Dell’Orco & Villani Offers Twin Carding Opener

Dell’Orco & Villani S.r.l., Italy — a maker of fiber blending equipment and machinery and
plants for recycling textile waste materials — now offers the Twin Carding Opener (TCO) fiber
carding and opening machine. The machine features two cylinders that work in tandem as well as a
number of peripheral working rollers; uses 20 percent of the power required for comparable
operations; offers high productivity; and has a low footprint.

The TCO comprises one section featuring two feed rollers with rigid wire clothing, a main
cylinder that can be clothed with rigid wire or supplied with lags and pins, and three working
rollers with rigid wire clothing; and a second featuring a main cylinder and five working rollers,
all with rigid wire clothing. The company reports the different combinations possible for wire
clothing choice, speed options and the distance setting between rollers and main cylinders enable
flexibility in the machine’s applications, allowing opening of a range of nonwovens production
waste. The TCO is available in a 1,500-millimeter (mm) or 1,000-mm working width, and can be fed
manually, or by a chute feed or regular hopper feeder.

May/June 2012

From The Editor: MFG Expansion 33 Months & Expanding

By Jim Borneman, Editor In Chief

With all of the doom and gloom in the news, textiles has had some bright spots recently. There was strong attendance, active participation and good energy at the Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas shows. One exhibitor said he received more leads on the first day of the show than he had received in the last two years of participating. It was not what ATME-I® or the Bobbin Show used to be, and if you went there expecting their reincarnations, you’d have been disappointed. But what was there represented what the industry is today — smaller, less grand, but also innovative, creative and collaborative. There was one real opportunity in that the visitors were as interesting as the exhibitors — there to solve problems and look for opportunities. The symposium sessions had strong attendance, while not detracting from activity on the show floor.

In another instance, the American Apparel Producers’ Network recently held its annual meeting in Miami, attracting approximately 160 members of the apparel supply chain — “from the dirt to the shirt,” as they say — who gathered for networking and presentations. An interesting theme
was, simply, change. Retailing is changing, responsibilities in the apparel supply chain are changing, use of technology is changing, trade laws are changing, and the importance of green and sustainable solutions is changing. Presentation of the synthetic fiber-based apparel cluster in El Salvador — a complete synthetic apparel supply chain — highlighted new investment and smart development in the West. There was a strong sense of positive activity — business coming back to
the Western Hemisphere and some real innovations afoot in the pipeline.

Many notions about a slowly improving manufacturing sector are consistent with the economic indicators. Conventional wisdom seems to be that an indicator like unemployment is a proxy for growth. This is often a misguided idea, particularly when much of the investment in manufacturing is in automation. Economic sector health is not always employment-based, as the press would have you believe. Instead, have a look at the Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing ISM Report on Business® — the April report is a good read.

The report states: “Manufacturing continued its growth in April as the PMI [Purchasing Managers’ Index™] registered 54.8 percent, an increase of 1.4 percentage points when compared to March’s reading of 53.4 percent. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.

“A PMI in excess of 42.6 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the PMI indicates growth for the 35th consecutive month in the overall economy, as well as expansion in the manufacturing sector for the 33rd consecutive month.”

An expanding manufacturing sector for nearly three years is not in the headlines. Toss in a little certainty on taxes, healthcare and energy policy — and manufacturing just might attract the investment it needs.

May/June 2012

Introduction To Nonwovens Technology

Editor’s note: Reprinted, with changes, from “Introduction To Nonwovens Technology,” by Subhash
K. Batra, Ph.D., and Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Ph.D., (Lancaster, Pa.: DEStech Publications Inc., 2012),
xvii-xxix, by permission of the authors and publisher.

With the exception of wool felts, fabric making has historically involved the conversion of
fibers into yarns and yarns into fabrics, primarily by weaving, knitting or lace making. The beauty
of these technologies lies in their ability to assemble thousands, indeed millions, of individual
fibers — themselves weak, difficult to handle and sometimes functionally useless — into integrated
products that are strong, foldable, absorbent, soft, and permeable. Most fascinating, the fabric is
often held together, in a highly ordered structural fashion, by frictional forces only. As such,
the woven, knit and lace fabrics on the one hand, and wool felts on the other, take the old dictum
“there is strength in numbers” a significant step further: “there is even more strength in ordered
numbers.”

Many of the physical/mechanical properties of woven, knit and lace fabrics are derived from
their unique hierarchy of structure: fiber, yarn (single or plied), and fabric. The history of the
fiber-based-product industry is replete with examples of proper selection of fibers, yarn structure
and fabric structure, followed by suitable after-treatments (dyeing, printing, finishing), leading
to unique combinations of characteristics such as strength, flexibility, draping, controlled
dimensional stability, and aesthetics in the final product.

