Germany-based Freudenberg Performance Materials & Vilene Nonwovens — a joint venture company with Tokyo-based Japan Vilene Co. — has started a new production line for car headliners at its Suzhou, China, site. The company reports the expansion will help the company meet growing demand for car roof lining and printed products in the Asian market. According to the company, it is the only manufacturer at the present time that has in-house printing capabilities. Freudenberg & Vilene Co. introduced printed headliners to the market in 2010, offering innovative and individualized products to customers.
“The expansion of our activities in China underlines our expertise in automotive headliners,” said Bruce Olson, president and CEO, Freudenberg Performance Materials. “This move will also further underscore our position as a leading and reliable partner for our customers.”
Polartec, Lawrence, Mass., recently collaborated with Japan-based brand Teton Bros. to develop a breathable, waterproof fabric. This new version of Polartec’s Polartec® NeoShell® features in the Teton Bros. TB 2.0 jacket. According to Polartec, the newly developed NeoShell fabrics offer supple stretch, breathability and overall comfort using a 70 by 160 denier mechanical stretch nylon woven NeoShell fabric in the body; and an abrasion resistant, durable Supplex nylon woven face NeoShell fabric on the shoulders and waist of the jacket. A fine gauge circular knit fabric is used on the interior. The specific versions of Polartec NeoShell are exclusive to Teton Bros.
“There are other stretchy waterproof fabrics on the market, but not with the breathability of NeoShell,” said Peter Lord, global product manager for weather protection, Polartec. “The new knit NeoShell styles we’ve engineered are the softest, most breathable, and most comfortable NeoShell fabrics ever created.”
Germany-based Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG has signed an agreement with China-based Zhejiang Wang Jin Nonwoven Co. Ltd. for two state-of-the-art spunlace lines. The first line is a high-speed carding line featuring random roller technology. The second line is a crosslapper capable of producing products with low MD/CD ratios. The lines will begin production during 2017.
The nonwoven company was formed in December 2015, and is looking to expand into the spunlace nonwovens market. Zhejiang Wang Jin Nonwoven plans a total investment of 660 million renminbi ($97 million) to purchase eight spunlace lines from Trützschler.
Wichita, Kan.-based Invista has announced a $30-million investment at its Camden, S.C., fiber manufacturing plant. The expansion targets one-step, small-lot capacity for solution-dyed nylon 6,6 carpet fiber that initially will be sold under the Antron® Lumena™ brand. Invista worked with Germany-based Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG to develop the small-lot, proprietary technology.
“Our mill customers and the design community rely on Invista to offer a palette of hundreds of solution-dyed nylon 6,6 colors for each of their unique design preferences,” said Marc Ahrens, vice president of Invista’s specialty flooring business. “The new technology will expand our capability to offer sophisticated color families while at the same time improving service.”
“As a part of a long-term collaboration in research and development, our teams were challenged and inspired to create enhanced products,” said Dr. Dirk Burger, CEO, Trützschler Group. “Trützschler thanks Invista for their confidence in our company.”
Belgium-based Beaulieu Fibres International (B.F.I.) has invested 30 million euros (approximately $33 million) to expand capacity for its Meraklon hygiene fiber as well as add new BICO products to the Meraklon portfolio at its Terni, Italy, plant.
B.F.I. is constructing a building to house a new hygiene line featuring state-of-the-art long spin technology, which will allow the company to add BICO polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate (PE/PET) and BICO polypropylene (PP)/PET fibers to its portfolio. In addition, B.F.I. will be able to spin mono PP fibers on the new equipment. The company expects to start installing the new line mid-2017.
The fibers are used in nonwoven applications such as baby diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine care and wipes.
“Having an additional production line at Terni will give us the capability to be more flexible in our support and to offer an even wider product range through new BICO products,” said Karena Cancilleri, vice president, Engineered Products, B.F.I.
Valdese, N.C.-based Meridian Specialty Yarn Group (MSYG) has added wool and wool/polyester blend carpet yarns to its product line produced at its Ranlo, N.C., plant. MSYG is targeting the high end tufted and woven carpet and rug market with the yarns, and reports it is the only company in the United States making such carpet yarns.
The yarns are available in a variety of blends and colors featuring naturally colored wool, as well as a range of shades made using top-dyed wool. The new line boosts production at the Ranlo plant by 25 percent.
“By having a segregated unit set up solely for carpet yarn production, we believe we can fill a void left in the domestic market,” said Tim Manson, president, MSYG. “When coupled with the top dyeing and yarn printing capabilities at our Valdese wet processing facility, we are adding a new dimension to this product line with top dyed solid shades, blended heathers, marled yarns and other color effects.”
