From the Sector

From 25 – 27 August, 2021, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition will join forces with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, Yarn Expo Autumn, PH Value and CHIC to showcase the latest products and services within the entire textile sector. Collectively, the fairs are set to offer valuable synergistic effects for the home décor, apparel, yarn and fibre industries.

Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, the Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles 2020 was able to go ahead as scheduled to support the industry’s recovery. The three-day show welcomed a total of 26,673 trade buyers from 43 countries & regions, as well as 643 exhibitors from 11 countries & regions. What’s more, the show’s virtual events drew 558,179 attendees from across the world.

“We are delighted that Intertextile 2020 was able to run as planned and received positive feedback from participants. It is a confirmation of our leading position in the Asian industry, and our unwavering commitment to providing the best trade platform for our exhibitors and visitors that reflects market demands,” said Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. “As we continue to navigate through these challenging times, we look forward to developing more creative and flexible solutions to adapt to the ever-changing business environment. The 2021 edition will continue with the hybrid format that combines both physical and virtual events, in order to facilitate contacts between suppliers and buyers worldwide, and open up new opportunities in the post-pandemic era.”
 
“Additionally, we decided to hold Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo next year. Holding these three events at the same time and place will generate exciting synergistic effects, as well as provide a comprehensive sourcing platform for participants. And, of course, the show will present a series of high-quality fringe events for fairgoers to gain the latest market trends and insights,” Ms Wen added.

Discover a new season of inspiration at Intertextile
At the upcoming fair, exhibitors will fill four halls at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), occupying an area of 100,000 sqm. To offer a more efficient and convenient sourcing experience for buyers, the fair will once again feature an array of product zones and country & region pavilions including:

• Country & region pavilions: presented by Belgium, India, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey.
• Carpet zone: featuring renowned domestic and international providers of carpets and floor coverings.
• Editor zone: offering high-quality upholstery fabrics from prominent European manufacturers.
• Finished product zone: international suppliers will showcase their latest finished goods for a variety of applications.
• Textile design zone: leading design studios will exhibit their creative ideas and products for all areas of the interior markets.
• Textile technology zone: presenting cutting-edge textile technologies which can achieve flexibility, efficiency and sustainability.
• Contract business: leading suppliers will offer a vast portfolio of functional fabrics catering to different interior settings such as hotels, restaurants and public spaces.

BÖNNIGHEIM - Textile testing and research partner Hohenstein has reason to celebrate: this year marks the company’s 75th anniversary. Now in its third generation of family ownership, the company will spend this landmark year expanding its foundation for the future. Owner Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels is proud: "Our motto, We live textiles, expresses exactly what has made us special for many decades - our collective enthusiasm for textiles and the opportunity to provide solutions that make a difference in the world.”

Successful Roots

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Otto Mecheels laid the foundation for an internationally-renowned company in 1946 when he founded the Hohenstein Institutes, a textile school in Hohenstein Castle. His son, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jürgen Mecheels modernized the Hohenstein Group’s business structures and expanded into new research and service areas such as textile finishing or professional laundries/dry cleaning. He helped to forever change textile safety with the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification system that protects consumers from harmful substances. Under Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels’ leadership since 1995, Hohenstein has been at the forefront of microfiber analysis, consistently perfected its created standards for comfort and compression testing and worked to reduce the industry’s ecological impact. Last but not least, the testing laboratory in Hong Kong, which has been in operation since 2011, and the Hohenstein textile testing laboratories in Bangladesh and India, which were opened in 2018, ensure even greater market proximity.

Solutions for the Global Textile Industry

Today, Hohenstein specializes in the testing, certification and research of all kinds of textile-related products. With a total of more than 1,000 employees at its headquarters in Bönnigheim and in more than 40 branches, contact offices and laboratories worldwide, the company faces the current challenges of the global industry.

"Textile sustainability remains a major focus for us and is woven through every decision we make," explains Stefan Mecheels. “Even services that are seemingly focused on innovation contribute somehow to longer lasting products, less waste and more safety. Our Digital Fitting Lab helps brands leap forward with digitized apparel development. Using modern 3D and 4D technologies and our traditional fit and pattern expertise, we help our clients design better fitting clothes with fewer prototypes and less waste.”

When SARS-CoV-2 struck, the company developed a quality label to easily identify non-medical, community masks that meet legal and functional requirements. The Hohenstein Quality Labels are independent proof with a high level of credibility among buyers and consumers.

