From the Sector

Hexcel will present a wide range of high-performance composite innovations for the Automotive, Marine, Wind Energy and Recreation markets during JEC World 2022 in Paris on May 3 – 5.

G-Vent Technology for Marine Structures
Hexcel has developed a new technology for out-of-autoclave (OoA) processing that delivers a game-changing reduction in process time and cost for marine manufacturers without compromising mechanical performance. Hexcel has leveraged its experience in aerospace and wind energy to develop its new G-Vent technology for OoA processing of highly loaded, thick section marine structures such as masts, foils, and wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP) components. A full range of Hexcel marine prepregs are now available with integrated G-Vent technology, reducing the requirement for debulking steps and ensuring extremely low porosity (<1%) regardless of the laminate thickness. Leading marine non-destructive testing specialists Q.I. Composites recently confirmed that the thick section G-Vent panels they had evaluated had void contents and laminate quality in line with state-of-the-art autoclaved prepreg components. Visitors to the Hexcel stand will see a unique 400mm carbon cube cured in a single stage using 695 layers of HexPly M79 carbon fiber UD600 prepreg with G-Vent technology.

New HexPly® Nature Range Sustainable Prepregs
HexPly® Nature Range prepregs feature proven resins such as HexPly M49, M78 and M79 with bio-derived epoxy resin content. Created for use in all industrial markets, HexPly Nature Range materials can be seamlessly integrated into existing production processes, maintaining consistent mechanical performance and processing properties. A dedicated sustainability corner of the Hexcel stand will detail Nature Range products optimized for automotive, marine, wind energy and winter sport applications. The display will include an alpine ski produced by leading manufacturer Tecnica Group Ski Excellence Center which produces skis for Blizzard and for Nordica using HexPly Nature M78.1 UD flax prepreg material. In addition to the reduced environmental impact of the sustainably grown reinforcement, the flax fiber laminates also improve impact resistance and vibration damping in the ski.

HexPly® XF Surface Technology for Improved Part Surface Finish Quality
HexPly XF is a lightweight, semi-preg material that replaces traditional in-mold gel coat. It eliminates time-consuming refinishing work typically required to obtain a paint-ready surface and produces lighter, more consistent parts with shorter cycle times and a cleaner working environment. Visitors to the stand will see a composite panel illustrating a high-quality painted surface enabled with XF technology in a diverse range of industrial applications such as super yacht roof parts, Class A surface automotive panels, and both prepreg and infused wind turbine blades.

HexPly® M49 Prepreg for Automotive Visual Carbon Parts
HexPly M49 is easy to process and is especially suitable for visual carbon fiber-look applications such as the Brabus hood scoop on display on the Hexcel stand at JEC.

HexPly® Prepregs and HiMax® Reinforcements for Performance Marine Structures
Using a scale model of a Gunboat 68 performance sailing catamaran, Hexcel will illustrate how its HexPly and HiMax materials provide manufacturers with a complete set of lightweight composite solutions for high-performance marine structures. HexPly prepreg was selected for critical structural parts of the Gunboat 68 and provides very high mechanical performance including high dry and wet Tg.

Heavyweight HiMax reinforcements offer high deposition rates and remain easy to handle after cutting, making them highly suitable for industrial applications. In combination with a lightweight PrimeTex® woven fabric, the package of carbon fiber HiMax materials developed for the Gunboat 68 enabled consistent resin flow during infusion with reduced surface print-through.

Hexcel Fibers and Reinforcements for Lightweight Sporting Equipment
Sporting equipment manufacturers rely on Hexcel composite materials to deliver the ultimate performance at the lowest possible weight. Hexcel will exhibit a number of the latest high-performance sporting equipment applications such as a Bauer hockey stick featuring PrimeTex 98 gsm AS4C 3K fabric and a Corima tri-spoke cycling wheel made with lightweight Hexcel carbon fiber UD tape. Hexcel will also demonstrate how its HexTow® carbon fibers are used in key leisure and marine applications by displaying an AEROrazr solid carbon rigging component manufactured by spar and rigging manufacturer Future Fibres for the 36th America’s Cup.