Israel-based Nilit reports its Nilit® Black Diamond nylon 6,6 fiber was selected by the Netherlands-based Steps Footsocks NV for a line of no-show fashion socks. Black Diamond yarns are comprised of Nilit black dope-dyed nylon 6,6 and a shiny yarn to produce a sparkly effect. According to Nilit, the yarn is dyeable and reversible to offer many design possibilities. The yarn is available in a variety of yarn counts including a version blended with elastane.
Steps Footsocks is using Nilit® Black Diamond yarns in a new product line.
The Japan-based Teijin Group reports it has purchased roughly 1.8-million-square-meters of land in Greenwood, S.C., to be used as the site for a new automotive and aircraft carbon fiber production facility. The $600 million will create approximately 220 jobs by 2030.
“After an extensive site selection process that included six states, Teijin selected Greenwood because of its pro-business atmosphere and proactive support from Governor Haley and her team, as well as local government officials,” said Wayne Trotter, director of government relations for Teijin.
In other company news, Teijin has agreed to acquire Auburn Hill, Mich.-based automotive composites supplier Continental Structural Plastics Holdings Corp. The deal is expected to close in December.
ITMA Asia + CITME organizers offered visitors a downloadable interactive map to help navigate the exhibition halls. Visitors also had to option to register and pay for badges using the popular mobile app WeChat.
ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 organizers report pleasing exhibitor, attendee figures from Shanghai show.
TW Special Report
ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 was held recently at the new National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.
Since the combined show’s debut in 2008, ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 attracted the largest number of exhibitors to date, according to show organizers the Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co. (BJITME) and co-organizer MP Expositions Pte. Ltd.
The show is owned by the European Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association (CEMATEX), and its China-based partners the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-tex); China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA); and China Exhibition Centre Group Corp. (CIEC). The Japan Textile Machinery Association also was a special partner of the show.
ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 recorded more than 100,000 visitors from 102 countries and regions. While still mostly a regional show, some 20 percent of the visitors came from outside China including attendees from India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
The show owners and organizers assembled executives for a press conference on the first day of the show.
Exhibitor numbers rivaled those at ITMA 2015 with 1,673 companies from 28 countries and regions taking part in the trade show. More than 170,000 square meters of gross exhibition space was occupied by the exhibitors.
“We are delighted that this was our largest show since its launch back in 2008,” said Fritz Mayer, CEMATEX president. “The majority of our visitors were serious buyers, and as a result our exhibitors are very happy with the overall quality. We are looking forward to another successful presentation of the next combined show in 2018.”
Wang Shutian, China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) president, also was upbeat about the show. “The combined show continues to be a must for textile machinery manufacturers and their customers, and we are delighted to present the very best technologies from both east and west to Chinese and other Asian buyers,” Shutian said.
The next combined show will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai October 26-30, 2018, and will be organized by BJITME, and co-organized by ITMA Services.
Cotton prices are on the rise, but no price spike is anticipated.
By Jon Devine
Cotton prices increased this summer and have been holding onto levels that are a little higher than they were a year ago. The recent rise may have some wondering if there might be a repeat of the historic price spike that occurred during the 2010-11 crop year when fiber prices climbed above $2.00 per pound. With global supply still near record levels, history is not likely to repeat itself any time soon. The recent bump in prices can be attributed to several factors including seasonality, a unique situation involving India and Pakistan, as well as certain aspects related to Chinese cotton policy.
Nearly 85 percent of the world’s cotton is produced north of the equator. With every cotton farm or cotton-producing country getting only one harvest per year, there is seasonality in supply. For example, late in the fall and early in the winter, once cotton from northern hemisphere countries has been harvested, ginned, and prepared for shipments, there is a lot of cotton available. That availability can lead to downward pressure on prices this time of year. Conversely, just ahead of the northern hemisphere harvest, the market is dependent on warehoused supplies. For this reason, the market is susceptible to supply-related concerns in the summer and early fall. The price movement that occurred over the past several months can be seen as a response to tightness in warehoused supply in certain countries and accessibility issues in others.
Concerns regarding tightness in warehoused supply were most acutely felt on the Indian sub-continent. Last year, Pakistan suffered difficult growing season. A combination of pest infestations and disease pulled yields 30 percent lower. With less cotton available domestically, Pakistani mills had to import cotton and ended up importing the second-highest volume on record. Most of Pakistan’s imports came from India, and the increase in import demand from Pakistan coincided with a year that India had less cotton to sell.
Because of a reduction in acreage and its own set of challenging growing conditions last year, India’s surplus of production was comparatively small in 2015-16 — down 60 percent relative to the 2014-15 crop year. With cotton flowing across the border to Pakistan, India’s exports rose 40 percent at the same time that there was less cotton available. Correspondingly, there was not a lot of warehoused supply in India this summer. This led to sharp increases in Indian prices, with values for domestically produced fiber rising 25 cents per pound, or 40 percent, between the spring and summer months. India, the world’s second largest exporter, also had to look to the United States and West Africa for supply in recent months and there were even reports that India has had to re-import its own cotton back from Pakistan. Because of these trade relationships, there were some knock-on effects tying India’s situation to prices in the rest of the world.
