From the Sector

• Innovative Textile Processes

Innovations are welcome. Based on innovations, many changes in textile processing are leading to more efficiency in process workflows. At the International Cotton Conference in Bremen on Wednesday, March 21st, Session IV Textile Processing, which takes place from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, is dedicated to this subject area and attractive examples.

Sustainable
Michael Tuschak, Mayer & Cie., Germany, informs about the 3-in-1 concept of Spinitsystems. Spinning, cleaning and knitting are all combined in one machine. This enables the production process of high-quality single jersey knitwear to be shortened significantly, which saves energy costs and reduces CO2 emissions.

Indigo.
An old dye returns to glory. Dr. Dean Etheridge of Texas Tech University, USA, talks about a new, innovative indigo dyeing process for cotton yarns using foam. This saves large amounts of water and is now increasingly being used by major brands in jeans production.

Efficient.
Amin Leder, Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, presents a technique in which the stretching process for rotor yarn production does not take place in a separate machine, but is integrated into the carding. This makes it possible to efficiently process even cotton with a higher waste content.

Overview.
Harald Schwippel, from Rieter, Switzerland, summarises all four major spinning technologies for cotton – ring spinning, compact spinning, rotor spinning and air-jet spinning. His talk provides an overview of the possibilities that each of these processes currently offers for the manufacture of different yarns and the most efficient options for different applications.

More to know
In the run-up to the International Cotton Conference, the Fibre Institute Bremen and the Cotton Exchange are organising a specific seminar for spinning mills on Tuesday, dealing with the efficient handling of contaminants in cotton, from elimination in production to removal in winding. On Friday morning, Expert Session IX deals with the exchange of the latest research results, e.g. in the field of ginning in relation to cotton quality, or the important issue of checking the traceability of GMO-free cotton.

Wilmington, MA – March 1, 2018 - Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS), a global leader in membrane filtration technologies, announced today that it has provided PURON® Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) modules as part of a system upgrade to the wastewater treatment facility of KPR Mill Limited. KPR Mill is one of the largest apparel manufacturing companies in India. KPR Mill decided to upgrade their wastewater treatment facility from an old conventional plant to an advanced MBR technology due to its environmental commitment to ensure zero liquid discharge (ZLD) by recycling 100% of their wastewater. Among the key reasons for selecting the PURON® MBR modules are its unique design, including single header and central aeration, reliable and consistent operation, and strong after-market support from KMS.
 
KPR Mill has been using a conventional Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).  Their old technology involved high chemicals consumption which required high maintenance levels, resulting in frequent production shut downs due to ETP failures.  The new MBR plant is designed to handle 3000 m³/day of textile effluent, utilizing two MBR trains. Initial results show that KPR Mill has reduced chemical costs and eliminated downtime, maximizing textile production. In addition to savings in operational cost and production optimization, KPR strives for an eco-friendly textile processing system. KPR’s selection of PURON® membranes help them achieve their goals of environmental sustainability.
 
“The membrane bioreactor technology from KMS operates very reliably and has resulted in a significant reduction of chemical, operating and maintenance costs of about 10%,” said Mr. C.R. Ananda Krishnan, executive director of KPR Mill Limited. “And as we are a trend setter in using eco-friendly advanced technologies, we were happy to have PURON® MBR as a technology partner who fits our needs and our vision.”
 
“KMS has developed advanced membrane solutions for the textile industry,” said Mr. Manny Singh, President of KMS. “Our products and services help the industry treat wastewater to meet strict discharge and reuse targets, and create value through various chemical recovery processes.”

On March 6-8, 2018, Paris will host the largest international trade show for advanced materials: JEC World, which is organized by JEC Group. For three days, more than 43,000 professional visits from some 100+ countries will gather at the world’s most innovative platform for the materials and products that are revolutionizing our century. “One field where France is a global leader is the field of composites!” says JEC Group President and CEO Frédérique MUTEL.

COMPOSITES ARE GOING STRONG
The share of composites in the global economy is growing. The market for these products is worth 83 billion euros, for a volume of 11.23 million metric tons of volume (2017 statistics). Analysts are predicting a steady 5% growth by 2021. From the industrial viewpoint, composites are developing rapidly, with new automated processes for high-volume production.

