EURATEX 2022 Spring Report: Putting The EU Textiles Strategy In A Global Context

BRUSSELS — May 16, 2022 — EURATEX has just released its Spring report, offering a detailed insight into trade figures for the European textile and apparel industry in 2021. The numbers are encouraging: comparing with the dramatic corona-year 2020, E.U. exports of textile and clothing articles increased by 10.6 percent, while imports dipped by 7.5 percent. As a result, the EU trade deficit improved, even it remains significant (-€48 billion). Furthermore, import prices went slightly down in clothing and dropped in textiles, following a strong decrease of Chinese import prices of face masks and protective medical supplies.

The boost in exports was mainly due to strong performance on the Swiss, Chinese and U.S. markets. On the other side, E.U. sales of textile & clothing to the United Kingdom fell sharply (23 percent), due to Brexit new requirements, customs’ delays and shortage of truck drivers. Imports from the EU top supplier, China, plunged by 28 percent, corresponding to 13 billion euros. Similarly, textile and clothing imports from the United Kingdom recorded a sharp decrease over the period (48 percent, equal to -3 billion euros).

Director General Dirk Vantyghem commented: “The 2021 export figures, presented in this Spring report, confirm that EURATEX members have gained momentum; even if energy prices are causing some serious short-term disruptions, our long-term ambition remains to be a world leader on sustainable textiles.”

The international trade dimension is indeed critical for the competitiveness of the European textile ecosystem, and needs to be fully embedded in the EU’s Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. The Commission insists that “all textile products placed on the EU market, are durable, free of hazardous substances, produced respecting social standards…”[1]. This is an essential condition to create a level playing field between all textile and apparel companies, regardless of their production base. With 100 billion euros of imports, and over 20 billion of “foreign” textile items put on the Single Market, this requires a dramatic upscaling of market surveillance, without however disrupting fluid supply chains.

Looking at the impact of war in Ukraine, EURATEX has strongly condemned the Russian aggression, and offered support to the Ukrainian textile industry. Ukraine offers valuable sourcing opportunities for European textile and apparel brands, as part of a broader nearshoring trend, which seems to emerge from the trade figures.

[1] Sustainable and Circular Textiles by 2030 – The Commission’s Vision, 30 March 2022

Posted: May 16, 2022

Source: EURATEX

The Bureau Of International Recycling (BIR) Welcomes New Deputy Director For Trade & Environment, Alev Somer

BRUSSELS — May 16, 2022 — The Bureau of International Recycling is pleased to announce the arrival of a new member of staff, Alev Somer, effective Monday, May 16, 2022.

Somer has over 7 years of experience in Public Affairs, working on environmental and industrial policies in Brussels. She has been leading the environment and technical committees of the European Aggregates Association (UEPG) since 2016 and has advocated the uptake of secondary raw materials in a traditionally primary producer industry. She held prominent roles in EU expert groups, addressing circular economy and sustainability. Previously, she worked with the European Network of Cities (Eurocities) and the Birmingham City Council on sustainable city management projects. In her capacity as Deputy Director for Trade & Environment, Somer will be working closely with Ross Bartley, BIR Director for Trade & Environment, on all ongoing trade issues and environmental matters impacting the recycling industry worldwide.

A French and Turkish national, Somer studied in the U.K. and continued her career in Brussels. She studied political science and holds an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Birmingham. She speaks French, English and Turkish fluently and can communicate in Spanish and Italian.

“With Alev, BIR is gaining a highly competent and promising colleague who will certainly be an asset for our legislative and policy work,” says BIR Director General Arnaud Brunet. “Her experience and also her international background are the perfect fit for our organization, and I am certain that our members will benefit greatly from her expertise, drive and vision.”

Somer will be attending the upcoming World Recycling Convention in Barcelona, where she will be presented to BIR leaders and the wider membership.

Posted: May 16, 2022

Source: The Bureau Of International Recycling (BIR)

Texprocess 2022 Exhibitor Preview: Advances In Automation From Svegea

UDDEVALLA, Sweden — May 16, 2022 — Svegea, a member of TMAS, the Swedish textile machine association, is marking a company milestone this year at Texprocess in Frankfurt from June 21-24  — the 70th anniversary of its automatic collarette cutter.

