Quality Fabric Of The Month: Paper Thin, But Ultra-Strong

QFOMDyneema
Hyperlite Mountain Gear uses Dyneema® composite fabrics to make its ultra-lightweight, ultra-strong tents and backpacks for hikers, mountaineers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Photograph by Brian Threlkeld.

Dyneema® composite fabrics are featured in super-lightweight outdoor gear such as backpacks and tents, and are being promoted for apparel applications as well.

By Janet Bealer Rodie, Contributing Editor

Dyneema® composite fabrics, made with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber, have been used in applications such as the ultra-lightweight, ultra-strong sails that helped America³ win the 1992 America’s Cup. Over the years, applications have expanded beyond sailcloth to include airships, medical applications, flexible circuitry, hiking gear and now also apparel. The fabrics are manufactured at DSM Dyneema’s Mesa, Ariz., facility, which the Netherlands-based company acquired as part of its 2015 buyout of Cubic Tech Corp., whose product portfolio of ultra-lightweight laminates is the basis for the Dyneema Composite Fabrics segment.

The Dyneema composites range includes nonbreathable and breathable fabrics of varying weight classes and laydowns, noted segment Director Noud Steffens. “There are five or six different films, and different performance/durability ratios and weight classes so we can combine, in the end, probably hundreds of possibilities,” he said.

Nonbreathable fabrics may have a thermoplastic polyurethane or other nonbreathable plastic coating. Breathable fabrics may feature an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. Composites with 0/90 laydowns offer some diagonal stretch, while those with 0/90/45/135 laydowns are suitable for applications that require more stability.

Through The Dyneema® Project, the company works with brands and designers to develop and market apparel, outdoor gear and other articles using Dyneema composite fabrics “If you have a cool idea, we are prepared to customize and help you out for that specific project,” Steffens explained.

In one project, the company worked with Vancouver-based outdoor fashion designer Conroy Nachtigall to develop fabric for a paper-thin, ultra-lightweight, waterproof, breathable Alpine jacket. Several skiers, snowboarders and other winter sports enthusiasts in Squamish, British Columbia, tried out the jacket and raved about its performance.

Describing his interest in using the Dyneema composite in the jacket, Nachtigall explained: “Beyond the technical characteristics of the fabric — the light weight for its strength — I like that it is essentially an engineered product that is created with an artisanal-like process. The final fabric visual retains some of that process and it becomes part of the aesthetic.”

Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Biddeford, Maine, has been using Dyneema composites in its backpacks, tents and shelters for several years. “Our reason for using Dyneema is its strength and light weight,” said Mike St. Pierre, CEO, Hyperlite. “Really lightweight nonwoven composites work for tents because there’s no way for water to penetrate, and the PE fiber doesn’t absorb moisture. This is a huge advantage. Under tension, a lot of woven fabrics, even if they have DWR finishes on them, can stretch and become saturated with water. For our tents, we’re using Dyneema fiber sandwiched between Mylar sheets. For backpacks, we can use the same kind of material laminate with polyester and Dyneema.”

Hyperlite now is working with Dyneema to develop a jacket using a Dyneema composite. “We are still refining the fabric and material choices in order to optimize performance,” St. Pierre said. “It will be one of the lightest jackets on the market.”

Italy-based menswear brand Stone Island is also working with Dyneema and recently launched a limited-edition series of reversible garment-dyed jackets featuring a flexible Dyneema composite on one side and an ultralight, dyeable nylon fabric on the other.

For more information about Dyneema® Composite Fabrics, contact thedyneema project.com using the form “Work with us.”

May/June 2017

Food Safety Summit Display Highlights Certified Laundries’ High Quality

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — May 29, 2017 — More than 100 attendees and exhibitors at the recent Food Safety Summit, the largest such U.S. event for this profession, learned how laundries that have earned that the Hygienically Clean Food Safety certification steadily improve laundered product quality.

