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(c) INDA
10.05.2023

Four Nonwoven Industry Professionals honored with INDA Lifetime Awards

NDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced four recipients for the Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards. Jan O’Regan, Seshadri Ramkumar, Jim Robinson, and Ed Thomas are being recognized for their key contributions to the growth of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

NDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced four recipients for the Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards. Jan O’Regan, Seshadri Ramkumar, Jim Robinson, and Ed Thomas are being recognized for their key contributions to the growth of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

Jan O’Regan: INDA Lifetime Service Award
Jan O’Regan was the Director, Strategic Initiatives and Nonwovens Marketing, for Cotton Incorporated and retired in 2022. In this capacity, she uncovered new opportunities for cotton to bring value into the nonwovens industry. Her work included leading efforts in strategic planning, technical and market project management, and sharing new ideas and results with the global supply chain.
O’Regan spent over four decades in the nonwovens industry in various roles, including sales, marketing, strategic planning and business management. Market responsibilities included consumer and industrial markets on regional, national, and global teams. Over the most recent years, she applied these broad experiences to new markets for cotton in nontraditional applications.
Serving and volunteering with INDA for decades, O’Regan most recently chaired the World of Wipes® committee, which she efficiently organized to produce innovative conferences for the wipes industry.  She was a frequent speaker at INDA, INSIGHT, EDANA, and other events, and for nearly two decades was a go to source of information for cotton fibers in nonwovens and hygiene. O’Regan earned a BS in Textiles and Business, summa cum laude, from Penn State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Seshadri Ramkumar: INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award
Seshadri Ramkumar has over twenty-five years of experience within the technical nonwovens space, conducting industry leading research and educating nonwovens professionals at Texas Tech University (TTU).  At TTU, he established the Nonwovens Laboratory. Many of Ramkumar’s students have gone on to become technical leaders within their organizations and the nonwovens industry.
Ramkumar has numerous patent and invention disclosures, including Fibertect® toxic chemical decontamination wipes which have been recognized by the American Chemical Society as a notable success of federally supported innovation, endorsed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and adopted by multiple branches of the military.
In addition to many peer-reviewed publications, articles, and columns collectively over 500, including one on nanofibers that has been cited over 2,100 times, Ramkumar has contributed his expertise on the editorial boards of multiple fiber, nonwoven, and textile journals. Ramkumar has also organized conferences for nonwovens and textiles and actively promoted INDA and its technical training offerings for over 20 years.
He is a longtime member of the INDA Technical Advisory Board, been recognized by TAPPI, Society of Dyers and Colorists (UK), the Textile Institute (UK), and the Textile Association (INDIA), and received numerous awards from TTU.
Ramkumar holds a Bachelors of Technology (Textiles), Graduated with Distinction, and a Masters of Technology (Textiles), University First Rank in the Discipline, Anna University, and a Ph.D. (Textile Materials) from the University of Leeds, UK.

Jim Robinson: INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award
Jim Robinson has 33 years in the absorbent hygiene industry, including 28 years as a Technical Service Manager at BASF. He led technical teams that focused on the application of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in hygiene products. Robinson has extensive knowledge of SAP applications, absorbent core formation, and hygiene article design, performance and testing. While with BASF, Robinson led efforts with multiple external companies to provide co-supplier solutions to hygiene converters.
Robinson’s extensive understanding of test methods and test method development led to his coordinating the establishment of fitness for use standards of adult incontinent products with the National Association for Continence and involvement in development and review of absorbent product test methods with INDA/EDANA. He is also an active contributor to INDA’s Technical Advisory Board and Hygienix organizing committee and was a contributing developer in establishing the INDA Absorbent Hygiene Training Course. Robinson has provided numerous presentations at INSIGHT, Hygienix, and RISE on performance and interactions of absorbent system components.
Recently, Robinson has been consulting and contributing to the success of multiple start-ups including those having been nominated for INDA product awards. Robinson has a BS in Chemistry from Hampden-Sydney College and an MS in Chemistry from Duke University.

