From the Sector

• adidas TERREX athlete Laura Dahlmeier tackles Mont Blanc’s Brouillard Pillar with Thomas and Alexander Huber in the film, United By Summits
• The trio are kitted out in adidas TERREX’s new Techrock Mountaineering range
• The adidas TERREX Techrock collection gives climbers the lightweight technical wear required to defy the elements mountainside

Mountaineering is about reaching personal summits. It’s about showing your mettle, finding your freedom and winning in front of no one but yourself and nature.

It’s a version of success that adidas TERREX athlete Laura Dahlmeier is reacquainting herself with. A multiple Olympic and world champion, the German biathlete is used to the noise of winning in front of huge crowds. Now retired, Laura is reconnecting with the challenges of a sport that first gave her a taste of freedom as a child: climbing.
Laura sets herself a particularly formidable goal in United By Summits. In the film, she is joined by German climbing brothers Thomas and Alexander Huber for an ascent of Mont Blanc’s infamous Brouillard Pillar and the rarely-attempted Bonington Route made famous by British climber Chris Bonington in 1965.

For this, and any other climb, mountaineers require lightweight but rugged technical wear that ensures easy movement while defying the elements mountainside, allowing for complete focus on the rock and ice in front of them.

Introducing the adidas TERREX Techrock Mountaineering range – worn by Laura and the Huber brothers in United By Summits as they climb one of the Alps’ most demanding routes.

Keeping climbers dry is the adidas TERREX Techrock Light Gore-Tex Mountaineering Jacket, a lightweight, packable jacket with breathable Gore-Tex Active 3-layer membrane to repel water. Adjustable hood and cuffs are compatible with helmets and gloves.

For insulation on colder climbs, the adidas TERREX Techrock Year Round Down Jacket locks in warmth with adidas-patented HeatSeal baffle construction and PrimaLoft® Gold insulation in the shoulders and cuffs. Pertex® Diamond Fuse 20 Denier yarn provides resistance to abrasion along with a water-repellent DWR-finished fabric.

For rugged, weather-resistant legwear that keeps climbers moving freely on any ascent, adidas TERREX Techrock Mountaineering Softshell Pants balance comfort and protection. Flexible, wool-backed softshell fabric moves easily while a tough nylon surface protects against abrasion. A soft waistband helps prevent bunching under harnesses for an easy-moving silhouette – essential on those long climbing days.

Kitted out in this new adidas TERREX Techrock Mountaineering range 4,000 metres above sea level, Laura and the Huber brothers achieved their goals together.

On 21 - 22 June 2022, the VIEW Premium Selection Autumn.Winter 23/24 welcomes the textile and fashion industry in Munich's MVG Museum.

The VIEW Premium Selection as a preview textile trade show stands for the latest developments, first colour and material trends and the presentation of a selected, high-quality product portfolio in a personal and professional atmosphere.

At the earliest possible date in the season, around 250 brand new collections for Autumn.Winter 23/24 will be presented at VIEW in the areas of FABRICS, ADDITIONALS, DESIGN STUDIOS as well as DENIM and SPORTSWEAR. The internationality of this year's exhibitors deserves mention since in addition to Germany, Italy and Turkey, they also come from France, England, Greece, Spain, Denmark, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

Bellandi, Dynamo, E. Miroglio, Lisa Spa, Manteco, Max Müller, Agentur Püttmann, Set and Tejidos Royo will be on site, along with numerous other manufacturers. The futuristic suppliers We Nordic, Knopf und Knopf, Le Studio Copenhagen, Thermore and Kipas are exhibiting at VIEW for the first time, making the show the basis of information and inspiration for the upcoming season.

The textile and fashion industry is also invited to the next MUNICH FABRIC START Autumn.Winter 23/24 from 30 August - 01 September 22 at the MOC Munich and to the BLUEZONE from 30 - 31 August 22 on the Zenith Areal. Valuable information, physical exchange and a spirit of innovation as well as a new SOURCING show-in-show concept await the global industry players in Munich.

