From the Sector

Gebr. Otto is exhibiting at this year’s Techtextil from 21 to 24 June in Frankfurt. The Dietenheim-based textile company manufactures a selected range of functional high-tech yarns made, for example, of conductive, high-strength and flame-retardant fibres. Gebr. Otto’s aim at the trade fair is to make personal contacts and to expand regional technology chains. The textile solution provider is to be found, as in past years, at the BW-I joint stand in Hall 12.1 at Booth No. C80.

Growing demand for technical yarns
“In the industry Gebr. Otto is mostly known for its cotton yarns and twines,” says Robin Hefter, who is in charge of technical textiles at Gebr. Otto. Cotton is the fibre that is mainly spun in the company’s spinning mill. It has been Gebr. Otto’s main line of business for over 100 years. The technical yarns that have been in the company’s product range for a good five years are, by contrast, still relative newcomers. They account for around 10 per cent of the company’s output, their share of which is on the increase. “Technical textiles have proved to be a growth sector in recent years,” Hefter explains, “and due to current political events demand for them has increased even further.”

Portfolio with a protective character
That is a reference to personal protective equipment – clothing and gloves. Gebr. Otto’s highperformance functional yarns, many of which are based on high-tech fibres, are specially designed for use in this area. In addition to flame-retardant yarns made of meta-aramid Gebr. Otto processes antistatic or conductive fibres.

As a rule many chemical fibres are easily electrically chargeable without being able to discharge by themselves due to their low moisture absorption. That is why undesired discharges occur,
maybe even the next time you shake hands. In some situations, they can be life-threatening. “Imagine the team at a pit stop in a Formula 1 race,” Robin Hefter says. “refuelling a racing car
under pressure of time. There must not be a single spark, no matter how small.” That is why Gebr. Otto adds antistatic fibres to its technical yarns. They prevent electrostatic charging and
offer safety not only to pit stop teams but also to filling station attendants. If electric conductivity is required, conductive fibres are added. And high-strength fibres are used if high or ultra-high tensile strength is required.

Colour fastness rather than safety is required when it comes to spun-dyed yarns. The fibres take up the pigments more homogeneously than if they are dyed as yarn. They are much more colourfast and fade markedly less in sunlight because the pigment particles are better enclosed in the fibre.

Following their merger, Freudenberg Performance Materials, Low & Bonar, Mehler Texnologies® and Filc will be presenting their innovative solutions at a joint stand for the first time at this year’s techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt. The focus is on sustainability. Among the highlights are Evolon® RE, a microfilament textile for a wide variety of applications and markets, FILFLEX, a sustainable padding material for car seat covers, and the truck tarpaulin POLYMAR® 8556 ECO CF. Customers will find the world's leading manufacturer of technical textiles at Stand C51 in Hall 12.1.

Evolon® textiles made from recycled PET
With Evolon® RE, Freudenberg Performance Materials is presenting an even more sustainable version of its high-performance microfilament textiles. Evolon® RE is manufactured from an average of 70% recycled polyester, which the company makes by cycling post-consumer PET bottles in-house. Evolon® RE products are available for various applications such as technical packaging, in weights currently ranging from 80g/sqm to 300g/sqm. For high-tech wiping, lightweight Evolon® RE is now available starting from 30g/sqm. The material meets the needs of cleaning specialists for more sustainable wiping solutions. Evolon® RE offers the same high quality and material performance as all other Evolon® textiles.

Tarpaulins made from recycled raw materials presented by Mehler Texnologies®
When it comes to tarpaulins on trucks, both protection of the transport cargo and advertising for the transport company place high demands on the material. Mehler Texnologies® tarpaulin material ranks among the premium products for truck tarpaulins. The company is a pioneer in sustainable development and is showcasing POLYMAR® 8556 ECO CF. This unique material has a 25% share of recycled raw materials in the coating mass. In addition, the material is made with 100% R-PES yarns. The input materials undergo a complex separation and filtering process.

