From the Sector

Panda Biotech announced that building construction is complete and the official commissioning process to bring its Panda High Plains Hemp Gin™ (the “Panda Hemp Gin”) project online began in early Q4. The commissioning process marks the final stage before beginning commercial operations in Q1 2024 at the 500,000 square foot Wichita Falls, Texas facility. The Panda Hemp Gin will process 10 metric tons of industrial hemp per hour to produce textile-grade fiber, hurd, short-fiber hurd mix, and a nutrient-rich co-product that will be pelletized. The facility is expected to be the largest hemp decortication center in the Western Hemisphere and among the largest in the world.

Using only renewable energy sources, the engineering and production process at the Panda Hemp Gin has been certified green by Mid-South Engineering Company, in accordance with the International Capital Market Association’s Green Bond Principles. Panda Biotech has also partnered with Oritain, a scientific traceability company, to bring the most traceable hemp grown 100 percent in the United States to market.

Additionally, Panda Biotech is actively signing contracts with producers to grow the hemp feedstock for the 2024 growing season, as well as purchasing hemp fiber that has already been harvested or processed. The company recently unveiled an unmatched pay-to-grow program for producers to begin growing Panda hemp. With up-front, guaranteed money and agronomy support, Panda producers also receive tested and proven seed at no cost, successfully mitigating the risk producers may assume and underscoring Panda’s commitment and promise to the farming community. The benefits of growing hemp are substantial, as it is an excellent rotational crop that remediates the soil and provides a competitive margin.

“Each piece of the Panda Hemp Gin production line, including the three miles of overhead pneumatic duct lines, refining, blending, mechanical cottonization, hurd bagging and storage, baling, and more, must be individually started, checked, balanced, and commissioned,” says Panda Biotech Executive Vice President Scott Evans. “Currently, all equipment is individually being brought online to be officially placed in service.”

• Astrifa GmbH relies on CREATE PLUS for the production of its knitted traditional clothing

Astrifa GmbH was founded in 1948 in Lower Bavaria, moved to its current location in 1953 and began specializing in traditional costume clothing in 1978. The company has around 70 employees and produces around 700 items for men, women and children every week. The finest merino wool from England is processed and the machinery consists exclusively of STOLL machines, in total 17 flat knitting machines, including the latest representatives of the ADF and CMS series. Astrifa also relies on pioneering solutions when it comes to programming the machines: CREATE PLUS is used alongside other patterning systems.

The CREATE PLUS software combines a full-featured, advanced programming system with an easy-to-learn user interface, revolutionizing the programming of STOLL flat knitting machines. This has also aroused great interest at ITMA 2023. New versions are released every four months; in addition to many detailed improvements, the current release contains a greatly expanded system for multi-part knitting compared to the previous software and an extensive option for creating reports and statistics.

Archroma is bringing its most impactful planet-conscious innovations, including SuperSystems+, to ChromaTexChem 2023 in Mumbai from December 19-20.

Super Systems+ is a new set of end-to-end systems that combine processing solutions and intelligent effects for the entire textile processing workflow, from sizing to finishing. Developed for different end-use segments – from blue and colored denim to performance athletic wear, bottom weights, towels and sheeting – Super Systems+ aims to empower fashion and textile brands and mills to add value to their products while they deliver measurable environmental impact and enhance production efficiency.

Super Systems+ leverages the industry’s broadest product portfolio and authentic evidence-based data to support informed decision making. It is supported by The SafeEdge by Archroma, an online portal that gives Archroma customers and brands real-time access to product-related regulatory and compliance certifications and information, as well as the Archroma ONE WAY Impact Calculator, a process simulation and calculation tool designed and used by our textile processing experts to provide our customers and partners with an accurate estimate of the process costs, resource utilization, effluent discharge quality, and CO₂ emissions of the existing production process and of the newly evaluated system. These help them to select solutions that meet their performance requirements and deliver against significant sustainability targets.

