VF Appoints Leader Of Its Global Jeanswear Innovation Center

GREENSBORO, N.C. — September 18, 2014 — VF Corporation today announced that Sudhakar Puvvada has joined the company as Vice President, Global Jeans Innovation Center. In this newly created role, Puvvada will oversee VF’s recently established Jeanswear Innovation Center in Greensboro, N.C., where the company focuses on denim advancements to benefit its jeanswear brands, including Wrangler®, Lee® and 7 For All Mankind®, and other brands throughout its portfolio.
 
“Sudhakar will work closely with leaders throughout our global jeanswear business to combine existing VF knowledge with the expertise and insights from our external partners to build commercialization opportunities for our brands,” said Scott Baxter, Vice President, VF Corporation and Group President, Jeanswear, Imagewear and South America. “His background in both technology and consumer goods will help to empower our innovation agenda and lead to sustainable, breakthrough innovations for consumers globally.”
 
Puvvada joins VF from Ashland, Inc., where he served as Vice President, Technology Platforms. Also, he has worked in a number of research and product development roles in the home and personal care categories, including 14 years at Unilever.  Puvvada holds Master of Science and doctorate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
 
VF introduced its Innovation Center strategy in 2013 and began to elevate innovation initiatives with existing teams to support key projects. Now, under Puvvada’s leadership, the company will assemble teams of chemists, scientists, engineers and designers for the Innovation Center who will combine their expertise in technology and new materials with VF’s proprietary insights and deep understanding of consumer needs.

The knowledge acquired throughout VF’s three Centers, and the innovations that result, intend to enable VF to drive greater brand equity and value, and achieve long-term growth for its portfolio of consumer-centered lifestyle brands.

VF’s two additional Innovation Centers are the Performance Apparel Innovation Center in Alameda, Calif., and Footwear Innovation Center in Stratham, N.H.

Posted September 18, 2014

Source: VF Corp.
 

The Rupp Report: 53rd Dornbirn Man-made Fibers Conference

The 53rd Dornbirn Man-made Fibers Congress (MFC) took place in Dornbirn, Austria, Sept. 10-12, 2014. The congress is without any doubt still the most important event for the global man-made fibers (MMF) community. It is organized by the Austria-based Man-made Fibers Institute and supported by the Brussels-based European Man-Made Fibers Association (CIRFS).
 
The MFC’s goal was to “communicate the future of man-made fibers.” With the current economical and political environment in mind, organizers were afraid that the number of attendees would be much lower compared to the past five record-posting years. However, attendance wasn’t that bad with more than 700 people gathering in Dornbirn. The main topic of the conference was “Innovation – Efficiency – Competitiveness,” which should “reflect the necessary evolutionary constraint for renewal in the transition to a new industrial era.” The European man-made fibers industry thinks that: “interdisciplinary cooperation along the processing chain will be the recipe for success. Still, the Europeans are committed to the European production sites and claim from the European Union the creation of a favorable political/economic ambience.”
 
One can say that the level of the presentations were – as is typical in Dornbirn — mostly very good. However, the author would prefer to hear speakers present in their native language rather than in English if they are not completely comfortable speaking in English.
 
Fibers Demand And Long-term Perspective
One of the highlights of the conference was certainly the presentation from Peter Driscoll, director, PCI Fibers, United Kingdom. Driscoll’s presentation was titled “Fibers Demand: Mid-term Direction/Long-term Perspective.” He first covered world fiber volumes as mill demand. In addition to the increase in demand in 2013 — a total of 83.5 million metric tons (mt) with an increase of 4.4 percent — 85.7 million mts are estimated for 2014; which is an increase of 2.7 percent. According to Driscoll, the forecast for 2015 is some 88.3 million mt with an increase of 3.0 percent. He pointed out that from 2002-07, the five-year average growth was 5.6 percent year annum; and for the period 2010-15 it is only at 3.2 percent per year. Driscoll said, “the market is still struggling, with a generous monetary policy as the big factor.”
 
Asian Fiber Demand
Looking at the world fiber demand by region, the situation is quite critical. On the one hand, textile activity in China grew by 4 percent in 2013, but activity is estimated to edge up just 2 percent this year. In contrast to this, activity in the rest of Asia grew by 7 percent in 2013, and Driscoll expects that Asia will add another 4-percent-growth in 2014. China’s share of the global textile industry peaked in 2012-13 at 52 percent; however, its loss of share long-term is very gradual. On the other side the forecast, its share is estimated to be 49 percent in 2030. Over the five-year-period from 2010-15, mill demand in China is estimated to grow 3.2 percent per year, but in the rest of Asia it will be 4.4 percent, even though countries such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan will show further decline. The growth in the rest of the world is estimated at just at 1.8 percent per year.
 
