From the Sector

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced three recipients for the INDA Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards. David Powling, Paul Latten, and Arnold Wilkie are being recognized for their key contributions to the advancement of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

David Powling and Paul Latten will receive their awards at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, June 18th beginning at 4:30 pm
Arnold Wilkie will receive his award at the RISE® Conference, October 1st at 4:30 pm.

The Award recipients are:

David Powling
David Powling has worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation for nearly 25 years and has been a contributor to the Wipes Task Force and Technical Committees at INDA and EDANA for over 15 years. Powling served as Chairman of the INDA Wipes Task Force from 2009-2013. His work on these committees include developing the first and second edition of the Flushability Guidance Document (GD) and he was later instrumental in the roll out of the third and fourth edition GDs. Throughout this time, Powling coordinated activities with Kimberly-Clark Corporation to provide critical supporting data, as these flushability test protocols were developed.

Powling has been actively involved in collection studies where he was key in framing the work packages of those studies, collating and analyzing the data, and drafting reports. These collection studies include: Moraga, CA (advisor); Maine – Part #1 and Part #2 (hands-on); Jacksonville (hands-on); and the Northern and Southern California studies in 2023, which combined, was the largest study to date. Powling led the charge in the California study and was personally involved in identifying 1,745 samples.

Powling has been a key technical contributor to the INDA Government Relation efforts that has resulted in labelling regulations in multiple U.S. states. He has also been an active participant in efforts to develop an ISO standard for flushable products.  In this effort, he was a test method sub-team leader during the preparation of the proposed ISO standard responsible for organizing appendices of existing flushability methodologies. Additionally, Powling has been awarded, or has pending, 25+ U.S. patents, including many covering the development of dispersible wet wipes.

Paul Latten
Paul Latten has been an active member of the nonwoven and fiber industries for over 35 years. Most recently he has led innovation at Southeast Nonwovens, commercializing more than 75 new nonwoven products per year. Prior to joining Southeast Nonwovens, Latten held senior leadership positions with Basofil, Consolidated Fibers, Invista, and KoSa (and Trevira and Hoechst Celanese precursors to KoSa.)

Latten has a successful career of reinvigorating company R&D efforts by instilling a focus on customer-centric innovation. He is an inventor of record for a number of patents and pending applications. Latten has given numerous presentations on innovative nonwoven materials, at events such as INDA’s World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, RISE® (Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics), the VISION International Conference, and the Converting and Bonding (CAB) Conference.

His recent innovations have been diverse in scope and include nonwovens for use in hydrogen fuel cells, moisture detection media, proprietary wipe designs, and natural fiber-based packaging. Aside from new fiber and nonwoven products, Latten has championed process innovation that has resulted in tangible output gains that broadened the market opportunity for his current and prior companies.

Latten’s portfolio of innovations has spanned across the nonwoven markets, often involving wetlaid and drylaid nonwovens. These include materials for moisture detection, synthetic papers, fuel cell cathodes, protective covers for treats, melamine nonwovens for surface treatment, and the development of binder fibers. His work also touched upon disposable hygiene applications entailing dry-laid web containing hollow synthetic fibers to improve absorbent core fluid uptake.

Latten has been a board member of INDA for multiple terms and served as Chairman in 2008-2010. Additionally, he has contributed to many INDA conference planning committees, helping drive the success of these events.

Arnold Wilkie
Arnold Wilkie has a distinguished career in advancing yarn, fiber, and nonwoven technologies since 1970. Since 1988, he has been President and Owner of Hills, Inc. where he has sustained their innovative culture. Wilkie has over 40 patents and applications covering yarns, bicomponent fibers, ultra-fine fibers, nanofibers, dissolvable filaments, meltblown nonwovens, and polymer processing innovations. He established Hills as a leading innovator in bicomponent fiber nonwovens and in the equipment to produce these materials. During Wilkie’s time leading Hills, their pilot capabilities have become well-known and highly regarded for enabling material innovations.

Many of his patents pertain to the development of equipment solutions that enable the production of complex bi- and multi-component fiber structures. These solutions include the method of forming a continuous filament spun-laid web, the method and apparatus for producing polymer fibers and fabrics including multiple polymer components, the method and apparatus for controlling airflow in a fiber extrusion system, and controlling the dissolution of dissolvable polymer components in plural component fibers.