Suedwolle Group introduces ACTIVEYARN®, the company’s first seasonless corporate collection: ACTIVEYARN® is composed of a selection of weaving, flat and circular knitting, hosiery and technical yarns, with advanced spinning technologies, wool blends and other natural and traceable fibres. It is a seasonless collection of yarns suitable for different occasions, to support everyone’s attitude and style.

This idea is expressed by the concept of “Get active”, which is not just about using Suedwolle Group’s products in sports applications, but about a new mindset, a changing perspective. By taking a fresh look at the company’s wide offer, ACTIVEYARN® provides new opportunities and inspiration to explore Suedwolle Group’s full potential in terms of technology, sustainability and innovations. It considers with a new point of view on the collections for knitting, weaving and technical uses, creating new connections among them and offering a mosaic of new possibilities and versatile combinations.

This theme of the collection and the new mindset may be represented in the concept of a “kaleidoscope”, symbol of the active change inspiring Suedwolle Group’s creativity.

The yarns in the ACTIVEYARN® collection embody the company’s six strategic pillars of innovation – sustainability, circularity, traceability, design, performance and technology – drivers of the entire process of design and production.

Jasmin GOTS Nm 2/48 (100% wool 19,5 μ X-CARE) is a natural, renewable and biodegradable yarn with GOTS certification that meets the company’s demand for sustainability. X-CARE, the innovative treatment by Suedwolle Group, uses eco-friendly and chlorine-free substances that make wool environmentally friendly and suitable for easy-care quality.

Tirano Betaspun® RWS FSC (41,5% wool 17,2 μ TEC RWS certified, 41,5% LENZING™Lyocell 1,4 dtex 17% polyamide filament 22 dtex GRS certified) is a fully traceable high performance yarn, suitable for sportswear and activewear.

OTW® Midway GRS Nm 2/60 (60% wool 23,5 μ X-CARE, 40% polyamide 3,3 dtex GRS certified) comes from the recycling of pre-consumer polyamide and thus is a perfect example of circular production. Suitable for weaving, it combines the added performance that comes from our OTW® patented technology applied to a high durability blend, ideal for active garments.

Wallaby Betaspun® Nm 1/60 (87,5% wool 18,4 μ TEC, 12,5% polyamide filament 22 dtex) is the result of application of latest-generation Betaspun® technology to a natural fibre like wool, allowing production of fine yarns with extra strength and abrasion resistance, ideal for seamless and wrap knitting.

Banda TEC X-Compact Nm 2/47 (100% wool 17,2 μ TEC) is a 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable yarn benefitting from the innovative X-Compact, permitting production of particularly linear yarns ideal for clean design and fabrics appropriate for today’s fashions.

Caprera GRS Nm 1/60 (45% wool 19,3 μ Non mulesed X-CARE 55% COOLMAX® EcoMade polyester 2,2 dtex GRS certified) increases the performance of the wool-based non mulesed fibre through combination with COOLMAX® EcoMade polyester. This is a material coming from recycling of post-consumer PET bottles, dyeable at low temperatures, that aids evaporation of moisture from the skin to maintain stable body temperature, enhancing the comfort of activewear and urban garments.

Partnership between Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, Pellenc ST and ANDRITZ promotes circular economy for textiles.

France’s first industrial plant for automated sorting and recycling of textile waste was officially inaugurated at Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, Amplepuis, on November 30, 2023. The plant is the result of an ambitious partnership between textile recycling company Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, waste sorting specialist Pellenc ST and international technology group ANDRITZ, a specialist in textile recycling machinery and processes.

Capable of automatically sorting garments by composition and color, the new line meets the needs of both post-consumer and post-industrial waste markets. The line also removes hard parts such as buttons and zippers to prepare the material for further processing in an ANDRITZ tearing machine.

The automated textile sorting line at Nouvelles Fibres Textiles is dedicated to industrial-scale production, customer trials and projects, and the R&D activities of the partners. It will process textile waste to produce recycled fibers for the spinning, nonwovens, and composites industries.

Automated sorting was the last missing link needed to develop a complete ecosystem in France, where the fashion industry, social and solidarity economy actors, waste management companies, and textile producers from different sectors are working together towards a textile circular economy.

