From the Sector

Kornit Digital announced a new partnership with online visual communications and design platform Canva.

As part of the partnership, Kornit^X, an operating system for on-demand sustainable fashion, will become one of Canva’s first certified integration partners, empowering Canva to help leading Print Service Providers (PSPs), brands, and organizations easily add the Canva design tool to their e-commerce websites, making it easier to create personalized products from design, to order, to product fulfillment, in minutes. Kornit^X will also manage and route all orders through Kornit’s extensive global fulfillment network. Canva’s online visual communications platform currently serves more than 55 million private and enterprise users globally.

Avery Dennison, a global leader in innovation, materials science, branding and manufacturing, and Shenzhou International Holdings Ltd., one of the world’s largest vertically-integrated knitwear manufacturers, hosted a grand opening event for the launch of ADX Lab Ningbo, an experience hub co-created by the two innovators, located in Ningbo, China.

Themed “Newness is the Name of Your Game,” the opening event brought together leading global apparel and footwear brands. Offering a bespoke lab experience, an insightful seminar, and a plant tour, Avery Dennison shared the cutting-edge fashion trends for seasons ahead and launched new design concepts and solutions. Industry stakeholders saw how ADX Lab Ningbo empowers global apparel and footwear brands with Avery Dennison’s end-to-end solutions, bringing their innovative ideas to life, telling their brands’ story, and helping them create cutting-edge, diverse products.

ADX, which stands for “Avery Dennison Experience,” offers a future-focused platform for apparel industry stakeholders to see innovative technology, materials and solutions, and explore how these breakthrough technologies can be put into development. At ADX Labs, Avery Dennison engages apparel and footwear brands around the globe, co-creating the next breakthrough solutions. ADX Labs will launch new collections and solutions biannually across digital production techniques, external embellishments, packaging, automation and more. The newly-launched ADX Lab Ningbo is Avery Dennison’s fourth ADX Lab across the globe, joining the innovation and experience hubs in Norway, Italy, and Panyu, China. Avery Dennison will expand its hub in the USA in January next year.

During the ADX Lab Ningbo launch event, Avery Dennison’s revealed its newest portfolio for external embellishments. The collection was inspired by seasonal trends and featured sustainable production techniques, materials and designs. From larger graphics to small details, different materials and technology were juxtaposed and brought to life in novel ways. The results are over 90 bespoke graphic technique combinations – covering heat transfer labels, woven, embroideries and more, spanning performance, lifestyle and team sports.

“Avery Dennison joined forces with Shenzhou International to introduce a broader vision for innovation to our global customers to help apparel and footwear brands stay ahead of industry trends and, ultimately, achieve their business goals,” said Michael Barton, vice president and general manager, global commercial, apparel solutions, Avery Dennison. “We believe that inspiration and innovation should never be limited by geographic location. Therefore, virtual experiences will be available at the ADX Lab Ningbo starting July 30. Our customers can be inspired by this immersive experience from the comfort of their own homes.”

“The partnership between Avery Dennison and Shenzhou International can be traced back to 2005. Over the past 16 years, the innovation driven by this important partnership has allowed both corporations to expand the scope of services in our businesses. By incorporating innovation throughout the process to product offerings, our customers are empowered to scale their businesses in more creative, diverse and personalized ways,” said Ally Feng, vice president and general manager, Greater China, Avery Dennison RBIS. “The launch of the ADX Lab Ningbo is another momentous step forward in our joint pursuit to drive innovation for the industry. Moving forward, we will continue to work together closely to serve the needs of apparel and footwear brands around the world, accelerating innovation and shaping the future of the industry at large.”

ISKO announces its participation in CSAIL’s Alliances programme, a collaboration with CSAIL researchers, students and industry partners. Through participation in the programme, ISKO will contribute its expertise in textile innovation and collaborate on the research and development of smart textiles and wearable technologies.

The company joins a network of 26 industries – from startups to big organizations – including AI and machine learning, aerospace, healthcare, life sciences and telecommunications, as well as retail, media and entertainment.

With the goal of overall advancement of the textile and denim industry through the development of smart and wearable solutions, ISKO is stepping up to lead the change through these technologies and their many possible end-uses. The work is done in compliance with ISKO’s Responsible Innovation™ approach.

ISKO brings its innovative and agile structure, impressive production capacity and textile knowledge to the CSAIL programme which has over 1200 people, 60 research groups, 120+ researchers, 600+ students and over 900+ active projects.

• Order intake of CHF 975.3 million (first half of 2020: CHF 250.7 million).
• Sales of CHF 400.5 million (first half of 2020: CHF 254.9 million).
• EBIT of CHF 9.0 million and net profit of CHF 5.3 million

The first half of 2021 has been characterized by a strong market recovery in combination with a regional shift in demand for new machinery and systems. Rieter anticipates a normalization of the demand for new systems in the coming months. The company assumes that spinning mills will continue to work at high-capacity levels.

For the full year, Rieter expects sales to be above CHF 900 million.

