From the Sector

Tonello presents O-Zone, a new garment finishing project developed with Candiani Denim, a leading brand in the denim industry.

O-Zone, just presented at Kingpins 24, represents a new leap in quality and an important step in the growth of Tonello'a range of ozone processes, which are born from direct experience, research and a deeper knowledge of technology.

First with ECOfree2, then with SaniCare and OBleach, now with O-Zone, Tonello are defining ozone finishing and taking it to its maximum expression in every field of application: creation of special effects, garment sanitization, cleaning and reduction of water consumption, etc.

What is O-Zone?
At first glance it is similar to a cabinet. A special cabinet, however, inside which the garments are placed and treated, through an innovative, sustainable, responsible process.

A process that is also flexible, fast, safe and fully controllable by a touch screen that allows you to easily set all the desired parameters to obtain unique and customizable aesthetics, such as localized discoloration and lightening, sun-faded looks and degradé effects.

O-Zone is designed for small productions and is ideal for doing experiments and research directly on the garment, quickly verifying the result.

• DiloGroup looks forward to participating in the Techtextil India show 2021.

DiloGroup offers tailor-made production systems from one supplier and will inform at this forum in the German pavillon about its portfolio and the latest equipment developments from fibre opening to the finished felt.

A new, simplified elliptical needle beam drive makes Hyperpunch technology also attractive for standard application. Hyperpunch HαV allows a more uniform stitch distribution in the preneedling process especially in combination with the new needle pattern 6000X. In a complete needling line this felt homogenization process can be improved further by using the new needle pattern 8000X which is a milestone in the needle pattern development process and results in endproduct surfaces with low markings over a wide range of advances/stroke.

The “3D-Lofter” which was first presented during ITMA 2019 in Barcelona offers a wider range of nonwovens applications by exploring the third dimension. A series of single web forming units which work according to the aerodynamic web forming principle deliver defined fibre masses in varied patterns on a base needlefelt. A stress oriented production of technical formed parts resulting in fibre savings or patterned DI-LOUR or DI-LOOP felts are two examples for this technology which explores new application areas for needlefelts.

The 3D-Lofter technology may also be used “inverted” for filling up bad spots in web mats and thus achieves a better homogeneity of e. g. spunlace, thermobond or airlay products. The DiloLine 4.0 concept offer I4.0 modules which not only support the user but also facilitate quality control and maintenance by a maximum data transparency in production and control of operation. The Dilo solutions “Smart Start” for a fully automatic start of the production line or “DI-LOWATT” for energy savings are accompanied by Siemens solutions which can be selected via App or Data Cloud “MindSphere”.

With more than 370 installations delivered to the nonwovens industry worldwide, DiloGroup has the necessary know-how and the complete equipment portfolio to engineer the perfect production line for any product specification. The efficiency of Dilo production lines is the result of long-term research work and experience. Apart from machines for needling technology we offer in cooperation with partner companies also production lines including thermobonding and hydroentangling components.

• Next-Gen Technologies for Nonwovens/Engineered Materials
• Canopy Respirator from Canopy Wins Innovation Award

145 professionals in product development, material science, and new technologies convened for the 11th conference edition of RISE®—Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics, held virtually, Sept. 28-30. The event was co-organized by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, The Nonwovens Institute, and North Carolina State University.

The program focused on Nonwoven Material Science Developments, Sustainability, Increasing Circularity, Promising Innovations, Process Innovations, Material Innovations, Government/NGO Challenges to Single-Use Plastics, Machine-Assisted-Learning Development of Biopolymers, and Market Intelligence and Economic Insights.

Participants praised the high-quality program content, in-depth round table discussions, networking and Q&A’s where participants ask expert speakers questions pertaining to their focused presentations.

