From the Sector

The BANGLADESH DENIM EXPO is much more than just a fair. It assembles the denim world in Bangladesh and inspires them to embrace innovations and take new steps. Its 8th edition now centers around the important theme ‘Equality’ - for people as well as for the entire production chain.
 
On 9th and 10th May 2018 Bangladesh will once more welcome the apparel world to the Bangladesh Denim Expo. The fair is one of the denim industry´s most important hubs and has won a reputation as a guidepost, leading the way to the industry´s future.
The current Bangladesh Denim Expo presents the theme ‘Equality’ in order highlight the progress that has been made in Bangladesh regarding equality in the working conditions and treatment of employees. But equality is not only an individual issue, it also has economic and political dimensions. Therefore the Bangladesh Denim Expo wants to mobilize global brands and retailers, manufacturers, governments and development partners to establish a more equitable global apparel supply chain.
The fair will approach the topic from different angles and focus on various aspects of equality and how they can be achieved:

• Equal rights for both workers and employers to ensure that both are treated with respect and can enjoy a good working relationship.
• Equal responsibilities of all stakeholders in the apparel supply chain to ensure safety in the workplace, sustainable work practices, environmental considerations and transparency.
• Equal opportunity for all – regardless of gender, religion or sexual orientation, opportunities should be equal to all and individuals assessed on their capabilities.
• Gender equality – treating men and women equally, including equal pay, no gender discrimination, no sexual harassment and mutual respect, with attention paid that certain gender specific needs are satisfied.

"The Bangladesh Denim Expo has become a spot of regular get together of key denim stakeholders from across the world," says founder and CEO Mostafiz Uddin. "The visitors also exchange their views and discuss the importance of the themes. So, it would be not an exaggeration to say that the Bangladesh Denim Expo is successfully contributing to improving the working conditions by creating tangible awareness."
 
The Bangladesh Denim Expo is expanding with every edition. Over 14,000 pre-registered visitors are expected at the current show that will take place at International Convention City Bashundhara, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 61 Exhibitors from 14 countries have already confirmed their participation, whereas 46 of them from foreign countries, 15 are Bangladesh-based denim companies.
The upcoming Bangladesh Denim Expo will offer a unique experience for exhibitors and visitors, who will be able to get a comprehensive insight into the Bangladesh denim industry, discovering the latest trends that will shape the business in the next few years and gaining specific knowledge through its seminars and expanded trend zone area.
The seminars of the expo will serve as a platform for knowledge and idea sharing with some of the top experts and leaders from the best companies and organizations of the whole global denim supply chain..
The Trend Zone, giving visitors an insight into the latest trends and also highlighting the key trends in fabric, finishing and styling, is always a distinctive trait of Bangladesh Denim Expo. It will be expanded and enhanced incorporating a new information and exchange area. This is the Bangladesh Denim Expo´s approach to equality - knowledge and inspiration is shared with the entire denim world.
 

At Kingpins Amsterdam, RUDOLF GROUP launches a selection of chemical auxiliaries for fashion and function as well their new HUB 1922.
The RUDOLF GROUP, not completely new to garment and denim finishing, decides to take the first steps of what will be a long and exciting journey in the field. In order to shorten the distance with both manufacturers and apparel brands and retailers it deploys two synergic initiatives:

• A refined selection of chemicals auxiliaries targeting garment finishing and delivering, in addition to current aesthetics, sophisticated functionalities that take denim to the next level in terms of both performance and enhanced quality.
• The launch of a new project that, combining German engineering and Italian style, provides solutions at the crossroad of fashion and utilitarian functionality. The project, called HUB 1922, introduces elements of unorthodox diversity and fosters collaborative environments that can be truly disruptive.

The word HUB is evocative of the main part of something where there is most activity, whereas the number, 1922, is the year of foundation of the RUDOLF GROUP and therefore symbol of heritage, tradition and significant experience. Ultimately, HUB 1922 wants to be the unmatched one-stop shopping for fashion and function, innovation and creativity in garment processing. A hub that enables continuous, synergetic, and powerful collaboration with brands and retailers to deliver disruptive innovations in the global markets.

