From the Sector

As part of an ongoing investment programme ensuring it remains at the forefront of advanced technology for carpet production, West Yorkshire, UK-headquartered Phoenox Textiles has recently installed a new two-metre-wide shearing line supplied by BTMA member Sellers Textiles Engineers.

Phoenox, which has been family owned since its foundation in 1954, develops original creative flooring design concepts for retail brands. Its products are sold through high street outlets, department stores and volume retailers across Europe and North America, in addition to substantial online and catalogue-driven business. All told, the company’s 24-hour parcel service dispatches some 3.2 million orders every year.

Operating from two manufacturing sites, Phoenox manufactures an annual 1.7 million metres of flooring in the UK. Over a combined area of 1,700,000 square metres, the two plants are equipped for tufting, backcoating, cloth printing and finishing along with automated cutting, sewing and packing.

In addition to the Sellers shearing line, other recent investments for the UK operations have included three new advanced tufting machines and a high-speed Sellers backcoating line equipped to handle widths of up to two metres and coat at six metres per minute. Washable and dyeable foams and eco-friendly applications in different weights are applied for many product areas.

The company’s state-of-the-art Chromo jet printing process line is meanwhile the only one of its kind in the UK, with its 256 jets making possible designs in up eight colours per pattern. With sustainability very much at the forefront of the company’s approach, Phoenox recycles most of its paste and inks and uses organic options wherever possible, as well as recycled water.

“We operate a piece dye colour cloth programme and can dye nylon and cotton with weights of up to 500kg per load, working with direct, organic, vat and reactive dyes,” says Mosley. “We also offer computerised and weighed commission dyeing. Computerised automated cutting machines and photocell pattern recognition enable us to cut at high speed in most cloth densities. With finishing and sewing though, it’s all about the detail, and our team have years of experience and hand-finish our products on traditional high-speed machines.”

The new Sellers Hybrid Shearing Cylinder can provide a competitive edge for manufacturers which is currently being proven in the field, including at Phoenox. It’s one of a number of new innovations BTMA members are planning to showcase at next year’s ITMA exhibition in Milan.

• Last twelve months (LTM) Core EBITDA of US$2.5B, an increase of 60% YoY
• Core EBITDA per ton of US$163 in LTM3Q22 and US$159 in 3Q22
• Operating cash flow of US$1,952 in LTM3Q22, an increase of 59% YoY
• 3Q22 Core Net Profit of THB 10.34B and Reported Net Profit of THB 8.14B

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) reported a resilient year-to-date performance and increasing earnings in a challenging macroeconomic environment.

IVL posted Core EBITDA of US$606 million in 3Q22, a 39% increase YoY and a decline of 20% QoQ as the strong tailwinds that drove record earnings into 2022 began to normalize in the third quarter.  

Strategic acquisitions, including Oxiteno, are bolstering IVL’s increasingly diverse geographic footprint and product portfolio, supporting earnings through volatile economic conditions. Revenue declined 10% QoQ in 3Q and grew 27% YoY as Combined PET, the largest business segment, saw steady volumes through the year, and new portfolio additions performed strongly, such as surfactants in the Integrated Oxides and Derivatives segment. With more than 70% of IVL’s platform catering to consumer daily necessities, demand remains stable.

Fibers segment posted YTD Core EBITDA of $189 million, a rise of 2% YoY. 3Q Core EBITDA increased 2% YoY, and decreased of 11% QoQ, to US$49 million. The Lifestyle fibers business continues to be impacted by the lockdown in China, while management in the Hygiene and Mobility verticals in Europe are effectively managing high energy costs.

Combined PET (CPET) segment achieved YTD Core EBITDA of US$1,192 million, an increase of 42% YoY. Core EBITDA in 3Q22 rose 27% YoY to US$327 million, and declined 24% QoQ, as business remained steady across operations apart from in Europe where peak energy prices continue to put pressure on demand and margins.

D K Agarwal, CEO of Indorama Ventures, said, “We are pleased with our performance across the business cycle. Our management is working hard to extract the advantages that we enjoy in terms of geographic leadership, product diversity, and an unmatched customer base of global household brands. Together with our habitual lens on cost management, these actions will help us to weather the economic challenges and continue to focus on our long-term potential.”

Ascend Performance Materials has purchased a majority stake in California-based Circular Polymers, a recycler of post-consumer, high-performance polymers including polyamide 6 and 66, polypropylene and polyester (PET). The deal provides Ascend with a consistent supply of high-quality PCR materials for its ReDefyne™ sustainable polyamides, launched at K 2022.

Circular Polymers, which as part of the deal is renamed Circular Polymers by Ascend, reclaims and processes post-consumer carpet via a unique technology and has redirected approximately 85 million pounds of waste from landfills into new goods since 2018.

