NEW YORK CITY — March 17, 2016 — Global textile service company Lindström, which operates in 24 countries in Europe and Asia, has implemented Gerber Technology’s YuniquePLM™ web-based product lifecycle management software to accelerate the production of customer solutions throughout its operations. Gerber and their Finnish distributor ACG Nyström provide product support to Lindström.
“Our volumes of product development and customer specified projects have increased greatly over the past few years. The existing administrative systems were not sufficient to satisfy our growing needs,” said Taru Jokinen, product concept manager at Lindström.
“Previously, the systems were not compatible with one another, as information had to be transmitted manually between systems. This was extremely time consuming, and the possibility for errors was substantial,” said Jokinen.
At Lindström, delivering great customer service is a priority. “As we operate in many countries, we must diligently react and respond quickly to our customers’ needs. YuniquePLM has supported this objective, helping Lindström to unify and streamline their processes,” Jokinen said.
“We have been able to create a standardized process enabling daily tasks to be run quickly, consistently and with improved flexibility,” he said. “The system enables us to manage our products and our collections throughout their entire lifecycle. YuniquePLM is now used by all of our teams and partners.”
“In collaboration with our partner ACG Nyström, we are happy to have Lindström join our family of YuniquePLM software users,” said Bill Brewster, vice president and general manager, Enterprise SW Solutions. “We are confident that YuniquePLM will help Lindström streamline their systems and accommodate their growth.”
GREENVILLE, S.C. — March 16, 2016 — The Greenville Area Development Corp. (GADC), the county-chartered organization tasked with promoting and enhancing the economic growth of Greenville County, has announced that Fitesa Simpsonville Inc., a global leader and innovator in the design and manufacture of nonwoven fabric solutions for the global hygiene market, will further expand its existing facility in Greenville County to increase production capacity. The $52,000,000 investment is expected to create an additional 38 jobs over the next five years.
Established in 1973, Fitesa primarily serves the hygiene, medical and industrial markets. Its products provide a variety of physical and aesthetic properties, including softness, strength, abrasion resistance and sustainability. The company’s Simpsonville facility, which was opened in 1990, represents one of the company’s eleven plants located across eight countries worldwide.
To expand its Simpsonville operations, which are located at 840 Southeast Main Street, Fitesa is adding 20,000 square-feet to the existing facility. The company will be making infrastructure improvements and adding equipment to increase production of spunmelt fabrics.
“Our mission is to be the preferred choice for the supply of nonwoven fabrics to the global hygiene industry, and to deliver high quality products with exceptional service and sustainable processes. We are pleased to continue to grow our operations here and appreciate the support of Greenville County in making this announcement a reality.” -Fitesa Simpsonville Global Marketing Director Ray Dunleavy
“It’s another great day in South Carolina as we celebrate Fitesa and its decision to expand in Greenville County. With global headquarters already established in the Upstate, this $52 million expansion and the 38 new jobs it will create further show Fitesa’s fantastic commitment to our state and our people.” -Gov. Nikki Haley
“South Carolina’s robust manufacturing industry continues to drive economic success in our state, and today’s announcement from Fitesa is a testament to that. I’m excited to see what our loyal, world-class workforce will achieve with this expansion in the months and years to come.” -Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt
“Fitesa has been an integral manufacturing partner within the Greenville community for almost 30 years. The company’s growth and continued expansion are a true testament to the County’s workforce and collaborative spirit.” -Greenville County Council Chairman Dr. Bob Taylor
The company expects the improvements to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2017, and hiring for the new positions will begin in the spring of 2017.
Posted March 16, 2016
Source: The Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC)
COLOGNE/BOCHUM, Germany & NEW YORK CITY — March 2016 — GALERIA Kaufhof, one of Europe’s leading multichannel retailers, will intensify its sustainability initiatives and supports this by implementing advanced supply chain solutions from Setlog. The cloud-based OSCA® Supply Chain Management, Vendor & Compliance Management, and Quality Control solutions promise to help the company gain even greater transparency of its value chains. The new solution will link information about suppliers and factories with articles to increase visibility and facilitate compliance with quality and social standards.
