From the Sector

Emphasis on Process, Third-party Validation and Outcome-based Testing

Ventura Uniform Services of Kenner, Louisiana has had their certification renewed for Hygienically Clean Healthcare, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The laundry was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Ventura Uniform Services on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

CHOMARAT North America has just been awarded AS 9100 certification. CHOMARAT Group’s US facility that specializes in Advanced Composites reinforcements is located in Williamston, South Carolina. The new certification covers aerospace quality management systems and follows the Group’s development strategy relative to quality and risk management. “Our North American plant’s new AS 9100 certification proves our organisational maturity and provides a vital asset to enable us to become a leading aerospace supplier,” said Michel COGNET, Group Managing Director at CHOMARAT.

MEETING THE DEMANDS OF THE AEROSPACE MARKET
With this certification, CHOMARAT North America is following in the footsteps of the Group’s French plants that were certified to ES 9100 in 2012. The facility now meets the strict criteria set by the market for high performance composites reinforcements for the aerospace industry. The quality system and risk management standards are recognised by purchasers worldwide and is in line with the Group’s growth strategy for the aerospace market. “We are proud of this AS 9100 certification that clearly demonstrates our commitment to quality management and reliability. This accomplishment now allows us to compete as an international aerospace supplier from multiple continents!” said Brian LAUFENBERG, President of CHOMARAT’s NA business.

C-PLY^TM,
THE CHOMARAT REINFORCEMENT THAT HAS ALREADY PROVEN ITS WORTH IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
CHOMARAT has already made a name for itself in the aerospace market with fabrics, tapes and multiaxial carbon reinforcements, particularly its C-PLY™ range. These materials are designed for primary and secondary structures as well as aircraft interior parts. These highly modular materials offer great angle and ply flexibility and open up new opportunities for designing lighter, more efficient and lower cost composite parts. This is a huge advantage in a market with high productivity demands.
This is why C-PLY™ was recently chosen by VX AEROSPACE for their foldaway drone, which can be stowed inside a cylindrical container and deployed from a tactical aircraft. The carbon multiaxial material is used in the construction of the wing, the horizontal stabilizers, the vertical fin and all of the control surfaces. “There is no better material! The extremely thin multiaxial reinforcement is perfect, because strength and stiffness are tailored according to demand. It offers extremely high performance at a reduced cost.” said VX AEROSPACE Chief Engineer Bob SKILLEN.

• In its aim to promote composites materials, JEC Group will highlight the latest technologies that enable the automotive industry to innovate in product design, emission reductions and production.

Paris - In its mission to address composites end-use industries specifically, JEC Group, the world leading organization for the promotion of composite materials, moves up a gear to target the automotive industry. Introduced many decades ago in car manufacturing, and not only for high-end performance models, composites are now offering many alternatives to steel and aluminum, thanks to their specific features, which go far beyond their lightweight properties.

“Today, nearly 2.9 cars are produced and sold worldwide every second. Yet growth potential is still enormous. In value, the automotive industry makes up 20% of the total composites market with promising opportunities for lighter, stronger and more efficient materials in the years to come. They offer new design opportunities, enable a reduction in tooling investment and allow several functions to be integrated in one, on top of their corrosion and impact resistance. Furthermore, composite materials contribute to the development of a new generation of cars, offering innovative battery integration solutions for electric vehicles, as well as a new generation of fuel storage tanks for hydrogen-powered vehicles. JEC Group is moving forward in its strategy to democratize and promote the use of composites materials among end-user segments that, in this case, are OEMs and car manufacturers,” said Ms Frédérique MUTEL, JEC Group President & CEO.

The BMW i3 the largest-volume production car ever to extensively use composites for emission-free mobility

With this in mind, JEC Group will invest in a significant number of composites pavilions at key automotive events in Europe, America and Asia. The first of these will be at Mondial.Tech Paris, part of Paris Motor Show, held on October 2-6, 2018 in Paris. The composites pavilion will include an innovation showcase, expert presentations and networking activities.

The second composites pavilion will be at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 14-18, 2019 and will focus on the same goals of sharing knowledge and developing networking.

Additional events, particularly in Asia, are being planned to cover the global automotive market.

Although the composites pavilions are organized by JEC Group, they will be supported by major composites manufacturers. These combined efforts will enable stands to showcase several solutions provided by composites for the automotive industry, driving innovation in this sector.

