From the Sector

• 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.

• Italian creativity merges with Chinese technological innovation to create a new capsule collection
   

A new era is born in the world of denim, Paolo Gnutti and Advance Denim will combine their skills to create capsule collections for both the US and Asian markets.

These collections will combine Paolo Gnutti’s artistry and Advance denim’s technological innovation to create “magical” inspiration that is with the reach of all brands.

Advance Denim has the distinction of being the oldest denim manufacturer in China and has dedicated its efforts since day one around the core beliefs of innovation , service , quality and people. These core beliefs are the foundation of their day to day focus of becoming a world leader in denim. They are also  committed to making the most sustainable denim possible and they are constantly investing in the infrastructure and systems that will help them to reach aggressive sustainability goals . Sustainability is important but Advance Denim has always been true to denim and strive to produce innovative high-quality products that exceed the needs of the market

“We are looking forward to Paolo bringing his Italian artistic aesthetics to our denim.” Said Ms. Amy Wang, General Manager of ADVANCE DENIM. “ We believe it is the combination of eastern and western design and culture that have never been offered to our customers before and will take Advance Denim to a whole new level. It is our goal to also offer these high quality designs at a competitive price from our Vietnam facility.” conclude Ms. Wang.

Paolo Gnutti, a life time dedicated to denim innovation and creativity, bases the creation of his collections following  precise themes and  stylistic contaminations. He uses indigo bases which are completely transformed thanks to the use of flocks, 3D prints, colored foils and metallic effects.

Paolo Gnutti has the ability to conceive ground breaking fashion, thanks to his incredible creativity and visionary irreverent combination that ushers in a new concept of  fashionability to the denim world.

“ My passion and my professional exploration lead me to acquire the skill needed to develop unforgettable and unique textile concepts” said Paolo Gnutti “ I’m trilled to begin this collaboration with Advance Denim. I feel that we need a new challenge in our denim world, a new era of true globalization; we will create a capsule collection that will reach all customers, from premium to the mass market.”

A new era begins, based on the evolution of the  market and the search for innovation and inspiration that is both technically performance driven and accessible to all brands.

• 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.

• Protective masks, everyday masks, disinfecting wipes and surgical gowns are goods in demand in times of corona.
• In their manufacture, textile machines are at the beginning of the production chain.

The production of the textile raw material is the first step of the usually multi-stage production processes. Members of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association are at the beginning of this technological chain.

The production of protective masks starts with the manufacture of the filter material, which for surgical masks as well as FFP2 and FFP3 respirator masks consists of fine-pored nonwoven fabric to intercept coronaviruses. In addition to the systems, machines and components used for this purpose, measurement and control technology ensures the highest quality of important parameters such as basis weight and air permeability. Nonwovens used for respiratory masks have to meet the same high-quality requirements as the masks – to ensure the protection of the mask wearer.

Members of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association have reacted to the new market requirements in a very short time and developed new technologies for knitted, warp knitted as well as woven mouth and nose masks that can be produced without the need for sewing. For surgical masks, FFP2 respirators and social distancing masks, a wide variety of other materials and combinations of materials are used (nonwovens, woven fabrics, knitted or warp knitted fabrics and laminates thereof). Elastic bands are required to wear the masks and several association members provide technologies for their production.

Materials for masks can be treated with textile chemicals to make them antiviral and antibacterial. For this purpose, the VDMA member companies offer application systems which apply the corresponding chemicals to fabric webs. As already mentioned, quality assurance is extremely important for medical products. For this purpose, member companies of the VDMA offer software systems with which each mask can be traced through the entire production process.

VDMA members also offer solutions for the assembly of respirator masks, some of which were developed at short notice. These solutions enable respirators to be produced that meet the relevant standards and the highest quality requirements of customers and market surveillance. This applies to systems for the production of surgical masks and FFP respirators. At the end of the production chain, machines are used to pack masks in single or multiple packs.

In pandemic times, the demand for protective gowns (so-called surgical gowns) also increases. The same applies to disinfecting wipes. For these textile products, too, VDMA members manufacture tailor-made machines for production through to packaging. The quality of the products is ensured by means of measurement and control technology.

In the wake of the corona crisis, VDMA Textile Machinery has launched a new series of web events called "Textile Machinery Webtalk". Here, experts from up to four VDMA member companies present their innovative technologies on a specific topic in a maximum of 90 minutes and are available to answer questions from participants. The presentations are held in English. Participation in the web events is free of charge.
Topics of the first two webtalks were:
"Technologies for the production of melt-blown nonwovens for respiratory protection masks (FFP masks and surgical masks)."
"Technologies for the production of respiratory protection masks (FFP masks and surgical masks)."

The format is well received. Around 180 people from more than 30 countries took part in the first two webtalks. With this format, the VDMA reaches both textile and nonwovens manufacturers who already manufacture these products and companies that want to invest in new business areas.

The next webtalk will take place on 23 July 2020 from 14.00 to 16.00 (CEST) on the current topic "Technology solutions to produce fully-fashioned community face masks." Experts from KARL MAYER, STOLL by KARL MAYER and Jakob Müller will be presenting their technologies for producing everyday textile masks to an international expert audience. Interested parties can register here.

• Technical Absorbents Limited (TAL) has developed a new grade of superabsorbent fibre (SAF) specifically for use within a new range of SAF nonwoven fabrics that are more resistant to shrinkage.