Marion Sollbach, head of sustainability GALERIA Kaufhof, explains: “With the help of OSCA we will be able to understand better under which social and ecological conditions our private labels are produced. The portal enhances transparency in our supply chain and enables us to control the compliance of our requirements of products and suppliers even better – also for the benefit of our customers.”
While the future of wearable tech and smart fabrics is undoubtedly exciting, style and comfort will be key for the discerning consumer.
Sponsored by Nilit
There was a time when a hulking, boxy off-white computer that weighed 50 pounds was considered advanced technology. And who can forget Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas in the 1987 film Wall Street, talking into a cell phone the size of a cinder block?
Today, every new laptop has to be lighter than the last, every new tablet sleeker. Even smartphones, with their ultra-thin designs and endless array of cases and covers, are fashion accessories, practically an extension of a person’s outfit. It’s no longer simply about having tech. It’s about having the best tech, the most stylish design, and the most seamless integration into users’ lives. Consumers aren’t willing to compromise, and companies like Apple have built empires catering to those high expectations.
There is very little doubt that wearable tech is the next frontier in apparel, and when it comes to things like athletic garments that measure heart rate and denim jackets that can control a smartphone, that three-pronged focus on technology, design and usability is going to be more important than ever. That means that fabric makers will need to develop an innovative approach to e-textiles, or the fabrics used in conjunction with the electronics in these garments, combining fashion and function.
So what will it take to be successful in e-textiles?
The future around the corner (Source: Shutterstock)
Big things on the horizon
If there’s any doubt about how major the wearable tech market is going to become, consider the collaboration between Google and Levi’s. In Project Jacquard, the two Bay area companies are pairing up to produce fabrics that can conduct electricity, with the ultimate goal of enabling touch and gesture interactivity. In other words, being able to make a call with your smartphone by touching your pants, or turning on your speakers with the flick of a wrist.
If you’re thinking it’s going to be a while before you’re firing up the coffeemaker by dancing into the kitchen, you might be right. But the e-textile revolution in athletic performance garments is already underway.
Performance garments that collect biometric data and transmit it to a computing device available to a coach or trainer are a natural successor to the integral but cumbersome heart rate monitors already being worn by many professional teams.
The German men’s national soccer team captured the 2014 FIFA World Cup wearing smart jerseys designed by Adidas. These jerseys are the result of a collaboration between the Adidas miCoach system and integrated performance training company EXOS. By tracking players’ performance metrics — distance, speed, acceleration, power and heart rate — Germany’s coaches were able plan future practices and workouts in order to make improvements in necessary categories, and to use players strategically during games according to their individual skills.
In the United States, several NBA teams have begun testing OptimEye, a device made by Australian company Catapult Sports. OptimEye is embedded into a jersey between the shoulder blades and collects data on a player’s velocity, distance, acceleration, deceleration, jump height, heart rate and more.
With the way the average exerciser or casual athlete has been able to adopt the sweat-wicking, body-cooling, anti-bacterial performance garments worn by the pros, it was only a matter of time before performance garments complete with technology like heart rate monitors and satellite tracking became available for amateur athletes as well. Ralph Lauren sells its PoloTech compression workout shirt (developed with Canadian company OnSignal), a fashionable garment that tracks the wearer’s heart rate, breathing depth, stress levels, balance, calories burned, and other metrics.
Montreal-based Hexoskin has developed a smart shirt for runners and other athletes that, when connect to an app-driven device, measures heart rate, breathing, steps, pace and calories. The women’s version has a built-in shelf bra for added support and comfort. A version of the shirt is reportedly being used by the police in Dubai to monitor first responder health.
German firm Wearable Life Sciences has developed the Antelope suit, activewear embedded with electro-muscle stimulation technology steered by a smart phone app that it claims not only measures body’s data but activates it, making workouts more productive and effective.
Sensoria, based in Redmond, Washington, makes fitness socks with embedded pressure sensors that monitor running form and performance, providing real-time feedback of foot landing and cadence. They even tell their running-obsessed wearers when it’s time to change or replace their running shoes!
