Non-Stop Tying-In Process — U.S. Patent Application Number 62451851

Aided by a Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund grant, NC State professors aim to improve weaving efficiency with new tying-in process.

By Dr. Abdel-Fattah M. Seyam and Dr. William Oxenham, Technical Editors

Abstract

Recent analyses of textile production costs have indicated that the United States is globally competitive in the majority of primary manufacturing processes with exception of weaving1-3. The weaving process is the slowest process in the fabric manufacturing pipeline, and this is due both to the nature of the weaving process, and inherent limitations in the yarns’ tensile and abrasion properties, which can result in yarn breakages during weaving. In an attempt to offset these limitations, a weaving machine must run at its highest speed and efficiency. To overcome the inherent limitations of the weaving process, weavers made major advances in improving the quality of yarns by preparing them to withstand the rigor of weaving, which led to the reduction of short-term stops. Parallel efforts have been conducted by machinery manufacturers that led to the development of high-speed machines. The improvements in yarn preparation and weaving machine speed have reached the limit and other revolutionary ways to improve efficiency of the process are sorely needed. Two long-term stops in weaving remained unchallenged: Style change, which is conducted when a warp beam runs out and new fabric with different specifications is required; and tying-in, which is performed when the warp beam runs out and the same fabric needs to be continued. Style change requires four to eight hours to complete while tying-in needs 30 to 120 minutes, excluding the time preparation prior to tying-in and loom beam change and passing the knots after tying-in, depending on warp width, warp density, yarn type, and tying-in machine type. This sort of long-term stop significantly reduces the efficiency of high-speed weaving machines.

Introduction

More than 50 percent of world fiber production is converted to woven fabrics for applications including apparel, home, and technical textiles. While modern weaving machines operates at high-speed, the weaving process remains the slowest process in the entire production pipeline. This is due to the nature of the weaving process and the inherent warp and weft yarns’ properties, with finite tensile strength and abrasion resistance, and as a result yarns can break during weaving. In the event of a yarn break, the process is automatically stopped and a manual repair by the operator is then made. A weaving machine has to perform a series of sequential motions to interlace a weft yarn with numerous warp yarns every weaving cycle. A finite length of warp sheet is supplied on a warp beam behind the loom that will eventually runs out and this requires stopping the process to replace the run out beam with a full beam.

Because the weaving process is the bottleneck in the production pipeline, weaving speed and efficiency must be maximized. Machine manufacturers have succeeded in developing high-speed machines through the development of better and more powerful motors, lighter and stronger machine parts, and separate drives for weaving motions. In fact, today’s weaving machines can run faster if the warp and weft yarns can handle the complex stresses that arise from the high speed combined with the nature of the process. To increase machine assignment per operator, reduce downtime, and enhance versatility and quality, weaving machine manufacturers have developed innovative electronic-based and control technologies that include: automatic weft repair to reduce downtime; variable weaving speed to preprogram speed for each weft yarns based on their strength to avoid breaks; automatic weave/pattern change to eliminate stopping to change weave if same warp is used; start mark prevention; and on loom inspection4-6. On the other hand, research and development in yarn preparation for weaving — spinning, winding, warping, and sizing — has led to better prepared yarns that can withstand the rigor of weaving process and minimize yarn breaks during weaving and hence increase weaving efficiency7-12. Additionally, there has been significant work on the role of spinning system and processing parameters on the properties of yarn which can be correlated with their subsequent weaving performance13-15.

Two long-term causes of weaving stops remained unchallenged. These are style change — which is conducted when warp beam runs out and new fabric with different specifications is required — and tying-in — which is performed when the warp beam runs out and the same fabric to be continued. Style change requires four to eight hours to complete, while tying-in needs 30 to 120 minutes, excluding the time preparation prior to tying-in and loom beam change and passing the knots after tying-in, depending on warp width, warp density, yarn type, and typing machine type, which is premium for high-speed weaving. Tying-in is conducted for numerous fabric types such as shirting, sheeting and pillow, denim, air bags, and almost all jacquard fabrics. Each weaving room has several tying-in machines to conduct tying-in after loom beams run out.

Previous research work focused on improving tying-in machines to increase the degree of automation, expand their applications, and increase knotting speed. At the ITMA exhibitions of 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015, major tying-in machine manufacturers exhibited latest automatic tying-in technologies. More details on advances in tying-in can be found elsewhere4-6&16.

Incentive and Objectives

None of the previous research and development efforts dealt with eliminating the long-term stop of the weaving process while tying-in is being performed. The Walmart Foundation and U.S. Conference of Mayors call for proposals in July 2015 for applied research from the Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund included weaving as one of the thrust areas of research. This motivated the authors to successfully propose an innovative, revolutionary research approach to eliminate the long-term stop practiced currently and to allow the weaving process to continue without stopping while the tying-in process is being conducted. The proposed work targeted the development of portable mechanisms that could work with any current automatic tying-in machine.