On its introduction back in 1952, this machine — used by garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular apparel components such as cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements — caused a sensation with its then-unprecedented output of 300 metres per hour.

Time doesn’t stand still, however, and the latest EC 300 machine Svegea will demonstrate at Texprocess 2022 has a slightly improved output — of around 20,000 metres per hour.

“Advances in automation are only making the specialized, bespoke machines we engineer even more efficient and we are expecting a very busy show in Frankfurt and a busy year,” said Svegea Managing Director Håkan Steene. “The garment components our collarette cutters produce make it logical for them to be integrated into the operations of making-up operations wherever they are, and at the moment we’re seeing a lot of interest in the reshoring of operations by our customers, to bring final-stage manufacturing closer to the key European and US markets.”

E-Drive 2

The EC 300 collarette cutter on show in Frankfurt is equipped with the latest E-Drive 2 system providing the operator with a very user-friendly touchscreen, providing full control of the cutting process.

“A key function is the ability to ensure perfect synchronization of the tubular fabric between the machine’s turntable platform and its  upper cutting body,” Steene explained. “We supply a wide range of automatic collarette band cutting machines with capacities to match the needs of our customers.”

The integrated, fully automatic FA500 roll slitter accommodates diameters up to 400mm and is equipped with three separately adjustable settings enabling three different band widths to be cut within the same cutting cycle. Automatic tube sewing units are provided for sewn tubes in optional rolled or flat folded forms, depending on customer preference.

Niche applications

Svegea supplies many other bespoke machines for applications in the production of both garment components and technical textiles, including rewinding, measuring, inspection and band knife machines.

Occupying a unique niche are the company’s customer-specific bias cutting and winding units. On these machines, circular woven materials are fed to the cutter via a revolving winder and slit at angles, so that both the warp and weft of the weave are skewed at specified angles rather than just in the vertical and horizontal directions, as is usual.

This allows the slit fabrics to drape and form much more easily to the complex shapes of technical textile components such as, for example, circular rubber hoses and special diaphragms and seals which are employed in the aerospace and automotive industries, and for which the special fabrics act as critical reinforcements.

The ability to produce tubular fabric which is cut on the bias allows customers to provide textiles which not only have improved drape and elasticity properties for complex and intricate shapes, but also offer ways to reduce production costs by eliminating unnecessary wastage from the manufacturing process. Pre-cutting the fabric to a specific bias reduces extra handling of the fabric in further processes, saving customers both valuable production time and costs.

“Our latest bias cutting and winding units are being equipped with new features such as edge alignment and electronic roll tension control,” says Steene. “We will be happy to discuss its unique capabilities with interested parties in Frankfurt.”

Wide portfolio

“Svegea is a unique company with some ingenious solutions for both garment manufacturers and companies making specialised technical products,” sayid TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “Messe Frankfurt’s decision to hold Texprocess, Techtextil and the Heimtextil Summer Special together this June will allow our members to showcase the full breadth of their portfolios, extending to all areas of the textile supply chain.”

Svegea will be one of a number of TMAS companies exhibiting at stand F41 in Hall 8 at Texprocess. In addition, Coloreel is jointly exhibiting with embroidery machine maker Tajima at stand H44 in Hall 8. ACG Kinna will be at stand E27 in Hall 3 as part of the Heimtextil show and Eltex will be at Techtextil in Hall 12, at stand E19.

Posted: May 16, 2022

Source: Svegea

Techtextil 2022 Exhibitor Preview: KARL MAYER

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany— May 16, 2022 — The KARL MAYER Group will be presenting solutions for a better future at Techtextil, June 21-24, 2022, Messe Frankfurt, Hall 12.0, C93

The KARL MAYER Group will be presenting itself at Techtextil from June 21 to 24 2022 in Frankfurt am Main as an innovative partner in the production of high-performance textiles. The global player can be found in Hall 12.0 on Stand C93. Innovative patterns and application examples of warp knitting and flat knitting will be shown.

More sustainability through solutions from the warp knitting industry

The KARL MAYER Group manufactures biaxial and multiaxial warp-knitting machines, as well as warp-knitting machines with and without weft insertion, on which functional articles for a wide range of applications are produced.