• Oerlikon integrates automation solutions for largescale plants in technology portfolio

Remscheid, Germany / Pfäffikon, Schwyz, Switzerland - Oerlikon announced today that it has acquired Germany-based AC-Automation GmbH & Co. KG, an engineering company specializing in large-scale plant automation solutions for the textile and packaging industries. The two companies have been partnering since the early 1980s. The integration of AC-Automation in Oerlikon expands the market-leading technology portfolio of its Manmade Fibers Segment. It also marks a milestone in Oerlikon’s ongoing quest to offer innovative, fully automated and digitally networked Industry solutions in the manmade fiber industry.

The 60 employees at AC-Automation’s Bernkastel-Kues and Augsburg locations will become part of Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment, which includes the leading brands Oerlikon Barmag and Oerlikon Neumag. The move will expand the Segment’s business model, adding another key core component to its current offering of production plants and technology solutions from melt to yarn, fibers, andnonwovens. Ultimately, Oerlikon will be able to offer customers a total solution from a single source, including automation logistics for packaging, high-bay storage, and other areas, which complement its current market-leading spinning and process technologies for the textile industry.

"We see our expanded overall offering as an Industry solution, reflecting the future of an even more efficient, digitized and profitable chemical fiber industry, especially for large-scale plants with daily production capacity of several hundred tons of polyester, nylon, polypropylene, or other manmade fibers,” explains Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Manmade Fibers Segment. Manmade fiber producers from China — the world’s most important market, generating more than 70 % of worldwide manmade fiber production — as well as companies from other fast-growing markets such as India, Turkey and the USA are also relying on automated and networked Industry total solutions.

"The acquisition and integration of AC-Automation’s automation solutions will provide new opportunities for our manmade fiber business. It enables the Segment to increasingly position itself as an Industry solution provider in combination with our own digitization solutions,” says Oerlikon Group CEO Dr. Roland Fischer. “As a leading provider of advanced materials, surface solutions and materials processing including the engineering and production of polymer plants, this acquisition marks another milestone in Oerlikon’s strategy to strengthen its businesses and thus sustain profitable growth.”

"After such a long partnership, we are excited to be able to benefit even more in the future as part of a global player in the textile industry. Our market access will further improve with the help of the Oerlikon
Group's sales and service network. For my employees, I am very pleased to be able to bring them into an international Group, in which there would be new opportunities and perspectives for them personally,”
said Rolf Gänz, AC-Automation’s Managing Director.

• Yarn Expo Spring’s status as Asia’s leading industry event attracts 15% more buyers
• National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)
• Shanghai, China, 14 – 16 March

Yarn Expo continued its evolution into the industry’s most comprehensive and effective business platform with its Spring Edition which concluded last week with a large increase in the buyer figure, as well as another year of growth in the exhibitor number. Strong demand was evident for recent growth areas of the fair such as synthetic, fancy and specialty yarns as well as chemical fibres, while exhibitors in the more traditional cotton product group also fared well. In total, 435 exhibitors from 10 countries & regions took part (2017: 393, 12 countries & regions), attracting 25,966 trade buyers from 88 countries & regions (2017: 22,579, 94 countries & regions).

“Once again, Yarn Expo proved itself as the ideal trade fair for the industry to benefit from changing demands and product trends, especially in the Chinese and wider Asian markets,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd explained. “The fair has evolved in recent editions to have a much bigger focus on synthetic, fancy & specialty yarns and chemical fibres, and based on the exhibitor feedback during the fair, there was an increase in buyers sourcing these products this year. What’s more, local buyers were showing strong interest in the offerings from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, while Vietnamese cotton exhibitors reported increased orders from China due to the favourable trade policies between these countries.”

As one of the industry’s leading players, Birla Jingwei Fibres naturally plays a big role at Yarn Expo, with their Birla Planet pavilion proving highly successful for the company. Senior Vice President Mr Sachin Malik, explained: “Yarn Expo is a very important platform for Birla, to be visible to our value chain, to connect with our customers, and our own clients’ customers. We value Yarn Expo as a long-term partner for showcasing our products and connecting with the value chain. Each edition we connect with more and more buyers, and more customers in the industry recognise the importance of this fair. It has developed into a premium event in the global textile industry calendar. Usually this edition is quieter than the autumn fair, but the results this year saw the spring edition reach the same level. Our booth was always packed with buyers, and we also received more high-quality and international buyers. Our pavilion members are also very satisfied with the buyers and their results this time.”

