From the Sector

Rester Oy, which is developing the plant in Paimio, recycles companies' end-of-life textiles, and Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy (LSJH), which will hire a production area at the same facility, processes households' end-of-life textiles. The plant will process 12,000 tonnes of end-of-life textiles every year, which represents about 10% of Finland’s textile waste.

The textile industry’s end-of-life textile problem is intolerable. Natural resources are increasingly used to manufacture products, but these materials are lost at the end of their life cycle. About 100 million kilograms of textile waste are generated annually in Finland alone. Reusing this material could reduce the textile industry’s carbon footprint and significantly reduce the use of natural resources.

Rester Oy and LSJH will drive the textile sector towards a circular economy and begin processing textile waste as an industrial raw material. The Nordic countries’ first industrial end-of-textile refinement plant will open in Paimio in 2021. The 3,000-square-metre plant is being developed by Rester Oy, which recycles companies' end-of-life textiles and industrial waste materials. LSJH, which processes households’ end-of-life textiles on its production line, will hire part of the plant.

Outi Luukko, Rester Oy’s board chair, says, “The processing plant will begin a new era of textile circular economy in Finland. As industry pioneers, we are launching a system change in Scandinavia. The transition of the textile industry from a linear model to a circular economy is essential, as virgin materials cannot sustain the current structure of the textile industry. And why should it, when there is so much recyclable material available?”

From the perspective of Rester Oy’s main owner, work clothing supplier Touchpoint, the circular economy plant not only represents resource efficiency, but is also necessary from the perspective of the entire life cycle of a responsible work clothing collection.

Luukko adds, “Finding a local solution to a global problem is a huge leap in the right direction and raises Finland's profile as a pioneer of circular economy."

The future plant will be able to process 12,000 tonnes of end-of-life textiles annually, which represents about 10% of Finland’s textile waste. Both production lines produce recycled fibre, which can be used for various industrial applications, including yarn and fabric, insulating materials for construction and shipping industries, acoustic panels, composites, non-woven and filter materials, and other technical textiles, such as geo-textiles.

LSJH is piloting a full-scale refinement plant

LSJH has launched a pilot production line for processing households' end-of-life textiles. Unfortunately, consumers' end-of-life textiles are heterogeneous, making them a challenging raw material for further processing. Before processing, the textiles are sorted by material into various fibre classes using optical identification technology developed by LSJH and its partners. This ensures the quality of the raw material and the resulting fibre products.

Jukka Heikkilä, managing director for Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto, explains: “On the basis of the experiences gathered from the pilot project, Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto is preparing a full-scale refinement plant in the Turku region. As soon as 2023, the plant will process Finnish households' end-of-life textiles. The project involves all waste treatment plants owned by Finnish municipalities.”

Paimio has ambitious goals for circular economy companies

Rester’s initiative aims to create a circular economy cluster in Paimio that combines the processing and reuse of end-of-life textile fibres. Paimion Kehitys Oy, which is owned by the City of Paimio and the local association of enterprises, supports the development of circular economy companies in Paimio.

Mika Ingi, managing director for Paimion Kehitys Oy, says, “We want to step out of our traditional municipal role and create significant added value for everyone taking part. That is why we are involved in the development of a new modern service model based on ecosystem thinking. We are piloting the textile cluster, followed in the coming years by clusters focusing on plastic, construction, and energy. The aim of our service is to support and help develop new profitable business by bringing circular economy companies and their potential customers to innovate together."

The foundation stone of the processing plant was laid today (18 August 2020). The processing plant will begin operations in February 2021.

• Thomas Dippold succeeding Dr. Michael Majerus as CFO

During its meeting on August 17, 2020, the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon SE decided to appoint Thomas Dippold (48) as CFO and member of the Board of Management of SGL Carbon SE effective December 1, 2020 with a tenure of five years. Thomas Dippold will succeed the long-standing CFO Dr. Michael Majerus, who will resign from his office as of November 30, 2020 by mutual amicable consent.

