The combination of strong design competence and cutting-edge cellulose-based technologies can
result in new commercially successful brands. The aim is for fibre from wood-based biomass to
replace both cotton production, which burdens the environment, and polyester production, which
consumes oil. A research project launched by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Aalto
University and Tampere University of Technology aims to create new business models and ecosystems
in Finland through design-driven cellulose products.

The joint research project is called Design Driven Value Chains in the World of Cellulose
(DWoC). The objective is to develop cellulose-based products suitable for technical textiles and
consumer products. The technology could also find use in the pharmaceutical, food and automotive
industries. Another objective is to build a new business ecosystem and promote spin-offs.

The breakthrough for these new products and services is expected to take a few years.
State-of-the-art cellulose processing technologies could generate production value of up to EUR 2-3
billion in Finland’s forestry, textile and mechanical engineering industries, and in entirely new
business sectors.

This is one of two strategic projects launched by Tekes – Finnish Funding Agency for
Technology and Innovation intended to help transform Finnish business life. The project received
nearly EUR 3 million in funding from Tekes for the opening research stages in 2013-2015.

Designers Envision Consumer Products Of The Future

Aalto University students participate in the project by offering fresh new perspectives on
Finnish cellulose products.

“The research project provides an opportunity to use design methods to turn cellulose raw
material into products, services and business. Designers contribute to the project by introducing
an experimental method of creating prototypes, as well as the ability to visualise something that
doesn’t yet exist. This allows us to take consumer perspective into account at different stages of
the programme,” explains Professor Pirjo Kääriäinen from the Aalto University’s Department of
Design.

According to Kääriäinen, design as a strategic resource in the industry is so far relatively
untapped. As a working method, industrial design brings a user-focused perspective to the project,
opening new and unexplored opportunities for commercial use of the materials and for envisioning
new products. This work combines with the creation of business ecosystems in line with the
principles of sustainable development.

New materials and technologies are a source of inspiration to designers. The first sessions
with technology developers were filled with excitement and bursts of innovation. For researchers,
the notion of design needs affecting the material being created was particularly interesting.

New Technologies In Yarn Manufacture

Researchers seek to combine Finnish design competence with cutting-edge technological
developments to utilise the special characteristics of cellulose to create products that feature
the best qualities of materials such as cotton and polyester. Product characteristics achieved by
using new manufacturing technologies and nanocellulose as a structural fibre element include
recyclability and individual production.

The first tests performed by professor Olli Ilkkala’s team at the Aalto University showed
that the self-assembly of cellulose fibrils in wood permits the fibrils to be spun into strong
yarn.

VTT has developed an industrial process that produces yarn from cellulose fibres without the
spinning process. VTT has also developed efficient applications of the foam forming method for
manufacturing materials that resemble fabric.

 

 “In the future, combining different methods will enable production of individual fibre
structures and textile products, even by using 3D printing technology,” says Professor Ali Harlin
from VTT.

Usually the price of a textile product is the key criterion even though produced sustainably.
New methods help significantly to shorten the manufacturing chain of existing textile products and
bring it closer to consumers to respond to their rapidly changing needs. Projects are currently
under way where the objective is to replace wet spinning with extrusion technology. The purpose is
to develop fabric manufacturing methods where several stages of weaving and knitting are replaced
without losing the key characteristics of the textile, such as the way it hangs.

Finland’s Logging Residue To Replace Environmentally Detrimental Cotton

Cotton textiles account for about 40% of the world’s textile markets, and oil-based polyester
for practically the remainder. Cellulose-based fibres make up 6% of the market. Although cotton is
durable and comfortable to wear, cotton production is highly water-intensive, and artificial
fertilisers and chemical pesticides are often needed to ensure a good crop. The surface area of
cotton-growing regions globally equates to the size of Finland.

Approximately 5-6 million tons of fibre could be manufactured from Finland’s current logging
residue (25-30 million cubic metres/year). This could replace more than 20% of globally produced
cotton, at the same time reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 120-150 million tons, and releasing
enough farming land to grow food for 18-25 million people. Desertification would also decrease by
approximately 10 per cent.



Posted October 8, 2013

Source: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

LONDON — October 7, 2013 — Sustainability specialist Anthesis has created a new global
sustainability consulting platform with the acquisition of UK blue-chip advisors Best Foot Forward,
announced today.