The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) and INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry joined in welcoming the recent introduction of the WIPPES Act in the U.S. Senate by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

This bipartisan legislation is intended to address the growing problem of sewer system clogs caused by improper disposal of consumer wipes like baby wipes, household cleaning wipes, cosmetic wipes and others that are not intended to be disposed of in toilets. Improper disposal of these wipes can have significant negative impacts on wastewater infrastructure, including causing sewer spills. The bill would help address this problem by establishing federal requirements for these disposable wipes to carry prominent “Do Not Flush” labeling on packaging. Additionally, the bill would provide funding for an Environmental Protection Agency-administered grant program focused on educating consumers about how to recognize “Do Not Flush” labeling, identify relevant products, and understand the impacts that flushing these products can have on wastewater treatment infrastructure.

• Innovation begins with creativity
• A pioneer of the manmade fiber industry

When the manmade fiber age began a century ago, a German company was responsible for the pioneering work involved. Barmag, established in 1922, was one of the world’s first companies to construct machines for the large-scale production of synthetic staple fibers. To this day, the leading manufacturer of manmade fiber spinning systems and texturing machines in Remscheid – a brand under the aegis of the Swiss Oerlikon Group since 2007 – has shaped technological progress in this sector; in future, with ever more innovations focusing on sustainability and digitalization.

Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft (Barmag) is founded in Barmen, located in the Bergische Land region, on March 27, 1922. The German and Dutch founders enter unchartered technological territory, one created as the result of a groundbreaking invention: in 1884, French chemist Count Hilaire Bernigaud de Chardonnet used nitrocellulose to produce the first so-called artificial silk, later known as rayon. The following decades see rapid development focusing on the search for synthetic textile fibers and their manufacturing technologies. As one of the first machine factories, Barmag battles its way through the eventful early years of the manmade fiber industry, the ‘Roaring Twenties’ and the Great Depression – and suffers the extensive destruction of its factories at the end of World War Two. Rebuilding is successful. With the unstoppable success story of purely synthetic plastic fibers such as polyamide, the company flourishes from the 1950s through to the 1970s, establishing sites in all international, for the textile industry at the time important, industrial regions and garnering prestige across the globe in the process. In the ups and downs of expansion, global competition and crises, Barmag reaches the very pinnacle of the market and becomes the preferred technological development partner for the manmade fiber industries in China, India and Turkey. The company has been a high-impact brand under the umbrella of the Oerlikon Group since 2007.

On the wings of innovation
Today, Oerlikon Barmag is a leading supplier of manmade fiber filament spinning systems and part of the Manmade Fibers Solutions business unit of the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division. And our aspirations have not diminished: “The striving towards innovation and technological leadership has been, is and will always be part of our DNA”, emphasizes Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions. In the past, this has been observable in such trailblazing innovations as the revolutionary WINGS generation of winders for POY in 2007 and WINGS for FDY in 2012. Currently, the focus of new and further developments is very much on digitalization and sustainability. Here, Oerlikon Barmag has – as one of the world’s first systems manufacturers – been implementing fully-networked smart factories for globally-leading polyester manufacturers since the end of the last decade. Within this context, digital solutions and automation are also helping to provide greater climate and environmental compatibility. This sustainability commitment is not only evidenced by the e-save label introduced for all products back in 2004: Oerlikon is endeavoring to also make all its sites carbon-neutral by 2030 and to acquire its energy exclusively from renewable sources. An ambitious target, whose achievement could be helped by the Oerlikon Barmag anniversary, states Georg Stausberg: “Innovation begins with creativity. And remembering the past provides plenty of motivation and inspiration for the future.”

On March 15th C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub launched the 3^rd edition of C.L.A.S.S. ICON Award, the annual competition with the aim of sponsoring and rewarding a visionary creative who is able to combine design, responsibility, innovation and communication.

The next selected winner of the international competition for visionary fashion creatives who are able to convey the values of sustainability not only to fashion professionals, but also to the wider public, will be chosen in accordance to the principles of the C.L.A.S.S. Manifesto of Responsible Fashion (https://www.classecohub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Copia-di-C.L.A.S.S.-ICON-MANIFESTO-2.pdf).

