INDA Announces Four Companies To Compete For Prestigious RISE® Durable Product Award

CARY, N.C. — December 18, 2014 — Four unique finalists have been nominated as finalists for the prestigious fourth annual Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference (RISE®) Durable Product Award. The RISE Durable Product Award will be awarded to a durable nonwoven product chosen for their innovative use of nonwoven fabric and/or technology that is commercially sold and used in the consumer or industrial marketplace. The finalists will make presentations during the second day of the three-day RISE & N3M Conference. The event is organized by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry. Elmarco Inc., a manufacturer of electrospun nanofiber equipment, will be a Platinum Sponsor of the N3M symposium.

Attendees who are composed of technical and marketing executives in the nonwoven/engineered fabrics industry who are charged with finding new applications, new technology, and new ideas to help grow their businesses will cast their vote for the recipient of the 2015 RISE Durable Product Award following the presentations.

The recipient of the RISE Durable Product Award will be announced Wed. afternoon, February 11.

The four RISE Durable Product Award finalists are:

FITESA: Fitesa Biobased Spunbond Nonwoven Fabric: A 100 percent biobased spunbond performance nonwoven for the hygiene and personal care markets in a sheath-core, bicomponent configuration featuring softness and robust strength. The product is the result of a three way collaboration using entirely plant-based materials from Fitesa, Braskem, and NatureWorks. 

Conversion Technologies International: CT melt blown filter cartridges can be specified with a variety of thermally bonded end caps and springs eliminating the need for resins and adhesives resulting in a completely “Green construction”. The cartridges are FDA compliant and approved for food and beverage use.

Louis P. Batson Co:  TEXNOLOGY Elliptical Needle Loom ELLITTICA increases the speed of the web material in the needling zone. Needles push/pull the web forward eliminating the need to draft. This is revolutionary for needling of light materials, airlaid products, or any product with low tensile features says the company.

Polymer Group, Inc.: Highly Breathable AAMI 4 Laminate is a 60 gram per square meter breathable and fully impervious laminate that passes AAMI 4 standard – the highest level of protection against virus in the surgical gown and protective apparel industry. The material delivers outstanding barrier properties and comfort while moving moisture away from the body to the outer fabric surface.

RISE® has been connecting technical innovation in engineered fabrics with practical applications since 2010. It is a conference growing in appeal to Business/Product Development Professionals, Innovation Teams, Product Managers, Research Engineers, and other Technical Scouts.

For more information or to register for the RISE2015 & N3M Conference visit: inda.org/events/rise15

Posted January 5, 2015

Source: INDA
 

Südwolle Group Reports New Mount Airy Warehouse Exceeds Service Expectations For 2014

NURNBERG, Germany — December 19, 2014 — Südwolle Group, the worldwide leader in pure wool and wool blend worsted spun yarns for weaving and circular and flat knitting, reports that its new Mount Airy, N.C., distribution center has exceeded the company’s expectations for service levels for U.S. textile, legwear, and apparel customers. The 18,000 square foot facility which opened in July 2014 came up to speed quickly and efficiently, providing improved service to U.S. customers. The company, which is headquartered in Nürnberg, Germany, has operations in Germany, Poland, Italy, Romania, Australia, and China. The Mount Airy facility is Südwolle Group’s first U.S. location.
 
“The warehouse came online so successfully due to our dedicated employees and the supportive business environment provided in Mount Airy,” says Hans von Schuh of Südwolle Group. “Our textile, apparel, and legwear customers in the US have responded very positively to the increased service provided by this conveniently located distribution facility.”
 
The Mount Airy distribution center is just one facet of Südwolle Group’s increased focus on the American market.

Posted January 5, 2015

Source: Südwolle Group
 

Herty Launches CRADA With The Nonwovens Institute To Develop Specialty Fibers

SAVANNAH, Ga. — December 16, 2014 – The Georgia Southern University Herty Advanced Materials Development Center (Herty) and the Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University (NWI) announced today the launch of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to the accelerate the development of novel specialty fibers including islands-in-the-sea and other advanced bi-component fibers.

Specialty, tailor-made fibers could have an immediate impact on technical textiles as global nonwovens sales continue their explosive grow from $26 billion in 2014 to $46 billion in 2020. Performance bi-component (bico) fibers could have particular impact in the medical and filtration industries with 2014 sales of $1.5 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively.

