more than 45 years of industry expertise and a shared passion for color, Datacolor understands just how important it is for paint and design professionals to be confident with color,” Bunting continued. “As the most accurate device in the market, ColorReader has the potential to improve brand loyalty and increase sales.”

With industry-leading color matching performance, ColorReader saves users valued time and money by matching color instantly and accurately, removing the subjective guesswork that comes with traditional fan decks — a key differentiator for professionals looking to grow their businesses.

Posted February 15, 2018

Source: Datacolor

Twelve Locations Honored For Buying American And Supporting American Makers

ARCANUM, Ohio — February 15, 2018 — All American Clothing Co., whose mission is to support U.S. families and jobs by producing high-quality clothing in the United States, has released a list of its “Top 12 Most All American Towns and Cities.”

Using data from where it shipped the most products in 2017, All American Clothing selected the top three locations in four different population categories that ranged from small towns with approximately 1,000 residents to large cities with up to 500,000 residents.

The 12 Most All American Towns and Cities include:

  • Dayton, Ohio;
  • Falls Church, Va.;
  • Langhorne, Pa.;
  • Levittown, Pa.;
  • Long Bottom, Ohio;
  • Morro Bay, Calif.;
  • Patchogue, N.Y.;
  • Sarasota, Fla.;
  • St. Louis, Mo.;
  • St. Peterburg, Fla.;
  • Tinley Park, Ill.; and
  • Woronoco, Mass.

“Buying our clothing energizes and revitalizes jobs all across our great country,” said BJ Nickol, cofounder and president, All American Clothing Co., “From the small family businesses that make some of our apparel and accessories to the companies that make our boxes, host our website, and help with the marketing. We created this list to honor and thank those that bought our products and supported U.S. production.”

All American Clothing’s list of top towns and cities also includes historical events and facts, showing how each location contributed in unique ways to the country’s culture, as well as local, well-respected American makers who call those areas home. Some of the makers featured include Langhorne Carpet Co., By the Bay Gallery, Bruske Products, and Esther Price Candies.

All American Clothing plans to continually highlight communities and other makers that are committed to supporting American-made goods and production.

Posted February 15, 2018

Source: All American Clothing

OrganoClick Launches OrganoTex® Textile Impregnation For Consumers

TÄBY, Sweden — February 14, 2018 — OrganoClick has for several years supplied biodegradable industrial impregnation products for textiles under the brand OrganoTex®. OrganoTex will now be launched as a textile impregnation product for consumers used for making garments and fabrics water repellent. The products will be sold as a spray-on product that is applied by hand or as a Wash-In product that is applied in a washing machine. The sales towards consumers will be made through resellers within sport, outdoor and fashion retail, with Swedish Naturkompaniet as the first reseller.

OrganoTex Spray-On and Wash-In has been developed during several years and have been designed to give good water repellancy, yet being biodegradable. The product is based on OrganoClick’s patented and awarded technology for modification of textile fibers and and is totally free from the problematic perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), cyclic siloxanes and isocyanates that is often used in textile impregnations. Several of these chemicals is thought to be cancerogenic and hormone disruptive, as well as bioaccumulative in nature.

”We are very proud that we after several years of research and development, now can launch an eco-friendly, safe textile impregnation for consumers with high functionality,” said Mårten Hellberg, CEO OrganoClick AB. “With Naturkompaniet as our first reseller on the Swedish market, we reach exactly the group of environmentally conscious outdoor loving consumers that has a great need of water repellent garments but also want to take care of the environment. We will now continue to roll out the product to other resellers during the year.”

Naturkompaniet is a leading Swedish outdoor retailer with more than 30 stores in Sweden and is a part of the Fenix Outdoor group which also own brands such as Fjällräven and Tierra. OrganoTex Spray-On and Wash-In will be sold in all stores from April 2018.

