From the Sector

• Key Provision Guarantees Long-Term Contracts for Domestic PPE

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 the bipartisan U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). As part of the bill’s effort to address overall manufacturing and technology competitiveness issues from the perspective of the U.S.-China relationship, the legislation will help reconstitute a domestic supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE).

“We commend the Senate for ushering the bipartisan USICA, designed to make the U.S. more globally competitive against China, across the finish line which includes an important provision to help onshore personal protective equipment (PPE) production,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“We sincerely thank Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) for working to include their Make PPE in America Act in the USICA, a critical priority of the U.S. textile industry,” Glas said. “This language will help onshore critical production of medical personal protective equipment (PPE) by guaranteeing long-term contracts for American-made PPE and establishing a much-need domestic procurement requirement for federal purchases of these essential products. It will ensure that that U.S. taxpayer dollars are utilized to construct and secure a domestic production chain for the manufacture of lifesaving PPE and other essential medical supplies,” Glas said.

NCTO led an industry and labor coalition effort supporting the inclusion of the Make PPE in America Act in the USICA.  The USICA contains the key provisions of the Portman-Peters bill that ensures all PPE purchased by the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs are Berry Amendment-compliant and guarantees long-term contracts for these critical items to incentivize domestic production.

“While we support the overall USICA package, which includes many items of critical importance to the U.S. textile industry, our industry is extremely concerned about a provision that was added in the eleventh hour that could sidetrack the critical effort to onshore a self-sufficient PPE industry,” Glas added. “This harmful provision would unilaterally suspend normal tariffs and penalties assessed on PPE imports for two years. Doing so would allow China to maintain its stranglehold on the U.S. PPE market, while working at cross-purposes with other provisions of the bill designed to incentivize much needed investment in domestic PPE manufacturing. U.S. manufacturers retooled production and have significant idle capacity.  It is critical that the House of Representatives strike this damaging language if this legislative package is considered.

“Congress and the administration need to keep PPE tariffs in place to support U.S. businesses and workers who abide by higher labor, environmental and production standards.  The industry reconstituted supply chains to help healthcare frontline workers.  Our industry has significant capacity to help meet U.S. medical needs.  This provision is the absolute wrong message to send to American manufacturers and its workforce.” Glas noted.

The modern site in Gratkorn is one of the largest paper mills in Europe. With the portfolio expansion, Sappi will meet customer demands for base papers for non-wet-strength wet-glue and self-adhesive labels and keep pace with market growth. With more than 400 years of experience in paper production, the site in Gratkorn is renowned for high-quality, multi-coated fine papers used for graphical applications. Available capacity is being expanded gradually to include the production of Parade Label papers alongside existing graphical grades.

New products in the pipeline
The site in Gratkorn offers another benefit. The higher production capacity will enable the innovation leader Sappi to further expand its portfolio of label papers and open up new segments. This was previously not possible due to limited capacity at the existing locations. Michael Bethge, Sales Director Speciality Papers at Sappi, commented "In June of this year, we will launch Parade Label Pro in grammages of 80 and 90 g/m² following successful testing processes carried out internally and externally"

A broad coalition of industry organizations and labor unions, representing a broad spectrum of manufacturers and workers who stepped up to make essential personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressing strong support for the inclusion of robust domestic procurement policies for PPE in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) currently being considered by the Senate.

See the coalition’s full letter here.

• Order intake of around CHF 300 million received in the month of April 2021
• Order intake in the first half of 2021 expected to be around CHF 800 million
• Start of implementation of the Rieter CAMPUS project in Winterthur

In the month of April 2021, Rieter received orders of around CHF 300 million. The order intake in April was broadly based internationally with the main focus on Turkey, Uzbekistan and India.

In addition to the regional development of the market, Rieter also attributes the business performance to a catch-up effect due to the low propensity to invest in 2019/2020.

As a result, Rieter expects an order intake of around CHF 800 million in the first half of 2021.

As already announced, Rieter anticipates that sales in the first half of 2021 will be below the break-even point. Rieter expects an operating profit for the full year 2021. On July 15, 2021 Rieter will give an updated outlook for 2021 in connection with the semi-annual results, taking into consideration the ongoing challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rieter Board of Directors has approved the implementation of the CAMPUS project. The Rieter CAMPUS comprises a customer and technology center as well as an administration building at the Winterthur location. It will make an important contribution to the implementation of the innovation strategy and to the enhancement of Rieter’s technology leadership position.

