Pacific Coast Feather Company And Cocona® Launch New Performance Down Focused On Extended Comfort 

SEATTLE/BOULDER, Colo. — August 1, 2016 — Pacific Coast Feather Co. has expanded its portfolio of performance down insulations through an exclusive partnership with Cocona. Patent-pending ComfortMax is a new down fill — the industry’s only performance down blend that uses naturally derived, active particle technology to increase moisture vapor removal and extend microclimate comfort.

ComfortMax is an innovative down blend that brings together Pacific Coast® Down, trusted for its breathable warmth, and 37.5 technology, which has been scientifically proven to increase human performance and comfort. ComfortMax powered by 37.5 technology fills look, feel, and recover just like premium down, but with advanced heat and humidity management.

Innovative Features Include:

  • Reduces moisture buildup in the down during activity, extending its comfort range;
  • Dries 39% faster than Down;
  • Same dry time as DWR Down with NO dangerous chemicals’
  • No loss of warmth or fill power;
  • Insulates with CLO ratings equal to the highest quality Down;
  • Same hand and feel as Down;
  • Excellent loft, compression, and recovery qualities; and
  • Chemical-free performance will not wash out.

Available in two levels of performance, ComfortMax 650™ has a 650 fill power and is targeted for every day, all seasons use. ComfortMax 800™ has an 800 fill power desirable for distinctive luxury products, extreme cold weather or more technical applications.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Cocona and 37.5 technology to evolve this category, and elevate the consumer experience with Down,” said Joe Crawford, CEO, Pacific Coast Feather Co. “Our joint efforts will enable us to push the future of natural fills, and meet a need in the marketplace for down comfort that far exceeds traditional performance.”

What Makes ComfortMax So Revolutionary
Down is an excellent natural insulator with outstanding warmth-to-weight ratios, temperature regulation and breathability. Down clusters function by trapping air for breathable warmth, but it also traps the moisture vapor produced by your body. As your body heats up humidity starts to build-up, reducing your body’s ability to evaporate moisture and causing you to start to feel overheated and uncomfortable.

ComfortMax down powered by 37.5 technology increases the transportation of perspiration vapor that comes off of skin during activity, preventing it from becoming trapped within your body’s microclimate to minimize overheating and keep you in a zone of comfort.

“With ComfortMax, down we see an incredible opportunity for a new generation of performance down products that goes significantly beyond consumers’ expectations for all things comfort,” said Crawford.

“Working on this innovative new development with the PCF team has been a joy,” said Jeff Bowman, CEO of Cocona Inc.  “It is rewarding to work with a company that loves their customers and is committed to providing them real technology with actual comfort and performance benefits, not just marketing hype.”

Signature Surface Area, Natural Fit

ComfortMax powered by 37.5 Technology forms an amazing natural blend. Permanently embedded into 37.5 fibers are millions of microporous particles, which forms the cavernous surface area, signature to the performance of 37.5 technology. It’s the technology’s unique design which locks into the structure of a down cluster, making it supportive of fill power, hand feel, breathability, and resiliency like no other.

Manufacturing and Sourcing
ComfortMax uses Pacific Coast® Down highly regarded for its Hyperclean® process, a proprietary standard for purity and cleanliness. Patented, 37.5 technology is made with naturally derived materials so there are no harsh chemicals to irritate your skin. Performance is permanent, and won’t wash out.

Posted August 1, 2016

Source: Pacific Coast Feather Co.

Dongheng Group Invests In High-Volume Digital Textile Printing With A PIKE® Printer From SPGPrints

BOXMEER, the Netherlands — August 1, 2016 – SPGPrints announces the sale of a six-colour PIKE® digital textile printer to the Dongheng Group, in Changzhou, Jiangsu province near Shanghai, China.

The Dongheng Group (DHG) is a commission (contract) textile printing and dyeing company supplying the fashion industry. With more than 600 employees, the company has a range of rotary screen and digital printing equipment.

DHG wanted to expand its digital capabilities for a variety of reasons. First, it needed to offer greater service flexibility, meeting customer demands for both high-quality, short runs and faster lead-times.

Waste and environmental factors also influenced the decision to install the Pike: with no need for screen preparation, minimal substrate waste, and lower water and energy usage, the Pike met DHG’s requirements.

Print quality was the third major consideration, and Pike’s Archer® technology delivers sharp, variable drop sizes (2pL – 10pL) at resolutions of up to 1200 x 1200dpi. This enables the production of sharp geometric designs, vibrant blotches, fine lines and smooth gradations. These capabilities are ideal for DHG’s plan to use the PIKE to print cotton-based fabrics with reactive inks.