Arnold Wilkie, President, Hills, Inc., earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from the University of West Florida. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida, and has been engaged in the synthetic fibers industry since 1970. The first 17 years were with the Monsanto Company, where he held positions in Fiber Process Engineering, Fiber Product R&D, and Product Management. Since 1988, he has been a majority Owner and President of Hills, Inc., a 52-year-old company located in West Melbourne, Florida, specializing in the development, manufacture, and supply of advanced custom fiber extrusion equipment. Wilkie has been involved with and supported The Nonwovens Institute, since its founding in 1991 as the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center (NCRC), with Hills joining as a Member in 2001

The exhibition “Acquired! Shaping the National Design Collection” at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, which opened on 16 March, features a STOLL work that has been part of the museum’s permanent collection since 2017.

Visitors can expect more than 150 works that have been compiled from the museum’s collection and new acquisitions since 2017. The selection, which includes works by design pioneers of the recent past, also includes a highly functional balaclava from STOLL.

Blend of design and functionality.
The flat knitted balaclava from STOLL is part of an exhibition area that visualises the defining themes of our time. Alongside a hijab, it stands for considering inclusivity in design. The balaclava offers protection from extreme cold, is stylish and is the result of a combination of creativity and technology.

The balaclava integrates an NFC chip for near-field communication, a heater to warm breathable air, a positive and negative power connector and reflective strips for passive visibility, all knitted directly into the fabric. STOLL’s state-of-the-art flat knitting technology is the basis for straightforward integration. Circuits and conductive yarns can also be incorporated in a fully automated process exactly where they are needed.

Other performance features do not require additional components. A knitted-to-shape 3D design – made possible by the goring technique – offers a perfect fit by following anatomy and eliminating the need for complex tailoring.

At the upcoming SaigonTex, taking place from April 10th to 13th in Ho Chi Minh City, the KARL MAYER GROUP will present its innovations.

DThe KARL MAYER exhibition for warp preparation is entirely dedicated to sustainability. With BLUEDYE, an innovative machine is introduced, which ensures more sustainability and lower costs in the process of indigo dyeing. Thanks to innovative technological solutions, the amounts of water and chemicals used are significantly reduced. Additionally, less yarn waste is generated. Another innovation for more sustainability is CASCADE, a steam and condensation system that requires significantly less steam in the drying process of sizing and indigo dyeing plants by using a solution for energy recycling that is protected against imitation.

For the warp knitting sector, the group of companies presents its latest technological developments. Highlights include a digital solution from KM.ON for optimizing production management (DPM), innovations for enhancing performance in the HKS segment, and a double raschel machine that enables unique creative multi-color designs in spacer textiles with more colour and new Jacquard techniques.

"Vietnam is a growing market for textile production, which is gaining importance especially for major international sports brands," says Eddy Ho, Senior Sales Manager at KARL MAYER.
The sales professional expects a large number of visitors, especially from Vietnam, China, Taiwan, and South Korea. SaigonTex is one of the most important textile machinery exhibitions in East Asia, located in close proximity to production centres. Vietnam is, in turn, the second most important market for the KARL MAYER GROUP after China. It benefits from increasing foreign direct investments in textile production from China, Taiwan, and South Korea.

The fifth edition of the Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair from 6 to 8 March 2024, organised by İTKİB Fuarcılık A.Ş. in cooperation with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association (İTHİB), presented 557 exhibitors showcasing the entire range of the textile supplying section: from woven and knitted fabrics to accessories and artificial leather. A new addition was a separate hall for yarns and denim, the BlueBlackDenim hall. With this trade fair, Texhibition has more than doubled its floor space compared to the last event to 35,000 square metres.

Exhibitors
Texhibition Istanbul acts as a central point of contact for the entire international industry, with a clear focus on quality, innovation and the latest trends like the denim companies Bossa, Çalık, İsko, İskur and Kipaş at the BlueBlackDenim Hall.

Yarn companies such as Aksa, Diktaş, Ensar, Karafiber, Kaplanlar, Korteks, Migiteks, Sasa, Tepar showed the production power of the yarn sector, where the product quality, design and workmanship came together.

In addition to well-known companies such as Almodo, Bahariye, BTD, Can Textile, Iskur, Kipaş, Menderes, Söktaş, Yünsa, Zorlu, İpeker a large number of other export-oriented companies from the segments of textiles (woven fabrics, knitting) presented their latest designs and products.