ISKO joins hands with Paolo Gnutti to break exciting new ground in the world of premium, luxury denim. Both will respectively bring together their expertise in advanced responsible denim technologies and refined fabrics’ elevation, resulting in special ISKO™ Luxury collections by PG, characterized by a high-end appeal.

“ISKO is thrilled to collaborate with Paolo Gnutti, one of the most respected personalities among the denim community.” claimed Marco Lucietti, Director of Strategic Projects, ISKO. “It is a wonderful moment for us to inspire the whole industry with the most revolutionary technological innovations, highly profiled to the unique needs of the luxury segment and we know that Paolo’s creative touch will bring out the very best of ISKO denim’s qualities.”

“The collaboration with ISKO is exciting on so many levels” explains Paolo Gnutti, PG founder. “The company pioneers game-changing technologies in quality, performance and sustainability for the world of denim which is extremely interesting for me to explore for the luxury aesthetic. We will be working with new and exclusive fabrics that will bring a unique twist to the world of fashionable luxury denim. Together, we will really energize the premium sector.”

ISKO is back at the Denim Première Vision in Berlin from 17-18th of May.

The Sustainable Apparel Forum takes place on 10 May 2022 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, bringing together government ministers and advisors, the European Union, UN bodies, brands, global fashion campaigners, brands, manufacturers and industry leaders.

This year’s SAF, the third such event, aims to establish Bangladesh as one of the world’s most responsible apparel sourcing destinations. That’s why senior government representatives will be speaking and in attendance, listening to the needs of industry and what needs to be done to take Bangladesh garment production to the next level.

Senior representatives from globally renowned recycling and renewable energy companies will also be in attendance as well as exhibit their sustainability and green technologies, products and solutions under the same roof.

The SAF will showcase opportunities for much-needed green financing in the industry.
Issues under the spotlight will include climate action, environmental social & governance (ESG) and green finance, purchasing practices, circular economy, and regulatory reforms.

Speakers of the SAF include Dr Tawfiq-e-elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikrom, adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on power, energy and mineral resources; Salman F Rahman, MP, adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on private industry & investment; Tipu Munshi, MP, commerce minister of Bangladesh; Begum Monnujan Sufian, MP, state minister for labor and employment of Bangladesh; Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on ministry of environment, forest and climate change of Bangladesh;  Anna Athanasopoulou, head of unit for social economy & creative industries European Commission;  Barbara Bijelic, financial sector and regulatory engagement lead centre for responsible business conduct, OECD;  Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, sectors engagement lead, UNFCCC; Gagan Bansal, global material innovation & strategy manager, H&M; Javier Santonja Olcina,  regional head, Bangladesh & Pakistan, Inditex; Faruque Hassan, president, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA); Dr Mark Anner, founding director, Center for Global Workers’ Rights and also professor, Penn State University, USA; Ayesha Barenblat, founder and CEO, Remake;  Najet Draper, vice president research, Better Buying; and  Tuomo Poutiainen,  country director, Bangladesh, ILO.

Manufy, a marketplace for sustainable fashion production, has launched a new version of their platform. The platform connects conscious brands with sustainable manufacturers in hopes to create a cleaner future for the clothing industry. Now decked out with many more functionalities, Manufy aims to facilitate sustainable business between both parties from start to finish.  

Over the course of the last year the Manufy team has been busy gathering feedback from its growing user base. The platform started out as a place where manufacturers and brands from Europe could connect and chat with each other, but the team found out both parties wanted more. “We constantly reached out to our users to listen to their needs. We’ve compiled all those ideas and implemented them in version two!” says Michiel Dicker, co-founder of Manufy.

Not only a full visual transformation, but many functionalities were added: “Users can now easily start a sampling process, organise projects from start to finish and get sustainability insights” Dicker says. “Manufy is becoming your one-stop-shop for all your sourcing needs!”

The start-up, which launched in december of 2020, has seen a sharp increase in user activity over the last year. With trade shows being canceled due to covid, lots of manufacturers and brands were looking for new ways to do business. Going digital was one of the logical steps.

The production requests being placed on the platform cover a wide range of garments. Hoodies and t-shirts are popular, but the Manufy team also sees lots of shoes, caps, bags, dresses, swimwear and lingerie requests coming in.

