Adient Unveils Fabrics Joint Venture In India With Textiles Giant Arvind

AHMEDABAD — March 21, 2018 — Adient today announced the launch of Adient Arvind Automotive Fabrics, a joint venture that will develop, manufacture and sell automotive fabrics in India. The new company has been formed in partnership with Arvind Ltd., a Mumbai-listed conglomerate that is one of the world’s largest textile manufacturers.

“Adient is committed to delivering new value to our customers while enhancing our fabrics product portfolio through continuing advancements. This partnership with Arvind Limited gives us an exciting opportunity to do just that in India’s rapidly growing automotive market,” said Jef Vercammen, vice president, Global Fabrics at Adient. “Combining Adient’s global fabrics design and technological resources with Arvind’s extensive manufacturing capabilities will enable us to accelerate the pace at which we bring innovative automotive fabrics products to market in India.”

The joint venture emerges from a strong alignment of strategic objectives between Adient and Arvind. It marks an important milestone for Adient’s fabrics business, which to date has had no manufacturing footprint in Asia outside of Adient’s joint ventures in China. For its part, Arvind has been exploring opportunities to extend its textile manufacturing into markets outside of fashion and Punit Lalbhai, executive director, Arvind Ltd., described the partnership as “a watershed moment in this journey.”

We are delighted to be partnering with Arvind, a well-respected leader in the textiles industry with a long history of manufacturing excellence, from yarn production through to innovative textile products,” said Murali Rajagopalan, director and country manager, Adient India. “Through this collaboration Adient will gain a strong position from which to serve our Indian and global customers and ultimately offer more value to consumers in India.”

By bringing together two leaders in their respective industries, is expected to bring unprecedented levels of fabrics manufacturing excellence to India’s automotive industry, with unrivalled customer service. The new company will provide Indian and global automakers with world-class product quality and innovative solutions in fabrics, enabling them to offer new levels of comfort, aesthetic variety and design versatility to their end users.

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: Adient India

Here’s A First Look At Target’s Fresh Approach To Sustainable Water Management

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — March 20, 2018 — Around the world, clean water sources are disappearing at an alarming rate, and it’s up to all of us to help design solutions for the future. Target’s doing its part by putting a connected framework in place — including a climate policy and chemical strategy and sustainable cotton sourcing goal — to make sure it’s using resources thoughtfully and measuring progress across our business.

Today, Target is taking the next step forward, announcing a freshwater stewardship approach that builds on its existing water management aspirations. Created in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and designed to help the company deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it will address how Target can improve water quality, optimize water efficiency and increase access to clean water.

It’s based on a simple, powerful belief:

At Target, we believe that clean, drinkable water and sanitation are human rights and should be accessible for all. Healthy ecosystems and sustainable water management are essential in the delivery of these basic rights.

Water is important to the success of our business operations, from our supply chains to our stores and the communities within which we operate. We will focus our freshwater stewardship efforts in areas and on issues where our influence and support can help deliver the greatest impact.

“With operations in nearly 50 countries, Target shares the responsibility of tackling environmental issues in the communities where we do business,” said John Mulligan, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Our freshwater approach is one way we’re putting the needs of people, communities and the planet at the heart of how we work today, to help build a better tomorrow.”

We used WWF’s water risk assessment to review our water use reduction efforts across our manufacturing supply chain, stores and distribution facilities. This helped us develop a holistic approach that acknowledges water as part of a bigger global system of megatrends.

“Freshwater resources are more precious and vulnerable than people realize. Challenges, such as climate change, population growth, changing consumption patterns, are putting our freshwater systems increasingly at risk, and the need for action to address these issues is abundantly clear,” said Sheila Bonini, senior vice president, private sector engagement at WWF. “Target’s approach provides a holistic vision to drive solutions that will bring us closer to a sustainable and water-secure future.”

