ANDRITZ Will Present Innovative Production Solutions For Nonwovens And Textiles At SINCE In Shanghai, China

GRAZ, Austria — October 11, 2023 — International technology group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative production solutions for nonwovens and textiles at SINCE in Shanghai, China, from November 8 to 10 (booth 1L10). The ANDRITZ product portfolio covers state-of-the-art production technologies for nonwovens and textiles, including air-through bonding, needlepunch, airlaid, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/Wetlace™, converting, textile finishing, airlay, and natural fiber processing.

New Development In Drylaid Technology: CA25 Card

ANDRITZ has an experienced platform for production and service specially geared to fit the Asian nonwovens industry at ANDRITZ (China) Ltd. Wuxi Branch. It designs and manufactures cutting-edge equipment to complement the ANDRITZ aXcess product range, which includes complete lines and individual machines for air-through bonding, needlepunch, and spunlace processes.

The latest development in the aXcess range is the CA25 card for high capacities. Thanks to the improvement of fibers and web handling, the new CA25 card makes it possible to reach a speed of up to 200 m/min, while keeping the MD/CD ratio below 4:1. With this improved performance, the new CA25 card offers a competitive capacity/investment ratio for air-through bonding, spunlace, and Wetlace CP processes.

Dribing Success In Wipes Markets

ANDRITZ will be focusing on its comprehensive technologies for all types of wipes: Airlace™, Spunlace, Wetlace, and Wetlace CP. With the recent acquisition of Dan-Web, ANDRITZ is expanding its portfolio to include the well-known airlaid and airlace processes, offering its customers an even wider range of options. As a leading supplier to the nonwovens industry, ANDRITZ plays an important role in the development of sustainable products – such as wipes that are biodegradable and/or flushable and produced from natural or recycled fibers – all with one goal in mind: to reduce and eliminate plastic components and to reuse raw materials while maintaining the high quality of the desired product properties.

Highlights In Hygiene Nonwovens And Applications

ANDRITZ provides complete lines and individual machines to produce hygiene nonwovens and applications, such as air-through bonding, spunlace lines, nonwovens calenders, Spunjet equipment, and complete converting lines for baby, adult, and fem care products.

The ANDRITZ air-through bonding lines deliver all the fabric characteristics of nonwovens for hygiene end uses, such as top sheets, acquisition distribution layers, and back sheets. The well-known ANDRITZ carding machines are the key to success in achieving perfect web uniformity and comfort. With the ANDRITZ air-through bonding line, you can benefit from high production capacity and high- performance fabrics from 16 to 80 gsm made from bi-component fibers produced at high speeds of up to 250 m/min. The air-though bonding allows you to include cellulosic and natural fiber in the fiber blend to improve the quality of absorbent hygiene products and reduce the consumption of plastics.

Cutting-Edge Solutions For Durable Applications

The ANDRITZ needlepunch portfolio will be another highlight at the SINCE exhibition. It provides customers with superior technologies and enables them to produce exactly the fabric characteristics they need, such as market entry solutions for premium production lines with fabric weights ranging from very light (<70 gsm) to heavy (up to 4,000 gsm).

ANDRITZ will be introducing its latest solutions in PTFE processing for filtration from the raw material to the end of the line, with dedicated expertise to enhance production capacity and product uniformity. Great attention will also be paid to high-performing batt forming solutions for glass fiber and natural fiber.

Moreover, we will be presenting our ProWid™ technology for profile weight correction in the needlepunch industry, which fits both our eXcelle crosslappers and our aXcess range of batt forming solutions for a wider, cost-sensitive approach. This device optimizes processes by ensuring a more regular product weight and providing a faster return on investment via significant material savings. The ProWid system allows the carded web to be stretched to reduce its fiber weight so that the stretched web areas can be laid by the crosslapper on both edges of the fiber mat provided. Its closed loop design is an advantage in constantly improving the CV%. Better products then make it possible to penetrate new markets or to implement more attractive prices for most applications.

The entire ANDRITZ Nonwoven and Textile team is looking forward to welcoming customers to our booth (booth 1L10).