It introduces functional chemistry in an universe that is almost entirely driven by aesthetics and the extension to other materials and product categories (such as outdoor apparel and performance wear), of knowledge and techniques developed for denim over the past 50 years. Very aware of its status of rookie and yet very determined, the project HUB 1922 begins exploring through concepts and values rooted in deep scientific knowledge, true responsibility, technical innovation and fresh creativity.
At Kingpins Amsterdam, HUB 1922 will present 3 concepts rooted in RUDOLF’s sophisticated and conscious chemistry:

• ODYSSEY: a voyage through textures and innovation, softness, comfort and signature handfeels.
• SHELTER: performance inspired by natural models for urban protection and for much reduced domestic washing.
• MEMOFLEX: A modern-day miracle preventing denim from sagging and bagging. A truly denim Botox that shows improved quality on many stretch fabrics.

Since when it was founded, almost 100 years ago, RUDOLF GROUP’s secret of success is being big enough to matter, small enough to care. Captured in this definition are an obvious desire to play a meaningful role in the textile industry and an equally palpable vocation to customer service.

Alberto de Conti, Head of Rudolf Fashion Division: “Every generation has their time to make a mark on the world. Considering the environmental emergencies in garment production and the lack of real innovation on the retail shelves, for the current generation of companies active in garment finishing that time is now.”

RUDOLF GROUP acknowledges therefore that there is an additional opportunity to responsibly further redefine the future and turns their sizeable R&D power towards refining their approach to what is fashion quintessential staple: garment and denim finishing. Through a renewed, highly responsible involvement in garment finishing and with the introduction of HUB 1922, the RUDOLF GROUP wants to send out a message of true optimism. It is about showing the entire industry that there is a blank canvas ahead and tangible difference can be made.

The automotive market is undergoing a period of great change. Global demand for light vehicles is increasing, but at slower rates than seen in previous years, and this is resulting in ever greater competition between carmakers. At the same time, the technological capabilities that can be offered are advancing rapidly. Areas such as autonomous driving, connectivity, interior comfort and the customization of vehicles in line with personal taste are becoming key ways that manufacturers can differentiate themselves and win market share. Indeed, automotive supplier Lear, recently unveiled a new biometric ‘smart’ seat, that tracks a driver’s health indicators.

These trends are having a knock-on effect for suppliers. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), being able to satisfy diverse consumer preferences is now considered more of a success factor than getting a vehicle to production faster than the competition. Across the automotive supply chain — and especially for those involved in the production of car seats and interiors — a growing emphasis on interior styling and luxury components has created new challenges that are further compounded by increasing cost pressures.

Although news coverage about the automotive industry tends to focus on such innovations as ‘driverless’ cars and ‘intelligent’ vehicles, one of the most farreaching changes occurring is this trend towards personalization: how automotive manufacturers are managing to make mass-produced items unique. Not only are manufacturers increasing the number of models they are offering but also the options available to a consumer per model. The Vauxhall Adam is a case in point: consumers can have more than 1 million different combinations when they order the car.

To cope with these challenges, suppliers will need to re-evaluate and improve their production processes. Within this context, the integration of smart solutions and services, and the replacement of production tools that are incompatible with connected factory concepts, will be vital. The combination of Software as a Service (SaaS) with the cloud is already opening up new horizons for innovation. Factories remain at the heart of the value chain. But Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing mass production, allowing more and more large-scale, personalized — and profitable — manufacturing, with greater quality and no added costs or delays.

As customer expectations reach new levels, it is especially important that suppliers in the automotive cutting value chain ramp up their transformation, adopting the technologies and services shaping Industry 4.0. For years, OEMs and suppliers alike have used foam and frames to develop patterns for producing seat covers in material or leather. The automotive industry was among the first to use sophisticated 3D computer-aided design (CAD) programs for the design and development of vehicles. But it has taken time for this technology to be used extensively for seat covers. Although 80% of fabric seating and interiors are currently cut digitally, only 10% of leather seats are cut using this method. The majority of suppliers of automotive leather seating still rely heavily on manual cutting equipment, such as die and roller presses.

To gain the agility and flexibility to remain relevant and competitive in a market that is dictating more change, variants, and faster reaction times, close cooperation between OEMs and suppliers is necessary. For if even one aspect of the process fails to provide sufficient flexibility, speed to market and consistent quality, then the entire chain will be impacted.

In such a complicated and fast-moving market, only the most adaptable and innovative companies will succeed. The solutions that form part of the Industry 4.0 framework will help give suppliers the capacity to adapt and thrive in this new environment. For more Information please find the complete White Paper attached.

