IFAI Expo 2016 Draws Near-record Attendance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — October 27, 2016 — IFAI Expo 2016 attracted 5,023 participants to the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., from October 18-21.

Attendees were treated to four days of product demonstrations, education, networking, exhibits and awards recognizing industry achievement.

“We couldn’t be happier with this year’s Expo,” IFAI President/CEO Mary Hennessy said. “Interest in the event has rarely been higher and that’s proven by a record-setting number of exhibitors and huge interest in the event from the industry at large.”

Attendance at this year’s Expo was rivaled only by IFAI’s 100th Anniversary event in Boston in 2012. IFAI Expo is the largest display of specialty fabrics and technical textiles in the Americas.

Exhibitors were pleased with the way Expo unfolded. “It gave us an opportunity to, in a more concentrated way, listen to the customer,” said Leib Oehmig, President/COO of Glen Raven Inc. “It’s something we really look forward to. For us, it’s a slam-dunk.”

Attendees had the chance to meet with a record number of exhibitors. “It’s a good opportunity to mix with our suppliers, a good time to rub shoulders with others in the industry,” said Monte Sharp, President of Sharp’s Tarps, Grant’s Pass, Ore., who attended his 32nd consecutive IFAI Expo last week. “Expo helps us to stay on top of technology…it was a very good show overall.”

Expo highlights included a revamped ShowStopper program which highlighted new products, three times the number of Campfire Session educational opportunities compared to 2015’s show, and excellent participation in both the International Achievement Awards (IAA) and Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) events. Attendees also had the chance to earn Textile Testing Certificates from North Carolina State University after completing a special testing course.

GeoCharlotte, a single-day geosynthetics program, also drew engineers and exhibitors to Charlotte for a day of education and networking ahead of March 2017’s Geotechnical Frontiers event, which will be cohosted by IFAI.

Attendees also heard from a stable of keynote speakers including business ethics expert Chuck Gallagher, author and marketing executive Linda Kaplan Thaler and former Walt Disney World customer service guru Dennis Snow.

IFAI Expo 2017 will take place in New Orleans September 26-29, 2017.

Posted November 1, 2016

Source: IFAI

Emerald Performance Materials Completes Sale of Specialties Business Group to DyStar LP

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — October 31, 2016 — Emerald Performance Materials LLC completed the sale of its Emerald Specialties business group to DyStar LP. Emerald Specialties includes Emerald Hilton Davis, Emerald Carolina Chemical and Emerald Foam Control with sites in Cincinnati, Charlotte and Cheyenne, Wyo., respectively. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Thomas M. Holleran, executive director at Emerald Performance Materials, said: “We are pleased that the sale has been completed and appreciate the dedication of all our employees throughout this process. We are also extremely proud of the accomplishments of Emerald Specialties in developing new technologies and delivering value to our customers and organization over the last 10 years. The Specialties business is well-positioned for continued success as part of DyStar.”

Emerald Performance Materials continues to focus on exciting growth opportunities in its Kalama Chemical and CVC Thermoset Specialties business groups, as well as support of its Polymer Additives and Nitriles business group, and has made significant investments to expand its capacity, product offerings and global reach. In accordance with a previous announcement, the company expects to conclude the sale of its Polymer Additives and Nitriles business unit as a separate transaction in the future.

Posted October 31, 2016

Source: Emerald Performance Materials

Stretch, Selvedge And Sustainability Innovations Launched Among US Denim Fashions At Denim Première Vision Paris

LAHORE, Pakistan— October 31, 2016 — MaxFlex extreme stretch, original bistretch selvedge and advances in making jeans more planet-friendly are just some of the US Denim innovations launching at the Denim Première Vision show in Paris next week.

The US denim booth displays the breadth of the mill’s offerings, says the company’s European representative Rinze Koopmans. “And we’re also introducing an number of fabrics that showcase our product, technology and sustainability strengths.”

  • MaxFlex smashes current limits on fabric stretch-ability with stability to unheard-of levels — more than 100-percent stretch with less than 3.5-percent growth.
  • Bidirectional stretch selvedge denim woven on our vast array of specially adapted authentic antique selvedge looms.
  • Planet Friendly Synthetics for denim blends with the advantages of polyester, but with planet-friendly biodegradable fiber that decomposes in a couple of years instead of 100.
  • Airy yarn technology enhancements to give extra breathability and summer comfort in a range of new denims.
  • Ultra-light and Ultra-Comfy blends that use Modal, Tencel, Viscose and special long staple yarns create a luxurious soft feel.

“We’ll have our worldwide representatives at the booth to explain those technologies and answer questions about the fashion possibilities they create,” says Koopmans. Staff from the new US Denim offices in London will be on hand. “We’ll also share news about our progress on sustainable dyeing, seamless garments, recycling and more.”