The realization of sales from the order backlog continues to be associated with risks in light of bottlenecks in material deliveries and freight capacities as well as the ongoing pandemic in key markets for Rieter.

In recent years, Rieter has implemented its strategy based on the cornerstones of innovation leadership, strengthening the components, spare parts and services businesses, and adjusting cost structures.

Crisis management in the pandemic year of 2020 was aimed at protecting employees, fulfilling customer commitments, ensuring liquidity, and also strengthening the market position for the time after the pandemic as well as retaining the ability to benefit from the incipient market recovery.

The focus for 2021 remains on the implementation of this strategy. The measures for crisis management relating to the protection of employees and fulfilling customer commitments are still in effect in countries that continue to be affected by the pandemic.

The Rieter Board of Directors has approved the implementation of the CAMPUS project. The Rieter CAMPUS comprises a customer and technology center as well as an administration building at the Winterthur location. It will make an important contribution to the implementation of the innovation strategy and to the enhancement of Rieter’s technology leadership position.

TCV, Teijin’s carbon fiber business base in Vietnam, was established in May 2019. Teijin Limited announced that Teijin Carbon Vietnam Co., Ltd. (TCV) in Ha Nam, Vietnam, has started operating commercially to manufacture carbon fiber products including prepreg, a fiber sheet pre-impregnated with matrix resin as an intermediate material for composites. TCV initially will produce carbon fiber materials for sports and outdoor activities, including fishing, golf, bicycle and ice hockey goods, for markets in Southeast and South Asia and Asia-Pacific. Sales will be handled by TCV as well as carbon　fiber sales affiliates of Teijin operating in these markets.

Teijin’s sales affiliates in Singapore, Shanghai and Taipei work to identify demand opportunities as well as provide customer services in Asia. Internal collaborations between these companies and TCV shall strengthen Teijin’s presence in the upstream and downstream sectors of Asia’s fast-growing markets.

Increasingly strict environmental measures and the upgrading of environmental frameworks, such as sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, are expected to stimulate greater use of lightweight and highly rigid carbon fiber. Demands are growing in Asia, especially in the fields of sports and outdoor activities, industry and aerospace. COVID-19, for example, has led to new trends in sports and　outdoor activities, such as renewed interest in fishing due its compatibility with social-distancing protocols.

Bag-converting equipment manufacturer Hudson-Sharp—part of Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC) and Barry-Wehmiller’s converting equipment platform—is pleased to announce that Jason Beauleau has joined the company as Regional Sales Executive.

In his new role, Beauleau will be responsible for the Midwest region, as well as for serving multiple key customers. He will be replacing longtime Sales Executive John Krebsbach after he retires on Oct. 1, 2021. Beauleau has more than 25 years of experience in the packaging and printing industry, including 20-plus years with PCMC.

Hexcel, a global leader in advanced composites technologies, announces the successful maiden flight of a lightweight camera drone, developed using Hexcel HexPly® carbon fiber prepregs. The composite drone was developed by a team of students from the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Wels with composite materials supplied by Hexcel Neumarkt in Austria.

A team of six students in the university’s lightweight construction and composite materials course was responsible for the complete design, engineering, and manufacture of the camera drone over a period of 18 months. Hexcel materials and optimization of the composite engineering enabled the team to reduce the composite structural mass by an impressive 42% compared to similar drones.

Hexcel Neumarkt was one of eight industrial partners supporting the university team throughout the project, providing all carbon fiber prepreg materials used for the drone’s landing gear as well as the fuselage. The ultra-lightweight 32g landing gear was laid up and cured in the press, whereas the fuselage was autoclave cured by the student team using Hexcel HexPly M901 and HexPly M78.1 prepreg resin systems with a combination of woven and unidirectional carbon fiber reinforcements.

With the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as a key emerging market and innovation space in the transportation sector, Hexcel’s collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria team not only creates an important link with the next generation of lightweight composite engineers but also highlights the weight saving and structural benefits of Hexcel composite material solutions.

"The massive weight saving achieved with their updated version of the camera drone is a fantastic achievement by the student team," said Michael Rabl, Dean of FH Wels of the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences. "The joint study not only illustrates the wide range of complex and innovative composite techniques present in the drone sector but also presents the opportunities that exist for further development in the wider Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and aerospace composites markets.”

Hexcel congratulates the project team which includes Lukas Weninger, Karl-Heinz Schneider, Jakob Schlosser, Matthias Thon, Marla Unter, and Simone Hartl on an exceptional piece of lightweight composite design and thanks them for showcasing the contribution of Hexcel materials with a presentation and drone flight. Johanna Arndt, research and technology group leader at Hexcel Neumarkt, said, “It was a great pleasure to work with the team who were very cooperative and self-motivated to succeed. Watching the drone just fly around the Neumarkt plant was just great.”

Hexcel manufactures a complete range of carbon fibers, dry carbon UD tapes, specialty reinforcements, prepregs, and honeycomb core materials, providing customized manufacturing options for new UAM applications that combine aerospace reliability with the high-rate production required. Hexcel composite materials are the ideal solution for the lightest and most efficient cost-competitive transportation vehicles of the future.