NWTTtent


A coated nonwoven substrate of fibrillated islands-in-the-sea fibers is the material used
in this full-sized tent for military operations.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries three economic necessities led to
the development of the precursors of various fabric making technologies that gained momentum during
the latter half of the twentieth century. The three necessities and the response to them may be
summarized as follows:

  1. The need to reclaim acceptable quality fiber from clothing, scraps and other textiles,
    particularly those made from wool, and reuse it to make economically competitive clothing and other
    articles. This led to the development of fiber reprocessing machinery and a new industry dependent
    upon it.
  2. The need to convert coarse hair not suitable for yarn making or felting, and coarse fibers of
    vegetable origin, into economically viable products. This led to the development of the needle loom
    to accomplish fiber entanglement by barbed needle punching (bonding).
  3. The need to profitably utilize fiber waste, or fibers not suitable for yarn spinning, such as
    wood pulp, from the emerging manufactured- fibers industry. This led to the idea of converting
    fibers into fiberwebs, and then using adhesives or other means to give webs integrity to function
    as fabrics.
    1,2

In time, these three developments, in conjunction with many others, led to the revolutionary
idea that commercially acceptable, textile-like sheet structures could be made without first
converting fibers into yarns. That this could be done without weaving, knitting or lace making was
even more revolutionary.

Woodings
3 states “Heavyweight needlepunched ‘felts’ made from jute and sisal have been made
since the 1890s in both the UK and USA.” The earliest product using fiberwebs for commercial
purposes may well be the one embodied in a patent, USP 0,123,136, which was granted, in 1872, to
Milton D. Whipple, who stated:

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is –

  1. The series of needles or pins, slightly roughened or barbed, set in a suitable frame or holder,
    and made to traverse back and forth through a bat or web of cotton or other fibrous substance, for
    the purpose of interlacing and condensing the fibers, substantially as herein described.
  2. I also claim, as a new article of manufactre, a bat, web, or sheet made as hereinbefore
    described.

– Milton D. Whipple.

The seeds of the nonwovens industry may thus have been sown in the 1870s. The germination,
however, only began in earnest in the United States and in Europe during the 1920s,
4 1930s,
5 and 1940s.
6 The industry finally became commercially viable in the United States and in Europe
during the 1970s, and a bit later in Japan and elsewhere. Since then the growth of the industry and
the versatility of its products has been revolutionary, even chaotic – albeit a healthy one,
manifest in the problem of defining the nature of the products
(See Chapter 1: Definitions).

NWTTwingedfiber

NWTTwingedfiberCS


The Winged Fiber™, measuring 15 by 10 microns in the illustration, top, is shown in a cross
section of a nonwoven fabric, bottom.


Nonwovens Forerunners


The concept of “nonwovens,” as fibers in a network or web form, is not new. But to trace the
origins of the concept poses a challenging problem.
7
First, there are the forerunners we find in nature: the nests of many birds, mammals, and
invertebrates; the spunbond-like cocoon produced by the silk worm; spider webs; the root structures
of trees, shrubs and grasses, which serve as natural erosion control akin to modern geotextiles;
the fibrous skeletal structure of bark and leaf components of shrubs and trees; the extremely fine,
spunbond-like fibrous structure of the every day egg-shell; the paper-like hornet nest.

Second, according to a reference in Wikipedia, the art of felt making from wool was
developed by the early Sumerians around the fourth millennium B.C., just as the ancient Egyptians
were devising fibrous network structures from papyrus.
8 Beaten bark-cloth made from the inner bark of trees of the mulberry family — paper
mulberry, bread fruit, wild fig — has been in use in Oceania, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the
Americas from prehistoric times. Several layers of this cloth can be bonded together by moisture
and beating, which presumably release the inner resins
9 that provide the binding material.

Third, according to Gordon: “There are several similar recurring legends about the discovery
of felt. In one, Noah attempted to make his ark more comfortable by padding the floor with sheep’s
wool. By the time the journey of forty days and nights had passed, the loose wool had turned to a
matted fabric (felt) by the pressure and moisture the animals had subjected it to.” The author
cites further examples: “Another legend placed the discovery in France in the Middle Ages. A monk
who lived in the city of Caen decided to make a pilgrimage to a distant shrine. He set out wearing
a pair of new sandals and his feet soon became sore and tired. To make them more comfortable, he
picked some wool from the backs of the sheep and put it in his sandals. When he arrived at his
destination after fifteen days of walking, he found a strong soft cloth had been created by the
constant moisture and pressure of his feet … An almost identical story takes place in the Middle
East, where a tired, foot-sore camel driver took some of the soft hair from his camels and put it
in his sandals. By the time the caravan reached its destination, he, too, had discovered felt …
it is generally believed that it was the nomadic people of Central Asia who first learned to make
it … The oldest pieces of fabric to have been found date from about 1500-1000 B.C. Felt caps as
old as 3,500 years have been found in Scandinavia, and several items from the later Bronze Age
(1400-1200 B.C.) have been found in tombs in northern Germany and Siberia.”

Fourth, Ruiji and Ke’an
10 speculate that the invention of paper, which is in some sense a nonwoven, “during the
early Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-8 A.D.) was most probably introduced from silk floss making. To
make the silk floss, the ‘waste’ cocoons were beaten on a bamboo screen in water. After thorough
beating, there was a layer of silk fiberweb left on the screen. This web-form material might have
been culled and used as paper …” They also suggest that, according to recent archaeological
evidence, paper made from hemp was introduced in China as early as the second century B.C. More
reliable records in Han Shu (The History of the Han Dynasty) state that Cai Lun made great
improvements in paper making in 105 A.D. Other sources assert that Ts’ai Lun first introduced
paper: it could be made from “bark, hemp, fish net and rags.”
11 The art of Washi, paper making by hand, using hemp and fibers from mulberry or
certain deciduous trees, dates back to the sixth century A.D. in Japan.
12

Fifth, if a silk worm, ready to spin, drops to the floor, it will not stop spinning: the
result is a “flat cocoon,” or “cocoon paper,” akin to modern day spunbond web. The ancient Chinese
knew this. According to Ruiji and Ke’an, the earliest records of the technologic utilization of
this phenomenon date back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.).

