Sensil® Bodyfresh Fabrics Proven To Reduce Viral Activity On Contact

Migdal Haemek, Israel — November 5, 2020 — NILIT has received confirmation from Microbe Investigations AG (MIS), a microbiological testing services lab, that fabric made with Sensil® BodyFresh demonstrated a 99.85-percent reduction in viral activity when tested according to ISO 18184:2019 criteria against Betacoronavirus 1 (OC43), an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. The additive embedded in the Sensil BodyFresh yarn provides long-lasting protection that does not deteriorate with laundering, indicating that the additive is not washed out of the fabric.

“We originally developed Sensil BodyFresh with antibacterial and anti-odor properties to provide consumers with outstanding freshness” said Sagee Aran, head of Global Marketing at NILIT. “With these proven antiviral test results, our business partners can expand their Sensil BodyFresh product concepts beyond comfort and aesthetics to include enhanced protection and a positive sense of well-being.”

Sensil BodyFresh is currently used by leading apparel brands across all segments such as intimates and underwear, base layer, activewear, and legwear. By inhibiting microbial growth, fabrics stay fresher longer and require fewer launderings. The benefits are built in to the yarn and do not wash out or wear off for the life of the fabric, providing sustainable protection that doesn’t pollute waterways. In addition to providing these proven antimicrobial benefits, Sensil BodyFresh is responsibly made at NILIT’s water- and energy-optimized facilities and meets NILIT’s Total Product Sustainability guidelines for long-lasting, high quality products made with respect for the planet and people.

“Consumers today appreciate long lasting, environmentally responsible, multifunctional apparel,” Aran continued. “Sensil BodyFresh offers numerous performance factors that include sustainability and well-being attributes for today’s current climate”

NILIT has the broadest portfolio of sustainable Sensil premium Nylon products that address water preservation, energy use reduction, pollution elimination, biodegradability, and increased use of recycled inputs. NILIT is committed to providing the industry leadership and the products that help the apparel world use more sustainable fabrics in more responsible ways.

Posted November 5, 2020

Source: NILIT

JEC Summit Sports & Health – Connect Program Unveiled

PARIS — November 5, 2020 — JEC SUMMIT SPORTS & HEALTH – CONNECT, the new online event platform devoted to medical and sports equipment composites manufacturers, unveils some of the programs available online December 8-10.

Starting on December 8, professionals from all the composites value chain across the globe will be able to meet online, network, and build long-lasting relationships thanks to the JEC Summit Sport & Health. The event goal is to allow decision-makers to learn about the current challenges and opportunities of the sports and medical fields, this thanks to the three-day program integrating industry sessions, workshops, startups, and business meetings.

A golden opportunity for participants!

Each day, industry decision-makers using composites will come together to discuss the latest developments in composites in sports and medical fields through a set of keynotes and industry sessions. Each session will be followed by panel discussions over a variety of business-angled topics. Workshops from individual sponsors with clients will give an extensive overview of the current technological trends in the sports and medical fields and offer an outlook on developing production lines in these fields. A selection of the most exciting startups in these fields will pitch their innovations and glance at the industry’s future. Finally, prearranged online business meetings will be set up to network with industry buyers and decision-makers from the entire composites’ value-chain.

A fully detailed program every day!

Each day of the summit will be composed of five major moments as-is:

  • A keynote speech led by one or two high profile experts;
  • An industry session: a discussion between two experts in medical or sporting devices fields;
  • A Startup pitches session during which each startup will introduce its product or innovation;
  • Workshops; and
  • And Business meetings.

December 8

4 pm – 4:25 pm: Keynote session

The topic of “How Using Composites Changed the Way Golf Head Components are made” will be tackled during the keynote, hosted by Dominic LeBlanc, Senior Concept Engineer (USA) at Callaway Golf, with Dale Brosius, CCO of IACMI, as moderator.

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Industry session

Bjorn Ivar Austrem, Technical Director at Madshus (Norway), will present the topic “How Carbon Fiber Can Make a Seriously Fast Ski Even Faster!”. Laurine Calistri, Research Engineer at Proteor (France), will also give her input on “Easyrun Running Blade: How to Innovate in the Prosthesis Field, Outside the Scope of Standard Use.”

