BIELLA, Italy — March 10, 2021 — The recovery of the Italian textile-clothing system? In 2022 according to Gianfranco Di Natale, general manager of Sistema Moda Italia and director of Confindustria Moda, as reported in Episode 3 of “Con le mani”, the series of meetings organized by Filo with some important testimonials from the textile world.
In the interview, Filo has asked Gianfranco Di Natale about the economic situation of the Italian textile-clothing sector and the key-role played by the Made in Italy supply chain.
During his interview Di Natale says that, according to SMI and Confindustria Moda forecasts, it will be possible to speak of a real recovery starting from 2022.
As for sustainability and treacebility, Di Natale underlined: “Many of our companies are already sustainable. The path to sustainability started several years ago.”
The first two interviews of the cycle “Con le mani” hosted Franco Ferraris, CEO of Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna, and Paolo Monfermoso, general manager of Filo.
The 56th edition of Filo will take place on the September 29-30, 2021 at MiCo – Milan.
In 2017, a prominent global apparel manufacturer began upgrading its double-pad chemical application system to Baldwin’s revolutionary TexCoat technology, which applies softener and antimicrobial chemicals to fabrics during the finishing process. The TexCoat system uses precision spray technology instead of padding or soaking/bath methods to evenly apply finishing chemicals.
Baldwin’s “non-contact” method of applying liquids to surfaces is highly efficient and eco-friendly because the minimum required amount of chemicals can be used. It also ensures zero contact between the fabric and the chemistry that is sprayed, eliminating contamination of finishing chemicals by the fabric. When the fabric color changes, the TexCoat system removes the need to drain the chemical pad/foulard, along with the associated downtime and environmental impact from finishing chemical waste.
Agion® Antimicrobial controlled-release zeolite.
In 2018, during its upgrade to Baldwin’s TexCoat, the apparel manufacturer made the decision to switch from its previous odor control chemical supplier to Sciessent’s Agion antimicrobial for improved odor-control performance of its finished garments. Agion is the “smartest” antimicrobial in the industry, only activating when it needs to defend against microbes. This innovative approach provides the longest lasting protection, combatting odor-causing bacteria for an unprecedented durability of up to 100 washes.
Sciessent’s Agion antimicrobial is customizable to meet performance and cost goals and can be applied via spray, padding, exhaust or package yarn. Agion’s safety has been demonstrated across its wide range on applications in everything from textiles and apparel to water devices, medical devices, surfaces, and more. The technology is Oeko-tex certified, bluesign® approved and listed on the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation ZDHC Gateway.
Because this level of change — both antimicrobial solution and spray technology — had a significant impact on the manufacturing process, the Baldwin and Sciessent teams were tasked with verifying the successful application of Agion by TexCoat before the apparel manufacturer completed its transition from its legacy double-pad application technology.
Solution
Sciessent Technical Director Ken Johnson and Baldwin Head of Precision Spray R&D Wesley Clements traveled to the apparel manufacturer’s mill to conduct planned trials to verify that the Agion antimicrobial agent could be sprayed successfully by TexCoat and that, once proven, the results would be seamlessly replicated when rolled out to all 19 TexCoat systems in the manufacturer’s finishing department.
The apparel giant’s vertical mill in the Caribbean offered a prime opportunity to verify the stability of Agion running together with softener mixes on the lines upgraded by TexCoat. Production interruption was not an option so together with the mill technical leader, Sciessent and Baldwin carefully planned the validation trials.
The TexCoat system automates chemical changeover including the cleaning sequence between chemicals. The system is flushed with hot water and the new recipe is loaded. This all happens seamlessly with the new recipe selected by a barcode reader that scans the barcode on the work order.
Ken Johnson, Technical Director, Sciessent
A key part of the validation exercise was to verify the completeness of cleaning and refine chemical changeover sequences between chemical recipes, some of which are incompatible with one another.