Sustainable padding material for automotive and furniture seat covers presented by FILC
FILFLEX is a soft and flexible padding layer made from nonwovens for automotive and furniture seat covers. It prevents leather from creasing and improves the dimensional stability of the seat covers. In terms of sustainability, its benefit is its 100% PET composition, making FILFLEX easy to recycle. FILFLEX offers customers easier handling during sewing and the seat covering process. End users benefit from the high seating comfort.

Leading knit solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its U.S. subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI U.S.A. INC., will participate in the Techtextil North America exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. this month. Under the theme “techKNITians—Technical Engineered Knit Applications,” the company will display its latest computerized flat knitting machines and computer graphic design system technology, aimed at promoting knitted applications in the field of technical textiles.

Pioneered by SHIMA SEIKI, WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology is capable of producing knitted items in their entirety without the need for sewing, and allows complex 3D forms to be knit such as car seat covers and interior furnishings. Selective compression allows control over placement and amount of pressure for various compression wear in sports and medical applications. The seam-free nature of WHOLEGARMENT® also ensures continuity of yarn, allowing functional yarns such as conductive yarns to wrap around the entire body without interruption, for applications in smart garments and wearable technology. Demonstrating the latest in WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology at Techtextil will be the flagship MACH2XS machine that features the company’s original SlideNeedle™ on 4 needle beds and patented springloaded full-time sinker system. Capable of WHOLEGARMENT® knitting in all-needles, MACH2XS offers great flexibility for knitting high-quality WHOLEGARMENT® products with a seemingly endless variety of knit patterns at very high speed and efficiency, all while minimizing dependence upon labor-intensive sewing and linking. At Techtextil North America MACH2XS will be shown knitting a seam-free balaclava in one entire piece using fire-resistant yarn.

Also shown will be the SWG091N2 compact WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine, also featuring SlideNeedle™ technology. Capable of producing small knitted items from safety gloves and compression socks to more sophisticated industrial applications such as tubular shields and harnesses, SWG091N2 offers unique solutions for the automotive, aerospace, sports, medical, safety, outdoor and other markets by knitting items in 3D without seams. SWG091N2 will be knitting fire-resistant gloves at Techtextil North America. SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system will also be available for demonstrations in design and simulation of various technical textiles. Of particular interest is its ultra-realistic simulation capability that realizes virtual sampling. When numerous variations must be evaluated before arriving at a final design, virtual product samples can be used to streamline the decision-making process by minimizing the enormous amount of time and cost normally associated with producing actual physical samples for each variation. The sustainability factor is also undeniable considering the amount of material normally gone to waste in the sampling stage.

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.

The next edition of Techtextil North America will take place in Atlanta from May 17^nd to 19^th.  At Atlanta ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and Italian Trade Agency organize an Italian Pavilion, where 17 Italian machinery manufacturers involved in the production of machines for technical textiles will show their innovative solutions.

ACIMIT members exhibiting in the Italian Pavilion are: 4M Plants, Aeris, Arioli, Computer House, Fadis, Flainox, Guarneri Technology, Ima, Kairos Engineering, Mcs, Ramina, Siltex, Stalam, Testa, Willy.

The US textile industry is one of the top in US manufacturing sector, with a sales volume of exceeding US$ 64 billion in 2020, with approximately 300,000 workers and about 15,000 companies. The industry's strength lies in cotton, man-made fibers, and a wide variety of yarns and fabrics, including those for apparel and industrial uses.

In 2021, the USA represented the third market for Italian textile machinery exports, behind China and Turkey. In 2021 January-September period the value of Italian sales to US market was 93 million Euros, an increase of 74% compared to the same period of the previous year.

SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., Italian subsidiary of leading Japanese computerized knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., will exhibit at the 90th edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy. Products exhibited will include the N.SVR®123SP computerized flat knitting machine as well as APEXFiz™ design software.

