From the Sector

Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd and Concept N Strategies has announced partnership to introduce ‘Sporttech pavilion’ – a dedicated area showcasing sports and activewear textiles and accessories under Techtextil India 2025. It is a premier platform dedicated to the rapidly expanding sports and fitness textiles at Techtextil India 2025. This strategic alliance aims to provide a major boost to the segment aiming to showcase innovations in speciality fabrics, yarns, sportswear and gear, high-performance textiles and sustainable materials, generating remarkable opportunities for the entire textile universe, especially, for sportswear brands.

The Indian sports and fitness textiles sector are transforming remarkably, driven by the evolving consumer lifestyles, advanced material innovations and growing government support. Amidst this backdrop, this partnership marks a significant leap of growth for the specialised textiles segment, which is envisioned as a game-changer in the Indian sports and activewear market.

The demand for cutting-edge moisture-wicking fabrics, compression wear, breathable textiles and sustainable sports and fitness fabrics are at an all-time high. Rising health consciousness consumers and increasing appetite for high-performance sportswear, are also contributing to the growing demand. This makes Techtextil India 2025 the perfect launchpad for this specialised segment. This collaboration seamlessly aligns with the growing push for self-reliance in textile manufacturing, bundled with the Indian government’s focus on technical textile innovations and expanding domestic production capabilities. Industry leaders are recognising this as the perfect time to showcase national innovations in fitness textiles on the global stage of Techtextil India.

Industry figures highlight growth of this segment:

• The Indian sportswear market: valued at USD 10.2 million in 2024
• Expected to reach USD 16.6 million by 2033 at a CAGR of 5.1% during 2025-2033*1 according to a recent report by IMARC Group.
• Global sportswear market size was valued at USD 206.64 billion in 2024.
• Expected to reach USD 350.45 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.84% during the forecast period.

This segment will see an expansion of the exhibitor profile with inclusion of:

• Sports textile material producers including compression fabrics, breathable textiles, suppliers of sustainable and recycled textiles suitable for sports equipment and gear manufacturers
• Producers of sports and fitness equipment with an emphasis on textile-based products like: yoga mats, fitness bands, straps, & etc
• Accessories and footwear manufacturers for products like gloves, bands headgear and socks using innovative materials; manufacturers and brands showcasing new textile technologies in sports footwear and performance shoes
• Smart textile manufacturers producing materials embedded with sensors for fitness tracking; chemical suppliers for sports textiles
• Producers of finishing chemicals that enhance performance e.g. anti-odour, UV protection, water-repellent coatings
• Manufacturers of various fitness textiles and activewear materials and textile machinery manufacturers, equipment suppliers, suppliers of technology for fabric testing, dyeing, and finishing for sportswear and more.

With such an extensive product showcase, the expo aims to attract visitors from major sportswear retailers and distributors, product developers, fitness enthusiasts, fashion designers, research and development professionals, textile institutes, sourcing specialists and other professionals from the textile spectrum looking for the next big breakthrough in the segment. The dedicated space for Sporttech Pavilion will serve as a powerful business catalyst connecting material innovators, sportswear brands and textile manufacturers with national and international sourcing leaders.

The full potential of advanced coating and finishing technologies for the production of technical textiles will be outlined by Monforts specialists which takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, in May.

The company and its US representative PSP Marketing, of Charlotte, North Carolina, will be part of the VDMA German Pavilion at the show, at stand 3231 within the Georgia World Congress Center.

A wide range of technical fabrics is now being successfully created with MontexCoat coating units in comination with Montex stenters, including tents, tarpaulins and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables.

Full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments can all be carried out with the extremely versatile system. Solvent coatings in explosion-proof conditions, knife coating, roller coating and screen printing are further options and the MontexCoat has been engineered to enable users to switch quickly from one fabric run to the next without compromising on the economical use of energy or raw materials.

