From the Sector

Monforts will highlight its technologies for special technical textile applications at this year’s ITMA ASIA + CITME which takes place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China, from November 20-24.

One of Monforts' developments is the Montex 8500 XXL stenter system for the production of technical fabrics in widths of up to 6.8 metres. Among the products made on this system are treated nonwovens for the geotextiles and filter media markets, tarpaulins, advertising banners, black-out curtains, membranes and many more.

On Montex©Coat coating lines, meanwhile, the possibilities range from the single-sided application of finishing agents for outdoor clothing and adding functionality to home textiles, to the creation of materials for sophisticated lightweight construction and automotive and aerospace components.

“Many more applications are possible, such as the overdyeing of denim, the creation of double-face coated materials, fabrics awnings, tents and medical drapes and the pre-treatment of substrates for digital printing”, explains Gunnar Meyer, Monforts area sales manager for China. “A range of different doctor blades and their combinations can be supplied to meet individual requirements, including air knife, roller knife, foam, screen and magnetic roller coating. The latter option is recommended for lines with working widths of over 2.4 metres.”

In addition, Monforts can provide the necessary explosion-proof ranges for solvent-based coatings and high temperature processes up to 320°C, such as the PTFE coating of nonwoven filter material. These lines are equipped with special burners, stenter chains, and insulation.

15,493 visitors from 107 countries attended the second Istanbul Fashion Connection. Over 300 companies showed their collections on more than 15,000 square meters of exhibition space and provided information about their creative collections and their production capacities in the areas of womenswear, menswear, kidswear, denim, shoes, leather and fur, lingerie and sportswear.

There was busy business activity, the ideal near shore capacities combined with the range of fashion collections experienced great demand. Istanbul Fashion Connection was a meeting point with the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting on a common platform. All trade channels were represented at the fair, from large shopping malls and department store groups to wholesalers, international retail chains, multi-brand boutiques and online platforms.

The global turkish exports in the first half of this year amounted to US$ 12.4 billion, which corresponds to an annual growth of 11.6%. In the EU alone, the total for this period is US$7.7 billion, a growth of 14.7%. Mustafa Gültepe, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly and IHKIB, announced that ready-to-wear exports are to be increased to $40 billion in the medium term.

The organizers are expecting over 600 companies to attend next IFCO. The exhibitors for the sourcing area will take part in a separate hall. Leading companies have already registered with the association for this. Lingerie and bridal/evening wear will also be shown in their own hall, which seasonally only presents itself once a year in Turkey.
The participation of international fashion companies is encouraged, for which IFCO provides the springboard into the Eastern European market.

The future of e-mobility will be determined in particular by safe battery enclosures. As batteries for electric vehicles become more performant, higher volumetric energy density plays a crucial role. If more energy is to be stored in less installation space, new material and design solutions are required. The development of suitable enclosures made of safe and highly robust lightweight materials is also required. This is a case for the Aachen Centre for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL). A project on cell-to-pack battery enclosures for battery-electric vehicles, which has been eagerly awaited in the industry, will start in October this year there.

The design of battery housings is crucial for safety, capacity, performance, and economics. The Cell-to-Pack project, which is starting now, will focus on developing concepts for structural components and for producing them based on a variety of materials and design approaches. The concepts will be compared in terms of performance, weight and production costs, creating new know-how for OEMs, producers and their suppliers throughout the battery vehicle value chain. Companies are now invited to participate in this new cross-industry project to develop battery enclosure concepts for the promising and trend-setting cell-to-pack technology.

The basis for the project is the lightweight engineering expertise of the AZL experts, which they have already demonstrated in previous projects for multi-material solutions for module-based battery housings. Together with 46 industry partners, including Audi, Asahi Kasei, Covestro, DSM, EconCore, Faurecia, Hutchinson, Johns Manville, Magna, Marelli and Teijin, 20 different multi-material concepts were optimized in terms of weight and cost and compared with a reference component made from aluminum. All production steps were modelled in detail to obtain reliable cost estimates for each variant. Result: depending on the concept, 20% weight or 36% cost savings potential could be identified by using multi-material composites compared to the established aluminum reference.

