From the Sector

High-performance yarns now offer almost unlimited possibilities for replacing traditional raw materials in a vast range of technical applications. Often tailor-made, these filament yarns go way beyond the conventional idea of ‘textiles’ – finding new uses in sectors such as automotive, aviation, maritime, medical and construction, among many others.

Technical textiles are everywhere in our daily lives today, even if we may not always realize it. Some are in more obviously textile products, from sewing threads to artificial turf. But then, take cars as an example: modern vehicles are stuffed with parts made from sophisticated yarns. It’s common for producers of automotive parts now to send template material and requirement lists to Swiss Textile Machinery members, trusting their expertise and experience. Members operate development and testing centers with latest machine installations, where their experts devise customized solutions, as well as calling on the pure innovative spirit which is part of their DNA.

At the extremes
Technology drives applications beyond our current imagining in the case of Heberlein air splicers. Developed for a wide range of uses with high-strength technical fibers, they have no problems splicing aramid fibers up to 16’100 dtex, carbon up to 30’000 dtex, Dyneema up to 5’500 dtex, and glass up to 4’800 tex. Using compressed air, the splicers produce a tear-resistant, homogeneous splice of material without interfering knots.

Retech has the technology to achieve specifications for filament yarns, drawing and stretching fibers to perfection. Top heated godet rolls – many customized – are developed for high-performance fibers. Temperatures up to 400 °C can be achieved. Combining the right settings and wide speed ranges for each specific process results in unique end-products.

Fabric producers of high-end applications must avoid any quality risk. Yarn producers are well aware of this responsibility, so they use precision package winders for technical yarns, developed by Rieter’s subsidiary SSM. Taking yarns from ring twisting bobbins, its specialist finish winders can produce coarse-count technical yarns up to 50’000 dtex, offering a new level of flexibility and winding quality.

Lifestyle essentials
At first glance, motorists might fail to notice many of the technical yarns ‘hidden’ inside their cars. These products have functions such as providing stability with hardly any weight, or absorbing tensile forces at defined elongation. This kind of controlled elongation behaviour, for example, arises from the choice of textile material and the special construction of the yarns used.

Such specifications make twisting and cabling machines essential for the automotive industry. Saurer offers machines for the production of technical yarns made from a variety of feed materials in a very wide yarn count range. They are needed for vehicle products such as tire carcasses, toothed engine belts, seat belts, airbags and lorry tarpaulins.

Technical yarns also play a surprising role in our mobile devices. Tapping, scrolling and swiping are second nature for billions, with our phones and a plethora of other lifestyle essentials. Yet, how many people would know that the touch-sensitivity we take for granted on these screens is largely made possible by twisted glass fibers. Bräcker, part of Rieter’s components business, offers a selection of vertical sinter metal rings and nylon travelers for glass fiber twisting, so that mills can achieve high levels of productivity and quality.

Future unlimited
Automotive and communication technology are already important industries for Swiss Textile Machinery members, along with well-known technical textiles markets in sectors such as medical, transport and construction. Smart-wear is already noted as a field with significant potential. Naturally, members are constantly investigating other possibilities. Swiss textile machinery is already applied in energy (batteries), and plastics.

The Swiss Textile Machinery Pavilion will be at the Techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, taking place from 21 to 24 June 2022.

• March 16-18, 2022, Istanbul Expo Center
• Successful start of Texhibition, Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair with over 10,000 visitors from 63 countries
• More than 160 exhibitors presented fabrics, yarns and accessories on approx. 5,000 square meters in the Istanbul Expo Center
• Intensive order activity in a professional trade fair atmosphere of over 1billion US$
• The organizer's objective: to double the area and number of exhibitors for the second event in September

With over 10,000 visitors, the premiere event of Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair, organized by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association (ITHIB) and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) from March 16th to 18th, 2022 has successfully started.

İTHİB President Ahmet Öksüz: "Our exhibition platforms Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair and IFCO, Istanbul Fashion Connection, which was launched by our sister association IHKIB in February, play an important role in making Istanbul the fashion center of the Turkish textile and clothing industry. For the follow-up event to Texhibition in September this year, we expect the number of exhibitors and space to double."

The consistently positive feedback from the exhibitors underscores this expectation, as does the great interest shown by international visitors, including those from Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK.

