From the Sector

Monforts will highlight its advanced finishing and coating technologies for the production of technical textiles at Techtextil North America, which takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from May 17-19.

The company and its US representative PSP Marketing, of Charlotte, North Carolina, will be part of the centrepiece VDMA German Pavilion at the show.

Energy prices
With energy prices continuing to go through the roof, an emphasis at Techtextil North America will be on the energy and heat recovery that can be achieved with Montex stenters, through features such as the MonforClean system, in which waste heat from the drying process is used to pre-heat the drying air. This results in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required. A range of further resource-saving and energy recovery options can be specified per individual line installation.

Advanced machine operation
With the highly intuitive Qualitex 800 visualization software, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

The Qualitex 800 system is available for the automatic and continuous operation of the company’s Montex stenters, as well as its Thermex continuous dyeing ranges, Monfortex shrinking systems and Montex®Coat coating units.

Versatility is the key
Monforts Montex®Coat coating units serve an equally diverse number of markets, including tents, tarpaulins and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables. Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments and solvent coatings (in explosion-proof conditions) with knife coating, roller coating or screen printing can all be accommodated with this system.

• Long-awaited metal-free* and halogen-free* NYLOSAN® S NAVY and BLACK COLORS for Sportwear
• Iconic black and navy polyamides of major sportswear brands can finally be perfectly matched with safer dyestuffs
• Significant resource savings when dyeing with Archroma new signature CONSCIOUSLY DEEP system

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced the addition of two new metal-free* and halogen-free* acid dyes in its Nylosan® S range.

Dark shades represent approximately 80% of the outdoor and sportswear textile market, which is also under pressure to offer more sustainable articles. In this context, the new Nylosan® Navy S-3R and Black S-3N, especially developed by Archroma for polyamides and blends, meet four long-standing market demands for blacks and navies.

• First, the Nylosan® S range offers metal-free* alternatives to dyestuff generally used to dye polyamide and nylon and which usually contain metals. The new Nylosan® Navy S-3R and Black S-3N are taking the industry standard one step further by offering a halogen-free* option to those manufacturers, brands and retailers who are looking to offer the safest grade available.
• Second, the Nylosan® S range now comprises a wide gamut of colors, with these new dyes targeting the color matching and fastness specifications of the iconic blacks and navies of major sportswear brands. In order to support this color matching process, Archroma makes available the colorimetric dye primaries for the mills in order to (re)match the color standards.
• Third, the new navy and black dyes display the same color constancy as the dyes used in many leading color standards, which means the navy and black colors created with Nylosan® S range will be non-metameric to the color standard under multiple light sources, whether artificial or natural, indoor or outdoor.
• And fourth, the introduction of the new Nylosan® Black S-3N makes dyeing a metal-free* black on polyamide finally possible – something that was not available before.

Both dyes display the other usual features allowed of the Nylosan® S range, i.e., high fastness and buildup, and a wide shading gamut for industry-leading metal-free* acid dyes. They are REACH registered and bluesign® approved.

In addition, with the new Nylosan® Navy S-3R and Black S-3N at the core of its new CONSCIOUSLY DEEP system, Archroma is offering another very welcome benefit in the production of polyamide articles: resource saving. As most sportswear manufacturers and brands know, creating durable dark colors on nylon is a complex process that uses massive amounts of water and energy. Archroma therefore designed the new CONSCIOUSLY DEEP system to allow a highly efficient scour dyeing process reduced from 6 to 2 baths. This results into reducing the process time by up to 36%, water consumption by up to 64%, energy by up to 46%, and CO2 emissions by up to 41% compared to conventional benchmark process.

For over 80 years Riri Group has established itself as a leading point of reference for the creation of details of style providing high-end fashion brands with top quality accessories – which now include zippers, buttons, metal components and fashion jewels.

All things style and sustainability: This year Première Vision Paris (08 – 10 February) will be once more the stage to show off the results. The new Spring/Summer 2023 line is inspired by three distinct eras and paths, but at the same time it conveys a total synergy and integration between the various divisions of the Group, coordinated and harmonised as well as united by their common interest in nature and sustainability.