Sixth, the industrial process of papermaking was based on adaptation of a machine invented
by Nicholas-Louis Robert in 1798. “In 1801, Robert and his brother-in-law John Gamble patented the
machine in England. They divided the patent rights with their financial backers, Henry and Sealy
Fourdrinier.”
13 Similarly, as Gordon tells, the industrial process of wool-felt making was invented
by an American, named J. R. Williams, in 1820.

Seventh, Millman
14 suggests the invention of nonwovens can be traced to a British Letters Patent Number
114, granted in 1853 to Bellford, which detailed the use of carding machines, conveyor belting,
impregnating, mattresses, and cushions.

Eighth, Tyas
15 claims that the production of needle looms was established around 1870 by William
Bywater Ltd.; whereas Ward
16 asserts that “one of the first, if not the first, needle loom was built by …
Bywater … in 1878 and delivered to a Leeds woolen manufacturer, Hargreave & Mussey, for
making horse blankets.” Some put the date as early as 1860 and the location as both England and
Germany. It is interesting to note that an air-based entangling predecessor to the current
water-based entangling systems dates back to 1882.
17 Claim 2 of the patent states: “The herein-described method of making a fur bat in a
continuous flat sheet – that is to say, by depositing a layer of loose fur upon a traveling fabric
of substantially non-feltable fibrous material and attaching the fur to the fabric by means of an
air-current which passes through the fur and the fibrous material, substantially as set forth.”


Industry Development


Thus, while the antecedents of nonwovens technology and products can be traced to various
points in human history, most writers tend to place the beginning of the industry, as we know it
today, to the late 1920s or early 1930s. Nottebohm
18 cites a German patent, DRP Nr. 544324, dated August 26, 1928, which claimed the
production of a fleece in combination with a glued web to serve as a shoe reinforcing material:
KALFF Vliesstoffe GmbH is still in business today. Nottebohm also cites a Dutch Blaupotten Cate
process disclosure in 1930 for the manufacture of artificial leather backing from fiber fleece to
be glued with natural rubber. The earliest patent cited by Buresh
19 is dated March 12, 1929, or April 29, 1930, depending upon one’s interpretation of
their specific relevance to nonwovens technology.

According to Hays,
20 laboratory and pilot scale production of non- wovens started in the 1930s. Shearer
21 and Millman put the industrial production of “bonded-fiber nonwoven fabrics” in
commercial quantities (a few thousand pounds) around 1942. George M. Schroder, at the University of
Chattanooga, created the first disposable diaper using nonwoven fabric in 1947.
22 In 1948, Freudenberg introduced dry-laid resin bonded fabric for interlining.

The latter part of the twentieth century spawned several commercially viable new
technologies to make fabrics that could compete with wovens, knits and lace. Most of these have
been grouped under the umbrella of nonwovens technology. Today the nonwoven roll goods and related
industries yield highly engineered products for such applications as filters, diaper and sanitary
napkin cover-stock, tear resistant envelopes, needled carpets, wipes, medical use, protective
clothing, interlining in apparel, agricultural use, insulators for space shuttle heat shield,
furniture components, high loft products, and on and on.

Traditionally, the nonwoven industry (10-100 m/min; $10-$100 MM) has been compared to
weaving (1-2 m/min; $10-100 MM), knitting (2-5 m/min; $1-50 MM) and paper industry (100-1000 m/min;
$50-100 MM) in terms of line speeds or typical plant costs. While line speed comparisons make
nonwovens look impressive, they are meaningless; for it is the unit cost of production of a
comparable product that makes the difference in its competitive edge in the market place. The plant
costs give some idea of the capital required – a possible barrier to entry – to get into the
business. But far more important is to assess the performance versus the cost needed to develop the
market and to distribute the product reliably.

The success and growth of the nonwovens industry is due, in large measure, to expanding
markets which encourage continued developments in process technologies, raw materials and final
product design to meet the existing as well as future challenges in product performance at an
acceptable cost. In other words, the raw materials available, the technologies available, and the
creative abilities of the product designers can optimize the performance specifications required in
the final product at an acceptable cost to the consumer. Table 1, which is by no means exhaustive,
lists typical properties identified by EDANA, some of which must be met by a successful product at
an optimal performance level and price.


Properties Of Nonwovens

NWTTTable1


Source: EDANA

The nonwovens industry in 2008 produced 5.78 million tonnes of roll goods worth US $21.2
billion (and a growth rate in excess of 8%), comprising 28.6% in Europe, 25% in North America,
19.7% PRC, 10% in other Asia Pacific regions. These roll goods were used in numerous applications
as illustrated by Tables 2 and 3. Table 2 presents the segmentation of end use markets classified
by EDANA, a trade organization in Europe, while Table 3 does the same for INDA, the nonwovens
industry trade organization in the United States. Neither is exhaustive, but they illustrate the
different ways end use markets can be classified based on the judgment of individuals or companies.


