From the Sector

A naturally advanced collection, a cutting-edge coloration technology, and a brand-new collaborative business model. TINTEX stands out at PERFORMANCE DAYS, the functional fabric fair for the sourcing in sports, work and corporate wear. The leading jersey manufacturer brings a new holistic and sustainable approach spun from the company’s DNA and woven in the mission to create Naturally Advanced fabrics.

The WEME collection - A/W 20/21
The new statement collection goes beyond intellectual and spiritual individual needs to embrace a communal vision blurring ‘we’ and ‘me’, ‘conscious’ and unconscious’, responsible innovation and creativity. Developed around the concept sub-collections ID, Supergeo and EGO, the range comes in electric and active tones and combines smart ingredients and processes to drive innovation by harnessing the company’s unique dyeing and finishing expertise.

The new fabrics are made from a mix of new generation fibers that enhance free movement such as REFIBRA™ by Lenzing, Q-NOVA® by Fulgar and the unique GRS certified premium stretch ROICA™ EF. The smartcel™ powered ID sub-collection is defined by striped structures that simulate flaws on initially smooth and perfected surfaces and provides soothing, anti-inflammatory effects thanks to the inclusion of zinc oxide, provides soothing, anti-inflammatory effects. The “EGO” selection comes in rich purples, calm lilacs and feminine yellows and features natural fibers such as organic wool. The “Superego” is available in unique styles and colours, achieved thanks to Colorzen® and the Naturally Clean® finishing. Together these enhance the natural beauty of cotton and cellulosics eliminating harsh treatments and optimizing clean surfaces with vivid colors, and an exquisitely smooth hand feel. Transformed materials take such as ECOTEC® by Marchi&Fildi take the lead saving up to 77.9% in water compared with regular cottons.

BorPure™ RF777MO: designed for flip-top cap applications
Borealis announces the commercial launch of BorPure™ RF777MO. Based on the proprietary Borstar® Nucleation Technology (BNT), this new resin fulfils value chain demand for high-quality solutions offering excellent organoleptics. As next generation random polypropylene (PP), BorPure RF777MO has been designed for use in flip-top caps, a growing caps and closures market segment.

Next generation random PP offers excellent organoleptics
The rapidly evolving caps and closures industry must respond to a broad and diverse set of requirements from all sides. Converters demand innovative material solutions that reduce energy consumption and help increase productivity on injection moulding lines. Resins must offer easy processability, consistency, high quality, and provide optimal performance on the capping line. For brand owners and final consumers, caps and closures must secure package contents, provide ideal organoleptic properties, safety, and convenience. They must also stand out on the retail shelf and, increasingly, offer the lowest possible environmental footprint.

• Construction of a new air purification and sulfur recovery plant
• Further improvement of the exhaust emission values at the Lenzing site
• Important step in achieving the CO2 targets of the Lenzing Group

Lenzing – The Lenzing Group is a global leader in the climate-friendly and sustainable production of wood-based textile fibers. Lenzing announced its climate targets in August of this year. By 2030, the company aims to reduce its specific CO2 emissions per ton of manufactured pulp and fibers by 50 percent. By the year 2050, the Lenzing Group will no longer generate any net CO2 emissions.

Lenzing‘s Management Board has now resolved to invest EUR 40 mn to expand the production of the raw material sulfuric acid at the Lenzing site. This comprises an important milestone on the path towards climate neutrality. In the future, a new air purification and sulfur recovery plant will not only optimize the company’s self-sufficiency for this raw material and enhance process reliability but improve environmental protection within the context of a clear forward-looking strategy.

Improved exhaust emission performance

The new plant represents an important contribution towards implementing the sustainability strategy of the Lenzing Group, and also helps to ensure an even higher level of environmental compatibility of all production operations at the Lenzing site. The application of state-of-the-art technologies will further improve exhaust emission values. Furthermore, the new facility will help further reduce the use of fossil fuels by generating steam which will, in turn, be converted into electricity. In this way, it will also support the energy self-sufficiency of the company’s operations in Lenzing.

Improved CO2 scorecard

As a result, the production plant in Lenzing will reduce its annual CO2 emissions by 15,000 tons. This is an important step towards further advancing the company’s ambitious plans in the coming years and also strengthen Lenzing’s leadership role as a driver of ecologically sustainable industry. “On the basis of these investments, Lenzing is taking the next step in achieving its climate targets. At the same time, it will also reach a significantly higher level of autonomy with respect to a vital raw material”, states Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of Lenzing.

Shanghai - ROICA™ lands in Shanghai to showcase its complete range of premium stretch fibers for the modern wardrobe and disclose its visionary approach and strategy for a cutting-edge and sustainable fashion.