Ed Thomas: INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award
Ed Thomas retired after 39 years, with 32 years in the nonwovens industry, and has remained active teaching the Intermediate Nonwovens Training Course for INDA and The Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, as well as providing consulting services to the industry.
Thomas’ experience includes Process Engineering Manager and Plant Management, DuPont; Technical Director, Reemay; VP of Research and Operations, VP of Operations and Technology, and Global VP of Research and Development for Fiberweb/BBA Nonwovens; and Head of Research and Product Development, First Quality Nonwovens.
Thomas holds 10 U.S. nonwoven patents and he and his teams have been awarded more than 250 patents for numerous and diverse innovations that have played significant roles in the success of the nonwovens industry. These include applications for the global hygiene market, industrial nonwovens, and filtration media.
During his career, Thomas has presented several keynote addresses and papers to industry conferences, participated in North Carolina State University’s Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center (NCRC) prior to it becoming The Nonwovens Institute (NWI), INDA’s Technical Advisory Board, INDA’s Sustainability Committee, and was Vice Chair of NWI’s Industrial Advisory Board prior to retirement and remains an Emeritus member.
Thomas received his mechanical engineering degree from SUNY Buffalo.

(c) IDTechex
13.10.2022

Innovations in wearable sensor technology through watches and skin patches

IDTechEx report: Wearable Sensors 2023-2033

Overall, this report provides insight into how wearable sensors could be integrated into society long term - the technology underpinning value within the trend towards 'the quantified self'. The main drivers for growth identified are digital health and remote patient monitoring, extended reality, and the metaverse and performance analytics of athletes and sports people.

IDTechEx report: Wearable Sensors 2023-2033

Overall, this report provides insight into how wearable sensors could be integrated into society long term - the technology underpinning value within the trend towards 'the quantified self'. The main drivers for growth identified are digital health and remote patient monitoring, extended reality, and the metaverse and performance analytics of athletes and sports people.

More people than ever before are turning to wearable sensors to monitor their activity levels. Despite its origin in simple step counting, the market for wearable sensors is expanding into the more complex arena of health monitoring. Innovations in wearable sensor technology are expanding the envelope of biometrics accessible through watches and skin patches, addressing the rising demand for remote patient monitoring and decentralized clinical trials but also increasing consumer expectations. This includes easier access to health data, and extends further to sensor integration into headsets and accessories for immersive AR/VR experiences.
 
Motion sensors finding applications beyond step counting
Motion sensing hardware is well established, with accelerometers integrated into almost every wearable. Therefore, as profit margins for manufacturers diminish with commoditization, expanding the application space is crucial to maintain growth. This report provides an outlook for emerging use cases such as health insurance rewards, clinical trials, and professional athlete monitoring.
 
Optical sensors seeking to go further than heart-rate detection
Smart-watch wearers are familiar with the red and green lights on the back of their devices, used to obtain heart-rate data or blood oxygen and further analyzed for insights into calorie burn, VO2 max, and sleep quality.
Sensor developers are interested in pushing the boundaries of what can be measured non-invasively with light - whether it be through new software to analyze photoplethysmography (PPG) signals or new hardware for spectroscopy. Multiple companies are competing to lead in the commercialization of wearable blood pressure, with others setting their sights on ambitious 'clinic on the wrist' devices to replace common hospital tests and even glucose monitoring. This report appraises the potential for optical sensors, and overviews challenges for calibration requirements and regulatory approval.
 
Monitoring of the heart, muscle, and brain
Incorporating conductive materials into wearable technology is a simple concept. However, it has led to a vast variety of wearables sensors including wet electrodes stuck on the skin to measure the heart, dry electrodes in headphones to analyze brain signals, and microneedles within skin patches to quantify muscle movements. As such, this also creates a broad application space for electrodes ranging from vital sign monitoring and sleep analysis for healthcare, to emotional response and stress monitoring for marketing and productivity. This report dedicates a section to the four key categories of electrodes: wet, dry, microneedle, and electronic skin. This includes a summary of key material and manufacturing requirements.
 
