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Denis Albert Photo Autoneum Management AG
Denis Albert
21.10.2024

autoneum: Change to the Group Executive Board

Denis Albert is to become the new Head of Business Group North America and member of the Group Executive Board of Autoneum Holding Ltd as of January 1, 2025. The French-American dual citizen has many years of experience as a general manager in the international automotive supply industry in North America. He will succeed Greg Sibley, who will retire at the end of January 2025.

The Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd has appointed Denis Albert as the new Head of Business Group North America and member of the Group Executive Board as of January 1, 2025. Denis Albert has been Head of Sales Development & Strategic Project Manager for Post Merger Integration (PMI) at Autoneum since January 2024. In addition to his new position, he will continue to assume the role of Head of Sales Development.

Denis Albert is to become the new Head of Business Group North America and member of the Group Executive Board of Autoneum Holding Ltd as of January 1, 2025. The French-American dual citizen has many years of experience as a general manager in the international automotive supply industry in North America. He will succeed Greg Sibley, who will retire at the end of January 2025.

The Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd has appointed Denis Albert as the new Head of Business Group North America and member of the Group Executive Board as of January 1, 2025. Denis Albert has been Head of Sales Development & Strategic Project Manager for Post Merger Integration (PMI) at Autoneum since January 2024. In addition to his new position, he will continue to assume the role of Head of Sales Development.

Before joining Autoneum, Denis Albert worked for the French automotive supplier Forvia (Faurecia) for over 25 years, where he held various management positions, most recently as President of the Faurecia Interior Division North America. Over the course of his career, he has acquired profound knowledge of the North American automotive market and extensive experience in sales, business management, implementation of regional strategies, purchasing and technology. Denis Albert holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the Institut Catholique d’Arts et Métiers in Nantes, France, and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Mannheim Business School, Germany.

Following a one-month transition period, Denis Albert will take over as Head of Business Group North America from Greg Sibley, who will retire on January 31, 2025. Greg Sibley has steered Business Group North America through turbulent times since May 2019 and has made a decisive contribution to the turnaround in this region. The Board of Directors and the Group Executive Board would like to thank Greg for his significant and tireless commitment to Autoneum over the past five years and wish him all the best for his personal future.

Source:

Autoneum Management AG

Helmut Bacher Photo Erema Group
Helmut Bacher
25.09.2024

Co-founder of recycling machine manufacturer EREMA has died

Helmut Bacher, co-founder of Austrian plastics recycling machine manufacturer EREMA and former managing partner, passed away on 20 September at the age of 81.

Helmut Bacher is regarded as a pioneer of plastics recycling. Together with his two colleagues Georg Wendelin and Helmuth Schulz, Helmut Bacher founded EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H. in Linz, Austria, in 1983. Their life’s work was acknowledged in 2008 when the three founders received the Golden Award of Honour from the Province of Upper Austria.

Helmut Bacher, co-founder of Austrian plastics recycling machine manufacturer EREMA and former managing partner, passed away on 20 September at the age of 81.

Helmut Bacher is regarded as a pioneer of plastics recycling. Together with his two colleagues Georg Wendelin and Helmuth Schulz, Helmut Bacher founded EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H. in Linz, Austria, in 1983. Their life’s work was acknowledged in 2008 when the three founders received the Golden Award of Honour from the Province of Upper Austria.

Helmut Bacher displayed visionary foresight and open mind in playing a key role in shaping the plastics recycling industry. Following his training as a fitter and completing his schooling as a mechanical engineer, he worked in various technical positions before moving to a mechanical engineering company for plastics processing in the early 1970s. Helmut Bacher shared with his two colleagues a belief in the potential of plastics recycling. During countless trials, he searched for the right solution - until he found it. Despite initial adversity, the three founders remained convinced of the idea of a cost effective recycling machine for plastic waste and started up their own company in 1983.

At the K trade fair in Düsseldorf in 1983, EREMA presented a simple, robust, reliable and economical recycling system, signalling the start of a success story. The young company produced its first orders in modest premises in Leonding with two small workshops and a double garage. Today, the plants and components supplied by the EREMA Group achieve recycling capacities of over 25 million tonnes of plastic per year worldwide.

Up until his retirement from company management in 2004, Helmut Bacher was a driving force behind the company and remained closely associated with the EREMA Group until his death. His technical ability, coupled with solution-orientated thinking and genuine appreciation of his employees, have left a lasting impression and continue to shape the company to this day.

More information:
EREMA EREMA Group plastic recycling
Source:

Erema Group

Professor Dr Chun-Shik Kim and Professor Dr Thomas Gries sign the cooperation agreement (from left to right). (c) ITA
Professor Dr Chun-Shik Kim and Professor Dr Thomas Gries sign the cooperation agreement (from left to right).
12.07.2024

ITA and South Korean University cooperate

Dongshin University from Naju in South Korea and Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University will cooperate in the field of industrial digitalisation and renewable energies in the future. A cooperation agreement was signed on 9 July by Professor Dr Chun-Shik kim and Professor Dr Thomas Gries. Professor Dr Chun-Shik Kim is an expert on German-Korean economic cooperation, ADEKO board member and former advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Dr Thomas Gries is ITA Director and Rectorate Representative of RWTH Aachen University for Korea. The co-operation marks the culmination of 15 years of ITA activities in Korea. The fruits of this cooperation are the SmartTextronics Centre and the city partnership between the cities of Aachen and Ansan.

Dongshin University in Naju, South Korea, is a renowned university specialising in innovative research and practice-oriented education. It specialises in engineering, information and communication technology and renewable energies. The university is known for its international co-operation and its contribution to regional and global development.

Dongshin University from Naju in South Korea and Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University will cooperate in the field of industrial digitalisation and renewable energies in the future. A cooperation agreement was signed on 9 July by Professor Dr Chun-Shik kim and Professor Dr Thomas Gries. Professor Dr Chun-Shik Kim is an expert on German-Korean economic cooperation, ADEKO board member and former advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Dr Thomas Gries is ITA Director and Rectorate Representative of RWTH Aachen University for Korea. The co-operation marks the culmination of 15 years of ITA activities in Korea. The fruits of this cooperation are the SmartTextronics Centre and the city partnership between the cities of Aachen and Ansan.

Dongshin University in Naju, South Korea, is a renowned university specialising in innovative research and practice-oriented education. It specialises in engineering, information and communication technology and renewable energies. The university is known for its international co-operation and its contribution to regional and global development.

RWTH Aachen University is one of the leading technical universities in Europe and offers excellent research and teaching opportunities. Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University is one of the largest institutes at RWTH Aachen University and is internationally recognised for its outstanding research achievements in the field of textile technology and for its industrial cooperation. RWTH Aachen University maintains close co-operation with international partners and promotes global networking in science and research.

Source:

Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA)

Lenzing appoints new Executive Vice President of Commercial Textiles (c) Kit Ping Au Yeung
Kit-Ping Au Yeung, Executive Vice President of Commercial Textiles, Lenzing AG
05.07.2024

Lenzing appoints new Executive Vice President of Commercial Textiles

Lenzing Group announces the appointment of Kit Ping Au-Yeung as the Executive Vice President of Commercial Textiles with immediate effect. This strategic leadership appointment highlights Lenzing’s commitment to strengthen its integral leadership roles and fuel the growth of its core textile businesses. Kit Ping succeeds Florian Heubrandner, who will take on a new role as Executive Vice President of Filament to reinforce the expansion of Lenzing’s global filament business.