Thomas Dippold (German Diploma in Business Administration, MBA in USA) began his career at HSBC Bank in London and Düsseldorf. Further appointments led him to Schott AG amongst others in Singapore, followed by commercial management jobs and CFO positions in internationally active industrial companies headquartered in Germany. Mr. Dippold is currently CFO of the stock listed transportation technology company Schaltbau Holding AG.

The Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon SE, Mrs. Susanne Klatten, welcomes Mr. Dippold: “With the appointment of Mr. Dippold, we are pleased to have gained a convincing and highly respected personality in his field. We are convinced that Mr. Dippold possesses key qualifications to sustainably support SGL Carbon SE in its upcoming tasks given his comprehensive and long-standing experience as CFO.“

The Supervisory Board thanks Dr. Majerus very much for his great achievements in the interest of SGL Carbon. In the past six years, Dr. Majerus has stabilized the Company even in difficult times with several major capital market transactions and has meaningfully contributed to the strategic realignment of the Company with the successful divestment of the graphite electrode and cathode businesses. For nine months up to and including May 2020, Dr. Majerus additionally assumed nearly all responsibilities from the recently departed CEO and provided leadership to the Company as the Speaker of the Board of Management. In this position, he safely steered the Company through the immediate impacts of the Corona pandemic. In addition, he developed substantial future growth perspectives with, amongst others, the conclusion of a large supply agreement for fuel cell components. The Supervisory Board wishes him all the best and further success in his future endeavors.

• The quality of Sappi’s Algro Design Advanced solid bleached board makes the difference for Wolford

The unique combination of physical and optical features combined within the Algro Design range of products, convinced the textile manufacturer, Wolford, to use the range to package its innovative face mask. When creating the packaging solution for its ‘Care Mask’ the company chose to combine the premium 350 gsm Algro Design Advanced solid bleached board with extremely challenging ink covering and a number of finishing options. The end result is a packaging solution that is as elegant as it is creative and as a result, perfectly complements the product inside.

• Premium packaging for premium products
• Perfect for complex graphic applications
• Unique service from the innovation leader Sappi

Wolford, founded in Bregenz, Austria, in 1950, is the global market leader in skinwear ‘made in Europe’. Since its establishment, the company has come up with numerous product innovations and is always at the cutting edge. Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe, product developers were considering the idea of launching their own face mask protection, having witnessed the effects of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Asia. Thanks to an outstanding, highly efficient development division, a new product, ‘Care Mask’, was quickly brought to market.

It meets the high-quality standards of Wolford and consists of a premium, soft, breathable material that ensures high wearing comfort. Wolford is particularly proud that such a high-quality product could be developed in just a few weeks, despite reduced working hours and staff working from home. It generally takes some time to progress from development to product maturity. In this case however, everything was ready for market launch within two weeks.

Top quality meets top quality

Alongside the product, Wolford developed an appropriate packaging solution for their high-quality product, in collaboration with their in-house graphics department. To enable the ‘Care Mask’ to be quickly launched, a suitable material needed to be found, which could meet Wolford’s high standards in terms of quality, appearance and feel.
 
Wolford’s long-term partner, Sappi Europe had the perfect solution right away with its 350 g/m2 Algro Design Advanced solid bleached board. Thanks to its double-coated top and lightly coated back, the material from the innovation leader is a perfect choice for premium packaging.

The high brightness and silky, soft touch of the paperboard gives the packaging a premium, exclusive look and feel. The colour brilliance of Algro Design Advanced and the continuous, precise reproduction of complex print motifs were exactly what Wolford was looking for and met the high standards of the brand. Thanks to its additional outstanding finishing and processing properties, further processing with grooves, hot-foil embossing, paint finishes and adhesives was also easily achievable, which made it perfect for Wolford’s needs.

