Effective June 1, 2007, The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., will raise prices in North America
for its TERGITOL nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants and its CARBOWAX and CARBOWAX SENtrY
polyethylene and methoxypolyethylene glycols by 3 cents per pound. The company cited strong demand
and continuing high raw material costs as reasons for the increases.
May 8, 2007
The Fiber Society has issued a call for papers for presentation at its Fall 2007 conference,
scheduled October 9-11 at the University of California, Davis, Calif. Papers should present
original research related to fiber and fibrous material science and engineering, with major themes
including nano/smart/ biomemic/human-responsive technologies, bio-based/sustainable/green products
and processing, electronic materials, high-performance composites, functional/protective materials
and finishes, and other cutting-edge work in the field.
The submission deadline for proposals is June 1, 2007. For more information, visit
www.thefibersociety.org.
May 8, 2007
Ahlstrom Corp., a Finland-based manufacturer of high-performance fiber-based materials, has signed
a memorandum of understanding with Mundra Special Economic Zone in Gujarat, India, to purchase 5
hectares of land in the Textile and Apparel Park. The company plans to begin production of
fiber-based materials at that location to supply its FiberComposites business units customers in
export and domestic markets.
May 8, 2007
Tolland, Conn.-based Gerber Technology has established a wholly-foreign-owned enterprise in Hanoi,
Vietnam, and plans to open a service location in Da Nang and a branch office in Ho Chi Minh City.
The branch office will include an Advanced Technology Centre equipped with Gerber’s
computer-aided design systems with plotters as well as its multi-ply cutting systems and automated
spreading systems. As the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, the center will serve as a facility
for product demonstration, system testing and training for the centers customers, engineers and
students. Gerber Technology also will offer service to apparel and related industrial companies in
Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
“There is a tremendous opportunity for companies in Vietnam to improve quality and expand
their production capabilities by investing more in automation,” said James S. Arthurs, president,
Asia-Pacific, Gerber Scientific Inc. “We already have over 150 customers using more than 500
systems in Vietnam, which we have sold through our distributor, Schmidt Vietnam Co. Ltd., since
first appointing them in 1994. And we are delighted that the management and staff responsible for
our operations for the last 12 to 13 years have agreed to join Gerber. This will ensure the
continuity of our customer relationships.”
May 8, 2007
Sensatex Inc., Bethesda, Md., is set to begin field trials of its SmartShirt System, a seamless
lightweight, breathable, washable nylon shirt that contains conductive fibers and functions as a
wireless, remote heart rate, respiration and movement monitor. The company licensed patented
technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has developed the technology further under
its own patented processes.
The SmartShirt uses a small personal controller to convert physiological signals from the
wearers body to digital signals that are sent to a base station using Bluetooth® or ZigBee wireless
technology. Military personnel; first responders; post-operative, physical rehabilitation and sleep
apnea patients; homebound elderly; and truckers are some of the potential test applications for the
shirt, which will be tested in a range of environments including indoors, outdoors and
underwater.
The company expects to follow the field trials with its first commercial product and also hopes
to develop the first Food and Drug Administration application using a smart textile system.
“We are very excited about beginning field tests of the system in different environments testing
different applications,” said Robert G. Kalik, CEO, Sensatex, who added that the company is seeking
corporate and governmental sponsorship for the tests.
“One of the new technologies we are working on is sleepwear for infants that will monitor for
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,” Kalik continued. “The field testing will provide us with valuable
data to address current challenges in a range of settings, and give us information to develop
important new products.”
May 8, 2007
Paris-based C-Design a developer of software solutions for the apparel industry, recently partnered
with Ottawa-based Corel Corp. a developer of productivity, graphics and digital media software to
introduce C-DESIGN Fashion®, a computer-aided design (CAD) software solution for the fashion
industry.
“We recognize that designers in the highly competitive fashion industry are under constant
pressure to take their designs from the concept sketch to the retail store more quickly than ever,”
said Patrick Abbou, CEO, C-Design. “The C-Design Fashion solution is created to meet this need
head-on, providing a one-stop software package that streamlines the fashion design process, making
fashion houses more efficient and ultimately more profitable.”
The new software built on the CorelDRAW® graphics engine and available in French, English and
Spanish supports bitmap and vector graphics formats; and offers a database of more than 18,000
existing garments, shapes and detailing for womens, mens and childrens fashions. Using C-Design
Fashion, pattern makers and designers are able to design garments and accessories by quickly adding
fabrics, colors, prints and special effects.
Technical packs included in the software enable communication to suppliers of information
such as size specifications, labeling and sewing instructions, and measurement boards.
May 8, 2007
H. Stoll GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, has applied for a patent for the production of a plated Stoll
knit and wear® seamless sweater knitted in gauge E 7.2 with all needles on the CMS 730 T knit and
wear with additional beds. The process may be used to manufacture active sportswear; functional
clothing; or sport, color-plated versions for outerwear.
