Clariant Corp., Charlotte, N.C., has developed the MatchWizard color-matching system.According to
the company, this system offers instant color matching for popular colors in the Pantone® Textile
Color Matching System, along with quick estimates on dye concentration, formula cost and color
differences from the target. Circle 313.
May 1999
Chuck Norton, a graduate of Auburn Universitys textile program, has joined ATI as Assistant Editor
of the magazine, according to Editorial Director Monte G. Plott.Norton, a native of Cartersville,
Ga., and a former news reporter in his hometown, earned a bachelor of science degree in Textile
Man-agement and Technology from Auburn last year, and was working as a research specialist in
Auburns textile department prior to joining ATI.Chuck brings a strong textile background to ATI,
especially in the sizing, nonwovens, dyeing and finishing and chemical segments, said Plott. He
will become a familiar name and face in the industry in the months ahead.Norton will work in the
Atlanta headquarters of ATI with Associate Editor Michelle Havich, and with Executive Editor Alfred
Dockery who is based in North Carolina.
May 1999
Just in time for summer, Solarveil America Inc., Sanford, Fla., has introduced a revolutionary new line of sun protection that will change the way your family plays in the sun.
The line of activewear is made with a patented new fabric called Solarveil™. This fabric blocks almost all ultraviolet A and B (UVA and UVB) rays, while at the same time is lightweight, cool and comfortable.
Proof In The Pudding
Laboratory tests have shown that a single layer of the Solarveil fabric blocks between 75 percent and 80 percent of UVA and UVB rays, and a double layer blocks 92 percent to 95 percent.
The fabric itself contains thousands of microscopic fibers that reflect and refract ultraviolet rays. The fibers are treated with UV inhibitors, further preventing UV rays from penetrating the fabric.
The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) specify the testing process that simulates the sun’s intensity in Albuquerque, N.M., at noon in July.
According to the company, many styles in the clothing line are designed with a double layer of Solarveil on the chest, shoulders and back, which are high-exposure areas, allowing the wearer to stay safe in the sun for hours. Unlike sunscreen that has to be reapplied, Solarveil acts like a
permanent sunscreen. The fabric is also breathable and wrinkle-resistant.
The model is wearing a Solarveil floppy hat with a wide brim and the ladies beach cover up.
Solarveil blocks almost all the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.
(Photo courtesy of Solarveil America Inc.)
Manufacturing Magic
Solarveil fabric is manufactured by Milliken & Co. Milliken recently received a patent for Solarveil and manufactures the fabric exclusively for Solarveil America.
Milliken treats the fabric with its patented VISA® system, which makes the fabric stain resistant and creates a wicking property that pulls moisture away from the skin, keeping the wearer cool and comfortable.
The apparel is durable and dries in minutes, making it ideal to wear in the water for added sun protection, the company said.
The apparel first appeared in Mark, Fore & Strike’s Spring 1999 catalog. The catalog sold out of its original order and, according to Solarveil America, has placed a significant reorder.
“We are delighted the product has received such a tremendous response,” said Bill Snyder, president and CEO of Solarveil America. “We’re confident the demand for Solarveil will increase across the country and worldwide.”
The company is working with independent sales representatives to place the products in retail stores.
Styles And Colors
Solarveil apparel for men, women and children comes in 10 fashion colors including red, blue, black, olive, white, khaki and seafoam.
In the adult clothing range, styles include beach cover-ups, a long sleeve pullover, T-shirts, polo shirts, pants, jackets and a sarong. Apparel for children, toddlers and infants include T-shirts, pants, jackets and jumpsuits.
There are also seven different styles of hats available, including a bucket hat, golf cap, and sportsveil hats for adults and children.
The MSRP for Solarveil apparel ranges for $25 to $85. The entire line of Solarveil apparel can be viewed on Solarveil America’s website at www.solarveil.com. Solarveil America was founded in 1997. The company began selling Solarveil as “stylish stuff for sun-safe skin” in late 1998.
