From the Sector

• RUDOLF GROUP is thrilled to unveil the perfected antiviral features embedded in RUCO®-BAC AGP, the Company’s flagship antimicrobial product for textile applications.

As a consequence of COVID-19 global pandemic the demand for chemical auxiliaries with antimicrobial effect has boomed. RUDOLF GROUP invested important resources in the meticulous assessment of a new antiviral feature which is now added to one of their leading technologies .

Such an effort returned the surprisingly fast and most comprehensive antibacterial and antiviral textile finishing on the market: RUCO®-BAC AGP.

History has led to great vision and innovation

The powerful antimicrobial effectiveness of RUCO®-BAC AGP is rooted in the extraordinary properties of silver, whose antimicrobial magic is lost in the mists of time. Already known by the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians, water and milk were preserved by using silver coins through the early modern age.

R&D at RUDOLF GROUP has mounted silver on highly sophisticated, functional and registered microstructures that strengthen and amplify the qualities of this noble metal.

RUDOLF’s proprietary microstructures are the responsible hidden secret and key technical breakthrough behind both efficacy and durability of RUCO®-BAC AGP. This innovation is now the preferred solution to help reducing proliferation and cross-contamination of bacteria and enveloped-virus on textiles.

One gram of microstructures has the astonishing superficial area of about 60 m². The advantage of a much higher surface is that the consumption of resources and dosages can be minimized by the factor 100 and that makes RUCO®-BAC AGP a highly conscious choice.

“Due to the microstructures, a virtually infinite protective shield is created in the textile from which highly effective positive silver ions are set free in small, exactly dosed quantities” says Dr. Dirk Sielemann, R&D Director at Rudolf Group.

Taking performance to the next level

RUCO-BAC AGP effectively protects any textile against bacteria (harmful and odour-causing) and its superior antiviral performance on textiles has been independently demonstrated by applying the most modern testing methods. Assessments were carried out on enveloped Coronaviridae families known to cause a broad spectrum of animal and human diseases.

The microstructures in RUCO®-BAC AGP trigger their powerful antibacterial and antiviral effects based on 3 distinctive inhibiting mechanisms:
1.    Blocking of oxygen-transporting enzymes therefore leading to impaired growth;
2.    Crushing of disulfide bonds and therefore structure of sulphur-containing proteins.
3.    Possible interference with Bacteria and virus surface protein in the membrane.

RUCO®-BAC AGP is intended for the protection of the treated textiles and the microstructures of RUCO®-BAC AGP were studied thinking of performance and safety. It is suitable for next-to-skin applications and cytotoxicity tests show that RUCO®-BAC AGP has no influence on the natural microflora of the skin. Furthermore, because of the adhesion mechanism of its microstructures, RUCO®-BAC AGP is only active in/on the textile and it is non-migrating. 

“This year 202o is being highly emotional and it’s leading to the widespread introduction of antimicrobials on textile and to a myriad of vague, misleading or unsubstantiated marketing claims”, states Dr. Gunther Duschek, Managing Director at RUDOLF GROUP. He concludes “As a highly responsible company, we move cautiously and stand for technologies and practices that are effective, truthful and limit the exposure of apparel manufacturers, retailers and buyers to any risk”.

• Producing fabric for medical gowns: Advanced barrier effect solutions support COVID-19 efforts

Huntsman Textile Effects and Bao Minh Textile, one of the largest and most modern woven fabric producers in Vietnam, are collaborating to produce fabric that meets the stringent performance standards required of isolation gowns. High-quality medical gowns are essential protective wear for healthcare workers combatting the global COVID-19 pandemic, but these are in short supply worldwide.

Bao Minh Textile will initially treat 760,000 meters of woven fabric with a carefully curated combination of Huntsman Textile Effects barrier effect solutions and auxiliaries. This fabric is sufficient to produce 345,000 high-grade isolation gowns.

Bao Minh Textile’s isolation gown fabric relies on a range of Huntsman pretreatment, dyeing and finishing solutions. These include CLARITE® ONE, an all-in-one pretreatment for peroxide bleaching; NOVACRON® and TERASIL® dyes; PHOBOL® CP-C, an excellent oil-, water- and stain-repellent finish; and PHOBOTEX® RSY, a non-fluorinated durable water repellent with extremely high washing resistance. PHOBOL® EXTENDER XAN is also applied to further increase wash durability.