• JEC Group pays tribute to the winners at JEC World 2018

The 2018 session of JEC World, the reference trade show organized by JEC Group, is in full swing and the focus is on innovation!
The JEC Innovation Awards ceremony, which took place on the Agora stage on Wednesday, March 7 at 5 pm, opened with a presentation by Yves Rossy, aircraft pilot and inventor of the first jet-powered wingpack. Then the jury revealed the names of the composite champions up for a JEC Innovation Award. Eleven winning innovations were chosen, out of the thirty finalists that had been previously selected from more than 100 applications from all over the world.

“JEC Group supports innovation. In 1998, it created the first award dedicated to composites, as a way to promote and reward the sector’s champions. Thanks to the work of JEC Group’s teams, the program has become an international benchmark. Each year, we receive more than a hundred applications from all over the world. Selection is now based on criteria like the level of involvement of the innovation’s partners in the value chain, the technical nature of the innovation, or its commercial applications,” explains JEC Group President & CEO Frédérique Mutel.
A new feature this year is that the jury revealed the winners during the ceremony, and the public could choose their favorite innovation before, during, and after the ceremony. So there is still time to vote! Votes are opened until Thursday March 8th, 5pm http://innovationawards.jec-world.events
Did you miss the ceremony?

11 AWARD WINNERS:
AEROSPACE APPLICATION
Winner:
AeroComposit, JSC (Russia) and its partner Solvay (United Kingdom)

• Infusion technology for an aircraft wing

The use of infusion technology to manufacture primary structural components for an aircraft wing. The technology makes it possible to create extra-long, integrated composite structures with complex aerodynamic shapes.

AEROSPACE PROCESS 
2 tied winners!
Winner: Airbus (Germany) and its partners, BMW Group (Germany), Technical University of Munich (TUM) (Germany), Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH (Germany), Werkzeugbau Siegfried Hofmann GmbH (Germany), BASF SE (Germany), Foldcore GmbH (Germany), Neenah Filtration (Germany) and SGL Carbon GmbH (Germany)

• Complex structural applications for MAI sandwich technology

Cost-effective production of a complex 2.5D structure made of thermoplastic composite sandwich, with very short cycle times: under 5 minutes for aerospace materials and 2.5 minutes for automotive materials.

Winner: M. Torres Diseños Industriales SAU (Spain)
Moldless process to manufacture one-piece parts
A new manufacturing process for oversized one-piece reinforced composite structures, without requiring the use of complete molds.

AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATION
Winner: Ford Werke GmbH (Germany) and its partners, Gestamp (United Kingdom), GRM Consulting (United Kingdom) and University of Warwick (United Kingdom)

• Lightweight composite automotive suspension part

Structural suspension part made of lightweight composite, using a brand-new patented process for prepreg/SMC/steel overmolding that was designed using a new computer-aided engineering (CAE) technology.

AUTOMOTIVE PROCESS
Winner: Audi AG (Germany) and its partners, Voith Composites GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Dow Automotive (Switzerland), and Zoltek Corp. (United States)

• Series production of a rear panel module made of carbon composite

For the first time, the potential of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) is used to full advantage in series production with a new rear panel module and cost-effective production technologies.

CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Winner: Komatsu Seiren Co., Ltd. (Japan) and its partners, Kanazawa Institute of Technology (Japan) and Nagase ChemteX Corporation (Japan)

• Cabkoma cable made of CFRTP

Komatsu Seiren has developed a cable made of molded carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP), using a very cost-effective process that consists in polymerizing a thermoplastic epoxy resin in situ.

MARINE
Winner: Uljanik JSC (Croatia)

• Composite cargo decks for a vehicle carrier

On the SIEM Cicero, a vehicle carrier with a capacity of 7,000 vehicles, glass-fiber reinforced composites are used for a number of the structures for the cargo decks, thereby considerably reducing the ship’s weight, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

RAILWAY
Winner: ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. (United Kingdom) and its partners, Alstom Transport (United Kingdom), Magma Structures (United Kingdom), the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), and the University of Huddersfield (United Kingdom)

• A bogie frame made of optimized lightweight carbon fiber

This project has developed the very first carbon-fiber bogie frame that uses a recycled material, making it possible to overcome the obstacles to a commercial adoption of this type of structure.