5:30 – 6:30 pm: Startup pitches

  • Mercuris (Germany),
  • ABLE Human Motion (Spain),
  • Arevo/Superstrata (USA),

December 9

4 pm – 4:25 pm: Keynote session

Christophe Lecomte, Director of Biomechanical Solutions R&D, at Össur (Iceland) along with Fleur Jong, Professional Sprinter, and Co-founder of the Para Athletics Foundation (Netherlands) on “Developing Sports Specific Prosthesis: From Concept to Finished Product with Composites.” This keynote will offer an exclusive viewpoint and feedback from an athlete with an engineering perspective and outlook on lower limb prosthetics’ future developments.

4:30 – 5:30 pm: Industry session

Julien Duplay, Composites Methods Engineer at Decathlon (France) on “Sustainability: Choices of Materials and Prodivers, Challenges, etc.” And Eric Jackson from Apex Watercraft will discuss “Using Advanced Composites to Advance Kayak Design.”

5:30 – 6:30 pm: Startup pitches

  • ProsFit (Bulgaria),
  • Alchemy (Greece),
  • moi composites (Italy)

December 10

4 pm – 4:25 pm: Keynote session

A keynote by Michel Caillibotte, R&D Innovation Director at Cousin Biotech, will kick off the day.

4:30 – 5:30 pm: Industry session

Maximilien Segl, Principal Expert Composites, and Johannes Wölper Development Engineer at Ottobock (Germany) will present the industry session with the topic « From Medical Aid to Sports Equipment: Sprint/Long Jump Prosthesis.” Matthew Dickinson, Course leader at the University of Central Lancashire (UK), will also share his insights.

5:30 – 6:30 pm: Startup pitches

  • Checkerspot/WNDR Alpine (USA);
  • Ambrocio (Finland); and
  • Nairoby (Argentina).

Posted November 5, 2020

Source: JEC Group

VDMA: Technology Webtalk On Sustainable Denim Production

FRANKFURT, Germany — November 5, 2020 — The next VDMA technology webtalk is scheduled for November 12, 2020, 2-4 p.m. CET). The topic will be “Sustainable denim production: latest finishing technologies”.

The presenters and their topics at a glance:

Volker Kunzmann, FONG’S EUROPE, will present highly efficient and innovative wet finishing solutions for denim by combining modular systems adapted to the product and customer’s and local specifications.

Hans Wroblowski, A. Monforts Textilmaschinen, will speak about advanced denim finishing technologies with a focus on ecological and economical energy consumption. Furthermore, a new yarn dyeing process will be presented.

Dr. Jürgen Thoms, PLEVA, will present online measuring and control devices for sustainable and cost-effective denim finishing. Latest technologies in straightening, preskewing, moisture management and quality reporting are shown.

After the presentations, the three experts will be available to answer the participants’ questions.

Registration is possible via this link (no participation fee):

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8483999256440384781

Posted November 5, 2020

Source: VDMA

Messe Frankfurt France Comes Up With An Innovative Alternative Solution For The Fashion Industry Following The Cancellation Of Its February 2021 Trade Fairs

PARIS — November 5, 2020 — The growing uncertainties linked to the COVID-19 crisis and the limitations imposed by the application of health regulations for major events with an  international dimension — such as travel restrictions for foreign nationals — make it impossible to consider the holding of fashion industry trade fairs. Conscious of its responsibilities, Messe Frankfurt France has therefore decided to cancel the February 2021 edition of its Apparel Sourcing, Avantex, Leatherworld, Shawls&Scarves, Texworld and Texworld Denim Paris shows.

The Messe Frankfurt France team would nevertheless like to enable international fashion players, buyers and exhibitors, to build their collections and exhibit their know-how. In order not to interrupt the business flow and to provide visibility for manufacturers, we will be proposing an event for fabrics and clothing buyers which will have a quite innovative format. Organized over one week, at the beginning of February, in the heart of Paris, it will allow buyers to discover, with absolute safety, the offer from selected exhibitors whose products will be grouped together in specific areas.