The Turkish textile industry started with an export target of US$ 15 billion in 2022. The exhibition organizers assume that their platforms will contribute US$ 1 billion. Turkey is one of the most important procurement markets for the European textile industry and is becoming even more important in the course of the global supply chain problem and is now one of the top 3 most interesting procurement locations with its low prices, good quality products, reliable suppliers and short delivery times.

Exhibitors
On offer were high-quality and innovative fabrics from the weaving sector, including Kipaş Textiles, BTD Textile, Özdoku, Bossa and Yünsa; knitters like Gülle, Saka, Örkumod or İskur showed their current collections; yarn market leaders such as Korteks, Tepa and Gama were present, as were Şimşek Ege, EMR Zippers, Çağ-Tek and Öz-El Lastik for the accessories sector. A total of 166 exhibiting companies presented themselves in clearly structured segments in a professional trade fair atmosphere.

Frame program
In the Texhibition Forum, experts discussed the topics Sustainability, New Trends, Supply Chain and GMO-Free Cotton giving an outlook on the upcoming trends and developments in the Turkish textile industry. All events were heavily frequented by visitors.

Next Texhibition September 21-23, 2022

• Session "Recycling and Other Alternative Feedstocks"

Cellulose fibres are a true material miracle as they offer a steadily expanding, broad range of applications. Meanwhile markets are driven by technological developments and policy frameworks, especially bans and restrictions on plastics, as well as an increasing number of sustainability requirements. The  presentations will provide valuable information on the various use-opportunities for cellulosic fibres through a policy overview, a special session on sustainability, recycling and alternative feedstocks, as well as the latest developments in pulp, cellulosic fibres and yarns. In addition, examples of non-wovens,  packaging and composites will offer a look beyond the horizon of conventional application fields.

The fourth session, "Recycling and other alternative raw materials", will cover topics ranging from textile recycling - both cotton and regenerated cellulose fibres - to the use of hemp shives as raw material. Self-initiated cooperation and waste management pave the way to a fully closed European material loop where textile waste is collected, recycled and reprocessed into new raw materials.

The speakers will demonstrate the importance of cooperation in recycling fabrics already in circulation, perfectly following the topics and discussions of the previous conference day.

• Heikki Hassi - SciTech-Service (FI):  Textile Recycling and MMCFs; Systemic Challenges, Market Opportunities and Advancing Technologies
• Valerie Langer - Canopy (CA): The Perfect Storm – A Five Year Feedstock Shift Forecast
• Helena Claesson - Södra (SE): Two is better than one – Lenzing and Södra together Face the Challenge of Recycling of Textiles
• Marina Crnoja-Cosic - Kelheim Fibres (DE) and Harald Cavalli-Björkman - re:newcell (SE): Sustainable Cellulosic Fibres from Recycled Raw Materials – A Solution for Europe
• Frank Meister - Thüringisches Institut für Textil- und Kunststoff-Forschung (DE): Lyohemp Fibres Made of Dissolving Pulp Based on Hemp Shives
• Miguel Sanchis-Sebastiá - ShareTex (SE): Expanding Textile Recycling Beyond Cotton: Innovations to Recycle Regenerated Cellulose Fibers

Huntsman Textile Effects is bringing its complete end-to-end suite of high-performance solutions for sports apparel to Performance Days Digital Fair from December 1 to 2, 2021 virtually.

Driven by growing consumer interest in active and healthy lifestyles, coupled with the growing number of national sports participation programs that promote healthy living, the global sportwear market shows no signs of slowing. Brands that aim to satisfy this high-growth market need to be able to produce performance apparel that not only delivers sought-after functional capabilities and desirable aesthetics, but also comes with low environmental impact.

Huntsman will introduce the latest addition to the third generation of its revolutionary AVITERA® SE polyreactive dye range at Performance Days. AVITERA® ROSE SE delivers bluish-red shades while reducing the water and energy required for production by up to 50% and increasing mill output by up to 25% or more. It also significantly outperforms available dyeing technologies for cellulosic fibers and blends in terms of value, reducing recipe costs, minimizing processing costs and eliminating reprocessing.

Also in the spotlight are eco-friendly solutions for the challenges of achieving full whites and consistent shades on recycled polyester (rPET) with right-first-time quality. Huntsman’s rPET processing solutions include pre-treatment chemicals, fluorescent whitening agents, state-of-the-art washfast dyes, and finishing solutions for high-performance protection and comfort.