Next, high productivity with lower running costs were among DHG’s priorities. With a print width of 1850 mm, and an annual output of up to 13 million metres, the PIKE also offered a lower cost per square metre, offering benefits to the group and its customers.

Finally, as an existing customer, DHG valued SPGPrints’ global support, knowledge of the textile market and experience of both conventional and digital textile printing.

“We have been working with SPGPrints for the last four years in our digital textile department,” said Stanley Shi, General Manager, Dongheng. “Their inks as well as their professional team and support have been of great value to our company and our position in the market. They are always available when you need them.”

“With the Pike single-pass printer, SPGPrints definitely showed their capacity to develop next-generation machines with excellent quality and lowest printing costs,” Shi added.

The PIKE printer is scheduled for installation in Jiangsu in Q4 2016 with production beginning in Q1 2017.

Posted August 1, 2016

Source: SPGPrints

New CoolVisions® Dyeable Polypropylene Filament Fabrics Feature Hyosung Creora® Eco-soft

DULUTH, Ga. — July 29, 2016 —Functional fabrics featuring CoolVisions® dyeable polypropylene filament have now been developed with additional benefits provided by creora® eco-soft, a low-heat settable spandex from synthetic fiber manufacturer Hyosung.

While the cool, silky hand, ease of dyeing, and inherent lightness of CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene filament brings a new look and feel to performance fabrics, the addition of creora eco-soft spandex creates polypropylene-based stretch fabrics for activewear, competitive swimwear and intimate apparel.

creora eco-soft brings a better hand feel, improved whiteness, and superior dimensional stability to stretch fabrics. The low-heat settable spandex also results in better molding performance and less curling in the high-gauge knits preferred by today’s intimate apparel, competitive swimwear, and athletic brands.

“There is a trend for super quick-dry fabrics which is delivered by CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene fibers,” shared Ria Stern, creora spandex global marketing director. “We recommend the addition of creora eco-soft spandex to provide an additional level of comfort and fit, and have worked closely with FiberVisions to optimize the fabric development process combining their new CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene filament and creora eco-soft.”

“CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene fiber is among the lightest of all commercial fibers, with low moisture absorption and excellent moisture transport; making it ideal for fabrics worn next to the body,” concurred Susan Lynn, global sales and marketing manager CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene, and US marketing manager FiberVisions.

“In addition, polyolefin fibers such CoolVisions® polypropylene have the lowest carbon footprint of all synthetic fibers,” Lynn continued. “By pairing CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene fibers with low-heat settable creora eco-soft spandex, textile manufacturers can potentially reduce their CO2 emissions.

The co-developed fabrics will be on display at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, August 3-6, at the CoolVisions® by FiberVisions booth 155-601; and at Hyosung Corp. booth 255-313.

CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene filament is produced in Thailand by parent company Indorama Ventures (IVL), and is also available from FiberVisions’ distributor, Reamou Co. Ltd., in Taiwan.

Posted April 15, 2016

Source: CoolVisions

Denver Apparel Acquires Dynamic Designs

DENVER — July 27, 2016 — Denver Apparel (DA), a quality provider of silkscreen apparel is pleased to announce it has acquired Dynamic Designs, a long time provider of embroidery services in the Denver area. Dynamic Design’s owner Nam Binh, well known for his superior hat and clothing embroidery services has joined DA to continue quality production for DA clients. Through this merger, Denver clothing suppliers and retailers will now have a one-stop-shop for all their apparel needs including shirts, sweaters, hoodies, hats and much more.

Posted July 27, 2016

Source: Denver Apparel (DA)

FLOTEK Announces Acquisition Of International Polymerics, Inc., Adding To Speciality Chemistry Business And Enabling Further Prescriptive Chemistry Management™ Opportunities

HOUSTON — July 27, 2016 — Flotek Industries Inc. announced today its intent to acquire International Polymerics Inc. (IPI) and affiliates, for consideration consisting of cash and Flotek common stock. The acquisition will be treated as an asset purchase for income taxation purposes. Included in the assets will be approximately $1.2 million in working capital.

Flotek will pay approximately $7.9 million in cash and issue approximately 248,000 shares of common stock as consideration for the acquisition.

Founded in 2004, IPI is based in Dalton, Ga., with a distribution center in Monahans, Texas, and is one of the largest domestic suppliers of natural polymers, including guar, to the oil and gas industry. IPI was founded by Donald Bramblett, a leading expert of natural polymers and the development of guar applications in the energy and textile trades. IPI’s proprietary guar processing systems have provided high-quality guar powder and slurry to oil and gas clients for nearly a decade in nearly every producing basin in the United States.

