Techtextil 2017 Exhibitor Preview: Jakob Müller

FRICK, Switzerland — March 14, 2017 — Founded in Switzerland in 1887, Jakob Müller AG is the world’s leading company with regard to technology for the manufacture of woven and knitted tapes and webbing, woven ropes, woven labels and technical textiles, printed narrow fabrics, dyeing, make-up and winding machinery. The Müller supply program covers all the needs of the ribbons and narrow fabrics industry from individual yarn processing up to the finished, made-up product.

Exhibits on the Jakob Müller AG stand at Techtextil 2017 include:

NH2 53 2/130 S2 – electronically controlled, narrow fabric needle loom for light- to medium-weight, elastic and non-elastic narrow fabrics with unlimited repeat lengths
COMEZ ACOTRONIC 8B/600 – electronic crochet knitting machine using compound needles for ribbons, technical and medical articles
UV60-W for the measuring and winding of belts, safety belts, narrow fabrics and tubular goods

Narrow Fabric Weaving Systems

NH2 53 2/130 – electronically controlled narrow fabrics loom

 The successfully launched NH2 53 narrow fabric loom is now available on the market in the widened and strengthened NH2 53 2/130 version, which has a reed width of 130 millimeters (mm), enlarged shed and increased heald shaft lifting power (= NF heald shaft geometry). This machine type will be exhibited at Techtextil 2017.

The electronically controlled NH2 53 2/130 narrow fabric loom, which offers virtually unlimited repeat lengths, will be shown producing a bag tape with woven-in drawstring. As a result of the electronic shed formation possessing patterning possibilities employing up to sixteen electronically controlled heald shafts, a variety of bags in differing sizes can be produced on every machine space. Mechanically controlled machines do not possess this capability.

The bags can be used to carry tools or small components for assembly purposes. The drawstring is woven in during the weaving process, which means that an additional make-up phase is unnecessary.

The production costs of the machine are considerably lower owing to its energy requirement of less than 2kW, limited maintenance requirement and reduced need for spare parts, as only a few mechanical parts are employed.

Warp Crochet Knitting Systems

COMEZ ACOTRONIC 8B/600 – an electronic crochet knitting machine using compound needles

This is a high-efficiency, electronic crochet knitting machine that employs compound needles for the production of a wide range of ribbons, technical and medical textiles, both elastic and non-elastic. Compound needles make the machine highly versatile, as in addition to classic synthetic yarns (polyester, polyamide) they allow the processing of natural yarns (cotton, wool) and special fibers (Kevlar, fiberglass, carbon, basalt) in the warp.

The machine comes in several gauges, from E10 to E20, has a 600 mm working width and is fitted with eight weft bars with electronic control, which can effect weft movements of up to 34 mm.

A supplementary warp tube bar with electronic drive (BPO/STR-600) can be supplied on request. This has an electronic drive that allows the creation of various knit constructions in the warp (open lock-stitch, closed lock-stitch, etc.) that lend the fabric a lock-stitch character. More complex knit constructions (e.g. double lock-stitch) are also possible using the BPO/STR-600 together with the standard warp bar, which is driven by special cams (TRICOT/S). The machine is supplied with one feeder for elastic threads, one feeder for non-elastic threads, one feeder for warp threads and electronically controlled finished product take-off. On request, additional feeders fitted with electronic controls can be mounted on the machine for elastic or non-elastic threads.

The electronic drive applied to the feeders and the finished product take-off provides the possibility of varying stitch density values (stitches/cm) in a single product, as well as different values for weft/warp feeding and elasticity.

The COMEZ ACOTRONIC 8B/600 is fitted with the colour touch screen DATA CONTROL CONTROLLER, which manages all essential machine functions, monitors production data and enables the realization of lengthy pattern repeats. Indeed, the number of lines available for each pattern is virtually unlimited. Exclusive PC textile software completes the patterning and programming.

The machine can be fitted with the electronic, DLT/EL long throw device that can control up to three weft bars and allows the production of fabrics with long weft movement of up to the full working width along with the possibility of single pick control. In order to guarantee constant warp feeding tension, an electronically driven positive feeder can be used, which allows the setting of the quantity and tension of the yarn to be fed to the needles.

A very interesting new feature of this machine is a special embroidery device which allows to sew weft yarns into a ground fabric. This devices requires the use of piercing-compound needles and the yarns that can be processed are really numerous: Synthetic and natural yarns as well as high-performance fibres (e.g. Kevlar, fiberglass, carbon, basalt).

For warp yarns in particular, it is possible to use beams that require little space and ensure the starting steadiness of the yarns. Beam supports are available for positioning on the machine base or at a distance.

Technical Textile Make-up

The UV60-W automatic cutting and winding device

The UV60 automatic cutting and winding machine is designed for the make-up of medium-weight and heavy, non-elastic belts. Coreless rolls are wound from the start of the belt and the end can be fixed with a metal clip. Rolling from the middle of the belt is also possible with the result that both belt ends are free for further processing. The machine is also suitable for the cutting of belts to length alone.

At the fair, the machine will be shown for the first time with a new five-compartment tool changer. The tools sit on a rail and are quickly and precisely positioned over the belt using SPS control. As a result, the UV60 offers a vast range of make-up possibilities. The mature and practically tested concept is characterised by high levels of operational and service friendliness, as well as compact design. Automatically applied markings also facilitate further processing. Stored product parameters can be called up easily and permit quick and straightforward machine setting or adjustment.

The standard equipment of the UV60 includes (one piece each):

  • A sensor for belt end recognition;
  • Electronic length measurement;
  • A straight, hot knife with electronic temperature control that permits cutting temperatures of up to 450°C; and
  • Pressing device for applied melts.

The five-compartment tool changer allows the integration e.g. of a marking device, a rotatable knife for angled cutting and a perforation tool. The UV60 thus provides an enormous selection of range of processing and make-up possibilities.

