Epson Digital Couture Event Offered Display Of Technology And High-Fashion

LONG BEACH, Calif. — February 29, 2016 — The Epson Digital Couture event was held in advance of Fashion Week in New York City last Tuesday, February 9. and was a huge success, providing a visual representation of how Epson’s digital printing technologies impact the fashion and textile industry. The fashion event, built around the theme “Harmony and Peace through Fashion,” showcased collections from 11 North and Latin American designers created using Epson’s state-of-the-art SureColor® F-Series dye-sublimation printing solutions.

“Epson Digital Couture is a unique opportunity to get a glimpse into how digital technology is poised to dramatically impact the fashion industry,” said Keith Kratzberg, senior vice president, Epson America. “It is truly amazing to see what artists and designers are able to accomplish when there are no limits to creating their vision, resulting in breathtaking designs of the highest quality that conveys each designer’s signature style.”

Held in New York’s Meatpacking District, a fashion hotspot, the event attracted elite artists from the fashion industry, celebrities, socialites, and leading members of the press. The Epson Digital Couture event showcased the limitless designs made possible by Epson dye-sublimation technology through the featured collections of the following designers:

  • Chloe Trujillo from Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Cristina Ruales from Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Fabrizzio Berrocal from Costa Rica
  • GM by Gustavo Moscoso from Ecuador
  • Kaleidoscopic by María de Lourdes Ramírez and Isabel Navarro Landa from Mexico
  • LENERD by Felipe Santamaría Luque from Colombia
  • Matías Hernán from Chile
  • Ossira by Agostina Orlandi and Ludmila Osikovsky from Argentina
  • Pionier by Janet Ríos and Carmen Artica from Peru
  • Santika by Danny Santiago from Miami, Fla.
  • Tigresse by Fabio Yukio from Brazil

“Epson’s textile printing solutions allow artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and established fashion brands to print detailed designs and vibrant colors in real-time, for a new level of creative freedom,” said Agustin Chacon, Epson America’s vice president of international marketing. “The success of the second Epson Digital Couture event underscores the synergy of fashion and state-of the-art printing technology for a new era of design creativity and functional versatility.”

Posted February 29, 2016

Source: Epson America, Inc.

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Promotes Marcia Ayala To Vice President

YORKVILLE, Ill. — February 25, 2016 — Aurora Specialty Textile Group, Inc. (ASTG) has promoted Marcia Ayala from Vice President of Research & Development to Vice President. The promotion reflects the expanding role that Ayala has played over the past two years as ASTG has invested in new manufacturing facilities and developed new products for existing and new markets.

As Vice President, Ayala’s primary responsibilities include product development and quality, as well as new business development and expanded operational responsibilities. She will also continue to manage the company’s R&D department.

Ayala has been with ASTG since 2006, when she was hired as Director of Research and Development. In this capacity she and her team have worked closely with customers developing new products. In 2014 her role expanded to include new business development and that year she was promoted to Vice President Research & Development. The current promotion to Vice President reflects her capabilities in this capacity and expanded responsibilities across other operational areas at ASTG.

“Marcia’s span of influence cuts across almost every function with the company,” said Dan LaTurno, President of ASTG. “As such her new title should represent a broader, more influential one. Spanning ten years of service with Aurora, Marcia has shown a remarkable ability to learn and grow as well as effectively manage those who report to her.”

Ayala has both BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering and earned an MBA from Georgia State University.

Posted February 25, 2016

Source: Aurora Specialty Textiles Group, Inc.

J-Pac Medical Offers Dry Room Processing Capabilities For Assembly & Packaging Of Environmentally-Sensitive Healthcare Products

SOMERSWORTH, N.H. — February 24, 2016 — J-Pac Medical, a manufacturing and packaging outsourcing partner for medical device and diagnostic companies, announced its dry room processing capabilities for the packaging of environmentally-sensitive healthcare products. J-Pac’s dry room capabilities feature low humidity processing in Class 7 cleanrooms with options for both low and high volume applications.

