HOUSTON — March 7, 2024 — Orion S.A., a global specialty chemicals company, announced today it has maintained a Gold medal rating from EcoVadis and ranks among the top 2 percent of the companies assessed by the organization in a wide range of sustainability areas.
Orion improved its score from the previous year, moving up from 77 to 78 percent by making significant gains in the areas of sustainable procurement and ethics, according to EcoVadis, one of the world’s largest providers of business sustainability ratings.
“The annual progress Orion is making in the EcoVadis assessments is just another example of how committed we are to being a trusted partner for all our stakeholders and becoming an even more sustainable company,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said.
Over the past year, Orion has achieved several sustainability milestones.
The most notable achievements include the completion of a series of four projects, with a total cost of more than $300 million, that involved installing technology that is substantially reducing emissions at Orion’s U.S. plants.
The company also continues to be a leader in developing circular products and recently received 6.4 million euros in funding from the German government and European Union to further develop technology to improve the production of carbon black using circular feedstocks.
GRAZ, Austria — March 7, 2024 — International technology group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at Techtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, April 23-26 (hall 12, booth B93).
The broad ANDRITZ Nonwoven & Textile product portfolio covers state-of-the-art nonwovens and textile production technologies, such as air-through bonding, airlay, airlaid, needlepunch, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/Wetlace™, converting, textile finishing, recycling, and natural fiber processing. For Techtextil, a special emphasis will be placed on technologies for textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, wetlaid for technical fibers, and life-cycle service.
Textile Sorting, Recycling, And Natural Fiber Technologies
ANDRITZ textile sorting line
ANDRITZ has always been a pioneer in providing industrially and economically viable solutions that bring the circular economy to the world of textile fibers. Thus, ANDRITZ is not only a reliable supplier but also a knowledge provider. The company offers everything from automated textile sorting and textile fiber preparation to mechanical and chemical recycling and combined processes..
The latest development in the textile recycling area is the automated textile sorting process. This process is the result of an ambitious partnership between textile recycling company Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, waste sorting specialist Pellenc ST, and international technology group ANDRITZ, a specialist in textile recycling machinery and processes. Capable of automatically sorting garments by composition and color, the line meets the needs of both post-consumer and post-industrial waste markets. The line also removes hard parts such as buttons and zippers to prepare the material for further processing in an ANDRITZ tearing machine. The automated textile sorting line can process textile waste to produce recycled fibers for the spinning, nonwovens, and composites industries.
In addition, ANDRITZ is specifically focusing on processing ecofriendly bast fibers such as hemp, kenaf, jute, and others. The company offers sophisticated solutions for decorticating bast fiber straw for further cottonizing and respinning processes. It is the ideal starting point for manufacturing products made from natural fibers, which proactively help to reduce plastic components and thus protect the environment.
Cutting-Edge Solutions For Durable Applications
Another special focus area at Techtextil will be technologies for durable nonwovens. ANDRITZ offers comprehensive processes in this market segment, such as needlepunch, airlay, and wetlaid. For all these processes ANDRITZ has dedicated technical centers, where customers are welcome to conduct trials and develop new products.
ANDRITZ elliptical type needleloom
One highlight in the needlepunch sector is the new neXloom Elliptica-type DF-4 needleloom.
This machine makes it possible to process very lightweight nonwovens of 40 gsm at high-speed (>25 m/min) while at the same time ensuring that visual quality is given top priority. Available in large widths, it provides optimized pre-needling consolidation to ensure an even visual appearance by reducing the drafting ratio by 30 to 50% in a first needleloom when producing very light felts. This needleloom is thus the preferred equipment when quality aspects of high-grade, low-weight fabrics are important as there is no fabric delamination in the needling phase. ANDRITZ oil-lubrication technology in combination with the renowned ANDRITZ needleloom frame reduces maintenance and extends the service life thanks to a compact, simple, and reliable design.
In order to ensure a safe production process, the elliptical movement and related parts included in the ANDRITZ housing are completely protected. neXloom Elliptica-type DF-4 needleloom’s ability to adjust the advance stroke set-up during operations is surely another differentiating asset on the market.