Highlights among the 26 presentations included

• Sustainable Solutions for our Plastic Planet Predicament, by Marc A. Hillmyer, Ph.D., McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair, University of Minnesota;
• Closed-Loop Recycling Pilot of Single-Use Face Masks by Peter Dziezok, Ph.D., Director of Open Innovation, Proctor & Gamble;
• Innovating a Sustainable Future for Nonwovens: A European Perspective, by Matt Tipper, Ph.D., CEO, Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute (NIRI);
• Phantom Platform: The Polyolefin-cellulose Coformed Substrates Technology, by Fabio Zampollo, CEO and Founder of Teknoweb Materials; 
• Guiding Environmentally Sustainable Innovations – From Reactive to Proactive Life Cycle Management, by Valentina Prado, Ph.D., Senior Sustainability Analyst, EarthShift Global LLC;  
• High-Loft, Ultra-Soft Hygiene Solutions, Paul E. Rollin, Ph.D., Senior Principal Scientist – Global Hygiene, Propylene-Vistamaxx-Adhesion (PVA) Global Technology, ExxonMobil Chemical Company;
• Canadian Plastic Policy Update, by Karyn M. Schmidt, Senior Director, Regulatory & Technical Affairs, American Chemistry Council (ACC).

Other highlights included the announcement of Canopy Respirator as the winner of this year’s RISE® Innovation Award winner. The annual award recognizes innovation in areas within and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry which use advanced science and engineering principles to develop unique or intricate solutions to problems and advance the usage of nonwovens.

RISE® Innovation Award Winner
The RISE® Innovation Award was presented to Canopy for their Canopy Respirator. The productis an innovative respirator that is fully mechanical, non-electrostatic, with a filter designed for superior breathability while offering the wearer facial transparency. The breakthrough respirator features 5.5mm water column resistance at 85 liters (3 cubic feet) per minute, 2-way filtration, and a pleated filter that contains over 500 square centimeters of surface area. The patented Canopy respirator resists fluids, and eliminates fogging of eyeglasses.

Outdoor Research, die in Seattle ansässige Firma für Funktionskleidung und Outdoor-Ausrüstung, bringt in diesem Herbst mit seinen RadiantX-Handschuhen und -Fäustlingen eine neue Linie auf den Markt und ist damit die erste Marke, die auf die HeiQ XReflex Radiant-Barrier-Technologie für Handschuhe setzt.

Bei HeiQ Reflex, das von HeiQs Joint-Venture-Partner Xefco entwickelt wurde, handelt es sich um eine patentierte Wärmebarriere-Technologie, mit der Produkte dünner, leichter und wärmer werden. HeiQ XReflex nutzt eine hauchdünne reflektierende Oberflächenbeschichtung, die energetische Infrarot-Körperwärmewellen auf den Körper zurückstrahlt. Diese sogenannte Radiant-Barrier-Beschichtung wird auf einer Seite des Gewebes mittels eines Hightech-Aufdampfverfahrens aufgebracht, das keinen negativen Einfluss auf die Luftdurchlässigkeit, die Geräuschentwicklung, die haptischen Eigenschaften, die dauerhaft wasserabweisende Wirkung (durable water repellence, DWR) oder die daunendichten Eigenschaften des Gewebes hat. Die Radiant-Barrier-Textilien werden mit optimierten Isolationsmaterialien kombiniert, sodass isolierende Kleidungsstücke mit bis zu 50 % weniger Volumen und Gewicht bei gleichbleibender Wärmeleistung (gemessen in CLO) entstehen. HeiQ XReflex ist erhältlich auf Geweben und Vliesstoffen und hat eine Haltbarkeit von über 20 Waschvorgängen.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd of Leeds, UK has installed a new meltspinning system to upgrade research facilities at NIRI, the Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute Ltd UK, a global leader in nonwoven engineering and product development.

Established in 1998, FET is a leading supplier of laboratory and pilot meltspinning systems with installations in over 35 countries and has now successfully processed almost 30 different polymer types in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats.
 
The installation comprises a FET-102 Series Laboratory Meltblown Spinning System and FET-103 Monofilament Meltspinning System. This advanced equipment enhances NIRI’s extensive pilot facilities and state-of-the-art analytical laboratory for fast tracking innovation. In particular, the FET meltblown system will be utilised for R&D, pilot projects, sampling and prototyping, proof of concept testing and for designing cost-effective, sustainable and innovative products.