Visitors to the certification’s Summit exhibit discovered that Hygienically Clean Food Safety-certified laundries go beyond obtaining third-party validation of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan. HACCP validation is a vital component of the certification, staff explained, but it’s only one element of the Hygienically Clean inspectors’ determination of whether a laundry deploys industry best practices. In addition, using a Hygienically Clean-approved lab, certified laundries test samples of cleaned items quarterly to ensure that they are free of pathogens in sufficient numbers to cause human illness.

 

Many visitors to the Hygienically Clean display who regularly work with linen, uniform and facility services providers were pleased to hear about the advent of the Food Safety certification, which premiered in 2014. They inquired about whether their current linen and uniform providers had been certified; if not, they indicated they would discuss the matter with them.

Attendees with these job titles were among the individuals who dedicated exhibit hall time to learn about Hygienically Clean:

  • Certification Specialist
  • Compliance Manager
  • Food Safety Director, Manager
  • General Manager
  • HACCP Coordinator, Supervisor
  • Operations Director, Manager
  • Owner
  • Process Improvement Manager
  • Quality Assurance Director, Manager, VP
  • Quality Control Supervisor

The Summit, May 9-11 in Rosemont, IL, (near O’Hare Airport) drew a reported 1,700 attendees. Food-safety professionals displayed their usual high level of interest in certification; Summit classes related to various designations were sold out. The Hygienically Clean display distributed Food Safety Transparency across Your Supply Chain, an interactive reference containing hyperlinks to certification resources for food manufacturers and processors. This text urges these businesses to ensure that their suppliers in all industries are certified for their role in ensuring food safety, not just ingredient suppliers. Hygienically Clean laundries were presented as an example of a supplier industry that food manufacturers and processors should hold to the highest standards of safety and cleanliness.

Posted May 26, 2017

Source: TRSA

Huntsman And Clariant To Combine In Merger Of Equals

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — May 22, 2017 — Huntsman Corporation and Clariant today announced that their Boards of Directors unanimously approved a definitive agreement to combine in a merger of equals through an all-stock transaction.

The merged company will be named HuntsmanClariant. On a pro forma 2016 basis , the combination of both companies will create a leading global specialty chemical company with sales of approximately $13.2 billion, an adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 billion and a combined enterprise value of approximately $20 billion at announcement.

The combined entity will benefit from each other’s strengths. It will have a significantly improved growth profile in highly attractive end markets and geographies. HuntsmanClariant will leverage shared knowledge in sustainability and boast a much stronger joint innovation platform. This will enable the development of new products in order to deliver superior returns and drive shareholder value.

“This is the perfect deal at the right time. Clariant and Huntsman are joining forces to gain much broader global reach, create more sustained innovation power and achieve new growth opportunities,” said Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant. “This is in the best interest of all of our stakeholders. Peter Huntsman and I share the same strategic vision and I look forward to working with him.”

Peter R. Huntsman, President and CEO of Huntsman, commented: “I could not be more enthusiastic about this merger and look forward to working closely with Hariolf Kottmann, a man I have admired and trusted for the past decade. We also look forward to a close association with his immensely talented colleagues around the world. Together, we will create a global leader in specialty chemicals with a combined balance sheet providing substantial financial strength and flexibility.”

Transaction highlights

  • All-stock merger of equals transaction;
  • Clariant shareholders: 52%, Huntsman shareholders: 48%;
  • Huntsman shareholders receive 1.2196 shares in HuntsmanClariant for each Huntsman share (each existing Clariant share will remain outstanding as a share in HuntsmanClariant);
  • Board of Directors with equal representation from Clariant and Huntsman;
  • Global Headquarters in Pratteln, Switzerland, Operational Headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas; and
  • Dual stock exchange direct listing on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

Value Creation

The new company will accelerate value creation for shareholders through a more robust combination of technology, products and talent. The combined company expects to realize more than $3.5 billion of value creation from approximately $400 million in annual cost synergies. The full synergy run-rate will be achieved within two years of closing. These synergies will be realized by reducing operational costs and improving procurement. The targeted synergies represent roughly 3 percent of total combined 2016 revenue with one-time costs up to $500 million. There will also be additional cash-tax savings.