According to Stoll, the process allows the sleeves and body of the garment to be knitted
simultaneously, with shaping of the three parts achieved by widening or narrowing stitch groups by
goring at the edges or within the fabric sections. Where the sleeves join the body, the separate
pieces are opened, and all three pieces are knitted together as one tubular fabric.
The process uses the plating technique to form the fabric, while eliminating errors that can
occur during traditional knit-and-wear production. It also enables imitation of the side seams
using the purl stitch technique, thus improving the fit and comfort of the garment on the body, the
company reports. The process also allows a number of pattern options including single-jersey
jacquards; piqués; cables; long-sized stitches; lace-effect, floating-thread, tuck or cast-off
patterns; and knops; among others.
May/June 2007
Valdese, N.C.-based Meridian
Specialty Yarn Group Inc. has upgraded its Valdese package dyeing facility with a DyePro host and
control system from Recore Electric, Gastonia, N.C. The company also is in the process of
overhauling and updating each of its 28 dyeing machines. The DyePro system, which cost $750,000,
offers state-of-the-art control and real-time processing information for each dye lot in each
dyeing machine, which Valdese hopes will improve both dyeing efficiency and lot repeatability.
“This investment is representative of the long-term view Meridian is taking as a supplier to
the US textile industry,” said Rob Setliff, president. “The industry has been through several rough
years, but we are committed to it, and as such, we are continuing to invest in our facilities to
ensure that they operate with the utmost in efficiency with the highest quality possible.”<
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May/June 2007
When it comes to sailing, particularly in ocean racing, extreme conditions can place tremendous stress on the boat and all its parts; and the crew must be ready at all times to respond to every possible change in conditions. Performance is optimized when the weight of riggings, sails and other top-of-the-boat components can be reduced without sacrificing strength, stability, durability and handling ease.
DSM Dyneema, the Netherlands-based maker of Dyneema® high-modulus polyethylene fiber, has supplied its fiber to makers of running riggings and sails since the 1990s. Touted as the world’s strongest fiber, on a strength-to-weight basis, it is up to 15 times as strong as steel and 40 percent stronger than aramid fiber; plus it is ultraviolet (UV)- and abrasion-resistant, and has very low elongation.
For these reasons, the Dyneema SK75 grade — the standard for high-performance rigging, according to the company — has been the rigging of choice on many boats that compete for the America’s Cup and in the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) — a round-the-world race of nine months’ duration. Now, in order to further improve the dimensional stability of riggings, the company has adapted its next-generation SK78 grade for that use.
“SK78 was actually developed to be able to withstand longer static loads, and we expect it to have many applications,” said Jaco Fok, Dyneema’s business manager for yarn. “First it has gone into sports, but we have been using it in other applications as well, most notably offshore.”
DSM Dyneema worked first with Italy-based rigging manufacturer Gottifredi Maffioli and the team of Pirates of the Caribbean, one of two 2005-06 VOR competitors that used SK78 riggings. The other, ABN Amro One, replaced part of its original rigging with the new material partway through the race. ABN Amro One won the race, and Pirates of the Caribbean came in second after winning the last leg of the race.
“In its VOR debut, SK78 reduced creep by more than half. “Under extreme conditions, that becomes very important,” Fok said. “If you use it for a halyard in an ocean race, where maybe for a month that halyard is under tension, the creep might not be much, but if it can make a few minutes’ difference at the end, then you either win or lose.”
Now Dyneema has teamed with commercial rigging and sailboat makers to offer SK78 in the recreational marine market. Samson Rope Technologies Inc., Ferndale, Wash.; New England Ropes, Fall River, Mass.; and Liros, Germany, all offer riggings made with SK78.
France-based Beneteau now offers running rigging made with SK78 on most of its performance cruising boats, including the complete Beneteau First range. The rigging is manufactured by Corderie Henri Lancelin, also based in France.
“There’s more and more attention from boat builders for high-end rigging and upgrades, most notably in the performance cruising segment,” Fok said. “Beneteau is the biggest — a big signal that the value of Dyneema for more extreme use is significant, and is also recognized by the sailors.”
For more information about Dyneema(R) SK78, contact (800) 883-7404, info.dyneema@dsm.com.
May/June 2007
ESA Trade Group LLC, New York City, has launched www.esourceapparel.com, the apparel industry’s
first interactive online network for global sourcing and inventory sales. The website features more
than 60,000 worldwide sourcing and services contacts in 30 countries. It also offers advanced
search capabilities that enable users to find suppliers, customers, partners and sourcing
locations; compare prices; and buy and sell inventories, including in-stock textiles and finished
garments; among other features.
May/June 2007