The one-stop-shopping delivery program, which covers the entire process chain – everything from a single source

  • CAD;
  • Warping;
  • Narrow fabric weaving;
  • Rope weaving;
  • Warp crochet knitting;
  • Label production;
  • Textile printing;
  • Dyeing, finishing, coating;
  • Winding and make-up systems;
  • Technical textile make-up; and
  • Training.

Typical products manufactured on Müller machines include:

  • Ribbons, tapes, safety belts;
  • Zip fastener tapes;
  • Hook and loop fastening tapes;
  • Velvet ribbons;
  • Labels with woven selvedges;
  • Labels with cut selvedges (ultrasonic or thermal);
  • Knitted goods, lace articles;
  • Printed narrow fabrics such as lanyards, zips, vertical blinds, elastic underwear etc.;
  • Ropes;
  • Nets;
  • Trimmings, fringes, passementerie;
  • Medical and technical textiles;
  • Knitted fabrics for outerwear and technical uses; and
  • Knitted spacer and tubular fabrics.

Posted April 12, 2017

Source: Jakob Müller

Techtextil/Texprocess 2017 Exhibitor Preview: Groz-Beckert

ALBSTADT, Germany — April 6, 2017 — The Techtextil and Texprocess are being held from May 9-12, 2017, at the Frankfurt trade fair grounds. The Texprocess is the leading international trade fair for the garment-manufacturing and textile-processing industry; the Techtextil for technical textiles and nonwovens. Exhibitors at the Techtextil are presenting their new products under the slogan “Connecting the Future”. Groz-Beckert will be at the Techtextil presenting its comprehensive product portfolio and service offering in the areas of Knitting, Weaving, Felting, Carding and Sewing in hall 3.0 at booth F03.

In Knitting, Groz-Beckert is presenting its product portfolio for the technologies circular knitting, warp knitting and flat knitting, as well as customer-specific solutions. With system solutions from a single source, the company is responding to more stringent requirements for wear, load capacity of key components and the workability of different materials. Increased market penetration in warp knitting and the processing of materials such as metal and glass-fiber in flat-knitting mills call for custom-tailored solutions.

The Weaving department is presenting its comprehensive range of products for weaving preparation and weaving accessories at the Techtextil. A highlight of the portfolio is the PosiLeno® leno system, which boosts efficiency by up to 100 percent. Moreover, an acrylic weaving machine mock-up, the WeavingLoom, will provide insight into the operation of heald frames, healds, warp stop motions and drop wires. The jacquard heald is also demonstrated using the WeavingLoom. Made of mono wire, this product facilitates not only high densities but also a particularly gentle workmanship. In combination with the innovative thread eye, which is glued into the mono wire instead of welded, Groz-Beckert provides for uniform fabric quality and high machine efficiency.

The Weaving product portfolio is complemented by a comprehensive and worldwide service offering distinguished by expert knowledge and intensive application advice. Scores of affiliated companies in all major textile centers and a far-reaching network of representatives warrant our all-round technical service.

With its product area Felting the company puts its contribution to the nonwovens industry on display. The service life and rust resistance of felting and structuring needles have been, and are, important issues in nonwoven manufacturing. Now, Groz-Beckert is presenting its latest innovation: Groz-Beckert® dur. The patented manufacturing process of the needles in combination with a new base material improves resistance to corrosion with up to 30 percent longer service life. Moreover, the staple fiber needle punch line inaugurated in March in the Technology and Development Center at company headquarters in Albstadt is going to be presented. As a development partner, with this facility Groz-Beckert is expanding its service offering in the field of application advice.

For Spunlance customers, Groz-Beckert is presenting another new product with its HyTec® jet strips. As well as improved handling properties, the innovative jet strips also feature significantly higher hardness, which has a positive effect on all mechanical properties such as scratch resistance, bending strength and service life.

The Carding department’s focus at the Techtextil 2017 is on improved performance and on raw material savings and is presenting the high-performance worker and doffer wires SiroLock® and EvoStep®. EvoStep® card clothing features a unique slanted step undercut on the tooth front. In this area the working angle is significantly more pronounced than in conventional worker and doffer wires.

Compared to EvoStep® card clothing, which aims to reduce raw material consumption, the focus of SiroLock® card clothing is on boosting performance of the roller card via high delivery rates and nonwoven weights.

Presenting the Quality Management INH (Ideal Needle Handling) at this year’s Techtextil, the area of Sewing is waving the banner of process optimization. The patented process provides support in the handling of sewing machine needles during the entire sewing operation and has recently also been offering a digital solution to document needle breakage: the Smart INH. The documentation system consists of two pieces of software, a mobile app and a browser, thereby facilitating the digital saving and storage of data sets as potential evidence. The Mobile Lab will be another Sewing highlight. It allows material samples to be examined and analyzed directly at the Groz-Beckert booth.

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: Groz-Beckert

Yarn Expo Spring Completes Another Successful Chapter According To Organizers

HONG KONG — April 6, 2017 — Yarn Expo Spring concluded its 2017 edition last month with high satisfaction from both exhibitors and buyers. Held from March 15-17 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the fair attracted 22,579 visitors from 94 countries and regions (2016: 20,527, 77 countries and regions) to source a large variety of yarn and fiber products brought by a total of 393 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions (2016: 309, 11 countries and regions), a 10% and 27% increase, respectively. The top 10 overseas visitor countries and regions were Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Delighted with the results, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. Wendy Wen, commented: “This edition we have seen a noticeable increase in the optimism of our exhibitors about the market situation in the coming year, so we are excited about what the year holds for the industry. As well as this, many of the exhibitors we spoke with during the three days were full of praise regarding aspects of the fair that are most important to us: the quality and diversity of buyers, as well as a buyer profile that matches with exhibitors’ offerings; the opportunities to develop new business and strengthen existing relationships; the ability to expand their brand to an international audience; and the chance to grow their business in new, trending product sectors.”