“We are pleased that Donald, Mark and their team have agreed in principal to become part of Flotek,” said John Chisholm, Flotek President Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The IPI team has worked hard over the past twelve years to build a resilient business focused on providing best-in-class polymers to the energy and textile industries. Donald Bramblett is widely regarded as one of the world’s top experts on natural polymers and guar, adding more firepower to Flotek’s leading oilfield chemistry research team. And, the addition of polymer chemistry and delivery systems to Flotek’s stable of oilfield chemistry allows us to further accelerate our Prescriptive Chemistry Management™ efforts, focused on providing total chemistry solutions for our clients’ wells. We look forward to integrating IPI into the Flotek family.”

Chisholm added, “IPI has high strategic value for Flotek in both the application of polymer chemistry to new, value-added oilfield chemistries as well for its core guar powder and slurries which serve as key delivery media for Flotek’s proprietary chemistries such as PrF™ and CnF® completion chemistries. This acquisition should allow us to accelerate our fluid systems development while adding-value and increasing margins in IPI’s core guar business using our direct distribution network.”

“Finally, we believe that the IPI acquisition opens the door to natural polymer applications in other industrial segments,” concluded Chisholm. “Moreover, the Monahans, Texas facility is advantageously located in the heart of the Permian Basin which provides a strategic base from which to operate Flotek’s regional chemistry operations, creating efficiencies not presently available.”

“In 12 years of operations, IPI has a solid profitability record and we believe will continue to focus on improving business operations and efficiencies as well as creating exceptional products that Flotek can market to its existing client base,” said Chisholm. “We also believe we have opportunities through innovation and our distribution network to meaningfully improve margins of the base business as well as create innovative, value-added products based on IPI’s polymer chemistry.”

Donald Bramblett will remain the President of IPI and will report to Josh Snively, Executive Vice President of Flotek who oversees the Company’s chemistry manufacturing efforts.

The transaction is scheduled to close coincident with the execution of the Stock Purchase Agreement and will become a part of Flotek’s Energy Chemistry reporting segment.

Posted  July 27, 2016

Source: Flotek Industries

Gildan Announces Agreement To Acquire Peds Legwear Inc.

MONTREAL — July 27, 2016 — Gildan Activewear Inc. today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the equity interest of Peds Legwear Inc. (Peds) for a total cash consideration of $55 million. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close before the end of August 2016.

Peds is a marketer of quality foot apparel and legwear products, including ladies no-show liners, socks and sheer, and therapeutic hosiery sold mainly under the Peds® and MediPeds® brands to U.S. and Canadian retailers. The company currently generates annual sales of approximately $80 million supported by sourced production and a company-owned state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility in Hildebran, North Carolina.

“The Peds® brand comes with a strong heritage, particularly in the ladies category, and is a good complementary addition to Gildan’s growing portfolio of brands,” said Glenn Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan.

The acquisition is expected to create revenue growth opportunities by leveraging Gildan’s existing customer relationships to broaden the channels of distribution for the Peds® and MediPeds® brands and by extending these brands into Gildan’s other product categories. In addition, Peds current distribution into the footwear channel provides broader access in this channel for Gildan’s brands and product portfolio.

“This company was originally founded 80 years ago in Quebec and we are proud to have successfully built Peds® and MediPeds® into such strong brands,” said Michael Penner, Chief Executive Officer, Peds Legwear. “Gildan has had great success over the years building its manufacturing leadership and strong portfolio of brands and we feel it is well- positioned to take the Peds brands to new heights.”

Posted  July 27, 2016

Source: Gildan Activewear

DuPont Industrial Biosciences Collaborates With Anta On Chinese Delegation’s Olympic Champion Uniforms

SHANGHAI — July 27, 2016 — Today, DuPont Industrial Biosciences announced a collaboration with Chinese sports brand Anta in the design of champion uniforms for Chinese Olympic team members using DuPont™ Sorona® — a sustainable, patented fiber made with renewable, plant-based ingredients. Sorona — which leverages innovation and sustainability to produce fibers that are uniquely soft, extremely durable and have excellent stretch and recovery — will be a key ingredient in the Chinese team’s “Dragon Uniform” at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Since 2009, Anta Sports has been an official partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee, collaborating with the Chinese sports delegations at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, London 2012 Olympic Games and more than 30 other international competitions. Anta provides a full set of medal award stand apparel to showcase the spirit and style of Chinese Olympic athletes.