“There has already been terrific interest in the MontexCoat and the range of different techniques it enables and we’re far from exhausting its potential uses,” says Achim Gesser, Monforts Area Sales Manager who will be at the show in Atlanta. “For companies who don’t need such flexibility, the economical coaTTex unit is exclusively dedicated to air knife and knife-over-roller coating.

“At our ATC in Mönchengladbach, Germany, however, a MontexCoat unit has been integrated into a full Montex technical textiles pilot line, on which our customers can run trials of new fabrics and finishing formulations in widths of up to 1.8 metres. This line has been engineered to provide the ultimate in precision coating and finishing in industrial-scale trials.”

To fully demonstrate what’s possible, the Montex line at the ATC is able to treat materials not only at temperatures of up to 320°C, but apply separate coatings on the two sides of certain materials at different temperatures, within a single pass through the machine. To achieve this, the first two chambers of the stenter are fitted with TwinTherm burners for individual top/bottom heating. A temperature differential of up to 60°C can be achieved between the upper and lower nozzles within the chamber, depending on the treatment parameters.

“There are many applications where employing two separate temperature treatments is beneficial, such as floorcoverings – where the textile face fabric is treated at one temperature and the rubber backing at another – as well as PVC flooring employing chemical foams, black-out roller blinds with heavy backings or PTFE-coated filter materials,” Gesser explains.

Another key feature of the technical textiles line at the ATC is the Montex stenter’s special stretching device which is capable of pulling ten tons in length and ten tons in width – a huge amount per square metre of fabric and necessary in the production of materials such as woven or 3D knits for high temperature filter media.

Monforts also offers the special T-max grease-free stenter chain for high temperature treatments up to 320°C, at machine speeds up to 100m/min and transverse tension up to 2,500 N/m with the benefits of no maintenance and no grease marks on fabric.

“Technical textiles are extremely diverse in their end-use applications but the needs of the manufacturers of very different materials are still uniform in many respects,” says Gesser. “European-built Montex stenters provide maximum finishing efficiency and many of our customers are operating them 24 hours a day over seamless shifts.”

Existing customers include manufacturers in the fields of home textiles, geotextiles and automotive fabrics, as well as functional materials and dedicated Montex lines have also been supplied to producers of airbags, flame retardant barrier fabrics and spacer fabrics.

“Techtextil North America is a very important show for us because technical textiles are a key pillar of our production programme,” Gesser concludes. “North America is one of our major markets and we are looking forward to reconnecting with existing and potentially new customers at this always-vibrant show.”

When textiles are equipped with electronic components, conductive yarns and textile sensors, the application possibilities are almost unlimited. These high-tech textiles are a global growth market. In Stuttgart, manufacturers, users and researchers presented amazing examples of applications in construction, architecture and mobility. The appropriate standards ensure quality and safety.

In keeping with the themes of the event, participants were able to take a look behind the construction fence of the Stuttgart 21 rail project on the first day. After the tour, DITF board member Götz T. Gresser drew parallels with the market for smart textiles. Just like the completion of the underground station, the market potential for smart textiles is developing more slowly than predicted.

One important reason for this is that there is still a lot to be regulated. Standardization was therefore a key topic in the presentations on the second day of the event. Norms and standards create trust among users. They reduce the error rate in design and therefore development costs, helping to bring innovations and new technological developments into use. Kristina Müller from the German Institute for Standardization explained that consistent compliance with standards can reduce error costs in construction, for example, from the current estimated eleven percent to five percent per year. Jan Beringer from the Hohenstein Group used the example of actively illuminated high-visibility clothing to show the hurdles that need to be overcome on the way to standardization.

In addition to high-visibility equipment, workwear offers many opportunities for smart functions. Despite all safety precautions, accidents at work cannot always be avoided, explained Silke Rehm from Adresys. Smart clothing can then automatically make an emergency call and trigger an emergency shutdown of the machine.