Corporate Governance

The combined company, incorporated in Switzerland, will be governed by a Board of Directors with equal representation from Clariant and Huntsman and will follow Swiss Corporate Governance standards. Hariolf Kottmann, current Clariant CEO, shall become Chairman of the Board of HuntsmanClariant. Peter Huntsman, current Huntsman President and CEO, will become CEO of HuntsmanClariant. Jon Huntsman, founder and Chairman of Huntsman, shall become Chairman Emeritus and board member of HuntsmanClariant. The merger enjoys strong commitment from both Clariant and Huntsman family shareholders. The company will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. HuntsmanClariant will use IFRS, and beginning in Q1 2018 will report in USD and will start filing 10Qs and 10Ks consistent with SEC requirements.

Timing

The transaction is targeted to close by year end 2017, subject to Clariant and Huntsman shareholder approvals, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Clariant and Huntsman are confident that the required regulatory approvals can be obtained in a timely manner.

This presentation contains financial measures that are not in accordance with generally accepted accountin g principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”). For reconciliation of Huntsman’s non-GAAP measures please refer the related presentation posted on our website, www.huntsman.com.

Advisors

Citi and UBS AG are serving as Clariant’s financial advisors for the transaction, with Homburger and Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton serving as its legal advisors.

BofA, Merrill Lynch and Moelis & Company LLC are serving as Huntsman’s financial advisors for the transaction, with Kirkland & Ellis, Bär & Karrer and Vinson & Elkins acting as its legal advisors.

Posted May 25, 2017

Source: Huntsman Corp.

University Of Oregon Scientists Announce Major Advancement In Laundry Science

EUGENE, Ore. — May 24, 2017 —  Today, scientists from Defunkify, a technology spinout of the University of Oregon, announced the release of the company’s Active Wash detergent, the first detergent designed specifically to remove odor from modern fabrics.

“You wouldn’t wear your grandmother’s yoga pants, so why are you still using her detergent?” said Richard Geiger, CEO of Defunkify. “As modern fabrics have advanced, laundry detergent hasn’t kept up. Consumers used to have a choice: a green detergent that didn’t remove stains and odor or a traditional detergent that isn’t green. With Active Wash, consumers now have both in a single product.”

Defunkify Active Wash penetrates deep between fibers to remove dirt, oils and soap-scum that build up over time. By removing the source of the odor, Active Wash restores garments to their original condition. Active Wash can be used in warm or cold water and on synthetics or natural fibers including wool and cotton.

“Active Wash washes the funk out of clothes better than anything else, using environmentally-friendly, sustainable ingredients,” said Geiger.

Posted May 24, 2017

Source: Defunkify

SGIA Opens Golden Image Competition

FAIRFAX, Va. — May 25, 2017 — The call is out for SGIA Golden Image award entries. Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) members are invited to submit their best work in this global contest of excellence in printing.

“With over 50 categories, there are opportunities for every printer to enter — no matter what or where they print,” said Johnny Shell, Vice President, Technical Services, SGIA.

Golden Image entries will be displayed in the Golden Image Gallery at the 2017 SGIA Expo (New Orleans, October 10–12). Judging takes place Monday, October 9, with winners posted on SGIA.org and notified by email Tuesday, October 10.

Contest entries come from around the world, and winners can receive gold, silver, bronze or honorable mention recognition. Gold winners are considered for the Best in Show designation, and all entries are eligible for the People’s Choice award.

“Winning a Golden Image Award puts you among the best in the world,” Shell said. “Think of the boost to morale in your shop that comes from that!”

The contest is open to SGIA members, and a printer’s first entry is free. Subsequent submissions incur a $35 entry fee. Entrants do not have to attend the Expo.

Posted May 25, 2017

Source: Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA)

Crashworthy Lightweight Material Solution For Automotive Industry

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — May 25, 2017 — BMW, the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), and the University of Delaware-Center for Composite Materials (UD-CCM) has completed research proving the accuracy of high speed computing for modeling and simulation, to predict the quality and effectiveness of a material that is both lightweight and safety-tested. This effort has demonstrated design, materials, manufacturing, and joining methods for continuous carbon fiber thermoplastics, to meet automotive, industry, and government safety specifications.