Industry leaders thrilled with fair results and see Yarn Expo as the most effective marketplace in Asia

Yarn Expo has always been known by the global yarn and fibre industry as the must-join trade fair for companies eager to tap into or intensify their businesses in China as well as Asia. Trusting the influence of Yarn Expo, industry leader Birla started participating regularly since it entered the China market three years ago. “Yarn Expo has highly boosted the awareness of our brand and fibres among the textile market over these few years,” said Peter Dong, Marketing & Business Development Senior Manager, Birla Group. “Three years ago when we first entered China, there weren’t many people that knew about us, but, today, Birla is a well-known company with an increasing number of fashion garment brands appointing us to be the main supplier of their products.”

Gathering six partner companies, Birla organised its own Birla Planet pavilion once again to highlight two of its key product lines – Birla Modal and Birla Spunshades – with pleasing results. “We, including our members, are all satisfied with the overall results this time. Our booths were packed with visitors throughout the fair. Besides China, there were also buyers from Europe, America, Japan and many more. Amongst these visitors were our key target groups, such as mid-range garment manufacturers as well as fashion brands like H&M. They all hold quite strong will to have future cooperation with us.” Dong further explained: “Nowadays, more and more downstream customers, for example fashion brands and garment manufacturers, are keen to work directly with raw material suppliers to develop new products. As such, we can use this fair to directly approach these types of buyers to introduce our products. No other similar fairs can offer such opportunities nor draw as wide a variety of buyers as Yarn Expo does. That’s why this is an unparalleled marketplace for the industry.”

The India Pavilion also experienced success, with results exceeding the pavilion organisers’ expectations. Ravindranathan Narayanasamy, Joint Director of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), the pavilion organiser, commented: “The result this year is better than we expected! The strong visitor flow kept our exhibitors busy for all three days, and many reported to us that ample opportunities were found here. After a short period of downturn, we can clearly feel that the demand for Indian products, especially in China, is growing again since last October, and we are gaining a larger market share.”

Narayanasamy continued by sharing the diverse range of buyers the exhibitors met during the fair. He added: “We saw customers from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the US, as well as some Middle East countries like Morocco, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Our exhibitors were also delighted to meet with a number of new and direct customers, such as knitting and weaving manufacturers, who are keen to buy from us directly rather than through agents.” Agreeing with Birla’s compliments on Yarn Expo, Narayanasamy said: “I would say Yarn Expo is the best yarn and fiber fair in the world in terms of scale, quality and the buyer profile. The China and Asia markets are important with unlimited business opportunities, and Yarn Expo is the most significant and effective platform to seize them.”

Exhibitors praised fair’s effectiveness for generating high-quality new business and its diverse buyer profile

Both overseas and domestic buyers were content with the number of quality new business contacts and the fair’s diverse visitor profile. “Around 90% of the contacts we received are new. This included buyers from China, Brazil, Thailand, Egypt, et cetera. We are extremely satisfied with this result, not only because of the quantity but also the impressive quality of these buyers,” said Sandjojo, Marketing Representative of the new Indonesian exhibitor PT. Bintang Asahi Textile Industry. Another new exhibitor Chemosvit Fibrochem from the Slovak Republic agreed, with its Sales Executive Lukas Haragos sharing: “A lot of visitors here were representing name-brands, and we’ve already made a number of new, high-quality contacts on the fair’s first day. While most of them were from China, buyers from Egypt, Japan, Poland and other places also visited our booth.” Haragos also mentioned their reason for exhibiting in Yarn Expo. He explained: “For us, Yarn Expo is one of the most influential yarn and fibre trade fairs in Asia, bringing the company lots of new and big opportunities. To develop future business in China, one of the most promising markets, Yarn Expo is absolutely a must.” Returning exhibitor Indus Dyeing & Manufacturing Co. Ltd. highly values the fair’s impressive buyer profile, with its Sales & Marketing Manager Abedin Ahmed Rizvi complimenting: “We are happy with the outcome this year as we met many of our target buyers from China as well as Europe, and many of them have already placed orders with us. The diverse buyer profile is no doubt one of the most remarkable traits of Yarn Expo.”

Domestic exhibitors were just as pleased as the overseas exhibitors. Jiangsu Shenghong Science and Technology Co Ltd, a well-known domestic supplier and the co-organiser of the Shenghong China Fibre Trend Area 2017-18, shared the company’s rewarding three-day fair. Its Marketing Department Specialist Chong Gu said: “We are thrilled with the visitor flow and their quality. Many genuine buyers from India, Pakistan and the US were very interested in buying our products. In fact, we have also deepened the cooperation with famous brands such as Nike, Under Amour and Decathlon by introducing our products directly to their designers. Since we first joined Yarn Expo six editions ago, the fair has effectively elevated our brand awareness among the industry and led us to the international market.” Fancy yarn exhibitor Suzhou Zhengda Textile Mill Co Ltd thought the same, with the company’s General Manager Chunrong Gu adding: “Yarn Expo has been our primary source of key customers. The majority of buyers we met this time are our target. They are all in high quality and some of them even placed orders on the spot.” In recent years, the company has been actively developing its export business; therefore, Gu was also delighted with the fair’s buyer profile. He said: “We even established some initial cooperation with fabrics manufacturers from Indonesia, India and Korea, as well as some local trading companies.”

China’s demand for Uzbek cotton growing steadily

Uzbek exhibitors affirmed the demand for Uzbek cotton in the China market continues to grow. Foremost Uzbek supplier JV “Quva Tekstil” LLC has exhibited in Yarn Expo for four years, and has witnessed the rise in popularity of Uzbek cotton at the fair. Oybek Ergashev, General Manager of the company’s Export & Import Department, said: “Cotton from Uzbekistan is very competitive and getting more popular in the China market. As such, more and more Chinese manufacturers are keen to use Uzbek cotton and this demand will grow even higher in the future. We were really busy and productive throughout the fair, and we are satisfied with the overall outcome.” Ergashev concluded by encouraging more Uzbek suppliers to join the fair. He expressed: “I recommend factories from my country to participate in Yarn Expo. This is the most effective platform for us to benefit from this high potential market.” New Uzbek exhibitor KO’KCHA Tekstil agreed, with its Sales Manager Abdurakhimov Mukhammadsiddiq stating: “Our cotton yarn is becoming more favoured among the Chinese fabric and textile manufacturers, so our export volume increases every year. Hence, we decided to take part in Yarn Expo, the most influential platform in the industry, to have direct communication with our customers and showcase our products to more Chinese buyers.” Mukhammadsiddiq further recapped their first Yarn Expo experience. He shared: “We had no time to rest during these three days because there were so many visitors in our booth. We can clearly feel their enthusiasm towards our products, and a lot of them placed sample orders.”

