ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 organizers report pleasing exhibitor, attendee figures from Shanghai show.

TW Special Report

ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 was held recently at the new National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.

Since the combined show’s debut in 2008, ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 attracted the largest number of exhibitors to date, according to show organizers the Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co. (BJITME) and co-organizer MP Expositions Pte. Ltd.

The show is owned by the European Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association (CEMATEX), and its China-based partners the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-tex); China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA); and China Exhibition Centre Group Corp. (CIEC). The Japan Textile Machinery Association also was a special partner of the show.

ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 recorded more than 100,000 visitors from 102 countries and regions. While still mostly a regional show, some 20 percent of the visitors came from outside China including attendees from India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Exhibitor numbers rivaled those at ITMA 2015 with 1,673 companies from 28 countries and regions taking part in the trade show. More than 170,000 square meters of gross exhibition space was occupied by the exhibitors.

“We are delighted that this was our largest show since its launch back in 2008,” said Fritz Mayer, CEMATEX president. “The majority of our visitors were serious buyers, and as a result our exhibitors are very happy with the overall quality. We are looking forward to another successful presentation of the next combined show in 2018.”

Wang Shutian, China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) president, also was upbeat about the show. “The combined show continues to be a must for textile machinery manufacturers and their customers, and we are delighted to present the very best technologies from both east and west to Chinese and other Asian buyers,” Shutian said.

The next combined show will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai October 26-30, 2018, and will be organized by BJITME, and co-organized by ITMA Services.

November/December 2016

Cotton prices are on the rise, but no price spike is anticipated.

By Jon Devine

Cotton prices increased this summer and have been holding onto levels that are a little higher than they were a year ago. The recent rise may have some wondering if there might be a repeat of the historic price spike that occurred during the 2010-11 crop year when fiber prices climbed above $2.00 per pound. With global supply still near record levels, history is not likely to repeat itself any time soon. The recent bump in prices can be attributed to several factors including seasonality, a unique situation involving India and Pakistan, as well as certain aspects related to Chinese cotton policy.

Nearly 85 percent of the world’s cotton is produced north of the equator. With every cotton farm or cotton-producing country getting only one harvest per year, there is seasonality in supply. For example, late in the fall and early in the winter, once cotton from northern hemisphere countries has been harvested, ginned, and prepared for shipments, there is a lot of cotton available. That availability can lead to downward pressure on prices this time of year. Conversely, just ahead of the northern hemisphere harvest, the market is dependent on warehoused supplies. For this reason, the market is susceptible to supply-related concerns in the summer and early fall. The price movement that occurred over the past several months can be seen as a response to tightness in warehoused supply in certain countries and accessibility issues in others.

Concerns regarding tightness in warehoused supply were most acutely felt on the Indian sub-continent. Last year, Pakistan suffered difficult growing season. A combination of pest infestations and disease pulled yields 30 percent lower. With less cotton available domestically, Pakistani mills had to import cotton and ended up importing the second-highest volume on record. Most of Pakistan’s imports came from India, and the increase in import demand from Pakistan coincided with a year that India had less cotton to sell.

Because of a reduction in acreage and its own set of challenging growing conditions last year, India’s surplus of production was comparatively small in 2015-16 — down 60 percent relative to the 2014-15 crop year. With cotton flowing across the border to Pakistan, India’s exports rose 40 percent at the same time that there was less cotton available. Correspondingly, there was not a lot of warehoused supply in India this summer. This led to sharp increases in Indian prices, with values for domestically produced fiber rising 25 cents per pound, or 40 percent, between the spring and summer months. India, the world’s second largest exporter, also had to look to the United States and West Africa for supply in recent months and there were even reports that India has had to re-import its own cotton back from Pakistan. Because of these trade relationships, there were some knock-on effects tying India’s situation to prices in the rest of the world.

Both India and Pakistan are expected to enjoy better growing conditions this year, and the increase in production already has calmed supply-related fears in the region. In addition, most major exporters — including the United States, Australia, Brazil, and the cotton producers in West Africa — are expected not only to grow more cotton but also to finish 2016-17 with more fiber in storage than they began the crop year with. This increase in available supply suggests flat to lower prices outside China as the harvesting period progresses.