On June 1-2, 2021, JEC Composites Connect, the first round-the-clock digital event of the composites industry, will host significant industry players, enabling participants to discover their latest innovations. Three competitions the JEC Composites Challenge, the JEC Composites Startup Booster, and the famous JEC Composites Innovation Award, will also put the spotlights on the most innovative solutions and products this year

Key Figures

More than 1,000 companies from all the composites value chain spanning 46 countries will participate, network, and present their latest products on their digital booths.

Exhibitor’s breakdown by industrial sector :

• Raw materials
• Intermediate products
• Equipment, tools, and ancillary products
• Distribution, agents, and representation
• Third parties, services, engineering, and R&D
• Composite’s part producers and processors
• Composite’s end-users and integrators

Highlighting excellence and innovation

JEC Composites connect will also be the place to promote the composites sector’s biggest innovative projects. Many product launches are expected to be announced over the two days of the show, evidences a solidly dynamic sector led by high-performance and environmentally friendly innovations.

Among which 65 product launches are listed in the 2021 Innovation Report: from Raw materials, Intermediates and Ancillary, R&D to Production and Equipment, including Simulation and Measurement and Services.

Competitions and awards ceremonies

The JEC Composites Challenge will give the floor to ten young researchers from around the world on June 2nd at 12pm CEST. They will have five minutes to convince a panel of judges composed of leading industrial players in the composites sector. The competition builds bridges between research and industry and is a highlight of the event.

The 2021 JEC Composites Startup Booster has a line-up of 20 finalists who will pitch during two live sessions on June 1st from 10:30 am to 11:30 am and from 5 pm to 6 pm CEST. The 2021 JEC Composites Innovation Awards will celebrate the most innovative composites projects and fruitful collaborations between different value chain players in 2021.

• Riri’s SS 2022 collection explores the mind of the future.
• Bright colors, vintage themes as well as timeless designs and attention to detail, combined with concepts that highlight history and processes.

Riri Group’s gaze looks to the future once more, offering a line of accessories where creativity meets cutting-edge technology. This is the scenario spawning the new SS 2022 collection; a range of innovative proposals each representing a different emotional response to the pandemic, an attempt to interpret the emotions, needs and desires of consumers in the coming years.

The Italian-Swiss group, that for almost a century has committed to creating zips and buttons for the world’s most important fashion brands, doubles down on its forward-looking vision. The result is SS 2022 collection, featuring three different aspirational paths to read into the emerging feelings of the “new normal” that is our time and that may characterize the near future.

REJOICE
Inspired by sensations of euphoria and breaking free from melancholy through evasion and exuberance, Rejoice is the line that sees in positivity and joy of re-living the answer to the months of pandemic and negativity. The optimism that is to come takes the form of a creative and extrovert style, even when it comes to accessories. The inspiration, a triumph of bright colors and timeless styles, comes straight from the streets of Boca, one of Buenos Aires’ most popular neighborhoods thanks to its combination of colors and creative scene. Thus, the Eloxal rio zip is presented once again: with its aluminum chain and colored teeth, matched with a multi-color effect puller. In the range, we can also find the Nylon zip, featuring changing colors matched with buttons that echo their color variations, or the Filmetal 14 zip, big and with eye-catching writings, embossed on the tape.

REBIRTH
Going back to the future, in a more respectful and responsible way, through a rebirth that comes to be thanks to a closer relationship with nature. In this line history and processes through which the product is made are pivotal to tell a new way to approach the world. The range comprises zips and buttons developed with natural material and processed manually. A return to the basics as well as the constant research to reduce resources use respecting the planet are foundation of this line. Part of the Rebirth line are the copper jeans buttons, with a special water-based paint finishing, transparent and protective, or the hemp-derived bio-plastic eyelets, as well as the galalite buttons, a particular bio-degradable plastic, derived from processed milk proteins. A major innovation are our tapes entirely made of recycled polyester, evidence of the commitment by Riri Group to reuse resources.

TIMELESS
Timeless elegance, essential luxury mixed with the highest quality standards for top-of-therange products. Design, materials and colors featuring in this line break away from seasonal trends to become timeless must-haves, essential yet elegant. Every piece is cared for in every detail, created specifically to leave a lasting mark. Buttons, chains and pullers are either made of gold and silver, or they feature the clean and elegant tone of stainless steel. Among the zips, stand out Metal and Simmetrical with luxury finishings, whilst tapes are made with refined materials, such as leather and satin. Essential yet researched, this range comes with square and oval cuts, with geometry being functional and complementary to a timeless elegance.

AMAC cooperates with ITA (Institute for Textile Technology of RWTH Aachen University and their ITA GmbH) for the business development in composites 

As of April 19th, 2021, AMAC is pleased to announce its cooperation with the Institute for Textile Technology, ITA, of RWTH Aachen University and their ITA GmbH. The aim of the cooperation is to strengthen and develop their business activities in composites.

