From the Sector

The fifth TOS+H Expo, held in Istanbul from 2 to 4 May 2024, was with 4,143 visitors from 53 countries a resounding success. At the 3-day event 163 exhibitors from 19 countries presented innovative products and technologies in occupational safety and health such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), smart wearables, AI-based health coaches and Virtual Reality applications.

The trade fair was opened by Mr Sadik Ayhan Saruhan, Vice-President of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry and organiser of the concurrently held symposium along with Mrs Eylül Aydin Kutlu and Muhammet Kamil Isik, both Deputy General Directors at the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security, as well as Mrs Petra Cullmann, Executive Director at Messe Düsseldorf.

The symposium on occupational safety and social security held concurrently by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry attracted over 1,670 participants. In 16 meetings relevant topics such as safety and the prevention of occupational accidents, occupational safety practices in companies and government/local authorities as well as earthquake and disaster relief were discussed.

The Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security was not only involved in the opening ceremony but also actively represented with its own stand. This illustrates the growing importance of safety at work and occupational safety standards in Türkiye.

“TOS+H Expo has proven an indispensable platform, not just for presenting innovative products and technologies but also for the exchange between regional experts and international manufacturers that drives progress in the field of safety and health at the workplace. The combination between exhibition and symposium makes a decisive contribution to the development of new standards for a safe world of work in Turkey,” explains Petra Cullmann.

The consortium of Teijin Limited, Fukui Tateami Co., Ltd., and Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University announced that a novel surgical patch, under the brand name SYNFOLIUM®, will be released for manufacturing and distribution by Teijin Medical Technologies Co., Ltd. on June 12, 2024.

SYNFOLIUM® is a surgical patch with knitted fabric consisting of both bio-absorbable and non-absorbable yarns, which are coated with cross-linked gelatin. After the patch is surgically implanted in the body, the patient’s tissue grows and gradually surrounds the expandable, non-absorbable portion, while the bio-absorbable portion degrades. The regenerated tissue has the potential to reduce the risk of inflammatory reactions, foreign body reactions and cell death, which often cause deterioration of the implants.

This new product is designed to be used in surgical treatment of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). The prevalence of CHD is 1 in 100 people globally, and in Japan, it is estimated that approximately 10,000 neonates are born with the disease each year. Newborns and infants with CHD generally undergo surgeries to correct hemodynamic problems due to septal defects or narrowed blood vessels (stenosis) by implanting a medical patch, usually made from synthetic or animal-derived materials. However, over a long period after surgery, a considerable number of patients eventually require re-interventions, such as repeat surgery or catheter therapy, due to the deterioration of the implanted patch. This deterioration can be caused by an immune-mediated foreign body reaction or the development of stenosis due to the inability of the patch to stretch in response to the growth of cardiac and vascular tissue.

To address this clinical problem, Shintaro Nemoto, M.D., Ph.D., of Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, created an idea for a patch that could accommodate the growth of patients’ bodies through restoration by the patient’s own tissues. In 2012, he began research and exploration to make this idea a reality.

Fukui Tateami, a pioneer in warp-knitting technology based in Fukui Prefecture, turned Dr. Nemoto’s idea into the novel concept of an expandable cardiovascular patch. Based on advanced warp knitting technology it developed over the 80 years since its founding, the company created a special knitted fabric structure to accommodate tissue regeneration.

Teijin developed the technology to coat knitted fabric with gelatin, which can prevent blood leakage and can be replaced by the patient’s own tissue. The company has been proceeding with design and development, clinical trials, establishment of a commercial production system, and application for manufacturing and marketing approval in Japan.

The development of SYNFOLIUM® has been supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since 2014, as well as by a program launched in 2017 by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) to facilitate collaboration between medical academia and industry. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare designated SYNFOLIUM® as a “SAKIGAKE” device in April 2018, providing various incentives to speed up approval for clinical use. In addition, the Japanese Society of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery cooperated by assisting with clinical trials and providing advice on creating guidelines for appropriate use.

Clinical trials that began in 2019 were completed in 2022, and Teijin Medical Technologies applied for manufacturing and sales approval to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in January 2023. The company received approval in July of the same year.

Going forward, Teijin and Teijin Medical Technologies, Fukui Tateami, and Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University will provide clinical information about this product to medical institutions to facilitate its use in patients with CHD. Teijin and Teijin Medical Technologies will continue to collect and analyze cases using SYNFOLIUM® to establish its long-term safety and efficacy.

Furthermore, to help improve the quality of life of patients with CHD around the world, the consortium plans to market SYNFOLIUM® overseas by working to gain manufacturing and marketing approval in the United States, the European Union and other countries.

The Lenzing Group has achieved outstanding results in the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM) certification for five of its production sites. This involved measuring the social impact of production in areas such as wages, working hours, health and safety and treatment of employees.

