Anderson, S.C.-based Chomarat North America — the regional division of France-based textiles and composites manufacturer Chomarat Group — is investing $10 million to expand its Anderson operations and add 20 jobs. The investment includes the addition of manufacturing space and new equipment.
Chomarat reports the expansion will entail both physical and technical changes into advanced composite reinforcements, and that it will enable the company to expand its business into new markets including industrial, automotive and aerospace, among other markets.
“It is an exciting time for Chomarat as we grow our legacy business and expand operations to support new markets,” said Brian Laufenberg, president, Chomarat North America. “The advanced composites business is quite healthy in this country, and particularly strong in South Carolina, where there is a long history of textile and reinforcements manufacturing. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to operate and grow our business in Anderson County.”
January 21, 2014
Chomarat To Expand Anderson, S.C., Facility, Add 20 Jobs
USAID, AAFA and ACTIF MOU Will Boost U.S.-Africa Apparel Trade
WASHINGTON — January 17, 2014 — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the African Cotton & Textile Industries Federation (ACTIF) have entered into a memorandum of understanding to expand trade and investment linkages between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa in the cotton textile and apparel sectors.
Building on the momentum of President Obama’s Trade Africa initiative, this new alliance will promote Africa as a reliable sourcing destination for international buyers and explore opportunities to promote U.S. trade and investment in Africa. As ACTIF’s Chairman Jaswinder Bedi noted, “Africa is poised to make great strides in economic development in this decade with our combined GDP growing by 60 percent by 2020. This partnership with USAID and AAFA will ensure that both the United States and Africa participate in this growth story.”
With support from USAID, AAFA and ACTIF plan to expand and facilitate U.S.-Africa cooperation through the exchange of market and import/export policy information, guidance on requirements and best practices, and the promotion of joint solutions to address market constraints. “Sub-Saharan Africa is a growing player in the global apparel and footwear marketplace,” said AAFA Executive Vice President Steve Lamar. “Through this memorandum of understanding, AAFA is excited to work with USAID and ACTIF to facilitate increased trade and market access opportunities between the United States and Africa.”
President Obama has renewed the United States’ emphasis on spurring economic growth, trade, and investment in Africa, including promoting an enabling environment for trade and investment, regional integration, improved economic governance and expanded African capacity to trade. As America supports the development of Africa’s economic growth, it can generate new export markets and tap into a common market that could one day outpace India or China. USAID Principal Advisor for Africa Oren Whyche-Shaw remarked that the new USAID-AAFA-ACTIF partnership will “take advantage of growing opportunities in the global marketplace and create jobs and income on both continents.”
Posted January 21, 2014
Source: AAFA
Cooler. Dryer. More dynamic. A new generation of ADAPTIVE.
BAD ZURZACH, Switzerland — January 20, 2014 — 2013 was a successful year for HeiQ’s cornerstone technology. Champion launched several product ranges featuring ADAPTIVE as a key innovation. And now the Swiss-based company is taking dynamic cooling textiles to the next level of performance with ADAPTIVE 4.
ADAPTIVE, HeiQ’s intelligent textile technology, transforms ordinary garments into dynamic textiles that respond to the wearer’s needs. The rate of cooling and the evaporation of perspiration changes rapidly according to body temperature. The technology complements the skin’s natural moisture transport system, helping control cooling.
HeiQ is delighted to introduce the fourth generation of ADAPTIVE, which boosts significantly enhanced dynamic cooling properties resulting in an increase of perceived comfort and performance of the wearer. This latest product generation provides a one product solution to simplify the application process – a great benefit for textile manufacturers.
The ADAPTIVE product platform is one of HeiQ’s cornerstone technologies. It has been adopted by several global brands, including Champion, New Balance, KJUS and Scott Sports. In Q1 2013, Champion successfully introduced several product ranges treated with ADAPTIVE to the market. Sales of these ranges have smashed both forecasts and previous years’ figures after just a few months.
“The development of this intelligent, high-performance collection owes its success to our close collaboration with Champion. We worked hand in hand on the technology and product development, and enjoyed an open exchange of knowledge and ideas,” says Timothy James Skedzuhn, HeiQ’s Vice President of Global Brandforce.
HeiQ also provides marketing support for ADAPTIVE in the form of innovative Video Hangtags. These high-quality hangtags feature customizable QR codes. By scanning the QR code with their smartphone, the consumer is taken directly to an emotionally compelling explanatory video. The Video Hangtags are not just a means of providing technical information – they are also designed to capture the consumer’s interest and trust, and communicate the treated garment’s added benefits. New Balance has recently launched a range of running apparel treated with ADAPTIVE dynamic cooling technology for Spring/Summer 2014. The sportswear brand has also become HeiQ’s latest Video Hangtag partner, with garments featuring jointly-developed customized hangtags. What’s more, a dedicated website has been created to inform customers of the benefits of ADAPTIVE.
