From the Sector

• Hypetex® to Showcase Coloured Carbon and Flax Fibre Solutions
• Hypetex, London, April 20 2022, Booth R52, Hall 6

Hypetex, the market leaders in colouring carbon and natural fibre materials, will demonstrate both the processing and sustainability benefits of its patented colourisation technology when it exhibits for the first time at JEC World 2022.

Exhibiting as part of the Composites UK stand (Booth R52), Hypetex will display its portfolio of uniquely coloured carbon fibre materials including 3K woven styles, ultra-lightweight spread tow fabrics, UD, and 3D materials. Hypetex will also present details of its latest eco-friendly coloured flax materials  which combine sustainably grown natural flax with sustainable colouring technologies. Hypetex patented colouring technology, available in an extensive palette of standard and bespoke colours and shades, can be applied to traditional woven fabric constructions, non-woven UDs, spread tow and bespoke fabric designs. The technology replaces a traditional coloured painted finish, providing an exceptional depth of colour to any composite part, improving thermal conductivity and reducing heat absorption ,whilst reducing the overall weight and processing time with no compromise to the mechanical performance of the composite structure.

By removing the need for painting, and the associated preparation steps, Hypetex technology provides manufacturers with a repeatable straight out of the mould coloured finish, that is not only easy to integrate into all composite processes, but also takes additional materials, consumables, and process time out of the component cost. As part of its continued commitment to leading the drive for more sustainable composite solutions, and its focus on improvements based on the ESG framework. Hypetex will also display its new range of coloured flax fibre textiles. The advanced colouring technology used protects the natural flax fibres throughout the high temperature processes required for composite production, avoiding burning or any discolouration issues common to natural fibres. In addition, Hypetex colouring solution is an ecofriendly sustainable alternative to traditional dyeing processes which are a significant cause of global water pollution.

The Hypetex team will be on hand throughout the show to provide additional details on Hypetex materials and their integration into the manufacturing process. Visitors to the Hypetex stand will be able see Hypetex carbon and flax products in raw fabric, and how its unique colour palette translates into the most distinctive finished moulded components. Hypetex partners SHD Composites, Textreme, Sigmatex and Angeloni will also have materials and components on display at JEC World 2022, including sporting equipment such as racquets, sticks, and skateboards, which highlight the massive range of processing options and potential applications for this novel technology. One such application, the adidas Kromaskin field hockey stick, with a unique Hypetex coloured Textreme spread tow carbon finish, will also be part of the JEC Innovation Planets feature.

• Sustainability and security combined:
• RF security labels from Checkpoint Systems can be fully recycled as part of kerbside paper-based recycling collections

To ensure that its retail customers are not negatively affecting the recyclability of product packaging by attaching security labels,Checkpoint Systems partnered with PTS – an organisation with over 70 years’experience researching the use of fibre-based solutions – to conduct a series oftechnical tests on its range of labels. The technical report concluded that consumers can safely dispose of a Checkpoint security label in a household recycling bin, without having to separate the label from the packaging, knowing that the entire pack will be recycled.

The Germany-based research consultancy PTS tested a range of Checkpoint labels. PTS analysed the labels, which were different sizes and materials, to ensure that following the standard kerbside recycling process, the recycled, fibre-based material would be of acceptable quality. Each label was applied to a piece of cartonboard to simulate a real-world scenario and the results show that all are classified as being recyclable in accordance with current regulations. All labels – including the 410 RF, 2928 RF and 4210 RF labels – achieved an excellent overall recyclability rate of over 94%.

Sustainability is essential

With brands making strong commitments to sustainability – including investing in more environmentally friendly forms of packaging like cartonboard – and consumers increasingly demonstrating their preferences for sustainable packaging it is pivotal that anything applied to an item – at any point along the supply chain or in-store – does not affect the recyclability of its packaging.

Security labels play a vital role in ensuring products remain available to purchase. Retailers have been using a diverse range of labels to protect their merchandise, working with suppliers to ‘tag’ items at source or relying on store associates to apply labels in-store. As one of the largest suppliers of RF-based Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) labels globally, Checkpoint’s labels are applied to millions of products, which are packaged in different materials. Typically, when recycled, packaging labels tend to end up in a combination of different rubbish and recycling streams, depending on the packaging material and the consumer commitment to recycling.

