New CTO for SSM — Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG

HORGEN, Switzerland — March 14, 2017 — In January 2017, Christian Muser was appointed CTO for SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG. SSM is the brand and trend-setter that drives the global market in winding technology. Its competence lies in the handling of yarn during the winding and yarn processing operations, to obtain best package quality that combines all the necessary characteristics.

Muser holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering (FH) from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW. In 2001 Muser joined SSM and has held several positions in the technical department. With Davide Maccabruni’s transfer to the CEO of SSM AG in April 2016, Muser started as ad interim head of this department and has now been appointed as a full member of the management team of SSM AG.

SSM congratulates Muser for his new challenge and wishes him great success and satisfaction.

Posted March 14, 2017

Source: SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG

X-Rite Launches First Immersive 3-D Visualization Environment For Evaluating Material Appearance

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — March 14, 2017 — Today at the Autodesk Automotive Innovation Forum in Munich, Germany, X-Rite Inc., a global leader in color science and technology, and its subsidiary Pantone LLC, announced the industry’s first immersive Virtual Light Booth (VLB). The VLB allows designers, material suppliers and marketers to accurately and efficiently visualize and compare 3-D digital material renderings side-by-side with physical samples in an environment that controls all parameters influencing the perception of appearance. Part of the company’s Total Appearance Capture (TAC™) ecosystem, the VLB ensures a new level of consistency between digital prototypes and final physical products. This helps companies reduce approval cycles and accelerate time to market.

As companies transition to digital manufacturing processes, there is a growing need for physically precise virtual designs that represent the true appearance of the final product. To date, CAD and rendering software solutions have been limited in their ability to visualize physical appearance characteristics such as texture, gloss, transparency and opacity. The TAC ecosystem and VLB make it possible to capture and verify the true appearance of a material in a digital environment.

“We have incorporated more than sixty years of color and appearance science into our state-of-the-art Virtual Light Booth to provide an immersive and interactive experience that allows users to accurately evaluate material appearance in both a physical and virtual world,” says Dr. Francis Lamy, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, X-Rite. “For the first time, VLB allows product teams to compare digital and physical materials under the exact same perceptual conditions – from illumination to contextual to observational factors. With the VLB, design teams can easily vary these conditions to see changes in material performance. As a result, designers can make more informed material selections and reduce approval times and improve product quality.”

Turnkey Solution for Comparing Digital and Physical Material Samples

The Virtual Light Booth combines the X-Rite’s SpectraLight QC professional light booth technology with a high-resolution, color-calibrated LCD display and a real-time color management engine. A digital material rendering or product simulation is shown on the VLB’s display next to the physical sample. This enables users to view both the virtual and physical samples under controlled daylight conditions in a standardized visual observation environment. VLB offers users the flexibility of viewing samples under diffuse or spot light sources.

Combining embedded motion tracking sensors, spectrophotometers and colorimeters along with the synchronization of real-time rendering technology, the VLB delivers a 3D virtual experience that mimics real-life by adjusting the virtual representation as a person’s viewing angle changes. This is especially important when evaluating materials that use special-effect pigments, whose color and appearance change based on the viewing angle.

“We have taken the complex process of virtual evaluation and developed a turnkey solution that can be used across any design-to-production workflow. Customers do not need to worry about color calibration, lighting or viewing angles. We have incorporated all of this into the new VLB so that customers can quickly and accurately evaluate virtual and physical materials,” says Lamy.

The TAC Ecosystem

The VLB is part of the TAC ecosystem, an award-winning appearance solution that accurately and efficiently captures, communicates and visualizes complex physical materials, including special-effect pigments and synthetic fabrics. TAC brings product designs to life with digital material representations that have the same visual appearance characteristics as their physical counterparts. Using the TAC ecosystem, product designers, 3D artists, material specifiers and marketers can scan in physical material samples and create vendor-neutral Appearance Exchange Format (AxF™) files to digitally communicate and share consistent appearance-related data with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and state-of-the art rendering applications. This enables a new level of realism and efficiency in digital material capture and 3D design.

Posted March 14, 2017

Source: X-Rite

World Of Wipes Innovation Award® Finalists Are Changing The Face Of The Wipes Industry

CARY, N.C. — March 14, 2017 — Competition for the 2017 World of Wipes Innovation Award® has been narrowed to three finalists and attendees at the World of Wipes® International Conference June 12-15 in Nashville, Tenn., will have key deciding votes in selecting the winner.