Anniversary

Among the celebrations, Hohenstein plans to hold a mid-year press conference with regional and industry journalists. "We are celebrating this anniversary because we have succeeded in constantly adapting to the market and use our applied research to anticipate developments. For this I would first like to thank our employees, who, in keeping with the motto We live textiles, put their hearts and souls into their work. A very special thanks also goes to our customers, some of whom have been placing their trust in us for decades," says Stefan Mecheels, adding "I am convinced that we are positioned to continue our contribution in the future.

The Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will return to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from 10 – 12 March 2021, together with four other textile events including Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value. The fairs will offer an all-round business platform and a host of exciting synergy effects for the sector.

High-quality finished products to be offered
In March 2021, the Spring Edition will showcase a selection of home textile products including bedding & towelling, rugs, table & kitchen linen, home textile technologies, textile design and many more. Additionally, the fair will be held concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value, offering a comprehensive sourcing platform for the sector.

Lenzing views Intertextile as an ideal platform to present their sustainable home products
The Lenzing Group, a leading producer of man-made cellulose fibres, is amongst the major industry players who have already confirmed their participation in the upcoming fair. Ms Lesley Wu, Home Textile Business Development at Lenzing Fibers (Shanghai), talked about new market trends in the post-pandemic era and the reasons they decided to join the Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles:

“Even though the home textile industry has, to some extent, been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, there are both opportunities and challenges for the sector. Without a doubt, environmental protection and sustainable development are the hottest topics in today’s society. Consumers are paying more attention to healthy lifestyles and looking to make a shift to green consumption as a result of the pandemic. More and more consumers are opting for functional and sustainable raw materials. Environmentally sustainable fibres are therefore gaining popularity.”

“Right now, we expect the home textile industry will continue its steady recovery. Home textile companies may look for opportunities in product and marketing innovations, such as developing functional and sustainable home textile products and exploring various O2O business model options,” Ms Wu added.

Lastly, Ms Wu shared why they chose to participate in Intertextile: “We decided to exhibit at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles because it is an influential trade fair for the industry. As the Lenzing Group has been expanding in the home textile market, we want to use this platform to showcase the applications for TENCEL™ branded fibres in home textiles, and to further promote sustainability through our TENCEL™ Home cellulosic fibres.”

To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the worldwide demand for protective masks and apparel has resulted in a record number of new orders in the high double-digit millions of euros at Oerlikon Nonwoven. The meltblown technology from Neumünster is recognized by the market as being one of the technically most efficient methods for producing highly-separating filter media made from plastic fibers.

Protective equipment demands high-end nonwoven products
The rising demand for protective masks and other medical protective equipment since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated global ramping up of production capacities has also resulted in an increase in the demand for nonwovens for the production thereof. Initially, this resulted in bottlenecks in the provision of meltblown filter nonwovens. To this end, there had until this point be very few producers of medical filter nonwovens outside China. Meanwhile, the demand for spunbond systems is also rising. “Due to the structure of our group, we are in the fortunate position to swiftly reallocate and free up our production capacities. This means that we are able to relatively quickly deliver not only meltblown systems, but also spunbond equipment”, explains Dr. Ingo Mählmann, Head of Sales & Marketing at Oerlikon Nonwoven, talking about the positive situation at the company.

The capacities for respiratory masks available in Europe to date are predominantly manufactured on Oerlikon Nonwoven systems. “Our machines and systems for manufacturing manmade fiber and nonwovens solutions enjoy an outstanding reputation throughout the world. Ever more manufacturers in the most diverse countries are hoping to become independent of imports”, comments Dr. Mählmann. The Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown systems are being delivered to Germany, China, Turkey, United Kingdom, South Korea, Italy, France, North America and – for the very first time – to Australia until well into 2021.

Quality and efficiency in demand
Depending on the purpose of the application, medical PPE (personal protection equipment) should be breathable and comfortable to wear, protect medical staff against viruses, bacteria and other harmful substances and form a barrier against liquids. For these reasons, they are often made of either pure spunbond or of spunbond-meltblown combinations. Here, the meltblown nonwoven core assumes the barrier or filter task, while the spunbond has to retain its shape, while being tear-resistant, abrasion-proof, absorbent, particularly flame-resistant and nevertheless extremely soft on the skin.

All masks are not created equal – thanks to the ecuTEC+
Protection against infections such as coronavirus can only be guaranteed with the right quality.