Until today, the recyclability of these labels has been relatively unknown. It means that retailers and consumers could inadvertently be contaminating the paper-based packaging recycling stream with millions of security labels – still attached to packaging which could have otherwise been recycled up to 25 times.

“Security labels play an important role in helping retailers protect their profits, but it is vital they don’t stop packaging from being recycled. We are delighted to have achieved this accreditation from PTS that shows our labels can be recycled through the existing kerbside collections. It means that brands and retailers can be assured they are not negatively affecting a country’s recycling rate, while also knowing their customers can conveniently dispose of the entire pack, packaging material and label, in the same household recycling bin. Our labels passed all of PTS’ stringent tests meaning they have little to no impact on the recyclability of a piece of cartonboard packaging." 

Das interdisziplinär aufgestellte Forscherteam von der TU Dresden, bestehend aus Dr.-Ing. Dilbar Aibibu und Dipl.-Ing. Lukas Benecke vom Institut für Textilmaschinen und Textile Hochleistungswerkstofftechnik (ITM) der TU Dresden sowie Prof. Dr. med. Marcus Neudert und Dr.-Ing. Zhaoyu Chen von der Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde (HNO) der Medizinischen Fakultät der TU Dresden, wurde für die Entwicklung eines biomimetischen Trommelfellimplantats, die maßgeblich in dem IGF-Forschungsvorhaben 20533 BR umgesetzt worden ist, für den diesjährigen Otto von Guericke-Preis der AiF nominiert.

Prof. Chokri Cherif, Institutsdirektor des ITM freut sich mit seinem Team sehr über die kontinuierlichen interdisziplinären Forschungserfolge auf dem stetig wachsenden Forschungsfeld der faserbasierten Biomedizintechnik, die am ITM in enger Kooperation mit Medizinern und Anwendern stetig erzielt werden. „Bereits im letzten Jahr wurden wir mit der Entwicklung neuartiger textiler Herzklappenprothesen als eines der drei Finalistenteams des Otto von Guericke-Preises 2020 geehrt. Die Nominierung für diesen hochkarätigen Preis ist eine erneute Bestätigung für den Bedarf an unserer praxisorientierten Forschung und eine besondere Würdigung, aber gleichzeitig auch weiterer Ansporn.

Über 30 Millionen Menschen leiden jährlich an den Folgen eines defekten Trommelfells. Ohne fachmedizinische Behandlung kann dies zu dauerhaften Schäden und schwerem Hörverlust führen. Zur Rekonstruktion des Trommelfells, der sogenannten Myringoplastik, werden heute körpereigene Knorpelhaut, Faszie oder synthetische Materialien eingesetzt. Da deren Materialeigenschaften nicht denen des natürlichen Trommelfells entsprechen, ist eine vollständige Rehabilitation des Gehörs damit nicht möglich.

Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler vom ITM und HNO-Klinik der TU Dresden entwickelten im Rahmen des IGF-Vorhabens „Simulationsgestützte Entwicklung einer flexiblen Technologie zur Umsetzung biomimetischer, langzeitresorbierbarer funktionaler und stabiler Trommelfellimplantate MyringoSeal)“ ein biomimetisch aufgebautes künstliches Trommelfellimplantat, das die körpereigenen Schwingungseigenschaften exakt wiedergibt. Die neuartige Membran ermöglicht eine vollständige Wiederherstellung der Schwingungseigenschaften des Trommelfells. Die Herstellung solcher Implantate ist mithilfe der Elektrospinntechnologie aus den Biomaterialien Seidenfibroin und Polycaprolacton möglich.

Stahl, an active proponent of responsible chemistry, has taken an important step toward realizing its target of having lifecycle assessment (LCA) data for all strategic products by the end of 2023. By working closely together with Spin 360, a tech-enabled sustainability consultancy, Stahl has achieved certification of LCA data generation systems, allowing verifiable information to be collected for its products.
LCA is a methodology that measures the impact of any product on the environment over the course of its life. The LCA methodology can provide quantitative data in a format that permits comparisons to be made. The certification of LCA data generation systems is a foundational step to ensuring the accuracy and reliability of future LCA analyses.

Through close collaboration, Stahl and Spin 360 have implemented an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) system – certified by Bureau Veritas – at Stahl’s site in Palazzolo, Italy. An EPD is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the environment impact of products across their entire lifecycle. This implementation underlines Stahl’s commitment to enabling the sustainable development of its industry by driving accountability and transparency.

