A Radical Leap In Fabric Inspection: Uster Q-Bar 2 Becomes The Unique Formation Monitoring System

USTER, Switzerland — April 28, 2021 — The best way to avoid off-quality is simply not to make it. Uster Q-Bar 2 introduces a radical leap in fabric inspection. It monitors the fabric additionally at the earliest point — the critical stage in fabric formation — with automatic, in-line inspection. Identifying problems here brings enormous benefits, preventing defects and enabling weavers to deliver constant quality and stay competitive in the market.

Q-Bar 2 is best described as a formation monitoring system, because of its ingenious positioning directly at the interface of warp and weft threads. That allows rapid response as soon as a defect appears, avoiding long-running or repeating faults. Alarm and stop signals alert the operator to correct problems immediately — and early detection reduces second quality and material loss, as well as minimizing the need for post-production checks.

For weavers, these advantages represent genuine and long-awaited innovations with a positive impact on both productivity and quality.

Formation monitoring

Weaving defects can have various root causes, so Uster Q-Bar 2 provides different algorithms to identify specific defects and their causes. This inbuilt knowledge can prevent defects within the weft insertion cycle.

Its enhanced detection position in the fabric formation zone means the warp is monitored even before it is traversed by the weft — a truly unique benefit. It allows detection of incorrect warp positions, missing warp, loose warp ends and even pattern irregularities.

Another important innovation is the control of weft irregularities. By monitoring each inserted weft in the formation area, Q-Bar 2 primes users to react to weft irregularities at the earliest possible stage. At this point, it can detect weft-related defects such as double picks, broken weft or slubs and loops.

“Formation monitoring is the answer to market requests. Weavers demand zero defect standards, increased sustainability by waste reduction and they want to produce the fabric meeting specific quality requirements,” says Michelle Salg, product manager Fabric Inspection at Uster.

Total supervision

Defects that become visible only in the woven fabric are the nastiest threat. Often, it’s too late when defects such as reed marks, dirty yarns or floats are spotted — but it can’t happen with Uster Q-Bar 2. Its fabric inspection algorithms detect even ‘invisible’ defects in the fabric. It’s the simple solution to improving fabric yield by automated formation monitoring.

Q-Bar 2 also monitors critical machine units in the formation zone. If there is a problem here, the system makes it easy to identify and eliminate it, preventing further defects and again maximizing fabric yield.

Another element of the total supervision provided by the formation monitoring system is its special focus on the selvedge area. This is not only critical for an efficient weaving process, it is also important in further process steps. Specific algorithms detect irregularities in the selvedge, as well as broken leno — but also identify any pattern defects. Continuous pattern monitoring flags up incorrect patterns at the earliest stage, so the loom can be stopped and the problem fixed before many meters of fabric are wasted.

Last but not least, the system has a permanent eye on the fabric width, an essential factor for further processing. For this reason, Q-Bar 2 provides continuous width measurement of the woven fabric, from loom setup to full roll.

Designed for users

The technology in this new formation monitoring system is impressive, but Q-Bar 2 is highly developed in many other aspects too. Its attractive industrial design is also ergonomic, so users have easy access to all important parts. Weavers appreciate its simple installation on existing weaving machines. And operators like the integrated LEDs used by Q-Bar 2: system status is indicated and the positions of detected defects shown by red lights. The improved hardware platform is capable of handling high loom speeds and is ready for future innovations.

First-quality production, to customer specifications, is the overall goal. That is especially important in demanding applications such as industrial and safety textiles. In apparel and home textiles too, it is vital to avoid seconds and minimize waste fabric. “Independent of the fabric application, Uster Q-Bar 2 is a game-changer. For the first time, weavers can actually prevent weaving defects instead of only reacting to them,” Salg said.

