From the Sector

Monforts textile technologist Jonas Beisel will outline the benefits of the company’s Econtrol® continuous dyeing process during the next free-to-attend VDMA Textile Machinery Webtalk which takes place on February 3rd 2022 at 13.00 (CET).

“Our customers are increasingly looking at shorter production runs and the more economical use of dyestuffs, as well as reducing water and energy consumption,” says Beisel. “We have gained many years of experience in the optimisation of dyeing processes through working with our customers, both at their own plants and in our Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

“Our Thermex universal hotflue for continuous dyeing, curing and thermosoling achieves unrivalled reliability even at high fabric speeds, for exceptional cost-effectiveness when dyeing both large and small batches of woven fabrics. The Econtrol® process for reactive dyestuffs now has an impressive number of references on the market, as a quick and economical one-pass pad-dry and wash off process. This is the ideal process for fast change technology and operational savings.”

Among key benefits are the saving of resources compared to conventional continuous dyeing methods, excellent reproducibility of pale to dark shades, from lab to bulk, and greater flexibility in production planning due to a resulting dry fabric that does not need an immediate wash off.

Econtrol® is a registered trademark of DyStar® Colours Distribution GmbH, Germany, and Bertram Seuthe of DyStar® will be providing recommendations for dyes and auxiliaries for the process during the VDMA event.

A third speaker, Guido Seiler of Fong’s Europe, will explain how Goller washing ranges help to significantly reduce the water that is conventionally wasted in the washing off process, through a combination of process and chemistry know-how and advanced technologies.

The Chairman of the Walter Reiners-Stiftung foundation of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, Peter D. Dornier has awarded prizes to three successful young engineers. The award-winning works provide practical solutions on the topic of circular economy. For example, the recycling of carbon fibres, which are used to produce lightweight components for the automotive industry. Or the environmentally friendly production of yarns from crab shells. Another topic was medical applications: The processing of ultra-fine yarns into stents for aortic repair. The award ceremony took place online on 9 November as part of the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference.  

With a creativity prize, endowed with 3,000 euros, the foundation honoured the diploma thesis of Irina Kuznik, TU Dresden. She used a creative approach to realise solutions for processing chitosan into fibre yarn.

Mr Kai-Chieh Kuo was awarded the diploma/master's thesis promotion prize of 3,500 euros. With his master's thesis, which was written at RWTH Aachen University, Mr Kuo contributes to the production of vital components used in medicine. The stents made of ultra-fine yarns are made possible by an innovative modification of the classic tube weaving process.

The Walter Reiners Foundation rewarded the doctoral thesis of Dr. Martin Hengstermann with the promotional prize in the dissertation category, endowed with 5,000 euros. The thesis deals with the production of recycled carbon fibres. These can be used to produce lightweight components for motor vehicle and aircraft construction or the wind energy sector.

New Prize Sustainability / Circular Economy
The environmental conditions of the textile industry and machine construction are changing. Topics such as climate protection and the circular economy are becoming central. From this perspective, the board of the Walter Reiners Foundation has decided to further develop the foundation's prize system.

In 2022, the foundation will for the first time offer a prize with a focus on design / sustainability. Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Foundation, explained: "Already in the design phase, one can set the parameters so that a textile product can be reintroduced after use into the economic cycle for a high-quality application. For example, through the appropriate use of materials and finishing. We are looking for solutions for resource-saving design, technology and manufacturing processes."   

It looks like a normal shirt, but it has it all: The new SmartTex shirt uses integrated sensors to transfer physiological data from astronauts to Earth via a wireless communication network. In this way, the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system will be evaluated and documented, especially with regard to long-term manned space missions. Developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in cooperation with DSI Aerospace Technology, the Medical Faculty of Bielefeld University and textile research partner Hohenstein, SmartTex will be tested for the first time as part of the Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2) project by German ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer, who will leave for his ‘Cosmic Kiss’ mission on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months on October 30, 2021.