This project deals with eliminating the need for stopping the weaving process in order to conduct tying-in. Currently, when the warp beam runs out, the operator stops the process, and an automatic tying-in machine and its table are brought to the loom along with a full warp beam. Setting time, which is conducted by tying-in operators, is required before the automatic tying-in of each warp yarn from the run out warp beam to its corresponding yarn of the full warp beam. After tying-in, the empty warp beam is taken out of the loom and replaced by a full warp beam. The knots are then passed through different parts of the weaving machines, namely drop wires, heddle wires, and reed. Then the weaving process resumes after many hours of lost production.

The recognized advantages of the project is to increase weaving efficiency/productivity and reduce the cost of woven products. This will afford U.S. woven fabric manufacturers a competitive advantage and potentially increase the number of jobs in weaving and its allied industries, which is in line with the target of the Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund.

WeavingFigure1
Figure 1 Concept of non-stop tying-in process

Approach

The problem to be addressed is that in order to provide new warp sheet, the weaving machine needs to be stopped, to allow for knotting of yarns from the new warp sheet to the end of the run out warp sheet, and this essentially renders weaving as a batch process. To continue weaving during the tying-in process and achieve the objectives of the project, two developments are required: (1) Develop a loom beam winding procedure, at the sizing or warping process, to create a warp beam with tail that will be available for tying-in before warp beam runs out, and (2) Develop a warp sheet accumulator to store the warp tail while the weaving machine is forming the fabric from the main warp sheet. The warp tail length, which depends on the weaving speed and pick density — or fabric take up speed — must be sufficient to allow time for the tying-in and its associated procedures. A schematic of the concept of non-stop tying-in process is shown in Figure 1. The figure shows as the warp beam is running out, the tail will unwind and become available for connecting to yarn on the replacement beam. As it can be seen from the figure, the warp sheet tail is fed out through the accumulator’s rollers into the tying-in table. The sheet of the full warp beam is also fed into the tying-in table. The yarns of the two warp sheets will be joined, and any excess warp sheet length will be accommodated by the spread of the moveable rollers of the accumulator, which is also part of a control system to ensure uniform tension. When the process is completed, the full warp beam will replace the empty warp beam. Then both tying-in machine and the accumulator are moved out to storage or to the next weaving machine for another tying-in procedure. To design and build non-stop equipment and procedures, it was decided to conduct tying-in time study to capture the time of every task performed during the entire tying-in process, including preparation for tying-in, tying-in, and post tying-in tasks. This will enable the determination of tasks that could be streamlined during the formation of tailed warp beam and non-stop tying-in process as well as design the equipment for ergonomic purpose, which will lead to overall improvement in weaving efficiency.

Tying-in Time Study

The tying-in time study was conducted at the Weaving Lab at North Carolina State University’s (NC State’s) College of Textiles, on a G6200 rapier loom weaving 60-inch-wide fabric with 3,120 warp yarns (or ends/inch = 53.5). The warp yarn was 2-ply, spun. The entire time from loom beam run out to the recommencement of weaving with the new warp is 196 minutes. It took a team of three to conduct all procedures, however, most of the time one operator conducted the tasks. To precisely get the time for each task, a video capturing system was used. The video was streamed to capture the beginning and end of each event. The Table 1 shows beginning, end, and time of each task.

WeavingTable1
Table 1: Tying-in Time Study

This time study revealed that there are numerous tasks required before and after the actual tying-in task. The tying-in process (task 22) took 77 minutes to complete. The preparation for the tying-in tasks (1-21) took 98 minutes to perform while the tasks (23-27) conducted after tying-in took 21 minutes. It should be pointed out that the number of ends tied-in in this case are low compared to high dense warp. The warp density of such high dense warps could reach 300 ends/inch or more for applications such as high thread count bed sheets, backed fabrics, and double cloth. With such high number of warp yarns, it is expected that the stop time to conduct tying-in process and its preparation will be much higher than the case studied here.

Equipment Development

A proprietary passive warp storage (accumulator) as a first prototype, was designed and built at NC State’s machine shop. It was designed to work with 20-inch-wide CCI sample loom available at the College of Textiles. The word passive here indicates that there is no warp sheet tension control, rather the warp sheet tension is controlled by rollers and dead weights. This is a simple flexible prototype to be used for developing the final, more sophisticated solution. The purpose of the first prototype is to study the operator/machine interaction, improve ergonomic and reduce process time and lead to design of an active prototype with tension control. Figure 2 shows the warp accumulator disassembled and assembled. The system was designed in two parts to allow disengaging the system from the warp sheet after completing the tying-in process using four quick release clamps for quick disassembling/assembling. The figure shows the parts of the warp accumulator. The number between parentheses indicates the quantity of each part.

WeavingFigure2
Figure 2 Warp sheet accumulator disassembled and assembled
WeavingFigure2b
1 Movable roller (1), 2 Quick release clamp (4), 3 Accumulator frame (1), 4 Movable roller guides bracket (2), 5 Fixed roller (1), 6 Fixed roller bearing (2), 7 Floating roller guide bracket (1), 8 Floating roller (1), 8 Wheels (6)

A warp beam support, which is needed to work with warping machine to form wrap beam with tail, was also designed and built. This equipment supports a warp beam that has the tail warp sheet with required length. The beam is termed tail beam. The support is a frame with two bearings to allow unwinding the tail to form the final beam with tail using the warper. This is also a passive system. A more sophisticated system will be built that will have a tension control and positive feed.

