From the Sector

KARL MAYER GROUP will be presenting a WEFTTRONIC® II G at the ITMA with new features and upgrades for greater efficiency. This warp knitting machine with weft insertion produces lattice structures from high-strength polyester, which are firmly established in the construction industry in particular. With a working width of 213", it offers productivity and further advantages through design innovations. New features include weft thread tension monitoring, management and the new VARIO WEFT laying system. The component for the weft insertion aims at maximum flexibility. It allows the patterning of the weft yarn to be changed quickly and easily electronically, without mechanical intervention during yarn insertion and without limits on repeat lengths. In addition, there is less waste.

The KARL MAYER GROUP also supports its customers with well thought-out Care Solutions. The new support offers include retrofit packages for retrofitting control and drive technology for weft insertion and composite machines, and service packages that bundle various services. These include machine inspections and the replacement of all drive belts. The customer benefits from fixed prices that cover the costs of technician assignments, various discount options and transparent services.

A new solution for the vertical greening of cities is presented from the field of application for technical textiles. The core of the innovation is a grid textile produced on warp knitting machines with weft insertion by KARL MAYER Technische Textilien GmbH. The knitted lattice fabric is made of flax. It is used as a climbing aid for fast-growing plants, and after the greening phase, in autumn, it can be recycled together with these plants as biomass in pyrolysis plants to produce electricity and activated carbon. In summer, the planted sails lower the ambient temperature through evaporation effects. In addition, photosynthesis creates fresh air and binds CO2. Other important advantages are low soil requirements and flexible placement in public spaces. The greening system was developed by the company Micro Climate Cultivation, OMC°C, with the support of KARL MAYER Technische Textilien.

The KARL MAYER GROUP will also be exhibiting a sustainable composite solution made from natural fibres. The reinforcing textile of the innovative lightweight material is a multiaxial non-crimp fabric, which was also produced from the bio-based raw material flax on a COP MAX 4 from KARL MAYER Technische Textilien. The boatbuilding specialist GREENBOATS uses natural fibre composites to achieve sustainable products. The fact that it succeeds in this is shown, for example, by the Global Warming Potential (GWP): 0.48 kg of CO2 per kilogram of flax reinforcement compares with 2.9 kg of CO2 per kilogram of glass textile.

• Swiss weaving machinery manufacturers are in the forefront of novel application development

Shoes and electronic calculators are probably not the first products people would associate with the textile weaving process. But they certainly signpost the future for woven fabrics, as two examples of the ever-wider possibilities of latest technology in the field. Fashion and function already combine in the increasing popularity of woven fabrics for shoes, and this is a present and future trend. Calculators in fabrics? That’s another story of ingenious development, using so-called ‘meander fields’ on the back and keys printed on the front of the material.

These glimpses of the outlook for modern weavers are among the highlights of developments now being pioneered by Swiss textile machinery companies. All weaving markets require innovation, as well as speed, efficiency, quality and sustainability. Member firms of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association respond to these needs at every point in the process – from tightening the first thread in the warp to winding the last inch for fabric delivery. They also share a common advantage, with a leading position in the traditional weaving industry as well as the expertise to foster new and exciting applications.

Technology and research cooperation
The concept of a ‘textile calculator’ was developed by Jakob Müller Group, in cooperation with the textile research institute Thuringen-Vogtland. Müller’s patented MDW® multi-directional weaving technology is able to create the meander fields which allow calculator functions to be accessed at a touch. A novel and useful facility, which suggests limitless expansion.

Today, the latest woven shoes are appreciated for their precise and comfortable fit. They score through their durability, strength and stability, meeting the requirements of individual athletes across many sports, as well as leisurewear. Stäubli is well known as a leading global specialist in weaving preparation, shedding systems and high-speed textile machinery. Its jacquard machines offer great flexibility across a wide range of formats, weaving all types of technical textiles, lightweight reinforcement fabrics – and shoes.

It’s possible to weave new materials such as ceramics, mix fibers such as aramid, carbon and other, and produce innovative multi-layers with variable thicknesses. Such applications put special demands on weaving machines which are fulfilled by Stäubli high-performance TF weaving systems.

