STOCKHOLM — December 8, 2021 — Today We aRe Spin Dye (WRSD) presents a collaboration agreement between the two companies that paves the way for jointly reducing the environmental impact from dyeing of textiles in production of Björn Borg’s collections.
The companies have agreed on the forms of cooperation and a plan for the implementation of WRSD’s technology. Today’s agreement lays the foundation for the possibility of a long-term collaboration that is positive for both the companies and the environment.
“We are sincerely happy to be able to present today’s news of a collaboration between Björn Borg and WRSD. From WRSD’s perspective, Björn Borg is a brand with a product range that fits exceptionally well with WRSD’s offering,” said Andreas Andrén, CEO of WRSD.
“With sustainability as one of three focus areas for our operations, we are committed to following the UN’s 1.5-degree goal and the cooperation with WRSD is completely in line with that,” said Mija Nideborn, Product and Sustainability manager at Björn Borg AB. “As much as 98 percent of our emissions come from production and a significant part of it lies in the dyeing process. With WRSD’s process, we drastically reduce both water and chemical use, but also waste, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Initially, we will use WRSD for a number of garments in our Spring / Summer, High Summer, and Autumn/Winter collections 2023.”
WELLINGBOROUGH, United Kingdom — December 3, 2021 — Scott Bader has further committed to the Irish composites market through the incorporation of its Irish office.
Previously part of Scott Bader UK, Scott Bader Ireland was established as its own legal corporation in Ireland during 2021. The investment will ensure Scott Bader Ireland continues to serve their loyal, longstanding customers throughout Northern and Southern Ireland.
Originally established in 1984, Scott Bader has long been committed to the Irish composites market. It is the only global composites manufacturer to have invested in a presence in Ireland. From its office in Dunboyne, Co Meath, the Irish team offer Scott Bader’s high-performance range of Crystic resins and gelcoats, alongside its GRP roofing system CrysticROOF and Crestabond MMA primerless structural adhesives.
Anthony Dunne, Business Director for Scott Bader Ireland, said: “Incorporating our Irish business is a significant moment for Scott Bader Ireland and another example of our commitment to our great Irish customers. We look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
Alongside the incorporation of its Irish office, Scott Bader has recently announced the establishment of a new $16 million manufacturing site in North Carolina and a new sales office in Italy.
FRANKFURT, Germany — December 3, 2021 — Against the background of the worsening pandemic situation in Germany over the past two weeks and the associated restrictions, Heimtextil, scheduled to take place in the second week of January, is cancelled. Messe Frankfurt is working with the industry to determine whether and in what form a new offering in the summer of 2022 can be organized to run parallel to the Techtextil/Texprocess trade fair duo. Later events such as Ambiente, Christmasworld, Creativeworld, Paperworld and Frankfurt Fashion Week are still planning to take place at the present time.
Due to the unforeseeable dynamics in the development of the pandemic, the reciprocal and cumulative effects of the relevant factors, as well as the extreme escalation and deterioration of the pandemic situation in Germany within a very short period of time, including the decisions taken at the Conference of Minister Presidents on 02.12.2021, the date of Heimtextil right at the beginning of the year, in the second week of January, cannot be kept. Heimtextil, the leading international trade fair for home and contract textiles, will be cancelled. Messe Frankfurt is working closely with all industry partners to find out whether and within what framework Heimtextil can be held parallel to Techtextil and Texprocess from 21 to 24 June 2022.
Heimtextil as an international trade fair has always kicked off the spring trade fair season and is the first major international trade fair in Germany directly after Christmas and New Year with exhibitors and visitors from over 135 countries. The exponential increase in the number of infections in a very short period of time and the accompanying multitude of developments and resolutions that are clearly outside the realm of influence of the organiser have led to a significant deterioration in the general conditions and necessary requirements for holding Heimtextil as a major trade fair of international relevance at this early stage. These developments include in particular the classification of Germany as a high-risk area and the associated travel warnings, international and intercontinental travel restrictions in India, Japan, the United States and Great Britain, as well as the quarantine obligation and “2G” (only with vaccinated and recovered status) requirements without recognition of the WHO vaccine list in Germany. Equally important are the steadily rising infection figures and the accompanying urgent appeal, including by the Robert Koch Institute, to reduce contacts to a minimum and to cancel all major events.
A large number of the exhibiting and visiting companies at Heimtextil are currently reacting to this with travel and trade fair attendance bans out of an obligation of concern towards their employees to protect them from health risks. The global willingness to travel is continuing to fall rapidly.