One of Lenzing's key sustainability goals is to obtain a valid, independently audited and accredited social standard certificate for each of the Lenzing Group's production sites by 2024. This goal is pursued through the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM), which assesses social and labor-related conditions. In 2023, more than 7,200 companies worldwide underwent this audit, with Lenzing's result placing it in the top 25 percent of all verified Higg FSLM facilities.

A recent study by the Society for Applied Economic Research in Innsbruck (Austria)¹ emphasises Lenzing's responsibility as an important employer. The Lenzing Group creates a total of 25,292 jobs in the five countries in which it operates production facilities. This figure includes not only employees, but also indirect jobs - because every direct job created creates more than two additional indirect jobs in other sectors of the economy.

1 GAW Wirtschaftsforschung: Economic and Regional Importance of the Lenzing Group in 2023; March 2024

The transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas, while in others, it is just beginning. This is the finding of a first, joint Europe-wide assessment of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The benchmarking found that more work is still needed to reduce the impact of harmful substances on human health and the environment.

The number of industrial chemicals scrutinised under the EU’s chemicals legislation to determine their safety has increased substantially. Authorities now have much better knowledge about the hazardous properties of chemicals that are used across the EU, resulting in many actions to minimise and control the risks of several groups of substances.

According to the joint EEA-ECHA synthesis report on the EU indicator framework for chemicals, the overall use of the most harmful chemicals (in particular those that are carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) is still growing but more slowly than the overall chemicals market growth. Pressure is increasing to avoid the use of so-called substances of concern and to implement the principles of the safe and sustainable by design framework.

There is a need to more effectively ensure that consumer products do not contain the most harmful substances, for example chemicals that are endocrine disrupting, that negatively affect the hormone system, or substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, which present a risk for years to come even after their use has ceased.

More data and information are needed to better understand human and environmental exposure to those most harmful chemicals and their impacts. Still, the indicators show clearly that the shift to safe and sustainable chemicals must continue and should even be accelerated.

The report is based on a set of 25 key indicators, which monitor the drivers and impacts of chemical pollution in Europe.

Key findings

• Transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas while in others it is just getting started.
• Action by authorities and industry has supported minimising and controlling the risks from several groups of hazardous chemicals. Efforts are ongoing to increase knowledge on chemical hazards and support risk management action where needed.
• Available data suggest that there is little evidence of progress towards eliminating substances of concern from waste and secondary materials. This is a barrier to the transition towards a more circular economy.
• Emissions of certain chemicals to water and air have fallen following specific EU regulations (e.g., on industrial emissions) and international actions, but further measures are needed to reach concentration levels that are not harmful for human health and the environment.
• Emissions from industry still lead to major costs in terms of damages to human and ecosystem health.
• Human biomonitoring offers the opportunity to understand human exposure to chemicals from multiple sources and thus health risks associated with chemical pollution. As such, biomonitoring forms a key tool to measure the effectiveness of chemicals legislation in protecting human health and the environment.

Stratasys Ltd. published its second Mindful Manufacturing™ ESG and Sustainability Report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, fulfilling its commitment to transparency. The report includes an extensive overview of activities and advancements in Stratasys’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) programs.

Some highlights of the Mindful Manufacturing ESG and Sustainability report, by category, include:

Environmental

• Stratasys reduced water intensity by 32.5 percent across global operations, leading to an overall reduction in water usage by the company.
• Solar panels installed at Israeli facilities generated 441,339 kWh of renewable energy, which contributed to 207 metric tons of reduced CO2 emissions, or the equivalent of planting 3,423 trees
• Double digit (11.3 percent) increases in the number of spools, cartridges and canisters recycled through a new recycling program.

Social

• More than 38,000 hours of employee training were provided, equaling 18 hours of training per employee.
• Approaching world-class status with employee engagement, with a 78 percent participation rate in the last all-employee survey, with an all-time high engagement score of 73.
• 81 percent of managers participated in management training.
• 4 diversity KPIs were set in 2022, focusing on hiring practices. Targets were:
• 100 percent of candidate slates for manager and above will have a diverse slate
• 35 percent of management hires will be women
• 25 percent of tech hires will be women
• 40 percent of intern/student hires to reflect a range of ethnicity and gender diversity.

Governance

• 100 percent of new suppliers in 2021 and 2022 signed the Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes environmental, social and ethical standards.
• More than 97% of all employees completed compliance training.
• No product-related health and safety incidents of non-compliance occurred in 2021 or 2022.

The “Cellulose Fibres Conference 2024” held in Cologne on 13-14 March demonstrated the innovative power of the cellulose fibre industry. Several projects and scale-ups for textiles, hygiene products, construction and packaging showed the growth and bright future of this industry, supported by the policy framework to reduce single-use plastic products, such as the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) in Europe.