On show, leading material innovator Asahi Kasei introduces a premium stretch fiber starting from the ultimate ROICA Eco-Smart™ Family. The certified and multi-awarded range has astonished the textile world for its hyper-performative features. “The new premium stretch is synonymous of transformation: from standard to speciality, from basic to special, from ordinary to clever and from standard to Smart.” Explains Shinichiro Haga, Senior Executive Manager - ROICA™ Division.

Sustainability and a responsible approach are the true core of research and development to create high-tech engineered yarns.Such visionary imprint imbues all ROICA™ innovations:

• ROICA Eco-Smart™ family: A true world-first with the most contemporary sustainable range of responsibly produced premium ingredients. ROICA Eco-Smart™ family offers 2 sustainably designed stretch yarns

- ROICA™ EF is GRS by Textile Exchange certified, thanks to the fact that more than 50% of yarn content comes from the recycling of pre-consumer waste.
- ROICA™ V550 yarn got the Cradle-to-Cradle® Innovation Institute’s GOLD LEVEL Material Health certificate for impacts on human and environmental health. This yarn is also Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certificated, signifying at its end-of-life, ROICA ™ yarn smartly breaks down without releasing harmful materials.

• ROICA Feel Good™ family: A unique range of advanced stretch yarns that deliver personal performance and measurable wellness, freshness and comfort metrics for travel, sport, leisure and more.
   
• ROICA Colour Perfect™ family: A range of yarns that can give excellent, flawless and world unique colour dimensions in advanced fit solutions.
   
• ROICA Resistance™ family: A high performance range of stretch solutions with performance resistance designed for match particular applications.
   
• ROICA Contour™ family: A range of yarns that create new shaping, stretch and silhouette solutions for a calibrated fit, effortless control, softness, comfort and support.

ROICA™ already entered the most advanced collections of leading brands as: Wolford for exceptional European Skinwear including legwear, Sarah Borghi for hosiery, SITA Active for Smart pret-a-porter,  Daquini for athleisure, Livy for sensual lingerie, SCOTT Racing Team for cycling uniforms, Closed for denim, Un-Sanctioned for running suits, Vitamine A for beachwear and many others.

In Shanghai, ROICA™ is set to stand out as leader in Smart Innovation. As tangible proof of this, the company brings to Intertextile Shanghai some of its ultimate collaborations across China and the Far East.

STAMFORD, Conn. – At this year’s CAMX conference, taking place on September 24-26 in Anaheim, CA (Booth L42), Hexcel will promote its broad portfolio of composite innovations for aerospace and industrial applications.

On display at the Hexcel booth, visitors will see an integrated wing panel demonstrator made with HiMax™ non-crimp reinforcements that were specially developed to complement a new generation of infusion resin systems. Visitors will also see a wing box demonstrator made from HiTape® dry carbon reinforcements. Both parts were injected with Hexcel’s RTM6 infusion resin and incorporate a toughening veil to enhance mechanical properties to meet the structural requirements for aerospace parts.

With 50 years of experience and the most qualified carbon fiber positions on aerospace programs in the industry with its comprehensive range of high-strength, high-strain PAN-based carbon fibers, Hexcel continues to innovate and is introducing a new fiber to its portfolio. HexTow® HM54 combines high modulus and high tensile strength, which allows structural designers to achieve higher safety margins for both stiffness and strength-critical applications. HexTow® carbon fibers are excellent not only for aerospace applications but also industrial and recreational applications. HexTow® carbon fibers are excellent not only for aerospace applications but also industrial and recreational applications, examples of golfing applications will be on display.

Additive manufacturing is on the forefront of innovation for composite technologies, and Hexcel is leading the way with its HexAM® additive manufacturing process. HexAM® additive manufacturing combines high performance PEKK thermoplastics with carbon fiber to produce flight-ready 3D printed HexPEKK® parts. HexPEKK® structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications.

HexPly® M77 snap-cure prepregs are yet another example of Hexcel technology leading the way. HexPly® M77HF, the latest member of this quick-curing prepreg family, is revolutionizing the world of composites for high-performance sporting goods with its faster production times and excellent surface quality. It will be featured in the Hexcel booth in two products – a carbon fiber Goode water ski which is setting records in the competitive world with its precision and durability, and in a HED cycling wheel noted for its aerodynamics and light weight.

Among Hexcel’s latest technologies are the RF Interference Control materials made by ARC Technologies, a Hexcel company. A selection of these industry-leading custom RF / EMI and microwave absorbing composite materials for military, aerospace and industrial applications will be on display at the Hexcel booth.

HexForce® bias weave woven reinforcements are a patented solution to optimize material usage. These bias weave reinforcements are continuous rolls of carbon fiber fabric in which the warp and weft yarns are oriented on the bias at +/- 45° which can reduce prepreg waste up to 60%. Visitors at CAMX will be able to see this new woven reinforcement and learn more.

