BASF Raises Prices For Formic Acid In Europe And In The Americas

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany — May 31, 2016 — BASF is raising prices for Formic Acid 85% by 30 EUR per metric ton or $35 per metric ton in Europe and South America with immediate effect or as existing contracts permit. Prices for Formic Acid 94% will be increased accordingly on a pro rata basis. In North America, BASF is raising prices by $0.02 per pound or $44 per metric ton for Formic Acid 85%. Prices for all other concentrations of Formic Acid will be increased accordingly on a pro rata basis.

Formic acid is a high-quality intermediate used in a broad range of applications. In animal nutrition, for example, it is used as a feed preservative. Potassium formate, a salt of formic acid, is an environmentally acceptable and highly efficient de-icing agent used on roads and airport runways. Both formic acid and potassium formate are also used in the oilfield industry as part of the drilling and completion process, as well as in shale gas exploration. Moreover, formic acid is a powerful descaling agent and disinfectant. BASF is the world’s leading producer of formic acid, with production plants at its integrated Verbund sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Nanjing, China; and Geismar, Louisiana.

Posted May 31, 2016

Source: BASF

 

Santoni Sells Warp Knitting Technology To Karl Mayer

BRESCIA, Italy — May 31, 2016 — Santoni and Karl Mayer agreed on May 30th, 2016 that Santoni will transfer its SWD technology to Nippon Mayer. Nippon Mayer will take over the complete range of products including patents, the relevant manufacturing equipment as well as the entire stock of machines and spare parts.

The after sales service for the installed base of machines will be taken over by Nippon Mayer effective June 1st, 2016.

Santoni has been active in seamless warp knitting since 2004. The company developed its own range of compact machines for the application of seamless garments, medical- and lately shoe-fabrics. They hold a number of patents for machines as well as textile technology. Santoni will concentrate on and further develop its core business circular knitting.

Karl Mayer will integrate the SWD technology into its Double Needle Bar competence center at Japan-based Nippon Mayer and extend the relevant product range.

Posted May 31, 2016

Source: Santoni

Oeko-Tex® Presents Its New Brand Strategy

ZURICH, Switzerland — May 31, 2016 — From product certification in accordance with the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, which was first introduced in 1992, the International OEKO-TEX Association has now, through the continuous further development and expansion of their portfolio, established itself as a full-service provider for independent certifications and services for greater sustainability along the textile value-creation chain. OEKO-TEX is now also taking account of this strategic change from niche provider for human-ecological product safety to a global system solution for brands, retailers and manufacturers with a new brand architecture. The focus is on the OEKO-TEX logo and the claim “Confidence in Textiles”, which over the past almost 25 years has become known across the industry — an international synonym for effective consumer protection, responsible handling of chemicals and the use of environmentally friendly production technologies and compliance with fair working conditions.

“The theme of sustainability has represented increasing challenges for our customers from industry and trade for years and they are looking for suitable solutions”, explains OEKO-TEX General Secretary Georg Dieners. “With our product portfolio we are able to provide wide-ranging assistance for this. We offer practical tools that they can use to successfully overcome the varied requirements at all operational levels. For our customers, however, it does not matter what the individual solutions are called. The important thing for them is that OEKO-TEX is a reliable and competent partner. Therefore,” summarises Dieners, “in our future communication, the umbrella brand “OEKO-TEX” and our slogan “Confidence in Textiles” will be in the foreground. Our individual product modules, or rather the sufficiently known brands within the OEKO-TEX system, are arranged under the umbrella brand to strengthen this and meet the needs of our customers.”

OEKO-TEX has already presented the new brand design during the market launch of the MySTeP database, the MADE IN GREEN product label and the ECO PASSPORT certification for textile chemicals. Beginning in autumn 2016, the modernised appearance will also be used with the most well-known OEKO-TEX brand, the STANDARD 100, and the STeP certification. At that point, the new STANDARD 100 product label and the refreshed STeP logo for B2B communication will also be available to more than 10,000 partner companies around the world.