Posted October 31, 2016

Source: US Denim

Clariant MEVOPUR® Line Adds Color, Functional Additive Options For Nonwoven Medical Products 

MUTTENZ, Switzerland — October 31, 2016 – Clariant and its Masterbatches business unit have announced a specific range of MEVOPUR® color and functional additives for use in high-performance, spunbond fibers used in medical applications.

Nonwoven fibers are used in applications including surgical gowns and masks, sterilization bags, medical filtration products, and a range of sanitary and hygienic pads, and wound-care dressings. Since pigments and additives used to color or modify the polymer potentially increase the risk of extraction and interaction if the products come in contact with bodily fluids, these applications often require extraction and biological evaluation to standards such as US Pharmacopeia (USP) <87>,<88> or similar.

Clariant Mevopur masterbatches and compounds provide the makers of medical and pharmaceutical products with change-controlled, raw material additives and masterbatches, complete with regulatory documentation to support their use in healthcare applications. Every Mevopur product combines excellent application performance with documentation of the biological evaluation of its raw material ingredients to USP chapters (Class VI) and ISO10993 requirements.

Mevopur color and additive masterbatches are now available in seven ISO10993/USP colors (Yellow, Orange, Red, Violet, Dark Blue, Mid Blue, and Green). New Mevopur masterbatch options, including custom colors, are also available for use with polyethylene (PE) bicomponent fibers.

“Our product line continues to expand and evolve, now meeting customer demand for change-controlled raw material ingredients that comply with stringent medical requirements, and helping manufacturers find new alternatives for creating more colorful, comfortable, and functional medical and hygienic products,” said Francis Baud, global fiber marketing head for the Clariant Masterbatches business unit.

Clariant Mevopur products are manufactured in three sites under global quality system ISO13485 to ensuring quick delivery and competitive pricing, with back-up capacity to meet the BCP (Business Continuity Planning) requirements of global customers. All Mevopur products are also free from animal derived substances and phthalates, and are suited for food contact according to EU and FDA norms.

Posted October 31, 2016

Source: Clariant

BASF Declares Force Majeure For The Supply Of Dispersions, Dispersion Powders And Hotmelts On Acrylic Monomer Basis From Sites In Ludwigshafen And Tarragona

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany — October 31, 2016 — As a consequence of the fire incident at the North Harbour at BASF SE in Ludwigshafen October 17, 2016, BASF has to declare Force Majeure on deliveries of dispersions, dispersion powders and hotmelts on acrylic monomer basis — Acronal®, acResin®, Acrodur®, ACROSOL® E 20 D, AQAGloss®, Basonal®, Col.9®, Epotal® and Luhydran® — from BASF’s sites in Ludwigshafen and Tarragona until further notice.

While the plants for the above mentioned products are not affected by the incident, impacts on logistics as well as raw materials are given. Because of the fire, the raw material supply of the steam crackers was halted; also other Verbund plants were idled or production reduced. Many plants, such as one of the steam crackers, have resumed operations in the meantime.

As of today product inventories are nearly exhausted and the production output is restricted due to still limited access to key raw materials. Under the current circumstances a delivery via barge, rail or tank car is also limited.

BASF currently is unable to specify how long this situation will last. Meanwhile, BASF is implementing measures to limit the consequences for its customers and will continuously inform them about the development and the details regarding the supply capability with the affected products.

Posted October 31, 2016

Source: BASF

Thrace Group Hires Director Of Engineering – Geosynthetics For The North American Market

ATHENS, Greece – October 28, 2016 – Thrace Group is proud to announce the addition of Steve Lothspeich as Director of Engineering – Geosynthetics for the Thrace Group member companies Thrace Linq, Thrace NG, and Lumite.

An executive leader with extensive experience in corporate management, marketing, distribution, and sales of technically engineered products for the civil construction industry, Steve will support current and future anticipated growth of Thrace Group Geosynthetics in the U.S. market. His previous roles include president for Huesker Inc./Huesker Geocomposites and senior consultant for Strategy Consulting.

The appointment of a high caliber professional as Steve Lothspeich in a critical new position speaks for Thrace Group’s strong commitment to expand its Geosynthetics’ business in the North American market by advancing its products, services, technologies and manufacturing processes while enhancing synergies among member companies.

Posted October 31, 2016

Source: Thrace Group

Record Visitor And Exhibitor Participation At All In Print China 2016

CHICAGO — October 31, 2016 — The 6th All in Print China trade fair successfully concluded in Shanghai with 724 exhibitors — the largest number in the show’s history — from around the world and 76,818 domestic and international visitors — a 24.2-percent increase compared to the 2014 event. On 861,000 square feet of exhibit space, the latest development and trends of the global printing industry were presented with the theme “Discover the Future of Printing”.

