From the Sector

By establishing touchpoint textile, drupa has created a special forum to showcase pioneering applications in digital textile printing. The highlight will be the Digital Textile Micro Factory – a fully connected, integrated process chain starting with the customer enquiry and design through to large-format digital textile printing.

touchpoint textile represents drupa’s growing expansion into new markets comprising such segments as packaging production, large-format or industrial and functional printing next to packaging production. All of these segments are undergoing the same transformation processes and offer enormous growth potential. The special forum revolves around the opportunities and challenges of digital textile printing, brings together renowned exhibitors, industry partners and brand owners and provides scope for cross-industry cooperation, new projects as well as product and manufacturing ideas. The operational content partners of touchpoint textile include the German Institutes for Textile and Fibre Research Denkendorf (DITF), as Europe’s largest textile research centre, as well as ESMA, the European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association.

Digital Textile Micro Factory: on-demand and virtual products – on the path towards sustainable production
In cooperation with 12 partners from industry and research the DITF will demonstrate a Digital Textile Micro Factory live at drupa and, hence, a fully connected, integrated process chain from design to finished product. This will present new possibilities for digitalisation and direct customer involvement, for instance in the form of 3D apparel simulations complete with links to design networks for creative input. Digital workflows and virtual products are integrated directly in the manufacturing process. As a special highlight for all trade visitors the technology partners of this Micro Factory will demonstrate an automated on-demand production, textile printing, cutting and sorting – without any manual interaction. Such decentralised and digitally connected design and production chains will enable the textile industry to respond to customers’ requests and trends in a more targeted manner in future. This means, touchpoint textile 2024 technologically points the way to a future without shelf-warmers. In addition, the carbon footprint for the complete process from virtual development to finished product will be modelled and presented at the trade fair.  

2024 will see the design competition “drupa – textile design talents” being held for the first time. This was conceived of by the DITF and will be implemented by the partner Mitwill. This provides up-coming textile designers and newcomers with a unique opportunity to introduce their ideas and visions to a professional audience.

Broad industry support
A project as comprehensive as the Micro Factory requires many strong partners. The companies “on board” here include: Assyst/Germany (3D simulation for digital apparel twins), Mitwill Textiles Europe/France (creative design network), D.G.I. Digital Graphics Incorporation/South Korea, Multi-Plot Europe/Germany (large-format textile printing), LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung/Germany, Zünd/Switzerland (digital cutting), robotfactory/Denmark, Asco/The Netherlands (presenting an innovative buffer solution between digital printing and cutting, automated sorting of cut parts from the cutter by robotfactory) as well as Brother/Japan (for small-format textile printing and bonding technology). Vaude and berger textiles will be sponsoring the touchpoint. Another key partner is the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University that is supporting the project as a conceptual sponsor and which has set itself the clear mission to incorporate these new topics into its curriculum. This means the staff of the future will be geared up to the new challenges ahead.

Another partner of touchpoint textile is the European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association (ESMA), which is responsible for the lecture programme. ESMA represents industrial, functional and specialist printing and acts as an organiser of educational events in the field of textile printing. At drupa speakers from research, development, and industry will address issues related to printing and finishing techniques, workflows, market developments and sustainability, to name but a few. The focus will also be on trends and applications that unlock ever new potential through the interplay of digital printing and textile printing substrates. The lectures are divided into the categories Research, Finishing, Print Systems & Hardware, Substrates, Inks & Chemistry and Software & Electronics. Assyst, for example, will deliver talks on the virtual development of apparel as well as the research project ECOShoring, which is funded by the “Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt” – DBU (German Federal Environmental Foundation) and focuses on personalised and on-demand sustainable manufacturing. Other speakers represent Adobe, Balta Group, Barbieri Electronic, Brother, Centexbel, CST, DITF, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems, HS Albsig, Kornit Digital, Meteor Inkjet, Mimaki, Mitwill, Multiplot, Print-Rite, RWTH Aachen, Seiko Instruments, Tiger Coatings, Xaar, Zünd and the list is updated on regular basis.

drupa will be held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 28 May to 7 June 2024.

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, the Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, Peter D. Dornier, presented awards to six successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses in which, for example, solutions for resource-saving products and technologies are developed are eligible for the sustainability prizes.

