Thailand-based Indorama Ventures PCL Group (IVL) has acquired the remaining 25-percent shareholding of Germany-based fiber manufacturer Trevira GmbH from its joint venture partner Sinterama S.p.A., Italy. Trevira is now a wholly owned subsidiary of IVL. “We see further growth potential especially in the hygiene and automotive segments, as well as in the high-end home textiles business,” said Uday Gill, CEO, IVL’s fibers business.
May/June 2017
Suwanee, Ga.-based Mimaki USA has introduced the 74-inch-wide TX300P-1800B direct-to-textile printer designed for sample runs or short-run pieces. The printer features an advanced belt transport and conveyor system to help feed stretchy and thin fabrics in a stable manner. According to Mimaki, new print heads with a high gap setting allow printing on thick or thin substrates, dimensionally unstable fabrics, woven substrates or substrates with raised fiber surfaces while maintaining accurate ink droplet placement. The company offers five types of ink that are optimized for the TX300P-1800B — Sb420 for direct-to-fabric sublimation, Ac400 acid dyes, Rc400 reactive dyes, Tp400 textile pigments and Dd400 disperse dyes.
In other Mimaki news, the company has signed a distribution agreement with the Netherlands-based Coldenhove Papier to carry Jetcol® dye sublimation transfer papers beginning mid-summer 2017. This media will be available for all Mimaki’s TS Series dye sublimation printers including the TS30-1300, TS300P-1300, TS500P-3200 and TS500-1800 models.
May/June 2017
Kiian Digital, a brand of Italy-based JK Group S.p.A., has introduced Digistar Bravo disperse inks for direct printing. The range features 11 colors including two blacks with deep intensity, and high rubbing and lightfastness. Kiian reports the inks were created with industrial textile printing needs in mind and they offer high runnability as well as printing performance.
“Digistar Bravo is part of Kiian Digital’s branding strategy to meet the cutting-edge demands of commercial digital textile printing; bringing together the highest quality inks with global support,” said Alessandra Borghi, sales director, Kiian Digital.
May/June 2017
Avery Dennison, Westborough, Mass., has partnered with Minneapolis-based Target Corp. on a global radio frequency identification (RFID) deployment. In a largest of its kind program, Target will deploy RFID technology to more than 1,600 stores to enhance the guest experience and improve product availability. Avery Dennison’s will provide its broad ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID technology in categories including apparel and home, and the RFID tags will be blended into existing trim items to preserve branding.
“In the apparel industry, having an accurate picture of stock availability is an important driver for retailers to deliver an optimized omnichannel experience,” said Bill Toney, vice president for RFID Market Development at Avery Dennison. “We are honored to be selected by Target as a key business partner for this initiative.”
May/June 2017
Delta Galil USA Inc., a subsidiary of Israel-based Delta Galil Industries Ltd., has inked a licensing agreement with New York City-based PVH Corp. subsidiary Calvin Klein Inc. to develop, produce and distribute children’s underwear, sleepwear and socks for the brand. During the initial five-years of the deal, which begins January 1, 2018, Delta Galil has been granted the exclusive wholesale right to market the Calvin Klein branded items it develops through department and specialty stores in the United States and Canada.
“Calvin Klein has represented one of the most iconic brands for nearly 50 years, and it is a true honor to partner with them particularly in their renowned underwear and intimate apparel categories,” said Isaac Dabah, CEO, Delta Galil. “This represents an important step for Delta Galil in our ongoing strategy of enhancing our branded portfolio and broadening our presence in the premium sector.”
May/June 2017
As part of a diversification strategy, Italy-based Itema S.p.A. has purchased a 61-percent stake in composite products supplier Lamiflex S.p.A., Italy, as well as a minority stake in Italy-based NoeCha S.r.l., a supplier of wide-format printing solutions.
Itema’s shareholders — the Radici family and the Arizzi e Torri families — want to expand and secure the company’s financial future by “diversifying into complementary, high-growth markets through stakes in innovation-driven companies.”