Also as part of these changes, the OEKO-TEX certification centre in Frankfurt (Main) will cease operations on June 30th. “Germany is the only country within the OEKO-TEX Association in which the laboratory tests and the issue of the certificates in accordance with the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 have previously been carried out by two separate institutions”, states Dieners to explain the closure of the certification centre. “However, globally standardised processes and structures relating to the certification process as per the STANDARD 100 do not just simplify the work for us,” says Dieners, “they also simplify the work for our customers. They will have a central contact person in the future with whom they can discuss all issues relating to the certification.” As an official OEKO-TEX member institute in Germany, the Hohenstein Textile Testing

Institute GmbH & Co. KG will take on the laboratory tests as well as the issue of STANDARD 100 certificates.

Oekotexgraphic-2
With the new umbrella logo, the OEKO-TEX® Association is conveying its importance as a global full-service partner for the implementation of greater sustainability along the textile value-creation chain. The current OEKO-TEX® portfolio consists of five certifications and services for manufacturers, brands and retailers along the textile supply chain. Beginning in autumn 2016, companies with the OEKO-TEX® certificate can also use the new STANDARD 100 label for product labeling and other commercial purposes. The OEKO-TEX® partner companies will receive more detailed information over the course of the year. Production facilities certified in accordance with STeP by OEKO-TEX® will also receive the refreshed STeP logo for their B2B communication in good time.

Posted May 31, 2016

Source: Oeko-Tex

Leading European Meltblown Producer Invests In Oerlikon Neumag Equipment

NEUMÜNSTER, Germany — May 31, 2016 — Following the recent investment by Scotland-based Don & Low, another leading western European nonwoven manufacturer has invested in an Oerlikon Neumag meltblown plant. The now signed contract comprises a system for the production of nonwovens made from polyolefins and other raw materials. The commercial production launch has been scheduled for the first half of 2017.

This investment marks the second nonwoven plant that Oerlikon Neumag has been able to place with leading European meltblown nonwoven manufacturers in a period of just a few months. “The successes of the last few years demonstrate that we have not only secured our pioneering role with the constant further development of our market-leading meltblown technology, we have actually managed to expand it”, explains Axel Becker, Sales Director Nonwoven at Oerlikon Neumag. “With our technology, our cus- tomers develop trailblazing products, hence strengthening their position within the global market and developing the products of the future with this technology.”

Meltblown technology as stand-alone or as upgrade solutions for even better product quality

The market for meltblown nonwovens is expanding by an average of 6-percent per annum. The Oerlikon Neumag meltblown technology enables the cost-efficient manufacture of high-end meltblown and SMS (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond) products. Stand-alone monocomponent and bicomponent meltblown plants produce nonwovens for a whole range of filtration, insulation and sorption applications. As ‘plug & produce’ installations in already existing and new third-party composite systems, the meltblown tech- nology is deployed for a whole range of medical and hygiene products. This solution permits the cost- efficient upgrading of new or existing spunbond systems and offers nonwoven manufacturers access to markets with especially high quality requirements. In addition to standard polymers, such as polyester and polypropylene, for example, promising polymers such as fluoropolymers can also be optimally processed.

Posted May 31, 2016

Source: Oerlikon

Chicago Brings Change In Location For Techtextil North America 2017: Atlanta Dates Set For Techtextil North America And Texprocess Americas 2018

ATLANTA — May 31, 2016 — The 14th edition of Techtextil North America announces the 2017 premier trade show for technical textiles and nonwovens will be held in Chicago. The 2017 event will be co-located with JEC Americas with an expected attendance of 3,000+ visitors June 20-22 at McCormick Place, Lakeside Center in Chicago. By repositioning to Chicago, the accessibility to a larger audience can be achieved with their two major international airports and easy drive in abilities.

