BOULDER, Colo. — May 8, 2013 — The Outdoor Industry Association® (OIA) Sustainability Working Group
(SWG) is launching a pilot program to test drive the Equipment module of the Higg Index, a new tool
to help companies gain insight into the supply chain for outdoor equipment (bicycles, skis,
snowboards, backpacks, tents, camp stoves, water bottles, etc.) and how to make more sustainable
products. OIA is offering a free webinar on May 16 to introduce the tool and get companies
involved.

Equipment manufacturers are encouraged to participate in the pilot, which is designed to
provide a testing ground for the tool and to gather feedback on how to make it better.

“This is the culmination of many years of work and collaboration among dozens of outdoor
industry companies,” said Beth Jensen, director of corporate responsibility for OIA. “This tool was
developed by and for the industry in order to help companies closely examine their supply chains
and identify tangible steps to improve the sustainability of their products. We hope a diverse
array of companies will participate in the pilot.”

The Equipment Index builds on Higg Index modules for Apparel and Footwear that have already
been launched to the industry. From the early days of the OIA Eco Index in 2007, the outdoor
industry wanted to ensure that its sustainability indexing tool was applicable to gear products as
well as to apparel and footwear. The Higg Index for Equipment will fulfill this purpose, providing
indicators tailored specifically to hardgoods while employing the same format as the other Higg
Index modules.

The Equipment Index Pilot launches May 16, with feedback due July 15.

To learn more about the Equipment Index Pilot, visit outdoorindustry.org/equipmentpilot
<http://www.outdoorindustry.org/equipmentpilot>

Posted on May 13, 2013

Source: Outdoor Industry Association

Techtextil, the International Trade Fair for the Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Industries, will
run concurrently with Texprocess from June 11 to 13, 2013, at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt am Main.
Techtextil continues to hold its position as the worldwide leading international platform for
technical textiles, nonwovens and functional apparel textiles. The colocated Texprocess trade fair,
to be held from June 10 to 13, will again present the latest technologies for processing textiles
and other flexible materials. More than 1,200 exhibitors from 50 countries and around 25,000
visitors from 96 countries will participate in the two events.

From A Shy Start …

It was in the mid-1980s that Messe Frankfurt invited some interested journalists to attend a
press conference regarding a new exhibition. It was to be called Techtextil. Most of the attendees
were sure that this concept would be successful in the future, because since the early 1980s,
textiles for industrial applications had become more and more important. In the beginning, the
industry was quite skeptical. Less than 200 exhibitors attended the first edition in 1985 — and the
show occupied just one floor in Hall 4 at Messe Frankfurt. At that time, DuPont was the only
man-made fiber manufacturer that believed in the future of industrial fabrics and was the only
exhibitor from that sector. However, the history of the event is rather quickly told: it was a
total success.

Today, it is common sense that technical textiles and nonwovens are gaining importance
throughout the global textile industry. In some, mostly Western, countries, technical fibers and
fabrics are the only growth drivers for the domestic textile industry. For decades, this sector has
reported constant double-digit growth rates.

… To A Huge Success

Messe Frankfurt reports that Techtextil’s success is based on an interdisciplinary spectrum
of products — as indicated by the show’s 12 diverse application areas — and mentions that technical
textiles, nonwovens and the associated textile technologies are applied in many industrial sectors.

The upcoming Techtextil will be the biggest ever. The event will also be characterized by an
increased number of exhibitors from outside Germany. For example, more companies have registered
from India, with an increase of 254 percent; Poland, 66 percent; Turkey, 14 percent; and Japan, 10
percent. To understand the mood of the event, the Rupp Report spoke to Techtextil Brand Director
Michael Jänecke about the current feelings and emotions.

RR
: Are you happy with the development of the show?

Jänecke: Very much so. We have a new record number of exhibitors, with more than
1,200.

RR
: Are you sold out?

Jänecke: It sounds funny for a professional exhibition, but we have a new record.
We are sold out. In 2011 we had 1,199 exhibitors.

RR
: Which halls are occupied by Techtextil?