Modernized press eases digital printing conversion, signals new era for PCMC and RDP Marathon

Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC)—part of the Barry-Wehmiller Converting Solutions Platform announced the recent installation of the new Signature Series (380V-s) wide-web, high-speed offset  press at J.J. Collins Printers in Charleston, Illinois.
The 380V-s is the first in the series that is replacing the 380V press series, long highly regarded by printers in the longrun documents and high-end promotional graphics markets. The new design incorporates the latest in internet connectivity and touchscreen technology, and allows for easy integration with full or hybrid digital printing.
Designed by RDP Marathon, a recent acquisition of PCMC, the 380V-s represents PCMC’s expansion into providing equipment and services to the offset printing industry. Backed by PCMC’s global sales, manufacturing and service support, RDP Marathon will continue to maintain a sharp  focus on innovation. J.J. Collins Printers—already using an RDP Marathon model 260P blanket-to-blanket, heat-set press for its high-end commercial products—has been providing innovative print solutions  since 1878. Its commitment to using state-of-theart pre-press, press and bindery equipment has ensured the company's position as a leader in the print manufacturing industry.
In addition to the 380V-s, PCMC continues to develop new technologies and applications for a variety of print markets.

• CHIC ONLINE vom 22. bis 24. April 2020
• Erfolgreiche Premiere der digitalen Ausgabe der CHIC vom 22.-24. April 2020
• Mehr als 1.350 Austeller nahmen an den über 100 Online-Aktivitäten der Messe teil
• Alle Vertriebskanäle des chinesischen Handels waren auf der Plattform vertreten
• Im Fokus der Kunden: innovatives, kreatives Design und hochwertige Produkte

1.350 teilnehmende Aussteller, über 100 Online-Aktivitäten, über 60 Live-Medienberichte, bis zu 157.403 Besuche verzeichnete die erste CHIC ONLINE vom 22. bis 24. April 2020.

Die aktuell weltweit schwierige wirtschaftliche Situation durch die Corona-Pandemie läßt die Unternehmen nach neuen Lösungsansätzen für ihre Geschäftsmöglichkeiten suchen.
CHIC, China International Fashion Fair, hat mit CHIC ONLINE, ihrer ersten digitalen Messe, an drei Tagen die Möglichkeit geboten, sich mit Entscheidern des chinesischen Modehandels zu vernetzen, sich auszutauschen und Ressourcen zu bündeln.

„Der Start der CHIC ONLINE ist ein historischer Tag für CHIC, die nach ihrer Gründung vor 28 Jahren hiermit zum ersten Mal online gegangen ist.“ Chen Dapeng, Präsident der China National Garment Association und CHIC, Vizepräsident der China Textile Industry Federation.

Mehr als 1.350 Hersteller haben ihre Angebote in die Online-Meeting-Räume von Tencent Meeting und Ding Talk hochgeladen und an den über 100 Online-Meeting-Aktivitäten von CHIC ONLINE teilgenommen. Die über Jahrzehnte gesammelten Ressourcen der CHIC, ihr Netzwerk und ihre Erfahrungen beim Informationsaustausch sind bei dem Event zum Tragen gekommen. CHIC ONLINE ist ein positiver Ansatz für die digitale Transformation der Messe und gleichzeitig ein pragmatischer Schritt die Geschäftskanäle und Ressourcen miteinander zu verknüpfen.

In dieser speziellen Zeit ist CHIC ONLINE für die gesamte chinesische Bekleidungsindustrie und ihre internationalen Teilnehmer kostenfrei geöffnet gewesen, als Unterstützungsmaßnahme der CHIC für Chinas Mode- und Lifestyle-Industrie.

Die Online-Messehalle unterteilte sich in die Segmente Men, Women, Impulses (Designer), KIDZ, Winter (Leder und Pelz, Daunen), CHIC YOUNG BLOOD (Streetwear), Tailoring (Bespoke), Accessoires, Taschen und Schuhe, Fashion Journey (internationale Marken) und Sourcing. Die Meeting-Räume waren klar nach Angebot und Nachfrage strukturiert, eine direkte Brücke für die Kommunikation in Echtzeit.
Alle Kanäle des chinesischen Handels waren bei CHIC ONLINE vertreten: E-Commerce Plattformen wie Tmall, Jingdong, VIP Shop, oder NetEase Yeaton (Chinas "Muji"), eine der beliebtesten Online-Plattformen in China und Biyao Shop - ursprünglich gegründet als Verkaufsplattform für Luxusprodukte direkt vom Hersteller zu günstigeren Preisen - mit mittlerweile 20 Millionen Abonnenten, über 80.000 Bestellungen täglich.

