From the Sector

• Yarn Expo Spring’s status as Asia’s leading industry event attracts 15% more buyers
• National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)
• Shanghai, China, 14 – 16 March

Yarn Expo continued its evolution into the industry’s most comprehensive and effective business platform with its Spring Edition which concluded last week with a large increase in the buyer figure, as well as another year of growth in the exhibitor number. Strong demand was evident for recent growth areas of the fair such as synthetic, fancy and specialty yarns as well as chemical fibres, while exhibitors in the more traditional cotton product group also fared well. In total, 435 exhibitors from 10 countries & regions took part (2017: 393, 12 countries & regions), attracting 25,966 trade buyers from 88 countries & regions (2017: 22,579, 94 countries & regions).

“Once again, Yarn Expo proved itself as the ideal trade fair for the industry to benefit from changing demands and product trends, especially in the Chinese and wider Asian markets,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd explained. “The fair has evolved in recent editions to have a much bigger focus on synthetic, fancy & specialty yarns and chemical fibres, and based on the exhibitor feedback during the fair, there was an increase in buyers sourcing these products this year. What’s more, local buyers were showing strong interest in the offerings from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, while Vietnamese cotton exhibitors reported increased orders from China due to the favourable trade policies between these countries.”

As one of the industry’s leading players, Birla Jingwei Fibres naturally plays a big role at Yarn Expo, with their Birla Planet pavilion proving highly successful for the company. Senior Vice President Mr Sachin Malik, explained: “Yarn Expo is a very important platform for Birla, to be visible to our value chain, to connect with our customers, and our own clients’ customers. We value Yarn Expo as a long-term partner for showcasing our products and connecting with the value chain. Each edition we connect with more and more buyers, and more customers in the industry recognise the importance of this fair. It has developed into a premium event in the global textile industry calendar. Usually this edition is quieter than the autumn fair, but the results this year saw the spring edition reach the same level. Our booth was always packed with buyers, and we also received more high-quality and international buyers. Our pavilion members are also very satisfied with the buyers and their results this time.”

Exhibitor comments

Indonesia

“Yarn Expo is an ideal platform to meet not only Chinese but also global buyers. The fair attracts so many good-quality buyers, and compared to other fairs attracts more of our target buyers. The results this edition have been good. After four years of doing business in China, we’ve found many Chinese customers who are willing to pay for quality. The demand in the China market for high-quality products is growing, in particular because of the shortage of spinning capacity which is made up for by imports. We’ve seen more serious and meaningful buyers that have strong desire for further cooperation this time, and I think the potential of this market will continue to grow.” Mr Anupam Agrawal, Director Spun Yarn Business, PT. Indo-Rama Synthetics Tbk

Korea

“Our booth was so crowded throughout the fair. We had more than 300 buyers visit us, and I guess approximately 30% of them will turn into business after the fair. Our target buyers are fabric and garment manufacturers, and we found a lot of good quality ones here. A wide range of worldwide buyers from different market sectors sourced at our booth, especially big-brand sportswear manufacturers and sourcing offices. We’ve had visitors from China, Europe and many other countries. We are very satisfied with our first Yarn Expo experience, and we expect a very good outcome after the show.” Mr Joo Son, International Sales Team, HJLite

Pakistan

“Yarn Expo is the global meeting platform for all yarn industry players. You have buyers from all over the world here, so it is the best trade platform in Asia to connect with worldwide buyers. We’ve met people from Argentina, Columbia, Korea, Indonesia, the UK and the US. Around 40% of them are new to us. We’ve noticed that everyone is looking for new products nowadays, so we always bring new items. Fancy yarn is getting more common in China, and demand is growing steadily. China is definitely a huge market for us to develop.” Mr Mohammad Saad, Director of Abtex Intl Ltd

India

“Yarn Expo is really helpful in that it has a diverse buyer profile and attracts buyers from around the world. We managed to talk to customers from Pakistan, India and Colombia, as well as potential Chinese buyers who are very interested in our products. The buyers have been genuine with specific sourcing needs, and some of them have already placed orders.” Mr N. Sarawgi, Representative of Madhusudan Rayons Pvt. Ltd