“We are happy to announce Chicago as the destination City for Techtextil North America 2017, said Dennis Smith, president, Messe Frankfurt North America. “Our exhibitors and attendees have both requested this location and we delivered with a venue that has new approach to inviting exhibitors and visitors to this center of the Midwest. Our intention is to present a B2B regional platform so that our exhibitors and visitors can reconnect or establish new business relationships as this industry continues to show strong growth.  Education is very important to us and we will continue our successful offering of symposiums that aim to provide fresh information with many new take-a-ways adding to the overall experience”.

Chicago’s 4 million strong private sector workforce puts a dynamic and thriving business community within steps of the Lakeside Center at McCormick Place. Home to more than 270,000 businesses, more than 400 major corporate headquarters, 300+ corporate R&D facilities and 31 Fortune 500 companies, including 8 in the city, Chicago is an economic powerhouse of thriving industries.

Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2018

Messe Frankfurt Inc. is pleased to announce the show dates for Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas co-produced by SPESA and incorporated with ATME-I, which will take place May 22-24, 2018, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The events will once again co-locate creating the largest show in the Western Hemisphere for the technical textile, nonwovens, textile machinery, sewn products and equipment.

Posted May 31, 2016

Source: Messe Frankfurt Inc.

Sympatex Sponsorship ‘Couture In Orbit’: ESA Design Project Celebrating Its First Great Fashion Show At London’s Science Museum

LONDON/MUNICH, Germany — May 27, 2016 — The highlight of Couture In Orbit was witnessed by about 1,000 fashion and technology enthusiasts. The project for young designers by the European Space Agency (ESA) in cooperation with five leading European fashion schools has celebrated a first fashion show last Wednesday night. This first major fashion show was staged as a part of the museum’s LATES program by the Science Museum in London and ESA. Along its material sponsorship the ecological alternative among functional textile specialists Sympatex Technologies had provided high-quality functional laminates for the innovative project. The evening was led by the famous British radio and TV moderator George Lamb. Jordan Gray performed as show act after closing the British edition of the talent show The Voice as finalist.

A total of 30 highly creative designs were presented by young designers from various European fashion schools at the specially built runway in the heart of the Science Museum. Interested visitors could even enjoy the professional fashion show ‘Couture in Orbit’ twice during that evening. The participating schools — ESMOD Berlin, ESMOD Paris, Fashion Design Akademiet in Copenhagen, Politecnico di Milano and Ravensbourne in London — had been given the task to find inspiration by space technologies and missions and develop futuristic fashion for daily life. Issues such as earth observation, climate change, health technology and innovation should also be reflected in the designs, too. One of many highlights of the evening was a video message by the British ESA-astronaut Tim Peake greeting the audience directly from space.

ESA Project Coordinator Rosita Suenson said: “The evening was such a great success — with so many visitors showing positive reactions. Thanks to our collaboration with the Science Museum, we were able to show the students’ impressive creations in the academic atmosphere of the open museum night.”

Director Apparel at Sympatex Haymo Strubel added: ‘We are absolutely amazed to see what the students have created from our materials. It was a pleasure to join the project as a partner — especially since sponsoring new talents with projects like ‘Couture in Orbit’ is an integral part of our mission statement.”

Posted May 27, 2016

Source: Sympatex Technologies GmbH

eurolaser Has A New Website

LÜNEBURG, Germany — May 27, 2016 — For many years, those interested in lasers have been able to discover lots of interesting facts about CO2 lasers by visiting www.eurolaser.com. Now, eurolaser has completely revamped its websiite, providing a fitting and easy to navigate information platform for all technology enthusiasts. In addition to technical details about the company’s laser systems, visitors will find plenty of information on the processing of relevant materials, exciting success stories from customers, and practical tips on the care and maintenance of the machinery. Most of the content is illustrated through carefully compiled videos or images.

In order to make life as easy as possible for countless customers around the world, the new website is available in a total of 15 languages. The new search function also makes it easier than ever to navigate the comprehensive knowledge database.

Posted May 27, 2016

Source: eurolaser 

Thrace Plastics Commissions Second Cygnet Texkimp Creel Following Beaming Success

CHESHIRE, England — May 27, 2016 — Greek plastics manufacturer Thrace Plastics has commissioned a second 1,800-position creel from England-based machinery builder Cygnet Texkimp.

