National Retail Federation (NRF): Import Cargo Continuing To Rise Despite Red Sea Disruptions

WASHINGTON — February 9, 2024 — Inbound cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports is expected to see year-over-year increases through the first half of the year despite attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Only about 12 percent of U.S.-bound cargo comes through the Suez Canal but the situation in the Red Sea is bringing volatility and uncertainty that are being felt around the globe,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “U.S. retailers are working to mitigate the impact of delays and increased costs. However, the longer the disruptions occur, the bigger impact this could have. More needs to be done among partners and allies to ensure the safety of vessels and crews in order to avoid yet another year of supply chain disruption.”

Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said carriers are using a surplus of capacity built up during the pandemic to ease the impact as voyages are diverted around the Cape of Good Hope or to the U.S. West Coast, and that improvements are already being seen.

“The shipping industry has rapidly adjusted by adding extra vessels to its networks, and has returned to normal weekly ship arrivals,” Hackett said. “Service from Asia to the U.S. East Coast is working well and the dramatic rise in freight rates is showing signs of easing, with pressure from shippers likely to quickly bring these down.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.87 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units — one 20-foot container or its equivalent — in December, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was down 1 percent from November but up 8.3 percent year-over-year. December’s results brought 2023 to 22.3 million TEU, down 12.8 percent from 2022.

Ports have not yet reported January’s numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 1.81 million TEU, up 0.3 percent year over year. February is forecast at 1.86 million TEU, up 20.4 percent year over year, and March is forecast at 1.71 million TEU, up 5.5 percent from last year. February is traditionally the slowest month because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in Asia but the timing of the holiday and its impact on cargo and year-over-year comparisons varies. April is forecast at 1.83 million TEU, up 2.6 percent year over year; May at 1.94 million, up 0.3 percent, and June at 1.93 million TEU, up 5.5 percent.

Those numbers would bring the first half of 2024 to 11.1 million TEU, up 5.3 percent from the same period last year.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by Hackett Associates, provides historical data and forecasts for the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at NRF.com/PortTracker

Posted: February 9, 2024

Source: National Retail Federation (NRF)

Informa Markets Fashion Transitions To MMGNET Group And Launches MMGNET, The New Portfolio Parent Brand And B2B Fashion Industry Resource

NEW YORK CITY — February 8, 2024 — Informa Markets Fashion announced today the group’s brand transition to MMGNET Group, and with it the launch of MMGNET, the new insights and resources-powered parent brand designed to support the wider fashion industry and connect the group’s portfolio of brands and their diverse communities, products, services, and resources more seamlessly and in more ways than ever. Moving forward, MMGNET Group’s portfolio of B2B fashion industry brands will consist of MMGNET, MAGIC, COTERIE, PROJECT, and SOURCING at MAGIC.

For decades, the group’s leading B2B event brands have served the fashion industry as vital meeting grounds for essential discovery servicing global retailers and brands. MMGNET, the group will now deliver an expanded product and service offering, including a steady stream of rich and inspirational content and resources as well as more opportunities for the wider industry to connect and innovate throughout the year, alongside a suite of enhanced digital marketing opportunities.

“This is more than a rebranding or launch of a new parent brand; this is about addressing how we serve our audience and the industry moving forward, as an evolution of our business. We’re focused on doing what we do incredibly well, but better than ever — connecting our customers through our live events — while also enhancing support year-round, both on and offline”, said Kelly Helfman, president, MMGNET Group. “We are fashion’s go-to- partner for live discovery and commerce, now with MMGNET we can also be the industry’s resource for industry connection, insights, business resources, and inspiration.”

The group’s new parent brand, MMGNET, will connect the industry and communities across its existing premier B2B fashion event brands with exclusive content programs and providing research-driven market insights, seasonal trend forecasting, distinct curation and unique business resources designed to empower tangible actions and results. MMGNET will also provide new opportunities for more live connection touchpoints throughout the fashion calendar, new digital marketing opportunities that expand reach and awareness, and a platform to innovate, pilot, and test new formats and products that support current and future industry and customer needs.

The new MMGNET created based on extensive market research and customer feedback gathered over the last 2 years, which highlighted new needs driven by the challenges created by on-going market shifts, continued supply chain challenges, on-going disruption brought on by direct-to-consumer channels, and continuously evolving consumer preferences and demands. Among these, the need for more always-on market insights and trends focused content and resources, more curation and direction, and additional commerce and connection opportunities and community building throughout the year.

“This next chapter is about empowering our customers and the industry in new and expanded ways that drive mutual benefit, growth and progress” said Teodora Nicolae, vice president of Marketing, MMGNET Group. “MMGNET now exists to address the industry’s new needs, and to exist as a synergistic ecosystem that drives more valuable connections across our communities and provides more opportunity than ever for them to interact and engage, to create, to innovate, to discover, and to learn and share knowledge in new ways and new formats.”

MMGNET’s ecosystem of hero brands, communities and cohorts, products, and services will build around four key focus areas: connection and opportunity, actionable industry and market insights, inspiration and trend forecasting, and profitable responsibility. At the core of MMGNET’s mission is helping the industry further tap into the limitless potential for partnerships, growth, innovation, and knowledge-sharing possible when more touchpoints are created and the right connections are made, both on and offline. MMGNET’s “fashion-wide” platform will allow for more connections across existing audiences and communities than ever, as well as the ability to create and nurture new communities across the industry.

Investments in new and dynamic opportunities to gather fashion communities and the wider industry in and outside of the traditional market cycle will support this mission, including global meetups and community events during key moments in the fashion calendar, new format pilots including conference and content-driven live events, and new programs and initiatives around curation and matchmaking across MAGIC, PROJECT, COTERIE, and SOURCING at MAGIC industry events.