Both India and Pakistan are expected to enjoy better growing conditions this year, and the increase in production already has calmed supply-related fears in the region. In addition, most major exporters — including the United States, Australia, Brazil, and the cotton producers in West Africa — are expected not only to grow more cotton but also to finish 2016-17 with more fiber in storage than they began the crop year with. This increase in available supply suggests flat to lower prices outside China as the harvesting period progresses.
In China, the influence of the Chinese government makes the price situation in China somewhat cloudy. China is not expected to have a large crop this year. However, the Chinese government has indicated that another round of auction sales will begin in March and run through August. Coordination between reserve supply and harvested supply should shape price direction in China.
The Archroma EarthColors dyes made using cotton byproducts produce a range of brown hues when used on cellulosic fabrics.
Redefining “100-Percent Cotton”
Cary, N.C.-based Cotton Incorporated recently partnered with Switzerland-based Archroma to develop a dye made from cotton-plant residues. When Cotton Incorporated heard about Archroma’s EarthColors the company was intrigued by the idea that it might be possible to create and color a fabric using a single plant source.
Archroma makes use of agricultural waste products — including almond shells, saw palmetto, rosemary leaves, and other natural products — that otherwise would be sent to a landfill in a patent-pending process that transforms biomass from the waste to make EarthColors. The resulting patented biosynthetic sulfur dyes can be used with cellulosic fibers such as cotton.
“As soon as we heard about the EarthColors technology, we wanted to explore the possibilities of cotton as a natural dye source,” said Mary Ankeny, senior director of Textile Chemistry Research at Cotton Incorporated, who led the project from the Cotton Incorporated side. “Byproducts of cotton harvesting and ginning have been utilized within the food and construction industries for decades, but we were intrigued by the idea of using cotton biomass to dye cotton fiber.”
Cotton biomass is in plentiful supply. Globally, as much as three million tons of cotton harvesting and ginning byproducts — including burs, stems, immature bols, lint, sticks and leaves — are generated each year. Between 150 and 200 pounds of usable byproducts can be garnered from just one 480-pound bale of cotton.
The partnership between the two companies produced exactly what Cotton Incorporated was hoping for — EarthColors dye made using cotton byproducts. Application of the dyes — which produce a range of brown hues — marks the first time the cotton plant has been used to dye cotton fabrics for a truly 100-percent cotton.
“We are grateful to Cotton Incorporated to have brought us this challenge,” said Nuria Estape, head of Textile Specialties, Global Marketing & Promotion, Archroma. “Archroma
strives to challenge the status quo, and our EarthColors technology demonstrates our dedication to support and inspire sustainable fashion with warm colors that can be traced from the field to the shop.”
Environmentally-conscious brands find dyeing a natural fiber with natural ingredients appealing. Archroma extends the appeal of the product by offering traceability as well as sustainability. Each batch of EarthColors dye has a hangtag featuring a Near
Field Communication chip containing data that explains the manufacturing process of the dye and where the natural materials were sourced. In addition, each bale of cotton grown in the United States is assigned a bale identification tag containing data about the characteristics of the fiber. The chip also allows cotton businesses to trace the bale’s trip all the way back to where it was ginned.
Building on the dye innovation, Cotton Incorporated partnered with Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Denim LLC to develop denim fabrics featuring the Archroma cotton-derived dyes. Cone developed a concept collection at its White Oak plant that includes three base denim constructions — 3×1 twill, broken twill and basket weave. Each construction was developed in a range of washdowns, blue-colored fill and environmentally responsible finishing techniques including ozone and laser etching.
“Cone was the ideal partner for this project,” said Teresa Zugay, account executive, Cotton Incorporated. “With more than 125 years of experience, they know how to stay true to denim’s roots while meeting the market’s desire for innovation. While still in concept stage, we look forward to continuing our partnership to bring this innovation to market.”
“We were delighted to work with Cotton Incorporated on this unique project,” said Allen Little, director, product development, Cone Denim. “We think these denim inspirations have the aesthetic range and environmental appeal that today’s denim brands are looking for.”
Cotton Incorporated debuted fabrics made using the EarthColors dyes at the recent Premiere Vision in Paris and Kingpins show in New York City.
Editor’s Notes: Jon Devine is a senior economist with Cary, N.C.-based Cotton Incorporated.
The information contained herein is derived from public and private subscriber news sources believed to be reliable; however, Cotton Incorporated and the Cotton Board cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. No responsibility is assumed for the use of this information and no express or implied warranties or guarantees are made. The information contained herein should not be relied upon for the purpose of making investment decisions. This communication is not intended to forecast or predict future prices or events.
