X-Rite Donates Color Management Solutions To University Of North Carolina At Greensboro

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — May 8, 2017 — X-Rite Inc. and its subsidiary Pantone LLC, today announced the donation of color management hardware, software and training services to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for use in their Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies (CARS) program, part of the Bryan School of Business and Economics. With this donation, CARS students will be able to use the latest color measurement equipment and software to better understand and improve color quality control processes used in textile and apparel industries.

“At X-Rite, we are committed to supporting the education and training of the next generation of color and material professionals,” said Murphy Keeley, senior vice president and general manager Americas, X-Rite. “Accurate color and appearance in textiles is critical and warrants an understanding of color science, materials, dyes and pigments. By accessing the latest technologies, CARS students will learn best practices for reducing color errors and improving production quality throughout the entire textile supply chain.”

“Students in the CARS program will benefit tremendously by having access to this cutting-edge color measurement equipment and technology,” said Dr. Nancy Hodges, Burlington Industries Professor and CARS Department Head. “This donation will allow us to teach production applications through hands-on activities using real-world equipment, and ultimately to better prepare our students to succeed in the industry after graduation.”

Included in the X-Rite donation is the Ci7800 spherical benchtop spectrophotometer and the Color iQC software. The Ci7800 is an advanced measurement instrument enabling textile and apparel companies the ability to achieve the strictest standards for color accuracy and consistency. It provides accurate, reliable sample-to-sample color measurement of materials across the entire supply chain, from concept through dyeing of raw materials to manufacturing of a final product. The Ci7800 is used in conjunction with Color iQC Software to streamline the color measurement, reporting and recording workflow to maintain a centralized, cost-efficient quality control process.

Posted May 8, 2017

Source: X-Rite

Polygiene® And Sinterama® First To Launch 100-Percent Recycled Permanent Odor Control Technology At Fiber Level

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — May 8, 2017 — Polygiene has developed, together with Sinterama, a 100-percent recycled fiber “NEWLIFE” with Permanent Odor Control Technology as opposed to standard topical application in the yarn and fabric finishing stages. Featured in Sinterama’s Newlife™ range, the process offers customers a 100-percent post-consumer recycled, anti-bacterial yarns. As the yarn is treated at fiber-level it will bring considerable benefits to the customer in terms of odor control, easy care and longer lasting garments, and open opportunities for the two brands in important categories: workwear and the care-sector, with potential to develop into other categories as well.

Polygiene Permanent Odor Control™ — a silver chloride derived from recycled silver from electronic waste — inhibits and guards against the growth of odors arising from microbes such as bacteria and fungus. Bad smells develop when odor-causing bacteria settle into the fabric, mix with sweat and multiply. The treatment is permanent and products treated with Polygiene stay fresh and remain hygienic between washes, earning Polygiene’s tagline “Wear More. Wash Less®.”

Sinterama’s Newlife is a unique, complete and certified system of recycled polyester filament yarns coming from 100-percent post-consumer PET bottles sourced and processed into a polymer through a mechanical process and spun into yarn exclusively and entirely in Italy that is also 100-percent recyclable at the garment level. This whole process constitutes Sinterama’s proprietary High Tech Conversion Model (HTCM) which has become a benchmark in mechanical recycling.

Christian von Uthmann, Polygiene CEO said: “We’re excited to begin working with Sinterama as this will open new doors for us in categories where we see large growth potential. The care sector where we first started, as well as the corporate/workwear industry will both benefit as Polygiene treated fabrics will be capable of withstanding industrial level laundering. In addition, the shorter lead-times with the ability of pretreated fabrics to be stored and colored is an exceptional market advantage to an even wider audience.”

Guglielmo Fiocchi, Sinterama CEO said: “We are very proud of the cooperation with such an innovation leader as Polygiene. The agreement fits perfectly with the tradition and the strategy of Sinterama to develop and innovate constantly, giving our customers durable, healthy, green solutions, with additional features to delight the end user.”

