From the Sector

In recognition of his extraordinary engineering achievements in the fields of textile mechanical engineering, textile technology as well as textile chemistry and surface modification of textile semi-finished products, Prof. Paul Kiekens was awarded the title of Doctor honoris causa (Dr.-Ing. h.c.) on April 5, 2023.
 
Prof. Kiekens was a university professor at Ghent University, Belgium, for almost 35 years and thus responsible for textile-oriented education and research. Intensive interaction with European business and science was always particularly important to him.
 
Immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall, he opened the way for international cooperation in teaching and research in the field of textile mechanical engineering, textile technologies, and textile chemistry for the only Eastern European university research institution with a textile orientation, the ITM (formerly ITB) at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of TU Dresden, and provided great and uncomplicated support. A close, lasting and intensive relationship developed, which had a trend-setting influence on the scientific career of Professor Paul Kiekens. This was reflected above all in the expert advice given for major projects.
 
These include, for example, the funded junior research group "Holistic approach to the development and modelling of a new generation of multiaxial fabrics for fibre composites to strengthen Saxon, French and Flemish industry in the high-performance sector" (SAXOMAX) and jointly acquiring the EU project "Large scale manufacturing technology for high performance lightweight 3D multifunctional composites" (3D-LightTrans). Especially in these large-scale projects, intensive cooperation with industrial partners was essential for success.
 
As early as the 1990s, Professor Paul Kiekens had the vision of creating a European network for universities in textile teaching and research. In 1994, the Association of Universities for Textiles (AUTEX) was founded with the aim of establishing teaching and research in the field of textile technology at an internationally respected level through joint concepts. Due to the prevailing cooperation at that time between Professor Dr. Paul Kiekens and Professor Dr. Peter Offermann, the TU Dresden, represented by the ITM (formerly ITB), has been a full member and decisively integrated in the network since its foundation on July 1, 1994. Thus Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Paul Kiekens has significantly promoted the international cooperation of the TU Dresden, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with international university textile research institutions.
 
Professor Paul Kiekens was executive coordinator of AUTEX until his retirement. The internationally renowned symposium takes place annually as a part of AUTEX.

Norbert Klapper, who has led Rieter as CEO for nine years, has informed the Board of Directors that he wishes to take on new professional challenges. Thomas Oetterli has been appointed as his successor as CEO of Rieter.

Thomas Oetterli (53) has made a significant contribution to the successful development of the world-leading Schindler Group, starting in 2006 as CEO Switzerland, later as a member of the Group Executive Committee responsible for Europe and China, and from 2016 until 2022 as CEO of the Group. With his comprehensive leadership skills and many years of industrial and international experience, Thomas Oetterli brings ideal prerequisites to lead Rieter as a global market leader through the current challenges and successfully develop it further in the long term. He will take over the function of CEO from Norbert Klapper on March 13, 2023.

The Board of Directors would like to thank Norbert Klapper for his many years of hard work for Rieter and his lasting contribution to the company, particularly in terms of further strengthening its technology leadership, developing the components and service business, completing the systems offering. Following his departure as CEO, he will be available to the Chairman of the Board of Directors as Senior Advisor until the end of September 2023.

In view of the current challenges Rieter is facing in the current economic and market situation, which require close cooperation between the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Committee, the Board of Directors considers a dual function of Thomas Oetterli as CEO and member of the Board of Directors to be advantageous and in the interest of all stakeholders. It will therefore propose Thomas Oetterli for election as a member of the Board of Directors at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on April 20, 2023.

The Supervisory Board of adidas AG resolved upon the succession for adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted. Effective January 1, 2023, Bjørn Gulden is appointed as member of the Executive Board and CEO of adidas AG. Kasper Rorsted and the Supervisory Board mutually agreed that he will step down as CEO and leave the company upon expiry of November 11, 2022. Harm Ohlmeyer, Chief Financial Officer of adidas AG, will lead the company in the interim until December 31, 2022. The Supervisory Board had announced a CEO transition on August 22, 2022.

Bjørn Gulden is 57 years old, Norwegian and has been CEO of Puma SE since 2013. Bjørn Gulden looks back at a tenure at adidas as, amongst others, Senior Vice President of Apparel and Accessories from 1992 to 1999. Additionally, he was CEO of Danish jewelry brand Pandora, Managing Director of footwear retailer Deichmann, President of Rack Room Shoes, and held various management positions at outdoor apparel company Helly Hansen. He also holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Salling Group, Denmark’s largest food retailer.