Thailand

“This edition we brought our new Kapok material to the fair for the first time. It has been the most popular product at our booth. In recent editions, we’ve also met more and more garment factories asking for customised fancy yarn to make their products competitive and unique, while eco-friendly and natural yarns are also more popular. Yarn Expo is the platform we announce our new products and technologies, and the feedback from buyers from around the world can help us improve them and learn the latest market trends. The fair is of great value for our market strategy.” Mr Warakorn Bunkanokwong, Export Sales Manager, Kongkiat Textile Co Ltd

Singapore

“We are here to explore the China market, but are also glad more customers from Europe and America visited our booth. Many of the buyers here are at the decision-making level, so can give us clear requirements and advice about our products. This is a highly effective fair to meet Chinese buyers to learn first-hand what the market needs.” Mr Rahul Gupta, Marketing Manager, Texvista Intl Pte Ltd

Vietnam

“Yarn Expo is a great chance to meet our existing partners and find new buyers. Compared to China cotton yarn, we still have an advantage in price and quality which attracts a lot of buyers to our booth. Yarn Expo provides us with a quick way to tap into the Chinese and Asian markets.” Mr Du Xuan Cuu, Trade Director, Hanam Textile Co

Uzbekistan

“The Chinese market is important to us, so we chose to exhibit in Yarn Expo. We have met many buyers here, and each year we can find new customers through Yarn Expo. The international nature of this fair is also beneficial for our business.” Mr Dilshod, Export Manager, Exoeast Trade LLP

China

“Yarn Expo is the largest platform in Asia. Compared to other fairs, the buyers here are of higher quality; genuine buyers make up a large portion and most of them come with sourcing intentions. Currently, fancy yarn is in great demand in the market. The number of customers looking for such products is significantly higher this year, and Yarn Expo can effectively help us capture this demand.”
Ms Stella Gan, Sales Manager, Jin Dun Textile

Buyer comments

“We can find all ranges of cotton yarn, fancy yarn and chemical fibres at Yarn Expo. Most of the famous brands are here, and they bring the latest technologies and products, including debut products. Yarn Expo always catches the latest trends in the industry and presents them at the fair. This year the quantity and quality of fancy yarn exhibitors has increased, so I’ve found some products to source already.” Mr Wang Gaofeng, Deputy General Manager, Jiaxing Jinqie Fashion Co Ltd, China

“We mainly came to source fancy yarn this time, and we found many new options. This international show greatly expands our sourcing options. Many of our existing suppliers, including from Indonesia, exhibit at this fair so that’s why we source here. We’re satisfied with the exhibitor quality, and intend to place orders afterwards. There have been a number of new technologies presented here that left a deep impression on us.” Ms Linggar Jati Halim, Director, PT. Kartika Sinar Mulia, Indonesia

“I like this fair as it gathers exhibitors from the entire industry supply chain. As the demand for functional fabrics continues to increase, we can also see this trend in Yarn Expo. Therefore, the fair helps us to learn about the industry’s developments.” Mr Jiang Chang, Marketing Manager, Hangzhou Gaoxi Technology Co Ltd, China

The next Yarn Expo fair, the Autumn Edition, will be held at the earlier date of 27 – 29 September 2018, once again at the National Exhibition and Convention Center. 

The DyStar® Group recently launched a new concept of their resource saving module – Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous.

Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous is a modified pad-dry-thermosol-pad-steam dyeing process for open width PES/CO fabrics. In contrast to the standard PDTPS process, Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous does not require a separate reduction clearing process and thus saves more than 40% chemicals, water and energy. This effect is obtained by using a special dye choice of Dianix® XF/XF2 and SF disperse dyes in combination with selected Levafix® and Remazol® reactive dyes and a modified steaming and wash-off process with Sera® auxiliaries.

The Cadira concepts considerably reduce process costs, water, waste and energy consumption and machine utilization. Cadira supports Brands & Retailers and their production partners in their effort to save valuable resources and to reduce the carbon footprint of their textile goods.

The first Cadira module was developed in 2016. Since then DyStar has launched Cadira concepts for various substrates and applications. So far, the following Cadira concepts are available.

Cadira Polyester
Cadira Recycled Polyester
Cadira Vat
Cadira Reactive
Cadira Procion PX
Cadira Wool
Cadira Denim

DyStar will continue their effort to support the textile industry to reduce the environmental footprint.