Lenzing Group announces the appointment of Kit Ping Au-Yeung as the Executive Vice President of Commercial Textiles with immediate effect. This strategic leadership appointment highlights Lenzing’s commitment to strengthen its integral leadership roles and fuel the growth of its core textile businesses. Kit Ping succeeds Florian Heubrandner, who will take on a new role as Executive Vice President of Filament to reinforce the expansion of Lenzing’s global filament business.

In her new role, Kit Ping will be leading the expansion strategy and development of Lenzing’s textiles business, which comprises of fiber offerings under the flagship TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ brands. With decades of experience working with partners across the textile value chain, Kit Ping will continue to foster the development of Lenzing’s textile business through driving innovative fiber and application solutions for customers, and ultimately bring benefits to consumers. Prior to joining Lenzing, Kit Ping held several regional and global commercial and operational leadership roles at Coats Group, as well as more recently at Amann Group. Her experience will add value to Lenzing’s core business, affirming Lenzing’s dedication to driving a positive impact across the industry ecosystem.

From 1 July 2024 onward, Florian Heubrandner will focus on driving the strategy and expansion of Lenzing’s filament business with his established expertise in the value chain. He will work alongside Lenzing’s Research and Development and Engineering teams to establish filament as a separate business with a strong focus on innovation and growth.

Source:

Lenzing AG

Girbau: Appointment of new President (c) Girbau
17.06.2024

Girbau: Appointment of new President

Girbau, a company in total textile care solutions, has appointed Diego Hervás as its new President. Hervás takes on this role with the aim of supporting Girbau's planned growth, contributing his strategic vision and results-oriented approach, in line with the company's values and legacy.

Mercè Girbau, Chair and CEO, and Pere Girbau, CEO, the third generation of this family firm, will continue to perform their functions and work on long-term strategy, innovation, sustainability and corporate culture. Both highlighted Hervás' career in both multinationals and family firms, emphasizing "his ability to fit into Girbau's strategic plan and vision".

Diego Hervás' career includes over 20 years experience in executive positions in multinationals like Xerox and major family businesses like Comexi. In these projects he has proven his capacity for leadership, innovation and team management. Hervás studied Telecommunications Engineering and has complemented his training with a range of courses and master's degrees in management at prestige institutions including IESE and INSEAD.

Girbau, a company in total textile care solutions, has appointed Diego Hervás as its new President. Hervás takes on this role with the aim of supporting Girbau's planned growth, contributing his strategic vision and results-oriented approach, in line with the company's values and legacy.

Mercè Girbau, Chair and CEO, and Pere Girbau, CEO, the third generation of this family firm, will continue to perform their functions and work on long-term strategy, innovation, sustainability and corporate culture. Both highlighted Hervás' career in both multinationals and family firms, emphasizing "his ability to fit into Girbau's strategic plan and vision".

Diego Hervás' career includes over 20 years experience in executive positions in multinationals like Xerox and major family businesses like Comexi. In these projects he has proven his capacity for leadership, innovation and team management. Hervás studied Telecommunications Engineering and has complemented his training with a range of courses and master's degrees in management at prestige institutions including IESE and INSEAD.

More information:
Girbau Textile Care President
Source:

Girbau

EURATEX elects new President (c) EURATEX
From the left: Ismail Kolunsag, Barbara Cimmino, Mario Jorge Machado and Grégory Marchant.
17.06.2024

EURATEX elects new President

Portuguese textile entrepreneur, Mario Jorge Machado, has been elected President of EURATEX during its General Assembly on 14 June. The Assembly also nominated Alberto Paccanelli as Honorary President.

Mario Jorge Machado has an extensive career in textiles. Mario is currently a shareholder and director of "Adalberto Textile Solutions, S.A.", where he applies advanced management practices to boost competitiveness and innovation. He has been president of the Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal (ATP) since 2019, and he stands out for his strategic leadership in the textile and clothing sector, promoting innovation and sustainability. He represents ATP on the Board of CIP - Confederação Empresarial de Portugal and chairs CIP's strategic council for the environment and sustainability.

With a degree in Production Polymer Engineering from the University of Minho, his expertise ranges from continuous process improvement to the development of B2B commercial teams and B2C business models. His vision encompasses operational excellence and the implementation of sustainable practices, contributing to the evolution of the textile industry.

Portuguese textile entrepreneur, Mario Jorge Machado, has been elected President of EURATEX during its General Assembly on 14 June. The Assembly also nominated Alberto Paccanelli as Honorary President.

Mario Jorge Machado has an extensive career in textiles. Mario is currently a shareholder and director of "Adalberto Textile Solutions, S.A.", where he applies advanced management practices to boost competitiveness and innovation. He has been president of the Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal (ATP) since 2019, and he stands out for his strategic leadership in the textile and clothing sector, promoting innovation and sustainability. He represents ATP on the Board of CIP - Confederação Empresarial de Portugal and chairs CIP's strategic council for the environment and sustainability.

With a degree in Production Polymer Engineering from the University of Minho, his expertise ranges from continuous process improvement to the development of B2B commercial teams and B2C business models. His vision encompasses operational excellence and the implementation of sustainable practices, contributing to the evolution of the textile industry.

The Assembly also nominated Alberto Paccanelli as Honorary President, recognising over a decade of commitment to EURATEX and the European textile industry.

EURATEX General Assembly also elected 4 other members of the Presidency Team: Michael Kamm (ZWILLING Gruppe, Germany), Barbara Cimmino (Yamamay, Italy), Grégory Marchant (UTT, France) and Ismail Kolunsag (Cross Tekstil, Turkey). During the Assembly, EURATEX also welcomed new memberships from CEMATEX and Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V., and a partnership with Reju. (France).

More information:
Euratex President general assembly
Source:

EURATEX

06.05.2024

Stahl: Thierry Vanlancker joins as non-Executive Board Director

Stahl, a provider of speciality coatings and treatments for flexible substrates, has appointed former AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker as a Non-Executive Director to its Board.

As a Non-Executive Board Director, Mr Vanlancker will provide valuable oversight, advice and strategic guidance to Stahl’s leadership, supporting the company’s position as a leader in speciality coatings and treatments for flexible substrates.

From 2017 to 2022 Mr Vanlancker served as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of AkzoNobel NV. Prior to his tenure at Akzo he held several senior positions in Europe and the US at Dupont.

Mr Vanlancker also serves as Chairman of the Board at Sika and as Non Executive Board Director at Aliaxis and Etex. He brings over 30 years of experience in the  speciality coatings and chemicals industries and holds a Master's degree in chemical engineering from Ghent University.

Stahl, a provider of speciality coatings and treatments for flexible substrates, has appointed former AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker as a Non-Executive Director to its Board.

As a Non-Executive Board Director, Mr Vanlancker will provide valuable oversight, advice and strategic guidance to Stahl’s leadership, supporting the company’s position as a leader in speciality coatings and treatments for flexible substrates.

From 2017 to 2022 Mr Vanlancker served as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of AkzoNobel NV. Prior to his tenure at Akzo he held several senior positions in Europe and the US at Dupont.

Mr Vanlancker also serves as Chairman of the Board at Sika and as Non Executive Board Director at Aliaxis and Etex. He brings over 30 years of experience in the  speciality coatings and chemicals industries and holds a Master's degree in chemical engineering from Ghent University.

More information:
Stahl Coatings Board of Directors
Source:

Stahl

Walter Reiners Foundation awards Six Young Engineers (c) VDMA
Anna Markic, Mark Zenzinger, Lena Fink, Peter D. Dornier, Fabio Bußmann, Katharina Maria Ernst, Lennart Hellwig, Dr. Harald Weber
03.05.2024

Walter Reiners Foundation awards Six Young Engineers

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, the Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, Peter D. Dornier, presented awards to six successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses in which, for example, solutions for resource-saving products and technologies are developed are eligible for the sustainability prizes.