Service comes first at Sappi

Product capability alone was not enough for this venture however. To allow Wolford to achieve their goal of two weeks from inception to market ready, they also required a highly responsive service level from their trusted partner and Sappi responded at every level.  From selecting the right quality and size to the precise delivery of the paperboard to the printers, all in the space of five days, Sappi was flexible and immediately ready to respond. Thanks in no small part to the proactive support provided by all contributors to the creative process, the ‘Care Mask’ was launched at the end of March 2020 and was a resounding success. 5,000 masks were sold out within an hour and were sent on their way to the customers in their exclusive packaging.

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has joined hands with Liberty Textile Mill Limited (Liberty), a leading producer in healthcare textiles to produce high quality personal protective equipment (PPE).

Liberty will be benefitting from Archroma’s specialty solutions for hygiene protection, and well-established technical expertise in the area of medical textiles. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the PPEs manufactured by Liberty are aimed at easing the current shortage of PPEs for medical professionals in Pakistan.

Liberty carries over two decades of experience in medical textiles and exporting them all over the world. Its partnering with Archroma is a major step forward towards creating enhanced protection in the current crisis. With its advanced scientific knowledge and technical expertise, Archroma provides a complete set of specialty chemicals required to produce PPEs, in particular in the area of antimicrobial and barrier coatings. The project will assist in enhancing medical standards in hospitals, isolation centers and intensive care units, in Pakistan and, very soon, worldwide.

“By continuously challenging the status quo, we at Archroma are able to support our customers operating in or entering the area of medical textiles, with a holistic and expert approach to hygiene protection. With our collaboration with Liberty, we are so proud to be able to bring state-of-the art protection to health professionals and the general public,” comments Mujtaba Rahim, CEO of Archroma Pakistan.

“Liberty has a presence of more than five decades with high achieving accolades. Our processing units are fully equipped with latest equipment complying with international standards. We take this new partnership with Archroma as a start of building a strong relationship in the area of medical textiles. The COVID-19 pandemic has given a wake-up call to work extensively towards enhancing healthcare facilities. We are looking forward to new innovations in producing top-class PPEs,” adds Taimoor Mukaty, Director of Liberty Textile Mills Limited.

• Tata Communications announces its financial results for the quarter ended June 30th, 2020

Commenting on the results, A.S Lakshminarayanan, MD and CEO, Tata Communications, said, “We have started this new financial year with strong performance amidst an uncertain and unpredictable economic environment. Digital is increasingly defining and shaping the experiences in this new world. It will become even more strategically core as businesses look to adopt new ways of working and transform how they operate, and how they engage with their audiences and with each other. We continue to be a key partner for our customers as they look to now focus on business recovery, acceleration, and growth.
Our new proposition, Secure Connected Digital Experience, is aimed at enabling customers to adopt new digital working models by providing a holistic ecosystem of solutions that are suited for this digital-first environment and are built for the long term. We’re seeing good interest in the market for these solutions. We remain focused on our strategy to deliver profitable growth and to be a preferred digital partner to our customers.”

Commenting on the results, Pratibha K. Advani, Chief Financial Officer, Tata Communications, said, “We have registered another quarter of strong growth. Data portfolio, which has been the key driver for our business, recorded a double-digit growth of 10% YoY with robust margin expansion of 460 Bps.

Enterprise business has also shown a healthy increase in the quarter, on the back of strong growth in India as well as the international markets, with India growing by 6.7% and international by 8.3% YoY. We continue to drive cost efficiencies in our business and with every successive quarter, we are improving our financial fitness.

Highlights

• Strong growth in Data business; revenue grew by +10% YoY on the back of robust performance across all segments, despite an uncertain economic environment.
• Data EBITDA was at INR 975 crore; up +32.4% YoY on the back of margin expansion of 460 Bps YoY led by cost efficiency initiatives.
• Due to lockdown and remote working, we are witnessing increased bandwidth usage and higher collaboration traffic. Enterprises have upgraded their capacities and are consuming more data to support this work model. Consequently, our India enterprise business grew by 6.7% YoY and international enterprise business grew by 8.3% YoY on the back of strong demand. This has led to increase in both revenue and profitability.
• Consolidated revenue was at INR 4,403 crore; growth of +5.6% YoY on the back of strong growth in Data business.
• Consolidated EBITDA at INR 1,042 crore; increase of +26.2% YoY and margin expansion of 390 Bps on the back of strong profitable growth in data business and focus on cost efficiencies.
• Consolidated PAT at INR 258 crore as compared to a profit of INR 77 crore in Q1 FY20; growth of +236% YoY.
• CAPEX for this quarter was INR 372 crore as compared to INR 342 crore in Q4 FY20.