Posted April 28, 2021

Source: Uster Technologies AG

ANDRITZ Nonwoven Offers Solutions For Optimization Of Raw Material Consumption

GRAZ, Austria — April 28, 2021 — International technology Group ANDRITZ has always been at the forefront in providing innovative and sustainable solutions for the global nonwovens industry. Optimization of resource management, especially reducing the consumption of raw materials and other substances used and also keeping resources in use for as long as possible, are decisive factors in enabling nonwovens producers to offer competitive and sustainable products.

As a world market leader for nonwovens production equipment and services, Andritz offers a full range of products to meet these challenging demands.

Maximizing the evenness of the product across the entire production line is one of the key success factors. The weight profiling product range of Andritz — consisting of ProDyn™ and ProWid™ – has been extended by ProWin™. This new development is the combination of the two existing systems ProDyn and ProWid. It allows nonwovens producers to achieve optimum weight profiling at the crosslapper delivery and increase their process speed by up to 15 percent at the same time. ProWin combines the long-term process experience and in-depth knowledge Andritz has on needlepunch lines with innovative software to synchronize action across the line.

Guillaume Julien, Head of Needlepunch Sales at Andritz Nonwoven, explained: “We have developed a self-regulating, advanced technology to reduce fiber deposits at the edges of the web and eliminate the “smile” effect across its width. ProWin enables producers to optimize the CV ratio autonomously and precisely while also generating significant fiber savings of up to 10 percent and increasing production speed. Thus, it also provides a faster ROI.“

When it comes to the spunlace process, a better product quality can be obtained by ensuring that the different equipment units in the production line are consistent with one another. The TT card, the Jetlace hydroentanglement unit, and the neXdry through-air dryer are the perfect combination to obtain premium visual quality and characteristics in the web. For an equivalent amount of fibers, this set-up is designed to produce an even web with significant bulkiness and an excellent MD:CD ratio without impacting the production capacity.

Maximizing performance by minimizing the raw material input and the amount of waste produced is a real driver of cost optimization. This is why Andritz has created and integrated a solution that allows nonwovens producers to retrieve the wasted edges of their spunlace fabric and re-use it as recycled fibers. As a result, roll-good producers can even obtain the same web characteristics as when using virgin fibers, and most importantly, the exact same quality.

Andritz also offers — under the brand Metris — Andritz digital solutions — a variety of several service apps for optimum customer benefit. The Metris Cost Management app is used to track raw material consumption. It is an advanced system aimed at monitoring fiber consumption and allowing in-depth diagnoses to investigate raw material losses and savings grouped by different process areas. Thanks to this Metris application, Andritz customers are able to optimize their system’s consumption of raw materials.

All these innovations are available in Andritz’s technical centers, where Andritz process experts will be glad to welcome customers in order to discuss and define their product expectations.

Posted April 28, 2021

Source: ANDRITZ GROUP

Polyester Filtration: Visco+ Vacuum Filter For IV Setting

REMSCHEID, Germany— April 28, 2021 — Under vacuum, the new BB Engineering large-area filter produces a homogeneous, pure melt with a targeted IV setting — for instance, for returning polyester production waste to the melt flow, but also for achieving a homogeneous viscosity in the case of virgin material.

BB Engineering has expanded its melt filter portfolio to include a patented large-area vacuum filter designed especially for processing polyester waste. The so-called Visco+ filter is already known as the key component of the BB Engineering VacuFil recycling system. Now, it is also available as a separate and easily-integratable upgrade component for existing systems. Within this context, the uses of the Visco+ are by no means limited to just decontamination. Here, the Visco+ offers the following solutions:

  • IV homogenization: if an existing production system is struggling with IV fluctuations, the Visco+ is able to actively intervene and balance out any irregularities;
  • V increase: if the final viscosity is insufficient when processing recycled materials, the Visco+ can increase the IV without the negative impact of long residence times.

In this way, the Visco+ enables fast and flexibly-controllable viscosity build-up and reliable viscosity monitoring of the polyester melt using a to-date unique, patented process. Depending on the intended end use, the melt can be adjusted to the further processing procedure in a targeted manner. The requisite melt properties — above all the intrinsic viscosity, but also the purity and homogeneity — are achieved in a reliable and reproducible manner and can also be adjusted during ongoing operation.