Exhibitor comments

Indonesia

“Yarn Expo is an ideal platform to meet not only Chinese but also global buyers. The fair attracts so many good-quality buyers, and compared to other fairs attracts more of our target buyers. The results this edition have been good. After four years of doing business in China, we’ve found many Chinese customers who are willing to pay for quality. The demand in the China market for high-quality products is growing, in particular because of the shortage of spinning capacity which is made up for by imports. We’ve seen more serious and meaningful buyers that have strong desire for further cooperation this time, and I think the potential of this market will continue to grow.” Mr Anupam Agrawal, Director Spun Yarn Business, PT. Indo-Rama Synthetics Tbk

Korea

“Our booth was so crowded throughout the fair. We had more than 300 buyers visit us, and I guess approximately 30% of them will turn into business after the fair. Our target buyers are fabric and garment manufacturers, and we found a lot of good quality ones here. A wide range of worldwide buyers from different market sectors sourced at our booth, especially big-brand sportswear manufacturers and sourcing offices. We’ve had visitors from China, Europe and many other countries. We are very satisfied with our first Yarn Expo experience, and we expect a very good outcome after the show.” Mr Joo Son, International Sales Team, HJLite

Pakistan

“Yarn Expo is the global meeting platform for all yarn industry players. You have buyers from all over the world here, so it is the best trade platform in Asia to connect with worldwide buyers. We’ve met people from Argentina, Columbia, Korea, Indonesia, the UK and the US. Around 40% of them are new to us. We’ve noticed that everyone is looking for new products nowadays, so we always bring new items. Fancy yarn is getting more common in China, and demand is growing steadily. China is definitely a huge market for us to develop.” Mr Mohammad Saad, Director of Abtex Intl Ltd

India

“Yarn Expo is really helpful in that it has a diverse buyer profile and attracts buyers from around the world. We managed to talk to customers from Pakistan, India and Colombia, as well as potential Chinese buyers who are very interested in our products. The buyers have been genuine with specific sourcing needs, and some of them have already placed orders.” Mr N. Sarawgi, Representative of Madhusudan Rayons Pvt. Ltd

Thailand

“This edition we brought our new Kapok material to the fair for the first time. It has been the most popular product at our booth. In recent editions, we’ve also met more and more garment factories asking for customised fancy yarn to make their products competitive and unique, while eco-friendly and natural yarns are also more popular. Yarn Expo is the platform we announce our new products and technologies, and the feedback from buyers from around the world can help us improve them and learn the latest market trends. The fair is of great value for our market strategy.” Mr Warakorn Bunkanokwong, Export Sales Manager, Kongkiat Textile Co Ltd

Singapore

“We are here to explore the China market, but are also glad more customers from Europe and America visited our booth. Many of the buyers here are at the decision-making level, so can give us clear requirements and advice about our products. This is a highly effective fair to meet Chinese buyers to learn first-hand what the market needs.” Mr Rahul Gupta, Marketing Manager, Texvista Intl Pte Ltd

Vietnam

“Yarn Expo is a great chance to meet our existing partners and find new buyers. Compared to China cotton yarn, we still have an advantage in price and quality which attracts a lot of buyers to our booth. Yarn Expo provides us with a quick way to tap into the Chinese and Asian markets.” Mr Du Xuan Cuu, Trade Director, Hanam Textile Co

Uzbekistan

“The Chinese market is important to us, so we chose to exhibit in Yarn Expo. We have met many buyers here, and each year we can find new customers through Yarn Expo. The international nature of this fair is also beneficial for our business.” Mr Dilshod, Export Manager, Exoeast Trade LLP

China

“Yarn Expo is the largest platform in Asia. Compared to other fairs, the buyers here are of higher quality; genuine buyers make up a large portion and most of them come with sourcing intentions. Currently, fancy yarn is in great demand in the market. The number of customers looking for such products is significantly higher this year, and Yarn Expo can effectively help us capture this demand.”
Ms Stella Gan, Sales Manager, Jin Dun Textile

