From the Sector

Huntsman Textile Effects, a global leader in innovative solutions and environmentally sustainable products, will be at Outdoor Retailer in Denver, Colorado this week to present end-to-end solutions that enable outdoor apparel brands to achieve the functionality that outdoor adventurers crave with on-trend aesthetics and a high degree of sustainability.

Resource-saving solutions
Huntsman will highlight the AVITERA® SE Fast process. This technology delivers the lowest environmental impact for dyeing polyester-cellulosic (PES-CO) blends. It combines alkali-clearable TERASIL® W/WW disperse dyes and AVITERA® SE reactive dyes to cut processing time from around nine hours to just six, helping mills to reduce the water and energy required for production by up to 50% and to increase output by up to 25% or more. The new process also delivers outstanding wet-fastness to ensure that sportswear will not bleed or stain during home laundering or while in storage or transit.

EROPON® E3-SAVE is another next-generation water-saving innovation. An all-in-one textile auxiliary for PES processing, it allows pre-scouring, dyeing and reduction clearing to be combined in a single bath and eliminates the need for anti-foaming products, which shortens processing time and further saves water and energy.

Eco-friendly stain and rain resistance
Huntsman will also present eco-friendly finishes that repel water and stains to help garments look new for longer. Continuing its long-standing relationship with Chemours, Huntsman is highlighting Teflon™ EcoElite with Zelan™ R3 technology. The industry’s first renewably sourced water-repellent finish, it contains 63% plant-based materials and exceeds performance levels possible with traditional fluorinated technologies, preserving breathability while offering excellent water repellency and durability.

Another breakthrough for brands and mills is PHOBOTEX® RSY for outerwear. A next-generation non-fluorinated water-repellent finish, its performance is comparable to formulations based on per-fluorinated chemicals (PFCs), delivering sustainable protection that keeps the wearer dry, even in the most demanding environments. It is a perfect combination of excellent water repellency and extremely high wash durability.

Innovative odor control solutions
Huntsman will also showcase antimicrobial and odor-control solutions as part of its partnership with Sciessent. Sciessent’s latest anti-odor technology, NOBO™, has been specifically developed to reduce odors in natural and synthetic fabrics. It can be incorporated into virtually any fabric, making it ideal for everything from base layer and activewear tops to socks and underwear to hiking pants, chinos and hard shell jackets. It offers a cost-effective way to upgrade everyday garments.

In addition, the partners will also present Sciessent’s Agion Active X2®, a next-generation odor-control solution that combines advanced antimicrobial and odor-absorbing technologies to both capture and fight odor-causing bacteria, and Lava X2®, a standalone odor adsorption product and key component of Agion Active X2® that attracts, adsorbs and degrades odors for long-lasing odor protection.

International technology group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at Techtextil in Frankfurt from June 21 to 24. The ANDRITZ product portfolio covers state-of-the-art nonwovens and textile production technologies, such as air-through bonding, airlay, needlepunch, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/WetlaceTM, converting, textile finishing, recycling, and natural fiber processing. For Techtextil, special focus lies on technologies for textile recycling, needlepunch, airlay, wetlaid glass fibers and textile calendering.

TEXTILE RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON TEARING
With the acquisition of ANDRITZ Laroche SAS, ANDRITZ has expanded its product portfolio to include airlay and recycling technology as well as bast fiber processing technologies. Complete recycling lines for post-consumer and industrial textile waste to produce fibers for re-spinning and/or nonwoven end-uses are one focus of this product range. Customer awareness and regulations are forcing clothing brands to recycle their textile waste in their own products. Recycled fibers can also be used in the nonwovens industry for various applications, for example in the automotive industry, for insulation, mattresses, and furniture felts.

ANDRITZ Laroche offers a complete process range of tearing lines from 50 up to 3,000 kg/h, which can be used for almost all types of pre/post-consumer textile waste. The aim is to preserve the character of the original fibers, for example cotton, by maximizing fiber length, strength and feel.