*Please read the attached document for more information

Following the successful commissioning of two new Monforts Montex wide-width stenter lines and additional environmental management equipment at its plant in Germany, GtA – Society for Textile Equipment GmbH – is aiming to be the first textile finishing company to become entirely CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025.

GtA is a partner company to Germany’s large-format digital printing fabric leader, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, which has has this year been able to considerably expand its portfolio due to the new Monforts lines.

Headquartered in Gross-Zimmern, close to Frankfurt, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH and its partners in Germany have an annual production of 37 million square metres of warp knits for a range of end-use applications, including garments, automotive interiors and technical textiles, but increasingly with a concentration on digital printing substrates.

Fault-free textiles

A new standard in pure white, 100% clean and fault-free textile substrates has been demanded by this market in recent years due to the rapid growth in digitally-printed banners and billboards – often referred to as ‘soft signage’.

The substrates of choice for digital printing are 100% polyester warp knits which are resilient and allow excellent take-up of inks, and vibrant colours and clear and precise images to be achieved with digital printing techniques. The knitted construction also has the advantage of elasticity, which is a plus in terms of flexibility for installers.

Critically, the warp knitted fabrics have extremely smooth surfaces which is becoming increasingly important due to the general move away from PVC coatings which were the standard in the past.

It was to finish these fabrics for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH as well as providing such services for many other customers, that the GtA plant in Neresheim, Baden-Württemberg, was established in 2015.

The purpose-built plant on a greenfield site was initially equipped with a fully-automated, 72 metre long Monforts installation comprising a washing machine integrated with a 3.6 metre wide, seven-chamber Montex stenter. The line quickly went from single to double shift production and then to 24/7 operation  to meet demand.

Expanded widths

Building on the success of this installation, GtA has now installed two more Montex stenter lines – both in expanded working widths of 5.6 metres and purpose-built at Montex GmbH in Austria.

A six-chamber Montex unit is combined with a washing machine to guarantee the purity of the substrates, while a five-chamber line is integrated with a wide-width coating machine. This new coating capability at GtA has led to a number of new additions to the Georg and Otto Friedrich DecoTex range for digital printing, including wide width fabrics with flame retardant, antimicrobial and non-slip finishes.

The new Montex stenter lines benefit from all of the latest innovations from Monforts, including the Smart Sensor system for the optimised maintenance planning of key mechanical wear components on the stenters. A comprehensive overview of the condition of all parts at any time is now available for operators within the highly intuitive Qualitex visualization software.

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

Environmental commitment

GtA is run by a seasoned team of textile professionals led by Managing Director Andreas Niess.

“We have received excellent service from Monforts from the outset and we were happy to place the order for these two new lines as part of our ongoing cooperation,” he says. “With all of the latest Monforts advances in technology we are fully in control of all production and quality parameters with these lines, as part of our significant commitment to innovative environmental technology.”

The GtA plant, which operates in near-cleanroom conditions, has also been equipped with proprietary technology to fully exploit the Monforts air-to-air heat recovery systems that are now standard with Montex stenters.

“Around 30 per cent of our investment volume at the site goes to energy-saving measures and we are sure that this commitment is worthwhile,” Mr Niess says. “As an example, our integrated heat recovery system fully exploits the waste heat from the process exhaust air and the burner exhaust gases of the Monforts stenters, allowing us to achieve an exhaust air temperature of  between 30 to 34°C, compared to what would conventionally be between 140 to 160°C. Another focus has been on exhaust air purification technology and here too, the latest technology has been installed with integrated heat recovery elements.”