The second pillar, actionable industry insights, will drive MMGNET’s expansion and investment in market research and data-driven reports designed to identify and present larger shifts in the global fashion landscape, macro and micro market trends, fluctuations in consumer behavior, and more. Core to the expanded and growing insights program lies the goal of contextualizing data and insights to help professionals and fashion businesses of all sizes utilize findings to more strategically inform their short- and long-term decisions. Presented in multiple formats – both online and offline – reports will unpack and analyze salient findings, offering broad perspectives as well as tailored storylines for the various industry markets and communities.

The third pillar will focus on driving inspiration and providing trend insights, direction, and further curation year- round and across multiple formats. MMGNET will continue to deliver a robust program of seasonal trend forecasting across market segments and categories, while also expanding beyond traditional definitions of “trend” content to supply relevant industry trend forecasts and reporting across fashion technology, real-:me social media consumer trends, sustainability, marketing and branding, and more.

Finally, profitable responsibility is an important value-focused pillar highlighting MMGNET’s commitment to helping the industry and all fashion stakeholders carve a path to a more conscious and responsible future. This will encompass sustainability, environmental stewardship, social empowerment and DE&I initiatives. Plans for expanding the Verified Sustainable program across hero brand communities and events, as well as the IMFC Incubator which supports minority owned fashion brands, are in the works.

MMGNET will serve the entire fashion industry as a go-to-resource and as a connection point both in and outside of the traditional fashion calendar, online and offline. More initiatives across MMGNET’s live event, trend and insights content programs, and responsibility-focused initiatives will be announced in the coming months.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: MMGNET Group — a subsidiary of Informa Markets

RNWBL® And Durability Engineers Awarded U.S. Department Of Energy’s Made In America Challenge For Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize

HOUSTON — February 8, 2024 — RNWBL and Durability Engineers (DE) proudly announce their collaboration and award for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize. The award aims to address the environmental impact of wind turbine materials, specifically focusing on recycling solutions for fiber-reinforced composites and critical minerals. This initiative aligns with the White House sustainability goals of reducing the greenhouse gas production of the entire US economy by 50 percent compared to 2005 levels by 2030 and goals of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

As the maintenance, repowering, and retrofitting of existing wind turbine blades is poised to become a more prominent industry facet, there is a demand for innovative solutions to reduce landfill waste, which has been the standard disposal destination for replaced turbine blades. RNWBL, a prominent figure in wind turbine maintenance and repowering and other renewable energy services, has entered into a strategic collaboration with DE to explore and develop strategies that empower their clients to minimize waste generation and discover financially viable avenues for recycling.

Leveraging DE’s proficiency in cementitious and concrete materials, the collaborative team has successfully identified and manufactured materials derived from wind turbine blades. These materials enhance the strength, durability, and longevity of concrete, contributing to sustainable construction practices. Moreover, the team has devised a practical in-situ execution plan to minimize transportation costs and carbon emissions.

Objectives of the Project: The main objective of this project is to develop innovative solutions for recycling wind turbine materials, especially fiber-reinforced composites and critical minerals. The project will explore various aspects of the recycling process, including collection, transportation, separation, recovery, reuse, and disposal. Additionally, the project will evaluate the environmental, economic, and social benefits of recycling wind turbine materials, addressing potential market opportunities and barriers.

DE and RNWBL look forward to collaborating with stakeholders from the wind energy industry, recycling industry, academia, and government agencies to ensure the feasibility and scalability of the proposed solutions. This partnership signifies a crucial step towards achieving a sustainable and circular approach to wind turbine materials, contributing significantly to the green transformation of the energy sector.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: RNWBL

Get In The Game: Digital Textile Production Unlocks The Super Bowl Experience

By Mike Sellers

The Super Bowl is a genuine cultural phenomenon. According to Nielsen, Super Bowl LVII drew 113 million viewers across Fox’s television and digital properties, making it the third-most-watched television program of all time. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent more than $16 billion on Super bowl-related purchases in 2023, with 103 million people — nearly one-third of the U.S. population — hosting or attending a Super Bowl party themselves. It’s kind of a big deal.

Even for casual fans, the Super Bowl is an excuse for friends and family to gather in celebration. Whether your favorite team made the big game or you’re simply celebrating the event, you’re ready for some quality gear to go with it — that commemorative shirt, jersey, jacket, sweatshirt, or shorts, adorned with officially licensed logos, and possibly the name and number of a favorite player.

To get it, you’ve probably gone online, offered a selection of clothing and styles to choose from. You chose your favorite product from a limited array of options, paid for it, and a few days later received it, shipped from a massive inventory of the exact same product

Very soon this experience will be completely different. The creation of a product that is unique to you will be in your hands. You’ll be able to choose not only the player, team, or event you want to commemorate, but also a variety of customization and personalization possibilities. Do you want to display the final score, or a key play accompanied by a photorealistic image of your choice taken from the game? It’s possible, and maybe even the next day.

Your imagination is the only limit to what you can wear, thanks to the ability to provide customized products through a network of on shore suppliers. And always with the guarantee that the garment has been manufactured using responsible and environmentally friendly production practices, saving water, energy, and materials to provide exactly the piece you purchased, without waste.

This is the power of mass customization enabled by a digitized marketplace, complemented by a digital execution ecosystem. This is the value of direct-to-garment printing — a comprehensive, sustainable, on-demand, digital process, one that eliminates overproduction, consumes up to 95-percent less energy, nearly eliminates water waste, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent compared to traditional analog production.