The Italian company presented its newest innovations and synergies, among the introduction of SMART O3, a new Ozone Booster improving the bleaching on indigo, and the educational experience Circular Explorations: Recipe for Change, in collaboration with Adriana Galijasevic’s Cocircular Lab at Denim Première Vision.

The Trustainable™ collection FW 23 presents the SMART 03
For Officina39, “Trustainable” is a term that expresses the company’s approach based on honesty, transparency and social responsibility: this attitude once again characterizes the technologies that have given shape to the Trustainable™ collection FW 23.

The latest technological addition to the line is represented by the new Ozone Booster SMART 03,
which assures more final bluish indigo shades, activating the reaction of Ozone on indigo without any strong oxidizing agent. Better results, less aggressive bleaching.

Less water, plus sustainability, empowered result
The new collection also marks the debut of 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 reduces resource consumption and environmental impact. This newest innovation completes and integrates Aqualess Mission, a combination of technologies that allows garment laundry processes to reduce 75% of the water use.

Officina39 and Adriana Galijasevic join forces
Circular Explorations: Recipe for Change is the collaborative and educational project developed by Officina39 and Adriana Galijasevic’s Cocircular Lab, showcasing the use of waste as a resource and prolonging the life of the garment through color. Several brands (C.P. Company, Tommy for Life/PVH Corp., Organic Basics, Asics, Lenzing and Camo) donated overstock garments as well as second-grade production or damaged, unsold pieces to be updated with newly developed applications made with Officina39’s Recycrom™, patented dyestuffs range made from textile waste.

Computerized knitting machine manufacturer SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. will participate in the SIMATEX exhibition in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 30th of May - 2nd of June 2022.

SHIMA SEIKI will exhibit a wide range of its products, including proposals in seam-free WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology that offers an alternative to labor-intensive manufacturing in the South American market. Three MACH2VS machines, capable of knitting WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear using every other needle, will be shown in 12, 16 and 18 gauge configurations. The N.SVR workhorse series improves on the SVR series, resetting the industry benchmark for shaped knitting. The N.SVR123SP featuring a special loop presser bed that can produce hybrid inlay fabrics with both knit and weave characteristics. Shown in 18 gauge at the SHIMA SEIKI booth, N.SVR123SP will also feature the special i-Plating option, capable of alternating yarn colors in any pattern, producing jacquard-like designs using plain jersey stitch for even greater diversity in knit design. N.SSR112 improves on the SSR series and continues to offer industry-leading technology in an economical yet reliable package made in Japan.

Demonstrations will be performed on SHIMA SEIKI's SDS®-ONE APEX4 design system. At the core of the company’s “Total Fashion System” concept, SDS®-ONE APEX4 provides comprehensive support throughout the production supply chain, integrating production into one smooth and efficient workflow from yarn development, product planning and design, to production and even sales promotion. Especially effective is the way SDS®-ONE APEX4 improves on the design evaluation process with its ultra-realistic simulation capability, whereby virtual samples minimize the need for actual sample-making. This realizes significant savings in time, cost and material, contributing to sustainable manufacturing.

• Sustainable infrastructure solutions, road safety and health protection

At this year’s Techtextil, Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions will be presenting the trade audience with new applications, special processes and sustainable solutions focusing on the production of industrial textiles. Among other things, the company will be showcasing new technology for charging nonwovens that sets new standards with regards to quality and efficiency. Between June 21 and 24, the discussions will be concentrating on airbags, seat belts, tire cord, geotextiles, filter nonwovens and their diverse applications.

More polyester for airbags
Airbags have become an integral part of our everyday automotive lives. The yarns used in them are made predominantly from polyamide. As a result of increasingly diverse airbag applications and also the increasing size of the systems used, polyester is today used as well, depending on the application requirements and cost-benefit considerations. Against this background, the Oerlikon Barmag technologies make an invaluable contribution. In addition to high productivity and low energy consumption, they particularly excel in terms of their stable production processes. Furthermore, they comply with every high quality standard for airbags, which – as in the case of virtually all other textile products used in vehicle construction – must provide the highest level of safety for vehicle occupants. And all this without any loss of function in any climate and anywhere in the world for the lifetime of the vehicle.