Wearable sensors are fundamental to continuous monitoring of health, fitness, and wellness. As applications for wearable technology grow, there are increasing opportunities for sensors that detect parameters ranging from glucose levels to pressure and from motion to temperature. Based on a decade of market research on wearable technology hardware, this report analyses the technological and commercial landscape of this growing industry, both today and into the future. IDTechEx's research in wearables tracks the progress of over 50 wearable electronic product types. Within each of these products, a key focus of the research has been understanding and characterizing the prevalence of sensor types integrated into each.

More information:
wearable sensors IDTechex
Source:

IDTechex

(c) Hologenix
22.04.2022

DFND introduces Sleepwear powered by CELLIANT®

DFND, a compression and apparel brand designed for the military, firefighters, first responders and pro athletes, now available to athletes everywhere, has partnered with Hologenix®, creators of CELLIANT® to introduce a line of unisex sleepwear: DFND REST. Designed for the “warrior athlete,” the sleepwear is powered by DFND X CELLIANT®, the trailblazer in bio-responsive infrared textiles.
 
Both DFND and Hologenix are focused on increasing recovery and enhancing performance for the human body, so the partnership couldn’t be more ideal. CELLIANT’s science-backed infrared (IR) technology is a natural blend of bioceramics that allows textiles to capture and convert body heat into infrared energy. DFND REST powered by CELLIANT notes that it is “clinically proven to enhance tissue oxygen levels to help your body be at its best.”

DFND REST powered by CELLIANT includes three unisex designs in two colors each, Tan and Heather Grey: IR Short Sleeve V-Neck Shirt; IR Long Sleeve V-Neck Shirt and IR Sleepwear Long John; and two designs in Black: IR Recover RX Hood; IR Recover RX Jogger.

DFND, a compression and apparel brand designed for the military, firefighters, first responders and pro athletes, now available to athletes everywhere, has partnered with Hologenix®, creators of CELLIANT® to introduce a line of unisex sleepwear: DFND REST. Designed for the “warrior athlete,” the sleepwear is powered by DFND X CELLIANT®, the trailblazer in bio-responsive infrared textiles.
 
Both DFND and Hologenix are focused on increasing recovery and enhancing performance for the human body, so the partnership couldn’t be more ideal. CELLIANT’s science-backed infrared (IR) technology is a natural blend of bioceramics that allows textiles to capture and convert body heat into infrared energy. DFND REST powered by CELLIANT notes that it is “clinically proven to enhance tissue oxygen levels to help your body be at its best.”

DFND REST powered by CELLIANT includes three unisex designs in two colors each, Tan and Heather Grey: IR Short Sleeve V-Neck Shirt; IR Long Sleeve V-Neck Shirt and IR Sleepwear Long John; and two designs in Black: IR Recover RX Hood; IR Recover RX Jogger.

DFND REST, like all DFND products, is designed, tested and made in the USA. CELLIANT’s proprietary mineral formula is processed and manufactured in the USA.

DFND REST will be featured at the following upcoming shows: the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) Exposition and Industry Day, April 26 to 27 at Fort Eustis; Warrior West, April 27 to 28 at the San Diego Convention Center; Modern Day Marine, May 10 to 12, Washington, D.C.; The Human Performance & Biosystems Summit, June 29 to 30 at National Harbor, Maryland; National Guard Conference & Exhibition, August 26 to 29, Columbus, Ohio; and AUSA, October 10 to 12, Washington, D.C.

More information:
Celliant DFND sleepwear
Source:

Hologenix / Sarah P. Fletcher Communications 

ISKO launches woven compression technology (c) ISKO, SANKO Group
04.10.2021

ISKO launches woven compression technology

ISKO introduces ISKO RHEACT™ – a patented, cutting-edge garment manufacturing solution designed to improve everyday living and physical wellness for everyone, through the proven benefits of woven compression.