May 1999
The domestic producers of polyester staple for fiberfill end-uses including DuPont, KoSa, Nan Ya
International Polymers and Wellman, recently filed an anti-dumping petition on imports of fiberfill
from South Korea and Taiwan with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International
International Trade Commission.The petition alleges that the U.S. polyester staple producers are
being materially injured and are threatened with continued material injury by reason of imports
that are being dumped or sold in the United States at less-than-fair value.It seeks imposition of
substantial anti-dumping duties on the exporting countries, to offset the difference between their
average export prices for sales of the product and their average prices for contemporaneous home
market sales.According to Wellman, between 1996 and 1998, U.S. apparent domestic fiberfill
consumption grew 41 percent. For the same period, the volume of subject imports originating from
South Korea and Taiwan grew by more than 136 percent, while U.S. producer shipments grew a mere 3
percent.The combined South Korean and Taiwanese share of the U.S. market increased nearly 17
percentage points on an absolute basis, while U.S. producers saw their share of the domestic market
drop nearly 18 percent.
May 1999
DuPont Lycra® has introduced a new chlorine-resistant Lycra for the 1999 season. The
chlorine-resistant Lycra will be used in both competitive and recreational swimwear. It is more
durable, resistant to the effects of chlorine and has the same characteristics of the previous
Lycra, the company said.Several manufacturers such as Baltex, TYR, Nike, Speedo, Jantzen and
Nautica are using the chlorine-resistant Lycra for 1999. Circle 317.
May 1999
Van Air Systems Inc., Lake City Pa.,has announced that it is enhancing its custom dryer offering.
The company says that they now have an extensive in-house technical support team and manufacturing
capabilities available for end used and engineering firms looking for custom air treatment
applications.Van Air Systems is offering heated and heatless regenerative dryers that can be
designed with accessory equipment for other air treatment solutions.
May 1999
The Fiber Factor
A statistical report shows how all three major man-made fibers have been affected by imports
and exports. The Fiber Economics Bureau recently published a statistical series detailing
domestic fiber manufacturer production and shipments, exports, imports and domestic consumption for
the three major manmade fibers: acrylic, nylon and polyester. The figures are particularly
revealing of the role of fiber imports in U.S. textile mill activity.The modern U.S. fiber industry
is barely 50 years old and has matured dramatically in those few years. Historically, U.S. fiber
producers were net exporters, not so much because the industry actively pursued exports but rather
because U.S. fibers were demanded since international rivals had not installed technology
sufficient for competition in critical fabrics.The investment is now in place and enormous
quantities of new fiber imports will harass the domestic industry in the next few years more than
all the imports in history.All three of the major fibers are impacted but, as you might expect,
polyester, the 800-pound gorilla of fiber usage, is most heavily affected.Total U.S. mill
consumption of polyester fibers (filament plus staple) has grown at an annual rate of 4.1 percent
thus far in the 1990s.Domestic fiber producers provided 470 million pounds of this growth,
approximately 38 percent, while imports added the rest, 767 million pounds
(See Table 1).Domestic producers did manage to expand exports 9 percent per year, a
relatively impressive accomplishment given the short time producers have been focusing on
establishing long-term export programs and the relative economic disadvantages U.S. producers
suffer. Unfortunately, however, imports overwhelmed this success with an average growth of more
than 22 percent during the period.It is tempting to blame the Asian crisis and its low offering
prices for all of this change this but Table 1 suggests otherwise.From 1990 (admittedly a
relatively low period in the early 90s recession) through 1995 (before the real impact of the Asian
monetary crisis), imports grew at a 27+-percent annual rate. From 1995 through 1998, as the real
shock of the Asian crisis became apparent, the rate slowed by almost half to the 14+-percent level
restrained somewhat by home country fiber usage in garments for export. Asian fibers impacted U.S.