The nonwovens can be electrostatically-charged in order to further improve the filter performance without additionally increasing breathing resistance. Here, Oerlikon Nonwovenʼs patented ecuTEC+ electro-charging unit excels in terms of its extreme flexibility. Nonwovens manufacturers can freely choose between numerous variation options and set the optimal charging method and intensity for their specific applications. In this way, even the smallest particles are still attracted and reliable separated by a relatively open-pored nonwoven. Nevertheless, mask wearers are still able to easily breathe in and out due to the comparatively loose formation of the fibers. To this end, it comes as no surprise that all meltblown systems currently destined for the production of mask nonwovens are equipped with the ecuTEC+ unit.

Kornit Digital announced Vizela, Portugal-based Calvi has implemented the Kornit Avalanche HD6 system for efficient, retail-quality digital decoration on demand.

Founded in 1977, Calvi is a textile manufacturing company that works with national and international partners to deliver sportswear and casual apparel for men, women, and children. Now occupying a 6,600-square-meter facility and employing a team of more than 120 qualified professionals, they are committed to the evolution of textiles with regard to three fundamental values: quality, availability, and efficiency. In addition to their own e-commerce operation, Calvi produces about 100,000 t-shirts per week for brands like Pull & Bear, Zara, and Bershka.

“When we first contacted Kornit, it was very easy to create the partnership we have now,” says Anselmo Pereira, Head of Design at Calvi. “Kornit Avalanche really helped us to move faster, to be more ecological—we basically don’t have minimum quantities to produce.

“This company started with my grandfather, and then my father started running the business by himself,” says Catarina Lopes, Founder and CEO of the brand’s eco-conscious NÜWA division. “I started NÜWA, which has two pillars: Everything is sustainable, and we are inspired by people. We are sustainable; we don’t have to create more water waste or use more resources. Our products are made from recycled cotton, recycled polyester, and organic cotton. We only use digital printing because it’s water inks; we don’t have to use chemicals in our products.”

• The fruit of the collaboration between Ian Bery and Tonello lands in San Francisco

The Secret Garden was the subject of first project between Ian Berry and Tonello in 2017 exhibited in New York at the Children's Museum of the Art’s and now the installation also arrives at the Flower Mart in San Francisco, another fantastic location that will host the work in denim permanently.

A hanging trellis with flowers, leaves, vines, wisteria and chrysanthemums welcomes visitors, but it is no ordinary flora but a dense structure that blooms in blue, indigo blue. Each piece cut from jeans and denim.
Cascading high across the wide-paned windows as a floral curtain, this piece is a solemn and bold reminder of the industrial history of the United States. The denim from this piece was sourced from the last denim mill in the United States, Cone Denim’s, White Oak in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“Denim has been a medium for me over 15 years and one thing I love the most about it, is the history though time and its symbolism but also its origins. Representing the Flower Mart in the material famed in the city dating back to the 1870s and the official fabric of California will show that the great new building respects and embraces the city’s heritage.” Said Ian Berry

Ian Berry is currently exhibiting in the birth home of Levi in Bavaria starting a tour of his work that takes in many cities across the world.

“The democratic nature of this famed material is also a mark of this project’s preservation of blue-collared jobs and a bridge between the old and the new in this innovation. And of course, denim transcends all boundaries all over the world and ever since the 1800’s the Flower Mart has been ethnically diverse, and this history should be celebrated.” Conclude Ian Berry.

A trademark for Ian Berry as well as an exciting result of a sincere collaboration for Tonello, who has been working side by side with the artist for several years.

Today Tonello is the international benchmark for the garment-processing industry developing innovative equipment for the apparel industry. Not only, also known as the inspiring company, it boasts numerous projects and collaborations with international artists including Ian Berry, an artist that shows around the world in galleries, museums, and art.

Tonello has created the Secret Denim Garden using only innovative and totally responsible technologies.

We are talking about Laser Blaze and The All-In-One System, pillars of Tonello Laundry (R)Evolution, the sophisticated fruit of a radically new conception in garment finishing processes.
A 100% sustainable effect on leaves and flowers, thanks also to the ECOfree2 technology - part of The All-In-One System - that through the use of ozone in water and ozone in air, reproduces an extremely natural bleach effect on denim, all in a completely responsible way.

With the installation for the new San Francisco Flower Mart, Tonello helped was (with ozone) dozens upon dozens of yards of the Cone denim and laser cut the vines to make the Trellis. Ian travelled to Italy to work with the specialist team in the region also famed for its denim industry

Alice Tonello, head of Tonello marketing and R&D said: "Having the opportunity to work with Ian Berry is always amazing. We are using denim in a different and inspiring way, and it's something that in the industry usually doesn't happen. When he asked us about this new project, we were so happy and so proud to be part of it. The installation in the San Francisco Flower Mart is an example of how collaborations and friendships can lead to unexpected and surprising results as well as portraying a message in a beautiful way."