The Digital Difference

Sportswear production has long been limited by the time it takes to design, produce, and ship clothing. At major sporting events, stories abound of manufacturers producing clothing to meet every possible outcome, knowing full well half of that stock will be thrown away when one of the “champion” teams inevitably loses.

With most traditional production methods, rapid demand for clothing requires predicting what fans will want to buy and where they will want to buy it, which necessarily leads to overproduction.

Furthermore, producing to build inventory overlooks a significant — and growing — profit opportunity in a market where consumers are conditioned to satisfy wants and needs instantly, without restrictions or compromises.

Just like the inkjet printers we use in the office and at home, state-of-the-art digital direct-to-garment printing systems eliminate these constraints by simply printing the media — in this case, a blank garment made of cotton, polyester, polyester blend, or any other common fabric for fan clothing — at the press of a button. After drying, the piece is ready to ship or wear in minutes.

Unlike screen printing, this process requires virtually no preparation time, can reproduce an unlimited range of colors on a single piece and generates profits from the production of a single copy: no minimum order quantities, which is ideal for personalization. Unlike heat transfer vinyl, you don’t stock up on media for every possible application: forget about inventory, storage space and wasted paper by reproducing a digital asset to suit your needs. Unlike sublimation, this technique is not limited to white polyesters and does not generate paper waste. Unlike direct-to-film printing, there’s better feel and greater product consistency, even for larger graphics applications, while avoiding the tedious manual process that operators hate.

With single-step, single-operator direct-to-garment printing systems, producers can replicate and improve each process, and even mimic embroidery and add layered 3D applications, on a single machine. The technology is compatible with polyester and poly-blend materials, providing durable and reliable applications on fabrics essential for sportswear, fan merchandise, and casual wear markets.

Efficiency And Agility Win The Game

On-demand digital production means delivering more profitable products by reducing time, labor, materials, and floor space: an ideal recipe for growing print businesses and ensuring the agility needed to respond real time to unforeseen market dynamics. These could be supply chain disruptions, inflation, labor shortages, socio-political unrest, a global pandemic — or a sudden product opportunity generated by company performance, a team or athlete during a given match or tournament, such as Super Bowl LVIII.

Additionally, a growing ecosystem of DTG-equipped producers stand ready to offer localized fulfillment on a global scale, eliminating time and logistics associated with offshoring production. A digitalized workflow not only ensures transparency and accountability of production, from point of sale to shipping of finished products. But it brings closer to the consumer, who has tools for creation and increasingly efficient customization tools to bring his inspirations to life, from the producer best equipped to quickly respond to this need, with durable, high-quality, and uncompromising clothing. It’s a victory for fans, for producers, for brands and licensees, and for the environment.

Sustainable, on-demand digital production is transforming the sports and fan apparel game, and if you’re ready to win, build your digital fulfillment strategy now to:

  • Stop producing gear that won’t sell. With digital, go from anticipating demand to fulfilling it. Make the sale and produce ready-to-wear apparel just in time.
  • Give fans a unique, engaging experience. Empower sports fans to create their own designs, personalize gear, or choose their own graphics or events.
  • Achieve responsible, sustainable production. Leverage nearshore fulfillment and networks to cut waste (and risk) associated with global transport. Adopt consistent, eco-friendly production to yield higher margins with less time, labor, energy, and production footprint.
  • Unleash creative expression and grow business. Today’s DTG capabilities consolidate screen, dye sublimation, vinyl, embroidery, 3D, and other graphic effects to one single-step, single-operator production system. Increase production capacity and capability exponentially and scale your operation with confidence.

When you watch the big game in the comfortable, durable, digitally printed garment you’ve long dreamed of, you’ll also be a fan of this game-changing technology.

Enjoy Super Bowl LVIII this February 11th and visit Kornit.com or PixelToParcel.com to learn about its vision of transforming fanwear, team gear, licensed apparel, and athleisure garments with responsive, versatile, sustainable, on-demand digital decoration.

Editor’s Note: Mike Sellers is POLY Category Manager at Israel-based Kornit Digital

February 8, 2024

Global Cotton Yarn Players To Connect Amid Strong Demand At Yarn Expo Spring 2024

SHANGHAI — February 8, 2024 — The cotton yarn market has a wide-ranging influence, stretching from the ancient origins of cotton fabric to the high-tech fabric production techniques of today. Propelled by the growing demand for cotton yarn, robust textile industry development, and continuing technological advances, the upcoming fair is well-positioned to facilitate various business opportunities across the cotton sub-sector. Taking place from March 6-8, 2024 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the show will welcome over 500 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions, including 124 in the cotton category alone.

Cotton remains one of the main fibers of choice for apparel, home textiles, industrial textiles, and more. Advancements like genetically-modified cotton, combined with yarn manufacturing improvements, have further fuelled market expansion amid growing populations and economies worldwide. As the world’s largest producers of cotton and cotton-based products, China and India play major roles in the global market, which, following a healthy 6.3 percent CAGR, is projected to exceed $94.5 billion by 2028[1][2].

At the spring show, cotton exhibitors from China, India, and beyond are gearing up to meet strong international and domestic demand, with buyers able to source a wide range of related products.

32 exhibitor-strong India Pavilion in the spotlight

Maintaining its active role in India’s cotton yarn industry, the Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) will again organise the India Pavilion, set to feature some of the country’s top suppliers. At last year’s show, Mr Murali Balkrishna, Joint Director of Texprocil, commented: “We facilitated exports of over USD 15 billion of Indian cotton textiles last year to more than 150 countries around the world. China has been our biggest market over the past few years. Yarn Expo was an opportunity to regain the market share lost during the pandemic by building old relationships and forming new ones. There is no other platform that can match up to these fairs’ sheer magnitude, and they’re among the world’s best.”