The companies in the running for the prestigious award presented annually by INDA are: Berry Plastics’ Chicopee® Microfiber Floor Care System, Elsner Engineering’s Glueless Tail Tie for rolled wipes and Kimberly-Clark Corp.’s Huggies® Natural Care Extra Sensitive Baby Wipes.

The products all address previously unanswered needs in the marketplace. They include Chicopee’s disposable microfiber mop that makes cleaning more hygienic, safer, and economical for facility managers; Elsner’s glueless rolled wipes production option that helps eliminates material compliance issues for wipes manufacturers; and Huggies wipes that address neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse concerns for the fragile, compromised skins of premature infants.

Attendees at WOW 2017 will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from the top companies who are changing the face of the wipes industry, and gain essential industry insights from an outstanding roster of speakers during the conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort.

The professionals who come to WOW hold an important one-third of the vote in their hands. The award finalists will make their presentations on June 13 and the winner will be announced on the morning of June 15, capping off the conference focused exclusively on wipes. Last year, more than 400 attendees from every area of the wipes sector were at WOW and INDA expects an equally strong turnout with the continued growth and evolution in this segment.

WOW 2017 promises to be a valuable, must-attend conference offering relevant and timely insights, information and statistics from industry leaders on consumer and industrial wipes, the threats to flushable wipes, regulatory issues, product safety and testing, developments in substrates, sustainability, and more. For the full program, visit http://www.inda.org/events/wow17.

Voting at WOW Counts

The World of Wipes Innovation Award recognizes the product that both expands the use of nonwovens and demonstrates creativity, novelty, uniqueness and technical sophistication. Nominated products come from within the entire nonwoven wipes value chain.

In addition to the live voting, the INDA Technical Advisory Board and the WOW Conference Planning Committee will have equal one-third votes to the attendees in determining the top company for the prize.

The product finalists selected from a broad group of international product nominations are:

Berry Plastics’ Chicopee Microfiber Floor Care System

Chicopee’s new short-term use disposable microfibre mops for cleaning provides a total disposable solution for Facility Management and Cleaning companies looking to improve hygiene or remove laundering of their cleaning materials.

The patent pending innovative Fluid Mopping System combines a light, ergonomically designed mopping tool with short-term use Microfiber Mops. The tool has a removable reservoir, which can hold up to 620ml of cleaning solution, and the user pulls the ergonomic trigger to release liquid as they clean.  Up to 80 percent less water is used and chemical consumption is reduced, bringing cost and environmental benefits.

The system combines the company’s unique APEX® technology with splittable microfibre technology to create unique 3D materials, according to the company. The product enables damp floor mopping as opposed to wet floor mopping, which is important to help reduce the risks of slipping on wet floors while mopping in commercial settings.

Elsner Engineering’s Glueless Tail Tie for Rolled Wipes

Seeing the need for a method of controlling the tail of the wipes rolls coming off the machine as they transfer to automatic canister loading, Elsner developed this unique solution that doesn’t use glue.

Due to compliance issues and other standards, many customers cannot add an ingredient such as glue to their products. With the use of ultrasonics, the tail of the nonwoven wipes is tied “closed” without an additive or any discoloration.

 

The patent-pending design uses the minimum possible bond strength to avoid having a mass of wipes as the last of the product is dispensed from the canister, thereby enhancing the end-user’s experience with the product.  With no mess, pre-heat time, or consumable to deal with, the converter’s efficiency, productivity, and ultimately, profitability is increased, according to the company.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation’s Huggies Natural Care Extra Sensitive Baby Wipes

Developed in partnership with NICU nurses, Huggies Natural Care Extra Sensitive Baby Wipes are the first and only baby wipe specifically developed for premature skin. These wipes address nurses’ concerns for the fragile, compromised skins of infants that the market previously did not address such as underdeveloped stratum corneum, acid mantle (which comprises the outer layer of skin), and the deficiency of structural proteins in the dermis layer of the skin.

Huggies Natural Care Extra Sensitive Wipes provide a gentle clean for babies’ skin. Intended for hospital use, the wipes gently glide across delicate newborn skin without leaving behind excessive wetness. Huggies Natural Care Extra Sensitive Wipes were created with a mild, water-based formula that is free of alcohol, fragrance, and dyes, according to the company.