Non-stop Tying-in Process Trial

The non-stop tying-in process requires two steps. The first step is to form warp beam with tail and the second step is to conduct the tying-in process and its associated tasks while the weaving machine is running.

Weaving3a
Figure 3 Procedures of formation of loom beam with tail ; Figure 3a: Tail beam winding from pattern drum

Procedures Of Formation Of Warp Beam With Tail

A CCI Lutan V3.6, equipped with rotary creel, warper was used to form a tail beam and final warp beam with tail. The warp width was 20 inches with 50 ends/inch for a total of 1,000 ends and a yarn count of 42/2. The procedures of formation of loom beam with tail are shown in Figure 3. After the warp was completed on the pattern drum, the tail beam was wound (See Figure 3a). The tail length was about 7 yards — 1 yard from point of tail take off from the warp beam on loom, 4 yards in the accumulator, and 2 yards from the accumulator to the tying-in table. The tail beam was fixed on the beam support (See top right in Figure 3b). The warp beam was placed in the two bearings as seen in Figure 3b. The warp beam is formed from a folded warp sheet; the tail and the main sheet on the drum form a fold. The fold is achieved by a spring rod pushed down against the warp sheet and supported by the warp beam flanges. After securing the spring rod, loom beam winding starts (See Figure 3c). The loom beam is formed from the tail, from the tail beam and the warp sheet from the pattern drum till the end of the tail (See Figure 3d). The end of the tail is secured with tape in order to keep the warp yarn spread out and in order to reduce handling and brushing in preparation for the tying-in. The winding of loom beam with tail continues (See Figure 3e) form the warp sheet on the pattern drum till the entire warp is transferred.

Weaving3b
Figure 3b: Starting winding of loom beam with tail with aid of spring rod
Weaving3c
Figure 3c: Winding loom beam with tail
Weaving3d
Figure 3d: End of tail – taped to keep the warp yarns’ order
Weaving3e
Figure 3e: Completing winding of loom beam with tail
Weaving4a
Figure 4a: Warp sheet of new beam fixed to tying-in table and warp tail is being passed to the accumulator

Procedures Of Non-stop Tying-in Process

Once the end of the tail merges out of the loom beam during weaving, the procedures of non-stop tying-in process start (See Figure 4a). The new full warp beam, the accumulator, and the tying-in table are brought and stationed behind the weaving machine as it can be seen in Figure 4a. The new warp sheet is pulled and guided to the tying-in table where it is brushed and clamped to the table. The tail warp sheet is taken and threaded through the accumulator rollers (See Figure 4b) and then clamped to the tying-in table above the warp sheet of the new beam. The two warp sheets are brushed and warp yarns are straightened in preparation of tying-in or knotting (See Figure 4c). The tying-in machine is brought and engaged to the rails and tying-in starts (See Figure 4d). The above steps are conducted while the weaving machine is running from the main warp sheet of the loom beam and the tail is being stored in the accumulator. When the main warp sheet runs out, the spring rod will be uncovered and removed. At this moment, the accumulator will take any slackness out as a result of removing the spring rod. At this stage, the accumulator feeds the weaving machine from the stored warp sheet (tail) as it is shown in Figure 4e. The weaving machine will be stopped after 10 minutes during this trial to replace the empty warp beam with the full warp beam. Then the weaving process resumes. The accumulator supplies the loom with the warp sheet from the tail until it is depleted. The accumulator is disassembled and then taken away to storage or to the next tying-in if needed. The new loom beam supplies the warp to the loom after stopping the loom for short period to pass the knots through the heddle wires’ eyes and reed dents.

Weavng4b
Figure 4b: Tail of loom beam passed through the accumulator and fixed to the tying-in table
Weaving4c
Figure 4c: The two warp sheets are being prepared for tying-in
Weaving4d
Figure 4d: Tying-in
Weaving4e
Figure 4e: Tying-in table is disengaged and accumulator is feeding the warp tail to the loom and run out warp beam is replaced with the new warp beam
Weaving4f
Figure 4f: Accumulator is disengaged and the loom is weaving from the new warp beam

It should be noted here that the stop time to install the new full beam can be eliminated by having a nip incorporated with the accumulator or beam support to keep the sheet tension under control. Beside the elimination of stop time and loss of production, additional advantages were realized during conducting the trial. These include elimination of tasks shown in Table 1, reduction of warp waste, and elimination of the need to check the end of warp beam. The tail emerging from the warp beam is obvious and it is possible to install an optical sensor to detect the tail appearance.

Next Step

This trial marks a historical technological innovation and proved the concept of the non-stop tying-in process and paves the road for commercialization of the process for any type of weaving machine. The authors currently are collaborating with a N.C.-based weaving company and planning for full-scale trials at its facility. A full-scale accumulator and tail beam support are being sourced to be built by a machine manufacturer.