This event will be open to visitors by exclusive invitation and reservation, in order to show them the textiles and clothing collections selected from the exhibition offer. Organized around the traditional trend forum, several dedicated areas will group together by category the samples of fabrics and finished products from hundreds of textile companies and clothing manufacturers gathered by our selection committee.

“This is not a trade fair in the strict sense of the word, because this event will not bring together our exhibitors, but the products of a selection of our exhibitors,” explains Frédéric Bougeard, President of Messe Frankfurt France. It is a solution that will enable us to best meet the needs and expectations of the customers during this unique period. It complements the digital sourcing platform, which we have developed with our partner Foursource, as a means of exchange between two physical editions of our shows. It is crucial to offer our visitors access, even if restricted, to the global offer”.

Posted November 5, 2020

Source: Messe Frankfurt France

Borealis AG: Joint Feasibility Study For A Chemical Complex In India Completed, Project Put On Hold Due To COVID-19 Pandemic

VIENNA, Austria — November 5, 2020 — As part of a four-party Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on October 4, 2019, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), Adani Group, BASF SE, Germany, and Borealis AG — jointly referred to as partners — have completed a Joint Feasibility Study for a chemical complex in Mundra, India. The project study comprised a world-scale propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant, a polypropylene (PP) production and an acrylics value chain complex. The planned location at Adani’s Mundra site would enable access to a world-class port and renewable energy supply.

The global economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic have led the partners to review the timing for undertaking this investment. Despite all attempts to optimize the scope and the configuration, the project has been put on hold.

The partners remain convinced about the strong fundamentals represented by the Indian market and agreed to periodically explore market conditions and discuss any opportunity that may arise over time.

Posted November 5, 2020

Source: Borealis AG

Lenzing Creates Unprecedented Supply Chain Traceability – Incorporating Lenzing E-Branding Fabric Certificates And Blockchain-Enabled Traceability Platform Powered By TextileGenesis™

LENZING, Austria — November 5, 2020 — With the COVID-19 pandemic, more changes have been brought to the already transforming fashion and textile industries. To date, supply chain traceability has become a top priority for apparel and home brands1. To address both consumer demand and compliance risks increasingly faced by brand partners, Lenzing is introducing a brand-new blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform powered by TextileGenesis™. The platform will go live from 5 November 2020 onwards, accessible by all brands using TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers, and supply chain partners globally across Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Phased onboarding and new digital certificates to ensure traceability and sustainability

A follow-up of a 12-month pilot program and field trials with four leading sustainable brands — H&M, ArmedAngels, Mara Hoffman and Chicks — and supply chain players from 10 countries in three regions, the global roll-out of Lenzing’s blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform will be conducted in phases. During the first phase, Lenzing’s supply chain partners based in South Asia — India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — will complete the onboarding process within Q4 2020. An estimated 300+ supply chain partners in China and Turkey will also join the program in Q1 2021. It is estimated that by Q2 2021, most eligible Lenzing supply chain partners will be onboarded into the platform, ensuring full supply chain traceability.

One of the core components of the platform powered by TextileGenesis is integration with the Lenzing E- Branding fabric certification system, which allows brands and retailers not only to access the full supply chain traceability for Tencel and Lenzing EcoVero branded fibers but also to view the results of forensic (physical) verification of fabric samples via the digitally signed Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates.

“Over the past year, during the pilot program and field trials we have been receiving very positive feedback from brands and supply chain partners. Our brand partners have also been encouraging us to accelerate the global roll-out for traceability of Lenzing fibers. With this new system and the integration with Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates, the entire Lenzing ecosystem will create an unprecedented level of transparency. This will provide consumers with the most sustainable and climate-friendly clothing and home textile products that are made of Tencel or Lenzing EcoVero branded fibers,” said Robert van de Kerkhof, chief commercial officer and member of the board at Lenzing,

“With increasing compliance and reputational risks, CEOs and Boards of top 100 fashion brands have committed to using 100-percent sustainable and traceable fibers over the next 5 years, with transparency being a core part of business priorities2. Sustainability and traceability are two sides of the same coin, and it’s great to see Lenzing paving the way for the entire fashion industry to follow. Our supply chain traceability platform will create digital accounting for Lenzing’s innovative and sustainable fibers across the entire supply chain using Fibercoins™ traceability technology,” says Amit Gautam, CEO and founder of TextileGenesis.

