From the Sector

Milliken & Company and American & Efird (A&E) hosted United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai in two separate visits to the companies’ state-of-the-art textile manufacturing facilities, marking an unprecedented visit to the heart of the U.S. textile industry in the Carolinas by the nation’s top trade chief.

Ambassador Tai’s visit comes at a pivotal time for the U.S. textile supply chain, which produced $64 billion in output in 2020 and employed nearly 530,000 workers. The industry has been at the forefront of a domestic production chain manufacturing over a billion personal protective equipment (PPE) items during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ambassador’s visit to Milliken included a tour of the company’s Magnolia plant in Blacksburg, S.C., and a roundtable discussion highlighting the important role women contribute to textiles, the critical need for policies supporting a domestic supply chain, and the significant impact of the sector to the U.S. economy. Milliken is one of the largest textile companies in the U.S., employing more than 6,000 associates domestically and an additional 1,350 associates globally. Milliken’s Textile Business alone employs 2,500 people across eight counties in South Carolina and is the fourth largest manufacturing employer in the Upstate.

On the second leg of her trip, Ambassador Tai visited American & Efird’s manufacturing facility in Mount Holly, N.C. American & Efird operates as part of Elevate Textiles and its global portfolio of advanced products and distinguished textile brands, including A&E, Burlington, Cone Denim, Gütermann and Safety Components, and representing more than 500 years of textile manufacturing knowledge.

During the visit, U.S. textile executives spanning the fiber, yarn, fabric, and finished product textile and apparel industry participated in a roundtable with the Ambassador at which they discussed the competitiveness of the domestic industry, outlined priority issues in Washington, such as the importance of the Western Hemisphere co-production chain and ways to jointly support domestic supply chains through Buy American and Berry Amendment policies that help onshore production, spur investment, maintain the safety and security of our armed forces and generate new jobs.

• FILO, 29th-30th September 2021, booth C5

Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei has been invited to showcase at Filo fair, the international exhibition of orthogonal weaving yarns for clothing and furnishings, circular knitwear and technical textiles, in a new special area, a dedicated open space reserved to sustainable fibers that will allow visitors to discover all their production cycle and performances, in full relax and transparency.

Bemberg™, an exceptional fiber made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linters pre-consumer materials and converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process, will brings to Filo its history, experience, know-how and market partnerships to prove its versatility and design-driven look and touch Last but not least we are talking about a true circular economy-oriented ingredient, with certified sustainable performance: Bemberg™ is biodegradable and compostable material as verified by the INNOVHUB 3rd party test and it has GRS (Global Reycled Standard) certification from Textile Exchange proving recycling authenticity.

Bemberg™ application history starts with high-quality suit lining, but today we can find it in many other applications such as fashion couture, outerwear, innerwear, bedding, and sportswear where its amazing unique touch and quality is offering a distinctive performance.

And to prove all of this, Bemberg™ will be at Filo showing some selected fabric innovation, and three responsible-driven designers representing different and complementary part of contemporary consumer wardrobe: ZEROBARRACENTO, Maurizio Miri and WAXEWUL - who have all chosen Bemberg™ fiber to create special collections. Three different ways to see and represent how sustainability and style – even if completely different ones – together can be highly successful, performing and interesting to the new consumer.

ZEROBARRACENTO, a gender-neutral emerging outerwear brand focusing on zero-waste product development, selects Bemberg™ 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 their zero-waste commitment.

The concept of the brand "Maurizio Miri" has a strong personality and a clear intent: to create a product that stimulates the wearer towards beauty. A garment should not simply be worn, but it has also to create a perfect symbiosis with the person wearing it and generate an exchange of positive energies. The purpose is to make the individual feel in perfect harmony with their own image. With this aim in mind, the designer selects extremely precious Bemberg™ linings for their sophisticated tailor jackets. 

Finally, WAXEWUL, a brand of sartorial clothing and artisan accessories with an urban-afro soul that has environmental and social sustainability as its basic ethics. WAXEWUL will bring to Filo its brand-new product, the J_Hood Bag: a doubleface jacket with a comfortably removable hood that can be transformed into a finely hidden doubleface bag. An exclusive, innovative and sustainable garment with minimal impact on the environment made of BemBAZIN™ - a new generation of bazin created, patented and produced by Brunello which is composed by the high-tech and responsible fibers of Bemberg™ - on one side and of wax on the other, traceable and certified, guaranteeing a reduction in waste (two jackets in one) and a long-life cycle.