With its exhibition, the manufacturer joins the key theme of Techtextil: sustainability. For the composites industry, it presents solutions for the production of fiber-reinforced plastics made from natural fibers. The renewable resources are processed on weft and multiaxial warp knitting machines into reinforcement structures that open up completely new perspectives in terms of their environmental performance.

The textile innovation 4D-KNIT offers new possibilities for a better life cycle assessment of fashion articles and outdoorwear. The fabric for midlayer and softshell performance solutions scores with a sophisticated textile construction that leads to significantly lower fiber release during washing than when using double-sided raised fleece fabrics. Besides, a positive effect for the environment is a reduction in microplastic pollution.

Another focal point on the KARL MAYER stand is the topic of “Smart Textiles and Wearables”. With the possibilities of jacquard and multibar patterning of warp knitting machines, electrically conductive yarns can be integrated directly and tailor-made into knitted fabrics in order to implement functional elements such as sensors, conductors and coils in an uncomplicated way. The textile properties remain unaffected. The potential arising from the seamless combination of electronics and textiles is being researched in the company’s own TEXTILE-CIRCUIT unit. The latest results of this work will be on show at the KARL MAYER stand at Techetxtil.

As an innovative pioneer, the Group is also working on forward-looking solutions in the field of additive manufacturing. The work under the heading RAPID TEXTILE focuses in particular on the combination of 3D printing with textile technology. In principle, the combination of the versatile printing process with traditional fabric formation technology offers new possibilities for production on demand. If only what the consumer needs is manufactured, this is also a contribution to greater sustainability. Techtextil will show how the 3D printing process can be integrated into series production.

For the first time, the KARL MAYER Group also has flat knitting innovations from STOLL in its trade fair baggage. The presentation will include solutions for waste-free production, the implementation of multifunctionality in a single process step, 3D shaping without additional work steps, and efficient knitting-on-demand production.

Minimize the ecological footprint with flat knits

For the first time, the KARL MAYER Group will also have flat knitting innovations from STOLL in its trade fair baggage. This business unit of the KARL MAYER Group will also be exhibiting samples on the themes of sustainability and recyclability. Both are basic requirements which the flat knitting technology meets excellently from the outset, for example with solutions for waste-free production, the implementation of multifunctionality in a single process step, 3D shaping without additional work steps, and efficient knitting-on-demand production.

For this purpose, STOLL will be showing current and innovative application topics from the currently important areas of bandage technology as well as shoe uppers and cover fabrics, which correspond 100 percent to the required expectations of sustainability.

In addition, special industrial and transport topics will be the focus of the exhibition. A wide range of synergies are expected from the first trade fair appearance under the umbrella of the KARL MAYER Group. For example, the STOLL team would also like to get to know the customers of other KARL MAYER business units and open up the wide product world of the entire group to its customers.

Posted: May 16, 2022

Source: KARL MAYER Gruppe

Marrying Heritage And Tech: Avery Dennison Partners With Transnomadica And Ron Herman To Enable A More Transparent, Circular Fashion Industry

MENTOR, Ohio — May 16, 2022 — Avery Dennison today announced its collaboration with Transnomadica, a project by Maurizio Donadi rooted in an archive of vintage objects and apparel, alongside Ron Herman, the influential Los Angeles-based retail innovator known for introducing the shop-in-shop concept. A Transnomadica vintage selection will be on sale in Ron Herman’s Melrose Avenue store. Each garment will have Avery Dennison’s Digital Care Label providing a solid use case on how it can be used in fashion resale while providing an enhanced brand experience.

Together with the Ron Herman buying team, Transnomadica has selected unique vintage items to pilot this program in Ron Herman’s Melrose Ave. store. These are existing quality items, and a selection has been further enhanced, customized and upcycled by Transnomadica in its LA studio.

Transnomadica enlisted Avery Dennison to provide the digital triggers, applications, and data connectivity required to complete the circularity loop at Ron Herman. Each garment will feature a Digital Care Label and a sustainable hang tag, providing a digitally-enabled experience for shoppers. Scanning the QR code will unveil a wealth of bespoke information on the heritage of that specific garment, detailing its journey, as well as explaining what the garment is made from and how to care for it.

