Techtextil North America 2011 Closes With Positive Reviews And Builds Momentum For Future West Coast Editions

ATLANTA — April 2011 — The eighth edition of Techtextil North America took place March 15 – 17,
2011 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the second edition on the
West Coast and resulted in the majority of exhibitors and visitors being pleasantly surprised and
pleased with show.

The 2011 event hosted 94 exhibitors from 11 countries, while the total verified attendance
reached 1,114 from 32 countries.

David Audrain, President of Messe Frankfurt USA commented on the conclusion of the 2011
edition “I am pleased with how well received the Techtextil North America Symposium was, and the
many very positive responses we had from the majority of our exhibitors regarding the quality of
attendees they met with. The west coast edition of Techtextil North America has proven that there
is a highly-qualified audience for technical textiles in the western half of North America. We
still have a lot of work to do to make this the event we know it can be, but with the help of some
key manufacturers and supporters, I am confident that we can continue to build this event into an
excellent value for all our customers.”

The kickoff to the event was the keynote address by Jeremy Litchfield, Founder/Chief
Pacesetter of Atayne who commented that “All the way around Techtextil North America was an
outstanding event. The show proved to be a great resource for discovering partners with products
and technologies our company was looking for. The happy hour reception each day was a very nice
touch. It provided for some great networking opportunities outside of the individual booths. The
symposium was also a great learning experience. I have never experienced such a wide breadth of
topics at other shows.”

Symposium 2011

Held concurrently with the exhibition, the symposium contained ten sessions with more than 40
presentations in a variety of formats that covered a wide range of topics from high performance
nonwovens, sustainable materials, military developments and research to medical textiles.

Cleveland Heath with the Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility and one of the
speakers, summarized that “Techtextil North America offered an excellent opportunity to interact
with government laboratories, academia and private sector notables to discuss a variety of
evolutionary textile technologies pertinent to my application needs. My experience resulted in
several promising relationships for which I’m thankful. Great Symposium!”

Posted on April 19, 2011

Source: Messe Frankfurt Inc.

STR Responsible Sourcing Helps Companies Comply With California Transparency In Supply Chains Act

LOS ANGELES — April 7, 2011 — Specialized Technology Resources Responsible Sourcing (STR RS), a
leading global provider of ethical sourcing consulting services, today announced the introduction
of a new program called “Act Now” to help companies comply with the California Transparency in
Supply Chains Act, which goes into effect on January 1, 2012. According to the Act, retail sellers
and manufacturers with annual worldwide gross receipts over $100 million who do business in
California must publicly disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from
their direct supply chains.

“A lot of companies are surprised that this new law applies to them. California is the eighth
largest economy in the world, so this legislation will affect over 3,000 national and international
companies, regardless of where they are located,” said Rachelle Jackson, Director of Research &
Development for STR Responsible Sourcing. “Companies will have to be prepared to disclose their
efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their supply chains. This is a big job and
companies that do business in California or sell to a buyer that the Act applies to need to begin
preparing now.”

STR RS’ “Act Now” program offers services to companies in the five areas mandated by the Act
related to slavery and human trafficking. This includes:

•
Third Party Verification of Supply Chains — STR RS provides customized supply
chain mapping and comprehensive risk services to identify existing risks related to human
trafficking, slavery and other labor issues, such as child and migrant labor.

•
Independent and Unannounced Audits of Suppliers — With nearly 20 years of social
auditing experience, STR RS can help companies ensure that suppliers comply with local and
international laws on slavery and human trafficking, including assessments of supplier recruitment
processes.

•
Supplier Certification of Legal Compliance — STR RS can help companies establish a
certification mechanism for direct suppliers to ensure that components incorporated into a
company’s product comply with country laws on slavery and human trafficking.

•
Internal Accountability Standards and Procedures for Employees and Contractors —
To assess the robustness of internal policies and procedures related to human trafficking, STR RS
conducts in-depth systems gap analysis and makes recommendations for compliance. STR RS also
provides support in policy development.

•
Training on Human Trafficking and Slavery for Company Employees and Management With Direct
Responsibility for Supply Chain Management — STR RS offers comprehensive training on the
risk of forced labor and human trafficking in supply chains, which can be delivered in person or
via the web in over 30 languages.

An estimated 12.3 million people are enslaved around the world today. Human trafficking ranks
second, after drug smuggling and tied with arms dealing, in organized crime activities. There are
anywhere between 600,000 and 800,000 victims trafficked through international borders every year,
which does not include the millions trafficked domestically within their own countries. As many as
18,000 men, women, and children are trafficked into the U.S. every year.

