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(c) DOMO Chemicals
29.04.2022

DOMO Chemicals expands production capacity of TECHNYL® polyamide in China

  • The first year of TECHNYL® in China under the DOMO brand name; DOMO will be pushing forward its expansion plan of high-performance polyamides in China
  • Continued innovation in engineered nylon materials for a sustainable future

DOMO Chemicals announced a long-term investment plan in China to continue expanding its production capacity of TECHNYL® high-performance polyamides. This plan aims to meet growing demand in the automotive, electrical & electronics, and industrial consumer goods industries, and help build a sustainable future. DOMO Chemicals acquired Solvay's Performance Polyamides business in 2020 and has sold the TECHNYL® products globally since February 1, 2022, including in China, one of the company's key strategic markets.

  • The first year of TECHNYL® in China under the DOMO brand name; DOMO will be pushing forward its expansion plan of high-performance polyamides in China
  • Continued innovation in engineered nylon materials for a sustainable future

DOMO Chemicals announced a long-term investment plan in China to continue expanding its production capacity of TECHNYL® high-performance polyamides. This plan aims to meet growing demand in the automotive, electrical & electronics, and industrial consumer goods industries, and help build a sustainable future. DOMO Chemicals acquired Solvay's Performance Polyamides business in 2020 and has sold the TECHNYL® products globally since February 1, 2022, including in China, one of the company's key strategic markets.

The global demand for polyamide materials is currently booming at a CAGR of up to 3 percent. The adoption of new energy vehicles (including pure electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles) is expected to reach 45 percent globally by 2030, and automakers are increasingly using sustainable materials to make components, which are key growth drivers of the polyamide market. In addition, the demand for miniaturized circuit breakers, contactors, plug switches, and other components in the electrical and electronics and industrial consumer goods industries further opens up the application potential for polyamide materials.

DOMO Chemicals will continue to expand the capacity of its production site in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, which has been planned to be gradually introduced in three stages:

  • Since March 2022, an additional 6,000 tons of capacity has been made available, with the plant achieving the total capacity of 14,000 tons of PA6 from April onwards.
  • A 35,000-ton new plant in Haiyan is planned to be completed in the third quarter of 2023, in which DOMO Chemicals has invested more than 14 million euros (97 million yuan).
  • Going forward, DOMO Chemicals will further expand the plant, gradually increasing its capacity to 50,000 tons.

In addition to the expansion, the plant will also use renewable energy wherever possible, adopt advanced water and air treatment technologies to reduce water consumption and CO2 emissions, and fully comply with Health, Safety and Environmental Management System (HSE) regulations. DOMO Chemicals will improve HSE compliance continuously and work closely with the local government, while partnering with key local and global customers to accelerate innovation and development across a wide range of industries.

TECHNYL® has been committed to helping customers improve their low-carbon competitiveness since its very first year in China. It allows OEMs and component makers in the automotive, electrical & electronics, and industrial consumer goods segments to create lightweight, durable, aesthetically pleasing, smart and environmentally-friendly products.

Source:

DOMO Chemicals / Marketing Solutions NV

Photo: JEC Group
26.04.2022

The Winners of the 2022 JEC Composites Innovation Awards

Each year, since its creation more than 20 years ago, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate successful projects and cooperation between players of the composites industry. The competition has especially shined a light on some 203 companies and 499 partners, awarding them for the excellence of their composite innovations.

The ceremony took place on April 26th in Paris. Highlighted by the presence of jury members, finalists and winners but most importantly, as it was livestreamed, the gathering of many people all around the world to watch the awaited results.

The enthusiasm for the Innovation Awards, exactly 7 days prior to JEC World, is a good sign of the industry’s eagerness to get back together and ensure the future of composites innovation.

Each year, since its creation more than 20 years ago, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate successful projects and cooperation between players of the composites industry. The competition has especially shined a light on some 203 companies and 499 partners, awarding them for the excellence of their composite innovations.

