From the Sector

• AFRY engineering partner when Renewcell expands operations to lead the fashion industry into a sustainable and circular future

Renewcell has awarded AFRY an engineering assignment for their recycled textile materials production expansion at SCA's Ortviken paper mill in Sundsvall, Sweden. The assignment includes project and construction management services, process, mechanical and piping engineering, electrical, automation and instrumentation engineering, fire and HVAC design, as well as civil design. The project is a continuation of AFRY's previous feasibility studies.

The trend in textiles and design requires sustainable fashion. Customers require fashion companies to reduce their environmental impact through new technologies and innovations for the circular economy. One important element is recycling of textile fibers that is a path towards a more sustainable fashion.

Renewcell is a multi-award-winning textile recycling company based in Sweden. The company’s vision is to inspire an Industrial Evolution towards a sustainable world by producing high quality materials from recycled textiles. “There is a way to put fashion first without putting the environment in second place” – Renewcell describes their business concept. With their technology, the company has succeeded in recycling and regenerating textile fiber from old clothes to turn into new clothes. For example, H&M, a partner of Renewcell, has launched a garment that is half made with Renewcell’s fabric.

Today, Renewcell has a demo plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden, with the possibility to recycle over 4,500 tons of textiles each year. The company has now signed a major agreement with one of the world's largest producers of viscose fiber. With that as a basis, together with a well-proven process and technology, they are now building a full-scale production plant in Sundsvall, Sweden. When the new plant is ready for production, it will have the capacity to recycle 60,000 tons of textile waste annually, which is just over half of Sweden's annual textile consumption. The new plant is expected to be commissioned in 2022.

“We are pleased to continue the partnership with AFRY, which began with the feasibility study they delivered in 2020. With AFRY, we feel secure in having a partner with both world-leading expertise and the ability to deliver projects on time and within budget. Together, we lead the fashion industry into a sustainable and circular future,” says Christer Johansson, Project Director at Renewcell.

“We are extremely proud to be part of Renewcell’s investment. We are excited to contribute in this transition towards more sustainable solutions for the future and look forward to continue this journey together with Renewcell,” says Ulf Strenger, Business Unit Manager at AFRY.

• CHIC Shanghai, March 17 to 19, 2021 (due to new regulation to control the infection rate)
• 905 exhibitors are present at CHIC
• Parallel: CHIC ONLINE as a digital platform with upgrade of the CHIC
• APP
• CHIC GARDEN: puts fashion and sustainability in the limelight

The CHIC spring event takes place from March 17th to 19th under strict hygiene guidelines in the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai parallel to Intertextile Shanghai, Yarn Expo and PH Value.

The Chinese economy has recovered again after the pandemic in China and already reached pre-crisis level with 6.5% growth in the fourth quarter of 2020. McKinsey estimates are a 5 to 10% growth in sales in China in 2021 compared to 2019. Thanks to good sales in China, the fashion luxury brands in particular have been able to improve their sales figures. But also regarding online trade, Chinese ecommerce sales were in first place worldwide for the eighth year in a row. The average per capita income of consumers rose by 3.8% last year.

905 exhibitors and 932 brands will present themselves on site at CHIC. Around 95,000 trade visitors from all retail areas, including all relevant online sales platforms, are expected. The CHIC's online and live streaming events, which run parallel to the trade fairs, have recorded an average of 150,000 clicks on each show since April last year.

CHIC Garden
China is to become climate neutral by 2060, which of course also affects the fashion sector. Overall, the awareness of Chinese consumers has developed even more towards high-quality, sustainable collections. In their "State of Fashion 2021" report, McKinsey & BoF analyze the awareness development in China that consumers and producers are increasingly recognizing the importance of joint efforts by all participants in the value chain to work together in order to achieve sustainability in the fashion industry.

The CHIC flagship event visualizes this topic with the "CHIC Garden" theme. With the help of garden design experts, the fair is transformed into an inspiring garden paradise that reflects closeness to nature and the appreciation of natural resources.

As an exception, the CHIC autumn event, CHIC Shanghai will take place in August this year (25th to 27th August 2021).

2020 financial year: operating profit thanks to profitable second half-year Due to the pandemic-related decline in global vehicle production, Autoneum's revenue in local currencies decreased by –18.7% in 2020. Thanks to a global cost reduction program and improvements from the turnaround program in North America, Autoneum achieved an EBIT margin of 1.6%. Furthermore, the significantly increased free cash flow of CHF 112.5 million enabled a substantial reduction in net debt (excluding lease liabilities) of CHF –63.3 million.