Posted: October 12, 2023

Source: ANDRITZ Küsters GmbH

Waterless, Low-Carbon Footprint Scouring Using Compressed Carbon Dioxide As Non-Toxic Solvent

TW Special Report

In the search for textile processing technologies with low water- and carbon footprints, several novel, sustainable coloration technologies have been developed in the last decade, for both printing and dyeing operations. This can indeed lead to a significant sustainability improvement but the pre- and post-treatments have been largely left out of considerations until now, despite the fact that these have similar water consumptions and carbon footprints.

Scouring of fabrics of polyester and its blends with spandex in conventional jet machines, for instance, uses up to 18,000 liters of water per ton fabric for scouring and subsequent neutralization and generates 1,150 kilograms (kg) CO2 equivalents per ton fabric.

An alternative is solvent scouring, which is on the market but suffers from the inherent disadvantage that organic solvents have a bad reputation for being toxic and flammable. Potential of exposure of workers and the presence of traces of solvent in the end product has prevented this waterless, low-carbon footprint technology from becoming mainstream.

One solution

The Netherlands-based Dye-FF B.V. has developed a solution for waterless, low-carbon footprint scouring, using compressed carbon dioxide (CO2) as non-toxic solvent. Polyester and polyester-spandex fabric is rolled on a beam and perfused by the CO2, which dissolves and takes away all knitting and spinning oil from the fibers.

Gentle Process

The fact that the fabric is not moving in the machine means that even the most sensitive fabrics can be treated with this process. What is more, there will be no microfibers released from the fabric. Downstream of the scouring vessel, the oil is obtained from the machine pure and clean, offering the possibility of circularity by oil reuse.

The pressure and temperature inside the scouring vessel are 60 bar and 20°C, so no shrinking or fiber damage is caused. In addition, if a dope-dyed fabric is scoured, no dye extraction will take place. Relaxation and heat setting has to be done as usual in a tenter after the scouring if the fabric is to be dyed or printed.

Because of the low temperature of 20°C, the energy consumption using this method is low. On top of this, the tenter does not need to dry the fabric and thus extra energy is saved. The total carbon footprint of the process is only 540 kg of CO2 equivalents per ton of fabric — 50-percent lower than the typical 1,150 kg CO2 eq/ton that is characteristic for scouring synthetic fabrics in a jet machine.

Dye-FF has developed this experimental process on a 1-kg scale using an R&D machine designed built by its business partner Ozephius Stainless B.V., the Netherlands. It was found that the oil content of commercial fabric could be reduced in only one hour of total processing time, from 3 percent down to 0.2 percent or even 0 percent. A patent on the process and equipment is submitted and pending.

The Machine

From the experimental results, the company has designed the commercial scale equipment needed to scour 1.6 million kg of polyester or polyester-spandex in 140-kg batches on a beam. The machine will cost approximately $1.3 million depending on how many machines can be manufactured in series and in which country the machines are made. The lower machine operating cost, especially energy use, compensate for this higher investment cost, the nett effect being a lower total cost: $160/ton for CO2 scouring, versus $250/ton for conventional jet scouring.

The CO2 scouring technology can be used for any factory that makes polyester or polyester-spandex, be it as dope dyed fabric, conventional water-based dyeing or printing. In all cases, the same combination of sustainability and cost saving is found. In some cases, it can even mean completely waterless production of fabrics.

Scouring in CO2 – summarized:

  • Sustainable: no water and less energy;
  • Lower cost: 160 versus 250 USD/ton fabric (including machine depreciation);
  • Lower carbon footprint: 540 versus 1150 kg CO2/ton fabric;
  • No chemicals, only pure CO2;
  • Gentle fabric treatment;
  • Oil is obtained clean, pure and can be re-used; and
  • No microfibers are released.

With the technical and economic feasibility proven, and the carbon footprint calculated, Dye-FF B.V. now is looking for investors to fund the building of the first full-scale, commercial machine so that it can demonstrate the solution and its low carbon footprint to dyehouses and brands. For more information, please contact martijn@dye-ff.com.

October 12, 2023

ROBOspin Increases Efficiency In Ring And Compact Spinning

Figure 1: ROBOspin on a Rieter compact-spinning machine

TW Special Report

Two factors that have a particularly strong impact on spinning mill output are efficiency and productivity. The fully automated piecing robot ROBOspin for ring and compact-spinning machines offers a rise in productivity as well as consistent quality during piecing. Spinning mills around the world reduce their manpower requirements by 50 percent and the robot reliably reaches up to 95 percent piecing efficiency.