About DyStar
DyStar® Group is a solution provider, offering customers across the globe a complete range of colorants, auxiliaries and services. The DyStar Group has offices, competence centers, agencies and production plants in over 50 countries to ensure the availability of expertise in all important markets. With a heritage of more than a century of product development and innovation for the textile and leather industry, DyStar has developed into new markets and now in addition serves the paper, plastic and many other specialty chemical industries.

DyStar’s service division assist brands & retailers and their industry partners from their first inspiration throughout the entire supply chain to ensure that they meet stringent quality and ecological specifications, reduce costs and shorten lead times. The service division offers state of the art color communication through CSI, textile and ecology testing through Texanlab, ecology and environmental advice, supply chain auditing and consulting for RSL compliant sustainable processes through Sustainable Textile Solutions programs.

The DyStar econfidence® program provides assurance that provided products comply with legal, voluntary and brand & retailer RSL (Restricted Substance List) requirements. It is an assurance that our products are in compliance with chemical and environmental legislation in each market in which they are sold.
Visit www.DyStar.com for more information.

August’s Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles embraces the revitalised home textile market in China
As China’s economy is getting back on track with the GDP growth rate standing at 6.9% in 2017, the home textile market is also showing strong signs of recovery before Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles returns this August.

With 23 years’ history, the show is well regarded as the most influential home textile trade fair in Asia. Over 1,000 suppliers from around 30 countries and regions will showcase a wide variety of home textile products ranging from bedding, bath, table & kitchen, curtains & upholstery and textile designs & technology to editors, whole home, sun protection, wallcoverings and carpets & rugs. In turn, over 38,000 trade buyers are expected to source at the fair.

According to Askci Consulting, one of the leading Chinese industry research institutions, China’s home textile market has been growing steadily with an average rate of around 10% between 2010 and 2015. The overall size has increased from USD 18.4 billion in 2010 to USD 29.5 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach USD 38.3 billion in 2020. What’s more, the consumption of home textiles only accounts for about 29% of the total textile consumption of the country. Given the fact that the relevant ratio in developed countries such as the US and Japan is between 33 to 38%, there still lies huge room for the Chinese market to expand. Foreign analysts share this optimism, with Euromonitor expecting an annual increase of 5.3% and 5.9% for China’s entire home textile and bedding product markets respectively.

Thanks to the improving quality and competitive price, there is also growing demand for China’s home textile products from buyers around the world. Customs statistics show that the export value for home textile products increased 2.25% to USD 39.5 billion in 2017. Among all China’s export countries and regions, the US has the largest share, followed by the EU, ASEAN and Japan.
With all these favourable conditions in place, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, to be held from 27 – 30 August, serves as an ideal platform for industry players to capture these business opportunities. “The rapid urbanisation and the consumption upgrade is unleashing unprecedented purchasing power in China. Participants can expect to benefit from this huge potential at our show,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd added.

Contract business sees big potential in Chinese market
The constant growth of Chinese consumers’ disposable income not only results in increased spending on home textile products, but also stimulates the development of tourism. A report from the General Office of the State Council of China stated that the annual number of domestic trips has nearly doubled, from 2.1 billion in 2010 to 4.4 billion in 2016. It is expected that domestic travel-related consumption will reach USD 869 billion in 2020 and contribute to over 5% of GDP.

The hotel industry in particular has benefited from this development, with the number of limited service hotels increasing 30% in the past seven years. This also implies remarkable opportunities for the home textile industry players doing contract business since quality products including furnishing fabrics, bedding & towelling and more will be sought after by the hotels.
Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).

To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com.
For more information about Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.

STAMFORD, February 26, 2018 - at JEC World 2018, taking place in Paris March 6-8, Hexcel will display an array of product innovations for customer applications in aerospace, automotive, wind energy and marine markets.
Hexcel’s banner at the exhibit hall entrance features the Airbus H160 helicopter and A350 XWB aircraft, both with carbon fiber livery to acknowledge the high Hexcel composites content in both programs. Hexcel’s reinforcements, prepregs, adhesives and honeycomb materials were selected for the H160’s composite fuselage structures and main rotor blades, contributing to the lightweight fuel-saving design and performance optimization. Airbus has loaned Hexcel an H160 BLUE EDGE blade to display on the booth.