INNOVATION IN COMPOSITES
“Innovation is there with the raw materials, such as better-formulated resins (and even recyclable ones like thermoplastics) and higher-performance fibers like carbon, glass and aramid. Moreover, natural materials like starch for matrices and flax, hemp, sisal and bamboo for fibers are being introduced. There is also innovation in the ways composites are being used, and with the creation of completely new things like drones, electronic devices, hydrofoils and flying taxis. Composites are currently making progress everywhere there is a need for low weight and performance. They offer nearly infinite possibilities. These are truly the materials of the century. Designers are adopting them in a broad range of fields like smart cities, infrastructure, networks, transportation, medical devices, sports & leisure and design. Composites materials expand the field of possibilities.” explains Ms. MUTEL.

“MAKE IT REAL” AT THE 2018 JEC WORLD TRADE SHOW
To present the latest trends and innovations, the 2018 JEC World has even more surface area, with 68,000 square meters. The 1,350 exhibitors (from carbon fiber producer to auto builder, from designer to decorator, from research fellow to aircraft manufacturer) will display their latest advances. All stakeholders will be present at the show. JEC World received more than 40,000 professional visits last year, and is expecting 43,000 this year!

THE NEW “MUST” THINGS TO SEE
This year, JEC World will have four planets. Besides the aerospace, automotive and construction planets, there will be a new “Make it real” planet, which gives a preview of designer creations to be exhibited at the Ghent museum starting in October 2018. “We will show the many aspects of composites, and how these materials are being gradually incorporated into everyday objects,” adds Ms. MUTEL.
This year’s JEC World will feature a new “Composite Challenge” program that gives the floor to ten PhD students, who will be given five minutes to pitch their research projects with the help of a single slide. “True to its mission, the JEC Group has set up this new program to share the latest research on composites. But it is not just a way to share the most advanced knowledge, it also helps to bridge the gap between academics and the industry and to identify the industry’s next generation of leaders,” she says.
JEC World will also be the occasion to launch Flax & Hemp Fiber Composites, A Market Reality: The Biobased Solution for the Industry, a new book published by JEC Group on the use of plant-based materials.

KNOWLEDGE & NETWORKING PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY JEC GROUP
The trade show will host well-known speakers, including Dirk AHLBORN, the CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a company that is reinventing transportation with high-speed travel (up to 1,300 km/h, or 808 mph), and Yves ROSSY, aircraft pilot and inventor of the first jet-powered wingpack, with which he is able to reach speeds of up to 300 km/h, or 186 mph. The Startup Booster program will pay tribute to startups, and the JEC Innovation Awards program, to innovations. For the first time, the public will be invited to vote on these two programs!
Six new conferences will also address the latest technical advances that are moving the sector forward, and a Composites in Action program will present live demonstrations throughout the show, in three different places.

STAMFORD, February 26, 2018 - at JEC World 2018, taking place in Paris March 6-8, Hexcel will display an array of product innovations for customer applications in aerospace, automotive, wind energy and marine markets.
Hexcel’s banner at the exhibit hall entrance features the Airbus H160 helicopter and A350 XWB aircraft, both with carbon fiber livery to acknowledge the high Hexcel composites content in both programs. Hexcel’s reinforcements, prepregs, adhesives and honeycomb materials were selected for the H160’s composite fuselage structures and main rotor blades, contributing to the lightweight fuel-saving design and performance optimization. Airbus has loaned Hexcel an H160 BLUE EDGE blade to display on the booth.

Among the Aerospace promotions at Hexcel’s booth are carbon-reinforced 3D printed parts, made from Hexcel’s HexAM™ additive manufacturing technology that uses PEKK ultra-high performance polymers. Hexcel acquired this technology from Oxford Performance Materials in December 2017 to provide a weight-saving solution for intricate parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications. HexPEKK™ structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts with a new technology.