Michael Costello, Stahl Group ESG Director: “One of Stahl’s strategic ESG goals is to collect verifiable, high-quality LCA data for its products, thereby paving the way to lowering the environmental impact of the whole supply chain. This EPD system certification is an important achievement, and a key step in realizing this goal. Looking ahead, we’ll continue to work with our partners to enable our certified LCA data availability and shape a better industry.”

Federico Brugnoli, CEO of Spin 360: “We are very proud to have supported this complex process that will ensure the complete reliability of Stahl’s LCA data. Now we will look at the next steps in supporting Stahl, focusing environmental footprint reductions through science-based evolution of the industry. We’re confident that – together – we can ensure a better future for us all.”

• DiloGroup looks forward to participating in the Techtextil India show 2021.

DiloGroup offers tailor-made production systems from one supplier and will inform at this forum in the German pavillon about its portfolio and the latest equipment developments from fibre opening to the finished felt.

A new, simplified elliptical needle beam drive makes Hyperpunch technology also attractive for standard application. Hyperpunch HαV allows a more uniform stitch distribution in the preneedling process especially in combination with the new needle pattern 6000X. In a complete needling line this felt homogenization process can be improved further by using the new needle pattern 8000X which is a milestone in the needle pattern development process and results in endproduct surfaces with low markings over a wide range of advances/stroke.

The “3D-Lofter” which was first presented during ITMA 2019 in Barcelona offers a wider range of nonwovens applications by exploring the third dimension. A series of single web forming units which work according to the aerodynamic web forming principle deliver defined fibre masses in varied patterns on a base needlefelt. A stress oriented production of technical formed parts resulting in fibre savings or patterned DI-LOUR or DI-LOOP felts are two examples for this technology which explores new application areas for needlefelts.

The 3D-Lofter technology may also be used “inverted” for filling up bad spots in web mats and thus achieves a better homogeneity of e. g. spunlace, thermobond or airlay products. The DiloLine 4.0 concept offer I4.0 modules which not only support the user but also facilitate quality control and maintenance by a maximum data transparency in production and control of operation. The Dilo solutions “Smart Start” for a fully automatic start of the production line or “DI-LOWATT” for energy savings are accompanied by Siemens solutions which can be selected via App or Data Cloud “MindSphere”.

With more than 370 installations delivered to the nonwovens industry worldwide, DiloGroup has the necessary know-how and the complete equipment portfolio to engineer the perfect production line for any product specification. The efficiency of Dilo production lines is the result of long-term research work and experience. Apart from machines for needling technology we offer in cooperation with partner companies also production lines including thermobonding and hydroentangling components.

• FILO, 29th-30th September 2021, booth C5

Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei has been invited to showcase at Filo fair, the international exhibition of orthogonal weaving yarns for clothing and furnishings, circular knitwear and technical textiles, in a new special area, a dedicated open space reserved to sustainable fibers that will allow visitors to discover all their production cycle and performances, in full relax and transparency.

Bemberg™, an exceptional fiber made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linters pre-consumer materials and converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process, will brings to Filo its history, experience, know-how and market partnerships to prove its versatility and design-driven look and touch Last but not least we are talking about a true circular economy-oriented ingredient, with certified sustainable performance: Bemberg™ is biodegradable and compostable material as verified by the INNOVHUB 3rd party test and it has GRS (Global Reycled Standard) certification from Textile Exchange proving recycling authenticity.

Bemberg™ application history starts with high-quality suit lining, but today we can find it in many other applications such as fashion couture, outerwear, innerwear, bedding, and sportswear where its amazing unique touch and quality is offering a distinctive performance.

And to prove all of this, Bemberg™ will be at Filo showing some selected fabric innovation, and three responsible-driven designers representing different and complementary part of contemporary consumer wardrobe: ZEROBARRACENTO, Maurizio Miri and WAXEWUL - who have all chosen Bemberg™ fiber to create special collections. Three different ways to see and represent how sustainability and style – even if completely different ones – together can be highly successful, performing and interesting to the new consumer.

ZEROBARRACENTO, a gender-neutral emerging outerwear brand focusing on zero-waste product development, selects Bemberg™ for two fundamental reasons: firstly, from a stylistic point of view for its extreme versatility: in the various collections we have adopted it to create Kimonos, padded jackets, wrap dresses as well as for the interiors of our garments, which are intended to be soft embraces for total physical and mental comfort. The second but no less important reason is that this fibre has circular values in line with their zero-waste commitment.

