From the Sector

Compared to the past years we are a little late in advertising the upcoming 13th China International Recycled Polyester Conference & Exhibition in Shanghai at September 05 – 06, but as during the past twelve years we are expecting again an succesful international event with a large number of Mainland Chinese and Oversees delegates, speakers, exhibitiors and sponsors. The Conferece venue is the Holiday Inn Shanghai Hongqiao this year, which is located near the Hongqiao Airport and so about 30 min by car from the city and 15 min walking distance to the subway No. 6. With a production of about 8 Mio t/a the Chinese polyester recyclers are producing all kind of textile intermediates like staple fiber, POY, DTY, FDY, BCF, technical yarn and spunbond products based on mainly PET bottle flakes. Meanwhile also bottle-to-bottle and bottle-to-film or strapping technology is on the way. Therefore conference and exhibition are an ideal meeting place for those who are involved in the whole production chain including engineering and equipment manufacturer. Very interesting will be discussion and latest information about the impact of new governmental action to improve environmental standards. This new development might be of importance especially for those who are involved in raw material sourcing.

 ActiveSeam, Merrow's newest technology, is poised to revolutionize medical and compression garment manufacturing by replacing the traditional flatlock seam with a flatter, stronger stitch. The new Activeseam for Compression is set to be introduced in new product by a global medical device company in late 2017 or early 2018, leveraging Merrow's new MB-4DFO 2.5 series industrial sewing machine-- now available through regional distribution in 87 countries. Additionally, ActiveSeam is the world's first branded stitch, bringing a distinctive value to retail products.
Why is ActiveSeam great for medical and compression garments?

- With a flat profile and twice the stretch built into the seam, ActiveSeam garments are extraordinarily comfortable and do not restrict movement
- ActiveSeam replaces Flatlock with a stronger, more elastic, and infinitely more attractive seam construction that is ideal for specialized applications like Medical Compression garments
- When compared to a 6-thread flatlock seam with identical thread, fabric, and SPI, Merrow ActiveSeam 2 & 3-thread seams proved to be more than 30% stronger and had the ability to stretch (linear travel) 100% further
- ActiveSeam is almost undetectable when applied next to skin
- With more stretch built into the seam, the garment can be designed to fit the human body better without restricting athletic movement
ActiveSeam is uniquely suited for any application that entails a garment's seams be pressed against skin because of its extremely flat profile, flexibility, and unparalleled comfort. This is great news for anyone who utilizes compression wear, particularly compression garments or athletic apparel, as ActiveSeam substantially increases pliability and improves overall fit.

 TRSA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI) and Production Management Institute (PMI) will be held concurrently at the University of Maryland, Aug. 6-10. The combination provides unique opportunities for information-sharing and socializing among established and upcoming leaders in the linen, uniform and facility services industry as attendees will share free time, meals and evening outings.

As an incentive for companies to place staff in both programs, TRSA is offering a future TRSA event credit worth $500 for companies who register a first-time participant in both. An additional discount is available for enrolling three or more employees from a single company in either program. Learn more, view brochures and access registration at www.trsa.org/emi  or www.trsa.org/pmi.
 EMI has a 50-plus-year tradition of providing attendees with the latest in management techniques to aid them in tackling high-priority tasks and long-term workplace challenges specific to the industry. In classes led by academics and consultants experienced with the industry, participants complete EMI by returning for a 4-day program once a year for the next three years.

Earlier this year, the Pensacola-based operation achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification in its Quitman, Ga. and Columbia, Miss. facilities.
In addition, the Crown Health Care Laundry facilities passed three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare linens and garments and zero presence of harmful bacteria. To maintain their certification, laundry plants must pass quarterly testing including yeast and mold detection to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained.
This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations through testing and inspections that scrutinize quality control procedures in linen and uniform service operations. The Hygienically Clean standard provides for two inspections every three years. OSHA compliance is closely examined, particularly toxic and hazardous substance handling rules governing textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.
Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.
Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with TRSA launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles. With 100+ years as the textile services industry's leading business association, TRSA's expertise in laundry BMP development is unmatched.