The planning and staging of the other spring trade fairs Ambiente, Christmasworld, Creativeworld and Paperworld is not affected. Due to their later dates in the year, at the end of January and mid-February respectively, these fairs are still planning to take place at the present time. Compared to Heimtextil, which is the most international trade fair at the Frankfurt location, Frankfurt Fashion Week currently has a much lower international profile and from this perspective can therefore still take place. The extremely volatile situation is continuously reviewed and evaluated in close exchange with the relevant authorities and industry partners.
ULSTER, Northern Ireland — December 3, 2021 — Ulster Weavers, the 140-year-old textile manufacturer from Northern Ireland, is going through its biggest change in generations as it repositions its business as a contemporary homeware brand targeting the millennial audience.
The company, which has customers in 50 countries, is introducing new contemporary kitchen textile and homeware collections that are inspired by the places and culture of Northern Ireland as part of the major brand relaunch.
Ulster Weavers has its roots in Northern Ireland’s famous linen industry, having been founded in 1880, and today is renowned for its vibrant textiles, with products including tea towels, aprons, and oven mitts.
The new collections will also include a range of new home furnishing items in contemporary designs which will be unveiled at Spring Fair in Birmingham in February 2022.
The brand relaunch is allied to a pledge by Ulster Weavers to grow sustainably, with a commitment to align its strategy with UN Sustainable Development Goals 9, 11, 12 and 14 and to make approximately three quarters of its new retail products in Northern Ireland.
As a result of the relaunch, Ulster Weavers plans to increase turnover 100 percent between now and September 2024.
Gillian McLean
Gillian McLean, managing director of Ulster Weavers, said: “Ulster Weavers have been linen makers and shapers since 1880. But we are set to go through the biggest change that the company has experienced in at least a generation, as the launch of our contemporary kitchen textile and homeware collections repositions our brand to connect with young millennial families worldwide.”
“The roots that ground us are a powerful combination for a brand in today’s marketplace — from our linen heritage and provenance to our local craftsmanship, textiles specialism, and quality of design and product. In a highly competitive category, we now need to retell our story, connect with a new and burgeoning audience and deliver on our purpose to enrich homes and lives everywhere.
“Our commitment to operating sustainably for the benefit of our customers’ businesses and our consumers’ lives is a key part of our strategy and makes business sense. Producing locally, responsibly, and sustainably not only supports the social and economic welfare of our local community but also protects the environment for future generations,” she adds.
Annie David, head of Innovation at Ulster Weavers, said: “We carried out a global audience and market research programme. Our goal was to map the macro trends impacting our category and identify white space, key lifestyle movements, and consumer audiences that offered opportunity. This knowledge and insight provided the bedrock for our brand rejuvenation and informed our vision to bring inspiration and craftsmanship to every home in the world. We are very proud of our rebrand and new collections and look forward to showcasing them at Spring Fair. We will also continue to keep our finger on the pulse of consumer and design trends into the future. This will inform ongoing new product development, enabling us to create relevant products on an ongoing basis that meet and exceed the needs, wants and expectations of consumers for the benefit of our customers.”
ZURICH — December 3, 2021 — In the first half of November 2021 the ITMF conducted the 11th ITMF Corona-Survey among more than 330 companies around the world in all segments along the textile value chain. For the fourth time since May, companies were asked the same set of questions about their 1) business situation, 2) business expectation, 3) order intake, 4) order backlog, and 5) capacity utilization rate.
On average across all regions and all segments, the business situation has improved significantly since the 10th survey in September. The balance between companies with a good and a poor business situation jumped from +10 percentage points (pp) to +28 pp (see graph below). When it comes to business expectations in six months’ time (May 2022) the balance is +33 pp. This means that significantly more companies are expecting business to be more favorable than less favorable by May 2022. Nevertheless, expectations were slightly higher in the previous surveys.
A look at the different regions reveals that the business situation improved on average in most regions except for East Asia. Business expectations are optimistic in all regions.
As for the different segments the gap between the upstream segments — fiber producers, spinners, and textile machinery producers — on the one hand and the downstream segments — weavers/knitters, finishers/printers, and garment producers — on the other hand is narrowing.
As far as order intake is concerned the very positive situation (+40 pp) is the source for the above-mentioned very good business situation. Order intake expectations increased again from an already high level to +41 pp.
Order backlog has remained almost unchanged since May and is around 2.5 months. By nature, the textile machinery segment has on average a much longer backlog (6 vs. 1.5 months for spinners). The capacity utilization rate has increased slowly but continuously since May 2021, indicating that the supply chain disruption is still a big — but hopefully diminishing — concern.