The concept of the brand "Maurizio Miri" has a strong personality and a clear intent: to create a product that stimulates the wearer towards beauty. A garment should not simply be worn, but it has also to create a perfect symbiosis with the person wearing it and generate an exchange of positive energies. The purpose is to make the individual feel in perfect harmony with their own image. With this aim in mind, the designer selects extremely precious Bemberg™ linings for their sophisticated tailor jackets. 

Finally, WAXEWUL, a brand of sartorial clothing and artisan accessories with an urban-afro soul that has environmental and social sustainability as its basic ethics. WAXEWUL will bring to Filo its brand-new product, the J_Hood Bag: a doubleface jacket with a comfortably removable hood that can be transformed into a finely hidden doubleface bag. An exclusive, innovative and sustainable garment with minimal impact on the environment made of BemBAZIN™ - a new generation of bazin created, patented and produced by Brunello which is composed by the high-tech and responsible fibers of Bemberg™ - on one side and of wax on the other, traceable and certified, guaranteeing a reduction in waste (two jackets in one) and a long-life cycle.

Circular fashion and textile technology group Infinited Fiber Company has secured investments totaling 30 million euros in its latest financing round completed on June 30. The round also brought Infinited Fiber Company new investors, including sportswear company adidas, Invest FWD A/S, which is BESTSELLER’s investment arm for sustainable fashion, and investment company Security Trading Oy. Among the existing investors contributing to this round of financing were fashion retailer H&M Group, who was the lead investor, investment company Nidoco AB, and Sateri, the world’s largest viscose producer and a member of the RGE group of companies.

This securement of new funding follows Infinited Fiber Company’s April announcement of plans to build a flagship factory in Finland in response to the strong growth in demand from global fashion and textile brands for its regenerated textile fiber Infinna™. The factory, which will use household textile waste as raw material, is expected to be operational in 2024 and to have an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons. The new funding enables Infinited Fiber Company to carry out the work needed to prepare for the flagship factory investment and to increase production at its pilot facilities in the years leading to 2024.

“We are really happy to welcome our new investors and grateful for the continued support from our older investors,” said Infinited Fiber Company co-founder and CEO Petri Alava. “These new investments enable us to proceed at full speed with the pre-engineering, environmental permits, and the recruitment of the skilled professionals needed to take our flagship project forward. We can now also boost production at our pilot facilities so that we can better serve our existing customers and grow our customer-base in preparation for both our flagship factory and for the future licensees of our technology.”

H&M Group is one of Infinited Fiber Company’s earliest investors. They first invested in Infinited Fiber Company in 2019.

H&M Group has also signed a multiyear sales deal with Infinited Fiber Company to secure its access to agreed amounts of Infinna from the planned flagship factory.

New investor BESTSELLER has struck a similar sales deal with Infinited Fiber Company.

In addition to strong interest by global fashion leaders, the technology has significant promise for major textile fiber producers. Allen Zhang, President of Sateri, said: “Sateri is excited to continue to invest in and collaborate with Infinited Fiber Company as part of our long-term commitment towards closed-loop, circular and climate-positive cellulosic fibers. This financing round marks a major milestone for our collaboration in scaling up next-generation fiber solutions.”

Infinited Fiber Company’s flagship plant preparations are also proceeding on other fronts. Several Nordic and international investment banks have given Infinited Fiber Company proposals on the financing options for the investment.

Infinited Fiber Company’s technology turns cellulose-based raw materials, like cotton-rich textile waste, into Infinna, a unique, premium-quality regenerated textile fiber with the natural, soft look and feel of cotton. Infinna is biodegradable and contains no microplastics, and at the end of their life, garments made with it can be recycled in the same process together with other textile waste.

Flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HonG KonG) LTD., will participate in the ITMA Asia + CITME 2020 exhibition to be held at the national Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China in June.

Through its exhibit theme—Step Beyond—SHIMA SEIKI will present its vision of the future, while addressing a variety of solutions for the new normal, including proposals in Factory Automation, Digital Transformation (DX), and various online solutions.