“By incorporating DuPont Sorona renewably sourced fibers in the Olympic champion uniform for the Chinese delegation, we hope to incorporate the concepts of health, environment and public welfare into our champion uniforms, so that the ‘Dragon Uniform’ is more meaningful,” said James Zheng, president of Anta.

Anta is dedicated to the application of sports science and innovation in the development of high-performance, comfortable sports apparel. Anta’s and DuPont’s shared values of innovation and sustainability are a strong connection between the two companies. As a result, the Chinese sports brand selected DuPont Sorona as its raw material partner four years ago.

“Sustainability is not just a concept; it also can bring real value to consumers by the brands that adopt sustainably sourced materials,” said Dennis Tsai, DuPont Sorona Asia-Pacific regional director. “Sorona brings unique performance innovations and properties to fabric mills and brand houses in a way that is on-trend and meets market needs.”

DuPont has a rich and deep history in the textile market. As an industry leader, DuPont’s inventions include fibers such as nylon, Lycra®, Kevlar® and rayon (the world’s first man-made fiber). More recently, in addition to Sorona, DuPont’s biomaterials group has focused its innovations on creating high-performing, sustainably sourced materials that become ingredients in products consumers use every day.

“Innovation comes from the material” has become a consensus for many brands, including Anta. Through close collaboration with Anta, DuPont developed a series of sports apparel applications successfully launched into the mainstream Chinese consumer market.

Posted July 27, 2016

Source: DuPont Industrial Biosciences

Wound Dressings Made From Bacterial Alginate

BOENNIGHEIM/ZWINGENBERG/KELHEIM, Germany — July 27, 2016 — In a joint project called AlBioTex, researchers at the Hohenstein Institute, B.R.A.I.N AG and Kelheim Fibres GmbH have successfully developed wound dressings made from bacterial alginate. The aim of the project was to develop a biotechnological process to produce alginate and then process it into fiber-based products for use in wound dressings. The soil bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii was used as a natural alginate resource. This means that the conventional, time-consuming process of obtaining the biopolymer from brown algae can be avoid- ed and replaced by a sustainable biotechnological process.

The organizations involved in the research partnership were the Hohenstein Institute für Textilinnovation gGmbH in Boennigheim (William-Küster-Institute for Hygiene, Environment and Medicine), the bioeconomy company BRAIN AG in Zwingenberg, the world’s leading manufacturer of special viscose fibers Kelheim Fibres GmbH, and the producer of highly specialized materials for medical engineering, rökona Textil-werk GmbH in Tübingen. Thanks to the interdisciplinary collaboration between the research partners, they have succeeded in mapping out for the first time a complete production and treatment process, from using biotechnology to produce bacterial alginate, right through to producing fibers and manufacturing textile materials.

Alginate is a biopolymer (polysaccharide) that consists of the glycosid-ically bonded monomers, guluronic and mannuronic acid. The range of industrial applications for the biopolymer is determined by the sequence and ratio of these two sugar components. Alginate is particularly suitable for use in wound dressings because of its excellent biocom-patibility, enormous liquid-absorption capacity and good healing properties.

The conventional alginate that is obtained from algae varies greatly in the composition of its sugar components, because of environmental factors. A time-consuming preparation process is required to obtain the ultra-pure and biochemically defined alginate that is needed for medical applications, for example. Using biotechnology to produce alginate, on the other hand, offers the option of synthesizing biopolymers which have defined properties and are of consistent quality for use in medical products.

Research work that began in 2013 has been able to establish, optimize and standardize the cultivation of the soil bacterium and the biotechnological process for producing and isolating bacterial alginates. By working specifically on optimizing the bacterium’s alginate biosynthesis, the researchers succeeded in improving the composition, and therefore the properties and yield of the alginate. This meant that they could make customized alginates that are particularly suitable for producing fibers for use in medical products. In a pilot production facility, the research partners were able to spin fibers from alginate and alginate-viscose, and turn them into innovative nonwoven materials and wound dressings within the established process. When the new wound dressings were tested in use, the alginate product that had been made using biotechnology was impressive for its liquid absorption capacity, which was significantly better than that of commercially available marine alginate-based wound dressings. The bacterial wound dressings absorbed up to 70 percent more liquid than marine-based dressings.