End Use Classification By EDANA (2004)

NWTTtable2


Source: EDANA


End Use Classification By INDA (2004)

NWTTtable3


Source: INDA

The nonwovens industry is organized differently and separately from the textile industry.
While both, along with the paper industry, share some common heritage, the nonwoven industry during
its evolution has integrated high-speed, low-cost, innovative, value-adding processes to produce a
broad array of engineered fiber and polymer based products. In doing so, it has adapted
technologies from the pulp and paper industry, the fiber/polymer extrusion industry, and the
traditional textile industry. The traditional textile industry is intimately linked to the apparel
and home furnishing industries. The nonwovens industry is not.

Depending on the local/regional markets and their economic constraints, segments of the
nonwovens industry today include raw material suppliers, roll goods producers,
converters/fabricators of end use products, supportive machinery industry, and auxiliary material
suppliers.


Portfolio Of Technologies


Finally, a few words about the framework for our study of nonwovens technology and the
characteristics of the products made from them. “Nonwovens Technology” is in fact a portfolio of
technologies. The available fiber, or polymer raw materials to be processed, have critically
influenced the development of the technologies. At the same time, the technologies available to
process them have equally influenced the development of new fibers and polymer raw materials. The
rich portfolio of technologies under consideration offers numerous options for processing paths to
attain desired end-product characteristics. There is, thus, no unique systematic, linear way to
teach or learn the technology and its products. To that extent, this book departs from what has
become a traditional path. The paradigm used here might be likened to an impressionistic painting:
up close it consists of bold brush strokes or dabs of different colors, which may or may not be
very pleasing by themselves, nor represent any recognizable form; but, seen from a distance, the
mind of the observer integrates them into a pleasing or provocative picture.

This first volume of the book is divided into five parts. Part I deals with some useful
preliminaries, such as the issue of definitions of the structures of interest, the concept of
structure and its description in the case of two dimensional fiberwebs, the distinction between
technology as it refers to a sub-process, and
Technology as it refers to the whole raw-material-preparation-to-roll-good system.

Part II deals with the preparation and web formation steps for staple fiber-based
Technologies, including opening, blending, carding and airlay processes for both
conventional fibers as well as pulp-focused. This prepares the ground for discussion of the broad
spectrum of bonding processes in Part III. These include needle punching, hydroentanglement,
thermal bonding (inclusive of ultrasonic bonding) and resin bonding. To give some depth to thermal
bonding, some relevant concepts of heat and heat transfer are reviewed briefly in a stand-alone
chapter.

In Part IV we introduce the (historically) integrated
Technologies, such as wetlay, spunbond and meltblown; the latter two involve polymer melt
extrusion. To make the spunbond, meltblown processes more intelligible, a stand-alone chapter
reviews some relevant concepts of polymer physics. The latter also supports the subsequent
discussion on split-film nonwovens and nano or near-nano scale webs obtained via flash spinning,
electrospinning and those obtained via bicomponent fibers.

In Part V we discuss processes and the idea of integration to produce heterogeneous
fiberwebs (second order structures, composites) and hybrid (higher order) structures, which combine
more than one level of structure to yield structures with enhanced performance attributes. Some of
the processes are those introduced previously, while others such as stitchbonding, co-forming, and
NAPCO technology are introduced for the first time.

The book’s aim is to provide a structured path for teaching the subject matter to
undergraduate as well as graduate students. That requires the instructors to selectively define
suitable paths for the two levels.

The structure of the book is also designed to assist self-learning by industrial
practitioners at different levels of experience and preparation. We hope it will deepen their
appreciation of the diverse technologies available to them and stimulate the flow of their creative
juices to design and produce products that benefit humankind.

Finally, we end with an appeal to teachers, students and other readers to send us any
comments and suggestions that will improve our textbook and help make it a truly useful one. Please
make up your own problems and exercises and share them with us. For such contributions and others,
we thank you in advance.

In anticipation,

Subhash K. Batra

(subhash_batra@ncsu.edu)

Behnam Pourdeyhimi

(behnam_pourdeyhimi@ncsu.edu)

Subhash K. Batra, Ph.D., is Charles A. Cannon Professor, Emeritus; and Director Emeritus,
Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center, North Carolina State University (NCSU).

Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Ph.D., is William A. Klopman Distinguished Professor; and Director,
Nonwovens Institute, NCSU.

Footnotes (Endnotes in this case):

1USP 2,825,389.

2Subsequently, the manufactured-fiber industry fueled the growth of the nonwoven roll
goods and related industries.

3Regenerated Cellulose Fibers, Edited by Calvin Woodings, CRC Press, 2000, Woodhead
Publishing, 2001.

4Joseph, Gatti, Wadding and bat; USP 1,695,805 (1928).

5N. H. Brewster, Sheet material and method of making the same , USP 1,978,620.

6Batra, S. K., S. P. Hersh, R. L. Barker, D. R. Buchanan, B. S. Gupta, T. W. George and
M. H. Mohamed, “Neither Woven Nor Knit: A New System for Classifying Textiles,” in
Principles of Nonwovens, INDA , Cary NC (1992).

7See the previous reference.

8http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/papyrus.html.

9Gordon, Beverly,
Feltmaking, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York (1980).

10Ruiji, Yang and Ke’an, Sheng, “The History and Prospect of Nonwovens in China,”
Journal of East China Institute of Textile Science and Technology, No. 1, 27-34 (1984).

11Langer, William L.,
An Encyclopedia of World History, Houghton & Mifflin Co., Boston (1952).