It is expected that the design concept of battery enclosures will develop in the direction of a more efficient layout. In this case, the cells are no longer combined in modules in additional production steps, but are integrated directly into the battery housing. The elimination of battery modules and the improved, weight-saving use of space will allow for higher packing density, reduced overall height and cost saving. In addition, various levels of structural integration of the battery housing into the body structure are expected. These new designs bring specific challenges, including ensuring protection of the battery cells from external damage and fire protection. In addition, different recyclability and repair requirements may significantly impact future designs. How the different material and structural options for future generations of battery enclosures for the cell-to-pack technology might look like and how they compare in terms of cost and environmental impact will be investigated in the new AZL project. In addition to the material and production concepts from the concept study for module-based battery enclosures, results from a currently ongoing benchmarking of different materials for the impact protection plate and a new method for determining mechanical properties during a fire test will also be incorporated.

The project will start on October 27, 2022 with a kick-off meeting of the consortium, interested companies can still apply for participation until then.

Adient, a supplier of seating systems for the automotive industry, has entered into a cooperation with Swedish steelmaker H2 Green Steel (H2GS) to reduce the carbon footprint in its value chain.
 
On 1st September Michel Berthelin, Executive Vice President Adient EMEA, and Henrik Henriksson, CEO of H2 Green Steel, have mutually signed an agreement to supply fossil-free steel with low carbon footprint from 2026 on and subsequently use it in Adient's metal products.

Michel Berthelin explains the background to the cooperation: “As a company, we are committed to the Science Based Targets Initiative, a collaboration between leading global institutions to set a science-based climate target. We also support the Carbon Disclosure Project, which helps companies and cities to understand and disclose their environmental impacts. The decision to shift parts of the steel volume sourced for our production to a steel with low carbon footprint is part of our sustainability strategy. It is our goal to reduce emissions at our production sites that are caused directly by our own sources or indirectly by our energy suppliers by 75% by 2030. In parallel, we aim to reduce emissions along our supply chains by 35% over the same period. In doing so, Adient actively fosters the industry's transformation towards a more responsible use of natural resources.”

Steel from H2 Green Steel is produced with up to 95% less CO₂ emissions compared to conventional steel production. The company achieves this by replacing coal with green hydrogen in production and by the use of electricity from non-fossil sources. In this way, mainly water and heat are produced as waste products.

India’s world famous Blue City, Jodhpur, has been repainted and refreshed by AkzoNobel as part of a major “Let’s Colour” project involving 250 homes.

More than 5,600 liters of Dulux paint has been used to revitalize the iconic area of Rajasthan, which is known the world over as a leading tourist destination. As well as painting exterior walls in a distinctive shade of vibrant blue, the roofs of more than 100 houses have been coated with Dulux Weathershield Protect, which can help to reduce temperatures by up to 5˚C.

In addition, 20 colorful murals have been created along the ancient streets leading up to Mehrangarh Fort, which towers over the city. All the work, which took around four months to complete, was carried out by AkzoNobel Paint Academy painters, local artists and residents, and AkzoNobel volunteers, who combined their creative talents.

The color blue has been an integral part of Jodhpur’s identity for centuries. And reigniting the city’s timeless appeal – making it more liveable and enjoyable – was key to the whole project. So in addition to painting more than 250,000 square feet of walls, community walkways and staircases have also been given a rainbow makeover using Dulux FloorPlus paint.   

AkzoNobel’s global “Let's Colour” initiative was launched in 2009. To date, more than 2,300 projects have taken place, with over 1.3 million liters of paint being donated all over the world.

• Innovations in Recycling and Sustainability: Sustainable Diaper Components, Natural Fibers, and Kitty Litter from Recycled Nappies

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists that will present their innovative material science solutions as they compete for the prestigious RISE® Innovation Award during the 12th edition of the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference (RISE®) to be held in person September 27-28, 2022 at North Carolina State University.  The award recognizes novel innovations within and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry that creatively use next-level science and engineering principles to solve material challenges and expand the usage of nonwovens and engineered fabrics.

