From the Sector

Flexibility, product uniformity and automation are the keys to success for coating businesses in today’s rapidly-changing technical textiles industry, explained Jürgen Hanel, Monforts Head of Technical Textiles, at the recent 1st World Congress on Textile Coating.

Introducing the latest Montex®Coat magnetic roller coating option to virtual delegates from around the world at the conference organised by International Newsletters, Hanel explained why this technology makes perfect sense now

“The magnetic roller system allows a wide range of coatings and finishes to be carried out, while being easy to handle for operators and much easier to clean at the end of the process,” he said. “It provides textile finishers with an expanded range of options due to the fully-adjustable positioning of the magnet within the roller and with four different magnet positions possible, can be set to operate both as a direct coating system and as an indirect coater.”

With traditional dip coating systems, he added, as well as with many standard knife coating technologies, there is always a difference in the tension between the centre and the edges of the wide width fabrics being treated – and hence the amount of pressure with which the coating is applied. With the use of a magnetic roller, equal pressure is applied across the full width of the fabric, with consistent results even at wide widths of over 2.4 metres. In addition, adjusting the roller surface, rather than changing the coating formulation to match the required add-on and viscosity for each coating effect required, leads to much higher output from the line.

Cleaner and less wasteful
The contribution of such flexible and resource-saving new technologies to a cleaner and less wasteful textile industry was a key theme at the congress – held virtually across the four afternoons of February 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th – as was digitalization and the many advantages it is providing.

“A typical integrated Monforts coating line is automated from the inlet feed to the winder,” Hanel told delegates. “Adjustments can also be made simply and easily from the touchscreen and with the new hand-held remote controller which has recently been introduced for the Montex®Coat unit.”

Manual adjustment, he added, is time consuming and needs the attention of an experienced operator or the reproducibility will not be accurate between coating operations. The adjustment by motors allows each coating to be stored and downloaded again for 100% reproducibility.

The motors can be fully controlled from the touchscreen and all necessary adjustments carried out remotely, making switching from one process to another extremely quick and easy.
The accuracy that is now being demanded by today’s most exacting customers is met with an optional carbon fibre roller – especially in dealing with the winding tension required in the processing of materials such as prepregs for composites and other heavyweight fabrics. Typical applications for the Montex®Coat include the finishing of tents and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments can all be accommodated.

“The World Congress on Textile Coating was characterised by some very stimulating presentations and forums between the speakers and a global audience of textile specialists,” Jürgen Hanel concluded. “It truly reflected the high level of positive changes now taking place in not just textile coating, but the entire textile industry. I look forward to the next edition, which hopefully will be a face-to-face event for even deeper level discussions and debate.”

Reinach, Switzerland, and Westlake, Ohio, 2 February 2021 - Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with technology innovator CleanKore, aiming to advance sustainable dyeing processes throughout the denim supply chain.

The agreement will allow Archroma and CleanKore to promote the benefits of each other’s technologies. This includes Archroma’s robust catalog of dyes and specialty chemicals along with CleanKore’s patented process of dyeing yarns at the denim mill that completely eliminates the need for potassium permanganate (PP) spray and laser booster to achieve the bright white abrasion effect in the garment finishing process. The result is a large and circular bright white core with a small ring of indigo dye. The technology does not just eliminate the chemicals associated in the PP spray and laser process, which is much safer for denim workers, it also allows to save significant amounts of water and energy throughout the manufacturing process from fabric to garmenting.

CleanKore initially looked at eliminating potassium permanganate due to its being classified as hazardous if inhaled or ingested, or in case of contact with the skin or the eye. It is also considered very toxic to aquatic life. No new equipment or capital expenses are needed to implement the CleanKore technology, which works on all denim fabric, including dark indigo, sulfur top/bottom and sulfur black.

This is where Archroma comes into the picture. Its global technical team of denim coloration specialists will provide support to denim mills seeking to implement the CleanKore technology and develop the desired looks and effects - with the right colors and chemical systems for their production set-up.

CleanKore estimates that the technology allows to save up to 15 liters of water per garment, or the equivalent to the drinking needs of 5 people per day, and up to 0.51 kWh of energy per garment, or the equivalent of five 100-watt light bulbs on for 1 hour. The CleanKore technology also leads to a 10% to 20% increase in production throughput, as a result of a faster garment wash-down and the elimination of PP spray.

For CleanKore CEO Darryl Costin Jr., the announcement comes at an ideal time for CleanKore: "We have successfully proven the technology with mill partners such as Arvind and other denim mills in Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Thailand and the United States. The response from the industry has been overwhelmingly positive. Having a partner in Archroma, one that is highly respected for their innovation and emphasis on sustainability throughout the industry, will allow us to take CleanKore to the next level.”