Started with sport and “quantified self” but definitely not finished there (Source: Shutterstock)
What The Success Of High-Tech Textiles Requires
The idea of wearing clothing embedded with technology is undeniably cool, but on its own that is by no means a guarantee that e-textiles or smart garments are going to be big sellers. Not only do these garments have to be technologically awesome, but they also have to be comfortable, stylish and functional, or neither the professional athlete nor the weekend warrior will be eager to wear them.
“For today’s consumer, technology is a given,” said Maria Teresa Sampedro of consumer and fashion trend forecasting firm Promostyl, who gave a talk on wearable tech at the Outdoor Retail show in Salt Lake City. “Style and aesthetics need to be there, or it’s a deal-breaker.”
Garment design and fabric development are key to producing e-textiles that look and feel good. The smartphone-controlling jeans from Google and Levi’s? They’re going to be made out of a revolutionary denim that looks like your favorite pair of 501s, with the conductive yarn woven into the fabric hidden from view. Similarly, smart athletic garments are going to have to retain all of the performance and tactile aesthetics that have become necessary.
Which goes a long way toward explaining why Ralph Lauren turned to nylon for his first foray into wearable tech, and why the Hexoskin smart shirt is made of an Italian nylon fabric. Nylon 6.6 — the most advanced form of nylon — is as valued for its feel as it is for its performance traits, which range from sweat-wicking and anti-bacterial features for endurance athletes to insulation for activities in cooler climates. Many wearable technology developers feel that nylon is actually a superior conductor. Often combined with a small amount of Lycra, another top performance fiber, nylon is also excellent at retaining its shape and effortlessly stretching and moving with the body of the wearer. The Antelope suit is made of a nylon/spandex compression fabric that holds the electrodes in just the right place to deliver the appropriate muscle stimulation.
Global Nylon 6.6 producer Nilit has created one of its newest products, Nilit® Breeze, with wearable tech in mind. Not only is Nilit® Breeze soft, lightweight and strong, but through a revolutionary and proprietary new fiber technology, it actually also keeps its wearers cool.
The combination of these futuristic features and sought after performance traits allows garment producers to sell these items at premium prices, which consumers are willing to pay because they’re getting garments that haven’t cut corners on performance, comfort or style.
Nilit Breeze cooling effect — eventually it must be comfort & style (Source: Nilit)
Integrating Tech With Textile, Not The Other Way Around
Because such importance is being placed on the look, feel and comfort level of smart garments, engineers and designers are dedicated to finding ways to integrate technology into existing fibers all while trying to design fibers that integrate with technology. As the technical program lead for Google’s Advanced Technology and Products group Ivan Poupyrev says, it isn’t so much about inventing a device or gadget as it is about creating something that can exist within the clothes we already wear.
Essentially, the future of clothing is e-textiles, and the future of clothing is a lot like the comfortable, functional and stylish stuff we’re already wearing. It just happens to have digital connectivity.
PARIS — March 15, 2016 — Lectra, a manufacturer of integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Adams as President, Lectra North America.
Based in Atlanta, Ga., and reporting directly to Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO, Adams’ main objective will be to develop Lectra’s presence in the United States, Canada and Mexico and Central America in the automotive, fashion and furniture markets.
Lectra is the world leader in the automotive field, with more than 65-percent of the market share in fabric cutting rooms for car seats and interiors, as well as in airbag cutting. The company’s goal is to develop its activity in leather seat and interior cutting, where it has recently introduced new technology solutions with unequaled performance.
In the fashion industry, Lectra is notably recognized for its design and comprehensive offer for collection development reaches beyond conventional PLM solutions, particularly by integrating the entire range of its computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software.
Lectra’s value proposition in the furniture market is especially strong today, with 3D/2D development software, as well as fabric and leather cutting room solutions, which are the most advanced on the market.
“To meet their objectives, companies must enhance their design, product development and production processes to the industry’s highest standards. Using innovative technology is a major asset for our customers. I completely identify with Lectra’s philosophy which places the benefits companies get from our solutions at the heart of its value proposition,” explains Adams.
“Jason has proven himself with more than 20 years in the software and services industry. He achieved a double digit growth rate through his leadership and an approach that provides significant value to customers. We are pleased that Jason is leading a strategic region for Lectra,” said Harari.