Jänecke: Halls 3.0, 3.1 and 4.1 will be fully occupied by the show.

RR
: How many square meters is that?

Jänecke: Some 52,000 square meters.

RR
: Which countries will have country pavilions?

Jänecke: Up to now, 13 countries — these are Belgium, China, France, Great
Britain, India, Canada, Croatia, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, the United States and
Italy. (Jürg, did Turkey cancel their pavilion?)

Big Italian Participation

As at other textile shows, Italy will be present with a lot of exhibitors. Some 100 Italian
textile machinery manufacturers are involved in the production of machinery for technical textiles
or nonwovens. According to the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT),
turnover in this sector is growing, accounting for a 20-percent share of the total Italian textile
machinery turnover. Techtextil will see 40 Italian textile machinery manufacturers, with 13 of
these companies presenting their expertise at Meeting Point Italia, an exhibition space set up by
the Italian Trade Promotion Agency and ACIMIT.

Complementary Program

Techtextil will have a complementary program, including the 17th International Techtextil
and 7th International Avantex Symposiums, presenting the latest trends from various technical
textiles, nonwovens and functional-apparel textiles application areas.

The Techtextil Symposium will offer eight blocks, each having six lectures presented by
experts. “Techtextil Symposium is almost as old as Techtextil itself and is used by many speakers
to initiate new developments and interdisciplinary collaborations between research and industry,”
Jänecke said. “At the same time, the subjects covered by the symposium illustrate the broad range
of applications for technical textiles.” The topics to be covered are oriented toward the user and
include sustainability and technical textiles, new fiber and fiber-based composite developments,
finishing and surface modifications, lightweight structures and a special block on
textile-reinforced concrete.

The Avantex Symposium will be targeted toward the apparel market, and will include three
blocks, each having six lectures, covering smart textiles and functional apparel developments.

Awards For Innovations And Students

The complementary program also will include the Techtextil and Avantex Innovation Awards
recognizing outstanding achievements in areas of research, development, material and product
development and new technologies.

The 12th Textile Structures for New Building Student Competition targets ideas and concepts
for future architecture. This year, a 2,000-euro Textile Exhibition Stand special award will be
presented. Messe Frankfurt has received support from the Brussels-based TensiNet Association for
the organization of this competition.

Techtextil And Texprocess Together Again

As mentioned above, Texprocess will be colocated with Techtextil. Next week’s Rupp Report
will include more information about that show.

Textile Industries Media Group will be present in Frankfurt am Main. Come by and have a chat
with us in Hall 4.1, booth FOY18.

May 7, 2013

Germany-based twisting and embroidery machinery supplier Oerlikon Saurer — a segment of Oerlikon
Textile GmbH & Co. KG, Germany — recently hosted an open house at its showroom in Suzhou,
China, to present the new Allma TC2 cabler for industrial yarns. Guests from China, India and other
Asian countries were taken on a tour of the facility before viewing demonstrations of the new
machine.

The company reports the Allma TC2 has been designed to meet the high-quality demands of the
market while also operating in a highly flexible way with new spindle technology and winding units.
Yarns including polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene and aramids in a wide range of
counts from fine to coarse may be cabled using the TC2. The machine operates at speeds of up to 450
meters per minute, and can produce even small lots and samples economically. According to the
company, the PrimePac twist packages produced on the machine feature a homogenous density, precise
length measuring for large running lengths and better unwinding properties.

Customers may visit the Oerlikon Saurer technology centers in Suzhou or Kempten, Germany, to
conduct their own trials using the TC2 cabler.

In related company news, Oerlikon Saurer recently shipped its 200,000th Allma cabling spindle
to China-based tire cord and industrial yarn producer China ShenMa Group Co. Ltd. At the recent
Suzhou open house, representatives from ShenMa were presented with a gold-plated cabling spindle to
mark the occasion. Allma’s Head of Sales Wolfgang Schoeffl thanked ShenMa as well as all of Allma’s
global customers for their loyalty and confidence in their products.