The ceremony took place on April 26th in Paris. Highlighted by the presence of jury members, finalists and winners but most importantly, as it was livestreamed, the gathering of many people all around the world to watch the awaited results.

The enthusiasm for the Innovation Awards, exactly 7 days prior to JEC World, is a good sign of the industry’s eagerness to get back together and ensure the future of composites innovation.

  • Aerospace Application
    Diab (Sweden): 100% thermoplastic panel for cabin interiors
  • Aerospace – Process
    MTorres Disenos Industriales S.A.U. (Spain): Innovative Infusion Airframe Manufacturing System
  • Automotive & road transportation – Structural
    Jaguar Land Rover Limited (UK): TUCANA
  • Automotive & road transportation – Surfaces
    AUDI AG (Germany): Seamless Integration of Flexible Solar Film in FRP
  • Building & Civil Engineering
    Windesheim (Netherlands): Structural Re-Use of Thermoset Composites
  • Design, Furniture and Home
    Kairos (France): Kairlin®, a new recyclable & compostable material
  • Equipment and Machinery
    Fibraworks GmbH (Germany): Winding the future – fibraforce technology
  • Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding
    Voith Composites SE & Co. KG (Germany): Marine Rotor Blades made of Voith ‘Carbon4Stack’
  • Renewable Energy
    Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (Denmark): RecyclableBlade
  • Sports, Leisure & Recreation
    Bcomp Ltd. (Switzerland): Eco-joint from thermoset race and thermoplast road
Source:

JEC Group

03.02.2022

The 2022 JEC Composites Innovation Awards: Official Finalists line up

Première Vision - Each year, since its creation more than 20 years ago, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate successful projects and cooperation between players of the composite industry.
The competition has especially shined a light on some 203 companies and 499 partners, awarding them for the excellence of their composite innovations.

After pre-selection of the finalists, one winner is selected in each category:

  • Aerospace – Application
  • Aerospace – Process
  • Automotive & road transportation – surface
  • Automotive & road transportation – structural
  • Building & Civil Engineering
  • Design, Furniture & Home
  • Equipment & Machinery
  • Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding
  • Sports, Leisure & Recreation
  • Renewable Energy

The international jury representing the entire composites value chain includes:

Première Vision - Each year, since its creation more than 20 years ago, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate successful projects and cooperation between players of the composite industry.
The competition has especially shined a light on some 203 companies and 499 partners, awarding them for the excellence of their composite innovations.

After pre-selection of the finalists, one winner is selected in each category:

  • Aerospace – Application
  • Aerospace – Process
  • Automotive & road transportation – surface
  • Automotive & road transportation – structural
  • Building & Civil Engineering
  • Design, Furniture & Home
  • Equipment & Machinery
  • Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding
  • Sports, Leisure & Recreation
  • Renewable Energy

The international jury representing the entire composites value chain includes:

  • Michel COGNET, Chairman of the Board, JEC Group
  • Christophe BINETRUY, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, EC Nantes
  • Kiyoshi UZAWA, Professor/Director, Innovative Composite Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology
  • Jiming Sung HA, Professor, Hanyang University
  • Brian KRULL, Global Director of Innovation, Magna Exteriors Inc
  • Karl-Heinz FULLER, Manager Future Outside Materials, Mercedes Benz AG
  • Deniz KORKMAZ, CTO, Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS
  • Henry SHIN, Head of Center, K-CARBON
  • Véronique MICHAUD, Associate Professor/ Director, EPFL – Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites
  • Alan BANKS, Lightweight Innovations Manager, Ford Motor Company
  • Enzo CRESCENTI, Technical Authority and Composite Expert, Airbus

Discover the finalists in each category here.

