Hexcel Launches Site For New Carbon Fiber Plant In Roussillon, France

STAMFORD, Conn. — May 21, 2015 — At a special ceremony in France today, Hexcel welcomed guests to the site in Roussillon where it will invest $250 million in the construction of a carbon fiber plant. Hexcel presented plans for the new facility to local dignitaries, customers, media representatives and Hexcel employees.

Hexcel’s new carbon fiber facility will occupy a 37-acre site at the Osiris Chemicals Industry Platform in Roussillon and will be comprised of both polymerization and carbonization lines. The plant is part of Hexcel’s ongoing worldwide investment to create a diversified and robust supply chain to support aerospace customers’ growing demand for carbon fiber composites.

Nick Stanage, Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President, presided over the event with the support of André Vallini, French Secretary of State for Territorial Reform and Didier Evrard, Airbus EVP and Head of Programs. Mr. Stanage said, “Together with our capacity expansions in the U.S., this new facility in France will strengthen our global supply chain by adding precursor and additional carbon fiber capacity in Europe.”

Carbon fiber from the new plant will be supplied to Hexcel customers including Airbus for the A350 XWB and Safran for the CFM LEAP engine. Construction of the new plant will begin by September 2015 and is expected to employ 120 people when fully operational in early 2018. Today Hexcel employs close to 1000 people in France.

The Roussillon facility is located close to Hexcel’s weaving and prepreg manufacturing facilities near Lyon. At today’s event, Mr. Stanage announced further investments totaling $22 million at these existing facilities to include capacity expansions at Hexcel’s carbon fiber weaving plant at Les Avenières, and an additional resin impregnation line in Dagneux, Montluel. These additional investments are expected to create 100 more jobs by 2018.

Didier Evrard, Airbus EVP and Head of Programs commented: “We are delighted by Hexcel’s decision to build this new carbon fiber plant in Europe. This significant investment will further secure the A350 XWB production ramp-up and demonstrates the high level of Hexcel’s commitment to the success of the A350 XWB program”.

Posted May 22, 2015

Source: Hexcel
 

DIENES Apparatebau, Rauschert Agree To A Strategic Alliance

MÜHLHEIM, Germany — May 15, 2015 — The already successful business relation between DIENES and Rauschert needs to become closer in order to realize new challenges in the implementation of large-scale innovation projects together.
 
The objective of this strategic alliance is a joint realization of future applications in engineering of special machinery and energy technology. Both companies belong to the circle named “Friends of Technologies” want to bundle their competences together to offer powerful, optimized and individual products as well as solutions to their customers.
 
DIENES has prepared in advance to this alliance standardized tools to be assembled in modules for a free configuration to cost-efficient complete machines. The aim is: process reliability, flexibility and cost optimization. Examples for a successful implementation are standardized godet aggregates and the modular Multimode® concept for synthetic fiber plants.
 
Rauschert has been engaged for years in the development and manufacture of special machines and special components made of ceramics and plastics. Besides these existing competences Rauschert recently developed a pioneering energy management system for industrial enterprises. For the realization of their core and new business segments Rauschert engages worldwide more than 12 modern production plants and operating sales organizations.
 
DIENES and Rauschert are focused clearly and sustainably on customer orientation to provide individual, high qualitative and tailor-made products to execute lines fast and efficient. A global service before and after the implementation of projects is assured.
 
What is so special about this strategic alliance?

  • Connection of multiple innovative technologies for the creation of optimal customized solutions;
  • Existence of a capable provider in the planning and implementation of complex projects while maintaining the independence of both partners; and
  • Expansion and global completion of the existing sales and service organization of DIENES in future.

Through a long-term strategic cooperation between the two companies which complements each other in their competences, this alliance provides a promising potential which is supported by the objectives of both partners and offers new perspectives to their common and potential customers.
 
 Posted May 21, 2015

Source: Dienes Apparatebau

Fitesa Simpsonville Wins 2015 INDA Rise® Award

Fitesa 100 Percent Biobased Spunbond manufactured by Simpsonville, S.C.-based Fitesa Simpsonville Inc. recently won the 2015 Rise® Durable Product award presented by the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary, N.C. The nonwoven material features a sheath/core bicomponent configuration, which combines two biobased polymers — Minnetonka, Minn.-based NatureWorks LLC’s Ingeo polylactide and I’m green™ polyethylene from Philadelphia-based Braskem.