This follows the successful installation at Thrace’s Athens plant of an identical creel, which has been credited with improving the quality of the company’s beaming process by 25 per cent.

Thrace’s beaming process

Thrace Plastics is a Thrace Group company and specialises in converting polyethylene and polypropylene to manufacture technical fabrics for a wide range of applications including geosynthetics, construction, agritextiles, packaging and floorcoverings.

The company acquired the new creel technology to upgrade its beaming process, which is central to its production of carpet backing for worldwide markets. It wanted to improve the way packages of tape are unwound into its beaming machine in order to produce the highest quality textiles in the most efficient way.

During the beaming process, high volumes of plastic tape are unwound from large packages before being guided into a beaming unit where they are laid down, ready to be fed into a loom for weaving. The success of this process directly influences the quality of the final weave and is dependent on the tapes being unwound and manipulated at a constant speed and tension, and then laid down in flat, smooth and regular formation on the beamer.

Specialist technology

Cygnet Texkimp’s creel is built to a purely mechanical design, conceived for robustness and reliability. Central to its design is its two control systems, which work alongside each other to manage the tension and direction of the fibre throughout the unwinding process. One system manages the running tension while the second, a compensatory breaking system, provides control during speed changes and maintains fibre control during beam change-overs.

The creel is designed to process various package volumes ranging from 300 to 2,400 packages of fiber or tape simultaneously; unwinding the tapes at high speed and constant tension before laying them down in a constant arrangement on the beaming unit, ready to be guided into the loom for weaving.

Cygnet Texkimp’s machine offers Thrace Plastics the ability to produce weaves of optimum visual and mechanical quality, efficiently and consistently. Key to this is the strength of its tension control technology, which helps to eliminate graves and troughs in the winding and therefore inconsistencies in the way the tapes lie, as well as reducing breaks in the tape which in turn lead to intervention and downtime.

Tangible improvements

The first creel was installed and commissioned at Thrace Plastics in October 2015, and the company quickly began to see improvements in its manufacturing process and quality of production. By providing maximum control over the fibre, the technology is enabling Thrace to run its beaming process at faster speeds, therefore increasing manufacturing rates.

With consistent tension and tape-laying accuracy, the company is reporting marked reductions in warp tape breaks and related downtime costs, and significant improvements in the efficiency of its weaving process. It is also achieving weaves of greater visual and mechanical quality than ever before.

Posted May 27, 2016

Source: Thrace Plastics

Thrace LINQ Achieves ISO 9001:2008 Certification

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — May 23, 2016 — Thrace LINQ is proud to announce that it has been awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification for its quality management system. This achievement is a demonstration of our continued commitment to provide the highest quality materials to the markets we serve.

ISO 9001 standard is designed to help ensure that an organization’s products and services consistently meet the requirements of its customers, and that the quality system of the organization continues to improve. ISO is a widely recognized global organization that is utilized by companies of all sizes across all sectors of business.

“We are very excited to share our accomplishment of achieving ISO 9001 certification with our customers and our industry,” said Andreas Lake, general manager, Thrace LINQ. This is a further sign of our commitment to customer satisfaction, quality and excellence at Thrace LINQ.”

