From the Sector

Outgoing 2018-19 National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Chairman Marty Moran delivered the trade association’s 2019 State of the U.S. Textile Industry overview at NCTO’s 16th Annual Meeting on March 21st at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.

Mr. Moran’s speech outlined (1) U.S. textile supply chain economic, employment and trade data, (2) the 2019 policy priorities of domestic textile manufacturers, and (3) other NCTO activities.  

A link to his remarks as prepared for delivery are included in this press statement along with a link to a data infographic prepared by NCTO illustrating the current economic status of the U.S. textile industry.

Mr. Moran is CEO of Buhler Quality Yarns, Corp., a fine-count yarn supplier headquartered in Jefferson, Georgia with plants and/or offices in America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.  

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.  
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.  
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.  
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

With over 5,000 tailored installations for a range of industries installed in over 60 countries, Eton Systems, headquartered in Gånghester, Sweden, has established a reputation as a clear leader in the field of complete material handling systems.

At ITMA 2019 in Barcelona from June 20-26th, the company will be demonstrating a complete installation based on a future production concept, with advanced software providing real-time information covering every aspect of the process.

“Our systems are a natural fit with the major Industry 4.0 networked manufacturing plants that are now being constructed worldwide for sectors such as the garment and home textiles manufacturing and automotive industries,” says Eton’s Sales and Commercial Director Roger Ryrlén. “We have had a very busy last 12 months, with more major projects in the pipeline. We understand, however, that one solution does not fit all situations, which is why we think in terms of custom-made solutions matched to specific customer needs. Buying a system from us, is buying a solution and a partnership. Each system includes support, service, training and knowledge built on more than 70 years of experience. When a customer invests in an Eton System the increased efficiency normally results in savings of between 40-60%.”

A typical system consists of overhead conveyors with individually-addressable product carriers which automatically steer their way through programmed operation sequences. They are monitored by a computer providing all the necessary data for optimally measuring and managing processes. The systems are also highly flexible and can be rapidly modified to changes in the production line or the need for expansion.

Options for smart factories
Eton’s Flexible Productivity Concept (FPC) is based on two system platforms with a wide range of options, including:

• Multiple rails for sorting at workstations.
• Buffering
• Automatic loading devices, pick-ups and work delivery robots.
• Bridges and elevators that link systems and floors.
• Historical links to products after completion.
• Module-based software.

Via an addressable product carrier, an Eton system transports all the components of a complete product through the manufacturing process.

Eton Systems will be at stand A214, in Hall 2 at the Barcelona exhibition.

On March 7th, European Commissioner on the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has been welcomed in Prato by the mayor Matteo Bittoni and by the Councilor for Productive Activities Daniela Toccafondi, together with the economic categories for a meeting organized by the Department of Economic Development with reference to the Fashion System.

By the end of the meeting, the only company visit planned has followed, and brought to the Manteco headquarter. Manteco is a firm leader in the production of wool and recycled fabrics since 1943.  Today led by Matteo and Marco Mantellassi, Manteco is able to value territory, sharing economy, sustainability, internationalization and the use of renewable energies – not only as an investment policy but also as a distinctive element for the identification of the company as an international reference point for the fashion textile sector.

The company visit was attended by European Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska, Justina Morek, member of the Commissioner's Cabinet, Beatrice Covassi, director of the Representation of the European Commission in Rome, Slawomir Tokarski, director for advanced and innovative manufacturing in the general direction of the internal market and European Commission industry, MEP Hon. Nicola Danti, dr. Alberto Biginelli, Councilor Daniela Toccafondi; The Mayor of Prato Matteo Bittoni, the Mayor of the Municipality of Montemurlo, Mauro Lorenzini.

The key topic of the meeting has been the circular economy  – that is to consider very close to Manteco – along with some others explored such as the value of Made in Italy, the importance of a responsible approach to reuse and the need for a traceability system. Noteworthy the visit to the Manteco Archive, during which the focus has been on raw materials, with reference to the tradition and experience that today are perfectly combined with the strong innovative drive and creativity. Upon request of the European Commissioner, the corporate approach with a view to circular economy, km0 production system and how it fits into the productive district were also dealt with.
 
