TRSA Management Institutes’ Co-Location To Enhance Participants’ Take-Home Value

WASHINGTON — May 9, 2017 — TRSA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI) and Production Management Institute (PMI) will be held concurrently at the University of Maryland, August 6-10. The combination provides unique opportunities for information-sharing and socializing among established and upcoming leaders in the linen, uniform and facility services industry as attendees will share free time, meals and evening outings.

As an incentive for companies to place staff in both programs, TRSA is offering a future TRSA event credit worth $500 for companies who register a first-time participant in both. An additional discount is available for enrolling three or more employees from a single company in either program. Learn more, view brochures and access registration at www.trsa.org/emi or www.trsa.org/pmi.

EMI has a 50-plus-year tradition of providing attendees with the latest in management techniques to aid them in tackling high-priority tasks and long-term workplace challenges specific to the industry. In classes led by academics and consultants experienced with the industry, participants complete EMI by returning for a 4-day program once a year for the next three years.

The first year offers practical insight that can be immediately applied to motivate and inspire co-workers and employees to streamline production, improve productivity and increase profitability, including:

  • Developing effective communications skills
  • Managing innovation and change
  • Reducing conflict

EMI attracts attendees from all segments of the textile services industry, from independent companies’ owners, executives and next-generation leaders to chains’ headquarters (including HR/administration) and plant- and depot-based management (GMs, branch and department heads). TRSA member associates attend as well. Individuals who have achieved TRSA’s Certified Professional Laundry Manager (CPLM) certification receive 31 credit hours toward recertification by attending EMI.

PMI, now in its 28th year, consists of two 4-day programs one year apart, featuring classroom settings where attendees learn from each other as well as industry experts who instruct. First-timers take the PMI Production curriculum, which includes fundamentals of laundry production and operations, emphasizing key principles of productivity, quality, safety and sustainability. Over the next year, students will participate in a series of self-paced, online modules on topics such as human resources, communications, finance, time/project management and business ethics.

PMI Production participants will return the following August for PMI Management, another four days of interactive sessions that further refine their production and laundry-specific management skills. Upon completion of the classroom and online training, students are tested and can earn the CPLM designation, the baseline of knowledge for all graduates.

PMI features group exercises that take advantage of attendees’ collective talent and require participants to devise solutions collectively to real-world scenarios presented as case studies. Visits to nearby laundries are part of the curriculum as well; this year, the destination will be the 120,000-square-foot Alsco plant in nearby Lanham, Md. Opened in 2016, it processes 120,000 pounds of laundry daily.

This August, PMI participants will be among the first recipients of Laundry Operations and Management, TRSA’s new 300-page text on production management orientation and training, providing enrichment and review of what was learned onsite during PMI.

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: TRSA

Sun City Chooses YuniquePLM® In The Cloud – Displaces Legacy PLM System

TOLLAND, Conn. — May 3, 2017 — Gerber Technology today announced that Sun City, Fashion for Humanity, chose YuniquePLM In The Cloud to increase flexibility and productivity.  Sun City is the fashion under license source for Europe. They pride themselves on being flexible, efficient and fast —  delivering on trend fashion for their customers.

Sun City sought a platform to manage its large, diverse licensed collections to give them visibility of a garment’s status in the supply chain at any given time during its transformation through connected systems — from concept to the consumer.

“The implementation of YuniquePLM In The Cloud will save us on infrastructure and implementation costs,” said Sally Barget, operations and purchase director at Sun City. “Our team will be able to increase productivity by having all the data of a collection at their fingertips and, with this new system, we will always have the latest functionality since upgrades are simple.”

Sun City is starting the implementation of YuniquePLM In The Cloud with the iconic New Man Division. This division was previously utilizing a different solution. They are also implementing the YuSnap mobile app to help with images during fitting sessions, helping to further collaboration and data integration with their teams. “We made the change because of a more intuitive and flexible interface with additional functionality,” continued Barget.

Sun City is a partner to the largest European brands in all sectors of the market including: multi-brand stores, e-commerce, specialists, department stores and mail order. They serve major European brands like Tesco, Carrefour, Primark, Disney and Amazon.com, with their licensed collections.