References

  1. Hamilton B.J, Oxenham W., Thoney K.A., “Textile Manufacturing: Global Cost Trends From A U.S. Perspective: Staple Spinning”, Textile World (on-line Edition), April 17, 2013. http://textileworld.com/Articles/2013/April/Web_issue/NCSU_Paper_Part_2.html
  2. Hamilton B.J, Oxenham W., Thoney K.A., “Textile Manufacturing: Global Cost Trends From A U.S. Perspective: Knitting”, Textile World (on-line Edition), June 25, 2013. http://textileworld.com/Articles/2013/June/Web_issue/Textile_Manufacturing_Part_3_NCSU.html
  3. Hamilton B.J, Oxenham W., Thoney K.A., “Textile Manufacturing: Global Cost Trends From A U.S. Perspective: Weaving”, Textile World (on-line Edition), August 21, 2013. http://textileworld.com/Articles/2013/August/Web_issue/NCSU_Global_Cost_Trends_Part_4.html
  4. Seyam, A.M., ITMA 2003: Weaving Technology, Textile World, 34-39, February 2004.
  5. Seyam, A.M., Weaving and Weaving Preparation at ITMA 2007, Textile World, 42-47, January/February 2008.
  6. Seyam, A.M., Weaving and Weaving Preparation, ITMA 2011, Textile World, 34-37, January/February 2012.
  7. Namboodri, C.G., Foam Sizing and Blend Yarns: Slashing Trials, Textile Research Journal, Vol. 56, No. 2, 87-92, 1986.
  8. Hari, P.K. and Behera, B.K., High Pressure Squeezing in Sizing: Performance of Cotton Yarns, Textile Research Journal, Vol. 59, No. 10, 597-600, 1989.
  9. Abrasion Studies of Sized Cotton Yarns Before and After Weaving, Textile Research Journal, Vol. 59, No. 10, 622-629, 1989.
  10. Seyam, A.M., Weaving and Weaving Preparation at ITMA 2003, JTATM, NCSU, Vol. 3, Issue 3, 2003.
  11. Thomas, H.L. and Zeiba, J.M., Size Lubrication Methods for Air-Jet and Ring-Spun Yarns, the Journal of Cotton Science, Vol 4, No. 2, 112-123, 2000.
  12. Mirzaei, M., Gharehagaji, and Zarrebini, M., A new method of Yarn Hairiness Reduction by Air Suction during Carding, Textile Research Journal, Vol. 80, No. 20, 2128-2138, 2012.
  13. Bryan E., Oxenham W., “The Abrasion Characteristics of Ring-Spun and Open-End Yarns”, Proceedings of 12th EFS Research Forum, pp. 1-13, [CD-ROM, Cotton Incorporated].
  14. Basal G. & Oxenham W., “Comparison of Properties and Structure of Compact and Conventional Spun Yarns”, Textile Research Journal, Vol. 76, No. 7, pp 567- 575, 2006.
  15. Erdumlu N., Ozipek B., Oxenham W., “Vortex Spinning Technology”, Textile Progress, Vol. 44, No. 3-4, (2012), pp. 141-174.
  16. Seyam, A.M., ITMA 2015 Technology: Weaving, Textile World 38-42, May/June 2016.

Editor’s Note: This material is based upon work supported by U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund Grant No. 2016-1006. The authors would like to extend their thanks to Dr. Mohamed Midani for the help with the tying-in time study and drawing of the accumulator.

 

June 13, 2017

Orders Remain Steady; Opportunities And Challenges On The Horizon

Jim-Phillips-colorBy Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

As the second quarter winds down, many U.S. spinners report the uptick in orders that began in March continues to gain momentum. Spinners and other experts attribute much of the reason to rising prices in China and other areas of Asia-Pacific, which allows domestic companies to be more competitive in price. Others maintain that the increase is a correction, based on the mistaken impression by much of the world that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement would become a reality.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen prices from China spike considerably,” said one industry observer. “And this is just not in yarn and fabric, but across the entire manufacturing sector. It is the continuation of a cycle that began when U.S. manufacturers initially began losing market share to imports. First, we saw a tremendous growth in imports from the Western Hemisphere. Then it was Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong and, finally, to China. But as each of these nations began to realize gains in revenue, they also began experiencing increased labor costs.”

A yarn broker, who deals in both domestic and imported products, said: “I think a lot of the increase is due to TPP. When customers thought it was a sure thing, they moved a lot of production to Asia. Now that it is off the table, at least until the next election, some of those programs are moving back.”

But a spinner from the Southeast had yet another take on the issue. “We are becoming more cost competitive, despite the strength of the dollar against many currencies,” he said. “Part of this is due to increasing prices from the largest importers, but part of it is due, as well, to increasing efficiencies within our own ecosystems. We have the most productive, most modern industry and infrastructure in the world, and this allows us to compete with just about anyone. If we can’t match price, we can always at least compete on total value. And by total value, I mean the absolute best combination of price, service and delivery.”