SPORTS & LEISURE
Winner: BMW Group (Germany) and its partners EDAG Engineering GmbH (Germany), KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH (Germany), Chr. Karl Siebenwurst GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), TUM-LCC (Germany), Automation W + R GmbH (Germany), and FHG-IGCV (Germany)

• A modular construction system for the rear swing arm suspension of a motorcycle

A modular system to produce a complex-shape swing arm suspension reinforced with carbon fiber. The system can adjust the mechanical properties on a case-by-case basis, for a competitive cost and weight compared to metal solutions.

SMART CITIES
Winner: MC Materiales Compuestos (Argentina) and its partners, Plaquimet (Argentina), Purcom (Brazil), IS Groupe - Composite Integrity (France), and G12 Innovation (Brazil)

• The Wet Core Pod composite housing module

The Wet Core Pod is a composite housing module with an industrialization potential that can facilitate the most complex, costly and difficult step in a construction project.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Winner: Cetim-Cermat (France) and its partner, CETIM (France)

• “3-in-1” line for producing recycled composites

A modular line that uses an innovative thermomechanical process to make large panels from recycled composites or plastics. The panels are then thermoformed into parts.
 

STAMFORD, February 26, 2018 - at JEC World 2018, taking place in Paris March 6-8, Hexcel will display an array of product innovations for customer applications in aerospace, automotive, wind energy and marine markets.
Hexcel’s banner at the exhibit hall entrance features the Airbus H160 helicopter and A350 XWB aircraft, both with carbon fiber livery to acknowledge the high Hexcel composites content in both programs. Hexcel’s reinforcements, prepregs, adhesives and honeycomb materials were selected for the H160’s composite fuselage structures and main rotor blades, contributing to the lightweight fuel-saving design and performance optimization. Airbus has loaned Hexcel an H160 BLUE EDGE blade to display on the booth.

Among the Aerospace promotions at Hexcel’s booth are carbon-reinforced 3D printed parts, made from Hexcel’s HexAM™ additive manufacturing technology that uses PEKK ultra-high performance polymers. Hexcel acquired this technology from Oxford Performance Materials in December 2017 to provide a weight-saving solution for intricate parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications. HexPEKK™ structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts with a new technology.

Aircraft engines benefit from a number of Hexcel technologies that will be promoted at JEC 2018, including HexShield™ honeycomb that provides high temperature resistance in aircraft engine nacelles. By inserting a thermally resistant material into honeycomb cells, Hexcel provides a core product with unique heat-shielding capabilities that allows for the potential re-use of material after a fire event.
Another honeycomb innovation from Hexcel is Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb that significantly improves acoustic absorption in aircraft engine nacelles. The acoustic treatment may be positioned at a consistent depth and resistance within the core, or can be placed in a pattern of varying depths and/or resistances (Multi-Degrees of Freedom and 3 Degrees Of Freedom), offering an acoustic liner that is precisely tuned to the engine operating conditions. These technologies have been tested at NASA on a full engine test rig and meet all 16 design conditions without trade-offs. An example of this technology will be on display at JEC 2018.

Rounding off the aircraft engine exhibits is a CTi fan blade for new generation lightweight turbofan engines from Rolls-Royce, manufactured from Hexcel’s HexPly® M91 high toughness and impact-resistant epoxy prepreg. Hexcel supplies HexPly® M91 as slit tape for the automated lay-up of the complex aerodynamic shape, with a constantly changing thickness across the blade length. The blade which is thinner and lighter than titanium fan blades is currently undergoing flight tests.
Hexcel’s HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements that were developed for the automated lay-up of preforms for resin-infused aerospace structures will be promoted at the show. Two demonstrator parts, one made with HiMax™ and one with HiTape®, were both infused with HexFlow® RTM6 resin to demonstrate the potential benefits of an integrated design for aircraft skins, spars and stiffeners that meets OEM requirements for production rate increases and cost effectiveness.