“Adding Sun City to the YuniquePLM In The Cloud family is a great addition to the portfolio of fashion and apparel brands recognizing the benefits of employing cloud technologies in their businesses,” stated Bill Brewster, vice president and general manager, enterprise software solutions for Gerber Technology. “This solution is helping companies around the world reduce their infrastructure costs while increasing productivity and flexibility across their organization.”

Companies are under significant competitive pressures to design, develop and produce their products faster and more efficiently while ensuring they get the right products to market at the right time and at the right price. YuniquePLM’s cloud-based subscription is flexible, scalable and eliminates costly information technology infrastructure. It is the culmination of extensive customer feedback and is perfect for any sized fashion company looking for an industry-leading PLM solution. YuniquePLM In The Cloud represents the first opportunity to get world-class PLM from the industry leader at a very affordable subscription rate, with minimal implementation effort and a wealth of self-learning tools on Gerber University.

YuniquePLM is the first and most widely used PLM system for the apparel industry available in the cloud and as a SaaS. It’s intuitive and easy to use, and it integrates seamlessly with Gerber’s AccuMark® CAD software and the Adobe® suite to help companies go from design to market with speed, quality and efficiency.

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: Gerber Technology

ACIMIT: 2017 Kicks Off With Growing Orders For Textile Machinery

MILAN, Italy — May 9, 2027 — The year 2017 has started off on a positive note for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. For the first quarter, orders have increased both in Italy and abroad. ACIMIT president Raffaella Carabelli said: “Orders for the start of 2017 confirm a positive trend in major foreign markets, and a climate of trust for Italy’s textile industry that is on the upswing.”

The orders index for textile machinery compiled by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, for the period from January to March, grew 24 percent compared to the same period in 2016. The index value stood at 113.7 points (basis 2010 = 100).

This growth regarded mostly markets abroad, where the index came in at an absolute value of 124.1 points (+26 percent). In Italy, the increase compared to the period from January to March 2016 was 16 percent, with an absolute value of 71.5 points.

ACIMIT president Raffaella Carabelli commented on the results, “The index data for the  first three months of the year confirm the positive signs ascertained by our businesses in various foreign markets.”

The dynamic trend for Italy’s domestic market originates, on the other hand, with the National Industrial Plan 4.0. “A renewed climate of enhanced trust is currently perceived in the textile sector,” states Raffaella Carabelli, “triggered by the government’s commitment to enact a range of significant incentives for the Country’s manufacturing system.”

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: ACIMIT

Schoeller Signs HYDRO_BOT Production Agreement

SEVELEN, Switzerland — May 9, 2017 — Schoeller Textil AG and Osmotex AG have signed a production agreement for HYDRO_BOT. This agreement represents another major step towards commercialisation for HYDRO_BOT. The two companies also announced that further tests of the HYDRO_BOT panels have shown encouraging results for the moisture management solution.

HYDRO_BOT, a new revolutionising technology for moisture management was first introduced at ISPO earlier this year. HYDRO_BOT will solve one of the biggest challenges in sports, work and protective clothing: to transport moisture to matches human sweat rates in various climates, conditions and activity levels.

Behind HYDRO_BOT is Osmotex, a Swiss-Norwegian start-up dedicated to developing solutions for electro osmosis for moisture management.  The Swiss leading textile manufacturer, Schoeller Textil AG is the production partner for the  HYDRO_BOT panels.  The agreement means that Schoeller will market HYDRO_BOT to its clients and enable Omotex to support new client projects with HYDRO_BOT with all the hallmark qualities a world-leading Swiss textile manufacturer.

The first product to consumer is planned with KJUS, a leading innovator in ski-, golf- and lifestyle wear. They will be the first leading brand to take HYDRO_BOT to market in selected skiwear products planned for the 2018/2019 season. On-going testing in the reign of Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, suggest that everything is proceeding to plan with the expected quality.

“World-class testing of HYDRO_BOT is crucial, and we are pleased with the results to date.  The agreement with Schoeller now also finally secures our quality production, and we are soon ready to provide samples for the demo jackets for 2018/19 season,” says Trond Heldal, Director of R&D and Operations at Osmotex and the lead researcher on the decade long research and development effort.

“It is our speciality to bring highly-functional fabrics, knits and innovative textile technologies to market.  With HYDRO_BOT we enable a totally new functionality to be brought into garments. Now we are step closer to the new reality smart textile performance”, says Siegfried Winkelbeiner, CEO of Schoeller Textil AG.