This two-year program is a successful government-industry-university partnership that involved regulatory agencies, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and materials suppliers from the composite industry.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funded this effort and provided input and guidance throughout the program. NCMS managed the program and ensured target objectives were achieved in a timely manner. Close collaboration with BMW was instrumental in establishing B-pillar performance metrics derived from full-vehicle crash simulations and other design and integrations requirements. UD-CCM provided full range of capabilities in materials selection and evaluation, composite design, analysis and crash simulations, process development and manufacturing, full-scale pillar assembly, and high energy impact testing.

The objective of this study was to investigate the computational tools for the design, optimization, and manufacture of carbon fiber materials for vehicle side frame structures (in this case, B-pillar) subjected to high-velocity side-impact crash loading, and to investigate and demonstrate the appropriateness of simulative methods and tools to adequately predict behavior relevant for the assessment of vehicle safety.

“Using the latest, state-of-the-art tools of high speed computing and data analytics, we have proven the qualities and characteristics of a new lightweight material while maintaining safety requirements in vehicles. In this case, BMW and other automotive companies will benefit but ultimately all industry sectors can use these light, strong, crash-resistant materials for their own manufacturing. And the biggest winner will be the safety of the driving public” NCMS President and CEO Rick Jarman.

“A specific continuous fiber thermoplastic material, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) is a preferred solution for reducing weight while maintaining safety requirements for vehicles. The team used this material to successfully design and impact test a lightweight, all-thermoplastic, continuous carbon fiber composite B-Pillar for automotive applications.” UD-CCM Director Jack Gillespie.

The B-pillar design was spatially optimized for energy absorption, stiffness, and strength while maintaining part producibility and vehicle integration. The resulting B-pillar is 60% lighter than the existing metallic design while meeting BMW safety requirements for the NHTSA FMVSS214 side impact crash.

Benefits discovered include:

  • Validation of state-of-the-art Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) simulation tools for full vehicle to component impact data. CAE simulations mirrored practical test scenarios.
  • Development and demonstration of innovative production methods for multi-material parts including infusion and thermoforming tailored blanks with 3 min cycle times.
    Development and automation of adhesive bonding methods for dissimilar thermoplastic and steel interfaces.
  • Achievement of energy savings through a 100% recyclable infusion system with full recovery of the resin and continuous carbon fiber preform possible.
  • Five (5) full-scale B-pillar assemblies were successfully impact tested under 100% equivalent energy of the side impact crash test scenario at the University of Delaware – Center for Composite Materials demonstrating composite behavior.  All B-pillar test subject performance metrics met or exceeded BMW safety requirements for NHTSA FMVSS214 side impact crash.

Results of this program will be disseminated widely to the automotive industry and the technologies are being evaluated by BMW for future platforms.

Posted May 25, 2017

Source: National Center for Manufacturing Sciences

Sunbury Launches Nanotex® aSure At ITMA SHOWTIME

SUNBURY, Pa./BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — May 24, 2017 — Fresh from launching its new brand identity and moving into their expanded new design studio in the Chelsea section of New York City, Sunbury Textiles introduces its new indoor performance brand Nanotex® aSure geared towards the residential furniture market – both furniture manufacturers and jobbers. Nanotex® aSure will be available by early June and seen at the upcoming ITMA Showtime, one of the largest decorative items-related trade shows, on June 4-7th.

All Nanotex® aSure products will feature Nanotex® Resists Spills performance technology with exceptional clean-abilty. Nanotex® Resists Spills provides the fluid barrier technology, causing many liquids to bead up and roll off the fabric. The new aSure fabric line is created with technology by which molecules permanently attach to every fiber without clogging the fabric weave or compromising the look, feel or comfort of the fabric. With a minimum of 30,000 double rubs to ensure durability and its GREENGUARD Gold certification, the new collections will offer a complete performance story. Sunbury is the exclusive weaver for Nanotex® aSure.

“Sunbury teamed up with Nanotex to develop this exclusive line of fabrics that showcases each company’s strengths of proven design and aesthetics with the expertise of finishing fabrics at the highest industry standards to provide a care-free solution for creating a beautiful living space,” said Hank Truslow Jr., CEO of Sunbury Textile.