This edition’s pavilion will feature over 30 exhibitors showcasing an array of cotton-related yarns and other products, including pure cotton carding, pure cotton combing / compact spinning, viscose, blended yarn, modal yarn, recycled, organic / BCI yarns, polyester, and polyester cotton. Highlighted exhibitors include:

  • Amar International – one of the leading exporters of Indian cotton yarns, raw cotton, cotton waste for recycling purposes, woven and knitted fabrics, agricultural commodities and chemical dyes. Its high quality “AMAR” products have garnered meaningful recognition, winning the “Silver Award for Export of Cotton Yarns 2017-2018.”
  • Excel Enterprise – a manufacturer of cotton yarn, including BCI, Pima, dyed, melange, as well as 100% viscose and viscose blended yarns. The company utilises the high-quality Shankar-6 cotton variety for its range of “EXCEL” yarns, and maintains a strong foothold in leading markets such as Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Korea, Pakistan, and Thailand, as well as Europe and South America.
  • Siddhi Sales Corporation – the ginning and spinning company serves as a key supplier of raw cotton to over 60 spinning mills in India, and exports to more than 30 countries worldwide, with products highly sought after by spinners and textile fabric manufacturers operating in the global market.

International cotton players making Yarn Expo Spring debuts

Coinciding with China’s peak sourcing season, many international exhibitors will be returning to the fairground. Several major industry players will be making their first appearance at the fair, including:

  • Blinks International (Pakistan) – renowned as a premier textile sourcing house in Pakistan, the company specialises in procuring raw cotton, cotton yarn, and grey fabrics for the global market, with a particular focus on Asia, Europe, and South America. Products include mélange, core spun, compact spun, jet spun, slub, stretch slub, multicount, zero twist, and hollow yarn.
  • PT. Bintang Makmur Sentosa Textil Industri (Indonesia) – specialising in spinning, weaving and finishing, products include ring-spun yarn, open-end cotton yarn, rayon, polyester, and more. The company has a monthly production capacity of 250,000 spindles of yarn, equivalent to approximately 20,000 bales.
  • RÜTEX GmbH (Germany) – the company’s extensive assortment comprises raw white and coloured yarns, both single and twisted, designed for weaving and knitting. RÜTEX utilises various spinning systems, including OE, ring, compact, siro, airjet, producing worsted yarn, core yarn, and filament yarns (FDY, DTY, ATY, BCF).

Yarn Expo Spring is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT. The fair will be held alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, CHIC and PH Value, with the resultant synergy allowing exhibitors and buyers to maximise their business opportunities.

For further information, please visit: www.yarn-expo-spring.com.

Yarn Expo Spring will be held from 6 – 8 March 2024.

Other upcoming shows:

Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies

  • Ho Chi Minh City  – February 28 –March 1  2024

Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics / Yarn Expo

  • ShenzhenShenzhen (Futian) June 5 – 7, 2024

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition / Yarn Expo Autumn

  • Shanghai – August 27 – 29, 2024

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd

Between Matter, Form And Appearance, Timeless Luxury Makes A Big Comeback In Oerlikon Riri’s SS25 Collection

MENDRISIO, Switzerland — February 8, 2024 — The grammar of luxury is the language that Riri has always declined and infused into its accessories, details of style that enrich the creations of leading high-end fashion brands. This know-how is reflected in the zippers and buttons created by the Oerlikon Riri brand for the Spring-Summer 25 collection, which features two extremely elegant moods, made even more precious by the technological and craftsmanship contributions of Oerlikon Fineparts. The two brands cooperate as complementary parts of the Oerlikon Luxury business unit to offer the high- fashion market a range of accessories that explores every peak of luxury, from classic to tailor-made.

Enhanced Classic

Loudly quiet luxury.

Luxury tries to dress in simplicity but cannot hide from the discerning eye: classic gold, black, beige and dark brown colors, geometric and sinuous shapes that eschew static betray its nature, pure elegance. Elegantly basic or metalized tapes in gold and with glossy black enamels, PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) body and puller finishes, the patented TRA-IN stainless steel button with Coeurdor’s light gold finish, and customized branding, ELOXAL chain with aluminum teeth colored in gray and gold: revisited and enhanced visions of the classic, on the heels of the Quiet Luxury trend. The gleam of metal is counterbalanced by the simplicity of wool yarn, GRS-certified recycled polyester and GOTS-certified organic cotton, for a final effect of utter class.

Faced Marble

Face modern elegance.

Marble and multifaceting are the main characters in the second trend of strong geometric inspiration: triangles, rhombuses and trapezoids create elegant and modern surfaces in which simple colors predominate on the theme of wood and marble. Materic effect is recreated on tapes with marble and black polished effect inserts, matte black PVD padlocks and buttons with hard blue stone inserts, mélange velvet and satin tapes, and geometric facets shape an algid and ethereal elegance.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: Oerlikon Riri

JEC Composites Innovation Awards 2024: 11 Winners Announced

PARIS — February 8, 2024 — Annually, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards recognize successful initiatives and collaborative efforts within the composites industry. Over the past 26 years, the program has engaged over 2,000 companies globally, honoring 225 companies and 573 partners for their outstanding achievements in composites innovation and effective partnerships. Criteria for the awards include partner involvement in the value chain, project complexity, and commercial potential.

The competition is open to any company, university or R&D Center with a compelling collaborative innovation or concept to showcase. The success of participants is closely tied to partnerships and collective intelligence. Beyond being a ceremony, these awards serve as a platform to spotlight potentially undisclosed projects, offering inspiration and motivation to an expert audience eager to explore new frontiers.