Among the Aerospace promotions at Hexcel’s booth are carbon-reinforced 3D printed parts, made from Hexcel’s HexAM™ additive manufacturing technology that uses PEKK ultra-high performance polymers. Hexcel acquired this technology from Oxford Performance Materials in December 2017 to provide a weight-saving solution for intricate parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications. HexPEKK™ structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts with a new technology.

Aircraft engines benefit from a number of Hexcel technologies that will be promoted at JEC 2018, including HexShield™ honeycomb that provides high temperature resistance in aircraft engine nacelles. By inserting a thermally resistant material into honeycomb cells, Hexcel provides a core product with unique heat-shielding capabilities that allows for the potential re-use of material after a fire event.
Another honeycomb innovation from Hexcel is Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb that significantly improves acoustic absorption in aircraft engine nacelles. The acoustic treatment may be positioned at a consistent depth and resistance within the core, or can be placed in a pattern of varying depths and/or resistances (Multi-Degrees of Freedom and 3 Degrees Of Freedom), offering an acoustic liner that is precisely tuned to the engine operating conditions. These technologies have been tested at NASA on a full engine test rig and meet all 16 design conditions without trade-offs. An example of this technology will be on display at JEC 2018.

Rounding off the aircraft engine exhibits is a CTi fan blade for new generation lightweight turbofan engines from Rolls-Royce, manufactured from Hexcel’s HexPly® M91 high toughness and impact-resistant epoxy prepreg. Hexcel supplies HexPly® M91 as slit tape for the automated lay-up of the complex aerodynamic shape, with a constantly changing thickness across the blade length. The blade which is thinner and lighter than titanium fan blades is currently undergoing flight tests.
Hexcel’s HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements that were developed for the automated lay-up of preforms for resin-infused aerospace structures will be promoted at the show. Two demonstrator parts, one made with HiMax™ and one with HiTape®, were both infused with HexFlow® RTM6 resin to demonstrate the potential benefits of an integrated design for aircraft skins, spars and stiffeners that meets OEM requirements for production rate increases and cost effectiveness.

Hexcel is also introducing its new range of HiFlow™ advanced liquid resins for aerospace structures manufactured by liquid molding technologies. Based on novel proprietary chemistry, the new resin family will enhance the performance of composites and ease processing when combined with HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements. HiFlow™ HF610 is the first resin in the range.
Hexcel’s range of high performance adhesives has expanded considerably following the company’s acquisition of Structil last October. Hexcel is relaunching the acquired products under the new HexBond™ brand name at JEC World. This fast-growing range of pastes, liquid shim and film adhesives has a wide spectrum of operating temperatures and is in qualification with a large number of aerospace and industrial OEMs.
In the Planet Aerospace area at JEC, Daher and Hexcel will jointly display an aircraft spar manufactured from HexPly® M56 prepreg. Hexcel’s Neil Parker and Daher R&T Director Dominique Bailly will give a joint presentation focusing on the materials used and the benefits for the finished part. The aircraft spar was designed and manufactured by Daher using Hexcel’s HexPly® M56 prepreg, in slit tape format, that was developed for automated deposition and out-of-autoclave curing. The spar was manufactured using only the vacuum bag process and demonstrates very low porosity levels. It is currently undergoing testing and validation through CORAC funding.

Hexcel’s Automotive promotions at JEC World 2018 include a new prepreg for composite leaf springs, HexPly® M901. In contrast to steel leaf springs used for suspension on vans, trucks and SUVs, newer composite versions offer many advantages including weight savings of up to 70%, high corrosion resistance, optimized system integration and superior performance. Hexcel’s HexPly® M901 prepreg raises the bar further, reducing mold cure time below 15 minutes, a 50% reduction compared to standard industrial prepregs. HexPly® M901 provides 15% higher mechanical performance, with enhanced fatigue properties. It also operates at high temperatures, providing a Tg of up to 200°C following a post cure. Hexcel’s expertise in manufacturing heavy weight glass UD prepregs, with fiber areal weights of up to 1600gsm, allows the company to offer a highly cost-competitive solution for the rapid manufacture of these safety critical components.

