From the Sector

Denim Première Vision marks the denim ingredient brand’s return to the tradeshow scene. Under the spotlight is “Iconic by nature”, ISKO’s show concept illustrates the company’s journey of evolution led by its signature Responsible Innovation™ approach. On this occasion, ISKO launches its 2023 Collection Vol.2 with new technologies, finishes and colors, and expressing the company’s passion for a cleaner and safer planet, laying the new foundations of ISKO’s sustainable fashion revolution.

The entire 2023 Collection Vol.2 contains recycled materials, and the majority consists of R-TWO™50+ fabrics made with a minimum of 50% recycled fibers, entirely GRS certified, resulting in less use of natural resources and a reduced carbon and water footprint of up to 45% and 65% respectively. An important and responsible development of this collection is that it features denim containing recycled and/or regenerated fibers, through unique fiber technology significantly saving on resources and energy while allowing for controlled traceability along the supply chain.

The new collection features comfortable ISKO Reform™ Xp 100, allowing for a flattering fit and enhanced shape retention; ISKO Reform™ Hp, characterized by incredible holding power, granting a more streamlined and slimmer appearance; ISKO Blue Skin™, a stretch technology that works 4-ways to respond to the body’s movement like a second skin; ISKO Pop™, a patented concept that starts from the yarn, developed to give a touch of glamour with a soft cotton hand feel. Colors are key in the new collection too, with an important aspect regarding the use of mineral colors, natural dyestuffs.

At Techtextil from 21-24 June in Frankfurt, Mahlo will be demonstrating how manufacturers of technical textiles can optimise their production even further using measuring and control technology.

Special straightening technology for technical textiles
Mahlo's range also includes solutions for straightening distorted goods. Best suited for technical textiles are, for example, the symbol of the straightening machine, the Orthopac RVMC-15 and the reinforced version Orthopac GRVMC-15. Frame, bearings, and rollers are designed for high loads and allow large working widths of up to 5,400 mm. As the latest development from Mahlo, the experts present the Orthopac CRVMC-15 automatic straightener, which is particularly interesting for the glass & carbon fabric industry and some special applications.

The Mahlo team will present the wide portfolio of intelligent scanners and sensors that record product and process parameters, such as distortion, fabric temperature, dwell time, basis weight, coating weight, thickness, moisture content, residual moisture, exhaust moisture, air permeability, etc. online. Among other things, visitors can expect to see the Famacont PMC-15 weft density measurement system in live operation. The system measures the weft or course density on the running web and compares it with the target value stored in the recipe data management system. The detected deviation from the target value is used to fully automatically control the overfeed during the needling process at the stenter frame and to ensure a constant weft/course density over the full width of the product.

The Techtextil and Heimtextil Summer Special exhibitions, taking place together in Frankfurt from June 21-24, represent an opportunity for Monforts to showcase its finishing and coating technologies for two of its major markets – especially at a time when energy prices continue to soar for textile manufacturers in Europe.

Existing customers of Monforts include many manufacturers in the field of home textiles, as well as those making geotextiles, automotive fabrics and other functional materials – all of whom will be well represented in Frankfurt this June. Dedicated Montex lines have also been supplied to producers of airbags, flame retardant barrier fabrics and spacer fabrics, as well as high-temperature filter materials.

Energy prices are rising steeply everywhere and a particular emphasis for Monforts in Frankfurt will be on the energy and heat recovery that can be achieved with Montex stenters, through features such as better insulation of the treatment chambers or the MonforClean system, in which waste heat from the drying process is used to pre-heat the drying air resulting in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required compared to gas and thermal oil heating. The modular system for heat recovery can also be extended for exhaust air cleaning and odour elimination. Monforts can provide a range of further resource-saving and energy recovery options tailored to each individual line installation including modification of the heating source.

With the Qualitex 800 visualization software, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

The Qualitex 800 system is available for the automatic and continuous operation of the company’s Montex stenters, as well as its Thermex continuous dyeing ranges, Monfortex shrinking systems and Montex®Coat coating units.

Monforts Montex®Coat coating units serve an equally diverse number of markets, including tents, tarpaulins and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments and solvent coatings (in explosion-proof conditions) with knife coating, roller coating or screen printing can all be accommodated with this system.

All of these very different materials require coating and finishing for maximum efficiency, using Monforts technologies which provide the ultimate in flexibility and the ability to switch quickly from one fabric run to the next, without compromising on the economical use of energy or raw materials.