“The results that were achieved from this successful research project will form the basis for incorporating bacterial alginate in industrial production,” declared Dr. Guido Meurer, a member of the Management Board of BRAIN AG. “Now our next goal for the future is to identify other areas of application for bacterial alginate and so open up new sales markets for customized ‘special alginates’,” added Dr. Daniela Beck from Kelheim Fibers. “Until now it has been impossible, or very difficult, to vary and optimize the material properties of alginate. Thanks to biotechnology, there is now nothing to prevent the targeted use of alginate in specialist textiles,” said a delighted Prof. Dirk Höfer of the Hohenstein Institute.

Companies interested in alginate products made using this biotechnological process are invited to share in the success of the research partnership. There are a range of possible areas of application for which the technology could be licensed.

Posted July 27,2016

Source: Hohenstein Institute

ITW Dynatec Introduces Latest-Generation Gemini™ Hot Melt Hose

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — July 2016 — ITW Dynatec recently introduced the latest version of its Gemini™ Hot Melt Hose. Designed to exceed the most exacting industry standards for materials, construction and performance, the next generation Gemini hoses are durable, highly adaptable, and represent a “best-total-value” for manufacturers representing a variety of industry sectors worldwide.

ITW Dynatec’s new Gemini™ Hot Melt Hose is currently the only product of its kind available with dual sensors and dual heaters. This unique configuration solves the problem of downtime and delays that frequently occur when traditional single-strand hot melt hoses fail during use.  These available features translate into more uptime, less maintenance, and more efficient operations.

The exclusive back-up heater and temperature sensor of the Gemini activates in the event of a hose failure. If the primary circuit fails, the system immediately alerts the operator to the failure. With the simple flip of a switch, the back-up circuitry can be activated to keep the unit up and running. This assures maximum uptime by switching on the second heater, allowing the hose to continue to function normally until the next preventative maintenance is performed.

ITW Dynatec’s industry research supports the need for advanced hose technology. Typical downtimes caused by traditional hose failures and changeovers can last as long as 45 minutes after troubleshooting, replacement part sourcing, removal of the failed hose, and installation of the replacement part.  Single-strand hoses also require pre-heating to the correct operating temperatures and then must be pressurized to fill the hose with the hot melt material. All these steps must occur before production resumes.

Brittany Ulrich, Global Marketing Manager for ITW Dynatec explains, “The Gemini Hot Melt Hose, with its dual sensors and heaters, has demonstrated a 66% reduction in downtime by eliminating the need to run hoses to failure. Reduced maintenance time translates directly into higher productivity and greater revenue for an operation.”

The next generation Gemini Hot Melt Hose is also designed with safety, versatility, and reliability in mind.  Each hose unit has multiple electrical ground channels for safe operation, and a maximum continuous operating temperature of 218°C (425°F). The heater wall-density is also optimized for the entire length of the unit to eliminate material char. This prevents slower moving material along the hose inner wall from charring, which can clog the filters and nozzles. Gemini hoses also have a maximum operating pressure of 86 bar (1250 Psi) at 218°C (425°F) and a minimum burst pressure of 344 bar (5000 Psi) at 218°C (425°F), for best-in-class strength and performance.

ITW Dynatec Gemini hoses are available in over 12 sizes to fit a broad variety of applications. Water-resistant models are also available. For more information, visit: http://www.itwdynatec.com/Products/AdhesiveHoses/GeminiHotMeltHoses.aspx

Posted July 26, 2016

Source: ITW Dynatec

Creative Ticking Partners With Devan Chemicals, Offers Thermic® QuickDry Technology

GASTONIA, N.C. — July 20, 2016 — Creative Ticking is pleased to announce an agreement with Belgium-based Devan Chemicals to offer the chemical company’s Thermic® QuickDry technology on any of the fabrics Creative Ticking manufactures. Creative Ticking’s mattress fabrics treated with Thermic QuickDry absorb excess heat and slows the rate at which skin temperature rises, allowing the sleeper to stay in the ideal “comfort zone” throughout the night.

Thermic QuickDry is a combination of thermoregulation and quick dry technologies designed to provide optimal sleep comfort. This cooling technology is unique in the market and allows thermoregulation to be achieved without affecting the hand of the fabric, thanks to Devan’s patented technology.

“We spent time studying the current cooling technologies available in the market and Thermic QuickDry stood out for performance and value,” said Scott Frisch, vice president of business development at Creative Ticking. “We want to be the leader in this category because we believe there is a large opportunity to bring cooling technology to all market sectors. This partnership is yet another way we can continue to provide performance inspired fabrics to our customers.”

Aside from comfort, cooling is routinely cited by consumers as the most important feature of a good night’s sleep. As such, many mattress manufacturers are looking for ways to make their products cooler and more responsive to an individual’s micro climate.

Posted July 26, 2016

Source: Creative Ticking

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