Hexcel is constantly seeking ways to ensure that customers obtain the maximum benefit from composites and has recently acquired state-of-the-art simulation technology that accurately predicts how HiMax™ non-crimp fabrics will drape in a mold. Working in collaboration with Nottingham University Hexcel has created a car seat shell, for which the material selection was optimized using this new drape simulation technology. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand at JEC will see an on-screen demonstration that illustrates how the simulation tool operates, predicting process and performance and ensuring that the optimum fabric architecture is quickly identified, reducing the need for expensive trial programs.
Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 carbon fiber/epoxy molding compound has been successfully used by Audi to manufacture a high-performance engine cross brace. HexMC®-i is a fast curing high-performance molding material, suitable for the series production of complex shaped parts and providing excellent mechanical properties. The Audi cross brace covers the engine, providing torsional stiffness for enhanced drive dynamics.

Hexcel’s product offering for customers in the Marine industry has expanded following the acquisition of Formax in 2016 and Structil in 2017. At JEC World, Hexcel will promote its enhanced portfolio of carbon fibers, prepregs, woven reinforcements and multiaxial fabrics for builders of racing catamarans and luxury yachts.
Marine customers have supplied a number of parts for display to illustrate their expertise in manufacturing composite structures from Hexcel materials. These include part of a Diam 24 yacht mast made by ADH Inotec from Hexcel’s HexPly® M79 fast curing, low temperature cure prepreg. ADH Inotec purchased the prepreg from Composites Distribution, a Hexcel Official Distributor that also supplied HexPly® M9.6 prepreg to Lorima for the Outremer 5X catamaran mast section on display. Part of Lorima’s 42m wing mast for a multihull racing boat made with HexPly® prepreg from Vert-Le-Petit (formerly Structil) will complete the marine display.

Hexcel’s innovations for Wind Energy include Polyspeed® pultruded laminates for load-carrying elements in wind blades. These continuous cross-section profiles, made from a polyurethane matrix reinforced with unidirectional carbon fiber, provide consistently high mechanical properties, including high stiffness, fracture toughness and shear strength, combined with low weight and durability. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand will see a 2m diameter coil of pultruded carbon laminate that contains 255m of material in a single roll. This technology offers an economical way of reinforcing large-scale composite structures such as wind turbine blades. Hexcel will also launch its surface finishing prepreg for wind turbine blades and components. This provides a tough, durable and ready-to-paint blade surface without the use of gel coat and results in faster blade manufacture, saving time in production and reducing material costs. The benefits of the new surfacing prepreg will be demonstrated via a wind blade exhibit that has been given four different treatments across the blade surface. These include a section with gel coat, a section of standard prepreg without gel coat, and a section where a fleece has been added to improve surface quality but still requires preparation before painting due to pin holes. The final section made with new HexPly® XF2P surfacing prepreg has a ready-to-paint surface, straight from the mold, without any requirement for gel coat, fleece or finishing operations.

Baldwin Technology Company Inc.’s exclusive and innovative Precision Application System—which realizes substantial savings of water, chemistry and energy while increasing productivity—was designed with companies like HanesBrands in mind.

HanesBrands—whose venerable apparel lines include Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali and Maidenform, to name a few—has set significant environmental stewardship goals to reduce energy consumption and water use. The company’s recent investment in Baldwin’s Precision Application Systems, with a textile finishing technology that allows for accurate and controlled placement and therefore, reduced use of end-of-line chemicals and water, will help HanesBrands achieve its environmental sustainability goals. Additionally, Baldwin’s groundbreaking application system improves output through greater flexibility, fewer production steps and increased uptime.

Mike Abbott, HanesBrands Global Director of Research and Innovation, said: “Baldwin fulfilled our requirements to provide a solution that optimizes our productivity while reducing our environmental impact.” HanesBrands thoroughly evaluated the technology for eight months in live production conditions with positive results. Abbott continued: “During the evaluation period of the system, we have had outstanding results in productivity increase, and we can clearly see that this technology will make a great contribution to our future efficiency and sustainability savings.”