"We were already able to gain valuable insights into the interaction of the body, clothing and climate under microgravity conditions during the previous projects Spacetex (2014) and Spacetex2 (2018)," explains Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert Dr. Jan Beringer. The insights provided at the time by the mission of ESA astronaut Dr. Alexander Gerst have now been directly incorporated into the development of the new SmartTex shirt at Hohenstein. "Matthias Maurer can wear his tailor-made shirt comfortably on his body during his everyday work on the International Space Station. For this, we used his body measurements as the basis for our cut development and the production of the shirt. We integrated the necessary sensors as well as data processing and communication modules into the shirt's cut in such a way that they interfere as little as possible and are always positioned in the right place, regardless of the wearing situation. This is the prerequisite for reliably measuring the relevant physiological data." The SmartTex shirt is intended to provide a continuous picture of the vital functions of astronauts. This will be particularly relevant for future long-term manned space missions to the Moon and Mars.

For example, during the BEAT experiment (Ballistocardiography for Extraterrestrial Applications and long-Term missions), Matthias Maurer will be the first astronaut to wear a T-shirt equipped with sensors that measure his ballistocardiographic data such as pulse and relative blood pressure. For this purpose, the sensors were calibrated in the :envihab research facility at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne. Details on the contraction rate and opening and closing times of the heart valves, which are normally only accessible via sonography or computer tomography, can also be read from the data material. The goal is to study the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system. To be able to analyse these effects realistically, Matthias Maurer's ballistocardiographic data will be recorded before, during and after his stay on the ISS. For the future, a technology transfer of the SmartTex shirt for application in the field of fitness or even in telemedicine is conceivable.

Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2)
The project was planned and prepared by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and its cooperation partners DSI Aerospace Technology, Hohenstein and the University of Bielefeld. The wireless communication network reads sensor data and can determine the position of people and objects in space by propagation times of radio pulses. It is also available as a platform for several experiments on the ISS. The determined data is temporarily stored within the network and read out at regular intervals by the astronauts. These data packets are then transferred to Earth via the ISS link and analysed by the research teams. It can generate its own energy from artificial light sources via solar cells.

ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer in summer 2021 during preliminary talks on the Cosmic Kiss mission in DLR's :envihab in Cologne. © DLR

Sensors measure physiological data during a test run on Earth. © DLR

With the "SmartTex" shirt, astronauts can wear the necessary sensors comfortably on their bodies. © DLR

Dr. Jan Beringer, Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert. © Hohenstein

• In 2021 Pedex GmbH in Affolterbach was nominated for the ‘Großen Preis des Mittelstandes’ (a business award for small and medium sized companies).

The ‘Großen Preis des Mittelstandes‘ award has been the single most popular business award in Germany since 1994. This award isn’t just about numbers, jobs or innovation but the business as a whole. Every November, the Oskar-Patzelt-foundation invites nominations of medium-sized companies for the competition from communities, associations, organisations and companies. The nomination can be for medium-sized companies from the industrial, commercial, service and trade sectors.

The businesses are evaluated according to 5 competition criteria:

• Overall development of the business
• Creation and safeguarding of jobs and apprenticeships
• Modernisation and innovation
• Involvement in the region
• Service and customer focus, marketing

The winner and the finalists are decided by twelve regional juries and a final jury. In each competition region there can be three prize winners selected from five finalists. The official announcement was made on 18th September 2021 at a Gala evening in Würzburg. Jakob Jonsson (CCO) received the prize on behalf of Pedex GmbH, a prize winner for Hesse. Pedex GmbH is looking forward to the announcement of the national winner which is taking place in Dresden on 30th October 2021.

• CEO Stefan Doboczky will not extend contract and will step down at end of third quarter 2021

The Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG, a world’s leading producer of wood-based cellulosic fibers, has come to a mutual agreement with its longstanding Chief Executive Officer Stefan Doboczky to end his contract. Doboczky has informed the Supervisory Board that he will not be available for another extension of his contract. With great regret the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG accepts his resignation and the parties mutually agreed to end the contract effective September 30, 2021.

“My sincere thanks go to Stefan Doboczky for his exceptional achievements at Lenzing. The design and implementation of the transformation of Lenzing AG into a global specialty fiber leader and the positioning of the company as a recognized sustainability champion have been major accomplishments of Stefan Doboczky over the last years”, said Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Peter Edelmann. “Thanks to his leadership, Lenzing AG finds itself today on a stable and profitable growth track with a clear commitment to become climate-neutral by 2050. And all of that in spite of the challenging environment of the COVID-19 pandemic”, said Edelmann.

