From the Sector

• World Congress on Textile Coating, to take place on 11-12 & 18-19 February 2021.

The conference organisers have developed a well-structured programme of five sessions over four days with live discussion forums following each session for maximum attendee participation.

“The programme aims to be inspiring and informative, and will showcase the best innovations and collaborative actions in the industry. Functionality can be added to textiles and nonwovens at the beginning or the end of the supply chain, with an increasing range of raw materials, offering many options when designing and realizing a high-performance fabric. At the other end, there are many ways, such as applying a coating, to add functionality to an otherwise finished product. For example, the current pandemic has prompted new commercial anti-viral processes and four such presentations will outline the impact on industry and its response to the global pandemic,” says Dr Nick Butler, head of the conference organising committee.

World Congress on Textile Coating will feature time dedicated to networking, encouraging attendees to interact with conference speakers and industry peers throughout the online programme, offering the opportunity to expand professional networks. All the presentations and discussion forums will be recorded for post-event viewing. Event sponsors imogo AB, Lamberti SpA, JX Nippon ANCI and Weitmann & Konrad GmbH & Co. KG will give individual presentations and host Q&A during the four days of the event.

For the full programme, speakers and abstracts please visit https://www.technical-textiles.online/WCTC.

• Composite textiles for modern mobility
• Extremely lightweight, high tensile components by vombaur

In the snow, on a plane, in an electric vehicle or on a bicycle: no matter where and how we are on the road – composite textiles by vombaur ensure that we make good progress. With materials that are both extremely light and extremely reliable.

Lightweight components for modern mobility
Modern mobility relies on high-tech lightweight components Narrow textiles by vombaur are woven from high-performance fibres. On looms that are specially made for particularly demanding composite textiles: the textile company uses special machines to produce high-tech woven tapes with closed selvedges and elasticated UD tubulars that retain their 0° orientation over the entire length of the component – regardless of the diameter. Since they do not exhibit undesired break points caused by seams or welding, they not only have a particularly high bursting strength, they are also extremely reliable and durable.

Challenging applications
"From snowboards to aerospace – the applications for our composite textiles are demanding; the mechanical, chemical and thermal requirements are extreme," explains COO Christoph Schliefer. "As a development partner, we at vombaur are therefore often involved in product development at an early stage. We specify our woven tapes and tubulars individually for each project to suit the specific task at hand."

High quality raw materials, wide variety of geometries
The variety of shapes is virtually unlimited. vombaur manufactures 3D fabrics for composites in individual special shapes from carbon, aramid, glass or hybrids. Curves, edges, tubulars, spiral fabrics – the shape of the 3D fabrics, like the material itself, depends entirely on the task at hand. Powder or non-woven coatings create additional important properties.

Pioneering tech tex
"Developments in the field of modern mobility are happening at a rapid pace," emphasizes Schliefer. "With our composite textiles for extremely lightweight and high tenacity components, we at vombaur are also pushing these developments forward."

• Finnish coating and gelcoat manufacturer Finnester strengthens its activities in the D-A-CH region with AMAC

As of September 15th 2020, the Finland-based coating and gelcoat manufacturer Finnester Coatings Oy strengthens its activities in German speaking countries, the so-called D- A-CH region, comprising Germany, Austria and Switzerland with Dr. Michael Effing from AMAC.

Finnester is a pioneer in developing high-quality coatings and gelcoat for both urface spread as well as flame and thermal insulation of composite solutions in different fields of industries. Their portfolio comprises products based on Polyester coatings for fire and thermal protection as well as ceramifying polymers like HybridRED, compliant with the requirements of the standards e.g. EN45545-2. In
order to develop new business opportunities in the D-A-CH region for the endmarkets building and infrastructure, transportation, marine, industrial and electrical industries, Finnester is cooperating with AMAC to accelerate the process of locating suitable partnerships.

Ari Hokkanen, CEO of Finnester: “Finnester has developed unique high-quality coatings. The cooperation with AMAC will accelerate our growth ambitions and supports us in finding new business opportunities. We are happy to benefit from AMAC and Dr. Effing’s long-term experience as a pioneer in the composites industry and his high-quality network along the entire value chain.” Dr. Effing, CEO of AMAC GmbH confirms: “Fire-retardant coatings are very important to the composites industry in order to be successful especially in rail, fast ferry and building & infrastructure applications with their tough fire standards. The DACH region represents more than 30 % of the European market and is the key target for Finnester. I am looking forward to supporting Finnester with their unique offerings and connecting them with key players in the D-A-CH region.”