Building on the exponentially growing trend for wellbeing products in many consumer sectors, ISKO has leveraged its expertise in developing innovative technologies to create ISKO RHEACT, its own wellbeing product for the apparel industry. Available exclusively to ISKO’s trade partners, ISKO RHEACT is extremely versatile and suitable for use in a variety of consumer sectors, from lifestyle, to fitness and workwear.

ISKO introduces ISKO RHEACT™ – a patented, cutting-edge garment manufacturing solution designed to improve everyday living and physical wellness for everyone, through the proven benefits of woven compression.

Building on the exponentially growing trend for wellbeing products in many consumer sectors, ISKO has leveraged its expertise in developing innovative technologies to create ISKO RHEACT, its own wellbeing product for the apparel industry. Available exclusively to ISKO’s trade partners, ISKO RHEACT is extremely versatile and suitable for use in a variety of consumer sectors, from lifestyle, to fitness and workwear.

ISKO RHEACT stands out for its woven, gradual compression technology that helps boost the energy of the wearer through improved blood flow. It also provides a micro massaging effect by varying pressure in different areas of a garment. ISKO RHEACT is superior to knit compression as it works for up to 12 hours (compared to 3 hours) for any type of lifestyle – whether it’s taking a long-haul flight, lounging at home or during or after a workout where it helps with warming up before exercise and improves post-workout recovery. From a consumer standpoint, this translates to a garment that wears like a second skin, is durable, works to focus the mind, sharpens the senses, and energizes the body.

ISKO RHEACT products are certified by the independent Hohenstein Institute (Bönnigheim, Germany) and have received the endorsement of many physicians for their health and wellbeing benefits. They are also acknowledged by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as general wellness products as per section 513(g) of the FD&C Act.

Source:

ISKO / Menabò Group

JUMBO-Textil: Provider for narrow textiles in the fitness and rehabilitation sector (c) JUMBO-Textil
Flexible fitness textiles: cords and cables by JUMBO-Textil
08.06.2021

JUMBO-Textil: Provider for narrow textiles in the fitness and rehabilitation sector

There are good reasons why narrow textiles are used so frequently in the fitness and rehabilitation sector: they are flexible, safe, light, durable, skin-friendly and have a low injury potential. Essential components are JUMBO textiles: Elastics can be used to convert kinetic energy into potential energy. This is why elastic cords and cables are some of the essential components of almost all fitness equipment and tools. After all, it is the elasticity of the trampoline cords that gives the jumping-sheet its necessary force. Only elasticated expander cords create the desired resistance of the classic strength training equipment.

The force-elongation ratio of elastic cords and cables – like all other properties – is specified individually and optimally for the respective application. Depending on the specific requirements of the narrow textiles in the respective product, expert teams develop cords and cables made of high-tech fibres and on high-tech equipment: technical textiles that are a perfect fit for the equipment and its functions.

There are good reasons why narrow textiles are used so frequently in the fitness and rehabilitation sector: they are flexible, safe, light, durable, skin-friendly and have a low injury potential. Essential components are JUMBO textiles: Elastics can be used to convert kinetic energy into potential energy. This is why elastic cords and cables are some of the essential components of almost all fitness equipment and tools. After all, it is the elasticity of the trampoline cords that gives the jumping-sheet its necessary force. Only elasticated expander cords create the desired resistance of the classic strength training equipment.

The force-elongation ratio of elastic cords and cables – like all other properties – is specified individually and optimally for the respective application. Depending on the specific requirements of the narrow textiles in the respective product, expert teams develop cords and cables made of high-tech fibres and on high-tech equipment: technical textiles that are a perfect fit for the equipment and its functions.

Furthermore, non-elastic cords – depending on type and design – are essential as tension and connection elements for the functionality of fitness equipment. Textile components are often also an integral part of the equipment technology as fastening or fixing systems.

Source:

JUMBO-Textil / stotz-design.com