There are suitable testing devices for monitoring and quality assurance of materials and textile surfaces. Stefan Fliescher from Textechno presented a device that has so far been exclusively used at the DITF.

The second block of presentations focused on mobility: examples included textile ideas for flight cabins of the future from Diehl Aviation, precise and therefore energy-saving heating systems for vehicles from Köstler and contactless sensor technology from Rotec, which detects when fiber ropes need to be replaced. Erhardt manufactures flexible, customized bodies for commercial vehicles They are particularly suitable for logistics in city centers and are equipped with textile sensors, for example for measuring temperature or determining the optimum load. The textile superstructures not only offer a textile surface for design, they can also communicate with their surroundings. Digital lettering shows when the vehicle is giving way or warns cyclists of blind spots when turning. Modules that are not required can be folded or rolled up to save space.

In the construction and architecture application area, solutions for climate change are in demand. TEC KNIT has developed smart shading systems made from “shape memory” polymer fibers that close or reopen depending on the temperature. Optigrün relies on smart rainwater management for greening buildings. Textile sensor technology ensures that the water is optimally distributed over the surface - digitally controlled according to the weather forecast. Michael Schneider from the Smart Textiles Hub showed how intelligent knitted fabrics installed on flat roofs detect moisture and temperature by contracting or expanding accordingly. This can also prevent damage caused by icing, for example. Christoph Riethmüller from the DITF explained that the actual state of buildings is constantly changing due to events. The charm of smart textiles is that they can adapt to these changes. In this way, it is possible to intervene before negative consequences become noticeable. This saves a lot of energy. For example, the targeted heating of walls depending on the relative humidity prevents the occurrence of mold with low energy consumption. Intelligent shading systems also ensure that rooms remain at a pleasant temperature in summer without air conditioning and that the heat remains in the room in winter.

The event was accompanied by an exhibition where participants were able to try out numerous smart products.

The annual User Forum is organized by the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), the Textile Research Institute Thuringia-Vogtland e.V. (TITV Greiz) and the Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V. (FKT).

The next SMART TEXTILES User Forum will take place on March 4-5, 2026 in Zeulenroda.

High registration numbers with many new exhibitors herald a strong Techtextil and Texprocess 2026. From 21 to 24 April 2026, international suppliers present their innovations at the two leading trade fairs - whether in terms of materials, technologies or sustainability. With an adapted hall layout and new product groups, Techtextil and Texprocess create the best conditions for this.

Turbulent times for the industry: recession, sustainability requirements and geopolitical challenges are putting market participants under pressure with subdued purchasing behaviour, restrained investment or complex process adjustments. The industry's response: innovation and outstanding solutions. Whether new material ideas, efficient processes or sustainable developments: Very important platforms to present these are the world's leading trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess in Frankfurt. In addition to the familiar big players, an exceptionally large number of new exhibitors will take part in 2026.

Texprocess 2026: Global visibility for world premieres
Exhibitors from all product groups have already registered to take part in Texprocess, the leading trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials. From cutting and sewing to finishing. Among them are Brother Internationale Industriemaschinen, Gütermann (Germany), Morgan Tecnica (Italy), Robotech (Turkey), Sheffield Cutting Equipment (USA), Style3D | Assyst, Veit and Zünd Germany. New exhibitors include Amann (Germany), Coloreel (Sweden), Comelz, Cutting Edge Automation Machines (Italy) or Pathfinder Australia. Driven by automation, digitalisation and AI, exhibitors are developing increasingly efficient solutions - and are thus resonating with the needs of the international market.