Ian Berry permanent installation in San Francisco Flower Mart https://www.newsfflowermart.com

The textile machinery industry is eagerly awaiting the start of the virtual trade show "Innovate Textile & Apparel". What and how will the more than 160 exhibitors present themselves virtually? How will the approximately 10,000 registered visitors accept the digital offer? WTIN is breaking new ground as organizer with this platform. But one thing is already certain: From 15 to 30 October 2020, they will bring the textile machinery industry a little closer together again in the Corona Pandemic. Oerlikon invites all visitors to take a look into the future of manmade fibers production and get to know the comprehensive range of products and services.

"Reconnecting innovation in the textile & apparel value chain" is the motto of WTIN's virtual trade show. And Oerlikon intends to more than live up to this motto. With more than 50 active experts from sales, customer service and technology as well as partners from its international network of representatives, the Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group will try to be represented around the clock. "It is an interesting experiment for all of us and we would like to see it succeed," explains André Wissenberg, Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. "Our aim is to meet our existing customers again, make new contacts and see 'old friends' from the industry. We have prepared an attractive digital offer for them all. Those of you who missed our roller coaster ride in Barcelona last year can now enjoy the journey through time in peace and quiet from your home office on your digital tour of the fair. And, there are no more waiting times either," promises Wissenberg.

Factory know-how from a single source
From Melt to Yarn, Fibers and Nonwovens. From the polycondensation and the processing of PTA and MEG as well as the extrusion of, for example, recycled polyester chips all the way through to hundreds of thousands of packaged and stored or directly-delivered textured bobbins for a market within the textile industry worth billions. From the planning and construction of highly complex production plants to the engineering of large-scale plant projects and competent customer services. This business model runs like a red thread through the self-conception of the Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group. The right partner, especially – but not exclusively – for newcomers to the textile industry. "With us they get everything they need for a successful business: Factory know-how from a single source. And that's what we would like to show our visitors at our virtual trade fair booth," says Wissenberg.

During the Innovate Textile & Apparel (ITA) virtual textile machinery show which will run from October 15th-30th 2020, Monforts will be emphasising its leadership position in three key fields – advanced coating, denim finishing and fabric sanforizing.

With its multi-head capability, the latest Monforts texCoat coating system provides flexibility with an unprecedented range of options and a wide range of modules available.

Refinements
“Since we acquired the coating technology that our systems are based on we have made a lot of refinements and all of them are reflected in higher coating accuracy and the resulting quality of the treated fabrics,” says Monforts Head of Technical Textiles, Jürgen Hanel.
“Our systems have the shortest fabric path from the coating unit into the stenter and we have all variations of coating application systems too – and all of these options are available in wider widths, with the engineering and manufacturing from a single source here in Europe.”

CYD
Denim finishing is meanwhile a field in which Monforts has an undisputed lead and it has been working closely with its many partners in the key denim manufacturing countries of Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Mexico Pakistan and Turkey to develop advanced solutions. The latest of these is the CYD yarn dyeing system.
“CYD is based on the proven Econtrol® dyeing system for fabrics*,” explains Monforts Head of Denim Hans Wroblowski. “It integrates new functions and processes into the weaving preparatory processes – spinning, direct beaming, warping and assembly beaming, followed by sizing and dyeing – in order to increase quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity. The CYD system has been developed in response to a very strong market demand.”

Pre-shrinking
Monforts has also recently delivered a significant number of its latest Monfortex sanforizing lines to customers around the world.
Sanforizing is vital to final fabric quality, pre-shrinking it by compressing prior to washing, to limit any residual or further shrinkage in a made-up finished garment to less than 1%, for perfect comfort and fit over an extended lifetime.

As with industry-leading Montex stenters, Monfortex lines benefit from the latest Qualitex 800 control system which allows all parameters to be easily automated via the 24-inch colour touchscreen, including production speed, control of all fabric feed devices, rotation spray or steaming cylinder options, the width of the stretching field and the rubber belt pressure. Up to 10,000 separate process parameter records can be generated and stored by the data manager.

*Econtrol® is a registered mark of DyStar Colours Distribution GmbH, Germany.

FINEXTM, Sateri’s marquee brand for recycled fibre, is now certified to the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) which provides verification of recycled raw materials through the supply chain.

RCS is intended for use with any product that contains at least 5% recycled material. Sateri has successfully produced FINEXTM viscose fibres with up to 20% recycled content. Under the RCS certification process, each stage of production is required to be certified, beginning at the recycling stage and ending at the last seller in the final business-to-business transaction.