Aircraft engines benefit from a number of Hexcel technologies that will be promoted at JEC 2018, including HexShield™ honeycomb that provides high temperature resistance in aircraft engine nacelles. By inserting a thermally resistant material into honeycomb cells, Hexcel provides a core product with unique heat-shielding capabilities that allows for the potential re-use of material after a fire event.
Another honeycomb innovation from Hexcel is Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb that significantly improves acoustic absorption in aircraft engine nacelles. The acoustic treatment may be positioned at a consistent depth and resistance within the core, or can be placed in a pattern of varying depths and/or resistances (Multi-Degrees of Freedom and 3 Degrees Of Freedom), offering an acoustic liner that is precisely tuned to the engine operating conditions. These technologies have been tested at NASA on a full engine test rig and meet all 16 design conditions without trade-offs. An example of this technology will be on display at JEC 2018.

Rounding off the aircraft engine exhibits is a CTi fan blade for new generation lightweight turbofan engines from Rolls-Royce, manufactured from Hexcel’s HexPly® M91 high toughness and impact-resistant epoxy prepreg. Hexcel supplies HexPly® M91 as slit tape for the automated lay-up of the complex aerodynamic shape, with a constantly changing thickness across the blade length. The blade which is thinner and lighter than titanium fan blades is currently undergoing flight tests.
Hexcel’s HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements that were developed for the automated lay-up of preforms for resin-infused aerospace structures will be promoted at the show. Two demonstrator parts, one made with HiMax™ and one with HiTape®, were both infused with HexFlow® RTM6 resin to demonstrate the potential benefits of an integrated design for aircraft skins, spars and stiffeners that meets OEM requirements for production rate increases and cost effectiveness.

Hexcel is also introducing its new range of HiFlow™ advanced liquid resins for aerospace structures manufactured by liquid molding technologies. Based on novel proprietary chemistry, the new resin family will enhance the performance of composites and ease processing when combined with HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements. HiFlow™ HF610 is the first resin in the range.
Hexcel’s range of high performance adhesives has expanded considerably following the company’s acquisition of Structil last October. Hexcel is relaunching the acquired products under the new HexBond™ brand name at JEC World. This fast-growing range of pastes, liquid shim and film adhesives has a wide spectrum of operating temperatures and is in qualification with a large number of aerospace and industrial OEMs.
In the Planet Aerospace area at JEC, Daher and Hexcel will jointly display an aircraft spar manufactured from HexPly® M56 prepreg. Hexcel’s Neil Parker and Daher R&T Director Dominique Bailly will give a joint presentation focusing on the materials used and the benefits for the finished part. The aircraft spar was designed and manufactured by Daher using Hexcel’s HexPly® M56 prepreg, in slit tape format, that was developed for automated deposition and out-of-autoclave curing. The spar was manufactured using only the vacuum bag process and demonstrates very low porosity levels. It is currently undergoing testing and validation through CORAC funding.

Hexcel’s Automotive promotions at JEC World 2018 include a new prepreg for composite leaf springs, HexPly® M901. In contrast to steel leaf springs used for suspension on vans, trucks and SUVs, newer composite versions offer many advantages including weight savings of up to 70%, high corrosion resistance, optimized system integration and superior performance. Hexcel’s HexPly® M901 prepreg raises the bar further, reducing mold cure time below 15 minutes, a 50% reduction compared to standard industrial prepregs. HexPly® M901 provides 15% higher mechanical performance, with enhanced fatigue properties. It also operates at high temperatures, providing a Tg of up to 200°C following a post cure. Hexcel’s expertise in manufacturing heavy weight glass UD prepregs, with fiber areal weights of up to 1600gsm, allows the company to offer a highly cost-competitive solution for the rapid manufacture of these safety critical components.

Hexcel is constantly seeking ways to ensure that customers obtain the maximum benefit from composites and has recently acquired state-of-the-art simulation technology that accurately predicts how HiMax™ non-crimp fabrics will drape in a mold. Working in collaboration with Nottingham University Hexcel has created a car seat shell, for which the material selection was optimized using this new drape simulation technology. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand at JEC will see an on-screen demonstration that illustrates how the simulation tool operates, predicting process and performance and ensuring that the optimum fabric architecture is quickly identified, reducing the need for expensive trial programs.
Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 carbon fiber/epoxy molding compound has been successfully used by Audi to manufacture a high-performance engine cross brace. HexMC®-i is a fast curing high-performance molding material, suitable for the series production of complex shaped parts and providing excellent mechanical properties. The Audi cross brace covers the engine, providing torsional stiffness for enhanced drive dynamics.