The nonwoven is targeted to hygiene and personal care end-uses.

May/June 2015

San Yang Textile Orders 170,000 EliTe® Compact Spindles

China-based San Yang Textile Co. Ltd. has placed an order with Germany-based Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH for 170,000 EliTe® Compact spindles. The cotton spinning and weaving company currently operates 500,000 ring spindles and 340 air-jet looms to produce of 30,000 tons of cotton greige yarns and 40 million meters of cotton woven greige fabric each year.

“To cope with our market expansion and rapidly increasing demand for our products, we have already invested more than 1 billion RMB in new machinery installations and raw material procurement in the past fiscal year, and we have a further projected 2 billion RMB in the next few years,” said Jianmin Xu, general manager, San Yang Textile. “Part of this investment program is also the conversion of our existing ring spinning machines into compact spinning. Here, we investigated over several months various technologies from various suppliers in our own premises. We came to the conclusion that Suessen offers the best technology with the maximum benefit for us.”

May/June 2015

NCTO Statement On House Passage Of FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON — May 15, 2015 — NCTO applauds the action taken by the House of Representatives earlier today in passing the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735).  The Defense Authorization bill contained important language supporting the Berry Amendment authored by Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) (Amendment #74, part of En Bloc Amendment #5).  NCTO commends Congressman McGovern for offering this amendment that ensures that a provision in Section 854 of H.R. 1735 would not seriously harm the U.S. textile, apparel, and footwear industry.  Section 854 proposes to increase the Simplified Acquisition Threshold procedure (SAT) from $150,000 to $500,000 meaning that contracts falling below the SAT level would not be subject to the Berry Amendment. The McGovern amendment, however, exempted Berry contracts from this increased SAT threshold and instead mandates that the current $150,000 threshold level remain in place for all textile and apparel purchases under Berry.
 
Among other things, the Berry Amendment ensures that our warfighters stay protected in domestically produced personal protective equipment. The Berry Amendment has spurred substantial research, development and innovation that ensures that America’s warfighters have the most advanced and effective textile materials available.  In addition, Berry helps to spur U.S. manufacturing, investment, employment, and exports.  It is imperative that Congress preserve the integrity of the Berry Amendment through policies like Congressman McGovern’s amendment.  Doing so will ensure the highest level of performance and safety for our U.S. military.

Posted May 19, 2015

Source: NCTO
 

Unifi Announces Polyester Texturing Capacity Increase

Greensboro, N.C-based Unifi Inc. has announced plans to increase polyester texturing capacity in the United States and Central America by up to 10 percent. The expansion includes new texturing machines in Yadkinville, N.C., Madison, N.C., and El Salvador. Unifi reports the investment is driven by the growing demand for man-made yarns in the NAFTA and CAFTA regions.

“We are very encouraged by the continued growth of synthetics in the U.S.and Central America, and the opportunities it presents for the textile industry,” said Roger Berrier, president and CEO, Unifi. “This expansion is one of the key projects that we identified to help drive profitable growth for the company, and is a planned part of our increased capital spending for this fiscal year.

May/June 2015

Quality Fabric Of The Month: Warmth & Loft Without Feathers

By Janet Bealer Rodie, Contributing Editor

3M™ Thinsulate™ Featherless Insulation — launched last year by St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M as a cost-effective loose fill alternative to natural down insulation — has in recent months received accolades, including a 2015 ISPO Award as a Top 10 Insulation. ISPO — a major sporting goods trade show held each winter in Munich, Germany, and in Beijing — highlighted the winning innovations during the ISPO Textrends Forum at each venue.

The Thinsulate brand has been well-known and respected since its debut in the 1970s, first for skiwear and subsequently for footwear and all sorts of outerwear and outdoor gear applications. According to 3M, the breathable, moisture-resistant polyester insulation comprises microfibers or fine fibers that are finer than those used in most other insulation products, and as a result trap more air in less space to provide insulating performance. Until recently, all Thinsulate products have been produced in batted form.