The BB Engineering process is both completely new and super-efficient. As a melt filter, the Visco+ operates like a liquid-state polycondensation unit. A maintenance-intensive reactor or a deposit-prone stirring unit are not required. Moisture is removed from the PET in the filter, which — in conjunction with an adjustable residence time — results in the desired IV increase in the vacuum. This enables a controlled IV build-up of up to 30 percent. The intrinsic viscosity is the central quality figure in PET recycling and rPET processing. It determines the melt performance in the downstream production process and the properties of the end products. The intrinsic viscosity is continually monitored by means of an integrated viscosity measurement unit and reliably adjusted in the event of deviations caused by disparate input qualities, for example. At the same time, the filter provides an enormous material surface compared to the volume and continuously renews this. To this end, contamination can be removed particularly effectively from the starting material by means of automatically-regulated high-performance vacuum (1-30 mbar).

The result is a pure, homogeneous melt with controllable IV values and consistent quality. For this reason, the Visco+ is particularly suitable for recycling PET waste that is to be reused for high-end products.

Posted April 28, 2021

Source: BB Engineering GmbH

Technology That Neutralizes Coronavirus By 97.48 Percent: Aksa Akrilik‘s Everfresh

YALOVA, Turkey — April 28, 2021 — The Everfresh technology developed by acrylic fiber producer Aksa Akrilik demonstrated its impact on the Covid-19. As a result of the tests conducted, it was observed that the coronavirus had become ineffective at 97.48 percent in 30 minutes in the textile products with Everfresh.

Introduced to the market in 2020 after four years of work at Aksa Akrilik R&D Center, the antimicrobial fiber product Everfresh successfully passed the Covid-19 test. With a lasting antimicrobial effect, Everfresh offers a wide range of products, ranging from masks to home textiles, which greatly neutralizes coronavirus in many products such as denim, active clothing, smoking, socks, carpet and bedding. According to the tests, coronavirus loses its effect by 97.48 percent within 30 minutes in the products applied with Everfresh.

Everfresh assurance in crowded locations

Unlike spray products or other products produced with similar methods, Everfresh has antimicrobial effects thanks to the zinc compound in the fiber. The product does not harm human health and skin as it is not a finishing, and can be used for products such as carpets, blankets, quilts, beddings, towels and pillows. The coronavirus effect is greatly reduced by the use of Everfresh products in crowded areas such as hotels, mosques and dormitories, where the need for social hygiene is felt at the highest level. Everfresh, which is expected to stand out especially in the use of carpets in public spaces, is ideal because it prevents the formation of bacteria, fungi and mold. The product stands out with its superior qualities and offers an advantageous price. Even if washed repeatedly, Everfresh maintains its strong microbial activity and its impact against coronavirus as it has on the first day, and meets the hygiene needs better than ever.

Developed to meet social expectations

Aksa Akrilik Board Member and General Manager Cengiz Taş stated that Everfresh technology is an important R&D product that has been introduced to the textile industry, and underlined that the product does not provide a protection against coronavirus, but inactivates the virus by 97.48 percent within a certain period of time.

Taş stated that the demand for antibacterial products increased after the pandemic and said, “With our new product Everfresh, we are delighted to respond to the health-sensitive needs of our society. Everfresh once again made a difference in textile products by eliminating coronavirus by 97.48 percent in half an hour. Thanks to its zinc compound, Everfresh provides antimicrobial properties to the products and reduces the need to wash the product by preventing bad odors. I can tell that it meets all expectations with its fast drying, water vapor permeability, air permeability, thermal insulation, soft, light and comfortable structure. Our product has been on the market since last year and is currently attracting a lot of attention. In addition to this, we anticipate that in the coming period we will meet the increasing needs especially for carpets with Everfresh technology in the market.”