The Walter Reiners Foundation awarded Anna Markic a sustainability prize worth 3,000 euros in the Bachelor's category. The topic of her thesis, written at Reutlingen University, was the recycling of carbon fibres.

Mark Zenzinger, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, received a 3,000 euro promotion award in the Bachelor's category. His topic was the automation of the process chain for the production of welded textile hard goods.
 
Lena Fink from the TU Dresden received another promotion award worth 3,000 euros. Her construction engineering project work focused on a device to simplify the maintenance of braiding machines.

Fabio Bussmann from RWTH Aachen was awarded a promotion prize in the Master's category, worth 3,500 euros. In his thesis, he analysed the life cycle assessments of alternative semi-finished products for geotextiles.

Katharina Maria Ernst, TU Dresden, was honoured with a sustainability prize of 3,500 euros in the Master's category. Her work focused on the development of a suitable process for the treatment of chitosan fibres as an alternative starting product in the production of carbon fibres.

Lennart Hellwig, RWTH Aachen University, was awarded a 3,500 euro prize in the Master's category. He focused on the topic of machine learning using the example of a nonwovens plant.

UK-based textile testing solutions provider James Heal has launched two new instruments in its tensile and compression testing range, marking 25 years of innovation since their first Titan universal testing machine was developed in 1999.

Having seen sustained growth in the market for personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly safety workwear, equipment and footwear, James Heal designed the Titan 25 to meet demand for quality testing products that require higher capacity tests. In addition, the company has experienced increasing demand in testing solutions for wider sporting, industrial and transportation applications, which also influenced the decision to develop higher capacity test instrumentation.

The new Titan 25 is the highest capacity universal testing machine to join the range capable of tests up to 25kN, while the 10kN Titan 10 has been newly refined. The new instruments offer efficiencies through automation, quick change connections for tooling with compatibility across the range, upgraded software, plus enhanced safety features.

These dual column instruments enable testing on larger specimens across a wide range of tensile and compression tests. Load cells from 100N to 25kN allow testing to as low as 2N giving laboratories maximum flexibility and return for their investment.

Simple to use, the new Titan testers have over 750 pre-loaded standard procedures in the TestWise software, with the option for users to customise and save their own standards. The software automatically sets parameters for each selected test, reducing set up time and eliminating user error.

Using bio-based and bio-degradable, recyclable insulation textiles to sustainably insulate heat and reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint - the Aachen-based start-up SA-Dynamics has developed a solution for this dream of many building owners together with industrial partners. SA-Dynamics won the second Innovation Award in the "New Technologies on Sustainability & Recycling" category at the leading textile trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess for this development.

The bio-based recyclable insulation textiles consist of 100 percent bio-based aerogel-fibres. They contain up to 90 percent air, trapped in the nano-pore system of the aerogel-fibres. The bio-based raw material is sustainably sourced and certified. The insulation textiles made from bio-based aerogel fibres are said to insulate the same or even better than synthetic insulating materials of fossil origin like PET, PE or PP and mineral or stone wool.

"By using bio-based aerogels, we are doing away with fossil-based materials and doing something for the environment and climate," explains Maximilian Mohr, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at SA-Dynamics. "We are thus meeting the regulatory measures of the EU and the governments of many countries for more climate and environmental protection. By using bio-based, recyclable aerogels, we can revolutionise the world of construction.“

The Aachen-based start-up SA-Dynamics is made up of researchers from the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) and the Institute of Industrial Furnace Construction and Heat Engineering (IOB) at RWTH Aachen University.

The bio-based aerogel fibres originate from the LIGHT LINING research project of the BIOTEXFUTURE innovation area. The LIGHT LINING research project focussed on sports and outdoor textiles. The research results are transferable to the construction sector.

The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards ceremony will take place on 23 April 2024 at 12.30 pm in Hall 9.0 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

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.

The Lenzing Group has created an innovative concept that contributes to the sustainable protection of our glaciers while inspiring collective action for sustainable practices and a circular economy in the nonwovens and textile value chain. The concept, which was artistically staged by the Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, was presented on March 21, 2024, as part of the International Day of Forests celebrations at the Palais des Nations, the headquarters of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).