The Walter Reiners Foundation awarded Anna Markic a sustainability prize worth 3,000 euros in the Bachelor's category. The topic of her thesis, written at Reutlingen University, was the recycling of carbon fibres.

Mark Zenzinger, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, received a 3,000 euro promotion award in the Bachelor's category. His topic was the automation of the process chain for the production of welded textile hard goods.
 
Lena Fink from the TU Dresden received another promotion award worth 3,000 euros. Her construction engineering project work focused on a device to simplify the maintenance of braiding machines.

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, the Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, Peter D. Dornier, presented awards to six successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses in which, for example, solutions for resource-saving products and technologies are developed are eligible for the sustainability prizes.

The Walter Reiners Foundation awarded Anna Markic a sustainability prize worth 3,000 euros in the Bachelor's category. The topic of her thesis, written at Reutlingen University, was the recycling of carbon fibres.

Mark Zenzinger, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, received a 3,000 euro promotion award in the Bachelor's category. His topic was the automation of the process chain for the production of welded textile hard goods.
 
Lena Fink from the TU Dresden received another promotion award worth 3,000 euros. Her construction engineering project work focused on a device to simplify the maintenance of braiding machines.

Fabio Bussmann from RWTH Aachen was awarded a promotion prize in the Master's category, worth 3,500 euros. In his thesis, he analysed the life cycle assessments of alternative semi-finished products for geotextiles.

Katharina Maria Ernst, TU Dresden, was honoured with a sustainability prize of 3,500 euros in the Master's category. Her work focused on the development of a suitable process for the treatment of chitosan fibres as an alternative starting product in the production of carbon fibres.

Lennart Hellwig, RWTH Aachen University, was awarded a 3,500 euro prize in the Master's category. He focused on the topic of machine learning using the example of a nonwovens plant.

Source:

VDMA e. V

11.04.2024

Carbitex: Global team with strategic new hires

Carbitex – a leader in flexible carbon fiber composites focused on footwear, travel, and accessories – announces the appointment of Filippo Sartor to Vice President of Global Sales and Sam Gardner to the role of Vice President of Engineering and Operations. After a restructuring of manufacturing operations and the return of Carbitex founder, Junus Khan, as company president in 2023, the brand welcomes two strategic hires to catalyze the next phase of the leading materials brand.

With over 20 years in the footwear industry, including nearly 11 years as the Global Senior Sales Manager at JV International, official worldwide licensee for Michelin Soles, Sartor brings high level sales expertise within performance footwear and material innovation. With extensive focus on building new business in the US and Far East, and based in Milan, Italy, Sartor is uniquely positioned to help propel Carbitex globally into the next chapter.

Carbitex – a leader in flexible carbon fiber composites focused on footwear, travel, and accessories – announces the appointment of Filippo Sartor to Vice President of Global Sales and Sam Gardner to the role of Vice President of Engineering and Operations. After a restructuring of manufacturing operations and the return of Carbitex founder, Junus Khan, as company president in 2023, the brand welcomes two strategic hires to catalyze the next phase of the leading materials brand.

With over 20 years in the footwear industry, including nearly 11 years as the Global Senior Sales Manager at JV International, official worldwide licensee for Michelin Soles, Sartor brings high level sales expertise within performance footwear and material innovation. With extensive focus on building new business in the US and Far East, and based in Milan, Italy, Sartor is uniquely positioned to help propel Carbitex globally into the next chapter.

Gardner, based in Renton, Washington, will manage product development and manufacturing at Carbitex. With time at Square One Distribution - a long-time Carbitex brand partner in the wake and waterski segment - and most recently as VP for Union Aquaparks, Gardner has considerable experience designing new products and managing sourcing, logistics, and supply chain. His background will help Carbitex strengthen both factory and brand partner relations and push product innovation.

These recent hires position Carbitex to better serve strategic brand partners, achieve forecasted growth in the short and long term, and expand global market presence.

More information:
Carbitex
Source:

Carbitex

INDA Lifetime Award 2024 INDA
09.04.2024

INDA Honors Three Nonwoven Industry Professionals with Lifetime Awards

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced three recipients for the INDA Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards. David Powling, Paul Latten, and Arnold Wilkie are being recognized for their key contributions to the advancement of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

David Powling and Paul Latten will receive their awards at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, June 18th beginning at 4:30 pm
Arnold Wilkie will receive his award at the RISE® Conference, October 1st at 4:30 pm.

The Award recipients are:

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced three recipients for the INDA Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards. David Powling, Paul Latten, and Arnold Wilkie are being recognized for their key contributions to the advancement of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

David Powling and Paul Latten will receive their awards at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, June 18th beginning at 4:30 pm
Arnold Wilkie will receive his award at the RISE® Conference, October 1st at 4:30 pm.

The Award recipients are:

David Powling
David Powling has worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation for nearly 25 years and has been a contributor to the Wipes Task Force and Technical Committees at INDA and EDANA for over 15 years. Powling served as Chairman of the INDA Wipes Task Force from 2009-2013. His work on these committees include developing the first and second edition of the Flushability Guidance Document (GD) and he was later instrumental in the roll out of the third and fourth edition GDs. Throughout this time, Powling coordinated activities with Kimberly-Clark Corporation to provide critical supporting data, as these flushability test protocols were developed.

Powling has been actively involved in collection studies where he was key in framing the work packages of those studies, collating and analyzing the data, and drafting reports. These collection studies include: Moraga, CA (advisor); Maine – Part #1 and Part #2 (hands-on); Jacksonville (hands-on); and the Northern and Southern California studies in 2023, which combined, was the largest study to date. Powling led the charge in the California study and was personally involved in identifying 1,745 samples.

Powling has been a key technical contributor to the INDA Government Relation efforts that has resulted in labelling regulations in multiple U.S. states. He has also been an active participant in efforts to develop an ISO standard for flushable products.  In this effort, he was a test method sub-team leader during the preparation of the proposed ISO standard responsible for organizing appendices of existing flushability methodologies. Additionally, Powling has been awarded, or has pending, 25+ U.S. patents, including many covering the development of dispersible wet wipes.

Paul Latten
Paul Latten has been an active member of the nonwoven and fiber industries for over 35 years. Most recently he has led innovation at Southeast Nonwovens, commercializing more than 75 new nonwoven products per year. Prior to joining Southeast Nonwovens, Latten held senior leadership positions with Basofil, Consolidated Fibers, Invista, and KoSa (and Trevira and Hoechst Celanese precursors to KoSa.)

Latten has a successful career of reinvigorating company R&D efforts by instilling a focus on customer-centric innovation. He is an inventor of record for a number of patents and pending applications. Latten has given numerous presentations on innovative nonwoven materials, at events such as INDA’s World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, RISE® (Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics), the VISION International Conference, and the Converting and Bonding (CAB) Conference.

His recent innovations have been diverse in scope and include nonwovens for use in hydrogen fuel cells, moisture detection media, proprietary wipe designs, and natural fiber-based packaging. Aside from new fiber and nonwoven products, Latten has championed process innovation that has resulted in tangible output gains that broadened the market opportunity for his current and prior companies.