The prestigious reward for the game changers of fashion counts C.L.A.S.S. support at 360° degrees, from material consultancy to communication support and a partnership-like engagement in C.L.A.S.S. activities both on and off-line. This specifically includes:

• 2 coupons valued 1000 € each to source responsibly on THE SMART SHOP, the inspirational materials’ bank and samples' e-shop, that includes a premium selection of the C.L.A.S.S. Material Hub’s materials
• A consultancy session with C.L.A.S.S. TEAM: the ICON will have the chance to choose between an introduction to responsible innovation workshop or a specific session focusing on brand’s needs, for example responsible sourcing, certifications, communication.
• Full communication support in terms of press releases, social media and events organisation

C.L.A.S.S. is also happy to announce that its partners will offer an exclusively customed package of marketing and communication activities:

• Renoon is the app devoted to Responsible Shopping agglomerating thousands of ways to combine style and sustainability values may it be new, pre-loved and rental clothing. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes: a dedicated brand page on Renoon, the possibility to check and edit the description of the brand with Renoon's team and a featured article/interview on the new Renoon Library.
• IDEE BRAND PLATFORM is a company based in Milan, which provides dedicated support in all commercial activity for design and fashion brands through the various stages of their growth steps. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the support of the brand in commercial activities for SS23 and AW23/24.
• SUSTAINABLE BRAND PLATFORM is a digital platform to measure, improve and communicate fashion brands sustainability making it simple and affordable. Through the creation of a real DIGITAL TOOLBOX SBP wants to give fashion brands all the instruments they need to obtain a global assessment of their sustainable performance. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the Ecoscoring for brand’s sustainability and the creation of its Sustainable ID Card on Sustainable Brand Platform, as well as the use of the SBP logo, communication on social media and an interview in SBP/Magazine.
• WHITE has always been attentive to the themes of responsible fashion and alongside the new generations of designers. That’s why they decided to support the international sustainability platform C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity, Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy) with the annual award C.L.A.S.S. ICON, which promotes awareness in new sustainability values. For this reason, WHITE offers to the winner of C.L.A.S.S. ICON: a digital space on its WSM-WHITE platform and a physical space at the next show scheduled for September.

Applications are open until 1st May.
Email to classicon@classecohub.org, with a list of information such as brand vision and objectives, sustainability values and strategy, designer profile, a photo/video story of your latest collection, and any previous award (https://www.classecohub.org/c-l-a-s-s-icon).

Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), the non-profit organisation that fosters collaboration on sustainability in fashion to drive impact, has forged a new alliance with UN Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC) to accelerate the fashion industry’s climate action.
 
The Fashion On Climate report projects that if the fashion industry does not accelerate its response to climate change, by 2030 it will produce around twice the volume of greenhouse gas emissions required to align with the Paris Agreement global warming pathways by 2050. With the urgent need for industry transformation, the new alliance between GFA and UNFCCC will accelerate the impact of the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action which aims to drive the fashion industry to net-zero emissions no later than 2050 in line with keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees.
 
The collaboration will be activated around the organisations’ prestigious forums including GFA’s Global Fashion Summit and UNFCCC’s annual Conference of Parties (COP). Through these forums, the organisations will collaborate to unite fashion leaders and core stakeholders to facilitate knowledge sharing, impactful partnerships, and the implementation of bold actions needed to meet the Fashion Charter targets.
 
Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2022, the leading international forum for sustainability in fashion, will take place on 7-8 June in the grand setting of the Royal Opera House, Copenhagen, Denmark. Under the theme ‘Alliances For a New Era’ - the Summit will endeavour to form previously inconceivable alliances within the fashion industry and also examine atypical cross-industry alliances, in a bid to accelerate the transition to a net positive reality.
 
UNFCCC will, through the Fashion Charter, contribute to the Summit content, where they will share insights on its progress and what further solutions are needed. UNFCCC will also hold its annual Fashion Charter meeting at the Summit, where the organisations will convene relevant experts to join resources and discuss tools that can enable the sector to achieve its climate targets laid out in the charter. The alliance will also continue for future editions Global Fashion Summit in other locations, in addition to Copenhagen.
 
Beyond the Summit, GFA and UNFCCC will continue to work together to elevate publications and reports, such as the Fashion CEO Agenda, and inform Fashion Charter meetings during COP27 to raise awareness among leaders on the most pressing issues and priorities and urging commitments from industry leaders to drive change within social, environmental and circular dimensions.
 