Source:

JEC Group

Digitak services always in fashion with Mimaki sublimation and direct printing (c) Mimaki
Filippo Taccani, founder and owner at Digitak, in the company’s production department, surrounded by an arsenal of Mimaki’s printing solutions.
01.07.2020

Digitak services always in fashion with Mimaki sublimation and direct printing

  • Specialised in dye-sublimation printing, the Italian company has conquered the heights of the high fashion sector with its top-quality printed fabrics.
  • With its recent investment in a direct-to-fabric printing line, Digitak is preparing to expand its range of printed products, focusing on fabric differentiation.

Dye sublimation printing of high fashion designs is the beating heart of Digitak, an Italian company specialised in digital textile printing. Operating in the textile district of Lombardy, Italy, the company has established itself among the main suppliers in the world of high fashion and sportswear in just under 15 years.

  • Specialised in dye-sublimation printing, the Italian company has conquered the heights of the high fashion sector with its top-quality printed fabrics.
  • With its recent investment in a direct-to-fabric printing line, Digitak is preparing to expand its range of printed products, focusing on fabric differentiation.

Dye sublimation printing of high fashion designs is the beating heart of Digitak, an Italian company specialised in digital textile printing. Operating in the textile district of Lombardy, Italy, the company has established itself among the main suppliers in the world of high fashion and sportswear in just under 15 years.

Making production versatility one of the cornerstones of its philosophy, Digitak has continued to invest in technology, as well as research and development its product portfolio. This forward-thinking approach has enabled the company to guarantee innovative, personalised products with meticulous attention to detail, with the highest – almost obsessive – standards of quality and maximum design flexibility. Over the years, the extensive experience gained by the company’s management in the field of sublimation with traditional and digital techniques, combined with their investment decisions have allowed Digitak to enhance its production performance, gradually implementing higher quality standards and differentiating itself from the competition in the complex and competitive sector of high fashion. An important feat, which has not, however, dampened its enthusiasm and willingness to continue growing and exceeding its goals. The company’s latest investment in a direct-to-fabric digital printing line with pigment ink propels the company into a new and promising production dimension.

Sublimation printing specialists

Since Digitak’s establishment, Filippo Taccani, the founder and current owner of the company, had set himself a clear and ambitious objective: “I wanted to take up the challenge of operating digitally - printing fabrics using this innovative technology to create products on a par with those  I had achieved with traditional sublimation textile printing methods during my previous work experience.”

The purchase of a Mimaki JV4 plotter, one of the first to be installed in Italy, marked the beginning of Digitak’s adventure. “To start the business, I needed a printing system that could operate with dispersed inks to print on polyester and I found the JV4 to be the best option,” explains Taccani. “It was an excellent decision, because I used these plotters to build the company and its success.”

The first Mimaki plotter was in fact followed by a second and a third. When it bought the fifth, the company moved to an industrial unit in Tradate (Varese) – Digitak’s current site – which now houses around fifteen Mimaki JV33 plotters, in addition to three Mimaki TS500-1800 wide-format sublimation printers, and a Mimaki TS300P-1800 high-speed sublimation printer. This Mimaki powered production facility – which is one of the company’s core strengths – was recently expanded with the addition of a Mimaki TX300P-1800B belt-type hybrid printing system, together with a Mimaki TR300-1850C textile coater and a Mimaki Tiger-1800.

“Naturally, over the years, we have also tested printing systems from other suppliers, but we have always returned to Mimaki. With high fashion as our key market, we need to guarantee our customers the highest levels of quality and, to date, we have never found solutions that beat the quality of this Japanese brand’s technology.”

According to Taccani, the difference lies in the “calligraphy” of Mimaki’s machines, that is the line of the ink on the fabric: “Unlike its competitors, Mimaki has focused on the ‘waveforms’, i.e. the electronics associated with the print heads. This attention paid to the way the ink jet is managed from the print head has allowed Mimaki to achieve unparalleled levels of accuracy, an aspect that has given my company a clear competitive edge.”

