From the Sector

In early December, the chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, Peter D. Dornier presented awards to six successful young engineers. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the award ceremony took place as a web conference for the first time.

Philippa Böhnke, ITM Dresden, and Juan Carlos Arañó Romero, ITA Aachen, were honoured with creativity awards for the cleverest bachelor or project work. The prizes are endowed with 3,000 euros each. Ms. Böhnke’s project dealt with composite implants for the repair and regeneration of bone defects. In his bachelor thesis, Mr. Arañó Romero has developed a spinning machine able to produce yarn with material from the moon. By this, the transport effort in space travel can be minimised, because insulating material for example necessary for a moon base can be produced on the moon directly.

Harry Lucas, TU Chemnitz, and Maximilian Speiser, Reutlingen University, were awarded two promotion prizes in the category master thesis with prize money of 3,500 euros each. The master thesis of Mr. Lucas deals with the development of a new knitting head for jacquard knitted fabrics, enabling a large variety of colours e.g. in the production of fan scarfs. Mr. Speiser showed in his master thesis a solution for increasing energy efficiency in the nonwovens process.

This year, two promotion prizes of the German Textile Machinery Industry in the dissertation category were awarded to Dr. Frederik Cloppenburg, ITA Aachen, and Dr. Annett Schmieder, TU Chemnitz. In his dissertation Mr. Cloppenburg developed a model for the optimisation of roller cards in the nonwovens process. Ms. Schmieder introduced in her dissertation a damage analysis system for fibre ropes. The system detects when a rope must be replaced e.g. in transport applications.

The award ceremony 2021 shall take place with physical presence again. It is scheduled for early May at the fair Techtextil in Frankfurt.

Neumünster/Troisdorf, Germany, December 3, 2020 – just a few days ago, the second newly-delivered Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown system was commissioned at Innovatec’s state-of-the-art machine park. With it, the nonwovens manufacturer – based in Troisdorf in North Rhine-Westphalia – immediately started producing polypropylene filter nonwovens: in particular for use in protective face masks, which have been increasingly in demand since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and whose domestic manufacture is being supported by the Ger-man Government. Here, the highly-efficient Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology from Neumünster is supporting the production of these highly-effective filter media.

“Back in June 2020, Oerlikon Nonwoven delivered the first so-called 2-beam system to Innovatec”, reports Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven. Together with the second production line, the Troisdorf-based enterprise has been able to almost double its filter nonwoven output to date. The North Rhine-Westphalian company now has filter media production capacities that can be used to manufacture up to 2.5 billion operating room filter masks or a billion highly-effective FFP2 masks per year.

The, according to its own information, leading manufacturer of meltblown mask nonwovens in Europe is participating in the German Government’s ‘Nonwovens Production’ grant program to ramp up its output capacities and has for this reason already received a visit from top German politicians, including Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier and North Rhine-Westphalia Minister President Armin Laschet. Together, politicians and industry want to ensure that the production capacities for protective equipment continue to grow in Germany and that above all critical supply chains are secured at both national and European levels. And companies such as Innovatec and Oerlikon Nonwoven are actively contributing towards this.

• Looking to the future – Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself with a consistently sustainable agenda and propelling the transformation of a modern, resource-efficient fashion industry.

The Conscious Fashion Campaign (CFC), working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), will be the presenting partner and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a prerequisite for all exhibitors by 2023. And the Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit by CFC is set to become the leading international conference for sustainability in the fashion world. The future of fashion has begun – and its key players will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021.
 
Frankfurt am Main, 2 December 2020. Joining forces to improve the fashion industry: Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself as the host of the future of fashion and actively driving forward the transformation towards a future-oriented, more sustainable fashion and textile industry. All decision-makers looking to instigate this change will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021. The initiators of Frankfurt Fashion Week – Messe Frankfurt and the Premium Group – have achieved a real coup: Conscious Fashion Campaign, working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, will be the presenting partner. Messe Frankfurt will build on its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and establish Frankfurt Fashion week as the platform on which to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and help guide the fashion industry into the 'Decade of Action'.
 