Accordingly, it is the perfect pre-needling solution for demanding markets such as automotive, paper felts, spunbond products, and also synthetic leather regarding an improved product quality & uniformity.
Moreover, airlay technology also plays a major role in durable nonwovens, such as in the automotive industry, building insulation, carpet underfelt, the mattress industry, and furniture applications. This process includes blending, fine opening, the airlay process, and finally mat consolidation, by needling, thermobonding, a combination of the two, and spunlacing. It allows customers to process all types of fibers from virgin, recycled fibers to non-fiber particles such as foam, shredder paper, and straw. This technology can guarantee homogeneity and mat regularity for a large range of weights from 300 to 1,200 gsm. The airlay has optional 3D web forming equipment capable of producing multiple density web that is mostly adapted for the automotive industry.
ANDRITZ neXformer aXcess for technical fibers
In addition, ANDRITZ wetlaid technology can efficiently process technical fibers such as carbon, metal, aramid, glass, and micro glass fibers or fiber blends for technical applications in the transportation, aerospace, hydrogen, battery, fitration, or construction industries. These types of fibers require gentle and customized treatment in the forming process. For this reason, ANDRITZ develops tailor-made wetlaid production lines for technical fibers and products, including a dedicated forming process.
Retrofit And Upgrades For Nonwoven Lines
Nonwovens producers require state-of-the-art equipment to meet ever-increasing market demands, optimize their energy use, achieve product differentiation for their nonwovens production lines, and/or enhance product quality. ANDRITZ therefore offers retrofits and upgrades of existing lines. Due to its large number of installed lines and decades of experience in all segments of nonwovens production technologies, ANDRITZ has the necessary expertise to recommend and offer the right retrofits and/or upgrades for existing lines. Customers also have the opportunity to conduct trials in ANDRITZ’s state-of-the-art technical centers to test the latest equipment and performance levels.
The entire ANDRITZ Nonwoven & Textile team is looking forward to welcoming customers and partners at booth B93 in hall 12.
EMPFINGEN, Germany — February 28, 2024 — Making processes more cost-effective, sustainable, transparent, and above all more efficient, is exactly the aim of using sensors and controls at textile processes. By this, textile producers are enabled to save large amounts of energy, improve product quality and make even complex processes more traceable and reproducible. The right place to discuss those important aspects is the Techtextil 2024 in Frankfurt. At the upcoming exhibition which takes place April 23-26, 2024, international exhibitors present trends and news textile technologies.
Dr. Ralf Pleva, managing director.
“Processes become more complex, customer requirements higher & well-trained staff scarce. Technologies as sensors & controls gain importance for efficient operation. Our new process control system PLEVATE pro is designed to meet exactly those needs. It enhances operation even at complex production lines with different modules, enabling our customers traceablility and easy operation to save energy and improve the product quality,” stated Dr. Ralf Pleva, managing director.
Make sophisticated processes transparent and efficient with PLEVATEC pro which allows an integration of a huge variety of process critical data with all information at one glance and optimal controls.
Hereby, tolerances can be set as well as parameters saved and loaded within the integrated recipe management system. The customizable system provides solutions to a huge range of processes, e.g. a production line with foulard, vacuum, predryer, coating and stenter frame.
An integration of the following PLEVA devices is possible:
Exhaust humidity FSX for great energy savings;
Fabric/air temperature TDS for transparent drying/heat-treatment processes – Residual moisture RR, RF/AF for improved fabric quality and efficiency;
Application moisture/coating AF for savings of valuable chemicals; and
Pick/course density CAM for high quality fabric.
The all seeing eye – CAM series 400: For the assessment of quality parameters but also weft- straightening, precise detection and advanced image processing is the most important aspect. The brand new CAM offers cutting-edge technology with many novelties for best results: Completely new lighting with increased brightness and special lighting possibilities allow a detection of all kinds of fabric – independent from density or color. On top, it is also designed as a retrofit for existing PLEVA systems with easy connectors and is fitted for even the harshest conditions thanks to an improved housing design.