Posted March 14, 2017

Source: INDA

Teijin Subsidiary DSC To Exhibit Pultruded Composites At JEC World 2017

TOKYO — March 13, 2017 — Diversified Structural Composites Inc. (DSC) — a Teijin Group subsidiary in Erlanger, Kentucky, in the United States that manufactures and sells pultruded composite materials — announced today that it would attend JEC World 2017, the world’s largest composites show, to exhibit a selection of pultruded composite profiles, commonly referred to as pultrusions, that can help to reduce automobile body and structure weight and raise the performance of industrial materials, while maintaining cost competitiveness.

Pultrusion is a method of forming long-length shapes for a wide range of general industrial purposes. A cost-effective manufacturing process, its many applications include increasing use in automotive linear-structure materials.

The exhibits will showcase relatively large samples of pultruded composites, such as those for automobiles and wind turbines.

DSC, which was established in 1978 and became a Teijin subsidiary in 2008, is a leader in pultruded composites and has been expanding its pultrusion business mainly in blade structures of wind turbines, profiles for　down-hole oil and gas operations, automotive, and aerospace composites. The company produces components to customized performance and cost specifications by designing cross-sectional shapes utilizing a selection of high-performance resins, which it then combines with reinforcement fibers, such as carbon, glass or aramid fibers.

Teijin continues to strengthen its capabilities as a tier 1 supplier that fully meets customer needs and specifications for enhanced-strength thermoplastic and thermosetting resins combined with carbon, glass and aramid fibers, with form molding technologies such as pressing, sheet molding compound, resin transfer molding (RTM) or pultrusions taking advantages of its efficient mechanical characteristics.

Posted March 13, 2017

Source: Diversified Structural Composites Inc. (DSC)

U.S. Alpaca Industry Teams up with U.S. Manufacturing

Phoenix — March 13, 2017 — U.S. Alpaca Fiber Council (USAFC) announced today the formation of their industry centric organization focusing on processing activities associated with U.S. produced alpaca fleece. Its mission is to assist U.S. manufacturers in production, promotion, profitability and marketability of U.S alpaca fiber.

Since the U.S. first commercially imported alpacas in 1984, the primary focus of the individual alpaca breeder has been to produce offspring with the finest, softest, most lustrous fleece. This concept has produced a national herd of superior fleece that is able to compete in the global market. Today, the alpaca industry is moving forward to produce products that will be commonly found in homes across the United States and abroad.
In an earlier meeting held in Washington, D.C. to discuss strategies to move alpaca fleece into the national supply chain, the U.S. Alpaca Fiber Council was formed to bridge the gap between the expectations of manufacturers and the needs of the alpaca community. The council consists of artisan and commercial mills, agricultural cooperatives and alpaca industry experts that are uniquely qualified to support manufacturers with their alpaca product initiatives.

“While the textile industry focuses on supply chain sustainability, re-shoring and authentic brands, we believe U.S. grown fiber and U.S. made alpaca textiles could not be a better fit.” said Chris Riley, owner NEAFP and founding organizer with USAFC.

The mission of USAFC is to build an efficient communication infrastructure bridging the gap between U.S. alpaca growers and U.S. manufacturers by educating growers on profitability, sustainability and harvest best practices.  Benefits to manufacturing will include, sourcing, pricing, quality assurance and market analysis. The council aims to create a focal point where U.S. growers and manufacturers can develop strategies to address technology, market access and quality.

“The founders understand the opportunity of being at the ground floor of this very exciting industry,” said Norm Johnson, Alpaca Owners Association (AOA), president. “They all agreed to work collaboratively on a sustainable and efficient U.S. alpaca supply chain.”
Organization founders of the council are Alpaca Coalition of America (ACOA), Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America (AFCNA), Alpaca Owners Association, Inc. (AOA), Artisan Mill Network, New England Alpaca Fiber Pool (NEAFP), Natural Fiber Producers (NFP), Sorting, Grading, Classing (SGC) and Suri Network.

Posted March 13, 2017

Source: U.S. Alpaca Fiber Council (USAFC) 

DKNY Debuts Emily Ratajkowski For Spring/Summer 2017 Intimates, Hosiery And Sleepwear Campaign

NEW YORK CITY — March 13, 2017 — Today, DKNY launched the Spring/Summer 2017 intimates, hosiery and sleepwear campaign, titled #GoodMorningDKNY. Featuring actress and model Emily Ratajkowski, the campaign and film were shot by fashion photographer Sebastian Faena on location in DKNY’s native New York.

