Germany-based Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik has opened the Karl Mayer Digital Factory GmbH. The new business aims to offer flexible and quick solutions to support and add value for customers as well as complement ongoing and future Karl Mayer activities.
“In the digital world, too, only those offers are successful which can best satisfy the consumer demands,” said Antonia Gottschalk, head of digitization, Karl Mayer, and managing director, Karl Mayer Digital Factory. “This is the reason why we consistently focus on customer benefits, and combine our long-standing experience as leading textile machinery manufacturer with new, digital know-how.”
Poland-based EcoWipes, a producer and convertor of private-label hydroentangled nonwoven products, has ordered a third production line for its growing business. The company selected machinery from Germany-based Trützschler Nonwovens and Voith including a wet-laid spunlacing (WLS) concept designed for flushable, recyclable and biodegradable products. Trützschler Nonwovens will supply the hydroentangling, drying, reeling up equipment and high-speed card. Voith will supply the HydroFormer, which allows nonwovens to be produced using entirely cellulose materials. EcoWipes will use the new line to manufacture a variety of wet-laid/spunlaced or carded/spunlaced nonwoven products.
The Italian Trade Agency and its partner the Vietnam-based Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT) recently celebrated the opening of the Italian training center for textile machinery on the HCMUT campus. The project — financed by the Ministry of Economic Development through the Extraordinary Program for the promotion of Made in Italy — Country Project Vietnam — supports the local textile industry with a technology center dedicated to the production of men’s socks and hosiery featuring machinery from companies including Loris Bellini S.p.A., Fadis S.p.A., Gavazzi, Lawer S.p.A., Lonati S.p.A. and Mesdan S.p.A.
“The training center provides a further opportunity to consolidate the presence of Italy’s textile machinery sector in this emerging market,” said Alessandro Zucchi, president, Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT). “With the start of operations for the training center, our sector lays the groundwork for further business opportunities in an emerging market for the entire global textile machinery industry.”
Switzerland-based Oerlikon reports it has received two large orders totaling approximately $562 million from two of the top 10 global man-made fiber manufacturers both located in China.
The orders, for Barmag’s WINGS POY and Wings FDY polyester yarn spinning technology, will be delivered in 2019 and 2020 as part of a two-year delivery plan.
“These orders confirm the strong recovery in the filament equipment market and the continued trust our market-leading customers have in us and our technologies,” said Dr. Roland Fischer, CEO, Oerlikon Group. “Given the size of these contracts and Oerlikon’s strong manmade fibers project pipeline, we expect the Segment’s business to continue developing well and the mid-term prospects to remain positive, with the opportunity to structurally converge the Segment’s business toward mid-teens EBITDA margin again.”
France-based Lectra has unveiled a new brand identity designed to highlight the company’s digital strategy centered on Industry 4.0 concepts. While maintaining the same red and black colors, the new logo was designed to emphasize the company’s four values — Caring, Committed, Insightful and Visionary — and suggest the idea of innovation.
The branding also includes a new tagline — “Empowering customers through industrial intelligence” — which confirms Lectra’s commitment to its customers, according to the company.
“Lectra’s new branding identity is a direct reflection of the company’s evolving strategy, its expertise and rich history,” said Alexis Noal, vice president, ComCorp., the agency that helped develop Lectra’s new brand identity. “The new branding is the fruit of a close collaboration with Lectra’s teams, at every level, and nourished through our recent exchanges with Lectra’s customers and partners.”
Firefighter jackets made by Innotex using fabric woven by Monterey Textiles, feature FilSpec™ FireFil™ corespun yarn comprising para-aramid, glass and Vectran®.
Produced using proprietary modified air-jet spinning technology, FilSpec™ FireFil™ glass-core yarn offers unique flame, cut and tear resistance.
By Janet Bealer Rodie, Contributing Editor
FireFil™, developed by FilSpec Inc., Quebec, is a corespun yarn featuring glass filaments in the core surrounded by high-performance textile fiber selected to address the particular needs of the intended application. The company reports the yarn is flame-, cut- and tear-resistant — offering advantages including no after-flame, no melting or dripping, no shrinkage in extreme heat, and 200-percent higher tear strength than is required by the NFPA 1971-2013 standard.
FilSpec developed the FireFil yarn technology and potential applications over a period of about four years. The company was already making a corespun yarn of nylon and polyester, and the idea of developing a flame-resistant (FR) yarn for knitted mattress ticking led to the idea to replace the nylon core with a glass core. FilSpec worked with weaver Monterey Textiles, also based in Quebec, to develop woven fabrics for firefighter applications, and woven fabrics for other applications soon followed.
“Making and certifying the fabrics was a truly invested effort by us working with our partners,” said Dominique Quintal, partner and vice-president sales and marketing. “But making a corespun glass yarn on our air-jet spinning machines was a tougher challenge.”
