From the Sector

Der Bundesverband Medizintechnologie, BVMed, sieht in seiner Stellungnahme zum "Zweiten Corona-Steuerhilfegesetz" Änderungsbedarf bei der geplanten Absenkung der Umsatzsteuersätze. Da die kurzfristige und temporäre Absenkung einen enormen Umsetzungsaufwand bedeutet, spricht sich der BVMed für ein entsprechendes Begleitschreiben des Bundesfinanzministeriums "zur unbürokratischen Umsetzung und Nichtbeanstandungsregelungen" aus. "Wir müssen die kurzfristige Umsetzung der Umsatzsteuerabsenkung praktikabel und wirklichkeitsnah gestalten", so BVMed-Geschäftsführer Dr. Marc-Pierre Möll.

Der deutsche MedTech-Verband begrüßt grundsätzlich die vom Koalitionsausschuss beschlossenen Maßnahmen zur Förderung der Wirtschaft und von Innovationen. Dies betreffe insbesondere die Maßnahmen zur Bevorratung von Schutzausrüstung, zur größeren strategischen Unabhängigkeit der Produktion von Medizinprodukten und das "Zukunftsprogramm Krankenhäuser", das in die Verbesserung der Notfallkapazitäten und der digitalen Infrastruktur investiere. Auch die Wiedereinführung einer degressiven Abschreibungsmöglichkeit für Neuinvestitionen und die Ausweitung der steuerlichen Forschungszulage bewertet der BVMed positiv.

Grundsätzlich spricht sich der BVMed dafür aus, Medizinprodukte bzw. Hilfsmittel einheitlich und dauerhaft mit dem ermäßigten Steuersatz zu besteuern – und damit Ärzte, Kliniken, Krankenkassen und Patienten zu entlasten. Das Problem: "Aktuell werden Medizinprodukte unterschiedlich besteuert. Das führt in der Praxis immer wieder zu Abgrenzungsschwierigkeiten und Wertungswidersprüchen", so der BVMed. Ein weiteres Anliegen des Verbandes sind praxistaugliche Regeln bei der temporären Absenkung der Mehrwertsteuer für die Versorgung von gesetzlich Krankenversicherten mit Hilfsmitteln, Verbandmitteln zur Versorgung chronischer Wunden und speziellen Lebensmitteln zur medizinischen Ernährung.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas issued a statement, urging the government to institute Buy American policy changes to help bolster U.S. manufacturers producing personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If the government is sincere about reconstituting a U.S. production chain for medical personal protective equipment (PPE) to resolve the drastic shortages we are experiencing during the current pandemic, it is going to have to make key policy changes to help incentivize domestic production. A strong Buy American mandate for these vital healthcare materials needs to be instituted for all federal agencies, coupled with other reasonable production incentives, to help ensure a strong U.S.  manufacturing base for these essential products.

Our government already has an existing example of such a mandate that serves as an excellent model. The U.S. Department of Defense operates under a fiber-to-finished product Buy American rule for military textiles. This rule ensures that the vital textile materials our U.S. warfighters depend upon, come from a secure domestic production chain that cannot be severed during a military emergency by offshore entities.

There is a bipartisan call for action as members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have begun to acknowledge the need for these types of reasonable and essential policy changes.

Anything short of fully instituting domestic purchase requirements through Executive Order and other legislative initiatives will ensure that PPE production through U.S. supply chains that have been created overnight don’t evaporate as soon as this crisis is over.  

In the midst of the crisis, our failure to confront this challenge will allow for a repeat of the sins of the past that allowed sourcing agents to offshore the entire production of medical PPE in search of lucrative profits. While chasing the lowest cost import may have seemed cost effective at the time, these past few months have demonstrated that we paid a deadly price through this approach by jeopardizing the very lives of frontline medical personnel that are fighting the pandemic.   

This is a national security issue. It’s also a vital healthcare issue and it is decision time for U.S. policymakers. If our country is to be prepared for future deadly pandemics such as the one it is now facing, reasonable policy changes need to be implemented to ensure that we strengthen our domestic supply chain to address America’s security, safety and healthcare requirements.”