Besides those new developments, PLEVA also offers special versions of sensors for special demands such as the TDS sensor for fabric and air temperature fitted for EX-zones, state of the art interfaces like Profinet and the PLEVA Remote Service for even faster support of your production. Whether for standard applications or demanding processes, PLEVA is your partner for the sustainable and efficient production of tomorrow.
PLEVA is looking forward to show our highlights in hall 12.0 booth C41 during Techtextil 2024.
JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland — March 7, 2024 — Spinnova Plc and Suzano S.A. have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) regarding a potential new production facility for wood-based SPINNOVA® fiber. Spinnova and its partners will deliver the fiber production technology to Suzano, who will be the owner and operator of the new production facility. The preliminary target capacity of the facility is 20,000 metric tons of fiber per year, and it is likely to be located near an existing Suzano pulp mill.
The LOI is a non-binding agreement where parties wish to record certain criteria as requirements for moving, into the pre-engineering phase of the new facility. The LOI includes also preliminary terms and conditions for the new facility.
As Suzano will be responsible for finding the right funding for the investment into the new facility, Spinnova does not need to raise capital for this plant. The opportunity for Spinnova to invest in other future plants remains at Spinnova’s discretion.
Spinnova and Suzano have been joint venture partners since 2020 in Woodspin, whose first production facility producing wood-based SPINNOVA fiber opened in 2023 in Jyväskylä, Finland. The Woodspin factory acts as an industrial demonstration of Spinnova’s technology and Suzano’s textile MFC technology and is used for qualifying the process and fiber output to support the investment decision for the new facility.
The pre-engineering phase of the new facility is expected to commence in the second half of 2024. Moving to pre-engineering is subject to Spinnova delivering a Process Design Package (PDP) for the new facility as well as Suzano´s strategic approval, and for certain process and fiber metrics at the Woodspin facility to be met.
“This marks a huge milestone for Spinnova in scaling our fiber technology by a technology sale to Suzano. Together with Suzano, we will continue to work intensely to reach the level where the Spinnova process and fiber are ready for large-scale industrial production”, comments Tuomas Oijala, Spinnova’s CEO.
“Suzano sees great potential in SPINNOVA fiber and is willing to expand its production capacity in the long run. Integrating the new facility with Suzano’s existing infrastructure should provide additional synergies, critical for the business. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Spinnova to meet the final requirements for moving forward with the pre-engineering of the new facility”, continues Christian Orglmeister, Suzano’s executive officer – New Business, Strategy, IT and Digital.
PARIS — March 5, 2024 — SCALE Advanced Biocomposites, a leading innovator in bio-based composite reinforcements, today unveils its BIO|Power™ and COR|Power™ product lines at JEC World in Paris. The materials are designed to replace or enhance carbon fiber in lightweight composites. By doubling down on the inherent benefits of natural fibers and bio-based materials, including low density and excellent damping characteristics, SCALE enables composites manufacturers to use the move to sustainable materials to provide new levels of performance, while reducing materials costs.
BIO|Power yarns blend multiple natural fibers to create a range of performance and cost characteristics for sustainable composites. The first BIO|Power EX blend is expected to reduce fiber costs up to 40 percent and greenhouse emissions up to 95 percent versus carbon fiber.
COR|Power is a damping filament which helps reduce the effects of vibration and harshness in carbon fiber composites by up to 30 percent when incorporated at 10 percent by weight.
SCALE is working initially with bicycle manufacturers to address industry challenges, including the trade-off between stiffness and comfort which has been exacerbated by the focus on aerodynamics in modern bicycle design, as well as improving product margins which particularly benefits manufacturers producing in Europe and North America.
SCALE’s materials can provide significant benefits to manufacturers and cyclists alike, improving stiffness-to-weight performance, impact resistance, and vibration damping for a smoother ride.