Techtextil 2026: realising market potential with innovations
Techtextil is also seeing great booking interest from exhibitors. Among those registered are Concordia Textiles (Belgium), Groz-Beckert (Germany), Klopman International (Italy), Kolon Industries (Korea), Lenzing, Sattler Pro-Tex (Austria), Sioen (Belgium) and Schill+Seilacher (Germany). The many new exhibitors include Dystar Singapore, Indorama Ventures Fibers Germany, Monteiro Ribas (Portugal), TreeToTextile (Sweden) and Woolmark (Germany). The leading trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens covers the entire spectrum of high-tech textiles. Suppliers meet buyers from a wide range of industries here. They are looking for customised material solutions - whether for the automotive or apparel industry. For the first time, there is a separate area for Textile Chemicals & Dyes in Hall 9.0, which is already in high demand. The new Performance Apparel Textiles area in Hall 9.0 is also attracting great interest. It offers promising synergies: With Fibres & Yarns, manufacturers find their upstream stage in the same hall. In addition, the proximity to Texprocess in Hall 8.0 makes it even more accessible for the apparel industry.
 
Techtextil and Texprocess will be held from 21 to 24 April 2026.

From now on, Mehler Texnologies and Heytex will be known by the new name of MehlerHeytex. This name is a visible sign of the merger between the two companies and sets with greater innovation strength new standards for customers and other business partners.

MehlerHeytex brings together Mehler Texnologies and the core business of the Heytex Group, both leading global specialists for coated technical textiles. With some 1,000 employees at the production locations in Germany, Czech Republic and China, as well as sales offices worldwide the company serves numerous markets. MehlerHeytex products are used, for example, in truck tarpaulins and container covers, door seals, biogas membranes, drinking water tanks, tents, inflatable boats, as well as advertising media in large-format digital printing.

Freudenberg Performance Materials Holding GmbH, the parent company of Mehler Texnologies, acquired the core business of the Heytex Group in December 2024. Since then, this part of Heytex with three production locations in Germany and China, as well as all headquarter-related functions, belong to MehlerHeytex, the newly-formed specialist for coated technical textiles.

“The standardized market presence is an important step towards more clarity and transparency for our customers and other business partners. It represents the best of two worlds. We continue to work at top speed on the merger of Mehler Texnologies and Heytex, so that our customers can benefit from all the advantages of this acquisition as quickly as possible,” Dr. Henk R. Randau, Senior Vice President Coated Technical Textiles, said.

For the time being, the new corporate brand is the only change for customers and other business partners of the coated technical textiles specialist. All other aspects of business relations such as contacts, addresses and banking details remain unchanged for the present. The further merging of the two companies will take place step-by-step. MehlerHeytex will keep its customers and business partners continuously updated on relevant changes.

Large-area filtration faces the stigma of high costs, maintenance efforts, and time-consuming changeover and cleaning activities. However, good filtration is unavoidable with increasing rPET proportions. So, BB Engineering has addressed these issues with its decades of experience in extrusion and filtration. The new COBRA filter combines continuous and automated large-area filtration with integrated intermediate filter cleaning – setting a new standard in efficiency, ease of use and resource saving, and finally meeting the demanding requirements of recycling processes.

Large-area fine filtration made for recycling
Recyclers are currently dealing with a dilemma when it comes to filtration. Increasing recycling quotas coupled with insufficient availability mean that lower input qualities are also being considered for recycling, resulting in more challenging contaminants. At the same time, higher-quality applications are being targeted, which further intensifies the requirement for fine filtration. There are systems for large quantities of contaminants, but they do not filter as finely as a candle filter. There are also candle filters that provide excellent filtration but cannot cope with high levels of contamination.

The new COBRA filter can do both. It was specially developed for demanding filtration tasks with high levels of contamination, particularly in PET recycling. Multitasking is the keyword. COBRA unites large-area fine filtration with simultaneous, fast and effortless cleaning, and is therefore able to handle higher contamination rates, which common candle filters would fail on. However, this allrounder can also be used for other applications, e.g. in synthetic fiber spinning.