Baoding Kaiyuan Cotton Spinning Co Ltd is just one of the buyers who visited the fair to specifically source Uzbek cotton, with the company’s General Manager Yechao Sun sharing: “My main goal for visiting Yarn Expo is to purchase yarns from Uzbekistan suppliers. Uzbek yarns reach 80-90% of the market share in Hebei, the area I come from. For us, we think their cotton is much more attractive in terms of the price and quality. I’ve already met with some high-quality exhibitors here and will consider to have further cooperation with them.”

Fair reflected high potential of the synthetic and fancy yarn markets

Besides Uzbek cotton, synthetic and fancy yarns are also the rising stars in the industry, which several exhibitors verified in the fair. Sandjojo from PT. Bingtang Ashai mentioned: “As synthetic yarns are more cost effective, the demand is obviously much stronger now. The majority of buyers we met were looking for synthetic yarns.” Domestic exhibitor Zhangjiagang Glory Biomaterial Co. Ltd. agreed, as the company’s newly developed synthetic fibre (a high elastic plant synthetic fiber for functional fabrics) received very positive feedback during the fair, with its Business Manager Simon Zhang explaining: “Our target is the sportswear fabrics manufacturers, but we realised that there was a significant increase in e-commerce buyers sourcing our products this year. The demand is growing, and we were able to connect with a large amount of new buyers and received many high-quality enquiries over these few days.”

Driven by the hot fancy yarn market, the Fancy Yarn Zone was one of the busiest areas in the fair. Hainan Ge, General Manager of Suzhou High View Industrial Co. Ltd., commented: “So many visitors came to our booth, and they were all genuine buyers who know exactly what they need. I can feel the demand for fancy yarns is rapidly growing as there was a significant increase of buyers sourcing new types of fancy yarn this year. Xinhua Ma, President of Sundeli Dyeing Technology Co. Ltd., felt the same and shared: “It’s obvious that there were more buyers interested in our fancy yarns, and this Fancy Yarn Zone maximised our exhibit results as it helped to draw the right buyers to us.”

On the other hand, buyers affirmed the promising future of the synthetic and fancy yarn markets. Industry-leading company Zhejiang Huafu Melange Yarn Co Ltd, a leading exhibitor at the concurrent Intertextile Shanghai fair, visits Yarn Expo every year to source new innovative cotton yarns and fibers, and the company’s Deputy Manager of Product Purchasing Department Qing Qian shared: “I discovered a wide range of cutting-edge chemical fibres and fancy yarns in the fair. These kinds of yarns and fibres have very bright market prospects, and I’m eager to buy from these suppliers.” Another buyer, Chaoyang Lin, Purchasing Manager of Xiamen Feeling Textile & Garment Co Ltd, was impressed with the selection of fancy yarns on offer. He said: “The market’s sourcing volume of fancy yarns is rising recently, and I’m really excited to see such a wide selection of new fancy yarn products included in the Fancy Yarn Zone.”

Concurrent fairs add value to participants’ experiences

Yarn Expo was held concurrently with four other textile trade fairs, and a number of exhibitors praised this arrangement for offering them additional business opportunities. “We also have some knitting yarn exhibitors, and this sector is becoming more important in the market. Therefore, having the knitting fair PH Value held concurrently generated more business potential,” said Narayanasamy, organizer of the India Pavilion. “I think PH Value brings 50% more visitors to these knitting yarn exhibitors. The synergy between these two shows is prefect.” Birla gave positive feedback about the concurrent events as well, with Dong saying: “Having other textile fairs held alongside makes Yarn Expo an even better place to be. This organisation gathered industry players from the entire supply chain, creating more opportunities for us.”

Buyers also benefitted from the arrangement. “I’m visiting Yarn Expo from PH Value. The joint exhibitions are helpful for learning the whole picture of the entire industry chain, and have enriched the range of sourcing options,” said Yongmin Zhou, General Engineer of Wuhan Winsome Knitting Industrial Co. Ltd. “I found some very good quality exhibitors and placed sample orders with them already.”

The next Yarn Expo fair, Yarn Expo Autumn will take place October 11-13, 2017. Yarn Expo showcases a wide spectrum of natural and blended yarns including cotton, wool, flax/regenerated flax, silk, and man-made fibers and yarns, as well as specialty products including elastic, and fancy and blended yarns.

Yarn Expo Spring was organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; The Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; China Cotton Textile Association; China Wool Textile Association; China Chemical Fiber Association; China Bast & Leaf Fibres Textiles Association; and China Textile Information Centre.

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: Messe Frankfurt Hong Kong

NAUE Asia Achieves SAMM Testing Accreditation For Geosynthetics In Accordance With ISO/IEC 17025:2005

ESPELKAMP-FIESTEL, Germany — April 7, 2017 — When the international geosynthetics manufacturer NAUE GmbH & Co. KG founded NAUE Asia Sdn. Bhd. (NASB) in Malaysia in 2011, it did so to serve infrastructure markets in Asia and Oceania—and to do so with the same high-quality standards it employs at its renowned facilities in Germany. Now, the NAUE Asia testing laboratory has achieved SAMM testing accreditation for geosynthetics, in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005.

An accreditation through SAMM in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 confirms that the approved NAUE Asia facility fulfills its duties in a competent way and according to the rules. These qualifications enable the lab to serve external clients too.

“With this accreditation, we document more than the strict quality standards that we fulfill with NAUE Asia products,” says Wee Hunn Gan, NAUE Asia´s QC manager.

Gerhard Werner, NAUE Asia´s managing director adds: “We also document how we test on an independent, non-biased level, so that we can be considered as an independent lab. It allows our lab to accept external orders for geotextile testing and ensures client data confidentiality.”