“The cycling market is a perfect test bed for us. Cyclists are sophisticated customers with an unwavering demand for performance,” said Lance Johnson, CEO, SCALE. “The damping properties of our materials, coupled with the ability to enhance stiffness without adding weight by using BIO|Power in narrower tube profiles, improve product performance while reducing environmental impact.”
“We’re working with SCALE as part of a long-term project to improve sustainability in bikes,” said Martin Meir, managing director, REAP Design in the United Kingdom. “In early testing, we’ve combined BIO|Power and COR|Power to reduce carbon fibre content by 20%, increasing frame stiffness by more than 5% without weight penalties. Additionally, we expect better compliance in the frame and lower transmission of road vibration which will reduce rider fatigue.”
“Collaborating with SCALE gives us the opportunity to use more sustainable materials in 3T’s proprietary production processes,” said Enrique Romero Pineda, managing engineer, 3T Cycling. “We’ve tested BIO|Power in our 3T RaceMax Italia layup, enhancing stiffness-to-weight of the bottom bracket by 5 percent. We’re looking at how BIO|Power can reduce the quantity of material we use while preserving our current stiffness-to-weight, to have an even greater impact on our greenhouse emissions.”
Visit SCALE at JEC, Hall 6, Stand G01 in the Start-up Village.
OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — March 7, 2024 — The KARL MAYER GROUP is an important partner for the technical textiles industry. It will once again demonstrate its importance for the development of new processes, products, applications and market opportunities and for efficient production at Techtextil April 23-26 in Frankfurt am Main. The innovation show of the global player in Hall 12, Stand B73 highlights how sustainability and cost-effectiveness go hand in hand.
Under the motto “Master the Change — profitable, flexible, sustainable” the KARL MAYER GROUP is presenting solutions for the challenges of our time from the fields of warp knitting, flat knitting, composites, warp preparation, digitalization and Care Solutions, with a focus on technical textiles.
In the warp knitting sector, it will be shown how new business potential can be exploited with the HKS 3-M ON PLUS, which was only launched last year. The newcomer offers unprecedented flexibility and — this is new — also produces open-design fabrics with different densities and constructions, including honeycomb structures, square marquisette fabrics and robust shoe articles, all this also in coarse gauges up to E 14. In addition to pattern variety and efficiency, the production speed is just right. Especially manufacturers in the technical sector are always one step ahead with the fast all-rounder.
An insight into the production repertoire of the HKS 3-M ON PLUS is offered by a selection of articles with grid-like patterns in various gauges and made of different yarns, including a bio-based Tencel™ yarn that is completely easy to process.
The digitalization of the fitness, sports and wellbeing industry also offers new business opportunities. In particular, the fusion of sensors and clothing to create new interactive solutions can improve people’s exercise experience and increase both performance and enjoyment. The joint project DiMo – Digital Motion is researching how this can be achieved. KARL MAYER is participating in the project as a partner from the textile sector. The TEXTILE CIRCUIT team from its TEXTILE MAKERSPACE is very experienced in the field of wearables and is contributing its extensive expertise to the work. In addition, an MJ 52/1 S from KARL MAYER is being used for production tasks at V-trion, the research company of project partner Grabher in Lustenau. The project and initial results will be presented at Techtextil.
Another highlight from the warp knitting sector are extravagant multicolor spacers from a new double raschel machine. The newcomer uses more color and new jacquard techniques, making highly creative, colorful designs possible. These should not only amaze shoe manufacturers, but also arouse interest in the fashion and home textiles sector.
In addition, KARL MAYER will demonstrate with its Care Solutions offerings how its all-round after-sales service at best-in-class level effectively strengthens customers in competition. One highlight is the new Customer Portal, which offers customers access to the digital world of the KARL MAYER GROUP.
STOLL will be presenting a wide-ranging sample collection for the flat knit industry that meets the today’s requirements of sustainable and efficient manufacturing. Seamless compression products for the sports, orthopaedic and medical sectors, shoe upper fabrics with new reinforcing stitch combinations (Flex Ply) and knit to shape seat covers as well as intriguing material combinations will be on display. The items are produced almost in one piece, meaning that there are as good as no seams and therefore no associated processing costs and waste. In addition to the performance, the look is right! Innovative features of the STOLL flat knitting technology enable a wide range of patterns and structures and therefore an appearance that can be flexibly adapted to seasonal trends.