The EU's strategy for sustainable and circular textiles aims to ensure that by 2030 textile products are made to a great extent of recycled fibers and incineration and landfilling of textiles are minimized.

The data and the information reported examine the performance relative to the companies Marchi & Fildi S.p.A. and Filidea S.r.l. during the year 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022. In addition, with the aim of putting the data into a context of developments, a comparison with data pertaining to 2021 was also made.

Amongst the numerous data and insights provided by the analyses given in the Report, some relevant performance factors relating to environmental achievements emerge.

With reference to Marchi & Fildi, and in comparison to 2021, the year 2022 demonstrated:

• A unit reduction in water consumption of 57% and unit reduction of waste water of 19%
• A unit reduction in electric power consumption of 13%

An overall reduction in CO2 emissions (Scope I + Scope II) of 22% In the same period, for Filidea the following results are shown:

• A unit reduction in water consumption of 26%, unit waste water of 22%
• A reduction in unit natural gas consumption of 7%
• A reduction in unit electric power consumption of 14%
• An overall reduction in CO2 emissions (Scope I + Scope II) of 7%

These data offer quantitative feedback on the constant commitment to the optimisation of resources and use of production technologies with low energy impact, which the Group has adopted for years.

Massimo Marchi, Marchi & Fildi’s President, has this to say about the choice to invest in this form of reporting:
“The decision to write a Sustainability Report represents for us one of the elements which guide us towards the constant improvement of company performance with reference to ESG. This is one of the stages towards the formalisation of a strategic plan for the management of sustainability, a journey which the Group has been committed to for years and in which we believe 100%.”

Santoni Shanghai Knitting Machinery Co., Ltd. announces that it has received regulatory approval from Chinese authorities for its proposed acquisition of Terrot GmbH, a manufacturer of circular knitting machines in Germany.

The acquisition represents a pivotal step in Santoni's strategy to advance the circular knitting machine industry. The integration of Terrot into the Santoni ecosystem is projected to increase Santoni's production capacity and boost its market share, and in conjunction with other strategic objectives, firmly solidify Santoni's position as the leading manufacturer in the industry, with unrivaled scale, depth of innovation and expertise.

Seeking to meet rising demand for high-end circular knitting products, Santoni has pursued an Ecosystem Strategy in recent years, aiming to unify a highly fragmented industry and enhance innovation, sustainability and digitalization to more effectively meet market needs. The deployment of both parties' latest innovation practices, textile automation offerings, integrated enterprise services, C2M solutions, and a platform for designers "Materialliance", will allow Santoni Shanghai and Terrot to connect and bridge demand and offer of circular knitted products.

By incorporating Terrot's offerings, particularly in the double jersey and jacquard sector, Santoni stands to gain a competitive edge in offering machines known for their performance, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness. Highlighting this shift is Terrot's UCC 572-T, a transfer jacquard machine for sports and leisurewear.

Following the acquisition, Terrot will continue to operate under the leadership of managing directors Robert W. Czajkowski and Dirk Lange. Santoni plans to maintain Terrot’s headquarters in Chemnitz, Germany, along with its facilities, brands, and practices.

In cooperation with the Swiss company Haelixa, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions will, in future, be able to make the entire value chain of a textile end product transparent and hence sustainable. The two development partners are offering a solution for the comprehensive traceability of products, as required by the European Green Deal.

An essential part of the solution is the DNA marker technology developed by Haelixa that enables complete traceability of materials. These markers survive all production process steps, validating that the end product is identifiable. "This innovative technology employs distinct DNA tailored for each project, establishing a unique identity for the material," explains Holly Berger, Marketing Director at Haelixa. "Once the DNA is integrated into the material, it becomes irremovable, impervious to falsification or alteration." Handling is straightforward: the DNA marker is fed into the spinning process with the preparation oil, for example. The preparation system is modified accordingly. Further feeding options are currently being developed.

Smart factory: total transparency with atmos.io
The concept is complemented by atmos.io, Oerlikon's digital platform, which records and evaluates extensive production and process data during the yarn manufacturing process. Atmos.io gives the yarn its digital identity during its time on Oerlikon systems, from the melt to the packaged package. This technology has been used successfully for some time to monitor the production process. With atmos.io, deviations in process parameters and yarn data can be identified and rectified within a very short time, which in turn keeps the yarn quality stable and reduces waste rates.

Combining both technologies enables clear traceability of the yarn produced, even in the downstream process steps. Hence, the yarn's components, qualities, manufacturing conditions, and origin are traced beyond doubt in the finished garment. "The unique DNA carries the 'roots' of the yarn digitally recorded in atmos.io into the everyday life of the end consumer," says Jochen Adler, CTO at Oerlikon Manmade Fibers. The textile end products meet the requirements of the digital product passport required by the EU, which contains the information needed to assess their life cycle assessment and circularity. Initial long-term tests have shown 100% traceability of the yarns in the POY and FDY spinning process. If the yarn manufacturer relies on the atmos.io platform, production systems can be adapted relatively easily to use the DNA markers.

HeiQ AeoniQ™ becomes an active brand partner of the Canopy initiative with eleven other companies to address the growing climate and biodiversity crises by committing to keep Ancient and Endangered Forests out of our man-made cellulosic fiber supply chain.

The commitments that HeiQ AeoniQ™ is making are part of solutions-driven non-profit Canopy’s Pack4Good and CanopyStyle initiatives which currently represent collectively 950 brand partners. Together, the initiatives are shifting supply chains away from vital forests to low-impact, circular Next Gen Solutions.

“We must rapidly replace oil-based polyester in the textile industry causing microplastics, global warming, landfill and ecosystem degradation. Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in the world and is best suited to replace polyester. However, we must pay attention to cellulose feedstock sources. Our forests, a potential cellulose feedstock, are one of the most important solutions to addressing the effects of climate change. Approximately 2.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide, one-third of the CO₂ released from burning fossil fuels, is absorbed by forests every year. Around 12.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions (5-10 GtCO₂e annually) come from deforestation. We are losing forests at an alarming rate. Every year, around 10 million hectares of forests globally are destroyed. We need immediate action to increase forests again. Canopy is our go-to partner to replace polyester with circular & sustainable cellulose feedstock for our innovative HeiQ AeoniQ™ fiber revolution.” said Carlo Centonze, HeiQ Group CEO.

Paper packaging is also a key driver of forest loss globally, as 3.1 billion trees are cut down annually to produce the boxes and bags in which products are packaged and shipped. Paper packaging production has increased by 65% over the past two years.

“The range of companies and sectors represented in today’s announcement reflects the breadth of market response to the growing climate and biodiversity crises and intensifying supply chain disruptions,” said Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy. “Today’s brand partners add significant momentum to global conservation efforts and the movement to transform ‘take, make, waste’ supply chains to be lower-impact and Next Gen.”

Today, as part of Pack4Good, HeiQ AeoniQ™ committed to:

• Eliminate Ancient and Endangered Forests from our paper packaging supply chain.
• Reduce material use through design innovation.
• Maximize recycled content.
• Explore and scale alternative Next Gen fibers (such as agricultural residues).
• Where virgin fiber is necessary, use FSC-certified fiber.

Kelheim Fibres GmbH and the Italian textile machinery manufacturer, Santoni Spa, were honoured with the ITMF International Cooperation Award 2023 during the ITMF Annual Conference in Keqiao, China. This recognition by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) acknowledges outstanding achievements in international collaboration within the textile industry in alignment with the values of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Together, Kelheim Fibres and Santoni have developed a sustainable period panty, built upon advanced machine technology and high-performance viscose fibres.

Santoni's specialized machinery enables a reduction in fabric waste, or even the potential for entirely waste-free production. Simultaneously, it enhances production efficiency, leading to cost savings. Kelheim Fibres' wood-based specialty fibres, such as the trilobal Galaxy® and the hollow Bramante fibre, replace synthetic materials in the absorbent core of the menstrual underwear. They offer excellent performance and reliable protection for the wearer.