Peter Hultberg, Chief Commercial Officer at Baldwin, said: “We are honored to partner with one of the world’s strongest apparel brands to help the company achieve not only its business goals, but also its corporate responsibility goals. The trust the HanesBrands team placed in Baldwin and our innovative application technology marks an important milestone for Baldwin and our quest to redefine the standards of sustainable textile finishing.”

The HanesBrands contract includes an option to supply 15 additional Precision Application Systems. 

The multi-year deal brings the TOMMY HILFIGER brand back to the world of Formula One for the first time in 17 years, as the Official Apparel Partner for the four-time World Champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport.

Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp. [NYSE: PVH], announces it has formed a multi-year strategic partnership with four-time Formula One World Champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. Starting in the 2018 season, TOMMY HILFIGER will be the Official Apparel Partner of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, building on the sport sponsorship heritage that Tommy Hilfiger has embraced since first founding his brand. The partnership with the world’s top Formula One team and leading automobile innovator underscores Tommy Hilfiger’s vision to continuously elevate and expand the brand in key markets for the next generation of TOMMY HILFIGER consumers.

“From the first time I attended a Formula One race, I was completely fascinated by the world of motorsports,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “To be re-entering this arena with World Champions MercedesAMG Petronas Motorsport and their number one team is an incredible way to fuse fashion and Formula One. I recognize the passion, spirit and drive that the entire Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team shows at every race, and these shared qualities are why I’m excited to partner with them for the upcoming seasons.”

For the past four Formula One seasons, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has won both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships, with the team’s British racing driver Lewis Hamilton winning his fourth World Championship title in 2017 and Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas taking third place.

Under the long-term partnership, TOMMY HILFIGER will be the Official Apparel Partner, supplying travel and team kits, as well as office and hospitality apparel for the more than 1,500 individuals who make up the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team. The TOMMY HILFIGER logo will be featured on the team’s 2018 race cars, which will be revealed on February 22, 2018 at the Silverstone track in the United Kingdom, as well as inside the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport pit garage and other trackside assets.

At this year's Heimtextil, which took place from 9-12 January in Frankfurt, Trevira impressed visitors with a brand new fair concept. The company worked together with sixteen of its biggest customers to create a joint booth covering 1,305 square metres of Hall 4.2, drawing a large crowd.

Head of Marketing, Anke Vollenbröker, explained, "Thanks to our new approach and booth concept, we were able to present our brand Trevira CS in an open and welcoming manner plus highlight the good relationship we have with our customers."

Trevira CEO Klaus Holz added, "We are really pleased with the very positive feedback we have had from all sides in response to our grand Trevira CS joint booth. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the booth's success. The extremely positive market reaction has reassured us that this is a concept we can build on in the future."

A Trevira exhibition formed the centrepiece of the joint booth, showcasing the winning fabrics from the 2018 Trevira CS Creativity Competition, which this year featured "Colour" as its major theme. At the heart of the display, visitors could find out more about Trevira with the help of twelve tablets providing information in a variety of formats, including a staff presentation and a flyer about the new Trevira Sinfineco® brand.

Encircling this core and thereby completing the joint booth concept, sixteen major customers grouped their individual stands around this centrepiece to display their own new Trevira CS collections for residential and contract usage. The customers joining Trevira to create the booth were Baumann Dekor Ges.m.b.H., Engelbert E. Stieger AG, FIDIVI Tessitura Vergnano S.p.A., Georg + Otto Friedrich, Jenny Fabrics AG, Johan van den Acker Textielfabriek B.V., Mattes & Ammann GmbH & Co. KG, Pugi R.G. S.R.L., Spandauer Velours GmbH & Co. KG, SR Webatex GmbH / Getzner Textil AG, Swisstulle AG, Tessitura Mario Ghioldi & C. srl, Torcitura Fibre Sintetiche S.p.A., Torcitura Lei Tsu S.r.l. / Ilcat S.p.A., Vlnap a.s. / Wagenfelder Spinning Group and Wintex S.r.l..

Another major section of the Trevira booth was dedicated to the world of acoustics. Increasingly, customers are (re)discovering textiles as a way to significantly improve the quality of room acoustics, and this part of the booth also attracted numerous visitors.