Figure 2: The Managing Director of Poomex, Durai Arun, and his team are very satisfied with ROBOspin.

ROBOspin is the industry’s first fully automated piecing robot (See Figure 1). On the market since 2019, it is proving its worth in a variety of countries such as the US, Turkey, and India. The piecing robot is a response to the constant challenges of spinning mills to find dedicated operating personnel to quickly repair ends down and thus ensure full machine performance. Working in the ring spinning department is challenging due to long walking distances, high noise levels, and the dusty environment. “ROBOspin is the perfect automation solution to efficiently schedule the workforce. Our technical team is very happy with the operation and maintenance of the ROBOspin,” said Durai Arun, managing director of Poomex Clothing Co. in Tiruppur, India.

ROBOspin was installed at Poomex Clothing in 2020 on an existing ring spinning machine G 32 (See Figure 2). “The compact design and consistency in piecing quality are the standout features of this robot,” Arun added.

The Key To High Efficiency

ROBOspin shortens the time for ends down detection and its repair as much as possible – this is the key to higher machine efficiency. The downtime of spinning positions while waiting for operating personnel to repair the ends down is reduced significantly. This increases production and minimizes raw material waste. With ROBOspin, the spindle speed can thus be increased, which boosts productivity while the efficiency remains the same.

Figure 3: The individual spindle monitoring system ISM detects the affected spinning position.

Fully Automated From A To Z

The fully automated piecing robot ROBOspin repairs ends down that occur during production or doffing. This improves the efficiency of the spinning positions and ensures higher productivity and a reduction in labor costs.

Each machine has one robot per machine side. Ends down are detected by the individual spindle monitoring system ISM (See Figure 3). ROBOspin travels directly to the affected spinning position and repairs the ends down in the shortest possible time. The entire piecing cycle runs fully automatically, from searching for the yarn end on the cop to threading into the traveler and placing the yarn behind the delivery roller.
Consistent performance with minimal personnel deployment

ROBOspin runs with consistently high performance in various spinning mills around the world. ROBOspin piecing efficiency reaches up to 95 percent, and the robot reduces personnel requirements in the ring spinning department by 50 percent. With Rieter’s unique yarn end search device, piecing is carried out without affecting the yarn layers on the cop. In addition, the automated piecing process ensures consistent piecer quality. The operator does not have to handle the cop during the cycle, and top-quality yarn is produced.

October 12, 2023

Pailung’s AlterKnit Creates Functional Fabrics That Boost Performance

Imagine clothing that doesn’t just feel comfortable against your skin but actively adapts to your needs. Enter AlterKnit, an innovation by Pailung.

TW Special Report

Comfort is a crucial quality consumers look for in clothing. This has never been more true than in recent years, as the activewear and athleisure markets continue to expand. As people choose more active lifestyles and working from home becomes more commonplace, the importance of comfort in clothing continues to grow.

When mentioning comfort, most people immediately think of fabric weight or hand feel. However, these characteristics are no longer enough to satisfy consumers. Soft materials don’t always provide the best support, and with global temperatures rising, lightweight fabrics can only do so much to prevent us from overheating. The bottom line is that brands must adopt more comprehensive approaches to comfort in order to meet changing demands and ensure they stay ahead.

In response, several major sportswear brands are using functional fabrics. These provide extra functions for the wearer, such as moisture wicking, through the fabric’s structure or the yarn’s chemical properties. As fabric technologies advance and demand for greater comfort increases, more brands will look towards functional fabrics to keep up with the competition.

Pailung’s Innovative Approach to Function

Taiwan-based knitting machine manufacturer Pailung is one of the brands empowering the functional fabric trend while combining it with aesthetics. Known for its relentless approach to innovation and development, Pailung consistently experiments with ways to boost comfort with its fabric technologies. In June, it unveiled its AlterKnit knitting technology at ITMA 2023, the world’s largest textile machinery convention, to overwhelming acclaim from major apparel brands. Why did AlterKnit perform so well? It checked three boxes: aesthetic, sustainability, and lastly, comfort.

AlterKnit is heralded as a game-changer because it knits multiple colors together in one step, yielding patterned fabrics while reducing energy consumption by eliminating finishing steps like splicing and embroidery. In doing so, it produces smooth, lightweight fabrics. However, what’s equally as impressive but perhaps less known, is that AlterKnit can also make functional fabrics.