SOUL COMFORT
Off-the-grid essentials between relaxation and style
Sparked from the contemporary need to balance happiness and security, while enriched by an aesthetic and provocative approach, this line embodies all the value and potential of a sustainabilityoriented communication for each and every product, as pieces feature the relevant information on the zip tape and on the button application support. This line presents softer colours that encompass a wide range of styles, including floral, summer satin and semi-transparency, accompanied by innovative yarns and sustainable materials, such as hemp, linen, silk, certified organic cotton, recycled nylon and bio-based polyester. The line also features stainless steel products, including mono-material buttons and zipper chains or the use of aluminium chains that stand out for their particular lightness.

OUTDOOR EXPRESSION
To always stand out
Inspired by nature and outdoor activities, in this section the focus is on attire codes that become the means through which everyone can express and enhance their look in every context, even when immersed in the surrounding environment. Coloured stripes and rubberized soft touch materials are the two essential concepts, combined with bright and flashy colours. The Storm Evo zip, reversed coated nylon zips (among which the one with the reflector catches the eye), and the recycled nylon buttons are back.

WISE EXCLUSIVITY
Smart and sustainable luxury
Each creation in this line is studied down to the smallest detail, to achieve luxury products that increase their value over time thanks to their sustainable process and long life cycle, achieved through multiple possibilities for use in different ways and areas. We find here the use of diamond, recreated in the laboratory with more sustainable techniques, but also zips with elegant and refined lines, the use of stainless steel and PVD and finally, the use of precious galvanic finishes on buttons, but also on chains and pullers. This path shows the important role collaboration plays between the divisions of the Riri Group, making it possible to create something unique and valuable.

Albarrie – a major player in North America’s industrial nonwovens industry – is now benefiting from one of the first Monforts Montex stenter installations equipped with the full range of MonforClean heat recovery and exhaust air purification technologies.

With the new three-chamber Montex stenter at its plant in Barrie, Ontario, the Canadian company is treating specialised needlepunched nonwovens up to 4mm thick. These have applications in a wide range of filter media and performance fabrics.

The new Montex is enabling Albarrie to heat set and dry its materials to produce denser, higher quality fabrics which can also be finished and delivered to customers more rapidly.

Across timezones
It took a crew of skilled millwrights, electricians and product specialists to build the line which was delivered in 11 shipping containers to Albarrie’s production facility. The line was originally scheduled to be fully operational in the Spring of 2020, but the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic inevitably led to several delays during the start-up and commissioning process.

Energy savings
The Albarrie Montex line’s MonforClean capabilities include an air-to-air cross flow heat exchanger and an electrostatic precipitator providing the ability to purify the exhaust air and to recover energy to a maximum of 22,500 cubic metres of air per hour, resulting in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required. The MonforClean was developed in cooperation with partner KMA Umwelttechnik, based in Königswinter, Germany.

The fully automated system is powered by a Siemens SPS S7 controller and KP 700 touch panel from which the recycled energy can be continuously monitored and savings calculated.

The three-chamber Montex stenter is fitted with the latest Monforts Qualitex 800 PLC control system with WebUI, providing ease of operation, a full operating cost overview and maintenance monitoring.

Picanol has introduced its latest generation of airjet and rapier weaving machines, which have been called the “Connect” generation. These new generation weaving machines focus on connectivity and an increased level of data availability. With this new generation, Picanol is launching several new functionalities such as a digitalized Gripper stroke setting, Gripper tape monitoring, Climate control, Shed angle measurement, and fully integrated Power monitoring.

“Following the successful launch of our digital platform PicConnect earlier this month, we have now released a new generation of weaving machines, which are known as the Connect generation. Our Connect generation weaving machines can provide the correct data and are loaded with new and never-before-seen functionalities. This is clear proof that for Picanol “Driven by Data” is not just a slogan but a commitment. Not only have these innovations allowed us to make big improvements when it comes to our four design principles – Smart Performance, Sustainability Inside, Intuitive Control, and, of course, Driven by Data – but when combined with our new digital platform they will allow you to amplify your own intuition.” comments Johan Verstraete, Vice President Weaving Machines.

From now on, the range of Picanol weaving machines will have the “Connect” suffix. For the airjet weaving machines, this means: OmniPlus-i Connect and TerryPlus-i Connect, while for the rapier weaving machines, this means: OptiMax-i Connect and TerryMax-i Connect. These new machines are built around Picanol’s four main design principles:

Smart Performance
On the OptiMax-i Connect, Picanol has introduced a lubrication monitoring sensor in combination with a temperature sensor. The combined data they provide allow the user to make sure the gripper tapes are in optimal condition for maximum performance. As an option, a gripper stroke measurement sensor is also available. This not only dramatically simplifies the setting of the gripper stroke, but also enables the user to realize higher machine speeds when weaving reduced widths – a pure extra output combined with more user-friendliness.