At ITMA Asia SHIMA SEIKI will be making proposals for factory automation centered around the special manufacturing capabilities of our WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines. WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear can be knit in one entire piece without the need for linking or sewing, and allows for on-demand knitting. SHIMA SEIKI will present its WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology in the form of two of the latest machines. The flagship MACH2XS is the one of most advanced flat knitting machines, featuring proprietary four-needle bed and Slideneedle™ technology combined with spring-type moveable sinkers and i-DSCS+DTC® Digital Stitch Control System with Intelligence and Dynamic Tension Control, and capable of all-needle knitting of WHOLEGARMENT® items. MACH2XS is presented in ultrafine 18L gauge, shown for the first time in China. Also shown for the first time in China, MACH2VS, a flexible V-bed machine capable of knitting WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear using every other needle, or conventional shaped knitting using all needles. It also features spring-type moveable sinkers and i-DSCS+DTC® Digital Stitch Control System with Intelligence and Dynamic Tension Control. MACH2VS is presented in ultrafine 18G with auto yarn carriers as a prototype option.

ITMA Asia will also be the occasion for a sneak preview of next-Generation 4-bed WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology. The new machine is named SWG-XR, adopting the SWG moniker from the first-generation WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine introduced back in 1995. The "X" represents 4 needle beds arranged in an Xshaped formation as per the original SWG-X machine, while "R" stands for Reborn and Revolution, referring to a renewal of SHIMA SEIKI's WHOLEGARMENT® knitting that raises the technology to unprecedented levels. By increasing the number of systems from 3 to 4 and featuring auto yarn carriers, SWG-XR allows even higher productivity and vastly improved range of knitting.

In order to further support efforts in DX in the fashion industry, SHIMA SEIKI has released three new online services over the past year which will also be showcased at ITMA Asia: 'APEXFiz™' subscription-based design software; 'yarnbank ™' digital yarn sourcing web service; and 'SHIMAnAVI™' e-learning service.

Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, announced that, together with armor manufacturing partner, MKU Ltd, has provided next generation armor technology with Dyneema® unidirectional (UD) material to support the Sao Paulo police.

The Sao Paulo police, which is comprised of more than 100,000 officers, is the first law enforcement agency in Brazil to initiate a tender for personal protective equipment based on the latest National Institute of Justice (NIJ) .06 standards for body armor, which provide comprehensive and rigorous compliance for the performance and testing of ballistic materials. In addition to NIJ .06 certification, the tender set extremely lightweight requirements for level IIIA soft armor vests.

The hybrid vest solution developed MKU, a global leader in defense and homeland security solutions, for the Sao Paulo police utilizes predominantly Dyneema® UD material to reach new levels of performance and protection while simultaneously enhancing user comfort and mobility. Dyneema®, a strong and light fiber, is the one of leading global brands for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE) fiber, UD and fabrics, offering ballistic solutions for personal and vehicle armor that combine maximum strength with minimum weight.

In soft armor applications, Dyneema® offers up to 35 percent weight reduction when compared to competitive materials, while still protecting against both legacy and emerging threats.

In addition to the lightweight armor requirement, the vests were also thoroughly tested to ensure performance with NIJ ballistic reports, NIJ certification and in-house ballistic testing both during the tender process and after the vests were received.

In line with DSM’s commitment to protect people and the environment they live in, one of the world’s first ever bio-based HMPE fibers was introduced in 2020.

HIGHTEX International Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Trade Fair, which is planned to be held on June 22-26, 2021 was decided to postpone to June 14-18, 2022, considering the effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the world. This postponement decision was taken as a result of intense discussions and evaluations with our participants and sector representatives.

The HIGHTEX Organization Team made the following statements: “We as HIGHTEX Organization Team, our priority is to protect your valuable exhibitors and visitors’ investments and all rights, not our commercial earnings. In this regard, we believe that all of our participants will find this compulsory postponement decision taken for the HIGTEX Exhibition justified and will understand.”

HIGHTEX 2022, which will be held in Istanbul Tuyap Fair and Congress Center between 14- 18 June 2022, simultaneously with the ITM 2022 Exhibition.

HIGHTEX 2022 being the first and only exhibition in its field in Turkey will host the world's leading technical textile and nonwoven manufacturers in Istanbul for 5 days.
HIGHTEX 2022, where many companies from Turkey and abroad will exhibit their latest technologies and products; will be visited by many industry professionals from medical to ready-to-wear, from decoration to cosmetics, from automotive to defense.