Posted April 28, 2021

Source: Aksa Akrilik

Motion’s 2020 Supplier Of The Year Award Winner: NSK

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — April 27, 2021 — Motion Industries Inc. — a distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts, and provider of industrial technology solutions — named NSK “2020 Supplier of the Year.” The award recognizes companies that have shown exceptional commitment to Motion through quality products and services, as well as earning the highest score in the multi-faceted Supplier Stratification rating system.

“2020 was a tough year in general, so for NSK to move to the top of the ranks is impressive,” said Joe Limbaugh, Motion executive vice president of Supply Chain, Operations Support, Marketing and Enterprise Excellence. “Our standards as measured through ourSupply Chain process are rigorous, and improvement takes understanding, dedication and overall hard work. NSK rose to the occasion and we are proud of their accomplishments. Suppliers who finished in our Top 50 are the ‘best of the best’ in our industry.”

“NSK is committed to delivering value to our customers above and beyond being experts in our own business by demonstrating expertise in our partners’ and customers’ business,” said Reid Jajko, vice president, Aftermarket Business Unit, NSK Americas. “Our success is not defined by the sale of a bearing; it is defined by our ability to positively impact our partners’ operations. I cannot imagine a greater affirmation of our commitment than to receive this acknowledgement from Motion.”

Award recipients are determined based on Motion’s Supplier Stratification formula — a rating system that evaluates each supplier’s performance in a number of Supply Chain, Marketing, and Field Support categories.

Posted April 28, 2021

Source: Motion

Timberland Expands Regenerative Leather Offerings, Sets Out To Build World’s First Regenerative Rubber Supply System For Footwear

STRATHAM, N.H. — April 27, 2021 — On the heels of Earth Day, Timberland announces important advancements in its regenerative agriculture efforts, working toward a vision for Timberland® products to have a net positive impact on Nature by 2030. Timberland continues to lead the industry in the regenerative space — expanding upon its growing Regenerative Leather footwear offerings for spring, and forging a partnership with Terra Genesis International (TGI) to build the world’s first regenerative rubber supply system for footwear, with plans to pilot a collection in 2023. The brand also has a progressive campaign underway, tapping experts and multidisciplinary social media platforms to create consumer awareness around regenerative agriculture in new and engaging ways.

Our planet has a problem — there is too much carbon in the air and not enough in the ground. Regenerative practices mimic nature, enabling the land to pull more carbon out of the atmosphere and efficiently store it in the ground, where it can rebuild the structure of the soil, leading to healthy, hydrated, fertile ground — and ultimately, net positive impacts for the land and the farmers. As part of Timberland’s vision for a greener future, the brand has set a goal for 100 percent of its natural materials to be sourced from regenerative agriculture by 2030.

“At Timberland, we strive for a greener and more equitable future, and investing in regenerative agriculture is one of the most powerful levers we have to achieve this vision,” said Zack Angelini, senior manager of environmental stewardship for Timberland. “We are excited about the progress we’re making to source our top volume materials in a way that supports the farmers and ranchers working to reverse environmental degradation and create a world that is more abundant, more resilient and even more beautiful than it is today.”

Expanded Regenerative Leather Footwear Offerings

The new Greenstride™ Solar Wave EK+ Collection joins several Timberland styles now featuring Regenerative Leather, and is packed with eco-conscious materials. In addition to Regenerative Leather in the uppers, GreenStride™ comfort soles are made of 75 percent renewable materials (a combination of sugar cane and natural rubber from trees). They are Earthkeepers® Edition styles, marked with an EK+ to reflect Timberland’s pinnacle eco-innovations.

Later this summer, the Timberland PRO® line for the skilled trades will introduce its first Regenerative Leather boot, the Gridworks EK+.

As Timberland rapidly expands its Regenerative Leather supply chain, the brand hopes to use its global scale and powerful sourcing arm to incentivize the transition of more farmers to regenerative agriculture across the world.

Building the World’s First Regenerative Rubber Supply System for Footwear

Timberland, along with parent company VF Corp. and sister brands Vans and The North Face, is partnering with Terra Genesis International in Thailand to build the industry’s first regenerative rubber supply system.