Elevating Athletic Performance

There are two types of AlterKnit machine, single knit and double knit. Besides transitioning through colors swiftly, this ground-breaking technology can also switch between two knit structures within one sheet of fabric. Double knit can be combined with pique or mesh, while single knit can be combined with pique, mesh, or fleece. Pailung is currently extending capabilities further, and states that double knit AlterKnit combined with spacer will be available soon.

AlterKnit produces functional fabric that not just improves comfort but also enhances athletic performance. For example, it can use elastic yarn to create stretchable, flexible fabrics. These are a popular choice for medium- to low-impact sports like jogging, running, and golf, as the fabric follows the body’s movements with ease. In addition, when combining AlterKnit with mesh, designers are able to make body-mapping garments. This technique alters fabric in specific places so that it responds to different parts of the body and their requirements. For example, adding mesh to areas such as underarms, increases ventilation and makes the fabric more breathable, especially useful in hotter climates. For colder environments, single knit AlterKnit can use fleece to trap heat between its fibers while remaining lightweight, which is particularly useful for winter sportswear or other outdoor clothing.

Incorporating different functions adds value to fabrics and garments. It not just improves comfort for the wearer, but in the case of sportswear applications, it can even boost athletic performance. What’s even more impressive is that it does all this while incorporating its signature patterns, preventing manufacturers from sacrificing color for comfort.

Intertwining Color, Comfort, and Sustainability

So how does AlterKnit actually create patterns? This state-of-the-art technology knits multiple colors or yarn types together using an inverse plating technique, whereby alternate colors appear on the fabric surface to create designs. This also offers sustainability benefits, as knitting multiple colors directly enables designers to use dyed or dope-dyed yarn as the raw material for knitting patterns, rather than piece dyeing. Dope-dyed yarn is considered more environmentally friendly due to its increased color fastness, and reduced water, chemical, and energy consumption. As a result, AlterKnit allows designers to latch onto the functional fabric trend while achieving their own sustainability goals.

The Future of Function

By combining function and sustainability with colorful designs, Pailung is set to take the activewear and athleisure markets by storm, particularly football, running, and gym clothes. The brand hopes its technology can help manufacturers to meet the rising demand for more technical textiles and add value to their apparel lines, while appealing to the growing number of environmentally conscious consumers. In the future, Pailung plans to add more functions to AlterKnit’s capabilities as well as new fabric textures, increasing the technology’s versatility.

October 12, 2023

Textile Manufacturing Hub To Receive $10 Million Federal ARC Grant To Expand Facility In Burke County, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. — October 11, 2023 — The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded a $10 million grant to The Industrial Commons, an industry focused nonprofit in western North Carolina. The grant will help build a 40,000-square-foot green textile manufacturing hub in Burke County.

“North Carolina has a rich legacy in textile manufacturing and innovation,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “This investment will help strengthen our textile economy and grow our nonwovens manufacturing workforce which is the largest in the nation.”

The new facility will be a manufacturing incubator that will expand the capacity to produce circular textiles — a process where textile waste is broken down and turned into new yarn, which can be used as a new raw material input to make new products at The Industrial Commons (TIC) and throughout the textile manufacturing supply chain. TIC is a woman-owned and led nonprofit that supports the scaling of employee-owned businesses and industrial cooperatives while helping the region’s manufacturing workforce improve its economic prosperity with an emphasis on diversity and equity. TIC was founded after the success of Opportunity Threads and is now the home to three enterprises, Good Books, Carolina Textile District, and Material Return, which has saved 1.8 million pounds of fabric from landfills over the past five years. TIC also has several community-focused initiatives such as TOSS, a school-based art program, and Work in Burke that engage youth and the community in conversations about the future of work.

The manufacturing hub will be part of TIC’s larger Innovation Campus to be located at the former Drexel Heritage Furniture site in Morganton.

This project is a collaboration between North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, which improves economic prosperity in southern Appalachia. Overall, the project will include $60 million in private investment and will create 85 jobs across the three states, with 31 jobs being added in North Carolina.