Although the Act does not require companies to engage in any efforts to eradicate slavery and
human trafficking from their direct supply chain, it will certainly increase the pressure on
companies to engage in such activities since advocacy groups, who are the major supporters of this
Act, will likely be tracking public disclosures.

“Right now, California has not defined what penalties companies might face if they do not
comply with the Act. However, it is clear that the consumer advocacy groups that pushed for this
legislation will be watching closely and publicizing this information,” said Jackson. “Other states
and the federal government are also looking at developing similar legislation.”

“The bottom line is that companies need to decide the scope and depth of their public
disclosure. They can either state publicly that they aren’t doing anything to address this issue or
they can implement policies and systems to address this serious issue. The intent of the
legislation is to encourage companies to act on a hidden issue that is now being put into the
spotlight. STR RS can help companies manage this complicated process,” added Jackson.

Posted on April 19, 2011

Source: STR Responsible Sourcing

Techtextil 2011 Exhibitor Preview: Karl Mayer

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — March 2, 2011 — KARL MAYER will mainly be exhibiting alongside its
subsidiary, KARL MAYER Malimo, as a leading pioneer in the field of technical textiles. This
well-known, global company, which is based in Obertshausen, not only builds efficient, flexible
machines for producing functional textiles, it also develops new applications and markets for
warp-knitted products. The end-uses currently showing the most potential are the sectors of
composites for lightweight construction technology and coatings. Particular requirements here are a
low weight, a long service life, and a high load-bearing capacity, requirements that can be met
optimally by the multiaxial reinforcing textiles produced on the Malitronic® MULTIAXIAL machine and
the grid-like warp-knitted backing/coating substrates produced on the Wefttronic®. The success of
these high-speed machines in practice speaks for itself. The textiles, which are bonded by means of
thermosetting or thermoplastic materials, are already being used to reinforce car bodies and
aircraft components, the rotor blades of wind turbines, sports equipment and moving machine
components, but they are also being used in the construction industry as backings for the
reinforcement in textile-reinforced concrete — and these are just a few of their many applications.
The increased demand for lightweight components in the automotive sector and the need to generate
renewable energy is likely to lead to rapid growth in the business for the products manufactured on
the Malitronic® MULTIAXIAL machine.

The Wefttronic® raschel machine with magazine weft insertion mainly produces grid-like and
full-width warp-knitted fabrics from high-performance yarns for use as printed advertising media in
particular. As well as having a low weight, these high-quality textiles are suitable for use
outdoors, which makes them ideal for use as all kinds of coating/backing substrates.

KARL MAYER will also be focusing on the production of textiles that match the contours of the
end product at Techtextil. In particular, the double-bar raschel machines manufactured by this
well-known manufacturer can produce a wide range of ‘ready-to-use’ products.

These include the warp-knitted spacer textiles produced on the HighDistance® machine in the
shape of car seats for use in the sub-upholstery, seven-zone mattress components, which are also
produced on the HighDistance® machine, and functional, seamless sportswear, which can be produced
in a wide range of different styles and at a high production rate on the DJ series of machines.

KARL MAYER’s innovative machine technology not only focuses on manufacturing textiles
directly, but also on the preliminary stages. This company supplies the Multitens yarn tension
controller from the range it acquired from Benninger’s Weaving Preparation Division, which can
process technical yarns both gently and efficiently. The Rot-O-Tens is another innovative product
for controlling the yarn tension. This is a motor-driven type with an efficient energy recycling
system, which helps to reduce the amortisation period.

KARL MAYER’s clients can rely completely on the Opt-O-Matic for producing warp beams for
technical applications. This warping machine produces uniform band circumferences at high operating
speeds, even when processing extremely sensitive yarns. Visitors to Techtextil 2011 can expect
clearly laid-out exhibits, detailed information and knowledgeable conversations about this wide and
varied range of products. Therefore, it is well worth paying a visit to KARL MAYER on stand B07 in
hall 3.0.

Posted on April 18, 2011

Source: Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH

First Announcement And Call For Papers Issued For TCL2011

DROITWICH, England — April 14, 2011 — TCL2011, the original and most-followed international
conference on the coating and laminating of textiles, will be held on 17-18 November 2011 in
Orlando, FL, USA.

Following the very successful conference last year in Cannes, France, this year’s meeting
will be eagerly anticipated. It is the first time TCL has been held in the USA since 2005.

International experts will discuss topics including:

• developments in coating and laminating technology

• coating materials

• end-use applications

• testing

Subjects for consideration will include the latest updates on: coatings for flame retardancy,
heat resistance, water repellency, weather resistance, and ballistic protection; technologies such
as plasma technology, UV curing, infrared treatment and hotmelt systems; and coating materials
including nanocoatings, ceramic coatings, silicone coatings and hotmelt coatings, along with
smart/intelligent coatings and laminates.