More than 100 domestic associations and groups attended All in Print China, in addition to 45 overseas buyer groups from more than 20 countries including the U.S., Germany, South Korea, Australia, India, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand. Exhibitors praised the high participation of overseas buyers and the overall visitor quality and expertise.

All in Print China 2016 was held in five indoor and six outdoor halls, covering seven themes: digital pre-printing, integrated printing, package post-printing, label industry and flexography as well as the Innovative Materials Pavilion and the Innovation Factory special exhibit.

In the field of digital printing, many international and domestic brands including Fuji Xerox, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Screen, Epson, Fujifilm, EFI, and Founder Electronics, showcased their latest products and solutions for book printing, commercial document printing, packaging, label and large-format ink jet,

Developments in digital post-printing were showcased by HANS-GRONHI, Konica Minolta, Taiyo Kikai, ZTEC, Ginwave and iECHO among others.

Traditional offset printing brands such as KOMORI, HANS-GRONHI, Hangzhou CRON, ManRoland, Beiren Group, Zhongjing Group and Weihai Printing Machinery introduced their innovative solutions.

Flexography and package post-printing technology were an important part of the trade show and Taiyo Kikai collaborated with many partners to create the flexography pavilion. Also participating in this segment were Zhejiang Weigang, United Printing as the agent of Mark Andy and  Kuen Yuh Machinery.

In the package post-printing field, “full waste removal” has become a focus as well as die-cutting automation. Tianjin Masterwork Machinery, Bobst, Eterna and Shanghai YOCO were among the exhibitors in this segment.

Printing ink companies (such as Bauhinia Variegata, Hangzhou TOKA, AYUSI Ink, Siegwerk and Hiway Ink) and printing plate material enterprises (including DUPONT, Chongqing Huafeng and Lucky Huaguang) launched their latest R&D products at All in Print China 2016 for the “Going Green” initiative.

The Innovation Factory special exhibit provided an overview of future printing technologies in the five segments “Future of Printing”, “Network Printing”, “Innovative Application”, “Green Printing” and “Printing Culture”. Informative speeches complemented the exhibits.

More than 60 printing forums, technical seminars and news conferences were held during All in Print China 2016. This included the 14th Cross-strait Printing Industry Exchange Conference & Silk Road Printing Development Forum 2016 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference 2016. In addition, the “China Printing Forum 2016 & 16th Asia-Pacific Printing Forum” attracted experts from various printing industry organizations from China, the U.S. Australia, Japan, Malaysia, India, Philippines and other Asia-Pacific regions. The Third  Council Meeting of the Second Information System Application Branch of the Printing Technology Association of China (PTAC) & “Cognitive Printing· Intelligent Future” addressed topics such as  “intelligent manufacture of printing”, “Internet + printing” and “intelligent products (packaging and publication)”. The 1st Asia Jet Printing Forum 2016 &“JHF Cup” Asia Jet Printing Grand Prix focused on the large-format ink jet arena while the  “Digital Printing in China” summit and the “Fuji Xerox· Keying Cup” Digital Printing Award highlighted digital printing technology innovation and developments  in China.

Posted October 31, 2016

Source: Messe Düsseldorf North America

Trützschler And Zhejiang Wang Jin Nonwoven Sign Agreement For Two State-Of-The-Art Spunlace Lines

MÖNCHENGLADBACH, Germany — October 28, 2016 — Trützschler and Zhejiang Wang Jin Nonwoven Co. Ltd. signed an agreement for two spunlace lines. One line is a high speed carding line including the well-known random roller technology. This line will fulfill highest demands and will deliver outstanding web quality at highest speeds. The second investment is a crosslapper line to produce high quality products with low MD/CD ratios. Once running it will be the most advanced crosslapper line worldwide.

Both lines will be completely supplied by Trützschler, being the only company manufacturing all nonwovens equipment from opening/blending to winding in house.

Zhejiang Wang Jin Nonwoven was newly founded in December 2015 by a strong technical team under well experienced management. The company has a strong financial background and is ready to compete in the spunlace nonwovens products market.

The company is planning to invest RMB 660 million for totally eight new spunlace lines with advanced technology from Trützschler to explore opportunities in new markets and fulfill worldwide customers’ highest demands. The sales forecast will be RMB 1.85 billion against 75,000 tons annual production of technical textiles.

In the future, Zhejiang Wang Jin will play an important role in the nonwovens industry with highest quality products made on innovative machinery to compete in the fierce nonwoven market. The spunlacing lines will start production during 2017. The company targets quality-oriented customers who focus on increasing the export business besides local sales. Main products to be produced are wet wipes, face mask and other hygiene products.