2020 was marked by the coronavirus pandemic and its massive impact on the global economy. Worldwide lockdowns and production stoppages at vehicle manufacturers had drastic consequences for the entire automobile industry and Autoneum in the first half of the year. Although the market recovered in the second half-year, the number of vehicles produced for the year as a whole remained well below the level of the previous year. Thanks to prompt adjustment of the cost structure to the reduced market volume and improvements achieved during the turnaround in North America, Autoneum nevertheless managed to generate an operating profit in 2020 in an extremely difficult and volatile market environment.

Please find more details in attached PDF file.

• Partner to Enable Sustainable Microbe- and Odor-Resistant Textiles
• Huntsman Now Delivers Complete End-to-End System for Protection Effects

SINGAPORE – Huntsman Textile Effects and Sciessent have entered into a strategic partnership to bring revolutionary antimicrobial and odor-control solutions to textile mills and brands worldwide. As consumers around the world begin paying more attention to health and hygiene, Huntsman Textile Effects and Sciessent will cooperate to help mills and brands deliver active wear, outerwear, home textiles and other products with long-lasting protection against microbial growth and odor. Huntsman Textile Effects will also become the exclusive distribution partner of Sciessent’s Agion® Antimicrobial*, Lava XL® anti-odor solution, and dual-action Active XL®.

“Both Huntsman Textile Effects and Sciessent share a deep commitment to innovation, environmental sustainability and customer service. As partners, our joint goal is to offer the highest level of protection for textiles so that they stay fresher for longer,” said Rohit Aggarwal, President of Huntsman Textile Effects. “Huntsman Textile Effects now has one of the industry’s most complete end-to-end systems for high-performance protection effects, with a full range of innovative and sustainable protection and comfort technologies from pre-treatment to coloration and finishing.”

“Our presence in the global textile and apparel market has been rapidly expanding based on the strength of our solution set and reputation for delivering an exceptional customer experience,” said Sciessent CEO Paul C. Ford. “Through this partnership, we are both extending our reach to manufacturers and enhancing our offerings by coupling them with Huntsman Textile Effects’ broad range of innovative and sustainable protection technologies. It is a great opportunity for manufacturers to differentiate their products through the combined strength of our brands.”

Sciessent is recognized for the proven effectiveness and safety of its antimicrobial and anti-odor technologies throughout the global textile and apparel industry.

Sciessent Agion® Antimicrobial is the industry-leading antimicrobial solution. Designed with smart-release technology, it delivers long-lasting protection by releasing its active antimicrobial agents only when needed. It can be built-in or applied via padding, exhaust or package yarn to any textile alongside other functional finishes, dyes, inks and pre-treatments. Durable up to 100 home washes, Agion® is also customizable to meet brands’ performance and cost goals. Agion® Antimicrobial has been used on FDA-approved medical devices.*

Sciessent Lava XL® is a next-generation non-bioactive odor-control solution, ideal for sportwear and athleisure wear. While other odor-control technologies capture odors and release them during laundering, Lava XL®’s triple action technology utilizes zeolite minerals with a large surface area to capture, absorb and degrade odors as they pass through the fabric.

Sciessent Agion Active XL® combines the advanced dual technologies of Agion® Antimicrobial and Lava XL® to deliver outstanding odor protection. The antimicrobial fights odor-causing bacteria on the garment, while the odor-control solution captures odor generated by sweat on the skin. The result is that garments smell fresher for longer and sustain a high level of performance for more wears.

The Sciessent solutions are easily integrated into the finishing process and can be combined with a range of other finishes, including Huntsman Textile Effects’ durable water repellents and comfort systems to cost-effectively produce high-performance textile products that are safe and sustainable.

Huntsman Textile Effects and Sciessent both champion environmentally responsible products that help the textile industry meet its regulatory obligations and the expectations of the world’s most exacting brands and consumers. The Agion®, Lava XL® and Active XL® products are all bluesign® approved and listed on the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation ZDHC Gateway, complying with ZDHC Level 3 requirements.

*The Agion® Antimicrobial is presently registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a preservative and bacteriostatic agent for use in treated articles under 40 CFR 152.25a. The information presented herein is not intended to support or endorse public health claims for treated articles. The Agion® Antimicrobial is also used in medical devices under the Food and Drug Administration; those medical device claims are based on safety and efficacy testing and are limited to those approved by FDA.

Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), part of Barry-Wehmiller, has announced the launch of its ION digital conversion system.

This new flexible inkjet printing solution provides superior print quality for many platforms, including labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging and other specialty printing markets. With industry-leading 1600 by 1585 dpi native resolution, the system can print in various modes at speeds up to 668 feet per minute.

The ION digital conversion system is powered by Memjet’s DuraLink® technology. DuraLink combines long-life printheads, pigment ink and flexible modules that can be configured from 8.5-inch print widths up to 60 inches. DuraLink’s aqueous pigmented ink-set offers a durable, water and light-fast solution for a variety of digital print needs. With these features, PCMC can quickly and easily develop solutions for high-volume commercial, packaging and industrial printing markets.