NIRI supports global manufacturing companies to identify new opportunities for meltblown nonwovens, develop their next generation of products and accelerate their commercialisation activities. NIRI’s new upgraded laboratory and pilot system from FET can process a wide range of polymer types, including chemically recycled polymers, bio-polymers and many difficult-to-process materials.

Hexcel, a global leader in advanced composites technologies, announces the successful maiden flight of a lightweight camera drone, developed using Hexcel HexPly® carbon fiber prepregs. The composite drone was developed by a team of students from the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Wels with composite materials supplied by Hexcel Neumarkt in Austria.

A team of six students in the university’s lightweight construction and composite materials course was responsible for the complete design, engineering, and manufacture of the camera drone over a period of 18 months. Hexcel materials and optimization of the composite engineering enabled the team to reduce the composite structural mass by an impressive 42% compared to similar drones.

Hexcel Neumarkt was one of eight industrial partners supporting the university team throughout the project, providing all carbon fiber prepreg materials used for the drone’s landing gear as well as the fuselage. The ultra-lightweight 32g landing gear was laid up and cured in the press, whereas the fuselage was autoclave cured by the student team using Hexcel HexPly M901 and HexPly M78.1 prepreg resin systems with a combination of woven and unidirectional carbon fiber reinforcements.

With the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as a key emerging market and innovation space in the transportation sector, Hexcel’s collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria team not only creates an important link with the next generation of lightweight composite engineers but also highlights the weight saving and structural benefits of Hexcel composite material solutions.

"The massive weight saving achieved with their updated version of the camera drone is a fantastic achievement by the student team," said Michael Rabl, Dean of FH Wels of the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences. "The joint study not only illustrates the wide range of complex and innovative composite techniques present in the drone sector but also presents the opportunities that exist for further development in the wider Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and aerospace composites markets.”

Hexcel congratulates the project team which includes Lukas Weninger, Karl-Heinz Schneider, Jakob Schlosser, Matthias Thon, Marla Unter, and Simone Hartl on an exceptional piece of lightweight composite design and thanks them for showcasing the contribution of Hexcel materials with a presentation and drone flight. Johanna Arndt, research and technology group leader at Hexcel Neumarkt, said, “It was a great pleasure to work with the team who were very cooperative and self-motivated to succeed. Watching the drone just fly around the Neumarkt plant was just great.”

Hexcel manufactures a complete range of carbon fibers, dry carbon UD tapes, specialty reinforcements, prepregs, and honeycomb core materials, providing customized manufacturing options for new UAM applications that combine aerospace reliability with the high-rate production required. Hexcel composite materials are the ideal solution for the lightest and most efficient cost-competitive transportation vehicles of the future.

Marabu is one of the first ink manufacturers to achieve climate neutrality. All Marabu Business Units will, where possible, make a specific contribution to achieve the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with PROJECT GREEN and therefore participate in the Green Deal.

"We are safeguarding the future of the next generations and are proud that we have managed to be a climate neutral company from July 2021 with the Tamm and Bietigheim sites. All our products, whether printing inks or creative colours, are climate neutral, too," explains York Boeder, CEO Executive Committee. "Our so-called PROJECT GREEN combines all measures that are taking us on our journey to climate neutrality. Climate protection is a particular concern for us, to which we have made a binding commitment within the scope of an extensive sustainability strategy. In accordance with our Marabu Green Deal, we avoid and reduce emissions wherever possible, e. g. by using green electricity, energy-saving schemes, mobility concepts or environmentally friendly materials. We offset all unavoidable CO2 emissions by supporting internationally certified climate protection projects. We are continually implementing measures to improve our carbon footprint and update them annually to make their success measurable. We have therefore set ourselves the active goal of reducing our CO2 emissions by another 25 % by 2030."

For decades, Marabu has invested in the research and development of safe production processes, environmentally friendly products, and clean technologies with the aim of preserving the natural environment. Marabu has worked with Climate Partner to analyse all the CO2 emissions from the sites in Tamm and Bietigheim and determine its carbon footprint. Including all product-related factors such as raw materials and logistics, Marabu currently generates approx. 18,500 tons of unavoidable CO2 emissions. This value is the positive result of a number of climate-friendly measures pursued by Marabu, such as the early switch to green electricity in 2007.