In China, the influence of the Chinese government makes the price situation in China somewhat cloudy. China is not expected to have a large crop this year. However, the Chinese government has indicated that another round of auction sales will begin in March and run through August. Coordination between reserve supply and harvested supply should shape price direction in China.

Redefining “100-Percent Cotton”

Cary, N.C.-based Cotton Incorporated recently partnered with Switzerland-based Archroma to develop a dye made from cotton-plant residues. When Cotton Incorporated heard about Archroma’s EarthColors the company was intrigued by the idea that it might be possible to create and color a fabric using a single plant source.

Archroma makes use of agricultural waste products — including almond shells, saw palmetto, rosemary leaves, and other natural products — that otherwise would be sent to a landfill in a patent-pending process that transforms biomass from the waste to make EarthColors. The resulting patented biosynthetic sulfur dyes can be used with cellulosic fibers such as cotton.

“As soon as we heard about the EarthColors technology, we wanted to explore the possibilities of cotton as a natural dye source,” said Mary Ankeny, senior director of Textile Chemistry Research at Cotton Incorporated, who led the project from the Cotton Incorporated side. “Byproducts of cotton harvesting and ginning have been utilized within the food and construction industries for decades, but we were intrigued by the idea of using cotton biomass to dye cotton fiber.”

Cotton biomass is in plentiful supply. Globally, as much as three million tons of cotton harvesting and ginning byproducts — including burs, stems, immature bols, lint, sticks and leaves — are generated each year. Between 150 and 200 pounds of usable byproducts can be garnered from just one 480-pound bale of cotton.

The partnership between the two companies produced exactly what Cotton Incorporated was hoping for — EarthColors dye made using cotton byproducts. Application of the dyes — which produce a range of brown hues — marks the first time the cotton plant has been used to dye cotton fabrics for a truly 100-percent cotton.

“We are grateful to Cotton Incorporated to have brought us this challenge,” said Nuria Estape, head of Textile Specialties, Global Marketing & Promotion, Archroma. “Archroma

strives to challenge the status quo, and our EarthColors technology demonstrates our dedication to support and inspire sustainable fashion with warm colors that can be traced from the field to the shop.”

Environmentally-conscious brands find dyeing a natural fiber with natural ingredients appealing. Archroma extends the appeal of the product by offering traceability as well as sustainability. Each batch of EarthColors dye has a hangtag featuring a Near

Field Communication chip containing data that explains the manufacturing process of the dye and where the natural materials were sourced. In addition, each bale of cotton grown in the United States is assigned a bale identification tag containing data about the characteristics of the fiber. The chip also allows cotton businesses to trace the bale’s trip all the way back to where it was ginned.

Building on the dye innovation, Cotton Incorporated partnered with Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Denim LLC to develop denim fabrics featuring the Archroma cotton-derived dyes. Cone developed a concept collection at its White Oak plant that includes three base denim constructions — 3×1 twill, broken twill and basket weave. Each construction was developed in a range of washdowns, blue-colored fill and environmentally responsible finishing techniques including ozone and laser etching.

“Cone was the ideal partner for this project,” said Teresa Zugay, account executive, Cotton Incorporated. “With more than 125 years of experience, they know how to stay true to denim’s roots while meeting the market’s desire for innovation. While still in concept stage, we look forward to continuing our partnership to bring this innovation to market.”

“We were delighted to work with Cotton Incorporated on this unique project,” said Allen Little, director, product development, Cone Denim. “We think these denim inspirations have the aesthetic range and environmental appeal that today’s denim brands are looking for.”

Cotton Incorporated debuted fabrics made using the EarthColors dyes at the recent Premiere Vision in Paris and Kingpins show in New York City.

Editor’s Notes: Jon Devine is a senior economist with Cary, N.C.-based Cotton Incorporated.

The information contained herein is derived from public and private subscriber news sources believed to be reliable; however, Cotton Incorporated and the Cotton Board cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. No responsibility is assumed for the use of this information and no express or implied warranties or guarantees are made. The information contained herein should not be relied upon for the purpose of making investment decisions. This communication is not intended to forecast or predict future prices or events.

November/December 2016

Wovens, knits and nonwovens all find applications in medical products.