Composite manufacturers will get their money’s worth with a continuation on the topic of sustainable composites. At Techtextil 2022, KARL MAYER Technische Textilien presented a snowboard made from a non-crimp fabric for reinforcement, which was produced using flax fibers on a COP MAX 4 multiaxial warp knitting machine. An alpine ski made from hemp will be on show at the upcoming Techtextil. The natural fiber is used as tapes, which are processed into non-crimp fabrics on a COP MAX 5. The use of natural fiber tapes streamlines the production chain compared to the use of yarns or twisted yarns and opens up new application potential for the composite industry. In addition to the topic of composites, KARL MAYER Technische Textilien will be showing how fabrics with weft insertion ensure greater efficiency and sustainability in the construction industry, for example as geotextiles in road construction, as concrete reinforcement in pipe renovation or as a carrier material for roofing solutions.
The KARL MAYER GROUP is also strengthening its customers in the technical woven fabrics sector with innovative warp preparation solutions. In Frankfurt am Main, it will be presenting its PROWARP®-HT and FILSIZE in various media presentations. The PROWARP®-HT sectional warping machine uses the latest technology in an ergonomic design to achieve the highest quality for the best weaving results. It is predestined for processing technical, heavy yarns at high tensions. The FILSIZE specializes in the highly productive sizing of filament and glass yarn and guarantees perfect sizing quality. It is particularly well established among manufacturers in the electronic glass sector, for example of printed circuit boards, but is also used by manufacturers of clothing and goods for technical applications. The PROWARP®-HT and FILSIZE, like all warp preparation systems from KARL MAYER, can be adapted precisely to the requirements of their specific application thanks to various options and special equipment features – a real competitive advantage for customers! The presentation of the ACCUTENSE, a computer-controlled hysteresis yarn tensioner for filament yarn, technical yarn and glass fiber yarn, rounds off the exhibition program for technical weavers.
Digitalization opens up completely new possibilities for increasing process efficiency, as the CREATE DESIGN and DPM solutions show.
The CREATE DESIGN software solution from KM.ON and STOLL accelerates the development and design process of knitwear and thus the workflow from the idea to the market launch. A set of sophisticated features serves this purpose, including a shape and grading tool for easier creation of a knit pattern and size sets, a toolkit for developing digital knit structures with a wide range of creative possibilities, a color generator and flexible yarn creation options. In addition, the data can be exported from CREATE DESIGN and imported into any 3D software. This makes it easy to create photorealistic images of fully knitted garments.
KM.ON’s Digital Production Management (DPM) transforms the warp knitting industry’s shop floor through digitalization. The solution enables seamless monitoring and control of production processes in real time, providing production managers with deeper insights and optimizing operations. DPM maximizes efficiency by identifying bottlenecks and refining processes, which not only increases product quality but also results in significant cost savings. An essential solution for textile companies looking to future-proof their production processes!
LATHAM, N.Y. — March 7, 2024 — PrimaLoft Inc., global supplier of advanced material technology, has expanded its synthetic down alternative portfolio with two new high-performance insulations. PrimaLoft® Insulation ThermoPlume®+ and PrimaLoft® Insulation RISE Loose Fill are the latest products to achieve the performance and aesthetic of natural down, while adding the advantages of PrimaLoft synthetic fibers, all in a sustainable chassis. Global outdoor brands like adidas TERREX, RAB, and Nike are some of the first brands to adopt the new innovations into their collections for the fall/winter 2024 season.
“Our latest loose fill offerings have been developed to serve a variety of needs for our customers,” said Tara Maurer-Mackey, senior vice president, Product Strategy. “Performance brands appreciate the products’ durability, packability and top thermal performance, even in wet conditions. Fashion and lifestyle partners are drawn to PrimaLoft synthetic down alternatives by the down-like hand feel, luxurious puffiness, sustainability, and animal welfare considerations. Across categories, brands value the design flexibility and ease of manufacturing our loose fill options provide.”