40 international speakers presented the latest market trends in their industry and illustrated the innovation potential of cellulose fibres. Leading experts introduced new technologies for the recycling of cellulose-rich raw materials and gave insights into circular economy practices in the fields of textiles, hygiene, construction and packaging. All presentations were followed by exciting panel discussions with active audience participation including numerous questions and comments from the audience in Cologne and online. Once again, the Cellulose Fibres Conference proved to be an excellent networking opportunity to the 214 participants and 23 exhibitors from 27 countries. The annual conference is a unique meeting point for the global cellulose fibre industry.  

For the fourth time, nova-Institute has awarded the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” Award at the Cellulose Fibres Conference. The Innovation Award recognises applications and innovations that will lead the way in the industry’s transition to sustainable fibres. Close race between the nominees – “The Straw Flexi-Dress” by DITF & VRETENA (Germany), cellulose textile fibre from unbleached straw pulp, is the winning cellulose fibre innovation 2024, followed by HONEXT (Spain) with the “HONEXT® Board FR-B (B-s1, d0)” from fibre waste from the paper industry, while TreeToTextile (Sweden) with their “New Generation of Bio-based and Resource-efficient Fibre” won third place.

Prior to the event, the conference advisory board had nominated six remarkable innovations for the award. The nominees were neck and neck, when the winners were elected in a live vote by the audience on the first day of the conference.

First place
DITF & VRETENA (Germany): The Straw Flexi-Dress – Design Meets Sustainability
The Flexi-Dress design was inspired by the natural golden colour and silky touch of HighPerCell® (HPC) filaments based on unbleached straw pulp. These cellulose filaments are produced using environmentally friendly spinning technology in a closed-loop production process. The design decisions focused on the emotional connection and attachment to the HPC material to create a local and circular fashion product. The Flexi-Dress is designed as a versatile knitted garment – from work to street – that can be worn as a dress, but can also be split into two pieces – used separately as a top and a straight skirt. The top can also be worn with the V-neck front or back. The HPC textile knit structure was considered important for comfort and emotional properties.

Second place
Honext Material (Spain): HONEXT® Board FR-B (B-s1, d0) – Flame-retardant Board made From Upcycled Fibre Waste From the Paper Industry
HONEXT® FR-B board (B-s1, d0) is a flame-retardant board made from 100 % upcycled industrial waste fibres from the paper industry. Thanks to innovations in biotechnology, paper sludge is upcycled – the previously “worthless” residue from paper making – to create a fully recyclable material, all without the use of resins. This lightweight and easy-to-handle board boasts high mechanical performance and stability, along with low thermal conductivity, making it perfect for various applications in all interior environments where fire safety is a priority. The material is non-toxic, with no added VOCs, ensuring safety for both people and the planet. A sustainable and healthy material for the built environment, it achieves Cradle-to-Cradle Certified GOLD, and Material Health CertificateTM Gold Level version 4.0 with a carbon-negative footprint. Additionally, the product is verified in the Product Environmental Footprint.

Third Place
TreeToTextile (Sweden): A New Generation of Bio-based and Resource-efficient Fibre
TreeToTextile has developed a unique, sustainable and resource efficient fibre that doesn’t exist on the market today. It has a natural dry feel similar to cotton and a semi-dull sheen and high drape like viscose. It is based on cellulose and has the potential to complement or replace cotton, viscose and polyester as a single fibre or in blends, depending on the application.
TreeToTextile Technology™ has a low demand for chemicals, energy and water. According to a third party verified LCA, the TreeToTextile fibre has a climate impact of 0.6 kg CO2 eq/kilo fibre. The fibre is made from bio-based and traceable resources and is biodegradable.

The next conference will be held on 12-13 March 2025.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK has appointed Dr Kristoffer Kortsen as Senior Materials and Process Scientist. He will report directly to R&D Manager, Dr Jonny Hunter, who joined FET in early 2023 in a growing Research and Development team.

Kortsen’s main area of work is in Gel Spinning of UHMWPE (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene). His contribution will help provide gel spinning expertise and equipment in the near future to a range of industries including medical, aerospace, defence aerospace and marine.

He completed a Master’s in chemistry at KU Leuven, graduating magna cum laude in 2018. For his Master’s placement, he worked on the production of impact modifier additives for PVC at Kaneka Belgium. Continuing a partnership with this international chemical manufacturing company, he joined the Howdle group at the University of Nottingham for a PhD project looking into the industrial potential of scCO₂ dispersion polymerisations for additive production. After graduating, he worked in the Shaver group at the University of Manchester, developing a holistic approach to plastics recycling and sustainability across the many stakeholders in the field.