The Monforts EcoApplicator offers further potential for sustainably achieving perfect finishes via a precise direct application system, as an alternative to conventional padding – where fabrics are immersed in a bath of the required finishing chemicals. It can significantly further reduce the energy and water required and finishes can be applied on just one side of the fabric, or both, and even separately on each side, to be sealed in place via different heating zones in the stenter.

The Trevira CS brand will be presented at Heimtextil 2022. This year the trade fair will be held as a one-time Summer Special from 21 to 24 June in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The booth will feature more than 200 fascinating, versatile, flame retardant Trevira CS fabrics.

These will be displayed in the Long Stay Apartment installation. Changing lifestyles, living and working arrangements as well as the housing shortage in countless large cities mean the Long Stay Apartment segment of the hospitality sector has experienced exponential growth, becoming ever more important. For this reason, it is the focus of this year’s Trevira CS booth. The presentation of the “Long Stay Apartment by Trevira CS” is intended to familiarise visitors – particularly interior architects, designers and furnishers – with the trendsetting, innovative uses of Trevira CS fabrics in the contract sector.

For the design of the apartment installation, the traditional Trevira CS Fabric Competition 2022 was announced at the end of 2021 and invited all customers to submit their latest Trevira CS products according to certain specifications. The winning fabrics will be announced at the trade fair and specially exhibited at the Trevira CS booth.

Director Marketing & Business Development Anke Vollenbröker: “Our exhibition gives exciting new insights into the modern concept of the Long Stay Apartment, presenting the live application of our customers’ Trevira CS innovations. An apartment designed for Long Stayers is a special challenge since it has to provide more than a hotel room or even an ordinary rental apartment: It needs to be an attractive temporary home while also offering the services and advantages of a hotel. We have made the Long Stay Apartment particularly “textile” and included submissions from all participants of our Trevira CS Fabric Competition 2022.”

With the wipes sector adapting to demands for products that protect consumers from COVID-related risks, industry experts will present the latest insights for moving forward post-pandemic at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference.   

The shift from “clean” to “safe” in the world of wipes will be among the key topics thought-leading speakers will address at the in-person event, June 27-30, at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.

The information-packed program will tackle timely topics to support decision making on the following key themes: Circular and Sustainable Wipes, Supply Chain Challenges in Wipes, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers, Disinfection Concerns and New Technologies, Sustainable Wipe Packaging Trends and Developments in Flushability Issues.

World of Wipes Session Highlights

• Lifestyle Shifts and the World of Wipes: Meeting the Changing Consumer Demand to Secure Growth – Liying Quian, Research Analyst, Euromonitor International will explore personal and beauty care trends based on consumer surveys that could shape wipes’ long-term performance
• The Supply Chain – Import Pressures Versus Domestic Manufacturing – Jacob Smith, Director, Supply Chain and Customer Care, Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division, North America, Berry Global will share his expertise and experience on how COVID-19 has impacted domestic production and international sourcing of wipes
• Packaging Sustainability:  A Global Perspective – David Clark, Vice President of Sustainability, Amcor will look at how consumer brands, retailers and others are responding to consumer demand for more sustainable packaging and discuss progress and risks in the U.S. and other countries
• How Sustainable are You Willing to Be? New Technology to Support Use of Recycled Fiber Sources – Richard Knowlson, Principal, RPK Consulting will tackle the question of how new manufacturing technology can help produce more sustainable nonwoven substrates in today’s price-sensitive environment
• Dead Turtle Logos – What We Know So Far in the EU – Heidi Beatty, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Abbey, LLC will share the latest learnings on the European Union’s Single Use Plastic Directive and the impact of the plastic-free packaging logos on consumer attitudes
• Challenges and Pitfalls of Scaling Up a Waste Cleaning Wipes Collection and Recycle System – Sergio Barbarino, Research Fellow, Fabric and Home Care Open Innovation, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company Europe will look at cleaning wipes’ potential to be recycled and become a convenient pioneering experimental platform
• Case Study: Surface Disinfection Incompatibility with Medical Devices Creates Potential Patient Risks – Caroline Etland, Ph.D., RN. CNS, ACHPN, Associate Professor, Hahn School of Nursing, BINR, University of San Diego will share real examples of the issues healthcare facilities face with surface disinfection incompatibility that make cleaning and disinfection a major challenge

In addition to the conference program, WOW 2022 also features two nights of tabletop displays and receptions; the presentation of the World of Wipes Innovation Award® and the INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award; and 11 hours of face-to-face engagement during a welcome reception, first-time attendee mentorship program, and breakfast connections. The event kicks off with the WIPES Academy, a 1.5-day value-added training opportunity on June 27-28.

