From the Sector

Cavitec, part of Santex Rimar Group, presents the redesigned Caviscreen at Techtextil Frankfurt. Caviscreen features latest technology for breathable laminates.

Caviscreen was developed as a hotmelt coating and laminating unit for breathable sportswear, rainwear and protective clothing – with and without applying a membrane. The redesigned machine shows a brand-new method to supply adhesive more evenly and precisely. Using PUR adhesive (polyurethane reactive adhesive) goes with additional benefits like strong bonding capabilities and versatility.

Caviscreen’s hotmelt screen printing is a special system for high-end application garments. With this Caviscreen system, a PUR adhesive is transferred onto the substrate through a rotary screen, similar to the well-established textile printing method. The adhesives are fed from the drum melter through a heated hose to the traversing adhesive distribution system inside the rotary screen, just behind the doctor blade.

The adhesive is pressed by the doctor blade through the screen holes and transferred to the substrate. Different dot pattern (mesh or irregularly) and different screen thicknesses allow different coating weight and adhesive coverages.

The traversing adhesive dispenser is used to distribute the adhesive automatically over the set working width that – an additional technical benefit – can be set without any mechanical changes.

Cavitec’s screen coating system achieves high bonding strength while using less adhesive than other coating processes, because of applying the coating on the surface of the substrate and like this, the adhesive has less tendency to penetrate the substrate.

Bonding strength, softness of the fabric and the breathability are defined by the coating weight and the coverage. The rotary screen allows users to regulate and adapt the coverage respectively the coating weight. Cavitec offers a large selection of screens that are essential to fulfil the fabric requirements. A further advantage is the ease and efficiency of switching from one screen to another by simply unlocking the bayonet fitting. The IR-heater cover opens pneumatically and the lightweight screen can be easily removed by hand. Unlike with other methods, there's no need to deal with hot oil or any other heated liquid that requires cooling down.

The Caviscreen technology supports manufacturers by reducing costs with screens priced at a mere fraction, just 10%, of common gravure roller prices.

SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., Italian subsidiary of leading Japanese computerized knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., will exhibit at the 93rd edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy. It will exhibit as part of the new CustomEasy section, which explores the various aspects of customization in the presence of textile machinery, including a multi-faceted lineup of SHIMA SEIKI WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines.

The WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine SWG-XR® features 4 needle beds for all-needle knitting of high quality WHOLEGARMENT® products using the company's original SlideNeedle™. SWG-XR® features a re-designed sinker system and a compact, light-weight carriage featuring 4 systems as well as auto yarn carriers. All contribute to increased productivity of more than 25% over the previous MACH2®XS machine, as well as increased product range using a wider variety of yarn for supporting knits for all seasons, and higher quality for knitting beautiful fabrics and silhouettes; even items that were impossible to knit with the MACH2® series, including punch-lace patterns, variable stitch knitting and intarsia knitting. Setting new standards for the next generation of waste-free, sustainable WHOLEGARMENT® knitting, SWG-XR® at Pitti Filati will be shown in 18L.

Affectionately referred to as “SWG®-Mini,” SHIMA SEIKI's compact line of WHOLEGARMENT® machines allows customers to take advantage of the same short lead times and versatile production as larger WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines, but with minimal investment. SWG®091N2 with its 36-inch (90cm) knitting width is especially suited to knitting a wide variety of items including accessory items as well as childrenswear and smaller size garments, all without the need for linking or sewing afterward. At Pitti Filati SWG®091N2 will be shown in 5 gauge.

A new proposal in WHOLEGARMENT® knitting will also be shown in the form of the N.SVR®183 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. SHIMA SEIKI's global standard in shaped knitting, the N.SVR® series now features a model for producing WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear using every other needle in fine gauge. N.SVR®183 is equipped with the R2CARRIAGE® system and a compact, lightweight carriage for even higher productivity. Shown in 21G at Pitti Filati 93, N.SVR®183 is the ideal machine for flexible, entry-level WHOLEGARMENT® production, with the versatility to respond to fluctuating market demand.

APEXFiz® subscription-based design 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. By replacing physical samples, virtual samples reduce time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. APEXFiz® thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

Continuing from past editions of Pitti Filati are knit samples produced in collaboration with Italian designer Vittorio Branchizio, as well as samples from SHIMA SEIKI headquarters for assessing the potential of SHIMA SEIKI knitting machines.

SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., Italian subsidiary of leading Japanese computerized knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., will exhibit at the 92nd edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy. Products exhibited will include the new SWG-XR®154 and N.SVR®183 computerized flat knitting machines as well as APEXFiz® design software.