By Jim Kaufmann

Why all the interest in medical textiles,” you might ask? Could it be that the use of medical textiles continues to grow at an astounding rate and there appears to be no end in sight? Could it be that virtually every form of textile fiber and/or textile manufacturing technology is at play in some medical textile application or another? Could it be increased efforts to improve health and hygiene programs globally? Could it basically be that most humans want to live longer and continue to lead productive lives? Could it just be a good business proposition in that higher life expectancy coupled with continued population growth will only advance the use of medical textiles and foster even more new opportunities? Or, most likely, could it simply be some combination of all of the above?

Medical textiles, according to www.technicaltextiles.net, are “manufactured goods which include textile stuff used in hygiene, healthiness and private care, as well as surgical end uses.” In other words, the medical textiles marketplace is a large, rather complex and extremely diverse sector of the technical textiles and nonwovens industry. It’s comprised of numerous product categories, segments, sub-segments and sub-sub-segments. Products encompass a variety of different shapes, sizes and configurations. Some categories — like diapers and wipes — are multi-billion-dollar industry segments unto themselves, while other categories — such as surgical implants, research and development projects and other small-scale activities —represent segments with less than $100,000 in annual sales, and then there are segments representing pretty much everything in between. In greatly simplified terms, each of these assorted segments fall largely into two primary categories, outside the body and inside the body.

Applications Outside The Body

Outside the body comprises the broadest and largest markets. Notable market segments include wound care, compression, barrier and hygiene products — items that most consumers are familiar with. These segments typically generate higher volumes, but also result in comparatively lower profit margins. They include mass market branded and generic versions and are available from many large and well-known manufacturers. Representative products may or may not come into contact with the skin during use. Technologies generally are specific to the application, but most applications likely will require some level of testing and qualification prior to acceptance for use.

Wound care products are used to foster healing; prevent infection; and to protect cuts, incisions, scrapes, burns and other similar injuries or concerns. Specific products in branded or generic varieties include bandages and other wound dressings, wraps and plasters for making casts, medical tapes, gauze, wadding and absorbent pads, and other similar items. Compression products generally are used to stabilize, contain and aid or restrict movement in targeted areas of the body. These mostly are branded products that include sleeves, tights, socks, support hosiery and wraps. Most incorporate elastic yarns with knit or woven geometries to create and direct compressive forces where necessary. Barrier products include protective garments and textiles used largely in hospitals, healthcare facilities and operating rooms to prevent exposure to bodily fluids or gases, and to reduce any possibilities of contamination, infection and other related concerns. Surgical gowns, gloves, masks, aprons and related items used in operating rooms along with blankets, sheets, pillow covers, furniture covers and other products throughout the hospital and health care facilities also fall into this category.

Hygiene products, by far the largest segment of outside the body applications, encompasses huge markets and generates the largest total revenues for both branded and generic products. These products generally are items intended to promote a better lifestyle experience as well as convenience. Products include feminine care, sanitary napkins, panty shields, baby diapers, adult incontinence items and a variety of wipes. In general, hygiene products largely are made using nonwovens and often incorporate highly technical polymers and fibers capable of absorbing great amounts of liquid over a given unit of size.

It’s anticipated that the outside the body applications referenced above will continue to show growth and opportunity because of several factors that do not show signs of any immediate changes. The world’s population continues to get older as the baby boomer generation approaches retirement age. For example, it is predicted that in the next 10 years or so, adult diapers might surpass infant diapers in sales volumes. The aging population is creating increases in the number of hospitals and remedial health-care centers globally. This, coupled with an increase in support centers for the elderly such as assisted living centers and senior communities, translates into a seniors population that is healthier and much more active compared to previous generations.

Large amounts of research dollars continue to be spent in virtually all medical textile segments and are being directed across a variety of activities. One of the biggest areas of focus centers on improving the disposability, sustainability and environmental sensitivity of hygiene products. As hygiene segment volumes continue to grow in parallel to environmental concerns, safe and sustainable disposal will continue to be a concern. Similar efforts targeted at creating a more sustainable environment are driving new research into reusability, sterilization, decontamination and antimicrobial treatments for barrier products as well. Other research activities include the further development of even more super-absorbable fiber technologies, improved product design and comfort, and the never-ending quest for more cost effective processing technologies throughout the supply chain.