12Koda, M., “Washi,” in
Tajyo, special edition, Shikosha Publishing Co., Japan (1982).

13http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=397.

14Millman, George E., “The Expanding Market for Nonwovens,”
American Dyestuff Reporter, 58/7, 32-39, April (1969).

15Tyas, T., “The Design of Needle Looms,” in
Needle-Felted Fabrics, ed. P. Lennox-Kerr, The Textile Trade Press, Manchester, UK.
(1972).

16Ward, D., “A Hundred Years of Needle Looms,” in
Nonwovens Yearbook, Nonwovens Report International (1979).

17US Patent 253,162 (1882).

18Nottebohm, C. L., “Vliesstoffe auf trockenem Weg,”
Chemiefasern 9, 667-676 (1968).

19Buresh, Francis M., Nonwoven Fabrics, Reinhold Publishing Corporation, New York
(1962).

20Anonymous, “Nonwovens-Threat or Opportunity,”
American Dyestuff Reporter, 58/7, 40-41, April (1969).

21Shearer, Howard E., “Methods of Producing Bonded-Fiber Fabrics,”
American Dyestuff Reporter, 41, P874-P879, December 22 (1952).

22http://www.disposablediaper.net/content.asp?2.

May/June 2012

“Impossible” Doesn’t Exist For Geissbühler

For more than 300 years, finishing company Geissbühler & Co. AG has been located in Lützelflüh,
in the famous Emmental valley in Switzerland. With a clear conviction that nothing is impossible,
the company has established itself with perseverance and the right investment policy to be a
reliable and cutting-edge partner for the finishing of technical textiles.Geissbühler’s beginnings
go far back to the year 1673. Consequently, the company is one of the oldest existing finishing
mills in Switzerland. Over the centuries, the small bleaching and dyeing house developed
continuously, while investing heavily in research and development, mainly in finishing and coating
of textiles.

DPF1

With the new Brückner finishing line, water-based as well as solvent-based coatings can be
applied.


Saving The Future


In 2007, Geissbühler was acquired by the Cilander Group, one of the prominent finishing
companies in Switzerland. “For Cilander, this acquisition was the next step to secure its position
as a competent partner for technical textiles; and for Geissbühler, to secure a sustainable
future,” explained Managing Director Kathrin Bohnenblust in an exclusive interview with

Textile World
 .

Until 2007, the company was led by the eighth generation of the Geissbühler family. “Today,
we are an independent daughter company of the Cilander Group. We now have 21 people working in the
company and have invested 5.5 million Swiss francs in production and peripheral equipment,”
Bohnenblust said.

DPFheadshot

Kathrin Bohnenblust has served as Geissbühler’s managing director since 2007.


Large Product Program


Geissbühler finishes a broad variety of woven fabrics for various technical textiles
end-uses including upholstery fabrics for trains and buses, fabrics with flame-resistant finishes
for airplane seats, and Kevlar® mesh fabrics for sports car bodies; as well as glass fabrics for
architectural purposes, fire blankets and protective gloves. Other end-uses include protective
shells for buildings, tents, tarpaulins and awnings, roller aprons, sun protection, filter fabrics,
and also coated high-fashion apparel fabrics. For example, Geissbühler finishes fabrics for Indian
turbans. The list can be extended at will. In 2000, the company finished the first world’s first
textile postage stamp. “This product had to be treated like a bank note — it has a certain value,”
Bohnenblust explained with a smile.

DPF3

This Swiss postage stamp, the first textile postage stamp in the world, was finished by
Geissbühler.


Milestones


After 20 years with the company, Bohnenblust became managing director in 2007. In her own
words, she is a “career changer” and a person with many interests. She loves animals, her house and
the garden; and is also active in local politics. And what is the personal challenge in her work?
“Well, basically, the focus of my efforts is to secure jobs. Job security is the big challenge for
us all and is associated with the corporate philosophy: We never say ‘no’ in our job; we always try
to find a solution,” she said.


“I don’t think one should look too much into the past. However,” she continued, “there are
two events that were and are important for the long-term existence of Geissbühler: on the one hand,
the acquisition by the Cilander Group in 2007; and on the other, the purchase of a Brückner coating
line [from Germany-based Brückner Trockentechnik GmbH & Co. KG], which opened up completely new
application areas for our company.”


Market Situation


Geissbühler produces some 1.4 million linear meters per year. And these are real linear
meters — often, the fabric width goes up to 600 centimeters (cm). The year 2010 was very good for
the company, and its fortune lasted well until October 2011. Then, the market calmed down a little
bit. “But we are still at a good level,” Bohnenblust said. “Some 30 percent of all products are
exported to the European Union. Glass fabrics for architectural uses as well as fabrics for
aircraft seats are currently the top runners.”

In 2011, Geissbühler produced 224 new developments and brought them to the market. “This is
the result of our corporate philosophy,” Bohnenblust said. “In our laboratory, the word ‘no’
doesn’t exist. In the lab, we want to find solutions. Flexibility stands above all.” And what is
the minimum quantity for a new product development? “Not that much,” she added. “The average is
1,000 meters for a new product.”