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

Der Bundesverband Medizintechnologie, BVMed, hat die Äußerungen von Gesundheitsminister Jens Spahn vom 17.04.2020 im ARD-Morgenmagazin und in der RKI-Pressekonferenz unterstützt, schrittweise auch in den Krankenhäusern eine neue Balance zu finden und Operationen wieder aufzunehmen, die die letzten Wochen verschoben wurden. „Wir müssen in den Kliniken wieder zu einem verantwortbaren Regelbetrieb zurückkehren“, so BVMed-Geschäftsführer Dr. Marc-Pierre Möll.

Spahn hatte im Morgenmagazin eine Rückkehr zur Normalität in den Kliniken angedeutet und verwies dabei auf Patienten, deren Tumoroperation oder Eingriffe an Hüftgelenken vor vier Wochen verschoben wurden. Jeder, der einen Herzinfarkt oder Schlaganfall habe oder eine Operation benötige, müsse behandelt werden.

Die Verschiebung von Operationen betrifft nach Ansicht des BVMed beispielsweise die Bereiche Onkologie, Kardiologie, Neurochirurgie, Orthopädie oder Ophthalmologie. Möll: „Es zeigt sich, dass die Bettenkapazitäten sehr unterschiedlich ausgelastet sind – und es daher auch Freiräume gibt, um rasch medizinische Eingriffe in Krankenhäusern und ambulanten Einrichtungen wieder zu ermöglichen. Das ist wichtig, um ein Fortschreiten von Krankheiten zu verhindern und Patienten von Einschränkungen und Schmerzen zu befreien.“

Für Kliniken und ambulante Einrichtungen sollten entsprechende Anreize geschaffen werden, um verschobene Operationen schnellstmöglich nachzuholen. Sinnvoll sind regionale Vereinbarungen, welche Krankenhäuser in welcher Reihenfolge die COVID-19-Patientenversorgung übernehmen und welche Krankenhäuser planbare Operationen wieder aufnehmen können. Hierbei sollten Aspekte wie Dringlichkeit, durchschnittlich kurze Inanspruchnahme intensivmedizinischer Kapazitäten sowie kurze Krankenhausverweildauern in die Priorisierung einbezogen werden. Zudem ist die Liefersicherheit von Medizinprodukten zu beachten, denn Lieferketten wurden unterbrochen und müssen für den Neustart vorbereitet werden, zumal Lieferanten und Vorproduktion oftmals aus dem Ausland kommen.

Der Bundesverband Medizintechnologie, BVMed, hat den GKV-Spitzenverband in einem Schreiben gebeten, analog zu dem Vorgehen bei Kassenärzten, Kassenzahnärzten und Pflegepersonal auch die Kosten für die Ausstattung der Fachkräfte der Homecare-Unternehmen mit medizinischer Schutzausrüstung zu übernehmen. Homecare müsste dafür Teil der Verteilung von Schutzausrüstung durch das Beschaffungsamt des Innenministeriums werden. "Eine solche Maßnahme würde den ambulanten Verbleib der zu Hause versorgten Patienten sichern, die Kliniken entlasten und die Homecare-Unternehmen bei ihrem Mehraufwand unterstützen", so BVMed-Geschäftsführer Dr. Marc-Pierre Möll.

Vor dem Hintergrund der Coronavirus-Pandemie hat der GKV-Spitzenverband bereits eine Unterstützung der Kassenärzte, der Kassenzahnärzte sowie des Pflegepersonals bei der Ausstattung und insbesondere bei Abrechnung und Finanzierung der erforderlichen Schutzausrüstung vereinbart. "Diese Entscheidung halten wir für sinnvoll, um die Gesundheitsversorgung sicherzustellen und dabei die Infektionsrisiken für Gesundheitspersonal und Patienten zu reduzieren", schreibt der BVMed.

In gleicher Situation befinden sich auch die Fachkräfte der Homecare-Unternehmen, die Patienten vor Ort mit den erforderlichen Hilfs- und Verbandmitteln, enteraler Ernährung sowie den hierfür erforderlichen Dienstleistungen versorgen. Die Empfehlungen des GKV-Spitzenverbandes zur Sicherung der Hilfsmittelversorgung während COVID-19 sehen zwar bereits Regelungsvorschläge vor, um den physischen Kontakt zwischen Versorgern und Patienten zu reduzieren. Die persönliche Versorgung am Patienten ist im Homecare-Bereich aber teilweise unverzichtbar. Dies betrifft beispielsweise die Bereiche Beatmungstherapie, Tracheostoma-Versorgung, künstliche Ernährung, Wund- und Stomaversorgung bei Komplikationen, notwendige rehatechnische Versorgungen sowie die Versorgung von Patienten im Rahmen des Entlassmanagements.