producers more by slowing non-NAFTA export programs than by ravaging U.S. markets.That is not to
say that current reported prices will help domestic fiber producers but, despite all the wailing,
U.S. polyester producers, at least until 1998, enjoyed relatively good volumes.Table 2 details
domestic and import shipments of polyester staple. Mill consumption of polyester staple increased
by 3+ percent per year for the period but, more importantly, that statistic is of little comfort to
domestic producers.Shipments of U.S.-produced staple for U.S. consumption grew not at all during
the 90s as U.S.-polyester-staple manufacturers shipped an average of 2,150 million pounds of staple
for domestic consumption each year in the period.Domestic consumption rose to current levels in
1994 (26 percent above 1990 recession levels) and since has stagnated, obviously depressed by the
growing flood of manufactured items arriving from Asia.Any growth in U.S. staple consumption since
1991 is accounted for by imports, and it is apparent that domestic producers have abdicated
domestic consumption growth to imports. Starting from the smaller base, imports grew an astounding
29+ percent from 1990 through 1995 and have slowed to a mere 8-percent crawl since. This staple
shipment pattern drives the overall picture for all polyester fibers since staple represents
approximately two thirds of all polyester processed in this country.NAFTA is extremely beneficial
for the polyester staple producer. From 97 to 98, polyester staple shipments rose approximately 25
percent to our NAFTA partners, particularly to Mexico, while overall export shipments rose a more
sedate 5 percent.Filament Shipments RiseTable 3 details domestic and import shipments of polyester
textile filament. Significantly different from staples shipment and consumption pattern, textile
filament has enjoyed substantial growth during the 90s.Domestic shipments for domestic consumption
increased from 725 million pounds in 1990 to 1,005 million pounds in 1998, an annual increase of
4.2 percent, slightly under the 4.3-percent increase in total shipments for domestic polyester
filament producers.The data shows that while U.S. filament manufacturers had made significant
progress in opening and serving export markets between 1990 and 1996, the bottom dropped out in
1997 and 98 in response to the take-no-prisoners pricing strategies of Asian producers as they
struggled to survive the regional financial crisis.Industrial FilamentThe largely
specification-driven polyester industrial yarn business continues to grow. Analysis of the decades
shipments clearly demonstrates the value of investment in technology.Long the preserve of domestic
fiber manufacturers, the industrial market gradually is succumbing to the siren call of lower
priced, generally equivalent quality, imported industrial fibers.Offshore manufacturers are waging
a determined battle with domestic suppliers for a share of industrial textiles. Recent investment
in state-of-the art spinning and winding equipment will serve Asian producers well in meeting
quality and performance specifications at a more than competitive price.A small share of the import
increases are deliberate manufacturing shifts between NAFTA-sited facilities. But the largest
portion reflects increased activity from Asian nations. Increased Asian participation in world
markets reduced U.S. export opportunities in both textile filament and industrial filament markets,
the former dropping by approximately 30 percent from 1996 peaks and the latter, after suffering a
setback in 1996, is now struggling to rise to pre-96 levels. Unfortunately, inexperience and lack
of history in international trade will dog polyester fiber producers for years to come.Changes in
the polyester filament trade with our NAFTA partners from 97 to 98 was entirely more steady than
that in staple. What Canada increased, Mexico decreased for a virtual standoff year to
year.Capacity Use SuffersAs can be expected from the foregoing analysis, domestic polyester fiber
producers will struggle in the coming years to keep operating rates above the magic 80-percent
level.We measure capacity use against sales (shipments), which allows us to ignore inventory
changes which are more financial/production considerations than market driven. Against this
measure, the overall U.S. polyester industry ran at a middle 80s operating rate through most of the
decade and, as we earlier have reported in these pages, the industry was able to maintain finished
goods stocks in the 30 day range.Searching For ImprovementThe string finally was broken in 1998 as
U.S. markets faded and plunging Asian domestic consumption dictated export programs in search of
hard currencies. The overall industry ran at a 74-percent operating level in 1998 with textile
filament suffering the most. As DuPont withdrew Cooper River and part of Kinston from textile
filament competition, new Unifi capacity added to the already oversupplied industry and drove
textile filament operating levels into the mid-60s. Interestingly, even if there were no imports of
textile filament, the operating rate would struggle to rise to 80 percent.The combination of poor
business and recent capacity increases has forced this segment of the industry into the long term
doldrums. Though the players are different (Wellman replaces Unifi), recent operating rates for
polyester staple were barely better than those for textile filament for many of the same reasons.
New capacity combined with bargain basement priced imported materials sank staples 1998 operating
rate to 77 percent, a level only slightly better than that for textile filament.Only the industrial
filament market has expanded sufficiently to absorb both imports and the modestly increased
domestic capacity.Staple and textile filament both suffer from severe over capacity. It is hard to
project domestic improvement until we see more Asian recovery than is currently apparent.
May 1999
Clifton P. Buie has been named president of the Consumer Products Division of Charles Craft Inc.,
Laurinburg, S.C. The department includes weaving, yarn and fabric dyeing and finishing, cutting and
sewing and Nomex fabric manufacturing.William Frank Kellman has joined the company as president of
the Sales Yarn Division.