Sébastien Couture, partner and R&D manager, explained that the makers of FilSpec’s air-jet machines said the machines weren’t designed for and wouldn’t work for processing such a yarn. In response, Couture and his team came up with their own proprietary solution. “We had to modify the spinning machines, and now, all of our machines are modified to be able to do the glass-core yarn,” he said.
In addition to having high strength and FR properties, the glass acts as an insulator. In this regard, because of what Quintal described as “a kind of micro-swelling” of the glass filaments during washing — which creates air pockets among the filaments — the thermal barrier performance improves with washing rather than deteriorating, as is typical in conventional thermal-barrier fabrics. Also, the very low elongation of the glass filaments must be considered in the dyeing process, as there is no shrinkage during processing.
For the firefighter fabric, Filspec worked with Monterey and firefighter gear maker Innotex, Quebec, to develop a fabric comprising two-ply yarns of para-aramid spun around a glass core, and periodically inserted yarns that include one ply of para-aramid spun around a high-strength, melt-resistant Vectran® core in order to add further strength.
Another woven application, for a welder’s suit, features Lenzing™ FR and wool spun around FireFil’s glass core to provide protection against metal spatter. The company has also made glass-core yarns blended with Kevlar® or polyester for cut-resistant knitted gloves.
For more information about FilSpec™ FireFil™, contact Dominique Quintal +819.573.8709; dquintal@filspec.com; filspec.com.
ITM 2018 returns to Istanbul along with the concurrent Hightex 2018, International Istanbul Yarn Fair and ETT 2018.
TW Special Report
ITM 2018 — the International Textile, Yarn, Knitting, Weaving, Dyeing, Printing, Finishing and Hosiery Machineries, Sub-Industries and Chemicals Exhibition — will be held April 14-17, 2018, at the TÜYAP Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey. The show is owned by Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc. and Teknik Fairs Ltd., and is organized in cooperation with the Turkish Textile & Machinery Industrialists Association (TEMSAD).
Organizers expect records to be broken in terms of exhibitors and visitors. Demand to exhibit was high in advance of the show, and floor space is 100-percent sold out. In 2016, 1,200 exhibitors showed their technologies to 49,730 visitors who traveled from 77 countries. The event covered 120,000 square meters over 13 halls. ITM is the largest exhibition of its kind in Turkey and the Middle East.
“… ITM 2018 International Textile Machinery Exhibition has a leader position as it will bring the technology sectors of the world together in Turkey and it is a pioneer in promoting the Turkish machinery industry,” said Ismail Gülle, chairman of the board, ITHIB, the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association. “I hope this important exhibition will be beneficial both for our sector and our country.”
The 15th Istanbul International Yarn Fair will be held concurrently with ITM 2018.
Concurrent Shows
ITM 2018 will be held concurrently with Hightex 2018, the Istanbul Yarn Fair, and the ETT 2018 Conference.
Hightex, the 7th International Technical Textiles & Nonwoven Trade Fair, is touted as the meeting point of the world’s technical textiles and nonwoven sector in Instabul. The show will be held in Hall 9 of the TÜYAP Fair Convention and Congress Center. The 15th International Istanbul Yarn Fair will be held in Hall 11.
ETT 2018, the 8th International Istanbul Textile Conference on Evolution of Technical Textiles (ETT) also will take place at the TÜYAP Fair Convention and Congress Center under the theme, “Recent Advances in Innovation and Enterprise in Textiles and Clothing.” Organizers hope the concurrent events in a shared location will create a synergy between events for exhibitors and visitors alike.
Each hall at the Tüyap Fair will be color-coded using carpet to help visitors find exhibits.
ITM Floor Plan
To help visitors identify the exhibits, which are divided into categories by sector, each hall will be color-coded with carpet as follows:
Hall 2 – Weaving – Red carpet: Weaving preparation machinery; weaving machinery; tufting and carpet weaving machinery; narrow weaving machinery; cordage and rope machineries (braiding machinery); and auxiliary machinery, spare parts and accessories.
Halls 3 & 4, Spinning – Green carpet: Cotton and fiber preparation machinery; spinning preparation machinery; winding, twisting and texturing machinery; nonwoven machinery and technologies; and auxiliary machinery, spare parts and accessories.
Halls 5 & 6, Printing & Digital Printing – Dark Blue carpet: Textile printing machinery; digital textile printing machinery; textile printing dyes and chemicals; and auxiliary machinery, spare parts and accessories.
Halls 7 & 8, Knitting – Orange carpet: Weft and warp knitting preparation machinery; flat and circular knitting machinery; hosiery machinery; embroidery machinery; quilting machinery; and auxiliary machinery, spare parts and accessories.