“Following a remarkable five-year period in which Itema Group has doubled the sales of its weaving machines with consecutive, double-digit growth per annum, the company is now ready to strengthen its leadership, to quicken the pace of its expansion and to accelerate its global reach through targeted acquisitions,” said Carlo Rogora, CEO, Itema Group.
“We chose Lamiflex and NoeCha due to their forward-thinking missions and innovative approaches, which perfectly match our dedication to supply top-performing, advanced machinery,” Rogora said. “We are confident that this first round of acquisitions will act as an important launch-pad for our diversification strategy and will bring positive results in the nearest future, creating significant synergies and adding value for our customers and shareholders.”
The Germany-based Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) has announced plans for two B2B Forums and Technology conferences. The first will take place in Charlotte, November 6, 2017; and the second will be held November 8-9, 2017, in Mexico City.
The events will feature experts from VDMA member companies presenting practice-oriented technology talks, B2B meetings, interactive discussions and a conference dinner. The target audience includes technical management, production managers, quality and maintenance managers, and mill owners.
Participants may learn more and register and schedule meetings with VDMA member companies by visiting germantech-ustextile.de and german tech-mexicantextile.de.
May/June 2017
Hawthorne, N.J.-based Brawer Brothers Inc. recently named Scott Hartzell sales manager.
Sangeeta Sachdev was named managing director for Charlotte-based SPGPrints America Inc. She is responsible for the Netherlands-based company’s operations in the United States and Canada.
Houston-based Ascend Performance Materials has named Phil McDivitt president, CEO and member of the Board of Directors. McDivitt takes over as CEO from Frederic “Fred” M. Poses who has retired and also stepped down from the company’s board. In addition, G. Peter “Pete” D’Aloia will retire from the company’s Board of Directors.
Nilit America Fibers, Greensboro, N.C., has promoted Robert Ferree to president. Ferree replaces Basil “Sonny” B. Walker who retired in January. In addition, Ed Gaskins joined the company as director of Sales/Technical Support for warp knitting and weaving clients in North America.
Christian Muser was recently promoted to chief technology officer for Switzerland-based
SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG.
The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) has elected the following six people to its Board of Directors for 2017: Christopher Astley, Glatfelter; Thomas Balkom, Johns Manville; Andreas Dreher, The Procter & Gamble Co.; Tom Peters, Rockline Industries; Jeff Slosman, National Wiper Alliance Inc.; and Scott Tracey, Berry Global Group Inc. The board’s executive committee — empowered to act for the board between meetings — is comprised of the following appointees: Karen Castle, Suominen; Todd L. Bassett, Fi-Tech Inc.; Paul A. Marold Jr., Lydall Performance Materials Inc.; Robert Lovegrove, Milliken & Company; Walter G. Jones, Precision Fabrics Group Inc.; Nick Santoleri, Rockline Industries; and C.K. Wong, U.S. Pacific Nonwovens Industry Ltd.
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based Americhem Inc. has named Matthew Hellstern CEO of the Americhem Group, which comprises Americhem, Infinity LTL Engineered Compounds and Vi-Chem Corp.
May/June 2017
Dyneema® composite fabrics are featured in super-lightweight outdoor gear such as backpacks and tents, and are being promoted for apparel applications as well.
By Janet Bealer Rodie, Contributing Editor
Dyneema® composite fabrics, made with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber, have been used in applications such as the ultra-lightweight, ultra-strong sails that helped America³ win the 1992 America’s Cup. Over the years, applications have expanded beyond sailcloth to include airships, medical applications, flexible circuitry, hiking gear and now also apparel. The fabrics are manufactured at DSM Dyneema’s Mesa, Ariz., facility, which the Netherlands-based company acquired as part of its 2015 buyout of Cubic Tech Corp., whose product portfolio of ultra-lightweight laminates is the basis for the Dyneema Composite Fabrics segment.
The Dyneema composites range includes nonbreathable and breathable fabrics of varying weight classes and laydowns, noted segment Director Noud Steffens. “There are five or six different films, and different performance/durability ratios and weight classes so we can combine, in the end, probably hundreds of possibilities,” he said.