Rubber is typically grown in a monoculture; it uses a single type of tree, degrades biodiversity and often uses chemicals or may involve exploitative labor practices. Monoculture rubber plantations are also a significant contributor to rainforest deforestation across Southeast Asia.

Based on local indigenous knowledge, regenerative rubber farming incorporates multiple tree species to mimic a natural forest ecosystem. This revitalizes biodiversity and enhances ecosystem services such as soil health, water cycling, carbon sequestration and the creation of favorable microclimates. This approach also provides a diversity of yields that farmers can rely on for multiple streams of income, leading to increased resiliency and long-lasting positive impacts for the community. By supporting “train the trainer” programs, Timberland and VF will help to scale local indigenous knowledge and transition more plantations to regenerative systems.

“We are grateful that, through our partnership with Timberland and VF Corporation, we can move this vital regenerative process forward,” said Luke Smith, CEO of TGI. “While the transformation from rubber monocultures to regenerative farming on one farm is impressive, as the shift spreads wider, it is likely to have significant social, ecological and economic impacts in Thailand.”

Timberland plans to pilot its first Regenerative Rubber footwear in 2023. This supply system will eventually be open to brands across and outside the industry, aiming to significantly scale regenerative sourcing of rubber.

Inspiring The Next Generation

“As a consumer-led brand with a vision to build an equitable and green future, Timberland is perfectly placed to translate the concept and benefits of regenerative agriculture to the next generation,” says Drieke Leenknegt, global vice president of marketing for Timberland.

Tapping into experts and creators — including farmers, ranchers and soil advocates from the film Kiss The Ground – Timberland is launching a multidisciplinary campaign across an ecosystem of social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Clubhouse, to inspire and educate consumers about the power of regenerative agriculture to heal our planet.

“Transmedia storytelling allows us to translate the ins and outs of regenerative practices in unique and different ways,” says Leenknegt. “Through TikTok – the newest entertainment and education platform — we can partner with creators to bring the concept to life in a quick and approachable way. For our Clubhouse activation, we’re partnering with superhost Swan Sit to host a series of rooms to delve deeper into the topic. By educating the next generation, and raising awareness and excitement around the power of regeneration, we can continue, together, to move the world forward.”

For information about Timberland’s commitment to better product, stronger communities and a greener world, visit the brand’s responsibility site.

Posted April 27, 2021

Source: Timberland

Kontoor Brands, Panda Biotech Team Up To Accelerate The Commercialization Of U.S. Grown And Processed Hemp

GREENSBORO, N.C — April 27, 2021 — Kontoor Brands Inc. — a global lifestyle apparel company, with a portfolio led by two of the world’s most iconic consumer brands, Lee® and Wrangler® — today announced an expansion of its collaboration with Dallas-based Panda Biotech LLC. With this collaboration, Kontoor Brands and Panda Biotech are working to bring traceability and scale to the textile-grade cottonized hemp grown and processed in the United States.

“Sustainable hemp creates the perfect complement fiber to cotton. We are excited by the opportunity to advance the denim industry’s use of environmentally friendly hemp to craft high-quality, eco-conscious apparel,” said Dhruv Agarwal, senior director of Global Material Innovation and Product Development, Kontoor Brands. “Our work with Panda Biotech has been focused on making truly sustainable hemp, unlocking an additional commercialized fiber crop for American farmers, and providing consumers with access to more sustainable apparel.”

As Kontoor and Panda Biotech work toward the commercialization of domestically grown and processed hemp, the companies are sharply focused on traceability from farm to product. Industrial hemp is a regenerative crop due to its ability to grow with little water, minimal-to-no pesticides and herbicides, production of a high per acre fiber yield, and absorption of more carbon dioxide per acre than any forest or commercial crop.

