From the Sector

Stratasys announced its plans to move its U.S.-based headquarters from Eden Prairie, Minn. to a new Minnetonka campus. With the move, Stratasys will consolidate most Minnesota-based offices into one larger, more dynamic corporate campus.

The new corporate campus, comprised of two leased buildings on the current United Health Care campus site, is expected to open its doors on January 6, 2025. It will feature the latest technology, amenities, and designed work areas to inspire innovation and creativity.

The company expects the move to increase collaboration and productivity. It is also an opportunity to take advantage of the current real estate environment.

Stratasys will maintain a presence in Eden Prairie with its Stratasys Direct Manufacturing facility. Stratasys intends to list the current Edenvale headquarters building and its Wallace Road buildings for sale as staff transition to the Minnetonka site.

Stratasys Inc. was founded in Eden Prairie in 1989 by former CEO and current board member, Scott Crump.

Martin Shankland, Executive Board member for Global Operations, has informed adidas AG’s Supervisory Board that, after 27 years with the brand, he will step down from the Executive Board and leave the company. In mutual agreement with Martin Shankland, the Supervisory Board approved the termination of his appointment as an Executive Board member as of August 10, 2024.

Martin joined adidas Russia/CIS in 1997. During his tenure as Managing Director, he established adidas Russia/CIS as the market leader through the creation of a strong direct-to-consumer business. After leading adidas Emerging Markets region from 2017, Martin joined the Executive Board in 2019, with responsibility for product operations, sourcing and supply chain as well as tech, data & analytics, non-trade-procurement and sustainability. During this period, Martin led major transformation initiatives, including creating a more responsive, transparent and sustainable supply chain and built a more tech and data capable organization aided by the insourcing of tech talent into a network of global tech hubs.

Hoa Ly, SVP Sourcing, will have responsibility for all sourcing operations at adidas reporting into adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden. adidas CFO Harm Ohlmeyer will assume additional responsibility for supply chain and tech. As of August 11, 2024, the company’s new Executive Board will consist of Bjørn Gulden (Chief Executive Officer, Global Brands), Arthur Hoeld (Global Sales), Harm Ohlmeyer (Chief Financial Officer) and Michelle Robertson (Global Human Resources, People and Culture).

CARBIOS and Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, a French company specializing in the recovery of end-of-life textiles, announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a contract for the supply of polyester textiles to the world's first PET biorecycling plant currently under construction in Longlaville, France. The polyester textiles supplied will come from used or end-of-life textiles prepared in France by Nouvelles Fibres Textiles for recycling using CARBIOS' enzymatic depolymerization technology. This contract will enable 5,000 tons a year of these textiles to be redirected towards biorecycling from 2026 onwards, over an initial 5-year period, demonstrating the commitment of industrial players all along the value chain to achieving textile circularity for a more sustainable textile sector.

Nouvelles Fibres Textiles and its various partners opened a semi-industrial site with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons in November 2023, the first step towards building a 20,000-to-30,000-ton unit in 2026. This first site, a research center for textile recycling, combines the know-how of Andritz Laroche (a leader in textile recycling), Pellenc ST (French leader in intelligent sorting solutions), Synergie TLC (a French player in collection and first sorting for solidarity) and the Tissages de Charlieu group (a French player in weaving, garment manufacturing and textile recycling). This unit transforms used textiles into high-quality raw materials, supplying the various industries that use textile fibers (non-wovens, insulation, plastic, textiles, etc.) by automatically sorting them by composition, while eliminating hard points (buttons, zips, patches, etc.).

CARBIOS' biorecycling technology uses enzymes to break down polyester fibers into their basic components. These components are then used to produce high-quality recycled PET materials, such as fibers for the textile industry. This “fiber-to-fiber” solution will enable polyester to become a truly circular fiber on a large scale.

Polartec, a Milliken & Company brand and premium creator of innovative and more sustainable textile solutions announced the launch of its newly revamped website. Designed to deliver a seamless and engaging browsing experience for all, the site now caters more effectively to the company’s brand partners and its growing base of direct consumers. It also makes it easier for users to discover the Polartec performance guarantee.