Hexcel’s product offering for customers in the Marine industry has expanded following the acquisition of Formax in 2016 and Structil in 2017. At JEC World, Hexcel will promote its enhanced portfolio of carbon fibers, prepregs, woven reinforcements and multiaxial fabrics for builders of racing catamarans and luxury yachts.
Marine customers have supplied a number of parts for display to illustrate their expertise in manufacturing composite structures from Hexcel materials. These include part of a Diam 24 yacht mast made by ADH Inotec from Hexcel’s HexPly® M79 fast curing, low temperature cure prepreg. ADH Inotec purchased the prepreg from Composites Distribution, a Hexcel Official Distributor that also supplied HexPly® M9.6 prepreg to Lorima for the Outremer 5X catamaran mast section on display. Part of Lorima’s 42m wing mast for a multihull racing boat made with HexPly® prepreg from Vert-Le-Petit (formerly Structil) will complete the marine display.

Hexcel’s innovations for Wind Energy include Polyspeed® pultruded laminates for load-carrying elements in wind blades. These continuous cross-section profiles, made from a polyurethane matrix reinforced with unidirectional carbon fiber, provide consistently high mechanical properties, including high stiffness, fracture toughness and shear strength, combined with low weight and durability. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand will see a 2m diameter coil of pultruded carbon laminate that contains 255m of material in a single roll. This technology offers an economical way of reinforcing large-scale composite structures such as wind turbine blades. Hexcel will also launch its surface finishing prepreg for wind turbine blades and components. This provides a tough, durable and ready-to-paint blade surface without the use of gel coat and results in faster blade manufacture, saving time in production and reducing material costs. The benefits of the new surfacing prepreg will be demonstrated via a wind blade exhibit that has been given four different treatments across the blade surface. These include a section with gel coat, a section of standard prepreg without gel coat, and a section where a fleece has been added to improve surface quality but still requires preparation before painting due to pin holes. The final section made with new HexPly® XF2P surfacing prepreg has a ready-to-paint surface, straight from the mold, without any requirement for gel coat, fleece or finishing operations.

For the first time at FILO Milano, Filatura C4 is proud to present, in addition to the already established Re.Verso™ collection for contract, the Blue Drop winning fabric by Audejas, made with Re.Verso™ re-engineered wool. A result born from the shared commitment and vision to integrate a new generation of eco values into their circular economy creations.

Since 1962, Filatura C4 has been known for smart innovation in furnishing contract markets and is now specializing in the recovery of both technical and natural fibers. The company offers a wide range of styles and typologies of yarns for the Technical, Natural and Classic categories. From the choice of raw materials up until the final packaging, Filatura C4 develops and proposes, together with its partners, tailored solutions apt to satisfy a diversified demand. Thanks to its background and its grounding, Filatura C4 is a unique partner for Re.Verso™ in the contract sector.

The collection was planned to satisfy the market’s increasingly more specific needs, which require increased specialization and responsibility in the recovery of textile fabrics. Thanks to the Re.Verso™ system, the company offers quality products with low environmental impact through the use of pre-consumer wool packaging cuts which are collected, selected and processed in an accredited, fully transparent and traceable way. The Re.Verso™ collection is mainly employed in contract and home furnishing.

The Re.Verso™ product is available in a range of counts going from 5,000 to 9,500 Nm and it can be supplied both in singles and in twisted plies.  Re.VersoTM yarns by Filatura C4 are certified by ICEA (Environmental and Ethical Certification Institute) according to GRS (Global Recycled Standard) issued by the international body Textile Exchange and can boast unique savings (in comparison to virgin wool) in terms of energy (-27%), water consumption (-53%), and CO2 emissions (-49%), as certified by the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) study led by Prima Q.