Hexcel is also introducing its new range of HiFlow™ advanced liquid resins for aerospace structures manufactured by liquid molding technologies. Based on novel proprietary chemistry, the new resin family will enhance the performance of composites and ease processing when combined with HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements. HiFlow™ HF610 is the first resin in the range.
Hexcel’s range of high performance adhesives has expanded considerably following the company’s acquisition of Structil last October. Hexcel is relaunching the acquired products under the new HexBond™ brand name at JEC World. This fast-growing range of pastes, liquid shim and film adhesives has a wide spectrum of operating temperatures and is in qualification with a large number of aerospace and industrial OEMs.
In the Planet Aerospace area at JEC, Daher and Hexcel will jointly display an aircraft spar manufactured from HexPly® M56 prepreg. Hexcel’s Neil Parker and Daher R&T Director Dominique Bailly will give a joint presentation focusing on the materials used and the benefits for the finished part. The aircraft spar was designed and manufactured by Daher using Hexcel’s HexPly® M56 prepreg, in slit tape format, that was developed for automated deposition and out-of-autoclave curing. The spar was manufactured using only the vacuum bag process and demonstrates very low porosity levels. It is currently undergoing testing and validation through CORAC funding.

Hexcel’s Automotive promotions at JEC World 2018 include a new prepreg for composite leaf springs, HexPly® M901. In contrast to steel leaf springs used for suspension on vans, trucks and SUVs, newer composite versions offer many advantages including weight savings of up to 70%, high corrosion resistance, optimized system integration and superior performance. Hexcel’s HexPly® M901 prepreg raises the bar further, reducing mold cure time below 15 minutes, a 50% reduction compared to standard industrial prepregs. HexPly® M901 provides 15% higher mechanical performance, with enhanced fatigue properties. It also operates at high temperatures, providing a Tg of up to 200°C following a post cure. Hexcel’s expertise in manufacturing heavy weight glass UD prepregs, with fiber areal weights of up to 1600gsm, allows the company to offer a highly cost-competitive solution for the rapid manufacture of these safety critical components.

Hexcel is constantly seeking ways to ensure that customers obtain the maximum benefit from composites and has recently acquired state-of-the-art simulation technology that accurately predicts how HiMax™ non-crimp fabrics will drape in a mold. Working in collaboration with Nottingham University Hexcel has created a car seat shell, for which the material selection was optimized using this new drape simulation technology. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand at JEC will see an on-screen demonstration that illustrates how the simulation tool operates, predicting process and performance and ensuring that the optimum fabric architecture is quickly identified, reducing the need for expensive trial programs.
Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 carbon fiber/epoxy molding compound has been successfully used by Audi to manufacture a high-performance engine cross brace. HexMC®-i is a fast curing high-performance molding material, suitable for the series production of complex shaped parts and providing excellent mechanical properties. The Audi cross brace covers the engine, providing torsional stiffness for enhanced drive dynamics.

Hexcel’s product offering for customers in the Marine industry has expanded following the acquisition of Formax in 2016 and Structil in 2017. At JEC World, Hexcel will promote its enhanced portfolio of carbon fibers, prepregs, woven reinforcements and multiaxial fabrics for builders of racing catamarans and luxury yachts.
Marine customers have supplied a number of parts for display to illustrate their expertise in manufacturing composite structures from Hexcel materials. These include part of a Diam 24 yacht mast made by ADH Inotec from Hexcel’s HexPly® M79 fast curing, low temperature cure prepreg. ADH Inotec purchased the prepreg from Composites Distribution, a Hexcel Official Distributor that also supplied HexPly® M9.6 prepreg to Lorima for the Outremer 5X catamaran mast section on display. Part of Lorima’s 42m wing mast for a multihull racing boat made with HexPly® prepreg from Vert-Le-Petit (formerly Structil) will complete the marine display.

Hexcel’s innovations for Wind Energy include Polyspeed® pultruded laminates for load-carrying elements in wind blades. These continuous cross-section profiles, made from a polyurethane matrix reinforced with unidirectional carbon fiber, provide consistently high mechanical properties, including high stiffness, fracture toughness and shear strength, combined with low weight and durability. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand will see a 2m diameter coil of pultruded carbon laminate that contains 255m of material in a single roll. This technology offers an economical way of reinforcing large-scale composite structures such as wind turbine blades. Hexcel will also launch its surface finishing prepreg for wind turbine blades and components. This provides a tough, durable and ready-to-paint blade surface without the use of gel coat and results in faster blade manufacture, saving time in production and reducing material costs. The benefits of the new surfacing prepreg will be demonstrated via a wind blade exhibit that has been given four different treatments across the blade surface. These include a section with gel coat, a section of standard prepreg without gel coat, and a section where a fleece has been added to improve surface quality but still requires preparation before painting due to pin holes. The final section made with new HexPly® XF2P surfacing prepreg has a ready-to-paint surface, straight from the mold, without any requirement for gel coat, fleece or finishing operations.