Marabu's main activities to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions:

• Energy - Switching to green electricity from hydropower
• Mobility - Migration of the company's vehicles to electric and hybrid cars as well as in e-charging stations
• Production - Use of renewable energies and resource-efficient production processes
• Raw materials - Replacing critical substances with environmentally friendly alternatives for new and existing products
• Transporting - Climate-neutral freight carriers and lower-emission transport methods like shipping or road transport replace air freight wherever possible
• Product technology - Modern, low-emission products

On June 1-2, 2021, JEC Composites Connect, the first round-the-clock digital event of the composites industry, will host significant industry players, enabling participants to discover their latest innovations. Three competitions the JEC Composites Challenge, the JEC Composites Startup Booster, and the famous JEC Composites Innovation Award, will also put the spotlights on the most innovative solutions and products this year

Key Figures

More than 1,000 companies from all the composites value chain spanning 46 countries will participate, network, and present their latest products on their digital booths.

Exhibitor’s breakdown by industrial sector :

• Raw materials
• Intermediate products
• Equipment, tools, and ancillary products
• Distribution, agents, and representation
• Third parties, services, engineering, and R&D
• Composite’s part producers and processors
• Composite’s end-users and integrators

Highlighting excellence and innovation

JEC Composites connect will also be the place to promote the composites sector’s biggest innovative projects. Many product launches are expected to be announced over the two days of the show, evidences a solidly dynamic sector led by high-performance and environmentally friendly innovations.

Among which 65 product launches are listed in the 2021 Innovation Report: from Raw materials, Intermediates and Ancillary, R&D to Production and Equipment, including Simulation and Measurement and Services.

Competitions and awards ceremonies

The JEC Composites Challenge will give the floor to ten young researchers from around the world on June 2nd at 12pm CEST. They will have five minutes to convince a panel of judges composed of leading industrial players in the composites sector. The competition builds bridges between research and industry and is a highlight of the event.

The 2021 JEC Composites Startup Booster has a line-up of 20 finalists who will pitch during two live sessions on June 1st from 10:30 am to 11:30 am and from 5 pm to 6 pm CEST. The 2021 JEC Composites Innovation Awards will celebrate the most innovative composites projects and fruitful collaborations between different value chain players in 2021.

•  JEC GROUP and AVK to launch new Composites Event for the D-A-CH Region

JEC Group and AVK, the Federation of Reinforced Plastics e.V. in Germany have joined forces to organize an annual event for the D-A-CH Region, dedicated to all forms of Composites and their applications. The first edition of the JEC Forum DACH, unique in its format and content, will take place in Frankfurt am Main, Germany at Messe Forum, from November 23 to 24, 2021. The event will take place at a different location each year to highlight the dynamics and the variety of the composites industry in the DACH region.

JEC Group is launching the JEC Forum DACH in partnership with AVK. Unique in its format, the event will be rotating to different cities in Germany, Switzerland and Austria  every year. This first edition will take place in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from November 23 to 24, 2021.

JEC Forum DACH will include pre-arranged business meetings between sponsors and attendees as well as sponsors workshops. The event will present exclusive content such as an extensive composites conferences program, the annual AVK market overview — also available via live-streaming technology for remote participants — and, last but not least, the prestigious AVK-JEC Innovation Awards.
The JEC Startup Booster competition will also be introduced in the D-A-CH region for the first time. JEC Forum DACH will also provide a Composites Tour to enable participants to visit key players of the local composites ecosystem on November 25.

This event's primary aim is to support the bustling composites industry in this region and resume business after a challenging, yet complex period of time. The event´s agile format will focus on a different application sector, industry as well as other regional composites-related specifities every year. The final goal is to develop business, to connect and reach out to the local industrial apparatus and its major players such as universities, research and development centers and companies of all sizes in a boosting business and innovation spirit.