3M™ Thinsulate™ Featherless Insulation is a cost-effective, hypoallergenic, loose fill alternative to down insulation that maintains its 600 fill power rating even when wet, according to the company.

3M developed Thinsulate Featherless Insulation specifically as a loose fill product to provide the same or superior insulating performance, loft and fill power compared to natural down, offering twice the loft of down when wet. The new insulation maintains 600 fill power — a measure of an insulation’s fluffiness, expressed as cubic inches per ounce — even in wet conditions, the company reports, noting that the fibers absorb less than 1 percent by weight of water. 3M lists other advantages as well, noting that the insulation is hypoallergenic and does not migrate as much as down. It also complies with Oeko-Tex Standard 100’s harmful substances requirements. Targeted applications include general wear, sportswear, accessories and bedding.

Thinsulate Featherless Insulation is featured in garments that were shown at several of the 2015 winter sporting goods trade shows, including ISPO, Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and SnowSports Industries America’s SIA Snow Show. Among the brands using the new insulation are Quiksilver, Merrell, Rab®, Bench, Carhartt® and Rossignol.

“3M Thinsulate Featherless Insulation received phenomenal feedback at the 2015 winter trade shows,” said Leslie Kramer, 3M Thinsulate Insulation marketing manager. “Manufacturers and retailers alike have been impressed with the warmth, loft and feel of this revolutionary new insulation from 3M.”

For more information about 3M™ Thinsulate™ Featherless Insulation, contact Leslie Kramer +651-737-8539; lkramer@mmm.com.

May/June 2015

Challenges And Opportunities

2014 was a year of continued and broad-based economic success for the domestic textile sector; across key economic indicators, the industry continued to see positive growth. In 2014, for the first time in two decades, the U.S. textile industry began adding jobs. Textile shipments totaled $56.7 billion, and exports of all textile products were $18.3 billion, a 45-percent increase since 2009. The industry also continued to attract new domestic and foreign investment projects. These investments are projected to provide approximately 3,000 new jobs in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana.

As the industry continues to regain a foothold as a major manufacturing sector in the U.S., these economic indicators allow NCTO to deliver a powerful message to policymakers. The U.S. textile industry is not just surviving, it is an extremely vibrant and prosperous sector making an enormous contribution to the national economy, job creation and national defense.


Jeff Price, chairman, National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

Trade Issues
With the Obama Administration attempting to bring the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) to a close, 2015 will be a critical year for the U.S. textile industry. TPP remains, by far, the most important policy issue for the industry. NCTO’s top priority within this agreement is to ensure the TPP yields a fair and sustainable outcome for the domestic industry. Reaching an acceptable outcome in TPP poses the greatest challenge to the U.S. textile industry in the past 20 years, noting the inclusion of Vietnam in this agreement.

In the coming months, NCTO will continue its intensive engagement with the U.S. government as the negotiations head into their final stages. Thanks to NCTO’s continuous interaction with U.S. trade negotiators, all of the objectives for the TPP agreement remain achievable including:

  • a strong yarn-forward rule-of-origin;
  • reasonable duty phase-outs on sensitive textile and apparel items; and
  • strong Customs enforcement provisions.

As with any trade agreement, NCTO is waiting to see the final text before forming an official position on TPP, but remains optimistic that its engagement with the U.S. government will lead to an outcome that the organization can ultimately support.

Of course, as the eleventh hour of these talks approaches, NCTO negotiators face great pressure to get a deal done. Knowing this dynamic, NCTO was extremely pleased that U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Michael Froman addressed the NCTO Annual Meeting in March and stated: “Our commitment to the future of American textiles is stronger than ever. And that’s true in our trade policy as well, which is a key pillar of President Obama’s overall economic strategy and a key part of our investment policy and our manufacturing policy. They work hand-in-hand to create jobs, promote growth, and strengthen the middle class in America.”

