From the Sector

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. reported that at drupa 2024, running through 7 June at Messe Düsseldorf, it is highlighting its expertise in single-pass printing solutions for packaging, display graphics, and textile markets.

Visitors to EFI’s stand will see some of the companies latest single-pass innovations live, including the Packsize® EFI™ X5® Nozomi, a full-colour, on-demand, right-sized box system that prints, cuts, creases, glues, and erects customised boxes at the rate of up to one box every 6 seconds, and the EFI Nozomi 14000 SD single pass printer for sign and display. The company is also showcasing a vast array of applications produced on the new Nozomi 14000 AQ true water-based, single pass printer for corrugated packaging and displays and the Nozomi 12000 MP single-pass technology for direct-to-metal package printing, as well as the next generation EFI Reggiani BOLT XS single-pass textile printer.

In addition to showcasing single-pass inkjet printing at the show, EFI is also introducing two new software solutions that add to the value of single-pass technology, including:

• EFInsight, cloud-based intelligence that optimises the operational efficiency and TCO of EFI packaging, display graphics, or textile digital inkjet printing systems with cloud-based data collection, analytics, reporting, proactive maintenance, and process control tools. It delivers the insights needed to understand the economics of production and the tools to maximise inkjet printer investments. It is currently available for EFI Nozomi single-pass printers for packaging.
• EFI’s Life Cycle Assessment tool for Nozomi printers, which documents Nozomi’s environmental footprint, developed in partnership with Clean Agency. This tool, which EFI customers and their customers can use, analyses their CO2 emissions as part of their overall packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and has proven that printing corrugated materials on the EFI Nozomi digital press reduces Global Warming Potential (GWP) by over 50% when compared to analogue printing technologies.

Archroma introduces COLOR MANAGEMENT+, an enhanced color design and development solution that helps textile and fashion brands and mills work together for improved economic and environmental sustainability.

Archroma COLOR MANAGEMENT+ incorporates the industry’s largest off-the-shelf color atlas selection, design tools and customized services for fast color selection and creation. It combines these with engineered color standards created with Archroma’s SUPER SYSTEMS+ for reduced environmental impact and consistent and accurate color reproduction.

With these end-to-end capabilities, brands and designers can focus on their color inspiration and on the required functionality and sustainability for their end article, with the assurance that their inspiration can be precisely communicated and efficiently executed at the mill.

Within COLOR MANAGEMENT+, the Color Atlas by Archroma® offers access to a collection of more than 5,700 unique colors for cotton, polyester and blends, both as a physical library and searchable online library. Designers also have the option to create custom colors.

Ahievability criteria are available for each color standard, whether in the Color Atlas or provided as an Engineered Color, at the selection phase. This includes information about the technical and economic feasibility of the selected color, along with a commitment to sustainability build on the foundation of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) Level 3.

The COLOR MANAGEMENT+ color standards provide clear color communication to mill colorists, textile technologists and quality control specialists, helping them deliver the right color faster and achieving reproducible colors across countries and mills. Clear communications can also eliminate excessive lab dipping, shorten approval times and improve first-time-approval rates.

The color standards in COLOR MANAGEMENT+ are created with Archroma’s SUPER SYSTEMS+ solutions for bulk production in mind. Offering end article-specific processing solutions, durable colors and intelligent effects, the SUPER SYSTEMS+ suite allows brands to achieve measurable environmental impact, eliminate harmful or regulated chemicals, and add value and longevity to the end product.

The solution is further supported Archroma’s ONE WAY+ Impact Calculator and Sustainability Improvement Program (SIP), and SAFE EDGE+ compliance-data platform. Global technical support is provided to help the supply chain deliver the right colors with consistency and reduced environmental impact.

The Fashion for Good Museum publishes its legacy document. The report was prompted by the museum’s closure on June 5th, 2024. It represents the museum’s mission, summarising invaluable insights gathered over six years and key results such as reaching 115.000 visitors and creating a dedicated community of more than 250.000 followers online. Committed to transparency and collaboration, Fashion for Good shares its reflections, tools, and transferable learnings, as well as the future of its collections and next steps, continuing to inspire positive change within the fashion ecosystem. All information can be accessed on the Fashion for Good website for continued use and benefit of educators, the cultural sector, and the wider public.

Looking back on its journey, the Fashion for Good Museum celebrates achievements such as hosting 115.000 visitors, including 8.000 students from 200 schools, curating 13 exhibitions, offering over 75 events, launching 4 educational programmes, reaching both current and future generations, and inspiring many to drive change in the fashion industry. With an earned media value of over 46 million Euros through press coverage since 2017, Fashion for Good's influence has been significant, evident in its 250.000 social media followers and 15.000 newsletter subscribers.

The report fulfils the promise Fashion for Good made in 2017 – to share their journey, learnings, and most impactful activities with the world. Within these pages, readers will discover reflections on their messaging, insights about creative partnerships with entities such as Lowlands Festival, Dutch Design Week, and Museumnacht to case studies of pioneering exhibitions. Their programming was created around themes and topics, such as the untold stories around cotton, circularity, and the future of biomaterials to educate and inspire visitors, ultimately empowering them to take action themselves.

Reflecting on the output of the museum during its short existence, as well as its footprint and wide reach, while acknowledging the challenges encountered during its establishment and development, Fashion for Good distilled six key lessons from Fashion for Good's sustainable museum practices:

• Recognition of Broader Shift: There is a wider movement towards sustainability in the museum sector, exemplified by Fashion for Good and the new ICOM definition.
• Storytelling for Societal Change: Cultural institutions are crucial in driving societal change in fashion consumption through storytelling.
• Innovation through Limitations: Embracing organisational limitations can stimulate innovation in museum collection management and education.
• Audience Engagement: Understanding and expanding the core audience is essential for effective engagement in sustainability initiatives.
• Measuring Impact: It's challenging to measure impact for organisations with social missions, requiring clear success criteria.
• Establishing a Sustainability Framework: Defining sustainability within context is fundamental for organisational sustainability efforts.

Durak Tekstil, a Turkish developer of industrial sewing and embroidery threads, is currently making plans for a new and expanded factory at its base in Bursa, as well as opening a regional office in North America next year.

A continuous focus on R&D and the launch of some highly-differentiated products is driving the success of this third-generation family-owned company, which was initially founded in 1971 to provide Turkey with fishing net twine – at that time 100% imported. Durak then expanded into the production of rayon and polyester embroidery threads before successfully diversifying into a wide range of niche and specialised markets, while growing an international customer base. This growth has been accompanied by continuous investment in the latest advanced production technologies.

Among their products is Duma®, a centreless pre-wound under-bobbin made from strong continuous polyester filaments, which is available in various sizes and thanks to careful selection of raw materials and the use of lubrication methods retains its exact tension from beginning to end.

Working on a similar principle is the Duraless® hollow core thread, and both have a melting points of 260ºC and soften at between 220-240ºC. A high heat tolerance is achieved compared to conventional sewing threads when the shrinkage rate at 150ºC is calculated to be less than 1%. The threads show high resistance to most mineral acids, are unaffected by bleaching and micro-organisms and do not deteriorate in washing and dry cleaning.

Other innovations focus on functionality, including the new SilverPro conductive thread for smart textiles and wearable technologies, luminous Milky Way, Redolent scented thread, the Fire-Safe range of meta-aramids and para-aramids and the Cut Safe range manufactured from various combinations of UHMWPE, glass fibre and elastane.

• The fully electric vehicle sport EV to incorporate sustainable, flax-based composites to decarbonise manufacturing
• CUPRA Born VZ to have full natural fibre front seats with Bcomp’s high-performance ampliTex™
• Bcomp’s natural fibre materials enable a reduction of 49% of CO₂ emissions in seats’ production compared to previous version

CUPRA announces the use of Bcomp’s innovative natural fibre composite solutions for the new CUP Bucket seats in the CUPRA Born VZ electric vehicles, the latest addition to the Spanish brand’s vehicle line-up.

CUPRA focuses on innovation and sustainability to redefine the automotive industry. This approach is exemplified by the CUPRA Born VZ, which combines powerful performance with eco-friendly design, aiming to inspire a new generation of drivers with its progressive and responsible engineering.

For the car’s interior design, CUPRA’s collaboration with Bcomp and Sabelt, has resulted in the creation of the first full natural fibre CUP Bucket seats in the CUPRA vehicle line-up. By replacing the seatbacks currently made from carbon and glass fibres, the new all-natural fibre seatbacks offer significant reductions in emissions. The use of Bcomp’s proprietary ampliTex™ technical material reduces CO2 emissions by 49% compared to the hybrid version, while also offering end-of-life options. The incorporation of natural fibres offers other benefits including enhanced vibration damping and increased safety, providing a blend of sustainability and high performance.

• Pitti Uomo and CHIC cooperate at the upcoming event in Florence from 11 to 14 June 2024 and present high fashion design from China under the roof of CHINA WAVE

From 11 to 14 June 2024, eight contemporary high class designer brands from China will present themselves for the first time at the leading menswear and lifestyle event Pitti Immagine Uomo at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, on 264 square metres under the umbrella of CHIC, China International Fashion Fair.

CHINA WAVE, born from the partnership between Pitti Uomo and China National Garment Association, is a collection of China's designer labels showcasing their design expertise in Florence.The line-up includes VALLEYOUTH, KB HONG BY K-BOXING, RAXXY, JDV, FENGGY, BLACKHEAD, KEYONE BY HATTERSHUB, TYPETAIL.

Around 500 exhibitors with international participation from Europe and Asia are expected at the next CHIC from 27 to 29 August in Shanghai. CHIC - China International Fashion Fair is organised by the China National Garment Association in cooperation with the China World Exhibition.

Tintoria Finissaggio 2000 is one of the most important Italian companies in the textile finishing sector. Founded in 1973 in Masserano in the textile district of Biella, the company offers the complete range of dyeing of all types of fibres, finishing, digital printing, lamination and membrane lining. These processes are used to give fabrics certain properties, such as colour, pattern, softness, shine or waterproofness.

At Tintoria Finissaggio 2000, customers benefit from the fact that all processes are handled under one roof, from design support to the finishing of fabrics, combining decades of experience with the new possibilities of lamination and digital printing. The dyeing plant in Masserano is a state-of-the-art facility that fulfils the strictest environmental standards. In general, Tintoria Finissaggio 2000 continuously invests in state-of-the-art technologies and production facilities in order to achieve high-quality results while ensuring sustainable production processes.

Tintoria Finissagio 2000 also focused on innovation when equipping a new stenter frame. The company opted for the latest development from German machine manufacturer Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG: the Orthopac RXVMC-20 automatic straightening system. The new straightening concept is specially designed for processing textiles with high distortion dynamics, i.e. textiles with highly variable distortion. Two individually controlled and driven straightening modules with a total of three bow and four skew rollers ensure that bow and skew distortions are corrected in small steps. The control concept is also new. A scanner group at the infeed of the straightener detects distortions even before they reach the correction rollers. This means that the rollers are brought directly into position and the fabric is corrected from the very first centimetre. A scanner group at the outfeed also recognises any residual distortion, which is then corrected on the second straightening module.

Der neue Consumer-REPORT 2024 - Gardinen, innenliegender Sicht- und Sonnenschutz von Marketmedia24 ist erschienen. Für die Studie wurden in Deutschland insgesamt 1.000 Personen repräsentativ interviewt, die in den letzten 2 bis 3 Jahren Gardinen, Vorhänge, Rollos, Jalousien oder andere Produkte aus dem Bereich innenliegender Sicht- und Sonnenschutz gekauft haben.
 
Das zeigt und beantwortet die neue Studie:

• Wie lauten die bekanntesten Marken der Deutschen?
• Was wollen die Konsument*innen kaufen?
• Bevorzugte Optiken und Materialien
• Top-Kaufkriterien (von Produktqualität bis Nachhaltigkeit)
• Wo kaufen die Deutschen?
• Lieblings-Shoppingkanäle für neun Warengruppen
• Erfolgversprechende Kommunikations- bzw. Informationskanäle
• Konkrete Kaufabsichten für alle Produkte
• 2024 und 2025 (Ausblick)

Polyurethane has become an integral part of our daily lives, whether in the construction industry, in leisure activities, in the manufacture of furniture or in numerous other applications. The precision gear pumps from Oerlikon Barmag, which will be presented at this year's UTECH Asia / PU China 2024 in Shanghai, impress with customised solutions for demanding tasks in the chemical industry. They increase the productivity of the often complex manufacturing processes for this wide range of applications.

Oerlikon Barmag pumps handle demanding processes in PUR applications, in the chemical, plastics or paint and lacquers industries. One of the greatest challenges lies in the accurate and reliable metering of toxic or low-viscosity media. With the GM and GA series and the associated components, Oerlikon Barmag presents the optimum equipment for these applications.

GM pump
Pumps in the GM series achieve precise dosing by feeding the flow with low pulsation. The multi-stage GM pump conveys low-viscosity media even under high pressure and the most difficult operating conditions (e.g. 250 bar, 100 mPas). The standard pump for many dosing tasks is the GM series in a square design. With the development of the multi-stage pump, the range of applications for the GM series has been significantly expanded. The round 2-stage GM pump has been specially developed for use in high-pressure technology. It fulfils the special challenge of pumping small flow rates with low viscosities. The pump serves flow rates from 0.05 to 20 ccm/rev and is therefore particularly suitable for the production of PUR moulded parts, block foam, refrigeration unit insulation or sandwich panels.  

GA series
Making products and processes more efficient is a constant challenge for manufacturing companies. This is why Oerlikon Barmag has added the GA series to the GM series especially for the demanding conveying of high-viscosity media. The GA series is available in delivery volumes of 1.25 - 30 cm³/rev (0.6-144 l/h). It is designed for pressures up to 200 bar, for viscosities up to 1,500 Pas and for temperatures up to a maximum of 225°C. With this pump series, Oerlikon Barmag offers customised solutions for process engineering processes where highly accurate and uniform metering is required.

The drum pump
The drum pump from Oerlikon Barmag is specially designed for conveying and dosing highly viscous materials such as adhesives, silicones and other highly viscous materials from drums and other large containers and for pressures of up to 250 bar. One of its special features is not only that it discharges highly viscous materials from the drum, but also that the medium can be dosed directly without an intermediate stop.

The gear pump and drum follower plate are synchronised so that the plate effortlessly reaches the bottom of the container, leaving behind only a very small residual quantity of < 1%. This reduces material costs and has a positive effect on the production process.

From June 24 to 28, a delegation of Italian textile machinery manufacturers will be engaged in Turkmenistan for an institutional mission organized by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and Italian Trade Agency. The delegation will have some institutional and commercial meetings scheduled in Ashgabat.

For the Italian textile machinery industry, the Turkmen market has high growth potential. Cotton is the third largest export product of the Country, and local authorities aim to develop a robust textile industry capable of processing the locally grown raw material. Significant investments in new equipment will be necessary for the success of this development program. To achieve this goal, the demand for textile machinery and technologies is rapidly increasing.

This is testified by the average annual growth rate of Turkmen textile machinery imports between 2009 and 2023 (+7.3%). Furthermore in 2024-2027 period forecasts by ACIMIT predict a further average annual increase of 5.5%.

Meanwhile, in 2023, the demand for Italian textile machinery from Turkmen companies has grown. Italian exports increased from 600,000 euros in 2022 to approximately 13 million euros the following year.

The Italian companies participating in the institutional mission are: Brazzoli, Color Service, Itema, Marzoli, Mcs, Reggiani Macchine, Salvadè, Santoni.