“We are focused on helping our customers reach their sustainability goals and Circular Polymers by Ascend provides materials that offer strong performance with a considerably smaller environmental footprint, compared to other technologies like pyrolysis,” said Phil McDivitt, president and CEO of Ascend. “Since we launched ReDefyne, the demand for our circular products has been significant across all segments of our business, including automotive, consumer, electronics and high-performance fibers and textiles.”

Ascend has a sustainability strategy based on three pillars: empowering people, innovating solutions and operating without compromise. Ascend has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030 and recently announced two new efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.

ISKO publishes its 2022 Sustainability Impact Report, which covers its activities and performance up to December 2021.

In this year’s report, ISKO details the results of its sustainability targets as they relate to six of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ISKO outlines its sustainability road map through specific topics, including the elimination of first-generation materials.

See the full report here.

• Revenues: 392.1 million euros (+50%)
• EBITDA before non-recurring items: 74.9 million euros (+73%)
• Net income: 35.4 million euros (multiplied by 2.1)
• Free cash flow before non-recurring items: 31.6 million euros

Lectra’s Board of Directors, chaired by Daniel Harari, reviewed the consolidated financial statements for the third quarter and first nine months of 2022, which have not been reviewed by the Statutory Auditors.
To facilitate the analysis of the Group’s results, the financial statements are compared to those published in 2021 and to the 2021 pro forma financial statement ("2021 Pro forma"), prepared by integrating the three acquisitions made in 2021 – Gerber Technology (“Gerber”), Neteven, and Gemini CAD Systems (“Gemini”) – as if they had been consolidated from January 1, 2021, whereas they have been consolidated since June 1, July 28 and September 27, 2021 respectively.

See attached document for full report.

• Focus on the guiding principle of "textile intelligence" and sustainability

Long before sustainability became a trend in the textile industry, Schoeller Textil AG, which has been innovating technical fabrics and smart textile finishing technologies for more than 150 years, made it its mission to develop textile innovations in harmony with nature. Now the company is undergoing an extensive rebranding, whilst unveiling its strong brand foundation in the process. The result embodies the newly defined guiding principle of “Textile Intelligence” - the development and successful implementation of innovative textiles and intelligent textile technologies.

Innovations in the textile industry must meet requirements on several levels – offering both new and optimized solutions to sociological, ecological, and economic challenges of our time. Creating this holistic added value is firmly rooted in the Schoeller brand origin and is still the top priority in textile product development today. The brand essence has thus remained the same, but it has been embodied anew.

“At the beginning of the rebranding process, it was clear to us we had to root ourselves in (Swiss) tradition in order to fully realize Schoeller’s entire brand potential and successfully explore new, digital paths,” said Antonio Gatti Balsarri, Schoeller chief commercial officer.

“The goal of the rebranding is to communicate our traditional brand values in a completely new brand presence. The result was a sharpened brand profile, a clear brand strategy and tonality, as well as a clean, modern corporate design. We will specifically address our sustainability commitment through the expansion of digital touchpoints, their cross-media use, and an increased online presence. Simplified, straightforward, sustainable - in accordance with our greatest source of inspiration: nature.”

Transparency and Sustainability
Paramount to Schoeller’s corporate identity is the full disclosure of brand principles and transparency around all business divisions. A simplified logo design was established by reducing logo elements and colors for a modern look and feel that can be produced in a much more resource-efficient manner. Schoeller’s new brand mantra of “Textile Intelligence” speaks to its company mission of more than 150 years.

Schoeller has been a bluesign system partner from the very beginning and uses the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) to assess sustainable performance. In addition to environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes and careful material selection, the highest quality and sustainability standards in production also mean guaranteeing fair working conditions. Schoeller follows a Code of Conduct that guarantees transparent production chains, environmental protection, and fair working conditions.

“Zero Textile Waste” becomes a targeted brand strategy. While the production of textiles and textile technologies is continuously being optimized to preserve resources, the manufacturing processes are often costly and complex. To this end, Schoeller offers new approaches to efforts around Zero Waste in the industry. Its new online shop, “Schoeller re-Fabric” sells textile remnants from production directly to designers and smaller productions to increase its overall production volume efficiency and avoid textile waste.

Rieter is donating CHF 100 000 to support relief efforts for victims in Pakistan following the devastating floods of the 2022 monsoon season. Aid will focus on rebuilding schools and helping local healthcare clinics to protect those who are most vulnerable.

The disastrous floods have displaced nearly eight million people, killing more than 1 500 people – including hundreds of children –, and has put millions of lives at risk of health hazards, according to the United Nations.

The money will be donated in equal shares to two local non-government organizations, Citizens Foundation and ZMT clinics. Citizens Foundation was founded in 1995 with the mission to provide education to children who are less privileged. The Foundation is now helping to rebuild the schools destroyed by the floods. ZMT clinics aim to support the development of a comprehensive primary health care system in Pakistan. They are now setting up clinics to provide medical aid to flood victims.