Sustainability Inside
Even though it was 25 years ago that the Sumo Drive concept was launched, it remains the most powerful, versatile and energy friendly machine drive available. And it has been even further optimized. It features an optimized sheet metal package for lower energy consumption, optimized oil cooling circuit for a better performance and a built-in temperature monitoring. Moreover, the Connect machines can be equipped with a Power monitoring module, which allows the user to keep track of the power consumption of each machine over time. Every Connect machine also has a built-in ambient temperature and humidity sensor, which will help to optimize the climate control in the weaving shed at the lowest cost. And as raw material is the biggest cost factor, each machine can also be equipped with raw material use monitoring.

Driven by Data
As the machine has more sensors than ever before, it also generates more data. To enable a fast reaction to all these sensor data, the BlueBox control unit has been further optimized: better heat management guarantees short reaction cycles combined with the long lifetime of components. To have a good view of all of the data generated, a special sensor dashboard screen is available in the BlueTouch display: with a simple touch of the screen, the current and historical power consumption, temperature, humidity, material consumption, and – on the OmniPlus-i Connect – also the air consumption, can be monitored. The BlueTouch display is now also equipped with an Action center, an electronic logbook where all actions such as maintenance interventions can be logged or scheduled beforehand. The machine manual is now available on the BlueTouch display, and with the context-based help function the help pages related to the operation the user wants to perform appear with one touch of his/her fingertip. The built-in web browser even allows the user even to consult, for example, tutorial videos on the web to guide them through a setting procedure.

Intuitive Control
The Connect generation was designed to focus on what really matters: weave the highest possible grade A fabrics at minimal costs. A large set of tools have been installed to facilitate this goal. One of the most remarkable ones is the Harness frame stroke measurement – until recently, it was only available on the revolutionary SmartShed, but it is now also available on the cambox and dobby machines. Combined with the shed visualization and simulation, it offers a quantum leap in terms of optimizing the user’s shed settings without losing any time or taking any risks. The colors of the programmable Smart signal lights with stop timing functionality are now repeated around the push buttons, allowing even better visibility and the prioritization of interventions by the weaver. A full-fledged Access control system not only limits the access to certain pages and settings depending on the user, but also allows a tailored dashboard to be established for each user profile.

Knopf’s Sohn, a contract finisher of technical textiles, has installed a fully automated Montex stenter at its plant in Helmbrechts, Germany.
Knopf’s Sohn is processing technical textiles for the automotive, aerospace, home furnishings and workwear markets, based on wool, cellulose, polyamide and polyester fabrics, along with elastane blends, in weights of 80-800gsm.

The Montex machinery range is constantly being upgraded to meet evolving customer needs for greater automation, ease of operation and energy optimisation. The latest ten chamber line at Knopf’s Sohn, with a working width of up to 2.0 metres, was engineered to specific requirements in order to accelerate the company’s move to fully automatic control of its production, and high scaffolding was required for its installation.

The line benefits from two integrated ECO Booster modules to provide high energy savings. These compact, air-to-air heat exchangers, installed within the roof structure of the line, exploit energy from the exhaust gas to preheat up to 60% of the incoming fresh air entering the stenter.

The use of a single ECO Booster unit has been calculated to save up to 35% in energy costs, based on fixation processes. Fully automatic operation, set at the Monforts Qualitex control unit, ensures there is no additional burden on the machine operator.

The line is powered by Exxotherm indirect heating, which practically eliminates the yellowing which can be experienced during the treatment of certain polyamide and elastane-based fabrics, and is also equipped with a Conticlean circulating air filter system for constant high drying capacity.

Software
The latest Qualitex visualisation software offers operators reliability and easy control with its full HD multi-touch monitor and slider function, dashboard function with individual adaptation to operating states and faster access to comprehensive recipe data management.

With the Monformatic control system, the exact maintenance of the dwell time in combined treatment processes (drying and heat-setting) can be monitored. When the heat-setting point is reached, the fan speed is automatically adjusted, keeping energy consumption fully under control.