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: Schoeller Textil AG 

Hexcel at SAMPE CHINA 2017 China International Exhibition Center, Beijing

STAMFORD, Conn. — May 9, 2017 — SAMPE China 2017 takes place in Beijing on May 10-12, 2017 and Hexcel is exhibiting at the event as a leader in advanced composite technologies. At booth #A60 Hexcel’s displays will demonstrate the wide range of composite materials supplied by Hexcel to customers in China.

Display parts will include the A350 XWB rudder skin and belly fairing panel made by Hexcel customer HMC (Harbin Hafei Airbus Composite Manufacturing Center), a joint venture established by Hafei and Airbus in 2009. Since then Hexcel has been a strategic supplier to HMC of composite materials for packages including the Airbus A320 elevator, HTP spar and rudder, and the A350 XWB belly fairing, rudder, elevator and section 19 maintenance door.

Other booth displays include HexTow® carbon fiber, a helicopter canopy made from HexPly® prepreg, and a structural sandwich made from HexWeb® honeycomb and HexPly® prepreg. Hexcel will also display a section of a composite beam manufactured by hot forming Hexcel’s HexPly® M21 UD carbon fiber prepreg.

Other promotions include HexFlow® RTM6-2 resin system a 2-component version of HexFlow® RTM6 for resin transfer molding. A number of OEMs have qualified this infusion system designed for aerospace primary structures, which has a high Tg and provides excellent hot/wet performance from a flexible cure cycle. RTM6-2 also has a long shelf life and has no transportation restrictions.

Hexcel is also promoting its engineered core capabilities whereby flat honeycomb is transformed into drop-in core parts meeting precise customer specifications using a number of processes such as machining and heat forming. Hexcel is opening a new plant in Casablanca, Morocco later this year to complement existing engineered core facilities in the USA and Belgium.

Hexcel’s Sales Office in Shanghai was one of the first members of the SAMPE China association and this year marks the 12th anniversary of Hexcel’s participation in SAMPE China, demonstrating our continued commitment to the aerospace industry.

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: Hexcel

Itema Announces Diversification Strategy; Acquires Majority Stake in Lamiflex And Minority Stake In NoeCha

COLZATE/BERGAMO, Italy — May9, 2017 — Itema finalized the agreements to acquire 61 percent of shares in Lamiflex, leading supplier of technical composite products, and a minority stake in NoeCha, provider of high-tech, wide-format printing solutions.

The acquisitions are part of a wider strategy of Itema and its shareholders, namely the Radici family with 60 percent of shares and the Arizzi e Torri families with the remaining 40 percent, to ultimately accelerate the continued expansion and secure the long-term profitability of Itema by diversifying into complementary, high-growth markets through stakes in innovation-driven companies which offer significant economies of scale to fuel the joint development of each others’ core businesses.

“Following a remarkable five-year period in which Itema Group has doubled the sales of its weaving machines with consecutive, double-digit growth per annum, the Company is now ready to strengthen its leadership, to quicken the pace of its expansion and to accelerate its global reach through targeted acquisitions,” said Carlo Rogora, CEO of Itema Group.

“We chose Lamiflex and NoeCha due to their forward-thinking missions and innovative approaches, which perfectly match our dedication to supply top-performing, advanced machinery. Combining our strengths, we will no doubt reach new heights of success in the development and manufacturing of innovative, highly technological products. Itema will guarantee to Lamiflex and NoeCha Customers worldwide a structured organization, based on lean manufacturing concepts in its world-class production sites and on a global network of agents and distributors,” continued Rogora.“We are confident that this first round of acquisitions will act as an important launch-pad for our diversification strategy and will bring positive results in the nearest future, creating significant synergies and adding value for our Customers and Shareholders.”

Headquartered in Ponte Nossa, Bergamo province, Lamiflex specializes in composites materials, such as carbon, glass and Kevlar and offers a portfolio of innovative solutions and patented new products with exceptional versatility and adaptability for industrial applications, catering to industries as wide-ranging as weaving machinery, medical and aerospace, among others.

NoeCha, also Bergamo-based, is a quickly-scaling-up young company which offers high-tech printing solutions, such as the revolutionary wide-format industrial UV-LED flatbed digital press, the NoeCha ONE, for photo-realistic, high impact graphics. NoeCha ensures excellent printability on different type and size of material up to 3.2x2meters at production speeds with a native 600 dpi x 600 dpi image resolution.