“We are very pleased to welcome Bjørn Gulden back at adidas. Bjørn Gulden brings almost 30 years of experience in the sporting goods and footwear industry. As a result, he knows the industry extremely well and draws on a rich network in sport and retail. Bjørn Gulden already served adidas successfully for seven years in the 1990s. As CEO of Puma, he re-invigorated the brand and led the company to record results. The Supervisory Board of adidas AG is convinced that Bjørn Gulden will head adidas into a new era of strength and is looking very much forward to a successful cooperation,” said Thomas Rabe, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of adidas AG. 

Cooperating alliances for lightweight technology: The European Lightweight Association (ELA) and the European Lightweight Clusters Alliance (ELCA) have decided to work together. Both European lightweight clusters are united by the common goal of giving the enormous economic and ecological potential of lightweight technology more visibility in politics, business and science at European, national and regional level. In addition, complementary expertises of work form the basis for the future partnership, from which European lightweight technology can optimally benefit.

"We see great potential in the future cooperation of the ELA and the ELCA to advance lightweight technology in Europe with combined forces," says Dr Katharina Schöps as representative of the ELCA. "In this way, we are strengthening the global competitiveness of European companies and at the same time making a significant contribution to climate protection," says Jean-Pierre Heijster of the ELA about the cooperation of the European lightweight technology networks.

Together, ELCA and ELA represent a growing network of more than 4,500 companies and more than 600 research institutions from 12 European countries active in lightweight technology across different
sectors and industries. This brings together the two largest lightweight technology communities in Europe. Lightweight solutions from Europe can thus gain visibility and be implemented more quickly in global markets.

Joining forces to strengthen lightweight technologies ́ market position at the European level ELCA and ELA want to improve the positioning of lightweight technologies and materials with joint activities and events, in particular to prioritise them on the agenda of the European Commission. The cooperation thus wants to send a clear signal to Brussels. Especially with the view to achieve European climate protection goals; lightweight technology has the potential to conserve valuable resources and reduce CO 2 emissions. At the same time, the improved sustainability with the same or even optimised performance brings valuable competitive advantages for companies. Lightweight products and technologies Made in Europe can thus become a unique selling point for European stakeholders on international markets.

With this cooperation, ELCA and ELA combine their respective strengths: ELCA, as the European Lightweight Clusters Alliance, has very successfully created a resilient pan-European innovation ecosystem for lightweight technology in recent years. ELA, on the other hand, is particularly characterised by its close ties to industrial users. As a result, the existing ecosystem is enriched and a more demand-oriented development and faster market introduction is made possible. In this way, both lightweight technology networks will complement each other optimally in the future in order to bring technology and markets together in a targeted manner.

It looks like a normal shirt, but it has it all: The new SmartTex shirt uses integrated sensors to transfer physiological data from astronauts to Earth via a wireless communication network. In this way, the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system will be evaluated and documented, especially with regard to long-term manned space missions. Developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in cooperation with DSI Aerospace Technology, the Medical Faculty of Bielefeld University and textile research partner Hohenstein, SmartTex will be tested for the first time as part of the Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2) project by German ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer, who will leave for his ‘Cosmic Kiss’ mission on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months on October 30, 2021.

"We were already able to gain valuable insights into the interaction of the body, clothing and climate under microgravity conditions during the previous projects Spacetex (2014) and Spacetex2 (2018)," explains Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert Dr. Jan Beringer. The insights provided at the time by the mission of ESA astronaut Dr. Alexander Gerst have now been directly incorporated into the development of the new SmartTex shirt at Hohenstein. "Matthias Maurer can wear his tailor-made shirt comfortably on his body during his everyday work on the International Space Station. For this, we used his body measurements as the basis for our cut development and the production of the shirt. We integrated the necessary sensors as well as data processing and communication modules into the shirt's cut in such a way that they interfere as little as possible and are always positioned in the right place, regardless of the wearing situation. This is the prerequisite for reliably measuring the relevant physiological data." The SmartTex shirt is intended to provide a continuous picture of the vital functions of astronauts. This will be particularly relevant for future long-term manned space missions to the Moon and Mars.