«I visited a textile company that recycles or reuses waste materials to produce wool of the highest quality: this is an excellent example of circular economy. The circular economy is an extremely interesting subject everywhere in Europe, because we are leaders in sustainability, and we want our children and ourselves to be able to live in a country that is livable in the future, so that's why it is worthwhile to show stories in Europe of success like this, which is a good practice that we are putting into practice, starting with the big industries and the energy-intensive ones » - Elzbieta Bienkowska -

• Basic dividend to remain constant at EUR 3.00 per share
• Special dividend of EUR 2.00 proposed once again

The Management Board of Lenzing AG, market leader in the production of specialty fibers made from the renewable raw material wood, has resolved to propose to the Annual General Meeting that the following dividend be distributed to shareholders for the 2018 financial year: a basic dividend of EUR 3.00 per share and a special dividend of EUR 2.00 per share.

This dividend proposal reflects the good implementation of the corporate strategy sCore TEN and the company’s strong balance sheet. Performance indicators and the outlook of Lenzing AG for the current financial year will be published on March 14, 2019.

The total dividend payout to shareholders will amount to about EUR 133 mn, subject to the acceptance of the proposal by the Supervisory Board at its meeting scheduled for March 13, 2019 for the purpose of approving the consolidated financial statements as well as the approval granted by Lenzing AG shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on April 17, 2019.

• Hexcel’s Composite Innovations For Aerospace, Automotive, Energy And Marine Applications At JEC World 2019 Hall 5 - Stand J41

STAMFORD, Conn. – At this year’s JEC World taking place in Paris on March 12-14, Hexcel will promote a wide range of composite innovations for customer applications in aerospace, automotive, energy and marine markets.

Aerospace Innovations

Hexcel’s HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements were developed to complement a new generation of HiFlow™ resin systems, producing high quality aerospace structures using the resin infusion process. HiTape® was developed for the automated lay-up of preforms and HiMax™ is a range of optimized non-crimp fabrics (NCF). Both products incorporate a toughening veil to enhance mechanical properties, meeting the structural requirements for aerospace parts.

Visitors to JEC will see an Integrated Wing Panel demonstrator and an I-beam, both made with HiTape® reinforcements, and an Opticoms rib made with HiMax™ NCF. The Opticoms rib and I Beam were both manufactured using C-RTM (Compression Resin Transfer Molding). They were injected with Hexcel’s RTM6 resin in a process taking less than 5 minutes. The total manufacturing cycle for both parts was just 4.5 hours.

Also among the Aerospace exhibits, Hexcel will display a composite petal for a satellite antenna, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space Italia. The petal is part of a set of 24 deployable structural elements that form the large area reflector assembly used on board Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observation satellites. Thales Alenia Space Italia selected Hexcel’s HexPly® M18 prepreg for this application, acknowledging the superior mechanical and outgassing properties provided.

Another Hexcel prepreg application on show is a “zero” frame, manufactured by Aerofonctions for the engine area of Daher’s TBM 910/930 single-engine turboprop aircraft. Hexcel’s HexPly® M56 prepreg was selected by Daher for the “zero” frame – a product developed for Out of Autoclave applications that provides the same high quality and performance as autoclave-cured prepregs, from a simple vacuum bag cure in an oven.

With 50 years of experience behind its comprehensive range of high-strength, high-strain PAN-based carbon fibers, Hexcel continues to innovate, and is introducing two new fibers to its portfolio. HexTow® HM50 combines high modulus and high tensile strength, making it ideal for commercial and defense aircraft and engines. HexTow® 85 was developed specifically to replace rayon-based carbon fiber for ablative applications.

HexTow® carbon fiber holds the most qualified carbon fiber positions on aerospace programs in the industry and is the best unsized fiber available on the market. It provides excellent bonding interfacial properties with thermoplastic matrices and is the best-performing fiber for 3D printing applications.

Additive manufacturing is another area of expertise for Hexcel, using PEKK ultra-high performance polymers and HexAM™ technology to manufacture carbon-reinforced 3D printed parts. This
innovative process provides 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.

Hexcel is well known for its range of weight-saving, stiffness-enhancing honeycombs and the company adds value by providing a range of engineered core solutions to customers from facilities in the USA, Belgium and the newly opened Casablanca plant in Morocco. Hexcel’s engineered core capabilities enable highly contoured parts with precision profiling to be produced to exacting customer specifications. An example of such a part will be on display at JEC. Made from Aluminum FlexCore®, the part is CNC machined on both sides, and formed and stabilized with both peel ply and flyaway layers of stabilization. Aircraft engines benefit from a number of Hexcel core technologies 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.

Hexcel’s Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb 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.

