From the Sector

• Sustainability concept with more than 500 sustainable and innovative solutions

Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (Freudenberg) is proud to announce its new House of Sustainability. The initiative is designed to assist customers worldwide in enhancing the sustainability of their products, thereby laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future together with Freudenberg. Customers will find more than 500 sustainable and innovative solutions of premium quality for a comprehensive range of applications in the apparel industry. With this initiative, Freudenberg is making its entire portfolio of sustainable solutions visible and transparent. At the same time, the leading global manufacturer of technical textiles is also driving its roadmap of forward-looking innovations.

Sustainability has been an integral part of business activities ever since Freudenberg was established and the first values and principles were drawn up in 1887. Freudenberg aspires to reduce its own footprint and increase the handprint for customers and end users. This means the company strives to minimize the impact of its production processes on the environment (footprint) while helping customers achieve their sustainability goals by offering appropriate products and services (handprint).

The Freudenberg House of Sustainability

The foundation for the Freudenberg House of Sustainability is made up of four elements: Certifications & Regulations, Raw Materials, Technology and Carbon Footprint. This foundation supports seven pillars providing customers with more than 500 sustainable solutions. The House of Sustainability enables customers to choose the right solutions for their sustainable applications and to meet their sustainability goals efficiently. In addition, all Freudenberg services are visible and transparent.

Launch of the Freudenberg House of Sustainability

The House of Sustainability will be launched worldwide over a 12-week period. Each week, Freudenberg will post in-depth information about the elements and pillars on several channels. The complete House of Sustainability will be presented at ISPO Munich 2022.

• Asahi Kasei Corporation markets premium stretch fiber under the brand of ROICA™, with superior performance features enabled by integrated production from raw material to yarn based on its advanced technology.
• The specialized global holding operates its global ROICA™ business having production sites in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China, and Germany with strategic sales facilities around the world.

With deep regret, Asahi Kasei has taken the decision to restructure its production strategy in order to face the new, unexpected and critical market situation. As part of this process, the production and sales of ROICA™ at its German subsidiary, Asahi Kasei Spandex Europe GmbH in Dormagen, will be discontinued by March 31, 2022.
 
Recognizing the paramount importance of the European market, especially when it comes to smart innovation where ROICA™ is a leader, and with the goal of continuing the excellent longtime work with valued partners, customers and supply chains, Asahi Kasei will continue to develop sales, technical and marketing services in Europe through Asahi Kasei Europe, the European regional headquarters of the Asahi Kasei Group. It will especially focus on ROICA™ added value products manufactured at its ROICA™ production sites in Asia.
 
Through this process, Asahi Kasei will reshape the efficiency and productivity of its global ROICA™ operation by keeping a strong focus on responsible innovation and sustainability in close communication, and safeguarding its business partners.
 
As a manufacturer of superior quality, highly functional and sustainable ROICA™ products, Asahi Kasei will continue its journey of responsible innovation aiming to provide solutions to the textile industry and to contemporary consumers, by enhancing production capabilities and expertise at the global sites supported by an expert, wise and efficient company.

• Pushing technical textile investments into the State

In a bid to strengthen indigenous production through the state and attract investors, the nodal agency for investment promotion and facilitation for the Government of Tamil Nadu – Guidance has signed up for Techtextil India 2021 – the leading International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens. The TN Government will be promoting technical textile policies through both physical and virtual segments of the hybrid fair, enabling investors to set up integrated facilities. Leading technical textile players from Tamil Nadu and across the nation confirm participation for the three-day business event.
 
As one of the first major business events in India for the technical textile sector since the pandemic, Techtextil India 2021 will reunite the industry to present a strong showcase of technical textile technologies crucial for the development of India across industries such as healthcare, agriculture, construction, infrastructure, sports, apparel etc. The first hybrid edition will take place from 25 – 27 November 2021 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.
 
Announcing a close co-operation with Messe Frankfurt India for the 2021 edition, the Government of Tamil Nadu further shared that it will be promoting textile policies and highlighting investment prospects at the trade fair in a bid to attract companies and investors to the state. Ms  Pooja Kulkarni IAS MD & CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu said: “While there are several inherent advantages for the growth of technical textiles in Tamil Nadu specifically, many raw materials used in the production of sanitary products, artificial ligaments, seat belt webbings, airbags are still heavily imported. In this context, the Techtextil India Forum can help us reduce import dependency and bring investments in R&D, manufacturing, innovation by partnering with global technical textiles companies.