The validation team perfected the chemical change sequences which reliably and automatically complete up to 40 chemical changes per line day after day.
The TexCoat system immediately demonstrated its consistent application rates of chemical finishing enabled by its metering valve technology. Agion and TexCoat performed stably and repeatably during the week-long ramp up, monitoring and training period.
“The application rate was extremely consistent from the first yard to the last yard and from batch to batch,” Johnson explained. “Agion enhances the value of the customer product, so with TexCoat we saw that very repeatable pickup ensures equal effectiveness of the antimicrobial yard after yard and batch to batch at 90 yds/min. Furthermore, the TexCoat system wasted no chemistry during color changes. This is an incredible benefit compared to either conventional padding or exhaust.”
“Sciessent was a very open and transparent partner and we were very pleased with the level of pretesting carried out by Sciessent ahead of the trials,” Clements commented. “Agion performs well in the TexCoat system, has zero issue with foaming and works with a wide range of softeners.”
Results
Converting to Baldwin’s TexCoat to apply Sciessent’s Agion antimicrobial odor control technology to tubular knitted Jersey fabric on a big scale at the high-volume mill in the Caribbean checked all the boxes for the manufacturer by providing an economical and sustainable process, which eliminated waste, while boosting quality, odor performance and productivity.
Wesley Clements, Head of Precision Spray R&D, Baldwin Technology
Clements and Johnson emphasized that gaining a deep understanding of the customer’s goals from the beginning, close collaboration, and Baldwin’s and Sciessent’s shared unwavering commitment to providing the highest level of service has ensured the enduring success of their first joint solution.
“Two years later, this combination continues to perform stably and applies 100 percent of the antimicrobial and softener mixes used by the mill,” Clements said. “It delivers to the manufacturer consistent quality with minimal chemical waste.”
As they celebrate the milestone marking the success of the first union of their respective leading-edge technology and chemistry, Baldwin and Sciessent plan to seek future opportunities to leverage their combined expertise to deliver turnkey, customized solutions to other textile manufacturers.
NEW YORK CITY — March 9, 2021 — Chargeurs*PCC Fashion Technologies today announced a new brand identity — Sustainable 360™ — for its permanent line of interlinings launched just over a year ago as the Sustainable 50 collection. The new name marks the collection’s evolution into a stand-alone brand and reflects Chargeurs’ full-circle commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The company also announced that Sustainable 360 will include innovative new performance interlinings and linings, such as those made with Lainiere Performance Silver for antimicrobial and anti-odor protection.
The Sustainable 360 product line is the first complete collection of both interlinings and inner components such as shoulder pads, canvas chest pieces and undercollar felt made with eco-responsible materials, including BCI cotton, GRS-certified recycled polyester, hemp and recycled plastics. Since its launch, the collection has seen widespread adoption by leading brands that include Adidas, J.Crew, Claudie Pierlot, Macy’s, Maje, Madewell, PVH, Target and Uniqlo. Banana Republic Men’s and Itochu are among the Chargeurs*PCC customers that have committed to creating whole ranges using Sustainable 360 interlinings exclusively in their products.
“Our sustainable collection has seen phenomenal growth since launching a year ago and based on that success, we designed the new Sustainable 360 brand identity to identify this as a permanent collection and more clearly convey to the market the breadth and benefits of our offering,” said Audrey Petit, managing director of Chargeurs*PCC Fashion Technologies. “The name better illustrates what sets us apart from our competition — our complete commitment to corporate social responsibility, which goes far beyond just using recycled and sustainable materials.”
Chargeurs*PCC has rolled out a series of innovations since initially launching its sustainable interlining collection, including manufacturing a line of circular-knit interlining products using an innovative, process patented by partner mill Weemeet that requires no water. The company is also creating coatings for products using recycled polyvinyl butyral (PVB), which is commonly used as a safety layer inside auto and building glass and then landfilled. At launch, the Chargeurs*PCC sustainable collection offered 50 items, but the range has now expanded to include more than 250 articles. In addition, the company can now sustainably manufacture any base material in its catalog of thousands of products, including nylon, polyester and cotton.