ThermoPlume®+: Increased loft and structural integrity with less material
PrimaLoft ThermoPlume+ is a synthetic down-alternative that has been designed to mimic the lightweight warmth, loft, softness, and compressibility of down. The innovation blends two unique fiber shapes to increase loft and thermal properties. ThermoPlume+ requires 20% less material to create the same loft compared to PrimaLoft’s popular ThermoPlume technology. ThermoPlume+ combines the existing sail-shaped fiber structure of ThermoPlume with spherical fiber balls to create a unified structural network. The empty spaces between the differing forms create a scaffolding effect that delivers a structurally resilient loft that provides down-like warmth and hand-feel. The durable structure stands up to repeated laundering and wear, and dries quickly, allowing for easy care. Unlike treated down, PrimaLoft ThermoPlume+ synthetic fibers provide fluorocarbon-free water resistance to keep the wearer warm, even in wet conditions. Made from 100-percent recycled material, the insulation provides a responsible, vegan-friendly alternative to down.
PrimaLoft® RISE Loose Fill: high performing, lightweight and compression resistant
PrimaLoft RISE technology was first introduced in 2020 as a batted insulation and quickly found popularity due to its impressive mix of lightweight warmth and durable compression resistance across a variety of thicknesses. With RISE Loose Fill, PrimaLoft has taken this unique fiber construction and used it to create a high-performance loose fill product. With thermal values, weight, compression resistance and loft comparable to high-quality natural down, PrimaLoft RISE Loose-fill is a true vegan down-alternative. Made using 100-percent post-consumer recycled material RISE Loose Fill provides 650 fill power for elevated style, warmth, and comfort.
Early adopters for the upcoming winter season 2024 include adidas TERREX and UK-based brand Rab.
Allen Liu, Director Materials, adidas TERREX said: “The TERREX Xperior loose fill insulated jacket is a true innovation in collaboration with our technology ingredient partner, PrimaLoft. Together with the latest PrimaLoft RISE insulation and our TERREX special quilting technology, we’ve created a brand-new and iconic aesthetic in our insulation jacket collection.” The product has recently won the prestige ISPO award.
Rab Senior Designer Ben Manwaring said: “At Rab, we pride ourselves as being the Masters of Insulation, with more than 40 years of experience in crafting high-performing insulation products for Mountain People. With PrimaLoft ThermoPlume+, our synthetic insulation offering has now received a premium addition, allowing us to develop the new Cirrus Ultra Hoody, the warmest and best performing synthetic insulation jacket we have designed, so far.”
Other brands adopting the new loose fill Insulations Include Nike, Bomboogie, Ecoalf, La Sportiva, Ternua, Chlorophylle, Kingsland, Lole, Ripzone, Woods, Paul & Shark, amongst others.
Pioneer and expert for synthetic insulations
40 years ago, PrimaLoft was the first company to develop a synthetic microfiber for apparel. Since then, the company has earned the trust of over 950 global brands. Over the years, PrimaLoft has made significant strides to mimic the properties of natural down while adding the advantages of synthetic fibers – warm-when-wet, longevity, easy care, vegan-friendly and hypoallergenic. PrimaLoft expertise extends to a variety of Insulation form factors and loose fill products represent a key element of growth for the company.
WATERLOO, Belgium — March 7, 2024 — One year after BASF’s Monomers division announced its ambitious sustainability roadmap, it is now celebrating the successful certification of production sites in all regions. With its MDI production site in Geismar, Louisiana, USA, joining the ranks of ISCC PLUS and REDcert2-certified locations1, BASF can now offer its customers regionally produced ISCC PLUS and/or REDcert2 certified isocyanates and polyamides all over the world.