Nanotex® aSure was specifically developed to include a host of constructions and decorative yarns in an array of colors, textures, patterns, stripes and statement designs to compliment any room or lifestyle.

“In recent years, Nanotex has expanded exponentially, especially in the area of apparel and bedding,” explains Lance Keziah, CEO of Nanotex. “Also during that time, the joint technical teams at Sunbury and Nanotex worked together to bring this new performance textile, Nanotex® aSure, created just for Sunbury, to the residential upholstery textile market. It provides consistent performance across multiple fiber types – it really is an ideal home textile. The beauty that Sunbury brings to the Nanotex performance technology system is a perfect match.”

Posted May 24, 2017

Source: Sunbury Textile Mills

Wrangler® Launches Pilot Program For Sustainable U.S. Cotton Supply

DETROIT, Mich. — May 24, 2017 — Iconic American denim brand Wrangler® today announced the launch of a pilot program to help U.S. cotton farmers reach the next level in sustainable growing practices. The announcement took place at the Sustainable Brands conference in Detroit, where Wrangler co-hosted the Good Apparel pavilion.

Wrangler purchases roughly half of the cotton for its products from U.S. growers. The U.S. cotton industry outperforms most other cotton-growing regions of the world on environmental metrics. However, Wrangler wants to determine how even greater environmental and economic benefits can be achieved through a programmatic focus on soil health in the U.S.

“Scientific research shows greater attention to soil health can further reduce the water and energy inputs required to grow cotton and other crops,” explained Wrangler sustainability director, Roian Atwood. “We’re working with a cotton grower in Alabama to explore the best way to implement and measure the effects of robust soil practices like no-till, crop rotation and cover cropping. We hope to have dozens of growers in the program within a few years.”

The Newby family—seventh-generation farmers from Athens, Alabama—will work with Wrangler and advisors from the Soil Health Institute (SHI) to unlock further improvements in cotton yield, irrigation water, energy inputs, greenhouse gas emissions and soil conservation. Forty thousand pounds of the Newby’s cotton will be used to make a special collection of Wrangler denim jeans that will be sold in 2018.

“Our family has always looked for new ways to make farming more economical, while taking better care of the land,” said Jerry Allen Newby. “There’s been a learning curve, but we’re beginning to see good results with things like cover crops and soil grid mapping. We’re happy to work with Wrangler, share what we’ve learned, and maybe make it easier for other growers to transition to these practices.”

The pilot program builds on Wrangler’s long-standing commitment to supporting U.S. farming communities. Wrangler has been a corporate sponsor of Future Farmers of America for more than 50 years, and recently hosted a conference at Wrangler headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, to educate FFA youth on the science of soil health. A short video overview of that event is available here.

Wrangler’s sustainability work is focused on three areas: land, people and industry. In addition to the cotton pilot project and soil health education, other programs include a commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2025, zero waste facilities, and manufacturing and technology improvements that have saved 3 billion liters of water over the last decade.

Posted May 24, 2017

Source:  Wrangler

Global Success: The 2.5-Millionth Autoconer Winding Unit Was Put Into Operation

ÜBACH-PALENBERG, Germany — May 23, 2017 — The 2.5-millionth Autoconer winding unit was put into operation in 2017. This record, unmatched in the sector, is another milestone in Schlafhorst’s successful company history and shows how much trust the textile industry has in its technological leadership. For over half a century, the German textile machinery manufacturer has been determining the technical and technological progress in package winding with the Autoconer.

The synonym for automatic package winding for 55 years

With the mass production of the Autoconer in 1962, the era of automatic package winding began. The sales success was staggering. As early as the preview three years prior at the ITMA in Milan in 1959, the revolutionary concept of the Autoconer sparked enthusiasm among the experts in the textile industry. Since then, the name Autoconer has been the synonym for automatic package winding. Today, Autoconer packages are still the global benchmark for quality and efficiency.

The history of the Autoconer is characterised by a long list of ground-breaking inventions that have always increased customer benefits. Every product generation of the Autoconer exceeded the industry’s expectations regarding efficiency and technology. Revolutionary splicing technology, innovative sensor technology and control systems, the unique FX technologies and intelligent automation systems became state of the art, thanks to Schlafhorst.