“The work of our ARISE grantees will not only support economic development and encourage collaboration in North Carolina and Tennessee, but will help deploy new technology that will be the catalyst for the next era of energy and manufacturing across our Appalachian states,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “It is critically important that we focus on the future of energy diversification, while supporting the Appalachian Region’s longtime role of maintaining America’s energy independence.”

“The Industrial Commons is a nationally recognized model for our circular economy,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Since its founding in 2015, TIC has been on the frontlines of reenergizing the industrial manufacturing economy in western North Carolina through its unique workforce training and community support programs that have trained more than 3,700 workers.”

Through its training approach, the project will prepare the next generation of workers to grow the circular textile industry in southern Appalachia. In addition to providing advanced manufacturing training for hundreds of students and workers, the project will also establish a textile supply chain and connect entrepreneurs in Appalachian North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The $10 million grant is provided through the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Strong Economies (ARISE) a new federal program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which drives large-scale economic transformation through multi-state collaboration. The project also received a $5 million appropriation from the N.C. General Assembly to support the construction of the incubator.

Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region, including 31 North Carolina counties. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.

For more information on ARC’s investments in North Carolina, visit the Appalachian Regional Commission webpage.

Posted: October 11, 2023

Source: North Carolina Office of the Governor

SailGP Joins Forces With Mover To Create Plastic-Free Technical Sportswear

Light merino t-shirt — stargazer

LONDON — October 11, 2023 — SailGP, one of the world’s fastest growing sports leagues, has announced an exciting purpose-driven collaboration with Mover, a pioneer in 100 percent plastic-free apparel, to create plastic-free technical sportswear.

A 2023 survey of 1,500 adults in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland, commissioned by SailGP, found that 72 percent of people would prefer plastic-free sportswear if it were available. This collaboration between SailGP and Mover will see a capsule collection available to purchase now and the future development of a line of high-performance sportswear for athletes to trial in a sailing environment. There are six items in this capsule collection, including t-shirts, polos and fleece hoodies, all of which are crafted from 100 percent natural fibers, featuring plastic-free stitching and labeling, and water-based printing.

This project challenges the status quo in sportswear and apparel, where the industry promotes synthetic fibers as the only viable solution to meet the technical demands of high-performance clothing. Synthetic fibers, such as nylon, polyester and acrylic, account for 69 percent of all fibers used worldwide and this figure is expected to reach almost 75 percent by 2030. These fibers are derived from fossil fuels and contribute to primary microplastic pollution and the plastic waste crisis.

SailGP Chief Purpose Officer Fiona Morgan said: “At SailGP our ambition is to be the world’s most purpose driven and sustainable global sport and entertainment platform, and it’s only by collaborating with innovative, like-minded partners that we’ll be able to achieve this.

Cotton hoodie

“That’s why we’re incredibly excited to be joining forces with Mover after two years of development to totally rethink sports performance clothing with plastic free materials, a cause very close to my heart. This purpose-driven collaboration demonstrates that change is possible if you innovate and re-design the norm.”

By testing plastic-free technical sportswear in some of the most challenging environments, this pilot project aims to demonstrate that high-performance textiles can be achieved without relying on fossil-fuel fibers.

CEO and Founder of Mover, Nicolas Rochat, said: “Our collaboration with SailGP is a fantastic opportunity to prove that natural fibers can excel in one of the most demanding sports on the planet. Our materials that are the most technical and intelligent, genuinely designed to be digested by nature.”

The collaboration between SailGP and Mover is championed by A Plastic Planet, an organization working to inspire the world to reduce its plastic usage.

Founder of A Plastic Planet, Sian Sutherland, said: “The plastic crisis can feel overwhelming with billions of pieces of plastic still being pumped out into our oceans and soil. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Mover is proving that technical performance textiles from natural, truly breathable materials not only feel great but mean we are no longer adding to plastic pollution with every wear and wash. We are so proud to bring Mover together with SailGP to highlight that change is possible.”

The survey also found that 54 percent of people were unaware or unsure of any health or environmental-related impacts of chemicals that are used in synthetic technical clothing.

There are several chemicals involved in the treatment of synthetic fabrics that are a cause of concern, including the carcinogen antinomy, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are known to be toxic, persistent and bio accumulative in the environment, and are often now called ‘forever chemicals.’ Recycled polyester offers no durable solution to the problems associated with synthetic materials as it emits the same toxic substances as any virgin plastic, such as Bisphenol A (BPA) which causes developmental issues, serious eye damage, respiratory irritation, skin allergies and reproductive harm.