LONDON — December 6, 2021 — Graphene nanotubes have been used to form a 3D network that transforms textile into a heating element. A climbing jacket made of fabric with nanotubes warmed up in 40 seconds during tests on Mount Elbrus, Europe’s second highest peak. The next step is the integration of temperature control sensors into the jacket and software development. The ArcticTex start-up specializes in the development and creation of heated textiles modified with TUBALL graphene nanotubes from technology company OCSiAl.
The treatment of textile fabric with graphene nanotubes makes it possible to convert the fabric into a heating element. A mixture with just 1 gram of TUBALL nanotubes is enough to treat 2.5 square meters of fabric, which is sufficient for the heating elements of 98 jackets. So each jacket contains approximately 10 milligrams of nanotubes. For comparison, a drop of water weighs 80 milligrams.
In 2021, ArcticTex released a pilot model of a climbing jacket with integrated heating modules. The technology facilitates fast and uniform heating of the fabric from a portable power source while preserving the flexibility of the fabric. The company’s specialists managed to create a lightweight heating jacket with a total weight of less than 0.5 kg thanks to the reduced volume of thermal insulation and the replacement of metal heating elements with nanotube-improved textiles. The maximum heating temperature of the product is 45 °C, which ensures comfort and safety. The jacket was tested in extreme weather conditions on Mount Elbrus.
“The climbing jacket with modules made of innovative heating fabric was successfully tested by climbers during the ascent of Elbrus in August 2021. In strong winds and temperatures of minus 10–15 °C, the jacket retained heat and the fabric warmed up to a comfortable temperature in 40 seconds. The battery charge lasted for 6 hours of continuous operation,” said Olga Moskalyuk, the Head of ArcticTex.
In 2022, ArcticTex will begin mass production of this jacket model. Simultaneously, the company is working on the creation of products with integrated temperature control sensors. With the help of special software, such clothes will be able to maintain the requested temperature and signal to rescuers in case of emergency.
TUBALL graphene nanotubes are already widely used to manufacture static dissipative textiles. Such clothing guarantees safety in ATEX industries where the accumulation of static charge could lead to accidents.
SHANGHAI, China — Together with its earlier achievement of the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification that confirms its Lyocell fiber is free from any harmful substances and complies with European standards, Sateri’s lyocell products are qualified to carry the MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® product label. This label not only attests to Sateri’s Lyocell fibre as safe and manufactured in environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and safe facility, but also the Group’s commitment to higher levels of transparency and accountability through the product traceability feature of the label.
The STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification comprises three levels describing the extent to which a company has achieved sustainable production and working conditions of factories in the textile industry. The areas of assessment include chemicals management, environmental performance, environmental management, social responsibility, quality management, as well as occupational health and safety.
Allen Zhang, president of Sateri, said: ” In addition to having all our (five) viscose mills OEKO-TEX® STeP certified as well as compliant with the emission limits set out in the European Union Best Available Techniques Reference Document (EU-BAT BREF) on Polymers, we now have our first Lyocell facility awarded with this certification. This not only reflects Sateri’s relentless pursuit for responsible manufacturing excellence, but marks an important step towards sustainable value chain management. Sateri will continue to work with upstream and downstream partners to realise the sustainable development of our entire industrial chain.”
Sateri’s Lyocell fiber factory in Rizhao commenced operation in May 2020, with an annual output of 20,000 metric tons of Lyocell fiber. The same site houses a 5,000 metric ton Lyocell pilot production line dedicated for the development of Lyocell application technology. In March 2021, the Group announced plans to expand its Lyocell annual production capacity in China up to 500,000 tonnes by 2025.
A natural and biodegradable fiber, Sateri’s Lyocell is made from wood pulp sourced from certified and sustainable plantations. It is manufactured using closed-loop technology, requiring minimal chemical input during the production process, and utilizing an organic solvent that can be almost fully (99.7%) recovered and recycled.
Sateri’s Lyocell is used to produce high quality textiles and personal hygiene materials. Using a unique high technology manufacturing process, it has outstanding dry and wet strength, high uniformity and consistency, and superior quality. It blends well with various textile fibres to create different fabric styles and characteristics for wide downstream applications.
ROSEVILLE, Minn. — December 7, 2021 — Registration is now open for Smart Fabrics Summit 2022 taking place March 28–29, 2022, in the Talley Student Union at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. The Smart Fabrics Summit returns to an in-person format for the first time since 2018. This year will be the first time the summit is hosted in Raleigh, N.C. The previous Smart Fabrics Summits in 2018 and 2016 were hosted in Washington, D.C.