The low humidity environment extends the WIP Time (Open Exposure Time) for materials and components that are moisture sensitive. This reduces the risk of overexposure to humidity that can negatively affect shelf life and efficacy. Any of J-Pac’s processing competencies can be housed within its dry rooms. The capability is tailored to support manufacturing and packaging flows that incorporate absorbable polymers, lyophilized materials supporting implantation or diagnostic testing, and any production flow reliant on low humidity processing and modified atmosphere packaging.

For low volume dry room processing, J-Pac’s custom fabrication rooms are maintained at less than 30 percent relative humidity (RH) and feature modified atmosphere pouch packaging (nitrogen and CO2), a nitrogen storage chamber and a nitrogen drying oven. Low volume dry room processing is ideal for applications that include surgical and intravascular implants that incorporate drug components or absorbable polymer.  Such products are typical in the sports medicine, trauma, orthopedics, wound management, tissue replacement, plastic surgery, neural and endoscopy market segments.  A more spacious dry room is also available to house higher volume flows.  This room is maintained at <20% RH.

“As a trusted manufacturing and packaging outsourcing partner to the world’s most innovative medical device and diagnostic companies, J-Pac Medical endeavors to provide our customers with a comprehensive set of options to meet their most critical product development challenges,” said Rick Crane, Vice President of the Innovation Services Group at J-Pac Medical. “It is our specialized capabilities such as dry room processing and unique materials handling expertise that is important to our customers, and we will continue to find new ways to deliver added-value to the market.”

Posted February 25, 2016

Source: J-Pac Medical

Textile Industry Loses Veteran Executive Mary O’Rourke

Obituary of Mary O’Rourke
O’Rourke, Mary Therese, died in her home on February 22,2016 in Ventnor, New Jersey, after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 62 years old.

Ms. O’Rourke was born on June 29,1953 in Northeast Philadelphia to Irish-Catholic parents, Elizabeth (Bess) and William O’Rourke. Bess worked in the home and William was a fireman and dockworker. Ms. O’Rourke was one of eight children. She attended Cardinal Dougherty High School and Penn State University. As a child, she was an accomplished baton twirler who performed in numerous competitions, parades, and even appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Ms. O’Rourke began her career at the retail end of the textile and apparel supply chain as a fabric buyer at Sears Roebuck. In 1978 she joined Werner Associates, at the time the world’s leading textile consulting group. She brought a new focus and dimension to Werner’s business and developed a strong marketing and strategy practice, which she led as Executive Vice President. In 1999 she founded O’Rourke Group Partners and as President and CEO, has led the company to its preeminent position as the world’s leading textile and apparel consulting group. Over the last 16 years, she and her team have counseled more than 650 blue-chip clients in 48 countries. Ms. O’Rourke loved the challenge and the travel that her work involved, as well as mentoring young executives. Her personal expertise, industry, and integrity have stamped her career.

Ms. O’Rourke married her childhood friend, Edward Scannapieco in 1975. The two had one daughter, Maureen Scannapieco. They divorced in 1985 and remained friends.

In 2005, Ms. O’Rourke married Stephen Miller of Ventnor, New Jersey. They enjoyed an active lifestyle as residents of the Jersey Shore, attending concerts, Phillies games, fly fishing, socializing with friends, and traveling. What they enjoyed most however, was happy hour on their porch while looking at the water. Friends would come by in droves, stopping to chat as they went to the beach or walked their dogs. Ever the “organizer,” Ms. O’Rourke spearheaded neighborhood gatherings and the annual Christmas party.

Ms. O’Rourke considered Ireland her home away from home. She was well versed in Irish music, customs, and history. She adored the country’s people and its green patchwork hills. She visited as often as she could, and loved sharing her beloved Ireland with friends and family.

She volunteered with several organizations throughout her life including the New York Fire Department, the Fashion Institute of Technology, Spirit-Eagles Field Hockey Club, and the United States Field Hockey Association.

