FORT WAYNE, Ind. — February 18, 2021 — In 2020, as the COVID pandemic was spreading across the country, Churubusco, Ind.-based precision manufacturer, C&A Tool Engineering Inc. saw an opportunity to make a difference.
As a contract manufacturer of surgical and orthopedic devices, C&A Tool was able to quickly repurpose its medical-grade facilities and build a brand new Class-7 clean room to begin producing disposable face masks.
“As the situation progressed and we were seeing critical shortages of face masks and other protective equipment, we saw the chance to pivot and do something to help keep our employees safe and also help the public,” said Adam Heller of C&A Tool.
C&A Tool produces the high-quality face masks in its Auburn, Indiana facility using imported materials. The masks are available for sale on Amazon and directly from the company at www.catool.com/masks.
C&A Tool’s Japan-based parent company, MinebeaMitsumi, has been manufacturing face masks for its worldwide employees and the general public since the beginning of the pandemic.
“We’re proud to be able help our community by producing protective equipment that’s safe and high-quality, right here in Indiana,” Heller said.
NEUMÜNSTER/REMSCHEID, Germany — February 19, 2021 — Oerlikon Manmade Fibers kicks off the new year with a series of webinars on the topic of home textiles. Traditionally, the company’s event calendar begins with the DOMOTEX trade fair and the supplementary BCF Symposium. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the producer of BCF yarn systems has an alternative event for its customers this year. Those interested can register to take part in the webinars via the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Division corporate Website.
Manufacturing carpet yarn with the BCF S8 – ‘Experience-based Innovation’
March 3, 2021: 2-2.45 CET
The series of webinars launches in March 3, 2021, with a presentation on the BCF S8 system. Nis Lehmann-Matthaei, sales director BCF at Oerlikon Neumag, introduces the latest development steps in the monocolor variant. Under the ‘Experience-based Innovation’ motto, this system technology sets new standards with never-seen-before spinning speeds, up to 700 filaments and fine titers of up to 2.5 dpf.
BCF S8 Tricolor – a massive step forward for your carpet yarn production
March 10, 2021: 2-2.45 CET
In his webinar, BCF Sales Director Michael Rübenhagen focuses on tricolor yarn production. Thanks to the patent-pending CPC-T unit (Color Pop Compacting), the BCF S8 is capable of manufacturing in excess of 200,000 different shades — from mélange through to strongly-separated.
Heavy-denier applications – WINGS HD and eAFK Big V complete your home textiles portfolio
March 17, 2021: 2-2.45 CET
The carpet yarn portfolio is complemented by a POY-DTY solution for heavy-denier applications: using the WINGS HD and the eAFK Big V, carpet yarn manufacturers can efficiently and economically cater to increasing demand for heavy-denier DTY yarns. The technology is presented by Area Sales Director Oliver Lemke.
Compact spinning system for heavy-denier POY and DTY – what the VarioFil can do for you
March 24, 2021: 2-2.45 CET
In a fourth webinar, Product Manager Ralf Morgenroth unveils the VarioFil R+ compact spinning system for recycled filament yarn, developed and built by subsidiary BBE. The system is available for producing POY.
Register now for our digital events in Q1-2021:
www.oerlikon.com/manmade-fibers/en/about-us/events/
W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — February 19, 2021 — In light of COVID-19 and ongoing safety concerns for members and staff, ASTM International announced today that all previously scheduled in-person May and June standards development meetings (including D02 and independent meetings) have been transitioned to all virtual.
Last month, ASTM International announced that all April in-person meetings would be transitioned to virtual as well.
These decisions were based on several factors, including, but not limited to:
Continued review of information and recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other governmental bodies,
Input from ASTM International members whose organizations are increasingly concerned with travel, and
Specific information on the projected city restrictions in Toronto, Ontario, and other cities, with input from the hotels.
ASTM International staff will be contacting committee leaders to plan for virtual meetings or other alternatives for conducting committee business.
Looking forward, ASTM International will rely on these and other relevant criteria and input points to assess the status of ASTM’s future standards development meetings.
View the status of your committee’s next meeting by visiting www.astm.org/meetings.