Continuity and process stability thanks to automation
As a continuous filter, the COBRA filter has two filter inserts, one of which is always active in production mode and the other either in stand-by mode or in intermediate cleaning. The automated switchover ensures a smooth changeover between the inserts. The status of the filter inserts is constantly checked by the system and, if necessary, the COBRA filter automatically initiates the cleaning and changeover process. All the operator has to do is confirm this on the user interface – no further manual intervention is required. The process thus continues to run stably and safely without interruption. Operator-related deviations in the switching process, operating errors or delays, all of which could affect the process, cannot occur.

Effortless inline cleaning – effective and safe
The highlight of the COBRA filter is the integration of BBE’s White Filter Cleaning technology (WFC). This process enables absolutely chemical-free and environmentally friendly intermediate cleaning of the filter inserts using hot steam alone and extends the filter’s service life many times over. BBE has already had WFC in its product portfolio as a stand-alone solution for several years. Now, for the first time, the cleaning system is integrated directly into a filter, bringing additional advantages, like cleaning speed and wear-reduction. Production and cleaning becomes an alternating interaction. Only after multiple operating/cleaning cycles (the exact number depends on product and degree of soiling) is it necessary to completely remove the filter insert for a service check and full cleaning. The WFC cleaning process only takes around 10 hours, whereas conventional cleaning takes several days. Filtration and cleaning form a self-contained, automated system that guarantees process and operating safety in equal measure: The operator does not have to handle melt or chemicals.

Development goals: Simplified handling, economic efficiency
BBE focused on simplifying filter changes and cleaning processes through automation as well as significant savings in operating costs. And that has been successful. Comparing the COBRA filter with other fine filters with a throughput of 2000 kg/h reveals a saving of 40% in pure operating costs. This saving results from various aspects. One significant part of the savings comes from the reduction of melt loss through backflush-cycles. Another key point is the continuous operation with significantly longer service life thanks to the integrated cleaning with steam. This is linked to reduced use of spare parts and consumables due to the gentle treatment, conversion costs and a lower energy requirement, as no heating and cooling phases and generally lower cleaning temperatures are required. Costs of chemicals are completely eliminated. Automation reduces personnel costs due to the low operating effort and training requirements. In terms of operation, the COBRA filter is also very safe - the closed system of filtration and cleaning without chemicals eliminates many of the risks associated with conventional filters and cleaning methods, such as the risk of injury and fire.

The cost savings are even more far-reaching if you extend the consideration to the downstream processes. The outstanding cleaning performance of COBRA saves a great deal of effort, interruptions and further processing.

The new COBRA filter will be presented to the public for the first time at the PRSE in Amsterdam at the beginning of April.

In a strategic move designed to align a long-term vision, RTS Textiles Ltd (RTS) announced that all operations and joint venture partners are united as the RTS Textiles Group Ltd (RTS Group). This newly formed global powerhouse in the workwear and protective textiles markets will be led by RTS, with minority shareholdings held by TMG – Acabamentos Têxteis S.A. (TMG) and Sapphire Textile Mills Limited (STM).

Effective 24th March 2025, this merger marks the next step in a partnership that has developed over years of collaboration between RTS, TMG and STM. Initially starting as supply chain partners, in 2017 TMG and RTS entered into a joint venture as MGC in Portugal, and in 2021 STM and RTS entered into a strategic partnership under CTI in Asia. This new integrated strategic merger will further enhance the combined strength of all three companies offering greater innovation and operational efficiency, positioning RTS Textiles Group as a leading force in the market.

The group will encompass RTS' wholly owned brands and operations, including Carrington Textiles, Pincroft and Alltex, as well as full ownership of CTI, MGC and Melchior. The current management team at RTS will continue to lead the new entity, ensuring continuity and maintaining strong customer relationships.

Leveraging Expertise and Resources
The merger brings together the unique strengths of each organisation: RTS, known for high-performance flame-retardant (FR) fabrics for the PPE sector and rotary screen-printed fabrics for the military market, TMG - experts in weaving, dyeing and finishing high-quality fabrics, serving a wide variety of applications in the workwear sector and STM, specialised in vertical integration, with a focus on spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing workwear textiles.