Multifunctional System


Such a wide product range requires an extremely flexible production system concept. “That’s
why we decided in 2005 to go forward,” Bohnenblust said. Geissbühler is working according to a
Brückner plant concept. Some 10 years ago, Bohnenblust heard the name Brückner for the first time.
“At that time, we were still working with two lines. After the decision in 2005 to put in a new
flexible system, we created a well-defined system profile. The system concept should allow us to
work not only with paste coating, but also with wet and dry laminating. Moreover, Swiss
environmental standards must to be fulfilled.” After a comprehensive test procedure, Geissbühler
decided to buy a Brückner line.

“You know,” Bohnenblust said, “one of our strengths is the ability to coat. With the new
machine, water-based coatings as well as solvent-based coatings can be applied. This is thanks to
the web guide roll direct coating processes on textile fabrics and films, but reverse coating
processes on transfer paper also are possible.” Therefore, she said, there is great flexibility to
execute various production processes such as:

  • direct coating on textile fabrics and films;
  • reverse coatings on transfer paper;
  • impregnation and immersion coatings;
  • dry and wet laminations of membranes and fabrics, for example, films; and
  • independent production of membranes.


Environmentally Friendly


With the purchase of the Brückner plant, the annual production capacity of Geissbühler could
be doubled, and the throughput time in the two-shift production reduced. And what about the
environmental impact, as the Swiss standards are quite high? “Yes,” Bohnenblust said, “the coating
line was completed by a thermal exhaust air cleaning system that is able to clear about 15,000
normal cubic meters (Nm3) clean air, relative to 0°C. In addition, the energy released by this
purification process can be used to heat the tenter frame dryer and the production hall.

“The exhaust air flow inside the tenter frame, particularly with solvent-based coating
systems, requires absolute precision, expertise and experience to meet the energy technical
requirements,” Bohnenblust continued. “With these criteria, a perfect energy concept was
implemented, which ensures an optimum utilization of energy. We can work on the plant up to 320-cm
working width, even with solvents, as they are eliminated completely in thermal afterburning, and
the air released into the atmosphere is absolutely inert.”

DPF4

The coating line is equipped with a thermal exhaust air cleaning system, mounted on the
roof of the production hall.


Fulfilled Requirements


Among other major criteria was that the temperature distribution had to be absolutely
uniform over the entire dryer length and width. According to Bohnenblust, this temperature accuracy
is a vital requirement for a high quality of the coatings during the drying and curing process.

Since November 2009, Geissbühler has been working with the new Brückner production system.
What is the experience up to now? “During the negotiations and the erection of the plant, we were
impressed by the willingness of the Brückner people to implement our wishes 100 percent,”
Bohnenblust said. “This is our first truly modern finishing line. Everything has gone smoothly, and
we’ve never faced any problems. And the benefits are enormous: economic efficiency, quality and
extreme flexibility of the system allow us to produce more articles than ever before.”


The Correct Decision


Bohnenblust sees the future of the company mainly in the technical textiles sector. “If one
compares the situation today with that of 10 years ago, there is an ever-increasing price pressure
for traditional products such as apparel fabrics. However, the pressure is much less for us,
because we are specialists. Therefore, our range has grown even further in the direction of
industrial applications.”

And have the expectations been met? “Definitely,” Bohnenblust said. “The Brückner equipment
allows us the opportunity to incorporate our own ideas, which gives us an important competitive
advantage. You can also see it this way: The new plant is the main reason for the continuing growth
of our company.” And what are Bohnenblust and her staff doing to be successful in the future?
“Well, we have proximity to the market, and we take the customer seriously. And, as I said before,
the word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in this company.”

May/June 2012

MFG.com And National Tooling And Machining Association Agree On Strategic Partnership To Help Accelerate Reshoring And Job Creation In The United States

ATLANTA — May 17, 2012 — MFG.com, the world’s leading marketplace for the manufacturing of
engineered made-to-order parts, textiles and packaging today announced a strategic partnership with
the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA). The objective of the partnership is to
accelerate reshoring and job creation in the United States.

MFG.com and NTMA share a common vision to see a revitalized and strong job shop market in the
United States. By working together, MFG.com and NTMA will use their complimentary assets and
credible voices to evangelize the benefits of reshoring, hosting online and offline events where
members can meet OEM’s wanting to reshore, provide thought leadership, best practices and trend
data.

“We are at a critical moment in time for America manufacturing,” said Roger Atkins, Chairman
of the Board, of NTMA. “There is tremendous momentum in the market right now; it is incumbent upon
all of us, and especially the association representing job shops in America to make sure the
momentum continues, is sustainable and that all of our members benefit from this rising tide.
MFG.com is by far the largest and most credible online marketplace for the manufacturing industry
and has a lot of resources and connections to bring to bear in this fight for America’s economic
future. The leadership at MFG.com is equally as passionate and dedicated as we are at NTMA about
doing our parts to create a vibrant and sustainable job shop market in America.”

“NTMA is a powerful association with the ability to influence and champion the revival of
manufacturing in the United States. We are pleased to support NTMA and its’ members to help them
capitalize on the strong demand for machining and die / mold making services in the U.S” said Mitch
Free, Founder & CEO of MFG.com. “I began my career as a machinist and completed a tool and die
apprenticeship program. Needless to say, helping the success of job shops in America is something I
am passionate about as they are the engine of our economy and the key to the quality of life we
enjoy as Americans.”