“Frankfurt will play host to the whole world. We are seeing a very positive response indeed,” confirmed Peter Feldmann, Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, at today’s digital press conference, before going on to say: “The fact that the initiators are able to rethink the concept of a Fashion Week in such a way is extremely impressive and proves that the fashion industry is correctly interpreting the signs of the present and future. The time has come for value creation and values to be reconciled. Consistent alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals is an important step in this direction.”
 
“Frankfurt Fashion Week aims to play a crucial role in finding solutions for macrosocial challenges and supporting the goals of international politics such as the European Green Deal. The fashion and textile industries are also expected to be climate-neutral by 2050. If we want to achieve this, we all need to pull together. Frankfurt Fashion Week is inviting all initiators and supporters of sustainable concepts and congresses or shows dedicated to sustainability to meet in Frankfurt, partake in discussions and make tangible decisions for the greater good. We will connect the most relevant players and pave the way for a future-proof fashion and textile industry,” says Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
 
“Given its global reach, the fashion industry is uniquely positioned to collaborate and engage on the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular on climate action and responsible production and consumption,” said Annemarie Hou, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships. “Frankfurt Fashion Week and the Summit will serve as an important platform for education and engagement of the fashion and textile industry in the Decade of Action,” emphasised Ms Hou.
 
The aim of Frankfurt Fashion Week is for all exhibitors, participants and partners to align with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2023. The SDGs will also be incorporated into all formats of Frankfurt Fashion Week. This will help to make the UN’s sustainability goals visible and tangible for the Fashion Week audience, therefore bringing its claim, goals and specific proposals for implementation to an international opinion-forming fashion and lifestyle community. During a one-day Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit presented by Conscious Fashion Campaign, topics like gender equality, clean water, climate protection, social justice and their significance for a forward-looking fashion industry will be examined in greater depth. Another point on the sustainability agenda: Frankfurt Fashion Week is launching a Sustainability Award for outstanding, innovative, sustainable design, alongside other categories with a global appeal for the fashion and textile industry.
 
"We are committed to setting the wheels of transformation in motion. Not only does the overall mindset have to fundamentally change; the entire industry also needs to have the courage to be transparent and honest. It’s important to see values and value creation as opportunities rather than contentious. We are doing what we do best: connecting the relevant players at all levels. With its ecosystem, Frankfurt Fashion Week will become the enabler. We are creating a platform that will orchestrate industry-wide change. With this as our inspiration, we are also developing our tradeshow formats from a ‘marketplace of products’ to a ‘marketplace of purpose and ideas’,” explains Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.
 
A new start in Frankfurt: In summer 2021 the entire fashion industry will be coming to the metropolis on the Main river to inform themselves, be inspired, discuss, negotiate and celebrate. “There’s a huge need to finally meet in person again, to exchange ideas and be inspired. At the same time, digital tools and formats have become an integral part of the fashion industry,” says Markus Frank, Head of the City of Frankfurt’s Department of Economic Affairs and therefore also responsible for its creative industry. “To implement such a future-oriented, all-encompassing overall concept, Frankfurt’s business and creative scenes offer an almost unique concentration of different expertise with its internationally networked agencies, universities and museums. The city’s multifaceted, high-end club, bar and restaurant scene, diverse hotel industry and internationally renowned retail landscape will become the stage for this. This network will be a key factor in the successful implementation of Frankfurt Fashion Week and the way in which it will expand into the public space as a cultural and social happening.”
 
A number of major publishing houses are also showing their commitment to the new Fashion Week in Frankfurt with conferences, events and awards: Textilwirtschaft, the leading professional fashion journal by the Deutscher Fachverlag publishing house, is moving its traditional meeting of the industry’s top decision-makers – the TW Forum, the presentation of the renowned Forum Award, as well as its subsequent conference – from Heidelberg to Frankfurt’s Palmengarten botanical gardens, and will therefore be kicking off Frankfurt Fashion Week on Sunday evening and Monday morning. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung will be hosting its traditional fashion party for the first time in Frankfurt and publishing a special edition of its FAZ Magazin on Frankfurt Fashion Week. And the ZEIT publishing group is holding its ‘UNLOCK Style by ZEITmagazin’ conference, which was established in 2014, and the ZEITmagazin Fashion Week party in Frankfurt for the first time and will dedicate the whole new issue of ZEITmagazin Frankfurt to Frankfurt Fashion Week. Condé Nast will also be involved in next summer’s Frankfurt Fashion Week with an exclusive event by GQ. And the Burda publishing house will also be represented with various event formats from its lifestyle and fashion brands.There will also be talks with SHINE  Conventions, the organiser of GLOW, about what a mutual collaboration could look like.
 
Frankfurt Fashion Week is also delighted to have the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) on board.  The FCG is theinstitution when it comes to German fashion design. It promotes designers, is committed to gaining more political relevance and strengthens the international visibility and awareness of German fashion. At Frankfurt Fashion Week, the FCG will contribute selected formats, such as its already established Fireside Chat, and a future-oriented accelerator format to support German designers.
 
“What really impresses me about Fashion Week is the whole networking aspect: the creative industries will meet the financial world and sustainability is the common denominator. The Green Finance Cluster is another project that we could link with Frankfurt Fashion Week in the future. This will provide new inspiration in the fashion industry, which will certainly extend way beyond its own horizon of Frankfurt and Hesse. After a very difficult year for the trade fair industry, the concept is an encouraging breath of fresh air,” sums up Tarek Al-Wazir, Hesse’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development and Deputy Minister-President of the state of Hessen.

Sicomin’s latest marine collaboration with Sonntag Fins sees its industry leading GreenPoxy® 33 bio-based epoxy resin used for custom carbon fibre windsurf fins - combining speed, fatigue performance and sustainability for some of the fastest sailors afloat.

Targeted at windsurf slalom sailors, racers and speed sailors, each Sonntag fin is a custom made product, tailored specifically to the user based on a discussion about riding style, physical size and weight, as well as how the rider likes to load the fin whilst sailing.  This attention to detail and bespoke manufacturing places a huge importance on the performance and consistency of the raw materials used, with all new materials having to be validated in production, on the test rig in the lab, and on the water by the team riders.

With this in mind, Sonntag Fins approached Time Out Composite, Sicomin’s German distributor,  looking for a new resin system that could reduce cycle times and improve manufacturing output.  Bio-based systems were discussed, but the first product used by Sonntag was Sicomin’s SR1280 laminating system which delivered immediate results, enabling shorter cure cycles, and exceeding all of the previous mechanical test targets.

In 2020, Sonntag and Time Out Composite revisited the topic of a more sustainable epoxy resin system. It was the perfect time for Sonntag Fins, with their new unique bright green UV resistant outer finish, to go green on the inside too with Sicomin’s GreenPoxy® 33 resin.

Test fins were produced with the new material performing well in production trials. Pure resin samples were also tested and post-cured at 140 ̊C, with the new GreenPoxy® 33 samples showing significantly higher elongation at maximum resistance, meaning the cured epoxy was less brittle and susceptible to damage should a customer’s fin meet a rock. With mechanical properties improved, Sonntag switched production to GreenPoxy® 33 in August 2020.

Sonntag fins are manufactured in CNC machined aluminium moulds using GreenPoxy® 33 and a bespoke lay-up of woven, stitched biaxial and heat-set unidirectional carbon fibre fabrics in four steps:
• The first step in the moulding process is the application of Sonntag’s unique green in-mould coating.
• Next, the individual fabric plies, cut using precisely machined templates, are placed into the mould and then wet-out with the low viscosity epoxy. With the laminate stack complete, the mould is closed and loaded into a heated press for around 2 hours to consolidate and cure the fin.
• After curing, the demoulded fins are tempered in an oven at 140 ̊C, then only a light sanding is required to create the final surface roughness for optimum flow characteristics in the water.
• Finally, the fins are cut to the required length and the base adapter is molded to the epoxy-carbon blade in a specific mould.
With each fin being optimized for its rider, it is critical that each piece produced will bend and twist in exactly the way it has been designed to do so, providing the rider with exactly the feel and feedback they want for their board and fin. Each Sonntag fin is tested on a unique CNC controlled servo and stepper motor driven test bench that Joerg has developed, building a database of test results that not only ensures the products perform as designed but also validating the consistency of the manufacturing process and raw materials.
“We produce high-performance windsurfing fins that need to accommodate significant loads during sailing. Fins need to combine flexibility with extremely high torsion stiffness that places high interlaminar shear forces on the resin, especially in our softer fins.” commented Joerg Sonntag, MD, Sonntag Fins. “A key requirement for us is a resin that maintains its mechanical properties for many years, and this is where the Sicomin systems deliver”

Aktuell mehren sich die Anzeichen, dass es für Handelsunternehmen - und damit auch für den besonders betroffenen Textil-, Schuh- und Lederwarenhandel - Überbrückungshilfen geben soll, wenn deren Umsatzminus im November mindestens 40 Prozent beträgt.

Jeder Textil-, Schuh- und Lederwarenhändler, der aktuell in der Nähe dieses Umsatzwertes liegt und die Beantragung der sog. „Novemberhilfe“ erwägt, sollte sich daher kurzfristige Rabattaktionen in diesem Monat zur Umsatzsteigerung gut überlegen. Gegenfalls sollten bereits angekündigte Preisaktionen modifiziert werden, so der Verband.

Polyester and its applications are omnipresent in our everyday lives. Whether as beverage bottles, film packaging, high-tech sports shirts or safety belts, polyester excels with its excellent mechanical properties and inexpensive production. However, the constantly rising demand requires responsible handling of global resources. For this reason, it is not only ‘virgin polyester’ generated from crude oil that is exclusively the raw material for manufacturing, so too is polyester recycled from post-production and post-consumer waste. Processing production waste also helps cut raw material, disposal and transport costs, hence increasing efficiency.

BB Engineering has developed an innovative solution for the recycling of post-production polyester fibre waste, called VacuFil. Decades of experience in the areas of extrusion, filtration and spinning systems have been bundled into a new, innovative core component – the vacuum filter. It unites gentle large-scale filtration and controlled intrinsic-viscosity build-up for consistently outstanding melt quality. The attached vacuum swiftly and reliably removes volatile contamination and ensures a controlled IV-increase. Comprising an inline viscosity measuring unit connected with the vacuum unit the IV can be controlled continuously and reliably. Hence, producers are able to generate that specific kind of recycled polyester they need for their application.

Made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linters pre-consumer materials and converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process, Bemberg™ fiber is participating to some of the most cutting edge design innovations on planet Fashion. Its uniqueness comes from its exceptional quality characteristics as the magnificent touch of the fabric that results soft and smooth like silk, second skin-like, and precious look. Bemberg™ boasts also antistatic and breathable performances and the fiber is also biodegradable and compostable. Proving to be a circular economy oriented ingredient, the fiber is driven by innovation and responsibility together with design.

Bemberg™ is also enlarging its position in the market thanks to its valuable partnerships. It has collaborated with the Italian fabric manufacturer Brunello S.p.A. to create unique collections, to obtain innovative features as high absorption and breathability power that give a natural sensation and freshness. The responsible fiber confirms its international attitude with BemBAZIN™, the innovative fabric that empowers the traditional African Damask fabric used to make vibrant garments.

The Japanese brand has teamed up also with Gianni Crespi Foderami to develop a Bemberg™ lining with outstanding stretch performance woven in its DNA. Bemberg™ Natural Stretch was achieved thanks to a complex way of yarn twisting, weaving and finishing. This collection achieves maximum flexibility, resistance and comfort without the use of elastomers polyesters

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has been recently ranked number 1 in the “industrial chemicals” list published by the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) for driving transparency in their supply chain.

Archroma also entered the Top 50 of companies in IPE’s Green Supply Chain CITI Evaluation, at the 47th position. The evaluation dynamically assesses brands on the environmental management of their supply chains in China.

With a wide array of products used every day, everywhere, the company is committed to operate along the principles of “The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The Archroma team is therefore committed to sourcing safe and sustainable raw materials and intermediates from like-minded partners.

Heike van de Kerkhof, CEO of Archroma, recently delivered a message at the IPE 2020 Green Supply Chain Forum online, and commented: “As industry leader, we have the responsibility to keep on addressing the climate challenge, and to do everything we can together to reduce our impact on the environment. This is where the approach of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs supports us. They encourage us to challenge our suppliers in terms of safety, health and environment, and to go even beyond our own strict policies and processes.”

The Swiss Technology Award announced the 2020 prizes, and among all the notable finalist innovations of the year, HeiQ was bestowed the highest honor as First Prize Winner for its breakthrough antiviral textile technology HeiQ Viroblock.

Developed in record time and launched after the Swiss authorities announced the lockdown in March 2020, HeiQ Viroblock has had a major impact on the global textile industry and is being unprecedently adopted by mills around the world.

The technology that makes HeiQ Viroblock a unique innovation
What exemplifies HeiQ Viroblock is its ability to turn any fabric antiviral. It’s among the first textile technologies in the world to be proven effective against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). HeiQ Viroblock consists of a combination of HeiQ’s patent-pending vesicle and silver technologies. The two mechanisms of attack result in an over 99.9% destruction of viruses in 5 minutes that is unrivaled in the industry. HeiQ Viroblock is a unique patent-pending formulation of 72% bio-based ingredients, made with 100% cosmetic-grade materials from the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients list. HeiQ Viroblock is also a shining example of Swiss cooperation between academics and the industry. The silver technology was developed at ETHZ (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich), the vesicle technology at EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne), and the production was scaled up at FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz).

HeiQ Viroblock has demonstrated unparalleled speed from laboratory to consumer
HeiQ launched the new antiviral textile technology HeiQ Viroblock on March 16, 2020 – two hours after Switzerland declared a state of emergency. This was made possible with the indispensable support of Swiss research Partner FHNW and the EPFL which helped accelerate product validation. The fast scale-up of production was enabled by the FHNW School of Life Sciences with their new Process Technology Center (PTC) by special permit. With its agile operations and global footprint, HeiQ also brought HeiQ Viroblock face masks and other PPE (personal protection equipment) to different corners of the world where are needed. Now, Swiss consumers can also acquire HeiQ Viroblock enhanced face masks online.

Reacting to the news of HeiQ Viroblock winning this year’s Swiss Tech Award, Co-founder and CEO Carlo Centonze says: “I am both amazed and honored that HeiQ has won this award a second time in just ten years, and from among some incredible tech innovation finalists. It confirms our resolve to push the boundaries and push innovations to help the world with its most pressing and imminent problems. This award is recognition for our company and team that have spared no efforts to develop and launch HeiQ Viroblock at such speed and make a valuable contribution to the global pandemic efforts. We remain true to our mission: enhancing the everyday lives of people with smart and efficient textile effects.”

The company, founded in 1993, has established a reputation for leadership in new printing techniques and technologies with customers across Europe, as well as with many of the leading Turkish brands.

Mission
On its mission to achieving continuous progress in error-free and resource-efficient manufacturing, İlay has just taken delivery of a new Monforts Montex stenter range, with a working width of two metres and eight TwinAir chambers.

“This installation provides us with much improved control options for all process parameters and compared to the old stenter it is replacing, we are particularly impressed with the energy savings we are making,” Mr Savaş says.

Achieving energy savings on Montex stenters has been a key focus for Monforts designers and engineers in Germany for many years.

With the TwinAir heating chamber system within a Montex stenter, top and bottom airflows can be regulated completely independently of each other, ensuring heat is only applied when and where it is required. The Optiscan balancing system ensures continuous automatic evaluation of the distance between the nozzles and the fabric for highly economical and contact-free drying.

The resulting constant evaporation rate within the stenter ensures optimum energy utilisation. In addition, TwinAir chambers feature special panelling for low heat radiation, careful sealing of all connecting positions and chamber access points, and air locks at both the entry and the exit.

“Monforts stenters set the benchmark in terms of energy efficiency and help conserve resources,” says Ahmet Kılıç, founder of Neotek, the representative for Monforts in Turkey. “Automatically setting the initial moisture content requirement for a specific process before drying to a minimum value helps reduce heat evaporation and consequently, energy consumption. The hermetic sealing of the stenter frame further prevents the loss of heated air as well as the ingress of excessive cold air – which has to be heated back up if it is not kept out in the first place.”

The new Montex line was completed at İlay Textile in August 2020, with no problems during either installation or commissioning.