Federica Marchionni, CEO, Global Fashion Agenda, says: “GFA is striving to create impactful alliances that can accelerate the fashion industry’s transition to a net zero reality. We are therefore thrilled to be collaborating with UNFCCC as its Fashion Charter is an essential tool to mobilise the necessary industry transformation. Through our collaboration, we hope to bring together core fashion stakeholders, foster pre-competitive collaboration and provide even deeper insights and guidance to advance progress.”
 
Niclas Svenningsen, Climate Action manager, UNFCCC, says, “We are excited for this opportunity to reinforce our collaboration with the Global Fashion Agenda. The climate crisis is today the paramount issue for the fashion sector to address. While the Fashion Charter brings together a wide range of stakeholders to work collaboratively on solutions, the Global Fashion Agenda is an important venue for broader sustainability discussions in the fashion sector. We see many opportunities for further strengthening and highlighting both the sustainability and the climate work through this collaboration.”

TEXO AB, a member of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association, is currently seeing a surge in demand for its Compfelt weaving looms for press felt base fabrics.

“These are far from standard machines,” explains TEXO President Anders Svensson. “Off-the-shelf industrial weaving machines generally range in their working widths from 1.9 to 3.2 metres, with those purpose-built for technical applications such as geotextiles extending to wider widths of six metres and beyond. Meanwhile, one of the machines we have recently successfully delivered and commissioned has a working width of 23 metres and is not even the widest of the many such machines the company has engineered and delivered worldwide since its formation.”

A second recently-delivered line has a more modest working width – in relative terms – of 13 metres.

Paper machines
The demand for such machines comes from the suppliers of paper machine clothing (PMC) to paper mills, who in turn operate colossal machines for paper manufacturing.
On of the largest paper making machines is currently believed to be located on Hainan Island off the southern coast of China and is 428 metres long – roughly the length of four football pitches. Naturally, such machines require equally large-scale components, which is where TEXO comes in. All paper machines require a regular supply of PMC fabrics which are employed in three separate areas of the paper machine – the forming section, the press section and the drying section.

Press felts
TEXO Compfelt weaving machines are specifically employed for the production of endless (tubular) woven base fabrics for the press section of paper machines, where water is mechanically removed from the newly formed sheet of fibres. In the simplest press, the sheet is carried by the PMC fabric between two rolls, where water is squeezed out by the application of load and pressure. This can also be assisted by the use of vacuum and heat. The PMC fabrics here need to be replaced regularly, with a maximum lifespan of six months.

Press felts have become increasingly sophisticated over the years, consisting of complex woven base structures which are subsequently combined with nonwovens via needlepunching on equally huge machines. The woven base fabrics are primarily made from polyamide for its strength and hygroscopic and elastic properties.

Dobby harness
“A major refinement of the machine has been the ability to equip it with up to 24 dobby harness frames to meet the demand for sophisticated structures from the PMC manufacturers. Although the PMC business represents a small proportion of the total cost of manufacturing paper, it can have a significant impact on the quality of the paper, the efficiency of a machine and machine production rates.”

Another significant development has been that of a self supporting base pre-filled with concrete, which has eliminated the need to dig out foundations in a plant to support the machine.

Retrofits
TEXO’s looms are built to last, but technology moves forward, and the company is also currently active in the retrofitting of existing machines built as far back as the 1970s.

Integration
TEXO has also just integrated its offices and production centre at its base in Älmhult, Sweden, to create a unified 5,000 square metre site.

Hexcel Corporation hosted customers and public officials at its manufacturing site in the Midparc Free Trade Zone in Casablanca as the company broke ground on an expansion that will double the size of its existing engineered core manufacturing operation in Morocco to meet increased demand from aerospace customers for lightweight advanced composites.

The expansion, announced in September 2021, is expected to be completed in early 2023. The plant size will double to 24,000 square meters and employment is expected to increase from 120 to 400 people when the expansion is completed.

The Casablanca facility was built as part of Hexcel’s ongoing worldwide investment to create a diversified and robust global supply chain to support aerospace customers’ growing demand for engineered core. At the plant, Hexcel transforms lightweight honeycomb materials into engineered core parts to reinforce structures in the aerospace industry, particularly for aircraft, engine nacelles, and helicopter blades.