Increasingly weaker demand from key sales markets over the course of 2024 is slowing SGL Carbon's sales and earnings growth. Group sales in 2024 amounted to €1,026.4 million, down slightly by 5.8% on the prior-year level (2023: €1,089.1 million). The group's adjusted EBITDA decreased by 3.3% to €162.9 million (2023: €168.4 million).

Despite the slight decline in sales, the adjusted EBITDA margin improved from 15.5 % in the previous year to 15.9 % in 2024. This is mainly due to positive price and product mix effects.

Declining demand from the key semiconductor and automotive markets, coupled with persistently unsatisfactory demand from the wind industry, led to a decrease in volume and sales in three of four business units. Only Process Technology was able to improve its sales and adjusted EBITDA.

Earnings performance in the past fiscal year was strongly affected by non-recurring items of minus €118.5 million (2006: minus €52.9 million). These mainly included the impairment of assets of the Carbon Fibers business unit totaling €91.2 million (previous year: €44.7 million) and expenses from restructuring measures in the Carbon Fibers and Battery Solutions business lines totaling €19.0 million. After deducting one-off effects and non-recurring items as well as depreciation and amortization of €58.7 million (2023: €58.9 million), EBIT amounted to minus €14.3 million in 2024 (2023: €56.6 million).

Taking into account the financial result of minus €32.6 million (2023: minus €34.2 million) and tax expenses of €32.5 million (2023: €19.3 million), SGL Carbon recorded a net loss of €80.3 million (2023: net profit of €41.0 million) despite the solid overall business performance.

In 2024, the Carbon Fibers (CF) business unit's sales continued to decline, decreasing by 6.7% to €209.8 million (2023: €224.9 million). The decline was due in particularly to the continued low demand from the wind industry and the increasing competitive headwind resulting from global overcapacity for textile and carbon fibers.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Carbon Fibers business unit decreased by €18.2 million year-on-year to minus €11.0 million (2023: €7.2 million). The lack of fixed cost absorption led to high idle capacity costs and combined with declining margins for our fiber products, had a negative impact on adjusted EBITDA. It should be noted that the Carbon Fibers business unit included the result of the equity accounted activities (mainly the joint venture Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes, BSCCB) in the amount of €15.8 million (2023: €18.3 million). Excluding the contribution from the equity-accounted BSCCB, the adjusted EBITDA of Carbon Fibers would amount to minus €27.0 million (2023: minus €10.9 million).

In February 2025, as part of the review of all strategic options for the Carbon Fibers, a decision was made to extensively restructure the Carbon Fibers business unit, which also includes the closure of unprofitable business activities. A complete sale of the Carbon Fibers activities was reviewed and is currently not considered feasible.

In the reporting period, sales in the Composite Solutions (CS) business unit amounted to €124.6 million, down 19.0% (2023: €153.9 million). The decline was due in particular to the premature expiration of a significant project-related supply contract with an automotive customer.

As a result of lower volumes and product mix effects, CS's adjusted EBITDA decreased by €4.0 million or 18.0% year on year to €18.2 million (2023: €22.2 million). It should be noted that the adjusted EBITDA includes a compensation payment of €3.0 million for a prematurely terminated customer contract. The adjusted EBITDA margin remained almost constant at 14.6% compared to the previous year (2023: 14.4%).

Forecast
For the year 2025, SGL Carbon expects different but overall challenging developments in their key sales markets. For the semiconductor industry and in particular for silicon carbide-based semiconductors, the demand is expected to remain moderate. The main reasons are lower than originally forecast growth rates for electric vehicles and continued high inventories at our customers site. At the earliest, demand could pick up in the second half of 2025. The company also expects a high degree of uncertainty combined with lower momentum for the automotive market segment.