“As a leading global denim manufacturer, with vast experience in bringing innovative fibers and processes to market, Kontoor Brands has been an invaluable ally as we build the largest industrial hemp processing facility in the United States for high-quality, textile-grade fiber and hurd for numerous sustainable manufacturing applications,” said Dixie Carter, president of Panda Biotech. “We have been working with Kontoor since our company was founded, and we are aligned in our desire for our domestically grown fiber to be the most traceable hemp in the world and processed using renewable practices. We are excited to be working with Kontoor and its iconic global brands to expand access to domestically grown and processed hemp.”

As a global producer of millions of products each year, Kontoor Brands is committed to using its global scale to advance the denim industry. Earlier this year, Kontoor announced the expansion of its Indigood™ program, an initiative that targets water savings during the fabric construction phase of the apparel supply chain. Debuted in 2019 with the introduction of foam-dyed denim, the Indigood program has expanded to include water savings technology in apparel fabric production that uses at least 90 percent less water than conventional fabric production. Kontoor remains focused on sourcing and producing apparel and accessories in a way that’s good for people and the planet and is committed to bringing consumers the latest in sustainable fashion through the commercialization of cottonized hemp.

Through the Panda Biotech collaboration, which first kicked off in 2019 after the passing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Kontoor Brands plans to have U.S. grown and processed hemp in market in its denim apparel by 2023.

Learn more about Kontoor’s sustainability practices and responsible sourcing standards at KontoorBrands.com/sustainability.

Posted April 27, 2021

Source: Kontoor Brands Inc.

The Lenzing Group Publishes Its Sustainability Report 2020

LENZING, Austria — April 27, 2021 — The Lenzing Group, the leading global supplier of sustainably produced specialty fibers, presented its Sustainability Report 2020 on April 22, 2021, World Earth Day. Featuring the title “Stand up for future generations”, Lenzing once again emphasized its commitment to taking responsibility beyond the products it makes. The non-financial report, prepared in accordance with the reporting standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Austrian Sustainability and Diversity Improvement Act (NaDiVeG) and reviewed by KPMG Austria GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungs- und Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, illustrates how the company is responding to the global challenges of our time.

The 2020 financial year of the Lenzing Group was largely dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lenzing took short-term measures to safeguard its business operations and mitigate the effects of fiber prices and fiber demand which came under increasing pressure. The priority was to protect employees and strengthen long-term partnerships with suppliers and customers. Following the current fight against the coronavirus and its consequences, the company continues to move ahead determinedly to achieve its sustainability targets, also against the backdrop of such a difficult market environment.

“Even in times when fighting the coronavirus pandemic is the top priority, Lenzing focuses on pressing ahead with climate neutrality and sustainability. These will remain the dominant issues for humanity in the long term. At Lenzing, we consider it to be an integral part of our strategic principles and our responsibility to future generations to effectively deal with pressing ecological challenges such as climate protection, resource efficiency and biodiversity”, said Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group. “Strategically, we remain fully on track and the implementation of our key projects in Brazil and Thailand continues to proceed according to plan. With our corporate priorities, we are consistently pursuing a major goal, namely to make a zero-carbon future come true.”

With the implementation of its science-based targets, the Lenzing Group actively contributes to mastering the problems caused by climate change. In 2019, Lenzing made a strategic commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent per ton of product by 2030. The overriding target is to be climate-neutral by 2050. The implementation of the two key projects in Brazil and Thailand represents an important milestone on this journey. Thanks to its excellent infrastructure, the production plant in Thailand conceived as a CO2-neutral site can be supplied with sustainable biogenic energy. The plant in Brazil will feed more than 50 percent of the electricity generated into the public grid as renewable energy and feature a positive net CO2 balance.

The launch of the first carbon-zero TENCEL™ fibers certified as CarbonNeutral® products in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol – the leading global framework for carbon neutrality – represents another important milestone from the reporting year. As of June 2021, Lenzing will also market the first VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers as certified CarbonNeutral® products. The establishment of the Renewable Carbon Initiative with the aim of speeding up the transition to renewable carbon serves as a further example of the successful path that Lenzing and its partners are taking towards a zero-carbon future.