Ms. O’Rourke is survived by her husband, Stephen Miller, daughter and son-in-law Maureen (nee Scannapieco) and August Leming, step-daughter and son-in-law Lauren (nee Miller) and Daniel Carney, stepson, Stephen Miller, Jr., and grandson Jude Leming. She is also survived by five siblings and their families: William and Corky O’Rourke, Robert and Chris O’Rourke, Patricia and Carole O’Rourke, Dolores and AnthonyDelliColli, Margaret and Steve Blouin.

Mary O’Rourke will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, brilliant businesswoman, and a generous and fun-loving friend.

Her life will be celebrated with an Episcopal Mass at Holy Trinity Church, 2998 Bay Ave., Ocean City, NJ, on Saturday, February 27th at 11 a.m. Friends may call at the church beginning at 10:30. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, 3535 Market Street, Suite 750, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Posted February 25, 2016

Source: George H. Wimberg Funeral Home

AATCC Honors Cook With The Olney Medal

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — February 24, 2016 — Fred L. Cook, known for his wide-ranging contributions to the fields of polymer/textile chemistry applied to sustainable developments in textile/carpet wet processes and novel fiber/materials innovations, is the 2015 recipient of the Olney Medal. The Olney Medal, the highest award presented by AATCC, is for outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of major importance to textile science.

Cook’s work over the past 40 years has spanned a broad range of interests, pivoting around sustainable textile/carpet wet process developments and novel fiber/materials innovations.His pioneering work on energy-conservation and sustainable dyeing technologies is of major interest and practicality for the textile/carpet industries. Cook’s work has exemplified the importance of visionary thinking in turning ideas tested in the laboratory into practical products and processes.

Cook has been an actively participating member of AATCC since 1968. He has served the Association in many roles, helping to achieve significant milestones, including serving as AATCC President (2009-2010), serving on the AATCC Board of Directors, and chairing and serving on numerous research and administrative committees, including the Executive Committee on Research (ECR).

Cook chaired the 2011–2014 AATCC Five-Year Strategic Planning Committee, which charted the course for AATCC. Cook has also supported AATCC’s publications, serving as a reviewer for Textile Chemist and Colorist and AATCC Review. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of the new AATCC Journal of Research and as has contributed papers to these publications. He has also served on the Editorial Boards of other industry-based and scientific publications, including Textile World, Textile Progress, and the Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics (JEFF). He has also been active as a consultant and/or expert witness to a variety of textile, polymer, utility companies, and law firms.

Presentation of the medal each year is a highlight of AATCC’s International Conference. This year, the conference will be held at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, VA, USA, from April 19-21, 2016. The Association will present the Olney Medal at the Awards Luncheon on April 21, 2016.

The Olney Medal

Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Olney, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of major importance to textile science.  The award consists of a gold medal, a scroll, and an honorarium.

Posted February 25, 2016

Source: AATCC, the Association of Textile, Apparel & Materials Professionals

Lectra Fashion PLM chosen By Galeries Lafayette For The Lifecycle Management Of Its Collections

PARIS — February 25, 2016 — Lectra is pleased to announce that Galeries Lafayette, the French internationally renowned department store leader, has chosen Lectra Fashion PLM, its collaborative platform, to support the development of its collections.

“Galeries Lafayette aims to enhance its ability to develop its own brands. Lectra’s PLM solution is the most suited for improving the workflow and facilitating cooperation between the different teams involved in the product development process,” declares Delphine Chevalier, Purchasing Director, Private Brand, Galeries Lafayette.

In a complex and globalized environment, fashion companies have to adapt their work methodology to meet new challenges in their markets. Leveraging its experience with best practices and in-depth knowledge—thanks to forty years of expertise in fashion, Lectra has developed a product lifecycle management solution that helps businesses bolster their performance while streamlining their processes.

“Thanks to our advanced technology as well as our team’s skills and expertise in the fashion industry, we are pleased to contribute to the development plans of this French, iconic department store, whose international presence continues to grow, and to guide the company in its product design and development process,” adds Karen Elalouf, Managing Director, Lectra France.