Finalists for the 2022 RISE® Innovation Award:
Cat Litter Made from Recycled Nappies – DiaperRecycle
DiaperRecycle has developed technology to recycle used diapers into cat litter. The aim of the company is to make an environmental impact and decrease the climate changing emissions of diaper waste. They’re diverting used diapers (used in households and businesses such as elder care) from landfill, separating the plastic and fiber and making cat litter. The plastic is prepared for recycling by plastics recyclers. The cat litter product is made by DiaperRecycle from the super absorbent fiber of diapers; it’s highly absorbent and flushable.

Biodegradable Diaper Components – Gottlieb Binder GmbH & Co. KG
Together, Avgol and Binder take on the challenge of disposable absorbent articles for the good of future generations and came up with sustainable diaper components. The technologies used are based on biotransformation technology, which makes it possible to achieve more sustainable products by supporting recycling and providing an alternative route for non-recyclable/fugitive waste management.

sero® hemp fibers – Bast Fibre Technologies, Inc.
Bast Fibre Technologies’ sero® hemp fibers offer the nonwoven industry an all-natural substitute for plastic fibers. From dedicated European- and US-based production facilities, BFT transforms raw bast fibers into premium natural fibers for applications ranging from single-use and durable wipes to industrial applications. Suitable for minority or majority blends, sero® hemp combines easily with standard nonwoven fibers to produce fabrics that meet the industry requirements for strength, uniformity, and processing efficiency.

RISE® conference attendees, technology scouts and product developers in the nonwoven/engineered fabrics industry seeking new developments to advance their businesses, will electronically vote for the recipient of the 2022 RISE® Innovation Award. The winner will be announced Wed., Sept. 28^th.

Technical experts on INDA’s Technical Advisory Board selected three finalists from among 12 nominations.  The 22-member board of technical professionals is represented by companies such as Absorbent Hygiene Insights LLC, Attindas Hygiene Partners, Berry Global, Cotton Incorporated, Crown Abbey, LLC, The DAK Group, Fi-Tech, Inc. Freudenberg Performance Materials, Glatfelter Sontara Old Hickory, Inc., Lenzing Fibers, Inc., Natureworks LLC, Nice-Pak Products, Inc./PDI, Nonwovens by Design, Norafin (Americas) Inc., The Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, Poccia Consulting, LLC, The Procter & Gamble Company, RKW North America, Inc., Rockline Industries, Smith, Johnson & Associates, Suominen Corporation, and Texas Tech University.

“The RISE Conference recognizes and promotes innovation across the nonwoven and engineered material industry. Technology leaders will share invaluable information on innovative new approaches and concepts to resolve material science challenges. For any technical leader, technology scout or new product innovator, RISE is an event not to be missed,” said Tony Fragnito, INDA’s President.

The conference program will cover relevant and timely topics including: Creating a Circular Industry, Advancements in Sustainable Inputs in PLA, Developments in Natural Fibers I and II, Sustainable Inputs in Fibers and Biofibers, Sustainable Inputs from Waste Products, and Economic Insights and Market Intelligence.

For 2023, imm cologne is adapting its concept. The trade fair has been given a new schedule, which will see the international Interior Business Event host a new, one-off spring edition in 2023. The dates have been chosen in close consultation with its market partners.

“Today the imm cologne advisory board gave the concept proposed by Koelnmesse for the imm spring edition in June 2023 the green light unanimously. Our thanks go to the advisory board and in particular to the German industry, the retail sector and the purchasing associations for their support. This concept will ensure that imm cologne can take place again after a two-year break. The industry has given its backing to a strong interior design trade fair in Germany, the biggest market in Europe,” says Gerald Böse, Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. “I firmly believe in face-to-face exchanges. In my view, they are immensely important for the industry’s development, especially in challenging times. The sector needs an in-person platform in Germany, an event with international appeal and a strong communication reach like imm cologne,” he adds.

imm cologne’s new story will take shape in two steps
The imm cologne team presented its vision for a new concept at the start of June 2022. The new story for imm cologne will unfold in two steps. The first step will be the imm spring edition from 4 to 7 June 2023. “The spring edition is synonymous with a new beginning. imm cologne wants to use it to motivate and to show how it is experimenting with new ideas and leaving well-trodden paths behind,” explains Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse. “What’s more, the event in June gives our partners planning certainty.”

