NEW YORK CITY — July 20, 2021 — Nextiles, a textiles manufacturing startup that blends traditional sewing techniques with printed circuit boards to create smart fabric, today announced a newly designed software development kit (SDK) that will enable any existing application to access Nextiles’ software platform and leverage its novel human movement analytics to build custom algorithms and partner-specific metrics. Through its patent-protected manufacturing process, Nextiles’ smart fabrics allow for complete biomechanic and biometric sensing. Industries such as sleep, sports and performance, and fitness are now able to partner with Nextiles to capture human movement data seamlessly via Bluetooth, and create proprietary machine learning algorithms to augment their own existing platforms.

Nextiles was founded in 2018 by George Sun, a seasoned computer scientist and electrical engineer with a PhD in biological engineering from MIT. Sun compiled a team to reimagine the future of wearable technology by creating a superior form factor through fabric. Nextiles has developed smart thread technology to capture biometric and biomechanical data through flexible material and helps its partners build custom backends, which produce novel insights from manufactured soft goods. The fabric is made by blending metallic fibers with traditional fabrics, such as nylon or spandex, to produce pressure, bend, and stretch sensors embedded within garments.

To be released, Nextiles is also creating biometric fabric sensors for heart-rate monitoring and chemical analysis such as sweat. When combined with traditional sensors such as accelerometers and other Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), Nextiles is able to create a holistic, novel data picture for clients spanning an array of industries.

“Instead of taking a one-app fits all approach, Nextiles is focused on building the most comprehensive data capture platform for human movement,” founder and CEO Sun said. “To do that, we needed to build this SDK, enabling software developers from any company to access our platform through industry-standard APIs. We’ve spent years optimizing the material science to build oursoft goods offering through our patent-protected sewing technology; now, any software developer will be able to access our data analytics with this SDK.”

Once the SDK is integrated into a partner’s app, companies will be able to deploy Nextiles sensors specific to their customers’ needs and in a variety of use cases. By capturing these novel datasets, partners of Nextiles are able to build proprietary algorithms for each use case and personalize insights through machine learning. From biomechanics in sports, to biometrics such EMG sensing and heart rate, Nextiles has developed a modular platform and can plug into any existing backend with this newly launched SDK.

“We have been perfecting our technology with professional athletes for over a year now and have seen heavy demand for our data capture solutions in almost every other industry,” said John Peters, chief business officer at Nextiles. “We know if this technology can work at the highest levels of sport, we can seamlessly power other data capture experiences in a variety of verticals centered around human movement — sleep, women’s health and connected fitness are all industries we’re finding early success in. This SDK product, coupled with our material science and software expertise, offers a holistic solution for our partners to capture, digest, and further build custom algorithms they can own and monetize within their ecosystems.”

Posted July 20, 2021

Source: Nextiles

CARY, N.C. — July 19, 2021 — INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, wrapped up its 15th annual World of Wipes® International Conference, July 12-15, with a presentation of the World of Wipes Innovation Award® to Kimberly-Clark Corp. and the highest attendance record in six years.

This year’s WOW conference welcomed 475 enthusiastic professionals from 14 countries to its in-person World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference to advance their wipes business. Held in Atlanta, the conference was notable as the first in-person conference in the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry in 500 days due to the pandemic.

“The enthusiasm emanating from the World of Wipes® conference confirms the industry’s desire to return to person-to-person contact and experience high-quality program content. We are pleased to deliver both — as critical face-to-face interactions and informed discussion of key issues are the core of meaningful business,” said Dave Rousse, INDA president.

Industry professionals from 33 global companies delivered presentations and answered questions in sessions that included Wipes and the Growing Plastics Debate, Regulatory Requirements for Disinfecting and Sanitizing Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Markets and Among Consumers, Wet Wipe Preservative Innovations, Covid-19 Impacts on Wipes Consumption and Cleaning Habits, Sustainable Wipes Packaging and Dispensing, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, and Flushable Wipes: Loved by Consumers, Wrongly Accused by Utilities.

Highlights included the announcement of Kimberly-Clark Scott® 24-Hour Sanitizing Wipes as the winner of this year’s World of Wipes Innovation Award®. The annual award recognizes the product that most expands the use of nonwovens and demonstrates creativity, novelty, uniqueness, and technical sophistication within the entire nonwovens wipes value chain.

The pre-saturated wipes disinfect and maintain surface sanitization for 24 hours, killing 99.9 percent of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes and Community-Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria. The patented formulation is found to be effective by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for disinfecting on hard, non-porous surfaces against several strains of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-COV-2 when used as directed. (It is not approved in California for use against SARS-CoV-2.)