HeiQ’s marketing services support its brand partners by conveying a compelling story of innovation to consumers. HeiQ is proudly maintaining and expanding its ingredient brand partnerships. This has led to steady increases in sales, improved margins and a clear differentiation for HeiQ’s brand partners at the point of sale.
At ISPO 2014, HeiQ will present New Balance running apparel with ADAPTIVE alongside its revolutionary fluorine-free DWR technology BARRIER ECO, recently adopted amongst others by The North Face, R’adys, Vaude and Jack Wolfskin. This year’s ISPO is in Munich, from January 26-29. HeiQ will be pleased to welcome visitors at booth C2 / BN01.
Posted January 21, 2014
Source: HeiQ
Nederman LLC Receives Order For $14.4 Million
THOMASVILLE, N.C. — January 15, 2014 — Nederman LLC, the largest supplier and manufacturer of industrial filtration equipment in North America, has received an order from Gildan Yarns, LLC to supply a complete turnkey air filtration and air conditioning system to a new yarn spinning facility currently being built by the company in Salisbury, N.C. Gildan Yarns, LLC is a subsidiary of Gildan Activewear Inc., a leading supplier of quality branded basic family apparel, including T-shirts, fleece, sport shirts, socks and underwear. The order is worth $14.4 million.
The Nederman system will reduce dust levels in the new production facility and supply conditioned air to the yarn processing equipment to maintain high production levels. The order includes more than 30 automatic panel filters, fine dust filters, a complete hi-vacuum waste removal, a reclaim system and 19,685 ft. of ducts. It will reduce dust levels to meet OSHA regulations (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) stated by the United States Department of Labor and at the same time reduce the energy required by as much as 25% over conventional air conditioning supply systems.
Posted January 21, 2014
Source: Nederman
Epson Launches New SureColor F7170 Dye-Sublimation Printer
LONG BEACH, Calif — January 17, 2014 — Epson America today introduced its latest dye-sublimation printer designed for the roll-to-roll digital textile market — the new Epson® SureColor™ F7170. The SureColor F7170 joins the complete line of SureColor F-Series printers, including the F6070 and F7070, and integrates true roll-to-roll support for unprecedented levels of performance, reliability, and image quality for the fabric production and soft signage markets.
Designed exclusively by Epson, the optimized Epson MicroPiezo® TFP® print head and Epson UltraChrome® DS ink system enables the SureColor F7170 to deliver high-quality printing for a range of dye-sublimation applications with superior dot control, precise and repeatable performance and excellent longevity. A new highly accurate take up reel and substrate system delivers winding accuracy between zero and 19-inches on transfer paper rolls for a wide range of digital textile applications, including flags, banners, home furnishings, and apparel manufacturing. Built for increased productivity, the SureColor F7170 also features a high-capacity ink tank system with refillable bags to allow continuous printing through a full roll of media without running cleaning cycles and a new post-platen heater for faster drying times.
“The SureColor F7170 was designed to enable digital textile producers to increase productivity, minimize downtime and maximize profitability,” said Catalina Frank, product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc. “The combined power of Epson’s MicroPiezo TFP print head technology with an advanced feature set and industrial-level performance enables customers to manage high-quality dye-sublimation printing across a range of applications all day, every day.”
The Epson SureColor F7170 offers a range of features, including:
- Precise Roll-to-Roll Feeding Technology: A new highly accurate take up reel and substrate system delivers winding accuracy between zero and .19-inches on transfer paper rolls; standard on the SureColor F7170, this robust take-up reel allows for maximum uninterrupted production runs with minimal maintenance downtime
- MicroPiezo TFP Print Head: One-inch wide, high performance print head with 360 nozzles per channel capable of handling ten separate ink channels; low vibration meniscus control for highly accurate dot shape and placement
- Epson UltraChrome DS Ink: The SureColor F7170 is designed to work exclusively with Epson UltraChrome DS Ink and no other inks or cartridges1; Epson exclusive dye-sublimation CMYK ink technology produces extreme color gamut with vibrant colors, intense blacks, sharp contours, and smooth gradations; provides extremely fast drying times, and with the new ink refill packs, offers a low total cost of ownership
- Wasatch SoftRIP: Wasatch SoftRIP TX enables users to start printing sellable output immediately out of the box with specialty features for textile printing
- Epson Transfer Media: The SureColor F7170 is fully compatible with Epson’s line of dye-sublimation transfer papers, including the new DS Transfer Production paper for high-volume customers (up to 575 feet per roll), as well as two other offerings – the DS Transfer Adhesive Textile for high-end cut-and-sew fabric and apparel production and the DS Transfer Multipurpose for transfer applications that use either soft or rigid surfaces.