The forecast for the current fiscal year 2025 takes into account all four operating business units, as they are still in the early stages of restructuring our Carbon Fibers business. Based on their assumptions regarding the development of the key sales markets, the managers expect consolidated sales for fiscal year 2025, including all business units, to be slightly below the previous year (2024: €1,026.4 million).

Taking into account all four operating business units, an adjusted EBITDA in 2025 is expected to range between €130 million and €150 million. Furthermore, the assumption is that the free cash flow at the end of the 2025 financial year - excluding payments for the planned restructuring of the CF - will be below the previous year's level but still positive (2024: €38.7 million).

Restructuring Carbon Fibers
On February 18, 2025, the Board of Management of SGL Carbon announced a restructuring of the loss-making CF business unit. This includes a significant reduction of CF's business activities and a focus on a profitable core. SGL Carbon's group sales guidance for 2025 excluding the expected sales contribution from CF would be approximately €200 million lower. On the other hand, the adjusted EBITDA for the remaining businesses excluding the operating adjusted EBITDA of CF would be between 155 – 175 million €.

“In the coming months, our work will focus on restructuring the carbon Fibers business unit and safeguarding our profitability. This includes focusing on new sales opportunities to further utilize our production capacities and strict cost management. The major trends such as digitization, climate-friendly transportation and renewable energy sources remain intact and are the drivers for our key sales markets. SGL Carbon will benefit from these trends and the associated growth opportunities in the medium and long term,” explains Andreas Klein, CEO of SGL Carbon SE.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, in partnership with International Filtration News magazine, announces the finalists for the inaugural FiltXPO™ Awards. Recognizing outstanding achievements across the entire filtration value chain, the awards celebrate groundbreaking advancements that utilize nonwoven fabrics and technology.

Presented at FiltXPO™, April 29-May 1, 2025, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Florida, these awards highlight exceptional innovations in three categories:

• Air/Gas Filtration Media
• Water/Liquid Filtration Media
• Filtration Equipment

Each nominated product has demonstrated creativity, uniqueness, technical sophistication, and the potential to significantly advance filtration performance and sustainability. Voting takes place on the International Filtration News website and the deadline to submit votes is April 18, 2025:

FiltXPO Air/Gas Filtration Award

• Hollingsworth & Vose – NanoWave® ESA
  Introducing NanoWave®ESA, an all-synthetic, 3D filter media free from PFAS. This revolutionary product enables production of highly efficient, comfortable, stretchable respiratory protection, suitable for various protective applications.
• Lanaco – EcoStatic® ML Series Filter Media
  Lanaco’s wool-based air filtration solution utilizes advanced electrostatic technology, providing exceptional efficiency and ultra-low pressure drop, even under challenging environmental conditions. USDA-certified as 100% Biobased, EcoStatic® ensures sustainability without sacrificing performance.
• Greentech Environmental LLC – Greentech Filters with ODOGard®
  ODOGard® technology deeply integrates odor-neutralizing polymers into nonwoven and nanofiber filters, offering an innovative, non-toxic approach to indoor air quality. ODOGard® significantly enhances filtration durability and performance.

FiltXPO Water/Liquid Filtration Award

• Ahlstrom – BioProtect™
  Ahlstrom’s sustainable BioProtect™ material offers superior dye-catching performance for laundry applications. Manufactured from 100% naturally derived fibers and OC-Biobinder®, BioProtect™ is both biobased and home compostable, combining premium performance with environmental responsibility.
• Periodic Products, Inc. – MetalXtract® Filter Media
  Using patented Chelok® Polymer Technology, MetalXtract® provides remarkable metal adsorption capabilities—100 to 500 times greater than traditional resins—across a wide pH range. Ideal for wastewater treatment and environmental remediation, this biodegradable solution effectively controls contamination at high flow rates.