Another notable trend in the industry is the ever growing demand for sustainable clothing production. With reports on climate change coming out and more and more consumers asking for sustainable alternatives, brands are making an effort to source their products more responsibly. The fashion industry, being the second largest polluting industry, needs a sort of paradigm shift. “We should focus more on making lower quantity, higher quality products. Making it on demand would be best” says Dicker.

Hologenix® announces that its newest innovation has achieved two recognitions. In addition to being a Top Ten winner in the Fibers & Insulation Category of ISPO Textrends Fall/Winter 2023/24, pure white CELLIANT has been shortlisted in the Drapers Sustainable Fashion 2022 Awards. The company is sharing the spotlight with recognized brands such as H&M, Sweaty Betty and Timberland. According to Drapers, the leading authority on fashion retailing in the UK since 1887, which sponsors these awards annually, this year they received the most entries ever, making them very competitive.

To create pure white CELLIANT rPET fiber, Hologenix developed a strategic partnership with the Ireland-based Wellman International Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Indorama Ventures. Indorama Ventures is investing $1.5 billion on sustainability initiatives, allowing them to recycle 50 billion PET bottles globally by 2025 to support the growth of the circular economy. Wellman International has been a pioneer of recycling technologies for almost 50 years, offering specialist solutions for the medical, hygiene, automotive, home care and apparel sectors.  

Pure white CELLIANT rPET fiber is sustainably manufactured, with a low-impact supply chain. It is achieved by embedding bioceramic materials, that are naturally derived and ethically sourced, into fibers, yarns and fabrics. Wellman International has converted 100% of pure white CELLIANT Polyester production into rPET. This conversion to rPET has been implemented across all CELLIANT product categories, replacing traditional polyester and dramatically enhancing CELLIANT’s sustainability initiatives.

Pure white CELLIANT is recognized as a Class 1 medical device in the European Union and is able to carry the CE mark. Like CELLIANT, pure white CELLIANT captures and converts body heat into infrared energy, powering bio-responsive textiles. This energy is reflected back to the body, resulting in increased local circulation and cellular oxygenation. These advantages have a variety of wellness benefits, including stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep, as well as many functional properties such as thermoregulation, quick-dry properties and odor inhibition.  

Wellman International distributes pure white CELLIANT fibers across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the USA.

A initiative designed to collectively accelerate carbon reduction in the paints and coatings industry has been launched by AkzoNobel.

The company has invited partners from across the value chain to take part in its Collaborative Sustainability Challenge – a new Paint the Future initiative which aims to develop a shared approach to tackling climate change.

Due to be staged in May, the 24-hour event will involve senior executives and next generation leaders from a select group of partners – including suppliers and customers – who will engage in open discussions in a non-confidential environment.

During the event, participants will deep-dive into the following areas:

• Energy transition – Inspire partners towards decarbonizing processes and transitioning to renewable energy sources
• Process efficiency – Increase the efficiency of material use and reduce the energy required for applying and curing paints and coatings
• Solvent emissions – Reduce the number of solvents emitted throughout our entire value chain
• Circular solutions – Increase the use of circular solutions in paints and coatings, both upstream and downstream

The forthcoming Collaborative Sustainability Challenge will build on the success of Paint the Future, which has already established a collaborative innovation ecosystem with startups, suppliers, academia and customers.

AkzoNobel’s Collaborative Sustainability Challenge is scheduled to take place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, between May 17 and 18, 2022.

The winner of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION competition was announced during a webinar broadcast on March 30 at 4pm attended by Giusy Bettoni, CEO of C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub, Anna Detheridge, President of Connecting Cultures, Dio Kurazawa, Founding Partner of The Bear Scouts, Stefania Ricci, Director of the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum.
 
Vishal Tolambia, 24, a graduate with an MA in Fashion Futures from the London College of Fashion and in Fashion Design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology India, is a Fashion Sustainability researcher and a multidisciplinary designer. In 2021, Vishal founded the organization Humanity-Centred Designs (HCD) with the aim of transforming "human-centred design into humanity-centred designs through sustainable practices to foster the Fashion Industry."
 
