Germany-based Brennet AG, a producer of color woven and piece-dyed fashion apparel fabrics, has
replaced four manual section warping machines with three BEN-MATIC automatic section warping
machines from Benninger AG, a Switzerland-based manufacturer of weaving preparation and textile
finishing machinery.
Brennet is already using Benninger’s BEN-DIRECT direct beaming machinery to produce dye
beams.
July/August 2005
Germany-based Lohmann Vliesstoffe GmbH and Co. KG has installed a Montex tenter with aThe Montex performs as a conventional tenter, and also provides a relaxation operation when
used with a DynAir dryer in a one-line configuration, according to Monforts. The combination range
therefore performs both production processes.
“This offers us not only savings in space, but also potential savings in operating and
maintenance costs,” said Wolfgang Riediger, Ph.D., plant manager, Lohmann. Lohmann, part of TWE
Vliesstoffwerke comprising 13 textile companies, is using the machine to finish nonwoven fabrics up
to 2.6 meters wide and weighing from 200 grams per square meter (g/m
2) to 1,500 g/m
2.
July 2005
Atlanta-based Russell Corp. will expand its knitting and dyeing activities in Alexander City, Ala.,
adding 150 jobs and moving to a 24-hour, seven-days-per-week operation. The company said an
increase in its Activewear business is driving the need for additional production and improved
manufacturing capacity utilization.
July/August 2005
Germany-based Wacker-Chemie GmbH recently unveiled a new Elastosil® top coat that is suitable for
outdoor textiles, protective apparel and airbags. Elastosil 47005 transparent silicone top coat
features a silicone/organic polymer binder and nanoscale components that facilitate customization
of the coating to provide surface properties appropriate to the particular end-product.
According to the company, the coatings special surface provides superior weatherability,
resistance to aging and dirt repellency to tents and awnings. It also adheres readily to the fabric
surface, is easily processed and has a low coefficient of friction.
July 2005
James H. Heal and Co. Ltd., England, has introduced the Heals FlexiBurn flammability testing
instrument, which features a built-in radiator and conforms to the BS EN 13772 standard for
curtains and draperies. Other features include interchangeable precision test frames and burners; a
comprehensive library of pre-programmed standards; and a versatile, multilingual user interface
with touch-screen graphic liquid crystal display. Users also may write their own standards. In
addition, Heals offers a competitively priced test chamber with instructions for self-assembly.
Heals also has modified its Titan Universal Strength Tester to include Chinese-language
software and a new T6 universal pneumatic jaw.
July/August 2005
The Izod Retail Division of New York City-based Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. has unveiled a“Now we can make cottons that literally pull moisture from the skin through the inside of the
fabric to the outside,” said William A. Rearick, director, Textile Chemistry Research, Cotton
Incorporated. “This keeps the skin and the inside of the fabric dryer. At the same time, we reduce
the tendency for the fabric to cling to the skin by 50 percent or more. Moisture spreads on the
outside of the fabric so it takes less time to dry. All this without hurting the breathability of
cotton. So in the dry state, we maintain the natural properties that make cotton so comfortable and
popular to start with.”
The new line of shirts hits Izod retail stores across the country in July, and is available
in four colors mango, clover, blueberry and black.
July/August 2005
International Textile Group Inc. (ITG), Greensboro, N.C., and Vietnam National Textile Garment
Corp. (Vinatex), Vietnam, have agreed to enter into discussions related to mutual business
interests. Vinatex comprises 57 member companies having a combined annual industrial production
totaling approximately $594 million and a gross export value of more than $1 billion.
“We anticipate our discussions with Vinatex to be quite broad in scope and range from
commercial and technical agreements encompassing global sales and services to more specific issues
such as managing selected manufacturing plants in Vietnam,” said Wilbur L. Ross, chairman, ITG. “We
will also consider opportunities to invest in new and existing Vinatex facilities,” he added.
July/August 2005
Genencor International Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., has introduced OXY-GONE® T400. The new catalase
enzyme removes hydrogen peroxide before the dyeing process. According to the company, Oxygone T400
is effective over a wide range of temperatures (30°C to 70°C), has excellent storage stability and
exhibits the highest level of hydrogen peroxide tolerance among competitive products.
July 2005
Regitex Inc., Quebec, a manufacturer of ring-spun and protective yarns, has added a third spinning
facility to its business with the recent purchase of a nearby open-end yarn-spinning facility,
which is now doing business as Regifil. The company has hired additional employees in order to
produce acrylic and other yarns at the new plant.
July 2005
Key members of the House of Representatives are supporting legislation that would crack down on
what they see as illegal trade practices by China in an effort to win congressional support for the
Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). The legislation for the first
time would permit the United States to levy punitive import duties on illegally subsidized goods
from state economies such as China. It also would punish countries that manipulate their currencies
to gain an international trade advantage.
Rep. Phil English (R-Calif.) is sponsoring the legislation, and he received the blessing of
Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) chairman of the House Ways and Means committee. Up until this time,
Thomas has been opposed to the anti-China legislation, but he said the English bill is strong and
responsible legislation. Earlier this month, the Senate passed DR-CAFTA by a vote of 54-45, but the
outlook in the House is uncertain, as there is strong Democratic opposition and lack of support
from some Republicans, including a number of textile-state representatives who have either
announced their opposition or are non-commital. On July 16, President Bush flew to North Carolina
to drum up support in the textile states. He said DR-CAFTA is a pro jobs bill that would help
stabilize the economies of the Central American states and create trade opportunities.
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), a powerful Democratic representative on the Ways and Means
Committee, also has introduced a bill calling for countervailing duties on goods from state-run
economies and punitive action against currency manipulation. The Democrat bill goes ever further
than the Republican bill in that it would tighten the definition of currency manipulation and
require the president to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization within 90 days of a
determination of manipulation.
Textile industry lobbyists have long sought the ability to file countervailing duty cases
against state-run economies such as China, and have been calling on the US government to take
action against Chinas currency manipulation, which they say amounts to as much as a 40-percent
subsidy on imports.Rep. Thomas said he would like to see the punitive legislation acted on before
the House considers DR-CAFTA later this month,
July 2005