Itema Group’s move is set to create and stimulate significant synergies along the respective supply chains in which Itema, Lamiflex and NoeCha, as well as RadiciGroup companies operate and to grow not only in the textile machinery sector, but also to expand into new, highly innovative sectors, such as composites, and thus, together, be much more competitive than otherwise possible individually. These acquisitions will lead to optimizing processes and improving product performances, as wel l as providing advantages derived from a shorter, more sustainable supply chain, lessening the environmental impact of the joint operations, in line with the principles of a circular, greener economy.

Posted May9, 2017

Source: Itema

OUTLOOK™ 2017 Keynote Speakers Announced As Registration Opens

BRUSSELS, Belgium — May 9, 2017 — EDANA today announced the keynote speakers and opening of registrations for OUTLOOK™ 2017. The innovative conference will offer participants expert insights into the latest sector trends, as well as valuable networking opportunities.

Taking place in Cascais, Portugal, from September 27-29, OUTLOOK™ 2017 will kick off with a keynote speech by Robert Ward, Editorial Director of The Economist Intelligence Unit. ‘The World Economy in the Age of Trump’, will address the global political and economic outlook. Jonathan Bourget, Managing Director of Apis Rex, will give the second keynote presentation: ‘Corporate Venture Capital – Creating New Opportunities for the Nonwovens Industry’.

New features for 2017

  • OUTLOOK™17 will start at 11:45 on Wednesday the 27th of September with Mr Robert Ward’s keynote presentation. This is open to both conference delegates and holders of the new EDANA networking pass and will be followed by a networking lunch.
  • Networking pass: a company is entitled to buy a networking pass for 1 person per 3 paying delegates. This pass grants access to the keynote presentation on the first day, the two lunches, all the coffee breaks and the two evening cocktails.
  • Benefit from a 15-percent discount on the total amount by registering a minimum of 4 paying delegates (note: registrations must be done simultaneously to benefit from the discount).
  • Workshop on innovation organized on the morning of Friday the 29th.

Delegates are recommended to register now, and book their hotel rooms as early as possible. The registration form and further conference information can be found on the EDANA website.

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: EDANA

CORDURA® Brand And Dupont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Launch New Eco-Efficient Textiles At Techtextil

WILMINGTON, Del. — May 9, 2017 — Leading apparel, footwear and gear brands are demanding innovative eco-efficient solutions. INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand, in partnership with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, brings the first in a series of eco-innovations to Techtextil, driving the future use of new sustainable textiles. Based on the combination of the legendary long-lasting durability of Cordura fabrics married with the bio-based performance of Susterra® membranes and coatings, the first cutting-edge innovations resulting from this collaboration will be on display at Invista Stand G25, Hall 4.1 at Techtextil, May 9-12, 2017, in Frankfurt, Germany.

“Invista continues to look at ways that we can benefit the environment as part of our innovation continuum — and Cordura fabrics can do this by increasing the utility and durability products,” explained Cindy McNaull, global Cordura brand and marketing director. “As the textile market is undergoing a pivotal shift to reduce its environmental footprint, we want to provide long-lasting products that need to be replaced less often with other eco-efficient solutions. Now, designers of apparel, footwear and gear will have access to innovative durable performance fabrics that incorporate plant-based materials based on high-performance coating and membranes from DuPont Tate & Lyle.”

Tiong Liong, the first authorized mill for footwear and gear as part of the Cordura + Susterra® brand collaboration, is dedicated to developing product innovations with eco-effiicency in mind.  This is why some of the first composite textiles utilizing the Susterra propanediol thermoplastic polyurethane membranes incorporate Cordura EcoMade fabrics made with recycled polyester yarns as well as Tiong Liong’s own Ariaprene™ foam.  Ariaprene foam uses a certified bluesign® system water-based lamination process that is designed for non-skin irritation and does not off-gas harmful pollutants throughout the product lifecycle. Durable, solvent-free, renewable, and recycled are the key descriptors that describe the exciting new developments coming from Tiong Long’s Cordura + Susterra developments.