Buckle up!
Seat belts play a decisive role in protecting vehicle occupants. They have to withstand tensile forces in excess of three tons and simultaneously stretch in a controlled manner in emergencies in order to reduce the load in the event of impact. A seat belt comprises approximately 300 filament yarns, whose individual, high-tenacity yarn threads are spun from around 100 individual filaments.

Invisible, but essential – road reinforcement using geotextiles
But it not just inside vehicles, but also under them, that industrial yarns reveal their strengths. Low stretch, ultra-high tenacity, high rigidity – industrial yarns offer outstanding properties for the demanding tasks carried out by geotextiles; for instance, as geogrids in the base course system under asphalt. Normally, geotextiles have extremely high yarn titers of up to 24,000 denier. Oerlikon Barmag system concepts simultaneously manufacture three filament yarns of 6,000 denier each. Due to the high spinning titers, fewer yarns can be plied together to the required geo-yarn titer in a more cost- and energy-efficient manner.

hycuTEC – technological quantum leap for filter media
In the case of its hycuTEC hydro-charging solution, Oerlikon Neumag offers a new technology for charging nonwovens that increases filter efficiency to more than 99.99%. For meltblown producers, this means material savings of 30% with significantly superior filter performance. For end users, the consequence is noticeably improved comfort resulting from significantly reduced breathing resistance. With its considerably lower water and energy consumption, this new development is also a future-proof, sustainable technology.

New high-tech Staple Fiber Technology Center
Extending to around 2,100 m2, Oerlikon Neumag in Neumünster is home to one of the world’s largest staple fiber technology centers. As of now, these state-of-the-art staple fiber technologies are also available for customer-specific trials.

The focus during the planning and the design of the Technology Center was on optimizing components and processes. Here, special attention was paid to ensuring the process and production parameters in the Technology Center system could be simply and reliably transferred to production systems. Here, the fiber tape processing line is modular in design. All components can be combined with each other as required. And comprehensive set-up options supply detailed findings for the respective process for various fiber products.

The Technology Center is also equipped with two spinning positions for mono- and bi-component processes. The same round spin packs are used for both processes, characterized by excellent fiber quality and properties and meanwhile very successfully deployed in all Oerlikon Neumag production systems. Furthermore, the spinning plant is complemented by automation solutions such as spin pack scraper robots, for example.

The Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI) will be presenting innovative highlights from research and development at Techtextil 2022, the international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. In addition to a warp-knitted textile façade greening in a modular system and textile lightweight construction elements for the building sector made from hemp as a renewable raw material, the STFI will also be showing innovations from nonwovens research. The project optiformTEX is an example of the nonwovens competence: in this project, the mass per unit area was specifically influenced for the production of semi-finished products in the automotive sector. Furthermore, the Chemnitz Institute exhibits an ecological foam coating for protective textiles. Central highlight of the STFI's presence at the fair is also a mobile robot system, which demonstrates the automated loading of a small-scale bobbin creel.

Highlights at Techtextil 2022
The greened façade tile is a system with which large building surfaces can be cost-effectively greened through a simple, modular segment structure. In addition to insulating the building, the system has been created to meet the design requirements of a modern city centre; low-maintenance greening is made possible through functional integration in the textile carrier layer and coordinated plant selection.

Moulded components made of natural fibre nonwovens are increasingly used in the automotive sector. Conventional nonwovens currently have uniform masses per unit area. Technical solutions for load-oriented component reinforcement and the resulting optimised use of materials represent an enormous economic potential. The basic idea of “optiformTEX” was therefore to specifically influence the mass per unit area distribution in the pile before the semi-finished product is consolidated. As a result, a textile-technological process and the corresponding plant component were successfully developed.