For additional resources — including PDF guides for members participating virtually — please visit www.astm.org/updates/committees.html.
Last year, ASTM International also announced they are providing no-cost public access to a suite of more than two dozen standards used in the production and testing of personal protective equipment to combat the coronavirus public health emergency. For more information, visit www.astm.org/COVID-19.
SEOUL — February 19, 2021 — With sustainability, traceability and transparency at the top of the denim industry’s agenda, mills and brands are seeking fiber technology solutions to help them create the most responsibly made, eco-friendly denim products.
While still unable to gather in person at trade shows for the time being, Hyosung will present its latest sustainable fiber developments to the tightknit denim community during Kingpins24 FLASH virtual event taking place February 23-24, 2021.
Among its sustainable fiber solutions, Hyosung will highlight its GRS-certified, 100-percent recycled creora® regen spandex made from reclaimed waste, which has been in demand since its launch in 2020.
“Because we make our creora regen spandex from 100-percent reclaimed waste, we are helping our customers make a fully sustainable denim product,” said Mike Simko, Hyosung Global marketing director-Textiles.
Hyosung’s creora regen spandex has caught the attention of Tejidos Royo a leading denim innovator and manufacturer committed to sustainability.
“What is really exciting for us in working with Hyosung is that they have the textile solution that will allow us to make denim fabric made from 100-percent recycled content,” said Jóse R. Royo, sales director, Tejidos Royo.
Hyosung will also share developments with its 3D Max creora spandex, which allows denim products to have dual performance features — ultra-stretch and excellent recovery that lasts over time.
According to Simko, denim made with 3D Max creora spandex eliminates the need for stretch polyester and the fabric can be treated for environmentally friendly laser washing to create distressed looks.
In addition to its 100% recycled regen creora spandex and 3D-Max creor® spandex Hyosung will present the following eco-friendly, multi-function fibers:
MIPAN regen aqua X: recycled cool-touch nylon with UV protection;
regen askin: recycled cool-touch polyester with UV protection; and
regen aerolight: recycled lightweight polyester with high-performance moisture management.
A pre-recorded livestream video between Miguel Sanchez, technology leader at Kingpins, José R. Royo, sales director of Tejidos Royo, and Mike Simko, global marketing director of Hyosung Textiles will be available to view on Wednesday, February 24 at 1:20 PM ET by registering for free at Kingpins24 FLASH: https://kingpinsshow.com/shows/kingpins24-2/.
WASHINGTON — February 19, 2021 — National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today, voicing strong support for Katherine Tai’s nomination to serve as the next United States Trade Representative (USTR).
“Undoubtedly, this important office should be occupied by someone of unquestioned integrity who is not only an expert in international trade policy but an individual who also possesses a keen understanding of the unique challenges confronting domestic manufacturers and U.S. workers under the international trading system. Katherine Tai has demonstrated all these important qualities over her distinguished career,” Glas said in the letter.
“We believe she is an exceptional candidate to serve as the next USTR and are pleased to lend our strongest level of support to her nomination. Further, we urge the committee to quickly advance her confirmation to the Senate floor so that Ms. Tai can formally begin her important responsibilities as expeditiously as possible.”
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing on Katherine Tai’s nomination for February 25.
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — February 18, 2021 — Today, Shawmut Corp. announced the creation of a new Health & Safety business unit that will apply the company’s trademark advanced materials, textile manufacturing and process innovation techniques to producing high-quality, U.S.-made, health and safety products, including its Protex™ line of U.S.-made personal protective equipment (PPE).
A fourth-generation, family-run, global company with locations in North America, Europe and Asia, Shawmut specializes in manufacturing high-performance advanced materials for a wide range of industries, including automotive, medical, industrial, and military applications. Shawmut had historically produced medical-grade barrier fabrics and certain inflatable and orthopedic medical devices but broadened its medical focus in Spring 2020 to include PPE for the COVID-19 pandemic. Shawmut now manufactures medical isolation gowns and surgical barrier fabrics and rapidly developed an N95 particulate respirator that will be available for sale in the coming weeks.