The CRADA brings together two world-class research organizations to overcome the technical challenges in commercializing specialty fibers. Specific technical areas that will be addressed include: the continuous spinning of specialty fibers; the chemical and mechanical processes needed to economically utilize INS fibers in both fiber and fabric forms; and rapid prototyping of novel product concepts, such as high performance filtration media and medical fabrics.

“Islands-in-the-sea (INS) fibers represent a game-changing platform for product development ranging from water purification to homeland defense,” said Dr. Walter Chappas, Herty Director of Advanced Material. “Although a small number of these kinds of fibers have been commercialized, major technical hurdles separate their use from broader applications in large industrial markets.”

“The CRADA allows the two organizations to bring together their unique expertise and capabilities in materials development as well as product development,” said Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Director of The Nonwovens Institute. “This scale up will bring about novel solutions to address many critical needs. This cooperation will help bridge the gap from bench scale to commercialization.”

The CRADA leverages the unique strengths and capabilities of two leading organizations in an effort to scale up basic research in fiber technology. The NWI will provide the overall approach to polymer processing and Herty will provide for rapid prototyping using Herty’s wetlay capabilities. “This CRADA is a reflection of Georgia Southern University’s commitment to becoming a leader in applied research and development and an excellent example where Herty can translate basic research ideas into commercial reality,” said Herty President Dr. Alexander Koukoulas.

Posted December 17, 2014

Source: Herty Advanced Materials Development Center
 

The Rupp Report: Santoni – A Seamless Success

Knitted fabrics have been around for more than 1,000 years. Over the centuries, and particularly in the last 200 years, knitwear has become a cornerstone of the textile industry. Knitted socks were even the subject of an advertising campaign during World War I, when the American Red Cross orchestrated a poster campaign with the slogan “Our boys need sox, knit your bit.”
 
The Italian Job …
In the last 20 years, parallel to the development of cutting-edge software, flat and circular knitting machines have made tremendous progress. However, it was always the knitter’s dream, and in particular hosiery knitter’s dream, to produce seamless products for reasons such as time and money savings (as always). That was a very big challenge for the manufacturers of knitting machinery — to combine a standard circular knitting machine with the technology of a hosiery machine. The demand for seamless products was the outcome of a crisis and the subsequent large drop in production in the hosiery industrial segment in the 1980s. Santoni, as a member of the Italian Lonati group, accepted the challenge. At that time, Lonati introduced the LM1 machine, a prototype of knitting machine built using a technology that was similar to technology used in hosiery machines.
 
… Was A Revolution
The introduction of seamless products revolutionized global knitting production. Seamless was indeed an innovation and dream come true that allowed manufacturers to knit ready-made apparel — something totally different from what was produced before. The innovation became reality using two different series of (Santoni) machines: On the one side, single jersey SM8 machines; and on the other side, double jersey SM9 machines. This combination of machines opened a direct path to finished products ready to be put into retail distribution channels. Additionally, even more important for the producers, was the reduction of steps in the production process to a minimum, resulting in high savings of industrial and labor costs.
 
The innovation was the fusion of hosiery and knitting technology. In 1997, the Lonati Group diversified when Santoni’s core business focused on the development and the production of electronic circular knitting machines for “seamlesswear,” as it was called at that time.
 
The Company
Santoni was founded in 1919 as the first Italian manufacturer of machines for socks. In 1988, the company was acquired by the Lonati Group, one of the world leaders in the production of socks and pantyhose machinery. Since then the company has become the undisputed leader in the production of electronic knitting machines for garments without seams.
 
Talking to Patrick Silva, head of marketing at Santoni, on a recent trip to Brescia, he mentioned that seamless production was kind of a phenomenon. “Seamless production is at the same time strongly connected with the story and the evolution of Santoni as a Company,” Silva said. Today, the Lonati Group is present in 72 countries and claims to satisfy 97 percent of the global demand for seamlesswear machines. However, the company is active in different fields of applications such as underwear, sports, beach, medical and outerwear.
 
New Machine With High Production …
Silva also mentioned that Santoni recently launched a new high production seamless machine with very low energy consumption. At the same time, the company is modernizing its complete range of circular knitting seamless machines. “We have just launched on a global scale the completely updated SM8 TOP2V seamless machine,” Silva said. “This product will replace the current SM8 TOP2 model. It is a brand new machine with the latest concept that includes many exclusive patents. We offer with this machine exceptional productivity, which is on average 30 percent higher than the current model with incredible energy efficiency requiring the same floor space.” The product is said to incorporate an innovative technology combined with an improved ergonomic design for easy maintenance and service.
 