• Focus on the embossing technique applied to the recycled fabrics collection of the NATIVE Sustainable Textiles line

Performance Days, the leading trade fair on the latest trends in the development of fabrics for the functional textile industry, has as main focus the PERFORMANCE FORUM, where the most recent innovations and developments are presented with a prize awarded to the winner of the category chosen for the current year, which for 2022 will be “The Journey to Carbon Neutrality - CO₂ Reducing Technologies and Measuring Tools”.

Protagonists are therefore all those materials that contain carbon in reduced form and the strategies/technologies that companies implement to ensure the reduction of CO₂ emissions during production and how these reductions are actually measured (through energy saving, careful use of resources, use of more sustainable materials, local production and other technological and production measures).

In this sense, Sitip’s strategy for reducing CO₂ emissions and maximizing the use of resources is based on consolidating and optimizing the layout and logistics of the production plants, installing a cogeneration plant and a new generation smoke smoke abatement system and the transition to an energy-saving lighting system.

Regarding products, at Performance Days Sitip brings its latest innovations with an absolute focus on the embossing technique, a particular system of mechanical processes that can also be used on the recycled items from the NATIVE Sustainable Textiles line, a technology that is applied to fabrics produced with recycled yarns and chemicals with low environmental impact, implementing the GRS standard (Global Recycle Standard), result of the journey towards sustainability implemented by the company.

The collection of embossed designs combines performance, style and sustainability: thanks to special mechanical processes that combine heat and pressure, the fabric is embossed with geometric and design motifs for a more structured and palpable texture.

At the forthcoming Texprocess, Techtextil and Heimtextil shows taking place in Frankfurt from June 21-24 – members of the Swedish Textile Machinery Association TMAS will be showcasing a range of solutions aligning with the growing trend for more localised and automated textile manufacturing.

Digitalisation and the push for more sustainable, shorter and less expensive supply chains are currently making manufacturing in high-cost countries within Europe more attractive and there have been many other contributing factors to this over the past two years.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of many countries to shortages of essential items like PPE while at the same time making the full exploitation of new digital options essential during national lock-downs and long periods of restricted travel. The escalating cost of global transportation, as well as the growth of online retailing and the associated benefits of on-demand digital manufacturing, are further reinforcing the many benefits of short-run and near-shore new operations.

Secure supply
At Texprocess, for example, Eton Systems will be unveiling its latest Ingenious software solution which further enhances the company’s Opta Unit Production System (UPS) introduced in 2021.

“Our automated technology has already had a great impact on the productivity of thousands of garment production lines,” says Eton’s Managing Director Jerker Krabbe. “Our systems help producers across the world to reduce repetitive manual tasks and increase efficiency, which evens out some of the differences between production in high and low-cost countries, making reshoring a feasible option. Creating a diversified production portfolio with a mix of production facilities, some closer to home, makes for a more secure product supply.”

Flexibility
Imogo meanwhile recently installed the first industrial scale dyeing system in Sweden for many years. The Dye-Max spray dyeing line has the potential to slash the use of fresh water, wastewater, energy and chemicals by as much as 90% compared to conventional jet dyeing systems. It is capable of carrying out the application of a wide range of fabric pre-treatments and finishing processes, providing users with unbeatable flexibility in production.

“Here in Scandinavia, we are currently seeing an explosion of companies developing sustainable new cellulosic fibres – many from waste clothing – but a problem is that all of the environmental benefits they deliver can potentially be lost in the further processing, and especially in conventional dyeing,” observes the company’s Founding Partner Per Stenflo. “The Dye-Max system positively addresses this, but interest in it has not just been confined to Europe. We are currently seeing a lot of activity in Turkey – largely as a near-shore partner to European brands – but also in Bangladesh.”

Robotics at Heimtextil
ACG Kinna Automatic specialises in automation solutions for filled products such as quilts, pillows and mattresses and its live demonstrations of robotics in action have proved a magnet for visitors to Heimtextil. This year’s show will be no exception.