Posted on May 21, 2012

Source: MFG.com

Safety Of Nano-Products For Human Beings And The Environment

BONNIGHEIM, Germany — May 11, 2012 — Nano-particles (Greek: nanos = dwarf) are now being used to
create fascinating products with totally new functionalities. These include textiles from which
dirt simply runs off or which have an anti-bacterial effect. But as is the case with every new
technology, this one must also be safe to use. It is therefore of interest to both manufacturers
and users of such high-tech products that nano-particles are harmless for both human beings and the
environment over the entire life cycle of the products.

To this end in December 2010 the “TechnoTox” research project was launched with the objective
of performing a situation-based risk assessment of textile nano-products. The project is sponsored
by the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is based on an initiative of AFBW e.V. (Allianz
Faserbasierte Werkstoffe Baden-Württemberg) and is studying in detail the questions surrounding
textile nano-technology.

The German Council on the Environment (SRU) published the following statement in2011 on the
use of nano-materials: “To date there has been no scientific proof to the effect that
nano-materials, as manufactured and used today, lead to damage to the environment and to health.”

However, since an increasing use of nano-functionalised textiles is expected in the future in
addition to possible uses of new nano-materials which have not yet been considered in previous risk
assessments, there is still a need for meaningful test methods on the effects of nano-materials and
their toxicological properties.

The “TechnoTox” project is studying whether nano-functionalised textiles are safe for human
beings and the environment. Data on behaviour, retention and on the biological effect of
nano-functionalised fibre-based materials in relation to environmental conditions is being prepared
and a situation-based risk assessment is being carried out. During the project methods are also
being developed which have made possible the proof and characterisation of nano-particles alongside
the analysis of their human and eco-toxicological risk potential in relevant environmental media.

The project is being run in close cooperation between science and industry. The project
partners involved are the Institut für Textil- und Verfahrenstechnik Denkendorf (ITV), the
Hohenstein Institute for Textile Innovation and several industrial companies.

Through their participation in the project all participants want to drive forward their own
developments in nano-technologically modified textiles and ensure their safety from a risk
perspective based on the accompanying and complementary test methodology.

An interdisciplinary approach is secured through the involvement of commercial companies.
This is being implemented using the example of the textile chain of companies in Baden-Württemberg.

The objective of this project is to expand the competitiveness of the innovative companies
which are producing nano-products plus also to process nano-materials or nano-technologically
functionalised materials as well as to support the responsible utilisation of nano-technology.

The project is using a complementary solutions-based approach in which physical materials
studies on exposure are directly coupled to effect-related biological studies.The results of the
studies are aggregated and assessed for any correspondence of effects (of the effective
concentration for example).

The determination of particle properties and effects on real products enables a comprehensive
hazard and risk assessment to be made for nano-technology functionalised fibre-based materials in
consumer products.



Posted on May 22, 2012

Source: Hohenstein Institute

Hohenstein To Present Nano Silver Findings At AATCC/STRC Joint Conference

BURLINGTON, N.C. — May 8, 2012 — Dr. Sam Moore of Hohenstein Institute America will present interim
findings from a long term study of the effects of nano silver particles on the environment. The
presentation will be made at the joint conference of the American Association of Textile Chemists
and Colorists (AATCC) and the Southern Textile Research Conference (STRC) to be held May 20-22,
2012 at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort in Pawley’s Island, SC. The conference is titled
Sustainability, Innovation & Opportunity in the Textile Industry. Dr. Moore’s presentation is
“Nano Silver Particles, Environmental Impact and Policy” and will be given on May 22. Registration
information and details about other presentations can be found on the AATCC website.

Nano silver particles are used in antimicrobial treatments for many kinds of products. When
applied to apparel and textiles, these treatments control odors, material degradation, and other
detrimental effects microbes can have on fabrics. However, questions have been raised about the
environmental impact when these nano silver particles are released from fabrics through washing and
every day wear and tear. Because no definitive information was available to assess the
environmental risks, the German Ministry of Education and Research formed a partnership of 16
institutions, businesses, and regulatory authorities to generate the data. Hohenstein, as a leading
textile research and testing institute, was invited to participate. The three-year “UMSICHT” study
launched in May 2010 and is managed by the University of Bremen. Dr. Moore’s presentation will
include the latest findings from this study along with an update on the EU’s environmental policies
regarding nano silver. 

Additional information about the “UMSICHT” study can be found at
http://www.umsicht.uni-bremen.de/index%20engl.htm.

Posted on May 16, 2012

Source: Hohenstein Institute America

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Statement On Entry Into Force Of The U.S.-Colombia Trade Agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C. — May 15, 2012 — This afternoon, United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk
celebrated the entry into force of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.

“Today, the historic U.S.-Colombia trade agreement is in effect. It brings benefits to
businesses of every size in both of our countries,” said Ambassador Kirk. “This is good news for
U.S. entrepreneurs, workers, farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and service providers who are ready
to export more U.S. goods and services to Colombia’s growing market. Similarly, it’s good news for
Colombia, which stands to gain in terms of economic growth, jobs, and permanent access to the
world’s largest market here in the United States.

“This historic trade agreement also affirms the strong and deep relationship between the
United States and Colombia, one of our closest friends and allies in the hemisphere,” he
continued.  President Obama and President Santos were unwavering in their shared commitment to
secure a historic trade agreement that boosts trade and jobs and that works for businesses and
workers in both our countries.”