Umberto Devita, Global Indigo Manager at the Archroma Global Competence Center for Denim & Casualwear, adds: "CleanKore is perfectly aligned with the 3 pillars of 'The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced'. 'Safe' through the elimination of a potentially harmful substance and the protection of the denim workers, 'Efficient' through the reduction of resource consumption, improved productivity and cost-effective profile. And 'Enhanced' through the gorgeous colors and effects allowed with Archroma's innovations and systems, in particular our aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo and Diresul® sulfur dyes. We look forward to help promoting an innovation that will help with many of the challenges facing our denim customers throughout the world. Because it’s our nature."

Reflecting the pandemic-related drop in worldwide vehicle production, Autoneum’s revenue in local currencies fell by –18.7% in 2020, although the second half of the year saw a significant market recovery. Group revenue in Swiss francs fell by –24.2% year-on-year to CHF 1 740.6 million. For the full year 2020, the EBIT margin will be around 1.5% and the free cash flow slightly over CHF 100 million.
At the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021, the Board of Directors will propose Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli for election to the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding. Peter Spuhler will not stand for re-election.

At 74.5 million, the number of light vehicles produced globally in 2020 was down –16.2% compared to the previous year, where around 89 million vehicles were manufactured. Autoneum’s revenue in local currencies decreased by –18.7% in 2020, pretty much in line with the negative market dynamics. The somewhat stronger decline of revenue compared to the market results from a lower share of Asia in Autoneum's total revenue. Impacted by the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the most important currencies for Autoneum, the consolidated revenue dropped in 2020 by –24.2% to CHF 1 740.6 million. The heterogeneous development of the first and second half of the year was characteristic for the pandemic-driven automotive year 2020. Worldwide lockdowns and production stoppages at vehicle manufacturers led to a market slump in the first six months and a corresponding loss in revenue for Autoneum. Thanks to the subsequent market recovery and catch-up effects in the second half of the year, revenue improved considerably compared to the first half of the year.

Revenue development in Asia and SAMEA region significantly better than market
While revenues in local currencies of the highest-volume Business Groups Europe and North America decreased by –25.6% and –19.3% respectively, reflecting the regional, pandemic-driven market development (Europe: –22.9%; North America: –20.1%), Business Group Asia almost held its prior-year level with an organic decline of only –2.1% in 2020 thanks to the strong upturn in automobile production in China in the second half of the year and despite the fact that the number of vehicles produced in Asia fell by –11.4%.*

Personnel changes to the Board of Directors
At the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021, the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding will propose Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli for election as new members of the Board of Directors.
Liane Hirner has been CFO and member of the Management Board of Vienna Insurance Group, based in Vienna, Austria, since 2018.*

Oliver Streuli, a Swiss national, has been CEO of PCS Holding, based in Frauenfeld (Canton Thurgau), Switzerland, since 2019.*

Peter Spuhler has been a member of the Board of Directors of Autoneum since 2011 and will not stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021.*

*See attached document for further informationen

Video Material Stories focus on the highlight products of the PERFORMANCE FORUM which were rewarded with a 100% Jury Like and include detailed explanations by the exhibitors. You can watch the videos here, check out the details, ask any question to the exhibitors and request samples!

• Lightweight, Downproof & Insulation Trends of the Season

The selected insulations are all produced ecologically responsibly, at the same time they are lightweight, breathable and insulate well. The lightweight and downproof fabrics of winter 22/23 are ultra-light, breathable and heat-insulating. It is astonishing that lightweights can now be processed from Econyl and other recycled fibres without losing any of their lightness. Almost all fibres – from nylon, Econyl, polyamide to polyester – are over 90 per cent recycled, and often dyed with vegetable variants or dyed in a dope dyed process.

• Softshells & Outer Midlayers of the Season

Warming, windproof and water-repellent jackets worn outdoors as an outer layer during sports or leisure activities typify the Softshell/Outer Midlayer category. Polyamide and polyester fibres remain dominant in winter 22/23. But anyone on the lookout for natural fibres will find various blends of organic cotton, Tencel or wool.

• Midlayers of the Season

Midlayers are primarily intended to provide warmth when layering garments. The focus is on newer constructions to generate heat, yet at the same time, manufacturers are attempting to reduce or completely avoid the use of micro-plastics in the development process.

