From the Sector

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) is presenting a wide range of advanced solutions for numerous industries and markets at this year's IDEA Show in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. These include innovative applications for filtration, construction, energy, cleaning, composites, printing and healthcare as well as for the packaging industry.

From surface nonwovens for improved corrosion resistance, battery separator solutions that increase the life cycle, performance and safety of energy storage systems to the innovative Enka® solutions for pre-vegetated green roof constructions.

Flexible wetlaid technology for filtration, building & construction, energy and packaging
One highlight of this year's IDEA Show are the many different applications of Freudenberg’s unique wetlaid technology, which allows for a high level of customization together with a wide range of technical possibilities in weights, types of fibers and compositions. Thanks to the high versality of its production lines and product range, Freudenberg can meet the needs of key wetlaid markets: filtration, building & construction, energy and packaging.

The company will present its wetlaid solutions in the field of sound absorption in buildings, as well as for diverse markets such as energy, composites and horticulture. Battery separators based on wetlaid nonwoven technology increase the life cycle and safety of energy storage systems. In the composite industry, Freudenberg surfacing veils ensure abrasion resistance, corrosion protection, smooth surfaces, and enhanced mechanical strength for fiber-reinforced plastics. In addition, bio-based materials will be presented, which are ideal for biodegradable plant propagation systems.

Alongside the wetlaid nonwovens, the experts will also be showcasing their innovations in fine denier spunbond technology.

Enka®Solutions: Adapting to the changing construction industry
Another highlight of Freudenberg’s portfolio at the IDEA Show are the Enka®Solutions applications tailored to the roofing and construction market. For example, the Enka® BioCarrier that is particularly suitable for green roofs will be on display. The carrier material from Freudenberg enables pre-vegetated green roof constructions and consists of 100% bio-based raw materials. Green roofs are becoming increasingly popular due to their numerous ecological and financial benefits.

The capacity crowd at the 41st annual Cornell Fashion Collective (CFC) Runway Show saw the mother of all fashion shows.

The annual event, held March 22 in Barton Hall, had one common thread – and it was not necessarily by design: Three designers asked their mothers to wear their designs on the runway. Several more designers’ mothers traveled to Ithaca to see the show, put on by the student-led organization; other designers were inspired by their grandparents.

“It’s unusual to have multiple mothers walk in one show,” said Kim Phoenix, senior lecturer in Human Centered Design in the College of Human Ecology and adviser to CFC. “Historically, a lot of moms pitch in behind the scenes to help with the sewing.”

After traveling five hours to model the collection of her son, Drew Brown ’25, Adria Brown was immediately pressed into service, practically pulling an all-nighter to help him get his design just right. Drew thanked his mom: “It was only through experiencing your embodiment of womanhood that I could produce this collection.”

Brown’s “Jadine” collection was inspired by the movement of water and used symbols from artists and intellectuals from Western Europe, West Africa and America.

Zoe Alvarez ’25 was inspired by the Flower Festival in Medellin, Colombia, where her father lives; her mother, Karen Lopez, modeled the final look in her collection. “Aflora” explored the beauty of flowers, as well as the important function they serve to support pollinators and sustain ecosystems. Each of the pieces in the collection has hidden adjustable features, like a tiered red ruffled skirt that can be unzipped to choose a mini, midi, tea length or floor length to fit the occasion.
A model displays an ensemble designed by Maria Fernanda Serra Almeida Leite ’26. , Click to open gallery view
Credit: Sreang Hok/Cornell University

A model displays an ensemble designed by Maria Fernanda Serra Almeida Leite ’26.

Her red leather jacket has a zipper under the belt, so it can be worn as a longer jacket dress to mid-thigh, or as a cropped jacket. Another look, a floral dress, is fully adjustable within a size range using a lace-up and belt buckle back closure. It’s also reversible to a solid maroon dress, and the bra top separates from the skirt, so it can be worn six different ways and fully adjusted.

“I wanted each look to incorporate functionality in a different way,” Alvarez said. “I want people to be comfortable in their clothes, and to be able to wear them in different settings and for different events. These garments are meant to be worn, cherished over a lifetime, and even passed down.”

Alvarez said her interest in adjustable clothing came from watching her mother struggle to find clothes that fit comfortably after experiencing the natural body changes that come with aging.

“I always disliked the idea of having to buy an entirely new wardrobe every time someone gained or lost weight,” she said. “That constant battle with clothing can really limit self-confidence and self- expression. It’s also just not sustainable to keep buying one time use garments.”