Post-purchase, the Digital Care Label helps to advance the circular economy as it educates the shopper and ensures garment recyclers are accurately informed of composition and allows resellers to verify authenticity.

Michael Colarossi, vice president, product line management, innovation and sustainability, RBIS, Avery Dennison said: “Transnomadica and Ron Herman have changed the fashion world and now they are doing this again with a captivating narrative that inspires and educates. This collaboration adds a layer of technology so shoppers can connect with what they buy at a deeper, more emotional level. We’re advocates for reusing what already exists and Transnomadica and Ron Herman are demonstrating just how desirable up-scale vintage can be.”

Maurizio Donadi, Transnomadica founder, said: “What I find most thrilling about this collaboration is the union of three businesses all of which are unique in their fields. The outcome combines talent, a love for quality products, the power to inspire and a willingness to embrace new technology. It’s via this innovation that we have an opportunity to better educate customers about vintage garments. This is not a flea market story, these are beautiful products that have been slightly tweaked to make them live longer.

“The opportunity here is to marry heritage with technology. The solutions used in this project can inspire brands to explore the positive effects technology can have on fashion businesses, particularly in enabling greater transparency.”

Ruben Leal, men’s buying director at Ron Herman, commented: “At Ron Herman, our ethos has always been a blend of the art of selling fine clothing combined with the deeper magic of selling the shopping experience itself. This collaboration takes it to a new height. The full digital solution provided by Avery Dennison adds a deeper level to each garment, revealing its personal heritage, as well as supporting the circular economy in practical terms. The powerful minimalistic look and feel of our store epitomizes the Ron Herman brand and the Transnomadica collection compliments this as well, helping to continue to champion authentic quality, and a timeless experience. This is a capsule collection in its truest sense, further emphasizing the positive impact of collaboration and community, which the brand is built from. The digital element captures the unique narrative and reveals it to those who want to hear it.”

This innovation-based collaboration showcases Avery Dennison’s ability to provide a complete solution – a physical trigger to a digital experience, data management, and applications for brands, consumers, and the wider apparel industry to utilize.

This partnership is part of a series of innovation-based collaborations that underscore Avery Dennison’s commitment to a circular apparel supply chain, and support its 2030 sustainability goals.

Posted: May 16, 2022

Source: Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS)

Verdant Innovations Enters The Market With New Line Of Green Specialty Chemicals

SPANISH FORT, Ala. — May 16, 2022 — In response to wide ranging changes in the specialty chemical innovation space and the requirements for green and sustainable consumer products, Verdant Innovations introduces its first line of specialty green sustainable chemicals initially focused on pulp, textiles, nonwovens and hemp industries.

The new company, wholly owned by Cellulose Solutions, will distribute all green solutions as the company creates additional chemical solutions to meet the needs of all clients participating in the manufacturing and delivery of consumer products.

“The mission of Verdant Innovations is to provide chemical formulations created uniquely for individual product types and to assist brands, retailers and manufacturers to deliver safer products for humankind and our environment,” stated Allan P. Short, president and founder of both Cellulose Solutions and Verdant Innovations.

Verdant Innovations chemicals are formulated using plants, soil and natural energy from the earth’s resources and are designed for a circular economy — from manufacturing and treatments to replacement back into the earth void of all known and suspected hazardous components.

“The time has come for all companies to start to invest in the safety of the public and to provide a world for future generations. Our cost-effective innovation can replace all or a portion of a company’s chemicals to meet their own sustainability and green initiatives,” Short continued.

“Hemp is a strong focus for Verdant Innovations working with farmers to provide higher production to meet the needs of the nonwoven and textile industries. Through innovative solutions created by the company’s chemists, scientists, and engineers, we have a highly tested and quality solution for hemp manufacturers to deliver sustainable and clean products”, states Verdant Solutions VP Product Development Satish Hodage.

The Verdant Innovations launch includes a new branded website, a new website for Cellulose Solutions, new branding and logos, and established partnerships and memberships focused on the textiles, nonwovens, and hemp industries. One of those strategic memberships is with the SEAMS Association. The company joined SEAMS earlier this year and will participate in the SEAMS “Supply Chain USA” Pavilion this week at Texprocess Americas in Atlanta.