Posted February 25, 2016

Source: Lectra

YuniquePLM™ V6 Fosters International Growth for Norwegian Apparel Brand Moods of Norway

NEW YORK CITY — February 24, 2016 — Moods of Norway, a Norway-based fashion lifestyle brand, has implemented Gerber Technology’s YuniquePLM™ V6 web-based product lifecycle management software to manage its design and development process, while it continues to blend Norwegian heritage with international lifestyle and fashion.

“With YuniquePLM V6, we are able to have an individual perspective on products from the ‘get go,’ allowing designers and buyers to monitor and focus on the progress of various products without the use of multiple systems, data files and complexity,” said Moods of Norway Head of Product Thomas Frodal.

Kristin Karlsen, head product developer at Moods of Norway, added, “As first time PLM users we have been supported by a team of dedicated industry experts from Gerber and Amatec, Gerber’s distributor in Norway, during the implementation. We look forward to increased efficiency and productivity from the improved collaboration and greater access to data in a single location.”

“We are very pleased to have Moods of Norway, an iconic Scandinavian brand, as one of our customers,” said Bill Brewster, vice president and general manager, Enterprise SW Solutions. “We are certain that the company will increase their speed to market and, ultimately, their profitability with YuniquePLM. In addition, we are excited to collaborate with Amatec, a long-time distributor of Gerber Technology’s YuniquePLM, CAD, plotting, spreading and cutting solutions. The implementation of YuniquePLM has been a tremendous collaborative effort.”

Posted February 24, 2016

Source: Gerber Technology

ESMA Shows Functional Printing Potential At drupa 2016

CHICAGO, Ill. — February 2016 — At drupa 2016, the world’s leading trade fair for print and cross-media solutions, the European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association (ESMA) will be present in two pavilions. The pavilion in hall 3 (stand A70) will be dedicated to functional and industrial printing with member companies such as SPS demonstrating screen printing equipment used for food decoration (e.g. chocolate) and other special effects achievable at high operation speed. SPS’s partner ATMA will showcase latest developments in machinery for conductive and technical printing. KIWO, the German specialist in stencils, will present printing of pressure sensitive adhesives with high electrical conductivity. A variety of decoration techniques for glass and other rigid materials will be the focus at the ESC booth while another ESMA member, Marabu, will show applications of their inks for touch panels, tablet and smart phone masks. drupa will take place from May 31 – June 10, 2016 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

At the ESMA Lounge visitors will get information about the latest projects concerning smart tags, smart sensors, flexible and washable conductive inks used in textile industry and the overall use of various print technologies for Internet of Things. Further innovations will be highlighted in the ESMA pavilion in hall 6 where Color Passport will present their revolutionary approach to color management and reproduction on different substrates. Another expert in color management, ColorGate, will come to drupa with development stations and state-of-the-art RIP technology for industrial printing with inkjet. Intrinsic Materials, a specialist in nano-materials, will show their achievements in conductive inks and printed electronics components applied by the medical industry, such as disposable testers with smart tags.

Functional printing will build the core of the ESMA presence at drupa. In its early days, functional printing relied on chromatic inks which changed color due to external influences such as light (UV/black light), temperature (heat), pH changes or water contact. They were used for applications on printed gadgets, especially packaging which used the distinctive special effects for marketing purposes. The glowing and phosphorescent decoration started years ago and reappears on the market on a continuous basis. More advanced and more functional opportunities have followed and entered new industries. Evolution in conductive inks and electroluminescence (EL) not only benefited branding purposes (e.g. light-emitting packaging of Bombay Sapphire Gin) but delivered solutions also for solar panels (fingers and busbars).