Stefan Doboczky: “Developing and consistently implementing the Lenzing strategy has been the cornerstone of my work in recent years. After extensive consideration, I have decided that this is the right time for a personal change. The strategy is in place, the company is well on track – now is the ideal moment to pass on the baton. And one thing is certain: Lenzing will always have a very special place in my heart.”

Lenzing AG remains on track with its guidance for the full year 2021 as announced with the half-year results. Cord Prinzhorn has been appointed interim CEO. Prinzhorn is Member of the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG and will be available until a successor is found. The Supervisory Board will immediately start the search process.

Reorganization follows record quarter and additional investment as eCommerce continues to thrive

Fresh Relevance, the versatile personalization and decision engine, today announced the launch of a new customer department to support a growing customer base of more than 500 websites, including major brands in the UK, Nordics and US. The launch follows a record quarter and additional investment from Foresight Group to drive the company’s ambitious global growth strategy.

The new customer department brings together Fresh Relevance’s service, support, customer success and account management divisions located in Southampton (UK), London (UK) and Boston (US). The department is led by the newly appointed Vice President Customer, Huriyyah Dhanse.

Dhanse states: “Many organizations have experienced massive eCommerce growth during the pandemic. This has led to increased investment in omnichannel platforms such as Fresh Relevance, as companies look to sustain and gain market share by optimizing how they connect with, convert and retain customers.” Dhanse adds: “Our new customer department aligns the company’s expanding support, services, customer success and account management teams in the UK and US into a single entity, focused on helping brands achieve and exceed their commercial objectives. By bundling all customer-facing roles into one central department, we are able to provide an even more seamless customer experience and align all touchpoints in the customer lifecycle - from onboarding through to day-to-day support and strategic advice.”

Fresh Relevance boasts a 98% customer retention rate, and it is a statistic that company CEO and co-founder, Mike Austin, is proud of and committed to maintaining. “The success of Fresh Relevance is built on the quality and reliability of our platform, a clear vision for the future of online retail, but above all else the way we build long-term partnership with our customers”, states Austin.

These comments are endorsed by a 9.7 score for Quality of Support on G2, the world’s largest tech marketplace, which is accompanied by a raft of positive feedback from customers such as: “The best thing about Fresh hands down is the support, which comes from literally all avenues. The support team are quick, they really take time to explain things and help you to set anything up you need. Account management talk to you like you're the only person in the room, analyze everything you're doing in depth and help you to see what you're missing whether that be tools or strategy. Everybody goes the extra mile and follows up any open issues.”

Austin concludes: “As we scale up our global operations after a record quarter, it is vital that we keep the voice of the customer at the heart of everything we do. This is the primary aim of the new Fresh Relevance Customer Department.”

Laying the bases for a more sustainable world, adopting responsible strategies is no longer an option but an indispensable and compulsory structural revolution today and for the future to come. This topic is the subject of the Smart Voice "The Circular Stories of C.L.A.S.S.: the journey of Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei towards a smart, responsible and contemporary luxury" organised by C.L.A.S.S. eco hub that has taken place on Thursday 27th May at 4 pm CET. 4 unique and complimentary design realities has been sharing  the  Bemberg ™ choice as unique and precious fibre ingredient that gives rise to a performing design incorporating new generation values, for their unique paths of style and fashion to offer to the contemporary consumer.

Specialist and expert of innovative fibres, during the session Ettore Pellegrini, Marketing & Sales Manager-Marketing & Sales Manager Asahi Kasei Fibers Italia, illustrated the history of Bemberg™ starting from its origins to nowadays, reporting its various applications that have been then illustrated in their uniqueness by the speakers of the session.

Paolo Verdoia, Lining research and development raw materials at Ermenegildo Zegna, who has been involved in the development of accessory raw materials for the Ermenegildo Zegna Group for 14 years. During the digital meeting he talked about priority collaborations with responsible and high quality materials such as Bemberg™, the brand's approach to sustainability and future projects.