Zada Stuart ’25 paid homage in her collection, “Mother of the World,” which examined the exploitation of nature and sought to honor both mothers and cows for their duty of motherhood. Her designs included two cow fetuses laser-carved out of wood.

Designer Gabrielle Moore ’25 works on her model’s hair prior to the show.

Maria Fernanda Serra Almeida Leite ’26, CFC’s creative director, said her collection was inspired by her mother, and by the song of the Kiskadee bird, called “bem-te-vi” in Brazil. Her collection explored her emotional and physical attachment to the sounds of the Kiskadee bird, to Brazil and to her mother.

Gabrielle Moore ’25 was inspired by her Haitian grandfather to create “Anbla Dlo,” which imagines an underwater city off the coast of Haiti where history, mythology and fashion intertwine.

Marcus McDermott’s mother, Heidi, recounted her son’s lifelong interest in fashion. Even as a preteen, she said, he sported an orange fedora as his signature piece. Now, the senior is designing timeless menswear with an eye toward sustainability, reflected in his collection, “Immutable Beauty.”

McDermott’s collection illustrates how while one’s sense of style can change over time, certain classic pieces have an heirloom quality that never goes out of style.

“His interest in sustainability grew exponentially after a trip to Manhattan with a class where they saw how garments were mass produced,” Heidi McDermott said. “He’s now totally into material development and using organic and biologically sourced materials to make fabrics and dyes. That was definitely a Cornell influence.”

2025 International Battery Seminar in Orlando: Freudenberg to present innovative battery separator solutions for stationary energy storage systems and further applications

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) will be showcasing its nonwoven battery separators at the International Battery Seminar in Orlando, Florida, USA, from March 17-20, 2025. The manufacturer of technical textiles will present innovative materials that enable long-duration, high-performance and safe stationary energy storage systems.

Freudenberg will present its range of battery separators that increase the cycle-life, performance and safety of batteries for stationary energy storage systems, as well as batteries used in transportation, communications and computer systems. This includes nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, nickel-zinc, nickel-hydrogen, metal-air and lead-acid batteries plus many more.

One highlight will be the latest unique surface finishing technology that provides excellent electrolyte absorption as well as increasing the speed. The company combines this new finishing and a variety of other finishes with its versatile nonwoven technologies to develop further custom-made separators that meet the needs of energy storage system manufacturers and other battery manufacturers in the aviation, rail vehicle construction or computer systems sectors. Freudenberg has a broad range of nonwoven technologies in the industry, including wetlaid, drylaid and spunbond processes. These offer unique capabilities to tailor material homogeneity and uniformity, electrolyte absorption, wicking rate, air permeability, thickness and tensile strength.
With production sites on several continents, Freudenberg can manufacture locally and offer major battery manufacturers optimal service.

Freudenberg high-performance nonwoven separators play an important functional role in batteries. Besides their primary function of separating the electrode and cathode, they form an electrolyte reservoir in the battery, and contribute to enhancing battery functionality, self-discharge, and durability. They help to prevent short circuits by avoiding dendrite growth.

When PERFORMANCE DAYS opens its doors on March 5-6, 2025, at halls C4 and C5 at Messe München, visitors will once again discover fabric innovations for Spring/Summer 2027 across the Performancewear, Bodywear, and Accessories segments. For the first time, a dedicated Wool Forum will be introduced alongside the existing Trend, Footwear, and Bodywear Forums. A jury of renowned industry experts carefully reviewed the submissions for the upcoming season and awarded a total of four prizes.

At the heart of the event, the Trend Forum will showcase the award-winning fabrics for the first time, including the winners of the PERFORMANCE AWARD and the ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD. As the dedicated Footwear Area will now only appear at the fall fair, this year’s Footwear Forum will also be integrated into the Trend Forum in Hall C4. Additionally, visitors can explore the first-ever Wool Forum, located in the Wool Area, which mirrors the setup of the Bodywear Forum in the Bodywear Collective.

The jury, led by Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS, along with Clarissa Stadelmann (Product Manager), Jury Head Alexa Dehmel, Regina Goller (Head of Innovation & Future Trends), and guest juror Laura Howe, Fabric Technologist at Mountain Equipment, expressed their enthusiasm for the outstanding submissions.