TTIP
After the conclusion of TPP, the next big trade issue facing the U.S. industry is the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a free-trade agreement (FTA) between the U.S. and the European Union (EU). There are two primary challenges the U.S. textile industry faces with TTIP:

  • The EU favors double transformation as opposed to a yarn forward rule of origin; and
  • The EU also is pressing for access to U.S. military contracts.

The EU is insisting on a complicated double transformation rule that effectively cuts important aspects of the U.S. industry out of the agreement, such as yarn manufacturers. In many cases, the EU rule also cuts fabric producers out of the agreement. The EU also is pressing for access to U.S. military contracts. NCTO already is working with partners throughout the U.S. industry to communicate that granting non-U.S. suppliers’ access to defense contracting is a complete non-starter.

Berry Amendment
The U.S. textile industry supplies more than 8,000 different textile products per year to the U.S. military. In 2014, NCTO’s Government Textiles Committee facilitated an effective and structured level of consistent interaction with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). In 2015, NCTO will continue to fight for a strong Berry Amendment to govern defense procurement. The Berry Amendment requires that all apparel and other goods made of textiles purchased by the U.S. military contain 100-percent U.S. origin fibers, yarns and fabrics; and are cut, sewn and assembled in the United States. The Berry Amendment ensures that critical U.S. military needs are not dependent on foreign countries. Defense procurement has become an extremely important customer segment of the U.S. textile industry and the preservation and expansion of the Berry Amendment, and the need for strong ties with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) remains a top priority for NCTO.

China Export Subsidies
In the coming year, NCTO will continue to encourage the United States to strenuously pursue dispute settlement consultations with the government of China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning China’s “Demonstration Bases-Common Service Platform” export subsidy program. Through this program, China provides WTO prohibited export subsidies to manufacturers that meet export performance criteria. China’s massive export growth has resulted in billions of dollars in lost sales and tens of thousands of lost jobs in the United States and the Western Hemisphere. NCTO believes it is critical that this matter be taken to the WTO in order to begin the eradication of these illegal trading practices. Doing so will lead to more fair and open competition in the global market.

Additional Issues
NCTO also will continue to focus on a number of initiatives Congress is actively considering that directly impact the textile industry including:

  • Trade Promotion Authority, often referred to as “Fast Track;”
  • The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill;
  • Reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank;
  • The Nicaragua trade preference level;
  • The African Growth & Opportunity Act;
  • Extension of Haiti trade benefits; and
  • Appropriate remedies for currency undervaluation.

All of these initiatives require the direct engagement of NCTO in the coming year as it attempts to shape the outcome of legislation in each of these areas.

Industry Expansion And Yarn Forward
These policy developments and challenges come at a time when the industry continues to rebound. In 2015, the U.S. textile industry exported to 199 countries, with 25 countries buying $100 million or more a year. As the third largest exporter of textile products in the world, total textile and apparel exports were a record $24.4 billion last year. Much of this export growth is because of the yarn forward rule of origin, which is a critical component of the various FTAs. Moreover, export increases are being driven by a growing emphasis on new markets and growth in new product offerings. Additionally, the U.S. is enjoying continued reshoring in the textile sector.

Revolutionary Fibers And Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute
On March 18, 2015, President Obama announced that the DOD would partner with the domestic textile industry to form a new research consortium known as the Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute. This institute will be dedicated to the development of the next generation of fiber and textile science and product development in order to advance the transition of cutting-edge technologies into the marketplace for both defense and commercial applications. The U.S. government is pledging $75 million in research funding to be matched by $75 million of private investment for this project.

PR Campaign
NCTO is committed to shaping the discourse in Washington on textiles and apparel, and communicating the value of the industry’s contributions to the U.S. economy and the economies of its Western Hemisphere trading partners. In the coming year, NCTO will embark on an industry-wide public relations campaign. This campaign will brand the U.S. textile industry for what it is, a technology-driven, capital-intensive innovator of high-quality products fully competing in the 21st-century global marketplace. This campaign is appropriately timed to help policy makers, along with the general public, quantify the enormous contribution that domestic textile manufacturers are making to the overall U.S. economy. If you would like to participate in the campaign, please contact Eliza Levy at elevy@ncto.org.