This, he adds, saves 52% of the energy that would normally be used – equating to 5,800,000 KwH per year. The necessary audits for energy-efficient companies are also carried out annually.

In addition, GtA has purpose-designed the automatic chemical mixing and dosing systems that feed the padders for the key treatments that are carried out on the fabrics through the stenters.

The company is going further, however, in its pursuit of clean production and raw materials.

"We want to be an asset and not a burden on our immediate environment and therefore do not use any additives containing solvents," Mr Niess says. “We were the first to use fully halogen-free flame retardant chemistry, and we use bio-based, finely ground alumina products for the washing process instead of surfactants. PES polyester yarns made from recycled material are also increasingly used and the latest additions to our raw materials portfolio, the RC-Ocean products, are made from recycled sea plastic.

“We are now planning a combined heat and power plant for the production of electrical energy and heat and we will also build a photovoltaic system that converts solar radiation into electrical energy. GtA wants to be the first textile finishing company to be CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025. The complete heat supply and heating for the 13,000 square metre production hall, as well as the office building and the hot water supply for the domestic water, is already energy-neutral. We are convinced that this commitment will pay off in the long term and our positive business development proves that sustainability and business profitability are perfectly compatible.”

In addition to the products for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, GtA  offers its manufacturing capacities for other customers as a contract service.

All products are manufactured in accordance with Öko-Tex Standard 100, product class 1 and the company is also involved in the research and development of new sustainable manufacturing processes, in cooperation with many regional universities and funding project partners.

The ITM 2021 Exhibition, which is postponed to 22-26 June 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, will direct the world and Turkish textile industry, which will demonstrate a vigorous comeback in the post-pandemic period.

The ITM Exhibition, which was planned to be held between 2-6 June this year, was postponed to 22-26 June 2021 due to the troublesome Coronavirus pandemic. Participating companies in countries that had to interrupt their production, especially Italy, France, Spain, Germany and China, which were most affected by the virus, welcomed the postponement of the ITM Exhibition. The countries, holding similar opinions that it is not possible to save from the pandemic without effective drug treatment or vaccine against coronavirus, started normalization process by increasing their protective measures while fighting against the pandemic.

• Schleswig-Holstein Minister President visits Neumünster, Germany

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the worldwide demand for protective masks and apparel has resulted in a record number of new orders in the high double-digit millions of euros at the Oerlikon Nonwoven business unit of the Swiss Oerlikon Group. From the manufacturing site in Neumünster, Germany, the high-tech meltblown systems – with their patented ecuTE+ nonwovens electro-charging technology – are meanwhile be exported all over the world. For the very first time, a contract has now been signed with a business in Australia. Today, Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister President Daniel Günther was won over on site by the technology of a ‘global player’. Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven, was thrilled, stating: “The machines and systems for manufacturing manmade fiber and nonwovens solutions from Neumünster enjoy an outstanding reputation throughout the world. It is especially in this crisis that the technology from Schleswig-Holstein has proven itself to be absolutely world-class.”

In addition to a tour of the meltblown system and its assembly and production facilities, the visit by Minister President Daniel Günther had one purpose above all: the dialog between politicians and business. Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven, and Matthias Pilz, Head of Oerlikon Neumag, jointly expressed their thanks for the support that Oerlikon has repeatedly had the fortune to experience over the past months and years in Schleswig-Holstein and looked to the future full of hope. “As a result of our additional investment at the site here in Neumünster – be this in our new technology center that will be completed by the end of this year or in our new logistics center that is already operating – we, as one of the region’s largest employers, are continuing to move forward, supported by a State Government that is also focusing on both promoting industry and business and on advancing an efficient training and educational system, as innovation is only possible with outstanding engineers”, stated Matthias Pilz. And Rainer Straub directed his appeal specifically at the Minister President: “Treat education and training as a priority. Ultimately, they will secure the future of Schleswig-Holstein as a center of excellence and manufacturing!”