Great weaving results are impossible without perfect warp tension, now available thanks to the world-leading electronic warp feeding systems of Crealet. Some market segments in weaving industry today demand warp let-off systems which meet individual customer requirements. For example, the company has recognized expertise to understand that geotextile products often need special treatment, as provided by its intelligent warp tension control system. Individual and connective solutions are designed to allow external support via remote link. Crealet’s warp let-off systems are widely used in both ribbon and broadloom weaving, for technical textiles applied on single or multiple warp beams and creels.

Functional, sustainable, automated
Trends in the field of woven narrow fabrics are clearly focused on functionality and sustainability. The Jakob Müller Group has already embraced these principles – for example using natural fibers for 100% recyclable labels with a soft-feel selvedge. It also focuses as much as possible on the processing of recycled, synthetic materials. Both PET bottles and polyester waste from production are recycled and processed into elastic and rigid tapes for the apparel industry.

For efficient fabric production environments, it is now recognized that automated quality solutions are essential. Quality standards are increasing everywhere and zero-defect levels are mandatory for sensitive applications such as airbags and protective apparel.

Uster’s latest generation of on-loom monitoring and inspection systems offers real operational improvements for weavers. The fabric quality monitoring prevents waste, while the quality assurance system significantly improves first-quality yield for all applications. Protecting fabric makers from costly claims and damaged reputations, automated fabric inspection also removes the need for slow, costly and unreliable manual inspection, freeing operators to focus on higher-skilled jobs.

Smart and collaborative robotics (cobots) offer many automation possibilities in weaving rooms. Stäubli’s future oriented robotics division is a driver in this segment with first effective installations in warp and creel preparation.

Control and productivity
Willy Grob’s specialized solutions for woven fabric winding focus on reliable control of tension, keeping it constant from the start of the process right through to the full cloth roll. Continuous digital control is especially important for sensitive fabrics, while performance and productivity are also critical advantages. In this regard, the company’s large-scale batching units can provide ten times the winding capacity of a regular winder integrated in the weaving machine.

The customized concept by Grob as well as design and implementation result in great flexibility and functionality of the fabric winding equipment – yet another example of Swiss ingenuity in textile machinery.  
There is even more innovation to come in weaving – and in other segments – from members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association in future! This confident assertion is founded on an impressive statistic: the 4077 years of experience behind the creative power of the association’s member firms. It’s proof positive that their developments grow out of profound knowledge and continuous research.

COBRA International is collaborating with HG Robotics, a leading drone manufacturer that specializes in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the agricultural market, on a composite fuselage cover for the cutting-edge Tiger Drones.

Undertaking a full range of services with HG Robotics and having been involved from the outset: from the design and engineering through to the prototyping of the composite drone fuselage cover, COBRA has now delivered nearly 100 sets and will produce approximately 500 units throughout 2019.

The multi-rotor Tiger Drones typically carry spraying equipment and can also carry high definition cameras that provide a wide range of field information. Farmers can measure land profiles, identify any problem plants or areas and manage their cultivation in the most efficient way. The 420 mm square shaped fuselage cover protects the drone’s electronic controls and forms an aerodynamic fairing between the central fuselage and the craft’s 4 rotor arms.
 
The COBRA Design and Development team selected a composite laminate of glass fibre reinforcements for the cover – which don’t interfere with GPS signals used by the drone - and combined these with epoxy laminating resins in a hand laminated, vacuum bag consolidated production process.

COBRA also designed all of the mould tools for the project. The 2-piece aluminium mould was produced by one of COBRA’s long-term tooling partners. This metallic tooling provides an excellent surface finish to the part with absolutely minimal trimming and finishing required.   Moulded parts can go swiftly through a painting and clear coating process before final inspection and delivery to the client.

Danu Chotikapanich, CEO of COBRA International comments: “Our collaboration with HG Robotics is going well, and we are hoping to collaborate further with them on other multi-rotor and fixed wing VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone models in the future. These are COBRA’s first parts for the agricultural industry, and they provide an exciting vision as to just a few of the possibilities for lightweight composites in this area and also in the wider commercial UAV market as a whole.”

Emphasis on Process, Third-party Validation and Outcome-based Testing

Ventura Uniform Services of Kenner, Louisiana has had their certification renewed for Hygienically Clean Healthcare, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The laundry was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Ventura Uniform Services on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”