At the event, Thierry Merlot, Hexcel President – Aerospace for Europe, MEA/AP & Industrial, said, “We are pleased to celebrate this milestone with our customers and with the local community. The increased demand for lightweight, aerodynamic, advanced composites is growing, and our customers including Safran, Airbus, Airbus Atlantic, Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems have shown confidence in our ability to meet that demand. We appreciate the support from them as well as from the Ministry and everyone in the local community who continue providing us with the opportunity to further our investment in Morocco. The very successful establishment of Hexcel, the qualification of the workforce, the support of the state and the proximity of our customers have been real assets to launch this extension of our site in Casablanca.”

Anlässlich der 5. UNEA (The United Nations Environment Assembly)-Konferenz in Nairobi, die am 2. März 2022 zu Ende ging und auf der eine Resolution zur Aufnahme der Verhandlungen für eine globale Plastikkonvention verabschiedet wurde, fordert der »Runde Tisch Meeresmüll« eine schnelle Reduktion des Eintrags von Mikroplastik in Nord- und Ostsee. In einem aktuellen Themenpapier unter Federführung des Fraunhofer UMSICHT zeigt der Runde Tisch zahlreiche Möglichkeiten auf, wie weniger Mikroplastik ins Meer gelangen kann. Dazu gehört, den Reifenabrieb zu verringern, emissionsärmere Textilien zu entwickeln beziehungsweise diese vorzuwaschen oder schärfere Vorschriften auf Baustellen für Dämmstoffe. Plastik im Meer ist eines der drängendsten Probleme auch für Nord- und Ostsee. Es wird in allen Bereichen der deutschen Meere nachgewiesen und kann die Fortpflanzungsfähigkeit und Fitness von Meereslebewesen insbesondere an der Basis des marinen Nahrungsnetzes beeinträchtigen. Das Gesamtausmaß sowohl von Menge wie Auswirkungen sei allerdings aufgrund unzureichender Untersuchungs- und Analyseverfahren noch nicht absehbar, so der Bericht.

Das neue Themenpapier stellt konkrete Maßnahmen vor, um den Plastikeintrag ins Meer zu verringern.
Mikroplastik stellt ein komplexes Umweltproblem dar. Es kann als direktes Mikroplastik in die Umwelt gelangen oder während der Nutzung durch Abrieb entstehen. Zur ersten Gruppe gehören zum Beispiel Kunstraseninfills oder Pelletverluste. Zur zweiten Gruppe zählen unter anderem Reifen- und Straßenabrieb, die Verwitterung von Farben und Beschichtungen, Verluste aus Dämmstoffen und die Faserfreisetzung aus Textilien. Die Reduktion von Kunststoffemissionen ist daher durch einzelne Maßnahmen nicht zu erreichen, sondern nur durch ein breites Bündel an Aktionen.

Das Papier des »Runden Tischs Meeresmüll« beruht auf den Ergebnissen einer dreiteiligen Workshopreihe, die vom Umweltbundesamt und Fraunhofer UMSICHT gemeinsam mit den Mitgliedern der Unterarbeitsgruppe zu Mikroplastik des Runden Tisches Meeresmüll organisiert wurde. Es zeigt, dass bei den Quellen und den freigesetzten Mengen noch immer auch auf Abschätzungen vertraut werden muss. Der Runde Tisch fordert daher weitere vertiefende empirische Untersuchungen, um zu belastbaren Zahlen zu kommen.

Stefanie Werner, Meeresschutzexpertin im Umweltbundesamt und Geschäftsführerin des Runden Tisch Meeresmüll: »Um das Mikroplastikproblem zu bekämpfen ist insbesondere die Kunststoffindustrie gefragt. Sie sollte Sorge tragen, die notwendigen vertiefenden Untersuchungen hinsichtlich der freigesetzten Mengen von Mikroplastik durchzuführen, um dem Vorsorge- und Verursacherprinzip zu entsprechen und so zur Lösung des zu großen Teilen durch sie verursachtem Umweltproblems beizutragen.«

28 konkrete Maßnahmen für den Meeresschutz
Jürgen Bertling von Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Korrespondenzautor des Themenpapiers: »Die Reduktion von Kunststoffemissionen ist durch singuläre Maßnahmen kaum zu erreichen, sondern erfordert zahlreiche inter- und transdisziplinäre Zugänge. Ähnlich wie bei den Erkenntnisgewinnen zum Klimawandel über die letzten Jahrzehnte werden auch bei den Kunststoffemissionen, die mit ihnen zusammenhängenden Wirkungen erst langsam verstanden. In beiden Fällen spricht die schiere Menge der Emissionen, aber für einen vorsorgenden Umweltschutz.«