The Mover capsule collection can be purchased at shopsailgp.com or mover.eu and is shipped in plastic free kraft mailers.

Posted: October 11, 2023

Source: SailGP

WACKER Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary In China

MUNICH, Germany/SHANGHAI, China — October 11, 2023 — Today, WACKER held a grand ceremony in Shanghai to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its subsidiary in China. The ceremony was attended by customers, authority representatives and long-standing business partners. WACKER started building its presence in China by opening its first offices in 1993. Today, the Group operates an extensive network of production sites, R&D and service centers. In 2022, WACKER generated around 2.5 billion euros in China, which corresponds to approximately 30 percent of Group sales.

Addressing the guests, President and WACKER CEO Christian Hartel emphasized the importance of the region. “China is the world’s largest chemical market and an important growth driver for the global economy,” he said. “The country offers a wide range of development opportunities which we at WACKER intend to leverage continuously.”

In May, WACKER ramped up new production facilities for dispersions and dispersible polymer powders in Nanjing. In September, the Group also announced the expansion of several new production lines for manufacturing functional silicone fluids, silicone emulsions and silicone elastomer gels at its Zhangjiagang site. “This is our largest single investment since the site went into operation,” Hartel said. “Over the past 30 years, we invested nearly 1 billion euros in production, in customer and technical service and in research in China.”

Today, WACKER China has more than 1,700 employees and operates a total of four production sites, three technical centers, eight sales offices and a WACKER ACADEMY for training purposes. In 2022, WACKER generated around 2.45 billion euros in China, which corresponds to approximately 30 percent of group sales.

Alvin Hu, president of WACKER China, briefly reviewed the company’s 30 year journey in China. “Our track record is impressive: equipped with a comprehensive network of integrated production sites, four joint ventures, R&D and technical service centers as well as several sales offices we are well positioned strategically, especially with a view to key growth topics,” he noted. As an example, Hu referred to the burgeoning electrification of vehicles in China: “This will benefit our silicone business, as WACKER’s high performance silicones are essential for the development and production of electric vehicles.”

In order to better serve customer needs and market trends in China, WACKER operates several R&D centers in addition to its local production network. In 2000, the Group opened its first regional technical application center in Shanghai. In 2012, the WACKER Shanghai Center went into use, equipped with multiple application and R&D labs for developing tailor-made products that meet regional needs and serve multiple industries including construction, coatings, adhesives, electronics, automobile and personal care. The facility also operates global competence centers for consumer care, cement and concrete, e-mobility and thermal interface materials.

WACKER’s production network in China currently includes a total of four sites. At its fully integrated Zhangjiagang production site, WACKER manufactures pyrogenic silica and a wide range of down-stream silicone products for the Asian market. The company’s Nanjing site produces dispersions, dispersible polymer powders and polyvinyl acetate solid resins for the construction, adhesives and coatings industries. The Shunde site manufactures silicone emulsions and silicone-based process auxiliaries for textiles, leather and fiber applications. In 2022, WACKER acquired a 60 percent stake in Sico Performance Material (Shandong) Co. Ltd. Its plant in Jining is now WACKER’s second largest silicone production site in China. It provides organofunctional silane specialties for adhesives, sealants, construction chemicals, coatings and composites.

Posted: October 11, 2023

Source: Wacker Chemie AG

FESPA: 2023 Print Census Reveals Impact Of Rising Sustainability Demands And Changing Customer Requirements

DORKING, England — (October 11, 2023) — FESPA has published the headline findings of its 2023 Print Census, highlighting the impact of rising sustainability demands and evolving customer requirements on business models and investment plans.

Conducted in partnership with InfoTrends, a division of Keypoint Intelligence, this year’s Census further explored the long-term trends that emerged from the analysis of the 2018 Print Census, including revenue and industry outlook, the rise of environmental pressures, changing customer demands, future investment and purchasing plans, and business models and strategies.

1,778 printers and signmakers from over 120 countries participated in the survey, representing a 26.5% increase from the last Print Census published in May 2018. Respondents defined their business focus as graphics (61%), signage (26%), textile (24%) and industrial (14%).