Indeed, service and delivery have been significant advantages for U.S. spinners for the last decade. “Our advantage has always been that we produce the highest quality products and have in place a supply chain that allows us to deliver product faster than anybody else,” said one spinner. “Especially in today’s business environment, where customers want a nearly just-in-time experience, our company can deliver the right product at the right time. When you look at overall cost, combining price, transportation costs and the length of delivery time, we are hard to beat, even if the competition is selling product at 60 to 65 percent of our price.”

In 2016, according to NCTO, man-made fiber and filament, textiles and apparel shipments from U.S. manufacturers totaled $75 billion, up 11 percent from 2009. Yarns and fabrics accounted for more than $30 billion of shipments in 2016. Man-made fibers represented $7.4 billion.

“We’ve been optimistic that, after years of steady decline, the U.S industry is once again poised for growth,” said a yarn broker. “And we’ve already seen evidence of that by new plants opening up and new spindles coming on line for the first time in years.”

The Changing Dynamics Of Retail

Despite the overall optimism of many industry executives, there are still signs of potential upheavals on the horizon. “One of our biggest concerns is the uncertain future of major retail chains in the United States,” said one spinner. “When you see some of the most prominent retail chains in the world shuttering stores at an alarming rate, then you have to wonder how that will affect us.”

From an industry observer: “Shopping patterns are changing. Online orders constitute a much greater percentage of online sales than ever, and this is going to just keep growing. Can all these major retailers develop an online presence to compete with the likes of Amazon? The whole dynamic of retail is changing, and those who supply these new channels are going to have to change as well. They will have to respond to new demands, faster delivery of more varied products, new pricing pressures and who knows what else. The bottom line is that the old standard of ‘business as usual’ does not apply any more. Those that can adapt will thrive. Those that can’t — well I wouldn’t be optimistic.”

YarnMarketPricesJune17

June 2017

Retailers Outline Priorities For NAFTA Modernization: Digital Commerce, Customs And Trade Facilitation Updates Are Critical

WASHINGTON — June 12, 2017 — The National Retail Federation today submitted comments to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) outlining retail’s priorities for the negotiation of a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“The agreement has benefited U.S. importers and exporters, and more importantly, U.S. workers and consumers,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay in a letter to USTR Ambassador Lighthizer detailing the retail industry’s comments on NAFTA modernization. “We applaud the administration for the reevaluation of NAFTA. NRF and its members are very supportive of NAFTA, as well as other free trade agreements that not only open up sourcing opportunities for retailers to provide high quality products to U.S. consumers, but those that also open foreign markets for U.S. retailers to sell U.S.-made goods to foreign consumers.”

“Since the agreement was negotiated over two decades ago, it does not reflect today’s global value chain or many new ways of doing business in the global economy,” Shay said. “A number of its provisions affecting ‘old’ ways of doing business need to be updated and modernized to reflect today’s business environment as well as what may come in the future.”

Broadly, retailers encourage the administration to: first do no harm to the existing trade relationship, keep the pact trilateral, conclude negotiations quickly and provide a seamless transition for any changes that are agreed upon. NRF notes that NAFTA has spurred economic activity supporting 14 million U.S. jobs in farming, manufacturing and a wide range of service sectors.

The comment letter also outlines key principles on tariffs, rule of origin, customs and trade facilitation, digital commerce, labor and environment, and enforcement provisions that would improve trade and support better regional integration among the NAFTA partners.

NRF’s suggestions, while specific to Canada and Mexico, are also broad enough to apply to other U.S. trading partners. This is because retailers recognize that the modernized NAFTA will become a model for the Trump Administration’s efforts to negotiate future trade agreements with countries with which the U.S. does not yet have such agreements.

USTR officially notified Congress on May 18 that President Trump intends to renegotiate NAFTA, setting in motion the 90-day consultation clock under Trade Promotion Authority. USTR set today — June 12 — as the deadline for comments on the negotiating objectives, and will hold a hearing on June 27. Under TPA, negotiations with Canada and Mexico could begin in mid-August.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: The National Retail Federation

Hollander Sleep Products Announces Acquisition Of Pacific Coast Feather Company

BOCA RATON, Fla. — June 9, 2017 — Hollander Sleep Products, a manufacturer of high-quality man-made-filled bedding products, today announced that it has acquired Pacific Coast Feather Co. (PCF), a manufacturer of down and down-alternative products. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The newly-formed company will retain the corporate name of Hollander Sleep Products. Combined, Hollander and PCF bring a deep heritage of product innovation recognized throughout the retail and hospitality industries. These two companies offer a rich heritage and will create a stronger, more dynamic organization, ideally positioned to serve retailers, consumers and hospitality and institutional customers with a more complete variety of high-quality, innovative bedding solutions.