Support and Availability
The Epson SureColor F7170 will begin shipping in summer 2014 through Epson’s select F-Series dealers. The SureColor F7170 offers a standard Epson PreferredSM Limited Warranty, a one-year program that includes toll-free advanced telephone access Monday through Friday and usually next business-day on-site service. For additional information, visit www.proimaging.epson.com.
Posted January 21, 2014
Source: Epson
European Chemical Agency Updates SVHC Candidate List
Hong Kong — January 16, 2014 — On 16 December 2013, 7 substances were added to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for Authorization by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) (1). In December 2013, the multi-annual work program 2014 – 2018 (2) was adopted and ECHA expects to receive 30 proposals for identification as SVHC in 2014 and then 50 proposals annually for the following four years. The current list consists of 151 entries (3) which would be expanded over time until 2020, according to the roadmap for SVHC identification and implementation of REACH (4).
Obligations for EU Importers and Manufacturers under REACH
Under Article 33 of REACH, importers and producers of articles have to provide information on safe use of the products within 45 days upon request, if a Candidate List substance is present in the articles in a concentration above 0.1% (w/w). For SVHC present in the articles above a concentration of 0.1% (w/w) and in quantity over one ton per year, manufacturers or the importers of the articles have to submit a notification to ECHA according to Article 7 of REACH. The notification of SVHCs in articles shall be made within 6 months after its inclusion to the List. The notification deadline for the 7 SVHCs added to the Candidate List on 16 December 2013 is 16 June 2014.
SVHC Candidate List Update
7 substances were added to the SVHC candidate list on 16 December 2013. Three of the new candidate substances widely used as additives in plastic and rubber were included because of the reproductive toxicity category 1B (Repr. 1B). With the inclusion of dihexyl phthalate, the phthalate substance group now counts 12 entries. While trixylyl phosphate is used as flame retardant in plastic, imidazolidine-2-thione acts as an accelerator in the production of chloroprene rubber. There are three colorants on the list and are classified as Carcinogen category 1B (Carc. 1B). Direct Black 38 and Direct Red 28 are benzidine-based dyes mainly used for the dyeing of textile and paper. The inorganic pigment, cadmium sulphide, is also classified as equivalent level of concern (EQC) based on their specific target organ toxicity after prolonged exposure (STOT RE). Lead compounds now comprise 31 entries by including lead di(acetate), which is classified as toxic to reproduction category 1A (Repr. 1A).
The potential uses of the 7 SVHCs are summarized in Table 1 within the latest SafeGuardS bulletin.
References:
(1) ECHA updates the Candidate List for authorisation with 7 new substances of very high concern(SVHCs)
(2) Multi-annual work programme 2014 – 2018
(3) Candidate List of SVHC
(4) Roadmap for SVHC identification and implementation of REACH
Posted January 21, 2014
Source: SGS Consumer Testings Services
Teflon® Fabric Hose Extracts Harsh Chemical Fumes
WARSAW, Ind. — January 21, 2014 — A two-ply black Teflon® fabric hose with a silver heat-resistant fiberglass liner for the extraction of harsh chemical fumes such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is being introduced by Flexaust, Warsaw, Indiana.
Flex-Lok® TCF Hose features double-ply construction with a black Teflon® coated fabric and a silver heat-resistant fiberglass liner mechanically crimped in a continuous process by a metal strip locked around a coated steel wire. Designed for extracting harsh chemical fumes, this hose offers good fatigue resistance and is highly flexible, while the metal strip acts as an external wear strip, making it ideal for use in reel & drop systems.
Available in 3” to 18” I.D. sizes and standard 25 ft. lengths, Flex-Lok® TCF Hose operates over a -60°F to 600°F range and its sealed exterior helps prevent the escape of hazardous fumes. A suitable replacement for hard pipe, this fume extraction hose can be custom made with up to a 20” I.D. Applications include a wide range of chemical and industrial processes.
Flex-Lok® TCF hose is priced according to size and quantity. Samples and price quotations are available upon request.