HexBond™ – the new name in Adhesives

Hexcel’s range of high performance adhesives has expanded considerably following the company’s acquisition of Structil. The company has now decided to unite the range by marketing all of its adhesive products using HexBond™ branding. The comprehensive range of HexBond™ structural film adhesives, foaming adhesive films, paste adhesives, liquid shims, epoxy fillets and Chromium free liquid primers is suitable for a wide range of applications in combination with Hexcel’s prepreg and honeycomb products.

Automotive Innovations

Hexcel’s carbon prepreg patch technology provides an innovative way of locally stiffening and reinforcing metal parts, providing noise and vibration management functionality. HexPly® prepreg patches consist of unidirectional carbon fiber impregnated with a fast curing epoxy matrix that has self-adhesive properties, enabling it to bond to metal in a highly efficient one-step process. These key technology properties are demonstrated in an 18.5kg aluminum subframe (that is 50% lighter than steel equivalents), which was reinforced with 500 grams of HexPly® prepreg and tested by Saint Jean Industries. The part demonstrates a significant reduction in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Other benefits include lower production costs, energy savings, increased driver comfort, production flexibility and part count reduction. With this technology Hexcel is a finalist in the JEC Innovation Awards 2019 in the Automotive Applications category.

HexPly® prepreg patch technology was also applied to a hybrid side sill demonstrator developed with Volkswagen and Dresden University to address future crash test requirements, specifically for electric cars. Combining fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) with metal, the hybrid construction allows for optimum performance including weight savings, enhanced safety, increased energy absorption, battery protection in a crash situation and production flexibility.

Hexcel will also display a lightweight CFRP transmission crossmember produced from Hexcel’s high performance HexMC®-i 2000 molding compound. The transmission crossmember was developed in partnership with the Institute of Polymer Product Engineering (at Linz University), Engel and Alpex. As the part connects the chassis together and supports transmission it has to be stiff and strong, resisting fatigue and corrosion. Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 was selected as the best-performing molding compound on the market, curing in as little as two minutes to produce lightweight, strong and stiff parts.
To produce the transmission crossmember HexMC®-i 2000 preforms are laid up in Alpex molds and compression-molded in a v-duo press that was tailored for the application by Engel. Ribs, aluminum inserts and other functions can be molded into the part using the single-stage process, reducing component-count. Any offcuts from the preforms can be interleaved between the plies of material to provide additional reinforcement in key areas - meaning that the process generates no waste.

Other Automotive promotions on Hexcel’s stand at JEC World include a composite leaf spring manufactured by ZF using HexPly® M901 prepreg. In contrast to steel leaf springs, composite versions offer many advantages including weight savings of up to 70%, high corrosion resistance, optimized system integration and superior performance. HexPly® M901 prepreg reduces the cure cycle to below 15 minutes and 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.

Marine Innovations

Hexcel has a comprehensive range of products aimed at racing yacht and luxury boat builders that include America’s Cup, IMOCA class and DNV GL-approved prepregs, woven reinforcements and multiaxial fabrics for hull and deck structures, masts and appendages.

At JEC World Hexcel will display an IMOCA yacht mast manufactured by Lorima using HexPly® high modulus and high strength carbon fiber prepreg from Hexcel Vert-Le-Petit. Lorima is the exclusive official supplier of masts for IMOCA 60 class racing boats.

Hexcel’s HexTow® IM8 carbon fiber has been selected as the highest performing industrial carbon fiber on the market and will be used by spar and rigging manufacturer Future Fibres to manufacture their AEROrazr solid carbon rigging for all the teams in the 36th America’s Cup.

Hexcel’s HiMax™ DPA (Dot Pattern Adhesive) reinforcements are non-crimp fabrics supplied pre-tacked, allowing multiple fabrics to be laid-up more easily in preparation for resin infusion. Providing an optimal, consistent level of adhesion, they allow a faster and more consistent resin flow, as well as eliminating the use of spray adhesive for a healthier working environment and lower risk of contamination. Simply unrolled and applied to the mold or core layer before the introduction of resin, HiMax™ DPA fabrics are widely used in boat building, where lay-up times can be reduced by up to 50%.

Wind Energy Innovations

Hexcel has developed a range of HexPly® surface finishing prepregs and semi-pregs for wind turbine blades and marine applications. Providing a tough, durable and ready-to-paint surface without using in-mold coats, these products shorten the manufacturing cycle and reduce material costs. HexPly® XF2(P) prepreg is optimized for wind blades and has a ready-to-paint surface, straight from the mold, saving at least 2 hours of takt time.