This advancement will deliver a number of consumer benefits:

1.     Polygiene is a permanent treatment. It cannot be washed out however many washes and repeated wear it undergoes. However, a yarn’s outer surface is subject to abrasion. By adding Polygiene to the yarn fibers, the wear and tear damage is minimized, keeping treated garments odor free for the life of the fibers (in the garment).

2.     By treating the fibers, products can be washed at higher temperatures, a key benefit to the healthcare and workwear industry.

3.     Highlighting the companies shared recycled green stories and Polygiene’s wash less ethos, users of Newlife with Polygiene can expect to stay fresh irrespective of the washing temperature and number of times they have worn the garment.

Sinterama sees the application appealing to a number of sectors.  Matteo Soppera, Head of Product Marketing notes, “Marrying together Polygiene technology and Sinterama’s experience in recycled, high-tech polyester filament yarn, is a new concept for the textile market and will offer our customers improved performance.”

Posted May 8, 2017

Source: Polygiene

INVISTA Invests In Camden Facility For Expanded Specialty Fiber Capacity

WICHITA, Kan. — May 8, 2017 — INVISTA is investing more than $65 million in state-of-the-art fiber production equipment at its Camden, S.C., facility. This investment will expand capacity of Nylon 6,6 fiber used in a diverse range of applications.

Importantly, this investment will significantly increase domestic US capacity of high-tenacity, specialty fibers used in CORDURA® fabrics. These durable fabrics offer valuable solutions in military applications such as bags, backpacks and ballistic vest carriers as well as a wide variety of commercial end-uses from hiking boots to hunting gear, workwear to motorcycle, and many other outdoor and lifestyle apparel and equipment products. The new assets will also be capable of manufacturing bulked continuous filament and high-quality fibers for airbags and industrial sewing threads.

According to Jeff Brown, Executive Vice President, Invista Performance Materials division, “This investment is utilizing a combination of patented and proprietary technology with flexibility such as solution dyeing which enables increased innovation opportunities around fiber properties and performance and creates a strong platform for our future growth.”

This latest investment shows an ongoing commitment by Invista to provide its domestic and global customers with differentiated, value added products manufactured by state-of-the-art equipment.

Camden is an ideal location being situated in the heart of the textile industry. “As Invista’s largest integrated nylon polymer and fiber producing facility, this site offers an ideal footprint for reinvesting in high performance solutions for the markets we serve,” says Brown.

Posted May 8, 2017

Source: Invista

Gerber Appoints Mohit Uberoi CEO; Mike Elia Joins Board And Retires From Company

TOLLAND, Conn. — May 4, 2017 — Gerber Technology today announced the appointment of a new CEO, Mohit Uberoi, to succeed retiring Mike Elia effective Friday, May 5. Elia will join Gerber Technology’s Board of Directors continuing to provide leadership and on going counsel.

“Working with the Gerber team has been a tremendous honor,” said Elia. “I am proud of what our global team has accomplished and I look forward to serving Gerber and Mohit as a Board member.”

“We thank Mike for his vision and the success he has brought to Gerber,” said Eric Baroyan, AIP Partner. “Mohit will be a great addition to the Gerber management team and will carry out the strategic vision set in place when AIP acquired Gerber.”

“I am inspired to join a company that has a long standing history of innovation dating back to its founder, Joseph Gerber. Joining an industry leading company, that is financially strong with innovative product roadmaps driven by customer insight, is truly a blessing,” said Mohit Uberoi. “My vision for Gerber is to continue to help customers Embrace Their Digital Reality with products that accelerate speed to market.”

Prior to joining Gerber, Mohit has served as President and CEO of Goss International and B&W MEGTEC. He has a proven track record of guiding companies to achieve their strategic initiatives, driving technology solutions, building great management teams, and creating value for all stakeholders. Mohit has also worked in research and new business development for W.R. Grace & Co., a diversified industrial conglomerate. Mohit earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology before moving to the U.S. to pursue his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona.