Posted January 21, 2014
Source: Flexaust
INDA Announces Joan Izzo New Director Of Marketing
CARY, N.C. – January 14, 2014 – INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, today announced the appointment of Joan Izzo as its new Director of Marketing. Izzo brings years of experience in marketing for international nonwovens and advanced material companies to the position.
Most recently, Izzo has been the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Engineering in Richmond, Va., since 2011.
“INDA’s director of marketing is a critical function for developing and enhancing INDA’s brand among our membership and the nonwovens/engineered fabrics industry,” said Dave Rousse, INDA President. “We look forward to having Joan on board to lead, direct and refine the strategic marketing direction and competency within INDA. Joan has an outstanding record in marketing communications and has the entrepreneurial spirit to lead INDA to the next level. We are truly excited that she will be joining us.”
Izzo has extensive experience with internal and external marketing, communications collateral, campaigns, presentations, social and digital media, and global voice-of-customer research.
Izzo has held leadership and consulting roles developing global communications for many international nonwoven companies, including DuPont, Tredegar Film Products and Performance Fibers. Izzo will relocate to INDA Headquarters in Cary, NC. Her appointment begins Jan. 21.
“This is an exciting opportunity that I look forward to,” said Izzo. “Being involved with INDA over the years as a member, I know first-hand the benefits the organization brings through its thought leadership, stewardship, advocacy, training, education and networking. I’m very excited about the opportunity to broaden the INDA brand and advance INDA’s membership benefits.”
Posted January 17, 2014
Source: INDA
Susterra® Biobased Propanediol Used in New Artificial Leather Application
WILMINGTON, Del., January 15, 2014 – DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products today announced that Susterra® 1,3-propanediol (PDO) has been selected by Poliser, a division of the Flokser Group, as the biobased building block material for its new artificial leather fabric containing about 70% bio-content. The new eco-friendly artificial leather was developed using a polyester polyol based on PDO succinate with the crosslinker being Susterra® 1,3-propanediol.
Susterra® 1,3-propanediol is certified 100% biobased by the US Department of Agriculture, making it attractive for companies seeking to add renewable content to their products. A peer reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates that the production of biobased propanediol offers significant environmental benefits including up to 40% less greenhouse gas emissions and 40% less non-renewable energy used in its production vs. petroleum-based glycols.
“The new artificial leather from Flokser is a unique product, combining biobased technology with the highest standards of performance and quality”, said Steve Hurff, marketing and sales vice president, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. “We are excited about this new Susterra® based material and strongly believe that Flokser, being the industry leader, will make it a big success.”
Ekin Tükek, Flokser Group board member, underlines that careful steps need to be taken to sustain collaboration across the chemical industry and adds; “We believe that the collaboration with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products will develop the industry and bring fresh ideas. Both of our divisions, Sertex and Poliser, are proud to work with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products’ experienced and expert teams.”
Susterra® and the circle logo are registered trademarks of DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company LLC.
Posted January 17, 2014
Source: Dupont Tate & Lyle Bio Products
Textile Recycling Progress: Industry Leader Announces 2013 Collections
WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – January 14, 2014 — From New York City to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, people relied upon USAgain recycling bins to give a second life to surplus clothing in 2013. According to USAgain, 55 million pounds of textiles were collected last year.
By diverting 55 million pounds of textiles from landfills, USAgain and its patrons saved 385 million pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, over 77 billion gallons of water, and 314,000 cubic yards of landfill space. That’s enough to fill 12,587 garbage trucks.
With more than 14,000 recycling locations nationwide, USAgain provides local communities with a convenient option for discarding their unwanted clothing in an environmentally responsible manner.
“It’s great to see continued progress toward textile recycling and a growing recognition of the importance of keeping textiles out of landfills, which saves our planet’s precious resources, said Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain. “Our goal is to make textiles as easily recyclable as glass, paper and plastic.”
Although nearly all clothing and shoes can be re-used, Americans currently recycle just 15 percent of their clothing, with the rest — a total of more than 11 million tons — ending up in the garbage, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“A big picture goal of ours is to partner with more schools, municipalities and businesses to increase the textile recycling rate to 75 percent,” Wallander said. “Doing this would bring tremendous impacts in terms of resources conserved and carbon dioxide sequestered.”
USAgain continued its commitment to the environment by planting more than 200,000 trees around the globe in 2013, most in partnership with Trees for the Future, an agroforestry organization. The trees will serve to sequester carbon emissions and repair damaged ecosystems, helping to make the planet a greener, more inhabitable place.
Posted January 16, 2014
Source: USAgain