“Our brand is committed to producing clothing with as close to 100% sustainable materials as possible,” said Tim Reid, head of Brand at State of Matter, owned by Itochu Prominent. “The Sustainable 360 line allows us to source high-quality, sustainable inner components backed by a complete CSR program. Chargeurs*PCC’s full-circle commitment is right in line with our mission to lead the industry into new best practices in sustainability.”
Chargeurs*PCC is holistically committed to sustainability and is the only supplier in its market segment to have both signed the UN Global Compact and performed Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits (SMETAs) on its facilities as well as those of its suppliers. The audits cover all aspects of responsible business practice across Sedex’s four pillars of labor, health and safety, environment, and business ethics.
In late 2020, Chargeurs Group received its first sustainability-linked Euro private placement loan. The 100 million euro bond underlines the deep commitment of the group to corporate social responsibility and will enable the group to deploy its investment strategy and roll out the Leap Forward 2025 program.
MUNICH — March 10, 2021 — WACKER is to raise prices for its entire silicones product range. The price increases vary between 10 and 20 percent and will be effective for material shipped from April onwards, as customer contracts allow. Additional volume requests outside of agreed ranges are also subject to the new price setting. The measure has been necessitated by the increase in strategic raw material costs, rising costs for support- and packaging materials and multiple corona pandemic measures in order to improve the service of Wacker Silicones.
Wacker’s complete silicones portfolio, including silicone fluids, silicone emulsions, silicone rubber, silicone resins, silanes, silane-terminated polymers and HDK® pyrogenic silica, is subject to the price adjustment. With this, Wacker Silicones will continue to strongly invest in innovation, support global asset development and strive to achieve high customer service levels.
JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland — March 10, 2021 — Spinnova has appointed Ben Selby as its new CFO effective March 8, 2021. Selby is a senior leader with more than 15 years of finance, investment banking and investor relations experience, and a dealmaker with more than 50 billion euro capital raising experience.
“I’m very excited to join the producer of the world’s most sustainable textile materials at a critical phase of its expansion and commercial scaling,” Selby said. “I look forward to contributing to the further growth and development of Spinnova, as it works to achieve its vision to be the preferred partner for textile brands globally in natural, sustainable textile materials.”
Prior to joining Spinnova, he has held vice president of Investor Relations and Treasury and Head of Investor Relations positions at the Finnish cloud software company Basware (BAS1V at Nasdaq Helsinki) since 2016. Selby’s previous, 10-year career with Bank of America Merrill Lynch included extensive financing and capital raising experience. Selby holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Spinnova’s current CFO Petri Poranen will take up the COO position to support Spinnova’s ongoing industrial scaling. Spinnova recently announced that it is building a commercial factory for producing its sustainable, wood-based materials, operated by a new joint venture company owned by Spinnova and its partner and investor, Suzano. The total investment will be approximately 50 million euros. The new facility will be built in Jyväskylä, Finland, close to Spinnova’s R&D hub.
“To speed up our further growth and production scaling, we are now actively exploring multiple financing alternatives. It’s great to have Ben on the team, to ensure both professional financing operations, as well as current and future investor relations,” said Spinnova’s CEO and co-founder Janne Poranen.
Spinnova has recruited seven people during this year, and is in the process of recruiting more, as it prepares for scaling its operations. Spinnova currently employs 46 people.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — March 10, 2021 — TRSA, in consultation with its Supplier Partner Council, will host a live virtual Innovation Showcase & Exchange, June 14-18, 2021. The showcase will allow TRSA’s supplier partners to present their company’s innovative products and solutions to TRSA’s operator members responsible for supplying, laundering and maintaining nearly 90 percent of the $40-billion North American linen, uniform and facility services industry. Like previous TRSA Exchanges, participants will have the ability to schedule follow-up meetings later in the week.