Five-million-euro digitalization program

Daniel Günther, the incumbent Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein since 2017, immediately responded, making reference to one of the Federal State’s current training initiatives: “The State Government is supporting higher education institutions and students in the present coronavirus crisis. With a five-million-euro digitalization program, we are investing on the long-term digitalization of our higher education institutions. With this, we are overall creating a future for young people, particularly also for those who could very well go on to invent the next generation of manmade fiber systems.” And the Minister President was just as impressed by the willingness and readiness with which Oerlikon has been providing high-level support since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to master the present challenges as he was with the company’s meltblown technology itself. Rainer Straub explained: “When, at the beginning of the pandemic in February, demand for protective face masks increased rapidly, we at Oerlikon Nonwoven responded immediately. We ramped up all the available production capacities here in Neumünster in order to quickly manufacture nonwovens for producing face masks using our laboratory systems. As a result, we have been able to make a small, regional contribution to covering demand. In parallel, we have pulled out all the stops in order to systematically further expand our skills as machine and system builders so as to cater to the initially expected, and now also continuing, global demand for meltblown systems as quickly as possible.”

Leading meltblown technology

The Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology – with which nonwovens for protective masks can also be manufactured, among other things – is recognized by the market as being the technically most efficient method for producing highly-separating filter media made from plastic fibers. The capacities for respiratory masks available in Europe to date are predominantly manufactured on Oerlikon Nonwoven systems. “Ever more manufacturers in the most diverse countries are hoping to become independent of imports. Therefore, what we are experiencing in Germany is also happening in both industrialized and emerging countries throughout the world”, commented Rainer Straub. In addition to China, Turkey, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Austria and numerous countries in both North and South America, Australia and not least Germany will for the first time also be among the countries to which Oerlikon Nonwoven will be delivering machines and equipment before the end of 2021.

• Australian production of medical masks to commence from April 2021 with Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology

Neumünster/Germany, Brisbane/Queensland/Australia – Queensland company OZ Health Plus will establish Australia’s first manufacturing plant to make the critical fine plastic material used in most protective face masks. OZ Health Plus has purchased a plant of the Swiss-based technology company Oerlikon to establish a Queensland-based production plant for spun-bond and meltblown nonwovens. These fabrics are essential for Australia’s face mask manufac-turers, who currently produce about 500 million medical and industrial masks per year. However the fabrics have to be imported from overseas and access to these materials has been severely disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oerlikon’s German-based business unit Oerlikon Nonwoven has now executed legal and commercial arrangements to supply the specialised machinery which can manufacture the nonwoven material lo-cally. The same machinery is used to make almost all face masks material manufactured in Europe. The world-leading Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown plant will commence operations in April next year, with a second stage planned for late 2021.

The Oerlikon Nonwoven plant can produce meltblown fabrics for 500 million masks per year, along with other medical and non-medical grade products, filtration products, sanitary items, antiseptic wipes and more. Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven said: “We are very proud that we can now for the first time supply our Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology to Australia. Due to the short delivery time, we hope to make our contribution to the Australian population and their safe sup-ply of high-quality protective masks as soon as possible.”

Queensland company secures manufacturing plant for the only Australian production of critical face mask material

OZ Health Plus director Darren Fooks said: “Australia has access to raw polypropylene feedstock but lacks the plant to convert that raw material to specialised spunbond and meltblown fabrics. These fabrics are essential for local mask manufacturing. The Australian-based Oerlikon Nonwoven plant will fill the production chain gap for Australia by producing the fabrics we need for mask production and many other products – it will reduce Australia’s protective mask supply chain from thousands of kilo-metres, to tens of kilometres.”

“Our decision in favor of Oerlikon Nonwoven was a given once we had analyzed the material samples. It was a matter of course for us that the Business Unit of the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment could supply high-quality machines and systems”, added Darren Fooks.

OZ Health Plus’ new facilities will take up 15,000 m2 of manufacturing space and will employ 100 full-time roles once the second stage of the project is complete. OZ Health Plus continues to work with both Queensland and Federal Government stakeholders and values their support in bringing this vital capability to Queensland.