Autoconer 107 – the dawn of automation

The first product generation of the Autoconer radically changed workflows in the package winding sector. In manual winding, staff had to change the tubes and provide each bobbin individually, find the upper and lower yarn end, knot them together and put it in the yarn path. Moreover, the packages had to be changed by hand. The many manual handlings in the machine limited productivity and quality. The Autoconer 107 broke these shackles. The circular magazine with automatic bobbin changing drastically improved its ease of use. A mechanical yarn clearer, a knotting aggregate and lastly the package doffer automated the winding process. The operators were relieved of almost all manual work thanks to the Autoconer and took on mainly supervisory functions. Automation was the necessary prerequisite to increase productivity and quality, as the limiting factors of staff, and therefore the necessary manual interference, would be removed. Through this, the package winding sector became significantly more efficient; it was the breakthrough that changed the labour-intensive winding process to an automatic one.

The benefits of the Autoconer 107 compared to a manual winding machine spoke for themselves:

  • The manual effort per kilogram was reduced to 1⁄4 of the previous expenditure that was required
  • Production increased fourfold.
  • The manufacturing costs per kilogram of yarn (for example Nm 34) decreased by 40 percent.

Autoconer 138 – the invention of splicing technology
The Autoconer 107 was produced for over 15 years. Its successor, the Autoconer 138, astounded the textile world in 1976 with its separate mechanical, electric and pneumatic functions. But the real sensation entered the market only two years later. In 1978, the innovative splicer mechanism revolutionised yarn joining: the splice replaced knots for the first time. In doing so, quality for subsequent processes was re-defined. While knots were three to four times thicker than the yarn and often led to yarn breaks in knitting and weaving, the splice by Schlafhorst was practically similar to the yarn. Efficiency in processing increased considerably and the quality of the finished articles was enormously improved.

Autoconer 238 – the material flow revolution

In 1987, Schlafhorst brought the Autoconer 238 onto the market, the first winding machine with single winding unit drive. This led to increased flexibility and quality in the spinning mills. In the 80s and 90s, the increase in profitability in spinning mills was closely linked with the increasing automation of the process cycles. In 1991, Schlafhorst went on to develop the revolutionary Caddy transport system to market readiness. Spinning mills were able to use it to implement more efficient material flow and automatization strategies.

Autoconer 338 – the trailblazer for innovations in textile technology

The next product generation, the Autoconer 338, with new drives and sensors went into production in 1997, while the starting pistol also sounded for the development of intelligent FX technologies. This made Schlafhorst the trailblazer for innovations in textile technology. Autotense FX, the first online yarn tension control, is still the undisputed industry benchmark today.

Autoconer 5 – drumless yarn displacement

In 2007, Schlafhorst introduced the textile industry to the world of digital yarn displacement for processing bobbins. The Autoconer 5 revolutionised the production of process-optimized packages with its drumless yarn displacement system PreciFX. Two years later, Schlafhorst was once again at the cutting edge of the automatization trend with the Autoconer X5. Intelligent material flow technologies, smart package handling with the X-Change doffer and flexible process optimisation with the Autoconer types RM, D, T and V allowed each spinning mill to have an individual automation concept.

Autoconer 6 – self-optimising and E3 certified

The next major leap came in 2015. With the Autoconer 6, Schlafhorst presented an automatic package winder with self-optimised process cycles. Maximum productivity, the greatest possible energy efficiency and the absolute best quality are possible, practically at the touch of a button. As a result, the newest product generation is E3 certified because it gives spinning mills the world over threefold added value in the fields of energy, economics and ergonomics.

Success in the hotspots of automatization

In its 55-year history, the Autoconer has always celebrated its success at the hotspots of the textile industry. The first Autoconer generations were primarily sold in Europe and North America where the demand for automation of the textile industry was already quite advanced. Today, the strongest key markets are in Asia. Schlafhorst presented the 2.5-millionth milestone winding unit to the Indian textile company Kanchan India Ltd at the INDIA ITME 2016.