• Customer Story
• Technology takes uniform making to the next level
• To meet new challenges in the professional garment market and preserve over a century of savoir-faire, Balsan chose Lectra to modernize its production tools.

The challenge

A Groupe Marck company, Balsan designs and manufactures corporate and ceremonial clothing, tailored and customized uniforms, and personal protective equipment and clothing for the public and private sector which comply with international standards. The biggest challenge is to meet the new expectations of customers who seek increasing levels of customization with ever-shorter time-to-market deadlines.
The professional garment sector is subject to the same pressures as prêt-à-porter, and Balsan’s challenge was to produce customized clothing more quickly using intelligent manufacturing methods.

Results

Balsan was a pilot partner for the Fashion On Demand by Lectra solution. This alliance allowed Groupe Marck to take a new approach, involving not only the use of Fashion On Demand by Lectra’s connected cutter, but upstream software solutions as well, which are configured based on the company’s needs to best match its work methods while updating and accelerating the production process. “Using a measurement chart, Fashion On Demand by Lectra allowed us to generate well-adapted and customized patterns with which to produce our garments. The solution also provides extensive flexibility: we can send the model to the cutter, select the cutting orders and  even group them by fabric, and detect defects and launch re-cuts when necessary. This improves overall performance and delivers estimated productivity gains of 7%”. Stéphane Quiniou, Industrial and Quality Director, Groupe Marck

Lectra's response

Balsan was a pilot partner for the Fashion On Demand by Lectra solution. This alliance allowed Groupe Marck to take a new approach, involving not only the use of Fashion On Demand by Lectra’s connected cutter, but upstream software solutions as well, which are configured based on the company’s needs to best match its work methods while updating and accelerating the production process.

DyStar released its Sustainability Performance Report for 2018 – 2019, based on its defined Four Key Performance Indicators – Creating responsible products and services, Sustainable business growth, Conserving planetary resources and Caring for people.

Mr. Eric Hopmann, CEO of DyStar Group said, “Our commitment to sustainability at DyStar is illustrated across the way we performed our businesses. By making positive impacts toward the entire supply chain, we are being a responsible corporate citizen, and at the same time helping our customers to do likewise.”

Into its ninth year of reporting, DyStar has shown significant improvements through the year of 2018. Among other achievements, DyStar’s relentless efforts have paid off in terms of organization’s financial performance, achieving double-digit growth in revenue of 11%, and has helped to operationally reduce overall production footprint by 20% for every ton of production.

At CAMX Expo, Chomarat is showcasing its range of carbon reinforcements, including live demos: a rocket fairing mold, a kayak paddle and a flat panel will be on display in the demonstration area of Composites One, a partner of Chomarat. The Chomarat carbon range is also available in the USA through Composites One’s distribution network.

DEMONSTRATING THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF CHOMARAT’S REINFORCEMENTS
For the rocket fairing mold, the kayak paddle and the flat panel applications, Chomarat’s C-WeaveTM carbon reinforcement offers a unique and excellent visual appearance and structural performance at the same time. “In addition to C-WeaveTM, the kayak paddle comprises another reinforcement: G-flowTM, the 2-in-1 reinforcement for infusion to strengthen the vacuum-flow,” explains Travis Irvin, Sales Manager and Closed Mould Process Expert at Chomarat.

Other live demos of skateboards will demonstrate the potential for high-volume production with RovicoreTM, the famous glass sandwich reinforcement created by Chomarat. ”RovicoreTM is always at the forefront of technology for LRTM process,” he adds.

Moreover, Chomarat is displaying a motorcycle helmet with exposed carbon and a very light kayak paddle, highlighting the properties of C-WeaveTM. A tennis racket using C-PLYTM will also be displayed at the show.

• Committed To Making a Better World

EUROBIKE, the world’s leading trade fair for the cycling industry, will include ROICA™ smart innovations into the race. Cycle retailers, brands and manufacturers will discover ROICA™ premium stretch that provides comfort and movement as it energizes.

Spearheading the premium stretch market, ROICA™ partners’ materials elevate new standards for high-tech performance that can enhance cycling products to compete responsibly. ROICA™ partners excite you as they show a fantastic range of stretch essentials for cycling clothing, gear, and apparel that offer solid performance perks.

Most importantly, visit ROICA™ partners at EUROBIKE to learn about their ongoing commitment to responsible innovation and creativity by experiencing their advanced responsible developments made with the ROICA Eco-SmartTM Family.

The ROICA Eco-Smart™ family offers two responsible made yarns with outstanding stretch performances that give free rein to designers’ creativity and guarantees the highest quality while complying to the most-cutting edge sustainable standards.