"Aufgrund der aktuellen Beschaffungslage und preislicher Entwicklungen von Schutzausrüstungen entsteht den Hilfsmittelleistungserbringern und Homecare-Unternehmen zunehmend eine Situation, in der sie die erforderliche Versorgung am Patienten nicht sicherstellen können", informiert der BVMed. Deshalb sei eine Lösung analog zu den Ärzten und Zahnärzten auf der Grundlage der durch das Beschaffungsamt des Bundesinnenministeriums beschafften Schutzausrüstung sinnvoll. Der BVMed bietet als maßgebliche Spitzenorganisation der Hilfsmittelleistungserbringer auf Bundesebene seine Unterstützung bei der Koordination an. Alternativ wäre auch eine individuelle Bezuschussung der Hilfsmittelleistungserbringer und Homecare-Unternehmen denkbar.

Coalition of Iconic American Apparel Brands & Textile Companies Heeds Call of Nation to Produce Medical Face Masks

A coalition of iconic American apparel brands and textile companies, responding to the urgent call of the White House for medical supplies, have come together to build a supply chain virtually overnight and fast-track the manufacturing of medical face masks to help hospitals, health care workers and citizens battling the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

Parkdale Inc.-- the largest yarn spinner in the U.S. headquartered in North Carolina—helped lead the effort to build the coalition with Hanesbrands, Fruit of the Loom and six other companies to set up a manufacturing supply chain and begin ramping up production of the masks.

The coalition consists of iconic American brands such as Hanesbrands and Fruit of the Loom, often competitors in the marketplace, who are banding together for the greater good of a nation facing one if its most monumental challenges.

American Giant, Los Angeles Apparel, AST Sportswear, Sanmar, America Knits, Beverly Knits and Riegel Linen are also part of the coalition working tirelessly to respond to a national emergency in the nation’s time of need.

Dr. Peter Navarro, assistant to the President and director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, worked with the coalition and helped expedite the production of these masks. The first face masks have been approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The companies expect to begin production on Monday and will make the first deliveries by mid-week.

They are dedicating their assets, resources and manufacturing capacities to create a high output of facemasks. Once fully ramped up in four to five weeks, the companies expect to produce up to 10 million facemasks per week in the United States and in Central America.

If companies are interested in dedicating resources to help the cause, please reach out to the National Council of Textile Organizations at kellis@ncto.org

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.
 

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.  
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.  
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.  
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

Anglo Recycling Technology is on course to deliver no less than a million of its special nonwoven mats for hydroponically growing herbs to a major customer in the Middle East this year. The Growfelt-branded products arose from the discovery back in the late 1990s by Anglo Recycling’s owner Simon Macaulay, that the Sussex-based retail supplier of salads, Van Heineken Brothers (now Vitacress), used nonwoven felts on which to grow its cress.

“I drove down to see the company’s production manager, Chris Moncrieff and discovered they were indeed growing cress on felts, but they were made from virgin materials and he liked the idea of maybe using a blend of virgin fiber offcuts of cotton, wool, and polypropylene,” he explains. “That’s how Growfelt was born. For the first six years, we supplied exclusively to Vitacress and in return, they helped us to bring our factory up to food-grade standard and to set in place a testing regime for Salmonella E-Coli coliforms and listeria.”

In recent years, however, Anglo Recycling, which is based in Whitworth, near Rochdale in the UK, has significantly broadened its customer base. It now offers a core of three growing media products to meet the differing needs of customers across Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East, whether for retail presentation and appearance or for water holding.

Net result impacted by operating losses and high impairments in North America

In 2019, Autoneum grew organically by 2.5% and has thereby significantly outperformed the declining market. In Swiss francs, revenue rose slightly to CHF 2 297.4 million. However, as previously communicated, operational inefficiencies in North America and impairments on fixed assets in that region had a particularly strong impact on profitability and led to a net loss of CHF –77.7 million. The Board of Directors therefore proposes that no dividend bedistributed for the 2019 financial year. Based on the new turnaround program launched in North America at the beginning of this year, significant profitability increases are expected for 2020.