Fibercoin™ technology to ensure traceability across supply chain

Through using the innovative Fibercoin technology of the TextileGenesis platform, Lenzing and other brand partners are now able to issue digital tokens (blockchain assets) in direct proportion to the physical shipments of Tencel and Lenzing EcoVero branded fibers. These digital tokens provide a unique “fingerprint” and authentication mechanism, preventing adulteration, providing a more secure, trustworthy, digital chain-of- custody across the entire textile supply chain, and most importantly, ensuring the materials are sustainably produced.

1 TextileGenesis analyses of top 100 apparel brands

2 TextileGenesis analyses of top 100 apparel brands

Posted November 5, 2020

Source: The Lenzing Group

Rieter Group Concludes A License Agreement With WW Systems: Will Integrate The Brazilian Company’s Product Into Its Digital Spinning Suite ESSENTIAL

WINTERTHUR, Switzerland — November 5, 2020 — The Rieter Group concluded a license agreement with WW Systems on
 November 5, 2020 and will integrate the Brazilian company’s promising product into its digital spinning suite ESSENTIAL. “OptCotton” from WW Systems offers the only software system worldwide that enables an even blend of cotton for the spinning process. With this cooperation, Rieter is taking an important step forward in implementing its digital strategy and offering its customers further added value in yarn production.

Unlike any other system on the market today, “OptCotton” eliminates variations in quality between cotton blends that are being prepared for the spinning process. In this way, standardized quality yarn can be produced efficiently in the spinning process. From the arrival of the bales in the warehouse to their use in the blowroom line, “OptCotton” manages the entire blending process with no need for categorization. This results in increased efficiency in storage and logistics 
as well as machine performance.


Integration into the digital spinning suite ESSENTIAL

By integrating this solution, Rieter strengthens its digital spinning suite ESSENTIAL. Access to bale-related fiber data and raw material information opens up new possibilities for controlling the spinning mill. In combination with the existing modules ESSENTIALbasic, ESSENTIALmonitor, ESSENTIALmaintain and ESSENTIALpredict, this optimizes the entire spinning process and raises digital intelligence to a new level.

Posted November 5, 2020

Source: The Rieter Group

FORLOH Is First Hunting Brand To Integrate RECCO® Rescue Technology

WHITEFISH, Mont. — November 4, 2020 — FORLOH, the first hunting brand to manufacture high-end technical apparel that is 100-percent made in the USA, will also be the first to pioneer hunting outerwear equipped with RECCO®, a technology that makes the user easier to locate in the event of an emergency. Starting this month, RECCO reflectors will come integrated into all of FORLOH’s AllClima Rain and SoftShell Jackets.

While this rapid-response rescue technology has been used for years in winter sports gear — such as ski and snowboard jackets and boots — FORLOH is the first hunting brand to adopt the technology for use in the hunting market.

FORLOH’s integration of this search technology comes as RECCO is working with search-and-rescue teams in the U.S. and around the world to expand use of the RECCO SAR helicopter detector that allows helicopters to rapidly search for people on the ground across vast areas. By pioneering this technology in the hunting industry, FORLOH is working with RECCO to help increase the margin of safety for consumers.

“The very nature of hunting means the hunter is attempting to go undetected to their prey, which means hunters are extremely difficult to find in the event of an emergency or accident,” said Andy Techmanski, founder and CEO of FORLOH. “Given RECCO’s push to expand this technology with the helicopter operations of search-and-rescue teams, we were amazed to learn that it hasn’t yet been integrated into hunting apparel, and we jumped at that chance. Being prepared is one of the basic requirements when planning any hunt, and the integration of RECCO reflectors into our gear gives our customers and their families back home an added margin of safety and additional peace of mind.”

RECCO technology is a patented technology that allows professional rescuers to perform rapid searches for missing people in the outdoors year-round. It is a two-part system. Rescuers use RECCO detectors to locate a RECCO reflector which is carried by the user, integrated into clothing or other gear.