The melting of glaciers is being severely impacted by global warming. Geotextiles are used to protect ice and snow. However, the nonwovens used for this are made of fossil-based fibers, which allow microplastics1 to enter the valley via streams and may enter the food chain through small organisms and animals. Nonwovens made from cellulosic LENZING™ fibers, which are biodegradable at the end of their life cycle and can be completely recycled, are the sustainable solution to this problem.

The covering of a small area with the new material made from LENZING™ fibers was tested for the first time during a field test on the Stubai Glacier. Four meters of ice were saved from melting. This was confirmed in a study conducted by the University of Innsbruck and the Austrian glacier lift operators on the Stubai Glacier in Tyrol (Austria). In 2023, the pilot project was successfully extended to all Austrian glaciers used by tourists.

Last year, the project was also awarded first place in the prestigious Swiss BIO TOP Awards for wood and material innovations.

Lenzing takes this innovation project as an opportunity to inspire collaborative action towards sustainable practices and circularity in the textile value chain. Together with a network of innovative partners, Lenzing is working on processing geotextiles into new textile fibers giving them a second life as a garment. The use of geotextiles is usually limited to two years, after which the nonwovens would be disposed of. In the first phase of the pilot project, the recycling of nonwovens made for geotextiles use has been successfully tested and a fashionable “Glacier Jacket” has been produced, showcasing that the recycling of geotextiles is viable. Next to Lenzing, the network includes Marchi & Fildi Spa, a specialist in the field of mechanical recycling, the denim fabric manufacturer Candiani Denim and the fashion studio Blue of a Kind.

Lightweight design is a key enabler for addressing the energy transition and sustainable economy. Following the liquidation of the state agency Leichtbau BW GmbH, a consortium consisting of the Allianz Faserbasierter Werkstoffe Baden-Württtemberg (AFBW), the Leichtbauzentrum Baden-Württemberg (LBZ e.V. -BW) and Composites United Baden-Württemberg (CU BW) now represents the interests of the lightweight construction community in the State.

The Lightweight Design Agency for Baden-Württemberg is set up for this purpose on behalf of and with the support of the State. The Lightweight Construction Alliance BW is the central point of contact for all players in the field of lightweight construction in the State and acts in their interests at national and international level. Professor Markus Milwich from the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) represents the agency.

The use of lightweight materials in combination with new production technologies will significantly reduce energy consumption in transportation, the manufacturing industry and the construction sector. Resources can be saved through the use of new materials. As a cross-functional technology, lightweight construction covers entire value chain from production and use to recycling and reuse.

The aim of the state government is to establish Baden-Württemberg as a leading provider of innovative lightweight construction technologies in order to strengthen the local economy and secure high-quality jobs.

Among others, the "Lightweight Construction Alliance Baden-Württemberg" will continue the nationally renowned "Lightweight Construction Day", which acts as an important source of inspiration for a wide range of lightweight construction topics among business and scientific community.

Professor Milwich, an expert with many years of experience and an excellent network beyond the State's borders, has been recruited for this task. In his role, Milwich also represents the state of Baden-Württemberg on the Strategy Advisory Board of the Lightweight Construction Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, which supports the cross functional-technology and efficient transfer of knowledge between the various nationwide players in lightweight construction and serves as a central point of contact for entrepreneurs nationwide for all relevant questions.

From 2005 to 2020, Professor Milwich headed the Composite Technology research at the DITF, which was integrated into the Competence Center Polymers and Fiber Composites in 2020. He is also an honorary professor at Reutlingen University, where he teaches hybrid materials and composites. "Lightweight design is an essential aspect for sustainability, environmental and resource conservation. I always showcase this in research and teaching and now also as a representative of the lightweight construction community in Baden-Württemberg," emphasizes Professor Milwich.

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) is showcasing solutions for the automotive, building, apparel, filtration and packaging industries at this year’s Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main from April 23 – 26.

Sustainable nonwoven for car seats
One innovation highlight at Techtextil is a novel Polyester nonwoven material for car seat padding. Also available as a nonwoven composite with PU foam, it is not only easier for car seat manufacturers to handle during the mounting process, but also ensures better dimensional stability as well as providing soft and flexible padding. It has a minimum 25 percent recycled content, for example, by reusing nonwoven clippings and waste, and is fully recyclable. Full supply chain transparency enables customers to trace and verify the content of the nonwoven and thus ensures a responsible production process. The Freudenberg experts will also be presenting several other nonwoven solutions made of up to 80 percent recycled materials that can be used in car seat manufacturing.