Latten’s portfolio of innovations has spanned across the nonwoven markets, often involving wetlaid and drylaid nonwovens. These include materials for moisture detection, synthetic papers, fuel cell cathodes, protective covers for treats, melamine nonwovens for surface treatment, and the development of binder fibers. His work also touched upon disposable hygiene applications entailing dry-laid web containing hollow synthetic fibers to improve absorbent core fluid uptake.

Latten has been a board member of INDA for multiple terms and served as Chairman in 2008-2010. Additionally, he has contributed to many INDA conference planning committees, helping drive the success of these events.

Arnold Wilkie
Arnold Wilkie has a distinguished career in advancing yarn, fiber, and nonwoven technologies since 1970. Since 1988, he has been President and Owner of Hills, Inc. where he has sustained their innovative culture. Wilkie has over 40 patents and applications covering yarns, bicomponent fibers, ultra-fine fibers, nanofibers, dissolvable filaments, meltblown nonwovens, and polymer processing innovations. He established Hills as a leading innovator in bicomponent fiber nonwovens and in the equipment to produce these materials. During Wilkie’s time leading Hills, their pilot capabilities have become well-known and highly regarded for enabling material innovations.

Many of his patents pertain to the development of equipment solutions that enable the production of complex bi- and multi-component fiber structures. These solutions include the method of forming a continuous filament spun-laid web, the method and apparatus for producing polymer fibers and fabrics including multiple polymer components, the method and apparatus for controlling airflow in a fiber extrusion system, and controlling the dissolution of dissolvable polymer components in plural component fibers.

Arnold Wilkie, President, Hills, Inc., earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from the University of West Florida. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida, and has been engaged in the synthetic fibers industry since 1970. The first 17 years were with the Monsanto Company, where he held positions in Fiber Process Engineering, Fiber Product R&D, and Product Management. Since 1988, he has been a majority Owner and President of Hills, Inc., a 52-year-old company located in West Melbourne, Florida, specializing in the development, manufacture, and supply of advanced custom fiber extrusion equipment. Wilkie has been involved with and supported The Nonwovens Institute, since its founding in 1991 as the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center (NCRC), with Hills joining as a Member in 2001

More information:
INDA lifetime achievement
Source:

INDA

KARL MAYER TURKEY appoints General Manager (c) KARL MAYER GROUP
Toros Greenhalgh, General Manager of KARL MAYER TURKEY
02.02.2024

KARL MAYER TURKEY appoints General Manager

Toros Greenhalgh becomes General Manager of the new KARL MAYER subsidiary in Türkiye

In October 2023, the KARL MAYER GROUP established its own site in Bursa, Türkiye, thus increasing its presence in one of its most important markets. KARL MAYER TURKEY will meet increasing customer demands for after-sales service, spare parts (Care Solutions), and academy, in the sectors of warp knitting and warp preparation, while KARL MAYER’s long-standing regional representative ERKO focuses on machine sales.

Toros Greenhalgh was appointed General Manager of KARL MAYER TURKEY on February 1st of this year. Holding a degree in mechanical engineering and materials science from the University of Birmingham, he comes with experience in the fields of industrial plant construction management, renewable energy technologies, and the distribution of medical devices. For the past seven years he has been active in the sector of textile machinery through ERKO with particular focus on KARL MAYER machine sales, service, and spare parts.

Toros Greenhalgh becomes General Manager of the new KARL MAYER subsidiary in Türkiye

In October 2023, the KARL MAYER GROUP established its own site in Bursa, Türkiye, thus increasing its presence in one of its most important markets. KARL MAYER TURKEY will meet increasing customer demands for after-sales service, spare parts (Care Solutions), and academy, in the sectors of warp knitting and warp preparation, while KARL MAYER’s long-standing regional representative ERKO focuses on machine sales.

Toros Greenhalgh was appointed General Manager of KARL MAYER TURKEY on February 1st of this year. Holding a degree in mechanical engineering and materials science from the University of Birmingham, he comes with experience in the fields of industrial plant construction management, renewable energy technologies, and the distribution of medical devices. For the past seven years he has been active in the sector of textile machinery through ERKO with particular focus on KARL MAYER machine sales, service, and spare parts.

More information:
Karl Mayer Manager Turkey
Source:

KARL MAYER GROUP

Stefano Pigozzi Photo RadiciGroup
Stefano Pigozzi
30.01.2024

Stefano Pigozzi: New member at Board of Directors of Radici Partecipazioni SpA

RadiciGroup announced the appointment of Stefano Pigozzi to the Board of Directors of Radici Partecipazioni SpA, the parent company overseeing all the Group's business activities in the chemicals, engineering polymers and advanced textile solutions sectors.
 
A professional with proven experience in the chemical industry, Mr. Pigozzi will complement the Board with his strategic vision acquired in international organizations.
 
Stefano Pigozzi graduated from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in Business Administration and started his work experience in the finance division of BASF in the late 1980s. Since then, chemistry has remained at the centre of his career: over the years, he has held marketing and sales positions of increasing responsibility in various business sectors (plastics and inorganics), moving up to more strategic and managerial roles within BASF, including president of the Monomers Division and, most recently, head of the Group Global Purchasing Division at the Ludwigshafen headquarters.
 

RadiciGroup announced the appointment of Stefano Pigozzi to the Board of Directors of Radici Partecipazioni SpA, the parent company overseeing all the Group's business activities in the chemicals, engineering polymers and advanced textile solutions sectors.
 
A professional with proven experience in the chemical industry, Mr. Pigozzi will complement the Board with his strategic vision acquired in international organizations.
 
Stefano Pigozzi graduated from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in Business Administration and started his work experience in the finance division of BASF in the late 1980s. Since then, chemistry has remained at the centre of his career: over the years, he has held marketing and sales positions of increasing responsibility in various business sectors (plastics and inorganics), moving up to more strategic and managerial roles within BASF, including president of the Monomers Division and, most recently, head of the Group Global Purchasing Division at the Ludwigshafen headquarters.
 
During his more than 30-year career at BASF, Mr. Pigozzi has consistently demonstrated his leadership capability, his financial analysis skills and his dedication to corporate business success. He has also contributed significantly to the positioning of BASF as a global leader in the chemical industry.
 
Mr. Pigozzi’s appointment to the Board of Directors of Radici Partecipazioni is aimed at strengthening RadiciGroup's presence in the market and helping to guide the company towards new goals.

 

Source:

RadiciGroup

03.11.2023

Solvay announces Board of Directors for standalone SYENSQO

Solvay announced the future Board of Directors of SYENSQO, effective upon completion of the planned separation of Solvay into two companies – SOLVAY and SYENSQO – which is on track to be completed in December 2023.

SYENSQO’s Board will be composed of 10 members, including 6 independent members, 3 members representing the reference shareholder, Solvac, and the company CEO. They have deep expertise in specialty industries, international business operations, risk management, corporate governance, finance and clean technology.

Solvay announced the future Board of Directors of SYENSQO, effective upon completion of the planned separation of Solvay into two companies – SOLVAY and SYENSQO – which is on track to be completed in December 2023.

SYENSQO’s Board will be composed of 10 members, including 6 independent members, 3 members representing the reference shareholder, Solvac, and the company CEO. They have deep expertise in specialty industries, international business operations, risk management, corporate governance, finance and clean technology.

The following individuals will serve on the SYENSQO Board of Directors:
Rosemary Thorne will serve as independent Director and Chair of the SYENSQO Board, as well as Chair of the Board’s Finance Committee. She is currently an Independent Director on the Solvay Board of Directors, appointed in 2014, and Chair of the Board’s Audit Committee. She is also an Independent Director on the Board of Merrill Lynch International (UK), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America, serving as Chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Thorne has decades of financial leadership experience across a wide range of industries. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer at J. Sainsbury, the UK’s largest supermarket chain at the time; Bradford & Bingley; and Ladbrokes. Ms. Thorne previously sat as an Independent Director on the Boards of Royal Mail Group, Cadbury Schweppes, Santander UK, First Global Trust Bank and Smurfit Kappa Group.