Der Bericht des Runden Tisches Meeresmüll schlägt zu diesem Zweck 28 konkrete Maßnahmen vor. Besonders hohe Relevanz für den Meeresschutz haben dabei:

• Verringerung der Freisetzung von Mikroplastik aus Reifenabrieb durch Anpassung von Verkehrskonzepten und neue Reifenmaterialien;
   
• Entwicklung emissionsärmerer Textilien und besserer Verarbeitungstechnologien sowie Vorwaschen von Textilien;
   
• Verminderung der Einträge der besonders leichten und damit mobilen Polystyrolschaumstoffe aus der Bauwirtschaft durch Schärfung der Vorgaben zur Verwendung und Verarbeitung von Dämmstoffen und Einsatz von temporären Niederschlagsfiltern um Baustellen;
   
• Verbesserung der Regenwasserbehandlung als zentralem Eintragspfad für nicht intendiertes Mikroplastik bspw. durch Bodenretentionsfilter;
   
• Reduzierung des Einsatzes von Kunststoffen in umweltoffenen Anwendungen in der Meeres-/Küstenumwelt (z.B. Geotextilien, Korrosionsschutz von Offshore-Installationen);
   
• Ausstattung des bestehenden freiwilligen Konzepts der Kunststoffindustrie »Operation Clean Sweep« mit einer extern validierten Zertifizierung für Pellets von Kunststoff-Werkstoffen (Granulate, Flakes, Grieß oder Pulver);
   
• Regulierung von bewusst zugesetztem Mikroplastik und Entwicklung und Implementierung von Normen und Standards, um für bestimmte Produkte und Materialien die biologische Abbaubarkeit auch unter marinen Bedingungen sicherzustellen.

Runder Tisch Meeresmüll
Der Runde Tisch Meeresmüll steht unter der Schirmherrschaft des Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz, des Niedersächsischen Ministeriums für Umwelt, Energie, Bauen und Klimaschutz und des Umweltbundesamtes

• Winners in Six Categories to be Announced at IDEA® 2022 in Miami Beach

Online voting for the IDEA® Achievement Awards representing the “best of the best” innovations in the global nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry in six categories will open on Feb. 28.

Industry professionals will have the opportunity to vote for the winners from the finalists and see award-winning achievements in person at IDEA® 2022, the World’s Preeminent Event for Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics, March 28-31, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Presented by INDA, in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine, the awards recognize the leading introductions in equipment, raw materials, short-life, long-life and nonwovens products, and sustainability. To vote on the Nonwovens Industry website, visit: https://www.nonwovens-industry.com/idea-reg-achievement-awards

In addition, INDA will unveil the IDEA® 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and Nonwovens Industry will announce the IDEA® Entrepreneur Achievement Award recipient at the event.  

All of the winners will be announced on March 30 at a ceremony at IDEA® from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. moderated by Dave Rousse, President, INDA and Karen, McIntyre, Editor, Nonwovens Industry.

The INDA Technical Advisory Board, consisting of technical professionals from member companies, has narrowed the competition from more than 100 online nominations to the following 18 finalists selected for their leading innovations since the last IDEA show in 2019.

The industry will have the chance to select their top choices from the three finalists in each of the following six categories through the online voting process:

IDEA® Equipment Achievement Award

• ESC-8 – Curt G. Joa, Inc.
  Imagine endless combinations of insert and chassis designs for adult incontinence production at the push of a button. With patent-pending ESC-8™ Electronic Size Change Technology, JOA has addressed the need for automated product size change. The release of this industry-leading, first-of-a-kind technology gives customers the flexibility to configure endless insert and chassis combinations while maintaining higher production speeds and minimizing raw material usage. The ESC-8™ can be integrated into new and existing machines.
   
• Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode – Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc.
  Elastics are an integral component to many hygiene products. Imagine a diaper or incontinence product that is reliable, adhesive-free and extremely soft. Herrmann Ultrasonics Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode technology provides just that, in an industry first, easy-to-use closed-loop feedback manufacturing solution. The fixation of the elastic threads is accomplished with ultrasonic energy that offers a wide process window, without the need for tool changeovers, at processing speeds above 2,000 ft./min.
   
