From the Sector

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, is set to showcase key innovations in denim color and processing to the global denim community at Denim Première Vision Milan on May 21 and 22 and Denimsandjeans Vietnam on June 25 and 26.

Denim has remained a staple in both mainstream and high-end fashion, but traditional manufacturing methods are under increasing scrutiny for their intensive use of water, energy and chemicals.

Archroma will demonstrate an array of denim innovations at Denim Première Vision Milan and Denimsandjeans Vietnam, headed by DENIM HALO – a pretreatment and dyeing process developed to empower mills to produce highly sought-after distressed denim looks with a significantly reduced environmental footprint.

DENIM HALO combines DIRSOL® RD p, a new product for a special/specific yarn pretreatment, with Archroma’s indigo, sulfur or biosynthetic dyes to produce laser-friendly denim with outstanding contrast on intense black and indigo shades – without modifying standard dye recipes or set up. Additionally, the solution reduces yarn shrinkage and improves garment tensile strength, while also saving water and energy, avoiding the use of potassium permanganate, and reducing the need for caustic soda in sulfur dyeing.

Archroma will also be showcasing a brand-new capsule collection at the shows. The collection will present Black Denim that utilizes Archroma’s DENIM HALO and DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK and made with premium fabric from Kipas Denim and finished using Jeanologia’ s innovative washing technology. The result is a refined, modern take on black denim—combining elevated design with responsible production practices.

TrusTrace, a leader in supply chain traceability and compliance data management, has launched a major AI-driven upgrade to its platform, making it easier than ever for brands and manufacturers of all sizes – small, medium and large – to collect, centralize and analyze supply chain and traceability data with confidence.
 
For years, companies have struggled with fragmented, incomplete, and unverifiable supply chain data – leaving them exposed to hidden risks, lacking evidence for compliance and unable to drive meaningful impact.

TrusTrace’s upgraded platform revolutionizes data access by unifying supplier-provided, brand-owned and third party data through advanced AI technology. This approach significantly increases data reliability and insight quality, enabling businesses to act on comprehensive and validated information rather than incomplete or inaccurate data. The data hub also facilitates seamless data reuse, allowing stored data to be repurposed across business goals, significantly enhancing operational efficiency.
 
With global supply chains handling millions of purchase orders across thousands of suppliers and materials, brands and manufacturers need a system that can scale effortlessly. TrusTrace’s enhanced platform enables businesses of any size – whether brands or manufacturers – to efficiently collect, store and leverage trusted supply chain data, making traceability, risk management, and compliance more accessible than ever.
 

A Step Change in Supply Chain Data Management
The upgraded TrusTrace platform offers:
 

• Effortless Data Collection & Integration: Seamlessly gather, structure, and share supply chain and traceability data – including supply chain mapping, certifications, chain of custody records and regulatory compliance documents – all in one centralized place.
• Proactive Risk Management: Detect hidden risks, assess their potential impact and address them before they escalate, with a continuously updated view of actual risks and their severity across the full supply chain.
• Streamlined Compliance Management: Move beyond reactive, check-the-box compliance to a scalable compliance framework, in which existing data is stored, packaged, and ready for any regulatory or reporting needs, with gaps automatically identified and addressed.
• A Unified, AI-Powered Supply Chain Data Hub: Make better decisions with a unified view of supply chains across owned, supplier and third-party data. Elevate supply chain data from a regulatory requirement to a strategic asset to inform decision-making and long-term strategy.
• Scalability for Any Supply Chain: Whether a company is just starting its sustainability journey or managing complex multi-tier supply chains, TrusTrace offers a fully configurable system tailored to any regulatory or business need, that is easy to start and scale according to business needs.

With brands and manufactures already leveraging the enhanced platform, TrusTrace is continuing to gain momentum across the industry. Most recently, the company announced a strategic partnership with Avery Dennison, a global leader in materials science and digital identification solutions, to address growing demands for visibility into the origins, movement, and impact of raw materials across the apparel value chain.

Adaptable insulation elements can ensure that the heat transfer through the building envelope can be adjusted as required. This saves heating or cooling energy and therefore costs. Intelligent systems can regulate heat transfer according to the outside temperature and the need for heating or cooling in the interior. In the ReVaD project, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) and their partners are developing adaptive building envelopes that can also use concrete components as structural thermal energy storage units for temperature control in buildings.