Posted May 5, 2017

Source: Gerber Technology

DyStar Sets Up New Texanlab To Drive Sustainability In Textile Industry

SINGAPORE — May 5, 2017 — On April 21, 2017, Texanlab Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. — a DyStar Group company — opened its third state of the art and technologically advanced laboratory at Tirupur (Tamilnadu), a town in South India famous for knitwear exports and known as Manchester of India. It is also a popular destination chosen by European and American retailers for buying various knitted products like t-shirts.

Posted May 5, 2017

Source: DyStar

AmeriPride St. Cloud Laundry Receives Hygienically Clean Certification

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — May 5, 2017 — AmeriPride Services Inc., St. Cloud, Minn., has earned Hygienically Clean Food Safety certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The certification confirms the laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing garments and linens using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for nspectors’ evaluation of critical control points (CCPs) that minimize risk. The independent, third-party inspection must confirm essential evidence that:

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

In addition, the AmeriPride facility passed three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean garments and linens and zero presence of harmful bacteria. To maintain their certification, laundry plants must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for animal processing, dairies, fruit/vegetable, bakeries, grain and other food and beverage industry segments.

The St. Cloud facility is the second in the AmeriPride chain to receive the Hygienically Clean Food Safety certification; the company’s Fresno, Calif. laundry earned the designation earlier this year. Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, for serving hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities, was previously awarded to 11 of the company’s U.S. locations: Little Rock, Ark.; Phoenix; Watkinsville, Ga.; Topeka, Kan.; Bemidji, Minneapolis and Twin Falls, Minn.; Springfield, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Lubbock, Texas. The company’s Canadian Linen and Uniform Service facility in Lethbridge, Alberta, is also Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices are examined in the Hygienically Clean Food Safety inspection process, evaluating the plant’s techniques for:

  • Conducting hazard analysis
  • Determining CCPs, monitoring their control, correcting them if not under control
  • Validating and verifying HACCP system effectiveness
  • Documenting and record-keeping to show ongoing conformance

On-site inspections also evaluate practices relevant to handling and processing textile products used in food manufacturing/processing establishments for adherence to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directives. Introduced in 2014, Hygienically Clean Food Safety brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for laundering garments and other textile products for food manufacturing used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Posted May 5, 2017

Source: TRSA

Dr. Mike Fralix To Work With Softwear Automation As A Technology Evangelist To Accelerate The Deployment Of Sewbots™

ATLANTA — May 5, 2017 — SoftWear Automation Inc., an Atlanta-based machine-vision robotics firm, today announced that Dr. Mike Fralix will be working with the company as a Technology Evangelist. Leveraging Dr. Fralix’s industry experience demonstrates SoftWear Automation’s continuing focus on creating and expanding autonomous Sewbot™ worklines for the sewn products industry.

Fralix, who holds a Doctorate in Technology Management, is the current President and CEO of Textile Clothing Technology Corporation [TC]2 and he will continue in that position while working with SoftWear Automation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the AAFA (American Apparel and Footwear Association) and brings decades of experience in apparel manufacturing, including research and development, operations management, and corporate management. Fralix will champion SoftWear’s Sewbots™ onto the factory floor while helping to identify key partners that will support and enable more local manufacturing.

“Mike brings a remarkable amount of industry knowledge and expertise,” said Raj Rajan, Chairman and CEO of SoftWear Automation. “We’re thrilled to have him evangelize our technology to help redesign the textile and apparel industry supply chain.”

“The sewn products industry is ripe for innovation, and SoftWear Automation is perfectly positioned as a leader in this space,” said Dr. Fralix. “I’m excited to join the team at this rapid stage of its growth. This is a fantastic opportunity to help lead the adoption of SoftWear’s unique robots in a market I know so well.”

SoftWear Automation’s Sewbots™ are currently commercially deployed in the home goods and automotive sectors. With Sewbots™ produced goods currently on retail shelves globally, SoftWear is committed to disrupting, in a positive way, the $100 billion sewn products industry. Sewbots™, fully autonomous sewing worklines, allow companies to SEWLOCAL™, geographically shortening the distance between consumers and manufacturers.