For example, during the BEAT experiment (Ballistocardiography for Extraterrestrial Applications and long-Term missions), Matthias Maurer will be the first astronaut to wear a T-shirt equipped with sensors that measure his ballistocardiographic data such as pulse and relative blood pressure. For this purpose, the sensors were calibrated in the :envihab research facility at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne. Details on the contraction rate and opening and closing times of the heart valves, which are normally only accessible via sonography or computer tomography, can also be read from the data material. The goal is to study the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system. To be able to analyse these effects realistically, Matthias Maurer's ballistocardiographic data will be recorded before, during and after his stay on the ISS. For the future, a technology transfer of the SmartTex shirt for application in the field of fitness or even in telemedicine is conceivable.

Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2)
The project was planned and prepared by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and its cooperation partners DSI Aerospace Technology, Hohenstein and the University of Bielefeld. The wireless communication network reads sensor data and can determine the position of people and objects in space by propagation times of radio pulses. It is also available as a platform for several experiments on the ISS. The determined data is temporarily stored within the network and read out at regular intervals by the astronauts. These data packets are then transferred to Earth via the ISS link and analysed by the research teams. It can generate its own energy from artificial light sources via solar cells.

ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer in summer 2021 during preliminary talks on the Cosmic Kiss mission in DLR's :envihab in Cologne. © DLR

Sensors measure physiological data during a test run on Earth. © DLR

With the "SmartTex" shirt, astronauts can wear the necessary sensors comfortably on their bodies. © DLR

Dr. Jan Beringer, Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert. © Hohenstein

• As of 1st February, 2021, Benoit Moutault has resumed the position as Group Vice President Business Field Textile (Auxiliaries and Dyestuffs) from Ralf Kattanek.

He reports to the CEO of the CHT Group, Dr. Frank Naumann, Chairman of the Board. Benoit is a French citizen, 45 years old, and has been working at CHT since 2014. He is experienced in various leadership positions within the global market of textile chemicals.

Dr. Frank Naumann: "We are very happy to continue our successful cooperation with Benoit. He takes over a highly important and strategic role for the CHT Group."

Following the successful commissioning of two new Monforts Montex wide-width stenter lines and additional environmental management equipment at its plant in Germany, GtA – Society for Textile Equipment GmbH – is aiming to be the first textile finishing company to become entirely CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025.

GtA is a partner company to Germany’s large-format digital printing fabric leader, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, which has has this year been able to considerably expand its portfolio due to the new Monforts lines.

Headquartered in Gross-Zimmern, close to Frankfurt, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH and its partners in Germany have an annual production of 37 million square metres of warp knits for a range of end-use applications, including garments, automotive interiors and technical textiles, but increasingly with a concentration on digital printing substrates.

Fault-free textiles

A new standard in pure white, 100% clean and fault-free textile substrates has been demanded by this market in recent years due to the rapid growth in digitally-printed banners and billboards – often referred to as ‘soft signage’.

The substrates of choice for digital printing are 100% polyester warp knits which are resilient and allow excellent take-up of inks, and vibrant colours and clear and precise images to be achieved with digital printing techniques. The knitted construction also has the advantage of elasticity, which is a plus in terms of flexibility for installers.

Critically, the warp knitted fabrics have extremely smooth surfaces which is becoming increasingly important due to the general move away from PVC coatings which were the standard in the past.

It was to finish these fabrics for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH as well as providing such services for many other customers, that the GtA plant in Neresheim, Baden-Württemberg, was established in 2015.

The purpose-built plant on a greenfield site was initially equipped with a fully-automated, 72 metre long Monforts installation comprising a washing machine integrated with a 3.6 metre wide, seven-chamber Montex stenter. The line quickly went from single to double shift production and then to 24/7 operation  to meet demand.

Expanded widths

Building on the success of this installation, GtA has now installed two more Montex stenter lines – both in expanded working widths of 5.6 metres and purpose-built at Montex GmbH in Austria.

A six-chamber Montex unit is combined with a washing machine to guarantee the purity of the substrates, while a five-chamber line is integrated with a wide-width coating machine. This new coating capability at GtA has led to a number of new additions to the Georg and Otto Friedrich DecoTex range for digital printing, including wide width fabrics with flame retardant, antimicrobial and non-slip finishes.