The new website features a fresh new look and feel, along with significant enhancements to improve the user experience. With a strong emphasis on accessibility and user engagement, the revised site ensures that visitors can quickly find the information they need, whenever and wherever they want it. Key features include:

• Modern Design and Structure: The site’s intuitive navigation and streamlined design allow our users to access vital information quickly and easily from any entry point.
• Dynamic Animation: Integrated modern animation enhances engagement and facilitates the interactive and highly enjoyable browsing experience.
• Optimized Content: Overhauled and strategically optimized for SEO, the new content reflects our refreshed positioning while ensuring high visibility in search engine results.

Just as Polartec is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of textile innovation while prioritizing the planet, the new navigation menu reflects this commitment by ensuring fast, easy access to primary sections and important information. And, by highlighting sustainable practices, groundbreaking fabrics and exclusive textile technologies, the new website meets the needs of renowned sportswear apparel companies, top-tier athletes and everyday users alike.

• Fabrics: Explore Polartec’s extensive range of high-performance fabrics.
• Sustainability: Learn about Polartec’s commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
• Brands: The newly named Products section features our partner brands and their products
• News: Stay up to date with the latest information and company news.
• About Us: Gain insights into Polartec’s company values and mission.

ACI announces the launch of its conference, Bio-Based Textiles in Clothing: Europe 2025.

Following in the footsteps of the successful Biobased Coatings Europe series with latest edition bringing together over 160 senior level attendees in Valencia in June 2024, this inaugural conference will explore the latest advancements in sustainable clothing made from renewable resources.

Taking place on the 15th & 16th January 2025 in Helsinki, Finland, just after the EU's pivotal Textile EPR Directive comes into force, this event will provide a deep dive into the world of bio-based textiles, examining how plants, microbes, and other novel organic feedstock are being revolutionised into sustainable, stylish garments.

The first installations of the Trützschler Card TC 30i and the Trützschler Integrated Draw Frame IDF 3 are now complete – and the first customers have finished rigorous testing in direct spinning applications.

The Italian company Marchi & Fildi, headquartered in Biella, was one of the first to test the new IDF 3. The company specializes in producing pure and blended yarns made from natural or man-made fibers for flat knitting, circular knitting and weaving. Its products are used for fashion, furnishings and technical applications worldwide. It also places a strong focus on reducing its environmental impact.

Marchi & Fildi’s first trials were carried out with different fiber blends. This included a blend of 70 % soft waste cotton and 30 % polyester as the raw material for rotor direct spinning, with a yarn count in a range of Ne 8 to Ne 12 and Ne 30.
Later tests involved fiber blends of 50 % PET and 50 % recycled cotton from hard textile waste for rotor direct spinning with a yarn count of Ne 30. Experts at Marchi & Fildi stated that this material blend is typically very challenging. Processing secondary fibers made from hard textile waste requires very high competence in yarn production, which Marchi & Fildi impressively demonstrates. It also requires advanced technologies. This is due to technological challenges such as significantly lower fiber length. Trützschler’s IDF technology has a special drafting zone geometry that ensures reliable fiber guidance and controls floating fibers. It generates lower drafts than a conventional draw frame passage and avoids the risk of false drafts and count variations.

Decades of experience with the IDF technology have demonstrated that the higher the short fiber content, the better the result with IDF compared to conventional two draw frame passages. In combination with the TC 30Ri, a variant of TC 30i that has been specifically equipped and configured for processing recycled fibers, the IDF 3 delivers maximum possible quality for the production of sustainable yarns.

Overall, the company’s results showed a 75 % increase in productivity over the previous card model and a 14 % reduction in energy consumption at higher production rates. Combining the TC 30Ri and IDF 3 also enabled Marchi & Fildi to skip the drawing stage from its process, which boosts quality while saving resources and cutting costs.

Dibella is making life easier for its textile service customers with a new service: on request, hotel textiles can be ordered with Datamars transponders directly ex works. The chips are permanently available at the Dibella warehouse - the goods are delivered fully equipped.