Polyspeed® pultruded carbon laminates were developed for load-carrying elements in a blade structure and are manufactured with a polyurethane matrix that provides outstanding mechanical performance in terms of stiffness and durability. The blade manufacturing process is optimized, with increased throughput. The pultruded laminates are supplied in coils as continuous cross section profiles.
HiMax™ non-crimp fabrics using E-glass, high modulus glass and carbon fibers are also available in a wide range of unidirectional, biaxial and triaxial constructions. HiMax™ fabrics have applications throughout the turbine, from the stitched carbon fiber UDs used in the main structural elements, to glass fabrics and hybrids for blade shells and nacelles. There are also specialist applications such as lightweight fabrics for heated leading edge de-icing zones.

After many years of successful cooperation on JEC World since 2015, the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) renewed the cooperation with the JEC Group for 2019:

At the dedicated exhibition area called “Composites in Action - JEC Group in partnership with AZL” (Hall 5A, D17), AZL and its 9 Partner Institutes of RWTH Aachen University present their latest research and development results. The innovations covering the whole composite value chain including research results of AZL, Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT and Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and the Skilled Crafts as well as RWTH Aachen University institutes including the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), the Welding and Joining Institute (ISF), the “Institut für Textiltechnik” (ITA), the Institute for Automotive Engineering (IKA), the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Lightweight Design (SLA). Following companies are sponsoring partners of this booth and will present their latest products and services: Hille Engineering, Maru Hachi, TELENE and Textechno.

This year, AZL is very proud to present a new machine system development at their booth:
The real machine setup of the “Ultra-Fast Consolidator Machine” will be shown at the AZL booth (Hall 5A, D17) which is one of three finalists for the JEC AWARD 2019 in the category “Industry and Equipment”.

• HPR is the highest status a plant can achieve for fire risk prevention and protection
• The site Beaulieu Fibres International is the fourth in the Beaulieu International Group to reach HPR status
• Underlines Group’s commitment to risk prevention at B.I.G. sites & to reinforcing our strong business contingency plan

Beaulieu Fibres International, one of the leading polyolefin staple fibre producers, is pleased to announce the achievement of Highly Protected Risk (HPR) status for its production site in Wielsbeke, a designation that means a facility meets the highest industry standards for property protection.

HPR status was awarded by FM Global, Beaulieu International Group’s (B.I.G.) industrial property and business interruption insurer for the past three years. The company offers B.I.G a unique concept that supports the Group in reducing its exposure to loss and increasing its business resilience. A dedicated worldwide team of engineers focuses on providing assistance and protection of its assets, helping the Group to achieve a higher level of risk protection.

The Beaulieu Fibres International site produces high performance fibres for a large variety of applications and market segments. It scored exceptionally well in its FM Global assessment which focused on aspects including fire protection, protection against natural hazards, mechanical breakdown of machinery, cyber risks and consequent business interruption.

Its overall risk mark of 83 ranks it within the top 25% of its industry for fire risk prevention and protection.

Commenting on the Award, Maria Teresa Tomaselli, Global Sales Director Fibres, said: “This HPR fibre production site reinforces strongly our supply chain security and demonstrates our engagement towards our customers and partners. Our contingency planning and risk management are essential, well-considered elements within our long-term business strategy to demanding sectors such as Automotive, Geotextiles, Flooring industries.”

At the joint stand of the Aachen Centre for Integrative Lightweight Construction (AZL) in Hall 5A, booth D17, the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA) will demonstrate its expertise in the field of glass fibres, preforms and textile concrete 12-14 March 2019 in Paris.
The exhibits come from various fields of application and address the automotive, aerospace and mechanical engineering sectors.

1. Innovative glass fibre research at ITA
   The newly constructed induction heated glass fibre production line enables increased flexibility in research. For the first time, glass fibres will be produced live at the ITA booth at JEC World. One of the innovations of the system is the inductively heated bushing. It features a flexible design and consists of a platinum/rhodium alloy (Pt/Rh20) for use in high-temperature glasses.
   The glass fibre production line was designed in such a way that new concepts and ideas can be tested quickly. The modular design allows a high flexibility, the induction system a significantly faster operability.
   Research and development projects can therefore be carried out faster and more cost-effectively.
    