“This is a very exciting time in Shawmut Corporation’s 105-year history, as we delve deeper into the healthcare solutions space,” said CEO James Wyner. “We’re making a significant, long-term commitment to developing innovative US-made health and safety products not only for this period of great need but well beyond so that our country never faces a critical PPE shortage again.”
As part of Shawmut’s commitment to growing this Health and Safety division, the company retrofitted nearly 70,000 square feet of space in its West Bridgewater, Mass., manufacturing facility to produce isolation gowns and N95 respirators. The company also acquired nearly 60 tons of specialized, high-precision melt-blown machinery from Germany, installed a fully automated and flexible production system to support its N95 particulate respirator line, and installed roughly 50 new assembly lines for gowns and masks, some of which are augmented with advanced robotics capabilities. A key component of Shawmut’s rapid development process is an expanded materials testing lab and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment that will allow Shawmut to test its products on site. The facility’s expansion is expected to create roughly 300 new jobs upon completion.
In addition to the multi-million-dollar facility investment, Shawmut has made several executive expertise hires to support the new business unit, including hiring a veteran of the PPE industry, Steve Walley, as vice president of Sales. Walley will be responsible for the sales growth of the company’s health and safety unit with an immediate focus on scaling its Protex medical isolation gown and N95 particulate respirator products. Shawmut also hired melt-blown material manufacturing expert Matthew Lee as plant manager of its melt-blown and mask manufacturing operations. Lee has over 20 years of high-end melt-blown and non-woven finishing management experience. Additionally, the company has made key executive investments in marketing, product management and engineering expertise, drawing from major PPE, industrial safety, and healthcare companies to rapidly deploy this new business unit.
“When we started working with the state of Massachusetts and the Federal government back in the spring to provide much-needed medical isolation gowns, we were happy to do our part in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wyner continued. “What we’ve learned is our deep background in advanced materials and process innovation makes our team uniquely suited to continue responding to and expanding production of this critically needed solution with a larger and more dedicated business unit. We look forward to helping healthcare and industrial supply chains with a new source of innovative, quality PPE solutions.”
DENVER — February 18, 2021 — VF Corp. today announced it has fully allocated the net proceeds from its inaugural green bond issued last year, which totaled approximately 493 million euros.
The proceeds allocated to 13 of VF’s eligible sustainability projects worldwide helped to deliver meaningful positive environmental impacts, including 2 million trees planted, approximately 16,000 metric tonnes of CO2e avoided annually through procurement of sustainable materials, and more than 970 million liters of water saved annually through conservation initiatives.
“We take great pride in being the first company in the apparel and footwear industry to issue a green bond,” said Scott Roe, executive vice president and CFO for VF. “We believe that business success and environmental stewardship are closely linked together, demonstrated by the success of this effort which has enabled us to advance progress toward achieving our science-based targets while also strengthening our business for the long term. We hope our success will inspire others in our industry and beyond to pursue similar initiatives.”
VF issued its inaugural green bond, the first for the apparel and footwear industry, in February 2020. The allocation of the green bond net proceeds was an important step in VF’s implementation of its Made for Change sustainability and responsibility strategy, which supports the company’s business objectives with actions that improve lives and protect the planet.
VF’s use of the green bond proceeds demonstrates its commitment to three key sustainability areas that are core to its business: sustainable products and materials; sustainable operations and supply chain; and, natural carbon sinks. In addition, the net proceeds support projects that align with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 9 – Industry Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production; and, SDG 15 – Life on Land.
To provide transparency for its green bond initiative, VF has published a Green Bond Impact Report, which includes a complete breakdown of allocated proceeds and select metrics and achievements of related projects.
VF’s green bond was issued in accordance with the ICMA Green Bond Principles (GBP) 2018. VF’s Green Bond Framework was reviewed by Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of sustainability research and services that issued a Second-Party Opinion declaring that the framework is credible and impactful.
FAIRFIELD, N.J. — February 18, 2021 — As more and more people in the US are wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, SGS has announced a new way for consumers to know if reusable fabric masks conform to industry and regulatory requirements.
Indeed today, SGS, a global testing and certification company, launched an independently checked mark to help consumers wade through the various claims with respect to masks and face coverings.