• Innovations in Protection, Efficiency and Engineered Fabrics

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the prestigious RISE® Innovation Award during the 11th edition of the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference, (RISE®) to be held virtually September 28-30, 2021.  The award recognizes novel innovations in the nonwovens industry that creatively use next-level science and engineering principles to solve material challenges and expand the usage of nonwovens and engineered fabrics. These three finalists will present their innovative material science solutions as they compete for the RISE® Innovation Award.

Canopy Respirator
Canopy is an innovative respirator that is fully mechanical, non-electrostatic, with a filter designed for superior breathability while offering the wearer facial transparency. The breakthrough respirator features 5.5mm water column resistance at 85 liters (3 cubic feet) per minute, 2-way filtration, and a pleated filter that contains over 500 square centimeters of surface area. The patented Canopy respirator resists fluids, and eliminates fogging of eyeglasses.  

Evalith® 1000 Series
Johns Manville’s innovative Alpha Binder is a formaldehyde-free, high bio-carbon content, toxic-free binder formulation ideal for carpet mat applications. Alpha Binder eliminates monomer and polymer synthesis, uses a bio-degradable catalyst, and requires 70% less water in manufacturing. The resulting glass mats made of Alpha Binder are named “Evalith 1000” and reduces energy consumption during manufacturing by over 70% compared to alternative petroleum-based binders. Evalith 1000 was commercialized in North America in 2020.

Fiber Coated, Heat Sealable, Breathable, Hybrid Membrane, Fabric Protection
TiGUARD protective fabric is a construction of monolithic or hybrid imperious/moisture eliminating membranes with a surface covered with micro-fiber. This nonwoven product is a multi-layer all polyester fabric specifically for chemical and microbial protective fabrics, products, and garments. It is constructed of compatible heat seal-able materials which lend themselves to high-speed heat seal-able production and ultimately automated manufacture of garments without sewing. It is a combination of a densely flocked polyester fiber surface on polyester membrane supported by polyester scrim.
Virtual RISE™ conference attendees include technology scouts and product developers in the nonwoven/engineered fabrics industry seeking new developments to advance their businesses. These attendees will electronically vote for the recipient of the 2021 RISE® Innovation Award, on Wed. Sept. 29th. The winner will be announced Thurs., Sept. 30th.

The conference program will cover timely and relevant industry topics including: Material Science Developments for Sustainable Nonwovens; Increasing Circularity in Nonwovens; Market Intelligence & Economic Insights; Promising Innovations in Nonwovens; Process Innovations in Nonwovens; Material Innovations in Nonwovens;  the full program can be viewed on the link: https://www.riseconf.net/conference.php

• From fossil to renewable materials: Members advocate policy analysis and focused implementation of the renewable carbon strategy

The members of the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) (www.renewable-carbon-initiative.com), founded in September 2020, have joined forces to shape the transition from the fossil to the renewable age for the chemical and materials industry. This means spreading the concept of renewable carbon and developing new value chains based on renewable carbon as a feedstock.

In the meantime, several activities have started from which future members can benefit as well. First and foremost is the kick-off to comprehensive policy analysis. What influence will forthcoming regulation have on chemicals, plastics, and other materials? When and where should the renewable carbon idea be emphasized and referred to?

The policy analysis will examine pending policies in the European Union – and a later expansion to America and Asia is planned as well.

A particular focus will be placed on upcoming policies and regulations and how they impact renewable carbon. The members are currently deciding on where to start specifically, but questions that may be considered are: What does the new climate law and the “Fit for 55-Package” mean for chemicals and materials? What can be expected from REACH and microplastics restrictions? How relevant is the “Sustainable Products Initiative” and the coming restrictions for Green Claims? Circular Economy, Zero Pollution and Sustainable Financing are keywords of the future European landscapes, which might become very concrete for chemistry and materials in the next few years. To what extent the concept of renewable carbon for materials is considered in policy already and how it could be further introduced in future legislation are two of the main questions investigated in the working group “Policy”.

This working group is open to all members of RCI. Policy experts provide the respective analysis as a foundation, organising discussions between members of the policy group and plan meetings with policymakers to introduce the Renewable Carbon concept.

Additional working groups have been created, one with a focus on communication, the other looking at the development of a renewable carbon label. In early September, a renewable carbon community will be launched as a starting point for even more interaction between the members, to discuss strategies, create new value chains and start project consortia.