Rieter has selected these organizations together with its partners in Pakistan. Both aid organizations were chosen based on their ability to provide fast and effective relief where it is needed most. Pakistan is an important textile hub, with textiles making up 60% of the country’s exports. Rieter has been present in Pakistan since 1969.

Orbus Exhibit & Display Group® has continued its substantial and longstanding relationship with digital print technology provider Electronics For Imaging, Inc., choosing the premium-quality capabilities of the EFI™ VUTEk® FabriVU® 340+ soft signage printer to meet surging demand for dye-sublimation soft signage graphics. The new printer now running at Orbus’s Las Vegas facility marks an important milestone for EFI, as it is the 300th EFI VUTEk FabriVU printer installed worldwide.

Orbus is North America’s top trade manufacturer of soft signage and flag graphics for tradeshow exhibits, promotional displays, experiential retail and corporate interiors. The company is one of the largest users of EFI soft signage printers worldwide. The newly installed FabriVU 340+ model joins two additional FabriVU printers at Orbus Las Vegas. The company has its fourth FabriVU printer at its headquarters facility, along with a pair of high-volume EFI industrial printers used exclusively for dye-sublimation production.

The upgraded performance comes courtesy of the VUTEk FabriVU 340+ printer’s new, eight-printhead, CMYK x 2 array, along with new electronics for reliable and consistent premium-quality output of exhibit graphics, backlit graphics, retail fixture wraps, front lit graphics, block-out banners and fabric interior decor. A flag printing kit on the printer easily handles porous media in high-penetration applications by collecting inks without touching the rear side of the media.
 
As with all VUTEk FabriVU printers, it prints both transfer paper and direct-to-fabric.

Rieter is presenting the latest innovations in its systems, components and services at the upcoming India ITME 2022 in Uttar Pradesh (India), taking place from December 8 – 13, 2022.

Autoconer X6
The automatic winding machine Autoconer X6 completes the Rieter ring and compact-spinning systems. The machine serves as the final quality assurance in the ring and compact-spinning process and is key to the performance of the subsequent process stages. The Multilink system with Multilot offers maximum flexibility to handle a different type of yarn.

The latest splicer generation OZ1 and OZ2 provides an optimum splice quality based on an open prism. With only two prisms spinning mills can splice the entire spectrum of cotton yarns as well as blends. They are also used for the splicing of cotton-based elastic core yarns in combination with the Elastosplicer. The splice zone exhibits an impressive elasticity in the fabric.

Compacting Solutions
The Rieter compacting devices include the COMPACTapron, COMPACTeasy and COMPACTdrum. Spinning mills can change quickly between ring and compact yarn and offer customers a broader product range.

Recycling Expertise from Rotor to Ring
Rieter offers solutions for the integration of recycled raw material into yarn production to help close the textile loop and make fashion more circular. Both rotor and ring yarns can be produced with a considerable amount of mechanically recycled fibers.

ESSENTIALorder
Based on existing customer information, the webshop ESSENTIALorder visualizes which Rieter machines andn systems are available inside each spinning mill. It therefore offers a personalized shopping experience and facilitates order management, enabling spinning mills to optimize their internal stock levels.

ROBOspin
The piecing robot ROBOspin reduces personnel requirements in the ring spinning section by 50%. The robot also attains productivity increases thanks to higher spindle speeds at equal or higher efficiency.

SSM NEO-FD
SSM is presenting NEO-FD, the assembly-winding machine for precision wound packages for twisting. It meets all requirements for efficient production. The machine features the auto-doffing option and the online back-pressure system for low and high package densities.

Temco CoolFlow Disc
Temco’s CoolFlow texturing discs offer longer lifetime thanks to a brand-new geometry and the latest polyurethane technology. The texturing discs now generate a disc surface that operates at a lower temperature, resulting in slower ageing and abrasion. Further benefits are more stable yarn quality, higher productivity, and an overall process cost reduction.

Autoneum Holding Ltd signed a new loan agreement with a syndicate of banks led by UBS and Credit Suisse on the 31st of October 2022. This loan agreement replaces with immediate effect the existing syndicated loan, which was due to run until December 31, 2022.

The credit line specified under the new agreement remains at CHF 350 million and includes a substantial financial reserve for the Company. The main provisions of the previous loan agreement also apply unchanged to the new loan agreement, which runs for five years until October 31, 2027.

“We are pleased to have concluded this loan agreement, which secures the Group’s long-term financing,” said Bernhard Wiehl, Chief Financial Officer at Autoneum. “It is also important to say at this point that Autoneum has managed to further strengthen its financial stability over the last three years despite the corona crisis and a challenging environment in the automotive industry. Positive cash flow development over the past two years has enabled Autoneum to continuously reduce net debt since 2020.”

With the syndicated loan, the Group’s liquidity and long-term financing continue to be sustainably secured through a broad-based syndicate of twelve banks.