Four-day with a trade audience focus
The cornerstones of the new concept are clear: The imm spring edition will take place over four days, running from Sunday to Wednesday, and will be geared towards trade visitors. End consumers will be able to visit the trade fair by invitation, giving the spring event a clear business focus. “It’s also our goal to create new participation formats in the market,” says Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse. The kitchen segment will also be included in the imm 2023 spring edition. At the same time, the plan is to incorporate the city more closely into the spring edition as an event location.

Vision 2024+: imm cologne as the forum for future issues facing the industry
The second step will then follow in the summer of 2023. In close consultation with the industry and the associations involved in the event, the future dates for imm cologne and LivingKitchen will be set. The future vision for imm cologne conceives the interior event as more than just a key business platform. As a catalyst for the sector’s development, it addresses both industry and external issues of relevance to the imm cologne community.

The second annual Ryan Young Climate+ Awards will take place this November 2022 at the annual Textile Exchange conference. Nominations are open until August 31, 2022.

The late Ryan Young, Textile Exchange COO from 2017-2020, is the inspiration behind Textile Exchange’s Climate+ Strategy, which is for the organization to serve as “a driving force for urgent climate action,” with a goal of 45% reduced CO2 emissions from textile fiber and material production by 2030. Ryan’s bold and courageous spirit defined what Textile Exchange and its members must do to tackle the climate crisis.

In honor of Ryan and his vision, TE will again be awarding Ryan Young Climate+ Awards to outstanding individuals and teams who show a clear commitment to the Climate+ vision along with other leadership traits.

Winners will be announced at the 2022 Textile Exchange Conference which will take place virtually and in person in Colorado Springs, U.S. from November 14-18, 2022.

The 2022 award categories and criteriaare listed below:
Nominees may be brands, retailers, farmers and/or ranchers, and raw material suppliers.
Winners will receive one free full-access pass to attend the Conference (travel not included).

Three Ryan Young Climate+ Award Categories:

1. Overall leadership – individual
2. Overall leadership – team
3. Rising star – individual with less than 5 years of industry experience

Award recipients will meet the following criteria:

• Commitment to Climate+ – involved in accelerating Climate+ action in the apparel, textile, and footwear industry.
• Collaboration – reflective of Ryan’s vision and determination to collaboratively move the industry forward.
• Impact – driving innovative, scalable, transparent programs with measurable impact reduction and/or beneficial impacts on climate, water, soil health, and/or biodiversity at the raw materials level. Achievements/solutions are backed by trusted data and/or reporting.
• Leadership and Inspiration – clearly demonstrating leadership and vision for industry climate solutions over the past year and beyond

The focus is on personnel development, energy and water consumption as well as company-wide emissions and waste behavior. CHT highlights in this report the group-wide projects for climate protection as well as the sustainable products and solutions. The report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) based on the core option.

With the "Green Deal", the EU Commission is pursuing ambitious climate targets, in the implementation of which the CHT Group is actively involved as part of the VCI initiative "chemistry4climate".
The Group's goal is to become climate-neutral by 2045. To underpin this ambitious target, at the end of 2021 the CHT Group signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and committed to the 1.5°C target.
For 2021, the first carbon footprint (Scope 1+2) was prepared for the CHT Group, which now serves as the basis for greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

65% of the CHT Group's sales in 2021 were generated with sustainable products. For this, over 88% of the strategic raw material volume was sourced from suppliers classified as sustainable.