Applications Inside The Body

In contrast to the large volumes, relatively low margins and recognizable brand names found in outside the body applications, inside the body or implantable applications — implantables — are used to affect repairs to the body in some manner. These applications generate relatively low volumes — in some special cases less then 10 units per year — but offer rather high margins comparatively. Implantables — including sutures, heart valves, hernia mesh, artificial ligaments, vascular grafts and artificial joints — tend to be highly specialized, wholly performance-based and application specific. Given that implantables are to be inserted into the human body, it is understood that each device has a clearly defined technical specification, and — within the United States at least — will require an extensive qualification, approval process, and quality manufacturing and traceability standards. Also, any raw materials used to make these products will have to go through similar qualifications and approvals. Implantables can be made from either resorbable or non-resorbable fibers. Resorbable fibers are designed and produced from polymers that will decompose and be absorbed into or pass through the human body. Conversely, non-resorbable fibers do not decompose in the body and when implanted become permanent additions unless physically removed at a later date.

Implantable components attempt to mimic the body’s native structures and are intended to foster a rapid integration when used. In order to mimic the body’s functionality, they are engineered with localized dimensional stability, elasticity, porosity and other specific physical requirements depending on the application. Implantables need to be biocompatible, non-toxic, anti-allergenic and anti-bacterial during their lifecycle usage. All implantable products likely will have an extensive qualification process, which is specific to each application. In many cases, it could take years to qualify a product prior to production and can be very costly.

Somewhere In-Between Outside And Inside The Body

Prosthetics, orthotics and extracorporeal devices are medical product segments that do not quite fall within either the outside the body or inside the body categories but are still medical devices integral to improving the human experience. Extracorporeal devices are essentially mechanical filtration units that use textiles largely as filtration media to support the function of vital organs. These include artificial kidney and liver devices along with mechanical lungs among others. Prosthetics devices are designed to replace missing body parts while providing a level of functionality. In contrast, orthotic items are largely used as corrective devices such as insoles and braces to improve functional characteristics of the neuromuscular or skeletal systems. Prosthetics have been receiving increased attention and publicity in recent years due in large part to injuries suffered in wars and conflict zones. Many of the newer prosthetic devices incorporate composite elements to reduce weight, improve fit and enhance functionality. Newer advanced textile systems also are being used to improve the interface between the device and human tissue and nerve systems.

Nuances And A Bright Future

A few words of caution before taking the big leap into the medical textiles arena. As mentioned earlier, qualification, approval and acceptance of medical textile products into service can be an extensive, time consuming and expensive endeavor. As such, intellectual property protection is important and used broadly throughout all levels of the supply chain. Product quality, performance and consistency are absolutely critical in any implantable medical product. Any issues experienced by a recipient could result in sickness, trauma and possibly death, which could lead to difficult malpractice lawsuits, product recalls or pretty much any variation thereof. All of which can become incredibly expensive and none of which are pleasant to deal with.

In addition to large companies, there’s quite an array of small companies, universities and individuals working to develop new technologies for medical textile applications. Most research projects are noble pursuits, however some researchers simply are on a mission fueled by a personal connection. Others are looking to be acquired by a larger company, whether to acquire technology for use, or as a means to eliminate competitor technologies and a few others are simply hoping for that golden lottery ticket. In other words, extensive due diligence is absolutely imperative for any company interested in getting into the medical textiles marketplace.

It’s clear there’s a lot going on in medical textiles and the trends all point to this continuing well into the future. Significant amounts of development dollars are being spent in virtually all medical textiles product segments to further advance technologies, gain or maintain a competitive edge and to make products more efficiently and at a lower cost. Advancing technologies include drug delivery systems designed to administer various drugs in controlled doses and targeted locations, less obtrusive delivery systems for biomedical device implantables and potentially the incorporation of electronics within the implantables to monitor functionality and improve nerve and muscular integrations. Add in the continuing development of even more exotic fiber types and shape memory materials along with various efforts at tissue engineering and growth scaffolds along with a whole host of other activities, and it’s easy to see that medical textiles have come a long way and there’s still more to be done.

November/December 2016