Dr. Ilham Kadri will serve as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of SYENSQO. She is currently CEO and President of the Executive Committee at Solvay. Ms. Kadri has successfully led the turnaround of Solvay, delivering double-digit EBITDA growth and 18 consecutive quarters of positive free cash flow, deleveraging the balance sheet and promoting superior people engagement. She is an independent Board member at A.O. Smith and L’Oréal. She is active in non-profit organizations, as Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), member of the steering committee of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) as well as a permanent member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (WEF). Ms. Kadri has extensive leadership experience across a variety of industries in four continents and with leading industrial multinationals, including Shell, UCB, Huntsman, Dow, Sealed Air. Prior to Solvay, she was CEO and President of Diversey in the USA, led the company’s return to profitability and resulting spin off and divestiture to Bain Capital. She founded two non-Profit foundations: the Solvay Solidarity Fund in Belgium in 2020 which supported more than 7000 families affected by Covid-19 and natural disasters; and founded the ISSA Hygieia Network in 2015 in the USA, to help women in the cleaning industry. She received two Doctor Honoris Clausa from EWHA University in Korea and Université de Namur in Belgium.

Julian Waldron will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. He currently serves as Deputy Executive Chairman of privately-held Albea Group, a global beauty and personal care packaging company which operates 35 facilities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Mr. Waldron has held senior leadership roles at several leading listed companies in the industrial, technology and services sectors and brings a wealth of expertise in finance and business operations. Prior to joining Albea in 2022, he was Chief Financial Officer of Suez for three years after serving as Chief Financial Officer and subsequently Chief Operating Officer of Technip. He started his career at UBS Warburg where he spent 14 years. Mr. Waldron also served as an independent Board member and Chairman of finance, risk and investments at Carbon Clean, a privately-owned carbon capture company dedicated to achieving net zero.

Heike Van de Kerkhof will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Nomination Committee. She currently sits on the Board of OCI N.V.. Ms. Van de Kerkhof brings more than 30 years of experience in the chemicals, oil & gas and materials industries, having served in numerous leadership roles around the globe. From 2020 to 2023, she was Chief Executive Officer of Archroma Management, a global specialty chemicals company. During her tenure, she successfully completed the transformational acquisition of Huntsman’s Textile Effects business. Prior to her role at Archroma, Ms. Van de Kerkhof served as Vice President of Lubricants, Western Hemisphere at BP, and held positions at Castrol, The Chemours Company, and Neste Corporation. She also held many leading roles within DuPont over 18 years.

Matti Lievonen will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Compensation Committee. He is currently an independent director on the Solvay Board, appointed in 2017. Mr. Lievonen is a proven executive in the energy, forestry, power and automation industries with an extensive track record of leading businesses through climate transition. For over ten years until 2018, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Neste Corporation, a global leader in next-generation renewable fuels and chemicals. During his time at Neste, Mr. Lievonen successfully promoted the development of clean fuels as well as Finland’s bioeconomy strategy in advancing renewable transportation fuels. He has also been involved with organizations such as Fortum Board, SSAB, Nynäs AB, Ilmarinen, and the HE Finnish Fair Foundation. Until 2021, Mr. Lievonen was also Chairman of the Board of Directors at Fortum. He has been recognized for his admirable leadership and expertise, and in 2016 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology by the Aalto University Schools of Technology.

Dr. Françoise de Viron will serve as non-independent Director, Chair of the ESG Committee and Vice-Chair of the Board. She is currently a director of the Solvay Board, appointed in 2013. Ms. de Viron is a regarded academic leader and has extensive experience in innovation, R&D and qualitative research. She is a Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences and Louvain School of Management at UCLouvain in Belgium where she has been an Academic Member of various groups at UCLouvain. Ms. de Viron previously served as the president of AISBL EUCEN – the European Universities Continuing Education Network. Prior to her university position, from 1985 to 2000, she was in charge of developing Artificial Intelligence applications at Tractebel S.A. (now Tractebel-Engie).

Roeland Baan will serve as independent Director. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Topsoe, a privately-held leading provider of clean energy and petrochemical technologies. He is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SBM Offshore NV. Roeland Baan has extensive experience in supply chain management, M&A, business development and operations management. Prior to joining Topsoe in 2020, he was President and CEO of Outokumpu and has held several executive roles at global organizations such as Aleris International, ArcelorMittal and SHV NV. He spent over 16 years in various roles across the globe at Shell, living in South America, in Africa and in the United Kingdom.

Edouard Janssen will serve as non-independent Director. He is currently a Director on the Solvay Board, appointed in 2021. Earlier this year, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of D’Ieteren Group, a European leader in automotive distribution services. Mr. Janssen is also a Board member of privately-held Financière de Tubize and Union Financière Boël, as well as Co-Founder and Chair of Trusted Family. Mr. Janssen is active in academics, as Vice-Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management and on the advisory board of the INSEAD HGIBS. He brings expertise in finance, strategy, entrepreneurship, business management, planning and marketing. He has served as Solvay’s Vice President in strategy and M&A between 2019 and 2021, and prior to that, he was the US-based General Manager for North- and Latin America at Solvay’s Aroma Performance Global Business Unit.
 
Dr. Mary Meaney will serve as non-independent Director. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors and of the Audit Committee of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA. She also sits on the Board of Directors and the Remuneration Committee of Beamery, the privately-held talent management company. She is a member of the Board of Directors and of the Finance Committee of Imperial College, London.Dr. Meaney will bring expertise in Strategy, M&A, and change management, which she acquired over a 24-year career at McKinsey. She was a Senior Partner, served on the McKinsey Shareholders Council and led McKinsey’s global Organization practice.

Nadine Leslie will serve as independent Director and is based in the United States of America. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Provident Financial Services , as well as a Non-Executive Director of Seven Seas Water Corporation, a water and wastewater treatment multinational company. She also sits on the Board of Trustees of Hackensack Meridian Health Network and is active as strategic consultant for civil engineering firm T&M Associates. Over a 22-year career at Suez, Ms. Leslie held several leadership positions, the last one being Chief Executive Officer of Suez North America, until 2022. Previously she served as Executive Vice President Health & Safety.

More information:
Solvay Board of Directors
Source:

Solvay

(c) INDA
10.05.2023

Four Nonwoven Industry Professionals honored with INDA Lifetime Awards

NDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced four recipients for the Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards. Jan O’Regan, Seshadri Ramkumar, Jim Robinson, and Ed Thomas are being recognized for their key contributions to the growth of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

NDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced four recipients for the Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Awards. Jan O’Regan, Seshadri Ramkumar, Jim Robinson, and Ed Thomas are being recognized for their key contributions to the growth of the nonwovens industry and INDA.