The testing accreditation is overseen by Standards Malaysia.

Tests approved under the SAMM accreditation include Mass Per Unit Area (ISO 9864 / ASTM D5261), Thickness (ISO 9863-1 / ASTM D5199), Wide-Width Tensile Strength and Elongation (ISO 10319 / ASTM D4595), Tensile Test Joint/Seam (ISO 10321 / ASTM D4884), CBR Static Puncture (ISO 12236 / ASTM D6241), Water Permeability Normal to Plane (ISO 11058 / ASTM D4491), Grab Breaking Load, and Elongation (ASTM D4632) and Trapezoid Tearing Strength (ASTM D4533).

NAUE’s primary manufacturing focus in the Selangor, Malaysia plant is the Secutex® line of nonwoven geotextiles and Bentofix® geosynthetic clay liner series. The company’s nonwoven geotextiles encapsulate and are needle-punched to the high-swelling, powdered sodium bentonite core of Bentofix®, giving the GCLs exceptional durability and frictional characteristics for long-term barrier performance.

In addition to their use with GCL manufacturing, NAUE’s Secutex ® nonwoven geotextiles are used for soil separation, filtration and cushioning/protection applications. They are also used to create sand-filled Soft Rock bags, containers and tubes for coastal protection work, beach renourishment, dune protection, offshore wind turbine scour protection, and much more.

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: NAUE

Techtextil 2017 Exhibitor Preview: STINGbye

BARCELONA, Spain — April 7, 2017 — At Techtextil in Frankfurt, from May 9-12, 2017, STINGbye will present new developments of its woven anti-mosquito fabrics that were on sale for two years. The brand is famous for the elaboration of clothes bathed in permethrin, a substance that prevents that the mosquitoes bite in the skin which is applied in each of its articles. They have an efficacy up to 100 washes, are odourless and have a guarantee of 94 percent success certified by laboratories of international recognition.

STINGbye S.L. is a textile company with more than 20 years of experience in the sector. Their goal is to work on tissue efficiency to prevent that vectors are attacking us. Vectors in the medical field is everything that can transmit a disease by itching. STINGbye clothes protect of the tiger mosquito or common, lice, bedbugs and ticks. As an effect the fabrics act as a barrier against diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever or Zika.

The past 2016 STINGbye went a step further and put on sale hair ties lice protectors. “Our tie is designed to save a lot of headaches for parents and their children,” said Silvia Oviedo, general manager of STINGbye. “We saw a clear need in the market and so we decided to develop this article.” The hair tie lice protector has the same effectiveness as all STINGbye clothes and like all other fabrics they manufacture, they are 50-percent polyester and 50-percent cotton and do not cause allergies.

STINGbye items are suitable for people of all ages and are perfect clothes to enjoy outdoor activities or trips to areas exposed to mosquitoes and other vectors in complete safety.

Expanding horizons, STINGbye recently has also introduced pet clothing, such as handkerchiefs to protect dogs from vector bites.

The fabrics are certified by OEKO-TEX class I, the Swiss Tropical Institute SWISS TPH and AITEX.

Data sheet:

  • Composition: 50-percent polyester/50-percent cotton
  • Characteristics: Antiallergic, odourless, protective barrier of lice and vectors, lasting up to one hundred washes, 94-percent demonstrated efficacy.
  • Colors: Kaki, Marine, Red, Black, Pink.
  • Weight: 145 g/m²
  • Technical specifications: Woven fabric treated with permethrin.
  • Certificates: OEKO-TEX Class I, Swiss Tropical Institute SWISS TPH, AITEX

Please check out this technical breakthrough at Techtextil in Hall 6.1, Stand B59

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: StingBye

India’s Premier Fine Linens Increases Quality With Monforts Debut

MONCHENGLADBACH, Germany — April 8, 2017 — Premier Fine Linens, India’s leading producer of 100-percent fine cotton bed and table linen, is investing in a new Monforts Monfortex Sanforiser 8000 and a Thermex E-Control to enhance even further the quality and innovative potential of its production.

The company is part of the Premier Group, one of India’s oldest and largest textiles producers and, although other divisions are long-time users of Monforts technology, this is the first Monforts installation for the Fine Linens division.

The machines are being installed at the Fine Linens mill in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. They will handle widths of 3,200 millimeters and typically be handling weights of between 125 and 250 grams per square meter (g/m²), although heavier fabrics of up to 450 g/m² can also be handled.

Monforts’ representative in India, ATE Enterprises Private Ltd, is installing the new units.

The new installation will greatly enhance quality control of the production, which is at the very top of the fine quality segment of this market.

Premier Group is India’s largest importer of Egyptian cotton, and also uses the finest American cotton and superfine Indian cottons.

Premier Fine Linens specializes 100 percent in products made from very fine cotton yarn, which are for export only.

The company operates 375,000 spindles. Fabric production for its own in-house production and brands is 450,000 meters per month, with another 400,000 meters for contract weaving.

Vice President for Fine Linens’ production, R. Mathiyazhagan, confirmed that the division uses 100-percent cotton, organic cotton, Supima and Egyptian and Supima Tencel blend.

“All of our dyeing is done in-house, using organic dyes and low-impact chemicals. We recover, process and recirculate our own wastewater, using 99 percent of our own supplies.

“For us, and for our customers, environmental protection alongside product quality sets our standards and we like to think this is a benchmark that few other producers can match.

“Monforts will also allow us to increase the innovations and product potential that we offer to our customers. We can offer better color control, and better shrinkage.

“Much of our production is based on producing exactly what the customer wants, to the customer’s demand, and although the specifications are always naturally very exacting, our lead times can mean success or not for the customer’s concept.”

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: A. Monforts Textilmaschinen

2017 Shows Promise Following Energized Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics

HONG KONG — April 9, 2017 — Any uncertainty about the state of the global apparel fabrics and accessories industry in the coming year was widely dispelled at last month’s Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, with many exhibitors reporting strong increases in the number of contacts and enquiries they received compared to last year. While the visitor number was up slightly on last year — 71,450 from 103 countries and regions attended (2016: 71,163 from 100 countries and regions) — what was clearly evident in the feedback from exhibitors was that the quality of buyers sourcing at the fair continues to increase. Many exhibitors also commented that they received a healthy spread of buyers to their booths, both from China as well as from key markets in Asia and Europe, and that a satisfying proportion of these buyers were new potential customers.

