Cargill Dow WinsPresidential AwardCargill Dow LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., has received the Presidential
Green Chemistry Challenge, Alternative Reaction Conditions Award for 2002. The award, administered
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in conjunction with trade, scientific and
academic organizations, was given in recognition of the companys development of its NatureWorks PLA
corn-based polymer.Earlier this year, Cargill Dow opened a world-scale manufacturing plant near
Omaha, Neb. Bedding products containing NatureWorks fiberfill have been introduced to the U.S.
market by Pacific Coast Feather Co., Seattle.
October 2002
Cargill Dow Wins Presidential Award
Quality Fabric Of The Month: Run With The Wind
Dimension-Polyant (DP), a Germany-based manufacturer of sailcloth and outdoor fabrics, isa comprehensive enterprise, doing everything in-house — from design and engineering; to yarn
prefinishing, weaving and lamination; to finishing. The principal people at the company’s U.S.
facility in Putnam, Conn., as well as having long-term experience in technical textile
manufacturing, are experienced sailors and outdoorsmen themselves.The company produces sailcloth for a full range of racing and cruising applications. Among these fabrics are several laminate lines, for which it has developed three patented technologies.
DP uses its Ti-Tex™ pre-coating process to encapsulate the filaments in the yarn and keep them from becoming brittle and reducing flex life, said John Gluek, vice president. The coating controls fiber tension, straightness, twist and placement, thereby minimizing fiber crimp and
reducing stretch.
Warp yarns are precisely placed and tensioned between adhesive-coated film sheets using Insert™ technology. X-Ply™ technology is used to place additional warp yarns at angles that are determined by the laminate’s particular racing or cruising application. The X-Ply insertion
provides added support to address off-thread-line loads, said Gluek, enhancing membrane stability and shape retention, and helping to prevent tears in the fabric.
One of the company’s newest laminates is X-Tech Alumashield, a durable, high-performance sailcloth for everyday racing that builds on the technology developed for sails used in the America’s Cup and other Grand Prix races. Gluek said X-Tech sails should last several years,
depending on racing frequency, the racing arena and the weight of the fabric.
Lightweight, low-stretch X-Tech laminates contain high-modulus Ti-Tex pre-coated aramid yarns such as Twaron® or Kevlar® in a prepreg base scrim with added fiber in the warp direction. A high fill count and a balanced construction enhance durability. The Alumashield dyed adhesive provides ultraviolet (UV) protection to the fibers.
DP reports the smaller film windows in X-Tech laminates minimize shrinkage and render the sails softer than those designed for the Grand Prix races, thereby forming better impact flutters and reducing overall film disintegration. The line is available in several weights to suit various
racing needs. An optional woven taffeta backing provides additional durability. Moreover, improved production process control has resulted in lower prices for X-Tech compared with the company’s other aramid lines.
DP’s other new laminates include, among others: GraphX™ GPL, a Grand Prix racing laminate containing coated carbon yarns; and Vectran® Cruise Laminate with UV-resistant adhesive layers and
heavy taffeta backing. Ti-Tex, Insert and X-Ply also are used in production of these lines.
For more information about X-Tech Alumashield and other Dimension-Polyant products, contact John Gluek (800) 441-2424.
October 2002
Congressman Introduces Bill To Combat Textile Import Fraud
Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) has introduced legislation in Congress designed to strengthen the
governments ability to combat illegal textile transshipments, smuggling and other types of fraud.
The bill would authorize increased staffing at the U.S. Customs Service that would enable that
agency to improve its inspection and record-keeping ability. It also would increase penalties for
fraud and reduce Customs ability to unilaterally reduce or waive penalties for illegal textile
trade. Inspectors would be directed to spend more effort looking at container traffic, particularly
goods going to Mexico and Canada under the governments “in transit program. There is not likely to
be any action on the bill since Congress is in recess until Nov. 12 when it will return for a “lame
duck” session. At that time, it will concentrate on appropriation bills and other high priority
legislation. However, the bill is another expression of congressional interest in getting Customs
to do a more effective job of policing illegal textile trade.