The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) is a dynamic and ambitious group of interested parties. Membership numbers have now more than doubled since the launch almost a year ago, with RCI now boasting 25 members, 6 partners and over 200 supporters. It welcomes all companies that are on the way to transform their resource base from fossil to renewable.

The 2022 edition of Cinte Techtextil China has been confirmed to take place from 6 – 8 September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. 2021 saw 366 exhibitors and 14,868 visits recorded at the June hybrid event, which offered in-person and digital options for suppliers and buyers.

This year’s edition of Cinte Techtextil China marked the first time the fair was held annually, and the second year physical and online participation options were available, with both aspects well received by exhibitors and visitors.

Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd elaborated: “The response from our exhibitors this year was the Chinese market is still growing strongly, and having an annual edition allows them to benefit from these opportunities on a more regular basis. The domestic economy has shown strong resilience over 2020 and so far in 2021, and this has allowed the technical textiles and nonwovens sector to maintain the growth momentum it has experienced over the past years. As more economies return to normal in 2022, we expect export orders for the sector to receive a further boost which will benefit those overseas companies with business in the Chinese market.”

Cinte Techtextil China’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which comprehensively span the full range of potential uses of modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also span the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions.

Composites Evolution Ltd has teamed up with leading natural fibre reinforcement specialists Bcomp to launch a new range of flax-epoxy prepreg materials, designed to offer enhanced sustainability without compromising on performance.

Evopreg ampliTex™ prepregs combine Composites Evolution’s high-performance Evopreg epoxy resin systems with Bcomp’s award-winning ampliTex™ flax reinforcements, to deliver a family of materials which offer outstanding performance for component applications.

To reach the full performance of natural fibres, Evopreg ampliTex™ prepregs have been tailored to be compatible with Bcomp’s powerRibs™ reinforcement grid, enabling the same stiffness and weight as thin-walled monolithic carbon fibre parts while decreasing the CO₂ footprint by 85% and improving safety thanks to a blunt braking behaviour without dangerous debris or sharp edges.

Composites Evolution’s Sales & Marketing Director, Ben Hargreaves, explains further.
“Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for many of our customers - particularly those involved in motorsports and high-performance automotive applications. As you’d expect in these sectors though, sustainability can’t come at the expense of performance the two must go hand-in-hand. This is something that other prepreggers can struggle with, as natural fibres behave very differently to carbon or glass, for example.”

Customers would be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of natural fibre composites, and to show where and how they can be adopted without the need for significant changes to existing composite component production processes.

One such customer is Retrac Group, whose composites division is one of the UK’s most experienced composites engineering companies across motorsports, automotive and aerospace. It recently used Evopreg ampliTex™ + powerRibs™ to produce a demonstrator bonnet panel for a race-bred supercar. Project Manager Alan Purves explains.

“We’re seeing a growing interest in flax fibre composites, particularly in the motorsports and niche vehicle sectors. It is therefore essential that we have developed an in-depth understanding of the processing requirements and performance capabilities of these materials, and are ready to respond to our customers' requirements. Being able to tap into the combined expertise and experience of both Composites Evolution and Bcomp is proving invaluable.”

• Testing and development achieve rigidity and safety milestone

Basaltex, pioneers in innovative uses of basalt fibres, has achieved a significant milestone in developing and testing a new composite material solution comprising fibres of basalt combined with EconCore’s patented honeycomb technology.

This new material development has greatly improved fire resistance and is highly rigid, as well as the usual honeycomb properties of light-weighting.

The company has tested the composite of basalt fibres, a bio resin and rPET honeycomb.

Filaments of only stone fibres are extruded at a temperature of 1450°C, similar to glass but with a number of advantages, not least the absence of boric acid in the process.

Combining this ecological fibre with EconCore’s sustainable technology using rPET, and the bioresin polyfurfuryl alcohol - 100% derived from a waste stream of sugar cane - make this a very sustainable and environmentally friendly product, unlike the majority of thermoset solutions in this type of application.

Railway applications require materials with enhanced fire resistance and the testing has shown that the EconCore-Basaltex solution fits these needs well, at the same time offering the perspective of drastic weight reduction against traditional monolithic GRPs used rather widely in train interiors.

Such sandwich panel could be deployed in applications such as cladding panels, partitions, tables and flooring. The thermoset skin layers give a fast cure at elevated temperature, meaning short cycle time and enabling automated production’.

As well as the railway interior application, this new material combination could be used in any application that requires fire performance combined with a low weight.