Progressive material innovations presented digitally: following the cancellation of this year’s fair due to the corona pandemic, Heimtextil is extending its range of digital services and launching a new online materials library entitled ‘Future Materials Library’. 24 future-oriented materials for interior applications can now be found at www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com/future.

The curators of the new materials library are London-based futures-research agency, FranklinTill. “We are transitioning to a materials revolution that will help restore the balance in our relationship to our planet. As part of the Heimtextil Trends 21/22, we present a new selection of materials for interior applications with exciting innovations from all over the world”, says Caroline Till of FranklinTill.

A mix of commercially viable products and developments in an early stage

Imaginative designers and environmentally-aware manufacturers: the Future Materials Library 2021 offers materials pioneers a platform and presents a first-class mix of economically proven and revolutionary developments. FranklinTill has organised the materials in four themes: REGENERATIVE CROPS, REMADE FIBRES, HARVESTING WASTE STREAMS and SUSTAINABLE COLOUR.

Resources are running low

Thus, the new Heimtextil materials library tackles one of the main problems of the modern age: the shortage of resources on earth. In particular, textile production creates huge and continuously growing quantities of waste. And, over past decades, the design business has developed a ‘take, make and discard’ model of consumption that is incredibly harmful for our planet. In the climate-emergency era, however, future-oriented designers are learning from nature and working together with it. They endeavour to make use of the power of highly efficient natural circular systems to create textiles and materials that are better for both humans and the planet.

Heimtextil Trends: a guide for the international sector

The ‘Future Materials Library’ is part of the Heimtextil Trends that, for almost three decades, have been offering orientation for the sector by revealing design tendencies for the coming season. Even in the crisis, the Heimtextil Trends remain a vital part of the overall concept of the fair and provide important content for all target groups involved within the worldwide sector. Accordingly, Heimtextil aims to spotlight style-defining design developments taking place within the larger context of lifestyle trends. At the same time, the Heimtextil trend experts scan the exhibitors’ product world and identify unequivocal trends in the sector. In this connection, particular attention is paid to sustainable aspects along the entire value chain – in both the new digital library and live during the fair next January. 

Under vacuum, the new BB Engineering large-area filter produces a homogeneous, pure melt with a targeted IV setting for instance, for returning polyester production waste to the melt flow, but also for achieving a homogeneous viscosity in the case of virgin material.

BB Engineering has expanded its melt filter portfolio to include a patented large-area vacuum filter designed especially for processing polyester waste. The so-called Visco+ filter is already known as the key component of the BB Engineering VacuFil recycling system. Now, it is also available as a separate and easily-integratable upgrade component for existing systems. Within this context, the uses of the Visco+ are by no means limited to just decontamination. Here, the Visco+ offers the following solutions:

• IV homogenization: if an existing production system is struggling with IV fluctuations, the Visco+ is able to actively intervene and balance out any irregularities;
• IV increase: if the final viscosity is insufficient when processing recycled materials, the Visco+ can increase the IV without the negative impact of long residence times.

In this way, the Visco+ enables fast and flexibly-controllable viscosity build-up and reliable viscosity monitoring of the polyester melt using a to-date unique, patented process. Depending on the intended end use, the melt can be ad-justed to the further processing procedure in a targeted manner. The requi-site melt properties above all the intrinsic viscosity, but also the purity and homogeneity are achieved in a reliable and reproducible manner and can also be adjusted during ongoing operation.

As a melt filter, the Visco+ operates like a liquid-state polycondensation unit. A maintenance-intensive reactor or a deposit-prone stirring unit are not required. Moisture is removed from the PET in the filter, which – in conjunction with an adjustable residence time – results in the desired IV increase in the vacuum. This enables a controlled IV build-up of up to 30%. The intrinsic vis-cosity is the central quality figure in PET recycling and rPET processing. It determines the melt performance in the downstream production process and the properties of the end products. The intrinsic viscosity is continually moni-tored by means of an integrated viscosity measurement unit and reliably adjusted in the event of deviations (caused by disparate input qualities, for ex-ample). At the same time, the filter provides an enormous material surface compared to the volume and continuously renews this. To this end, contamination can be removed particularly effectively from the starting material by means of automatically-regulated high-performance vacuum (1-30 mbar).

The Visco+ is particularly suitable for recycling PET waste that is to be reused for high-end products.