“Consumers need reassurance from manufacturers and retailers that the reusable fabric masks they are using are performing as intended”, said Matthew McGarity, senior PPE technical manager for SGS North America. “They also need to know important criteria such as how many laundering cycles their masks can go through until they are no longer of use.”
SGS worked with leading experts in textiles, filtration and restricted substances to draft various domestic and mask/face covering guidelines. The Independently Checked Mark (IC Mark) may be used to indicate that the subject mask has been tested for certain characteristics including breathability, particle filtration efficiency, labeling, strap/attachment strength, service life claims, restricted substances and flammability.
In particular, the new IC Mark tests and qualifies utilizing key performance attributes from a newly published industry consensus standard, ASTM F3502 Standard Specification for Barrier Face Coverings. SGS and other industry experts helped draft the new standard which includes criteria such as design, minimum performance, and care/use instructions.
A key benefit of the new IC Mark for manufacturers, retailers and consumers is the increased transparency it creates. It is a clear demonstration that the manufacturer has chosen to focus on critical quality and performance characteristics, creating a product that meets or exceeds the minimum requirements of the ASTM F3502 standard.
Samples are drawn at random and sent to one of SGS’s global network of independent laboratories to be tested. Test results are published online, with each IC Mark including a Quick Response (“QR”) code on the packaging which consumers can scan using their cell phones to get instant access to the test results.
Consumers can find a brief description of the product with an image, the date and scope of the test, the test criteria and results, plus the approval number. It also provides details of the manufacturer and any applicable retailers.
USTER, Switzerland — February 18, 2021 — It starts with a handshake, or a signature on a sales contract. That’s when the USTER After-Sales Service team springs into action to support the customer. Its expert staff will make sure every piece of equipment is installed perfectly and running smoothly. But that’s only the beginning of a relationship that lasts the full lifespan of the new equipment, guaranteeing rapid technical backup whenever and wherever it’s needed – even in the remotest of market regions.
Today’s customers rightly demand the highest standards when they invest in quality equipment, and After-Sales Service is an essential element in that, as feedback from customers in emerging markets confirms. Their expectations can be summarized under two categories: hard facts and soft skills…
Five Uster customers (left to right): Shamimul Haque, Matin Spinning Mills Ltd.; Ulugbek Kadirov, Global Textile Solutions; Suresh Chander Pal, FE Indorama Kokand Textile JSC; Majibur Rahman, Envoy Textiles Ltd.; Phan Duc Le Hoang, Tri Viet Spinning
The hard facts – technical support
Customers from Bangladesh, Vietnam and Uzbekistan always acknowledge that the reputation of Uster technical support has had some degree of influence on their purchasing decisions. And that makes them even more demanding. “Our customers expect yarn deliveries in the required quality — every time, all packages, no exceptions. Therefore, we must assure reliably running processes in every aspect, as well as efficiency in our production. That’s where After-Sales Service must come in,” said Phan Duc Le Hoang, director at Viet Tri Spinning JSC in Vietnam.
Majibur Rahman, senior general manager at Envoy Textiles Ltd. in Bangladesh, agreed: “We understand that we need excellent machinery, knowledgeable staff and a trusted partner who combines expert consultant and troubleshooter in one person. After-Sales Services help us for continuous and sustainable improvement.”
Fast-response, accurate service, suggestions for problem-solving and improvements … the list of customer requirements is almost endless. It all needs to be delivered urgently and to a high-quality standard.
Customer surveys praise the technical qualification of Uster service engineers and the effective solutions they propose. “The suggestions are beneficial and add value to our process in maintaining final yarn quality,” said Suresh Chander Pal, head of Quality Assurance at FE Indorama Kokand Textile JSC in Uzbekistan.
Another respondent, Ulugbek Kadirov, chief mechanic at Global Textile Solutions in Uzbekistan, puts loyalty to customers at the top of his requirement list. “We absolutely trust the loyalty of the Uster team,” he says. Comparisons of Uster service teams with those of other suppliers also produce a positive result, rating them “very good” for their prompt and professional work. “We judge based on results and we are satisfied,” Kadirov said.