To relieve its customers, Dibella now offers a new RFID-based laundry tracking service: On request, the company equips textiles ex works with LaundryChips (RFID tags), from Datamars (CH). Dibella is cooperating directly with the Swiss company for this unique service. Customers do not have to worry about ordering or providing the tags - saving them time and effort.

Cost advantage
This new system offers a cost advantage because: It is much more cost effective to send large batches of chips bundled together for production than to make hundreds of shipments per year for each individual order. Handling costs are increasing and shipping costs, especially overseas, have risen immensely. In addition, the customs authorities in some countries are very strict when it comes to importing chips, and this new system also minimizes the risk of customs-related delivery delays.

Transponder data as a future service
Another service is already in the pipeline: Dibella will soon offer the option of directly reading out the LaundryChips in its main warehouse and providing them as a CSV file together with the delivery note. This will eliminate the work step of scanning new goods for the textile service - when the goods arrive, the CSV file is simply entered into the system and can then be fed directly into the laundry cycle.

As there are different chip systems from company to company, this solution cannot be implemented directly for all textile service companies - but Dibella wants to develop further.

Benefits of RFID for laundries and their customers
The RFID technology not only improves efficiency, reduces losses and increases profitability in the laundry industrial process. RFID also improves the quality of service that the textile services can offer to their customers, thanks to a more efficient workflow and instant data exchange between textile services and their customers. No more worries or discussions about lost textiles: the customer knows exactly how many and which pieces have arrived/departed from/to the laundry. In this way, transparency with the customer is improved and invoicing can be based on reliable data. In addition, portable RFID readers allow for automated and quick daily inventory at the customer’s site to request clean textiles from the laundry on time.

Beaulieu International Group is investing €5 million to transition the fossil based energy supply of its Cushion Vinyl production plant in Wielsbeke, Belgium, to bio mass generated steam supply. A transition to renewable energy. To this end, B.I.G. is collaborating with A&U Energie, a company that converts non-recyclable wood waste into green energy and heat. This strategic move aligns with B.I.G.'s commitment to reach ‘net zero’ for their operations by 2030.

The transition from fossil energy to green steam and the switch to waste gas treatment without direct fossil energy brings significant benefits. First, the switch in technology will lead to 88% reduction in their Belgian Cushion Vinyl carbon footprint related to heat supply and waste gas treatment, compared to the current emissions. Second, the use of steam heating and electric energy provides improved energy efficiency. In addition, the use of steam systems is known for its safety and reliability, providing a safer and more stable heating solution for the Belgian Cushion Vinyl facility. Moreover, the switch to steam and electric energy allows for the use of green electricity in the future, if available.

In addition to transitioning to 100% green energy, Beaulieu International Group is also dedicated to advancing the circular economy. These efforts encompass various initiatives, including increasing the use of recycled and reused materials. For example, 50% of B.I.G.'s PVC floor coverings are already fully recyclable. Additionally, they are actively working to reduce the environmental impact of their solutions by 42% at the end of their life cycle, striving to minimize product emissions to nearly zero, and eliminating pollutants. Recently at the Belgian Flanders Flooring Days, Beauflor launched its Twilight collection, a cushion vinyl floor created with PVC from 100% bio and circular sources resulting in a 40% reduced CO₂ footprint compared to their conventional heterogeneous CV flooring for residential applications

Furthermore, their cushion vinyl brand Beauflor launched the ReLive concept, a specialized program designed for a circular future, ensuring the collection, sorting, and recycling of PVC flooring cutting waste. Currently, this program focuses on post-installation waste and is exclusively available in France, with the goal of expanding its reach to other EU countries.

Through the establishment of strategic partnerships dedicated to finding innovative ways to repurpose waste materials previously slated for incineration, B.I.G. underscores its commitment to sustainable solutions and collaboration with like-minded organizations. 75% of B.I.G.'s post-industrial waste is now being successfully recycled.

Stratasys Ltd. is announcing updates to several Industrial and Healthcare Business Unit products and Stratasys Direct. These include a new open platform for the F900™ 3D printer, more on-demand 3D printing capabilities and a new high-performance material for its Fused Deposition Modeling line.