Other highlights included the presentation of the 2021 INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award to John Poccia. The annual award is nominated by INDA’s Technical Advisory Board and presented to an individual whose technical achievements over a long-standing career have significantly contributed to the technical advancement, success, and growth of the nonwovens industry.  “John is a stellar technical professional and contributor to our industry. His 40-plus year technical career includes a broad range of advancements in material science synthesizing superabsorbent polymers, and end-products of feminine hygiene, wipes, wound management and skincare at Johnson & Johnson Company. His efforts have advanced the nonwovens industry and INDA,” Rousse said.

The event schedule provided 11 hours of organized networking, an industry welcome reception, breakfasts, coffee breaks and two evening receptions featuring 55 tabletop display exhibits.

Other presentation highlights included:

• Recent Developments Under the EU Green Deal and Plastics Strategy – Pandemic Update – Gyongyi David, Attorney at Law, V V G B Advocaten-Avocats, Director- EHS Regulatory, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
• FDA & EPA Framework of Regulations: Dry Wipes Claims – Tony Herber, Principal Regulatory Consultant/Assistant Federal Team Manager, Scientific & Regulatory Consultants, Inc. (SRC. Inc.)
• Consumer Wipes Usage During Covid-19 and Future Use – Chris Dresselhuys, Business Director-North American Retail Wipes, Rockline Industries
• Sustainable Solutions for Wipes – Vishal Bansai, Vice President, Innovation, and Silke Brand-Kirsch, VP, Marketing and Business Development, Glatfelter Gernsbach GmbH
• Sustainability Impacts Across the Value Chain of Wipes Packaging – Vicky Chang, Marketing Manager, Consumer & Industrial Products, Amcor Flexibles
• Unveiling Wet Wipes Preservation: New Findings on Microbial Risks and Preservative Solution – Paul Salama, Ph.D., CTO& Head of Innovation, Sharon Laboratories

The event also featured a unique 1.5-day WIPES Academy training course for professionals desiring to learn more about the wipes market and manufacturing processes. The WIPES Academy is the only comprehensive wipes training for the entire wipes supply chain and was led by Chris Plotz, INDA’s Director of Education & Technical Affairs.

Presentations for the World of Wipes® will be available for purchase on-demand in August on https://www.pathlms.com/inda/courses or for more information visit https://www.inda.org/

Posted July 19, 2021

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

CONGLETON, England — July 16, 2021 — Meryl Medical has launched a new range of environmentally sustainable fabrics, revolutionizing the way we think about, use, and dispose of textiles.

In partnership with Nylstar Hydrogen Technologies, Meryl Medical has developed strong and durable textiles that can be completely reused, focusing on environmental impact, quality and protection built around a sustainable circular economy. The company is committed to supporting the UN’s sustainable development goal of responsible consumption and production by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources.

Meryl Medical’s impressive material is completely non-shedding, zero microfiber pollution in air or water. The company prides itself on virtually eradicating all production waste at the manufacturing stage, which can be as high as 22 percent, by returning weaving and cutting waste for reuse in new yarns.

The fabric can also be washed at a lower temperature than cotton-based materials and has a hugely reduced transport route, significantly lowering the carbon footprint of the product from its creation stage through to the end of its life when it can be fully recycled and made into another sustainable product.

The team at Meryl Medical were also keen to address the flexibility of the fabric ensuring that as many people as possible could benefit from the innovation, so it was important to use fabric that could function in different types of settings and product designs including bedding, doctor’s coats, underclothes, workwear, polo shirts, and face covers.

The specialized fabrics are made with a superior construction to ensure a high-quality specification that are soft to the touch. The fabrics contain zero shedding microplastics, and are made with zero water for coloring process with antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Kevin Simpson, co-founder and innovator at Meryl Medical, commented: “This is an exciting time for Meryl Medical and the textile industry as we have created a product that will greatly reduce the environmental impact on society with its recyclability and sustainability components. Our fabrics are manufactured with zero water waste, zero chemicals or solvents and zero microfibers.”

Kevin continued, “The average lifecycle of textiles, including laundering, accounts for 6.7 percent of all global greenhouse emissions, which is equivalent of every person taking a 2,500-mile flight every year. Meryl Medical is passionate about the environment and sustainability and we are ready to do our part in helping to disrupt and change the textile industry for the better.”

Ingo Mangold, Meryl Medical’s German textile design engineer, also commented: “Throughout our research and development process, we have put the environment at the forefront of everything we do. From the manufacturing process to the development of fibers that protect against viruses and bacteria, our main goal is to deliver a sustainable quality fabric that provides an environmental saving. We have successfully managed to combine design, comfort, quality and well-being and put it all at the core of our products and designs, creating safer environments for workers and a cleaner planet for everyone.”

All Meryl Medical products are treated with a permanent antiviral-effect, antibacterial and anti fungal technology co-developed alongside their virology partner, HeiQ. HeiQ helps improve the lives of billions of people by adding functionalities to all kinds of materials through scientific research, specialty materials manufacturing and consumer ingredient branding.

Posted July 16, 2021

Source: Meryl Medical Ltd.