 

The agreement combines Best Foot Forward’s Europe-based team with the existing US and Asian
operations of Anthesis to form a worldwide expert group. Anthesis says it has identified unmet
client demand for expert sustainability consulting which combines corporate strategy, analytics,
behavioural change expertise and full programme delivery.

 

“We have created a holistic strategic and delivery solution for companies and organisations
needing focussed advice, expert implementation and global reach,” said Stuart McLachlan, Chief
Executive Officer of Anthesis, whose previous achievements include growing one of the world’s
leading environmental consulting firms at WSP Group.

 

“The current market is polarised between large non-specialist consultancies and small
boutique sustainability firms typically operating single jurisdictions.

 

“With the acquisition of Best Foot Forward, Anthesis can now advise clients at board level
with a focus on securing valuable business outcomes both locally and globally.

 

“These outcomes will range from helping clients to drive the top line and enhance brand
value, to reduce costs and become more resilient through supply chain management, and to
demonstrate responsibility in their business practices. The value of adopting sustainable business
practices is a unique and compelling proposition for our clients”. 

 

Best Foot Forward is one of Europe’s most highly regarded sustainability firms with offices
in London and Oxford.  It recently helped London 2012 become one of the greenest games ever
and is a recognised leader in sustainability metrics, environmental footprinting and related
software solutions. 

 

Clients include the UN Environment Programme, The World Business Council for Sustainable
Development and the Global Footprint Network.

 

The company’s forty-strong team also helps “future-proof” market leading corporate clients
such as Tesco, M&S and Coca Cola on a broad range of sustainability challenges including brand,
consumer behaviour and global supply chain management.

 

It is also renowned for its pioneering environmental work on large-scale sporting events and
is advising on the forthcoming Brazil World Cup and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

 

Award winning ZEDbook author, Craig Simmons, co-founder of Best Foot Forward commented: “We
have an outstanding business with first-rate clients and a team of experts that is second-to-none.
Anthesis is unique in its ability to extend Best Foot Forward’s global reach with an enhanced core
business offering.

 

“Anthesis’ team comprises leading research authorities in the field of sustainability; social
and consumer behaviour experts; water, carbon and waste analysts, supply chain management advisers;
and organic and inorganic chemists.”

 

His co-founder Nicky Chambers, an expert in sustainability leadership, corporate strategy and
business innovation will join the Anthesis global management team.

 

She commented: “Together with Anthesis, we can provide best-in-class business sustainability
strategies and solutions, delivering practical, commercially and sustainable outcomes for our
clients.”

Completing the new Anthesis board, Malcolm Paul has agreed to serve as Chairman, one of the
two founders of global built and natural environment adviser, WSP Group.

Posted October 7, 2013

Source: Anthesis

BURLINGTON, Mass. — October 7, 2013 — attune Consulting, a premier global solutions provider to the
fashion and lifestyle industries, today announced attune for Retail (a4R), a retail enterprise
resource planning (ERP) solution designed specifically to solve the needs of fashion and lifestyle
brands that operate their own retail stores.  With attune for Retail, fashion retailers can
implement a tailored ERP system that supports their unique business requirements within weeks, not
months — enabling them to quickly and cost-effectively gain the benefits of having a retail
storefront to engage with target customers.

 

“attune has more than a decade of experience working exclusively with fashion and lifestyle
companies to address their business and technology challenges,” said Vajira De Silva, CEO of
attune. “We understand their pain points and have packaged this expertise into attune for Retail —
delivering an enterprise solution that is preconfigured to their needs and can be implemented
quickly, at a much lower cost to the business.”

 

Increasingly, fashion and lifestyle brands are establishing retail stores to sell direct to
consumers, instead of working through multi-brand boutiques, department stores, or other
third-party wholesalers. The business benefits are compelling, including increased profit margins,
greater control over how products are marketed and sold, and fostering a closer relationship with
customers — a requirement for today’s omnichannel shopper. However, the enormous costs and
resources involved in running successful retail stores remain a barrier to success.

 

“Fashion retailers have unique requirements that impact everything from inventory management
to the integration of next season’s clothing line,” said De Silva. “To date, addressing these needs
has meant retooling core systems, which takes an enormous amount of time, money, and resources.
attune for Retail has done the majority of work upfront to accelerate the process and eliminate
these obstacles so customers can focus on what they do best – building their brands and running
successful retail stores.”