Following recent Exchanges, both operators and supplier partners were pleased with the time and resources invested. Jim Vaudreuil, president & CEO, Huebsch Services was pleased to report on “several new improvement projects in motion as result of the meetings.” Supplier partner executive Scott Delin, vice president of healthcare sales, Superior Group of Companies, found the Exchange sessions to be very productive. “They gave us a chance to meet one on one with laundry operators we currently do very little, if any business with, at all,” Delin said. “The time allotted for each meeting allowed us to learn more about their needs and how we as a supplier can help them grow their business and partner with them going forward.”
Participating member supplier partners will have the opportunity to provide a five-minute, pre-recorded session on Monday and Tuesday (video or presentation) followed by scheduled 15-minute meetings Wednesday, Thursday and Friday including products and services from these categories:
Uniforms/Workwear/PPE, including healthcare garments (gowns/scrubs/PPE);
Vehicles;
Washer Extractors/Wash Aisle; and
Water Treatment, Reuse and Recycling.
TRSA operator members will register to view the various sessions on June 14-15, then participate in the Exchange, 15-minute pre-scheduled meetings with supplier partners that allow for personalized preparation and solutions-based discussions Wednesday, June 16, through Friday, June 18. Following the event, all supplier partner presentations will be available for viewing in TRSA’s On-Demand Learning Center.
Registration for supplier partners is open now through April 2; registration for operator members will open on April 2. Additional details about the TRSA Innovation Showcase & Exchange can be viewed on the TRSA website at www.trsa.org/innovationshowcase.
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — March 10, 2021 — Today, Shawmut Corp., together with its primary N95 mask production investor, The Fallon Co., announced the launch of its NIOSH-approved Protex™ N95 mask with the patent-pending Protex™ ADC™ all-day-comfort system for prolonged use. Production lines are now operating, with a goal of creating up to 10 million masks per month by year-end to meet continued demand for domestically produced PPE. The company also announced a multi-year distribution contract for its N95 masks with Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. representing one of many early orders for the Protex™ N95 particulate respirator.
Shawmut’s new domestic N95 manufacturing operation is based at the company’s West Bridgewater, Mass., headquarters and was created through a purpose-driven partnership with The Fallon Co. and supported by a grant from Massachusetts’s Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (MERT), a program created to support in-state manufacturing of critical PPE items, including N95 masks, protective gowns, hand sanitizer, and ventilators. The new manufacturing facility, which went from concept to production in six months, is expected to create as many as 300 new jobs in Massachusetts.
“As we continue to navigate the pandemic, ensuring a robust local supply of masks and other personal protective equipment will be critical to our ability to defeat the virus and work toward recovery,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our administration was proud to stand up the MERT Program to help manufacturers pivot their operations to produce key materials in response to COVID-19, and we look forward to continuing to work with innovative companies like Shawmut Corporation and The Fallon Company to keep residents safe and strengthen our economy.”
“The MERT Program is an important part of our administration’s response to COVID-19, helping local companies produce millions of pieces of personal protective equipment right here in Massachusetts,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are grateful to Shawmut Corporation, The Fallon Company and all MERT participants for their partnership to stand up a strong supply chain of PPE and other materials in our Commonwealth.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has put an incredible strain on the country’s healthcare system, and the overreliance on overseas PPE has led to continued shortages and massive counterfeiting of these critical products,” said majority investor Joseph Fallon, CEO, The Fallon Co. “We partnered with Shawmut to rapidly bring our vision for Made-in-America PPE to reality and make sure we are never again in a position where we have to worry if we will have enough high-quality, domestically-produced PPE to keep people safe and healthy.”
Shawmut’s CEO James Wyner remarked: “Shawmut’s 100-plus-years of experience in advanced materials manufacturing makes us a natural fit as a long-term domestic PPE manufacturer. It’s an honor to play a role in helping solve the country’s N95 mask shortage. We put our materials innovation expertise to use to create an industry-leading N95 mask that offers superior quality and safety as well as all-day comfort. And because we are manufacturing our masks here in the US, we can continually monitor quality, ship to market faster, and deliver our customers a better product at a competitive price.”