Nonbreathable fabrics may have a thermoplastic polyurethane or other nonbreathable plastic coating. Breathable fabrics may feature an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. Composites with 0/90 laydowns offer some diagonal stretch, while those with 0/90/45/135 laydowns are suitable for applications that require more stability.
Through The Dyneema® Project, the company works with brands and designers to develop and market apparel, outdoor gear and other articles using Dyneema composite fabrics “If you have a cool idea, we are prepared to customize and help you out for that specific project,” Steffens explained.
In one project, the company worked with Vancouver-based outdoor fashion designer Conroy Nachtigall to develop fabric for a paper-thin, ultra-lightweight, waterproof, breathable Alpine jacket. Several skiers, snowboarders and other winter sports enthusiasts in Squamish, British Columbia, tried out the jacket and raved about its performance.
Describing his interest in using the Dyneema composite in the jacket, Nachtigall explained: “Beyond the technical characteristics of the fabric — the light weight for its strength — I like that it is essentially an engineered product that is created with an artisanal-like process. The final fabric visual retains some of that process and it becomes part of the aesthetic.”
Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Biddeford, Maine, has been using Dyneema composites in its backpacks, tents and shelters for several years. “Our reason for using Dyneema is its strength and light weight,” said Mike St. Pierre, CEO, Hyperlite. “Really lightweight nonwoven composites work for tents because there’s no way for water to penetrate, and the PE fiber doesn’t absorb moisture. This is a huge advantage. Under tension, a lot of woven fabrics, even if they have DWR finishes on them, can stretch and become saturated with water. For our tents, we’re using Dyneema fiber sandwiched between Mylar sheets. For backpacks, we can use the same kind of material laminate with polyester and Dyneema.”
Hyperlite now is working with Dyneema to develop a jacket using a Dyneema composite. “We are still refining the fabric and material choices in order to optimize performance,” St. Pierre said. “It will be one of the lightest jackets on the market.”
Italy-based menswear brand Stone Island is also working with Dyneema and recently launched a limited-edition series of reversible garment-dyed jackets featuring a flexible Dyneema composite on one side and an ultralight, dyeable nylon fabric on the other.
For more information about Dyneema® Composite Fabrics, contact thedyneema project.com using the form “Work with us.”
May/June 2017
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — May 29, 2017 — More than 100 attendees and exhibitors at the recent Food Safety Summit, the largest such U.S. event for this profession, learned how laundries that have earned that the Hygienically Clean Food Safety certification steadily improve laundered product quality.
Visitors to the certification’s Summit exhibit discovered that Hygienically Clean Food Safety-certified laundries go beyond obtaining third-party validation of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan. HACCP validation is a vital component of the certification, staff explained, but it’s only one element of the Hygienically Clean inspectors’ determination of whether a laundry deploys industry best practices. In addition, using a Hygienically Clean-approved lab, certified laundries test samples of cleaned items quarterly to ensure that they are free of pathogens in sufficient numbers to cause human illness.
Many visitors to the Hygienically Clean display who regularly work with linen, uniform and facility services providers were pleased to hear about the advent of the Food Safety certification, which premiered in 2014. They inquired about whether their current linen and uniform providers had been certified; if not, they indicated they would discuss the matter with them.
Attendees with these job titles were among the individuals who dedicated exhibit hall time to learn about Hygienically Clean:
The Summit, May 9-11 in Rosemont, IL, (near O’Hare Airport) drew a reported 1,700 attendees. Food-safety professionals displayed their usual high level of interest in certification; Summit classes related to various designations were sold out. The Hygienically Clean display distributed Food Safety Transparency across Your Supply Chain, an interactive reference containing hyperlinks to certification resources for food manufacturers and processors. This text urges these businesses to ensure that their suppliers in all industries are certified for their role in ensuring food safety, not just ingredient suppliers. Hygienically Clean laundries were presented as an example of a supplier industry that food manufacturers and processors should hold to the highest standards of safety and cleanliness.
Posted May 26, 2017
Source: TRSA