Visitors
25,752 visitors came from over 112 countries, 41.8% from the European Union (including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Romania etc.) and Great Britain, Ukraine,26.5% from Asia (including Russia etc.), 14.8% from the Middle East (including Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia) 10.7% from North Africa (including Algeria, Tunisia etc.), 3.1% from North America (United States, Canada), 3.1% from South America and other countries.

American buyers from the USA and Canada in particular, but also a large number of Mexican and Colombian buyers took advantage of the numerous match-making opportunities at Texhibition. Many B2B meetings took place and led to numerous orders being placed, including from key accounts such as Alexander Wang, Asos, Forever 21, Sainsbury's, Veronica Beard etc.

Building on a renewed five-year strategy, Fashion for Good selects ten new innovators for its 2024 programme to receive tailored support validating their technologies. This cohort represents an increased focus on novel footwear material and recycling technologies, man-made cellulosics, and nylon recycling.

The 2024 Innovation Programme provides support based on the development stage and ambitions of each innovator, matching them with relevant industry partners to drive technology and impact technology and impact validation as well as investing activities.

The selected innovators joining the 2024 Innovation Programme are:

• Algreen Ltd: Algreen co-develops alternative materials from algae and biobased sources that can replace fossil-based products such as PU.
• Balena: Balena creates biodegradable partly biobased polymers for footwear outsoles.
• Epoch Biodesign: Epoch Biodesign is an enzymatic recycler of PA66 and PA6 textile waste.
• Fibre52: Fibre52 is a bio-based solution replacing traditional bleach prepared-for-dyeing and dye processes.
• Gencrest BioProducts Pvt Ltd: Gencrest works with various agri-residues to convert them into textile-grade fibres using their enzymatic technology.
• HeiQ AeoniQ: HeiQ AeoniQ™ is a continuous cellulose filament yarn with enhanced tensile properties.
• Nanollose - Nullabor: Nullarbor™Lyocell is developed from microbial cellulose which is converted into pulp pulp to produce a lyocell fibre with their partner Birla Cellulose.  
• REGENELEY:  REGENELEY pioneers advanced shoe sole recycling technologies by separating and recycling EVA, TPU, and rubber components found in footwear.
• Samsara Eco: Samsara Eco is an enzymatic recycler of PA66 and PET textile waste.
• SEFF: SEFF Fibre produces cottonised fibres and blends of hemp fabrics utilising a patented HVPED process.

Polartec® introduces Polartec® Power Shield™ RPM, made from recycled polyester materials and the Polartec® 200, and Micro Series recycled fleeces featuring Polartec® Shed Less™ technology.

Polartec® Power Shield™ RPM is a recycled polyester fabric that offers waterproofness, wind-proofness and breathability, and also ensures high-stretch comfort and resilience. With its high range of motion and highly durable 100% recycled polyester membrane designed for high intensity activities, Power Shield™ RPM elevates end use comfort and is made for runners, cyclists and golfers who refuse to trade performance for sustainability.

Polartec® Shed Less™ technology is an innovative process that decreases fiber fragment shedding during home laundering up to 85%* without compromising the performance or durability of the fabrics it’s applied to. Less shedding means fewer microfiber fragments end up in the oceans and waterways.

Polartec® Micro™ Series is engineered to provide long-lasting comfort in a vast range of conditions and activity levels. This recycled fleece with Polartec® Shed Less™ technology is made from a lofted structure with thermal air pockets to retain warmth without inhibiting breathability. Polartec® Micro™ Series is both hydrophobic and fast drying.

Polartec® 200 Series is the modern version of the original PolarFleece®, which in 1993 became the first performance fleece knit from yarn made from recycled plastic bottles. It has a great resiliency, lightweight warmth and a fast drying time.

Representatives from all 43 European partners of RegioGreenTex met for the Annual Consortium Meeting, hosted by CITEVE – the Portuguese Centre for textile innovation.

Co-funded by the European Union I3 Instrument Programme, RegioGreenTex is a €13 million project to promote investments in textile circularity. Research centres, regional clusters, regional development agencies and 26 SMEs collaborate to realise unique pilot projects to transform the textile industry business model from linear to circular.
 
The annual consortium meeting is a pivotal point to assess the project’s progress and impact. Presentations and workshops have been an essential part of the meeting, along with  networking opportunities where partners created synergies and discussed common challenges. Furthermore, all SME partners showcased their results through an exhibition with samples of garments, yarns, fabrics and products: the outcome of the project’s innovation so far. New collaborations and partners are expected to flourish as another outcome and the meeting.