 

ERP Designed For Fashion And Lifestyle

attune for Retail offers solutions in the following areas, including:

• Empowering sales with attune Mobile Store — attune for Retail puts the power of mobility into
  the hands of the sales associate with attune Mobile Store, a mobile point of sale (POS) that
  integrates with any ERP system. Associates have instant access to all the customer data they need
  at their fingertips – including buying patterns, preferences, and recent online or store purchases.
  They can check inventory, place an order for home delivery, or message other store associates as
  needed. By extending the ERP to the mobile POS, fashion retailers can create a seamless customer
  experience that is critical to serving the needs of today’s anytime, anywhere shopper.
• Delivering greater insight into retail operations — attune for Retail provides an expansive
  collection of industry-specific business intelligence (BI) reports not found in the standard SAP
  Retail solution that address the needs of fashion and lifestyle retailers. The reports, which can
  be accessed through the mobile POS, offer real-time insights into a full range of activities,
  including the status of merchandise during promotions, inventory aging, markdowns, product
  performance, consumer returns, and costs associated with moving product to outlets stores, among
  others.
• Extending the power of SAP Retail to fashion and lifestyle — attune for Retail comes
  preconfigured with best-in-class solutions that address the most important and common processes for
  fashion retailers, including assortment management and planning, merchandising, SAP AFS
  integration, and Open-to-Buy for planning seasonal merchandise. attune for Retail also provides
  more than 15 user-friendly, pre-built interfaces that connect SAP Retail to critical data from
  external systems, including customer, financial, sales, and article listing data — to name just a
  few.

Posted October 7, 2013

Source: attune

China-based recycled polyester staple fiber products manufacturer JN Fibers Inc. will invest $45
million to set up a manufacturing facility in Richburg, S.C., to recycle used polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) bottles into polyester staple fiber for use in automotive, furniture, home
textiles and upholstery products. The project is expected to create 318 jobs.

Plans call for upfitting and expanding an existing building located at 1247 Frederick Drive
in Richburg, with operations expected to begin in the third quarter of 2014. The company will
operate the facility and market products manufactured there under its subsidiary Sun Fibers LLC.

“South Carolina is the perfect fit for our business needs,” said Mark Bachner, senior vice
president of operations, JN Fibers. “With an excellent business environment and access to markets,
as well as top-notch workforce talent, we look foward to getting our operations in Richburg up and
running. We appreciate all the support we’ve received from state and local officials.”

The project contributes to what S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt calls “South Carolina’s
manufacturing renaissance.” According to the Department of Commerce, the state has garnered more
than $9 billion in capital investments and has seen the addition of more than 26,000 manufacturing
jobs since January 2011.

October 1, 2013

Fitesa, Simpsonville, S.C. — a designer and manufactuer of nonwoven fabrics for hygiene
applications — has partnered with thermoplastic resins producer Braskem S.A., Brazil, and Ingeo®
lactides and biopolymers developer NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., to develop and commercialize
a completely biobased bicomponent spunbond nonwoven that can replace petroleum-based bicomponent
spunbonds in hygiene and personal care applications.

The bicomponent material features a sheath made with Braskem’s I’m green™ 100-percent
biobased polyethylene (bio-PE) derived from sugarcane-based ethanol and a core made using
NatureWorks’ 100-percent biobased Ingeo polylactide derived from annually renewable resources.
According to Fitesa, the nonwoven fabric features softness owing to the bio-PE sheath and strength
and robustness owing to the Ingeo core. The fabric will be available in a variety of basis weights.

“The fabric softness is exceptional and counters the misperception some have in the market
that there must be some compromise in performance to achieve a 100-percent renewably sourced
product,” said Ray Dunleavy, Fitesa’s director of marketing, strategy and business development.

According to Braskem, for every ton of I’m green plastic produced, more than 2 tons of carbon
dioxide (CO2) are sequestered, while oil-based plastic production releases CO2. The bio-PE is
produced in southern Brazil in the company’s Triunfo Petrochemical Complex, which has a production
capacity of 200 kilotons per year (kt/yr).

NatureWorks reports that for each ton of Ingeo produced, CO2 emissions are reduced by 60
percent compared to oil-based polyester production and by 30 to 40 percent compared to oil-based
polyolefin production. Ingeo is produced at the company’s recently expanded flagship facility in
Nebraska, which has a production capacity of 150 kt/yr. NatureWorks also has begun designing a
second production facility in Southeast Asia.