ITA, as one of the largest institutes on the campus of the excellence University RWTH Aachen, Germany, develops complete solutions from the manufacturing of the fiber itself over the processing of textile intermediates with thermoplastic and thermoset resins, textile-based part manufacturing, capabilities such as braiding, pultrusion and in-situ impregnation of textile preforms. Top 3 focused industries are transportation and particularly the e-mobility sector, building and construction as well as the wind energy sector. Additionally, ITA GmbH is the partner of the industry in R&D, focusing on 8 business segments, providing technology and knowledge transfer, as well as offering comprehensive solutions along the entire textile value chain.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Gries, Director of ITA, explains the background of the strategic cooperation with focus on composites: „Our long-term experience and unmatched know-how with all aspects of continuous fibers, non-wovens and web-based reinforcements allows us to deliver to the composite manufacturers a complete technology and service offer around the development of technical textiles, from the development of glass and carbon fibers to the textile-based processing of composite parts. In all process steps of our research and developments, we focus on sustainable and recyclable solutions, an efficient cost-performance ratio, the possible use of bio-based materials and the reduction of the CO2 footprint. We are glad to cooperate with Dr. Michael Effing and AMAC in order to benefit from his door-opening network in the composites industry. “

Dr. Michael Effing, Managing Director of AMAC GmbH: „I am very happy to support the ITA to generate innovation thanks to further industrial networking and pre-competitive joint projects. ITA is indeed a one-stop source for composite solutions from the fiber to the cost-efficient manufacturing of final parts. In the context of the Covid-19 impact to the entire industry, it makes sense to bundle forces. Furthermore, ITA, with its long tradition and satisfied customers offers further valuable networking opportunities to the composites industry as well as access to relevant complementary fiber-based excellence and 250 different technologies in their machine-park with an outstanding infrastructure in Aachen.”

ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, a premium stretch fiber, has been characterized by a strong innovation DNA and it started delivering new and sustainable values and performances since July 2017.

In April 2018, the world first Global Recycled Standard –GRS- recycled stretch yarn ROICA™ EF that uses more than 50% pre-consumer recycled content, has been awarded by Senken Shimbun with the “Synthetic Fiber Prize”.

For the 2021 edition, the same prize goes to the premium sustainable stretch yarn ROICA™ V550, that at the end of its life smartly breaks down without releasing harmful substances in the environment according to Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certification and also boasting the Gold Level Material Health Certificate by Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute as it has been evaluated for impact on human and environmental health.

• Recycled polyester becomes a production standard for zips' tapes: a new step in Riri Group’s green path.
• Riri is the first company in the fashion accessories industry to complete its transition towards an exclusive use of recycled polyester for zips’ tapes.

To Riri, being ‘Responsible today for a sustainable tomorrow’ means looking ahead, toward a real effort in bringing sustainability in operational decisions, even if they mean more management issues and lead to changes out of the comfort zone which is the result of years of experiences and processes. Riri Group thus becomes the first manufacturing company in the fashion accessories industry to introduce the use of recycled polyester as production standard for its zip range. This achievement marks another essential one in the sustainability path that the Swiss-Italian Group has walked since the 90s. This change fits perfectly the Group’s green approach which sees innovation for the future as one of the main pillars of the corporate strategy, as well as the commitment to protecting natural resources and to improving the
traceability and transparency of both materials and processes, in a framework that sees to rethink social and economic models. Riri’s slogan “excellence in details” can also be read as “sustainability in details” as it speaks to the company’s will to act putting sustainability first.

By employing recycled polyester as production standard for the zip range, the contribution to sustainability on a quantitative level will be significant:

• The company, in fact, will reduce emissions resulting from polyester purchase by 32%; thus, carbon footprint will be cut down by 3%, for zip production. As a result, 460,000 kg of
CO2 per year is saved, the same as 169 return flights from Geneve to New York.

• All the recycled polyester is GRS (Global Recycled Standard)-certified, highlighting Riri’s constant commitment to choosing suppliers that meet the industry’s international standards.

• The recycled polyester used in tapes for zips is made from recycled polyester fibers, both  pre- (20%) and post-consumer (80%).

• An important contribution is made to the goal of increasing the global use of recycled polyester, as stated by Textile Exchange, from 14% to 20% by 2030.

This choice shows once more the ability of the company to develop products that keep in mind the environment whilst preserving functionality, reliability and that visual taste that the world of fashion requires.

Indeed, Riri has introduced its first recycled polyester tape in 2013 and since then has been consistently increasing the use of GRS-certified recycled polyester that comes from recycled materials.