A special highlight at the joint booth were the Trevira CS sports shoes, worn by Trevira staff as a key element of the brand's trade fair outfit. The shoes are an Adidas Originals Special Edition of the iconic Stan Smith Silhouette, which Adidas manufactured in cooperation with Kvadrat.

In keeping with annual tradition, the new Trevira CS Gold and Silver Club members were announced during the Heimtextil fair. The new members were presented with their awards at a formal ceremony on Tuesday evening (9 January).

Zukunftsweisende Entwicklung für Tiere und die Umwelt: Mit dem Sportschuh Futurecraft 4D hat der internationale Sportartikelhersteller adidas den weltweit ersten High-Performance-Schuh mit einer durch digitale Lichtsynthese aus Licht und Sauerstoff gefertigten Zwischensohle entwickelt. Außerdem ist das Schuhmodell lederfrei und vegan – und somit ohne die Haut von Kühen, Schafen, Ziegen oder anderen Tieren gefertigt. Ab sofort sind die ersten 5.000 Paar im ausgewählten Einzelhandel erhältlich. Für diese tierfreundliche Entwicklung zeichnet die Tierrechtsorganisation PETA das Unternehmen nun mit dem „PETA Innovator Award“ aus.

„Die Innovationskraft von adidas bei der Herstellung des Futurecraft 4D ist ein Durchbruch für die nachhaltige Produktion und den Tierschutz“, so Harald Ullmann, 2. Vorsitzender von PETA Deutschland e.V. „Die Fertigung in der adidas Speedfactory zeigt, dass es möglich ist, langlebige und innovative Schuhe in Deutschland herzustellen, für die kein Tier seine Haut lassen musste. Die Technologie der Lichtsynthese kann Designern von Schuhen, Accessoires und Taschen sowie den Kunden neue kreative Möglichkeiten des Designs und der Individualisierung eröffnen.“

Bis Ende 2018 sollen insgesamt 100.000 Paar des Futurecraft 4D an Standorten wie der adidas Speedfactory in Ansbach produziert werden. Entstanden ist das neue Schuhmodell in Zusammenarbeit mit dem US-amerikanischen Unternehmen Carbon, das Zwischensohlen aus speziellen lichtgehärteten Kunstharzen produziert. Diese sogenannte „Digital Light Synthesis“ hat das Potenzial, die konventionellen pulverbasierten 3D-Druckverfahren zu ersetzen. So sollen Produktionsgeschwindigkeit und -skalierung, eine mangelhafte Oberflächenqualität sowie Farb- und Materialbeschränkungen überwunden werden, um Energie, Produktionsausschuss und somit wertvolle Ressourcen zu sparen.

Mit dem „PETA Innovator Award“ zeichnet die Tierrechtsorganisation Unternehmen aus, die mit neuartigen Entwicklungen einen zukunftsweisenden Beitrag zum Schutz von Tieren leisten.
 
PETAs Motto lautet, dass Tiere nicht dazu da sind, um sie anzuziehen.

Sanitized®Odoractiv 10 with patented, dual-action technology

SANITIZED AG presents a new unique dimension to odor-management for functional polyester textiles. The newly developed wash-resistant Sanitized®Odoractiv 10 has a dual-action effect: on the one hand it prevents the bacteria from docking on the textile, and on the other, it adsorbs odors whilst the garment is being worn. The underlying technology that has been further developed was awarded the Swiss Technology Award. Goodbye permastink!

Manufacturers of functional polyester textiles from all over the world face the same challenge: freshly washed garments develop an unpleasant odor even after a short wearing period. The cause of this undesirable effect is not the human perspiration itself, but the bacteria that break down the perspiration. This process of decomposition generates the characteristic sweet, pungent smell. Once the bacteria, or the odor molecules, have penetrated into the surface of the polyester textile, they remain there permanently. Machine wash cycles and special detergents will never completely eliminate them. The bacterial colonization produces a biofilm on the polyester, which not only causes unpleasant odors, but also has a negative impact on the properties of the material.

Surface modulation with anti-adhesive properties
This is exactly where the new, dual-action technology from SANITZED AG comes into play: the surface of the textile is "coated" with Sanitized®Odoractiv 10 in the padding process. This creates a protective film on the surface of the textile. The bacteria use this anti-adhesive protective film as the basis for latching onto the garment. The bacteria can therefore be completely washed out in a normal wash cycle, consequently preventing any biofilm from forming. An anti-adhesion test method was developed in cooperation with EMPA to prove this Wash Effect.