Everest, the first apparel fabric mill brought into this collaboration, has the ability to incorporate bio-based membranes and coatings based on Susterra® propanediol from DuPont Tate & Lyle into a variety of Cordura brand fabrics. At Techtextil, Everest will highlight how Cordura Naturalle™ fabrics incorporated with a polyurethane bio-based membrane containing more than 25 percent renewable sourced materials by weight are engineered to help keep your body dry and comfortable in all kinds of weather. The Susterra propanediol based membrane demonstrates good hydrolysis resistance, excellent low temperature flexibility and elasticity thus allowing the membranes to be incorporated with stretch fabrics for added mobility.

“Eco-innovations in the industry can take the shape in many forms from renewably sourced products, to long-lasting durability to recycled materials,” stated Laurie Kronenberg, global marketing director, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. “This is exactly what we had in mind as we engaged our first apparel, footwear and gear fabric mill collaboration partners, Tiong Liong and Everest. We worked with eco-efficiency in mind to develop solutions for those brands demanding bio-based, sustainable, performance materials across a variety of markets.”

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products

Techtextil Exhibitor 2017 Preview: Beaulieu Technical Textiles

COMINES-WARNETON, Belgium — May 9, 2017 — Beaulieu Technical Textiles (BTT) brings its specialized extrusion coating & extrusion laminating support for industrial applications to the fore at this year’s Techtextil showcase in Hall 4.1, Booth F13.

Technical textile producers are invited to discover the diverse finishing and innovative customization opportunities possible with BTT’s advanced, fully automated line for Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE) and Polyester (PES) woven fabrics and nonwovens.

BTT’s extrusion coating process can apply a wide range of polymers as a liquid layer — one-sided, two-sided or multi-layer — to make a fabric printable and/or achieve specific protective and functional performance, including waterproofing, flame resistance and antistatic properties. Optional UV stabilization is also offered. Transparent and white transparent, standard white and black, and colored coating options are available. Coatings range from minimum 25 to 30 g/m² up to 450 g/m². As well as standard widths, BTT offers extensive possibilities to customize lengths and widths, with supplementary cutting provided on a separate line with up to six cutters in width.

In addition to extrusion coating, BTT is also equipped for extrusion laminating to support the production of composite structures.

Franky Viaene, global sales manager Beaulieu Technical Textiles, commented: “As an established leader and driving force in technical textiles, Beaulieu Technical Textiles supports a wide range of customers in varied markets, and our expertise extends right through to the finishing process. Our in-house extrusion capabilities are available to external customers and we offer close technical collaboration to ensure the optimal treatment for the desired result for their application. We’re looking forward to discussing new possibilities for the industry to benefit from our support, starting at Techtextil.”

Beaulieu Technical Textiles will feature its extrusion coating and extrusion laminating capabilities alongside its customer-oriented and market-specific textile solutions at Techtextil 2017 Booth F13 from May 9-12 in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.

Posted May 9, 2017

Source: Beaulieu Technical Textiles (BTT)

EFI Acquires CRC Information Systems

FREMONT, Calif. — May 8, 2017 — Electronics For Imaging Inc. (EFI) today announced that it has acquired privately held CRC Information Systems (CRC), a Reynolds and Reynolds company. Reynolds and Reynolds is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. CRC, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a provider of business management information systems (MIS) for commercial printers and packaging label and forms printers throughout the United States and Canada.

EFI™ is the global market leader of innovative end-to-end certified business and production workflow software to the commercial print, publishing, and packaging industries. The addition of the CRC will expand EFI’s market share in North America, enabling EFI to offer CRC customers a path for the future, including opportunities to implement complete, end-to-end, business and production workflows that drive efficiency and profitability.

“We are excited to welcome CRC customers and employees into the EFI family,” said Jeff White, general manager, SMB Segment, in the EFI Productivity Software business unit. “We intend to continue to meet the needs of CRC’s existing client base with the same enthusiasm they have come to expect over their years in business, while offering those customers access to the full portfolio of EFI products, as well as an opportunity to consider an end-to-end solution approach leveraging EFI Productivity Suites, including the Midmarket Print Suite, Enterprise Commercial Print Suite, and Packaging Suite.”

“We are very excited to join the EFI family and are confident in the additional value they can bring to our customers,” said Erv Ratazak, Manager, Product and Services, CRC Information Systems. “EFI has the technology, skill and reach that will enable CRC customers continued growth and success for years to come.”

Posted May 8, 2017

Source: Electronics For Imaging (EFI)

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