The RECCO reflector is a passive transponder embedded into a garment and enables someone to be more quickly found in the event that they get lost or injured while outdoors.

The newly introduced RECCO SAR helicopter detector is a larger detector unit. It is mounted under a helicopter and enables rescue teams to vastly reduce the amount of time it takes to search large areas.

In the last two years, as its new helicopter-based detector unit has come into use, RECCO has worked to get that technology into use with five search-and-rescue teams in North America, including Two Bear Air, a philanthropy-funded organization that provides aviation support for search and rescue teams in Montana, Idaho and eastern Washington. In Europe, a dozen search and rescue teams are using it, and RECCO is working to facilitate its adoption by more SAR teams in North America and globally. Along with western Montana, SAR teams in Salt Lake City and Seattle, as well as Vancouver and Canmore in western Canada, are  equipped with helicopter-based detector units. More than 90 SAR teams in North America and hundreds worldwide already are equipped with the hand-held RECCO units.

“Working with FORLOH, we are excited to enter the hunting market, a completely new segment for us, and to help make hunters searchable with the help of RECCO technology,” said Fredrik Steinwall, CEO at RECCO.

Posted November 4, 2020

Source: FORLOH

BGN Technologies Announces Research Collaboration With ECOIBÉRIA For Biodegradation Of Plastic

BEER-SHEVA, Israel — November 4, 2020 — BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), announced today that it had signed a research collaboration agreement with ECOIBÉRIA in the field of plastic recycling by bacteria, based on research from the team of Professor Ariel Kushmaro and Professor Alex Sivan, both from the Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering at BGU.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most abundantly used polymer in the world, with multiple applications in the textile industry as well as in food and beverage packaging. It is estimated that about 56 million tons of PET are produced yearly worldwide, mostly as single use packaging material. Therefore, intense efforts are directed towards recycling and reuse of the PET plastic materials.

Prof.’s Kushmaro and Sivan and their team have been studying plastic biodegradation and have discovered several bacteria species that are able to biodegrade PET, which was previously considered a non-biodegradable plastic mainly because of the highly stable carbon−carbon (C−C) bonds of the polymer backbone.

Based on these findings, the research collaboration project will assess the biodegradation of PET by previously identified bacteria as well as novel ones, with the aim of developing an efficient biodegradation process of PET whose products will be used as raw materials for recycled PET in the future.

“Plastic-containing products is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing modern society, and degradation and recycling of plastic are one crucial strategy for dealing with the environmental impact of PET,” Kushmaro said. “Existing technologies, such as thermo-mechanical recycling impair the mechanical properties of the polymer and suffer from other disadvantages such as the need for organic solvents, high reaction temperatures and intensive waste sorting. Bacterial degradation of PET into recyclable materials that can be then reused to manufacture new PET products is therefore a promising strategy that can have a global environmental and economic impact.”

“ECOIBÉRIA’s mission is to guarantee the sustainability of the production and consumption models and assist in the transition from the linear economy to the circular economy, through the transformation of PET plastic waste into valuable secondary raw materials,” said Jorge Lemos, CEO at ECOIBÉRIA. “We believe that BGU’s  innovations in the field of bacterial biodegradation of PET complements our technologies and has the potential to become an important contribution to our plastic recycling efforts.”

Shirley Sheffer, vice president, Business Development at BGN Technologies, added: “Prof.s Kushmaro and Sivan are world experts in the field of plastic biodegradation. We are very pleased to partner with ECOIBÉRIA, a leading European company in the field of plastic waste recycling, for further researching this important field. This research collaboration holds the potential of implementing future findings into ECOIBÉRIA environmentally-friendly materials and products.”

Posted November 4, 2020

Source: BGN Technologies

The Road To Recovery: How The TENCEL™ Brand Responds To COVID-19 With Ambitions To Further Strengthen The Global Sustainability Movement

LENZING, Austria — November 4, 2020 — As 2020 draws to an end, the world is still confronting challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. People, corporations, and countries have suffered insurmountable losses, and the future is murky. Nonetheless, the unified spirit and efforts of people to social distance and stay-at-home have brought positive impacts, and the TENCEL™ brand observed that it has led to a renewed focus on quality of life: personal health, the wellbeing of people around us and future generations, and the environment.