The research project is developing adaptable insulation elements based on the Knudsen effect. The Knudsen effect describes the change in the thermal conductivity of porous structures with the prevailing gas pressure in the pore space. If there is a vacuum in the pore space, the thermal conductivity is low; if the pressure increases, the thermal conductivity also increases. In order to use the principle in an adjustable insulation element, the highest possible switching factor between the two states is required. To achieve this, the pore system and gas pressure range must be optimally matched. In the adaptable insulation panel, the pore system consists of a spacer fabric that is being developed at the DITF. A key challenge here is the compressive strength of the filling core, which must only allow minimal deformation at a surface pressure of 10 N/cm2 imprinted by a fine vacuum.

The research team at the Technology Center Knitting Technique at DITF has developed the corresponding pressure-resistant structures. Their pore size will be optimized in the next steps by inserting textured yarns into the pole thread space. The basic thermal conductivity of the structure should be increased as little as possible. With the knitted structures in the panel, a switching factor, i.e. the ratio of maximum to minimum thermal conductivity achieved, of 5 has already been demonstrated. Current work involves optimizing the spacer structures and setting up a demonstrator.

In the joint project, the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Stuttgart is developing a thermochemical reactor component that enables precise and energy-efficient gas pressure adjustment in the vacuum insulation panel. Metal hydride-hydrogen reaction systems are used, which allow the gas pressure in the insulation panel to be set through temperature control.

The Institute for Building Energetics, Thermal Engineering and Energy Storage (IGTE) at the University of Stuttgart is investigating the integration possibilities of the panels in the wall composite using simulations and experiments. The thermal-energetic simulations make it possible to assess the energy-saving potential of the technology in different scenarios and under different boundary conditions. A demonstrator is used to test the adaptable thermal insulation in an application-oriented manner.

The ReVaD project (development of adaptable vacuum insulation elements for the needs-based adaptation of heat transfer in building envelopes and structures as well as the thermal activation of storage masses) is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy as part of joint industrial research (IGF) (FKZ: 22617 N).

Leading computerized flat knitting innovator SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan is collaborating with Lonati S.p.A. of Brescia, Italy to promote digitalization and sustainable product development within the sock industry.

The partnership forms a synergy by leveraging software solutions offered by each company—APEXFiz® design software developed and sold by SHIMA SEIKI and ORION programming software developed and sold by Lonati. Together, they aim to help the industry shed ist dependence on traditional physical sample creation processes.

In the fashion industry, particularly in the sock sector, it is common practice to create physical samples for design consideration and production decisions. However, this process presents numerous challenges, including waste of resources and labor, economic burdens such as sampling costs and material expenses, as well as delays due to lead times before market launch.

To address these challenges, “3D Virtual Sampling” has gained attention as an effective method. This approach allows for design consideration without physical samples and enables rapid and efficient prototyping. As a result, companies can significantly reduce costs and time while minimizing their environmental impact. Additionally, developing products that meet market needs enhances competitiveness.

SHIMA SEIKI’s APEXFiz® is design software that is available with 3D virtual sampling capabilities for knitted products and has been adopted by many companies in the sock industry to high acclaim. By using this tool, designers can visualize sock designs in real-time and receive quick feedback. Moreover, specialized software dedicated to sock design—APEXFiz® Design-Sox—is in the works for future release. Meanwhile, ORION is Lonati's innovative programming software that is part of the UNLIMITEX® suite, and allows users to proactively verify data in 3D from a technical perspective, identifying and resolving potential issues in advance at each stage from programming to manufacturing. ORION and APEXFiz® Design-Sox are both scheduled for release in June of 2025.

Together, APEXFiz® and ORION further streamline virtual sampling by integrating the workflow from design to production. This integrated process enables companies to shorten time-to-market while efficiently delivering high-quality products. The innovative workflow developed through the partnership between SHIMA SEIKI and Lonati are set to revolutionize the sock industry and serve as a key driver for creating new business opportunities and competitive advantage.

Swissmem textile machinery industry sector elects president and board: The Swiss Textile Machinery Association is the representative body for Switzerland’s providers of textile equipment, systems and services. Its general assembly on May 8 elected experienced industry leaders as president and board members.

The association’s new president is Davide Maccabruni, CEO of Uster Technologies AG. His role is to lead the board in defining strategies and key focus areas. Assessing the challenges facing the industry, Maccabruni states: “The Swiss textile machinery industry still holds unique strengths that can secure its success well into the future. To achieve this, however, we must focus on aligning our capabilities, working together, and supporting one another.”

A new member of the association board has also been elected. He is Martin Zürcher (Heberlein Technology AG), who joins Beat Meienberger (Benninger AG), André Imhof (Autefa Solutions Switzerland AG), Andreas Conzelmann (Jakob Müller AG) and Ralph von Arx (Retech AG), the latter taking on the role of vice-president.