Before joining Lectra, Adams helped position Camstar and Apriso amongst the leading independent Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution providers. As vice president of sales, Americas and Europe, at Camstar, Adams promoted the launch of the life sciences practice, which grew to 80 percent of annual revenues. In his position as vice president of sales at Apriso, he developed the business in several existing and new markets, including Automotive, Industrial Equipment, Aerospace & Defense, and Medical Device manufacturers. Following the company’s acquisition by Dassault Systèmes, Adams was promoted to vice president for the Americas and was in charge of the Delmia brand. Adams holds a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also has served on the board of the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International.
WINTERTHUR, Switzerland — March 15, 2016 — The Board of Directors of Rieter Holding AG has appointed Jan Siebert to Rieter’s Group Executive Committee, effective April 1, 2016. Siebert will be in charge of the Machines & Systems Business Group.
Siebert has been successfully managing capital goods businesses on an international stage for many years. Before joining Rieter he was CEO of Krauss Maffei Group, from 2012 to 2015. Between 2005 and 2011 he held various positions at GEA Group, where he had been in charge of the heat exchangers division. In addition to his business experience, he will bring his expertise to the table at Rieter’s R&D and Innovation Management.
He takes over as Head of the Machines & Systems Business Group, which is a position that was previously held by CEO Norbert Klapper since January 2014 on an interim basis.
Siebert was born in 1966, he is married, with three children and is a German national.
TOLLAND, Conn. — March 15, 2016 — Gerber Technology has entered into a creative partnership with fashion designer Danit Peleg.
“We are thrilled to announce the partnership of Danit Peleg and Gerber Technology,” said Karsten Newbury, Gerber’s vice president and general manager, Software Solutions. “Danit’s work is a testament to innovation and vision. We are excited about the journeys we’ll be able to take together.”
Peleg will work with Gerber on the development of design technology that accelerates product development and quality, including the continued evolution of Gerber’s YuniquePLM™ and AccuMark® products. “Our product development is focused on a full range of integrated solutions that help to speed time to market, through improvements to collaboration, communication, quality and accuracy all along the supply chain,” Newbury said.
At the same time, Peleg will build her own line of apparel products, with Gerber as her lead technology partner. Israel-based Peleg created a 3D-printed, five-piece fashion collection as part of her graduate portfolio for her fashion design degree at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. The collection was created using a wide range of CAD and printing systems, including Blender and AccuMark 3D visualization, animation and simulation, and was presented at Gerber’s ideation2015 last October.
“Gerber Technology’s products such as AccuMark have helped me tremendously with the process of making my 3D printed pieces,” said Peleg. “Gerber’s commitment to develop products for fashion designers who are working in this nascent technology is remarkable. I am very excited to have partnered with Gerber so we can continue innovating together.”
“Danit represents an important voice of independent fashion designers who are leveraging new technologies, such as 3D printing. She will help guide Gerber to address this emerging market’s needs,” said Newbury. “We look forward to having her input.”
ANN ARBOR, Mich. and MASON, Ohio — March 15, 2016 — NSF Sustainability, a division of global public health organization NSF International, has certified Downlite to the Global Traceable Down Standard (Global TDS). Downlite, a major down and feather processor and supplier of responsibly-sourced performance fills to the outdoor, home furnishings and hospitality markets, is the first company certified to Global Traceable Down Standard. Certification to the standard enables an organization to demonstrate the down it processes is from farms that practice the highest levels of animal welfare and that the down is fully traceable throughout its supply chain.
Downlite is a supplier to outdoor apparel company Patagonia. Based on Patagonia’s commitment to animal welfare in its supply chain, it requires its down suppliers to be fully certified to the Global Traceable Down Standard, from parent farm to factory. As a major supplier to Patagonia, Downlite responded quickly and achieved the first Global Traceable Down Standard certification.
“The Global Traceable Down Standard is extremely comprehensive, and Downlite stands behind it as we believe in the work we did to become certified,” said Chad Altbaier, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Downlite. “Downlite understands our role as influencers to our supply chains to instill the behaviors we need to provide more responsibly sourced down. This is a course of action and not just a single certification event. Through this Global Traceable Down Standard certification process, we have improved animal welfare practices throughout our global supply chain.”