• Swiss weaving machinery manufacturers are in the forefront of novel application development

Shoes and electronic calculators are probably not the first products people would associate with the textile weaving process. But they certainly signpost the future for woven fabrics, as two examples of the ever-wider possibilities of latest technology in the field. Fashion and function already combine in the increasing popularity of woven fabrics for shoes, and this is a present and future trend. Calculators in fabrics? That’s another story of ingenious development, using so-called ‘meander fields’ on the back and keys printed on the front of the material.

These glimpses of the outlook for modern weavers are among the highlights of developments now being pioneered by Swiss textile machinery companies. All weaving markets require innovation, as well as speed, efficiency, quality and sustainability. Member firms of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association respond to these needs at every point in the process – from tightening the first thread in the warp to winding the last inch for fabric delivery. They also share a common advantage, with a leading position in the traditional weaving industry as well as the expertise to foster new and exciting applications.

Technology and research cooperation
The concept of a ‘textile calculator’ was developed by Jakob Müller Group, in cooperation with the textile research institute Thuringen-Vogtland. Müller’s patented MDW® multi-directional weaving technology is able to create the meander fields which allow calculator functions to be accessed at a touch. A novel and useful facility, which suggests limitless expansion.

Today, the latest woven shoes are appreciated for their precise and comfortable fit. They score through their durability, strength and stability, meeting the requirements of individual athletes across many sports, as well as leisurewear. Stäubli is well known as a leading global specialist in weaving preparation, shedding systems and high-speed textile machinery. Its jacquard machines offer great flexibility across a wide range of formats, weaving all types of technical textiles, lightweight reinforcement fabrics – and shoes.

It’s possible to weave new materials such as ceramics, mix fibers such as aramid, carbon and other, and produce innovative multi-layers with variable thicknesses. Such applications put special demands on weaving machines which are fulfilled by Stäubli high-performance TF weaving systems.

Great weaving results are impossible without perfect warp tension, now available thanks to the world-leading electronic warp feeding systems of Crealet. Some market segments in weaving industry today demand warp let-off systems which meet individual customer requirements. For example, the company has recognized expertise to understand that geotextile products often need special treatment, as provided by its intelligent warp tension control system. Individual and connective solutions are designed to allow external support via remote link. Crealet’s warp let-off systems are widely used in both ribbon and broadloom weaving, for technical textiles applied on single or multiple warp beams and creels.

Functional, sustainable, automated
Trends in the field of woven narrow fabrics are clearly focused on functionality and sustainability. The Jakob Müller Group has already embraced these principles – for example using natural fibers for 100% recyclable labels with a soft-feel selvedge. It also focuses as much as possible on the processing of recycled, synthetic materials. Both PET bottles and polyester waste from production are recycled and processed into elastic and rigid tapes for the apparel industry.

For efficient fabric production environments, it is now recognized that automated quality solutions are essential. Quality standards are increasing everywhere and zero-defect levels are mandatory for sensitive applications such as airbags and protective apparel.

Uster’s latest generation of on-loom monitoring and inspection systems offers real operational improvements for weavers. The fabric quality monitoring prevents waste, while the quality assurance system significantly improves first-quality yield for all applications. Protecting fabric makers from costly claims and damaged reputations, automated fabric inspection also removes the need for slow, costly and unreliable manual inspection, freeing operators to focus on higher-skilled jobs.

Smart and collaborative robotics (cobots) offer many automation possibilities in weaving rooms. Stäubli’s future oriented robotics division is a driver in this segment with first effective installations in warp and creel preparation.

Control and productivity
Willy Grob’s specialized solutions for woven fabric winding focus on reliable control of tension, keeping it constant from the start of the process right through to the full cloth roll. Continuous digital control is especially important for sensitive fabrics, while performance and productivity are also critical advantages. In this regard, the company’s large-scale batching units can provide ten times the winding capacity of a regular winder integrated in the weaving machine.

The customized concept by Grob as well as design and implementation result in great flexibility and functionality of the fabric winding equipment – yet another example of Swiss ingenuity in textile machinery.  
There is even more innovation to come in weaving – and in other segments – from members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association in future! This confident assertion is founded on an impressive statistic: the 4077 years of experience behind the creative power of the association’s member firms. It’s proof positive that their developments grow out of profound knowledge and continuous research.