Davide Maccabruni succeeds Ernesto Maurer, the association’s president for the past ten years. Maurer has been an active board member since 2011, becoming president in 2015. During his service, he has made a significant contribution to strengthening the innovative power and international visibility of the Swiss textile machinery industry.

The Swiss Textile Machinery sector was founded in 1940 and is the longest-established industry sector within Swissmem. It currently has 42 affiliated companies, including manufacturers of machines and components, and service providers, for the textile industry. The association supports its members in fostering innovation initiatives and education. A major focus is on joint market access campaigns, through a successful programme of international symposia. Recent events have been held in Mexico and the US, and another is planned for Morocco later this year.

The winners of the 2025 IDEA® Achievement Awards and FiltXPO™ Innovation Awards were announced during special ceremonies held April 29 and 30 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. Presented at the co-located IDEA®25 and FiltXPO™ 2025 events, the awards celebrate outstanding innovations driving progress in nonwovens and filtration. INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, collaborated with International Filtration News for the FiltXPO™ Awards and Nonwovens Industry magazine for the IDEA® Achievement Awards.

IDEA® Equipment Achievement Award
Dilo Systems GmbH – MicroPunch
The rising energy costs and water shortages have led to a re-evaluation of production methods, with a stronger focus on environmental impact. With MicroPunch, it is possible to reduce energy consumption by approximately 75 percent compared with other consolidation techniques that produce lightweight nonwovens. This technology enhances efficiency and reduces the manufacturing costs and the environmental footprint.

IDEA® Nonwoven Products Achievement Award
Innovatec Microfibre Technology GmbH & Co. KG – InnovaWipe® Water-Soluble Nonwoven
This water-soluble nonwoven is completely biodegradable under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It offers excellent resistance to oils, greases and chemicals. It does not leave any microplastics behind, breaking down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. It also has no ecotoxic effects, is safe for the marine environment and does not cause fatbergs or blockages in wastewater systems – flushable and home compostable.

IDEA® Raw Materials Achievement Award
Woolchemy NZ Ltd. – neweFibre
Woolchemy’s neweFibre is the world’s first hygiene-grade wool, engineered for high-performance, sustainable hygiene products. This fully traceable, renewable fiber enhances moisture management, thermal comfort, and odor control. Seamlessly integrating into production, neweFibre powers innovations like neweFlex ADL for exceptional fluid distribution and skin dryness.

IDEA® Short-life Achievement Award
Egal Pads, Inc. – Egal™ Pads on a Roll
At Egal, we believe pads should be as common as toilet paper.  Our vision is that “pads on a roll” will be put in every toilet stall – where they are needed most – to ensure privacy and dignity to all who menstruate.  Egal pads are manufactured in roll form, 40 individually wrapped on each roll, so they can be mounted on existing toilet paper dispensers or in Egal’s custom-designed dispensers.

IDEA® Long-life Achievement Award
Magnera – Sontara® EcoRE Bag
EcoRE bags are produced entirely from cellulosic fibers, presenting a sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic materials. Made with Sontara fabric certified by OK compost HOME, these bags maintain their durability and strength without the need for added binders, addressing a common concern with compostable goods. With plastic bag bans now in place in many states, Sontara offers a timely and eco-friendly solution for the retail and shopping market.

IDEA® Sustainability Advancement Award
KINDCLOTH™ – PURA HEALTH Insect Repellent – Water Dissolvable Wipes
This wet wipe combines water-dissolvable Hydropol™ technology with a natural formula featuring lemongrass and citronella. Designed for eco-conscious consumers, this innovative wipe provides effective insect protection while leaving no waste behind. Certified biodegradable, flushable, and designed not to create harmful microplastics, it safeguards fragile ecosystems and supports sustainability goals.

IDEA® Entrepreneur Award
Dude Products, Inc.
In less than a decade, the Dude Wipes brand has grown from an entrepreneurial concept conceived in a bachelor’s post-college apartment to a more than $200 million global brand. These flushable wipes have flourished in flushable wipes industry, successfully going head to head against multinational consumer product companies Kimberly-Clark, S.C. Johnson, and Procter & Gamble.

FiltXPO Air/Gas Filtration Award
Greentech Environmental LLC – Greentech Filters with ODOGard®
ODOGard® technology deeply integrates odor-neutralizing polymers into nonwoven and nanofiber filters, offering an innovative, non-toxic approach to indoor air quality. ODOGard® significantly enhances filtration durability and performance.

FiltXPO Water/Liquid Filtration Award
Ahlstrom – BioProtect™
Ahlstrom’s sustainable BioProtect™ material offers superior dye-catching performance for laundry applications. Manufactured from 100 percent naturally derived fibers and OC-Biobinder®, BioProtect™ is both biobased and home compostable, combining premium performance with environmental responsibility.