To complement the launch of the campaign, DKNY introduces a fashion film, set in a quintessential Manhattan apartment. In the film, Emily wakes, exiting her apartment to walk her dog, wearing nothing more than her DKNY bra and briefs. And — because anything can happen in New York — she steps onto the streets, greeting stunned neighbors, onlookers and viewers with, “Good Morning, New York.” The fashion film and campaign imagery, styled by Clare Richardson, will live online at DKNY.com and in iconic New York locations including The High Line, Times Square and in New York Subway stations. There will also be a comprehensive digital media plan across several fashion and lifestyle websites to support the launch.

“I have never been one to shy away from expressing my individuality — DKNY has always been about supporting strong, self-assured women and that is a message very important to me,” says Ratajkowski, “I’ve always been a fan of the brand and this intimates campaign and film are a natural fit.”

In the film, Emily embodies the attitude of a New Yorker — confident and not afraid to make a statement, her authentic charm feels inherent to DKNY’s DNA. Emily wears the black unlined demi bra and matching cheeky boyshort from the new classic lace collection. Additional styles worn throughout the campaign include Emily’s favorite sheer lace bralette and cheeky garter. The litewear collection appears as Emily lounges in bed wearing the ultra-smooth wirefree bralette and low rise bikini and with the mesh litewear bodysuit paired with the new fishnet thigh high in nude.

The DKNY intimates, hosiery and sleepwear spring collections, priced at $12-$62, are available at DKNY, Nordstrom, Lord + Taylor and Macy’s, both in stores and online, as well as select international retailers.

Posted March 13, 2017

Source: DKNY

ASTM International Calls For Nominations For New Emerging Professionals Program

WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — March 13, 2017—After two successful pilots, global standards organization ASTM International, is expanding its Emerging Professionals program. The program will provide free airfare and lodging this year for up to 24 participants to attend a leadership development workshop held during anASTM International conference — “committee week” — where technical experts in their industries create and revise standards.

D. Thomas Marsh, the organization’s board chairman for 2017, is championing the effort.

“It’s crucial that we empower young people who want to be more deeply engaged in creating standards that support everything from consumer product safety to airplane biofuels,” said Marsh, president and CEO of Centrotrade Minerals & Metals. “Society needs the best and the brightest to build tomorrow’s technical foundation for the many global industries housed in ASTM International.”

The program aims to identify candidates who have some familiarity with standards and who have strong potential to be future leaders in one or more of the organization’s 145 technical committees.

Winning applicants will receive roundtrip airfare to the committee-week location and two nights of accommodations.  During their stay, they will receive: a thorough introduction to standards development, mentoring from a seasoned standards professional in their industry, and a professionally-led leadership workshop on negotiation, consensus building, and problem solving.

The programs and affiliated industries are:

  • June 27 in Boston, Massachusetts (petroleum) with nominations due April 27;
  • October 10 in New Orleans, Louisiana (thermal insulation, air quality, performance of buildings, and more), with nominations due Aug. 10;
  • November 14 in Atlanta, Georgia (steel, plastics, consumer products, plastic piping systems, and more)with nominations due Sept. 14; and,
  • December 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana (road materials, cement, environmental assessment, and more)with nominations due Oct. 5.

ASTM International members and others are welcome to nominate individuals through www.astm.org/emergingprofessionals .  Both nominators and nominees with questions can contactkkoperna@astm.org.

This expansion comes as a result of two successful pilots which garnered positive reviews from participants, including Nima Shamsaei, a student at Auburn University. “This was a great experience to become familiar with the elements of standard development as well as to meet peers, ASTM management, and staff,” he said.

Posted March 13, 2017

Source: ASTM International

Monadnock Non-Wovens LLC Now Manufacturing With 100-Percent Green-E Certified Renewable Electricity

MT. POCONO, Pa. — March 9, 2017 — Monadnock Non-Wovens LLC (MNW) reports that all of its products are now manufactured with renewable electricity. Through a significant investment in Green-e certified renewable wind-powered energy certificates (RECs), MNW has offset its entire electrical requirement while supporting new, additive wind-powered electricity generation. Taking this important step to support new renewable energy sources is representative of MNW’s strong commitment to sustainability.

“As Monadnock continues to grow and expand into new markets, we are proud that we can announce a great leap forward in our five year plan to reduce environmental impacts and help our customers realize their complex sustainable purchasing objectives,” said Keith Hayward, Managing Director of Monadnock Non-Wovens.

One such example is a European customer who asked for ways to reduce packaging disposal costs. MNW offered specially constructed cardboard pallets that are fully recyclable at the end of their useful life. The result was lighter loads saving energy and freight costs as well as a 100-percent diversion of pallets from landfill into the recycling stream.