Posted February 15, 2018

Source: OrganoClick AB

Mimaki USA Announces Tiger-1800B Digital Textile Printing System

SUWANEE, Ga. — February 14, 2018 — Mimaki USA, a manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutters, today announced the availability of Tiger-1800B printing system in the Americas. The Tiger-1800B printer is a purpose-engineered, high production digital inkjet printer capable of direct-to-textile or transfer dye sublimation output. It can deliver large-scale production at manufacturing sites and small-scale production at on-demand sites, making it the ideal printer for digital textile applications.

The Mimaki Tiger-1800B brings operational efficiencies and reliability to large companies that are currently using analog screen-printing processes — or multiple, smaller digital units —  to produce high volume textile runs for internal vertical markets sold via business-to-business or business-to-consumer avenues. The Tiger-1800B printer enables these businesses to overcome quality, cost and time to market issues by offering more efficient operations, higher resolution printing, consistent quality for repeat orders, and reduced operating costs.

The 74.8-inch Tiger-1800B digital textile printer includes an adhesive belt transport system with belt washing technology and in-line heat drying unit for an all-in-one process for direct-to-textile printing. It includes a built-in PC with software for easy and efficient printer operation.

High efficiency for all production runs

The Tiger-1800B printer is a production model featuring 16 print heads in a staggered array for the direct-to-textile model (or 8 print heads for the transfer dye sublimation model), resulting in very high print speeds of up to 4144 square feet per hour. Usable quality can be achieved even at these high print speeds to meet volume demands, or to quickly produce shorter-run projects such as for regional or seasonal fashion requirements.

High print speeds are complemented by a sophisticated textile transport system. Stable textile transport is achieved through twin pressure roller shafts attached to the edge of the transportation belt. Textiles are uniformly transported onto the belt through the rollers.

Wrinkle and Media Jam sensors detect textile wrinkling or creasing early in order to minimize potential damage to the print heads from collisions with raised or jammed textiles.

Technologies for improved performance and productivity

The Tiger-1800B model includes a number of technologies and automated processes for consistent quality output and productivity.

A belt washing mechanism that prevents stains on fresh fabric from ink remaining on the belt. It is equipped with two squeegees to prevent splash-back, and two heaters to dry and re-activate the belt surface.

To ensure optimal print head maintenance, cleaning liquid is automatically applied to each wiper before and after head cleaning. This liquid enhances the head cleaning process and reduces daily maintenance time by ensuring a clean wiper.

The Tiger-1800B printer features Variable Dot Printing where variable ink droplet sizes — small, medium and large — are precisely placed. Smaller droplets create smoother gradients and quartertones, while large droplets produce uniform solids.

A standard Degassing Module reduces clogging by removing air bubbles in the ink, and an Ink Circulation ensures stable ink supply by constantly circulating the ink.

Optional high production upgrades

Options for the direct-to-textile model include:  Roll Media Centering Unit featuring a feeding unit with a centering device and tension bar; a Jumbo Roll Unit; a Plaited Unit; and a Drying and Take-Up Unit for high density printed fabrics. The dye sublimation model includes the Jumbo Roll Unit as a standard feature.

Posted February 15, 2018

Source: Mimaki USA

Suominen Initiates A New Growth Investment At Its Green Bay, Wis., Plant

HELSINKI, Finland  — February 15, 2018 — Suominen, a global nonwovens company, has decided to initiate a new growth investment project worth of approximately 6 million euros at its production plant in Green Bay, Wis. The investment involves installation of new carding machinery representing the latest technology on an existing spunlace production line. It will improve the capabilities of the plant and further supports Suominen in the development and supply of new innovative products that make lives better, according to our purpose.

Once upgraded, the production line will, for its part, improve Suominen’s capability to supply high value added nonwovens for home care, personal care and workplace wipes as well as for hygiene applications, all categories where Suominen seeks to grow. Moreover, the investment offers more efficient supply of nonwovens for baby wipes for Suominen’s customers.

“The investment again demonstrates that we are serious about growth, in line with our Changemaker strategy,” said Nina Kopola, president & CEO. “This is a clear upgrade to Suominen’s current production technology base, expanding our product offering globally and increasing our production capacity. In the long run, we can increase the share of nonwovens with high value added coming out of the Green Bay plant.”

Posted February 15, 2018

Source: Suominen

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