As part of its US-made Protex N95 initiative, Shawmut retrofitted nearly 70,000 square feet of industrial space to accommodate production. Its N95 facilities include:
A multi-million-dollar investment of new equipment from Germany’s Reifenhäuser REICOFIL GmbH & Co, the world’s most advanced meltblown filter media production system, to produce its proprietary filter media in-house.
A fully automated and flexible molded-cup-mask production system which, despite being the most challenging type of N95 mask to manufacture, has proved to be critical in providing a unique combination of a secure fit and lasting comfort to broaden usage of the Protex N95 particulate respirator.
An onsite materials testing lab and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment that allows the team to test its products in-house and will help foster rapid development of future mask products.
“This is another example of how we are cross-collaborating with other industries to help keep our population safe,” said Lisa Witte, president, Fisher Scientific channel, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We are ready to get these N95 respirators into the hands of those who need them most.”
The New Protex Line of N95 Respirators
The Protex N95 Particulate Respirator Model SR9520 was skillfully engineered with comfort in mind. Determined to overcome user critiques that N95s are uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, Shawmut designed custom-engineered, thermoform molds with feedback from front line workers and other users, to achieve a better fitting mask that doesn’t provide excessive pressure on the face and skin. With the combined use of 3D scanning, in-house testing and rapid prototyping, Shawmut innovated its patent-pending Protex ADC all-day-comfort system that combines a uniquely soft but strong inner layer, incredibly lightweight but highly efficient and effective inner filtration layer, and high-sealing viscoelastic nose foam for a secure but comfortable seal. The result is an N95 mask performance with less air resistance, cooler and less stale air inside the mask for easier breathability, less eyeglass fogging, and less pressure on the face for all-day-comfort and wear.
The Protex N95 Particulate Respirator Model SR9520 offers a minimum of 95 percent filtration efficiency, meeting the government standard for N95s. The molded-cup-style respirator — preferred by most users for its performance — is made with Shawmut’s proprietary high-efficiency, bi-layer, meltblown filtration material offering a comfortable fit for extended wear. Due to its lightweight, inner filtration layer, developed using Shawmut’s advanced material expertise, the Protex N95 respirator is lighter and more breathable than others on the market.
Additional features of the Protex N95 Particulate Respirator Model SR9520 include:
A soft, professional-looking outer protective layer;
Integrated nose foam and adjustable clip system; and
Engineered elastic head straps with an expanded force curve to fit a wider range of face and head sizes.
NEW YORK CITY — March 9, 2021 — Saitex announces the opening of its first facility outside its Vietnam birthplace. Saitex USA, located in the heart of the American denim industry in Los Angeles features state-of-the-art manufacturing technology with energy and resource-efficient machinery.
Recognized as the “Cleanest Denim Factory in the World,” Saitex has expanded its vision and capabilities globally, to produce locally in the US. Los Angeles has long been the denim hub of the United States, but change has been slow to come to the established brands and factories in the region. During the long months of the pandemic Saitex heavily invested in building the first-of-its-kind facility with the latest innovative laser cutting, semi-automated sewing, robotic spraying, 3D laser detailing, and futuristic one-step wash machines connected to a state-of-the-art water recycling system.
The hard work has resulted in the “Factory of the Future” an ever-evolving example of the manufacturer’s forward-thinking, meeting decades of denim-making expertise supported by the most dynamic approach to environmentally responsible apparel production.
The manufacturing technology implemented allows for an automated supply chain ecosystem at speed using interconnected ordering and costing with shorter lead times, giving the Los Angeles facility a competitive advantage. Through the use of its Cloud-based digital Platform as a Service (PaaS) Saitex’s Speed to Market™ system provides a conscious approach to inventory management and a trajectory towards “made to order” capabilities. Speed to Market™ offers online garment design, collaboration, and manufacturing custom garments at scale, sustainably, and fast.