Key 2023 Print Census findings

Revenue increase and industry outlook — The market outlook remains positive in line with the results from 2018, with 71 percent of respondents stating that they are optimistic about the future of their business, despite the considerable economic challenges of the past five years.

The survey further highlighted that the industry is adapting to the changing landscape and finding new opportunities for growth. In accordance with this, respondents reported a 7 percent average revenue increase since the 2018 Census. In 2018, the mean annual revenue was reported as 4.4 million euros, compared with a mean annual revenue of 4.7 million euros in 2023, showing a 330,000-euro-increase.

Growing demand for sustainability — The Census reaffirmed that the pressure on printers and signmakers to be more sustainable continues to rise, with 72 percent of print buyers requesting environmentally friendly products and practices. 25 percent of respondents shared that their customers cared most about sustainable products and 12 percent identified a focus on sustainable manufacturing, however, the majority of printers — 36 percent — disclosed that their customers cared about both. The perceived cost increases are often a barrier to sustainable production, but 70 percent of the respondents shared that they can address sustainability demands without raising their prices and a further 22 percent advised that they already raised pricing without impact on sales.

Customer demand continues to change the market— The industry is being shaped by changing customer requirements, including: quicker turnaround times, more personalization and versioning options, and shorter print runs. Some 67 percent of responses showed an increase in the demand for faster turnaround, 58 percent noted a rise in requests for shorter runs and 56 percent highlighted the upsurge in interest for more versioning and personalization, while only 38 percent noted an increase in the demand for more complex logistic requirements.

Wide format purchasing plans — The survey highlighted that print service providers are interested in investing in technology that can streamline production and provide greater application flexibility. For the 201 respondents who own screen printing and wide format equipment*, UV-curable Inkjet (27 percent), eco-solvent Inkjet (18 percent) and CNC finishing (17 percent) are the highest priority for their purchasing plans.

Business expansion drives technology investment

When asked about the rationale behind planned technological investments, 55 percent of respondents want to enter new markets and expand their service and application offerings, 53 percent are focused on enhancing print quality and 52 percent are looking to reduce the unit cost.**

FESPA Head Of Associations & Technical Lead, Graeme Richardson-Locke, commented: “It’s a really positive result to see our community so optimistic not only about the future of our industry, but also about the growth potential of their businesses. The survey once again cemented that one of the key challenges printers and sign-makers are currently facing are the ever-changing customer demands and the growing need for sustainable solutions. Thanks to the responses from our community, we can now develop and evolve our offering to tailor it, but above all, we hope that the Census findings will help our community to benchmark themselves against similar businesses globally, and to make informed choices for their future.”

The full 2023 Print Census report is available free of charge to members of FESPA national Associations.

*Participants were asked which types of equipment they use and of the 1,778 survey respondents, 201 stated that they own screen printing and wide format equipment

**Multiple responses were allowed for this question.

Posted: October 11, 2023

Source: FESPA

Fine Cotton Factory Enters Dye Sublimation Segment With New Private Label Apparel Line

Dye sublimation dress

ETOBICOKE, Canada — October 11, 2023 — Fine Cotton Factory, a textile manufacturer specializing in eco-friendly knits for the North American market, is entering the apparel manufacturing space for the first time with a focus on dye sublimation, one of the fastest growing printing processes in the textile industry. In this next step of the company’s evolution in becoming a full-service fashion house, Fine Cotton Factory will start manufacturing a private label line of garments using the new technology.

Dye sublimation is a printing process that allows for the transfer of high-resolution graphics onto a variety of fabrics, ensuring vibrant colors, durability, and a soft touch that is second-to-none. What sets Fine Cotton Factory apart is its unique and innovative approach to dye sublimation, which involves printing on fine gauge jersey fabrics, resulting in exceptional print quality and feel.

“As dye sublimation continues to gain traction in the industry, we predict it will overtake a lot of the other fabric printing methods out there,” said Skip Kann, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Fine Cotton Factory. “By turning an everyday jersey fabric to fine gauge, the fabric feels better and the picture or design prints better with little to no risk of the image distorting over time with wear. Dye sublimation is just another tool in our toolbox on the road to becoming a full-service fashion house.”