In 2016, MNW completed a facility wide conversion to LED lighting with an estimated energy savings of 115,000 KWh of electricity per year. The company also focused on waste and recycling realizing a 66-percent reduction in waste to landfill over the past two years. MNW harvests waste heat from its production completely eliminating the need for facility heating (except in periods of shutdown in the winter). Additional process improvements and equipment upgrades have led to additional energy savings.

Posted March 9, 2017

Source: Monadnock Non-Wovens LLC.

MHM Collaborate With MagnaColours® On Distribution Deal

BARNSLEY, England — March 10, 2017 — MagnaColours® has signed a distribution deal with screen-printing hardware and technology business, MHM Direct GB, to supply water-based inks alongside its machines. MHM are innovators in the development and manufacture of technical equipment for screen printing and have been working with MagnaColours to help drive product innovation in textile screen-printing.

The move will provide MagnaColours with the ability to reach a wider audience with their products, and allows MHM to supply a complete, cost effective solution for customers, that adheres to the highest environmental standards. Under the new deal, MagnaColours will work alongside MHM to offer water-based textile inks. This will open up new sales channels to MagnaColours, whilst providing MHM with a bespoke option for customers. Initially, the deal is set to be trialled in London and the South and, if successful, will be rolled out in other areas of the UK and Europe.

Helen Parry, Managing Director of MagnaColours said: “At Magna we pride ourselves on our relationships with our customers, and working with a company that shares our values and attitudes in this area is an exciting prospect. Through our new partnership, we have the opportunity to reach a wider customer base and educate more people about the benefits of using water-based inks, and what they’re now able to achieve using our products.”

Both MHM and Magna understand the importance of education and training within the water based screen-printing industry. MHM have spearheaded a training academy at their Derby offices, using hands on, one-on-one sessions with industry experts to provide printers with valuable screen-printing experience and comprehensive understanding of using MHM machinery alongside Magna inks.

This will enable both MHM and Magna to refute common misconceptions surrounding water-based inks, by demonstrating Magna’s pioneering product range on industry leading machinery. This new venture was born under the same motivations as Magna’s own educational tool, MagnaAcademy®, which provides comprehensive training courses to help establish best practice.

John Potter, Managing Director of MHM commented: “We’ve been innovators in the screen printing industry for almost 40 years, when we began looking to expand our offering, it was important that we could work with a company who placed an equal importance on innovation and customer service. As environmental issues become increasingly important, we felt that it was necessary for us to provide a more environmentally sustainable alternative. We can now offer our customers a fully comprehensive range of pioneering inks, that will help achieve a quality, cost-effective end product, with the highest environmental standards.”

MHM and MagnaColours will be working closely together to ensure screen-printers are offered the right solutions for their business. Environmentally friendly printing has become a more and more important consideration for brands and consumers. In early 2017, MagnaColours launched the GNA accreditation, a new industry mark that seeks to ensure garments are printed to tough environmental standards.

Posted March 10, 2017

Source: MagnaColours

Techtextil Symposium Provides Insight Into Current Trends In Technical Textiles, Nonwovens And Functional Garment Fabrics

FRANKFURT, Germany — March 10, 2017 —Tickets are now available for the Techtextil Symposium, the international expert forum taking place in parallel with Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. The symposium is taking place from 9th to 12th May 2017 in Hall 4.0, Saal Europa, at the Frankfurt Fair.

At the 19th edition of the symposium, international experts will present the latest research results, products and technologies for technical textiles, nonwovens and functional garment fabrics, in a total of seven half-day lecture blocks: New Fibres & Textiles, Industry 4.0, Circular Economy & Sustainability, Health & Protection, Smart Textiles and Composites.

The themed lecture blocks will be chaired by:

  • Dr. René Rossi (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research – EMPA, Switzerland)
  • Prof. Meike Tilebein (German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf, Germany)
  • Braz Costa (Technology Center for the Textile and Clothing Industry of Portugal – CITEVE)
  • Dr. Klaus Jansen (Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V., Germany)
  • Dr. Hartmut Strese (VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, Germany) and
  • Dr. Thomas Stegmaier (Institute of Textile Technology and Process Engineering Denkendorf ITV, Germany)

For the first time in 2017, on 10th May, the Dornbirn Man-made Fibres Congress, Austria, will be organising a block on the theme of ‘Fibre industry geared to sustainability & resource management’, led by Friedrich Weninger.

Posted March 10, 2017

Source: Messe Frankfurt

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