“This transformative acquisition marks a significant milestone in our company’s extensive history, and our combined company creates the undisputed leader in utility bedding in North America. The acquisition provides us with a stronger presence in key product categories, as well as access to new distribution channels, and will bring together two complementary companies to create a diverse and dynamic product portfolio consisting of high-value private label and strong national brands,” said Mark Eichhorn, CEO, Hollander Sleep Products. “This is an exciting time for both Hollander and PCF, and for all of our partners. The combination will form a stronger company through a focus on innovation and quality, as well as manufacturing efficiencies, and will provide improved value for customers and consumers alike.”

“We’re very pleased to be joining the Hollander team and helping to create an even greater company,” said Joe Crawford, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Coast Feather Company. “Bringing together two century-old, American-made companies with unique yet complementary expertise will result in an unequaled resource for the industry.”

PCF CEO Joe Crawford will serve as President of PCF reporting to Hollander CEO, Mark Eichhorn. Further operational and organizational details will be determined throughout the integration process.

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: Hollander Sleep Products

Milliken Names Jennifer K. Harmon As Vice President, Specialty Interiors, Performance & Protective Textiles Division

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — June 12, 2017 — Milliken has named Jennifer K. Harmon as its new vice president of the specialty interiors business, which is part of the company’s Performance & Protective Textiles Division.

Harmon, who was previously vice president of design and interim vice president of sales at True Textiles Inc., will be responsible for leading Milliken’s growth in the market of specialty interiors textiles which includes both the commercial and residential market.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience in the textile industry, she brings a combination of business management and textile design and development skills to the business. At True Textiles, she was instrumental in developing innovative platforms for product offerings to better reach the target audience to grow sales. Prior to True Textiles, she worked for a variety of market leaders, including Tietex International, Victor Studio, Chatham and US Woven Labels.

Harmon earned an MBA from Montreat College and a BS in Textile Technology with a Design Concentration from North Carolina State University.

Jeff Price, President of Milliken’s Performance & Protective Textiles Division, said: “Our advances in the interiors textiles market and the increasing demand from our customers led us to look for an addition to our team who would fit in with our ethos of innovation and exceptional service, and it is very fortunate that we were able to find someone of Jennifer’s caliber to fulfill this position. I’m confident that she will play a key role in leading our team to provide and implement high quality solutions for our clients.”

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: Milliken

RadiciGroup Presents Sustainability And Performance: High Quality Fashion Yarn

BERGAMO, Italy — June 12, 2017 — In the new book Neo-Materials In The Circular Economy – Fashion, RadiciGroup presents its reduced environmental impact product range.

Solution-dyed polyester, recycled polymer polyester and bio-based polyamide are some of the kinds of low environmental impact yarns produced by RadiciGroup specifically for the fashion industry. The fashion world is finally addressing sustainability and looking for materials that are not only beautiful and strong, but also sustainable.

The RadiciGroup product portfolio meeting these new market requirements is described in the recently published book Neo-materials in the Circular Economy – Fashion, available now in bookshops in both Italian and English versions. The book is edited by Marco Ricchetti in collaboration with Blumine S.r.l. and the Italian sustainable fashion social network Sustainability-lab.

The section about the Group, “RadiciGroup and the Future of Synthetic Fibres”, written by Aurora Magni, appears in the first chapter of the book and can also be read on the RadiciGroup website (click here). Moreover, the book as a whole offers numerous in-depth articles to provide an overall picture of the direction of the fashion industry.

“RadiciGroup can play a leading role in the fashion value chain as the ideal upstream supplier,” said Oscar Novali, business area manager of RadiciGroup Comfort Fibres. “RadiciGroup has long been well-equipped to satisfy the most diverse market needs for the supply of both small and large quantities of materials, including reduced environmental impact products. Over the years, our competence has expanded and we’ve invested in new technologies and up-to-date production plants, which set us apart from our competitors and make sustainability a competitive advantage.

Our over 75 years of experience in the fibres industry and our vertically integrated polyamide production allow us to claim that we’re one of the best-qualified producers on the market.”

Novali concluded: ”Furthermore, many of our production units are already ISO 14001-certified, or soon will be, and, for over a decade now, we’ve reported on our business activities and published a Group Sustainability Report, aiming for transparency and information sharing with all our stakeholders.”

The book starts from an analysis of materials, divided into three large areas (renewable, non- renewable and recyclable), then discusses topics, such as fibre sustainability, water usage and the use of chemicals, and concludes with an overview of the sustainability initiatives promoted by brands, both big and small.

“Raw materials have a decisive impact on the degree of sustainability of the final products,” stated Aurora Magni, president of Blumine. “In recent years, many fiber manufacturers have invested in research and experimentation in order to realize aesthetically attractive, high performance products that are consistent with the sustainable values of the circular economy. Together with product innovation, it is also important to implement monitoring and checking procedures in order to weigh the CO2 emissions of the various materials and opt for those resulting in the least environmental impact. This is the approach RadiciGroup has chosen, with the firm belief: ‘if you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it’.”