Sustainability and innovation in focus: Wool makes a grand comeback
The materials were divided into 13 categories, including 3-layer membranes, baselayers, workwear, bags, waterproof 2-layer fabrics, wool, and others. A particular emphasis was placed on this season’s Focus Topic: “Certifications – Which Ones Matter?”. The top 28 fabrics from each category, along with insights from the Focus Topic compiled by CSR specialist Anna Schuster, will be presented in the Trend Forum.

Previous focus topics have significantly elevated the quality of submissions. The Fall 2024 topic, “Colorization: Chemistry is Everywhere,” spurred a rise in the use of bio-synthetic dyes. Meanwhile, the Spring 2024 theme, “The Future of Polyester: Beyond the Bottle,” showcased advancements in textile-to-textile recycling materials.

This year, developments in the categories of Membranes, Safety & Durability (including aramid fibers), and Wool particularly stood out. Wool demonstrated exceptional versatility, being used in applications ranging from windbreakers to shirts. There was also notable growth in materials such as hemp-lyocell blends, recycled polyamide, and multi-component yarns. Two standout fabrics included a “Hulk fabric” featuring color-shifting effects under tension and a luxuriously soft modal-cashmere knit.

The award-winning innovations and highlighted materials will be on display during PERFORMANCE DAYS on March 5-6, 2025, in halls C4 and C5 at Messe München.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK enjoyed a highly successful exhibition at COMPAMED 2024 in Düsseldorf. This was the first time that FET had exhibited at this leading international trade fair for the medical technology supplier sector, a reflection of the company’s growing role in the global medical sector. In 2023-24, over 60% of FET’s turnover was derived from the medical market.

“It is never certain whether a new exhibition will prove to be a successful venture until it is tested in practice” commented FET’s Managing Director Richard Slack, “but we are delighted to report that COMPAMED 2024 exceeded all expectations. In fact, we have already booked a stand for next year’s exhibition in November, albeit in a slightly different location”.

COMPAMED 2024 attracts suppliers of a comprehensive range of high-quality medical technology components, services and production equipment for the medical industry. FET’s expertise in this sector therefore proved to be a perfect fit. With almost 40 serious customer leads taken at the show from both existing and previously unidentified clients, the initial outlook is for a very successful exhibition which will be followed up by future participation at this annual event.

FET’s established expertise lies in laboratory and pilot melt spinning equipment for a vast range of applications, especially precursor materials used in high value medical devices and specialised novel fibres from exotic and difficult to process polymers. In cases where melt spinning solutions are not suitable, FET provides a viable alternative with pilot and small scale production wet spinning systems.

Central to FET’s success has always been its ability to provide customers with advanced testing facilities and equipment at its Fibre Development Centre in Leeds, complemented by unrivalled knowledge and expertise in research and production techniques.

FET has successfully processed over 100 different polymer types and its systems can melt spin resorbable polymers in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats, collaborating with specialist companies worldwide to promote greater sustainability through innovative manufacturing processes.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced the finalists for the 2024 RISE® Innovation Award. On October 1-2, technology scouts, product developers, and business development professionals will gather at the James B. Hunt, Jr. Library, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, to explore nonwoven research and advancements.

Finalists will present their innovations to RISE participants on Tuesday, October 1st. The Award winner will be revealed on Wednesday afternoon, October 2nd.

The 2024 Award Finalists:
Dual-Layer Filtration Media by Ahlstrom Italia S.p.A. – Ahlstrom’s new dual-layer filter media technology enhances engine air intake filtration performances, offering up to double the dust holding capacity and extending filter lifetime by over 50% compared to single-layer media. It also enables smaller, lighter filter designs, meeting current and future engine specifications, including fuel cells. Dual-layer filter media can be offered with flame-retardant functionality for various transportation and industrial applications, ensuring safety, improved performances and reduced environmental impact.

ENDURA™ rPP Spunbond & SMS by Berry Global – A pre-consumer recycled Spunbond and SMS product, recognized by SCS Recycled Content Certification. With Spunbond products containing up to 90% recycled content and SMS products containing up to 40% recycled content, customers/consumers are provided a product with greenhouse gas emissions benefits, validated with life cycle assessment tools assumptions based on the actual production.  ENDURA Spunbond products have the opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions per kilogram of production by 70%, versus previous generation of product.

PlantPanel X by Hempitecture Inc. – PlantPanel X is a rigid continuous insulation material used in exterior above-ground applications. With an R Value of R3.25 per inch, PlantPanel adds to thermal and acoustic comfort and performance. Engineered with a density to resist compression and deflection, PlantPanel is used in split-insulation wall and roof assemblies with either a rain screen cladding or roofing material, depending on the application. With 100% biobased and recycled content, PlantPanel is a sustainable, low carbon continuous insulation solution that’s easy to install and safe to handle.