Halls 10, 12 & 14, Dyeing and Finishing – Light blue carpet: Spinning and fabric dyeing and finishing machinery; washing, bleaching and dyeing machinery; folding and rolling machinery; textile chemicals, laboratory equipment and quality control systems; CAD/CAM, CIM applications and automation systems; and auxiliary machinery, spare parts and accessories.
Hightex 2018 will occupy Hall 9 at the venue, and the International Istanbul Yarn Fair will be in Hall 11.
The show floor is open from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. April 14, 15 and 16; and from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. on April 17.
New App For Guests
ITM organizers recently announced a new mobile app for the show. The app, which may be downloaded in iOS or Android versions, will give visitors an easy way to navigate the show and stay up-to-date with the latest happenings at the event.
Key features of the multi-language app — Turkish, English, German, Italian and Chinese are supported — include news and updates, social media support, navigation, exhibition layout, and exhibitor lists.
Exhibitors were happy with the 2016 version of the show and look forward to participating again this year.
“Having an importance not only for Turkey, but also for the entire region, ITM 2016 [was] an unparalleled opportunity for us to meet our business partners,” said Adele Genoni, vice president – general manager, EFI Reggiani, Italy.
“ITM is an indispensable exhibition for us,” said Erwin Devloo, marketing communications manager, Belgium-based Picanol NV.
According to organizers, “the heart of the world textile industry will beat at ITM 2018 ….” Join the exhibitors to see the latest textile machinery developments in Istanbul — positioned at the heart of Eurasia at the junction of Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. The city’s strategic position along international transportation networks makes Istanbul an ideal location for a global trading platform.
For more information about ITM 2018 and to register, please visit itmexhibition.com/en2018/.
(left to right): Nicolai Strauch, international markets, public relations; Olaf Stecken, composite technology; and Boris Abadjieff, VDMA Textile Machinery Division
Member companies of the Germany-based VMDA’s Textile Machinery Association participated in a B2B Forum in Charlotte to showcase capabilities.
TW Special Report
The Germany-based Mechanical Engineering Industry Association’s (VDMA’s) Textile Machinery Association recently hosted a B2B Forum & Conference event in Charlotte, N.C., and Mexico City to highlight the capabilities of member companies. The event in Charlotte, held at the Sheraton Charlotte Hotel, featured 25 companies who presented practice-oriented technology topics from along the textile value chain including spinning to finishing and dyeing, as well as saving energy and materials, digitization and smart factories. The parallel presentations were supplemented with the opportunity for B2B meetings and a table-top exhibition area. More than 80 decision-makers from the textile, nonwovens and carpet sectors attended the event.
“In the light of the high number of participants and the intensity of the discussions regarding concrete investment intentions, the VDMA events have been a big success for our company,” said Hermann Selker, head of marketing, Trützschler.
The companies who participated:
• A. Monforts Textilmaschinen;
• Andritz Küsters, a Division of Andritz Inc.;
• Autefa Solutions Germany;
• Brückner Textile Technologies;
• DILO Systems + Temafa;
• Erhardt+Leimer;
• Georg Sahm;
• Groz-Beckert;
• Interspare;
• Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik;
• Körting Hannover;
• Lindauer Dornier;
• Mahlo;
• Neuenhauser Maschinenbau;
• Oerlikon Textile
(Barmag and Neumag);
• PLEVA;
• Reseda Binder;
• Saurer Components
(Saurer Temco);
• Sedo Treepoint;
• Textechno Herbert Stein;
• Thies Corp.;
• Trützschler; and
• Welker Vakuum.
View a gallery of event images, including the speakers, here.
Fujifilm produces inks and printheads for digital textile printing.
With the next edition of InPrint USA not scheduled to take place until 2019, organizers decided to launch a supporting conference to build on the momentum of the inaugural trade show.
TW Special Report
In 2017, the Mack Brooks Exhibition Group launched the InPrint USA trade show extending its brand into the United States to support the fast-growing world of industrial printing. The next edition of InPrint USA is scheduled for 2019, but the success of the 2017 event and the ensuing momentum led organizers to plan the first InPrint Industrial Inkjet Conference to be held May 1-2, 2018, at the Palmer House Hilton, Chicago.
“The show confirmed that there is a community of innovators looking for information on how to tap into new markets now open to them through digital inkjet technology,” said Melissa Magestro, executive vice president, Mack Brooks Exhibitions Inc. “InPrint USA is the home for this community.
“With the rapid rate at which technologies, products, and services are evolving for the industrial print sector, we needed to give this audience the opportunity to connect and learn from one another before the next InPrint USA show in April 2019 in Louisville, Ky. We are confident that this educational and community building conference will meet the needs of those in the industry.”