“We are proud of this step and the effect that it has on sustainability and the cultural change through which we approach the development and improvement of our products” states Renato Usoni, Riri Group’s CEO. “Our innovation is the result of a tireless research of low environmental impact materials, an approach that has been the foundation of our identity for many years, but that now is renewed once more to make another step toward the future”.

• Swiss weaving machinery manufacturers are in the forefront of novel application development

Shoes and electronic calculators are probably not the first products people would associate with the textile weaving process. But they certainly signpost the future for woven fabrics, as two examples of the ever-wider possibilities of latest technology in the field. Fashion and function already combine in the increasing popularity of woven fabrics for shoes, and this is a present and future trend. Calculators in fabrics? That’s another story of ingenious development, using so-called ‘meander fields’ on the back and keys printed on the front of the material.

These glimpses of the outlook for modern weavers are among the highlights of developments now being pioneered by Swiss textile machinery companies. All weaving markets require innovation, as well as speed, efficiency, quality and sustainability. Member firms of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association respond to these needs at every point in the process – from tightening the first thread in the warp to winding the last inch for fabric delivery. They also share a common advantage, with a leading position in the traditional weaving industry as well as the expertise to foster new and exciting applications.

Technology and research cooperation
The concept of a ‘textile calculator’ was developed by Jakob Müller Group, in cooperation with the textile research institute Thuringen-Vogtland. Müller’s patented MDW® multi-directional weaving technology is able to create the meander fields which allow calculator functions to be accessed at a touch. A novel and useful facility, which suggests limitless expansion.

Today, the latest woven shoes are appreciated for their precise and comfortable fit. They score through their durability, strength and stability, meeting the requirements of individual athletes across many sports, as well as leisurewear. Stäubli is well known as a leading global specialist in weaving preparation, shedding systems and high-speed textile machinery. Its jacquard machines offer great flexibility across a wide range of formats, weaving all types of technical textiles, lightweight reinforcement fabrics – and shoes.

It’s possible to weave new materials such as ceramics, mix fibers such as aramid, carbon and other, and produce innovative multi-layers with variable thicknesses. Such applications put special demands on weaving machines which are fulfilled by Stäubli high-performance TF weaving systems.

Great weaving results are impossible without perfect warp tension, now available thanks to the world-leading electronic warp feeding systems of Crealet. Some market segments in weaving industry today demand warp let-off systems which meet individual customer requirements. For example, the company has recognized expertise to understand that geotextile products often need special treatment, as provided by its intelligent warp tension control system. Individual and connective solutions are designed to allow external support via remote link. Crealet’s warp let-off systems are widely used in both ribbon and broadloom weaving, for technical textiles applied on single or multiple warp beams and creels.

Functional, sustainable, automated
Trends in the field of woven narrow fabrics are clearly focused on functionality and sustainability. The Jakob Müller Group has already embraced these principles – for example using natural fibers for 100% recyclable labels with a soft-feel selvedge. It also focuses as much as possible on the processing of recycled, synthetic materials. Both PET bottles and polyester waste from production are recycled and processed into elastic and rigid tapes for the apparel industry.

For efficient fabric production environments, it is now recognized that automated quality solutions are essential. Quality standards are increasing everywhere and zero-defect levels are mandatory for sensitive applications such as airbags and protective apparel.

Uster’s latest generation of on-loom monitoring and inspection systems offers real operational improvements for weavers. The fabric quality monitoring prevents waste, while the quality assurance system significantly improves first-quality yield for all applications. Protecting fabric makers from costly claims and damaged reputations, automated fabric inspection also removes the need for slow, costly and unreliable manual inspection, freeing operators to focus on higher-skilled jobs.

Smart and collaborative robotics (cobots) offer many automation possibilities in weaving rooms. Stäubli’s future oriented robotics division is a driver in this segment with first effective installations in warp and creel preparation.

Control and productivity
Willy Grob’s specialized solutions for woven fabric winding focus on reliable control of tension, keeping it constant from the start of the process right through to the full cloth roll. Continuous digital control is especially important for sensitive fabrics, while performance and productivity are also critical advantages. In this regard, the company’s large-scale batching units can provide ten times the winding capacity of a regular winder integrated in the weaving machine.

The customized concept by Grob as well as design and implementation result in great flexibility and functionality of the fabric winding equipment – yet another example of Swiss ingenuity in textile machinery.  
There is even more innovation to come in weaving – and in other segments – from members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association in future! This confident assertion is founded on an impressive statistic: the 4077 years of experience behind the creative power of the association’s member firms. It’s proof positive that their developments grow out of profound knowledge and continuous research.