… And Reduced Energy Consumption
The machine is an electronic single jersey circular machine with eight feeds and two selection points per feed. Gauges range from 16 to a very fine 40. It is designed for the efficient production of single jersey seamless garments for under- and outerwear, beach- and sportswear as well as products for medical applications. Silva explained: “The SM8 TOP2V is not only about increased productivity. Our engineers also achieved an excellent low energy consumption level. If one combines all the advantages of this new model with a 15 percent lower energy consumption, the result is a machine with considerably improved environmental sustainability.”
 
Advanced materials are applied in the construction of the new model such as carbon fiber to reduce the movement of parts, resulting in lower energy consumption. The machine also is said to be very user friendly, with completely newly developed strategic knitting parts such as the yarn fingers group and a new sinker cap for top quality wool and natural yarn plating so that an improved final product fabric quality can be obtained. It seems the seamless success story will continue.

December 16, 2014
 

Tencel® Plant In Lenzing: Positive Scorecard In The Six-month Ramp-up Phase

LENZING, Austria — December 12, 2014 — The track record of the new TENCEL® fiber production plant at the Lenzing site in Upper Austria during the initial six-month ramp-up phase has been a positive one.

“The plant has already successfully operated at full capacity and in a trouble-free manner for the past months, and the quality of the manufactured fibers fulfills our high expectations”, says Peter Untersperger, CEO, Lenzing AG. “Our new second generation Tencel fiber production facility is a technological milestone for lyocell technology, and proof that we are several years ahead of all our competitors.” It enables more than 67,000 tons of Tencel fibers to be manufactured p.a. by one jumbo production line. This significantly increases efficiency compared to the existing technology.

Lenzing is still the only company in the world with the capability of implementing the complex lyocell technology on an industrial scale and mastering safety requirements. “Over the past few years Tencel has secured a permanent place on the market for a whole range of attractive applications”, says Lenzing Management Board member and Chief Commercial Officer Robert van de Kerkhof. “Tencel can exploit its advantages in the apparel, home textile and innovative technical segments. The fiber offers good breathing properties, excellent wearing comfort, high fiber strength and above all its environmentally-compatible production on the basis of the natural raw material, wood. For these reasons Tencel is also the premium cellulose fiber of the future”, he adds.

Both CEO Untersperger and COO van de Kerkhof emphasize the fact that Lenzing will continue to fully concentrate on Tencel in the coming years. “We are continuously developing this market. Our technological know-how will also help us to open up new markets”, van de Kerkhof says. For this reason, Tencel is and will remain a top research and development priority at Lenzing. In the past five years, Lenzing spent around EUR 100 mn on research in lyocell technology. Lenzing has already been operating several pilot lyocell facilities at the Lenzing site for 25 years. If demand for Tencel fibers continues to develop as satisfactorily as expected, the Lenzing Group will likely construct an additional Tencel jumbo production plant based on this proven technology in the medium term.

As of the end of 2014, total annual Tencel production capacity of the Lenzing Group amounts to about 220,000 tons manufactured at the Austrian sites in Lenzing and Heiligenkreuz, in Mobile, Ala., and in Grimsby, Great Britain. Thanks to the new “jumbo production line” at the Lenzing site, investment costs could be maintained at a very competitive level of approximately EUR 150 mn (or about EUR 2,200 per ton of capacity). This gives Lenzing the opportunity to achieve a further competitive scaling of Tencel fibers as a universally deployable textile and nonwoven fiber.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: Lenzing
 

Mörrum Mill Upgrade Reinforces Södra’s Commitment To Dissolving Pulp

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — December 15, 2014 — Europe’s largest market pulp producer, Södra Cell, is currently investing in increasing capacity and improving quality at all three of its mills. Investment in Mörrum, where Södra produces dissolving pulp, will have a significant impact on the quality of the mill’s products, and it signifies that Södra is in the dissolving pulp market for the long haul.
 
Södra is investing SEK 700 million (euro 75 million) at its Mörrum mill in a project which includes a new chip plant and two separate wood room lines for softwood and hardwood. For Textile Pulp (Södra’s branded dissolving pulp), the investment represents an important step. It will remove the bottleneck of an ageing woodyard.