Jan O’Regan: INDA Lifetime Service Award
Jan O’Regan was the Director, Strategic Initiatives and Nonwovens Marketing, for Cotton Incorporated and retired in 2022. In this capacity, she uncovered new opportunities for cotton to bring value into the nonwovens industry. Her work included leading efforts in strategic planning, technical and market project management, and sharing new ideas and results with the global supply chain.
O’Regan spent over four decades in the nonwovens industry in various roles, including sales, marketing, strategic planning and business management. Market responsibilities included consumer and industrial markets on regional, national, and global teams. Over the most recent years, she applied these broad experiences to new markets for cotton in nontraditional applications.
Serving and volunteering with INDA for decades, O’Regan most recently chaired the World of Wipes® committee, which she efficiently organized to produce innovative conferences for the wipes industry.  She was a frequent speaker at INDA, INSIGHT, EDANA, and other events, and for nearly two decades was a go to source of information for cotton fibers in nonwovens and hygiene. O’Regan earned a BS in Textiles and Business, summa cum laude, from Penn State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Seshadri Ramkumar: INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award
Seshadri Ramkumar has over twenty-five years of experience within the technical nonwovens space, conducting industry leading research and educating nonwovens professionals at Texas Tech University (TTU).  At TTU, he established the Nonwovens Laboratory. Many of Ramkumar’s students have gone on to become technical leaders within their organizations and the nonwovens industry.
Ramkumar has numerous patent and invention disclosures, including Fibertect® toxic chemical decontamination wipes which have been recognized by the American Chemical Society as a notable success of federally supported innovation, endorsed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and adopted by multiple branches of the military.
In addition to many peer-reviewed publications, articles, and columns collectively over 500, including one on nanofibers that has been cited over 2,100 times, Ramkumar has contributed his expertise on the editorial boards of multiple fiber, nonwoven, and textile journals. Ramkumar has also organized conferences for nonwovens and textiles and actively promoted INDA and its technical training offerings for over 20 years.
He is a longtime member of the INDA Technical Advisory Board, been recognized by TAPPI, Society of Dyers and Colorists (UK), the Textile Institute (UK), and the Textile Association (INDIA), and received numerous awards from TTU.
Ramkumar holds a Bachelors of Technology (Textiles), Graduated with Distinction, and a Masters of Technology (Textiles), University First Rank in the Discipline, Anna University, and a Ph.D. (Textile Materials) from the University of Leeds, UK.

Jim Robinson: INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award
Jim Robinson has 33 years in the absorbent hygiene industry, including 28 years as a Technical Service Manager at BASF. He led technical teams that focused on the application of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in hygiene products. Robinson has extensive knowledge of SAP applications, absorbent core formation, and hygiene article design, performance and testing. While with BASF, Robinson led efforts with multiple external companies to provide co-supplier solutions to hygiene converters.
Robinson’s extensive understanding of test methods and test method development led to his coordinating the establishment of fitness for use standards of adult incontinent products with the National Association for Continence and involvement in development and review of absorbent product test methods with INDA/EDANA. He is also an active contributor to INDA’s Technical Advisory Board and Hygienix organizing committee and was a contributing developer in establishing the INDA Absorbent Hygiene Training Course. Robinson has provided numerous presentations at INSIGHT, Hygienix, and RISE on performance and interactions of absorbent system components.
Recently, Robinson has been consulting and contributing to the success of multiple start-ups including those having been nominated for INDA product awards. Robinson has a BS in Chemistry from Hampden-Sydney College and an MS in Chemistry from Duke University.

Ed Thomas: INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award
Ed Thomas retired after 39 years, with 32 years in the nonwovens industry, and has remained active teaching the Intermediate Nonwovens Training Course for INDA and The Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, as well as providing consulting services to the industry.
Thomas’ experience includes Process Engineering Manager and Plant Management, DuPont; Technical Director, Reemay; VP of Research and Operations, VP of Operations and Technology, and Global VP of Research and Development for Fiberweb/BBA Nonwovens; and Head of Research and Product Development, First Quality Nonwovens.
Thomas holds 10 U.S. nonwoven patents and he and his teams have been awarded more than 250 patents for numerous and diverse innovations that have played significant roles in the success of the nonwovens industry. These include applications for the global hygiene market, industrial nonwovens, and filtration media.
During his career, Thomas has presented several keynote addresses and papers to industry conferences, participated in North Carolina State University’s Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center (NCRC) prior to it becoming The Nonwovens Institute (NWI), INDA’s Technical Advisory Board, INDA’s Sustainability Committee, and was Vice Chair of NWI’s Industrial Advisory Board prior to retirement and remains an Emeritus member.
Thomas received his mechanical engineering degree from SUNY Buffalo.

(c) Michael Kretzschmar
Awards Honorary Doctorate to Professor Dr. Paul Kiekens by Professor Dr. Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of the TU Dresden
12.04.2023

TU Dresden awards Honorary Doctorate to Professor Paul Kiekens

In recognition of his extraordinary engineering achievements in the fields of textile mechanical engineering, textile technology as well as textile chemistry and surface modification of textile semi-finished products, Prof. Paul Kiekens was awarded the title of Doctor honoris causa (Dr.-Ing. h.c.) on April 5, 2023.
 
Prof. Kiekens was a university professor at Ghent University, Belgium, for almost 35 years and thus responsible for textile-oriented education and research. Intensive interaction with European business and science was always particularly important to him.
 

In recognition of his extraordinary engineering achievements in the fields of textile mechanical engineering, textile technology as well as textile chemistry and surface modification of textile semi-finished products, Prof. Paul Kiekens was awarded the title of Doctor honoris causa (Dr.-Ing. h.c.) on April 5, 2023.
 
Prof. Kiekens was a university professor at Ghent University, Belgium, for almost 35 years and thus responsible for textile-oriented education and research. Intensive interaction with European business and science was always particularly important to him.
 
Immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall, he opened the way for international cooperation in teaching and research in the field of textile mechanical engineering, textile technologies, and textile chemistry for the only Eastern European university research institution with a textile orientation, the ITM (formerly ITB) at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of TU Dresden, and provided great and uncomplicated support. A close, lasting and intensive relationship developed, which had a trend-setting influence on the scientific career of Professor Paul Kiekens. This was reflected above all in the expert advice given for major projects.
 
These include, for example, the funded junior research group "Holistic approach to the development and modelling of a new generation of multiaxial fabrics for fibre composites to strengthen Saxon, French and Flemish industry in the high-performance sector" (SAXOMAX) and jointly acquiring the EU project "Large scale manufacturing technology for high performance lightweight 3D multifunctional composites" (3D-LightTrans). Especially in these large-scale projects, intensive cooperation with industrial partners was essential for success.
 
As early as the 1990s, Professor Paul Kiekens had the vision of creating a European network for universities in textile teaching and research. In 1994, the Association of Universities for Textiles (AUTEX) was founded with the aim of establishing teaching and research in the field of textile technology at an internationally respected level through joint concepts. Due to the prevailing cooperation at that time between Professor Dr. Paul Kiekens and Professor Dr. Peter Offermann, the TU Dresden, represented by the ITM (formerly ITB), has been a full member and decisively integrated in the network since its foundation on July 1, 1994. Thus Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Paul Kiekens has significantly promoted the international cooperation of the TU Dresden, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with international university textile research institutions.
 
Professor Paul Kiekens was executive coordinator of AUTEX until his retirement. The internationally renowned symposium takes place annually as a part of AUTEX.