Our plan is ambitious, so we’ll focus our efforts in four main areas where we can make the greatest impact, with initial goals to guide our progress. Check them out:

Raw Materials

Our water footprint starts with growing the raw materials needed to produce our products, such as food and fiber, so we’re working to better understand our basin-level impacts to prioritize our responses.

Goal: By 2022: Source 100% sustainable cotton for our owned brand and exclusive national brand products.

Manufacturing

Working in our areas of greatest impact, we’ll enable our owned-brand manufacturers to do more with less water where local conditions demand, and aim for net-positive water quality outcomes in priority watersheds for people and nature.

Goal: By 2022: Improve water efficiency in textile dyeing and finishing factories located in priority watersheds by 15%

Goal: By 2025: Design 100% of garment washed owned-brand apparel utilizing water saving design principles

Goal: By 2025: All owned-brand apparel textile facilities comply with Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Progressive level wastewater standard

Direct Operations

Across our sores, distribution centers and headquarters locations, we’re taking action to reduce water scarcity, improve water quality outcomes and manage stormwater flows.

Goal: By 2025: 15% absolute water reduction for stores, distribution centers and headquarter locations (baseline 2010)

Goal: Over the next 24 months: We’ll seek to understand Target’s position on water quality within our U.S. building operations.

Beyond the Fenceline

We’ll work with others around the world to encourage progress in the areas above and beyond our own business and operations, through cross-sector partnerships, team member engagement, philanthropic investments and more.

These water goals connect directly into our broader sustainability framework, including our chemical strategy. For example, we recently joined the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals organization, and will use its wastewater guidelines for our 2025 manufacturing goal for water. The guidelines were designed to help companies reduce hazardous chemicals in manufacturing and prevent them from being discharged in wastewater and impacting surrounding communities.

For millions around the world, access to funds stand between them and safe water in their homes, so we’re making an initial $1 million investment in Water.org. We’ll work together to empower people in communities where our goods are produced, enhancing their lives by removing barriers to access affordable financing for water and sanitation.

We’ll continue water conservation work that’s already in progress too, like our recent efforts with Conserva Irrigation to optimize the outdoor irrigation systems at our stores. This has already saved more than 36 million gallons of water, and will be in place at more than 300 stores by the end of 2018.

To share our learnings and progress, we’ll report annually in our Corporate Responsibility Report.

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: Target

Gore And Bonbouton Revolutionize Smart Fabric Technology For Practical Digital Health Applications

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — March 21, 2018 — W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced a collaboration with digital health startup Bonbouton to explore material solutions in advanced sensor technology and enable practical smart fabrics for assistive apparel and digital health applications.

Bonbouton is a New York City-based team of innovators in inkjet-printed, low-cost graphene temperature sensors. With technology licensed from the Stevens Institute of Technology, Bonbouton has emerged as an industry leader in microsensor technology, developing mechanically flexible and molecularly thin sensors for monitoring skin temperature with graphene oxide (GO).

The initial phase of the Gore-Bonbouton agreement will focus on collaborative research in the area of temperature sensing materials. This explorative process will lay a foundation for future applications of sensor technology and conductive inks in digital health, chronic care management and smart fabrics.

“Bonbouton is an ideal partner,” said Paul Campbell, co-leader, Gore Innovation Center. “Its technology shows enormous potential for expanding Gore materials into digital health applications and other markets. Bonbouton is widely and well regarded for its potential in graphene as a sensing modality. We look forward to collaborating with them both from a research and business standpoint.”

“Our work with Gore, and specifically the Innovation Center, is an exciting development. Its materials and expertise are what will allow us to improve on existing technology and take development to the next level,” added Linh Le, CEO and founder, Bonbouton. “Gore is known for a science-backed approach to comfort and wearability. Coupled with its collaborative resources and exploratory mindset, this makes Gore a model partner.”

The Bonbouton-Gore joint development agreement is evidence of Gore’s continuing mission to foster innovation by providing insight and support for startups in the digital health arena. Gore aims to help these organizations with some of the toughest challenges in advanced materials development by offering deep expertise, co-working space and access to versatile materials. The Gore Innovation Center offers a prototyping facility where startups, researchers, customers and corporations can collaborate and innovate.