Once the new woodyard is up and running, however, the mill will be able to run the Textile Pulp line to full capacity and use more of its members’ birch wood. The result will be a faster, more efficient line based on birch pulp which will produce a premium quality pulp for the textile industry.

“We are among the top five producers in terms of quality today,” remarks Dag Benestad who heads up Södra’s Textile Pulp business, “but this investment will be a significant step towards our goal of being among the top three. Overcapacity is currently having a negative effect on dissolving pulp prices and some companies are exiting the market as a result. We are not one of them. With this investment we hope to show that we are committed to Textile Pulp for the long term.”

Work at Mörrum has already begun. The chip plant and wood room lines, supplied by Valmet, are due to go into operation in December 2015. Overall pulp capacity at Mörrum will increase from 380,000 tpy to 425,000 tpy of pulp. Of the increase, some 15,000 tpy will be textile pulp, bringing capacity to around 150,000 tpy. There will also be improvements in quality, working conditions and the local environment.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: Södra
 

Epson “Digital Couture” To Showcase International Fashion Design With Innovative Printing Technology During New York Fashion Week

LONG BEACH, Calif. — December 11, 2014 — Epson, a global leader in printing technology, is teaming up with select fashion designers from across the Americas to bring a unique experience to the runway in New York City during Fashion Week in February. Marrying fashion and technology, the Epson “Digital Couture” event will feature 11 designers’ collections created using Epson’s state-of-the-art dye sublimation printing and will demonstrate the design freedom and capabilities of the technology for the fashion industry.
 
“We are excited for today’s fashion designers to bring their creative visions to fabric in new and versatile ways with advanced digital technologies during New York Fashion Week,” said Agustin Chacon, vice president, subsidiary sales and operations, Epson America Inc. “Epson’s dye sublimation printing technology provides another level of creativity and functionality for young fashion entrepreneurs and well established fashion brands looking to produce their art in a more efficient and affordable manner.”
 
Epson printing technologies enable endless design possibilities across the fashion industry. The end result is original prints of the highest quality unique to each designer on fabrics that can define their signature style. The Epson “Digital Couture” event will showcase the capabilities through the featured collections from select designers who are early adopters of digital sublimation printing, including:

  • Ay Not Dead from Argentina
  • Pilar Briceño from Colombia
  • Dual from Costa Rica
  • ESOSA from New York City
  • Leonor Silva representing the Caribbean (Venezuela to Miami)
  • Ma. Elisa Guillén from Ecuador
  • Maggie Barry from Los Angeles
  • Marco Antonio Farías from Chile
  • Mariana Morrell from Brazil
  • Moah Saldaña from Peru
  • Pineda Covalin from Mexico

 
The Epson® SureColor® F-Series dye sublimation printing technology provides fashion and textile designers an accessible means to bring their ideas and inspiration to life with unsurpassable quality. The high-speed, affordable SureColor F-Series printers produce sharp, vivid images with rich colors, intense blacks, and smooth gradations onto fabric – enabling designers to create and print original designs with greater control and flexibility.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: Epson
 

AmeriPride Acquires Clean Rite Cleaners in The Pas, Manitoba

TORONTO — December 15, 2014 — AmeriPride Services, a textile rental services and supplier in North America, today announced the acquisition of Clean Rite Cleaners in The Pas, Manitoba. The company’s Saskatoon branch in Saskatchewan began servicing the new customer accounts in late November, under the leadership of Joel Bruce, General Manager.
 
“This acquisition provides a great opportunity to expand our market share in the area while introducing new products and services to the customers,” said Naiem Nairouz, Senior Vice President of Canadian Operations. “We feel this is a big win for our company and our new customers.”
 
Customers were informed of the change in early November and service representatives from AmeriPride began visiting with them soon after. Nairouz said the company is executing a seamless transition of the customers to AmeriPride and they are working hard to start building strong partnerships with the new customers.
 
“I am very confident in our ability to successfully service our new customers,” said GM Joel Bruce. “Our Saskatoon production facility has the capacity and resources to take on the additional volume, and we are eager to incorporate them into our business.”
 
AmeriPride is one of the few privately owned and operated companies serving this market. The family-owned business has been operating in the Manitoba market for nearly 40 years.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: AmeriPride
 

PolyScience Website Now Features Secure Online Shopping For More Than 300 Liquid Temperature Control Solutions

NILES, IL — December 9, 2014 —  Secure, easy-to-use product selection and online shopping for PolyScience liquid temperature control products is now available on the company’s website. Added in conjunction with the site’s recent redesign, the Product Finder/Shop Online feature enables scientists, researchers, and others to quickly select and purchase the right liquid temperature control solution for their needs. Accessed by clicking on either the Shop Online or Selecting a Product tab on the PolyScience home page, this interactive tool provides quick access to complete product information and U.S. pricing on the company’s circulating baths, general purpose water baths, portable chillers, low temperature coolers, and specialty products.