FiltXPO Filtration Equipment Award

• Luwa America Inc. – Multi Cell Filter (MCV)
  The space-saving MCV significantly reduces required floor space by approximately 70% compared to traditional drum filters. Its intelligent PLC-controlled design optimizes filter cleaning cycles, reduces energy usage, and substantially cuts operational costs and carbon footprint.
• Oerlikon Neumag – hycuTEC
  Oerlikon Neumag’s innovative hycuTEC technology hydrocharges nonwoven filter media, achieving over 99.9% filtration efficiency with dramatically lower pressure loss and minimal resource consumption. Easy to integrate and retrofit, hycuTEC represents a breakthrough in high-efficiency filtration media production.
• Filtration Advice Inc. – FA-TCO Software
  This cutting-edge software provides comprehensive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis and predictive modeling for air filtration systems. FA-TCO enables data-driven decisions, extending filter lifespans, reducing operational costs, and enhancing overall sustainability in filtration management.

Finalists will present their innovative solutions at FiltXPO, showcasing breakthroughs that elevate quality, efficiency, and sustainability across the filtration industry.

“We’re delighted to highlight these groundbreaking innovations that promise to reshape the filtration landscape,” said Matt O’Sickey, Ph.D., INDA’s Director of Education & Technical Affairs. “FiltXPO provides the perfect stage to recognize the industry’s most significant advances and inspire future developments.”

Feuerwear verarbeitet gebrauchten Feuerwehrschlauch und setzt damit nicht nur am Global Recycling Day ein starkes Zeichen. Der Global Recycling Day erinnert weltweit daran, wie wichtig Wiederverwertung und Ressourcenschonung sind. Für das Kölner Label Feuerwear ist das kein einmaliges Ereignis, sondern gelebte Realität seit zwei Jahrzehnten. Das Unternehmen schafft aus ausrangierten Feuerwehrschläuchen stylische Taschen, Rucksäcke und Accessoires. Nachhaltigkeit ist hier kein Trend, sondern tief in der DNA des Unternehmens verankert. Pro Jahr verarbeitet Feuerwear bis zu 45.000 Meter Feuerwehrschlauch - über 14 Tonnen Feuerwehrschlauch für ein zweites Leben. Insgesamt wurden in den letzten 20 Jahren bereits 282 Tonnen verarbeitet.

Jedes Feuerwear-Produkt erzählt eine Geschichte. Bevor sie in Handarbeit zu Hip Bags, Portemonnaies oder Rucksäcken verarbeitet werden, haben die Feuerwehrschläuche zahlreiche Einsätze hinter sich – sie haben Flammen getrotzt, Leben gerettet und sind an ihre Grenzen gegangen. Wären sie nicht bei Feuerwear gelandet, würden sie einfach entsorgt werden. Hier werden sie zu langlebigen, unverwechselbaren Unikaten mit Charakter.

Neben Feuerwehrschläuchen setzt das Unternehmen auch auf Stoffe aus recycelten PET-Flaschen. „Unser Ziel ist es, möglichst viele Bestandteile unserer Produkte aus nachhaltig gefertigten – im Idealfall recycelten – Rohmaterialien herzustellen“, erklärt Martin Klüsener, Gründer von Feuerwear. Durch ein besonderes Verfahren entsteht aus geschreddertem PET und spinndüsengefärbtem Garn ein hochwertiges Material, das nicht nur umweltschonend, sondern auch extrem robust ist. Sogar die Tragegurte der Taschen bestehen aus recycelten Sicherheitsgurten.

Das Unternehmen sucht kontinuierlich nach neuen Wegen, noch umweltfreundlicher zu produzieren und bestehende Prozesse weiter zu optimieren. „Wir werden weiterhin einen wertvollen Beitrag für die Umwelt leisten und sind stolz darauf, die Verbundenheit zur Feuerwehr nach außen zu tragen, den Produkten ein zweites Leben zu geben und zukunftsorientiert zu denken und zu handeln“, betont Franziska Rettberg, Marketing-Leitung von Feuerwear.