Biocarrier for green roofs
Freudenberg is showcasing a sustainable carrier material for green roofs on urban buildings at the trade fair. The carrier is made from polylactide, i.e. from renewable resources. When filled with soil, it provides a strong foothold to root systems, enabling the growth of lightweight sedum blankets that can be rolled out to provide instant green roofs. These roofs not only help counter urban heat, they also improve stormwater management and regulate indoor temperatures.

From textile waste to padding
The company extended its circular thermal wadding product range with the release of comfortemp® HO 80xR circular, a wadding made from 70 percent recycled polyamide from discarded fishing nets, carpet flooring and industrial plastic. Because polyamide 6, also known as nylon, retains its performance characteristics after multiple recycling processes, the fibers can be used again and again to manufacture performance sporting apparel, leisurewear and luxury garments.

Packaging solutions with various sustainability benefits
Freudenberg is also showcasing products for sustainable packaging and filtration solutions. The long-lasting Evolon® technical packaging series is a substitute for disposable packaging used in the transport of sensitive industrial items such as automotive parts. The material is made from up to 85 percent recycled PET. A further highlight at Techtextil are Freudenberg’s fully bio-based solutions for manufacturing dessicant bags. The binder-free material based on bio-fibers is also industrially compostable.
In addition, the experts will be giving trade fair visitors an insight into Freudenberg’s filtration portfolio.

Baldwin Technology Co. will join Elmatex GmbH at Techtexil (April 23-26 in Frankfurt, Germany) to demonstrate its TexCoat™ G4 precision spray finishing system.

With Baldwin’s system, the chemistry is precisely distributed across the textile surface and is applied only where it is required, on one or both sides of the fabric. The non-contact technology eliminates chemistry dilution in wet-on-wet processes, allowing full control of maintaining consistent chemistry coverage rates. Plus, pad bath contamination is eliminated, and changeovers are only required when there is a change of finish chemistry.
 
Furthermore, the system offers automated speed tracking, fabric-width compensation, and real-time monitoring to track system uptime, performance and chemistry usage, as well as active care alerts.
 
In addition, the TexCoat™ G4 system can process a wide range of low-viscosity water-based chemicals, such as durable water repellents, softeners, antimicrobials, flame retardants and more. Baldwin’s technology utilizes the same chemicals used in the traditional pad bath, and no special auxiliaries are required. The recipe is adjusted by increasing the concentration and reducing the pickup by a corresponding amount, so that the same level of solids is applied.
 
Some applications, such as durable water repellents, are only applied on the face of the fabric, instead of the traditional method of saturation through dipping and squeezing. Drier fabric entering the stenter means lower drying temperatures and faster process speeds. Single-side applications also open up the opportunity to process back-coated or laminated fabrics in a single pass of the stenter, instead of two passes.

At this year's JEC World 2024 from 5 to 7 March, KARL MAYER GROUP will be exhibiting with KARL MAYER Technical Textiles and its STOLL Business

One focus of the exhibition will be non-crimp fabrics and tapes made from bio-based yarn materials for the reinforcement of composites.

"While our business with multiaxial and spreading technology for processing conventional technical fibres such as carbon or glass continues to do well, we are seeing increasing interest in the processing of natural fibres into composites. That's why we have a new product in our trade fair luggage for the upcoming JEC World: an alpine ski in which, among other things, hemp fibre fabrics have been used," reveals Hagen Lotzmann, Vice President Sales KARL MAYER Technische Textilien.

The winter sports equipment is the result of a subsidised project. The hemp tapes for this were supplied by FUSE GmbH and processed into non-crimp fabrics on the COP MAX 5 multiaxial warp knitting machine in the KARL MAYER Technical Textiles technical centre.

The STOLL Business Unit will be focussing on thermoplastic materials. Several knit to shape parts with a textile outer surface and a hardened inner surface will be on display. The double-face products can be made from different types of yarn and do not need to be back-moulded for use as side door panels or housing shells, for example. In addition, the ready-to-use design saves on waste and yarn material.