Future-oriented materials are offered by developments from the field of renewable raw materials in combination with bio-based resin systems: In the “Gro-Coce” project, an innovative ceiling system was developed by combining sustainable building products and methods. Currently, a high-performance hemp-based semi-finished product as well as the steps for its reproducible production by means of textile surface formation is developed by the research team. Initial application and load tests of the hemp-based semi-finished products on wooden beams confirmed the high performance potential of the natural fibre materials.

Special functional textiles are based on composite materials with coatings or membranes. The previous production of the coatings/membranes poses ecological and health risks. At STFI, solvent-free, purely aqueous coating systems and a technology for their application were therefore developed for the protective textile sector, resulting in a breathable, waterproof and wash-resistant textile coating.

The central highlight of the STFI's presence at the fair is a mobile robot system, which demonstrates the automated loading of a small-scale bobbin creel. At the STFI, the robot is part of the “textile factory of the future”, where a play mat is woven and processed step by step along the textile chain.

Organized by the partnership of Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc. and Teknik Fairs Inc., the ITM 2022 International Textile Machinery Exhibition will be held at Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center on 14-18 June 2022. Hundreds of domestic and international exhibitors are looking forward to presenting their newest technologies for the first time at the ITM 2O22 Exhibition. Leading textile machinery manufacturers, global sector investors, and professional visitors are planning to come to the ITM 2022 Exhibition to examine the latest technologies closely.

Trade committees from dozens of countries are requesting to attend the ITM 2022 Exhibition, which is included in the ‘Domestic Organizations Covered by State Incentives’ list by the Ministry of Commerce. Bangladesh, India, Iran, Serbia, Czech Republic, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Mexico, Egypt and Vietnam are among the countries that requested procurement delegations.

The ITM 2022 Exhibition is of great importance for Turkish textile machinery and accessories manufacturers to increase their competitiveness in exports and to sign collaborations that will result in worldwide exports. Leading textile technology brands, which focus on product development and new productions during the pandemic conditions, are looking forward to the ITM 2022 Exhibition to present their products to the market and introduce them to their customers face to face. More than 300 manufacturers will make the world launches of their latest technological innovations at the ITM 2022 Exhibition.

Baldwin Technology Company Inc. will showcase its latest high-performance color management, surface treatment, LED-UV curing, inspection, defect detection and Industry 4.0-based analytics solutions at Print4All, which is taking place May 3 to 6 at Fiera Milano in Italy.

One of its latest advances — which will be on display at Print4All — is the XP Quatro Series™ LED-UV curing module with one head and two frequencies for broader applications. It is designed to economically and efficiently cure LED-formulated printing inks and coatings on sheetfed and web offset printing presses, as well as on larger-format flexo presses and digital print engines. The XP Quatro Series LED-UV enhances print quality, while operating at top speeds, driving increased productivity and profitability.

Italy’s ACM Flexible Packaging selected Baldwin as its LED-UV partner and became one of the first flexible film converters to offer all LED-UV curing in a narrow to mid-web format. This partnership established LED-UV printing as a growing production standard in flexible packaging and labels. Today, ACM is a 100% LED-UV, non-mercury facility.

Baldwin’s Print4All booth also will showcase Industry 4.0 and industrial Internet of Things-enabled technologies that work together to achieve greater uptime, productivity and automation. Featured solutions pair sensor-gathered data with operational data from Baldwin equipment to gain live, actionable insights to improve production monitoring, so printers and converters can achieve new levels of color consistency with fewer defects and greater assurance of curing.

Other highlights in Baldwin’s booth include the Corona Slim treatment system, which ensures the exact dyne levels needed for perfect uniformity in application, and the Guardian PQV 100% Print Inspection, which provides complete print quality verification from prepress through production, reporting and archiving.

Cobra International, a leading manufacturer of advanced composite products for the watersports, automotive, marine, and industrial sectors, will highlight recent diversification into new composite markets at JEC World 2022, with exhibits ranging from VTOL drones to carbon fibre prosthetics.  Cobra will also demonstrate how it is working alongside automotive and water sports customers to further enhance the sustainability of products in these sectors.