The N.SVR®123SP computerized knitting machine features a special loop presser bed, capable of producing hybrid inlay fabrics with both knit and weave characteristics. Demand for such novel fabrics are very high across a wide range of applications, from fashion apparel to sportswear, innerwear, outerwear, uniforms and other functional clothing, as well as home furnishing and technical textiles. Shown in 18G at the SHIMA SEIKI booth, N.SVR®123SP will also feature the special i-Plating option, capable of alternating yarn colors in any pattern, producing jacquard-like designs using plain jersey stitch. Plating can be performed within the same course and for individual needles. In combination with the loop presser and spring-type moveable sinker system even greater diversity in knit design is possible. An SVR®123SP machine in 14G with i-Plating option will also be on display at the booth of yarn spinner IAFIL S.p.A. as well.

APEXFiz™ is subscription-based design software that maintains the proven functions that have made SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX series design systems so popular with fashion designers. Installed on personal computers, those strengths are now enhanced with the added versatility to adapt to different work styles and business environments including teleworking and telecommuting. APEXFiz™ software supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual samples are a digitized version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. APEXFiz™ thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

APEXFiz™ along with SHIMA SEIKI’s yarnbank™ digital yarn web platform are featured at a special section launched at the previous session of Pitti Filati no. 89 called Pitti Studios. Pitti Studios is a content production service that yarn companies exhibiting at Pitti Filati can use for their own promotion. Yarn companies provide a piece of yarn, which is digitized on yarnbank™ and used to simulate photorealistic fabric on APEXFiz™. This is then processed by a creative studio specializing in digital content to provide static and animated 3D virtual representations. The process shows how to use the latest DX tools to provide accurate representation of a finished garment without having to produce any fabric, converting the conventionally wasteful process of sample-making into a sustainable one.

Continuing from past editions of Pitti Filati are knit samples produced in collaboration with Italian designer Vittorio Branchizio.

Promising conditions in the technical textiles and nonwovens market are expected to provide ample opportunities for suppliers at this year’s Cinte Techtextil China. The fair, which last year saw 366 exhibitors and 14,868 visits, will take place from 6 – 8 September 2022 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Flexible exhibiting options will once again be available for overseas companies.

Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, explained the positive conditions that exhibitors should expect at the fair thusly: “The pandemic has led to a surge in Chinese exports of both technical textiles and nonwovens, the latter in particular. The country remains the largest supplier of nonwovens, comprising one-third of the global total, yet still requires the advanced offerings of overseas machinery suppliers, as well as supplies of raw materials, to support its export production.”

Ms Wen continued: “Domestically, China is seeing increasing consumption of functional apparel, sportswear and personal protection items. Heightened health and sanitary regulations and new hygiene habits will also continue to drive demand, especially for nonwovens, well into the future. There has also been a post-pandemic boost in demand for filter, greenhouse covering and high-density fabrics amongst others. All of this adds up to a wealth of opportunities for overseas companies to take advantage of, as was experienced in the 2021 edition of the fair.”

Exhibitor and visitor experiences in 2021
“Our organisation promotes US cotton and we hope to use this platform to meet more companies and brands in the nonwovens industry who are interested in US cotton, and to meet up with old friends to discuss the current situation and industry trends. We also found some new potential clients this time.” Mr Eric Ni, Senior Manager, China Supply Chain Marketing, Fabrics, Garments and Nonwovens, Cotton Council International, USA

“Cinte Techtextil China is a professional exhibition that brings together cutting-edge technologies and products, allowing us to quickly learn about innovative technology trends in the industry. I’ve been particularly impressed by the biodegradable products in the Innovation Showcase. In addition, I am sourcing mask-related products and mops, and I have found some companies that I’m interested in.” Ms Claire Zhang, Senior Scientist, Personal Health, Philips Research China, Philips (China) Investment Co Ltd, China

DiloGroup would like to thank all customers and interested parties for visiting the Dilo booth in Geneva. Despite the existing worldwide Covid, we were able to welcome a great number of well-known faces as well as meet new contacts, among them the most important nonwovens producers from across the world in all application areas: hygiene and lightweight nonwovens, technical textiles and needled nonwovens including geotextiles, filter media and automotive. The interest in using resource saving plant engineering, energy saving and the processing of natural fibres remains.