Source:

Technische Universität Dresden - Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology

(c) Carbios
15.02.2023

Carbios: Four new Board members to strengthen international expertise

  • Carbios strengthens its Board of Directors with the appointments of Prof. Karine AUCLAIR, Sandrine CONSEILLER, Amandine DE SOUZA and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES
  • Carbios has reached its CSR objective of 60% independent directors ahead of 2024 target date, and has increased its female representation

Carbios‘four new members to its Board of Directors:  Prof. Karine AUCLAIR, professor of Chemistry at McGill University, Sandrine CONSEILLER, former CEO of Aigle, Amandine DE SOUZA, General Manager of LE BHV MARAIS, Eataly and Home, DIY and Leisure Purchasing at Galeries Lafayette Group, and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES, Global Director for Energy Transition and Investments at Raizen, have all been appointed members of Carbios’ Board of Directors.  In the new structure, Prof. Karine AUCLAIR succeeds Jacqueline LECOURTIER, Sandrine CONSEILLER succeeds Jean FALGOUX, Amandine DE SOUZA succeeds Alain CHEVALLIER, and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES succeeds Jean-Claude LUMARET.

  • Carbios strengthens its Board of Directors with the appointments of Prof. Karine AUCLAIR, Sandrine CONSEILLER, Amandine DE SOUZA and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES
  • Carbios has reached its CSR objective of 60% independent directors ahead of 2024 target date, and has increased its female representation

Carbios‘four new members to its Board of Directors:  Prof. Karine AUCLAIR, professor of Chemistry at McGill University, Sandrine CONSEILLER, former CEO of Aigle, Amandine DE SOUZA, General Manager of LE BHV MARAIS, Eataly and Home, DIY and Leisure Purchasing at Galeries Lafayette Group, and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES, Global Director for Energy Transition and Investments at Raizen, have all been appointed members of Carbios’ Board of Directors.  In the new structure, Prof. Karine AUCLAIR succeeds Jacqueline LECOURTIER, Sandrine CONSEILLER succeeds Jean FALGOUX, Amandine DE SOUZA succeeds Alain CHEVALLIER, and Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES succeeds Jean-Claude LUMARET.

Three of the new members have strong, proven expertise in various industries covering fashion, retail and energy, as well as business development and senior executive management in high-growth markets and sectors around the world.  The new scientific expertise will also help enhance and advance Carbios’ research into biological solutions for the life cycle of plastics and textiles.  In addition, a sensitivity to CSR issues and proven results in this field was also a key selection factor to join the Board.  The new members’ combined strategic vision, solid industry experience and CSR commitments will support Carbios in its industrial and commercial plans.
 
Prof. Karine AUCLAIR is Professor of Chemistry at McGill University and holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobials and Green Enzymes.  She has received numerous awards over the years, including the Clara Benson Award of the Canadian Society of Chemistry, the McGill Tomlinson Professorship, the Leo Yaffe Teaching Award, and the McGill Fessenden Professorship, to name a few. She is an internationally recognized bioorganic chemist with significant scientific contributions to the fields of antimicrobial resistance, biocatalysis and enzymology. Her research led to several patents notably in the clean enzymatic depolymerization of untreated, high crystallinity PET plastics for closed-loop recycling.  Her work has been published in nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, and often highlighted by the media.  As a recognized leader in her field, she is often invited to speak at industrial and academic conferences around the world, and to review theses and grant applications for worldwide institutions.
 
Sandrine CONSEILLER is former Chief Executive Officer of Aigle (the emblematic French brand committed to sustainable fashion).  Prior to joining Aigle, Sandrine was Group Marketing & Branding Executive Vice-President at Lacoste (another historic French fashion brand) from 2011 to 2015.  She contributed to the Lacoste maison turnaround with strong growth and numerous professional awards including several Cannes Lions Awards.  She was also Member of the Executive Board.  Sandrine began her career at Unilever and spent 20 years leading global businesses within various divisions, mainly in Personal Care, in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.  Sandrine is also Member of the Board of Phildar (the iconic French knitwear brand), Member of the Board of Raise Sherpa (the first philantropic endowment fund dedicated to start-ups) and is a funding partner of NEO FOUNDERS (a venture fund mentoring impact start-ups).
 
Amandine DE SOUZA is General Manager of LE BHV MARAIS (French retail, decoration and fashion department stores), Eataly (an Italian gastronomy concept franchise) and Home, DIY and Leisure Purchasing at Galeries Lafayette Group since 2018.  She has been a Member of its Executive Committee since 2020.  Amandine has 17 years’ experience in different types of companies of various sizes: from family business, to start-up,  and multinational.  She was General Manager for France at Westwing (an e-commerce start-up) from 2015 to 2018.  From 2009 to 2015, she was International Merchandise Director at Casino Group (food and non-food retail distribution).  Prior to this, she worked as a strategic consultant at Bain & Company within their Distribution and Consumer Goods Division in France and internationally.
 
Mateus SCHREINER GARCEZ LOPES is Global Director for Energy Transition and Investments at Raizen (global leader in bioenergy from Brazil), leading technology, new business development and intellectual property at the company.  He was previously Global Manager for Innovation and Business Development in Renewable Chemicals at Braskem (the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the world’s largest producer of biopolymers).  Before his transition to the corporate world, Mateus held several researcher and lecturer positions on Synthetic Biology and metabolic Engineering at Universities in Mexico, Germany, United States and Brazil.  He is also a Board Member of Iogen Energy Corporation, Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Brazilian Association of Bio Innovation, and Advisory Committee Member from the MIT Energy Initiative.

More information:
Carbios
Source:

Carbios

© ITM/TU Dresden
Woven hemisphere for usage in radome antennaes
15.12.2022

AVK Innovation Award 2022 to young engineers from ITM at TU Dresden

  • Award for near-net-shape 3D meshes for use in fibre-reinforced plastics

As part of the JEC FORUM DACH 2022, the AVK Innovation Awards were presented in Augsburg on November 29th. The innovation price in the category "Research/Science" (first place) was awarded to the team of scientists Dipl.-Ing. Dominik Nuss, Dr.-Ing. Cornelia Sennewald and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Chokri Cherif.

With the development of the pull-off-free Jacquard weaving technology including the technological know-how in the field of highly complex 2D and 3D fabric geometries, which has been established at the ITM of the TU Dresden for many years, Dominik Nuss has succeeded in including different yarn lengths locally into the fabric structure solely through targeted variation of the fabric weave. There-fore, it is now possible to produce completely new types of fabrics without additional draping, especially spherically curved fabrics, but also large-format spiral or even curved fabrics. The fact that the required near-net-shape geometry of the component to be reinforced can be reproduced with significantly reduced preforming steps is to be emphasized.

  • Award for near-net-shape 3D meshes for use in fibre-reinforced plastics

As part of the JEC FORUM DACH 2022, the AVK Innovation Awards were presented in Augsburg on November 29th. The innovation price in the category "Research/Science" (first place) was awarded to the team of scientists Dipl.-Ing. Dominik Nuss, Dr.-Ing. Cornelia Sennewald and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Chokri Cherif.

With the development of the pull-off-free Jacquard weaving technology including the technological know-how in the field of highly complex 2D and 3D fabric geometries, which has been established at the ITM of the TU Dresden for many years, Dominik Nuss has succeeded in including different yarn lengths locally into the fabric structure solely through targeted variation of the fabric weave. There-fore, it is now possible to produce completely new types of fabrics without additional draping, especially spherically curved fabrics, but also large-format spiral or even curved fabrics. The fact that the required near-net-shape geometry of the component to be reinforced can be reproduced with significantly reduced preforming steps is to be emphasized.

Continuous simulation aided engineering from CAD design to integrally woven 2D and 3D preforms by means of highly complex weave development for spatial constructions is a unique at the ITM, which was indispensable for the development of these promising woven high-tech structures. This technology is completely new and has never been carried out in this way before. The fabric structures are characterised by a high innovation level due to their geometric diversity and purposes. It can be used in numerous applications and further more contributes to the development of completely new fields of application. The technology can be implemented on all Jacquard weaving machines with only an additional device and the preform geometry is only determined by the control of the Jacquard machine. The preform geometry can be used in the full working width of the weaving machine.