The Turkish textile industry, which continues its exports and investments without slowing down despite the devastating pandemic, once again proved its strength, especially in this period. ITM 2021 Exhibition, which will be held in Istanbul between 22 and 26 June 2021, will provide a great advantage to companies that desire to expand their investments and introduce their brand new technologies.

Although there were slowdowns in the textile industry in April and May this year due to the troublesome coronavirus pandemic , the Turkish textile industry succeeded a big breakthrough with the removal of restrictions in June, thanks to both its textile production infrastructure and international exports capacity. The exports of the textile and raw materials sector increased and the companies turned to new investments. While many local companies enlarged their facilities, some of them made new investment decisions. For example, while a giant hygienic and medical fabric production facility was invested in Çorlu, another Turkish company, a global brand in textile machinery production, decided to invest 40 million Turkish Lira. Gaziantep-based spunbond and meltblown nonwoven manufacturer company added two new meltblown lines to its operations. Another company also began to invest in the production of raw materials that they import. This investment activity in Turkey, where is a manufacturing base of European customers whet the appetite of international investors. One of South Korea's largest conglomerates has rolled up its sleeves for an investment of 430 million US Dollars in Çerkezköy. Due to the investments, the purchase of textile machinery increased by 37.1 percent in the first nine months of 2020 amounting to over 1 billion US Dollars.

The Accurate Address for Investment Decisions: ITM 2021 Exhibition
Although the companies took advantage of the pandemic period as an opportunity and continued their investments, many of them are waiting for the ITM 2021 Exhibition for large machinery purchases. ITM 2021 Exhibition, which will be held between 22 and 26 June 2021 at Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center, will gather thousands of participating companies and visitors under one roof. The company officials, who will have the opportunity to observe the latest technological products to be exhibited by the international and domestic exhibitors, will direct their investments by meeting with the experts of the sector. The machines produced for technical textiles, which became even more important during the devastating pandemic period, will attract the attention of visitors. Thanks to the machinery purchases and business partnerships of both domestic and international companies, there will be great dynamism in the textile industry and the national economy.

Cobra International, Chonburi, Thailand: COBRA International, one of the world’s largest OEM manufacturers of composite goods for Water Sports, Automotive, Marine and Civil Engineering, is pleased to confirm the shipment of its first 36 composite canoes to ARE Tahiti.

COBRA has collaborated with leading outrigger canoe brand ARE Tahiti to mass produce its new OC-1 canoe, ‘Mana’. Designed by former professional windsurfer Baptiste Gossein  (JP Australia and Neil Pryde), ‘Mana’ features a closed deck on which the paddler sits on top of the hull. Available in two models; a hybrid version weighing 12kg, using an 80:20 mix of E-glass and carbon fibre reinforcement fabrics, and the PRO model – a weight optimized, ultra-light, full carbon version that weighs as little as 9kg.   

“We required the best in composite construction for both models, a stunning final finish and a build rate that could keep up with our growing order book”, comments Baptiste Gossein.

As with all of COBRA’s watersports’ projects, a perfect master model formed the basis of the mass production tooling and two sets of composite hull tooling were taken from the master plug allowing a build rate of up to 50 OC-1 canoes per month.

For the lay-up and construction process, COBRA’s high-performance PVC foam sandwich windsurf board construction provided a solid starting point.  Having selected vacuum consolidated epoxy wet layup for the mix of woven and stitched biaxial reinforcements, COBRA was able to build down to the customer’s weight target with the absolute minimum of waste and additional consumables.  Top and bottom sections of the hull were moulded separately then bonded together, with the smaller outrigger hull – known as the ‘ama’ – produced in the same way.  Prepreg carbon fibre and in-house split mould tooling was also used for the two ‘Iakos’ - the two cross beams that join the ama to the main hull. 

An in-mould applied finish coat was then used for the hybrid OC-1 while the PRO carbon fibre model benefits from COBRA’s ultra-light paint system.

“COBRA is able to provide mass production capability and rapid new model turnaround, as well as delivering consistently high quality. We are delighted with the first COBRA built OC-1s and have received exceptionally positive feedback from both customers and racers” comments Baptiste Gossein.

The next ARE project to enter mass production at COBRA will be the V-1 canoe. Similar to the OC-1 but an open boat that the paddler sits inside, the V-1 will have no rudder or steering system, requiring more finesse to manage underway.

“The OC-1 outrigger canoe is a superb example of our customer focused approach to production process development.  By working closely with Baptiste and the ARE team, COBRA is able to provide mass production capability and a rapid new model turnaround, as well as delivering consistently high quality.  This is a sector in which we expect to see significant expansion over the next few years”, comments Danu Chotikapanich, CEO, COBRA International.