Wülfing GmbH is one of the oldest but also one of the most modern home textiles companies in Germany, with its main weaving and finishing operations located in Borken, North Rhine-Westphalia, and a further jacquard weaving mill in Steinfurt, as well as with a making up and packaging plant in the Czech Republic.

At its Borken plant, Wülfing has employed a Monforts sanforizing line since 2009 to guarantee the required dimensional stability and shrink-fastness of its high quality bed linen. With a working width of over three metres, the sanforizing process is a central pillar in the production of typical wide-width cotton fabrics for home textiles.

In 2017, the company was able to acquire a second Monforts sanforizing line from another company which, although built in 2005, had been virtually unused. It was overhauled and installed behind a Monforts equalizing frame of a similar age.

“Unfortunately, the two machines had to be operated separately via individual controls and did not represent an integrated unit,” says Schulte-Mesum. “This resulted in deficits in the desired productivity and in the control technology.”

Wülfing consulted with Monforts on a number of upgrade options and opted for a completely new joint control system to merge the two machines, as well as a new connecting inlet, a tensioning and damping field and a steaming unit.

“Monforts provided a fast and precise erection and commissioning of the technology in spite of the difficult pandemic circumstances,” says Schulte-Mesum. “The result has been an increase in production speeds by 20% and enhanced uniformity in fabric width through a much improved guidance system.

“We are also achieving energy savings as a result of the new control and drive technology and operation has been simplified and improved as a result of the unified control. We benefit from simplified access for maintenance work such as the grinding of the rubber blanket, but most of all we have greatly improved our flexibility and now have two almost identical Monforts sanforizing lines.”

Circular fashion and textile technology group Infinited Fiber Company has secured investments totaling 30 million euros in its latest financing round completed on June 30. The round also brought Infinited Fiber Company new investors, including sportswear company adidas, Invest FWD A/S, which is BESTSELLER’s investment arm for sustainable fashion, and investment company Security Trading Oy. Among the existing investors contributing to this round of financing were fashion retailer H&M Group, who was the lead investor, investment company Nidoco AB, and Sateri, the world’s largest viscose producer and a member of the RGE group of companies.

This securement of new funding follows Infinited Fiber Company’s April announcement of plans to build a flagship factory in Finland in response to the strong growth in demand from global fashion and textile brands for its regenerated textile fiber Infinna™. The factory, which will use household textile waste as raw material, is expected to be operational in 2024 and to have an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons. The new funding enables Infinited Fiber Company to carry out the work needed to prepare for the flagship factory investment and to increase production at its pilot facilities in the years leading to 2024.

“We are really happy to welcome our new investors and grateful for the continued support from our older investors,” said Infinited Fiber Company co-founder and CEO Petri Alava. “These new investments enable us to proceed at full speed with the pre-engineering, environmental permits, and the recruitment of the skilled professionals needed to take our flagship project forward. We can now also boost production at our pilot facilities so that we can better serve our existing customers and grow our customer-base in preparation for both our flagship factory and for the future licensees of our technology.”

H&M Group is one of Infinited Fiber Company’s earliest investors. They first invested in Infinited Fiber Company in 2019.

H&M Group has also signed a multiyear sales deal with Infinited Fiber Company to secure its access to agreed amounts of Infinna from the planned flagship factory.

New investor BESTSELLER has struck a similar sales deal with Infinited Fiber Company.

In addition to strong interest by global fashion leaders, the technology has significant promise for major textile fiber producers. Allen Zhang, President of Sateri, said: “Sateri is excited to continue to invest in and collaborate with Infinited Fiber Company as part of our long-term commitment towards closed-loop, circular and climate-positive cellulosic fibers. This financing round marks a major milestone for our collaboration in scaling up next-generation fiber solutions.”

Infinited Fiber Company’s flagship plant preparations are also proceeding on other fronts. Several Nordic and international investment banks have given Infinited Fiber Company proposals on the financing options for the investment.

Infinited Fiber Company’s technology turns cellulose-based raw materials, like cotton-rich textile waste, into Infinna, a unique, premium-quality regenerated textile fiber with the natural, soft look and feel of cotton. Infinna is biodegradable and contains no microplastics, and at the end of their life, garments made with it can be recycled in the same process together with other textile waste.

Pulcra Chemicals, with headquarters in Geretsried (Germany) has announced its first acquisition in its history by acquiring fellow-industry player Devan.

Devan, with origins since 1977 and Belgian headquarters, is since 2013 owned by Pentahold (a Belgian private equity fund). Devan is known from its antimicrobial range BI-OME, its large sustainable track record with a.o. probiotics solutions, a wide range of recently introduced bio-based textile finishes and a long standing in Thermoregulation and Flame Retardants. Devan has offices in the UK, Portugal, the US and a team in Shanghai.

The acquisition price will not be disclosed.