Department Stores wie die Wangfujing-Gruppe, Weifang Department Store Group, LiQun Gruppe nutzten CHIC ONLINE für die Suche nach neuen Marken genauso wie zahlreiche Multi-brand Boutiquen darunter HANATEBAKO Designer Brand Collection Store aus Qingdao, dessen Direktor Jiang Shixiang in der Angebotsvielfalt und Diversifikation der Kategorien die Zukunft der Offline-Stores im chinesischen Markt sieht. Besonders die Segmente Accessoires und Schuhe seien für die Boutiquen wichtige Themen.

Auch internationale Einkäufer nutzten die Messe für die Suche nach Produzenten, wie Social Cloud Co., Dont Give Up Co., und WHYNOTCo. aus Italien.

Kollektionen mit starkem Design, innovative und individuelle Produkte standen im Fokus der Kunden. Ein grundlegender Trend sind gestiegene Qualitätsanforderungen für alle Produktsegmente, auch für die Basisprodukte. Der Konsument wünscht sich qualitativ hochwertige Ware, Qualität vor Quantität. Das ist während der CHIC ONLINE von den Marktteilnehmern hervorgehoben worden.

Chen Dapeng resümiert: „Die digitale Premiere der CHIC ist bei allen Teilnehmern auf positive Resonanz gestoßen. Als verläßlicher Partner der Branche ist es CHICs Absicht und Zweck der Industrie und dem Handel pragmatische Unterstützung zu bieten. Wir sind überzeugt, dass Chinas Modeindustrie neu gestartet ist.“

Center of competence for hygiene established in Wiener Neudorf to support Austria and the EU in the Covid-19 crisis for the industrial production of high-quality protective masks with a monthly capacity of 12 million pieces.

Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG found “Hygiene Austria LP GmbH”, in which Lenzing AG holds 50.1% and Palmers Textil AG 49.9%. The newly founded company will start producing and selling protective masks for the domestic and European markets from May 2020.

Over the past few weeks, Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG have invested several million euros in a modern production infrastructure at the Wiener Neudorf location and secured the corresponding raw materials for protective masks production. In a first step, the company produces so-called mouth-nose protective masks (MNS) and surgical protective masks of class EN14683. Hygiene Austria LP GmbH plans to increase its capacities to over 25 million masks per month over the next few weeks and to expand this business geographically as well.

The demand for high-quality MNS and respiratory masks for medical personnel is increasing rapidly, and there is real competition on the international market for these products. In order to sustainably secure domestic supply now and in the future and to strengthen the business location, the two companies Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG have now set a milestone with their own competence center for hygiene based in Austria.

Hygiene Austria LP GmbH thus makes a significant contribution to combating the Covid-19 pandemic and ensures the long-term supply of these critical goods in Austria in high quality.

Within the context of a globally-networked textile industry, online services have become essential for maintenance, modernization and original parts procurement processes for machines and systems.
Here, the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment optimized the myOerlikon.com service portal for the products and services of its Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven brands, making it more userfriendly. It allows customers to now access tailored services in nine different languages and around the clock.

Each and every machine park usually has numerous associated documents, ranging from manuals, circuit diagrams and 3D drawing-supported original parts catalogs, all the way through to operating instructions and final documents. myOerlikon.com bundles this information, while also providing users with additional communications on potential machine modernizations and upgrades and on special offers tailored to the respective production system.

Real security during virtual shopping
At the same time, users can access the myOerlikon.com e-commerce platform, which operates in parallel.
Customers can not only place orders here, they can also send online inquiries to Oerlikon, view prices and warehouse stocks and track inquiries,
quotations and orders already made or placed, among many other things. As a result of online access to original parts catalogs for the respective customer machines and systems, erroneous orders can be avoided.
Log-in is secure for users, as are all transactions carried out using the platform. With this, Oerlikon is implementing real security for all virtual purchases. All data exchanged is fundamentally
encrypted and hence protected against unauthorized access.

ISKO presented its 100% responsible platform, R-TWO™.

The denim ingredient brand hosted a special panel to discuss some of the advancements in technology that are making the fashion industry more responsible: from R-TWO™ to automated laser technology.

With the fashion industry being considered one of the world’s most polluting businesses-sectors, collaborating and knowledge sharing are key in finding solutions for a better future. Fully aware of this scenario, ISKO was the headline sponsor at The Drapers Sustainable Fashion Forum brings together responsible players to discuss what can be done to tackle the industry’s environmental and social issues through innovation and creativity.