The ION is a fully modular system and is available as a mono-color print-bar and full-color printing platform with expanded gamut printing.

“We are excited to add ION digital to our product portfolio,” said Rodney Pennings, PCMC’s Printing, Coating and Laminating Sales Director. “The combination of PCMC’s vast experience in flexographic printing with Memjet’s breakthrough inkjet technology results in a powerful solution for our customers in a variety of print and packaging markets.”

Flexibility, product uniformity and automation are the keys to success for coating businesses in today’s rapidly-changing technical textiles industry, explained Jürgen Hanel, Monforts Head of Technical Textiles, at the recent 1st World Congress on Textile Coating.

Introducing the latest Montex®Coat magnetic roller coating option to virtual delegates from around the world at the conference organised by International Newsletters, Hanel explained why this technology makes perfect sense now

“The magnetic roller system allows a wide range of coatings and finishes to be carried out, while being easy to handle for operators and much easier to clean at the end of the process,” he said. “It provides textile finishers with an expanded range of options due to the fully-adjustable positioning of the magnet within the roller and with four different magnet positions possible, can be set to operate both as a direct coating system and as an indirect coater.”

With traditional dip coating systems, he added, as well as with many standard knife coating technologies, there is always a difference in the tension between the centre and the edges of the wide width fabrics being treated – and hence the amount of pressure with which the coating is applied. With the use of a magnetic roller, equal pressure is applied across the full width of the fabric, with consistent results even at wide widths of over 2.4 metres. In addition, adjusting the roller surface, rather than changing the coating formulation to match the required add-on and viscosity for each coating effect required, leads to much higher output from the line.

Cleaner and less wasteful
The contribution of such flexible and resource-saving new technologies to a cleaner and less wasteful textile industry was a key theme at the congress – held virtually across the four afternoons of February 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th – as was digitalization and the many advantages it is providing.

“A typical integrated Monforts coating line is automated from the inlet feed to the winder,” Hanel told delegates. “Adjustments can also be made simply and easily from the touchscreen and with the new hand-held remote controller which has recently been introduced for the Montex®Coat unit.”

Manual adjustment, he added, is time consuming and needs the attention of an experienced operator or the reproducibility will not be accurate between coating operations. The adjustment by motors allows each coating to be stored and downloaded again for 100% reproducibility.

The motors can be fully controlled from the touchscreen and all necessary adjustments carried out remotely, making switching from one process to another extremely quick and easy.
The accuracy that is now being demanded by today’s most exacting customers is met with an optional carbon fibre roller – especially in dealing with the winding tension required in the processing of materials such as prepregs for composites and other heavyweight fabrics. Typical applications for the Montex®Coat include the finishing of tents and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments can all be accommodated.

“The World Congress on Textile Coating was characterised by some very stimulating presentations and forums between the speakers and a global audience of textile specialists,” Jürgen Hanel concluded. “It truly reflected the high level of positive changes now taking place in not just textile coating, but the entire textile industry. I look forward to the next edition, which hopefully will be a face-to-face event for even deeper level discussions and debate.”

Kornit Digitala announced Valencia, Spain-based Rafa’s Textiles has acquired a third Kornit Avalanche HD6 system for single-step, on-demand direct-to-garment (DTG) digital production, spurred by business growth resulting from increased e-commerce engagement in the past year.

Rafa’s Textiles personalizes t-shirts and all kinds of clothing with screen printing, direct (digital) printing, silkscreen transfer, sublimation, and embroidery, serving European-based B2B clients who sell via web stores, both integrated with Amazon and independently. There are no colour limitations, and handfeel and durability are retail-quality. On a typical day, they will handle 200-300 print-on-demand orders, though those numbers spike with key holidays; this past Christmas, for example, saw a peak of 1,300 orders in a single day. Regardless of volume, with digital production capabilities in house, these orders are printed individually within 24 hours and shipped directly to all customers.

For Rafa’s Textiles, implementing Kornit’s digital production technology was simply the best means to meeting the challenges and capitalizing on new opportunities of the e-commerce age. Sergio attributes his business’s success despite recent market disruptions to their focus on e-commerce, which aligns with buyers’ increased preference for web-based purchasing.

Tonello and RUDOLF HUB1922 join forces and unveil laser effects. The results: A much simplified, flexible and efficient process - based on latest technological advancements and highly conscious chemistry - that is finally able to replace questionable practices such as potassium permanganate spray.

THE Laser, the absolute Laser
The range that is the new benchmark for the entire sector. New software and a totally reinvented process that return higher precision, speed, flexibility and repeatability. Four models for a specific crafting and avant-garde functions like 360° marking technology, BOP for automatic drawing positioning and the new software CREA make THE Laser suitable and unique for advanced applications.