The new Montex stenter lines benefit from all of the latest innovations from Monforts, including the Smart Sensor system for the optimised maintenance planning of key mechanical wear components on the stenters. A comprehensive overview of the condition of all parts at any time is now available for operators within the highly intuitive Qualitex visualization software.

With Qualitex, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

Environmental commitment

GtA is run by a seasoned team of textile professionals led by Managing Director Andreas Niess.

“We have received excellent service from Monforts from the outset and we were happy to place the order for these two new lines as part of our ongoing cooperation,” he says. “With all of the latest Monforts advances in technology we are fully in control of all production and quality parameters with these lines, as part of our significant commitment to innovative environmental technology.”

The GtA plant, which operates in near-cleanroom conditions, has also been equipped with proprietary technology to fully exploit the Monforts air-to-air heat recovery systems that are now standard with Montex stenters.

“Around 30 per cent of our investment volume at the site goes to energy-saving measures and we are sure that this commitment is worthwhile,” Mr Niess says. “As an example, our integrated heat recovery system fully exploits the waste heat from the process exhaust air and the burner exhaust gases of the Monforts stenters, allowing us to achieve an exhaust air temperature of  between 30 to 34°C, compared to what would conventionally be between 140 to 160°C. Another focus has been on exhaust air purification technology and here too, the latest technology has been installed with integrated heat recovery elements.”

This, he adds, saves 52% of the energy that would normally be used – equating to 5,800,000 KwH per year. The necessary audits for energy-efficient companies are also carried out annually.

In addition, GtA has purpose-designed the automatic chemical mixing and dosing systems that feed the padders for the key treatments that are carried out on the fabrics through the stenters.

The company is going further, however, in its pursuit of clean production and raw materials.

"We want to be an asset and not a burden on our immediate environment and therefore do not use any additives containing solvents," Mr Niess says. “We were the first to use fully halogen-free flame retardant chemistry, and we use bio-based, finely ground alumina products for the washing process instead of surfactants. PES polyester yarns made from recycled material are also increasingly used and the latest additions to our raw materials portfolio, the RC-Ocean products, are made from recycled sea plastic.

“We are now planning a combined heat and power plant for the production of electrical energy and heat and we will also build a photovoltaic system that converts solar radiation into electrical energy. GtA wants to be the first textile finishing company to be CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025. The complete heat supply and heating for the 13,000 square metre production hall, as well as the office building and the hot water supply for the domestic water, is already energy-neutral. We are convinced that this commitment will pay off in the long term and our positive business development proves that sustainability and business profitability are perfectly compatible.”

In addition to the products for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, GtA  offers its manufacturing capacities for other customers as a contract service.

All products are manufactured in accordance with Öko-Tex Standard 100, product class 1 and the company is also involved in the research and development of new sustainable manufacturing processes, in cooperation with many regional universities and funding project partners.

Textile innovator and specialty chemical producer Devan answers questions regarding anti-viral textile finish solutions following the growing spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Over the past few weeks, Devan has received a lot of questions regarding an antiviral solution for textiles against Sars-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “Not a big surprise since we put BI-OME AV forward 3 years ago. Testing has been done in cooperation with Institut Pasteur de Lille”, says Devan CEO Sven Ghyselinck. Devan studied enveloped viruses (e.g. H1N1, Corona-types, etc.) as well as naked viruses (e.g. Rotavirus). For both virus families, BI-OME AV showed strong to excellent activity in wet state.

In the first instance, the company wants to focus on professionals who need to stay working such as policemen, logistics workers, shop employees, day-care workers, … A common complication of respiratory viral disease can be a secondary bacterial infection. Professionals could be helped with either an anti-bacterial on their facemask to reduce the chance for these secondary bacterial infections, for better hygiene and less odor build-up. On workwear, a combination of a virus spread reducing and antibacterial solution could help as these garments are typically used during long hours, are non-disposable and most likely will be washed at home.

Devan has solutions which withstand washing while keeping its performance. BI-OME as a liquid product is EU BPR, Turkish BPR and US EPA registered. Depending on the rash region, commercialising treated articles be subject to additional local registration procedures.