Ambassador Kirk also noted that the U.S. and Colombia will continue to work together on the
Action Plan Related to Labor Rights.  He was joined by Colombian Ambassador to the United
States Gabriel Silva and House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady who also made
remarks highlighting the value of the Agreement for workers in both countries. Ambassador Kirk’s
full remarks may be found
here.

Detailed information about the immediate benefits of the agreement for American workers and
businesses is available
here.

Posted on May 15, 2012

Source: USTR

The Rupp Report: ITMA Asia + CITME 2012 Ante Portas

Since the closing of ITM Texpo Eurasia in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 24, there is one event
remaining for the global textile industry: ITMA Asia + CITME 2012. Several weeks ago, the Rupp
Report informed its readers about the great success of the pre-registration of the show, which has
added floor space at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), where the event will take
place June 12-16, 2012
(See ”
The
Rupp Report: Successful ITMA Asia + CITME 2012 Anticipated,”
TextileWorld.com, April 17, 2012).

Will The Chinese Come?

For almost every Western supplier of textile machinery, China is still the most important
sales market in the world. It is also very clear that the Chinese customers didn’t show up at ITMA
in Barcelona Spain, in September 2011, nor at ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012. Why should they do so? They
will have their own home game in June.

Well, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, the success with pre-registrations for
the show is a fact. But will they come to see the best of the global textile machinery industry?
Nobody knows at the moment. China is facing some problems with its economy. This also was reported
by the Rupp Report some weeks ago
(See ”
The
Rupp Report: China Is Concerned,”
TextileWorld.com, February 28, 2012).

Some Turmoil

Over the last months, China has faced some unusual new problems and difficulties. Mainly
Western countries pushed China to devaluate its currency. Other problems are that exports have
dropped, but energy and raw material prices have risen tremendously, as they have in many other
countries.

On the other hand, China’s gross domestic product registered 8.9 percent year-on-year growth
in the fourth quarter of 2011. This is the slowest pace since the first half of 2009. So, China has
to solve a lot of problems in the current year. However, the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME 2012
seems to be a successful event in spite of the everlasting question about the rhythm of the ITMAs
in Europe and Asia. Furthermore, according to the latest statistics show that China’s textile
machinery foreign trade grew year-on-year by 25.6 percent, totaling US$7.6 billion in 2011.

Intellectual Property Rights

One issue that is always in the center of attention when talking to Western producers of
textile machinery is product piracy. In the April 17 Rupp Report, this issue was posed to Daphne
Poon, regional marketing communications director with show organizers MP International Pte Ltd.
This report provoked some feedback among the Western textile machinery community. “Wishful
thinking” was one of the polite comments to her statement that “the general regulations of ITMA
Asia + CITME 2012 also clearly state that all exhibitors must respect, and are liable for ensuring
protection of, the intellectual property rights of other exhibitors and of third parties — such as,
for example, patents, trademarks, copyrights and such — when displaying their products at the
show.” And her answer regarding any infringement of this was also very clear: “If it is proven to
the show organiser that an exhibitor has infringed the intellectual property rights of another
exhibitor or a third party, the organiser is entitled to remove the exhibit/s causing the
infringement and to stop the offending exhibitor from continuing with his participation.” So far,
so good: This is an official opinion.

Have Your Say

However, how are the exhibitors of the Western world thinking about this and other issues
regarding the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME? In the next few days, the Rupp Report will send out a
questionnaire to opinion leaders asking about their expectations and their thoughts about the
forthcoming event. Among other items, the recipients will provide answers to questions such as,
“What is the biggest change you see in business this year prior to ITMA Asia? Or, another important
question: Are the mills receptive to new technology, or are they on the sidelines? A very important
topic is the green movement. Are sustainability and traceability a desired reality for the
customers? Or is it just wishful thinking? In times of a difficult financial environment, what are
the conditions the industry is experiencing that are most influencing its business, or even the
customers?

It will be interesting to see the answers to these and many other questions. They will be
published on this page in the next few weeks. Any feedback is always welcome. Ni hau, see you in
June at ITMA Asia + CITME 2012.

May 15, 2012

NAT, Lenzing Sign Joint Development Agreement

Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT), Vancouver, Canada, and Lenzing AG, Austria, have
entered into a joint development agreement under which the two companies will evaluate the blending
of NAT’s enzymatically processed CRAiLAR® Flax fiber with Lenzing’s Tencel® and Lenzing Modal®
regenerated cellulosic fibers. Potential applications for any yarns that might be developed include
fashion and sport performance.

“This is an important development for CRAiLAR Flax in that, to-date, both of our commercial
and exploratory partnership agreements have been focused on how CRAiLAR can blend at varying levels
with natural fibers for apparel, home and industrial applications,” said Ken Barker, CEO, NAT.
“With Lenzing, we can now evaluate the opportunity to expand the host fibers with which CRAiLAR can
blend to identify new performance attributes, applications and industries. This is truly a new
frontier for the future of our natural fibers, and working with the global leader Lenzing creates a
very powerful industry platform in both sustainability and performance. This partnership will have
applications in industry sectors where polyester fibers have been the norm, in addition to our
existing applications as a sustainable complement to cotton.”

The two companies intend to develop a range of yarns that: stress the fibers’ sustainability
attributes; leverage the water absorption and wicking properties of each fiber to offer
alternatives to current materials used in athletic and sport performance apparel; and develop a
blended yarn featuring Crailar and Lenzing’s fibers to offer to the women’s fashion market.

May 15, 2012

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