EURATEX, as project coordinator, ensures the successful implementation of this ambitious initiative. Dirk Vantyghem, EURATEX Director General, commented: “RegioGreenTex is an essential piece of our wider plan to implement the EU Sustainable Textile Strategy. Offering investment support to our SMEs is critical to make this green transition a success.”

Since March 1st 2024, the technical centre of Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA) has been equipped with an additional winder.

This globally unique winder has been manufactured by Comoli Fermo S.r.l, Paruzzaro, Italy, and enables the development of elastic yarns for numerous and innovative areas of application. Monofilament and multifilament yarns can be spun within a speed range of 100 to 3,200 m/min on bobbins with an industrial standard size of 73.6 mm x 83.8 mm x 115.5 mm.

The use of these bobbins enables immediate further processing along the textile process chain, for example in production of elastic combination yarns or knitting. Due to the high flexibility of this winder in combination with the available spinning plants at ITA, testing is possible with material amounts starting from a few hundred grams up to hundreds of kilograms.

The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) have modernized and expanded their melt spinning pilot plant with support from the State of Baden-Württemberg. The new facility enables research into new spinning processes, fiber functionalization and sustainable fibers made from biodegradable and bio-based polymers.

In the field of melt spinning, the DITF are working on several pioneering research areas, for example the development of various fibers for medical implants or fibers made from polylactide, a sustainable bio-based polyester. Other focal points include the development of flame-retardant polyamides and their processing into fibers for carpet and automotive applications as well as the development of carbon fibers from melt-spun precursors. The development of a bio-based alternative to petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers into polyethylene furanoate (PEF) fibers is also new. Bicomponent spinning technology, in which the fibers can be produced from two different components, plays a particularly important role, too.

Since polyamide (PA) and many other polymers were developed more than 85 years ago, various melt-spun fibers have revolutionized the textile world. In the field of technical textiles, they can have on a variety of functions: depending on their exact composition, they can for example be electrically conductive or luminescent. They can also show antimicrobial properties and be flame-retardant. They are suitable for lightweight construction, for medical applications or for insulating buildings.

In order to protect the environment and resources, the use of bio-based fibers will be increased in the future with a special focus on easy-to-recycle fibers. To this end, the DITF are conducting research into sustainable polyamides, polyesters and polyolefins as well as many other polymers. Many 'classic', that is, petroleum-based polymers cannot or only insufficiently be broken down into their components or recycled directly after use. An important goal of new research work is therefore to further establish systematic recycling methods to produce fibers of the highest possible quality.

For these forward-looking tasks, a bicomponent spinning plant from Oerlikon Neumag was set up and commissioned on an industrial scale at the DITF in January. The BCF process (bulk continuous filaments) allows special bundling, bulking and processing of the (multifilament) fibers. This process enables the large-scale synthesis of carpet yarns as well as staple fiber production, a unique feature in a public research institute. The system is supplemented by a so-called spinline rheometer. This allows a range of measurement-specific chemical and physical data to be recorded online and inline, which will contribute to a better understanding of fiber formation. In addition, a new compounder will be used for the development of functionalized polymers and for the energy-saving thermomechanical recycling of textile waste.

At this year's JEC World 2024 from 5 to 7 March, KARL MAYER GROUP will be exhibiting with KARL MAYER Technical Textiles and its STOLL Business

One focus of the exhibition will be non-crimp fabrics and tapes made from bio-based yarn materials for the reinforcement of composites.

"While our business with multiaxial and spreading technology for processing conventional technical fibres such as carbon or glass continues to do well, we are seeing increasing interest in the processing of natural fibres into composites. That's why we have a new product in our trade fair luggage for the upcoming JEC World: an alpine ski in which, among other things, hemp fibre fabrics have been used," reveals Hagen Lotzmann, Vice President Sales KARL MAYER Technische Textilien.

The winter sports equipment is the result of a subsidised project. The hemp tapes for this were supplied by FUSE GmbH and processed into non-crimp fabrics on the COP MAX 5 multiaxial warp knitting machine in the KARL MAYER Technical Textiles technical centre.

The STOLL Business Unit will be focussing on thermoplastic materials. Several knit to shape parts with a textile outer surface and a hardened inner surface will be on display. The double-face products can be made from different types of yarn and do not need to be back-moulded for use as side door panels or housing shells, for example. In addition, the ready-to-use design saves on waste and yarn material.