After pre-selection of the 33 finalists, one winner has been named in each of the 11 categories by an international jury representing the entire composites value chain:

  • Hüseyin Ates, CTO & Compounding BU leader, Kordsa
  • Pr. Alan Banks, Innovation & Industrial Engagement supervisor, Ford Motor Company
  • Pr. Christophe Binetruy, professor, Centrale Nantes / Nantes Université
  • Tamara Blanco, Composite Materials & Processes engineer & expert, Airbus
  • Dale Brosius, executive vice president/chief commercialization officer, IACMI – The Composite Institute
  • Michel Cognet, chairman of the board, JEC
  • Dr. Karl-Heinz Füller, manager Future Exterior and Materials, Mercedes-Benz
  • Dr. Sung Ha, professor, Hanyang University
  • Guy Larnac, technical domain coordinator for Materials, Structures and Industrialization JTFR, Ariane Group Pr. Véronique Michaud, head of Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC), EPFL
  • Pr. Kiyoshi Uzawa, professor/director, Innovative Composite Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology.

The awards ceremony took place in Paris on February , 2024.

Aerospace – Parts

ATG Europe (Netherlands)

Partner: ÉireComposites Teo (Ireland)

ATG Europe has developed a one-shot manufacturing process for uninterrupted prepreg fibre-placed lattice structures that aim to replace current satellite central tube designs. These cylindrical lattice structures offer optimal structural functionality at a reduced mass.

This innovation included the design, development and manufacture of a fully representative CFRP lattice central tube based on requirements for ESA’s PLATO satellite, including all necessary interface zones. Thermoset pre-preg carbon fibre tows and patches were manually laid-up onto a mandrel, consolidated and cured in an autoclave in a single step to form one integral part. The primary interface to the launcher structure was provided by a one-piece aluminium interface ring, which was assembled to the lattice cylinder through a hybrid joint.

Key Benefits
• One-shot manufacturing process
• Structural efficiency and significant mass savings
• Uninterrupted pre-preg fibres leading to optimised structural performance
• High specific stiffness
• Reduced manufacturing time and cost

Aerospace – Process

German Aerospace Center (Germany)
Partners:
• 9T Labs AG (Switzerland)
• Airtech Europe (Luxembourg)
• Ansys Switzerland GmbH (Switzerland)
• CEAD B.V. (Netherlands)
• Ensinger GmbH (Germany)
• Fiberthree GmbH (Germany)
• FILL Gesellschaft m.b.H. (Austria)
• Hans Weber Maschinenfabrik GmbH / WEBER additive (Germany)
• PRIME aerostructures GmbH (Austria)
• Siemens AG (Germany)
• Suprem SA (Switzerland)
• SWMS Systemtechnik Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (Germany)

The EmpowerAX Demo Part is a multi-curved thermoset shell additively functionalised with short and continuous fibre- reinforced elements realised by DLR and 12 EmpowerAX members. It demonstrates the industrially available process chain for Additive Functionalisation.

The EmpowerAX Demo Part showcases the concept of Additive Functionalisation and its industrially available process chain. It is a collaborative project within DLR Innovation Lab EmpowerAX where DLR and twelve industrial players – from design and simulation experts over CAD-CAM specialists to printing and material suppliers – joined forces to demonstrate the capability of overprinting a multi-curved thermoset shell with high-performance, short- and continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material. Cost-efficient composite manufacturing is combined with the high agility and design freedom of additive manufacturing.

Key benefits:
• Cost-efficient composite manufacturing
• Overprinting of a multi-curved shell
• Combining thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers
• Short & continuous fibre-reinforced materials
• Industrially available process chain

Automotive & Road Transportation –Parts

Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan)
Partners:
• Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc (Japan)
• Toyota Customizing & Development Co., Ltd. (Japan)
• TISM Co., Ltd. (Japan)

A full-scale variable axial CFRP-aluminum semi-monocoque was designed, fabricated, and evaluated. It showed a 15% weight reduction with minimal fiber waste (4%) and assembly cost.

This technology aims to improve carbon neutrality through the effective use of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs).
The technology creates 3D monolithic CFRP-aluminum structures by integrating anisotropic topology optimization, Turing pattern fiber path generation, tailored fiber placement and nano uneven anodization bonding, to optimize fiber function and material utilization.
A semi-monocoque prototype demonstrates the potential for weight reduction in large 3D structures with complex topology using large fiber tow (50K) placed on 5 km of design paths with only 4% fiber waste.

Key benefits:
• Full-Lifecycle Carbon Neutrality
• Weight Reduction
• Minimized Fiber Waste and Assembly Cost
• Optimized Material Usage
• Advanced Manufacturing Process

Automotive & Road Transportation – Process

Röchling Automotive SE (Germany)
Partners:
• Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT (Germany)
• Röchling Industrial SE & Co. KG – Haren (Germany)

Reactive thermoplastic pultrusion enables the production of cost-effective and highly resilient automotive components. The profiles are integrated in the final part by injection or compression molding. The PA6-based composites allows simple recycling in without dismantling.

The innovation is the use of in-situ pultruded PA6GF profiles for cost-efficient composite parts in the automotive industry. The combination of a highly efficient production for the reinforcement elements by using continuous pultrusion with state-of-the-art injection molding allows a production at low cycle time and costs. The achievable fiber content of the pultruded profiles is higher than for alternative reinforcements and due to the same plastic material for injection molding and the pultruded profiles, the whole part can be recycled without any dismantling operations.