May 1999
New software developments in conjunction with state of the art ink-jet printing machines and
special inks are changing the way print mills sample designs prior to productions on a traditional
screen printing machine.Digital printing is having a tremendous impact in two distinct sectors of
the textile industry to visualize a new design range, prior to production printing by one of the
suppliers. Printing a design concept within those responsible for making the decision of whether a
design should be brought to market. Software SolutionsThe most commonly found solution in this
area of the industry has been provided by EnCAD which created a simple to use, plug and play type
application. Their solution comprises of a 60-inch-wide, four-color, 300 DPI ink-jet printer,
driven by their TxPrint software. The software accepts most industry standard data formats and
allows the customer to select each color in the design from a preprinted color catalog for each
fabric type.The benefit to the EnCAD solution is that a range of pre-coated, paper backed fabric
rolls are available to the client, allowing them to use the one which most closely resembles the
type of fabric they would use in production. This application still involves the designer in making
certain allowances, as the image has been printed from data created on their design system, not
that which will be used later in the engraving of screens.The second application of the type of
technology is within the print mills themselves. Many of the worlds textile printers are installing
digital printing solutions to supplement the highly expensive and time-consuming task of sampling a
design.Traditionally, companies have had to manufacture screens prior to being able to produce a
sample swatch of fabric for evaluation purposes.Thus, if there were any interpretation mistakes in
the engraving of the screens, they would have to be re-made. Now these companies produce short
lengths of fabric directly from the same digital data used to engrave the screens, prior to the
screens being engraved. If the clients, upon viewing the printed fabric, require any changes, these
can be done in a matter of minutes and a new print produced, without the need for re-making the
screens. Different RequirementsThe requirements of a traditional print mill are different from
those of a converter or design studio. Normally a print mill would like to use inks which have a
similar properties to those which it uses in production as well as have the ability to print on its
own type of fabric. Therefore, some vendors have developed specific solutions for this type of
application.Each solution is comprised of specially designed software, an ink-jet printing device
with a fabric handling mechanism and special links. Solutions from Sophis, Stork, Wirth graphic
technologies and others will all be shown at the upcoming ITMA 99 in Paris.The Wirth graphics
solution is a seven-color, 60-inch-wide, 720 DPI printer from Mimaki, along with a specially
constructed fabric handling mechanism. This solution has the ability to handle the customers own
mill-standard fabric rolls as well different types of dispersed, pigment, reactive and acid digital
inks. All of the leading manufacturers, including BASF, DuPont and CIBA are busy creating inks
specifically for use in digital printers. Image AdaptingOne key ingredient to successfully
printing a sample is the ability of the software to adapt the printed image according to certain
parameters of the traditional printing process, such as print speed, print pressure, type of
screens and types of dyes. The ProofMaster software package from Wirth graphics, in use at many of
the worlds leading fabric prints, claims to address these issues. The Speed FactorAs these
solutions allow companies to create digital samples which are extremely close simulation of the
final printed fabric, why not production fabric digitally The answer speed.The solutions currently
being marketed produce between two and six linear yards per hour. Stork will be showing a new
continuous machine at ITMA 99, which is rumored to print up to 10 linear yards per hour, but at a
cost of $350,000 per machine, compared with other solutions priced at approximately $100,000.There
is no doubt that digital textile printing will have an enormous impact on the printed textile
industry. Already some companies are producing high-end custom production output for the tie and
scarf industry, directly on to silk.As speeds increase the opportunity to use this technology for
producing roll-length goods will also increase, reducing mill costs, increasing response speeds and
creating extra profitability for the print mills.
May 1999
AlliedSignal Inc., Kaiping, China, announced it will expand production of its advanced generations
of dimensionally stable polyester (DSP®) fibers in Asia to meet an increasing demand for the
material in the regions automotive tire industry.According to the company, the emerging Asian
passenger car and light truck market for radial tires presents a long-term growth opportunity for
its DSP yarns, which are used as reinforcement materials in radial tires.The expansion will take
place at the companys Kaiping production facility, which is a joint venture between AlliedSignal
and China Kaiping Polyester Enterprise.The joint venture will include investments in
state-of-the-art production equipment to enable the facility to significantly increase its DSP
capacity and extend its production from standard polyester fibers to new generation IX30 and IX50
yarns possessing higher modulus and dimensional stability.
May 1999