These new developments were announced at the official launch of FINEXTM on September 23, 2020. About 160 guests, mostly senior representatives of major fashion brands and fabric and garment makers, gathered to celebrate the milestones that cement the status of FINEXTM as a game changer for sustainable fashion.

Themed ‘Sustainable Fashion for the Future’, the launch was jointly hosted by Sateri and China International Fashion Fair (CHIC) on the sidelines of the three-day Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, a major industry expo.

In his address, Allen Zhang, President of Sateri, said, “The development of FINEXTM has been an intensive effort for Sateri from initial commercialisation, to partnering brands like Lafuma and Rico Lee, and finally to today’s launch. This is all made possible with collaboration across the value chain – working alongside yarn spinners, garment makers and brand partners – to bring a high quality and more planetfriendly product to consumers. The fashion industry is changing fast and, beyond functionality, circularity is now of the greatest importance in apparel manufacturing.”

In the ‘2020 Sustainable Fashion Report’ released by China’s leading business news publication CBNweekly earlier this week, results of a survey with stakeholders in the fashion value chain reinforced the potential of textile recycling as a solution to the problem of textile waste arising from over-consumption and production. The report identified technology and capital as the biggest barriers to textile recycling and highlighted the critical role brands play in mobilising manufacturers and consumers to advance sustainable fashion.

As part of its efforts to promote textile fibre recycling in China, Sateri is in dialogue with the China Association of Circular Economy (CACE) to undertake a comprehensive study on the industrial-scale textile waste recycling landscape in the country. The study is expected to commence next year.

Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, today announces that Dyneema® is driving the performance of Team Sunweb’s protective cycling jerseys in the 2020 Tour de France. Together with its partners, Team Sunweb and Craft Sportswear, DSM has helped to deliver a jersey that, when combined with a protective baselayer, offers cyclists effective abrasion protection at speeds up to 60km/h, while also reducing the severity of open wounds at even higher speeds. In this way, DSM underlines its commitment to protect people and the environment they live in.

Professional cycling places its participants in considerable danger; in recent years, the Tour de France has averaged 1.5 crashes per stage, while crashes in one-day classics are even more frequent. Cycling jerseys can support riders by enabling protection for a large portion of the body, while allowing for moisture transport to the surface and offering low thermal resistance. However, cycling jerseys made with conventional materials offer limited protective performance.

To address these needs and enable a safer riding experience, DSM has teamed up with Craft Sportswear and Team Sunweb to develop a cycling jersey that offers much-needed increases in abrasion resistance without compromising the comfort or low weight that cyclists demand. The new jersey is the latest protective cycling apparel solution, following the launch of the protective bib shorts (2015) and the protective baselayer (2019). The jersey will be worn for the first time by Team Sunweb in this year’s Tour de France. When combined with the protective baselayer, the new jersey offers complete protection against abrasions up to 60km/h, a speed below which professional cyclists spend 95% of race time in a typical stage.

Dyneema® has been used to protect workers in high-stake industries for more than 30 years – and the expansion into fabrics means both professional and recreational cyclists can enjoy the intrinsic performance capabilities of Dyneema® in their protective garments without sacrificing wearer comfort.

“Being 15 times stronger than steel on a weight for weight basis, Dyneema® fiber offers an excellent solution to increasing the abrasion resistance of a fabric, reducing the severity of road rash in case of a crash, without compromising the rider weight or comfort,” states Piet Rooijakkers, Head of R&D Team Sunweb “What’s more, the new jersey can form part of a modular protection solution, where riders can easily take off or put on layers according to race and weather conditions. In this way, the new jersey will support our riders significantly in the Tour de France and beyond.”

“The new cycling jersey with Dyneema® will make a real difference to cyclists facing the dangers of professional competition, and help ensure the health of both people and the environment,” states Wilfrid Gambade, President DSM Protective Materials. “The jersey is physical proof of the great achievements collaboration with expert partners can deliver. Moving forward, we will work with Craft and Team Sunweb to integrate bio-based Dyneema® fibers into protective cycling jerseys – contributing even further to a safe and healthy world!”

In line with its commitment to protect people and the environment they live in, DSM introduced the world’s first-ever bio-based HMPE fiber in May 2020. Bio-based Dyneema® fiber offers the same exact performance as conventional Dyneema® with a carbon footprint that is 90% lower than generic HMPE. The continued partnership between DSM, Craft and Team Sunweb will not only provide innovative, lightweight solutions for cyclists, but also environmentally sustainable alternatives that contribute to a circular economy.