Call for papers issued

 Although the core of the programme will be presentations by invited experts, in
order to give an opportunity for anyone with exciting and relevant ideas to present to a high-level
international audience, a call for papers is being issued for contributions with emphasis on work
that will impact the industry, short term as well as the future. Selection of the papers to be
presented will be based on abstracts of 300-500 words. Authors should emphasize new and significant
findings/developments.

Abstracts must be received before May 15, 2011 and sent to William C. (Bill) Smith, Symposium
Director TCL2011, 110 Shady Creek Court, Greer, SC 29650, USA; Email:
smithita@charter.net; Phone: 864-236-5631;
Fax:1-888-752-1169.

Background

TCL2011 is the next edition of the original and long running International TCL conferences
organized and run yearly by Bill Smith of Industrial Textile Associates, USA. TCL was begun in 1990
and alternated between the US and Europe. We are pleased to announce that TCL2011 is sponsored with
ITA by Technical Textiles International and International Newsletters Ltd of the UK.

A limited number of table-top displays will be available as well for companies to present
their sales message.

Program

We will develop the program with the theme A Vital Industry Moving Forward — For now and the
future.

Session 1: The State of the Industry: Talks focused on an overview of the industry covering
the depth of the industry, a look at the economic outlook, global developments that will affect
industry, environmental and legislation/regulation issues.

Session 2: Techniques and Materials: Presentations that focus on machinery and techniques
such as new, more efficient production equipment, adhesive/bonding systems, developments in
polymers, plasma and other treatments, and techniques for extreme properties.

Session 3: Technology for Growth: Topics such as nanotechnology,
antimicrobial/antibacterial, smart/intelligent C/L, green technology for coating and laminating,
conducting materials, developments in surface modifications, self-decontaminating, self-repair,
treatments for improved properties, etc.

Session 4: Opportunities: Focused on developing markets and applications such as
solar/thermal, fuel cells, medical/biotechnology, extreme materials, leisure, commercial, and “out
of this world” potential.

Who should attend

 Anyone involved in any facet of the textiles coating or laminating industries
should attend, to hear of the latest developments regarding fibres, fabrics, adhesives, films,
polymers, coating and laminating techniques, converting, markets and other aspects of the industry.

About the Conference Chairman

The Conference Chairman will once again be William C. (Bill) Smith, Principal, Industrial
Textile Associates, USA, who originated and developed the conference series as Editor of the
Journal of Coated Fabrics (now the Journal of Industrial Textiles), and most recently has edited a
new book on ‘Smart/Intelligent Coating and Laminating’.

Venue

The venue for the 2011 meeting will be the 4-star Buena Vista Palace Hotel in Orlando, FL,
USA. Ideally situated for the tourist attractions of the Orlando area, the hotel is just 10m (16km)
from Orlando International Airport.

To register, or for further information, please contact the organisers at: International
Newsletters Ltd, 44 Friar Street, Droitwich, Worcs, WR9 8ED, UKTel: +44 (0) 870 1657210 Fax: +44
(0) 870 1657212. E-mail:
sales@intnews.com Or visit our website
www.intnews.com/TCL2011

Posted on April 15, 2011

Source: International Newsletters Ltd.

COTTON USA Sourcing Program Holds Western Hemisphere Sourcing Fair

WASHINGTON — April 13, 2011 — To strengthen sales of U.S. cotton yarns and fabrics to the region,
the COTTON USA Sourcing Program brought together seven U.S. mills, 15 Latin American and European
retailers, and 47 Andean, Central American and Mexican apparel manufacturers for a two-day Sourcing
Fair in Lima, Peru, Apr. 5-7, 2011.

Attendees held private meetings to discuss business opportunities that would move U.S. cotton
yarns and fabrics through the regional supply chain. Close to 700 individual meetings took place.

The event included a conference session with a panel of experts who addressed textile and
apparel trade issues such as an overview of textile and apparel agreements between Latin America
and Europe; a review of the current cotton price situation; a discussion of Western Hemisphere
textile and garment industry capabilities; and sourcing requirements for European brands &
retailers.

The event enabled overseas buyers to meet all segments of the Western Hemisphere supply chain
in one location. This streamlined approach to sourcing reinforced existing business relationships
and fostered new relationships between U.S. mills, their Latin American customers, and downstream
buyers from their region and from Europe.