2019 was an extremely challenging year for the automobile industry. The continuing weakness of the global economy, ongoing trade disputes and the increasing regulation of mobility impacted vehicle demand negatively. But 2019 was also a year of change for Autoneum internally. An in-depth analysis carried out by the new Group Management in the fall showed a need to reevaluate the Group’s performance over the short- to medium-term. In Business Group North America, the operational and commercial problems have proven more extensive than originally assumed. As a result, the turnaround program launched in spring 2019 was replaced at the beginning of 2020 with a dedicated and far more comprehensive program for the North American sites.

Revenue growth despite a shrinking global market
As a result of weak demand, the number of light vehicles produced worldwide fell again sharply in 2019 compared to the previous year; whereby the decline of almost –6% was much steeper than in 2018. Thanks to numerous production ramp-ups and a favorable model portfolio, Autoneum generated organic revenue growth1 of 2.5%, despite the global market cooling. Revenue consolidated in Swiss francs rose by 0.7% from CHF 2 281.5 million to CHF 2 297.4 million.

Profitability2 impacted by operational inefficiencies and impairments
Operational inefficiencies in North America and impairments on fixed assets in this region were the main reason for the – first-ever – negative net result in 2019. In addition, the sharp drop in automobile production in Europe and China as well as associated lower utilization of production capacities in the affected Business Groups also burdened the Group’s profitability. EBITDA excluding IFRS 16 effects decreased to CHF 126.0 million (2018: CHF 197.2 million), which corresponds to an EBITDA margin of 5.5% (2018: 8.6%). One-time charges from impairments in the amount of CHF –68.0 million had a negative impact on EBIT, reducing it to CHF –32.9 million (2018: CHF 114.1 million). Without these one-time charges, EBIT amounted to CHF 35.0 million. The EBIT margin 1 Change in revenue in local currencies, adjusted for hyperinflation. 2 The figures for the 2019 financial year include IFRS 16 effects. Autoneum Management Ltd . Media Release . March 4, 2020 Page 2/5 excluding impairments was at 1.5% in 2019, and taking those into account the margin decreased to –1.4% (2018: 5.0%).

Swedish textile machinery association TMAS is welcoming two new companies – both at the forefront of sustainable and Industry 4.0-enabled technologies – to its membership.

A new benchmark for embroidery
The first is Coloreel, the developer of a thread coloring unit which enables the instant and high-quality coloring, fixation, washing and lubrication of thread to take place simultaneously to the actual embroidering of a fabric, representing a bold and entirely new approach to this traditional field.

Based on a CMYK ink system, Coloreel’s advanced colorization software and instant thread coloring technology allows a single needle to carry out what previously required multiples of them, and with much more consistent stitch quality.

Designed to work with any existing industrial embroidery machine without modification, the stand-alone Coloreel unit provides complete freedom in the creation of unique embroideries, imposing no limitations on the number of customized colors employed in designs. It allows set-up and lead times to be reduced as well as significant flexibility in production schedules, while eliminating the need for large thread inventories.

With fewer trims required for color changes, the Coloreel unit can also reduce the total production time required for complex designs by up to 80%, as well as instant reaction to the specific color requirements of customers.

“Our system is allowing customers to achieve color effects that have never been seen before – and at a new level of efficiency,” says Magnus Hellström, VP Sales & Marketing at Coloreel. “We are setting the new benchmark for the embroidery industry and we are pleased to join TMAS to help us spread the word.”

In its 19th year, the international textile industry exhibition ShanghaiTex will take place from 25 to 28 November 2019. Saurer Twisting Solutions would be delighted to welcome customers and visitors to Saurer's Stand D40 in Hall E1. The focus is on the highly efficient FusionTwister for staple fibre yarns.

The FusionTwister sets the benchmark for the cost-effective production of two-for-one twisted staple fibre yarns. In order to achieve this, we have taken into account the three main factors affecting our customers’ profitability, namely energy, economics and ergonomics.

The machines’ reliably low energy consumption is an important characteristic for decision-makers to take into account. Achieved by means of an optimised spindle drive as well as a great variety of spindle and feeding sizes for all kinds of applications, it is the main element in the equation of production costs.