Following the successful commissioning of two new Monforts Montex wide-width stenter lines and additional environmental management equipment at its plant in Germany, GtA – Society for Textile Equipment GmbH – is aiming to be the first textile finishing company to become entirely CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025.

GtA is a partner company to Germany’s large-format digital printing fabric leader, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, which has has this year been able to considerably expand its portfolio due to the new Monforts lines.

Headquartered in Gross-Zimmern, close to Frankfurt, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH and its partners in Germany have an annual production of 37 million square metres of warp knits for a range of end-use applications, including garments, automotive interiors and technical textiles, but increasingly with a concentration on digital printing substrates.

Fault-free textiles

A new standard in pure white, 100% clean and fault-free textile substrates has been demanded by this market in recent years due to the rapid growth in digitally-printed banners and billboards – often referred to as ‘soft signage’.

The substrates of choice for digital printing are 100% polyester warp knits which are resilient and allow excellent take-up of inks, and vibrant colours and clear and precise images to be achieved with digital printing techniques. The knitted construction also has the advantage of elasticity, which is a plus in terms of flexibility for installers.

Critically, the warp knitted fabrics have extremely smooth surfaces which is becoming increasingly important due to the general move away from PVC coatings which were the standard in the past.

It was to finish these fabrics for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH as well as providing such services for many other customers, that the GtA plant in Neresheim, Baden-Württemberg, was established in 2015.

The purpose-built plant on a greenfield site was initially equipped with a fully-automated, 72 metre long Monforts installation comprising a washing machine integrated with a 3.6 metre wide, seven-chamber Montex stenter. The line quickly went from single to double shift production and then to 24/7 operation  to meet demand.

Expanded widths

Building on the success of this installation, GtA has now installed two more Montex stenter lines – both in expanded working widths of 5.6 metres and purpose-built at Montex GmbH in Austria.

A six-chamber Montex unit is combined with a washing machine to guarantee the purity of the substrates, while a five-chamber line is integrated with a wide-width coating machine. This new coating capability at GtA has led to a number of new additions to the Georg and Otto Friedrich DecoTex range for digital printing, including wide width fabrics with flame retardant, antimicrobial and non-slip finishes.

The new Montex stenter lines benefit from all of the latest innovations from Monforts, including the Smart Sensor system for the optimised maintenance planning of key mechanical wear components on the stenters. A comprehensive overview of the condition of all parts at any time is now available for operators within the highly intuitive Qualitex visualization software.

With Qualitex, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

Environmental commitment

GtA is run by a seasoned team of textile professionals led by Managing Director Andreas Niess.

“We have received excellent service from Monforts from the outset and we were happy to place the order for these two new lines as part of our ongoing cooperation,” he says. “With all of the latest Monforts advances in technology we are fully in control of all production and quality parameters with these lines, as part of our significant commitment to innovative environmental technology.”

The GtA plant, which operates in near-cleanroom conditions, has also been equipped with proprietary technology to fully exploit the Monforts air-to-air heat recovery systems that are now standard with Montex stenters.

“Around 30 per cent of our investment volume at the site goes to energy-saving measures and we are sure that this commitment is worthwhile,” Mr Niess says. “As an example, our integrated heat recovery system fully exploits the waste heat from the process exhaust air and the burner exhaust gases of the Monforts stenters, allowing us to achieve an exhaust air temperature of  between 30 to 34°C, compared to what would conventionally be between 140 to 160°C. Another focus has been on exhaust air purification technology and here too, the latest technology has been installed with integrated heat recovery elements.”

This, he adds, saves 52% of the energy that would normally be used – equating to 5,800,000 KwH per year. The necessary audits for energy-efficient companies are also carried out annually.

In addition, GtA has purpose-designed the automatic chemical mixing and dosing systems that feed the padders for the key treatments that are carried out on the fabrics through the stenters.

The company is going further, however, in its pursuit of clean production and raw materials.

"We want to be an asset and not a burden on our immediate environment and therefore do not use any additives containing solvents," Mr Niess says. “We were the first to use fully halogen-free flame retardant chemistry, and we use bio-based, finely ground alumina products for the washing process instead of surfactants. PES polyester yarns made from recycled material are also increasingly used and the latest additions to our raw materials portfolio, the RC-Ocean products, are made from recycled sea plastic.

“We are now planning a combined heat and power plant for the production of electrical energy and heat and we will also build a photovoltaic system that converts solar radiation into electrical energy. GtA wants to be the first textile finishing company to be CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025. The complete heat supply and heating for the 13,000 square metre production hall, as well as the office building and the hot water supply for the domestic water, is already energy-neutral. We are convinced that this commitment will pay off in the long term and our positive business development proves that sustainability and business profitability are perfectly compatible.”