FiltXPO Filtration Equipment Award
Filtration Advice Inc. – FA-TCO Software
This cutting-edge software provides comprehensive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis and predictive modeling for air filtration systems. FA-TCO enables data-driven decisions, extending filter lifespans, reducing operational costs, and enhancing overall sustainability in filtration management.

Mimaki Europe, a leading provider of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, has unveiled its new vision, structure and go-to-market strategy against a backdrop of new product innovations making their debut at FESPA Global Print Expo 2025.

Mimaki’s new technology and pioneering ink products represent over half of the company’s product line-up being demonstrated live on its FESPA stand. These latest solutions include the new Mimaki UJV300DTF-75 Printer, which leverages Mimaki’s UV printing expertise to deliver a reliable solution for object decoration, enabling high-quality, durable prints on surfaces that were previously unsuitable for direct UV printing.

Launched last week, the new Mimaki ELH and ELS inks are also being showcased for the very first time. These sustainable inks deliver the same high-standard functionality as equivalent Mimaki inks but have been formulated to be completely free of SVHC and, uniquely, CMR, therefore reducing the impact on human health and the environment.

Two new printers, the JV200-160 and Tx330-1800, will make their debut in EMEA. An easy-to-use roll-to-roll printer, the JV200-160 uses eco-solvent inks and offers reliable signage production with outstanding print quality. Created for the textile and apparel markets, the Tx330-1800 is equipped with a dual ink set capability to seamlessly switch between textile pigment inks and dye sublimation inks for a more diverse range of applications in one machine.

As Mimaki kicks off this innovation-packed FESPA, the company officially announces Arjen Evertse’s promotion to Director Sales, along with the landmark news that he is the first locally appointed member to join the Mimaki Europe Board of Directors.

Mimaki Europe will implement a new strategy that enables further ‘horizontal growth’, as Mimaki’s new product introductions continue to push the boundaries of what is possible and open up opportunities in new markets, and ‘vertical growth’ as it continues to support entry-level and industrial scale print production. Mimaki’s new ‘Print Different’ ethos underpins this approach. ‘Print Different’ not only encapsulates Mimaki’s legacy of breakthrough technologies but also highlights the company’s continuous commitment to driving creativity, differentiation and sustainability in the digital printing industry.

The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference 2025 will take place on November 27-28, 2025 at the Eurogress Aachen.

Interested parties have the opportunity to contribute to the conference program and submit an abstract for a talk or poster presentation. Please note that the extended deadline for oral presentation abstracts is June 2, 2025. The Call for Abstracts for poster contributions is open until July 31, 2025.
The conference program includes plenary lectures and themed sessions in the areas of

• Sustainable Textiles and Circular Textile Economy
• Bio-based Fibers
• Synthetic High-Performance Fibers
• Artificial Intelligence in the Textile Sector
• Textile Production
• Smart Textiles & Applications
• Textiles for Medicine & Health Care
• Technology Transfer & Start-up Pitches
• Fiber Composites and Lightweight Construction
• Best Practices – Examples from Collaboration Projects between Academia and Industry
• Functionalization & Finishing

Further information about the conference and the call for abstracts (including the submission form) can be found on the website.

Rieter has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Barmag from OC Oerlikon for an upfront equity purchase price of CHF 713 million. The acquisition will create a globally leading player in natural and manmade fibers, headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, and is highly complementary to Rieter’s short-staple fiber business.

Barmag is a provider of filament spinning systems used for manufacturing manmade fibers, texturing machines, BCF1) systems, staple fiber spinning and nonwovens solutions and – as an engineering services provider – offers solutions along the textile value chain. In the financial year 2024, the company generated sales of CHF 734 million with around 2 600 employees.

Barmag comprises the established product brands Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven. The main markets for the Barmag product portfolio are China, India, Türkiye and the United States of America. The innovative and technologically advanced products are developed in Remscheid and Neumünster (Germany) as well as Suzhou and Wuxi (China).

As fiber consumption is projected to rise, most of the growth is expected to come from manmade fibers. The increase of natural fibers such as cotton and linen is limited due to natural boundaries. Manmade fibers will help to meet expanding demand for clothing, technical and home textiles. The strategic acquisition of Barmag will transform Rieter into a leading supplier for converting natural and manmade fibers into yarn.