• Doffer Airlay Card – Technoplants SRL
  With airlaying suction and a doffing system like traditional roller cards, the Doffer Airlay Card makes it possible to produce carded webs with doffer in thicknesses from 10 to 1.500 gsm. With top and bottom suction, it can produce a partly carded and partly airlaid web. This card can comb, separate and make parallel all types of natural, synthetic and regenerated fibers for applications including hygiene, filtration, medical and gradient acquisition distribution layer (ADL).

IDEA® Raw Material Achievement Award

• sero™ premium hemp fiber – Bast Fibre Technologies Inc.
  sero™ 100 percent premium hemp fibers are the result of years of the company’s top-to-bottom supply chain experience. BFT’s proprietary processing technology is employed to carefully clean, individualize, and soften bast fibers that meet stringent nonwoven technical standards and are plastic-free, tree-free, and compostable. sero™ fibers are a plug-and-play replacement for plastic fibers that run seamlessly on major nonwoven platforms without compromising production speeds, efficiency, or uniformity.
   
• ODOGard – Rem Brands, Inc.
  Rem Brands, Inc.’s patented ODOGard® technology is a revolutionary advancement in odor elimination. This next-generation odor elimination mechanism works by covalent molecular bonding to malodors. Malodors are permanently attached to the ODOGard® molecule, changing them into non-odorous molecules forever. ODOGard® can be impregnated into pulp fluff and other kinds of media. Whether  malodors come from the air or from hygiene products, ODOGard® has it covered.
   
• SharoWIPES™ – Sharon Laboratories
  SharoWIPES™ by Sharon Laboratories, Israel, is a technological breakthrough from in-depth scientific research addressing industry needs for more “clean label, non-irritating, eco-friendly” consumer wet wipes. With their unique anti-biofilm mechanism, SharoWIPES™ offer dual protection from microbial contamination of both the wet wipe formula, as well as the non-woven fabric. SharoWIPES™ preservation systems deliver broad-spectrum protection at low levels contributing to wet wipe brand equity with free from, microbiome friendly, vegan and biodegradable claims.
   

IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award

• MDP™ – Dermasteel, Ltd.
  MDP™ presents a breakthrough approach to restoring the quality of life for men experiencing bladder leakage. MDP™ is a revolutionary nonwoven product for men coping with light urinary incontinence that is invisibly discreet, effective, comfortable, and reliable. It features Body ID Technology™ for customized adjustment, variable elasticity strapping, self-reflexive side panels for unimpeded breathability, form-fitting to the unique characteristics of each man’s anatomy, and the smallest carbon footprint of any comparable male incontinence option.
   
• Organic 2.0 – Ellepot A/S
  In young plant propagation, plastic products are used in large quantities. Ellepot’s new paper is a game-changer supporting plastic exit strategies. During six years in development, Ellepot and Ahlstrom-Munksjö partnered with OrganoClick, the developer of special binders using organocatalysis, a field of chemistry awarded the Nobel Prize in 2021. The product is approved for organic crops in Germany, the UK, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden and Canada and certified okay home compostable and biodegradable in soil.
   
• LifeSavers Wipes – LifeSavers LLC
  LifeSavers Wipes are personal hygiene wipes that change color if they detect abnormal health indicators in the urine. The launch product is a diabetic wipe, which will change color if there are abnormal levels of glucose in the urine. The wipes are therefore triple purposed as they assist with personal hygiene after urinating, act as an early warning system, and serve as an instant glucose monitor. UTI and kidney disease wipes are next in line.
   

IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award

• Canopy Hero Pro – Canopy
  Today’s reusable respirators are uncomfortable, limit communication, and can lose effectiveness after cleaning. Disposable options pose similar issues and generate waste. Canopy® has created a next-generation, reusable respirator for healthcare workers that’s comfortable, easy to clean, exceeds federal safety standards, has a transparent front to allow for improved communication, costs less than disposables, and can help save 7,200 tons of waste daily. Its patented, transparent, fully mechanical filter helps protect those who protect us.
   