2. DrapeCube - Forming of textile semi-finished products
   The DrapeCube offers a cost-effective design for the production of fibre preforms from textile semi-finished products. It is used in the production of preforms for prototypes and in small series and is suit-able for companies active in the production of fibre-reinforced plas-tics (FRP).
   In the production of FRP components, the preforming process de-fines a large part of the subsequent component costs. In small- and medium-sized enterprises, this process step is often still carried out manually. This results in high quality fluctuations and component prices. Especially in the case of highly stressed structural components, the fluctuation in quality leads to oversizing of the components.
   Thus, the lightweight construction potential of fiber-reinforced plastics is underused. One solution is offered by the stamp forming process adapted from the sheet metal forming industry for shaping rein-forcing textiles. The textile is inserted between two mould halves (male and female) and automatically formed. Due to high plant and tooling costs, this process is used almost exclusively in large-scale production.
   The ITA has developed the DrapeCube forming station which offers a cost-effective alternative and is able to completely reproduce the current state of the art for forming textile half branches. The process steps will be demonstrated in a video at the booth.
    
3. Carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) preform
   The CFRP preform consists of carbon multiaxial fabrics formed by expanded polystyrene (EPS) to optimise draping quality. Preforms of increased quality can be produced by gentle, textile-compatible forming with foam expansion. For the first time, foam expansion was used to form preforms in such a way that the draping quality is improved compared to classic stamp forming.
   The advantages of the CFRP preform lie in the savings in plant costs, as the investment is much lower. In addition, the proportion of waste is reduced because near-net-shape production is possible. In addition, rejects are reduced, as fewer faults occur in the textile.
    
4. Embroidered preform with integrated metal insert
   The 12k carbon fibre rovings are shaped into a preform using Tai-lored Fibre Placement (TFP) which is a technical embroidery pro-cess. For the further layer build-up, a fastener is not only integrated under the roving layers but also fixed by additional loops. The highly integrative preforming approach offers the possibility of reducing weight and process steps as well as increasing mechanical perfor-mance.
   Until now, inserts were glued or holes had to be drilled in the com-ponent. Bonded fasteners are limited by the adhesive surface. The bonding of fasteners into drilled holes results in high drill abrasion and thus high tool wear.
   The advantages of the embroidered preform with integrated metal fasteners are the reduction of scrap due to TFP preforming and the increase in the specific pull-out force. In addition, it is possible to automatize the production of integrative preforms. This makes the preform with integrated metal fasteners interesting for the automotive and aerospace industries.

Starting from ROICA Eco-Smart™ family by Asahi Kasei the range of responsibly made premium stretch yarns for everyday life and continuing with Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei, a noteworthy material made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linter bio-utility waste, converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process. Since 1931, Bemberg™ is the material definition for responsible luxury, a one-of-a-kind, matchless and original options characterized by cool exquisite comfort, whose smart heritage is born in a circular economy.

A great example of circular economy / circularity is represented by ECOTEC® by Marchi&Fildi, a new exclusive range of smart textile design solutions produced through an exclusive, fully traceable and certified production process. The ability to transforms pre-consumer cuts into an excellence material with a yarn that contains up to 80% of transformed material, a result unequalled in the textile world is the perfect confirmation of the concrete commitment to responsible innovation by Marchi&Fildi.
 
A. Stelloni Collection by Mapel, a renowned textile company with a vast experience in the production of fabrics of the highest quality, will showcase an exclusive range in Re.VerSo™ wool, cashmere and Baby Camel, created out of the deep experience of the Re.VerSo™ supply chain and its sure knowledge of fabric production.

At this year’s Heimtextil from 8-11 January 2019 in Frankfurt, Trevira GmbH presented a new Trevira CS joint stand on an impressively huge scale under the motto “Textile Values”. Its fair stand concept, scaled up for 2019, attracted a large number of visitors. Together with 26 top Trevira CS customers, Trevira told the story of the entire textiles value chain across a 2,200+ msq site. Visitors were taken on a journey that started with the basics – fibre production and yarn manufacture – before moving on to the dyeing, weaving and warp and weft knitting stages and ultimately to the end of the journey, the textile editing.

Trevira GmbH’s CEO Klaus Holz said, “I think we have once again “upgraded” our presence at Heimtextil. If I say this I’m not only talking about size and number of participants in our stand, but rather about value. Including all kinds of Trevira CS partners from yarn producers to fabric manufacturers and textile editors, our stand was reflecting the entire textile value chain.”

The highlight of the stand was Trevira’s new trend show for the contract market, “Trends in Contract by Trevira CS”. The show gave visitors, especially (interior) designers and decorators, an opportunity to find out more about innovative textiles and colour trends on the home and contract market.

Head of Marketing Anke Vollenbröker said, “We are extremely pleased that our trend show met with such great interest, and it was fantastic to see so many interior designers participating in our trend gallery tours. The trend area proved to be a source of inspiration for numerous visitors and demonstrated the expertise of our Trevira CS partners when it comes to outstanding design.”