The Global TDS is an industry-wide standard for brands and manufacturers that want to source down responsibly. The rigorous criteria include on-site audits to confirm full traceability of down from parent farm to final product manufacture and to verify the ethical treatment of birds throughout their lifecycle from the parent farm to slaughterhouse.
“It’s impressive to see a major down supplier commit to the Global Traceable Down Standard, the highest level of animal welfare and traceability protection in the world,” said Cara Chacon, Senior Director for Social & Environmental Responsibility at Patagonia. “We applaud Downlite’s strong efforts to improve the lives of geese and ducks in the meat industry.”
NSF’s Global Traceable Down Standard goes beyond other existing programs, which start at the hatchery, and extends animal welfare procedures to parent farms where animals typically live for at least four years and would be at greatest risk for live plucking. No other down standard ensures animal welfare and protection from practices such as live bird plucking to increase down yield or force feeding birds for foie gras production.
Traceability audits ensure compliant down and feather material is fully documented as the only material used in finished goods. All organizations handling the down are also audited to verify they have good management systems to keep the sustainably-sourced down segregated from conventionally-sourced down.
“NSF International is proud that Downlite, an organization with a reputation for stewardship, has earned certification to the Global Traceable Down Standard,” said Jenny Oorbeck, General Manager for NSF Sustainability. “Downlite worked closely with its supply chain to integrate the standard and report on its accomplishments. Certification to NSF International’s Global Traceable Down Standard shows the commitment Downlite has made to animal welfare and traceability to provide its customers, and eventually consumers, the most responsibly-sourced down products on the market.”
The Global TDS was developed in a consensus-based process in partnership with stakeholders from industry (including down processors such as Downlite), manufacturers, retailers, animal welfare groups (such as Four Paws International), trade associations and other non-governmental organizations. These key groups developed, defined and agreed to the criteria for the final standard.
All companies that use down are encouraged to adopt the Global Traceable Down Standard to set the highest bar possible for animal welfare.
CHICAGO, Ill. — March 14, 2016 — drupa 2016, an international trade fair for print and cross-media solutions, will soon start with a new strategic focus, improved scheduling over 11 days, a new look and shorter frequency — held every 3 years. With the motto “touch the future” drupa will highlight the industry’s innovative power and provide a platform for future technologies. The focus will especially be on next-generation with themes such as print, packaging production, multichannel, 3-D printing, functional printing and green printing. The event will take place from May 31-June 10, 2016, at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.
“With this strategic reorientation and its focus on future and highlight themes we are obviously on the right track. Because the response of international upstream suppliers to the industry has been very good – which was not a given in view of the difficult market environment,” explained Werner M. Dornscheidt, president & CEO, Messe Düsseldorf. Some 1,650 exhibitors from over 50 countries will impressively prove the versatility and innovative power of their sector in all 19 exhibition halls. “International global players and market leaders will present themselves alongside aspiring newcomers and innovative companies from throughout the world. The complete spectrum of print and cross-media exhibits and topics will be represented. Such a comprehensive 360° view of the entire industry is provided by nobody but drupa,” underlined Werner M. Dornscheidt.
According to Claus Bolza-Schünemann, Chairman of the drupa Committee and Chairman of the Board at Koenig & Bauer AG, the mega trend at drupa 2016 will be Print 4.0: “Print 4.0 enables individualization and personalization in digital printing. In view of high-quality packaging and the rapidly diversifying range of solutions in industrial and functional printing this digital networking of machines and systems offers the solution and guarantee for efficiency and competitiveness. Print 4.0 is the mega trend at drupa 2016. This is very clear even at this early stage.”
Added Value: Technical Ancillary Events
The program of accompanying technical events — including the drupa innovation park, drupa cube, the brands PEPSO (Printed Electronics Products and Solutions), 3D fab + print and “touchpoint packaging” — is a substantial enhancement offering target visitor groups added benefits.