“We are thrilled to be working with Bonbouton to explore our combined potential, especially in applications where it can enhance quality of life for those with chronic conditions,” said Linda Elkins, co-leader, Gore Innovation Center. “Gore has a long-standing tradition of pushing boundaries in the material science space, and we aim to lend that expertise to organizations like Bonbouton, whose mission is to improve lives through smart fabrics and advanced sensor technology.”

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: W. L. Gore & Associates

Southern Tide Expands Brand’s Retail Footprint With Destination And Community In Mind

GREENVILLE, S.C. — March 21, 2018 — Southern Tide has announced the expansion of the brand’s retail footprint with signature stores operated by like-minded wholesale partners in new regions including Southeast Florida and New England. With the idea of “Southern Style” being not about geography but rather a state of mind, Southern Tide is broadening its reach and looking to put down roots where destination and community are at the forefront.

“The development of the Southern Tide signature stores and wider retail programs has allowed our brand to reach new consumers in areas that are important to us,” said Southern Tide CEO, Christopher Heyn. “Now more than ever data is driving retail decisions, and content is a key factor in helping brands anticipate consumer needs. With these new stores and retail partnerships, we as a brand are advancing the Southern lifestyle that Southern Tide exudes every day.”

Southern Tide’s signature stores cater to consumers looking to incorporate Southern lifestyle and heritage into their wardrobes, even if they don’t live in the South. As personal style and localization remain top of mind in consumer purchasing habits, Southern Tide looks to increase their brand awareness and retail footprint by partnering with local entrepreneurs who own and operate Southern Tide signature stores. Since beginning the program in 2015 with the opening of the Kiawah Island store, the brand has worked with local owners all over the U.S. to open a steady stream of Southern Tide signature stores. When selecting new signature store opportunities, Southern Tide looks for wholesale partners with experience in regions that showcase the brand’s spirit of an active lifestyle while still adhering to the look and feel of the brand’s design aesthetic.

The brand recently announced the openings of signature stores in Raleigh, Asheville, and Wilmington, N.C., and is now widening its reach to Vero Beach, Fla.; Westport, Conn.; Nantucket, Chatham, Lynnfield and Mashpee, Mass.; and Mount Pleasant, S.C. These stores are set to open between March and May 2018. The newest Southern Tide signature stores will feature Southern Tide apparel as well as various styles of specialty ties, bowties, and pocket squares, which were created with licensed partner Harry Bachrach, along with a well-curated selection of other compatible lifestyle brands.

The overall retail expansion strategy is all part of Christopher Heyn’s “Bricks, Sticks and Clicks” methodology. Through reimagined brick and mortar stores to online shopping to curated social media content and mailed catalogs, Southern Tide truly believes all consumers digest information differently. In order to be successful, a healthy mix of all communication vehicles is necessary. The brand continues to recognize their vital partnerships with men’s and women’s specialty stores and is represented in over 750 specialty doors in 45 states across the United States. Over the last three years, Southern Tide has increased its department store presence from 15 to 95 doors and has expanded its signature store program to include 14 locations by July 2018. The brand has more than quadrupled its college campus presence, as well as significantly increased its appearance in country clubs and resorts in the last three years.

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: Southern Tide

Kappler WOSB Certification Gives Contractors Unique Set-Aside Option For Protective Apparel Plus Custom Fabric Technology

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — March 21, 2018 — Kappler Inc. is bringing a new set-aside option to government contractors with its unique product category: Chemical and biohazard protective apparel plus specialized fabric technology.

Now certified as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) in the System for Award Management and the SBA’s WOSB certification repository, Kappler provides a wide range of chemical and biohazard garments. The company also specializes in custom R&D support for unique fabric applications.

The WOSB status allows Kappler to help federal agencies and large companies meet small business goals through the WOSB set-aside program. Kappler offers the added benefit of a Made In The USA pedigree, a huge plus for military and other government work.

