From the Sector

• Asahi Kasei Corporation markets premium stretch fiber under the brand of ROICA™, with superior performance features enabled by integrated production from raw material to yarn based on its advanced technology.
• The specialized global holding operates its global ROICA™ business having production sites in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China, and Germany with strategic sales facilities around the world.

With deep regret, Asahi Kasei has taken the decision to restructure its production strategy in order to face the new, unexpected and critical market situation. As part of this process, the production and sales of ROICA™ at its German subsidiary, Asahi Kasei Spandex Europe GmbH in Dormagen, will be discontinued by March 31, 2022.
 
Recognizing the paramount importance of the European market, especially when it comes to smart innovation where ROICA™ is a leader, and with the goal of continuing the excellent longtime work with valued partners, customers and supply chains, Asahi Kasei will continue to develop sales, technical and marketing services in Europe through Asahi Kasei Europe, the European regional headquarters of the Asahi Kasei Group. It will especially focus on ROICA™ added value products manufactured at its ROICA™ production sites in Asia.
 
Through this process, Asahi Kasei will reshape the efficiency and productivity of its global ROICA™ operation by keeping a strong focus on responsible innovation and sustainability in close communication, and safeguarding its business partners.
 
As a manufacturer of superior quality, highly functional and sustainable ROICA™ products, Asahi Kasei will continue its journey of responsible innovation aiming to provide solutions to the textile industry and to contemporary consumers, by enhancing production capabilities and expertise at the global sites supported by an expert, wise and efficient company.

• Pushing technical textile investments into the State

In a bid to strengthen indigenous production through the state and attract investors, the nodal agency for investment promotion and facilitation for the Government of Tamil Nadu – Guidance has signed up for Techtextil India 2021 – the leading International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens. The TN Government will be promoting technical textile policies through both physical and virtual segments of the hybrid fair, enabling investors to set up integrated facilities. Leading technical textile players from Tamil Nadu and across the nation confirm participation for the three-day business event.
 
As one of the first major business events in India for the technical textile sector since the pandemic, Techtextil India 2021 will reunite the industry to present a strong showcase of technical textile technologies crucial for the development of India across industries such as healthcare, agriculture, construction, infrastructure, sports, apparel etc. The first hybrid edition will take place from 25 – 27 November 2021 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.
 
Announcing a close co-operation with Messe Frankfurt India for the 2021 edition, the Government of Tamil Nadu further shared that it will be promoting textile policies and highlighting investment prospects at the trade fair in a bid to attract companies and investors to the state. Ms  Pooja Kulkarni IAS MD & CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu said: “While there are several inherent advantages for the growth of technical textiles in Tamil Nadu specifically, many raw materials used in the production of sanitary products, artificial ligaments, seat belt webbings, airbags are still heavily imported. In this context, the Techtextil India Forum can help us reduce import dependency and bring investments in R&D, manufacturing, innovation by partnering with global technical textiles companies.

Airport company Finavia will start using Finnish technology company Nanoksi Finland Oy’s coating solution at Helsinki Airport. The coating can be used to remove viruses and bacteria from airport surfaces and furniture.

“We are continuously keeping track of new methods and products to ensure a high level of hygiene at the airport. This nanotechnology-based coating, which is sprayed on contact surfaces and furniture, makes it easier to keep surfaces clean. The coating destroys pathogens with the help of light and air,” says Sami Kiiskinen, Finavia’s Vice President, Airport Development for Helsinki Airport.

The coating is sprayed on targets such as check-in counters, machines, departure gates and toilet facilities. The coating lasts for a long time, even though the furniture is wiped several times a day.

The effectiveness of the Fotonit® photocatalytic coating developed by Finnish nanotechnology company Nanoksi Finland Oy has been confirmed by research at the University of Tampere. Photocatalysis can destroy 98% of pathogens such as influenza viruses in two hours. The coating has been awarded the Key Flag Symbol as an indication of its high domestic content.

• Leading suppliers of textile-care technology cancel their participation

Leading suppliers of laundry and dry-cleaning technology have used the free cancellation deadline offered by Messe Frankfurt against the background of the pandemic and cancelled their participation in Texcare International 2021 shortly before expiry. In view of this the Advisory Council of the world’s leading textile-care fair have voted to cancel Texcare International for this year because its success can no longer be guaranteed.

In view of the corona crisis earlier this year, Messe Frankfurt offered exhibitors of Texcare International the right to cancel their participation free of charge until 3 September 2021. As the months passed, the overall outlook became increasingly positive and, by the beginning of August, around 200 companies – including the important and big manufacturers from all parts of the textile-care sector – had registered to exhibit at Texcare International in Frankfurt am Main from 27 November to 1 December 2021. Factors contributing to this included the growing pace of vaccination around the world, the categorisation of trade fairs as business events and the officially approved protection and hygiene concept of Messe Frankfurt. Nevertheless, the mood changed shortly before the cancellation deadline as leading companies decided to withdraw from the event because of uncertainties regarding the future development of the pandemic.

Kerstin Horaczek, Vice President Technology Shows at Messe Frankfurt, took stock after the deadline: “Together with our partners, we worked untiringly to stage the Texcare International for the textile-care sector in the autumn. However, a leading international trade fair with a significantly reduced spectrum on show would not do justice to participants’ expectations of the fair as the most important meeting place and innovation hub for the sector. Therefore, we have decided to accept the vote of the Advisory Council and cancel Texcare International 2021. We are extremely sorry about this. At the same time, we are grateful for the on-going, high level of commitment demonstrated by the sector for their most important trade fair.”

A sector alliance that was formed to tackle issues relating to microplastics has completed the next phase of its project to develop a harmonised industry standard for the supply chain. The Cross Industry Agreement (CIA) has revealed the results of a fibre fragmentation trial that has been carried out in advance of establishing a CEN Standard (from the European Committee for Standardization). Once confirmed, the standard will also become an ISO standard under the Vienna Agreement, providing apparel manufacturers and policy makers with a vital tool as part of wider work to reduce microfibre shedding into the environment.

In 2018, five industry organisations agreed to join forces to proactively tackle the issue of microplastics, and signed the Cross Industry Agreement. The initial signatories were European industry associations that represent the European and global value chains of garments and their associated maintenance – the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.), European Man-Made Fibres Association (CIRFS), European Outdoor Group (EOG), EURATEX the European apparel and textile industry confederation, and the Federation of the European Sporting goods Industry (FESI). Together, the five organisations understood that the very first step to enable global action around the topic, was to agree a harmonised test method which would allow the collection and comparison of globally generated data, to aid the identification of solutions.

The microfibre shedding test method was developed thanks to the joint efforts and cooperation of experts from 28 European, American and Asian organisations; the result was handed over to CEN in 2020. Since then, representatives from the CIA have been working with CEN to fine tune details in order to meet the requirements for a CEN Standard. To verify the reproducibility of the method, the partners have carried out a round robin trial (RRT) to determine if the method could be replicated in different laboratories and produce similar results. 10 organisations participated in the RRT, which was co-ordinated by the CIA, sending fabric samples to all of the laboratories involved and then collecting and analysing the data.

The results from the RRT show statistically significant consistency, both within and between participating laboratories, which demonstrates that the method is both repeatable in the same setting and reproducible in other laboratories.

The CIA has submitted the results of the RRT to CEN, with the intention that the CEN Standard is confirmed in the near future. Once that has happened, it will be promoted throughout the apparel industry and will become a key tool for researchers, businesses and governments as they accelerate efforts to reduce microfibre shedding associated with garment production.

The Italian company Officina+39 will be at Bluezone’s KEYHOUSE area to present its latest sustainable achievements in the field of research and chemical application for the textile sector as well as The Circle Book 2, a special project with circularity as main focus.  
 
For the first time since Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, Munich Fabric Start returns to host some of the most renowned international players in the textile and fashion industry, showcasing their latest innovations. From August 31 to September 1, Officina+39 will step into the Bluezone’s KEYHOUSE area, the interactive hub featuring futuristic solutions with a high level of innovation for the textile supply chain, to present its Better Seasons collection as well as its most recent developments.
 
The new collection embodies the company’s pillars of Trustainable approach – innovation, sustainable practices, clean information, transparency and social responsibility –, delivering a selection of bold, colorful and conscious solutions for the textile industry. These explore better ways to produce and use less through cuttingedge technologies, specifically developed to reduce the use of energy and hazardous chemicals while increasing waste recycling and water conservation.

To ensure product protection and prevent brand piracy, GRAFE has developed a simple and elegant solution that also offers a high level of security. The basis is special markers. "The highly complex pigments with special physical properties designed for this purpose are used in minute quantities within the plastic matrix. With an appropriately calibrated detector, products equipped with them can thus be read and authenticated," explains Business Development Manager Florian Ludwig. At the same time no changes in properties can usually be observed. The detectors can use an LED display to check within seconds whether the unique marker is contained in the product and whether this item is the original product.

In general, there are two options: x ray and light fluorescence, i.e. fluorescent X-rays or light. With the first option, the base color has no influence (not even black) and the customer benefits from low addition dosage and batch price, but this method requires higher investment. "With light fluorescence, on the other hand, detection is done by a measuring device, which is preconfigured by our partner or by us directly. Different types are available, from handy hand-held measuring devices to stationary office solutions to inline spectrometers, in order to have a control take place directly during production," Ludwig explains. With this method, the masterbatch dosage is based on the base color, among otherv things. The method of operation is fast and simple, and the necessary investment is also manageable.

From injection molding and extrusion to transparent and fiber applications, almost all areas of plastics processing come into question.

It is exactly 100 years ago on August 17th this year that Carl Axel Gustafsson returned from the USA to Sweden with a significant agency agreement from the Boston-based sewing machine leader Reece.

Back in 1921, Reece, along with its competitor Singer, entirely dominated the buttonhole machine market and were the world’s only manufacturers of these machines for jackets, trousers and coats.

Gustafsson’s license enabled his new company A C Gustafsson to become one of Europe’s first leasing organisations, hiring out Reece buttonhole machines and receiving payment per sewn buttonhole stitch.

This business thrived for many decades and formed the basis for the entire ACG Group as it exists today.

Forty years later, on September 2nd 1961 to be precise, Reimar Westerlind walked out of a restaurant after a long and enjoyable lunch with someone he’d never met before, having signed his intention to buy a company he knew nothing about on an improvised contract written on the back of a menu.

“What I didn’t know then was that my dining partner was the family lawyer of Carl Axel Gustafsson,” Reimar explains. “I had no money and knew nothing about the textile industry and I also quickly discovered the business was not doing so well at that time and tried to get out of the agreement, but he insisted I honour it. He told me he had money and would back me, but I’d have to work hard and pay him back in full.”

Reimar certainly took that advice, and at the age of 92 still travels to his office every day to oversee the operations of the diverse companies now operating under the ACG umbrella.

Although textiles remain the bedrock of the business, under Reimar Westerlind’s management, ACG Group has branched out into many other fields of activity over the past 60 years, and its diversity has also led to some highly unexpected developments.

Like many other European manufacturers, ACG also began to expand beyond its traditional borders from the 1970s onwards – initially into the former Soviet Union and subsequently establishing subsidiaries in Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, the Ukraine and Denmark.

• Aktuelle EAS-Systeme von Checkpoint Systems erfüllen die in Deutschland geltenden Anforderungen in Bezug auf die Belastung durch elektromagnetische Felder

Eine Gefährdungsbeurteilung ist verpflichtend
„Beim Einsatz von elektronischen Artikelsicherungssystemen (EAS-Systemen) zur Diebstahlprävention sind Einzelhändler verpflichtet, eine Gefährdungsbeurteilung hinsichtlich der Exposition gegenüber elektromagnetischen Feldern durchzuführen. Eine Konformitätserklärung des Herstellers ist dafür nicht ausreichend“, sagt ein Sprecher der Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik.

Die CSA Group, ein international anerkannter und akkreditierter Anbieter von Prüf- und Zertifizierungsdienstleistungen, hat die elektronischen Radiofrequenz-Warensicherungssysteme von Checkpoint Systems in deren Auftrag geprüft und bestätigt die Einhaltung der in Deutschland geltenden Anforderungen in Bezug auf die Belastung durch elektromagnetische Felder.

Es bestehe daher keine Notwendigkeit für Angestellte oder Kunden, einen Sicherheitsabstand zu den Radiofrequenz (RF)-Antennen und Deaktivierungseinrichtungen der aktuellen EVOLVE- und NEO-Serie von Checkpoint Systems einzuhalten. Auch die Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik (BGHW) bestätigt, dass für die beiden genannten Produktreihen aussagekräftige Unterlagen vorliegen.

Die CSA Group kommt in ihrem Prüfbericht zum positiven Fazit: „Checkpoint Systems hält die vorgeschriebenen Grenzwerte für die Exposition gegenüber elektromagnetischen Feldern direkt an den Antennen und Deaktivierungseinrichtungen ein, das heißt in einem Abstand von null Zentimetern. Daher ist es nicht notwendig, einen Sicherheitsabstand zu den Systemen von Checkpoint Systems einzuhalten“, sagt ein Sprecher der CSA Group. „Für die Beurteilung wurden die einschlägigen europäischen und nationalen Vorschriften und Normen herangezogen.“

• The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Welcomes Senate Passage of Infrastructure Bill

WASHINGTON—The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished products, issued a statement today welcoming Senate passage of a bipartisan infrastructure bill that will provide billions of dollars in new spending to revitalize the nation’s roads, bridges and railways and help reconstitute a domestic supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE).

“We commend the Senate for passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which will provide critical resources for our nation’s aging infrastructure and at the same time help incentivize the reshoring of personal protective equipment (PPE) production, an important priority of the U.S. textile industry,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

NCTO worked with congressional allies to include a version of the Make PPE in America Act, legislation co-sponsored by Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), in the infrastructure legislative package. The bill ensures all PPE purchased by the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs are Berry Amendment-compliant; guarantees long-term contracts (a minimum of two years) to U.S. manufacturers; and creates a tiered preference for PPE made in the Western Hemisphere by our free trade partners using U.S. components, after domestic manufacturing capacity has been maximized.

“We sincerely thank Senator Portman and Senator Peters for working to include their Make PPE in America Act in the infrastructure bill,” Glas said. “This bill will help onshore critical production of personal protective equipment (PPE) by guaranteeing long-term contracts for domestically produced PPE and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are utilized to bolster the federal purchase of American-made PPE.

The U.S. manufacturing industry has produced over a billion lifesaving PPE and other medical products over the last year, as NCTO members retooled production chains in response to the nation’s needs. We will continue to urge the government to purchase Berry-compliant products containing 100 percent domestic content for PPE to help bolster the full U.S. production chain in the future.”