Buyer comments

“We can find all ranges of cotton yarn, fancy yarn and chemical fibres at Yarn Expo. Most of the famous brands are here, and they bring the latest technologies and products, including debut products. Yarn Expo always catches the latest trends in the industry and presents them at the fair. This year the quantity and quality of fancy yarn exhibitors has increased, so I’ve found some products to source already.” Mr Wang Gaofeng, Deputy General Manager, Jiaxing Jinqie Fashion Co Ltd, China

“We mainly came to source fancy yarn this time, and we found many new options. This international show greatly expands our sourcing options. Many of our existing suppliers, including from Indonesia, exhibit at this fair so that’s why we source here. We’re satisfied with the exhibitor quality, and intend to place orders afterwards. There have been a number of new technologies presented here that left a deep impression on us.” Ms Linggar Jati Halim, Director, PT. Kartika Sinar Mulia, Indonesia

“I like this fair as it gathers exhibitors from the entire industry supply chain. As the demand for functional fabrics continues to increase, we can also see this trend in Yarn Expo. Therefore, the fair helps us to learn about the industry’s developments.” Mr Jiang Chang, Marketing Manager, Hangzhou Gaoxi Technology Co Ltd, China

The next Yarn Expo fair, the Autumn Edition, will be held at the earlier date of 27 – 29 September 2018, once again at the National Exhibition and Convention Center. 

Montalvo, international specialists in web tension control, announces its newest product offering, Axial Activated Core Chucks. As part of their “Defender Series Core Chucks,” the Montalvo Axial Activated Core Chuck is designed for shaft-less unwinding and rewinding applications requiring maximum roll/core gripping and/or utilizing floor pick up.
The Defender Axial Activated (DAA) Core Chucks, sometimes referred to as lug chucks, are cost effective, rugged, and durable core chucks capable of withstanding even the dustiest environments while being simple to utilize.
An exclusive “safe lock” model expands the capabilities of the AA core chucks even further by resolving any potential risk of the core not fully tightening and ensuring the roll is always perfectly concentric. Cores are engaged as a result of radial lug expansion as the core is loaded into the chuck, ensuring maximum grip so you can Achieve More.

Montalvo’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Bryon Williams says, “Our new axial activated chucks and total Defender series of core chucks gives our customers a superior product offering in performance, quality, cost, safety, and service life. Axial activated chucks are a cost-effective way to “defend” against core damage, extending their service life while maintaining the highest levels of safety. The drop-in replacement design ensures no additional installation requirements for customers looking to upgrade their current core chucks.”

Additional DAA Core Chuck features include:
•    Rapid Expansion Jaws - ensure secure roll control immediately upon engagement
•    Dual Core Models - for processes utilizing multiple core sizes - one chuck, two core sizes
•    E-Flange™ Option - eliminates operator interaction in removing cores while making core ejection fast and easy; reducing risk of jammed cores
•    Photocell Ready™ Option - allows use of photocell or other sensors
•    Customer Specified Mounting Holes - ready for immediate installation upon delivery
•    Several Finishes Available - Black Oxide standard, Nickel Plating optional
•    Drop-In Replacement Design - for easy upgrading of existing installations

About Montalvo
Since 1947 the Montalvo Corporation has specialized in manufacturing, integrating, retrofitting and servicing a wide range of tension control products for a variety of industries including, converting, paper, film, foil, nonwovens, plastic, corrugated, packaging, medical, composite and more. Montalvo’s products include load cells, tension controllers, tension indicators, amplifiers, tension control brakes and clutches, sensors, safety chucks, and core chucks. Montalvo has four worldwide offices in the USA, Denmark, Germany & China. http://www.montalvo.com

• Revenue increased by 5.9 percent to EUR 2.26 bn
• EBITDA up 17.3 percent to EUR 502.5 mn
• Dividend proposal of EUR 3.00/share plus a special dividend of EUR 2.00/share
• New brand strategy to generate a strong message to consumers
• Limited visibility for coming quarters

In 2017, the Lenzing Group reports its best financial performance ever with record revenue and earnings due to a better product mix and higher selling prices in combination with a generally favorable market environment.

Group revenue grew by 5.9 percent in the 2017 financial year to EUR 2.26 bn (2016: EUR 2.13 bn). Group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) improved by 17.3 percent to EUR 502.5 mn (2016: EUR 428.3 mn). The corresponding EBITDA margin rose to 22.2 percent (2016: 20.1 percent). Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increased by 25.2 percent to EUR 371 mn, resulting in a higher EBIT margin of 16.4 percent (2016: 13.9 percent). The net profit for the year totaled EUR 281.7 mn, a rise of 23 percent from the prior-year figure of EUR 229.1 mn. Earnings per share in the 2017 financial year amounted to EUR 10.47 (2016: EUR 8.48).