The timing of the Sourcing Fair was excellent since European brands and retailers have
recently gained interest in sourcing opportunities from Latin America as increased costs in Asia
and political uncertainties in North Africa have strained usual supply channels. European and Latin
American regional sourcing is positive for U.S. cotton and cotton yarn and fabric since goods
sourced in the Western Hemisphere are a high percentage U.S. fiber.

Posted on April 15, 2011

Source: Cotton Council International

UK-Based SRG Apparel Selects Visual 2000 ERP And PLM Software

MANCHESTER, U.K. — April 11, 2011 — Visual 2000 International Inc. announces that UK fashion
menswear company SRG Apparel PLC has selected Visual IIS™ ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and
Visual PLM.net® Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software solutions for use at its Manchester
headquarters. The new Visual 2000 End-2-End solutions will replace existing business software
systems to provide an updated technology platform that will more effectively support the company’s
continued growth.   

According to SRG Apparel Director Mahesh Patel, “After careful consideration we chose Visual
2000 because they can provide and support us with a genuine end-to-end fashion solution. They
uniquely demonstrated the flexibility and user friendliness that we were looking for in our new
system. We also appreciate the fact that their system interfaces perfectly with the Adobe®
Illustrator® software that we already have in place.”

When fully implemented later this year, the new system will be used by more than 200 SRG
design, product development, production, supply chain management, and business partner team
members.   

“We are pleased with the opportunity to work with SRG Apparel”, stated Tony Walker, European
Sales Director for Visual 2000. “We applaud their commitment to supporting their teams with an
advanced business solution that will seamlessly integrate key areas of their business. We look
forward to helping them achieve the process and efficiency improvements needed to support current
and future growth.”

Posted on April 15, 2011

Source: Visual 2000 International Inc.

Manufacturers, Importers Project 10-15 Percent Rise In The Price Of Retail Goods This Summer

NEW YORK CITY — April 13, 2010 — According to a new survey of retail goods manufacturers and
importers, consumer goods at retail are likely to rise by 10-15 percent later this spring and into
the summer, particularly in the apparel and home furnishings segments.

The increases are due to spikes in commodities and logistics costs. 94.4 percent of those
surveyed believe that the increased cost of cotton will affect the cost of high cotton content
products such as sheets, t-shirts and socks, this spring and summer with almost half (44.4 percent)
expecting prices of high cotton content products to increase by 10 percent or more.

The survey polled over 70 manufacturers and importers, and was conducted throughout the week
of March 14, 2011.

Additional key findings in the survey included: more than half (62 percent) of respondents
said that their logistics costs have increased by more than 5 percent in the past year. Of those
who identified an increase in logistics costs, almost two-thirds (64.1 percent) are passing at
least some portion of the increased cost along to the retailer and consumer, causing retail prices
to escalate even more. For manufacturers and importers the rise in oil prices (89.6 percent) as
well as the conflicts in Egypt and Libya (62.5 percent) is the driving force behind this increase.

The Global Retail Manufacturers and Importers Survey, conducted by Capital Business Credit
LLC (CBC), a global integrated financial products and services company with an emphasis in the
retail sector, surveyed manufacturers and importers in the apparel, housewares, home furnishings,
fashion accessories and furniture industries, who manufacture some, if not all, of their products
in China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“Speculation of inflation has haunted the global economy since the recovery began. This fear
has been due in part, to the rising cost of raw materials. We now have concrete proof that the cost
of raw materials correlates to higher consumer prices. At CBC, we believe this is a sustained
change that will continue into the fall season and beyond,” said Andrew Tananbaum, executive
chairman of Capital Business Credit.

Cotton

94.5 percent of respondents have seen an increase in the cost of raw materials over the last
12 months. To combat the increased cost of raw materials, 88.9 percent will be replacing some of
the cotton content in their products with rayon and others with Lycra (11 percent). More than a
quarter (27.8 percent) of those who have high-cotton content products will vary the cut or design
of their products to use less raw material. The increased cost of raw materials will effect all
points of the retail supply chain as more than half (57.1 percent) of those surveyed said that
manufacturers, importers, retailers and consumers will all be absorbing the price increases.

Logistics

The CBC survey also identified that the skyrocketing cost of logistics — due in large part to
the rising cost of oil — is a major cost concern (80 percent) for importers and manufacturers. 62
percent of respondents said that logistics costs have increased by more than 5 percent in the last
12 months and over half (54.2 percent) cited oil as the cause of increased logistics costs of 5
percent or more.

To deal with the increased cost of logistics, 35.9 percent of manufacturers and importers are
absorbing the cost, 28.2 percent are passing along this cost to the retailer/customer and 35.9
percent are absorbing some of the cost as well as passing some of the cost along.