Commodity spinning mills and specialists across the globe are still optimising their value chain this day with the Autoconer. “The Autoconer shaped the industry’s history”, says the Schlafhorst Product Manager responsible, Peter Gölden. “Spinning mills have chosen an Autoconer winding unit 2.5 million times. To grasp that in numbers: the productivity potential behind that allows to process the production of more than 100 million ring spinning spindles! This unique trust is a major incentive for us to continue to sustainably shape the technical progress in the package winding sector with pioneering innovations in future.”

Posted May 24, 2017

Source: Saurer Schlafhorst

Mexico’s Tizayuca Textil Records 20-Percent Energy Savings With Monforts Heat Recovery System

MONCHENGLADBACH, Germany — May 24, 2017 — Tizayuca Textil Vuva S.A. de C.V., a vertically integrated producer of textiles located at Tizayuca, Mexico , has installed a Monforts Montex 6500 stenter equipped with a heat recovery system, and has been running a direct energy usage comparison with the Montex 5000 stenter that the company had installed a decade earlier, which is still in continuous use but which has no heat recovery system.

The comparison charts reveal that the heat recovery system is saving the company up to 20 percent on gas consumption.

Both of the machines are equipped with the Monforts Exxotherm indirect gas heating system, heating technology that avoids any yellowing of the fabric, which had proved so effective on the first installation that it was the reason for Tizayuca Textil to install the second Monforts stenter.

The company, which was founded in 1973, is part of the Diltex group, which was established in 1949 and is dedicated to the design, production and marketing of products for women, including lingerie and garments under the trademark ‘Ilusion’, and other brands such as Vanity Fair, Vassarette, Curvation, Fruit of the Loom, Fiorentina and Bestform.

Diltex has a dominating presence throughout Mexico, in department stores, boutiques and supermarkets, and direct sales in Mexico, Central America, South America and the United States. The bulk of Tizayuca Textil’s output therefore goes direct to Mexico.

“About 80 percent of our production here is for the domestic market,” said Tizayuca Textil co-owner Salomon Romano, “and we produce everything including knitting, nylon, cotton and polycotton.

“We have five stenters, of which the two most recent installations are Monforts machines. We were very happy with the first Monforts machine, the Exxotherm system being especially advantageous, and the good results encouraged us to invest in the 6500 with Exxotherm.

“This second installation has the integrated heat recovery system, and so we have been able to compare like-on-like gas energy usage between the two machines.

“We have found that the new Monforts installation is giving us a direct saving of 20 percent on our gas usage.

“Our supplies are natural gas from the public utility supplier, and so we can see very clearly the savings we are making whilst using the same production process. We are now giving serious consideration to the possibility of installing a heat recovery system on the first Monforts stenter.”

Romano explains that the Monforts 6500 unit is also equipped with a Compactomat 6000 system for the control of over-feeding and cloth weight integrated within the machine.

The Exxotherm indirect gas heating system incorporates a gas-fired heat exchanger that eliminates the negative effects of combustion gases on fabrics, and thereby removes combustion related problems such as ‘yellowing’ or colour changes.

This is particularly the case in the treatment of polyamide and elastane based fabrics, which form a large part of Tizayuca Textil’s output.

Hot combustion air is fed from the gas burner through an isolated heat exchanger and passed into the stack via the independent exhaust duct, to ensure that no combustion gases come into contact with the fabric.

“Quality control is very much more precise with the Exxotherm, and given the diverse range of materials that are passing through the machine, we find we are more comfortable and confident with our textile finishes,” said Romano.

“The designers feel they can experiment more, and use newer fabrics with confidence.

“For us here on the production line, and highly sensitive to any technical difficulties, we find that the indirect gas heater is functioning as reliably and as problem-free as a direct gas heating system.

“We are so happy with the results that we recommended the Monforts stenter line to an associated joint venture company from the United States, and they have subsequently installed two Monforts units.”

All of the Monforts machinery is supplied and installed via Sattex-Mexico, the Monforts representative for Mexico. Sattex also supplies training and full technical support.

Posted May 24, 2017

Source: Monforts

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