In pandemic year 2020 circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. (MCT) has further improved its leading position in Turkey. So the country continues to be one of the company’s strongest and most consistent sales markets. Even in difficult years, the manufacturer and its longstanding Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik have achieved positive results. The reasons for this year’s success, as Mayer & Cie. sees it, are the transfer of production to locations close to Europe, Turkey’s state-of-theart machinery and the increase in demand for comfortable clothing that is suitable as home office wear.

Turkish market is a growth market despite corona setback
“Compared to 2019, we anticipate a growth in the Turkish market even though the corona situation was a serious setback in the second quarter of 2020,” says Stefan Bühler, Mayer & Cie.’s regional sales manager for Turkey.

Mayer & Cie. got off to a strong start on the Bosporus in the first quarter of 2020 with additional positive effects until mid-March. This was due to a desire for production locations close to Europe. In the second quarter, during the lockdown, demand largely ground to a halt. Government measures helped to cushion the downturn. Says Ahmet M. Öğretmen, general manager of MCT’s Turkish sales partner Mayer Mümessillik: “In the second quarter, GDP was down by about 10 percent, so we got off lightly.”

Since July 2020, orders for Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines have bounced back again. Ahmet M. Öğretmen sees an interplay of reasons for this recovery. The main reason, he says, is the low exchange rate of the Turkish lira, which has boosted exports of ready-made textiles. The Turkish daily Hürriyet reports, with reference to the Turkish state news agency, 11 percent year-on-year growth in August 2020. The most important export markets, the newspaper says, are Germany, the UK and Spain. Between them, they account for around half of exports totalling € 1.27 billion.* “This demand must be fulfilled,” Öğretmen says. “That leads to investment in machinery by manufacturers.”

Relanit is synonymous with single jersey
The machines of choice for Turkish knitwear manufacturers are regularly Mayer & Cie. machines. The long-established German firm’s share of the Turkish market is substantially higher than in other markets. The manufacturer’s position is particularly strong in the market for plain single jersey fabrics, with the Relanit 3.2 HS being the machine of choice. It achieves an extraordinarily high level of productivity, especially in processing elastomer yarns. It also handles a wide range of yarns reliably.

“Interlock is Mayer & Cie.”
Mayer & Cie. is one of the leader in the second major circular knitting discipline, rib and interlock fabrics. The machines used for double jersey fabrics are the OV 3.2 QCe, the D4 2.2 II and the D4 3.2 II. The OV 3.2 QCe knits interlock, 8-lock structures, spacers and fine gauge with 3.2 systems. The D4 2.2 II is another stalwart for rib, 8-lock and interlock. The 8-lock D4 3.2 II is the machine of choice for firms that want to manufacture structures such as Piqué, Punto di Roma or Thermal in addition to interlock.

The MBF 3.2 is another top seller in Turkey. A three-thread fleece machine, it knits fabrics for sportsand leisurewear such as hoodies and is very much in keeping with the trend in home office year 2020. “Comfortable clothing is circular knitted,” says Ahmet M. Öğretmen, “and we benefit from that of course.”

One of the world’s most state-of-the-art machine parks are in Turkey
Another advantage is the modernity of the Turkish machine park, which is doubly attractive in view of Turkey’s weak currency. Says Mayer Mümessillik general manager Öğretmen: “In the past 10 to 20 years there has been very heavy investment in high-quality machines. As a consequence we have the world’s youngest and most up-to-date production facilities.” Combined with geographical proximity to the main export markets in Europe that should prove a growth driver in the years ahead – and keep demand for Mayer & Cie. machines brisk and high.

*More informationen here.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced the release of its third Sustainability Report.

Prepared again in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, and covering Fiscal Year 2019, the report outlines the company’s progress on its priority sustainability topics, such as human health and environmental safety, resource efficiency, sustainable sourcing and product stewardship, as well as diversity & inclusion, and talent management.

All activities described in the report support the 3 pillars of “The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced. It’s our nature." This approach is the company’s guiding light in challenging the status quo to making its operations and its value chains sustainable.

“As our industries navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, the temptation for some will be to push back on the urgent need to address the climate crisis. We cannot allow that. Because after all, it's our nature”, Heike van de Kerkhof, CEO of Archroma, comments.

The report can be downloaded here.