Posted May 27, 2016

Source: Thrace LINQ

Galleria Intima 5.0: Firing Up The Indian Intimate Wear Beacon

MUMBAI — May 24, 2016 — The Indian intimate wear industry is on the cusp of a revolutionary transformation. Intimate Apparel Association of India (IAAI), will be heralding the wonderful times that lie ahead for the industry by organising the fifth edition of Galleria Intima August 5-6, 2016 in New Delhi. There are many indications that give credence to the prediction that tides are turning in favor of Indian intimate wear industry. A robust domestic market that has been growing at an annual rate of 15 to 20 per cent gives Indian brands a solid standing that they can build upon to start foraying into unchartered territories. At present, exports from India accounts for a mere four per cent of international trade in intimate wear. China, the long-standing indisputable behemoth of the global textile export market is growing weak around its knees. Top international brands like Victoria’s Secret, Fruit of the Loom, Aerie, Warnaco Group, La Senza, Hanesbrands, etc. that dominate the global market have been getting their products made in countries like China following a steep rise in manufacturing costs in Europe and USA. China for years has remained the largest supplier of intimate wear. However, slowdown in domestic economy and pressure from labourers has forced Chinese companies to increase their labour costs making their products less competitive in the international market. Chinese labour costs are nearly four times higher than India. International brands are looking for better options like India that also has the advantage of a young and inexpensive labour force. Continuous rise is the disposable income of the Indian middle class means that the domestic market for intimate wear will remain robust in the years to come. India also has abundant availability of raw materials. All these factors make India an ideal hub for global manufacturing. Along with Indian brands, international brands too could consider setting up their manufacturing units here and then sell to domestic as well as global markets. This is the crux of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Nations across the globe have been made to sit up and take notice of an assertive and resurgent India following the aggressive promotion of the brand India under the charismatic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Keeping the spotlight on the ‘Make in India’ campaign, the fifth edition of ‘Galleria Intima’ will be held on 5th and 6th of August, 2016 at Crowne Plaza Hotel (Rohini) in New Delhi. The event will bring together major domestic and international players of the global intimate wear industry. Brand owners, manufacturers of intimate wear, designers, export houses, large format retailers, online retailers and buying houses from all over the world will stand under one roof where prowess of Indian firms as manufacturers and providers of raw materials will be showcased. Speaking about the positive impact of attending the event, Amit Mehta, General Manager, Shri Ginger Enterprises, leading manufacturer of knitted fabrics in India says, “The fair brings us face to face with our customers and after listening to their needs and demand we find ourselves compelled to deliver as per their expectations.” The event offers a platform where domestic and international buyers can observe the newest innovations, most spectacular designs and products that are the result of thorough research and development process. Hans-Peter Grosch, Head of Vendor Management and Procurement at Triumph International, found himself quite impressed by what the event can offer, “During my maiden visit to ‘Galleria Intima’ I was quite impressed to find potential vendors of laces, elastics, knitted

fabrics and different forms of accessories,” he said. The event’s dedicated website offers online registration with barcode automation of badges to the visitors – an innovative functionality used only by a select number of exhibitions in India. During last year’s event 65 per cent of visitors were pre-registered. The current edition promises to bring in more product innovations from new and past exhibitors with 75 per cent of space already filled since the announcement of the show. One would be able to source everything from fibre to packaging all under one roof with focus being on OEM / ODM and Machinery suppliers. So far the show has received exhibitor participation from countries such as Italy, Turkey, China, Germany, Sri Lanka, Thailand, etc. apart from India and anticipates a visitor footfall of over 2000 with over 1000 Intimate Wear Brands and Labels from India alone.

IAAI, an organization committed to shore up India’s share in the global intimate wear export market from 4 per cent to 10 per cent by 2025, was founded on 30th May, 2010. The organization is guided by the vision to acquire for India a leader’s position in the global intimate wear market that the country truly deserves by persistently working towards the promotion and development of the industry. Speaking about India’s untapped potential, Yusuf Dohadwala CEO of IAAI, says, “For a long time, India’s position has been of a sleeping giant in the global intimate wear market. It seems now that this Giant is about wake up to unleash its true potential. With our Prime Minister’s focus on Make in India, we are sure that the next five to ten years will be the golden years for the Indian Intimate Wear Industry.”

The fifth edition of ‘Galleria Intima’ will help lighten up the path that leads to the fulfilment of this vision. The event will be attended by more than 2,000 visitors from India and abroad. Over 1,000 brands from India alone are expected to visit the event. It will be a stupendous occasion where red carpet will be rolled out for international brands to set up their shops and manufacturing units in India and to find suitable Indian collaborators for the process.

Posted May 27, 2016

Source:  Intimate Apparel Association of India (IAAI) 

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