“We’ve already done significant government-related work for NASA, the Navy, Lockheed Martin and others,” said Laura Kappler-Roberts, company president and CEO. “The WOSB certification is a natural progression for our family-owned business, and will allow us to expand our expertise to a wider base.”

Kappler-Roberts represents the second generation of leadership for Kappler, a company founded by her father, George Kappler in 1976. A leading innovator in the critical technology around chemical protection, Kappler produces all its garments and provides technology development services from its Guntersville, Ala., headquarters.

“With our location so close to Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal, we believe the WOSB certification creates a natural synergy with so much military and other government work in our area,” Kappler-Roberts said.

In addition to its Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products, Kappler has extensive experience supporting government projects with specialized R&D solutions. That history includes NASA work for an ammonia-protective hood for International Space Station astronauts, and a ballistic fabric parking garage for the lunar rover. Other development projects range from a deep-dive suit for the U.S. Navy for hydrocarbon fuel protection, to nanoscale fabric development for Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: Kappler Inc.

Indorama Ventures Enters Into A Joint Venture To Acquire The Integrated PTA-PET Assets In Corpus Christi, Texas

BANGKOK, Thailand — March 21, 2018 — Corpus Christi Polymers LLC (CC Polymers) — a newly-formed joint venture between Alpek S.A.B. de C.V.; Indorama Ventures Holdings LP a subsidiary of Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd.; and Far Eastern Investment (Holding) Ltd. — has entered into an asset purchase agreement with M&G USA Corp. and its affiliated debtors whereby CC Polymers will acquire the integrated PTA-PET plant currently under construction in Corpus Christi, Texas, certain M&G intellectual property, and a desalination/boiler plant providing water and steam needs to the Corpus Christi Project. The purchase agreement provides M&G with a binding bid of $1.125 billion in cash and other capital contributions.

The Corpus Christi Project is an integrated PTA-PET plant currently under development that, when completed, will have nominal capacity of 1.1 million and 1.3 million metric tons per year of PET and PTA, respectively. The plant is expected to be the largest single line vertically integrated PTA-PET production facility in the world and the largest PTA plant in the Americas.

Pursuant to the terms of the newly formed joint venture:

The parties will provide resources to CC Polymers to complete the project in the most efficient and cost effective way. A timeline for project completion will be communicated at a later stage.

Each of Alpek, Indorama, and Far Eastern will have the right to receive one-third of the capacity of PTA and PET produced at the Corpus Christi Project upon completion. Each party will independently procure its raw materials and will independently sell and distribute their corresponding PTA and PET.

The closing of the transaction is subject to conditions precedent including approval by the bankruptcy court and applicable governmental authorities.

PJT Partners is serving as financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is serving as legal advisor to Alpek. HSBC is serving as financial advisor and Lowenstein Sandler LLP is serving as legal advisor to Indorama. Morgan Stanley is serving as financial advisor and Duane Morris LLP is serving as legal advisor to Far Eastern.

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: Indorama Ventures

 

ITM 2018 Exhibitor Preview: Mayer & Cie.

ALBSTADT, Germany — March 21, 2018 — The Germany-based circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. (MCT) is exhibiting three machines at this year’s ITM International Textile Machinery fair in Istanbul from April 14-17. The company’s aim is to highlight its products and its corporate philosophy in a convincing display. Premium manufacturer Mayer & Cie. is featuring the Relanit 3.2 HS and the D4 2.2 II, both of which are established machines, while the OVJA 2.4 EM is a new addition to the MCT product range in the mattress ticking segment. An info stand will present the latest innovation, spinitsystems spinning and knitting technology.

“’Traditionally one step ahead’ is one of our company’s central guidelines,” says Wolfgang Müller, head of sales and marketing at Mayer & Cie. “We go to great effort to maintain our lead that we have earned in more than 100 years of company history. That enables us to offer our customers tried and tested, state-of-the-art technologies while at the same time constantly developing completely new approaches such as, for example, spinitsystems technology.”