Leading meltblown technology

Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology, which can also be used to produce nonwovens for protec-tive masks, is recognized in the market as the technically most efficient method of producing high-separation filter media from plastic fibers. Most of the protective mask capacities available in Europe to date are produced on Oerlikon Nonwoven equipment.

• There is an urban legend that hemp canvas was used to make the very first pair of Levi’s jeans.
• While this is a myth that originated in the counterculture of the 1960s, hemp is without doubt the fibre of the moment for the denim industry.

At the second Kingpins24 virtual denim show that was broadcast from New York on June 23rd and 24th, the sustainable benefits of hemp fibre were referenced by many Monforts customers who are now including it in their collections, including AGI Denim, Artistic Milliners, Black Peony, Calik, Cone Denim, Naveena Denim Mills (NDM) and Orta.

“Hemp is an easy to grow fibre which requires no irrigation, no fertilizers, no herbicides and no chemicals,” says Allan Little, Director of Product Development for Cone Denim, which has recently launched its Sweet Leaf collection featuring the fibre. “Significantly, it also uses fifty per cent or even less water than cotton in cultivation.”

It can also bring some new aesthetics to denim too, he adds.

“Hemp has a unique colour and adds a different cast to our indigo, the drape and texture of the fabrics is different and it even adds  a bit of a unique hand, so combined with its sustainable credentials we are proud to be bringing the Sweet Leaf collection to the market.”

US supply chain

Cone is currently sourcing its hemp from France, but with much of its manufacturing now in Mexico – and with the introduction of the US Farm Bill in 2018 which has legalised the growing of legal hemp – is exploring the possibility of investing in the US supply chain.

“With US hemp we’re really at the R&D phase,” Little emphasises. “It’s a unique crop, so coming up with the right stalk to provide the right fibre is challenging. We’ve experimented with different types of seed and various methods of decortication.”

Decortication, he explains, is the mechanical removal of the outside layer of the hemp stalk to useable fibre on the inside. A second process, cottonization, is necessary to make the fibre suitable for spinning, because compared to cotton, hemp is longer, stiffer, and less flexible.

100% success

At the end of 2019, Naveena (NDM), headquartered in Karachi, introduced fabrics featuring up to 51% hemp content in blends with Tencel and recycled polyester and this year has developed the first 100% hemp denims.

“The response to the fabrics we showed last year was incredible and we were looking forward to the response to this latest development – which everyone was asking for – at the Kingpins show in Amsterdam, which unfortunately was unable to go ahead,” says NDM’s Director of Marketing Rashid Iqbal. “We produced initial samples in an undyed state because we were not sure how the wet spun yarn would react in the dyeing, but I’m happy to say we have had success in this respect and are now able to provide one hundred per cent indigo dyed hemp denim.”

Environmental benefits

“Differentiation is the key in the highly-competitive denim industry and we have assisted our customers with trials and optimised processing parameters for a range of different fibres, including hemp, both at our Advanced Technology Centre in Germany and at their own mills around the world,” says Hans Wroblowski, Monforts Head of Denim. “Given the environmental benefits of hemp, and the liberalisation of its cultivation in many parts of the world, the interest in it now comes as no surprise. We have the technologies and know-how to help our customers to fully maximise their hemp denims at all post-weaving stages of production.”

Monforts has a dominant position in the field of denim finishing with its well proven Montex stenters. It has been enjoying further recent success with its Eco Line concept based on two key technology advances – the Eco Applicator and the Thermo Stretch.

The latest Monforts innovation for denim is the CYD yarn dyeing system. This technology is based on the effective and established dyeing process for denim fabrics that is now being applied for yarn dyeing.

The CYD system also integrates new functions and processes into the weaving preparation processes – spinning, direct beaming, warping and assembly beaming, followed by sizing and dyeing – to increase quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity. A full CYD line is now available for trials at the company’s Advanced Technology Centre.