As the global textile industry’s most comprehensive sourcing summit for the spring / summer season, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is naturally the ideal place to find the latest developments in product innovation and sustainability. This is especially true in the fair’s Beyond Denim zone, which this edition will feature over 110 exhibitors from China, Japan, Pakistan, Turkey and elsewhere. Adding to a total of some 3,300 exhibitors from around 22 countries and regions, they provide sourcing options for the entire industry, from fabrics for ladieswear, menswear, suiting, shirting, lingerie and swimwear to high-end wool fabrics, original pattern designs, functional & performance fabrics, sustainability products & services, digital printing technologies, garment & fashion accessories and more.

Denim enriched with volcanic ash: the latest innovation from Orta Anadolu
Volcanic ash is not uncommon in beauty products – it is known as Mother Nature’s skin purifier after all, and used as an exfoliator for example – but it is far less common in the textile industry. Orta Anadolu are set to change that with their BIOWARE denim which is enriched with mineralised volcanic ash to create an odour absorbing effect. This technology captures and absorbs odour compounds that would normally pass through the fabric, neutralising bad bacteria while retaining the helpful bacteria that common deodorisers, which contain harsh substances, normally eliminate. This leads to a more environmentally friendly product that is better for the user’s skin.

Orta will also be presenting BIOCHARGE at Intertextile, which, according to the company, is the world’s first denim fabric for muscle wellness. Infused with minerals, Orta state that BIOCHARGE is medically proven to refresh muscles, relieve muscle tension and optimise body balance. They will also present their BOUNCE stretch range, with high elasticity and a ‘street’ style, while CHRONICLE, another in their S/S 19 range, is a blend of heritage and future styles.

US Denim Mills blend tomorrow’s technology with yesterday’s style
Another innovative denim firm exhibiting at Intertextile Shanghai, and another blending old and new, is US Denim Mills. According to the company, their collection at the fair will “harness tomorrow’s textile advances to revitalise the great style visions of the past by adding fashion, comfort, performance and sustainability advantages to authentic denim looks.” This collection includes:

• Selvedge: using the company’s legacy selvedge looms to produce bi-stretch ‘SelvedgeX’ while experimenting with blends of natural yarns and high-tech fibre blends in its ‘HeritEdge+’ range
• Stretch: including ‘Flex 360’ bi-stretch denim with a slight cross-bias freedom, and ‘Modern Stretches’ with a higher stretch range for intense comfort
• SoftWear: advanced finishing treatments for superior soft touch from natural fibre blended yarns and softness-selected weaves
• Sustainable: new additions to the range of recycled and natural ‘GreenEgo’ denims

Kipas Denim step up their sustainability efforts
Well aware of the effect denim production has on the environment, Kipas Denim’s multi-faceted programme to address this is one of the most comprehensive in the denim sector. Their recycled yarn initiative includes recycling waste yarn from the production process, while it also takes waste cotton yarn and blends it with REPREVE® fibres to create an eco-friendly denim fabric. Kipas also uses BCI cotton and organic cotton, and targets each to be 15% and 5% of total consumption, respectively. Furthermore, their Conservablue technology aims to reduce the environmental impact of the dyeing process by eliminating the use of rinsing overflow boxes before and after the indigo dye boxes, as well as ensuring 100% of applied dyestuff remains on the yarn in the rinsing bath.

As well as the overseas offerings, a wide range of domestic denim exhibitors covering all price and quality points will also feature in Beyond Denim. Some of the more notable brands participating include Advance Denim, Black Peony, Guangzhou Foison and Prosperity Textile.

Denim’s ‘next move’ to be debated in INVISTA panel discussion
The market is changing and so must apparel and textile manufacturers. Low prices and discounts are no longer driving sales the way they used to. Today’s consumer wants better quality, appreciates new technology and is evolving their casualwear style. This is the premise behind the INVISTA-sponsored panel discussion which will take place on day 1 of the fair. Titled ‘Denim’s Next Move – New Opportunities to Keep Growing Sales of Jeans and Casualwear at Retail’, participants will learn what consumers really want in jeans and casualwear, the return of chinos and new fabric technologies that are energising casualwear.