Well-known bestsellers for a strong sales market

The Relanit 3.2 HS that Mayer & Cie. is exhibiting in Istanbul is one of the company’s most popular models. It is the latest member of the Relanit family of machines that use relative technology. This technology, 30 years old this year, is characterised by gentle yarn processing and high productivity. Knitting pure cotton, the Relanit 3.2 HS with a 30-inch diameter reaches a speed of up to 50 rpm, i.e. speedfactor 1,500. Also, when knitting elastomer yarns, the machine is both impressively fast and highly reliable. “In Turkey,” says sales manager Müller, “demand for Relanit machines has always been very strong. The Relanit 3.2 HS enables us to continue writing this success story.”

Thanks to its many fields of application and exceptional fabric quality, D4 2.2 II enjoys wide international popularity, too. It offers highest quality for rib, interlock and 8-lock-structures. Using an especially developed conversion kit, D4 2.2 II produces spacer fabric of a unique quality. The range of applications for which D4 2.2 II produces the desired fabrics include underwear, sports- and leisurewear just as much as lining for shoes and decoration.

Mayer & Cie. is exhibiting open-width frame versions of all three machines at the ITM. The OVJA 2.4 EM will be on show in a raised frame, for fabric rolls of up to a diameter of 600 mm. This is due to mattress cover fabrics’ generally higher material thickness.

New machine for a potent niche market

The OVJA 2.4 EM is a new machine designed especially for the mattress ticking market’s changing demands. It focusses on maximising output of standard mattress cover fabrics. The machine achieves this goal by combining a higher number of feeders (2.4 per inch) and a higher speed (up to 25 rpm with 
38 ‘’). The machine is based on the tried and trusted OVJA 2.4 E. Although OVJA 2.4 EM focuses on maximising production, it still offers a wide range of mattress cover designs. Thanks to its single needle selection, design changes can be done quickly. The result is a highly productive, easy-to-handle machine that promises to meet the requirements of Turkish Mayer & Cie. customers in respect of quality, productivity and profitability.

New opportunities with spinitsystems

The spinitsystems team will have an info stand in Istanbul at which to present its innovation and explain the opportunities that it opens up for customers. Mayer & Cie. sees good prospects on the Bosporus for its new technology that combines spinning and knitting in one machine. Turkey is not only the home of a highly developed textile industry but also an important cotton producer. Both points, especially in combination, are important starting points for spinitsystems.

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: Mayer & Cie.

TeXtreme® Expands Product Line With The ±45° Grid Fabric

BORÅS, Sweden — March 21, 2018 — TeXtreme® is proud to announce the latest addition to its line of Spread Tow products, the  ±45° Grid fabric. This new version of TeXtreme Spread Tow fabric will further broaden the ability to optimize Spread Tow solutions for new applications and markets.

TeXtreme Spread Tow Grid can be highly tailored to meet specific needs such as increasing torsional stiffness with minimum weight increase or enabling radio transmittency through the fabric’s opening. This new grid material can be used in monolithic structures as well as for sandwich skins in either a prepregged form or dry form for infusion. Because of its extremely low 21 grams per square meter areal weight, this version of the dry grid material can be wet out by capturing excess resin from its neighboring prepreg plies.

Andreas Martsman, vice president, marketing & sales, Oxeon, said: “We are very pleased to introduce another innovative extension of the TeXtreme product family. We believe that this development brings a great value to our customers as we will be able to further optimize the reinforcement solution for each application. I am sure this new TeXtreme version will also unveil new opportunities in an even broader spectrum of applications.”

Even though the Grid fabric has designed gaps which resemble a lattice, its characteristics are similar to other TeXtreme Spread Tow reinforcements. By using the Grid fabric by itself or in combination with the other products in the TeXtreme family, optimized reinforcement solutions can be created which enable customers to reduce the weight of their products without sacrificing mechanical properties. The new grid fabric offers excellent stability while handling and can be either manually or automatically cut or handled while being prepregged in standard hot melt processes.