2023 RISE Innovation Award winner:
TiHive won the 2023 RISE Innovation Award for their SAPMonit technology. TiHive’s innovation, SAPMonit, inspects millions of diapers weekly. SAPMonit delivers lightning-speed inline inspection of superabsorbents’ weight and distribution, optimizes resources, detects flaws, and accelerates R&D.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced that wipes leaders across the supply chain convened for new connections, intelligence, sustainability strategies, and business at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, June 17-20 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The winner of the World of Wipes Innovation Award® was Rockline Industries for their Facial Care Wipe with Glycine Amino Acid Complex. This new Skin Care Wipe contains a unique multifunctional complex of two medium chain glycine, a phospholipid and a blend of special glycol ingredients that provides for a multitude of skin care benefits as well as providing a unique preservation system for nonwovens. The Skin Care Wipe provides substantiated improved skin smoothness, elasticity, and hydration alongside an anti-ageing claim. This innovation is amongst the first to use these glycine ingredients in a Skin Care Wipe formulation.

In a special recognition, INDA presented the 2024 Lifetime Service Award to David Powling, Technical Leader, Kimberly-Clark Corporation (retired), and the 2024 Lifetime Technical Achievement Award to Paul Latten, Director of Research & Development & New Business, Southeast Nonwovens, Inc. INDA honors both Powling and Latten for their decades of contributions to the nonwovens industry as well as being strong advocates for INDA.

The 1.5-day WIPES Academy, led by Heidi Beatty, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Abbey, LLC, and Paul Davies, Ph.D., Consultant, Crown Abbey, LLC, preceded the WOW Conference June 17-18. This course focused on the essentials of wet wipes construction and ingredients. Participants learned how to bring nonwovens, lotions, and packaging together to launch a successful product. The next WIPES Academy will be held July 21-22, 2025 at the Hilton Columbus Downtown, Columbus, Ohio in conjunction with WOW 2025.

The WOW conference program featured experts discussing these key topics:

• Sparkle & Shine: How Wipes Became WOW
• Wiping Smart: The Rise of Sustainable Practices in the Institutional and Industrial Wipe Markets
• Transformative Trends in Wet Wipe Formulations: A Dual Focus on Skin Health and Sustainability
• Leading Alternatives to Traditional Plastics Used in Wipes
• Panel Discussion: Leading Alternatives to Traditional Plastics Used in Wipes
• Eclectic Perspectives: Unraveling the Threads of I&I Wipes and Scaling Strategies
• Putting $$ in Your Pocket
• Recycling & Regulations

In addition to the premium content in the conference program, WOW featured four pre-conference webinars (with recordings available for full conference attendees), tabletop exhibits, Lightning Talks, a Skin Care Formulation Workshop 101, and a mentorship program for participants who are new to the wipes industry.

WOW 2025 will be held July 21-25, at the Hilton Columbus Downtown in Columbus, Ohio.

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, will together with its Brazilian representative BRASTEMA TECNOLOGIA TEXTIL LTDA. participate in the FIMEC 2024 47th International Fair of Leather, Chemicals, Components, Machines and Equipment for Footwear and Tanneries in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil from 12th - 14th March 2024.

FIMEC offers the opportunity to reach out to the Brazilian shoe manufacturing industry with proposals for flat knitted fabrics as an alternative to conventional leather. Since participating in FIMEC over the years, SHIMA SEIKI has steadily expanded its market for shoe-upper knitting machines in Brazil. It will be showcasing its latest computerized flat knitting technology to demonstrate how they apply to footwear and other sportswear as well.

The company is showing its new SWG-XR® WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine for the first time in Brazil. SWG-XR® features 4 needle beds and SHIMA SEIKI’s original SlideNeedle™, capable of producing high-quality fine gauge WHOLEGARMENT® products in all needles, and will be knitting WHOLEGARMENT® sportswear at FIMEC. For conventional shaped knitting, the compact SVR®093 machine with a short knitting width is specially developed for knitting shoe uppers, while the workhorse N.SSR®112 shaping machine features the latest garment knitting technology in an economical yet reliable package.
Both SVR®093 and N.SSR®112 will be knitting shoe uppers at FIMEC while utilizing the R2CARRIAGE®, WideGauge® knitting, spring-type moveable sinker, DSCS® Digital Stitch Control System, stitch presser, yarn gripper and cutter, and takedown comb. The classic SFG® seamless glove knitting machine will be knitting safety-oriented work gloves to round out SHIMA SEIKI’s multi-faceted display.

SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system will also be available for demonstrations in design
and simulation suited to shoe production.

Hexcel will continue to celebrate its 75th anniversary and highlight its latest developments for the Marine market at METSTRADE 2023 on November 15-17. Hexcel will showcase innovative advanced lightweight material technologies including new intermediate and high modulus fiber HexPly® M79 prepregs and present example high-performance superyacht and windship components developed by customers using Hexcel materials.

The new intermediate modulus prepreg combines the low temperature curing and simple processing of the DNV GL accredited HexPly M79 resin system with the market-leading stiffness of HexTow® IM2C fiber, creating a uniquely optimized composite material for highly loaded components. Originally developed to provide best-in-class performance for America’s Cup and IMOCA hull and deck structures, the new combination minimizes structural deformation under load in parts such as rigs, foils, and other appendages.

For a high modulus solution, HexTow® HM54 fiber is also now available with the HexPly M79 resin system. The unique mechanical properties of HexTow HM54 fiber allow structural designers to achieve higher safety margins for both stiffness and strength critical applications. Both products can be manufactured with Hexcel G-Vent technology for out-of-autoclave processing, delivering a reduction in process time and cost without compromising mechanical performance.

Hexcel will also display customer products that have benefited from the performance and processing gains provided by HexPly materials. A section of a Solid Sail mast made using Bureau Veritas (BV)-approved HexPly® M9.6 prepregs will be exhibited at METS. Such masts are used for wind propulsion and, by harnessing the power of ocean winds, they reduce reliance on engines, reducing fuel usage and emissions.

Visitors to the Hexcel booth will also see a section of a radar arch part from luxury motor yacht builder Sunseeker made using HexPly® XF surfacing technology and HexPly® SuperFIT semi-pregs. The part is lighter in weight and stiffer than versions made using resin-infusion processes and de-molds with a pinhole-free surface that needs minimal preparation to be ready for painting. Sunseeker has recorded an overall reduction in process time and material costs of around 30% against traditional prepreg parts, using Hexcel composite materials.

Members of TMAS – the Swedish Textile Machinery Association – will be taking part in the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition, taking place from November 19-23 2023 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai, China.

Weaving
In the area of weaving, 93% of the 114,000 new looms delivered in 2022 went to Asia, according to the latest figures from the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), with China the top destination, followed by India.
As a result, TMAS members like Vandewiele Sweden AB and Eltex have a huge market to address that has been established over many decades.

Vandewiele Sweden AB benefits from all of the synergies and accumulated know-how of the market-leading Vandewiele Group, supplying weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms to the majority of weaving machine manufacturers. It also retrofits its latest technologies to working mills to enable instant benefits in terms of productivity and control.

Yarn and sewing thread monitoring
With nearly 70 years of expertise in yarn sensor technology, Eltex of Sweden AB has been at the forefront of new product development. Its EYE and EyETM systems are capable of accurately and efficiently monitoring the movement and tension of more than 1,000 yarns simultaneously. These systems are suitable for various applications and fibre types, including warping, winding, multiaxial weaving and new material applications.

Eltex sewing tension monitors, such as the ETM422, have been well-received by customers. This device can monitor the tension of sewing threads in real time, effectively improving the quality and safety of sewn products. Particularly in China's rapidly growing automotive manufacturing sector, the ETM422 has seen widespread use to meet the industry’s escalating demands for product safety and quality.

Dyeing and finishing
“Digitalisation, automation and AI have become the key enablers for sustainable gains across the entire textile industry and so much has been achieved in the past few years, especially in terms of automation,” says TMAS secretary general Therese Premler-Andersson. “One area in which TMAS members are really making a difference right now, is in replacing water and energy-intensive technologies for the dyeing and finishing processes with new digital technologies.”

The TexCoat G4 non-contact spray technology for textile finishing and remoistening, for example, will be showcased in Shanghai by Baldwin. It not only reduces water, chemicals and energy consumption, but also provides the flexibility to adapt to a customer’s requirements in terms of single and double-sided finishing applications. The TexCoat G4 can reduce water consumption by as much as 50% compared to traditional padding application processes.