One of the most important highlight themes at drupa 2016 will be packaging production. According to current forecasts, the packaging market will grow to $ 985 billion by 2018. The dedicated Special Show “touchpoint packaging” consisting of some 20 participating exhibitors, will reflect the relevance of this market. This special forum in Hall 12 (Stand B53) has been designed and organized in close cooperation with the european packaging design association (epda), Europe’s leading association of brand and packaging agencies. To cater even better to the special needs of the various user industries, “touchpoint packaging” is divided into four “future labs”: “food & beverage”, “non-food”, “pharma” and “cosmetics”.
Another highlight theme at drupa 2016 will be 3D printing. The potential of these additive manufacturing technologies for any vertical markets should not be underestimated. “The spare parts business in mechanical engineering or packaging design offer particularly great opportunities for machinery producers and users but also for print service providers,” said Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa. The touchpoint 3D fab+print featured in Hall 7A (Stand C41) will reflect this spectrum. As part of this special show, the latest technical developments will be presented as well as visions and examples of best-practice. Technology suppliers & users, exhibitors & visitors, visionaries & practitioners can all meet there for dialogue and drive this exciting subject forward.
Another major future theme at drupa 2016 will be functional printing. Across the globe there are many application examples for printed electronics. Touch sensors on furniture surfaces, Bluetooth loudspeakers made from paper or conductive inks are no longer science fiction due to innovative printing technology. drupa 2016 will pick up on this highlight theme at several points:
Under the PEPSO brands, various exhibitors will showcase developments on the theme of Printed Electronics Products and Solutions.
The OE-A (Organic Electronics Association) will cover the topic with its members at “dip” (Hall 7.0).
ESMA – the European Association for Screenprinting, Digitial and Flexoprinting Technologies, will address this issue with a program in Hall 6 (Stand C02) and Hall 3 (Stand A70).
VDMA – German Engineering Federation will offer a number of activities at its “Showcase Industrial Printing” (Hall 7A, Stand B13).
Impulse-generating innovations and business case studies for process-driven print and publishing solutions will be center stage at drupa innovation park, where young companies and start-ups as well as global players will present pioneering solutions. The “dip” in Hall 7.0 will offer visitors the possibility to explore trend-setting innovations, solutions and business case studies on an easy-to-manage area. Presentations, lectures and interviews at the “dip energy lounge” will round off the ranges displayed by about 130 exhibitors.
The drupa cube will have a new approach with the heading “Entertaining, Educating, Engaging”. This event and congress program (Hall 6, Stand D03) will concentrate on the innovative power of printing and the multi-faceted possible applications of printed products across a multitude of industries and spheres of life. The organizers were able to enlist the multi-national The Medici Group as an innovation partner. Its founder and CEO Frans Johansson was quite a sensation with his 2004 book “The Medici Effect” and has been associated with thinking and acting out of the box, known since then as the “out-of-the-box principle”. In addition to two keynotes on May 31 and June 2 the agenda will consist of some 40 lectures by international experts.
Opening times for drupa 2016 will be from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on week days and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekends. 1-day tickets cost Euro 45 online and Euro 65 on show site. 3-day tickets are available online for Euro 120 (Euro 175 on show site) while 5-day tickets are Euro 190 (Euro 290 on show site). drupa tickets include free use of all public transportation within the Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) and Rhein-Sieg (VRS) networks to and from the fairgrounds (on non-supplement trains, 2nd class).
ATLANTA — March 14, 2016 — The start of 2016 has proved to be full of new technologies and innovations in the technical textile industry. Techtextil North America, held May 3-5, 2016, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta is to host more than 30 hand-selected industry experts from around the world that plan to reveal advanced technologies at the premier symposium held concurrently with the show floor.
Techtextil North America is co-located with Texprocess Americas and JEC Americas. The trifecta of these shows brings together the full spectrum of technical textiles, nonwovens, sewn products and equipment, technology and composites into one central location.
During the three day technical textile event visitors are able participate in 10 hot topic sessions plus two bonus sessions put on by IAF and a joint session hosted by Techtextil North America, Texprocess Americas and JEC Americas. Visitors can expect to connect with potential new partners, learn about exciting new technologies and discover how they can grow their business while partaking in the Techtextil North America Symposium.