In addition to the products for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, GtA  offers its manufacturing capacities for other customers as a contract service.

All products are manufactured in accordance with Öko-Tex Standard 100, product class 1 and the company is also involved in the research and development of new sustainable manufacturing processes, in cooperation with many regional universities and funding project partners.

Monforts has recently been involved in a number of R&D trials aimed at improving the performance of the fishing cage nets employed in fish farming operations at its Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

The cultivation of both freshwater and saltwater fish populations under controlled conditions is a global industry valued at around $200 billion annually and only made possible with the use of huge aquaculture nets.

Biofouling
“These nets are very prone to biofouling and to avoid its negative impacts, high-pressure robotic jets are now used to clean them,” explains Monforts Head of Technical Textiles Jürgen Hanel. “Net cleaning is expensive and can also damage current antifouling coatings on the nets, causing contamination as well as fish health and welfare risks.
The development of more effective antifouling coatings for fishing cage nets has been one aspect of R&D work at the Monforts ATC, while the use of how alternative fibres could potentially be coated or finished to replace the polyamide which is currently most widely used has also been explored.
The issue of plastics and synthetic fibres in the oceans has generated global media attention recently, and the aquaculture industry is exploring all avenues that will lead to more sustainable practices.

Expansions
Since its opening in 2013, over €3 million has been invested in equipment at the Monforts ATC, which over an area of 1,200 square metres houses two full finishing lines, engineered to accommodate an extremely diverse range of processes, in addition to a Thermex range for the continuous dyeing of denim.

As the countdown to the 2018 edition of Cinte Techtextil China enters its last two months, the final exhibitor line-up is starting to take shape. A number of leading international and Chinese brands across the fair’s 12 product application areas will feature at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 4 – 6 September, with an expected 500-plus total exhibitors from around 20 countries & regions set to feature.

Nonwovens exhibitor highlights

As the fair’s largest product category, buyers have a wide range of domestic and overseas brands to source from, including:

• Johns Manville (US): who will showcase their polyester spunbond, PP & PBT meltblown, glass fibre nonwoven, micro glass fibre nonwoven, hybrid nonwoven, glass fibre needle mat and glass microfibre product lines among others at the fair.
•  J.H. Ziegler (Germany): with over 150 years’ expertise and their own production plant in China, they offer products for acoustic absorption in automotive interiors and exteriors, nonwoven foam composites for leather lamination, needle-punched nonwovens, foam nonwoven composites, laminated nonwovens and natural-fibre nonwovens.
• KOBE-cz (Czech Republic): a new exhibitor to the fair, their nonwoven fabrics, mainly made from glass fibre with temperature resistance up to 800°C, are used for high-temperature isolation in the automotive, marine, energy and building industries. They also have isolation materials made from natural fibres including hemp, wool, cotton and flax.
• TDF Nonwovens (China): one of the leading domestic brands, their specialties are polyester spunbond geotextiles, polyester filament roofing carriers, filter nonwovens, high-strength coarse denier polypropylene spunbond geotextiles and medical & health nonwovens.
• Kingsafe (China): they specialise in the production of fusible interlining and nonwoven fabrics for high-end garments.

Yarn & fibre exhibitor highlights

• Perlon (Germany): has developed a PET based monofilament, HighGrip, which guarantees long-lasting efficiency of conveyor belts, and is available in various types with different tribological characteristics, which they will feature at the fair.
• Sateri (China): is a global leader in viscose rayon made from 100% dissolving wood pulp, and the largest maker of viscose fibre in China. Their natural and high-quality fibre, made from trees grown on renewable plantations, can be found in textiles and skin-friendly hygiene products.
• Cordenka (Germany): producers of industrial rayon, their product range covers rayon tire cord, yarn, single-end dipped cord, short-cut fibre and more.
• EMS-Griltech (Switzerland): will showcase a range of technical fibres & yarns and thermoplastic adhesives at the fair.
• Barnet (Germany): several finished products (nonwovens, spun yarns and fabrics) made with their specialty fibre will be on display at the fair, including OPAN, para-aramid and carbon filament fibres. The application of their specialty fibre in flame retardant and anti-cut gloves and felts will be shown at their booth for the first time.