May/June 2015

Cotton Leads™ Program Hosts Event For U.S. Partners

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — May 15, 2015 —  Since it was established in 2013, the Cotton LEADS™ program has attracted more than 300 partners from across the global supply chain.

On May 12, a luncheon was held in Gastonia, N.C., to update the U.S.-based partners on program activities and to announce the latest additions to the Cotton LEADS partner list: HanesBrands; Jo-Ann Fabrics; Kohl’s®; and Life Is Good®. More than 30 representatives from 20 brands, retailers and businesses across the cotton supply chain attended the event, and were reminded that the Cotton LEADS program will host a scientists’ roundtable later in the year to discuss research priorities for the program and the dissemination of that research to the global cotton community.

The Cotton LEADS program was launched to illustrate, at a national level, the responsible production practices of cotton growers in Australia and the United States, the program’s two founding countries. At the heart of the Cotton LEADS program is the commitment to continuous improvement in cotton growing practices in these countries; a unique situation made possible by the strict national and regional regulatory environments; grower self-investment in research and development; and the ability to affect best practices at a national level that exists in Australia and the United States.

“The goal of the Cotton LEADS program,” explains Mark Messura, senior vice president of Supply Chain Marketing at Cotton Incorporated, “is to assure the industry that the cotton entering their supply chain is being produced in an increasingly responsible manner.” Cotton LEADS cotton represents approximately 17 percent of global cotton supply.

The event included a presentation by Louisiana cotton grower Jay Hardwick, a Cotton LEADS governing board member, on the tools and practices used by modern U.S. cotton growers, such as the Fieldprint® Calculator, which helps growers assess how production decisions affect the overall environmental footprint of their farming operation.

Adam Kay, president of Cotton Australia, addressed the group via a videotaped message and outlined the growing practices of Australian growers. Kay also explained how third-party environmental audits that help to benchmark gains made by Australian growers and to identify areas for environmental focus. Dr. Bill Norman, vice president, Technical Services at the National Cotton Council (NCC), shared the results of a Field to Market® study chronicling environmental gains made by U.S. cotton growers over the past three decades to illustrate the program’s ongoing improvement aspect. NCC CEO Dr. Gary Adams kicked off the event with a welcome and words of appreciation to the program’s partners.

The event served as an opportunity to announce the addition of four new partners to the Cotton LEADS program: HanesBrands; Kohl’s; Jo-Ann Fabrics; and Life Is Good.

“By becoming a Cotton LEADS partner, these brands are acknowledging the gains already achieved by Cotton LEADS growers, and that cotton produced under the program’s principles meet the sustainability guidelines for their cotton products,” Messura explained.

Messura reminded the assembly that the Cotton LEADS program will convene a roundtable of eight to ten scientists later in the year to discuss research directions to benefit global cotton production practices, as well as the best means of disseminating the findings to the global community.

The Cotton LEADS program is a joint effort of the Australian cotton industry and the U.S. cotton industry as a project of the Cotton Foundation.  Its founding members are Cotton Australia, the National Cotton Council of America, Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated. The program is designed to raise awareness of the responsible growing practices and commitment to continuous improvement among cotton producers in the member countries.

Posted May 19, 2015

Source: Cotton LEADS
 

Sizzy Opens First Sizzy Center For 3-D Body Scanning

France-based Sizzy recently opened its first Sizzy Center in Paris. The start-up company offers private scanning cabins for customers to obtain accurate 3-D body measurements. The customer undresses in a private dressing room, steps into the scanner and starts the process unaided. Within a few minutes, a card with his or her body measurements is generated and the customer now has valuable information to help choose the right garment size especially when shopping online.

Sizzy selected the DITUS MC 3D body scanner and FOOTin 3D scanner from Germany-based Human Solutions GmbH for its center. “For Sizzy, the key factor was ease of use, because this would enable customers to take their own measurements — and the body scanner’s compact design and simple setup also convinced Sizzy,” said Dr. Helga Gäbel, 3D Body Scanner sales division, Human Solutions.

After opening additional sites in France, Sizzy plans to develop the concept throughout Europe as well as in the United States.

May/June 2015

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