• Innovations in Protection, Efficiency and Engineered Fabrics

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the prestigious RISE® Innovation Award during the 11th edition of the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference, (RISE®) to be held virtually September 28-30, 2021.  The award recognizes novel innovations in the nonwovens industry that creatively use next-level science and engineering principles to solve material challenges and expand the usage of nonwovens and engineered fabrics. These three finalists will present their innovative material science solutions as they compete for the RISE® Innovation Award.

Canopy Respirator
Canopy is an innovative respirator that is fully mechanical, non-electrostatic, with a filter designed for superior breathability while offering the wearer facial transparency. The breakthrough respirator features 5.5mm water column resistance at 85 liters (3 cubic feet) per minute, 2-way filtration, and a pleated filter that contains over 500 square centimeters of surface area. The patented Canopy respirator resists fluids, and eliminates fogging of eyeglasses.  

Evalith® 1000 Series
Johns Manville’s innovative Alpha Binder is a formaldehyde-free, high bio-carbon content, toxic-free binder formulation ideal for carpet mat applications. Alpha Binder eliminates monomer and polymer synthesis, uses a bio-degradable catalyst, and requires 70% less water in manufacturing. The resulting glass mats made of Alpha Binder are named “Evalith 1000” and reduces energy consumption during manufacturing by over 70% compared to alternative petroleum-based binders. Evalith 1000 was commercialized in North America in 2020.

Fiber Coated, Heat Sealable, Breathable, Hybrid Membrane, Fabric Protection
TiGUARD protective fabric is a construction of monolithic or hybrid imperious/moisture eliminating membranes with a surface covered with micro-fiber. This nonwoven product is a multi-layer all polyester fabric specifically for chemical and microbial protective fabrics, products, and garments. It is constructed of compatible heat seal-able materials which lend themselves to high-speed heat seal-able production and ultimately automated manufacture of garments without sewing. It is a combination of a densely flocked polyester fiber surface on polyester membrane supported by polyester scrim.
Virtual RISE™ conference attendees include technology scouts and product developers in the nonwoven/engineered fabrics industry seeking new developments to advance their businesses. These attendees will electronically vote for the recipient of the 2021 RISE® Innovation Award, on Wed. Sept. 29th. The winner will be announced Thurs., Sept. 30th.

The conference program will cover timely and relevant industry topics including: Material Science Developments for Sustainable Nonwovens; Increasing Circularity in Nonwovens; Market Intelligence & Economic Insights; Promising Innovations in Nonwovens; Process Innovations in Nonwovens; Material Innovations in Nonwovens;  the full program can be viewed on the link: https://www.riseconf.net/conference.php

The Italian company Officina+39 will be at Bluezone’s KEYHOUSE area to present its latest sustainable achievements in the field of research and chemical application for the textile sector as well as The Circle Book 2, a special project with circularity as main focus.  
 
For the first time since Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, Munich Fabric Start returns to host some of the most renowned international players in the textile and fashion industry, showcasing their latest innovations. From August 31 to September 1, Officina+39 will step into the Bluezone’s KEYHOUSE area, the interactive hub featuring futuristic solutions with a high level of innovation for the textile supply chain, to present its Better Seasons collection as well as its most recent developments.
 
The new collection embodies the company’s pillars of Trustainable approach – innovation, sustainable practices, clean information, transparency and social responsibility –, delivering a selection of bold, colorful and conscious solutions for the textile industry. These explore better ways to produce and use less through cuttingedge technologies, specifically developed to reduce the use of energy and hazardous chemicals while increasing waste recycling and water conservation.

Michael Lüthi, a member of the founding family, will become the CEO of the SANITIZED company group on August 1, 2021. He will take over the position from Urs Stalder, who will join the administrative board after working for the company for over 30 years.

Longtime CEO Urs Stalder consistently promoted the brand Sanitized®. Furthermore, he managed to internationalize the company, establish subsidiaries in the U.S., China and India, and focus on innovative products.

The 38-year-old business economist Michael Lüthi has been working for SANITIZED since 2018. He previously worked as COO of Senevita, a company that at the time had roughly 30 residences, and he supervised residential complexes for seniors with roughly 2,500 employees. Over the past three years, Michael Lüthi was already a member of SANITZED’s management team and helped to shape the course of the company.

“We will continue to combine tradition and innovation: SANITIZED is a fourth-generation Swiss family company, and we will continue to expand our leadership position in the world with our safe and innovative products and services for the textile, polymer, and paint industries,” explains the new SANITIZED CEO Michael Lüthi. American company Consolidated Pathways was recently acquired with this objective in mind. SANITIZED now has a presence with its own subsidiaries in the U.S., China, the European Union, and India.

The 11^th edition of RISE®, Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference will be presented virtually on Sept. 28-30 with more than 150 professionals in product development, materials science, and new technologies.