The panel will be moderated by Jane Singer, Director and Head of Market Development at Inside Fashion. Panellists will include representatives from Advance Denim, Guangzhou Conshing Clothing Group, Prosperity Textile and Texhong who will share their latest innovations that will help brands and retailers drive sales and profits.

In addition to Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs also take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, fashion garment fair CHIC and knitting fair PH Value.

METALBOTTONI has drawn up its new strategy for the year 2018, based on a targeted trade fair
schedule and on many product innovations. These innovations are part of a marketing approach
which is more and more branding ingredient-oriented, in order to highlight the added value
of the accessory as a component characterising and enhancing product recognition, as well as
strengthening its consulting activities for customers, thus offering true excellence in service.
There are three main elements pointing to a positive moment for METALBOTTONI: its recent
outstanding performance in double-digit on foreign markets (most notably in the northern
European region), the consolidation of consulting and support services aimed at redesigning the
perspective on the world of accessories, and its product range extension. The fourth pillar, actually
a fixture at METALBOTTONI, is sustainable innovation with the protocol called NO IMPACT which has
made a huge step forward thanks to new technologies which halved water consumption compared
to previous performances of the system, obtaining also better results in a shorter processing time,
saving electricity as well.

An ongoing pathway
There are many novelties to be displayed by METALBOTTONI at three of the most important events
in the industry early in the new year. The company from Bergamo will be present at Munich Fabric
Start (30 January – 1 February), then at Milano Unica (6-8 February), and finally in Paris for the new
edition of Première Vision Accessories (13-15 February).

TINTEX is pleased to present its latest fabric innovations at the above salons with a new range of more than 80 qualities and styles designed for the Sportswear, Athleisure, Fashion and Underwear market sectors. The collection focusses on three jersey fabric concepts: TIMELESS, FASHIONABLE & INNOVATIVE.

TINTEX is a modern industrial company based in the Porto region since 1998, producing market savvy fabrics for global designers and brands. TINTEX makes a truly sustainable range of precision, modern hybrid jersey fabrics that offer a better, Naturally Advanced choices to all its customers.

The new ‘Naturally Advanced’ position means “advancing beautiful, organic and natural materials to the next level combined with unique, hybrid ‘nature-tech’ smarts, with advanced, added value and creativity, thanks to dedicated investments that serve and secure our customer demands both now and in the seasons to come” says CEO Mario Jorge. New innovations, which include the ISPO Best Product Award i (SOFT EQUIPMENT category) in TexTrends for fall winter 19/20, maintain and upgrade the honest but hi-tech sustainable organics that is at the heart of the TINTEX DNA to create better, smarter eco-materials, always with new levels of performance and hi-tech smarts, thanks to its expertise in specialist dyeing and finishing techniques, coatings and applications. These are all researched, designed and made using the latest equipment and processes. This season the new TINTEX collection plays with new colour balance techniques that deploy the benefits of chromotherapy for welbeing alongside skin safe materials and finishings.

The collection uses up to 90% of new smart and sustainable materials and include: Tencel, Modal & Micromodal, Organic Cottons, Supima cottons, Seacell fibres, Natural organic linens and the new, full colour ECOTEC® yarns by Marchi & Fildi, a smarter cotton made from pre-consumer clippings that in manufacture save up to 79% water. This season TINTEX is also introducing the new ECOTEC® yarn Phoenix (50% ECOTEC®, 50% recycled polyester, NM1/50 GRS-certified) for open, light and dry textures. Wellbeing credentials are guaranteed with Tessile e Salute certifications, TINTEX also presents new developments using the ROICA™ Eco Smart family of ecosustainable stretch yarns with certificated credentials. This family of yarns claim the world-first GRS certified ROICA™ premium stretch yarn that comes at least 50% from recycled pre-consumer waste.

The newest introduction for second skin qualities and for products to the athleisure market within TINTEX collection is ROICA™ Feel Good family that promises a new level of performance with ‘feelgood comfort’ and freshness.

For colouration effects, we can use the ROICA™ Colour Perfect family of yarns to create a flawless and responsible finish to dyed performance stretch assortments. Colours to Tranquilize, to Activate the Senses, to Recharge, to Energize.

Key highlights include: changeant effects (yarn and dyeing solutions), thermosensitive (reds/ blues) coatings, UV sensitive coatings and colourful coated patterns, extra fine and semi-transparent jerseys, but also, compact and fluid qualities.