An internationally recognized speaker, Dr. Fralix offers expertise on a variety of topics, including 3D product development, sizing for fit, production scheduling, industrial engineering, ergonomics, full package production, simulation, lean manufacturing systems, sustainable technologies, and the digital supply chain. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Philosophy from North Carolina State University, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Duke University, and a Doctorate in Textile Technology Management from North Carolina State University, where he was appointed an Adjunct Associate Professor in 2009. He is also active in several industry organizations including the International Apparel Federation, where he serves as a member of the Board and Chairman of the Technical Committee.

Posted May 5, 2017

Source: SoftWear Automation

Twitchell Technical Products, A Portfolio Company Of Highlander Partners, Acquires The Quantum Group

DOTHAN, Ala. — May 3, 2017 — Highlander Partners’ portfolio company Twitchell Technical Products, a specialty materials company focused on engineered polymer fabrics and coated films, today announced that its parent company acquired The Quantum Group, a leading manufacturer and innovator of unique yarns and high-performance woven fabrics to the furniture, construction, recreational, industrial, healthcare, automotive and airline industries.

Founded in 1985, Quantum is a vertically integrated yarn and fabric manufacturer with expertise in mono- and multi-filament yarns and possessing extensive yarn preparation processes, including warping, texturizing and twisting fibers, producing a wide variety of engineered performance characteristics, patterns and textures.  Examples of these creations include fabrics with unique performance characteristics for a wide range of uses like the Pellicle® fabric for the iconic Herman Miller Aeron chair and the roof fabric in use today on Centre Court at the Wimbledon Tennis Center.

Quantum’s facilities, located in Colfax, North Carolina, are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified and all of the Company’s products are manufactured in the USA.

Founder Jeff Bruner, who started the business to provide unique technical solutions that were not achievable by other textile companies, will remain with Quantum as General Manager, is a continuing shareholder and will join the Twitchell management team as Chief Technology Officer.

“I am pleased to be joining forces with the people and business of Twitchell to continue Quantum’s focus on innovation and growth as we leverage our combined technologies into new and exciting products,” said Jeff Bruner.

“We are thrilled about the addition of Quantum’s technology, products, customers and people to our growing platform of technology driven specialty materials,” said Jeff Register, Twitchell’s Chief Executive Officer. “The acquisition of Quantum expands our reach into complementary categories and strengthens Twitchell’s technological expertise and strategic positioning.  Like Twitchell, Quantum takes a customer-centric approach, providing customers with leading-edge fabric technology, superior service and customized solutions, and the two organizations are a great cultural fit. We are looking forward to partnering with Jeff Bruner, a recognized leader in the industry, and his team and continuing Quantum’s culture of innovation.”

Mike Nicolais, Chairman of Twitchell and CEO of Highlander Partners, commented, “The addition of Quantum is another example of Highlander’s ongoing strategy of executing strategic add-on acquisitions that expand our portfolio companies’ product offerings and market share. This is our second acquisition in the last twelve months and Twitchell is well positioned to continue supplementing its organic growth with M&A opportunities. We are excited about this combination and we are fully committed to continue our strategy of building a leading specialty materials company.”

Regions Bank, as Administrative Agent, along with a syndicate of participating lenders, provided senior financing for the transaction.

Posted May 4, 2017

Source: Highlander Partners

Techtextil 2017 Exhibitor Preview: Radicigroup

BERGAMO, Italy — May 4, 2017 — Countless products for technical and industrial applications delivered by a sole source provider, a Group capable of meeting diverse market demands and requirements. The yarns and nonwovens produced by RadiciGroup Synthetic Fibres and Nonwovens Business Area ensure the reliability, performance, technical content and sustainability of the final products realized by its customers.

At Techtextil 2017, RadiciGroup presents its top products and latest solutions for technical applications in a variety of industries, such as automotive, apparel, furnishings, construction, sport, and outdoor (Hall 4.1, Stand C68).