Key benefits:
• Cheap Processes and Raw Materials
• Sustainable – Just a Single Polymer
• Strong by Design and Reinforcements
• Light due to Material Savings
• Flexible use in Diverse Applications

Building & Civil Engineering

RENCO USA (USA)
Partners:
• Arquitectonica (USA)
• Catalyst Communications (USA)
• Coastal Construction (USA)
• DeSimone Consulting Engineers (USA)
• DeVit Consulting. Inc. (USA)

RENCO MCFR is a state-of-the-art structural building system comprised of interlocking composite building units of various types and sizes of blocks, columns, beams, joists, headers, decking, connectors, etc. These products are all adhesively joined (chemically bonded) to form monolithic structures.

RENCO products are manufactured with naturally occurring raw materials and newly composed materials from recycled products in an environmentally friendly manufacturing process. Yet it is economical, easy to work with, fast to construct, has superior strength and requires no maintenance after construction, EVER! The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has verified and listed our Environmental Product Declarations (EPD).

Key benefits
• Less costly than a comparable wood, concrete, or steel structure.
• Stronger-passed ASTM and TAS Standards; able to withstand Cat 5 hurricane winds.
• Faster – No shoring, formwork, bracing or waiting for related inspectors
• Lighter – Similar in weight to a wood structure and 1/4 the weight of concrete.
• Fire, water, and pest resistant. Easy to build with.

Circularity & Recycling

B&M Longworth (Edgworth) Ltd. (UK)
Partners:
• Autotech Engineering (Gestamp) (UK)
• B&M Longworth (Edgworth) Ltd (UK)
• Brunel University London (UK)
• EMS-Grivory (UK)
• Ford Motor Company (UK)
• Gen2Plank Ltd (UK)
• TWI Ltd (UK)

The creation of ‘glassene’ a brand new, advanced material with price-point close to glass and performance to rival some carbon fibre, with impressively low LCA. Promotes structural reuse of composites on a mass scale.

EMPHASIZING aims to create a new advanced material with price close to glass fibre, performance to rival some carbon fibre and impressive LCA.
GRP from a range of sources (wind, marine, fibre production) reclaimed as 100% clean glass by DEECOM® pressolysis.
The fibres are chopped into 6mm lengths before a range of sizing chemistries are considered, assessed, and tested; then compounded with polyamide thermoset and injection moulded; creating a mass production, structural component, tested against the steel counterpart and with a characterisation data card.

Key benefits:
• Global GRP waste solution
• Enables wind/marine/glass fibre industries to have ‘zero waste from composites’
• Creates a new, green, low cost advanced material to directly displace virgin
• Recyclate can go back into industries looking to decarbonise = circularity
• Addresses the current advanced materials imbalance of demand vs supply

Digital, AI & Data

ReliaBlade (Denmark)
Partners:
• CEKO Sensors (Denmark)
• FORCE Technology (Denmark)
• Siemens Industry Software (SISW) (Belgium)
• Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)
• Zebicon (Denmark)

The wind turbine blade executable Digital Twin combines a reduced-order model with live sensor signal to assess structural performance in real-time. Physical and virtual sensors combined is key to perform Structural Health Monitoring.

The 12.6m wind turbine blade is manufactured using a conventional vacuum infusion process at DTU BladeLab. Non-crimp UD and BIAX fiberglass fabrics, sandwich core material and root inserts are placed as dry layup in the molds. Subsequently, vacuum infusion processes are conducted for each of the parts using an epoxy resin system. After the shells and webs have been infused and fully cured, the two airfoil shells and shear webs are bonded together using epoxy adhesive before the blade is trimmed.

Key benefits:
• Live monitoring of blade deformations
• Live monitoring of loads and remaining life
• Predictive maintenance assessment
• Remote monitoring and health assessment
• Model error reduction

Equipment, Machinery & Heavy Industries

Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf (Germany)
Partner: Leitz GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)

A new modular cutting tool for woodworking machine is developed exploiting the mechanical advantages of CFRP. More than 50 % weight reduction and an increase in working speed of over 50 % is achieved.

Instead of replacing the metallic tool body with CFRP, new design principles were analyzed using numerical simulation. Following the principle of optimal load sharing, the virtual development resulted in a modular tool design, with triangular components that absorb the centrifugal forces and an outer shell that accommodates the bending and torsional loads. Load optimized orientation of carbon fibers leads to maximum stiffness and strength of the tool body. The final result features maximum weight reduction and increased productivity without compromising product quality.

Key benefits:
• Modular lightweight design with CFPR parts can replace standard cutting tools.
• New design exploits fiber strength and stiffness leading to rigid tools.
• Over 50% mass reduction and 50% higher speed and productivity possible.
• Scalability of design leads to a high application range.
• Usage with standard adapter and cutting knives, high processing accuracy.

Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding

AYRO (France)
Partners:
• Alizés (France)
• Jifmar Offshore Services (France)
• Zéphyr et Borée (France)
• Neptune Marine (Pays-Bas)
• VPLP Design (France)
• ArianeGroup (France)

OceanWings® is a patented, automated, self-raising and lowering vertical wingsail system that enables newbuild or existing ships to reduce their fuel consumption and resulting carbon footprint by up to 50%.

The challenges of our technology include the wing’s ability to withstand winds of up to 100 knots, while ensuring the proper functioning of its operations: automatic orientation in relation to the wind, adjustable camber, reefable and furlable. Structure is therefore essential to meet these challenges. At AYRO, we have chosen to use composite materials to a large extent in the construction of our wingsails, for their high mechanical strength and lightweight.