• The ROICA™ EF– GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified - is made with 58% of pre-consumer recycled content. GRS guarantees its sustainable mission with a certification by the influential Textile Exchange*, one of the most known and recognized global players in the market.
• The ROICA™ V550   Indeed, it proudly breaks down without releasing harmful substance under the testing environment according to Hohenstein Environmental Compatibility certification. Made and engineered by Asahi Kasei R&D team, and produced in ROICA™ German plant only, the yarn offers additional and relevant circular economy advantages linked to material health as proved by a Gold Level Material Health Certificate by the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute for a safe and biological end of life cycle.

Witness ROICA™ partners as leaders in high-tech performance fabrics for the world of sports for riders that want to stand out. See, feel, imagine and learn why choosing ROICA™ is a winning decision. View the unbeatable collection of well-constructed fabric

• M.I.T.I. SpA (IT), Hall/Stand No. A7-215 partner with ROICA™ since the very beginning, develops and creates from more than 85 years, innovative stretch warp knitted fabrics for high performance sports.
• Payen – ESF (FR), Hall/Stand No. A7 / A7-219, committed to develop durable performant solutions chooses ROICA Resistance™ range of high-tech protection stretch functions.
• Piave Maitex (IT), Hall/Stand No. A7-123 presents AGAIN, the new smart and technically advanced line able to balance performances and sustainable features, formed of highly performing jerseys. Two premium sustainable ingredients have been involved for the creation of AGAIN: Global Recycled Standard (GRS) owned by Textile Exchange - premium stretch fiber ROICA™ EF and perPETual high quality sustainable polyester born from a cost-effective process that reverses engineer consumer waste PET bottles.
• SITIP SpA (IT), Hall/Stand No. A7-213 creates high-tech innovative sports fabrics that are made in Italy including BeHot fabric constructed with ROICA™, providing a new dimension to active performance.
• Sportwear Argentona S.A. (ES) Hall/Stand No. A7-322 based in Spain, these leaders in high-tech tech, optimal performance sports fabrics create specialized structures for all facets of sports including high comfort, elastic and performance.

• For Soft Vibrant And Durable Pigment Prints

Reinach, Switzerland - Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has recently launched at the ITMA exhibition its new Helizarin® LTC New liq, a formaldehyde-free* low temperature curing binder for pigment printing on all kinds of fibers.

Prints are increasingly popular in apparel and interior textiles, as they allow us to express ourselves through vibrant colors and patterns. Consumers are especially drawn to the soft touch of an elegantly printed fabric.

Creating soft and vibrant prints can however be challenging for textile manufacturers: Pigment printing is usually applied to the fabric with a binder that often contains formaldehyde, needs a high temperature for curing, and can make the fabric harsh to the touch.

That is why Archroma developed its new Helizarin® LTC New to allow textile manufacturers to address these challenges.

The innovation was developed in compliance with “The Archroma Way: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The approach finds its origin in Archroma’s deep belief that it is possible to make the textile industry sustainable, economically and ecologically.

Helizarin® LTC New is a binder designed for low temperature curing or no curing. This allows to reduce the fixation temperature and time compared to conventional pigment printing processes. In addition, manufacturers will not experience the change of shades that sometimes occur with high temperature processes.

When using Helizarin® LTC New, textile manufacturers can therefore improve the productivity of their printing process and reduce their energy consumption.

Helizarin® LTC New is also a welcome solution for textile manufacturers who do not have curing equipment, since it offers similar to better fastness than commodity binders that have been treated through a full process, and excellent fastness on synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyamide.

When it comes to the final result on the fabric, Helizarin® LTC New allows the creation of soft and durable prints for premium quality articles.

The new product will be the core of Archroma's Cool Print, a complete formaldehyde-free* system that keeps printed textiles soft and durable, and the planet cooler.

The system, which combines Helizarin® LTC New with Luprintol® softening and fixing auxiliaries and Printofix® pigment preparations, allows manufacturers to realize potential savings of up to 30% in processing time, 45% in energy consumption and 44% CO2 emissions – compared to benchmark pigment printing.

Helizarin® LTC New, as well as the Cool Print system, is formaldehyde free* and registered under REACH. It can be used in line with the ZDHC & bluesign® requirements, is compliant with the Oeko-Tex Std 100 Class 1 standard for baby wear, and with the MRSL of the most major brands.

“Helizarin® LTC New was developed by Archroma’s R&D team together with experts at our Global Competence Center for Printing, based in Barcelona, Spain”, says Joaquin Femat, Head of Business Development for Printing, Brand & Performance Textile Specialties, at Archroma. “As The Archroma Way is based on Safe, Efficient and Enhanced as its three pillars, we designed an innovation that offers our customers a balanced combination of resource optimization, safe handling, and controlled effluent. Because it’s our nature!”