Dilo presented its latest developments in industry 4.0. Systematic plant monitoring and analysis of machine data allows simplified operation and more effective production. This smart system was illustrated with the aid of live analysis of the performance, quality and availability parameters of the production lines in our Textile Research Centre. The new production systems Hyperpunch Alpha, HyperTex and 3D-Lofter were explained with the aid of videos which led to a very positive responsive from the many different producers which are interested in running trials at the Dilo Textile Research Centre to further explore these subjects. These highlights and further new developments were the basis for fruitful technical discussions.

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, through its Italian subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., will participate in the A+A 2021 International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Having achieved recognition as an innovation leader in the flat knitting industry through pioneering inventions such as the world’s first DSCS® Digital Stitch Control System and seam-free WHoLEGARMEnT® knitting, SHIMA SEIKI has entered the field of technical textiles by proposing knitting as an alternative to other manufacturing methods. Through breakthroughs in original hardware and software technology as well as research in new materials, what was impossible to knit in the past can now not only be knit; it can be made to perform even better.

On display will be the company’s SVR123SP computerized flat knitting machine featuring a dedicated loop presser bed that permits full use of inlay technique for the production of hybrid fabrics that feature both knit and weave characteristics, suited to the production of safety-oriented functional fabrics. SVR123SP furthermore features i-Plating inverse-plating capability for increased patterning capability, including the production of jacquard-like patterns in light-weight plain jersey stitch. A variety of knit samples produced on SVR123SP will be presented at A+A featuring anti-bacterial, fireproof and cut-resistant fabrics, including a light-weight cut-resistant apron as an alternative proposal to current heavy vinyl aprons used in the meat packing industry. Safety glove samples knitted on SHIMA SEIKI’s glove knitting  Machine will be presented as well.

Also demonstrated will be SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS-onE APEX4 3D design system. APEX4’s capability for virtual sampling is especially effective in streamlining the production process. Ultra-realistic simulation capability allows the use of virtual samples for evaluating design variations without producing actual samples for each variation. Smart, speedy and sustainable production is possible by minimizing the time, cost and resources normally required with sample-making.

The rescheduled Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, now taking place from 9 – 11 October, will once again provide the industry with insight into the future through its fringe programme’s four categories: Design Inspiration, Business O2O, Textiles & Technologies and Industry Empowerment. And with the Online Business Matching sourcing platform returning this edition, buyers worldwide can still participate in the fair.

Each of the fringe programme’s four categories – Design Inspiration, Business O2O (online to offline), Textiles & Technologies and Industry Empowerment – features a mix of conferences, seminars and presentations that reflect the future of the home textile industry. Highlights of each category are included below, while further details can be found on the fair’s website: https://intertextile-shanghai-hometextiles-autumn.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shanghai/en/programme-events.html.

Since 2019, Messe Frankfurt has been working with the Conscious Fashion Campaign and United Nations Office for Partnerships as part of the Texpertise Network and supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The goals will be presented gradually at global textile events in order to highlight the most pressing challenges facing the textile and fashion industry worldwide.

Industry Empowerment: antimicrobial technologies and licensing in the home textile sector

Growing awareness of health and hygiene has increased the demand for antimicrobial and other functional textiles. Seminars hosted by the Chinese Industry Association for Antimicrobial Materials & Products will further discuss the increasing prominence of these textiles, as well as how the adoption of new antimicrobial textile technologies is expected to evolve in the future. In addition, experts will share the new trends of licensing and IP with case studies for the furniture companies and fabric brands.

2022 China Home Textile Trends

The China Home Textiles Trend Area will feature the research of the China Home Textile Association, The Department of Home Textile Trend Research and Promotion and Concept & Style Fashion Project Group Italy who shared their knowledge, inspirations and exchanged their visions of trend evolutions considering consumer demand, retail expertise, the contract market and new technologies.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition 2021 will be held concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, Yarn Expo Autumn, PH Value and CHIC at the National Exhibition and Convention Center. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).