The second advantage: Sanitized®Odoractiv 10 has a high adsorbing effect. Odors are "trapped" and removed during a normal wash cycle. The new product is the result of a technology that has been further developed and was awarded the Swiss Technology Award. The odor adsorption is identified using GC-MS.

As the Product Manager at SANITIZED AG, Urs Zihlmann, succinctly puts it: "Sanitized®Odoractiv 10 marks the end of permastink in polyester textiles." Sanitized®Odoractiv 10 can be combined with other Sanitized®products, in particular with products based on zinc pyrithione. The treatment does not influence the feel of the final treated textile.

Wash-resistant, sustainable and still "no nano"
The odor-reducing function is clearly still going strong even after 50 wash cycles. This is even the case if garments are washed at 30°C, either by hand or in the machine, meaning consumers save on water and energy, not to mention that the piece of clothing will look great for longer.

As with all its other products, SANITZED AG does not use any nano technology. The Hohenstein Institute has awarded the company the rating Skin Friendly, the bluesign®registration is underway. The product also bears the label Eco Passport by OEKO-TEX®.

"The unique, dual Odor Control Function of Sanitized®Odoractiv 10 enjoys a unique position in the market and it furthermore fulfills two market requirements: the prevention of permastink and the minimization of odor intensity during wear. Almost all manufacturers of functional polyester textiles are confronted with this problem," commented Urs Zihlmann. "The new technology creates tangible added value for consumers. This is a competitive differentiating
advantage for global marketing."

As with all other products, the service provided by SANITIZED AG includes technological advice before and during production, in the definition of the verified efficacy and in the use of the Sanitized®Ingredient Brand for promotional purposes.

• Metallic sheen and concealed safety

Net-like structures, metallic sheen, concealed safety, naturally-warming fabrics with Nilit® Heat yarn made of coffee charcoal and PFC-free bio technologies based on renewable raw materials are just some of the highlights of the Schoeller 2019/20 Winter Collection, developed and produced amidst the mountains of Switzerland. Color effects create metallic surfaces on functional textiles and exciting multi-colored looks with richly contrasting reverses.

METALLIC SHINE

The new schoeller®-spirit qualities provide grand style in winter 2019/20. The softly-flowing warp-knitted goods play with transparency and metallic looks. In forest green, silver or copper and aluminized reverse, this season’s  showpieces are also reflective. This play with light continues in the crosswise elastic lightweight with a reflecting dot design. This cool print with concealed safety in two-tone silver grey or khaki green ensures outstanding visibility at twilight. Additional water repellence is provided by the fluorocarbon-free ecorepel® Bio technology, based on renewable raw materials.

WARM FABRICS

The new schoeller®-dryskin qualities ensure a pleasantly warm body climate in winter 2019/20. Thanks to the insulating Nilit® Heat yarn on the interior, which captures and stores the body’s own heat, these fabrics warm the wearer naturally. This unique yarn produced using coffee charcoal posseses antibacterial properties and offers maximum clothing comfort at winter temperatures. The focused pants and jacket qualities in a variety of weights in fresh mandarin, deep aubergine, petrol or light stone also impress with their high abrasion resistance, ideal moisture management and reliable water repellence thanks to PFC-free ecorepel® Bio technology. The same natural heat retention is offered by the cozy schoeller®-naturetec in washable, mulesing-free wool and ecorepel® Bio in dark petrol, navy or rust.

MULTI COLOR

In addition to sustainable fabrics and technologies, winter 2019/20 is dominated by multi-coloration. The highly-elastic multi-colored schoeller®-prestige and schoeller®-dryskinqualities lead to completely new color effects and nuances. Ever-changing, exciting effects result from beautiful mossy greens and dark blue and grey variations to burnt henna and chocolate color combinations. Always with a contrasting color on the reverse, they are real eye-catchers which of course also impress in functional terms. In addition, the schoeller®-dryskin qualities are finished with the PFC-free ecorepel® Bio technology.

Nilit® Heat is a registered trademark of NILIT Ltd.