Highlights of the highly acclaimed Symposium Include:
Tension Structures
Learn more about the architectural perspective of a tension structure and what to know about tension structures from an architectural point- of-view. The session will then turn to an engineering perspective and what to expect from a tension structure in relationship to engineering loads and what it takes to erect a tension structure and have it be safe and last based on the lifetime of the fabric selected. The session will then add a fabrication perspective and what is involved with the fabrication of a tension structure from a fabricators perspective and what it takes to work with a client within all of these different aspects.
Textile Testing and How It Affects the Industry
Textile Testing plays a major role in the development of new products, as well as maintaining quality standards of existing products. This session focuses on how testing affects the textile industry.
Advancements in Nonwovens
The nonwovens session will focus on the latest machinery developments and all segments of the industry from web formation to bonding including needle punching, spunbonding and melt blowing to hydroentangling, and thermal bonding. New and emerging product lines will also be a focus.
New Fiber Technologies (Basic)
(2-Part Session)
Part One is intended for those new to the synthetic fiber industry, those needing a good understanding of fiber fundamentals, and those interested in learning about the latest commercially significant fiber processes. This session will take you through the basic fiber technologies and respective markets currently using these respective fibers and what new horizons are being explored within each of these areas. If you are looking for a refresher course outside of your area of expertise or new to the business as discussed this course is for you.
New Fiber Technologies (Advanced)
(2-Part Session)
In Part 2 of this session learn from experts about the most recent synthetic fiber developments expected to have technical and commercial significance in the field of synthetic fibers. Advanced products from micro, nanofibers to carbon fibers will be discussed.
Advancements and Future Uses Smart Textiles
Discover advancements and future expectations in smart, functional and innovative textiles. An introduction to new functions and unique structures of textiles suitable for many challenging applications related to engineering and medical applications.
Auxetic and Protective Textiles
Auxetic structures and materials are those that get fatter on stretching rather than becoming thinner, as is the ordinary case. This counterintuitive behavior opens exciting vistas for design and creation of new textile materials and structures for applications that would benefit from auxetic response to tension or compression. This session will highlight advances in such auxetic textile materials and structures. Some of the presentations will couple auxetic behavior with protective functions for personnel exposed to a dangerous environment or situation. Included in this session will also be presentations on non- auxetic protective textiles.
Innovations in Geosynthetic Textiles
Geosynthetics are being utilized for a variety of construction applications that were once thought to be only in the realm of Concrete or Steel, allowing for construction of structures in extreme conditions such as very soft soils, in underwater locations and in contaminated or extreme pH conditions to name a few. This session will feature presentations on new and innovative Geosynthetic textile technologies for Geotechnical and Civil Engineering applications.
Welding
Stitch-free seam technology — welded or bonded — are two different concepts. Welding is the process of joining pieces of synthetic fabrics with various methods: hot air, hot wedge, RF, ultra-sonic, plunge, laser, and impact. Bonding, on the other hand, can be performed on two pieces of fabric by placing a heat activated material (adhesive) between them. Stitch-free seaming technologies are extensively used in performance apparel, sportswear, and fitted active wear. Technical outerwear is becoming less bulky and more form-fitting while retaining the latest advances in waterproof and breathable capability.
Sustainability / How does sustainability aid the textile industry?
Many companies in the textile industry have embarked on a path toward sustainability. This session focuses on sustainability champions sharing their thoughts on emerging technologies, latest trends and the future efforts of maintaining some degree of sustainability while running a profitable enterprise.
This year visitors who purchase a symposium pass are able to choose two complimentary bonus sessions.
How Technology Is Implemented Across the Globe to Increase Productivity in the Apparel Industry: Developed by IAF
Connecting Technical Textiles and Composites: Developed by Techtextil North Americas, Texprocess Americas and JEC Americas
The 2016 Symposium has been developed by leading industry experts to provide a platform for presenters to interact with attendees after each session.
Advisory Council Board Members:
Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, The Nonwovens Institute
Mike Clements, Huesker Inc.
Sam Buff, Gaston College
Bipin Kumar, UC Davis
Marc Shellshear, Gale Pacific Inc.
Dr. Andy Griffin, Professor Emeritus Georgia Institute of Technology