OpenAM comes to the F900
Stratasys OpenAM™ is a software application that enables the user to modify machine controls to achieve results beyond standard print settings. Already available for the Fortus 450®mc printer, Stratasys is now making its OpenAM software available for the F900 printer. This will allow for expanded functionality and capabilities and will unlock new materials for F900 users.

New VICTREX AM 200 material for FDM
A new material offering that opens the application potential for demanding industries like aerospace and medical, where material properties are critical components of a 3D-printed solutions. This new high-performance, high-strength, validated material, VICTREX AM™ 200, will be available for the Fortus 450mc and the F900. VICTREX AM 200 is a PEEK-based polymer that is temperature, corrosion, and chemical resistant, with excellent mechanical properties which can be utilized with soluble and breakaway support material.

Carbon Fiber Visual Print Option for the F-Series
Carbon Fiber Visual Print Option is a new 5-slice (0.005”) layer height across the F-123 Series™ line of printers that is coming later this month for FDM®ABS-CF10. It produces a smoother surface finish, to provide the perfect finish when a part’s visual appearance is important to the application. It is built for applications that demand the durability of a carbon-filled polymer, but also requires a visually appealing result without additional post-processing.

F770 adds New Colors
The F770® printer can now print in multiple colors, in addition to its original single ivory color. Six new ASA colors, including red, white, light gray, black, blue, and yellow, will allow for more application versatility with FDM® ASA and ABS-M30 tried-and-true engineering plastics. The new colors enable printing without painting or other post-production marking, allowing parts to be available much faster, increasing productivity.

Somos NeXt Validated for SLA
Somos® NeXt™ is now a validated material for Stratasys NEO® stereolithography 3D printers. Somos NeXt is a resin with superior strength and can be used in automotive and consumer products, along with other applications, including prototyping, to produce durable, accurate and detailed parts.

New GrabCAD Software Print Integration Enhances On-Demand 3D Printing Capabilities
Stratasys has introduced Parts on Demand by GrabCAD, a new integration that synchronizes the company's software platform with Stratasys Direct. This addition allows GrabCAD Print™ customers to access Stratasys Direct’s fleet of 3D printers, allowing for larger and more intricate designs, a selection of more than 50 engineered materials, and the assurance of stringent quality inspections.

Teijin Carbon Europe has been awarded ISCC PLUS certification (Certificate Number: ISCC-PLUS-Cert-DE100-15897124). This ISCC PLUS certification covers Tenax™ Carbon Fiber produced at the Heinsberg-Oberbruch plant in Germany. This accreditation enables the Teijin Group to offer its customers sustainable products that contribute to circular economy. Teijin has selected the ISCC certification route as the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is an independent organisation and the leading certification system in this field.

The ISCC PLUS certification is a voluntary system which administers the circular economy of chemicals, plastics, packaging, textiles and renewable raw materials. Raw materials which are made from sustainable source materials (e.g. via recycling or bio-based sources) are labelled with a sustainability declaration (country of origin of the raw material, quantity and type of sustainable raw material, user ID, etc.). This document then follows the product during further processing – even over several stages – until it is used by the end customer. If all partners in the chain are ISCC PLUS certified, the documents can be passed on clearly and reliably.

The Teijin Group is globally establishing a carbon fiber production and supply system based on ISCC PLUS certification. The attractiveness of ISCC PLUS certification for the Teijin Group is exemplified by the future production of sustainable carbon fibers. Teijin uses various chemical building blocks for the internal production of polyacrylonitrile. Conventional and sustainable raw materials can now be purchased and processed on the global market. In future, Teijin also intends to purchase materials that are obtained via recycling or directly based on a bio-based source.

These raw materials will then be processed into a sustainable polyacrylonitrile precursor. As the production processes are identical to those used in the conventional production of carbon fibers, the mechanical and chemical properties are identical. Based on the sustainability declaration, a clear mass balance is used to differentiate between sustainable and conventional products.

The Teijin Group obtained ISCC PLUS certification for carbon fiber and the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fiber produced at Teijin's Mishima Plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan in June 2023, and began mass production of carbon fiber based on the certification in December of the same year. The Teijin Group benefits from this approach as customers are offered products that contribute to the circular economy or continue to use conventional raw materials.