Reflecting the fact that Intertextile Shanghai’s reputation as the industry’s leading event to conduct business each March & October has been steadily increasing over recent years, the exhibitor number grew by 5.9 percent this edition to 3,341 from 26 countries and regions (2016: 3,155 from 27 countries and regions). New exhibitor countries included Denmark, Malaysia and Poland. The top 10 visitor countries and regions, excluding Mainland China, were Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, the US, Taiwan, India, Russia, Turkey, Indonesia and the UK.

Intertextile Shanghai: Where the global industry comes to do business

As a barometer for the global market, the positive signs from exhibitors at this March’s Intertextile Shanghai bode well for the industry this year. Once again, it was not just the quantity of buyers pleasing exhibitors, but the quality also. “The level of the visitors seems much more professional and actually much more competent about textiles and fashion trends,” Marco Borio, General Manager of Miroglio (Jiaxing) Trading, a 20-year veteran of the fair commented. “Definitely it is [a leading platform for the industry in Asia], because for us as an Italian company, it is very important to be at the show to introduce our collection to such a wide selection of customers.” The organisers of a dedicated Hong Kong area, H.K. & Kln. Textile Fabrics Wholesalers Assn., shared a similar sentiment. “We are very pleased with the overall result this year. Not only was there a strong visitor flow, but there were also many more genuine and quality enquiries,” Alan Lee, Hon. Secretary said. “We expect we will receive up to 400 enquiries by the end of the fair which is an ideal result for us. Besides a large number of Chinese buyers, we also met buyers from Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia.”

Korean company Gyeonggi Textile Center was most pleased that the fair could attract their target buyers, including “a number of renowned clothing brands,” Jung Wan Ryu, company representative explained. He continued: “Intertextile Shanghai is the largest fair of its kind and most influential platform in the region; there is no other show that is more effective. Every year it is able to draw the right target clients for us. We are pleased to say that the results this edition were better than the previous spring fair.”

Japanese company Moririn was equally satisfied with their participation, particularly as they could meet existing as well as potential customers. “Many buyers, both existing and new clients came to our booth. Combining the first two days, we recorded more than 130 prospective buyers from around the world. In the past, our company has met many new clients from the fair, and this year will be no exception,” Li Jiang, representative from the Fabric Materials Department of Shanghai Moririn Textile said.

Taiwan’s Paltex also noted results from the fair were better this year, while also receiving a substantial amount of new contacts. “We’ve received so many genuine enquiries from our target buyers, and we think many of them will turn into further cooperation. Around 90 percent of these are new buyers from China,” Steven Wu explained. After more than 10 years of operating in the Mainland China market, Paltex are in a strong position to notice changes in buyer preferences. “Although economic growth in China has slowed down, designers are still very eager to buy from us,” Wu continued. “We see the Chinese brands getting much more international now, and we’ve noticed this week some domestic brands have even hired Italian designers to source together with at the fair. As in previous years there are still many domestic visitors at Intertextile, but they’re now more interested in buying mid to high-end products.”

Premium brands report positive signs in the Chinese market

This sentiment shared by Paltex regarding the continued demand in China for high-end overseas brands was echoed by a number of other exhibitors, including a first-time participant from Peru, Creditex. “In the first two days of the fair we collected nearly 60 contacts. However, we are more interested in the quality of the buyers than the quantity, and I’m confident that we will be able to build business relationships with the quality contacts that we’ve made here. People who came to our booth were looking specifically for our Pima cotton-woven fabrics, and I think in the foreseeable future there will always be demand in China for quality fabrics such as these,” Renzo Koch Mazure, Commercial Manager said.

Swiss company weba Weberei Appenzell has been working with high-end European brands for over a decade, and after extensive market research decided to introduce their line of shirting fabrics to the Chinese market. “During the three days we have obtained very good contacts. Of all the buyers we met, we found 20 quality clients from high-end Chinese brands, and I think this is a good start for our company in this region,” explained Alexander Barberi from the Marketing Department. Fellow European exhibitor Lanerie Agnona from Italy, taking part in the Milano Unica Pavilion, has experience operating in the premium segment in China. Marcello Baldi, marketing manager expressed: “Some of our customers in China are really trying to expand their markets by putting high-end products into their collections. For example, we work with Youngor to help them target the high-end market which is increasing in China. Buyers here like to have good quality fabric with a well-known label nowadays.”

Another fast-moving trend in the domestic market, which is mirrored in the buyer profile of the fair, is that of boutique online brands, and despite their small size, many were on the lookout for premium fabrics at the fair. Bulong Xu from Japan’s Uni Textile explained: “In this edition, the new buyers we met were mainly young designer brands and fashion garment brands that are revamping their image, as well as e-commerce fashion brands. This included ladieswear brands selling on Taobao that will use our products to attract new customers.”

Functional Lab grows substantially as demand in this sector shows no sign of slowing down

Part of the fair’s recent success has been its ability to evolve to meet the changing needs of the market. The Functional Lab is one such example of this with the number of exhibitors nearly doubling this edition to 22, mirroring the continued strong demand for functional fabrics in both China and elsewhere. MDM NT from Poland was a first-time participant at the fair and in the Functional Lab, and confirmed that, “There’s really huge potential in China for technical textiles, and Chinese buyers are definitely looking for overseas brands,” Tomasz Piechaczek, vice-president of the Board said. Other functional fabrics suppliers at the fair agreed, including Handseltex from Taiwan. “The demand for functional fabrics is rising in China, while the demand for our products is also growing both in the market and at this fair. There are more buyers here from both overseas and China showing interest, and these buyers are all good quality. Nearly 50 percent of our existing customers we met at Intertextile, so it is definitely one of the most important trade fairs for us,” General Manager Jenny Wu said.