May 7, 2013

Paris-based Lectra recently introduced Diamino® V6 pre-costing and marker-making software for the
fashion, automotive and furniture industries. The company reports the design, management and
post-treatment of markers has been redesigned to speed up and simplify the time-sensitive marker
development process.

“We have experienced a 0.3 percent increase in material savings as compared to the previous
version of Diamino,” said Francisco Carlos Tomazoni, cutting room manager, Malwee, a Brazil-based
casualwear manufacturer.

Lectra reports product managers, cutting room managers, research departments and product
development teams now have access to marker information, and fabrics may be visualized in the
marker layout. These upgrades give a company the ability to see the affect of fabric choice on
product cost, and provide visual instructions on repeat placement and orientation.

“We now better control material consumption and cost and have improved our ability to
foresee problems,” said Davide Lunardon, CAD manager, Staff International, part of the Diesel
Group.

According to Lectra, the software’s enhanced algorithms facilitate work related to quality
and save time when automatically processing specific fabric constraints. V6 also now supports such
constraints as tubular fabrics and shading.

“With the new capacity to control for tubular fabrics, we’ve observed a 30-percent reduction
in processing time and a 5-percent increase in fabric savings,” said Geovane Rech, owner, Abrange,
a Brazil-based casualwear producer.

“Marker making in a fashion context is even more complex, given the quantity of garments
being produced and the many variables that come into play during development,” said Anastasia
Charbin, fashion marketing director, Lectra. “Diamino minimizes non-value-added tasks to put
emphasis on speed and efficiency, making it particularly advantageous under fashion conditions.
This new release significantly increases the number of markers that can be processed automatically,
which cuts order processing time in half while reducing material waste, human error and manpower
costs.”

May 7, 2013

London-based technical nonwoven fabrics manufacturer Fiberweb Plc is to invest $15 million over two
years to expand its facility in Old Hickory, Tenn. The expansion includes a 300,000-square-foot
warehouse and distribution center and will concentrate all operations into one location, thus
streamlining production and reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Fiberweb will host a
groundbreaking ceremony, expansion informational session and reception at the expansion site on May
17.

“This $15-million capital project strengthens Fiberweb’s position as a global leader in
development and manufacture of high-tech materials, and demonstrates our commitment to doing this
in Middle Tennessee,” said Gary Dies, vice president, operations. “The manufacturing industry plays
a vital role in the economic development of Tennessee, contributing more than 360,000 jobs to
communities throughout the state. Fiberweb is proud of the part we play in the overall economic
health of the communities in which we live and work.”

Over the past four years, Fiberweb added a state-of-the-art research and development center
at a cost of $12 million and has invested $25 million to build an on-site shale-gas powered utility
plant in Old Hickory. The facility employs 500 people and has a total annual payroll of
approximately $40 million.

“I want to thank Fiberweb for its investment, and I appreciate the company’s continued
commitment to our state,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. “Expanding businesses already
located in Tennessee is critical to growing our state’s economy and helping us reach our goal of
becoming the No. 1 state in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”

May 7, 2013

ZAGREB, Croatia — May 6, 2013 — Azonprinter, the leading manufacturer of Direct to Garment and
Direct to Substrate printers has engaged in the development of UV printers. Due to the high demands
of the market, Azonprinter decided to develop new models to be able to offer their customers the
latest technology. AZON UV models allow printing on wide range of substrates (leather, pvc, glass,
ceramic, aluminium, canvas, steel etc.), thus enabling durable final product.

 

New UV printers come in 3 formats with printable surface 30*80 cm (A3), 42*60 cm (A2) and
60*80 cm (A1) and offer outstanding print quality. Standard model comes with CMYKWWWW but there is
an option with gloss or primer as well.

 

UV A2 models are QL and Q ROTAX. While QL offers applications up to 10 cm high objects, Q
ROTAX enables printing up to 30 cm high objects. AZON  Q UV is A3 model that prints color and
white in single pass up to 20 cm high objects with maximum printing resolution 5760 dpi. There is
also A1 and B0 model available for bigger production with maximum height of 20 cm.

Posted May 7, 2013

Source: Azonprinter