From leaders to entrepreneurs, JEC COMPOSITES CONNECT is welcoming a lineup of special guests. As part of conferences, they will share their expertise, vision, and perspective in front of all the players in the composites industry.

AEROSPACE – Towards a More Sustainable Strategy, Tuesday, June 1st –  9am to 10:15am (CEST)
The aerospace industry is a major source of innovation and technological advancements that often originates inspiration across a wide variety of other industries. Nowadays, in a context where environmental constraints are becoming increasingly stringent especially when it comes to air mobility, OEMs are constantly in search of innovative answers and solutions that will allow them to create a ‘greener’ future. The need for light-weighting, reduced maintenance and waste, and repurposing aerospace-grade CFRP towards other applications are expected to drive demand and adoption of composites in aerospace applications.

Yannick Willemin, Head of Marketing & Business Development, 9TLabs, will chair this conference with Clémentine Gallet, CEO, Coriolis, Hervé Gilibert,CTO, ArianeGroup, Jean Botti, CEO, Voltaero and Scott Finn, Chief Consulting Engineer for Composites, GE Aviation.

AUTOMOTIVE – The Right Material at the Right Place, Tuesday, June 1st –  3 pm to 5:05 pm (CEST)
Among the many challenges facing the automotive industry, reducing vehicle mass and therefore emissions all while maintaining safety and cost-efficiency remain key. Lighter materials implying higher costs, they limit mass production. Therefore, a combination of materials, albeit hybrid solutions, would help solve this issue and are becoming increasingly attractive for manufacturers. This conference consists of industry presentations and a panel discussion involving major OEMs & Tier1s from all over the world. It covers the challenges & opportunities of using composites materials in the Automotive field.

Dale Brosius CFO, IACMI, will chair this conference with Alice Swallow, Senior Innovation Engineer, FORD MOTOR GROUP, Christophe Kühn, Senior Project Manager – Composites & Hybrid Components, VOLKSWAGEN, Dominik Klaiber, Doctoral Candidate Body Advanced Engineering, PORSCHE and Gerard LIRAUT, Expert Leader Polymers, GROUPE RENAULT – ALLIANCE RENAULT NISSAN MITSUBISHI.

AMAC cooperates with ITA (Institute for Textile Technology of RWTH Aachen University and their ITA GmbH) for the business development in composites 

As of April 19th, 2021, AMAC is pleased to announce its cooperation with the Institute for Textile Technology, ITA, of RWTH Aachen University and their ITA GmbH. The aim of the cooperation is to strengthen and develop their business activities in composites.

ITA, as one of the largest institutes on the campus of the excellence University RWTH Aachen, Germany, develops complete solutions from the manufacturing of the fiber itself over the processing of textile intermediates with thermoplastic and thermoset resins, textile-based part manufacturing, capabilities such as braiding, pultrusion and in-situ impregnation of textile preforms. Top 3 focused industries are transportation and particularly the e-mobility sector, building and construction as well as the wind energy sector. Additionally, ITA GmbH is the partner of the industry in R&D, focusing on 8 business segments, providing technology and knowledge transfer, as well as offering comprehensive solutions along the entire textile value chain.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Gries, Director of ITA, explains the background of the strategic cooperation with focus on composites: „Our long-term experience and unmatched know-how with all aspects of continuous fibers, non-wovens and web-based reinforcements allows us to deliver to the composite manufacturers a complete technology and service offer around the development of technical textiles, from the development of glass and carbon fibers to the textile-based processing of composite parts. In all process steps of our research and developments, we focus on sustainable and recyclable solutions, an efficient cost-performance ratio, the possible use of bio-based materials and the reduction of the CO2 footprint. We are glad to cooperate with Dr. Michael Effing and AMAC in order to benefit from his door-opening network in the composites industry. “

Dr. Michael Effing, Managing Director of AMAC GmbH: „I am very happy to support the ITA to generate innovation thanks to further industrial networking and pre-competitive joint projects. ITA is indeed a one-stop source for composite solutions from the fiber to the cost-efficient manufacturing of final parts. In the context of the Covid-19 impact to the entire industry, it makes sense to bundle forces. Furthermore, ITA, with its long tradition and satisfied customers offers further valuable networking opportunities to the composites industry as well as access to relevant complementary fiber-based excellence and 250 different technologies in their machine-park with an outstanding infrastructure in Aachen.”