Solid net profit and further strengthening of the balance sheet thanks to significant revenue and profitability increases

The automobile industry recovered significantly in the first half of 2021 compared to the prior-year period, which had been impacted by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Autoneum benefited from the market dynamics and managed to increase its revenue in local currencies by 24.3% in the first semester. EBIT rose to CHF 44.7 million thanks to higher revenues and further progress in the turnaround in North America, corresponding to an EBIT margin of 5.0%. The strong free cash flow of CHF 67.2 million has allowed for a further reduction in net debt.

In the first half of 2021, 29.2% more light vehicles were produced worldwide than in the coronavirus-hit first half of 2020. The market recovery, though significant, was hampered by the global semiconductor shortage, which led to temporary production stoppages and manufacturers producing lower vehicle volumes. Autoneum increased revenue in local currencies by 24.3% in the first six months. In Swiss francs, revenue climbed by 21.9% to CHF 890.3 million. Business Group SAMEA (South America, Middle East and Africa) grew clearly above market, while the shortage of semiconductors in North America in particular impacted the production of models supplied by Autoneum and the revenue development of Business Group North America.

Autoneum managed to improve its operating result (EBIT) considerably by CHF 76.5 million in the first six months compared to the prior-year period. In addition to higher revenues, this was mainly due to the immediate and sustainable adjustment of the cost structure in all Business Groups to the new market reality in 2020 as well as the improved earnings achieved in the turnaround program in North America. Higher material costs, however, had a negative impact on the operating result. EBIT in the amount of CHF 44.7 million (prior-year period: CHF –31.8 million) corresponds to an EBIT margin of 5.0% (prior-year period: –4.4%).

The development of global light vehicle production in the second half of 2021 remains uncertain due to the semiconductor shortage. Although there is a high demand from end customers in all regions, it can be assumed that the shortage of chips will continue to impact automobile production in the second half of the year, but not as severely as in the second quarter of the first half-year.

Revenue in the second half-year 2021 is expected to be higher than in the first semester. Based on the unfavorable allocation of semiconductors to vehicle models supplied by Autoneum in the first half of 2021, revenue development is likely to be slightly below market for the full year 2021. With an easing of the semiconductor shortage, this will normalize.

Schoeller Textil AG, the Swiss textile and technology company, announces a shift in leadership as Joachim Kath takes over as CEO. Following a 10-year career at the global textile solutions brand, CEO Siegfried Winkelbeiner is moving into his retirement later this month. Joachim Kath, who comes from the chemical industry, has been working closely with Winkelbeiner as COO at Schoeller for the past year and a half.

The transition comes after long-term planning. Since February 2020, and in close partnership with Siegfried Winkelbeiner, Joachim Kath (on the left) has been preparing as Schoeller COO to take over its management. Joachim Kath originally comes from Flensburg (DE) and, following his studies of Chemical Engineering in Karlsruhe, shaped his professional career in the chemical industry with Ciba (-Geigy) / BASF in Basel (CH). His career over 30 years has incorporated engineering, production and marketing & sales in diverse management functions – in a wide range of business segments for various industries and areas of application around the globe. Joachim Kath spent 12 years of his career dedicated to textile finishing, with a period of intensive travel in Asia and a 3-year stay in the USA.

Asked how he sees himself, Joachim Kath said: “The common thread running through all my assignments and business activities is process orientation, interest in new paths, and an instinct for what is feasible – with the goal of achieving customer benefits and satisfaction. Kath aims to ensure that Schoeller can continue to face the challenges of changing market requirements with outstanding and exceptional products, while evolving and innovating to stay ahead of consumer needs for the future. High performance capability, sustainable product development, premium quality, reliability, productivity, and keeping the customer as the central focus of all activities continue as essential keys to Schoeller’s continued business success.

ISKO announces its participation in CSAIL’s Alliances programme, a collaboration with CSAIL researchers, students and industry partners. Through participation in the programme, ISKO will contribute its expertise in textile innovation and collaborate on the research and development of smart textiles and wearable technologies.

The company joins a network of 26 industries – from startups to big organizations – including AI and machine learning, aerospace, healthcare, life sciences and telecommunications, as well as retail, media and entertainment.

With the goal of overall advancement of the textile and denim industry through the development of smart and wearable solutions, ISKO is stepping up to lead the change through these technologies and their many possible end-uses. The work is done in compliance with ISKO’s Responsible Innovation™ approach.

ISKO brings its innovative and agile structure, impressive production capacity and textile knowledge to the CSAIL programme which has over 1200 people, 60 research groups, 120+ researchers, 600+ students and over 900+ active projects.