Moreover, at Digitak, quality comes before quantity: “We prefer to dedicate an extra day to production to guarantee the customer a final product that fully meets requirements and expectations. Mimaki’s technology not only suits this business model bult on top quality, but it crucially enables it.”

Operational and creative flexibility

Digitak currently prints around 2,000 linear metres of fabric per day. Its portfolio ranges from clothing and scarves, to beach and swimwear, with related personalised accessories, to sportswear, with technical properties such as breathability, comfort, resistance to external agents. The company have even added customised outdoor furniture to their offering of diverse and creative products.
The company’s machines operate continuously, 24/7. During the day, the machines are mainly used to develop and produce samples and colour proofs, while the actual production is carried out at night. “Thanks to our technology, we have developed an extraordinary operational flexibility. The fact that we have so many plotters allows us to work on multiple designs at the same time and to launch projects that are also very different from one another,” explains Taccani. “There are also some other crucial factors that have contributed, and continue to contribute, to increasing our production efficiency. The reliability of Mimaki’s solutions and the remote monitoring option offered is key. Once the standard start-up monitoring has been carried out and the machines are found to be printing correctly, we can let them work overnight without an operator. This is a great benefit for people who, like us, manage such a large and diverse fleet of machines.”

Digitak takes the same approach to customer service. Faced with an increasingly demanding market in terms of creativity, precision and completeness of service, the company wants to guarantee flexibility and customisation. “We decided to set up a department dedicated to the pre-press stage, in charge of preparing and checking the files supplied by customers. Seldom do our teams not need to do some editing of the files supplied, even if it’s only to make small changes that are essential for the print document to be as suitable as possible and to achieve the best final result.”

Technologies of the future

With a view to further enhancing production and customer service, Taccani has chosen to take on a new challenge, switching things up with some of the most recent investments.

While maintaining the focus on dye sublimation printing, Taccani has focused on technological diversification by installing a direct-to-fabric digital printing line. This consists of a Mimaki TX300P-1800B printing system with pigment inks and a TR300-1850C coater from Mimaki’s TR series. “The market continues to evolve and now requires even more flexibility regarding both processes and the fabrics supplied. This means that great opportunities exist for a print shop capable of simultaneously producing the same design – with minimal colour adjustment – on different fabrics, guaranteeing similar and accurate results. And this is precisely the path we are taking,” says Taccani. “Why have we opted for Mimaki again? Well, I had an opportunity to try out their new pigment inks and I immediately realised that they are a generation ahead of the other pigments available on the market. The cyan is very clean, the black is deep and there is a very interesting fullness of colour, suitable not only for furnishings, but also for other applications in the clothing sector.”

With its pigment inks, the new direct-to-fabric printing line allows Digitak to explore other related market segments. Thanks to the innovative automatic belt system, the TX300P-1800B guarantees good productivity and high-quality results. A standard of quality that is also boosted by the TR300-1850C fabric pre-treatment system: “This coater is essential for ensuring the best possible preparation of fabrics for printing. In fact, we are able to treat fabrics to make them suitable for the type of print they are intended for, sanitise them for specific applications and, in some cases, even dye them, with excellent quality.”

According to Taccani, another beneficial factor of direct-to-fabric pigment printing technology is the eco-sustainability of the process and its lower environmental impact. “We are proud to be able to offer our customers excellent printing results using little water and printing in ‘green mode’, with both the technologies we have available. I consider them winning technologies for the future, as both dye sublimation printing and direct-to-fabric printing with pigment inks use little water while mainly requiring the use of energy. Therefore, if you use renewable energy, then you’re done.”

Digitak’s other trump card is the Tiger-1800 installed in 2019. With this industrial printing system, the company aims to increase production volumes while maintaining its high-quality standards and further optimising costs. “We are excited to have these promising technologies available to us in-house. We are currently experimenting with these solutions, testing new opportunities and evaluating which paths to take to stay ahead of the game,” concludes Taccani.

 

Source:

Mimaki Europe B.V.