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: RadiciGroup

Construction Professionals Meet The Composites Industry Next Week In Architectural Iconic Chicago For Innovative Building Solutions In New U.S. Event

ATLANTA — June 12, 2017 — JEC Group has announced it will launch an event entirely dedicated to the current and future developments of Composites Materials in Building & Construction, showcasing Innovations that have been changing the way end-users, such as architects or designers, construct buildings and infrastructures. “We are increasingly concerned with the challenges that the Construction Industry faces,” said Frédérique MUTEL, JEC Group President & CEO. “The Civil Society have growing demands in terms of aesthetic and functionality, whereas the common concerns of sustainability, durability, recyclability or again safety are leading to rethink the way we build today. Composites Materials have all the necessary properties to answer these needs.”

6 Conferences – 28 International Speakers

Over the three days, renowned speakers from America, Europe, Asia and Africa will present the trends and development in the Building & Construction Industry. Various topics will be addressed, such as Construction: A Segment Filled with Possibilities, Durability of Composite Materials in Construction, Ensuring Safety While Maintaining Performance in Buildings and Infrastructure, Composites as a Worthy Alternative to Traditional Materials in Buildings and Infrastructure, Developing Building Codes and Guidelines: Is Standardization an Attainable Goal? Or again a conference jointly organized with TechTextil North America: Connecting Technical Textiles and Composite Materials in the Building and Construction Fields.

The event is excited to propose the keynote speech of Mr. Mark Goulthorpe, Architect and Professor of the MIT Department of Architecture and Head of the new Design Stream in the SMARCHS program.

Networking Opportunities and Innovation Discoveries

On the show floor, exhibitors from around the world will propose their many solutions to overcome the challenges facing the Construction, Building and Infrastructure Industry. Also, attendees can take part in the Architectural Composites Tour organized in partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology to visit 4 composite buildings in the campus.

JEC Group will also present its newest publication: The Book “The future of building: The growing use of composites in construction and architecture”.

The Future of Composites in Construction will also be the stage of the 2017 JEC Innovation Awards dedicated to Building and Construction, celebrating the 6 winners in this category.

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: JEC Group

Hohenstein Institute: Making The Cooling Effect Of Textiles Measurable

BÖNNIGHEIM, Germany — June 8, 2017 — In recent years there has been a steady increase in the demands made on the properties of function, sports and workwear textiles. In order to achieve a cooling effect, special textile constructions are developed, which increase the sweat evaporation and thus the cooling of the body.

But how can the cooling effect of intelligent textiles be measured?
There are already various methods to characterize such properties. Until now they are not linked to thermophysiological methods and models, which are capable to objectively determinate comfort levels. The desire here is for a practical method that not only takes account of physical measurement data, but also the resulting cooling effect observed in controlled wearer trials in a climate chamber.

This process is however very time-consuming, while also requiring a large group of test subjects, so ultimately leading to higher product prices. In short: A level of effort that is neither affordable, nor feasible for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Making measurement data comparable

With the WATson heat loss tester Hohenstein Institut für Textilinnovation (HIT) has now developed a new physical measuring method for determining the cooling performance of textiles – heat release tester WATson. Until now there is no correlation of the data obtained using WATson with actual wearer trials and thermophysiological models.

The textiles industry however needs such an evaluation system for the goal-oriented development of cooling textiles – in other words a system capable of measuring the quality of a cooling process, e.g. temperature range, duration, impact on the heat / humidity balance of the wearer.

With these requirements in mind, HIT then embarked on a research project to develop a thermophysiological evaluation system for the textiles industry. The aim here is for the new evaluation system to compare the results of the WATson heat loss tester
with data from experiments on subjects in a climate chamber under different ambient conditions.

Structure of research project

  • Characterization of cooling textiles with the heat loss tester;
  • Performance of monitored wearer trials in a climate chamber examining different cooling textiles and a variety of ambient conditions (temperature, humidity, wind etc.);
  • Examination of the cooling effect of textiles under consideration of different parts of the body; and
  • Examination of the cooling effect of textiles with different levels of physical exertion.

Following analysis and correlation of the data from the various work stages, the intention is to provide industry with an efficient thermophysiological system for the evaluation of cooling textiles using WATson.

Benefit for the textiles industry

German manufacturers of cooling textiles benefit directly from the evaluation system developed on this project aimed at the objective determination and assessment of the cooling performance of textiles. This project is of major economic benefit to Germany’s textile industry, as companies will only succeed in improving their competitive ability if their products actually offer the functionality required by customers.

Acknowledgement: IGF-project 18929
under the auspices of the Research Association Forschungskuratorium
Textil e.V., Reinhardtstraße 12-14 10117 Berlin, was sponsored via the AIF as part of the programme to support “Industrial Community Research and Development” (IGF), with funds from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) following an Order by the German Federal Parliament.

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: Hohenstein Institute

Kingbird Introduces High Tenacity Polyester Yarns In North America & Europe

ZHEJIANG, China — June 12, 2017 — Kingbird, a manufacturer of yarns and threads based in China, today introduced high tenacity polyester yarns in the North American and European Markets. These are multifilament polyester sewing threads manufactured from the best quality raw material to guarantee stable and high-speed stitching.