As pioneer of seam-free WHOLEGARMENT® knitting, SHIMA SEIKI has been setting the standard almost exclusively with nearly 30 years of experience in complete garment technology. Now that benchmark has been raised once again with its new SWG-XR® flagship WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. SWG-XR® features 4 needle beds for all-needle knitting of high quality WHOLEGARMENT® products using the company's original SlideNeedle®. SWG-XR® features a renewed sinker system and a compact, light-weight carriage featuring 4 systems as well as auto yarn carriers. All contribute to increased productivity of more than 25% over the previous MACH2®XS machine, as well as increased product range using a wider variety of yarn for supporting knits for all seasons, and higher quality for knitting beautiful fabrics and silhouettes; even items that were impossible to knit with the MACH2® series. SWG-XR® sets new standards for the next generation of waste-free, sustainable WHOLEGARMENT® knitting.

A new proposal in WHOLEGARMENT® knitting will also be introduced in the form of the N.SVR®183 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. SHIMA SEIKI's global standard in shaped knitting, the N.SVR® series now features a model for producing WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear using every other needle in ultrafine gauge. N.SVR®183 is equipped with the R2CARRIAGE® system and a compact, lightweight carriage for even higher productivity. Shown in 21G at Pitti Filati 92, N.SVR®183 is the ideal machine for flexible, entry-level WHOLEGARMENT® production, with the versatility to respond to fluctuating market demand.

APEXFiz® subscription-based design 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.

• Formula 1 cars will be cheaper in future

Carbon is the stuff Formula 1 cars are made of, at least the bodywork. But until now, carbon has been expensive. It can be produced more cheaply and efficiently if artificial intelligence monitors the production processes. A camera system combined with artificial intelligence automatically detects defects in the production of carbon fibres. This makes expensive manual inspection of the carbon fibres obsolete and the production price of the carbon fibre can be reduced in the long term.

For this idea, the young engineer Deniz Sinan Yesilyurt received the second prize of the "Digitalisation in Mechanical Engineering" Young Talent Award on 6 December.

Carbon fibres are sought after because of their good properties. They are very light - they weigh up to 50 percent less than aluminium. The combination of low weight and good mechanical properties offers many advantages. Especially in times of the energy transition, lightweight materials like carbon are more relevant than ever before. At the same time, carbon fibres are as resistant to external stresses as metals. However, achieving these good properties of carbon fibres is very complex.

Up to 300 individual fibre strands - bundles of individual fibres - have to be monitored simultaneously during production. If carbon fibres tear, it costs time and money to sort out the damaged fibres. This is just one example of various defects that can occur in the fibres during production.

Therefore, Deniz Sinan Yesilyurt attached a camera to the carbon fibre line that takes pictures of various fibre defects during production and collects them in a database. The artificial intelligence in the camera's information technology system evaluates the fibre defects by assigning the images to predefined reference defects. In doing so, it recognises various fibre defects with a classification accuracy of 99 per cent. The process can also be used in other areas that produce chemical fibres.

Deniz Sinan Yesilyurt received the prize from the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is a Bachelor's graduate at the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University. The full title of his bachelor's thesis is: "Development of a Kl-supported process monitoring using machine learning to detect fibre damage in the stabilisation process". The VDMA awarded the prize to a total of four theses from different universities. The prize is awarded for outstanding theses and was offered in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Reifenhäuser Cast Sheet Coating - specialists for cast film, sheet extrusion and extrusion coating lines - will showcase a new production process for cost-effective film/nonwoven composites with an exceptionally low grammage at ICE (International Converting Exhibition) Europe. The leading international trade show for paper, film, and foil conversion and processing will be held at Messe München (Munich trade fair center) from March 15-17, 2022.

The Covid-19 pandemic and current supply shortages have exposed the dependence of companies on global supply chains. This situation is both a warning signal and an opportunity to boost and reorganize the local production of semi-finished products from the ground up. Reifenhäuser Cast Sheet Coating has now developed a trend-setting production process termed Ultrathin Coating, in particular for the sector of medical protective clothing. The process will permit customers to produce particularly lightweight film/nonwoven composites with greater cost efficiency and, as a result, more competitively. The patent-pending process has several advantages: It cuts film grammage by 66%; material consumption in the overall composite is reduced by 28%; and it slashes costs by up to 34% compared to conventional semi-finished products. Significant cost savings are achieved in various ways, for example, by replacing hotmelt adhesives, which reduces line maintenance to a great extent at the same time.