The 2022 summit will be a 2-day event that features engaging education sessions, product showcases, facility tours and multiple networking opportunities. The theme for the summit is “Disruption, Innovation, and Getting ‘Back to the Future’”.
The Smart Fabrics Summit brings together market segments that need to collaborate in order for the smart fabrics industry to meet its full potential and accelerate its development by U.S. manufacturers, spurring original thinking among public and private sector organizations on how new and existing policies affect future products.
For more information and to register for the Smart Fabrics Summit, https://smartfabricssummit.com/
Posted December 7, 2021
Source: Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI)
DALTON, Ga. — December 2, 2021 — Zeftron® nylon, a premium nylon 6 solution-dyed yarn system for commercial carpets, announces a new design resource to inspire commercial interior designers to experiment and think about ways to take risks in their designs for commercial interior settings, including carpet.
Radically Modern Color dives into the unimaginable ways colors are being combined and applied to create everything from apparel to home decor. The new booklet can be downloaded for free at www.zeftronnylon.com/index/RadicalColors.aspx.
“If this new decade has delivered anything, it’s disruption. In 18 months we’ve seen major wildfires, political protests, and a global pandemic,” said Tim Blount, Zeftron nylon business leader.
“We’ve also seen a shift in the way color is being used. The color trends and themes in the report run the range from psychedelic looks to the pairing of colors once thought unimaginable. It’s exciting to see the imaginative ways in which colors and color applications are being used today across so many sectors moving to brighter hues and combinations that are reminiscent of the 60s and the last time we were in the midst of such a revolutionary era.”
Radically Modern Color focuses on four trends that have emerged, discussing what they are, where they are being used and how they are changing design. The trends include:
The Psychedelic Comeback – The 60s are back and so are the bright colors and sinuous shapes prominent then.
Building Blocks – Color blocking is going to the extreme by pairing colors next to each other on the color wheel for a bold effect.
Blurring The Lines – Gradients are all the rage and so is the Guassian blur.
Clash Of The Colors – Pairing bubble-gum pink, red and maroon may have clashed in the past, but not so in this new decade.
Radically Modern Color draws on Zeftron’s role as a leading supplier of premium nylon for commercial broadloom carpets, which are specified for myriad commercial settings. Zeftron nylon offers designers a proven color palette of more than 120 quality colors.
TOKYO — December 7, 2021 — Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fibers and products converting company, announced today that it has developed a highly comfortable knitted fabric that responds to perspiration by changing its structure three-dimensionally, thereby increasing breathability and eliminating the feeling of stuffiness.
Teijin Frontier will market its new self-adjusting fabric as a core product for year-round sports and outdoor use beginning in fiscal 2023. Wide ranging of applications will include casual and functional apparel and uniforms as well as various materials. The company expects to target sales of 250 thousand meters in fiscal 2024.
Teijin Frontier’s new self-adjusting fabric has a solid knitted fabric structure that changes shape in three directions in response to perspiration thanks to its specially textured, side-by-side (S/S) composite yarn made from two types of polymers, each with different hygroscopicity. The yarn’s structure also includes a coiled crimp.
Technical properties of new adaptive fabric
Spinning
Side-by-side composite yarn made with two polymers, each with different hygroscopicity
Specially textured yarn combines side-by-side composite and ultra-fine crimped yarns
Knitting
Special solid knitted fabric with a three-dimensional yarn structure
Excellent wind protection due to high-density knitted design (ventilation volume: 50cc/cm2/sec or less)
Dyeing
Dyeing technology contributes to adaptive function
Quality-control technology enhances breathability, dimensional changes and quality
Features of new adaptive fabric
Functionality
Highly adaptive breathability (about double that before sweating)
Minimal dimensional changes (5% or less both vertically and horizontally)
Excellent wind protection (ventilation rate of 50cc/cm2/sec or less)
Soft texture and attractive appearance
Combines with materials offering balanced functions or those for preventing sweat stains, sweat-induced chill or body odor
Eco-friendliness
Combines with recycled polyester
Adaptive breathability contributes to energy saving
In 2009, Teijin Frontier began offering a S/S composite yarn made with polymers of varying hygroscopicity and fabric in which the stitches open and close in response to perspiration. However, since the fabric’s stitches open wide in the presence of perspiration, causing clothing sizes to change significantly, it was necessary to limit stitch opening to a practical level for commercial applications.