“All our clients in North America and Europe can now access our super low shrinkage, low shrinkage and normal shrinkage, high tenacity polyester yarns,” said Jessica Lee, Kingbird’s Product Manager. “Kingbird’s high tenacity polyester yarn is popular for its toughness, exemplary chemical resistance and durability, hence, suitable for functional and technical applications. We are glad to be among the few companies that export world class high tenacity yarns that conform to the ATC, BSCI, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and SGS requirements.”

Features of Kingbird High Tenacity Polyester Yarns

After years of R&D alongside many tests, Kingbird has finally introduced high tenacity polyester yarn with the following key features:

Varying denier: Kingbird deniers vary from 210 to 4000 den. Clients can therefore order for these polyester yarns depending on their unique requirements.

High performance: Kingbird has incorporated high manufacturing techniques aiming to produce superior and reliable high tenacity polyester yarns. The yarns are popular for low elongation, unmatched toughness, durability and abrasion resistance.

They come in twisted, intermingled or multi-compact options, depending on the intended application.

A multi-filament yarn: Kingbird high tenacity polyester is a multi-filament yarn. The number of filaments varies from 24 to more than 192.

The filament cross-section has about 5 to 7 vertices, tenacity of 60 to 80 cN/Tex and a titer between 1 and 7. Kingbird technical team can change these to meet your specific needs.

Hot air shrinkage varies between 4 and 10 percent, while stretch recovery is about 250 to 400 cN/Tex.

With the high-tech manufacturing capability, Kingbird has unlimited options of high tenacity polyester yarns with high strength, durability and great foldability.

Kingbird has invested and sources for the best raw materials across the world that meet specific needs of all its OEM clients and distributors.

Applications

Kingbird high tenacity polyester yarns are designed for a range of applications such as knitting, weaving and braiding. Some practical applications include making special footwear, furniture, luggage and many outdoor products.

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: Kingbird

Full Commercialization, Testing and Profiling Complete For Aurora’s New Expressions Canvas Line

YORKVILLE, Ill. — June 12, 2017 — Today, Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. announced that the roll-out of its entire Expressions Canvas product line is complete and fully commercialized.

Ample inventories are now in stock and in addition to finalizing extensive field testing, profiling for HP Latex (300 and 3000 Series) printers and Epson SureColor printers is complete. Free, downloadable online profiles for HP Latex (300 and 3000 Series) printers and Epson SureColor printers are available for Expressions through the Aurora website.

Treated with a new proprietary coating developed by Aurora, Expressions has been engineered to maximize print output and throughput with today’s newest digital printing equipment. The entire line is cross compatible with the latest generation of latex, solvent/eco-solvent and UV printers without sacrificing quality or productivity.  In addition, independent testing confirms that Expressions has the industry’s leading print output with regard to outstanding color reproduction and broadest color gamut.

The Expressions line includes the full range of gloss levels designed to meet the majority of the canvas market’s printing needs and includes: Expressions Matte, Expressions Satin, Expressions Semi-Gloss and Expressions Gloss.

The entire line is available and in stock through Aurora’s Yorkville, Ill.-based warehouse in widths up to 122 inches in standard roll lengths of 50 yards. Aurora produces Expressions in the United States, and customized roll widths and roll lengths are available on demand.

“Expressions was formally introduced to global markets last September at SGIA 2016 and in the months that have followed has become a favorite of printers who report improved color output, increased printer throughput and decreased ink usage,” said Mark Shaneyfelt, director of Print Media Sales and Marketing at Aurora. “With all four gloss levels fully commercialized and in stock, the Expressions line is now up and fully operational. In addition, the outcome of a recent competitive analysis confirms the multiple benefits our customers can expect from Aurora’s Expressions line of canvas.”

Independent trials conducted in the summer of 2016 by Color Concepts in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, demonstrated that Expressions Semi-Gloss — when tested against three leading, respected, commonly used, high quality canvas brands — outperformed the competition in the following critical areas:

  • Superior performance across multiple platforms, allowing Print Service Providers (PSPs) the ultimate flexibility in procuring and inventorying one canvas to meet all of their printing needs.
  • Broadest color gamut, making Expressions the premium canvas of choice for discerning customers looking for optimal color output.
  • Fastest print speeds for commercial quality – Expressions consistently demonstrated the ability to achieve commercial print quality at 6 to 8 passes, compared to other premium canvas brands, which required 10 to 12 passes to achieve similar quality. The ability to run at high-speed modes increases productivity by as much as 40% and reduces ink costs.

Expressions is also OBA-free, demonstrating very good archival properties without sacrificing whiteness.  Expressions is made from a premium high-quality poly/cotton fine Oxford weave (2-over-1), which is 35% cotton/65% polyester.

The line is produced in North America with the latest, state-of-the-art technology and has proven product consistency across multiple platforms. With Expressions, printers with multiple printer platforms can buy one canvas without sacrificing print quality on any of the devices.

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: Aurora Specialty Textiles Group

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