The Management Board and the Supervisory Board will propose at the upcoming Annual General Meeting a stable dividend of EUR 3.00 per share plus an increased special dividend of EUR 2.00 per share (2016: EUR 1.20 per share). In total, the dividend will amount to EUR 5.00 per share, corresponding to a dividend payment to shareholders of EUR 132.75 mn.

“The Lenzing Group looks back at a very successful year 2017. We continued to implement our corporate strategy sCore TEN with great discipline and focus on our investment projects and successfully captured value in a positive market environment. Our commitment to innovation and customer centricity was underpinned by the opening of an application innovation center in Hong Kong and the creation of the new sales and marketing office in Turkey. In line with sCore TEN we decided to revamp our brand architecture and image to sharpen Lenzing’s corporate and product profiles for customers and consumers. We want to put a stronger emphasis on our ambition to make the textile and nonwoven market more sustainable”, says Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group.

“We are very positive about our chosen strategy as it will help us to be more resilient as we expect more headwinds in the upcoming quarters”, he adds.

• 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.
 

• New collaboration of sustainable viscose suppliers formed in China

Digital Printing Zone debuts at Spring Edition
Despite the economic ups and downs in China over the last few years, demand for premium European textiles remains high.
Whether it be premium wool for the flourishing suiting market, ladieswear fabrics, lace & embroidery for high-end domestic brands each with hundreds of stores across the country, innovative yarns & fabrics for the booming sports and activewear sectors, or original pattern designs for the thousands of new online fashion brands, European suppliers remain the go-to option for Chinese buyers looking for quality and style.

As one of the undisputed leaders in the European textile scene, Italy is always a good bellwether of the trends between Europe and China. After a less than stellar 2016, Italy’s fabric exports to the Mainland China and Hong Kong markets grew by 12.4% in the first 10 months of 2017[1]. The expected demand for European brands at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be most evident in the SalonEurope zone, which features exhibitors from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK, as well as country pavilions & zones from France, Germany, Italy and Turkey.

There is also continuing demand for overseas expertise when it comes to more technical areas such as sustainability and digital printing, solutions to which can be found in the fair’s All About Sustainability area and Digital Printing Zone.

SalonEurope showcases the continent’s full textile expertise
The best of the best from Europe will be on display in this edition’s SalonEurope, with a range of products across the whole textile spectrum on offer. Some of the highlights this edition include:

• Alumo (Switzerland): celebrating its 100-year anniversary this July, Alumo has undertaken a complete refresh of their brand, highlighting the character of their mill in Appenzell, Switzerland that has deep roots in the local textile industry. This edition, they will showcase a renewed collection of luxury shirting fabrics with intricate designs and added functions such as natural stretch and wrinkle-free, and a newly enlarged, never-out-of-stock ‘Sartorial’ collection.
• Hatfil Tekstil Isletmeleri (Turkey): a Turkish-Italian joint venture, they offer a huge range of yarns including eco-friendly options such as organic, BCI and fair trade yarns, as well as cotton, Tencel, Amicor, bamboo, cashmere, modal and other varieties.
• Hohenstein Textile Testing (Germany): offering testing services, OEKO-TEX® services and certifications, the Hohenstein Quality Label and more.
• Ricamificio Paolo Italy SpA (Italy): an embroidery manufacturer, they have developed a new technique using very thin embroideries to produce a lace-like effect, which can also be customised to the customer’s requirements in no more than four weeks. They have also produced a quilt-like fabric suitable for spring / summer garments which is made from materials such as silk organdie, cotton yarn or lurex to produce a shiny effect.
• Teseo Tessitura Serica Di Olmeda SpA (Italy): for their summer 2019 collection, Teseo is inspired by the natural elements with increased attention to sustainability with GOTS-certified bio silk and eco-friendly yarns. New articles are lighter and enriched with yarn-dyes, include jacquard stripes and checks, gauze and devoré bands to add transparency, and more.