Soft skills – the relationships
Customers are naturally committed to maximizing the value of their investments, and their comments show that many recognize the value of good relationships with service teams in this respect. “Staff appreciate equipment from Uster and its timely upgrades with innovative ideas,” said Shamimul Haque, chief production officer at Matin Spinning Mills Ltd., Bangladesh. When describing the contacts of Uster After-Sales Service, each customer response included “friendly” — seen as a pathway to reliable and open knowledge sharing.
Knowledge transfer is said to be another Uster benefit much appreciated by customers. “Uster provides know-how enriched by important technical experiments and data, which is of course valuable to us,” Rahman said. Sharing quality information is also viewed as extremely beneficial by Viet Tri Spinning JSC’s Le Hoang: “Knowledge transfer is very helpful. Uster service engineers take time to transfer knowledge. We would definitely like more time invested in this,” he said.
Customers clearly place great importance on many aspects of the After-Sales Service – but would they go as far as recommending Uster as a partner? Yes, was the verdict from those questioned, based on various reasons: reliability and global acceptance of test results (by FE Indorama Kokand Textile JSC, Uzbekistan), quality assurance guidance (by Envoy Textiles Limited, Bangladesh; by Matin Spinning Mills Ltd., Bangladesh; and by Global Textile Solutions, Uzbekistan) and proven excellent reputation (by Viet Tri Spinning JSC, Vietnam).
Raising the bar
The positive responses from Uster customers proves they are satisfied with their service packages — but also still demanding. “Service packages may incorporate options like automatic software upgrades, as well as customized parts exchanging,” says Haque, of Matin Spinning.
After-Sales Service is as important to Uster as to its customers. The four regional and 29 local service centers are manned by some 225 qualified engineers and technologists, many of whom have been with the company for ten years or more. This underlines the quality of Uster’s After-Sales Service and is acknowledged by customers recognized. “Based on this stability, we develop strong bonds which help both parties,” says Indorama Kokand’s Pal.
Suresh Kris, the Uster Technologies vice president for Global After Sales & Service, affirms that dialogue with spinning mills worldwide is vital in helping to raise the bar continually towards even higher levels of service provision and customer satisfaction: “We value practical suggestions from customers. It helps to elevate the level of our services and to define them according to needs,” he said. “Strong bonds such as these create a win-win situation. What more could we want?”
REMSCHEID, Germany — February 18, 2021 — German company BB Engineering combines its VacuFil process with the directly-connected VarioFil spinning system, hence creating a one-step process for recycling and inline spinning of post-consumer and post-production polyester (PET) waste into partially oriented yarn (POY) or fully drawn yarn (FDY).
Manufacturing polyester fibers for demanding textile applications from recycled PET (rPET) granulate — particularly using the inline spinning process — is an extremely challenging task. It requires recycling know-how and spinning plant expertise. The starting material has to be continually processed into an homogeneous, spinnable melt.
All processing steps must ensure the required melt properties and keep these stable throughout the entire process runtime. For numerous textile applications, parameters such as viscosity and homogeneity are decisive and must be subject to the only the minutest fluctuations. In other words: using recycled polyester within the textile segment requires suitable pretreatment processes in conjunction with precise process management.
BB Engineering, a subsidiary of Oerlikon Textile, has decades of experience and know-how in the development of spinning plant components and systems. And it was this spinning plant expertise that was decisive for the successful development of the VacuFil PET recycling system. On this basis, the company developed a Liquid-State Polycondensation recycling system for further processing post-production spinning waste and post-consumer bottle flakes, optimally aligned to the textile further processing of the recycled materials in the spinning plant (patent currently pending).
The core component of this process is the vacuum filter, with which the viscosity can be separately controlled and monitored. To this end, the required melt properties can be achieved inline in a reliable and reproducible manner and controlled during operation. In various spinning trials, the rPET granulates manufactured at the Oerlikon Textile R&D Center using the VacuFil produced convincing results.