“Today RadiciGroup is the only European industrial group that has the capability to control the production process in its entirety, from chemicals to synthetic fibres and engineering plastics, including end-of-life recycling,” stressed Maurizio Radici, vice president of RadiciGroup. “Synergistic vertical integration, especially in our polyamide production process (with a 200,000-ton-per-year production capacity) is one of the Group’s main strong points, and we proudly claim it is an added value for our customers.”

Polyamide yarn and staple yarn, polyester continuous filament and polypropylene nonwovens are the leading players at the Techtextil RadiciGroup stand. Particular prominence is given to the sustainable versions of these products and to improved technical characteristics, which have been made possible by

production plants recently put into, or soon to be, in operation to widen the product range. At its Selbitz site in Germany, RadiciGroup has invested EUR 3 million to develop and produce both household and industrial products for the abrasive sector, as well as felts for the industrial sector (dorix® teck). In Italy, a bico technology production line for the manufacture of spunbond is due to become operational by the end of 2017 and will increase total production capacity by 50%.
The automotive sector is one of the main target markets for RadiciGroup technical textiles. As explained more in detail in the last issue of Voices corporate magazine, the Group product ranges include Raditeck® Double Six (high- tenacity PA 66 yarn, mostly used for car airbags and tyre reinforcement), and Radifloor®
Automotive (solution-dyed PA 66 yarn for car carpeting and polyester yarn for automotive interior applications). This broad yarn offering is complemented by numerous types of engineering plastics from the RadiciGroup Performance Plastics Business Area, ideal for the manufacture of structural plastic cabin components with high mechanical performance specifications.

RadiciGroup’s strengths also include being the number two European polyester producer, recognized for the quality, innovation and sustainability of its yarns: over 24,000 tons of product and about EUR 70 million in sales revenue. Additionally, the Group has focused more and more on the production of yarn obtained from post-consumer recycled polymers (PET bottles), for which RadiciGroup can provide UNI 11505 certification attesting to the full traceability of the recycled material (r-Radyarn® and r-Starlight®). Within this context, RadiciGroup has numerous on-going projects in collaboration with renowned names in the outdoor and sport apparel industries with the aim of achieving concrete sustainability for the entire value chain.

May 4, 2017

Source: RadiciGroup

AMSilk Strengthens Team And Product Competence In The Biosteel® Fiber Business Unit

PLANEGG, Germany — May 4, 2017 — AMSilk GmbH, the world’s first industrial supplier of synthetic silk biopolymers has further expanded its Fiber Business Unit: Since the beginning of April, Martin Lankes supports the Biosteel® fiber development team as Senior Product Manager Fiber Business in a technical and market-related way to bring the protein-based silk fiber to the next development stage. The aim of AMSilk is to develop market-ready products together with selected leading brands and partners and to set new standards in the fiber industry. This includes the continuous improvement of the Biosteel® fiber as well as the definition of product requirements and defined quality characteristics.

With more than 20 years of professional experience, Martin Lankes is an experienced textile engineer and product manager. After his start in the development department at Patagonia he subsequently worked for several years in trade marketing with Helly Hansen. Following, he was with W.L. Gore & Associates for over 9 years as Product Specialist for Gore-Tex® and Windstopper, before Lankes was appointed Senior Product Developer to the adidas Innovations team. Over the past four years, Lankes has rebuilt the GENTIC brand as a brand manager at Skylotec.

Regarding his new job at AMSilk GmbH, Martin Lankes explained: “AMSilk GmbH has a unique product and is the only biotech company in the world to produce the Biosteel® fiber in large quantities. I am particularly fascinated by the many different Biosteel applications and I’m looking forward to helping to further develop and market the Biosteel high-performance fiber.

Severin Bertsch, Head of Fiber Business at AMSilk, added: “We are delighted to have won with Martin Lankes an engineer with such extensive experience and competence that will help to shape and implement the ambitious goals of AMSilk in the future. With his know-how in the fields of international textile value chain, innovation and product management, as well as the development of product standards, he will further advance our high-quality performance products”.

Posted May 4, 2017

Source: AMSilk GmbH

1...1,5461,5471,548...2,523Page 1,547 of 2,523

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2025 Quarterly Issue Number II

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.