“Our successes in the last year have shown how serious we are about driving the sustainable transformation of the Monomers division and the various customer industries we are serving ̶ we are working constantly to improve our portfolio which is also reflected by our products constantly meeting the high standards of our international certifiers,” said Monomers President Dr. Ramkumar Dhruva. “With our sites certified all over the world, we are now able to help our customers reach their sustainability goals with more sustainable products wherever they are located. I am very happy that we now also have the right structures in place to supply our American customers with certified more sustainable Isocyanate solutions made in the United States. With this, we can always offer our customers the perfect fit for their product mix,” Dhruva added.
Sustainability roadmap well on its way – 345 certified sustainable products
Last January, BASF’s Monomers division committed itself to developing a circular option in every major product line by 2025. Now, only one year later, the division continues to deliver on that promise. As of February 2024, approximately 70 percent of the large portfolio of isocyanates, polyamides, glues and resins, precursors and inorganics products are available in chemically recycled (Ccycled®) or biomass- balanced variants2 (BMB), as LowPCF products3 or even ZERO variants (Zero Emissions, Renewable Origin). In total, the division now offers 345 certified sustainable product alternatives to its various customer industries, which range from food packaging, textiles, automotive or construction to wood binders and many others.
New technologies to boost the sustainable transformation
Besides offering more sustainable product variants, BASF’s Monomers division continues to invent completely new solutions like its polyol recycling. Further, the division develops new proprietary technologies that drive the sustainable transformation of the various industries it serves. With the newest addition to its portfolio, loopamid®, the Monomers division has developed an innovative solution to improve circularity in the fashion industry and recycle polyamide 6-based textile waste. With this cutting-edge technology, used fibers and materials can be recycled into new yarn over multiple cycles while retaining the material characteristics of conventional virgin polyamide. More information about this breakthrough technology is available here.
Various operational excellence measures cut tons of CO2 emissions
substantial CO2 reductions. A prime example are improved heat recovery measures at the site of Shanghai BASF Polyurethane Co. Ltd. (SBPC), which are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 34,000 tons every year.
DETMOLD , Germany — March 7, 2024 — The central topic of “Econogy” at this year’s Techtextil puts the spotlight on the synergy between economy and ecology. At the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens in Frankfurt am Main, Jowat will be showcasing its multifaceted range of adhesives tailor-made for the requirements in the textile, automotive and filter industry.
Focused on sustainability: Green Adhesives
Be it the content of renewable raw materials, the conservation of resources, or the safety of processors and consumers: Whichever approach manufacturers take to reduce the environmental footprint of their bonding processes, Jowat has the products to support them. Jowat’s Green Adhesives are characterized by their sustainability and are tried and trusted in the field.
One major cornerstone of the Green Adhesives portfolio are the PUR hot melt adhesives with hazard-free labeling of the Jowatherm- Reaktant® MR range. The powerful adhesives without GHS pictograms are characterized by their excellent performance and save the time and money required for the otherwise mandatory training of processors, underscoring Jowat’s focus on developing sustainable solutions which are beneficial for the processor as well as for the companies.
Jowatherm-Reaktant® MR 630.99 is already successfully being used in the industry for the lamination of textiles and membranes. The PUR hot melt adhesive impresses with a broad spectrum of adhesion, high initial strength and low processing temperatures between 100°C and 130°C. It is compatible with the production technology established on the market, which uses engraved rollers or slot nozzles to apply the adhesive.
Jowatherm-Reaktant® MR 614.50, on the other hand, is the top choice for binding activated carbon and for laminating filter media. This recently launched adhesive provides excellent adhesion with small application amounts and can be processed at temperatures between 100°C and 120°C, making it a particularly resource-efficient and economical product.
Jowatherm-Reaktant® 630.80: A versatile “all-rounder”
The products presented at the trade fair will include of course also a true Jowat classic: Jowatherm-Reaktant® 630.80 perfectly showcases the versatility and efficiency of the Jowat portfolio. This powerful adhesive for textile lamination is widely tried and trusted across the world for many applications and has therefore unsurprisingly become a favorite in the industry, regardless of whether it is used f or the manufacturing of functional garments, automotive, construction or home textiles.