• Long-Life Cellulose-based Nonwovens for Higher Performance in Reusable Baby Diapers – Kelheim Fibres GmbH and Sumo Diapers
  Innovation exemplified: the trend-setting Sumo Baby Cloth Diaper shows how needle-punched/thermobonded nonwovens find their way into reusable diapers, thanks to Kelheim Fibres’ specialty viscose fibers with adjusted cross-sections (trilobal and hollow). This technology pushes liquid management capabilities and the absorbency of washable hygiene products to new levels, creating a unique duality of high-performance and high-sustainability credentials, and opening up new fields of application.
   
• Nanofiber Cabin Air Filter – MANN + HUMMEL GmbH
  MANN+HUMMEL has developed a hybrid media by combining electret-based spunbond and a pure mechanical filtration layer of ultrafine polymer fibers. The result: an outstanding separation of PM1 particles up to 95 percent, according to DIN EN ISO 16890. This technology enables stable filtration performance and long-term efficiency over the whole filter lifetime. The nanofiber layer can be combined with any cabin air filter media of the MANN+HUMMEL range, improving air quality in a vehicle’s cabin significantly.
   

IDEA® Sustainability Advancement Award

• Pureflow8 – In Flight Material Separator – Diaper Recycling Technology Pte. Ltd.
  New bolt-on additions to the company’s Generation 8 recycling platform guarantee increased performance in terms of material purity and work efficiency. While recovering up to 87 percent of diaper waste raw material’s financial investment, DRT pushes the boundaries further to meet sustainability targets and include active pulp scanning, fluidizing SAP re-gen technology, and gravimetric pulp refeed processes. DRT recognizes its teams and suppliers who have worked tremendously hard to complete this major milestone.
   
• Fitesa® 100 Percent BioBased Bico – Fitesa
  Fitesa® S Bico 100 percent BioBased PE/PLA is a technically sophisticated plant-sourced nonwoven that has been successfully applied in innovative baby diapers as topsheet, backsheet, and front ear components to deliver classic spunbond strength with good abrasion resistance and converting performance. It is responsibly sourced, PE soft, and sustainable, leaving a negative carbon footprint by reducing environmental CO2. It represents the next generation of hygienic nonwovens designed to make work easier and life better.
   
• Fiber-based Screw Caps – Glatfelter Corp. and Blue Ocean Closures
  Finally, an alternative to metal and plastic screw caps! Blue Ocean Closures partnered with Glatfelter and ALPLA to accelerate and produce sustainable and environmentally-friendly packaging solutions. The companies optimized their use of renewable and recyclable wood fibers and airlaid materials by creating paper-based screw caps that are durable, strong, and water-resistant. The method of proprietary vacuum press forming allows for low production cost and high scalability.
   

IDEA® Nonwoven Product Achievement Award

• Sontara® Silk – Glatfelter Corp.
  Sontara® Silk perfectly fits facial contour, is luxurious on the skin, and has a minimal environmental impact. When infused with lotion, these masks have enhanced elasticity, conform closely to the skin, and have excellent adhesion. Sontara® Silk has superior translucency and ensures even penetration of active ingredients onto the skin. Sontara® Silk fabric is manufactured with premium fibers derived from natural raw material. These sustainable materials allow the product to be biodegradable and compostable.
   
• HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo – Sustainable Nonwoven Substrates – Suominen Corporation
  Suominen’s latest moist tissue product, HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo achieves dry tissue dispersibility through a proprietary blend of 100 percent sustainable cellulosic materials, minimizing environmental impact. This flushable nonwoven has a premium hand feel for a luxurious consumer experience. In addition, it passes dispersibility standards set by INDA (GD4) and the International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG.) HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo is produced in Europe and North America and represents multi-year development and market insights to deliver a personal care product ideal for today’s consumer.
   
• LS SAF™ Nonwoven Fabrics –Technical Absorbents
  Technical Absorbents developed a new grade of Low Shrink (LS) superabsorbent fiber (SAFTM) for use within a new range of nonwovens that are more resistant to shrinkage. The new LS SAFTM fiber and resulting fabrics were developed in response to demand from the medical industry for a superabsorbent nonwoven suitable for use in advanced wound pad dressings. The new fiber was engineered to be capable of withstanding the moisture used in the EtO sterilization process.

Moving forward after this year, the IDEA® Achievement Award will be presented every two years under the new cycle announced for the event with the subsequent IDEA® taking place April 23-25, 2024.