Initial applications have pushed the boundaries of functional printing. Printed circuit boards (PCB) and flexible antennas combining FM, TV, mobile and GPS in one antenna and used for example in automotive, gave rise to car radar systems for adaptive cruise control. Nowadays, near field communication (NFC) and RFID antennas are standard features in electric devices and the integration of printing in the manufacturing process constantly improves their cost-efficiency. As far as electroluminescence is considered, a technological jump took place towards OLED (organic light emitting diodes). Flexible OLEDs integrated in fabric pave the way for smart textiles and wearables, as demonstrated in one of the recent ESMA international projects – POLEOT (Printing of Light Emitting Devices on Textile).

The future of printed electronics, conductive inks and coatings is now wide open. Batteries (flexible, thin, rechargeable), energy harvest systems (based on Peltier effect), smart tags and sensors are becoming common consumable goods, many of them also disposable. Smart wearables and smart sensors increasingly find applications in medical and pharmaceutical sectors, for instance quick test strips for diabetics, blood analyzers and smart blister packs. Healthcare is one of the markets which embrace new solutions and make successful business cases for printers who decided to “go functional” possible. Quad Industries has developed temperature logger labels for blood bags used in transport. The smart tag registers and transmits data to a smartphone app to ensure the correct transport conditions.

When it comes to smartphones, many of its components are facilitated by printing techniques. Capacitive switches, batteries, touch panels and screens – printing once again replaces expensive and highly energy-consuming processes. Marketing departments come on board as well. One of the recent Audi TT brochures included printed controls which, after correctly aligning with the smartphone, turned the page into a controllable experience of the new model’s cockpit display. Functional printing partners with anti-counterfeiting technologies and delivers combinations of inks, coatings and substrates to create invisible markers. Both for monetary needs and luxury goods, security print is the most efficient and cost-attractive protection against counterfeiting. Current possibilities even offer fingerprint recognition surfaces.

Many of these applications are included in the in-mold decoration process, be it for automotive or electronic devices – ranging from the integration of antennas in car mirror caps and in the car console to capacitive buttons on 3D thermoformed parts and surfaces. The industry is growing and provides new, creative development dimensions for printers, manufacturers and product designers. They will all meet for 18 technical talks and business cases presented during the 3rd Advanced Functional and Industrial Printing conference (AFIP) on March 2 and 3, 2016 in the Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel in Düsseldorf. On March 1, 2016, the CST GmbH invites all attendees for a guided factory tour, showing the company’s involvement with functional printing technology. More information about the event’s program and conditions is available at www.afip2016.org

Posted February 24, 2016

Source: Messe Düsseldorf North America

Blame It On The Weather

Jim-Phillips-colorBy Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

Orders for yarn through the early part of February fell below the expectations of many spinners, causing some to do a deeper dive into the underlying reasons.

“In early January, we attributed most of the slowdown to inventory adjustment,” commented one spinner. “We knew, that with ring-spun yarns being relatively scarce, that a lot of customers had maintained their positions just so they could ensure product was available. Then, at the end of year, they had a lot more yarn on hand that they needed. We were expecting that and we weren’t too concerned.” He continued, “At the first of February, sales had not picked up substantially.  And we began to wonder why.”

The answer? Blame it on the weather. Unseasonably mild temperatures throughout much of the United States through autumn and the early part of winter created a significant reduction in apparel sales. “When it feels like May in New England in the middle of December, winter clothes don’t just fly off the shelves. Apparel was staying on the shelf, and retailers reduced their orders for replacements, which, in turn, caused our orders to fall off.”

November was the warmest month ever recorded. A strong El Nino effect added even more warmth to the United States and Europe. The impact on retail apparel sales was significant. In November alone, department store apparel sales were down 2.8 percent. From November 1 through December 31, research company Planalytics said specialty apparel store sales declined $572 million over the same period the previous year.

The weather-related apparel sales decrease is likely to be short-term. However, apparel manufacturers are concerned over changing consumer buying habits that focus on areas other than clothing.

“It’s an interesting time for apparel,” one expert said in a recent article in the U.S. edition of The Guardian. “Consumers are spending more money on experiences and home goods and autos. They’re getting great deals on sizes and makes of cars, and it’s taking market share from apparel.”