Professor Chokri Cherif, Institute Director of the ITM, and his team are very pleased about these continuous research success in the constantly growing research field of 3D weaving technology, which are achieved at the ITM in close cooperation with industry and users. "This award is a special honour for our institute and confirms that the many years of our excellent research in the field of near-net-shape 3D weaving for the fibre-reinforced plastics sector plays a significant role and that we are making a significant contribution to the sustainable and resource-efficient production of lightweight structures with our development".

Source:

ITM/TU Dresden

Photo VDMA
12.12.2022

Young Talent Award for AI supported production control of carbon fibres

  • Formula 1 cars will be cheaper in future

Carbon is the stuff Formula 1 cars are made of, at least the bodywork. But until now, carbon has been expensive. It can be produced more cheaply and efficiently if artificial intelligence monitors the production processes. A camera system combined with artificial intelligence automatically detects defects in the production of carbon fibres. This makes expensive manual inspection of the carbon fibres obsolete and the production price of the carbon fibre can be reduced in the long term.

For this idea, the young engineer Deniz Sinan Yesilyurt received the second prize of the "Digitalisation in Mechanical Engineering" Young Talent Award on 6 December.

  • Formula 1 cars will be cheaper in future

Carbon is the stuff Formula 1 cars are made of, at least the bodywork. But until now, carbon has been expensive. It can be produced more cheaply and efficiently if artificial intelligence monitors the production processes. A camera system combined with artificial intelligence automatically detects defects in the production of carbon fibres. This makes expensive manual inspection of the carbon fibres obsolete and the production price of the carbon fibre can be reduced in the long term.

For this idea, the young engineer Deniz Sinan Yesilyurt received the second prize of the "Digitalisation in Mechanical Engineering" Young Talent Award on 6 December.

Carbon fibres are sought after because of their good properties. They are very light - they weigh up to 50 percent less than aluminium. The combination of low weight and good mechanical properties offers many advantages. Especially in times of the energy transition, lightweight materials like carbon are more relevant than ever before. At the same time, carbon fibres are as resistant to external stresses as metals. However, achieving these good properties of carbon fibres is very complex.


Up to 300 individual fibre strands - bundles of individual fibres - have to be monitored simultaneously during production. If carbon fibres tear, it costs time and money to sort out the damaged fibres. This is just one example of various defects that can occur in the fibres during production.


Therefore, Deniz Sinan Yesilyurt attached a camera to the carbon fibre line that takes pictures of various fibre defects during production and collects them in a database. The artificial intelligence in the camera's information technology system evaluates the fibre defects by assigning the images to predefined reference defects. In doing so, it recognises various fibre defects with a classification accuracy of 99 per cent. The process can also be used in other areas that produce chemical fibres.

Deniz Sinan Yesilyurt received the prize from the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is a Bachelor's graduate at the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University. The full title of his bachelor's thesis is: "Development of a Kl-supported process monitoring using machine learning to detect fibre damage in the stabilisation process". The VDMA awarded the prize to a total of four theses from different universities. The prize is awarded for outstanding theses and was offered in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Source:

ITA – Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen Universit

Matt O’Sickey Photo: INDA
Matt O’Sickey
12.09.2022

Matt O’Sickey INDA’s New Director of Education & Technical Affairs

  • Experienced nonwovens professional with extensive hygiene, food, medical, and packaging background will strengthen INDA’s key member service areas

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the appointment of Matt O’Sickey, Ph.D., as its new Director of Education & Technical Affairs. An accomplished market development, technology and product management executive, O’Sickey has more than 20 years of experience with Tredegar Film Products in the absorbent hygiene, food, and medical sectors.

Most recently, he held Director positions at RKW-North America in the areas of research and development, product design, application engineering, site operations, quality, and technology with a focus on breathable, and lamination films for controlled atmosphere packaging.

At INDA, O’Sickey will direct and expand workforce development programs for all industry members, manage the international harmonized standards activities, and play a leadership role in INDA’s product stewardship working groups and conference content development committees.  

  • Experienced nonwovens professional with extensive hygiene, food, medical, and packaging background will strengthen INDA’s key member service areas

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the appointment of Matt O’Sickey, Ph.D., as its new Director of Education & Technical Affairs. An accomplished market development, technology and product management executive, O’Sickey has more than 20 years of experience with Tredegar Film Products in the absorbent hygiene, food, and medical sectors.

Most recently, he held Director positions at RKW-North America in the areas of research and development, product design, application engineering, site operations, quality, and technology with a focus on breathable, and lamination films for controlled atmosphere packaging.

At INDA, O’Sickey will direct and expand workforce development programs for all industry members, manage the international harmonized standards activities, and play a leadership role in INDA’s product stewardship working groups and conference content development committees.  

O’Sickey has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Engineering Administration, both from Virginia Tech as well as a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. He holds three U.S. patents. He will operate out of INDA’s offices in Cary, NC.

O’Sickey succeeds Chris Plotz who left INDA to pursue other interests. 

More information:
INDA nonwovens Matt O’Sickey
Source:

INDA

Photo: Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik
08.09.2022

Ulrich Reifenhäuser receives the Georg Menges Award

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhäuser Group, was awarded the prestigious Georg Menges Prize 2022 at the 31st International Colloquium on Plastics Technology in Aachen from September 7-8, 2022. The prize recognizes individuals or groups who have rendered outstanding services to the transfer of research results into industrial practice. The sponsors of the award are the Plastics and Rubber section of Germany's Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), together with PlasticsEurope Deutschland and the Association of Sponsors of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Craft at RWTH University. The award is traditionally presented every two years during the colloquium organized by the IKV. Ulrich Reifenhäuser is the first businessman to receive the Georg Menges Award.

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhäuser Group, was awarded the prestigious Georg Menges Prize 2022 at the 31st International Colloquium on Plastics Technology in Aachen from September 7-8, 2022. The prize recognizes individuals or groups who have rendered outstanding services to the transfer of research results into industrial practice. The sponsors of the award are the Plastics and Rubber section of Germany's Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), together with PlasticsEurope Deutschland and the Association of Sponsors of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Craft at RWTH University. The award is traditionally presented every two years during the colloquium organized by the IKV. Ulrich Reifenhäuser is the first businessman to receive the Georg Menges Award.

The award was presented by Professor Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann, Director of the IKV and Dr.-Ing. Herbert Müller, Chairman of the Board of the IKV Sponsors' Association. In his laudatory speech, Professor Hopmann highlighted Ulrich Reifenhäuser's great and successful commitment to the industry and his tireless search for optimal solutions that are sustainable in the best sense of the word, and praised him as a personality of integrity and integration. "The Georg Menges Prize is awarded for the consistent implementation of research and innovation in industry. The previously described achievements of our prizewinner would certainly have been enough to receive the award but, for the sponsors of the Prize, what was especially important and the key argument for their decision was Ulrich Reifenhäuser’s honorary dedication to the K tradefair," explained Professor Hopmann.

Ulrich Reifenhäuser has been a member of the Reifenhäuser Group management since 1992 and is responsible for international line sales. Together with his brother Bernd Reifenhäuser, he manages the company in the third generation. Ulrich Reifenhäuser has been a board member of the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association for more than 25 years and has been its chairman since 2010. In 2020, he was inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame, as was the award's namesake, and in 2022 he will be co-chairing the world's leading plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf for the seventh time in a row as "President of K show."

Source:

Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik