From the Sector

Just in time for ITMA 2023 in Milan, the flat knitting machine manufacturer STOLL has launched its new collection COLOR IN KNITTING. It holds a range of knitting techniques that were ideated for novel super fine machine gauges such as the E20.

In addition, STOLL reveals its internal design workflow, showcasing how digital software tools can speed up the design process. The core of this is k.innovation CREATE DESIGN. Through the utilization of STOLL’s jointly developed design software solution, k.innovation CREATE DESIGN, in collaboration with @KM.ON, the shape and structures of a garment, can be digitally created, allowing for its simulation before it is even knitted. The interfaces to various external 3D software tools, allow for a realistic representation of the garment facilitating faster design decisions. Once the virtual knits, made in the CREATE DESIGN software are ready for manufacturing, it will be send to a knitting technician for further processing in k.innovation CREATE PLUS, This significantly speeds up product development while reducing communication issues between designers and technicians.

Sustainability and responsible handling of precious natural resources were key factors driving the development of the latest trend collection, COLOR IN KNITTING. STOLL-knit and wear®, a technique that stands for seamless knitted garments, can play a significant role in reducing waste. In addition, fewer process steps are required in the production chain - with advantages for production efficiency.
For another highlight of COLOR IN KNITTING, the STOLL creatives have worked on imitating different yarn effects with knitting technology such as slub yarn optics or the simulation of fabrics like crepe de chine/crepe georgette

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of STOLL, COLOR IN KNITTING features a selection of vintage pattern replicates. These patterns can be found in STOLL’s extensive sample archives in Reutlingen. It is impressive to learn that all these former fabric constructions can still be replicated today and also reinvented with todays machine features. This approach showcases the steep progression of technical advancements over the past 150 years.

STOLL´s latest trend collection culminates in the creation of an invaluable resource: the book “Color in Knitting: By Designers, for Designers”. This publication aims to cater to a diverse audience by presenting a comprehensive guide to designing with colors using various flat knitting technologies and will be presented in the chapter "Book release".

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced that registration is open for FiltXPO™ 2023, Oct. 10-12, 2023, Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois USA. More than 130 exhibitors from the filtration supply chain will showcase their solutions, technologies, and innovations to over 1,200 global professionals. FiltXPO will also feature a three-day technical program covering new technology, products, and research.

Exhibit stand reservations have been brisk, exceeding the prior two editions of FiltXPO. “We are pleased to see the strong interest in exhibiting at FiltXPO. It speaks to the strength of the industry and that filtration products continue to evolve for clean air and water, as well as safer food, beverages, and biopharmaceuticals,” said Joe Tessari, Associate Director of Exhibit Sales.

An important part of the FiltXPO event is the 1.5-day Filter Media Training Course. Participants will learn about the physics of filtration, how nonwoven media is designed and used in air and liquid filtration, the latest market trends, which applications have unmet needs, as well as testing standards.

CELLIANT® with REPREVE®, introduced by Hologenix with global textile solutions provider UNIFI®, makers of REPREVE®, has been awarded a Top 5 Selection in the Accelerated Eco category of the Spring/Summer ISPO Textrends 2025 Awards.

Last fall CELLIANT with REPREVE was also awarded a Selection in the Fibers & Insulation Category of the ISPO Textrends Fall/Winter 2024/2025. In addition, in the spring the fiber was shortlisted in the Drapers Sustainable Fashion 2023 Awards in the Sustainable Textile Innovation category.

Twice a year, ISPO recognizes innovative fibers, fabrics and components that are used to manufacture sports apparel. Both companies are excited that this innovation, whereby CELLIANT infrared (IR) technology is embedded into REPREVE, a brand of recycled fiber, has achieved these honors. CELLIANT with REPREVE is a performance fiber made from recycled materials that have been enhanced with IR technology to provide wellness benefits to the consumer.  

CELLIANT is a natural blend of IR-generating bioceramic minerals, which, when embedded into textiles, allows them to convert body heat into infrared energy, returning it to the body and temporarily increasing local circulation and cellular oxygenation. This aids in muscle recovery, increases endurance, and improves overall performance in healthy individuals, among other benefits.
 
REPREVE recycled performance fiber consists of high-quality fibers made from 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles and pre-consumer waste. It is also certified and traceable with UNIFI’s U TRUST® verification and FiberPrint™ technology, which provide assurance that the product comes from recycled materials. Compared to virgin fiber, REPREVE helps to offset the use of petroleum, conserving water and energy and emitting fewer greenhouse gasses.

This award marks the third year in a row that Hologenix has had its CELLIANT technology recognized in the ISPO Textrends Awards. CELLIANT in pure white was a Top Ten Winner in 2022. The prior year, CELLIANT Viscose was a Selection Winner as well. 

The shareholders of SGL Carbon SE approved all agenda items at the Annual General Meeting on May 9, 2023. The Annual General Meeting, which was held virtually, was attended by up to 114 electronically connected shareholders who, together with the postal votes submitted, represented 64.64% of the share capital.

CEO Dr. Torsten Derr began his speech with a review of SGL Carbon's two-year transformation phase. "In two years, we have been able to increase our sales by 23.5% and adjusted EBITDA by as much as 86.2%. In parallel, we reduced our debt by 40.4%," Dr. Derr elaborated. He also reported on the past financial year and the expectations for the future economic development of the company. In doing so, he also addressed SGL Carbon's growth markets in detail. "Over the past two years, we have made SGL fit for the future. With our products, we serve industries that significantly reflect the trends for the future: climate-friendly mobility, renewable energies and digitalization," he explained.

After 14 years on the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon, this was Dr. h.c. Susanne Klatten's last Annual General Meeting as Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board. She had already informed the Company on February 14, 2023, that she would be leaving the Board at the end of this Annual General Meeting. As the largest shareholder, Dr. h.c. Klatten will remain associated with SGL Carbon through SKion GmbH.

As proposed, the Annual General Meeting elected Prof. Dr. Frank Richter as a shareholder representative on the Supervisory Board to succeed Dr. h.c. Susanne Klatten. Following the Annual General Meeting, the constituent meeting of the Supervisory Board elected Prof. Dr. Richter as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Prof. Dr. Richter is Managing Director of SKion GmbH, Bad Homburg, which holds a stake of approximately 28.55% in SGL Carbon SE. Furthermore, Ingeborg Neumann, Managing Partner of Peppermint Holding GmbH, Berlin, was elected to the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon SE for a further term of office.

Klaus Steger (64), CEO of ERWO Holding AG (“ERWO Holding”) and Hoftex Group AG (“Hoftex Group”), will step down from the Management Board of both companies at the beginning of 2024 in accordance with internal policies of the family and the company regarding the retirement age. Already on June 30, 2023, ERWO Holding Management Board member Hans-Georg von Schuh will retire as planned. ERWO Holding Management Board member Manfred Heinrich will also leave the Board as planned at this time and will continue to hold his mandate as one of the managing directors in the Südwolle Group together with Stéphane Thouvay and Johannes Rauch.

Steger’s designated successor as CEO of both companies is Manuela Spörl (50), currently CFO of ERWO Holding and also CFO of Hoftex Group. Hoftex Group is a group of medium-sized companies in the textile industry, in which ERWO Holding holds a significant stake. In addition, ERWO Holding acts as the parent company of the Südwolle Group, in which the Group’s worsted yarn activities are bundled.

Spörl has a degree in business administration and has been working for Hoftex Group since 2000. Her professional career began in the Corporate Controlling department, and in 2012 she was appointed as an advisor to the Board of Management. She was granted power of attorney in 2015, followed by appointments as CFO of the Hoftex Group in 2020 and CFO of the ERWO Group in 2022. A search for a successor for Spörl in the position of CFO of the Hoftex Group and, subsequently, of ERWO Holding is currently underway. Until the new CFO takes office, the two members of the Management Board, together with the Supervisory Board, will ensure an orderly transition.

The announced change in the Management Board of ERWO Holding, which acts as the parent company of the Südwolle Group, also ensures continuity at the leading manufacturer of worsted yarns for weaving, circular and flat knitting products in pure wool and wool blends. In the future, the management of Südwolle Group will continue to consist of the longstanding members Manfred Heinrich (Technology, Production & Planning), Johannes Rauch (Finance & Controlling) and Stéphane Thouvay (Sales & Marketing and Product Management & Innovation). Together with the designated board member of the parent company ERWO Holding, they will continue the successful development of the Südwolle Group from a mere supplier to a strategic partner of its customers as well as the growth trend of recent years.

The founding family Steger remains involved in the various supervisory bodies of the group of companies and will continue to work closely with them as the sole shareholder of ERWO Holding.

• 1Q23 Performance Summary
• Revenue of US$4B, an increase of 3% QoQ and a decline of 9% YoY
• Reported EBITDA of US$301M, an increase of 269% QoQ and decrease of 62% YOY
• Operating cash flows of US$201M
• Net Operating Debt to Equity of 1.00x
• Reported EPS of THB 0.14

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global sustainable chemical producer, reported improved quarterly earnings as headwinds continue to ease from the previous quarter’s peaks, although still below normalized levels. The company continues to focus on enhancing its global competitiveness as the full benefit of China’s reopening spurs volumes through the year, and as volatile energy costs and the destocking trend by customers begin to normalize.

Indorama Ventures achieved Reported EBITDA of $301 million in 1Q23, an increase of 269% QoQ and a decline of 62% YoY. Sales volumes dropped 8% YoY amid the heavy destocking trend that is impacting the chemical industry globally, although volumes rose 5% QoQ as the pace of destocking begins to slow from the peak in 4Q22. With China reopening from pandemic lockdowns and economic activity increasing, there has been marginal improvement in benchmark spreads, albeit below historical levels. In Europe, the warmer-than-expected winter contributed to lower energy prices and alleviated the cost pressures faced last year.

The Group reported an overall decline in Q1 earnings on a year-on-year basis as continued destocking by customers kept sales volumes below consumer consumption levels. CPET posted Reported EBITDA of $142 million, a 74% decrease YoY as sales volumes dropped 9%. Fibers segment achieved Reported EBITDA of $32 million, a decrease of 69% YoY as all three verticals reported declining sales. Integrated Oxides and Derivatives (IOD) segment posted a 4.4% growth in YoY Reported EBITDA to $128 million as volumes rose 4.4% YoY.

Since 1 April 2023 sales and service of Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines in Bangladesh have been under new management. A new dynamic team “Mayer Bangladesh” has been formed. Mayer & Cie.’s longstanding Indian representative Batliboi has joined business activities in Bangladesh since the beginning of the month, supported by the team of Brady Services and by Almani Biz.

In Batliboi, Mayer & Cie. has set up a business partner of many decades standing as its representative in Bangladesh. For around 40 years Mumbai-based Batliboi has overseen sales and service of Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines in India. Abhay Sidham heads Batliboi’s Textile and Machinery Group. He and his team have many years of experience in strategic marketing, and a focus on sustainability and processing recycled raw materials is part of Batliboi’s expertise.

These competences are of relevance in the Bangladesh market because “we face strong competition from Asian manufacturers here,” as Wolfgang Müller, Mayer & Cie.’s sales director, explains. The premium market was growing smaller, and the trend was toward specialities – value-added fabrics, spacer fabrics and athleisure with a high proportion of elastic. Mayer & Cie. sees in these requirements significant potential for its machines – and in Batliboi a partner able in view of its experience to put them to optimal use.

One building block in the set-up of Mayer & Cie. representatives is unchanged. Brady Services will continue with Batliboi to contribute its close ties with the local market. A significant number of existing companies will continue to be looked after by Brady Services.

The new member in Mayer Bangladesh team is Dhaka-based Almani Biz. A lubricants specialist for circular knitting machines Almani Biz has a wide network with Bangladesh knitting industry.

Mayer & Cie. feels well positioned by this new set-up. “We,” Wolfgang Müller says, “are of the opinion that the market for textile machinery in Bangladesh will continue to grow and we are confident that by strengthening our sales, service and marketing team we will be able to make good use of this opportunity.”

Customers in Bangladesh have placed large orders in the past. The latest, placed in January, was for several dozen machines to be delivered this autumn. Further orders from Apex and BEXIMCO (Bangladesh Export Import Company) are also scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2023.

While reorganising the set-up of its representatives in Bangladesh Batliboi has also taken over as Mayer & Cie.’s representative in Nepal, where the company had previously had no local representative. There is a demand for machines for interlock, 8-lock and single jersey, but sales are still in single figures.

The international nonwovens community came together once again in Geneva this week for INDEX™23, with with 12,017 attendees from over 100 countries and 610 exhibitors from 43 countries joining the event.

Exhibitors made the most of the four intensive days to meet potential new customers and extend business with existing clients. As one of the world’s leading nonwovens exhibitions, INDEX™ demonstrated the latest breakthroughs and innovative developments across all nonwovens’ applications.

The INDEX™ Lab, an exchange hub displaying samples from innovations and new developments, also showcased the winners and runners up from each of the five categories of the INDEX™ Innovation Award. Open to any EDANA member company or exhibitor at INDEX™23, the winners were announced on the first day of the exhibition during a dedicated ceremony at the EDANA stand.

The winners (more infomation):

1. Nonwoven roll goods
   Winner: Suominen – HYDRASPUN® Circula Nonwoven
2. Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens
   Winner: Henkel – Smart Adult Care
3. Raw materials or components (e.g., fibre, binder, polymer, tape), of special relevance to the nonwovens industry and related converted products
   Winner: Fiberpartner – BicoBio
4. Innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry
   Winner: Curt G. Joa, Inc. – ESC-8™
5. Sustainable Product
   Winner: Sparkle Innovations – SugaFluff™

The "Nonwovens Journey", an immersive experience that takes a look at the innovative role of nonwovens, as well as how innovation has progressed in time around both sustainability, and how nonwovens are used in everyday life, also allowed visitors to discover the versatility of nonwovens.

Running alongside the exhibition itself, there was also a full programme of side events that were enjoyed by participants: Exhibitor Product Presentations from 33 exhibitors; a series of informative seminars covering a myriad of topics including medical nonwovens, sustainability, circular economy, geosynthetics, textiles, mobility, fair trade, gender equity, innovation, and market trends; country-specific briefings offering insights into the nonwovens market in various regions around the world; and a nonwovens tutorial intended as an induction to nonwovens for those new to the industry. These topics were all presented by leading industry experts and guest speakers, including among others, the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Concern for the environment has in recent years become increasingly important, and once again remained a key topic at INDEX™23, with companies pushing to achieve further CO₂ reductions and circularity across the supply chain.

Continuing on from its success during COVID-19, the INDEX™23 Mobile App and Virtual Platform was back. This tool offered participants – both in Geneva and those following from home – the chance to watch presentations live and interact with speakers, exhibitors, and other participants. Attendees were able to plan their visit and organize meetings, which was highly appreciated. Video recordings from the sessions will remain available online in the app and platform for the coming weeks.

The next INDEX™ will take place in three years from 21-24 April 2026.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK participated in the “Green Textile and Innovation Technology Forum and Exhibition” in Hong Kong, taking a small booth to support the event and FET’s official agent in the region, Chemtax. This was the first in a series of international exhibitions that FET will be attending in 2023.

The interactive exhibition was organised by the Hong Kong General Chambers of Textiles, with over 20 industrial experts and 300 guests in discussion forums and meetings. The major themes explored were sustainable solutions, new technologies and future trends in green textiles. The region is committed to improved sustainability in textiles, with China in particular setting ambitious targets for high performance fibre self-sufficiency, developments in biodegradable material and increased production capacity in recycled fibre.

This fits perfectly with FET’s ethos, having long been a leading exponent of sustainability in fibre technology. The FET range of laboratory and pilot Melt Spinning extrusion lines is suited for both process and end product development of sustainable materials, enabling customers to undertake process development in-house. All FET systems are designed to be material efficient, can be bespoke designed and offer both flexibility and a high level of processing capability.

The diabetic community has always been a priority for Hologenix, creators of CELLIANT® infrared technology, so the company embarked on an initial study to test the hypothesis that the technology can positively impact diabetic patients with vascular impairment, now published in Journal of Textile Science & Engineering. Another study is underway as well with more research on the horizon.

According to statistics cited in the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas, 9th edition, globally, close to a half billion people are living with diabetes and that number is expected to increase by more than 50 percent in the next 25 years.
 
The introduction of the study in the Journal of Textile Science & Engineering also reports that diabetic patients frequently suffer from a combination of peripheral neuropathy and peripheral artery disease, which particularly affects their feet. It further states that it has been estimated that the lifetime risk for the development of foot ulcers in diabetic patients can be as high as 25 percent and that the risk of amputation is 10 to 20 times higher than in non-diabetic subjects.
 
The study was performed by Lawrence A. Lavery, D.P.M., M.P.H., a Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. His clinic and research interests involve diabetic foot complications, infections and wound healing, and he participated in the conception, design, implementation and authorship of the Journal of Textile Science & Engineering study.  

CELLIANT technology is a patented process for adding micron-sized thermo-responsive mineral particles to fibers, in this case polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. The resulting CELLIANT yarns were woven into stockings and gloves containing either 82% CELLIANT polyester, 13% nylon and 5% spandex or for the placebo, 82% polyester with no CELLIANT, 13% nylon and 5% spandex. CELLIANT products absorb body heat and re-emit the energy back to the body as infrared energy, which is non-invasive and increases temporary blood flow and cell oxygenation levels in the body.

The objective of the study was to “evaluate changes in transcutaneous oxygen (TcPO2) and peripheral blood flow (laser Doppler, LD) in the hands and feet of diabetic patients with vascular impairment when CELLIANT gloves and stockings are worn.” While there was not a statistically significant result across all subjects, the study did show that some patients wearing CELLIANT stockings for 60 minutes had an increase of as much as 20% in tissue oxygenation and 30% in localized blood flow. According to the study’s conclusion, “the trends that were observed in favor of CELLIANT stockings suggest that a larger well-designed clinical trial should be undertaken and may provide evidence of clinical efficacy in treatment of the diabetic foot.”
 
The study also notes that “There have been no documented or observed side effects of wearing CELLIANT stockings, and they are relatively inexpensive compared to conventional pharmaceutical interventions.”

Hologenix has embarked on a more comprehensive trial, “Study to Evaluate CELLIANT Diabetic Medical Socks to Increase Tissue Oxygenation and Incidence of Complete Wound Closure in Diabetic Foot Wounds” – NCT04709419, which focuses on the impact of CELLIANT technology to potentially improve tissue oxygenation and wound healing outcomes.
 
“We are excited to explore whether future studies of infrared, with its most common biological effects of increased localized blood flow and cellular oxygenation, could result in a breakthrough in diabetic patients with vascular impairment,” said Seth Casden, Hologenix Co-founder and CEO. “We see a huge potential opportunity with this research for helping to fulfill our core mission of improving people’s health and well-being by potentially reducing the impact of diabetes, and we are actively seeking partners to expand our research efforts.”