In his communication project, the "Fashion Affair" video proposes a speculative view of fashion dating - derived from dating apps - a tool to effectively evaluate brands and their products, in the form of augmented reality. The consumer is not only informed in real time about the brand and supply chain, but the app also becomes a platform for matching products based on individual sustainability goals and commitments. "Fashion Affair" also won the special social media contest open to the public among the finalists selected by the jury for being the most voted project by Instagram followers on C.L.A.S.S.' profile.
 
Vishal ranked first among the finalists selected by the international jury composed of:
- Anna Detheridge, Founder and President, Connecting Cultures
- Giusy Bettoni, CEO and Founder, C.L.A.S.S.
- Rita Airaghi, Director, Gianfranco Ferré Research Center            
- Paola Arosio, Head of New Brands & Sustainability Projects, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
- Jeanine Ballone, Managing Director, Fashion 4 Development
- Evie Evangelou, Founder and President, Fashion 4 Development
- Chiara Luisi, Sustainability Projects Coordinator, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion)
- Sara Kozlowski, Director of Education and Sustainable Strategies, Council of Fashion Designers of America
- Dio Kurazawa, Founding Partner, The Bear Scouts
- Renata Molho, journalist and fashion writer, former editor-in-chief of L'Uomo Vogue and editor-at-large of L'Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Casa Vogue
- Stefania Ricci, Director, Salvatore Ferragamo Museum.

• Innovation begins with creativity
• A pioneer of the manmade fiber industry

When the manmade fiber age began a century ago, a German company was responsible for the pioneering work involved. Barmag, established in 1922, was one of the world’s first companies to construct machines for the large-scale production of synthetic staple fibers. To this day, the leading manufacturer of manmade fiber spinning systems and texturing machines in Remscheid – a brand under the aegis of the Swiss Oerlikon Group since 2007 – has shaped technological progress in this sector; in future, with ever more innovations focusing on sustainability and digitalization.

Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft (Barmag) is founded in Barmen, located in the Bergische Land region, on March 27, 1922. The German and Dutch founders enter unchartered technological territory, one created as the result of a groundbreaking invention: in 1884, French chemist Count Hilaire Bernigaud de Chardonnet used nitrocellulose to produce the first so-called artificial silk, later known as rayon. The following decades see rapid development focusing on the search for synthetic textile fibers and their manufacturing technologies. As one of the first machine factories, Barmag battles its way through the eventful early years of the manmade fiber industry, the ‘Roaring Twenties’ and the Great Depression – and suffers the extensive destruction of its factories at the end of World War Two. Rebuilding is successful. With the unstoppable success story of purely synthetic plastic fibers such as polyamide, the company flourishes from the 1950s through to the 1970s, establishing sites in all international, for the textile industry at the time important, industrial regions and garnering prestige across the globe in the process. In the ups and downs of expansion, global competition and crises, Barmag reaches the very pinnacle of the market and becomes the preferred technological development partner for the manmade fiber industries in China, India and Turkey. The company has been a high-impact brand under the umbrella of the Oerlikon Group since 2007.

On the wings of innovation
Today, Oerlikon Barmag is a leading supplier of manmade fiber filament spinning systems and part of the Manmade Fibers Solutions business unit of the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division. And our aspirations have not diminished: “The striving towards innovation and technological leadership has been, is and will always be part of our DNA”, emphasizes Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions. In the past, this has been observable in such trailblazing innovations as the revolutionary WINGS generation of winders for POY in 2007 and WINGS for FDY in 2012. Currently, the focus of new and further developments is very much on digitalization and sustainability. Here, Oerlikon Barmag has – as one of the world’s first systems manufacturers – been implementing fully-networked smart factories for globally-leading polyester manufacturers since the end of the last decade. Within this context, digital solutions and automation are also helping to provide greater climate and environmental compatibility. This sustainability commitment is not only evidenced by the e-save label introduced for all products back in 2004: Oerlikon is endeavoring to also make all its sites carbon-neutral by 2030 and to acquire its energy exclusively from renewable sources. An ambitious target, whose achievement could be helped by the Oerlikon Barmag anniversary, states Georg Stausberg: “Innovation begins with creativity. And remembering the past provides plenty of motivation and inspiration for the future.”