The session has also been attended by new generation designer Gilberto Calzolari winner of C.L.A.S.S. ICON 2020, who used Bemberg™ in his latest AW 2021-22 collection entitled "At this stage".

Camilla Carrara, founder and zero-waste designer Zerobarracento says "We select Bemberg™ for our creations for two fundamental reasons: firstly, from a stylistic point of view for its extreme versatility: in the various collections we have adopted it to create Kimonos, padded jackets, wrap dresses as well as for the interiors of our garments, which are intended to be soft embraces for total physical and mental comfort. The second but no less important reason is that this fibre has circular values in line with our zero-waste commitment."

“By choosing to work with Bemberg™, we have made an exclusive and sustainable choice in order to offer tailors, designers, brands and garment manufacturers who believe in and are committed to responsible but at the same time premium and exclusive fashion a new business opportunity" says Alessandro Ivaldi Director Business Unit of Carnet, a division of Ratti Group that produces and distributes worldwide fabrics for the creation of made-to-measure garments for men and women.

With the pollen season starting, new independent test results by the German external laboratory BMA-Labor have shown Purissimo’s™ effectiveness against pollen, making it an all-in-one solution for reducing allergens.

Devan’s allergen control technology, known as Purissimo™, has been found effective against allergens from pollen. The technology had already been proven to significantly reduce the amount of allergens from house dust mites and pets (cats & dogs).

“Allergens are small protein molecules, which can cause allergic reactions and asthma. All allergy sufferers are different when it comes to their sensitivity to allergens”, says Sofie Depluverez, PhD researcher at Devan. “However, few people are only allergic to a single allergen – and the effects of multiple allergens can add up. The key to reducing and even eliminating symptoms is to reduce your exposure to the allergens themselves.”

Allergy threshold
When people move into a house or bring in a new dog, the number of allergens starts to rise. In the beginning there are little to none, so the allergy threshold causing symptoms is far from being reached. Nobody is suffering any reaction at this stage.

“As time goes by, the various allergens start to build up inside the house, certainly when ventilation is limited”, Depluverez continues. “As the allergen concentration increases (especially in combination with seasonal allergens such as pollen), the allergy threshold may be reached if no allergen reduction measures are in place.”

Purissimo™
Purissimo™ is a natural allergen control technology that significantly reduces allergens from pet dander, dust mites and pollen in textiles throughout the home. The technology is based on encapsulated probiotics, which are naturally occurring microorganisms similar in kind to those you can find in probiotic yogurt, tempeh, kombucha.

Inactive probiotics (spores) are encapsulated and integrated onto the textiles. Friction opens the microcapsules and releases the spores. The spores absorb humidity and self-activate. They are transformed into probiotic bacteria that start to consume the allergens.

“As the probiotics consume the allergens, exposure is gradually reduced to below threshold levels”, Depluverez adds. “Therefore, individuals with respiratory allergies will be exposed to fewer ‘attacks’ and perceive a better well-being.”

• Looking to the future – Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself with a consistently sustainable agenda and propelling the transformation of a modern, resource-efficient fashion industry.

The Conscious Fashion Campaign (CFC), working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), will be the presenting partner and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a prerequisite for all exhibitors by 2023. And the Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit by CFC is set to become the leading international conference for sustainability in the fashion world. The future of fashion has begun – and its key players will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021.
 
Frankfurt am Main, 2 December 2020. Joining forces to improve the fashion industry: Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself as the host of the future of fashion and actively driving forward the transformation towards a future-oriented, more sustainable fashion and textile industry. All decision-makers looking to instigate this change will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021. The initiators of Frankfurt Fashion Week – Messe Frankfurt and the Premium Group – have achieved a real coup: Conscious Fashion Campaign, working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, will be the presenting partner. Messe Frankfurt will build on its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and establish Frankfurt Fashion week as the platform on which to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and help guide the fashion industry into the 'Decade of Action'.
 
“Frankfurt will play host to the whole world. We are seeing a very positive response indeed,” confirmed Peter Feldmann, Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, at today’s digital press conference, before going on to say: “The fact that the initiators are able to rethink the concept of a Fashion Week in such a way is extremely impressive and proves that the fashion industry is correctly interpreting the signs of the present and future. The time has come for value creation and values to be reconciled. Consistent alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals is an important step in this direction.”
 