Penn Textile Solutions/Penn Italia - international company producing and developing innovative fabrics through warp and weft knitting technologies, Tessitura Colombo Antonio, famous for the processing of lace and ribbons dedicated to the world of corsetry, Elastici Besana specialized in the production of narrow elastic for corsetry and underwear, have been working together to expand the frontiers of sustainable manufacture practices and to offer an innovative collection, a new set of eco high tech innovations delivering a responsibility concept including also the end of life: ECONNECTION.

The responsible ECONNECTION collection, in which the words ECO and CONNECTION mixed to underline the importance of connect and come together for a sustainable project, features:

• 7 advanced knitted stretch fabrics by Penn Textile Solutions/Penn Italia,
• 3 precious laces by Tessitura Colombo Antonio
• 3 functional bands by Elastici Besana

The project opened up the door to new generation of ingredients such as:

• ROICA™ V550 made by leading fiber manufacturer Asahi Kasei, a premium sustainable stretch yarn that at the end of his life smartly breaks down without releasing harmful substances in the environment according to Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certification and also boasting the Gold Level Material Health Certificate by Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute** as it has been evaluated for impact on human and environmental health.
• Amni Soul Eco®, the world’s first biodegradable in anaerobic conditions polyamide 6.6 yarn that degrades in around 5 years* after disposing in landfill, developed by SOLVAY and produced and distributed in Italy by FULGAR.

•   Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII Printers for Faster, High-Quality Textile Printing

Amsterdam - Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, announces today that Pakistani textile company, Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd., is leveraging multiple Mimaki Tiger industrial textile printing units to take its business to the next level. As a result of on the outstanding performance and process optimisation delivered by the Mimaki digital printing equipment, the company has been able to adapt to changes in the textile industry and is now projected to reinforce its market position and expand its capabilities in high-quality textile production.

Headquartered in Faisalabad, Punjab province – the second largest textile hub in Pakistan –, Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. mainly serves the high fashion industry and uses its cutting-edge technology to print about 100,000 metres daily. Faced with recent challenges in the global textile market, management at Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. embarked on innovating the company’s business model, shifting from conventional to digital printing. In doing so, the company invested in Mimaki’s advanced industrial textile technology and installed three Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII units. “We were – and still are – experiencing a massive transformation in the printing segment, with brands demanding high quality products delivered within short deadlines. This change in our customers’ requirements urged us to move to digital printing,” says Muhammad Asif, CEO at Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. “Our choice has already proved sound as our brand-new Tiger-1800B MkII printing systems have enabled us to cope with the high standards of the fashion industry in terms of both quality and delivery times. In addition, we have been able to gradually enhance our production processes in a cost-effective way.”

The Tiger-1800B MkII is Mimaki’s flagship industrial volume textile printer, available either in dye sublimation configuration for transfer printing or with reactive ink for direct-to-textile printing. Of the three Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII solutions operating at Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd., two are equipped with reactive inks, enabling the company to directly print onto natural fibres such as cotton and linen, as well as onto manufactured cellulose fibres, including rayon and nylon. The third Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkII features sublimation inks serves the ever-growing printed polyester market, allowing the company to strategically diversify its product portfolio.

“There are several features of the Tiger-1800B MkII that benefit our production and our business at large. The MAPS (Mimaki Advanced Pass System), just to name one, prevents banding and colour-shifting to deliver a higher standard of quality, while the NRS (Nozzle Recovery System) provides uninterrupted production, minimising downtime and ensuring superior results. The sticky belt system together with the large-size ink tanks (with a capacity of 10kg) and the high-performance software RIP TxLink3 are some of the other features that make these printers efficient, user-friendly and reliable,” says Asif.

Asif concludes, “Looking at the future, our aim is to set up a print department featuring only Mimaki’s technologies. We are already considering the next steps to make this possible, knowing that we can count on the support of Signtrade, Mimaki’s dealer in the region and our trustworthy partner.”

Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. was founded in 1992 by Muhammad Asif’s father Haji Muhammad Yousaf and his partner Haji Rasheed Ahmad. Established as a dyeing company, Moti Fabrics (Pvt) Ltd. was able to gradually diversify the business over the years to become an advanced textile printing specialist. Today, the company is an established provider to the high fashion industry in Pakistan and on an international level.

“The story of Moti Fabrics is incredibly inspiring. Belonging to a region with such rooted textile printing heritage, the company has been able to embrace a new, challenging business model in order to stay at pace with the changing demand from the textile industry and has succeeded,” comments Ronald van den Broek, General Sales Manager at Mimaki Europe. “Customers like Moti Fabrics make us proud as they demonstrate how our advanced Mimaki Tiger industrial textile series can be the enabling technology for those textile companies planning the shift from conventional to digital printing.”