Key benefits
• Up to 50% of fuel savings
• Automated and passive system
• Dimensioned for harsh sea environmental conditions
• Reefable and furlable system
• Adapted to new-build and retrofitted ships

Renewable Energies

Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Denmark)
Partners:
• Vestas (Denmark)
• Olin (Germany)
• Aarhus University (Denmark)
• Danish Technological Institute (Denmark)
• Stena Recycling (Denmark and Sweden)

CETEC’s Blade Circularity Solution renders epoxy-based turbine blades circular without altering the material’s design or composition. It employs a chemical process breaking down epoxy resin into virgin-grade materials, establishing a circular economy for blade manufacturing.
Our innovation redefines circularity for epoxy-based turbine blades. It precisely separates glass, carbon fibers, core material, metal components, and resin for dedicated recycling, optimizing reuse and enhancing circular value chains. Featuring cutting-edge chemcycling, it breaks down epoxy resin into chemical monomers, ensuring recycled materials achieve virgin-grade properties. Emphasizing sustainability, it operates efficiently using non-toxic, standardized chemicals with minimal energy input. Tailored for conventional epoxy-based turbine blades, it addresses an industry gap, supported by waste handlers’ interest and ongoing industrial scaling, promising swift lab-to-large-scale implementation.

Key benefits:
• Circularity for epoxy-based composite material
• Recyclability without modifying design
• New sustainable raw material source
• Strengthening the wind industry’s sustainability proposition
• Immediate scalability and mature recycling value streams

Sports, Leisure & Recreation

silbaerg GmbH
Partners:
• Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) (Germany)
• bto-epoxy GmbH (Austria)
• Circular MTC e.V. (Germany)
• SachsenLeinen GmbH (Germany)

Snowboard with patented anisotropic coupling effect (A.L.D.-tech.®) made out of hemp and recycled carbon fibers with bio-based epoxy resin.

The innovation is the application of the Dry-Fiber-Placement (DFP) for the production of hybrid hemp and recycled carbon fiber (rCF) snowboard preforms. The process was currently only used to process continuous virgin carbon fibers. Thanks to the excellent material properties of the hemp tape and the directional rCF nonwovens, both materials can be processed automatically using DFP. This saves 75% of cutting waste of the hemp fibers and uses the cutting waste of our carbon fiber snowboards to save costs and reduces the CO2 footprint.

Key benefits:
• Green snowboard based on hemp fibers and recycled carbon nonwoven
• Using of Dry-Fiber-Placement for waste-reduced production
• Unidirectional or high-orientated semi-finished textiles for perfect properties Circular economy for high-performance snowboards made of virgin carbon fiber
• Green economy for the green snowboard by using bio-based epoxy

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: JEC Group

Culp Uses Mattress Fabric Remnants To Make Blankets For Homeless

HIGH POINT, N.C. — February 8, 2024 — Culp Home Fashions, the mattress fabric manufacturing division of Culp Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, CULP) conducted its first “Spread the Warmth” initiative in January by sewing mattress fabric remnants into blankets and donating those blankets to local charities that work with homeless populations. In addition to the blankets made by CULP, employees were given the opportunity to purchase blankets from an Amazon wish list and have them shipped directly to one of the charities.

CULP’s mattress fabric manufacturing facility in Stokesdale, North Carolina, donated blankets to the High Point-based charity, Cover the City. This facility also shipped blankets to CULP’s window treatment production facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, which were then donated to the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless.

“All of our U.S. mattress fabrics facilities are certified as ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ facilities,” explained Iv Culp, president and CEO of Culp Inc. “Ninety-five percent or more of the waste materials created in the manufacturing process are recycled, including remnant fabric. But with this Spread the Warmth initiative, we are able to use the remnant material to make blankets that provide warmth to people in need in our local communities, serving a higher purpose than simply recycling it.”

Commenting on the program, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Teresa Huffman, stated: “As a company, we always strive to support the communities in which we operate. We’re excited to have found a new way to do so. It’s an honor to work with the caring people at Cover the City and the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless who devote their time and energy to charitable initiatives. They make the world a bit brighter, and in this case, a bit warmer.”

Cover the City started in the winter of 2013 when founder and Executive Director, Amanda Anderson, noticed a homeless man sleeping on a bench behind a local business in High Point, North Carolina. So moved by the man’s plight, Anderson spoke with a friend at Open Door Ministries and asked how she could help those in need. Blankets were an immediate need at the time and continue to be a necessity during the winter months. Thus Cover the City was formed to help support the homeless population in shelters and those who do not utilize the shelters during the coldest times of the year. Since then, Cover the City has expanded to include six chapters in North Carolina, one in Ohio, and another in New York.

“We have quite a few companies who partner with us by collecting donations of blankets, and I had always wanted to ask CULP to be a partner, but I never thought about them actually making blankets for us,” Anderson commented. “Working with CULP has been amazing. When a member of their HR team contacted me, explaining that they had made hundreds of blankets to donate, I was so surprised and excited. We are very grateful to CULP for sharing their resources with people in need, and we’re thankful for their talented employees who sew and create these blankets.”

In January, CULP donated over 250 blankets to both charities. The company hopes to donate more later this year as they plan on participating in Cover the City’s November blanket drive. For more information on either charity, visit: www.coverthecityproject.org or www.tvchomeless.org.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: Culp Inc.

Ermenegildo Zegna Group To Open New Luxury Footwear And Leather Goods Production Facility In Sala Baganza, Parma, Italy

Credit – ACPV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel

MILAN, Italy — February 8, 2024 — Ermenegildo Zegna Group announced today that it will open a new luxury footwear and leather goods production facility in Sala Baganza, Italy. The new facility, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, will expand the Group’s production capacity and allow for further focus on promoting and enhancing Italian craftsmanship.

Gildo Zegna, chairman and CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, said: “Luxury footwear and leather goods are flagships of Italian manufacturing. While we are creating a true center of excellence focused on these important aspects of the Italian luxury industry by opening this new facility, the center will be more than just a production facility.