The transaction is fully in-line with Rieter’s strategy and follows previous acquisitions, where Rieter complemented its portfolio in short-staple fiber machinery and expanded its footprint in components and machinery for manmade fiber production. The combined platform allows to leverage the recovery of global filament and short staple fiber spinning markets and to reduce cyclicality due to diversification of end-markets. The acquisition will further enhance Rieter’s position in the important Asia-Pacific region and provide access to Barmag’s filament expertise, which will help to further scale Rieter’s own capabilities and improve digitization solutions and product sustainability.

Rieter’s largest shareholder, Peter Spuhler (c. 33% shareholding) is supportive of the transaction and committed to participating in the rights-issue pro-rata by exercising its subscription rights as well as investing additional capital through the non-pre-emptive capital raise. After the capital increase, PCS Holding AG is expected to retain a shareholding of c. 33%.

Additionally, Rieter’s second-largest shareholder, Martin Haefner (c. 10%), also supports the transaction and has committed to participating pro-rata in the rights-issue by exercising its subscription rights and investing additional capital through the non-pre-emptive capital raise.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber, yarn and fabrics to finished sewn products, issued the following statements from NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas and several U.S. textile executives in support of President Trump’s order closing de minimis for China, effective May 2.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas

“We are grateful to President Trump and his administration for closing the destructive de minimis loophole that has allowed unsafe and illegal Chinese goods—including goods made with forced labor—to flood the U.S. market duty-free and largely unchecked for years.

“This loophole, largely exploited by Chinese e-commerce giants and others to skirt U.S. tariffs, regulations and laws, has contributed to the closure of 28 textile mills in the past 22 months.

“The U.S. textile industry is a critical and strategic sector, supplying more than 8,000 products to the U.S. military, as well as industrial and commercial markets, while supporting local communities across country, and employing 471,000 workers nationwide.

“Today’s action by the administration is an important step forward to help rebalance the playing field for American manufacturers, preserve good-paying American manufacturing jobs, spur more investment and innovation in manufacturing facilities here at home, and close the backdoor to China once and for all.

“We urge the administration and Congress to move swiftly to end de minimis for commercial shipments from all countries to prevent circumvention and to make sure Made in China products cannot enter the United States through third countries. The U.S. textile industry stands ready to assist the administration as it continues its work to end the de minimis exemption and implement this critical provision.”

Anderson Warlick, Chairman and CEO of Parkdale Mills
“The de minimis loophole has impacted our businesses and our workforce significantly. Roughly half of de minimis shipments contain textile and apparel products which get an unfair competitive advantage at our expense. Illegal products like fentanyl and products made with Uyghur forced labor come into the United States under the de minimis exemption, causing economic damage and impacting the lives of many Americans.

“I am pleased to see President Trump take action to eliminate de minimis for products from China, and I encourage the administration to end de minimis for imports from all countries so we textile manufacturers can compete on a more level playing field.”

Amy Bircher Bruyn, CEO & Founder of MMI Textiles
“The de minimis loophole has wreaked havoc on the U.S. textile industry by enabling duty-free access for massive volumes of fast fashion imports, largely from China. This policy undermines American manufacturers who play a critical role in our national security and industrial resilience.

“At MMI Textiles, we employ 39 direct team members and support an additional 21 indirect workers — including a printer of camouflage patterns who operates exclusively within our NC facility, summer interns who represent the next generation of textile leaders, and specialized industry consultants. More broadly, through our robust contract manufacturing network, we directly support hundreds of jobs across the U.S. supply chain. Our company is a catalyst for employment and innovation in domestic textiles, producing essential components for U.S. military and law enforcement applications.

“The U.S. textile industry is vital to our nation’s industrial base. We supply the U.S. military, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, our industry pivoted rapidly to manufacture lifesaving PPE for frontline workers. Despite these contributions, the current de minimis threshold has created an unfair advantage for foreign competitors, particularly China, by allowing them to bypass duties and flood the market with underpriced goods — at the direct expense of American jobs.

“I am encouraged by President Trump’s commitment to ending de minimis eligibility for Chinese imports. I urge the administration to move swiftly to eliminate this loophole for all imports and restore a level playing field that protects U.S. manufacturing, jobs, and national security.”

Ron Sytz, CEO of Beverly Knits
“I am truly thankful to President Trump for closing the de minimis loophole for Chinese imports. This loophole has been devastating to my family’s 44-year-old textile manufacturing business in Gastonia, North Carolina, forcing us to lay off 175 workers and significantly reduce capacity in our plants. We can’t compete against subsidized imports from China that enter the U.S. duty free through the de minimis loophole. With the administration’s action, our company which provides hundreds of jobs and supports our community and the U.S. economy, will once again have a level playing field that will allow us to expand, invest and hire more associates here in the United States.”