Andreas Martsman continued, “We work in close cooperation with our clients, providing them with technical support which starts with selecting the optimal reinforcement structure and allof the steps up to and including the production process. During this support, we saw a demand for even lighter fabrics, so we decided to invest in and develop this new technology. The range of TeXtreme Grid products further strengthens our position as market leaders in the Advanced Carbon Reinforcement Technology and will give us an even greater flexibility to meet all customer needs”

Posted March 21, 2018

Source: Oxeon AB

Clo® Insulation Launches Vivo Product Line To The North American Outdoor Market

NORWICH, England — March 2018 — Clo Insulation, developer of highly breathable insulation for performance wear, has launched Vivo products for the North American market. Showcasing at the Meteorite Winter Adventure Camp held in late January in Boulder, Colorado, Vivo garnered the attention of notable media outlets and leading outdoor apparel manufacturers.

“We’ve heard from many publications and distinguished apparel brands that they’ve yet to see anything as breathable, warm, or comfortable as Vivo,” said Toby Harvey, head of global sales at Clo Insulation. “And we’re receiving a lot of interest from outdoor brands, largely due to Vivo’s unique, unrivaled design.”

Vivo is designed as an ultra-lightweight insulation with specialized apertures. The strategically placed holes trap warm air while also allowing moisture to move away from the body quickly. In fact, lab testing has proven Vivo can increase breathability by up to 30 percent without affecting thermal performance, which in turn enhances warmth and comfort.

“Vivo’s innovative design is important for what we call the ‘Paradox of Warmth,’” said Harvey. “Poor insulation can actually leave you cold. For instance, when you go skiing or hiking, you’re exerting a lot of energy and therefore sweating, but if your jacket can’t breathe, the sweat lingers along your skin. And because it can’t escape, it ultimately cools, making you cold as well, thereby affecting your performance, comfort, and, frankly, your personal safety.”

Vivo is already the staple insulation for leading European sportswear and couture brands. Now, given Vivo’s showing at the Meteorite Winter Adventure Camp, many well-known North American apparel brands have begun to express their desire to employ Vivo in their upcoming garments.

Today, outdoor apparel and sportswear manufacturers can choose from three Vivo products:

  • Vivo Eco—made with 90 percent recycled fibers, its flexible yet stable structure provides excellent comfort.
  • Vivo Teknica—provides the perfect balance between breathability and warmth plus an edge in performance.
  • Vivo Veluti—delivers a luxury feel while also being super breathable and lightweight.

Vivo has won numerous textile innovation awards, including multiple ISPO Textrends Top 10 honors. Clo Insulation is slated to unveil more Vivo products and innovations throughout 2018 and 2019.

Posted March 20, 2018

Source: Clo Insulation

Call For Papers Announced For Global Composites Conference

ARLINGTON, Va. — March 20th, 2018 — The Global Composites Conference, jointly hosted by NetComposites and the American Composites Manufacturers Association (AMCA), will take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas June 27-28, 2018.

Final abstracts are now being accepted on subjects relating to the advancements and use of composite materials worldwide to include, but not limited to:

  • Global composites industry trends;
  • Global composites technology trends;
  • Building global networks;
  • Finance and investment in the composites industry;
  • Expanding into new territories; and
  • Global sales and marketing, quality management and workforce.

Presentations will reach an international audience of professional end-users, decision makers, consultants and divisional heads.

Please submit a 250-word abstract via the form below and educate visitors on high growth areas such as the United States, China, Brazil and the Middle East.

The closing date for abstracts is March 29, 2018 and these can be submitted online via http://globalcompositesconference.com/call-for-papers.

Sponsorship and exhibition packages are still available in a variety of packages to suit all budgets, providing an opportunity to engage with the conference audience, whilst benefiting from added online presence.

Posted March 20, 2018

Source: The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA)

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