At Filo, Filatura C4 presents the prizewinning product signed by Audejas, leading Lithuanian producer of upholstery and home textile fabrics since 1946, made for the 75% of wool (55% Re.Verso™ wool) in mix with 20% polyamide and 5% other fibres. This product received the Blue Drop Award on the second day of MoOD 2017. MoOD Brussels is an exhibition dedicated to producers of upholstery, window and wall coverings for the residential and contract market. The Blue Drop exhibition is an inspiring overview of the “best of the best” of what you can find at MoOD selected from creations submitted by exhibitors. Unique in its own way because it is the world’s only quality label of its kind for interior textiles. The “Floris” fabric by Audejas, won the first prize of the Circular Material category, being recognized as a  product that made great effort reducing waste by focusing on eco-centric materials.

Mit der acoustex findet am 10. und 11. Oktober 2018 in der Messe Dortmund die erste Fachmesse für Noise-Control und Sound-Design statt. Schon Monate vor dem Start, gibt es positive Rückmeldungen dazu: Diverse Unternehmen, darunter namhafte Marktführer, haben ihre Teilnahme an der Weltpremiere bereits angekündigt.

Das Produktspektrum der interessierten Unternehmen zeigt, wie weit das Thema der acoustex reicht. Ausstellen wird zum Beispiel die Industrial Acoustics Company aus dem nordrhein-westfälischen Niederkrüchten. IAC bezeichnet sich selbst als „Weltmarktführer im Bereich Akustik“. Gerriets aus dem badischen Umkirch präsentiert sich mit Produkten wie Akustiksystemen mit steuerbaren Absorbern, Schallschutzvorhängen und absorbierenden Textilien. Angekündigt hat sich außerdem die TWE Group aus Emsdetten. TWE hat unter anderem ein Akustikvlies entwickelt, das den Lärm in Fahrzeugen absorbiert und auch noch das Gewicht reduziert.

Sandler aus Schwarzenbach an der Saale stellt Vliesstoffe für Einsatzgebiete wie die Dämmung von Schall in Wohn-, Büro- und Industriegebäuden vor, z.B. in Form von Wandbelägen und Deckensegeln, aber auch zur Isolierung von Abwasserrohrleitungen u.ä.. R. Kohlhauer aus dem badischen Gaggenau produziert Lärmschutz- und Schallschutzwände für Straße und Schiene, ebenso HERMANUSSEN Metallverarbeitung aus dem westfälischen Werl. Weitere deutsche Aussteller sind u.a. „Planex Technik in Textil“, Recytex, HEAD acoustics und KONOA. Aus den Niederlanden hat sich akustikgate angekündigt und aus Belgien HAAY, Hersteller von Akustikpaneelen zur Geräuschreduzierung und Klangkontrolle.

Auf der acoustex sind Noise-Control und Sound-Design die Leitthemen – ein Ansatz, den es bisher in der Messelandschaft nicht gibt. Die Themenwelten der Fachmesse sind mit Architecture, Industry und Traffic überschrieben. Architecture (Building & Interior) beinhaltet die Produkte und Dienstleistungen, die einen positiven akustischen Einfluss auf Gebäude und Räume haben – sei es Geräusche reduzierend oder gestaltend. Als Fachbesucher erwartet werden unter anderem Bauherren, Architekten, Fachplaner und Ingenieure, Bauunternehmer, Innen- und Objektausbauer sowie -einrichter, Messe- und Ladenbauer sowie Facility-Manager.

Die Themenwelt Industry (Materials, Equipment & Production) stellt Ingenieuren für ihre Forschungs- und Entwicklungsarbeit im Bereich Noise-Control und Sound-Design innovative Materialien, Instrumente, Messgeräte, Teststände und Software-Lösungen vor. Darüber hinaus thematisiert sie, wie Arbeitsplätze im produzierenden Gewerbe und der Industrie akustisch angenehm gestaltet werden können. Als Fachbesucher angesprochen sind in dieser Themenwelt Ingenieure und Techniker sowie Einkäufer von akustisch wirksamen Lösungen, Produktentwickler und -designer von Produkten mit Vibrations- und Geräuschentwicklung, Teststand-Betreiber, Bauherren von Produktionsstandorten und -anlagen, Produktionsanlagen- und Maschinenplaner sowie Prozessmanager.