Eltex of Sweden, a pioneer in the adoption of electronic sensors by the weaving machinery industry, is marking its 60th anniversary this month.

The electronic detection of broken or missing weft yarns during production was the problem Eltex founders Åke Rydborn and Ragnar Henriksson set out to solve with the development of the world’s first electronic weft-stop-motion. Its potential was recognised on its introduction at the 1963 ITMA exhibition in Hannover, Germany, leading to the foundation of the company in a modest 12-square-metre workshop in Älmhult, Sweden, in February 1964.

By 1968 the company was operating from a modern 3,000-square-metre plant and beginning to establish a global presence, introducing the first all-in-one printed circuit board (PCB) for its sensor systems in 1971. As exports increased, further Eltex operations were established in the USA and Ireland and the company expanded its product range including energy control devices, temperature and humidity loggers, food handling safety systems, and military grade battery chargers. Further textile milestones in parallel to advances in weaving technology included optical arrival detectors for air-jet weaving machines at the beginning of the 1980s, and the QTV system for warp preparation, which introduced digital stop-motion control to the industry at the start of the 1990s. In 2009, the company branched out into carpet tufting, first with the CoTS clamp-on tube sensor for tufting machines, followed by the Compact sensor for tufting machines in 2013. In 2019 the Compact II further cemented the company’s position in this sector.

Newly developed Eltex EyETM and ACT-R
Most recently, Eltex has launched the Eltex EyETM system for the monitoring of yarn tension on warp beams. Not only does it eliminate problems when warping, but also in the subsequent weaving or tufting processes. Eltex EyETM monitors the yarn tension on all positions in real-time and a minimum and maximum allowable tension value can be set. If any yarn’s tension falls outside these values the operator can be warned or the machine stopped.

The Eltex ACT and ACT-R units meanwhile go beyond yarn tension monitoring to actually control yarn tension. This extends the application range greatly. The plug and play system automatically compensates for any differences in yarn tension that arise, for example from irregularities in yarn packages.

Eltex has been owned by Brian Hicks, Seamus O’Dwyer and Jonathan Bell since 2007, following a management buy-out and the subsequent formation of Eltex Global Holdings in Ireland. Today, its head office, Eltex of Sweden AB, is in Osby, Sweden where it provides research and development, administration and global sales for the group. Eltex Manufacturing in Ireland is now the group’s primary production facility and Eltex US, Inc. provides sales and service for North America.

In January 2024, ERCA Textile Chemical Solutions TCS was launched as an independent entity within the ERCA Group.

The decision to make ERCA TCS a separate company stems from the desire to focus exclusively on solutions for the textile industry and to build an agile entity oriented towards responsible research and production, while continuing to leverage a solid productive and financial background from ERCA S.p.A.

ERCA TCS aims to be the unique and innovative point of reference for textile companies in terms of products and services specifically designed for the needs of a sector that is currently facing challenges and opportunities related to sustainability and responsible production.

ERCA TCS bases its activity on the principles of "green chemistry" to offer the textile industry chemical solutions that make concrete the concepts of safety, performance, and circularity. Its flagship product - REVECOL® - is born from critical waste materials (used vegetable oils) and present in abundance, which through a process attentive to environmental compatibility and safety, are transformed into a line of innovative, certified, high-performance chemical auxiliaries usable by the entire textile industry.

ERCA Group has six plants in three macro-regions: Europe, Latin America, and Asia and produces chemical specialties and auxiliaries with an approach of responsible innovation. Its production covers several markets: textile, cosmetics, polyurethanes, concrete. It has a turnover of 150 million euros and employs 350 people worldwide, 100 of whom are in the sole Grassobbio plant.

Solvay awarded a scholarship to facilitate an educational alliance between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Fermi High School in Cecina. The initiative unfolded during an event held at Solvay's Rosignano site in Italy, providing a platform for students and faculty. Through this partnership, 200 Fermi High School students participated in STEM* and digital lessons from MIT's Global Teaching Labs project, emphasizing the teaching of scientific disciplines by the American university.

Beyond the scholarship award ceremony, students received a tour of Solvay's factory in Rosignano. The tour highlighted the company's dedication to safety, sustainability, and bridging the gap between academia and industry challenges. The experience illustrated the practical application of academic studies in an industrial context, showcasing Solvay's advanced control procedures, safety protocols, technological innovations, digital transformation efforts, and sustainability measures.

Discussions during the event included key sustainability topics such as water conservation, energy efficiency, waste management, and Solvay's commitment to promoting a balanced work-life culture and diversity within the workplace.

This collaboration aligns with Solvay's global Corporate Citizenship program. Through this program, Solvay supports individuals and communities, channeling efforts to tackle worldwide societal challenges through strategic investments in education, sustainability, and local community initiatives.

*STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics