From the Sector

Vandewiele Sweden is spearheading a transformation in B2B operations for the industry, with a new e-commerce platform developed in Sweden. The company, a member of TMAS, the Swedish Textile Machinery Association, has taken on the task of developing the digital solution that will meet the future demands for Vandewiele Group customers worldwide.

The Vandewiele Sweden team has developed a user-friendly interface that exploits the latest "exploding view" diagrams to ensure customers can easily identify and order the components they need, all within a 1:1 digital representation. The next stage in 3D technology is set up and ready, although it awaits implementation and market readiness to fully integrate and utilize its features.

Adopting a phased approach, the company is initially introducing its IRO-branded accessories, spare parts and gauge parts, targeting textile mills, weavers and distributors. The platform has been carefully crafted to cater to the varying needs of its diverse clientele, offering streamlined direct sales and a transparent commission structure for agents and distributors.

With an ambitious logistics promise of 48-hour dispatch and leveraging third-party payment service providers like Nets, the company assures speed and reliability in every transaction.

Scheduled for launch in April, Vandewiele stands ready to introduce its new e-commerce solution to key markets, including Scandinavia, the Baltics, parts of Europe, Turkey, and India.

Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG will present its systems and solutions for efficient and high-quality textile production and finishing together with Shanghai Kuantex at ITMA Asia (November 19 and 23). The focus will be on the machine manufacturer's new straightening concept, the Orthopac RXVMC.

"In the new straightening concept, special attention was paid to the straightening mechanics and their interaction with the analysis electronics of the probe system," explains Sales Manager Thomas Höpfl. The control concept is also new. A probe group at the leveler infeed detects distortions even before they reach the correction rolls. In this way, the rolls are brought directly into position and the fabric is corrected from the very first centimeter. A scanner group at the outfeed also detects possible residual distortion, which is corrected at the second straightening module. This enables an even more precise and faster response when it comes to reacting to rapidly changing distortions. The Orthopac RXVMC therefore shows its full strength when straightening knitwear and fabrics sensitive to distortion.

Also contributing to high-quality textile production and finishing is the Famacont PMC for controlling weft and stitch course density, which will also be on show at ITMA Asia. The Famacont PMC-15 uses a sensor to measure the yarn or stitch density and compares it with the target value stored in the recipe data management system. The detected deviation of the yarn density from the target value is used to fully automatically regulate the leading during the needling process on the stenter frame. Interested parties can have the mode of operation explained to them at the Mahlo booth with the help of a demo tower and their own or provided fabric samples.

Another major topic remains Industry 4.0, because the best measured data is of no use if it cannot be utilized. Mahlo has continuously developed its digital environment mSmart. "Our systems generate data that the customer can use immediately to regulate goods on-line. At the same time, all measured values are backed up in our data management system mLog enhanced and can be retrieved at any time. With this historical data, processes can be optimized and weak points in the process can be minimized," explains Sales Manager Thomas Höpfl.

Stahl, a leading provider of coating technologies for flexible substrates, has been awarded a Platinum rating by the sustainability rating agency EcoVadis for the second consecutive year. For the 2023 EcoVadis assessment, Stahl’s rating increased by three points compared to its 2022 score, reflecting the company’s improved performance in the area of labour and human rights.

Progress in the Labour & Human Rights category
The 2023 EcoVadis assessment revealed the progress Stahl is making in the Labour & Human Rights category, where Stahl scored 90 out of a possible 100 points. This reflects the company's recent work to improve its health and safety management systems. In particular, the majority of Stahl’s global manufacturing sites are now ISO 45001 certified and more than 94% are ISO 14001 certified. Stahl has also taken steps to improve its approach to employee career development and well-being. These include the creation of an individual career plan for all employees and the introduction of a new company-wide employee satisfaction survey.
 
Stahl moves forward with 2030 ESG ambitions
Stahl has set a 2030 target to maintain its EcoVadis Platinum rating by working closely with its value chain partners to help them reduce their impact. In 2022, 83% of Stahl’s total spend on raw materials was sourced from EcoVadis-rated suppliers.

EcoVadis is a globally recognised, evidence-based rating platform that assesses the performance of more than 90,000 organisations against key sustainability criteria across four categories: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. For the 2023 EcoVadis assessment, Stahl received an overall score of 80 out of 100, up from 77 in 2022. This score indicates an advanced level of sustainability maturity and ensures that Stahl retains its Platinum rating. This is awarded to the top 1% of companies assessed by EcoVadis. Stahl achieved its first Platinum rating in 2022, having undergone its first EcoVadis assessment in 2015.

adidas unveils its new campaign to celebrate the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™. The campaign is dedicated to next gen icons Alessia Russo, Lena Oberdorf and Mary Fowler and looks to drive more global attention for the game and inspire other young women and girls to follow in their footsteps.

Marking adidas’ most impactful Women’s World Cup campaign to date, the brand unites its global family of football legends and advocates of the women’s game. Headlined by a series of fast-paced films, the campaign welcomes a star-studded line up of David Beckham, Leon Goretzka and Ian Wright, actor and football fan, Jenna Ortega, as well as Argentina’s World Cup hero, Lionel Messi. They come together to celebrate the skills that Russo, Oberdorf and Fowler are renowned for, from vision and interception to power, creativity and accuracy.

The films are part of a new creative proposition from adidas for the upcoming tournament. ‘Play Until They Can’t Look Away’ aims to platform and showcase some of the world’s greatest football players on the biggest stage – whose skills and passion for the game demand global attention and support.

Set against the soundtrack of SL2’s iconic song, On a Ragga Tip, fans see World Cup winner, Lionel Messi, alongside Mary Fowler, guiding both viewers and Jenna Ortega across the world to Fowler’s home country of Australia , with preparations for the biggest women's sporting moment underway.

Meanwhile, David Beckham and Ian Wright, alongside his granddaughter, Women’s Arsenal FC player, Raphaella Wright-Phillips, are unable to look away in a supermarket as Russo spectacularly weaves her way through the narrow aisles, in her own creative fashion. Finally, Goretzka is expertly interrupted while bowling as Oberdorf whizzes around an arcade, powerfully intercepting balls in each scene to achieve a high score of her own.

Paying respect to those who have gone before, the films are also filled with subtle references to memorable moments that football super fans will revel in, including shirt numbers, iconic tournament balls, plus much more.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) of Leeds, England has installed a FET-200LAB wet spinning system at the University of Manchester which will play a major part in advanced materials research to support sustainable growth and development.

This research programme will be conducted by The Henry Royce Institute, which operates as a hub model at The University of Manchester with spokes at other leading research universities in the UK.

The Henry Royce Institute identifies challenges and stimulates innovation in advanced UK materials research, delivering positive economic and societal impact. In particular, this materials research initiative is focused on supporting and promoting all forms of sustainable growth and development.
These challenges range from biomedical devices through to plastics sustainability and energy-efficient devices; hence supporting key national targets such as the UK’s zero-carbon 2050 target.

FET-200 Series wet spinning systems complement FET’s renowned range of melt spinning equipment. The FET-200LAB is a laboratory scale system, which is especially suitable for the early stages of formulation and process development. It is used for processing new functional textile materials in a variety of solvent and polymer combinations.

In particular, the FET-200LAB will be utilised in trials for a family of fibres made from wood pulp, a sustainable resource rather than the usual fossil fuels. Bio-based polymers are produced from biomass feedstocks such as cellulose and are commonly used in the manufacture of high end apparel. The key to cellulose and other materials like lyocell and viscose is that they can be recycled, treated and fed back into the wet spinning system for repeat manufacture.

Established in 1998, FET is a leading supplier of laboratory and pilot melt spinning systems with installations in over 35 countries and has now successfully processed more than 35 different polymer types in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats.

BTMA member Sellers Textile Engineers is marking its 110th anniversary this year with the introduction of a new concept in carpet shearing, as the essential final step in ensuring tuft uniformity and ‘just new’ freshness in finished carpet rolls.

The company has for many years offered two options in the construction of its shearing cylinders – the first, namely the ‘strap-on’, incorporates spiral blades bolted to the cylinder body and the second, known as the ‘caulked-in’, includes spirals which are fixed very securely in a machined groove within the machine.

The new Sellers’ Hybrid Shearing Cylinder combines the benefits of both, resulting in an improved cut and finer finish, in addition to longer repeatable finishing and increased rigidity.

“The Hybrid Shearing Cylinder has all the advantages of the ‘strap-on’ spiral blade to provide a sharper and cleaner cut, along with enhanced rigidity which significantly lengthens the intervals between the necessary regrinding of the blade,” explains Sellers Director Neil Miller. “We currently have six Hybrid Shearing Cylinders operating in the field and the earliest, which has been installed in both No1 Head position, where the majority of the shearing operation and heaviest cut is performed, and also in No3 Head, where the sharper cutting angle has resulted in a much improved surface quality.”

Sellers shearing machines have led the field in carpet finishing for many decades, enabling the leading manufacturers to stay competitive by enabling the highest quality of finish to be achieved economically and efficiently.

The latest advanced features of these machines include a load cell tension control drive system, an automated touchscreen for easy operator control and fault diagnosis, an enhanced cleaning system including cylinder and blade separation and fully controllable pivoting beds. Further options include thickness monitoring, seam detection and metal detection systems.

“The Hybrid Shearing Cylinder will become standard on our latest machines and also be made available for retrofitting, to provide significant benefits to our existing users,” says Miller. “All of our equipment is designed, manufactured, assembled and tested at our plant in the UK, and as one of the few remaining European engineering companies to make all of our components in-house – with now over a century of accumulated know-how – flexibility in design allows our finishing solutions to be targeted to specific customers and their product requirements. Aligned to this is a lead in process control systems which ensure the accurate control, reliability and repeatability of the processing parameters on all of our machines.”

Sellers remains committed to providing complete finishing solutions for all carpet, tile and artificial grass products. Its range includes machines for tufted secondary backing, both conventional, powder and extrusion lamination, Wilton and Axminster products, artificial grass and foam lines, coating lines for bitumen, PVC, PU and other polymers, as well as shearing for all carpet products.

Ongoing developments on the company’s coating and drying lines have resulted in improved guiding and product tension control as well as dryer efficiency, reducing heat loss and optimising energy use. These include a re-design of the fan pressure boxes and impingement nozzles to increase airflow efficiency, modulating gas burners and introducing easy clean, accessible filters.

In addition, the proven dual zone system has been enhanced, giving a temperature differential of up to 80°C between top and bottom zones. Dryers can be heated by either gas or steam and operation and access have been simplified with controls via touchscreen and PLC.

An extensive range of ancillary equipment is available to provide maximum flexibility to cover product requirements, for both new processing lines and as upgrades to existing equipment.

“Carpet manufacturing is now based on well-established, tried and trusted processes and it’s rare for new innovations to be introduced into this sector,” says Jason Kent, CEO of the British Textile Machinery Association. “The new Sellers Hybrid Shearing Cylinder can provide a competitive edge for manufacturers which is currently being proven in the field. It’s one of a number of new innovations the company is planning to showcase at next year’s ITMA exhibition in Milan.”

EFI™ Reggiani, the industrial textile printing business of printing technology company Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (EFI), has broken ground on a new textile campus to accommodate ongoing growth. The new 20,000-square-metre campus in Comun Nuovo, Bergamo, Italy, is expected to be completed midyear in 2023.

Sustainability and employee well-being at the centre
The new facility was designed with environmental sustainability and employee well-being in mind. That focus includes plans to install 400 kilowatts of solar panels supplying 60% of the facility’s total energy requirements. Moreover, the building will benefit from superior thermal insulation that will ensure a reduction in heating and cooling costs. Numerous skylights in the facility will provide better natural lighting and a reduction in artificial lighting usage.
 
Green space on the campus was a priority in the design process, covering an estimated 20% of the total area. For a more welcoming work environment, the campus will also feature a canteen and gymnasium for employee use.
 
A 3,000-square-metre demo centre in the new facility will be nearly twice as large as the current EFI Reggiani demo centre in Grassobbio, Italy, offering a high-end, high-tech showcase for state-of-the-art EFI Reggiani printers, as well as Mezzera pre- and post-treatment and Jaeggli yarn treatment products. The demo centre will also feature EFI Reggiani’s recently acquired portfolio of Inèdit raster image processing (RIP) and workflow software solutions.
 
Transforming the textile industry through innovation in green
Since the launch of its first analogue printer, to its newest digital solutions, EFI Reggiani has at its core a heritage and expertise that have contributed to the transformation of the textile industry worldwide. With its total commitment to providing “Innovation in Green,” EFI Reggiani’s leadership is the result of extensive research targeted at improving productivity, quality and sustainability in its customers’ operations. The company is focused on optimising the textile manufacturing process – and reducing energy use, water consumption and overall environmental impact – to ensure customers’ business growth and profitability.
 
Over the years, EFI Reggiani’s product portfolio has continued to expand, ranging from rotary and flatbed printing machines, to scanning/multi-pass digital printers, to fast digital textile printers.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and Baldwin, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of precision spray systems and technology for sustainable textile manufacturing, announce a new collaboration to optimize performance and resource saving in the finishing department.

The two companies aim to support textile manufacturers in their development projects, targeting to improve their product safety, performance and functionality, while at the same time maximizing the productivity and resource utilization of the finishing application process.

Archroma and Baldwin are collaborating in multiple projects that combine Archroma’s most sustainable product innovations with Baldwin’s Texcoat G4.

TexCoat G4 is a non-contact spray technology for textile finishing and remoistening, designed to allow a controlled and optimal coverage of the exact amount of finish chemistry for reaching specific characteristics of the fabric. The system can be used to reduce water consumption by as much as 50% compared to traditional padding application processes.

Archroma and Baldwin are currently testing Archroma’s finishing products and systems, such as the soon-to-be-launched PFC-free* Smartrepel® Hydro SR for water-based soil repellence, as well as metal and inorganic particle-free antimicrobial technologies like Sanitized T 20-19 and TH 15-14, which will be launched at the upcoming Techtextil 2022.

The first test results will be available for discussions with both partners at Techtextil at their respective booths.

• Innovation begins with creativity
• A pioneer of the manmade fiber industry

When the manmade fiber age began a century ago, a German company was responsible for the pioneering work involved. Barmag, established in 1922, was one of the world’s first companies to construct machines for the large-scale production of synthetic staple fibers. To this day, the leading manufacturer of manmade fiber spinning systems and texturing machines in Remscheid – a brand under the aegis of the Swiss Oerlikon Group since 2007 – has shaped technological progress in this sector; in future, with ever more innovations focusing on sustainability and digitalization.

Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft (Barmag) is founded in Barmen, located in the Bergische Land region, on March 27, 1922. The German and Dutch founders enter unchartered technological territory, one created as the result of a groundbreaking invention: in 1884, French chemist Count Hilaire Bernigaud de Chardonnet used nitrocellulose to produce the first so-called artificial silk, later known as rayon. The following decades see rapid development focusing on the search for synthetic textile fibers and their manufacturing technologies. As one of the first machine factories, Barmag battles its way through the eventful early years of the manmade fiber industry, the ‘Roaring Twenties’ and the Great Depression – and suffers the extensive destruction of its factories at the end of World War Two. Rebuilding is successful. With the unstoppable success story of purely synthetic plastic fibers such as polyamide, the company flourishes from the 1950s through to the 1970s, establishing sites in all international, for the textile industry at the time important, industrial regions and garnering prestige across the globe in the process. In the ups and downs of expansion, global competition and crises, Barmag reaches the very pinnacle of the market and becomes the preferred technological development partner for the manmade fiber industries in China, India and Turkey. The company has been a high-impact brand under the umbrella of the Oerlikon Group since 2007.

On the wings of innovation
Today, Oerlikon Barmag is a leading supplier of manmade fiber filament spinning systems and part of the Manmade Fibers Solutions business unit of the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division. And our aspirations have not diminished: “The striving towards innovation and technological leadership has been, is and will always be part of our DNA”, emphasizes Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions. In the past, this has been observable in such trailblazing innovations as the revolutionary WINGS generation of winders for POY in 2007 and WINGS for FDY in 2012. Currently, the focus of new and further developments is very much on digitalization and sustainability. Here, Oerlikon Barmag has – as one of the world’s first systems manufacturers – been implementing fully-networked smart factories for globally-leading polyester manufacturers since the end of the last decade. Within this context, digital solutions and automation are also helping to provide greater climate and environmental compatibility. This sustainability commitment is not only evidenced by the e-save label introduced for all products back in 2004: Oerlikon is endeavoring to also make all its sites carbon-neutral by 2030 and to acquire its energy exclusively from renewable sources. An ambitious target, whose achievement could be helped by the Oerlikon Barmag anniversary, states Georg Stausberg: “Innovation begins with creativity. And remembering the past provides plenty of motivation and inspiration for the future.”

Stahl, an active proponent of responsible chemistry, today announces that – by the end of Q2 2022 – it will extend its GHG reduction targets to cover Scope 3 emissions. This step underlines Stahl’s commitment to aligning its strategy with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement goals, updated at the recent COP26 in Glasgow.

Between 2015 and 2020 Stahl reduced its Scope 1 and 2 (direct) GHG emissions by 37%, and has committed to a further 2% reduction each year to 2030. Scope 3 emissions cover all the indirect emissions that can occur in a company’s value chain, including raw material acquisition, transportation, and the end-of-life impact of its products. By focusing on Scope 3 emissions, Stahl is committing to de-fossilizing its supply chain and ensuring further accountability for its total environmental impact.

Michael Costello, Stahl Group ESG Director: “Only by focusing on reducing Scope 3 emissions can we accurately align our de-fossilization strategy with the global goal of limiting global average temperature increase to 1.5°C, as agreed at the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and the COP26 in Glasgow. We look forward to working with partners across our industry and value chain to make this happen.”