Virgin PET reference
Bottle flakes
Indian customer
Bottle flakes
European origin
Fiber waste POY
Input IV
0.66 dl/g
0.81 dl/g
0.80 dl/g
0.624 dl/g
Output IV VacuFil
0.646 dl/g
0.66 dl/g (±0.06)
0.643 dl/g (±0.05)
Quality No.
22.1
22.8
21.8
20.9
Frays / 10,000m
0.65
0
0.75
0.41
Yarn breaks / 1t
0
0
0
0
Dyeing uniformity
(1: best – 6: worst)
1-2
1-2
>4.5 (gray scale) AA
1-2
The results of the various spinning trials demonstrate that the new VacuFil technology is so effective that the rPET produced is of outstanding quality and comparable to that of virgin material.
The granulation step can be dispensed with if you combine the VacuFil with BB Engineering’s rPET-compatible VarioFil* R+ compact spinning system (or other direct spinning systems capable of processing rPET). The waste material is recycled and directly spun in a single seamless process – in superlative quality thanks to optimum melt treatment. [Anm.: Den folgenden, englischen Part hat der Kunde so abgesegnet. Bitte nicht verändern.] Eco Spindles – a Sri Lanka-based customer of BB Engineering – has been so convinced by the VarioFil R+ spinning system with VacuFil extrusion that it is investing in a further rPET VarioFil system. Dr. Anush Amarasinghe, managing director of Eco Spindles, produces POY from bottle flake material and explains: “Our clients are increasingly asking for recycled fibers and we of course wish to fulfill their requirements and demands. For this reason, expanding our portfolio to cater to this has been an important step for us. Bottle recycling is still a niche market in Sri Lanka and we have been determined to maintain our high quality standards. We have special requirements and needed a cutting-edge partner for this project. A few years ago, we opted to purchase a BBE VarioFil R+ compact spinning system to allow us to manufacture POY from bottle flakes. We wanted to first test the set-up – also due to the fact that the bottles collected from beaches are in part problematic starting materials. However, the extremely good customer feedback and the fact that our product is profitable have prompted us to invest further. We have decided to acquire a further VarioFil R+ line with VacuFil recycling system. What is particularly great is the fact that the entire process is completely coherent. We are able to produce extremely homogeneous, viscosity-stable rPET melt and spin it directly into high-end fibers.”
In the case of Eco Spindles, this is a flexible VarioFil R+ compact spinning system with upstream VacuFil inline recycling unit with a direct feed. It has been designed to manufacture using recycled bottle flakes, recycled chips and virgin chips. On the one hand, this is possible as a result of the drying system that is suitable for both flakes and chips. On the other hand, the vacuum extruder can be operated without or without vacuum and is therefore able to melt recycled and virgin starting materials. The experience acquired from >20,000 sold units has influenced the extruder design. As a result of the gentle melting, BBE extruders form the basis for absolutely-homogeneous melt, as required by the spinning plant. The single-screw technology ensures the robustness necessary in recycling. Last but not least, the special metering system for several components also provides producers with flexibility: either two additives can be fed into the melt simultaneously or the metering unit can be used for fast dye switches. With 6 positions, this VarioFil configuration achieves product throughputs of up to 150kg/h and offers a broad end product range with final titers of between 50 and 150 den (DTY) with a DPF range of between 0.7 and 4.0 dpf. In other set-ups, the VarioFil R+ covers a range of 20-600 den POY or 30-500 den FDY with recycled PET.*
With this, the VarioFil is not only a versatile spinning machine for the most diverse applications, it also caters to the constantly-rising demand for rPET fibers. Leading textile-processing businesses and corporations — be these fashion brands, sports apparel and furniture manufacturers or those operating within the automobile industry — are increasingly focusing on sustainable products and products made from recycled materials. Today, they are already telling suppliers of filaments, fibers and nonwovens that they will be switching from exclusively virgin polyester to recycled polyester — in some cases up to 100 percent — for the manufacture of their textile products in the near future.
*VarioFil is the name given to BB Engineering’s compact spinning systems product family. In general, VarioFil systems are able to process PET, PA6, PA6.6, PP, PLA, PBT, PTT and bi-components into POY, FDY or IDY. The VarioFil R+ system has been designed especially for rPET and bottle flakes.