October 2002
Majilite Forms Commission Services Group
To better accommodate increasing demands for its services, Majilite Corp., Dracut, Mass., has
established a Commission Services Group. The group will be directed by John Kapeckas. Majilite is a
supplier of high-performance materials for use in commercial and consumer applications, including
medical, automotive, industrial and textile markets. Coating and membrane technology, and foil and
film engineering are just a few of Majilites areas of specialization. The company also offers a
variety of services, which include lamination, gravure finishing, precision printing and embossing.
October 2002
ESL Offers Tensile Tester Retrofit Kit
ESL Offers TensileTester Retrofit KitElectro Standards Laboratories (ESL), Cranston, R.I., is now
offering a tensile tester retrofit kit for manual or motorized test frames. The kit can be
customized to fit with individual requirements. Options include ESLSense I-Plus intelligent
indicator, industry standard load cell and extensometer, and a graphical user interface (GUI)
software package. The new DataView Lite-Plus software provides retrofitted testers with expanded
capabilities for file management, statistical reporting, data plotting, report generation and
password security.
October 2002
CONTECH System Processes Magnetic Material
The new sheet or roll-fed die-cutting system from CONTECH, Goddard, Kan., processes magnetic
material and allows versatility in web or sheet production. Printed paper is fed through a heated
over-laminate unit, then receives an under-laminate of magnetic material. An optically registered
die-cutter cuts out the finished product, which is then knocked out of the web and conveyed to an
operator. The unused matrix is then cut into scrap. The product can also be left in the web,
sheeted into sheets of product and stacked for easy handling.
October 2002
Guilford Reorganization Plan Receives Final Approval
Guilford ReorganizationPlan Receives Final ApprovalFollowing a vote of acceptance by its creditors
and stockholders, Greensboro, N.C.-based Guilford Mills Inc. has received final approval from the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for its reorganization plan. After nearly two years of restructuring and six
months of financial reorganization, we have Guilford positioned exactly where weve wanted all
along, said John A. Emrich, president and CEO.Guilford prenegotiated several aspects of the plan
with its creditors prior to filing for bankruptcy protection last March. Under the plan, the
company will pay all suppliers in full. Senior lenders will own 90 percent of the company, leaving
the remaining 10-percent ownership to existing shareholders. Senior debt will be reduced to $145
million from $270 million owed prior to its bankruptcy filing.Over the past year, Guilford has been
selling off certain assets related to apparel and home fashions in order to focus on producing
fabrics for automotive, technical textile and select apparel markets.
October 2002
CAC Offers RIC-2 Dancer Roll For Consistent Tension
Converter Accessory Corp. (CAC), Wind Gap, Pa., now offers the RIC-2 and a new Dancer Roll system
for consistent tension in high-quality printing, laminating and coating applications. The RIC-2
ultrasound, noncontact, automatic, open-loop tension control can be calibrated in fine increments
using a PC, requiring little operator attention and few manual adjustments. Features include
excellent loop control; two switches for distance measurement and output control, allowing the
system to react to predetermined points; and an adjustable transducer frequency range of from 2 to
500 pings per second.The latest Dancer Roll offers closed-loop tension control for unwinds, rewinds
and nips. System features include a non-contact dancer position sensor with analog output, which
eliminates downtime and inaccuracies associated with mechanical position sensor failure. The rolls
may be supplied with clutches, brakes and drives.
October 2002
IDEA 04 To Include Technical Textiles
IDEA 04 To Include Technical TextilesThe Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary,
N.C., will expand its annual conference and exposition in 2004 to include technical textiles in
addition to nonwovens. Scheduled to take place April 27-29, 2004, in Miami Beach, Fla., the event
will be called IDEA04, International Engineered Fabrics ConferenceandExpo.
October 2002
EWarna Granted MSC Status By Malaysia
Malaysia-based eWarna, creator of a complete on-line color management system for textiles and
apparel, has received Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status from the Malaysian governments
Multimedia Development Corp.The MSC, a 750-square-mile area south of Kuala Lumpur, was created in
the mid-1990s to draw information technology firms to Malaysia. Benefits include tax holidays,
duty-free equipment imports and exemptions from local ownership requirements.
October 2002