European Fiber Demand
Mill demand in Western Europe — the EU15 plus European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — with annual growth of 2.0 percent from 2010-15 is by “no means dead” according to Driscoll. In 2014, Western Europe’s share of polyester staple fibers is forecasted at 26 percent, and polypropylene — continuous filament, spunbond and staple fibers — is expected to be 23 percent.
 
The mill demand for East Europe — the Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States, plus middle Europe, now mainly in the EU — is unstable. This region has stronger, but irregular growth, supported by a transfer of textiles from Western Europe, and also, for example, by initiatives like the cotton textiles project emerging in Uzbekistan. The growth in the 2010-15 period is estimated at 2.7 percent. For polyester, the staple share in 2014 is put at 23 percent, and cotton at 35 percent.
 
Turkey
The mill demand in Turkey still shows a strong marketplace. This market is considered to be maintaining its considerable growth; with an average increase of 5.6 percent for the period 2010-15. Reflecting the domestic textile industry and its products, in 2014, the polyester staple share is put at 11 percent, polyacrylic at 8 percent, cotton at 41 percent, and polyester textile filament at 23 percent. In this context, polyester textile filament is seen as a bigger threat to cotton than polyester staple. This product sector comprises 25 percent local polyester filament and 75 percent imported yarn; with the proportion evolving to 15/85 percent by 2030.
 
One of the global top players in fiber consumption is polyester textile filament. However, there is plenty of spare polyester around, especially in China. This means there is no need for Turkey to increase its own capacity. China had 35 percent of the global capacity in 2000, in 2010 it was 7.0 percent, and is estimated to be 77 percent by next year since China continues to install a new plant.
 
Too Much Polyester Capacity
The consequences of this new plant – and others – is that there is a polyester capacity surplus compared to demand. Where the capacity surplus is 25 percent or less, then operations are probably feasible, but above 40 percent, they can be considered to be in real trouble. In the case of polyester staple however, according to Driscoll, a distinction has to be made between large-scale modern plants aimed at producing short-staple for yarn-spinning, and the smaller batch plants using polymer chip or recycled bottles as feedstock. These smaller plants could be stopped in times of low demand and started depending, for example, on seasonal demand for fiberfill. Driscoll mentioned that it could well be that the larger plants might currently be running at 70-75 percent, while the smaller ones, at least in China, would only run at 50-60 percent of capacity. The second part of Driscoll’s paper from Dornbirn will be highlighted in the next Rupp Report.
 
Papers from PCI Fibers are an excellent source of information. The Rupp Report: “PCI Fibres Conference In Istanbul,” informed readers about the next PCI Fibres Conference, which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, November, 6-7, 2014, at the Hotel Hilton Istanbul Bosporus. This is an event that shouldn’t be missed!

September 17, 2014

Klüber Lubrication Introduces Gear Grease And Oils That Protect Against Wear And Corrosion

LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Sept. 16, 2014 — Klüber Lubrication, a worldwide manufacturer of specialty lubricants, has introduced Klübersynth GE 46-1200, a synthetic long-term gear grease for a variety of gear applications, and Klübersynth UH1 6 Series, a complete line of polyglycol gear oils available in ISO VG from 100-1,000 for a variety of industries, including food processing and pharmaceuticals.

Klübersynth GE 46-1200 grease, ideal for temperatures ranging from -30°C to 120°C, has a high load-carrying capacity and protects against wear and corrosion. The grease, which does not contain lead or solid lubricants, was developed to lubricate spur gears, bevel gears and worm gears with material pairings steel on steel, such as gear motors, small gears and gears in power tools. Klübersynth GE 46-1200 is also designed to lubricate toothed couplings, ball and roller guides, and rolling and sliding bearings.

“Klübersynth GE 46-1200 has the benefits of a polyglycol base oil in a fluid grease form,” explained Craig Desrochers, P.E., application & service engineer for Klüber Lubrication North America L.P. “It offers a high resistance to oxidation for a long life with a low coefficient of friction.”