In der Themenwelt Traffic (Vehicles & Transit) zeigt die Industrie, welche Lösungen bereit stehen, um eine leisere oder angenehmer klingende Umwelt zu fördern, etwa entlang von Verkehrswegen. Als
Fachbesucher erwartet werden Entwicklungsingenieure und Techniker, Bauherren für Straßen-, Tunnel-, Schienen- und Lärmschutzbau aus Bundes- und Landesbehörden sowie Kommunen, Verkehrswegeplaner mit Schwerpunkt auf Lärmschutzplanung, Vertreter von Straßen- und Schienenbaufirmen sowie Bürgerinitiativen, NGOs und Mediziner, die sich mit den Gesundheitsaspekten von Lärm- und Schallschutz beschäftigen.

Die acoustex bietet Fachforen mit rund 60 Einzelvorträgen sowie Best-Practise-Exkursionen am Tag vor der Messe, die Network-Night am ersten Messeabend sowie thematische Führungen für die Fachbesucher aus Deutschland und dem benachbarten europäischen Ausland. Interessierten Ausstellern wird die Messeteilnahme durch spezielle Standbaupakete besonders einfach gemacht. Anmeldungen sind weiterhin möglich. Ausführliche Informationen zur Premiere der acoustex am 10. und 11. Oktober 2018 finden sich auf www.acoustex.de.

An seiner heutigen Sitzung hat der Bundesrat entschieden, Zölle für Importe von Industriegütern einseitig aufzuheben. Damit macht er Swiss Textiles ein vorzeitiges Weihnachtsgeschenk!

Die Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie kämpft seit mehreren Jahren für eine Abschaffung der Zölle bei der Einfuhr von Vor- und Zwischenprodukten. Als Nischenplayer sind unserer Branche Zölle ein Dorn im Auge: Zum einen verteuern sie die Produktionskosten der einheimischen Industrie und zum anderen erhöhen sie den administrativen Aufwand bei der Importabwicklung. Zur Optimierung der Zollkosten müssen die Unternehmen auf Zollprozesse wie den Veredlungsverkehr ausweichen, die zwar den Zoll verringern, jedoch in ihrer Anwendung sehr kompliziert sind. Diese ungünstigen Rahmenbedingungen führen heute dazu, dass Schweizer Unternehmen als mögliche Handelspartner von europäischen Firmen gemieden werden, da die Zollabwicklung mit der Schweiz zu aufwendig und zu kostspielig ist.

Diese Nachteile möchte der Bundesrat nun beheben, indem er dem Parlament eine Vorlage zur Abschaffung sämtlicher Industriezölle vorlegen will. Mit seinem Entscheid handelt der Bundesrat mutig und selbstlos. Er stellt die Interessen der Schweizer Volkswirtschaft über seine eigenen und verzichtet auf jährliche Zolleinnahmen in der Höhe von rund 490 Millionen Franken. Dies ist ein Meilenstein in der Schweizer Wirtschaftspolitik zur Verbesserung der Rahmenbedingungen der Schweizer Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie.

Swiss Textiles fordert nun das Parlament auf, dem Bundesrat ein positives Signal zu geben und die Motion von Nationalrätin Regine Sauter zur Abschaffung von Industriezöllen anzunehmen. Trotz dieses Entscheids hält Swiss Textiles an seinen beiden separaten Anträgen fest, die Zölle auf Fasern, Garnen, Geweben und Gestricken auf Basis des Zolltarifgesetzes aufzuheben, zumal der Weg über das Parlament mehrere Jahre Zeit in Anspruch nehmen wird.

Lectra brings together partnership schools and industry experts to discuss how changing professions
in fashion are impacting training programs

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather,
technical textiles and composite materials, recently welcomed partners from the world of
education to the company’s Bordeaux-Cestas campus for its eighth education congress. The
event was dedicated to the mega trends shaping the fashion industry and impacting
professions from design to production.

Over fifty representatives from among the most important fashion schools in Germany, Canada, China,
USA, France, Hong Kong, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden, participated
in this biannual meeting between industry experts and teaching professionals.