Sharing knowledge, collaborating for change.
As evidence of its Responsible Innovation™ approach, ISKO presented the R-TWO™ program, its latest
responsible achievement. Stemming from the mill’s holistic vision, R-TWO™ represents a great example of how reducing, reusing, and recycling strategies can be implemented in a textile business to improve its  environmental performance.
The R-TWO™ reduces the amount of raw material sourced by using a blend of reused cotton and recycled polyester – both certified –, improving sourcing efficiency throughout the entire field-to-fabric production.
Reused cotton is certified with the Content Claim Standard – or CCS – from the Textile Exchange. As for recycled polyester, it can be either Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified, depending on the content percentages. Together with this cutting-edge and fully responsible program, ISKO also uses automated laser
technology developed in partnership with Jeanologia.

“How technology can help make the fashion industry more sustainable”:
On March 11th, ISKO hosted a discussion about ways, to make the fashion industry more responsible
The panel was moderated by David Shah, consultant on design and marketing development, Publisher and CEO at Metropolitan Publishing BV and Associate Professor at ARTez (Arnhem, the Netherlands) and Associate Professor at Renmin University, (Beijing, China). The talk involved Keith O’Brien, ISKO Marketing & Business Development Manager, Victoria Soto, Jeanologia Custom Technology Consultant and Filippo Ricci, Fashion Open Studio Program & Partnership Manager.

Trevira will be joining the first BCFA Open Berlin pop-up exhibition, which will be held at the British Embassy on 6 May at the same time of Berlin Design Week (4 – 10 May 2020). The one-day fair is being organised by the British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA), and members of the association will have the opportunity to display their products in the atrium of the post-modern embassy building.  

At the exhibition, specially invited interior designers and furnishers, along with purchasers from the contract market, will be able to find out more about the collections and products of high-end British manufacturers and textile houses, and attend interesting talks by two top specialists of the sector.

Trevira will be showing a selection of Trevira CS fabrics which were on display earlier this year at the Heimtextil 2020, where they featured in the special exhibition ‘Textile Future by Trevira CS’. These fabrics are permanently flame retardant and can be deployed in a wide range of applications, as Berlin design company studio aisslinger impressively showed in the exhibition at the Trevira stand. For the Heimtextil fair, the prestigious studio aisslinger design team worked together with Trevira, creating a concept that revealed just how attractive and playful Trevira CS fabrics can be in a variety of settings on the contract market, including hospitality, healthcare, workspaces, public spaces and transport.

Designers and architects who are interested in taking part in the event are welcome to register their details with Trevira.

At the Swiss-Egyptian Investment Forum which took place on February 3 in Cairo (Egypt), the Cotton & Textiles Holding Company and Rieter signed additional contracts related to the modernization program for the Egyptian textile industry.

Further Orders from Egypt:

• Contracts for additional projects signed in Cairo
• Order volume is around 30 million Swiss francs
• Order intake in the first half year of 2020 expected

The total volume of the contracts sums up to around 210 million Swiss Francs, including the contracts which had been signed at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona and which represent a volume of around 180 million Swiss Francs.

Rieter expects the full amount of orders to be booked as order intake in the first half year of 2020. So far, 165 million Swiss Francs have been booked.

Thanks to numerous new ramp-ups and the favorable portfolio of vehicle models supplied, Autoneum grew organically by 2.5% in a declining market. Adjusted for currency effects, Group revenue in Swiss francs amounted to CHF 2 297.4 million, 0.7% higher compared to the previous year.

For the second consecutive year, fewer vehicles were manufactured worldwide in 2019 than in the prior year. In particular, the persistently weak global economy and ongoing trade disputes have had an impact on vehicle demand. With only about 89 million vehicles produced, the market shrank by almost –6% compared to 2018. Despite this negative trend, Autoneum achieved an organic revenue growth of 2.5% through numerous production ramp-ups and a favorable mix of vehicle models supplied. Revenue consolidated in Swiss francs rose by 0.7% from CHF 2 281.5 million to CHF 2 297.4 million.

Revenue growth in North America, Asia and SAMEA region significantly above market The Business Groups North America, Asia and SAMEA (South America, Middle East and Africa) not only outperformed the negative market trend in each case, but also reported higher revenues compared to the previous year. In Europe only, the drop in automobile production caused a decline in revenue of the corresponding Business Group by –5.6% in local currencies. Business Group North America improved its revenue by 7.2% on a currency-adjusted basis, primarily driven by various production ramp-ups of German and Japanese vehicle manufacturers. Despite considerably fewer vehicles being produced in Asia, the Business Group increased its revenue in local currencies by 8.1% thanks to high-volume and new programs of European and Asian automobile manufacturers. Business Group SAMEA continued its growth course. Against the market slump in this region, revenue in local currencies and adjusted for inflation rose by 32.7%. This was mainly due to high-volume export programs in Turkey and South Africa as well as much higher production volumes compared to the previous year in the key SAMEA market of Brazil.