Despite unconventional challenges, the Tencel brand has remained driven in its advocacy for sustainability toward textile business customers and consumers. The brand conducted an extensive global survey to analyze consumers’ purchasing trends and behaviors in ethical apparel and home textiles, as well as unveiled its “true carbon zero” campaign to commit to a 50-percent reduction in its carbon emissions by 2030 and a net-carbon-zero goal by 2050. Looking forward to a holistic recovery, the Tencel brand will continue to work closely with stakeholders to initiate projects and collaborations to further promoting greater eco-consciousnesses and sparking industry reform.

Here is an overview of the latest Tencel brand stories:

Lenzing turns commitment into action and launches carbon-zero Tencel branded fibers to kickstart the decarbonization of the textile industry

Lenzing unveiled its Tencel “true carbon zero” campaign and carbon zero Tencel branded lyocell and modal fibers in another bold move towards lowering carbon emissions and energy consumption across its supply chain. Lenzing also introduced a leading approach to carbon neutrality with “reduce-engage-offset”, designed to lead the company to a 50-percent reduction in emissions by 2030 and net carbon-zero status by 2050.

Lenzing Survey shows that “Transparency” is key for apparel and home textiles brands to win consumer trust

Surveying 9,000 conscious consumers across nine countries, Lenzing released its “Global Consumer Perception Survey on Sustainable Raw Materials in Apparel and Home Textiles” to access their perceptions and behaviors towards sustainable clothing and home textile products. Key findings of the survey provide insights to better understand consumer habits, what influences their buying decisions, and the need for greater industry transparency.

TENCEL™ brand wins global awards for integrated marketing communication efforts to advocate for sustainability

This year, the Tencel “Feels So Right” movement won the “Global PR Breakthrough” award at the PRWeek Global Awards, and three awards at the SABRE Asia-Pacific Awards. Additionally, at the Content Marketing Awards, the Tencel Denim team also won the “Best Topic Specific Blog” for “Carved in Blue”. Each prestigious award is a testament to the Tencel brand’s hard work through various communications channels and activities to advocate for the fiber industry and eco-conscious fashion.

Camper collaborates with Tencel to launch sustainable fibers footwear collection through innovative techniques to create a sleek winter style.

The Tencel brand joins forces with Camper to continue pushing the boundaries with design-driven innovation and unique seasonal collections. Camper is the first footwear brand to feature a knitted upper women’s boot using TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibers, and the TENCEL™ brand strives to continue collaborating with like-minded partners to further drive sustainability in the industry.

Sustainability is not only a trend: Flavia La Rocca on her latest TENCEL™ Luxe-based collection

For many designers, creating fashion in a responsible and sustainable way has become increasingly important, but for Flavia La Rocca, an award-winning designer from Italy, it’s now the only way. Lenzing spoke with Flavia to talk about her love for TENCEL™ Luxe branded filament yarns, her passion towards eco-fashion, and how being environmentally responsible means joining forces with brands who are committed to sustainability.

TENCEL™ Insights: Views from Lenzing experts on post COVID-19 and sustainability trends for the textile industry

The Tencel brand launched its first-ever Lenzing Executive Q&A series — “Tencel Insights” to provide expert perspectives and guidance on key industry topics to keep the sustainability conversation flowing. Topics covered from specific industry hot issues to general trends in the textile industry e.g. post-pandemic outlook. Please look out for more articles in the future!

TENCEL™ spearheading circularity with REFIBRA™ technology to drive greater sustainability for the textile industry

As consumers are rapidly gaining awareness around circularity and brands are placing pressure on the supply chain to address the significant textile waste issues, the Tencel brand, Officina +39 and Meidea created the bespoke “The Circle Book”, to explore these issues. The Tencel brand is pushing forward sustainable models and upgrading innovative technologies like REFIBRA™ to set an example of how companies can collaborate to achieve greater circularity. “The Circle Book” provides further insights into the solutions being developed and applied within the industry.

Posted November 4, 2020

Source: TENCEL

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