• Revenue up 9.4 percent to EUR 1,726.6 mn
• EBITDA improvement of 23.9 percent to EUR 397.1 mn
• Retail bond of EUR 120 mn redeemed – Lenzing with net liquidity as at end of September
• State-of-the-art application innovation center opened in Hong Kong

Lenzing – The Lenzing Group generated a substantial increase in revenue and earnings in the first nine months of the 2017 financial year compared to the prior-year period. The company is continuing the implementation of its Group strategy sCore TEN in order to further expand the offering of specialty fibers and be even closer to its customers and business partners.

Consolidated revenue climbed 9.4 percent year-on-year to EUR 1,726.6 mn. This increase is mainly attributable to higher prices for all three fiber generations. Consolidated earnings before tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 23.9 percent to EUR 397.1 mn, corresponding to an EBITDA margin of 23 percent, up from 20.3 percent in the prior-year period. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increased by 34.6 percent to EUR 298.4 mn, resulting in a higher EBIT margin of 17.3 percent (Q1-3 2016: 14 percent). The profit for the period improved by 35.3 percent to EUR 219.3 mn, and earnings per share rose 36 percent to EUR 8.12 per share. In September Lenzing redeemed the retail bond of EUR 120 mn. At the end of the reporting period the Group had net liquidity of EUR 16.9 mn.

“In the first three quarters of 2017, we successfully captured value in a very positive market environment and we continue to implement the sCore TEN strategy with great discipline. The opening of our new application innovation center in Hong Kong is an important step to boost our regional innovation capabilities. We were particularly proud to launch TENCELTM Luxe as a sign of Lenzing’s ongoing commitment to innovation and sustainability”, states Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group. “After three excellent quarters we are confident to deliver substantially better operating results in 2017 compared to 2016, but at the same time we do expect more headwinds in 2018.”

Focus on customer intimacy

In September 2017, the Lenzing Group opened a new application innovation center (AIC) in Hong Kong, thus setting a further milestone in strengthening its innovation offering to all partners along the value chain. New applications for Lenzing fibers will be developed and tested at the new facility, among them applications for recent innovations such as the TENCELTM Luxe branded lyocell filament, the RefibraTM branded lyocell fiber and the EcoVeroTM branded viscose fiber.

Furthermore, new sales and marketing offices were opened in Turkey and South Korea in the first half of 2017. The direct contact to customers and well-equipped showrooms featuring products made of LenzingTM fibers serve as the basis for providing even better customer support.

Investment program in progress

The Lenzing Group aims to increase the share of specialty fibers as a percentage of revenue to 50 percent by 2020. Following the capacity expansion initiatives in Heiligenkreuz (Austria) and Mobile, Alabama (USA) which are both underway, Lenzing announced its intention to construct the next plant to produce TENCEL® fibers in Thailand.

A new era of sustainable production

In October 2017, the Lenzing Group presented a new product, TENCELTM Luxe, at an exclusive event held in Paris. The TENCELTM Luxe branded filament yarn represents Lenzing’s entry in the filament market. This fiber will support the Lenzing Group’s path towards becoming a true specialty player in the market for botanic materials derived from the sustainable raw material wood.

The launch volumes of TENCELTM Luxe are being produced at the Lenzing site. The basic engineering for a commercial scale plant was commenced.

Outlook
Demand development on the global fiber market remains positive within the context of a generally friendly macroeconomic environment. Lenzing expects wood-based cellulose fibers to grow at an even higher rate than the overall fiber market. After three excellent quarters, the Lenzing Group will achieve an operating result in 2017 that is significantly better than 2016.

For 2018, Lenzing sees a number of somewhat opposing factors that limit visibility regarding fiber price developments. Overall market demand is expected to remain high. However, the Group expects a substantial increase on the supply side, especially for viscose but also for cotton. Price trends for selected key raw materials, especially caustic soda, are difficult to predict. Against this background the Lenzing Group expects a much more challenging market environment for standard viscose during the upcoming quarters.

The above-mentioned development reassures the Lenzing Group in its chosen corporate strategy sCore TEN. The Group initiated its transformation from a volume-oriented viscose player to a value-oriented specialty fiber player at the end of 2015, and will continue the disciplined implementation of its business strategy.

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