“I am thrilled to have Cellulose Solutions and Verdant Innovations join our SEAMS community and exhibit in our Pavilion this year. They offer a unique and strategic solution for many of our members as we strive as an organization to deliver sustainability across the supply chain,” stated Will Duncan, managing director of SEAMS.

Posted: May 16, 2022

Source: Verdant Innovations

Italian Textile Machinery: Drop In Orders For First Quarter 2022

MILAN — May 13, 2022 — The orders index for textile machinery for the first quarter of 2022, processed by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, shows a slight decrease (-4 percent) compared to the same period from January to March 2021. In absolute value, the index stood at 117 points (basis: 2015 = 100).

On the domestic front orders shrank by fully 22 percent, whereas abroad the decline was more contained (-2 percent). The absolute value of the index in Italy was set at 136 points. On foreign markets, the index scored a value of 114.9 points.

ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi commented: “The global pandemic and Russian-Ukrainian conflict have accentuated the climate of uncertainty for the whole of the textile industry. Criticalities already present in the past year (such as a sharp rise in prices of raw materials and their scarce availability, as well as increased transport costs) are now accentuated more than ever. While orders appear to have settled on foreign markets, domestically, following a strong recovery in 2021, we now have to deal with a general negativity permeating the Italian economy.”

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, together with successive pandemic lockdowns in the main market for textile machinery manufacturers, namely China, have undermined the confidence of Italian companies in the sector. “I believe 2022 will be a transition year for the industry, as we await a calming international economic scenario. In the meantime,” adds Zucchi, “Our association continues to work to strengthen the positioning of Italy’s textile machinery industry worldwide through promotional initiatives in collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Italian Trade Agency.

”The latest of these initiatives was carried out at the end of April, with the opening of an Italian technology training center for textile machinery in Mongolia, a Country that ranks among the world’s leading producers of raw cashmere. ACIMIT’s president concludes that, “With the training center starting its operations, our sector is laying the foundations for further business opportunities in an emerging market. I’m certain the initiative will bear a return in terms of image not only for individual Italian companies who are participating by supplying machinery, but on the entire Italian textile machinery sector as a whole.”

Posted: May 13, 2022

Source: ACIMIT

Techtextil 2022 Exhibitor Preview: DiloGroup

EBERBACH, Germany — May 6, 2022 — Techtextil Frankfurt is an important exhibition for the textile industry and thus offers a central forum for dialogue within the textile production sector with the relevant supply chain comprising textile machine building, fiber production, ancillaries and accessories.

For DiloGroup this event is traditionally a good opportunity to inform customers and interested parties about new developments aimed at improving production technologies with a focus on needlefelts.

It becomes more evident that the textile industry comes into the focus of regulatory authorities who push respecting sustainability principles and who initiate a new body of laws. Hence all industrial sectors are requested to achieve savings in material and energy. The textile machine building, of course, plays an important role by seizing this initiative and offering solutions for fiber pulp recycling and reduction of energy, water and ancillaries. DiloGroup has made big efforts to meet these challenges together with a circle of partner companies. In this regard focal points of the development work are:

  1. Intense Needling
Needling per se is a mechanical production method with a high energy efficiency. For this reason, the development efforts of DiloGroup aim at producing nonwovens by “intense needling” instead of water entangling, even for light nonwovens made of fine fibres for the medical and hygiene sector with an area weight of 30 – 100 g/m2. This would result in a reduction of the environmentally relevant production costs; per annum to about 1/3 to 1/5 of current. Despite the prospective advantages of the mechanical intense needling method over the hydrodynamical, water entanglement is at the moment the most important production method for low area weights and highest production capacity and is also offered by the DiloGroup as general contractor in cooperation with partner companies.
  2. “Fibre Pulp Recycling”
Fibrous material in nonwovens and particularly used clothes can be successfully recycled, if staple length can be conserved in the tearing process. In the classical tearing process, staple lengths are dramatically reduced and therefore these fibres can only be used as base material for inferior uses in thermal or acoustic insulation or in protective textiles, transportation or protective covers etc. 
When recycling textile waste in the context of the collection of used clothes, the so called “filament-saving” tearing using special tearing machines and methods must be used to produce fibres with longer staple lengths which can be fed to a nonwoven installation. Hence product characteristics can be better specified and controlled.
  3. Additive nonwoven production
The additive production method of the “3D-Lofter” is especially suited for automotive parts with differently distributed masses; but there may also be potential for increasing uses in the sector of apparel and shoe production.
  1. “IsoFeed”-card feeding
In the field of card feeding, the “IsoFeed” method offers great potential for a more homogeneous card feeding at the same time reducing the variation in cross-machine fibre mass distribution and thus the fibre consumption while conserving the end product quality.