Mark Borutta, Sales & Marketing Specialist bei Reifenhäuser Cast Sheet Coating, erklärt: „Wir erleben derzeit einen nachhaltig wachsenden Mehrbedarf für medizinische Schutzbekleidung verbunden mit einer Rückholstrategie für lokale Produktionskapazitäten. Vor diesem Hintergrund erzielen Produzenten mit ‚Ultrathin Coating‘ einen schnellen Return on Invest und hohe Profitabilität – auch bei einer Produktion innerhalb Europas.“ Die Vlies-erfahrene Schwesterfirma Reifenhäuser Reicofil –führender Hersteller von Vliesstoffanlagen – hat die Entwicklung unterstützt.

Mark Borutta, Sales & Marketing specialist at Reifenhäuser Cast Sheet Coating, explains: "We are currently experiencing a sustained increase in demand for medical protective clothing combined with a return strategy for local production capacity. Against this backdrop, producers achieve a fast return on investment and high profitability with Ultrathin Coating - even when production is based in Europe." The sister company, Reifenhäuser Reicofil, an experienced and global leading manufacturer of nonwoven lines, provided their support to the development.

Even if manufacturers already produce medical protective clothing and prefer to handle the coating process internally in the future instead of importing the necessary composites, it is worthwhile to set up an in-house production facility. In either case, the investment in Ultrathin Coating usually pays for itself in less than 12 months. The lower material input also reduces the consumption of fossil raw materials and this in turn responds to the increased demand for more sustainable products.

• Composites in the construction industry - The lightweight construction material of the future

Building with fibre-reinforced materials opens up completely new possibilities. In terms of engineering, design, and organisation. This is due, on the one hand, to the excellent properties of fibre-reinforced materials (FRM) and, on the other hand, to the fact that the material – unlike wood or brick, for example – is not machined or processed for its use, but custom-produced.

Excellent properties – in terms of engineering, design, and organisation
Fibre-composite materials offer a whole range of technical properties for innovative and sustainable building:
•    High mechanical rigidity
•    Low weight
•    High corrosion resistance
•    Low material fatigue
•    Low heat transfer coefficient of the plastic matrix
•    Resistance to frost and de-icing salt
•    Good draping capability

In addition, fibre composites offer numerous design options for novel and exceptional new building and maintenance projects:
•    Unique variety of shapes
•    Different structures of the textiles
•    Large spectrum of colours and colour combinations
•    Translucency of the plastic matrix
Thanks to these properties, composites can be used to produce coloured, phosphorescent, thermochromic or – through the use of LEDs or light-conducting fibres permanently integrated into the matrix – luminescent components.

In addition, there are organisational benefits for planning, construction and maintenance work with fibre-reinforced materials:
•    Easier handling and assembly of the far lighter and more flexible components – compared with steel, concrete or wood
•    Faster installation
•    Shorter construction site times in road and bridge maintenance
•    Shorter delivery times
•    Ability to integrate electronic monitoring systems

Individual composite textiles – for every lightweight engineering project
The composites experts at vombaur develop and manufacture woven tapes and seamless round or shaped woven textiles from carbon, glass, flax or other high-performance fibres on special weaving lines for individually specified round and shaped woven textiles – and can therefore offer you the best possible fibre base for every lightweight construction project.

"Regardless of whether it's a new construction or a renovation project, a façade design, a bridge or a staircase – as your development partner for composite textiles, we have plenty of experience with composites for demanding tasks," emphasises Dr.-Ing. Sven Schöfer, Head of Development and Innovation at vombaur. "We develop, create samples and manufacture woven tapes and seamless round or shaped woven textiles – in collaboration with the customer enterprise development teams and individually for the respective projects." This is how novel and unique lightweight components made of high-performance textiles are created for visionary projects.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received a repeat order from Zhejiang Saintyear Textile Co., Ltd., based in China, to supply a second, complete neXline spunlace line for the production of premium-quality nonwoven roll goods. The line is scheduled for start-up during the third quarter of 2022.

No later than nine months after placing a first order for a complete high-speed spunlace line, Zhejiang Saintyear Textile has decided to rely on ANDRITZ once again by purchasing another complete line dedicated to the production of first-class wipes. The production capacity will be up to 2,800 kg/h for lightweight fabrics.

ANDRITZ will provide a full line with state-of-the-art equipment – from web forming to drying. The scope of supply includes the precise opening and blending machinery from Laroche – newly acquired by the ANDRITZ GROUP, two inline TT cards, a proven JetlaceEssentiel unit for hydroentanglement, and the efficient neXdry through-air dryer.