“Frankfurt Fashion Week aims to play a crucial role in finding solutions for macrosocial challenges and supporting the goals of international politics such as the European Green Deal. The fashion and textile industries are also expected to be climate-neutral by 2050. If we want to achieve this, we all need to pull together. Frankfurt Fashion Week is inviting all initiators and supporters of sustainable concepts and congresses or shows dedicated to sustainability to meet in Frankfurt, partake in discussions and make tangible decisions for the greater good. We will connect the most relevant players and pave the way for a future-proof fashion and textile industry,” says Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
 
“Given its global reach, the fashion industry is uniquely positioned to collaborate and engage on the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular on climate action and responsible production and consumption,” said Annemarie Hou, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships. “Frankfurt Fashion Week and the Summit will serve as an important platform for education and engagement of the fashion and textile industry in the Decade of Action,” emphasised Ms Hou.
 
The aim of Frankfurt Fashion Week is for all exhibitors, participants and partners to align with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2023. The SDGs will also be incorporated into all formats of Frankfurt Fashion Week. This will help to make the UN’s sustainability goals visible and tangible for the Fashion Week audience, therefore bringing its claim, goals and specific proposals for implementation to an international opinion-forming fashion and lifestyle community. During a one-day Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit presented by Conscious Fashion Campaign, topics like gender equality, clean water, climate protection, social justice and their significance for a forward-looking fashion industry will be examined in greater depth. Another point on the sustainability agenda: Frankfurt Fashion Week is launching a Sustainability Award for outstanding, innovative, sustainable design, alongside other categories with a global appeal for the fashion and textile industry.
 
"We are committed to setting the wheels of transformation in motion. Not only does the overall mindset have to fundamentally change; the entire industry also needs to have the courage to be transparent and honest. It’s important to see values and value creation as opportunities rather than contentious. We are doing what we do best: connecting the relevant players at all levels. With its ecosystem, Frankfurt Fashion Week will become the enabler. We are creating a platform that will orchestrate industry-wide change. With this as our inspiration, we are also developing our tradeshow formats from a ‘marketplace of products’ to a ‘marketplace of purpose and ideas’,” explains Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.
 
A new start in Frankfurt: In summer 2021 the entire fashion industry will be coming to the metropolis on the Main river to inform themselves, be inspired, discuss, negotiate and celebrate. “There’s a huge need to finally meet in person again, to exchange ideas and be inspired. At the same time, digital tools and formats have become an integral part of the fashion industry,” says Markus Frank, Head of the City of Frankfurt’s Department of Economic Affairs and therefore also responsible for its creative industry. “To implement such a future-oriented, all-encompassing overall concept, Frankfurt’s business and creative scenes offer an almost unique concentration of different expertise with its internationally networked agencies, universities and museums. The city’s multifaceted, high-end club, bar and restaurant scene, diverse hotel industry and internationally renowned retail landscape will become the stage for this. This network will be a key factor in the successful implementation of Frankfurt Fashion Week and the way in which it will expand into the public space as a cultural and social happening.”
 
A number of major publishing houses are also showing their commitment to the new Fashion Week in Frankfurt with conferences, events and awards: Textilwirtschaft, the leading professional fashion journal by the Deutscher Fachverlag publishing house, is moving its traditional meeting of the industry’s top decision-makers – the TW Forum, the presentation of the renowned Forum Award, as well as its subsequent conference – from Heidelberg to Frankfurt’s Palmengarten botanical gardens, and will therefore be kicking off Frankfurt Fashion Week on Sunday evening and Monday morning. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung will be hosting its traditional fashion party for the first time in Frankfurt and publishing a special edition of its FAZ Magazin on Frankfurt Fashion Week. And the ZEIT publishing group is holding its ‘UNLOCK Style by ZEITmagazin’ conference, which was established in 2014, and the ZEITmagazin Fashion Week party in Frankfurt for the first time and will dedicate the whole new issue of ZEITmagazin Frankfurt to Frankfurt Fashion Week. Condé Nast will also be involved in next summer’s Frankfurt Fashion Week with an exclusive event by GQ. And the Burda publishing house will also be represented with various event formats from its lifestyle and fashion brands.There will also be talks with SHINE  Conventions, the organiser of GLOW, about what a mutual collaboration could look like.
 