DiloGroup would like to discuss the above mentioned developments of needling technology as well as modules of Industry 4.0 applications for further digitalization during the Techtextil exhibition. We will, of course, also inform about the numerous universal and special applications of the complete nonwovens technology.

The DiloGroup staff look forward to meeting again customers and interested parties within the textile industry.

Posted: May 13, 2022

Source: DiloGroup

Elkem Silicones To Expand Its Research and Innovation Center In China

OSLO, Norway — May 12, 2022 — On April 27, 2022, Elkem Silicones announced a plan to invest more than 100 million yuan to enlarge its Flagship Asia-Pacific Research and Innovation (R&I) Center in Shanghai. This expansion represents one of the company’s latest efforts to further increase its investment in China. The flagship R&I center will house application centers for E-mobility, bioscience, coating, and 3D printing.

This expansion will allow Elkem Silicones to upgrade its research system and equipment in China in an all-around way while attracting outstanding R&I talents from around the world. All of this helps enhance the company’s ability to provide more efficient, flexible and convenient product development and application support for China and other Asia-Pacific markets. With the upgraded center, Elkem Silicones will be in a better position to meet the growing demand for advanced silicone products, technologies and solutions in e-mobility, healthcare, personal care, textiles, 3D printing and other industries.

The newly upgraded R&I center is located in Shanghai Xinzhuang Industrial Zone and its precursor was established in 2009. It won the titles of Shanghai Enterprise Technology Center, Shanghai Foreign-funded R&I Center, Shanghai High-tech Enterprise, and Little Science and Technology Giant. Over the past decade, it has obtained a number of silicone research and application achievements. The first phase of the project covers an area of about 6,600 square meters. Construction work on the center is due to start in the third quarter of this year and will be completed in the first quarter of 2023.

Posted: May 12, 2022

Source: Elkem

Teijin Automotive Technologies Breaks Ground For Huntington, Ind., Facility Expansion

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — May 12, 2022 — Teijin Automotive Technologies broke ground today to expand the capabilities at its Huntington, Ind., facility, adding a topcoat line and assembly area. These additions enhance the capabilities of the company’s Huntington facility, which currently include compression molding, bonding, water jetting, sanding, and priming.

Specifically, Teijin Automotive Technologies purchased 30 acres in the new Riverfork West Industrial Center and will be building a 164,400 square-foot facility on this site to house a new paint line and assembly capabilities. This facility will be located across Indiana Highway 9 from the company’s existing 350,000 square-foot manufacturing facility. The new facility is expected to be complete, including all equipment installation, by December 2023, and will employ approximately 110 people when operations begin in April 2024, and more than 200 at full employment.

“As demand for our innovative, lightweight components continues to grow, we have the opportunity to add capabilities and capacity to meet current and future customer needs,” said Steve Rooney, Teijin Automotive Technologies CEO, and general manager of Teijin’s Composites Business Unit. “This site near to our existing Huntington facility made sense because there was land available, and we knew we could access a skilled workforce. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration from the economic development teams from the State of Indiana, Huntington County, and the Huntington community.”

Teijin Automotive Technologies and its parent company Teijin Ltd. are making an investment of more than $100 million, including the land, building and equipment, to support future growth and maintain its competitive advantage. The Huntington area was selected for this expansion based on a number of factors, including the availability of a skilled workforce, proximity to a number of current and potential customer facilities in Indiana and surrounding states, and tax credits offered through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s EDGE Program (Economic Development for a Growing Economy).

Posted: May 12, 2022

Source: Teijin Automotive Technologies

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