Fashion professions are evolving as companies make their first steps towards Industry 4.0, adopting 3D
and rationalizing the lifecycle management for their collections thanks to PLM. Lectra’s congress enabled
schools to discuss the developing role of designers and patternmakers, and the new elements to be
integrated into training programs.

Lectra illustrated future changes through presentations on design, patternmaking, 3D prototyping, and PLM.
“It is fundamental to bring innovation experts in the industry together with fashion schools, because
students will drive the evolution of this industry,” stated Pascal Denizart, Managing Director of the Centre
européen des textiles innovants (CETI).

Working with schools to design courses which meet the needs of fashion companies has always been at
the heart of Lectra’s education program. During the event, the company presented collaborative
experiences between partner schools and fashion brands, such as the competitions organised by Lectra
with Missoni, Balenciaga, and Armani in Italy, as well as Peacebird in China and JC Penney in the United
States.

In the United Kingdom, Lectra collaborated with COS (H&M group) and the Arts University Bournemouth
(AUB) for a competition centred on the design of a collection with zero waste.
“The process was totally digital, from design to the creation of a virtual prototype in 3D. Our students learnt
to optimize each stage of the process. By leveraging the use of Kaledo®, Modaris® and Diamino®, the
collaborative work between AUB, COS and Lectra is exactly the type of project that enormously motivates
our students. Live briefs developed with leading fashion brands and Lectra offer excellent opportunities
which directly inform industry currency and student employability,” explained Penny Norman, a lecturer at
AUB.

The event also shone the spotlight on China and its major role in the evolution of the fashion industry.
Li Min, Vice-Dean of the fashion and design faculty at Donghua university in Shanghai spoke of the event,
organized by Lectra, which brought together major Chinese companies, experts, and representatives from
the biggest schools in China.

“Exchanges on the impact of the Made in China 2025 plan on the fashion industry can better prepare
students for tomorrow’s professions, where digital and automation will occupy a far more central position
than today,” testified Li Min.

"The fashion industry is evolving so fast that sharing insights and best practices with experts and other
fashion schools has become vital to ensure we offer the best learning experience and technology tools to
our students", said Dr. Trevor J. Little, Professor of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management in
the College of Textiles at NC State University.

“Lectra’s eighth education congress confirms the company’s commitment to our partner schools. We
shared our analysis of the market, the digitalization of the eco-system, and how Industry 4.0 principles can
be applied to the fashion industry. We also discussed mass customization and the role of PLM. While these
are key subjects for our customers, many schools are only now approaching them. We are preparing
tomorrow, today: Lectra is supporting our customers, and schools to play an essential role,” concludes
Céline Choussy Bedouet, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Lectra.

Dresden - Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier besuchte die Preisträger des Zukunftspreises 2016 und den Standort des Carbonbeton in Dresden

Im Rahmen seines zweitägigen Antrittsbesuchs in Sachsen war Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier am 14. November 2017 an der TU Dresden zu Gast. Gemeinsam mit seiner Frau Elke Büdenbender informierte er sich vor Ort über den prämierten Zukunftswerkstoff Carbonbeton.

In einer anschaulichen Präsentation informierten die Preisträger des Zukunftspreises 2016 – der Preis des Bundespräsidenten für Technik und Innovation, Professor Chokri Cherif, Direktor des Institutes für Textilmaschinen und Textile Hochleistungswerkstofftechnik der TU Dresden, der emeritierte Professor Peter Offermann, Vorstandsvorsitzender des Verbandes Tudalit und Beirat im Deutschen Zentrum Textilbeton und Professor Manfred Curbach, Direktor des Institutes für Massivbau der TU Dresden, über das zukunftsträchtige Material Carbonbeton und das dazugehörige Großforschungsprojekt C³ – Carbon Concrete Composite.

Dabei überzeugte sich das Bundespräsidentenpaar in vertiefenden Gesprächen mit Dresdner Wissenschaftlern von den ökologischen, ökonomischen und gesellschaftlichen Vorteilen des innovativen Verbundwerkstoffes. Mithilfe der zahlreichen Demonstratoren, die das Material von der Entstehung bis zum fertigen Produkt darstellen, konnten die besondere Leichtigkeit und Formbarkeit von Carbonbeton eindrucksvoll veranschaulicht werden.