“The use of robotics is now standard across many industries dealing in solid goods, but the handling of soft materials such as textiles is a little more complex,” says Managing Director Christian Moore. “Nevertheless, it’s something we have successfully mastered, and our robotic systems are proving highly beneficial to their users. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution when it comes to automation and our approach is always to carefully examine where it will make the difference in each bespoke system. A focus is on identifying and eliminating bottlenecks which will increase product flows.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, ACG Kinna drew on all of its automation know-how and extensive network of contacts to build a new nonwovens fabric converting and single-use garment making-up plant in a matter of weeks, in order to supply the Swedish authorities with urgently-needed medical gowns.

Instant colour
Localised textile production is also booming in the USA, where Coloreel has recently secured multiple orders for its instant thread colouration technology via its US partner Hirsch.

“Coloreel technology enables the high-quality and instant colouring of a textile thread while it is actually being used in production and can be paired with any existing embroidery machine without modification, while also making it possible to produce gradients in an embroidery for the first time,” explains VP of Sales Sven Öquist.

“Advanced rapid colour formulation software and high-speed drive technology allow a single needle to carry out what it previously required many multiples of them to do – and with much more consistent stitch quality. By instantly colouring a recycled white base thread during production, our system enables complete freedom to create unique embroideries without any limitations. Colour changes along the thread can either be made rapidly from one solid colour to another, or gradually, to make smooth transitions or any colouring effect desired. This provides big benefits when it comes to sustainability and design creativity.”

Milestone
Svegea will be promoting its latest EC 300 collarette cutting machine at Texprocess 2022. This machine is used by garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular apparel components such as waistbands, cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements. With its E-Drive 2 system and fully automatic FA500 roll slitter, the EC 300 has an output of around 20,000 metres per hour.

“Advances in automation are only making the specialised, bespoke machines we engineer even more efficient and we are expecting a very busy year,” says Managing Director Håkan Steene. “The garment components our collarette cutters produce make it logical for them to be integrated into the operations of making-up operations, wherever they are.”

Sensors
The advanced yarn tension monitoring technologies of Eltex of Sweden meanwhile play an essential role in rectifying defects in  weaving, tufting and composite reinforcement operations.

“A correct tension of the warp and weft threads ensures proper machine operation,” explains Eltex Global Marketing and Sales Manager Anoop K. Sharma “The constant tension monitoring and automatic control of the tension of the thread help to overcome unnecessary problems.

“We continue to make advances in both the hardware and software of our tension monitoring systems, such as the EyE™ for the warping process. With the EyE™, the yarn tension values from all yarns are continuously updated and displayed on screen. In addition, tension values outside the warning level are indicated both on the sensor’s LEDs and on the screen for complete quality control. No fabric can be woven without the appropriate and correct tension.”

Chemistry plus creativity” is Officina39’s new tagline expressing the most important values at the core of the company’s approach, founded on a deep understanding of sustainability. Embracing the “plus” that used to feature as part of the Officina39 logo, it now takes the shape of a true formula of innovation that echoes throughout the renovated brand look that the company is introducing for the first time at Kingpins.

The latest addition to the Trustainable™ collection is Aqualess Fade, a technology that recreates the bleaching effect of chlorine on fabrics, a waterless special compound for the discoloration of denim on indigo/black garments which is reducing resource consumption and environmental impact. This innovation completes and integrates Aqualess Mission, a combination of technologies that allows garment laundry processes to reduce 75% of the water use.

Traditional systems usually use about 52 liters of water for a pair of jeans, while Officina39’s cutting-edge technology employs only 12.5 liters without affecting the quality of the final product. Until now, the process included three eco-friendly technologies: Novascraper Indigo, a laser finishing technique that adds a natural, vintage look to denim garments; OZ-ONE Powder, an advanced product to give garments a bleached yet eco-friendly treatment, for a worn and distressed look; and Aqualess Aged, a waterless compound to give denim abrasion effects.

“In our field, the word “less” is to be found pretty much everywhere you look: less water, less energy, less impact and the list goes on. So I asked myself if we could work on implementing the word “plus” in this collection.” stated Stefano Parrotta, Officina39 Technical Manager. “And the answer, of course, was yes: we thought of all the ways in which the idea of more (plus) best represents what we do – more passion, more creativity, more collaboration, more inspiration, more Officina39. I think it is important to look for what the industry needs more of and the word “plus” perfectly embodies that!”