Product selection and purchasing with Product Finder/Shop Online is fast, simple, and convenient. Users select from any of ten product categories — such as refrigerated/heated circulating baths, non-stirred water baths — and then filter the results from that category using one or more criteria — minimum or maximum temperature, cooling capacity, controller type, among other categories. Selecting a narrowed result displays performance specifications, key product features, and other technical information as well as the accessories available for that product. The product may also be added directly to the shopping cart from that page.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: PolyScience
 

Business & Financial: An Industry Report Card

By Robert S. Reichard, Economics Editor

How well are the U.S. textile and apparel industries doing these days? And more specifically, what kind of grade do they rate — A, B, C or D? The answer, of course, depends on whom you talk to. There are, for example, still a few prophets of doom and gloom who see the glass as half empty rather than half full with little hope of recouping the big losses of previous years. On the other hand, TW editors and most industry analysts view things in a much more favorable light — citing increasingly positive signs in such key areas as: (1) demand, which is being sparked by an improving macro-economic climate and the introduction of more and more niche products; (2) costs of production, which have actually been trending lower; and (3) earnings, which have been increasing steadily. On this last point, current profit numbers are a lot better than they were a few years back when many U.S. firms were either close to their break-even points, or experiencing some actual losses. More about all these upbeat developments below.

Improving Demand
The good news here is that year-to-date mill and apparel shipments are running better than 2-percent above comparable year-earlier readings. And little change is anticipated as 2014 draws to a close — assuming of course that latest projections calling for a solid 4-percent jump in holiday buying is anywhere near correct. As such, 2014 should be one of the few times in recent memory that industry totals have ended up in the plus column. To be sure, this expected increase is still far under the impressive gains currently being reported in some high-tech areas. On the other hand, the textile and apparel industries’ growth should pretty much match the U.S. overall economic gross domestic product increase, which for 2014 is put at around 2.5 percent. It should also be noted that this anticipated overall textile and apparel advance is even a bit larger than that being projected for all nondurables — a combined group containing, in addition to textiles and apparel, a representative mix of normal growth industries like chemicals, paper and plastics. In any event, it clearly no longer makes sense to include the textile and apparel industries in any up-to-date listing of shrinking industries.

Better Cost Performance
There’s now increasing evidence that our industries’ production costs actually have been falling over the past two years. On the labor front, for example, productivity — now rising at a better than 3-percent annual rate — has been more than able to offset small hourly pay hikes. The implication is clear — namely that labor costs per unit of output are now actually edging lower. The productivity role is further highlighted by the fact that our mills at last report were spending more than a billion dollars a year for new, more efficient plants and equipment. And even more significant as far as overall costs are concerned has been the recent declines in fiber tags. In manmade, this is due to both overcapacity and weaker petrochemical feedstock tags. As for cotton, reduced costs pressure is traceable to both to recent bumper crop years and a growing inventory overhang. In any event, overall fiber outlays now are far under where they were a few short years ago. To sum it all up, the cost element of a typical textile and apparel shipment dollar has probably fallen a lot more than in most other manufacturing sectors.

Stronger Bottom Lines
Factor in all the above, plus relatively stable selling prices, and it should come as no surprise that U.S. mills now are more than holding their own as far as earnings are concerned. Latest available after-tax profits (Q2 2014) were running close to 50 percent above a year earlier. That’s far better than the 6 percent gain noted for all U.S. manufacturers and the relatively flat pattern reported for all nondurables. And it’s basically the same story when zeroing on profit margins. Domestic mills after-tax profits per dollar of sales, for example, now are put at near 7 percent — again well above the 5 percent return noted a year earlier — with similar gains noted when profits are compared to stock holder equity. These latest margins also are a lot higher than noted just before the recent great recession. And the future could well see more overall profit improvement, with major economic consulting firm IHS now projecting additional gains for 2015, 2016 and 2017. In short, the textile and apparel industries have come a long way over the past few years — enough to ensure they’ll remain significant world-class producers through the foreseeable future.

December 16, 2014

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