Die Weichen für den Erfolg des Carbonbetons wurden bereits 1993 von Professor Offermann an der TU Dresden als Erfinder des Textilbetons gestellt. Aus dieser Vision entstand der erste Sonderforschungsbereich, welcher maßgeblich von der Innovation des ITM geprägt war. Gemeinsam haben die drei prämierten Carbonbetonforscher Cherif, Offermann und Curbach die Forschungsaktivitäten zum Einsatz von Carbon als textile Bewehrung im Beton in zahlreichen weiteren interdisziplinären Forschungsprojekten stetig vorangetrieben. Schon seit 2006 werden deutschland- sowie weltweit alte Bauwerke, oder auch riesige Silos mit Carbonbeton verstärkt.

Der Baustoff Carbonbeton stellt also nicht nur eine Innovation für den Standort Dresden dar, sondern wird weltweit immer wichtiger. Darüber hinaus fördert seit 2014 das Bundeministerium für Bildung und Forschung den gegründeten Verein C³ – Carbon Concrete Composite e. V. mit einem Gesamtprojektvolumen von ca. 80 Millionen Euro. Der C³ e. V. ist ein interdisziplinäres Netzwerk aus mehr als 150 Partnern aus den Bereichen Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Verbänden, die gemeinsam die Einführung des Materials auf dem Markt vorantreiben. Wissenschaftler des Instituts für Textilmaschinen und Textile Hochleistungswerkstofftechnik der TU Dresden bearbeiten mehrere Teilvorhaben federführend und sind in weiteren Teilvorhaben maßgeblich als Projektpartner integriert.

Bobingen - On the 4th October 2017 a new brand was introduced at Trevira: Trevira SINFINECO®. This label may be carried by all textiles that contain sustainable Trevira products. Sustainable, innovative, high-value and responsible – these are the values the new brand stands for.

As an industrial enterprise, Trevira is conscious of its special responsibility for an intact environment and has long advocated the recycling of valuable raw materials and waste products. Trevira CEO Klaus Holz: “We at Trevira wish to preserve the environment and at the same time work to create value. These are the criteria of our sustainability concept.“

Creation of the new brand is therefore only a logical step, one that enables customers to label their sustainable Trevira products as such. Trevira is known for the high quality of its products. In every way recycled products are as good as the original materials in terms of quality and performance.

Two vital elements in Pre-Consumer Recycling and an important concept in Post-Consumer Recycling form part of the sustainability strategy of Trevira to conserve resources and maintain value. :

In the area of Pre-Consumer Recycling, on the one hand, residual materials resulting from the manufacture of polyester fibres and filaments in Bobingen and Guben, dependent on the manufacturing step, are processed in the agglomeration plant and restored to become serviceable primary material. The recyclates are then fed back to our fibre and filament spinning mills, to be made into new top-quality products.

On the other hand, in fibre production there occurs in the manufacture of tow a small proportion of tow that cannot be used for converting and has to be cut out. Instead of selling this material as waste, it is cut up, pressed into balls and then carded / combed by a partner, resulting in a 1A quality product. The GRS certification (Global Recycled Standard) is requested for this. As with converter tow from new material, the recycled tow is mostly incorporated into polyester wool blends (55 % PET / 45 % wool), which are used primarily in corporate wear and uniforms.

In the area of Post-Consumer Recycling, Trevira offers filament yarns consisting of 100 % recycled PET bottles. Our parent company Indorama manufactures very high quality recycled chips from PET bottles. Since only transparent PET bottles are used in Thailand, the flakes and chips are of a particularly good and very uniform quality. The recycled chips, fibres and filaments from Indorama bear the GRS certificates (Global Recycled Standard) and RCS-NL (Recycled Claim Standard). Trevira processes the regranulate made by Indorama from bottle flakes into filament yarns consisting 100 % of recycled material. The filament yarns are available in titres 167 and 76 dtex normal polyester. Alongside technical applications, they are used in the automotive and apparel sectors. In addition, many promising developments with the recycled material are on their way.