On March 15th C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub launched the 3^rd edition of C.L.A.S.S. ICON Award, the annual competition with the aim of sponsoring and rewarding a visionary creative who is able to combine design, responsibility, innovation and communication.

The next selected winner of the international competition for visionary fashion creatives who are able to convey the values of sustainability not only to fashion professionals, but also to the wider public, will be chosen in accordance to the principles of the C.L.A.S.S. Manifesto of Responsible Fashion (https://www.classecohub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Copia-di-C.L.A.S.S.-ICON-MANIFESTO-2.pdf).

The prestigious reward for the game changers of fashion counts C.L.A.S.S. support at 360° degrees, from material consultancy to communication support and a partnership-like engagement in C.L.A.S.S. activities both on and off-line. This specifically includes:

• 2 coupons valued 1000 € each to source responsibly on THE SMART SHOP, the inspirational materials’ bank and samples' e-shop, that includes a premium selection of the C.L.A.S.S. Material Hub’s materials
• A consultancy session with C.L.A.S.S. TEAM: the ICON will have the chance to choose between an introduction to responsible innovation workshop or a specific session focusing on brand’s needs, for example responsible sourcing, certifications, communication.
• Full communication support in terms of press releases, social media and events organisation

C.L.A.S.S. is also happy to announce that its partners will offer an exclusively customed package of marketing and communication activities:

• Renoon is the app devoted to Responsible Shopping agglomerating thousands of ways to combine style and sustainability values may it be new, pre-loved and rental clothing. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes: a dedicated brand page on Renoon, the possibility to check and edit the description of the brand with Renoon's team and a featured article/interview on the new Renoon Library.
• IDEE BRAND PLATFORM is a company based in Milan, which provides dedicated support in all commercial activity for design and fashion brands through the various stages of their growth steps. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the support of the brand in commercial activities for SS23 and AW23/24.
• SUSTAINABLE BRAND PLATFORM is a digital platform to measure, improve and communicate fashion brands sustainability making it simple and affordable. Through the creation of a real DIGITAL TOOLBOX SBP wants to give fashion brands all the instruments they need to obtain a global assessment of their sustainable performance. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the Ecoscoring for brand’s sustainability and the creation of its Sustainable ID Card on Sustainable Brand Platform, as well as the use of the SBP logo, communication on social media and an interview in SBP/Magazine.
• WHITE has always been attentive to the themes of responsible fashion and alongside the new generations of designers. That’s why they decided to support the international sustainability platform C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity, Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy) with the annual award C.L.A.S.S. ICON, which promotes awareness in new sustainability values. For this reason, WHITE offers to the winner of C.L.A.S.S. ICON: a digital space on its WSM-WHITE platform and a physical space at the next show scheduled for September.

Applications are open until 1st May.
Email to classicon@classecohub.org, with a list of information such as brand vision and objectives, sustainability values and strategy, designer profile, a photo/video story of your latest collection, and any previous award (https://www.classecohub.org/c-l-a-s-s-icon).

The three winners of the Paint the Future global startup challenge are all set to accelerate their innovative solutions for the paints and coatings industry. Following an intense three-day bootcamp, these startups were selected by an international jury to continue working with AkzoNobel on sustainable business opportunities.
 
These are the three winners of the Paint the Future global startup challenge:

• SolCold (Israel) - Sustainable self-cooling coating based on anti-Stokes
• Aerones (Latvia) - Robotics for wind turbine maintenance
• SprayVision (Czech Republic) - Data-driven approach to optimal spray application of paint

“Through Paint the Future, we’re bringing innovation and sustainability together as a key driver of our business,” says Thierry Vanlancker, AkzoNobel CEO. “In our ecosystem, we collaborate with startups, suppliers, customers and academia around exciting solutions that will ensure a more sustainable future.”

Paint the Future startup challenges are designed to connect startups with industry knowledge and expertise to help accelerate their solutions in the paints and coatings industry. This Paint the Future global startup challenge launched May 18, 2021, attracting 245 submissions from 62 countries. Ten finalists were invited to Amsterdam to participate in the bootcamp program.
 
This is AkzoNobel’s second global startup challenge, following its industry-first predecessor in 2019. Regional startup challenges have since been held in Brazil (2020), China (2021), and most recently in India (2022).