Promoting the circular economy

Lenzing also sets standards for the entire fiber, textile and clothing industry with respect to the circular economy which is of such crucial importance in climate and resource protection. In order to enhance resource efficiency and offer a solution for the global problem of textile waste, the company developed the REFIBRA™ recycling technology. Refibra is the only technology in the world enabling the production of new lyocell fibers on a commercial scale from cotton scraps derived from manufacturing cotton clothing as well as from used garments. In this way, an important contribution is made to promoting circularity in the textile industry.

In line with the vision, “We give waste a new life. Every day”, Lenzing strives to make textile waste recycling a commonplace and standard process, just like paper recycling. Lenzing set a new sustainability goal for itself in 2020 and implemented measures to turn this vision into reality. The company aims to manufacture staple fibers on an industrial scale containing up to 50 percent recycled material by the year 2025. “It is our declared goal to give new life to waste generated in all aspects of our core business and to develop recycling solutions as a means of closing production cycles whenever possible in collaboration with potential partners within and outside of the current supply chain,” Doboczky said.

New level of transparency in the textile industry

In addition to environmental protection, the issue of transparency along the supply chain poses a major challenge to the textile industry. Working in cooperation with TextileGenesis™, Lenzing offers an innovative solution to ensure greater transparency on the basis of blockchain technology. Following several successful pilot projects with renowned fashion brands, this digital platform was ultimately launched in 2020 to enable the traceability of textiles, from the fiber to all stages of production and distribution. Thanks to the innovative Fibercoin™ technology of the TextileGenesis platform, Lenzing and its partners are able to issue so-called “blockchain assets” in direct proportion to the physical fiber deliveries of the brands TENCEL and LENZING ECOVERO™. These digital assets function like a “fingerprint” and thus prevent adulteration. More than 100 customs and partners along the textile supply chain were able to successfully conclude the onboarding process by the end of the 2020 financial year.

Successes and Awards

During the 2020 financial year, the Lenzing Group received numerous awards for its achievements in the field of sustainability:

  • Lenzing underwent assessment by the non-profit environmental organization CDP for the first time in 2020 and was the first new entrant to secure a double ‘A’ score in the categories Climate and Forest.
  • ISS ESG, one of the most highly recognized rating agencies in the field of sustainability, raised Lenzing’s sustainability rating from “C+” to “B-”, the highest rating in the category “Paper & Forest Products”. As a result, the Lenzing Group is positioned among the top 10 percent of rated companies. The “Prime Status” of the Lenzing Group was also confirmed.
  • Lenzing achieved the highest category for the first time in In Canopy’s Hot Button Ranking. The Canadian environmental organization particularly highlighted our continuous leadership regarding sustainable procurement and efficient use of resources over the past years.
  • In December Lenzing won the prestigious “Building Public Trust Award 2020” for the best climate reporting on the Austrian ATX. The jury emphasized Lenzing’s commitment to a holistic climate-related strategic alignment and clear targets.

In addition, Lenzing won the Austrian State Prize for Innovation. This award recognizes Lenzing’s achievements and its strategy to grow exclusively on the basis of sustainable innovations. Lenzing convinced the jury with its LENZING Web Technology. The novel process combines fiber and nonwovens production in only one step, setting new standards in terms of efficiency, circularity and ecological sustainability. 
Target setting: Lenzing raises the bar even higher 
The Lenzing Group operates in line with three strategic principles within the context of its “Naturally positive” sustainability strategy: partnering for change, advancing circularity and greening the value chain. In this regard, the focus is on those areas in which Lenzing can achieve the most to promote a more sustainable world. On this basis, Lenzing has defined various focus areas in order to demonstrate its commitment to further advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations:

  • Sustainable raw material sourcing;
  • Decarbonization;
  • Responsible use of water;
  • Sustainable innovations;
  • Partnering for systemic change;
  • Encouraging and empowering people; and
  • Enhancing community wellbeing.