Frankfurt Fashion Week is also delighted to have the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) on board.  The FCG is theinstitution when it comes to German fashion design. It promotes designers, is committed to gaining more political relevance and strengthens the international visibility and awareness of German fashion. At Frankfurt Fashion Week, the FCG will contribute selected formats, such as its already established Fireside Chat, and a future-oriented accelerator format to support German designers.
 
“What really impresses me about Fashion Week is the whole networking aspect: the creative industries will meet the financial world and sustainability is the common denominator. The Green Finance Cluster is another project that we could link with Frankfurt Fashion Week in the future. This will provide new inspiration in the fashion industry, which will certainly extend way beyond its own horizon of Frankfurt and Hesse. After a very difficult year for the trade fair industry, the concept is an encouraging breath of fresh air,” sums up Tarek Al-Wazir, Hesse’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development and Deputy Minister-President of the state of Hessen.

• Protective masks, everyday masks, disinfecting wipes and surgical gowns are goods in demand in times of corona.
• In their manufacture, textile machines are at the beginning of the production chain.

The production of the textile raw material is the first step of the usually multi-stage production processes. Members of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association are at the beginning of this technological chain.

The production of protective masks starts with the manufacture of the filter material, which for surgical masks as well as FFP2 and FFP3 respirator masks consists of fine-pored nonwoven fabric to intercept coronaviruses. In addition to the systems, machines and components used for this purpose, measurement and control technology ensures the highest quality of important parameters such as basis weight and air permeability. Nonwovens used for respiratory masks have to meet the same high-quality requirements as the masks – to ensure the protection of the mask wearer.

Members of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association have reacted to the new market requirements in a very short time and developed new technologies for knitted, warp knitted as well as woven mouth and nose masks that can be produced without the need for sewing. For surgical masks, FFP2 respirators and social distancing masks, a wide variety of other materials and combinations of materials are used (nonwovens, woven fabrics, knitted or warp knitted fabrics and laminates thereof). Elastic bands are required to wear the masks and several association members provide technologies for their production.

Materials for masks can be treated with textile chemicals to make them antiviral and antibacterial. For this purpose, the VDMA member companies offer application systems which apply the corresponding chemicals to fabric webs. As already mentioned, quality assurance is extremely important for medical products. For this purpose, member companies of the VDMA offer software systems with which each mask can be traced through the entire production process.

VDMA members also offer solutions for the assembly of respirator masks, some of which were developed at short notice. These solutions enable respirators to be produced that meet the relevant standards and the highest quality requirements of customers and market surveillance. This applies to systems for the production of surgical masks and FFP respirators. At the end of the production chain, machines are used to pack masks in single or multiple packs.

In pandemic times, the demand for protective gowns (so-called surgical gowns) also increases. The same applies to disinfecting wipes. For these textile products, too, VDMA members manufacture tailor-made machines for production through to packaging. The quality of the products is ensured by means of measurement and control technology.

In the wake of the corona crisis, VDMA Textile Machinery has launched a new series of web events called "Textile Machinery Webtalk". Here, experts from up to four VDMA member companies present their innovative technologies on a specific topic in a maximum of 90 minutes and are available to answer questions from participants. The presentations are held in English. Participation in the web events is free of charge.
Topics of the first two webtalks were:
"Technologies for the production of melt-blown nonwovens for respiratory protection masks (FFP masks and surgical masks)."
"Technologies for the production of respiratory protection masks (FFP masks and surgical masks)."

The format is well received. Around 180 people from more than 30 countries took part in the first two webtalks. With this format, the VDMA reaches both textile and nonwovens manufacturers who already manufacture these products and companies that want to invest in new business areas.

The next webtalk will take place on 23 July 2020 from 14.00 to 16.00 (CEST) on the current topic "Technology solutions to produce fully-fashioned community face masks." Experts from KARL MAYER, STOLL by KARL MAYER and Jakob Müller will be presenting their technologies for producing everyday textile masks to an international expert audience. Interested parties can register here.