In partnership with Sciessent, Huntsman is also bringing revolutionary antimicrobial and odor-control solutions to Performance Days. These include Sciessent’s Agion Active® X2, a next-generation odor-control solution that combines advanced technologies to both capture and fight odor-causing bacteria for garments that smell fresh for longer and need less frequent washing. The partners are also previewing a new solution: Sciessent’s NOBO™, a cost-effective odor adsorber that provides odor control on virtually any fabric.

Other featured innovations include Teflon Eco Dry with Zelan™ R2 Plus technology. A breakthrough in sustainable water repellency, it contains 30% renewably sourced plant-based raw materials and meets or exceeds performance levels possible with traditional fluorinated technologies. Another exciting Huntsman solution is the new PHOBOL® Extender UXN – a product that optimizes water-repellent finishes for long-lasting fabric protection. It is free from butanone oxime, which has recently been re-classified in Europe and restricted above certain limits in products by bluesign®.

International technology group ANDRITZ will present its innovative nonwovens and textile technologies at the booth of its Indian representative PRN Techtex at Techtextil India 2021 in Mumbai, India, from November 25 to 27, 2021. A special focus will lie on its technologies for air-through bonding, needlepunch, textile recycling, and processes for biodegradable wipes, like spunlace and WetlaceTM.

Air-through Bonding
Air-through-bonding lines are the preferred choice for producing nonwovens with the best quality of softness and bulk for acquisition distribution layers, top sheets, and back-sheet products. With ANDRITZ carding machines and the new flat belt oven, customers benefit from high-performance fabrics from 16 to 80 gsm, produced with bicomponent fibers. Several Chinese customers have already invested in ANDRITZ aXcess carding machines, which provide perfect web uniformity. In addition, the CETI (European Center for Innovative Textiles) in Lille, France, has installed an air-through-bonding oven from ANDRITZ.

Textil-recycling Technologies
Recently, ANDRITZ acquired Laroche SAS, a leading supplier of fiber processing technologies such as opening, blending, dosing, airlay web forming, textile waste recycling, and decortication of bast fibers. The product portfolio further complements and increases the ANDRITZ Nonwoven product range. One focus of this product range lies on complete recycling lines for post-consumer and industrial textile waste to produce fibers for re-spinning and/or nonwoven end uses.

Needlepunch Technologies
Driven by the dynamic market for durable nonwovens, ANDRITZ has developed an elliptical pre-cylinder tacker – the PA3000. With this modern machine, ANDRITZ is responding to customer demands for higher capacities and lighter products. The PA3000 is an optimized cylinder pre-needleloom, which offers greater speeds and widths and has been specially developed for lighter webs. There is no friction between the web and the rolls, and there are no issues with the visual appearance.

ANDRITZ is also focusing on its latest needling technology for producing veloured felts, mainly for applications in the automotive industry.

In addition, ANDRITZ will be presenting the next generation of its batt-forming technology, the ProWin system. ProWin is a further development of ProDynTM and ProWidTM, which have achieved a high level of acceptance on the market with around 200 systems installed. This technology improves the current weight-profiling options and increases the actual production capacity.

Production of Bio-Wipes
For many years now, ANDRITZ has offered different nonwoven processes, such as spunlace and Wetlace, with one goal in mind: reduction and elimination of plastic raw materials while maintaining the high quality of the desired product properties. The latest development in this field is the ANDRITZ neXline wetlace CP line. This is a fully engineered production line, combining the benefits of wetlaid and drylaid technologies to produce a new generation of biodegradable wipes. This process achieves high performance entirely with plastic-free raw materials. The added benefit of using a blend of fibers, like wood pulp, short-cut cellulosic fibers, viscose, cotton, hemp, bamboo, or linen, without chemical additives, results in a 100% sustainable fabric.

RadiciGroup is exhibiting at the A+A trade fair, an international event focusing on safety solutions for the workplace, to be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, from 26 to 29 October. This international show gives RadiciGroup the opportunity to present its latest developments in personal protective equipment (PPE) for industrial use, including coveralls, gowns, caps, full hoods, shoe covers and boots.

This international show gives RadiciGroup the opportunity to present its latest developments in  personal protective equipment (PPE) for industrial use, including coveralls, gowns, caps, full hoods, shoe covers and boots. These products are part of a new line, Radipeople, a trade name identifying the new protective workwear sold by RadiciGroup: end products of a traceable supply chain, in which special attention is paid to the choice of raw materials and the quality of the final products offered the market.

At RadiciGroup, care for the health and safety of people is one of the pillars of the Group's sustainability strategy, combined with a strong commitment to safeguarding the environment. Radipeople Eco, the first protective coverall with 100% end-of-life recyclability is proof of such commitment. All parts of Radipeople Eco: the fabric, lamination, zipper and thread are made of the same material, 100% polypropylene. Furthermore, the Group’s offering includes garments made with Respunsible®, a spundbond obtained from recycled polypropylene or materials certified under the ISCC Plus scheme.

Thanks to their versatility and technical characteristics, the nonwoven solutions proposed by RadiciGroup are suitable for many industrial sectors, including oil and gas, utilities, construction, food, automotive painting and shipbuilding, maintenance, agriculture, laboratories, microprocessor manufacturing and the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Radipeople personal protective equipment delivers excellent protection against external agents (liquids, splashes, jets, particles and sprays), high protection against biological hazards and infectious agents, and high robustness and lightness to optimize protection, on the one hand, and comfort, on the other. All Radipeople protective equipment is made of fully traceable materials, manufactured by a totally Italian production chain involving hundreds of workers, and sold in packaging designed with an ecodesign approach, that is, fully recyclable minimized packaging.

Elleti Group, an Italian manufacturer specialized in denim treatments and garment making, will present an innovative approach: how we experience denim and its transformation processes.

Elleti Group will display its “Green Replicants” project in a new and improved “Lighter. Better. Wiser.” edition.  This project, inaugurated a few years ago, recreates some of the iconic pieces from the Elleti Group Museum of Denim (dating back to the 19th century) with today’s most advanced environmentally sustainable technologies. This special edition replicas are fully developed using the latest addition to the sustainable tools of the company: the “Wiser Wash” technology, a patented washing method that eliminates the use of all potentially harmful chemicals and pumice stone, while drastically reducing the water consumption throughout the process.
 
Moreover, at the Immaterial M.O.D.E. booth, a special project designed by Denim Première Vision and realized in collaboration with Elleti Group and Sense – Immaterial Reality will take visitors through an Augmented Reality installation to explore a selection of legendary pieces from M.O.D.E., Museum of Denim by Elleti Group. By downloading the app, available on every digital store, on your phone or tablet and looking out for the signage on site, unique denim masterpieces will be at everyone’s fingertips.

Itema, a worldwide manufacturer of weaving solutions, will be for the first time at the Denim Première Vision fair. The company is renowned in the industry to be one of the only manufacturers to produce all the top three weft insertion technologies – rapier, air-jet and projectile.

The company will highlight the iSAVER® technology: designed by Itemalab®, the Itema advanced innovation company. Thanks to iSAVER®, one thousand kilos of cotton per loom a year will be saved – i.e. 3% of total raw materials – which will prevent wasting 20 million litres of water, while saving costs for about €2.000 a year on each loom. iSAVER® significantly contributes in making the denim production greener.

• Pushing technical textile investments into the State

In a bid to strengthen indigenous production through the state and attract investors, the nodal agency for investment promotion and facilitation for the Government of Tamil Nadu – Guidance has signed up for Techtextil India 2021 – the leading International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens. The TN Government will be promoting technical textile policies through both physical and virtual segments of the hybrid fair, enabling investors to set up integrated facilities. Leading technical textile players from Tamil Nadu and across the nation confirm participation for the three-day business event.
 
As one of the first major business events in India for the technical textile sector since the pandemic, Techtextil India 2021 will reunite the industry to present a strong showcase of technical textile technologies crucial for the development of India across industries such as healthcare, agriculture, construction, infrastructure, sports, apparel etc. The first hybrid edition will take place from 25 – 27 November 2021 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.
 
Announcing a close co-operation with Messe Frankfurt India for the 2021 edition, the Government of Tamil Nadu further shared that it will be promoting textile policies and highlighting investment prospects at the trade fair in a bid to attract companies and investors to the state. Ms  Pooja Kulkarni IAS MD & CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu said: “While there are several inherent advantages for the growth of technical textiles in Tamil Nadu specifically, many raw materials used in the production of sanitary products, artificial ligaments, seat belt webbings, airbags are still heavily imported. In this context, the Techtextil India Forum can help us reduce import dependency and bring investments in R&D, manufacturing, innovation by partnering with global technical textiles companies.

JEC Group, dedicated to promoting composite materials, introduces all-new digital event series for the composites community: JEC Composites CONNECT. On June 1-2, 2021, this first round-the-clock event will be one of the industry’s most significant events, hosting major industry players, enabling participants to discover the latest trends thanks to business conferences and get networking opportunities. This live-streamed event will also be the place to highlight innovation through competitions, awards ceremonies and keynote speeches.

JEC Composites CONNECT: a digital event to bring the composites community together
Participants can access the free non-stop digital floor from 8:30 am on June 1 to 6 pm CEST on June 2. This first JEC Composites CONNECT will work as an online trade show, with digital stands for companies showcasing their latest products, from raw materials to composites parts manufacturers with various networking rooms, a meeting requests platform, and with a conference area to access live streaming content.

Composites innovation at the core
JEC Composites CONNECT will host outstanding keynote speakers and all the major JEC Composites competitions and awards promoting innovation, research teamwork, and entrepreneurship in the composites industry.

• The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate the most innovative composites projects and fruitful collaborations between different value chain players in 2021.
• The 2021 JEC Composites Startup Booster competition, with live pitches and winners ceremony.
• The JEC Composites Challenge, where Ph.Ds will present their research projects in front of the jury.

The Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 2, with an opening keynote speech from inventor and genius entrepreneur Franky Zapata, a.k.a. ‘the Flying Man.’ As the CEO and founder of the company that bears his name, he became well-known for his famed crossing of the English Channel in August 2019 on his Flyboard® Air.

Berlin - 200 exhibitors, around 1,000 visitors and over 20 speakers from Germany and abroad – the ATSG textile fair premiered in Berlin from 11 to 13 September 2019 brought together exhibitors, speakers and trade visitors from all over the world. Jason Prescott, CEO of JP Communications, said he was satisfied with the event at the Estrel Conference Center: "The first step has been taken, now we will establish the ATSG as an important event of the Berlin fashion and textile world".

The ATSG was the first fair of its kind in Germany. "There are many fashion trade fairs for sale from wholesale to retail. Berlin has so far lacked an event for companies of all sizes, including micro-brands and small fashion labels," continues Jason Prescott. The exhibited product categories included fabrics, technical clothing, mixed and knitted fabrics, home textiles, leather, natural and synthetic fibres, readymade goods and fashion accessories. Visitors to major European fashion brands as well as small, independent brands from the Berlin fashion scene were able to take a close look at raw materials and finished garments and discuss their ideas personally with the exhibitors. In parallel, China Textile Brand Show (Berlin), sponsored by Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), made its debut bringing in more than 150 superb Chinese manufacturers with their best collections for Germany and EU market.

Opening Ceremony, Lectures and Fashion Show

The ATSG was opened by Chinese government representatives and international association delegates. More than 20 lectures on the three days provided the latest impulses for thought and discussion. In their lectures and panel discussions, speakers from all over the world presented current positions on topics such as "All China? Or is there more to it?", "Application examples of artificial intelligence in the fashion industry", "Optimal logistics concepts for Europe", or "The importance of sustainability in the European fashion industry".

Wilson Zhu, COO at Li & Fung, one of the world's largest trading houses based in Hong Kong, explained in his keynote speech his view on the digitization of global supply chains: "From raw materials in the textile factory to consumer tracking: In retail, every step of the value chain is determined by digitization.

Companies need to be close to consumers and their supply chains must enable a seamless flow of data and information from start to finish". Customers and their requirements have also changed: "They want to know about origin, recyclability and production standards and use their information to adjust their purchasing behavior accordingly.” Other speakers included Jeff Streader of the brand investment platform Go Global and Salman Khokhar of Brand Lab Kollective Moda. The fashion show on the second day featured creations by local Berlin labels (Damur, Danny Reinke, Aline Celi, Yoona Tech) as well as Asian brands exhibiting at ATSG.

Successful kick-off

Exhibition organiser Jason Prescott draws a positive balance: "Looking back on the three days, I am very proud of what went well. Which has been confirmed for us: We're on an exciting path, have taken our first steps here in Berlin and will continue to develop the exhibition." The creators of ATSG 2019 are taking ideas for the year 2020 with them, especially from the many intensive discussions with exhibitors and visitors: "The ATSG has offered visitors and exhibitors a unique opportunity to identify new growth strategies, look around for market partners, learn from each other and establish networks. We are very pleased that the concept was used here in Berlin," concludes Chase Vance, Director of JP Communications.