Klübersynth UH1 6 oils offer high-scuffing load capacity, micro-pitting resistance and exceptional wear protection for gears subject to high loads, with a rating of GFT-high on the micropitting test according to FVA 54/7. The oils were developed to lubricate bevel and spur gears, rolling and plain bearings, types of denture clutches, and worm gears with steel/bronze pairings, as well as lifting, drive and transport chains. Klübersynth UH1 6 oils, which are NSF H1 registered and ISO 21469 certified, are designed for incidental contact with products and packaging materials in the food processing, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and animal feed industries.

Klübersynth UH1 6 oils feature excellent aging and oxidation resistance, viscosity-temperature behavior and thermal stability, helping extend maintenance intervals and service life. In many cases, one viscosity grade can be used for both low and high temperatures. Polyglycol base oils and special additives reduce the friction coefficient and provide low wear values, helping Klübersynth UH1 6 achieve a particularly low wear intensity, according to DIN 3996. The optimum friction behavior of the polyglycol base oil also helps reduce power loss and improves efficiency, resulting in lower energy costs and lower operating temperatures.

“Klübersynth UH1 6 was developed based on KlüberComp Lube Technology, which involves the selection of high-quality raw materials to ensure high-performance lubrication of all gearbox components,” noted Desrochers. “KlüberComp Lube Technology also offers customers individual consultation and services by Klüber Lubrication, helping ensure high-performance lubrication of different gearbox components.”

Posted September 17, 2014

Source: Klüber Lubrication
 

Applied DNA Sciences’ Authentication Leads To Interdiction Of Mislabeled Products: Over $1 Million Of Inventory Held In Quarantine

STONY BROOK, N.Y. — September 16, 2014 — Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology firm that provides DNA-based authentication and security solutions and services, announced today that its DNA authentication technology was recently used to interdict a shipment of mislabeled textiles resulting in over $1 million of inventory held in quarantine. The products consist of an assortment of yarn, finished fabric and garments that could have been mislabeled, and subsequently, marketed and sold in retail outlets in the United States and around the world.

Some manufacturers are known to substitute cheaper fibers during the spinning of yarn and the weaving of fabric. Fiber substitution increases the gross margin for the manufacturer, but lowers product quality, durability, color fastness, texture and even safety. American and European fiber producers do the great majority of their manufacturing off-shore, and there have been no methods to affirm label compliance until APDN’s patented DNA methods.

The company believes that no other taggant can match the information content, forensic assurance of DNA, nor is there likely to ever be a taggant with better quality assurance — hence APDN’s customers and DNA-marked products are “future-proofed.”

APDN has independently purchased garments and linens at large retailer outlets: the company’s DNA authentication testing revealed in some cases that as much as 80% of the products tested were not compliant with their own product labels. In the US, this is in violation of the Lanham Act, normally enforced by the Department of Justice and monitored by the Federal Trade Commission.

Specifically, it is difficult to assess the quality of premium products, such as luxury bed sheets. The typical “bed in a bag” sheets that retail for $75 or less that are labeled 100% Pima, may in fact contain shorter staple cotton fibers which mean that the sheets may not perform, look as good, or in some cases start to deteriorate after a few washes. The potential “cheating in sheeting” phenomena can involve the use a polyester finish to make the initial look and feel of the bed sheet brighter, with the intent to mislead the consumer into buying a sub-standard product. In addition to fiber substitution, the widely advertised thread counts, which are designed to measure the number of threads per square inch, can also be misleading to consumers. Ultimately, manufacturers bank on the fact that consumers will not realize they are being sold products that are not quite as they are labeled.

“We are proud to say that Applied DNA Sciences can protect textile retailers, brand owners, buyers of fine fabrics and their suppliers and consumers from the tricks that are not revealed until the second or third wearing, as the product begins to fail. Our methods empower law enforcement organizations such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection. We see a new world with improved textile quality, globally,” stated Dr. James Hayward, President and CEO of APDN.

Posted September 17, 2014

Source: Applied DNA Sciences
 

Evolon From Freudenberg Certified For Hp Latex Inks

COLMAR, France — September 17, 2014 — Performance textile manufacturer Freudenberg is pleased to announce that its microfilament material Evolon has been certified by Hewlett Packard for printing with HP latex inks.
 
Evolon’s variants EVO 100 PMB FR and EVO 130 PMB FR have been certified by HP for the HP Latex 200 (HP Latex 260 / HP Latex 280) and HP Latex 800 (HP Latex 820 / HP Latex 850) Printer series.
Both Evolon products are also certified as flame-retardant under French fire regulations and awarded M1 classification, which makes them fully compatible for indoor use. Evolon media are easy to handle thanks to their high mechanical strength and dimensional stability, their light weight and anti-wrinkle properties. These characteristics, combined with Evolon’s versatility, allow a wide range of printing applications, including signs and advertising banners as well as booth design, decoration items and acoustic solutions.