The Lenzing Group defined ambitious sustainability targets in each of these strategic core areas. Other objectives were added in the year under review to provide further impetus to Lenzing’s efforts on its path to a sustainable future. More information about the goals and implementation of the “Naturally positive” sustainability strategy as well as measures taken in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is available in the Sustainability Report 2020 of the Lenzing Group at https://www.lenzing.com/investors/publications.

Posted April 27, 2021

Source: The Lenzing Group

Arkema To Start Up New Bio-Based Nylon 11 Plant In Singapore In The First Half Of 2022

COLOMBES, France — April 22, 2021 —  Arkema confirms it is on track to begin production of Amino 11 and its flagship Rilsan® polyamide 11 high performance polymer at the new plant on Jurong Island, Singapore in the first half of next year. This plant, for which production will be 100-percent-derived from renewable castor beans, represents a 50-percent increase in Arkema’s global polyamide 11 capacity.

With this ambitious project announced in 2017, Arkema is delivering on its strong commitment to Specialty Materials and the bio-based polyamide 11 chain. When complete, this will represent the biggest integrated bio-factory in the world dedicated to high performance polymers. It represents a 50-percent increase in global polyamide 11 capacity for Arkema. The total investment in the region, which also includes downstream polymer capacities in China, is approximately 450 million euros. To finance this new plant in Singapore, Arkema successfully placed its first ever green bond in October 2020, for a total amount of 300 million euros.

After a first phase of in-depth studies and administrative procedures, our technical teams have started work on the infrastructure and construction of this large-scale industrial complex on the Jurong site (Singapore). After overcoming the difficulties linked to the Covid-19, this project is fully on track and the Group confirms its ambition to start up production in the first half of 2022.

This investment supports strong growth in demand for advanced bio-circular materials. Rilsan polyamide 11 is recognized worldwide for its superior properties and performance in very demanding applications, significantly contributing to the development of sustainable solutions in fast-growing sectors, such as new energy vehicles, 3D printing, as well as consumer goods, electronics, sports and lifestyle markets.

“We are excited to maintain the momentum and speed of construction,” said Erwoan Pezron, senior vice-president, High Performance Polymers. “After facing early challenges due to the global pandemic, we are operating at full strength and are now entering the peak construction phase with an estimated 2,000 workers on site during the summer months. The enthusiasm of our team in Singapore is stronger than ever, supported by the vigorous demand from our customers for sustainable and cutting edge solutions.”

Posted April 27, 2021

Source: Arkema

GIS Launches Next Generation Atlas IQ® Tools For Industrial Digital Printing

CAMBRIDGE, England — April 22, 2021 — Global Inkjet Systems (GIS), the leading strategic partner for OEMs and system builders, announces the launch of its next generation Atlas Image Quality (IQ) toolset, offering print quality enhancement for industrial digital printing.

The Atlas IQ toolset is a range of Image Quality tools – intelligent software to provide a superior level of image management and compensation for inkjet printheads, drawing on GIS’ wealth of expertise in the market. They are available within the GIS Atlas Software suite and can be used for a variety of applications, for inline RIP-on-the-fly and offline RIP-to-file.  They can be accessed as bundled software, standalone or SDKs and are compatible with GIS and third party RIP solutions, user interfaces and datapath drive electronics.

The Atlas IQ toolset offers maximum image quality and performance via:

  • Ultra-Fast Binary & Greyscale Screeners;
  • Nozzle Density & Missing Nozzle Compensation;
  • Color Management, Channel Linearization & Ink Limiting;
  • Dynamic Registration — alignment, rotation & skew; and
  • Print Output Simulation.

“We are now moving into a new era of industrial digital inkjet printing with increased printhead capability and high data rate drive electronics, resulting in faster print speeds and higher resolution. When combined with state-of-the-art software, high image quality and productivity can be achieved, opening new markets and product opportunities.  The application of intelligent software systems such as the latest GIS Atlas IQ toolset is becoming one of the most significant differentiators between average print and superior print performance,” said Simon Edwards, business manager – Software.

This Atlas IQ toolset is now available to GIS customers.

Posted April 27, 2021

Source: GIS

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