Coated textiles & solutions exhibitor highlights

• Stahl (the Netherlands): the Dutch company will present new products from their water repellent and flame retardant ranges at this year’s fair. According to the company, as the Chinese government continues its efforts to clean up the environment, eco-friendly chemicals remain in strong demand in the country.
• Sioen (Belgium): will showcase sign materials, truck tarpaulins, tents, membrane fabrics, apparel products, chemicals and specialty products such as inflatable boat fabrics, pool liners and more at Cinte 2018.
• ROWA Lack (Germany): a new exhibitor at this year’s fair, they will present their special lacquer systems and top coatings.
• Trelleborg (Sweden): also a new exhibitor, they will display engineered textiles, especially in the fields of outdoor, medical, protective and automotive.
• FPC Technical Textile (Saudi Arabia): another first-time participant at the fair, they will showcase a range of high-end specialty fabrics including PVC coated fabrics and fibre glass PTFE fabrics.
• Zhejiang Jinda New Materials (China): this supplier is known for its coated textiles for industrial, transportation and building uses, as well as warp knitted geo-synthetic materials and printable coated materials for advertisements.

Lenzing to showcase its new VEOCEL nonwovens specialty brand at the fair

First announced in June this year, and featuring at Cinte Techtextil, Lenzing’s new VEOCEL brand is billed as a premium range of nonwovens fibres for daily care, which “provides the nonwovens industry with fibres that are certified clean and safe, biodegradable, from botanic origin and produced in an environmentally responsible production process.” Products in this range can be applied to a multitude of uses including baby care, beauty and body care, intimate care and surface cleaning, under the VEOCEL Beauty, VEOCEL Body, VEOCEL Intimate and VEOCEL Surface brands.

As a global leader in the chemical industry, SABIC will present its full Fluids product portfolio at IESD, the leading surfactants and detergents show for China and Asia, in Shanghai, April 24 -26.

SABIC Specialties provides high value, technologically advanced chemical derivatives for use in a wide range of applications. Employed as surfactants, detergents, emulsifiers, emollients and thickeners for consumer products ranging from cosmetic and personal care, home care and pharmaceuticals, to industrial products like textiles, paints and coatings. Additionally, these products find their way into industrial uses such as specialty lubricants, crop protection, and oil & gas applications.

A key aspect of SABIC Specialties Fluids business - not only within China, but for the broader Asia region - is its ability to deliver the added value only a dedicated, local team with stocked inventory and flexible packaging options, can supply. In addition to local team know-how and readiness, SABIC’s Chinese operations are supported by a global team with significant expertise and production facilities around the globe. Focused on creating the right balance of properties and performance to meet the ever-increasing needs of consumers and industry, SABIC works closely with specifiers and formulators to develop vital constituents for game changing products.

At IESD SABIC will be introducing SAPEG 400 PH, its new pharma grade PEG400, conforming to USP-NF monograph and manufactured to EXCiPACT Good Manufacturing Practices of pharmaceutical excipients. It is used in liquid preparations as a viscosity modifier, in ointment and suppository bases as a melting point regulator, moisturizer and lubricant and in the preservation of pathological specimens. It can be used in the manufacturing of creams, lotions, toothpastes and in soaps as a humectant.

“SABIC Specialties has long been a pioneer in developing innovative chemicals and polymers to support the production of the latest and most advanced domestic and industrial applications”, said Eric Jaarda, Senior Manager, Fluids Marketing Global at SABIC Specialties. “We are proud to present some of our most advanced and versatile offerings at this year’s IESD in Shanghai and to demonstrate our commitment to the Chinese and broader Asian market.”

In addition to SAPEG 400 PH, SABIC will also be showcasing the following:

• Natural Fatty Alcohol (C12-14) Ethoxylates (SABIC® SABICOL L2/L3/L7/L9) - both colorless and odourless, this is a range of versatile non-ionic surfactants. Supplied as liquids or as a paste, they are efficient water in oil emulsifiers and readily biodegradable.
• Synthetic Alcohol (Isodecyl and Isotridecyl Alcohol) Ethoxylates (SABIC® SABICOL DA5/DA7/TA5/TA6/TA7/TA8/TA9) - a series of fast wetting, low odor and biodegradable non-ionic surfactants.
• Castor Oil Ethoxylates (SABIC® SABICOL EL30/40/55) - supplied in liquid form or as a paste, they are completely miscible in water and many organic solvents. Non-toxic and non-irritant, they are employed as emulsifiers in both domestic and industrial applications.
• Polyethyleneglycols (SAPEG200/300/400/600) - consisting of a distribution of polymers of varying molecular weights, these are colorless and odorless liquids. Non-toxic and non-irritant, they are used as humectants, lubricants, solvents and viscosity modifiers in a range of applications.