Posted October 28, 2016

Source: Trützschler

Milliken Publishes Second Annual Floor Covering Division Sustainability Report

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — October 27, 2016 — The Milliken Floor Covering Division released its second annual sustainability report with detailed insight and metrics addressing the company’s global operations, product offering and their impact on the environment.

“Environmental stewardship is an ever-evolving journey, and we have continued to improve our actions with meaningful results for more than 150 years,” shared Jim McCallum, president of the global Milliken floor covering division. “We believe this requires a holistic approach — with continued assessments to question the status quo. This very nature of comprehensive inquisitiveness is what defines Milliken.”

To create the report, stakeholders confirmed the material issues pertinent to architecture and interior design: chemical and human health impacts, recycled content and recyclability, resource consumption, supply chain impacts of products and employer of choice. The report meets the requirements of the LEED v4 MRc3 credit.

“This report confirms that the most environmentally responsible action Milliken can take is to design high-performing products with healthy materials that last,” shared Philip Ivey, global sustainability leader for the Milliken floor covering division. “By doing so, we reduce the need for replacement — which in turn inhibits a chain reaction of environmental impacts. It protects our customers, their investment and the environment.”

Material transparency advancements include:

  • 31 EPDs for Milliken flooring products; and
  • 14 Declare labels for material transparency and to promote healthy materials.

Recycled content and recyclability achievements include:

  • Fulfilling zero waste to landfill pledge for 23 years;
  • Implementing strategies to prolong the life of products, including built-in cushion backing, which expands the first life of Milliken floor covering up to 40 percent longer than hard-backed carpet and allows for reuse — the highest form of recycling; and
  • Reclaiming used Milliken floor covering from one space to serve more than 400 new spaces across a community.

Supply chain impact insight includes:

  • Supplier collaborations to create accurate life cycle assessments; and
  • Supplier partnerships with companies including Aquafil, to result in more sustainable product offerings for customers.

Key highlights regarding resource consumption include:

  • Reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 9.02 percent and 10.42 percent, respectively, with only 10.98 percent and 9.58 percent additional reductions needed to meet 2020 goals;
  • Reducing energy consumption by 13.61 percent, with only 6.39 percent reduction needed to meet 2020 goals;
    Reducing water consumption by 49.02 percent, already achieving the 2020 goal – with virtually no change in the company’s production outputs; and
  • Reducing waste generation by 13.08 percent, with only 6.92 percent reduction needed to meet 2020 goals.

Employer of choice key highlights include:

  • Consecutive recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies®, a designation given by Ethisphere Institute; and
  • A safety incidence rating of .52 for Milliken floor covering sites, one of the lowest total incident and injury rates of manufacturers in North America.

“Every day at Milliken is spent with a purpose and passion for making the world a better place,” Ivey continued. “Whether it is through optimizing our product materials to champion interior environments that promote well-being, or the choice to act in an environmentally respectful and ethically responsible manner, this is how we ‘do good’ for the world. We are committed to advancing our product offering and operations along this thread.”

Posted October 27, 2016

Source: Milliken

CORDURA® Brand + Marlane Unveil Cutting-Edge Performance Wool

WICHITA, Kan. — October 25, 2016 — INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand announces the new Cordura® Combat Wool™ fabric in collaboration with Marlane, a division of Biella Manifatture Tessili S.r.l., a producer of fabrics for elegant and high-end casualwear to bring soft comfort and high performance to the dynamic professional’s wardrobe. Marlane combines traditional wool textiles with innovative research and technology to offer “leisure-chic” fabrics for the workplace. Debuting Fall 2016, Officina Endurance by Marlane is a range of performance wool fabrics for menswear, crafted to merge fashion and function in the contemporary suiting market.

“Cordura Combat Wool fabrics are designed not only to look fashionable, but to function comfortably, making them an ideal choice for the stylish professional on-the-go,” said Cindy McNaull, global Cordura brand and marketing director. “Marlane is a prestigious addition to our family of Cordura brand authorized mills. Based on their highly innovative approach to cutting-edge suiting fabrics, we are excited about the opportunities this collaboration will bring in the emerging world of performance wool.”

A durable wool blend technology, Cordura Combat Wool woven fabric offers enhanced abrasion resistance and longevity. From the commute to the boardroom, the Officina Endurance collection is the epitome of fashion meets function for the modern male. This portfolio of fabrics is designed for garments that can keep professionals feeling top-notch, well-groomed and comfortable in every situation.

“Our mill has a young, contemporary target market, and we believe that Cordura brand’s innovative characteristics and performance are appealing to this group,” said Patrick Lonn Wennberg, Marlane sales and marketing director. “Our Officina Endurance collection of Cordura Combat Wool fabrics offer a sophisticated yet traditional look and feel, with a technical edge that is an exciting option for designers developing stylish apparel for young urbanites.”

Posted October 27, 2016

Source: Invista

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