“This is not something any of us expected,” said one industry insider. “Last year, we had a long and cold winter, and I think most of us expected the same this year. We weren’t prepared for it to be 60 degrees in Central Park in December.”

As the weather starts to warm — after all, Punxutawney Phil predicted a quick spring on Groundhog Day — spinners hope to see orders start pouring in again. Yet, even then, there are worries.

“Certainly, there are a lot of variables that could change the whole sales picture for the rest of the year,” said one spinner. “We have been relatively optimistic that we would maintain the solid core of business that we’ve enjoyed over the past few years. But, it all depends on how consumers spend their discretionary income, if they spend it.  Election years always make me nervous, because you never know what to expect from people. Will they like what they hear and be confident about the future? Or will the scare tactics of some politicians make them take a wait-and-see attitude toward spending?

Cotton prices continue to hover around the 60-cents mark. As of February 19, spot quotations for the base quality cotton (color 41, leaf 4, staple 34, mike 35-36 and 43-49, strength 27.0-28.9, uniformity 81.0-81.9) averaged 58.28 cents, up from 58.12 cents the previous week, but down from the 62.80 cents reported during the same period last year. “The stability of cotton prices over the past 18 months has been a strong contributor the prolonged period of good business,” said one spinner. “If we can get over the current blip, I believe we will be moving back in that direction shortly.

YarnChartFeb16Click here to view current yarn prices as a pdf

February 2016

VEIT Group Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary

LANDSBERG AM LECH, Germany — February 23, 2016 — Pioneering developments in ironing technology triggered the rapid growth of the Landsberg-based machine manufacturer in the 1960s and 70s. Today, the medium-sized company is a global player in industrial garment finishing, with business activities in more than 100 countries.

With Günter and Christopher Veit being at the helm of the family-run enterprise, it is the second and third generation who are jointly steering the company in the year of its 60th anniversary. It was their father and grandfather, 90-year-old Reinhardt Veit, who founded the business in 1956 and who used two innovations to set new technological standards for his sector those days. The cold ironing technology he developed turned the formerly stationary units into flexible, stand-alone ironing tables with their own independent motors. Powerful suction made built-in heating units redundant and helped to significantly reduce energy consumption even then. Another novelty was the suction and blowing technology launched in 1969. The use of an air cushion finally allowed ironing garments without any marks from seams and interlinings.

Today’s Group President Günter Veit joined the company as a co-director in 1975, before full responsibility was handed over to him by his father Reinhardt Veit in 1990. It was Günter Veit who expedited international growth with subsidiaries in the USA (1981), France (1990), Romania (1997) and the UK (1999). Ever since 1994, VEIT has been increasingly committed to the Asian market with offices in China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

From VEIT to VEIT Group: Two acquisitions allowed the firm to broaden its product portfolio and its technological range. In 1989, it took over Brisay, a company specialised in ironing presses, and then, in 2001, Veit acquired the fusing technology division from Kannegiesser. Whereas the brand name Brisay continues to exist within the VEIT Group, fusing machines are being sold solely under the VEIT label since the beginning of 2016, fifteen years after the successful takeover.

Christopher Veit joined the company’s top management in 2015 and represents the third generation. The new managing director has been leading the Chinese subsidiary VEIT Zhejiang since 2011. At VEIT Group, he is now in charge of Human Resources, Design and Development, Quality Assurance and Manufacturing. Both he and his father Günter Veit are aware of future challenges. Expanding their business facilities in Germany is one of the goals both Directors share.

“We are delighted to be able to celebrate our company’s 60th anniversary this year and are thankful for the past. At the same time, we are looking ahead to the future with a spirit of confidence and motivation. We are particularly grateful to our employees, customers and VEIT supporters, who have joined us on our journey and keep doing so!“ emphasize Christopher and Günter Veit. „We are convinced that we will continue our successful path by working together to enhance our existing strengths and to put our customers‘ benefits into the focus of our operations.”

Posted February 23, 2016

Source: VEIT GmbH

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