Weighing between 110 and 150gsm, the certified Evolon media are 2 to 4 times lighter than traditional banner material, which represents significant savings in raw materials and lower transportation costs.

Together with HP latex printing technologies, Evolon has proved successful in substituting conventional textile banner printing media by providing a high-standard matt look, anti-wrinkle drape, and improved cost-effectiveness.

An Eco-friendly Combination
The combination of Evolon printing substrates and HP Latex printing technologies has an excellent eco-profile.

Manufactured at an ISO 14001 and ISO 50001-certified site, Evolon contains no PVC, no solvents and no chemical binders. With their water-based formulations, HP Latex inks reduce the impact of printing on the environment, produce vivid odorless prints of a very high image quality and for a wide range of applications.
 
Evolon media are available in widths of up to 220cm. There are numerous converting possibilities such as sewing, heat-sealing, eyelets, adhesive tape, etc., all of them made easier because of Evolon’s non-fraying edges. Users appreciate additional benefits of Evolon such as breathability and textile feel, for example when used in racing numbers for sports events, or for indoor sound absorption.

Evolon microfilament fabrics are produced using Freudenberg’s globally patented technology. Located in Colmar, France, the Freudenberg Evolon production plant is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 50001 accredited.

Posted September 17, 2014

Source: Freudenberg
 

Garmatex Signs Deal With The Largest Headwear Brand In The World

VANCOUVER, British Columbia —September 17, 2014 — Garmatex Technologies Inc., an inventor of intelligent fabric and apparel technologies, has announced the start of a two year supplier agreement with New Era Cap, an international lifestyle brand that is best known for being the official on-field cap for Major League Baseball and the National Football League. The partnership will see a new generation of fabric technologies from Garmatex incorporated into an upcoming line of New Era headwear.

“We are very excited to announce that we will be working with New Era,” said Martin Doane, Garmatex’s CEO. “This agreement marks our first step into headwear and really demonstrates that there are a number of market segments for our unique fabric technologies besides just apparel. We look forward to working with the global leader in this industry and towards providing ingredient solutions that will enhance wearer performance.”

This partnership marks Garmatex’s first foray into the headwear industry — a segment that boasts estimated US revenues of over $2 billion annually.

Look for New Era headwear featuring fabrics powered by Garmatex to be available next year.

Posted September 17, 2014

Source: Garmatex
 

TPP Negotiators Make Important Progress on Agreement

HANOI, Vietnam —September 10, 2014 — Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) chief negotiators completed 10 days of intensive meetings today, making important progress across a range of issues as they continue their drive toward a comprehensive, high-standard agreement.

“We have committed to a focused work plan, which will allow us to boost momentum and make continued progress,” said Barbara Weisel, U.S. Chief Negotiator for TPP. “All countries involved want to reach a conclusion to unlock the enormous opportunity TPP represents.”

Through the TPP, the United States is working to establish a trade and investment framework in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region that supports U.S. job creation by expanding trade, which accounted for about a third of U.S. economic growth in the past five years.

The United States is also taking steps to establish innovative rules that promote core U.S. values in the agreement, such as transparency and good governance and strong and enforceable labor and environmental standards.

During the session in Hanoi, Vietnam, the United States and its TPP partners – Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam – successfully resolved many issues and narrowed gaps in other areas.  The teams made important progress on State-owned enterprises, intellectual property, investment, rules of origin, transparency and anti-corruption, and labor.  They also continued to move forward with their work to construct ambitious packages for preferential access to each other’s markets for goods, services/investment, financial services, and government procurement.

Having reduced the number of outstanding issues, the United States and the other 11 TPP countries share a commitment to resolve the remaining issues as quickly as possible, including both on the text and market access packages.

To advance this work, Ambassador Michael Froman will work bilaterally with many of his TPP counterparts in the coming weeks.  Next week, he will meet with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Ninh in Washington, D.C. and other meetings with TPP ministers are expected to follow.

Posted September 17, 2014

Source: USTR
 

FilSpec Announces Executive Transition

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – September 15, 2014 — FilSpec Inc., North America’s leading manufacturer of high-performance yarns, today announced that Iain Maclean has been named Vice President of Sales & Marketing effective November 1, 2014. As the result of a long-range succession strategy, Maclean succeeds Fred Tabah who is stepping down from day-to-day responsibilities and transitioning into a senior advisory position with the FilSpec management group and President Jean Parenteau.