The new SAF was developed in response to the demand from the medical industry for a superabsorbent fabric suitable for use in advanced wound pad dressings. The fibre had to be capable of withstanding the moisture used in the EtO sterilization process that is frequently employed in the production of the pads, in order to ensure product safety and compliance.

EtO sterilization is a low-temperature process (typically between 37 and 63°C) that uses ethylene oxide gas to reduce the level of infectious agents. While generally applied in gas form, however, the EtO is usually mixed with other substances – and often steam.

“Obviously superabsorbents and moisture generally aren’t a good combination at this stage in processing and can cause problems,” says TAL Product Development Director Dr Mark Paterson. “Other methods can be used, but when silicone materials are included, which is more frequently becoming the case, EtO is the preferred treatment method. Regular SAF grades tend to shrink a little and can become hard, which is often not desirable. This innovative SAF grade significantly reduces such potential problems.”

The amount of shrinkage caused by EtO sterilization depends very much on the product design and construction, he adds, but in general, the new SAF has been tested and proven to reduce fabric shrinkage by around 70%. It is suitable for use in all SAF nonwoven formats, whether needlepunched, thermally bonded or airlaid.

While the proprietary process developed at TAL for the production of this new fibre and resulting fabrics was prompted by the specific requirements of wound pad dressings, TAL sees opportunities for its application in other areas as well.

“It’s an extremely flexible fibre that can be easily switched with existing SAF grades when manufacturing fabrics and we have a number of current projects in which we’re exploring other end-uses,” Mark concludes. “We believe this new range could also open up entirely new application areas on the market.”

Messe Frankfurt India has announced new dates for the Mumbai edition of Screen Print India - the leading trade fair for screen, textile, sublimation and digital printing technologies The exhibition will be held in parallel with Gartex Texprocess India, from 19 – 21 March 2021 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. With the gradual re-opening of commercial activities and businesses, the co-located fairs will enable the industry to channel their efforts back towards business development and cater to the needs of screen printing, textile and garment manufacturing industry players as it gears up to bring the production and manufacturing value chain under one roof.
 
While the focus segments under Gartex Texprocess India will draw attention to innovations in garmenting & apparel machinery, the product launches and live demos at Screen Print India will enable business visitors and traders to track technological advances in digital textile and screen-printing technologies. The secure, business-focused ambience will enable both printing and textile sector players to showcase, source and strengthen their supply chains and keep pace with the shifting demand for screen printing, textile printing, digital and sublimation technologies across other sectors.
 
Screen Print India will also host a series of sessions on processes and innovations related to the graphics industry. Another key highlight of this successful trade fair is the Screen Print Excellence Awards that upholds a strong tradition of honouring technology inventors and trailblazers within the screen-printing industry. With this in mind, the Mumbai edition will curate a special “SPI Gallery” to showcase award winning pieces of screen-printing excellence.

Im Zuge der geplanten Kooperation der LDT Nagold mit der Hochschule Reutlingen wurde Anfang Juli auch die LDT-Geschäftsführung neu aufgestellt. Neuer LDT-Geschäftsführer ist BTE-Hauptgeschäftsführer Rolf Pangels, der auch Geschäftsführer des Alleingesellschafters BTE/BLE Vertriebs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH mit Sitz in Köln ist. Ansprechpartner vor Ort und Prokuristin ist Bettina Grüninger, langjährige Dozentin und exzellente Kennerin der LDT.
 
Die Verträge mit den bisherigen Geschäftsführern Rüdiger Jung und Manfred Mroz wurden beendet. Der BTE und die LDT sprechen den beiden Herren Dank für die geleistet Arbeit und das große Engagement an der LDT aus. Herr Jung war 32 Jahre an der LDT und hat die pädagogische Ausrichtung der Schule maßbeglich bestimmt bzw. gestaltet. Herr Mroz war 19 Jahre an der LDT und zeichnete für den kaufmännischen Bereich verantwortlich. BTE und LDT wünschen den Herren für die Zukunft alles erdenklich Gute.
 
Pangels und Grüninger betonen, dass es bei der Umsetzung der Kooperation mit der Hochschule Reutlingen einen fließenden Übergang geben wird, der kein Aussetzen des Lehrbetriebs an der LDT zur Folge hat. Den Studierenden wird eine an den bisherigen Ausbildungs- und Qualitätsmaßstäben der LDT ausgerichtete Ausbildung garantiert. Es werden sich für die Studierenden keine maßgeblichen bzw. relevanten Veränderungen ergeben. Im Gegenteil ist man der Überzeugung, dass sich mit den Möglichkeiten, die sich aus der Kooperation mit der Hochschule Reutlingen, Fakultät Textil & Design, ergeben, eine modernere und zeitgemäße Ausbildung ergeben wird.

Starting midth of July, brands and retailers can join the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a new system for responsibly grown cotton that will provide annual data for six areas of sustainability in line with the UN Sustainability Goals. This year-on-year data available for the first time will allow brands and retailers to better measure progress towards meeting sustainability commitments.

The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies sustainability progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. By working with Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and Control Union Certifications North America, the Trust Protocol enables brands and retailers to better track the cotton entering their supply chain. Brands who become members of the Trust Protocol will have access to aggregate year-over-year data on water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon and land use efficiency.

The Trust Protocol is a complement to existing sustainability programs and is designed from the ground up to fit the unique cotton mass-growing environment of the United States.

Last month the Trust Protocol was added to Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibres and materials that more than 170 participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index programme.