Moreover, interesting are the concepts and optimally matched auxiliaries with which energy and resource savings can be implemented for various textile application fields. They vividly and exemplarily demonstrate the efforts to achieve the company's own sustainable and strategic goals, which are derived from the United Nations Development Goals (SDGs).

Munich Fabric Start presents a new project-area that will take place during the next edition.
BLUEZONE with CATALYZER and KEYHOUSE will be the place to be for the blue community on 30 and 31 August. As a global key event for the denim industry, 90 international denim mills, weavers, manufacturers and suppliers will show their latest innovations and trends in the Zenithhalle, the Kohlebunker and the Kesselhaus.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will offer all visitors a deep dive into the Made in Italy supply chain with companies that have turbocharged growth by focusing on quality, innovation and research. Well-known and international companies that can make an important contribution to European and global brands.

From the production of trimmings and accessories, to the creation of unique fabrics, to the inspiration of new collections and their realization to the finishing of the garments, Made in Italy still represents the reality par excellence focused on ethical and sustainable production.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will allow all visitors an incredible journey into the Italian supply chain that has the ability to meet any demand of brands, from small to large production needs.

On the top floor of the Catalyzer Hall, it will be possible to view the individual collections of the companies in attendance and receive a beautiful gift specially created by the CADICA GROUP company from Carpi.

 
Participants
ACM - TRIMS AND ACCESSORIES PRODUCER
ACM was founded in 1982.
Since 1982, ACM has been providing the fashion world with unique, sought-after and customized details, guaranteeing prestigious and innovative workmanship. Each and every product is the result of the care we take at every stage of our production process: from the prototype, designed by putting the consumer's health first, to production with state-of-the-art machinery, which allows for fine workmanship and cutting-edge customization, while minimizing the impact on the environment (we are GRS certified) and complying with the strictest eco-toxicological regulations.

FASHION ART - LUXURY FASHION DESIGN
Fashionart is the brainchild of Andrea Rambaldi, who, after learning his trade from his parents, his mother a seamstress and his father the owner of a dye shop, decided to pursue a freelance career.
He began by collaborating with companies in the textile sector, where he deepened his knowledge in the field of chemistry and industrial processes, touching on the problems of processing cycles.
The real turning point came as a result of an important job for the Maison Chanel, which recognized the originality and effectiveness of his technical proposals. From that moment, this is 2008, FashionArt was born, a company focused on luxury fashion and design, expert in the design and production of garments.
From the idea to the final product, the company is able to support the client throughout the entire production process.
Since then, the company has grown and developed exponentially thanks to a team of managers, artists and experts whose experience makes them a benchmark in the high fashion industry. Fashionart operates exclusively in high fashion, a very difficult field in which to combine experience and technique with art and creativity, where our potential can be expressed to the fullest.

ELLETI - GARMENTS AND WASHING MAKER
Advocate of an approach that combines tradition, creativity, and innovation, for over 30 years Elleti Group has defined standards of absolute excellence for the denim industry. Born in the 80s in San Bonifacio, near Verona, the company developed in a one-of-a-kind context, a hotbed of ideas that led to the defining and establishing of new professions and skills in the field of denim treatment and garment personalization. Led by Luigi Lovato, right from the start the company established itself on the denim scene thanks to an ambitious and pioneering investment in new solutions. The following ten years mark an important growth which leads to the internationalization both of brand and production. After the implementing of a new department for garment dyeing, Elleti Group was ready to welcome the ever-increasing international demand, equipping itself with the first laundry in Tunisia, a country logistically central in the Mediterranean area, and as a result, ideal for the development of a complete textile supply chain. This successful story continues to unfold in the 2000s, a decade that marks the opening to the market of garment making thanks to two new structures in Romania, and peaks with the acquisition of Martelli Lavorazioni Tessili. Today Elleti Group stands firm in the market as a result of a complete offer that preserves the company’s artisanal vocation enriched through a constant process of responsible innovation.

In addition, companies BERTO INDUSTRIA TESSILE and OLIMPIAS GROUP will participate in the project by presenting their collections within their booths in the Catalyzer hall.