Power consumption and costs are closely related, with energy efficiency positively influencing the return on investment, since it is daily challenge to process the maximum feeding weight while keeping electricity usage at a comfortable level.

The machine’s short set-up times, fast air threading and easy handling were key considerations with regard to optimising ergonomics.

A focus on customer service, aligned with the drive to constantly innovate, has long ensured that the member companies of TMAS – the Swedish texile machinery manufacturers’ association – stay well ahead of the curve.

“All of the Swedish textile machinery companies are doing really well in major markets such as Europe, China, India and the USA,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “They are now gathering forces to prepare for the most important show – ITMA 2019 in Barcelona in June. I expect to see new players and partnerships as we enter the industry 4.0 era for real. We are ready to display an even higher degree of the real time monitoring of processes, automation, flexible customisation, and the incorporation of robots into production lines.  Our customers expect a lot of in terms of knowledge and our ability to customise and offer turnkey solutions.”

The forward-looking attitude of the Swedish companies is perhaps best summed up by Reimar Westerlind, the owner, since 1961, of ACG Gruppen.
At the age of 90, Reimar still travels to his office every day to oversee the operations of the diverse companies operating under the ACG umbrella.
“Everything now is about automation and digitisation,” he says. “We have to be on that track or we will be lost – innovate or die.”

Robotics
One ACG Gruppen company moving rapidly forward with new innovations in this area is ACG Kinna, which at ITMA 2019 will be providing dramatic live demonstrations of its new robotic pillow filling system.
This has the ability to fill and finish some 3,840 pillows per eight-hour shift, which is a considerable improvement on what is currently possible with existing systems, resulting in significant savings in both labour and energy for busy home textile businesses.

At ITMA 2019, Eton will be demonstrating a complete material handling solution with advanced software providing real-time information covering every aspect of the process.
“Our systems are a natural fit with the major Industry 4.0 networked manufacturing plants that are now being constructed worldwide for sectors such as the garment and home textiles manufacturing and automotive industries,” says Eton’s Sales and Commercial Director Roger Ryrlén.

Sensors
Advanced senor developments are playing a large part in moving many areas of the textile industry forward too.
Eltex of Sweden, for example, is achieving considerable success with its yarn fault detection and tension monitoring systems across a range of sectors, including the tufting of carpets, the creeling of woven materials and even the production of woven reinforcements for the composites industry.

At successive ITMA shows, IRO AB has also consistently introduced new milestones in the field of yarn feeding technology for weaving machines, and ITMA 2019 will be no exception.
“Following significant investment in our R&D capabilities, we have been making great progress in further boosting the efficiency and performance of our expanding X3 range,” says IRO AB Managing Director and Chairman of TMAS Mikael Äremann. “I can’t remember a time since the 1980s when we had so many new innovations to unveil at an ITMA, and I’m greatly looking forward to the positive response to them we are anticipating in Barcelona this June.”

Resource savings
ITMA 2019 will meanwhile see the launch of TexCoat G4 – the next generation of Baldwin Technology’s non-contact precision application system for fabric finishing. The TexCoat G4 enables a continuously high-quality and productive textile finishing process with zero chemistry waste and minimised water and energy consumption.
The non-contact spray technology brings a range of advantages including single or double-sided application,  the elimination of Foulard bath contamination, low wet pick-up levels leading to the elimination of drying steps, zero chemistry waste in changeovers of chemistry, colour or fabric, and the possibility of batch reporting, visibility of pad loading, chemical usage etc.

Other TMAS companies exhibiting in Barcelona include Texo AB, whose wide-width weaving looms make the belts for machines on which half of the world’s paper is made, ES-Automatex, which specialises in bespoke automation concepts and Svegea, a company leading the field in a number colarette machines and cutting and slitting equipment.

“At the last ITMA in 2015 in Milan, there was much talk about Industry 4.0 technologies but certainly from the perspective of TMAS, ITMA 2019 will be the place for concrete solutions as to how data and the new tools we have available can be exploited to the full,” says Therese Premler-Andersson. “There is already much more networking between the companies, with software very much the enabler and common interfaces bringing ideas closer together. We are greatly looking forward to further exchanges of ideas when meeting with customers old and new in Barcelona.”