Mack Brooks is billing the InPrint Industrial Inkjet Conference as a premier networking and educational forum for the industrial print community that will offer insight in to the myriad of possibilities for industrial inkjet technology within the manufacturing sector. The conference is designed to complement the 2019 show by providing the chance to stay informed and current on the latest trends, network and connect, share knowledge, and foster new relationships.
Program
Organizers have put together a program that will highlight trends, market opportunities, case studies and the latest developments in industrial inkjet technology for functional, decorative and package printing applications. The content is divided into two tracks — one for technical and one for creative applications. The event also will feature interactive roundtable discussions as well as highlight case studies.
Digital printing in the textile industry is a fast-growing market and definitely a trending topic especially in the fashion and home decorating arenas. The InPrint conference will cover this market in greater detail within its creative applications track.
According to organizers, inkjet technology is disrupting virtually every manufacturing industry from flooring to fashion, automotive to electronics, sporting goods and packaging. Some 200 attendees are expected to attend the conference from a cross section of the manufacturing industry including manufacturing production professionals; industrial print production companies; OEMs, integrators, component manufacturers and developers; and traditional printing companies.
Registration for the event is now open, and organizers are offering an early-bird discount for attendees who register by March 30.
For more information about the InPrint Industrial Inkjet Conference 2018, please visit inprintshow.com/usa/conference.
Santa Monica ,Calif.-based Hologenix LLC has named Jim Calhoun CEO. He will continue his role as an officer on the Board of Directors, and replaces company cofounder Seth Casden who will focus on sales, science and innovation.
Albrecht
The Board of Directors at Germany-based Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH has appointed Roger Albrecht managing director.
Paris-based Lectra has named Nathalie Brunel vice president, Sales, Fashion & Apparel. In addition, the company named Akihiko Tanaka managing director of Lectra Japan; and Holger Max-Lang managing director of Lectra Central & Eastern Europe region, Russia.
Rubalcaba
Valdese, N.C.-based Valdese Weavers has added Nikki Rubalcaba to the Valdese Contract team as a Northeast sales representative.
After 48 years, Huntsman Corp. founder Jon M. Huntsman has stepped down as executive chairman of the company. He will continue to serve on the Board of Directors as a director and chairman Emeritus. Peter Huntsman, president and CEO, was elected chairman of the board.
Andrew Medley, a member of Glen Raven, N.C.-based Glen Raven Technical Fabrics’ (GRTF) GlenGuard® sales team, has been appointed Northeast Regional Sales Manager for GRTF’s sister division Trivantage LLC. GRTF’s Technical Director Rich Lippert will continue in his role while also taking on the GlenGuard domestic sales role vacated by Medley.
England-based MagnaColors® has hired Ivan Cossio as business development manager
for the Americas; and Robert Cole, commercial director — both newly created roles. The company also recently appointed Paul Arnold marketing manager.
The American Association for Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), Research Triangle Park, N.C., has hired Brian C. Francois as executive vice president. He will succeed Jack Daniels who will retire in March 2018.
Griffith
James R. Griffith has joined Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Adele Knits Inc. as COO.
Northeastern Nonwovens, Rochester, N.H., named Michael Roche, president and CEO.
Robert W. Woodruff has joined Velcro Companies as CFO, and Paulo Garutti was named president, Latin America.
Sherbrooke, Canada-based FilSpec™ has hired Martin Forest as a research and development assistant.
Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore., has named Dirk-Jan “DJ” van Hameren vice president, chief marketing officer. He succeeds Greg Hoffman who was named vice president, Global Brand Creative & Marketing Innovation.
Greensboro, N.C.-based Unifi Inc. has appointed Eddie Ingle vice president of Global Corporate Sustainability. The company also elected PepsiCo North America CEO Albert “Al” P. Carey to the Board of Directors.
Wake Forest, N.C.-based SEAMS, the National Association and Voice for the U.S. Sewn Products Industry, has elected four new officers to serve on its executive board and named three specialty directors and six manufacturer/ contractor directors. The following four executive directors will serve two-year terms on the board: Matt Poovey, Champion Thread Co., will serve as president; Jeoff Bodenhorst Jr., Lebanon Apparel Corp., will serve as vice president; Patrick Hickey, Minnesota Knitting Mills, will serve as secretary/treasurer; and Jeremy Wootten, HomTex Inc., will serve as ex-officio officer. Geoff Senko, MMI Textiles, will serve a three-year-term as education director. Cameron Hamrick, Hamrick Mills, and Ron Roach, Contempora Fabrics, will serve three-year terms as supplier directors. The six manufacturing/ contractor directors serving one-year terms are Gloria Barbee, Grand Forest Inc.; Jackson Burnett, Vapor Apparel; Tim Shirley, Mount Vernon Mills; Wayne Wilson, Prime Medical; Chris Marsh, Hemmingway Apparel Mfg.; and Dennis Jackson, Venus Group.