Jowat SE warmly invites all trade fair visitors to their booth for more information and details about the latest developments and opportunities in the field of industrial adhesives. Jowat’s adhesive experts will be there to provide insights into groundbreaking technologies and individual solutions for specific challenges.
Jowat advisory, service and adhesives at Techtextil 2024 in Frankfurt: hall 11.0, booth D10.
MÖNCHENGLADBACH, Germany — March 7, 2024 — Zagis S.A. de C.V. is a family-owned spinning and knitting company in Tepeji del Río, Mexico, with a long history and big ambitions for a more sustainable future. Innovation is at the heart of its 60- year success story. By partnering with Trützschler, it is embracing cutting-edge technologies that boost efficiency, optimize quality and save resources — including the TCO 21 comber!
(Left to Right): Rafael Zaga Saba (CEO Zagis and President of the Mexican Textile Association, CANAINTEX), Frank Dederichs (Managing Director of Trützschler Mexico), Mayer Zaga Cheja (Chief Financial Officer at Zagis), Ralf Grasmehr (Trützschler Area Manager, Customer Service), Mayer Zaga Dichi (Chief Operations Officer at Zagis)
Today, Zagis S.A. de C.V. is a fourth-generation business with a leading position in the Latin American textile industry. Its spinning and knitting facilities are able to process a huge variety of fibers, with cotton as its main raw material alongside polyester/cotton blends. Its portfolio covers yarns including ring, open end and airjet spinning. And Zagis is now targeting further success worldwide.
The company operates 13 mills in Mexico that can produce up to 200 tons of yarn and 20 tons of fabric per day in line with international standards. Close cooperation with Trützschler has empowered Zagis to achieve those impressive numbers. As the latest step, it has added TCO 21 combers at its facilities to accelerate progress toward its ambitious growth plans and to produce combed yarns on high quality level.
(Left to Right): Ralf Grasmehr (Trützschler Area Manager, Customer Service), Mayer Zaga Dichi (Chief Operations Officer at Zagis), Rafael Zaga Saba (CEO Zagis and President of the Mexican Textile Association, CANAINTEX), Frank Dederichs (Managing Director of Trützschler Mexico).
Trust in Trützschler
“My grandfather founded this business with a sharp focus on the quality of its products and services,” says Rafael Zaga Saba, CEO of Zagis and President of the Mexican Textile Association (CANAINTEX). “That is made possible by state-of-the-art technologies. Trützschler has been a powerful partner for many years. Our factories have operated a great variety of card models and now also combers TCO 21. That shows our deep trust in Trützschler’s machines and technical support.”
Protecting the planet
Zagis also has a sharp focus on reducing its environmental footprint. Since 2020, all of its energy consumption has been covered by renewable power. This enables Zagis to avoid 11,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The company is also a member of the Cotton LEADS program, which connects businesses worldwide to lead progress for sustainable cotton sourcing and production.
The TCO 21 at Zagis
Ambition for highest quality
Modern equipment supports Zagis’ ambition to produce highest quality. Trützschler carding machines, for example, achieve high production output with excellent sliver quality. At the same time, they boost energy efficiency and reduce waste. The TCO 21 combers at Zagis in Tepeji del Río are capable of manufacturing 550 nips per hour with outstanding yarn quality with minimum noil level.
Sharing success
“Zagis and Trützschler are both family-owned businesses,” says Rafael Zaga Saba. “On top of that shared history, we have a common set of values about what our work stands for. Quality and efficiency are incredibly important. We have a deep commitment to technological innovation. And we share a vision of a more sustainable future for the textile industry too. That’s why I am so happy about our partnership with Trützschler.”
For future generations
Looking ahead, Zagis has a clear strategy to expand its position around the globe. In cooperation with Trützschler, it aims to continue its long track record of meeting customers’ needs. And it is striving to maximize its success while also minimizing its environmental impact for future generations.
HOUSTON — March 7, 2024 — Orion S.A., a global specialty chemicals company, announced today it has maintained a Gold medal rating from EcoVadis and ranks among the top 2 percent of the companies assessed by the organization in a wide range of sustainability areas.