Chinese buyers also confirmed the domestic demand for functional fabrics remains high. “Because of the boom in the fitness industry in China in recent years, there is strong sales growth in sportswear, so we have more demand for functional fabrics,” Wei Songlin from sportswear producer High Hope Group Jiangsu Tongtai explained. “The quality of functional fabrics exhibitors at Intertextile has improved, so we’ve had a satisfied sourcing experience here.”

Denim continues its rise in China

The fair’s Beyond Denim area also grew in size this edition, further cementing its place as the leading sourcing event for denim fabrics in China. A long-term exhibitor of the fair and participant in Beyond Denim, Orta Anadolu from Turkey also reported what many other exhibitors did: an increase in contacts this year. “We met more domestic Chinese brands as well as potential customers from other countries at this edition,” Ayşe Eda Dikmen, marketing specialist said. “Local brands are getting used to doing business with import fabric mills now, so this makes it easier for us to grow in China. Demand for denim in China is increasing remarkably, and I believe that this trend will continue for many more years.”

Lenzing and Hohenstein make a splash at the fair

Celebrating their 10-year anniversary in China at the fair with a special event, Hohenstein reported another successful edition of Intertextile Shanghai. “We are very happy with this year’s exhibition results, and the 10-year anniversary event helped promote our company onsite,” Charles Nie, Head of Sales, Hohenstein Institute China said. “The visitor flow also improved this edition. Buyers to the fair are very focused and in my opinion, over the years, the show has earned a name for being one of the most professional textile platforms in the world with a high level of influence on the industry.”

Lenzing is another renowned European company with a long presence in China, as well as at Intertextile. This edition they organised their own pavilion for the first time at the spring fair, and as Echo Mok, head of Marketing Communication, Asia, Lenzing Fibres (Hong Kong) explained, they did so due to the strong requests from their partner clients. “The exhibitors in the Lenzing Pavilion have always participated in this fair, but they believe exhibiting together in one pavilion is more effective as it’s easier to attract their target customers. For us, Intertextile is an important fair to participate in; it’s a key marketplace to find new clients.”

Industry’s biggest companies choose Intertextile for sourcing

Amongst the more than 71,000 trade buyers sourcing at this year’s fair were a number of well-known global brands taking advantage of the show’s unrivalled product range. This included Under Armour, represented by John Hardy, director, Sportswear, for UA Global Sourcing. “This is my first time to Intertextile Shanghai, and I’m here to source functional fabrics for a sportswear line we are currently developing. The fair is very beneficial and it is great to see all the fashion fabrics offered from different countries. I’m very happy with the selection here. Coming to the fair is easy and hassle free, and I will be back in future editions.” A veteran of around 15 years sourcing at the fair, Katie R Drummond, the menswear technical lead for Marks & Spencer, commented: “The product variety and exhibitor quality are really good. We like the way the fair is laid out where you categorize the products into different zones and pavilions. I’ve seen a significant improvement in the quality of the suppliers here too.”

Fringe program enhances the fair experience for exhibitors and buyers

Apart from being the industry’s largest sourcing platform for the spring / summer season, the fair’s fringe program of trend forums, seminars, panel discussions and more is highly valued by both the content providers and the buyers eager to soak it up. The NellyRodi Agency from France once again conducted a highly popular seminar on the spring / summer 2018 trends, led by Michael Bonzom, Manager Studio, who explained: “Intertextile Shanghai is a very important platform for me to show our clients our new designs, products and more importantly to open their minds to new concepts. Seminars are always a valuable tool to get in direct contact with the Chinese market, and are an essential way for the attendees to get inspired. The energy at the seminar was great, and overall it was a great success.” This was confirmed by an audience member of this seminar. “My main purpose in attending is to discover new fabrics and learn possible trends. Every year NellyRodi will release the popular colors for next season which brings me a lot of inspiration,” Yu Waxuan, General Manager, Xin Yi Xin Textile said, also commenting she would source from international exhibitors at the fair.

For exhibitors participating in the fringe program, it is an excellent way to drive more buyers to their booths. “I am very glad that the topic on trends, our specialty, was able to draw a large crowd of people. The panel discussion helped us attract prospective clients. The audience enjoyed the topics discussed, and then found their way to our booth afterwards to learn more,” Nancy Kelly, creative account director of Trendstop from the UK, and panel discussion moderator, said. Her colleague, Jaana Jatyri, CEO of the company, precisely summed up the benefits for exhibitors of participating in the fair’s trend forums, where she was discovering the latest fabrics. “The idea of the trend forum is great because you can see the summaries of the great options at the fair, and then visit the exhibitors directly. I found many new and interesting trends here,” she said.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2017 was co-organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. The next edition, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2017, will take place from October 11-13.

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: Messe Frankfurt HK

MAS Holdings To Establish Manufacturing And Development Center In Asheboro, N.C.; Acme-McCrary Acquisition Pending

RALEIGH, N.C. — MAS Holdings, a global apparel technology and manufacturing company, will locate its first manufacturing and development center in the United States in Randolph County, creating 133 new jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company plans to invest nearly $20 million in a facility located in Asheboro, N.C., providing additional payroll impact exceeding $4 million annually.
“North Carolina enjoys a worldwide reputation as a center for textile research and workers,” Governor Cooper said. “Our excellent business climate and location offer international firms an ideal place to reach and serve customers in the United States.”
MAS is an innovative textile company headquartered in Sri Lanka, employing more than 85,000 associates worldwide, operating 48 state-of-the-art facilities in 15 countries including design offices, apparel and component manufacturing plants and private industrial parks. MAS also provides technology solutions to the apparel and footwear industry. Recently, the company has been working to integrate technology into clothing, partnering with startup companies in the Silicon Valley region of California and in New York in the fields of wearable technology and health & wellness.
MAS Holdings’ selection of a North Carolina location includes a pending acquisition of Acme-McCrary, a 108-year-old textile manufacturer currently located in Asheboro with additional facilities in Chatham County and the Republic of Honduras. The company produces legwear and activewear for large U.S. retailers.