Dye sublimation shirt

Fine Cotton Factory’s private label dye sublimation line features an array of clothing items including men’s business shirts, men’s casual dress shirts, and women’s dresses, all available in ten different fabric weights to cater to a variety of preferences. This is the first time the fabric and textile manufacturer has made clothing items in its nearly three decades of operation.

“This innovation allows us to deliver unparalleled print quality and a luxurious feel to our customers. Whether it’s men’s business shirts or women’s dresses, our products combine comfort, and customization. Our fine gauge jersey can also be antimicrobial, something that very few manufacturers in the North American market are doing,” Kann added.

The men’s dress shirt utilizes the fine gauge jersey offering one way stretch, allowing for stretch in the width of the shirt but not the length. This gives comfort of movement without risk of the shirt riding up.

As Fine Cotton Factory is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), it is uniquely positioned as it can service both the United States and Canada. “The only other option for dye sublimation fabric is California, but seeing as they’re not NAFTA approved, they can only import, and customers would pay a much higher tax. Because we’re already involved in NAFTA, we’re uniquely positioned to serve customers in Canada, the Mid-West, and the East-Coast with no extra taxes,” Kann finished.

Posted: October 11, 2023

Source: Fine Cotton Factory

Sensitive® Fabrics From Eurojersey Powered By LYCRA® SPORT Present “URBAN JUNGLE SOUL”

Sensitive® Fabrics powered by LYCRA® Sport (credit Sweaty Betty)

CARONNO PERTUSELLA, Italy  — October 11, 2023 — Sensitive® Fabrics present a series of new “Urban Jungle Soul” prints with Sweaty Betty’s zero gravity leggings containing 41-percent LYCRA® SPORT fiber.

Designed for calibrated compression and total muscular activity during body movement, the zero gravity effect facilitates blood circulation and helps sculpt and reproportionalize shapes. Highly technical, they reshape the silhouette without constricting and support the muscles. Indeformable thanks to the fabric’s high elastic memory, they are breathable, quick-drying and offer UV 50+ protection.

Sensitive Fabrics fit like a second skin, adapt naturally to the body and boast unique properties, from breathability to high heat exchange and avoid friction on the skin. They last over time, do not deform, and do not lose their consistency even after washing and frequent use. The high elastic memory provided by the patented textile construction helps one move safely in all weather conditions.

Thanks to their ultra-flat surface, Sensitive® Fabrics with LYCRA SPORT technology meet the highest standards of the sports world. Perfect for luxury activewear, they are fully reflected in the collections of the most innovative fashion brands for a contemporary style that enhances a sense of well-being and awareness.

Sensitive® Fabrics powered by LYCRA® Sport (credit Sweaty Betty)

An exclusive patent of EUROJERSEY, Sensitive Fabrics are a product of excellence, made in Italy with a high percentage of LYCRA elastic fiber with a unique proposal of weight variants, prints and finishes.

The LYCRA SPORT certification, known and appreciated by brands in the sportswear world, uses the exclusive scientific method of measuring fabric performance, based on the combination of Comfort, Power and Energy indices. A valuable technology that makes it possible to identify the most suitable fabrics for making garments for different sports disciplines.

Sweaty Betty’s leggings with Sensitive® Fabrics powered by LYCRA SPORT follow every single movement, proving to be super practical and trendy for all training sessions, even the most dynamic ones, such as the new Animal Flow discipline, a training program focusing mainly on floor work inspired by disciplines such as yoga, capoeira and dance with movements or positions typical of certain animals that are particularly suitable for improving balance, joint strength, muscle power and body awareness.

Advanced hi-tech design and excellent ergonomic properties are enhanced by LYCRA® SPORT certification, which ensures high compression strength and extraordinary comfort precisely when muscle containment and total freedom of movement are required during training.

Animal Flow’s motor activity is accompanied by the important role of hydration thanks to the thermal flasks of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), made available by EUROJERSEY, which again this year supports MSF in the protection of women’s health, such as obstetrical care, assistance to victims of sexual violence, prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.

For more than 50 years, MSF has been dedicated to saving lives: thanks to the support of donors such as EUROJERSEY, MSF provides free medical care and assistance, promotes the application of health protocols, strengthens medical care infrastructure and promotes the training of local health personnel. Actions that are made possible by the humanitarian workers who commit themselves concretely, day after day, in more than 70 countries around the world.

Posted: October 11, 2023

Source: EUROJERSEY

 

 

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