High Volume Production Capacity for the UAV sector
Cobra will display a wing from the Swiftlet UAV. This compact tactical fixed wing UAV platform has a 5.5m wingspan and was developed by the Royal Thai Air Force and National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) for survey, monitoring and search and rescue operations. Cobra manufactured the 32kg Swiftlet composite airframe using a combination of CNC cut carbon sandwich internal structure and PVC foam sandwich skins using both high grade glass fibre and carbon fibre reinforcements.  

Sustainability Options for Automotive and Watersports
Sustainability has a been a key focus for the Cobra Waterports division and CAC, the Cobra automotive business unit. At JEC World 2022, Cobra will showcase the increasing material and process options it has developed with both bio-resin and natural fibre reinforcements variants presented alongside more traditional carbon fibre parts.

Visitors will be able to get up close to a new Bio SUP Wingfoil board featuring a basalt, flax, bamboo and GreenPoxy bio-epoxy construction created for partners NSP, as well as state-of-the-art compression moulded prepreg foils. Cobra’s first fully recyclable surfboard incorporating the Recyclamine® resin technology that Cobra was recognised for in the 2020 JEC Innovation Awards will also be on display alongside a new Audi e-tron foil by Aerofoils – the world’s safest electric hydrofoil board.

The CAC team (Automotive Business Unit of Cobra) will present a set of OEM mirror cap parts that showcase a range of carbon SMC, woven visual carbon, pure woven visual flax, hybrid flax-carbon and painted flax construction options for the same component.  Clear carbon aesthetic and structural parts including CAC made M-carbon components for the BMW S 1000 RR Motorcycle will furthermore underline the high quality and eye-for-detail for which CAC is renowned.

Carbon Prosthetics
An entirely new composite application for the company, Cobra will also show two composite prosthetic devices at JEC which were productionised by the in-house design and development team. Working alongside a leading Thai university and a medical device OEM, Cobra created a rapid and cost effective series production process for a lightweight carbon fibre prosthetic foot. In another example of lightweight composites creating major quality of life improvements, Cobra has also designed and manufactured a carbon and glass fibre prepreg foot support for Elysium Industries.

Leading Japanese textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at the upcoming JEC World 2022 exposition to be held in Paris, France next month.

On display will be the P-CAM®131 multi-ply computerized cutting machine (NC cutting machine). SHIMA SEIKI's fast, efficient and reliable P-CAM® series computerized cutting machines are known for their innovative functions and Made-in-Japan quality, and boast the largest market share in Japan. At JEC World P-CAM®131 is shown in its most compact form, featuring a cutting area of 1,300 mm x 1,700 mm, with option for expansion. Its multi-ply cutting capability allows up to 1 inch (33mm) of fabric or material to be cut. A knife sharpening system produces a sharp, strong blade every time. Strong, robust components permit quicker response times for knife movement and more accurate cutting composites and other industrial materials. The P-CAM® lineup is ideally suited to global production in a wide range of industrial applications in addition to apparel and textiles.

Also available for video display will be SHIMA SEIKI’s latest innovation in flat knitting technology as applied to the field of technical textiles—a prototype weft knitting machine capable of multi-axial yarn insertion. Fabrics produced on this machine use inlay technique for the production of hybrid textiles that combine the stretch characteristics of knitted fabrics with the stability of woven textiles, suited to various technical applications. To this, warp yarn is inserted to further expand its capability to produce 3D-shaped carbon fiber and composite preforms directly on the machine. This is made possible because flat knitting as a textile production method is capable of producing end products that are shaped-toform and with added thickness. Therefore, savings in post-processing time, cost, material and labor as compared to current methods of preform production are immense, realizing efficient and sustainable production. SHIMA SEIKI’s own yarn unwinding technology is also used for optimum yarn feed and tension for use with technical yarns that are otherwise difficult to knit. Industrial textile samples knit on the multi-axial machine will also be available for examination on-site.