The conference will culminate on Sept. 30 with the presentation of the 2021 RISE® Innovation Award recognizing problem-solving innovations that advance the nonwovens industry.

The program includes presentations from industry leaders, round-table discussions and question-and-answer sessions on the key themes of material science developments for sustainable nonwovens, sustainability, increasing circularity in nonwovens, and promising innovations in nonwovens, processes and materials:

• Promising Materials Development Using PLA
  presented by Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Ph.D., William A. Klopman Distinguished Professor and Executive Director, North Carolina State University, The Nonwovens Institute
• Phantom Platform: The Polyolefin-cellulose Coformed Substrates Technology at Its Best, featuring insights from Fabio Zampollo, CEO, Teknoweb Materials S.r.l.
• Biotransformation Technology in Polyolefin Fibers and Nonwoven Fabrics, Focus on Fugitive Used Articles
  with speakers, DeeAnn Nelson, Ph.D., Development Program Manager, and Nick Carter, Vice-President of Marketing and Business Intelligence, both from Avgol Nonwovens
• High-Loft, Ultra-Soft Hygiene Solutions,
  presented by Paul Rollin, Ph.D., Global Team Lead – Nonwovens, ExxonMobil Chemical Company
• Innovating a Sustainable Future for Nonwovens; A European Perspective
  given by Matthew Tipper, Ph.D., Operations Director, Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute Ltd., (NIRI), UK
• Filtration Media Functionalized with Zinc Oxide
  by Wai-shing Yung, Ph.D., Technical Director, Ascend Performance Materials

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.”

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, wrapped up its 15th annual World of Wipes® International Conference, July 12-15, with a presentation of the World of Wipes Innovation Award® to Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the highest attendance record in six years.

This year’s WOW conference welcomed 475 enthusiastic professionals from 14 countries to its in-person World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference to advance their wipes business. Held in Atlanta, GA, the conference was notable as the first in-person conference in the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry in 500 days due to the pandemic.

Industry professionals from 33 global companies delivered presentations and answered questions in sessions that included Wipes and the Growing Plastics Debate, Regulatory Requirements for Disinfecting and Sanitizing Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Markets and Among Consumers, Wet Wipe Preservative Innovations, Covid-19 Impacts on Wipes Consumption and Cleaning Habits, Sustainable Wipes Packaging and Dispensing, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, and Flushable Wipes: Loved by Consumers, Wrongly Accused by Utilities.

Highlights included the announcement of Kimberly-Clark Scott® 24-Hour Sanitizing Wipes as the winner of this year’s World of Wipes Innovation Award®. The annual award recognizes the product that most expands the use of nonwovens and demonstrates creativity, novelty, uniqueness, and technical sophistication within the entire nonwovens wipes value chain.

Other highlights included the presentation of the 2021 INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award to John Poccia. The annual award is nominated by INDA’s Technical Advisory Board and presented to an individual whose technical achievements over a long-standing career have significantly contributed to the technical advancement, success, and growth of the nonwovens industry.

Other presentation highlights included:

• Recent Developments Under the EU Green Deal and Plastics Strategy – Pandemic Update – Gyongyi David, Attorney at Law, V V G B Advocaten-Avocats, Director- EHS Regulatory, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
• FDA & EPA Framework of Regulations: Dry Wipes Claims – Tony Herber, Principal Regulatory Consultant/Assistant Federal Team Manager, Scientific & Regulatory Consultants, Inc. (SRC. Inc.)
• Consumer Wipes Usage During Covid-19 and Future Use – Chris Dresselhuys, Business Director-North American Retail Wipes, Rockline Industries
• Sustainable Solutions for Wipes – Vishal Bansai, Vice President, Innovation, and Silke Brand-Kirsch, VP, Marketing and Business Development, Glatfelter Gernsbach GmbH
• Sustainability Impacts Across the Value Chain of Wipes Packaging – Vicky Chang, Marketing Manager, Consumer & Industrial Products, Amcor Flexibles
• Unveiling Wet Wipes Preservation: New Findings on Microbial Risks and Preservative Solution – Paul Salama, Ph.D., CTO& Head of Innovation, Sharon Laboratories

FIMAST 2021, Italian Exhibition Group’s much-awaited B2B trade show event dedicated to the entire hosiery industry, scheduled to take place, with physical attendance, at the Brixia Forum in Brescia from 19th to 22nd October 2021.  
 
FIMAST is “setting off” on a new development route for the trade show which will focus on responsible and sustainable innovation along the supply chain it represents. The first steps in this direction include activating a top-level partnership with the ecohub C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy) and constant dialogue with the sector’s global players.

For the full programme of initiatives: www.fimast.eu