Ermenegildo Zegna, Chairman and CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna Group , at the Group’s headquarters, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, July, 12, 2023. – Francesca Volpi for Financial Times

It will play an important role as a training ground for a new generation of artisans, ensuring the ongoing viability of these important skills and working to preserve the uniqueness of Made in Italy. Parma is the ideal location for this project, building on the region’s long history of craftsmanship and expanding our presence there.”

The Group is developing this cutting-edge center for excellence to meet the growing needs of its brands, focusing mainly on men’s footwear and leather goods and further supporting the growth of ZEGNA’s Triple StitchTM. The facility will also act as an important research and development (R&D) center, further strengthening the Group’s personalization offer as it seeks to meet clients’ growing demands. The new facility is expected to be completed by December 2026 and to employ over 300 people at full capacity in 2027.

As approved by local organizations, the 12,500 square meter facility will be constructed on a 10-hectare plot of land in the northern Emilian Apennines, located 10 km from the center of Parma. The architectural and landscape design of the new complex, developed by the internationally renowned Milan-based architecture and interior design studio ACPV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, prioritizes the site’s unique environmental and natural features. In the ethos of designing an “oasis” as a tool for protecting and developing ecosystems, manufacturing and nature will coexist thanks to the innovative and sustainable architecture. Emphasizing a “design for tomorrow” philosophy, the facility will integrate large indoor and outdoor multifunctional spaces into the natural landscape and will be constructed with longevity and resilience at its core.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: Ermenegildo Zegna Group

Oerlikon Barmag: Gear Metering Pumps For Complex Processes

REMSCHEID, Germany — February 8, 2024 — Polyurethane (PUR) has become indispensable in many areas of modern life — automobiles, furniture, shoes, medical technology and insulation. However, its processing is extremely complex and requires customized solutions for the respective application. This is where precision gear pumps from Oerlikon Barmag come in to meet the highest demands in the chemical industry — from extremely precise metering to increased service life and efficiency. At UTECH Europe from April 23-25 in Maastricht, trade visitors can find out more about Oerlikon Barmag’s pump portfolio (booth G19).

The eccentric pump series covers a throughput range from 1 ml/min. to 30 l/h and, with a viscosity range from 1 mPas to 1,000 Pas, also conveys highly filled, highly viscous or abrasive media.

The gear metering pumps of the GM and GA series are mainly used for high-precision metering of demanding fluids under difficult conditions.

Focus on gear metering pumps
The high-speed metering pump of the GM series has been specially developed for metering poorly- lubricating and abrasive media. The main advantage of the pump is the sealed product chamber. The space touched by the media is limited to the area around the gears. The external, ball-bearing support points in the high-speed pump are externally lubricated and thus prevent the product to be metered from causing damage due to insufficient lubrication. This considerably extends the service life of the pump.

In addition, the increased speed range (30 – 500 rpm) allows an extended application range, for which several pumps of different sizes had to be used previously. This saves on production changeovers and significantly reduces the number of spare parts required. With its low weight of 1.4 kg, the compact pump (ø65 mm) promises significant space savings as well as less strain on the machine.

In addition to the proven GM pump in a square design for standard metering tasks, the GM pump in a multi-stage design conveys low-viscosity media (e.g. 250 bar, 100 mPas) under high pressure and the most difficult operating conditions. The round 2-stage GM pump has been specially developed for use in high-pressure technology. It masters the special challenge of pumping small flow rates with low viscosities. The pump is perfect for 0.05 to 20 ccm/rev feed sizes and is ideally suited for the production of PUR molded parts, block foam, refrigeration unit insulation or sandwich panels.

GA series for higher viscosity media

Manufacturing companies are constantly faced with the challenge of making their products and processes more efficient. Oerlikon Barmag supplements the proven GM series with the GA series, which has been specially developed for the demanding conveying of higher viscosity media. The GA series is available for conveying volumes of 1.25 – 30 cm³/rev (0.6-144 l/h). It is designed for pressures up to 200 bar, for viscosities up to 1,500 Pas and for temperatures up to a maximum of 225°C. With this pump series, Oerlikon Barmag offers customized solutions for process engineering processes where highly accurate and uniform metering is required.

Eccentric screw pump – robust and durable

High wear resistance, increased durability and robust appearance – the pump with a viscosity range from 1mPas to 1,000 Pas is tailor-made for pumping highly filled, highly viscous or abrasive media, such as filled adhesives, filled silicones or filled potting compounds. Eccentric screw pumps are used in sectors as diverse as the plastics industry, the automotive industry, the paint and coatings industry, the pharmaceutical industry and food technology. Customers benefit from a significant increase in productivity, as the maintenance intervals of the pumps are shortened and machine downtimes are significantly reduced.

The highlight of the eccentric screw pump is the multi-stage sealing system, which significantly extends the service life of the pump. The upstream shaft seal ring protects the slide ring seal from rapid wear caused by difficult media. The optimized alignment of the ball-bearing drive shaft, which runs centrally through the shaft seal ring, prevents any metal abrasion and thus ensures a significantly longer service life.

The drum pump – pumping and dosing in one

With the drum pump, the pump experts at Oerlikon Barmag are presenting a pump that is specially designed for conveying and metering highly viscous materials such as adhesives, silicones and other highly viscous materials from drums and other large containers and for pressures of up to 250 bar. One of its special features is that it discharges highly viscous materials from the drum and meters them directly without an intermediate stop.

The gear pump and drum follower plate are coordinated in such a way that the plate effortlessly reaches the bottom of the container, leaving behind only a very small residual quantity of < 1%. This in turn reduces material costs and has a positive impact on the production process. The dosing process, which was previously carried out in two steps and required scoop piston and metering pumps, can now be combined with the drum pump in a single unit.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG

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