Mahesh Amalean, chairman of MAS Holdings, stated: “We are delighted to be associated with Acme-McCrary, whose values and philosophy are very much in alignment with MAS. Our presence in the Western Hemisphere enables us to strengthen our value propositions of speed and flexibility offered through on-shore and near-shore operations to our customers. It also enables us to engage and strengthen our continued association with academia and research institutions in the U.S. We are appreciative of the support and assistance extended to us by the State, County, City and its officials and look forward to integrating and contributing to the community in North Carolina.”

W.H. Redding Jr., Chairman of Acme-McCrary stated, “We are pleased to be a part of MAS Holdings’ location of a manufacturing facility in our hemisphere. MAS Holdings brings to North Carolina an exemplary corporate culture and a growing business. Their concern for environmental impact is world class and keeping and growing textile jobs in North Carolina is exciting.”

A performance-based grant of $575,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate MAS Holdings’ location into Randolph County. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to support local government efforts to attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. In the case of MAS Holdings’ grant, in addition to its new job-creation target, the company is also required to retain 374 existing jobs currently located in North Carolina at Acme-McCrary. All One NC grants are also contingent upon a matching grant from local governments.

“This decision reinforces our region’s strengths as a business location for this industry,” said N.C. Representative Pat Hurley. “We look forward to MAS Holdings’ contributions to our community.”

N.C. Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. led the state’s response to the company’s search for a business location.

Other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, North Carolina State University, Duke Energy, the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, and the Randolph County Economic Development Corp.

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: North Carolina Office of the Governor

UNT Researcher’s Walmart Foundation Grant Aims To Bring Jobs Back To U.S.

DENTON, Texas — April 10, 2017 — A nearly $350,000 grant awarded to a University of North Texas researcher by the Walmart Foundation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors is helping to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.

Bugao Xu, a professor and chair of the Department of Merchandising and Digital Retailing, received one of five grants in 2016 from the U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund to develop digital technology to detect flaws in fabric at domestic textile mills — saving companies time and money.

“U.S. competitiveness in the textile industry lags behind other nations because of high labor costs,” said Xu. “This is a solution that could save manufacturing companies big money, improve the quality of fabrics, reduce labor costs and boost textile production in the U.S.”

Defects are a big problem and can reduce fabric price by 45 to 65 percent, said Xu. Most fabric defects are preventable and correctable if discovered on the loom on time.

“Detecting weave defects is an integral part of modern weaving. While some devices are able to spot flaws, many are extremely difficult to be used on loom,” said Xu, adding that most fabric inspection systems are designed for post-weaving detections and don’t capture problems in real time.

Instead of relying on machines, human workers are still needed for quality assurance checks during and after the weaving process.

Xu aims to fix this costly problem by creating an on-loom fabric defect inspection system that uses contact image sensors to detect flaws, automatically stop the loom and alert workers to fix the cause of defects. Currently, his team is working on a prototype with the capability to rapidly capture high-resolution images as fabric passes beneath the machine and then use machine-learning algorithms to locate fabric flaws in those images.

The key is, however, to make the system affordable so that it can be used on individual weaving machines. A single textile mill can own several hundred modern looms, which results in a heavy capital cost, said Xu.

“It has to be a practical solution,” he continued. “There are already commercial systems in the world that do something similar, but those are very complex, expensive machines, and almost price-inhibitive to many textile manufacturers.”

The grant, which Xu was awarded while working at the University of Texas, was among a total of $2.84 million in grants that were given to five research and academic institutions in 2016. A total of $10 million in grants will be awarded during the next five years.

“Through these grants, we hope to help remove the barriers to revitalizing and growing U.S. apparel manufacturing, while creating more sustainable production processes,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “The U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund is part of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s broader commitment to foster new economic growth and opportunity and create stronger communities.”

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: University of North Texas

Techtextil 2017 Exhibitor Preview: Kelheim Fibres

KELHEIM, Germany — April 11, 2017 — The broad range of types of products and application areas is, according to its own statement, the winning formula of Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens.

The Bavarian viscose speciality fibres manufacturer Kelheim Fibres offers a solid basis for both of these: their exceptionally wide spectrum of the most varied functional fiber products is the perfect raw material for a whole range of technical applications, from nonwovens applications to functional apparel, and from sportswear to filtration.

Commercial Director Matthew North describes the unique characteristic of Kelheim Fibres as follows: “Our core strength is the exact matching of our fibers to our customer’s specific needs, to their final product or to their production process. This way we generate added value for the customer and that is the best foundation for a long-lasting and successful partnership.”

Customers can choose from a constantly growing variety of well-established Kelheim brands — for example the extremely versatile Danufil® — and innovative new fiber developments: At Techtextil, the Bavarians will present Olea, the world’s first viscose fiber with inherent hydrophobic properties, as well as the fibre speciality Bramante, which — in contrast to Olea — delivers significantly increased levels of absorbency relative to standard viscose fibres: Bramante can store liquids in the segmented hollow structure inside the fiber and keep it there even under pressure. Thus, Bramante is the ideal raw material for re-usable incontinence products and other hygienic applications.

Danufil® BF, a flame retardant viscose specialty, serves a completely different purpose: used as a protective barrier nonwoven in mattresses or furniture Danufil BF can help to prevent a fire from spreading.

All these specialty fibers have one thing in common: By precisely controlling fiber dimensions and cross sections or by incorporating additional functionalities in the fiber matrix, Kelheim’s fiber experts not only create a fibre with additional new functionalities but at the same time, they can preserve the typical properties of a viscose fibre such as softness, skin-friendliness and wearer comfort.

Kelheim products are also clear winners in terms of sustainability, as they are produced completely from cellulose that is sustainably farmed and certified by both the FSC® and PEFC® organizations.

And after use, the consumer does not need to worry about the safety of disposal of the products – the fibers are biodegradeable and certified as compostable.

Meet Kelheim Fibres at Techtextil – from May 9-12, 2017, in Frankfurt, Hall 3, Stand F23 (with Bayern Innovativ)!

Posted April 11, 2017

Source: Kelheim Fibres

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