“The rising cost of logistics will have a significant effect on manufacturers, importers,
retailers and consumers. Margins will be cut and prices will increase, causing stresses and cracks
along the entire supply chain. Current events will only amplify these already existing problems,”
commented Tananbaum. “The findings of the CBC survey reveal that there has been a fundamental shift
in the marketplace and that this will have a direct impact on the everyday consumer. The increased
costs of logistics and raw materials have created the perfect storm whose elements will be visible
this spring and summer.”

Posted on April 15, 2011

Source: Capital Business Credit LLC

PrintLat Appointed Master Distributor Of Onyx For Latin America

MIRAMAR, Fla. — April 5, 2011 — PrintLat LLC has signed an agreement with Onyx to become their
Master Distributor for Latin America. With this addition PrintLat will expand their offering
options to their dealers, complementing their portfolio of medias, equipment, inks and finishing
solutions. Onyx will get better penetration to the region, according to Franklin Fuentes, Manager
for Latin America, Onyx.

Posted on April 15, 2011

Source: PrintLat LLC

Polartec Partners With Big Bill To Produce Line Of Flame Resistant Garments

LAWRENCE, Mass. — April 6, 2011 — Codet’s Big Bill® brand, a leading manufacturer of work wear for
the oil, gas, petrochemical, electrical utility, power generation, mining and industrial markets,
has partnered with Polartec® to produce a full layering system of high performance garments using
Polartec’s Flame Resistant (FR) fabric technology.

Big Bill® is launching the “Big Bill Active FR” line of full Polartec® Flame Resistant
layering solutions in the US and Canada. This layering system includes baselayer shirts made using
Polartec® Power Dry® FR, the industry’s best moisture-managing next-to-skin fabric. Midlayer
jackets and hoodies are made using highly breathable and lightweight Polartec® Thermal® FR
insulation. Big Bill Active FR outerwear and weather protection garments are made using Polartec®
Wind Pro® FR, which is four times more wind resistant than regular fleece, and Polartec® Power
Shield® FR. The launch of Polartec® Power Shield® revolutionized outerwear, providing a unique
combination of real weather resistance and breathability. Big Bill® has become the first
manufacturer to offer this soft shell technology in a flame resistant garment with Polartec® Power
Shield® FR.

“Big Bill understands quality, performance, and the need to be on the cutting edge of
innovation both in fabric selection and garment design”, says Michael Batson, Polartec’s Global FR
Business Manager. “Polartec has become the first high performance fabric technology company in the
world to offer everything from lightweight high performance FR baselayers to extreme weather
protection layering choices. We’ve worked with Codet to provide FR layering solutions that maximize
comfort and performance.”

Polartec FR fabrics are inherently flame resistant, tested in both in-house and independent
state-of-the-art laboratories, and pass relevant industry certifications.

Posted on April 15, 2011

Source: Polartec LLC

Tatham Ltd. Introduces TSX Control System

United Kingdom-based Tatham Ltd. — a global supplier of drive and control equipment for woolen and
nonwovens processing — has developed a system that provides higher production speeds and improved
product weight distribution for crosslapper control while offering substantial energy savings.

The TSX control system, which can be retrofitted to all makes of crosslappers, uses ABB
high-performance machinery drives and servomotors. Depending on the existing crosslapper
configuration, several panel combinations are available. The system is linked to the master process
control using Profibus, an ABB AC500 programmable logic controller (PLC) that provides positioning
data to the drives, which then convert the data into control signals to maintain servomotor speed.

According to Tatham, when the TSX system was retrofitted to an existing crosslapper, the
energy usage dropped from 60 Amps to 15 Amps. The company reports the software offers precise,
repeatable positioning to provide complete control of the batt profile. The ABB PLC, drives and
servomotors are used to vary the speed at which the batt is laid down, offering a more accurate and
controllable buildup of the layers. The TSX system can adjust carriage speed at the edges of the
batt to avoid distortions and maintain the required density across the entire width. The parameters
may be adjusted using the touchscreen operator interface, and the batt density may be adjusted
across its width to suit the product requirements with coefficient of variation values of around 1
percent.

Tatham also offers a closed loop control system to automatically adjust the batt profile to
the preset requirements. The system can be extended to link with Tatham’s own TS weight control
system if required.

Tatham has installed TSX systems at a geotextile manufacturer in Malaysia, papermaker felt
producer in China, and an automotive textile producer in the United States, among numerous other
installations globally.

April 11, 2011

1...2,0442,0452,046...2,573Page 2,045 of 2,573

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2025 Quarterly Issue Number III

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.