Laser Smoother (RUCO-SPECIAL LSM)
All-in-one formulation - very easy to pre-apply to garments before laser burning - that translates into a very natural image that is similar to what is created by hand. RUCO SPECIAL LSM amplifies the laser action, completely removes the grey/brow patina produced by the burning of cotton and last but not least, creates a micro-unevenness that simulates manual scraping and celebrates the fabric construction.

The combination of THE Laser and RUCO-SPECIAL LSM (ideally applied through CORE system) is a process that nothing adds to the usual way of working. It is a radical paradigm shift that takes the product directly to a dimension of real, highly sustainable craftsmanship:

• Remarkable enhancement of the fabric’s characteristics;
• Overall effect much more natural and similar to manual scraping;
• A better and more efficient way of working.

With their recently installed high-temperature unidirectional tape line, Japan-based composites manufacturer MaruHachi enables new opportunities for high-end applications in demanding market segments like aerospace, automotive or others outperforming traditional materials based on PP and PA which are already widely available.

In the first phase, MaruHachi will produce up to 40 tons/year and focuses now specifically on high-temperature thermoplastic uni-directional (UD) tapes and multi-layer sheet laminates. The material is based on high-performance fibers like carbon, aramid, glass or natural fibers and the matrix can be high-performance polymers like PPS, PEEK or other higher temperature polymers, which are much tougher than epoxies and easy to recycle. With a width of 500 mm, a specific weight from 60 to 350 g/m2, depending on the chosen material, the lines can operate under temperatures up to 420 degrees Celsius. Working under these extremely high temperatures allows for better material properties of the final application, higher performance, increased resistance and integrated high-performance functionalities e.g. by overmoulding.

Since 2017, MaruHachi Group is active in the European market in cooperation with Dr. Michael Effing,the CEO of AMAC GmbH, who advises and supports the company strategically. The established, family-owned MaruHachi Group has a strong history in automotive and medical textiles and has been active in the innovative composites market for more than 15 years.

Toshi Sugahara, CEO of MaruHachi: “For many years, we have already been cooperating with domestic and international partners on high-demand applications and therefore, MaruHachi decided now to invest over 1 million EUR in this new line in phase 1, including a funding participation from the Japanese government NEDO. New developments in phase 2 will be be undertaken by end of 2021 on the downstream technologies like the automated preforming and consolidation. With our new products, we want to contribute to significant weight reductions of the final products, thus improve energy efficiency while offering a cost-efficient and high-quality solution.”

Dr. Effing, CEO of AMAC GmbH confirms: „The focus on the niche of high-temperature products based on PPS and PEEK allows MaruHachi on very demanding high-end applications such as structural frames on space and aircrafts, aircraft seats or engine components etc. The tapes are fully recyclable and can be processed e.g. with high-speed with laser-based tape placement machines and robots.”

Hexcel announces its latest HexPly® XF surface technology that reduces shell manufacturing time within the wind blade surface finishing process. HexPly XF increases overall blade manufacturing efficiency by reducing time in the mold by up to two hours and by banishing surface defects that require rework before painting.

Hexcel’s HexPly XF surface technology has been formulated to address the limitations of current blade shell surfacing techniques whereby pinholes and other surface defects have to be repaired by hand to achieve the perfectly smooth surface required for painting.

HexPly XF surface technology introduces a new material format as the surface finishing layer, eliminating the need for a traditional in-mold gel coating process. HexPly® XF for infused rotor blades, is a lightweight non-woven semi-preg construction, comprising an epoxy resin matrix, that co-cures with standard epoxy infusion systems. The product has a successful track record in prepreg blades and has now been adapted for infusion processes.

Easy to handle and supplied in a ready to use roll form, HexPly XF can be quickly applied by hand or with semi-automated layup equipment. It features one self-adhesive, surface finishing side - indicated by a removable protective foil. This side of the prepreg is placed against a release agent treated mold surface. Once the material has been positioned, the lay-up of the blade shell structure can start immediately, and the laminate can be infused. After curing, the blade is de-molded with the manufacturer benefitting from a pinhole-free surface that needs minimal preparation before painting.

HexPly XF material is less than half the weight of a typical gel coat per square meter, reducing the overall weight of the blade. Additionally, the consistent areal weight and thickness of the prepreg film provide a completely uniform surface coating, ensuring blade weight distribution and balance are maintained, which is critical as rotor diameters continue to increase. With no need to handle or mix liquid chemicals as in the gel coat process, HexPly® XF also improves the health and safety working conditions on the shop floor.

The material has a shelf life of six weeks at ambient temperature, which also minimizes cold storage requirements and helps to reduce scrap.