“Saitex USA is another step in our journey, providing an opportunity to bring sustainable manufacturing and jobs to the United States, a first step in reevaluating and reinventing global supply chains,” said Sanjeev Bahl, CEO, and founder of Saitex.
The challenges of the pandemic did not stop Saitex from completing not only the LA factory but also continuing work on its state-of-the-art fabric mill in Vietnam enabling Saitex to create a unique, fully sustainable, vertical manufacturing system. With a team led by industry veteran Kathy Kweon, as USA president, the LA factory has recruited the best of the industry to work at Saitex in Los Angeles.
SINGAPORE — March 9, 2021 — Online visitor registration for ITMA Asia + CITME 2020 which will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Shanghai is now open.
Visitors who purchase their badge at www.itmaasia.com and www.citme.com.cn will enjoy special online rates. Early-bird rates available till 6 June are RMB 60 for a five-day badge and RMB 30 for a one-day badge. Standard onsite rates cost RMB 100 for a five-day badge and RMB 50 for a one-day badge. Visitors who register online will be also given access to the exhibition e-catalogue.
The show owners and organisers are committed to working closely with the authorities, such as the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council and the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association (SCEIA), to implement preventive and social distancing measures to enable the combined exhibition to be held safely.
“We would like to assure that the safety of our participants, partners and staff during the exhibition is of utmost importance to us. Strict safety measures will be implemented onsite. Visitors should purchase their badge online to avoid onsite queues and allow better and smooth entry process,” urged Ernesto Maurer, president of CEMATEX.
“Taking into consideration the needs of the industry, we have decided to continue with the staging of the combined exhibition. Since the certificate of admission and stand details were issued last December, many exhibitors have responded positively to the news that the combined exhibition will be staged as planned,” said Wang Shutian, Honorary president of China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA).
He added, “The pandemic has created pent-up demand for quality machinery for sectors such as nonwovens and technical textiles as there was a lack of sales and marketing opportunities last year. Therefore, our machinery manufacturers are eager to reconnect with the market.”
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 challenge, the seventh edition of the combined exhibition is expected to feature a gross exhibition space of 170,000 square meters. To date, it has attracted the participation of 1,500 exhibitors, including many established machinery manufacturers from 24 countries.
ITMA ASIA + CITME is owned by CEMATEX and Chinese partners – the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC), and organized by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co Ltd and co-organized by ITMA Services. Japan Textile Machinery Association is a special partner of the combined show.
The last combined show in 2018 attracted the participation of 1,733 exhibitors from 28 economies and registered a visitorship of over 100,000 from 116 countries and regions.
SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis. — March 3, 2021 — Curt G. Joa Inc., a global custom-engineering design and machine-building company, announced the invention of an expandable absorbent core product feature and machine process technology.
The new patent-pending design from JOA allows the core to expand within the containment wrap, regardless of the blended fluff and Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) ratio. Essentially, the core grows as the product is insulted. The expandable wrap allows cores to be designed with higher amounts of SAP which results in thinner products that have higher absorbency.
Chris Nelson, business development manager and co-inventor, explains more, “As SAP designs evolve, products now contain higher quantities of SAP, and these new SAP designs absorb more fluid than ever before. Performance of the core depends on allowing the SAP to work.
Therefore, there was a need for accommodating the core swell and expansion of SAP as fluid transfers through the product.”
“JOA machines ensure core integrity by keeping core materials contained, reducing the risk of leakage which decreases skin irritation and improves skin health,” added Scott Roehrborn, machine platform manager and co-inventor.
Additional product design features now being announced include:
• Core edge definition that rivals die cut;
• Balanced SAP distribution with more consistent core weights;
• Single or dual dusting layer capability with homogenous blend of fluff and SAP.