High-performance yarns now offer almost unlimited possibilities for replacing traditional raw materials in a vast range of technical applications. Often tailor-made, these filament yarns go way beyond the conventional idea of ‘textiles’ – finding new uses in sectors such as automotive, aviation, maritime, medical and construction, among many others.

Technical textiles are everywhere in our daily lives today, even if we may not always realize it. Some are in more obviously textile products, from sewing threads to artificial turf. But then, take cars as an example: modern vehicles are stuffed with parts made from sophisticated yarns. It’s common for producers of automotive parts now to send template material and requirement lists to Swiss Textile Machinery members, trusting their expertise and experience. Members operate development and testing centers with latest machine installations, where their experts devise customized solutions, as well as calling on the pure innovative spirit which is part of their DNA.

At the extremes
Technology drives applications beyond our current imagining in the case of Heberlein air splicers. Developed for a wide range of uses with high-strength technical fibers, they have no problems splicing aramid fibers up to 16’100 dtex, carbon up to 30’000 dtex, Dyneema up to 5’500 dtex, and glass up to 4’800 tex. Using compressed air, the splicers produce a tear-resistant, homogeneous splice of material without interfering knots.

Retech has the technology to achieve specifications for filament yarns, drawing and stretching fibers to perfection. Top heated godet rolls – many customized – are developed for high-performance fibers. Temperatures up to 400 °C can be achieved. Combining the right settings and wide speed ranges for each specific process results in unique end-products.

Fabric producers of high-end applications must avoid any quality risk. Yarn producers are well aware of this responsibility, so they use precision package winders for technical yarns, developed by Rieter’s subsidiary SSM. Taking yarns from ring twisting bobbins, its specialist finish winders can produce coarse-count technical yarns up to 50’000 dtex, offering a new level of flexibility and winding quality.

Lifestyle essentials
At first glance, motorists might fail to notice many of the technical yarns ‘hidden’ inside their cars. These products have functions such as providing stability with hardly any weight, or absorbing tensile forces at defined elongation. This kind of controlled elongation behaviour, for example, arises from the choice of textile material and the special construction of the yarns used.

Such specifications make twisting and cabling machines essential for the automotive industry. Saurer offers machines for the production of technical yarns made from a variety of feed materials in a very wide yarn count range. They are needed for vehicle products such as tire carcasses, toothed engine belts, seat belts, airbags and lorry tarpaulins.

Technical yarns also play a surprising role in our mobile devices. Tapping, scrolling and swiping are second nature for billions, with our phones and a plethora of other lifestyle essentials. Yet, how many people would know that the touch-sensitivity we take for granted on these screens is largely made possible by twisted glass fibers. Bräcker, part of Rieter’s components business, offers a selection of vertical sinter metal rings and nylon travelers for glass fiber twisting, so that mills can achieve high levels of productivity and quality.

Future unlimited
Automotive and communication technology are already important industries for Swiss Textile Machinery members, along with well-known technical textiles markets in sectors such as medical, transport and construction. Smart-wear is already noted as a field with significant potential. Naturally, members are constantly investigating other possibilities. Swiss textile machinery is already applied in energy (batteries), and plastics.

The Swiss Textile Machinery Pavilion will be at the Techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, taking place from 21 to 24 June 2022.

Monforts will highlight its advanced finishing and coating technologies for the production of technical textiles at Techtextil North America, which takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from May 17-19.

The company and its US representative PSP Marketing, of Charlotte, North Carolina, will be part of the centrepiece VDMA German Pavilion at the show.

Energy prices
With energy prices continuing to go through the roof, an emphasis at Techtextil North America will be on the energy and heat recovery that can be achieved with Montex stenters, through features such as the MonforClean system, in which waste heat from the drying process is used to pre-heat the drying air. This results in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required. A range of further resource-saving and energy recovery options can be specified per individual line installation.

Advanced machine operation
With the highly intuitive Qualitex 800 visualization software, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

The Qualitex 800 system is available for the automatic and continuous operation of the company’s Montex stenters, as well as its Thermex continuous dyeing ranges, Monfortex shrinking systems and Montex®Coat coating units.

Versatility is the key
Monforts Montex®Coat coating units serve an equally diverse number of markets, including tents, tarpaulins and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments and solvent coatings (in explosion-proof conditions) with knife coating, roller coating or screen printing can all be accommodated with this system.