“Over his many years of loyal and dedicated service with FilSpec and Richmond Specialty Yarns, Fred has been an integral part of the Group’s growth and expansion throughout Canada, USA and International,” said Parenteau. “Fred will remain with FilSpec and RSY in a Senior Advisory role.”

In his new role, Maclean will report directly to Parenteau, and will be responsible for sales & marketing management of FilSpec. He will manage the FilSpec sales team: Matrix Yarns in the United States; and Wayne Marcoux in Canada.

With more than 30 years experience in the North American textile supply chain, Maclean is currently Director of Business Development with FilSpec focusing on business strategy and client development.

Prior to FilSpec, Maclean worked for 10 years at Difco Performance Fabrics as Director of Sales & Marketing managing their portfolio of Protective and Industrial woven and knitted fabrics in the North, Central and South American markets.

Posted September 12, 2014

Source: FilSpec
 

Global Inkjet Systems Announces New Range Of Ink System Components

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — September 12, 2014 — Global Inkjet Systems (GIS), a leading developer of software, drivers, firmware and electronics for industrial inkjet printheads, today announced a new product range of ink system components.
 
GIS is providing enabling technologies to help system integrators and machine builders develop their own customised ink supply systems. GIS is not offering complete ink supply systems.
 
GIS has designed electronics and software for ink supply system control and also offers optional additional support including a range of header tanks, system controls for pressure, filtration and degassing, plus system design and consultancy. The GIS components can be used as building blocks to develop a bespoke system, enabling machine builders to retain control over their ink system and customise the components to meet their specific requirements. 
 
GIS provides the parts of the ink supply systems that require significant development time, and the machine builder retains the flexibility to source readily available components such as pumps, tubing and fittings to suit their ink and final system architecture themselves, which helps to control cost.   
 
“Building reliable ink systems can be time consuming and challenging” explains Nick Geddes, CEO of GIS. “The aim of the GIS product portfolio is to help customers reduce their development time and get product into production as quickly and efficiently as possible. Our electronics and software for driving inkjet printheads have been achieving this for several years – and we were finding that developing ink systems to tight deadlines was becoming a challenge for some machine builders. So two years ago we decided to invest and develop this new product range.”
 
The GIS ink control board can support up to 6 fluids/inks (multiple boards can be connected for systems with more than 6 inks) and can be used with printheads with different ink flow modes – no flow for end shooter printheads, low flow recirculating and controlled flow recirculating for heads with ink circulation capability.
 
“The need for recirculating ink systems is increasing” added Nick Geddes, “and more printheads now offer this capability. Sometimes recirculation may only be needed for inks prone to sedimentation, such as white ink, but in manufacturing applications all the inks or fluids may benefit from recirculation – adding reliability to the whole printing system.”
 
For companies requiring additional support, GIS also offers a range of header tank designs, pressure control, filtration, degassing and refilling systems plus design consultancy and technical support. The GIS header tank designs also take into account different space restrictions and ink capacity requirements for different applications and printer sizes. The designs can be customised, enabling machine builders to develop their own bespoke solutions, tailored to their specific system requirements.  
 
 Posted September 12, 2014

Source: Global Inkjet Systems
 

Applications Now Being Taken For Texprocess Campus

FRANKFURT — September 2014 — Texprocess, the international trade fair for the processing of textile and flexible materials to be held May 4-7, 2015, is also offering support to young talents in the participating sectors. International universities, institutes and fashion academies can present their courses and programs of study at the Texprocess Campus free of charge. The closing date for applications is December 5, 2014.

“More than ever before, the materials processing industry needs experts from both inside and outside of Germany,” said Michael Jänecke, director, brand management technical textiles and textile processing, Messe Frankfurt. “That is why it is so important to us to foster the initial and further training of young people. At the same time, students who are about to graduate need a platform on which to introduce themselves to potential employers. Participants in ‘Campus’ can, therefore, get floor space free of charge, and, if they would like one, a free ready-made stand into the bargain.”

As well as the campus area, there is the Job Exchange at Texprocess, which provides information for school and university students about internships, thesis topics and vacancies for jobs available amongst the exhibitors. Additionally, to facilitate discussions, there is a meeting area as weel as an online job exchange. At the same time, all participants can visit, at no extra charge, the concurrently held Techtextil, the international trade fair for technical textiles and nowovens. Ticket vouchers available on request.

Posted September 11, 2014

Source: Messe Frankfurt
 

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