New collaboration of sustainable viscose suppliers formed in China
While the textile industry in China still has a long way to go in terms of sustainability, genuine progress is being made at both a government and company level. January of this year saw the implementation of a new environment protection tax, with companies charged for noise, air & water pollution and generating solid waste[2]. Replacing a pollutant discharge fee that had been in place for 40 years, the new tax is set by local governments – with some of the regions suffering from worse pollution setting higher rates – and also incentivises companies with lower emissions.

In another encouraging move, 10 leading global viscose producers in China have come together to form the Collaboration for Sustainable Development of Viscose (CV) to promote the sustainable sourcing and responsible production of viscose. These 10 producers collectively account for over 50% of the world’s viscose staple fibre production, and have partnered with two trade associations to adopt a sustainability roadmap for the viscose industry. Built around credible international sustainability standards and programmes, the CV Roadmap aims to provide guidance to viscose producers on sustainable sourcing and production practices.

The CV collaboration will make its debut appearance in the fair’s All About Sustainability zone, where visitors can learn more about this initiative, as well as sustainable developments in the Chinese textile industry. Apart from an educational programme and garment display area, the zone will also feature a number of exhibitors other than CV.

Digital Printing Zone debuts at Spring Edition
While digital printing is rapidly gaining traction in the global textile industry, this is especially so in China due to its potential to reduce pollution during the production process. Amongst the exhibitors looking to take advantage of this in the fair’s new Digital Printing Zone is MS Italy, a market leader in the design, development and distribution of innovative digital ink-jet printing systems and associated consumables, which serves the high-end, roll-to-roll textile printing and specialty material markets. Also exhibiting is DIGITEX which will introduce the latest digital- and inkjet-printed natural and manmade fabrics.

Apart from digital printing exhibitors, a day-long forum will inform fairgoers on the exciting possibilities of digital printing. Held on day 2 of the fair, the Fast Fashion and Digital Printing Application Forum features sessions on fast fashion technology & trends and digital printing applications. These are followed by a series of discussions on topics such as flexible supply chains, business opportunities created by digital printing and IP protection. The forum also includes a presentation on the findings of a six-month study conducted by Fashion Print, a Chinese publication, for which they visited hundreds of textile companies, printing and dyeing enterprises, as well as their suppliers to produce a research paper on the digital textile printing market and technology.

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.

• Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2018 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. For more details on this fair, please visit: www.intertextileapparel.com. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: www.texpertise-network.com.

[1] http://hk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Italian-textile-industry-back-on-growth-track-in-2017,944760.html
[2] http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/china-imposes-environment-protection-tax-beginning-jan-1-239965-newsdetails.html

Paris, February 20, 2018 – Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, is pleased to announce its partnership with Dual through the signing of a global agreement covering the Korean automotive supplier’s fabric seating and airbag businesses.

Backed by world-class research and development, Dual strives to meet evolving customer needs by offering innovative new automotive interior materials and advanced safety textiles. The supplier’s automotive trim and airbag divisions serve Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the fourth largest automaker in the world. Currently undergoing rapid expansion, Hyundai-Kia is counting on Dual to increase its manufacturing capabilities in the high-growth regions where the group operates, including China, Eastern Europe, Turkey and South America.

A key feature of the global agreement is Lectra’s commitment to help Dual optimize its manufacturing processes with the aim of improving its cost structure. Lectra’s most advanced technologies—Vector® for vehicle seating and FocusQuantum® for airbags—and unique expertise in cutting room processes are crucial to helping Dual reach its operational excellence objectives.

The agreement designates Lectra as sole supplier for high-ply cutting equipment and services for Dual’s seating and interiors business, and laser cutting equipment and services for the company’s airbag cushion business at six plants located in Korea and China.
For its operations in Korea and China, Dual will gain access to the full array of expertise, customer support and field services that Lectra provides worldwide. Lectra’s complete customer support structure enables maximum uptime through remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance.

“Dual will benefit most from this agreement by containing costs in the cutting room,” remarks Ong Jae-Yeol, Fabric and Seat BU Executive Managing Director, Dual. “This is precisely where Lectra’s expertise can help us gain a competitive advantage.”
“We are pleased to enter into this global partnership with Dual, to support them—not only with our best-in-class cutting technology, but also with Lectra’s expertise in cutting processes,” states Javier Garcia, Senior VP Automotive Sales, Lectra. “Our unique know-how contributes to Dual’s pursuit of operational excellence—the source of sustainable competitive advantage for car seat cover and airbag cushion suppliers.”