October 1, 2013

Since their invention in the late 1930s, man-made fibers production was first dominated by European
and U.S. manufacturers — and later on, by Japan. With the appearance of China as the dominant
producer of the whole textile chain, this scenario has changed drastically.

Also, the share of man-made fibers in global fiber production has turned in its favor. For
decades, the consumption of natural fibers — mainly cotton — and synthetic fibers was more or less
50:50. With the growing global population and the rising importance of technical textiles and
nonwovens, just to name a few reasons, this ratio changes almost every year in favor of man-made
fibers.

Dornbirn Man-made Fibers Congress

Last month, not only did the International Textile Manufacturers Federation’s ITMF Annual
Conference take place September 8-10 in Bregenz in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg, but also
the Dornbirn Man-made Fibers Congress (Dornbirn-MFC) was held September 11-13 in nearby Dornbirn.
This congress took place for the 52nd time and is without any doubt the most important event for
the global man-made fibers community. It is organized by the Austrian Man-made Fibers Institute and
supported by CIRFS, the Brussels-based European Man-Made Fibers Association.

Having in mind the dramatic changes on the global map of man-made fibers production, CIRFS
President Giulio Bonazzi reflected on the actual situation for the European producers versus their
global competitors. In his excellent paper titled “The European Man-made Fibres Industry: Meeting
the Challenges of Tomorrow’s World,” he gave an overview of the current situation and problems the
European man-made fibers industry is facing.


Dominant Man-made Fibers

In the 1990s, the share of natural versus man-made fibers was even at 50:50. In the last 15
years the ratio between natural and man-made fibers (MMF) has changed completely, as predicted. In
the year 2012, the world fiber production was 85.9 million metric tons (mt). The fiber breakdown
and the share of each fiber material speak for themselves.

58.568 million mt MMF = 68 percent

26.30 million mt cotton = 31 percent.

1.066 million mt wool = 1 percent.

During the 1950s up to the mid-1990s, Europe and the United States dominated the man-made
fibers market. With the rise of China, this situation has also changed completely. Table 1 shows
where man-made fibers were produced last year:

Global MMF Production In 2012

(million mt)





Source: CIRFS

Table 1

King Polyester

Among the most prominent man-made fibers in use, polyester is by far the king. Today, it
holds a position that is absolutely unbeatable. In this context, the production of polyester is
rising significantly (See Table 2).

Global Ratio Of Fiber Raw Material Production In 2012

(million mt)




Source: CIRFS

Table 2

Different European Picture

Polyester is on a global scale the most prominent man-made fiber. However, Europe already
has a large technical textiles/nonwovens industry. Therefore, the split of raw material must be
different, and Table 3 shows the relevant profile for European man-made fiber production for 2012:

European Ratio Of Fiber Raw Material Production In 2012

(million mt)

Source: CIRFS

Table 3

Bonazzi mentioned in this context the challenges for the European man-made fibers industry.
He said that the evolution of the man-made fiber industry is strongly influenced by developments in
the economy worldwide. It is also affected by crises and the recent economic downturn in Europe,
where related government measures, reduced spending and higher taxes to reduce government budget
deficits have led to unemployment and less disposable income. They have also led to a credit crunch
for businesses and consumers — and, consequently, to weak domestic demand in consumer and
man-made-fiber markets. For example, durables and construction are heavily affected in many
countries.

Bonazzi pointed out that man-made fiber overcapacities are growing, noting the following:

• Overcapacity in man-made fibers is structural and further growing globally.
• Technology for many fibers — among others, polyester is readily available.
• In certain parts of the world, access to finance is easy.
• Many new projects are decided without sufficient market research, mainly in Asia.
• Costs of closure sometimes make industry restructuring and modernization more difficult.
• Overcapacity leads to low prices and reduced profitability.

Special Fibers And Yarns Needed

As have many other sectors of the textile industry, man-made-fiber production has moved in
the last 20 years towards Asia in general, and China in particular, establishing gigantic
production sites. The man-made fibers industry has its roots in Europe and the U.S., where clever
researchers such as Hilaire de Chardonnet, Paul Schlack and Wallace Hume Carothers developed the
first man-made fibers.

However, the future of the European man-made fibers industry is not dependent on the Asian
overcapacities. It much more depends on creativity, new ideas and innovations of man-made fibers
with particular characteristics and finishes to fulfill the needs of a growing domestic technical
textiles market and special apparel end-use applications such as sportswear, protective and medical
applications.

October 1, 2013

The Innovative Composites Summit (I.C.S.), a program of strategic, technical and end-user
conferences, will be presented in conjunction with the JEC Americas Composites Show &
Conferences at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, October 2-4, 2013. I.C.S. will showcase
the vision, expertise and insights of top business and technology leaders from the global
composites industry. The program is designed to help attendees understand macro trends affecting
industry sectors including aeronautics and automotive, materials such as carbon, thermoplastics and
biocomposites, and cutting-edge processing and design approaches.

“JEC Americas is a collaboration among many stakeholders,” said Frédérique Mutel, president
and CEO, JEC Group. “I.C.S. will feature speakers from America’s composite associations,
universities, research centers and companies, including the University of California, MPACT
Corporation, Johns Manville, Agilent Technologies, MSC Software and Composites Innovation Centre.
In addition, multinational companies well established in North America, such as Chomarat, Siemens,
SABIC, Daimler AG and CarboTech, will be represented. Working together, we are committed to
providing an outstanding program for the composite industry as a whole, and for participants from
the Americas and many global locations.”

The I.C.S. conference will highlight the viewpoints of those who are breaking new ground in
the composites industry. Top thinkers from business, technology and government will share their
insights in:

Design & Processing Forums

• Productivity & Robotization session: Increasing productivity while maintaining the same
  level of quality, whether in the materials or the processes, is the main challenge here. From
  on-line quality control to post-machining, rework and repair, automation is the key to mass
  production in the composite materials industry. Because of the high-level quality demanded by
  applications sectors such as aeronautics and automotive, automated production has faced many
  challenges.
• Biocomposites session: Global manufacturers in many sectors are generating a growing market
  pull for composite materials that can be used to create lighter, stronger products with reduced
  costs and energy consumption. The presenters in this session represent key components of this
  global movement to deliver the potential of biocomposites to the industry.

Application Sector Forums

• Automotive session: Composite materials have been used in the automotive industry since the
  1930s. This is easily explained by the unique solutions they bring: fuel efficiency by reducing the
  weight of the whole vehicle, improving safety and crash worthiness and strengthening of various
  parts.
• Aeronautics session: In the aircraft industry, composite materials have been more and more
  widely used. Indeed, they offer the possibility to overcome obstacles that have been encountered
  when using individual materials. The key improvement they provide is structural strength comparable
  to metallic parts but at a lighter weight.

Materials Forums

• Carbon session: Carbon fibers have long been specifically used in high-quality but restrained
  industries, due to their elevated manufacturing cost. However, their unsurpassed strength-to-weight
  ratio has made carbon fibers highly necessary in application sectors such as automotive and
  aeronautics.
• Thermoplastics session: Over the last few decades, thermoplastic composites have gained market
  share and importance. The unique properties of thermoplastic composites, such as toughness and
  impact resistance, along with recyclability have created a lot of new opportunities.

The I.C.S. will also include a program of more than 100 presentations:

• A large Education & Skills Village bringing together universities, industry organizations,
  academic groups, market associations and scientific centers. Further, given Boston’s global
  reputation as a center of higher education and technology development, JEC is granting students a
  50 percent discount to attend the sixth I.C.S. conference, and complimentary access to the entire
  JEC Americas Exhibit
• A presentation of an automation process chain
• A live demo of large-series reinforced thermoplastics parts manufacturing
• A poster session
• Three days of technical sales presentations

Posted October 1, 2013

Source: JEC Group

Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. — a Salt Lake City-based manufacturer of active outdoor performance
products — has introduced a collection of alpine apparel featuring Switzerland-based Schoeller
Textil AG’s stretch-woven textiles and NanoSphere® and c_change™ technologies.

The Dawn Patrol™ apparel collection comprises three jackets and four pants that are made with
Schoeller’s stretch-woven textiles — which, according to the company, offer durability, abrasion
resistance, shape retention, light weight and breathability. All items in the collection are
finished with Schoeller’s NanoSphere, a nanotechnology-based textile finish that provides water,
dirt and oil repellency. In addition, the Dawn Patrol Hybrid Shell features Schoeller’s c_change, a
wind- and waterproof membrane that offers heat retention or breathability based on changing body
temperature and moisture level.

Black Diamond also has introduced the Post-Op hoody, an after-climbing jacket made with
schoeller®-naturetec — a stretch-woven blend of nylon and Merino wool.

October 1, 2013