From the Sector

• The Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs have a positive view of the future and invite the sector to take part at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 June 2022.
• Exhibitors who register well in advance benefit from an early-booking discount.

The dates for the next editions of Techtextil and Texprocess have been set and the leading international trade fairs for technical textiles and nonwovens and for the processing of textile and flexible materials are set to attract exhibitors and trade visitors from all over the world to Frankfurt am Main from 21 to 24 June 2022. Thus, the fairs are shifting the biennial cycle of events from odd to even years, which fits in perfectly with the sector’s international event calendar. Companies that book exhibition space at one of the two trade fairs no later than 31 August 2021 benefit from an early booking discount. “We see the future in a positive light and are confident that we will finally be able to give the sector the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and information in June 2022. The desire for personal encounters, direct communication and new impressions is growing from day to day”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile Technologies.

Elgar Straub, Managing Director, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, emphasises that, “Texprocess and Techtextil are the world’s foremost trade fairs for our innovative sector by a large margin. Both events offer customers an unrivalled overview of state-of-the-art innovations and technological developments – and beyond. Particularly when it comes to the latest trends for sustainability and digitalisation, Texprocess and Techtextil in Frankfurt represent the most important, future-oriented market. This makes it all the more important for both the exhibitor and visitor sides of the sector that we have the opportunity to obtain an overview of the latest market developments, to exchange ideas and information and to initiate new business. We are very relieved about this and hope that, next year, we will once again have the chance to generate new momentum for our sector in the international market.”

For the first time, Techtextil and Texprocess will occupy the western sector of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre with a total of four exhibition halls and, with a hybrid format, offer the best of both the physical and immaterial worlds: personal communication, virtual networking opportunities and maximum digital coverage. With a comprehensive hygiene and safety concept, Messe Frankfurt will ensure that all visitors and exhibitors can take part safely and with a good feeling.

• Guidelines of the EU Commission to implement the Single-Use Plastics Directive have been published
• Uniform labelling obligation for wipes and feminine hygiene products containing plastics as of July 03, 2021
• Lenzing’s wood-based, biodegradable VEOCEL™ branded fibers as a sustainable alternative to plastic

The Lenzing Group welcomes the issuance of the guidelines for the implementation of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904, which took effect on June 05, 2019¹. In these guidelines, the EU Commission specifies which products fall within the scope of the directive, thus providing clarity in the joint fight of the EU member states against environmental pollution from plastic waste. Lenzing’s wood-based, biodegradable cellulosic fibers such as those of the VEOCEL™ brand comprise a sustainable and innovative solution to this man-made problem.

Uniform labelling rules for some single-use plastic products
The Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2020/2151 applying to the Single-Use Plastics Directive stipulate uniform labelling requirements for some of the single-use plastic products on the packaging or the product itself starting on July 03, 2021. They encompass feminine hygiene products and wet wipes for personal and household care containing plastic.

Consumers want sustainable hygiene products
Even before the implementation of the Single-Use Plastics Directive, Lenzing already gives consumers clear guidance in their purchasing decisions. Products bearing the VEOCEL™ brand logo on their packaging are produced in line with stringent certification criteria. As a consequence, consumers can be assured that the products contain biodegradable, cellulosic materials.

A Marketagent survey carried out in German-speaking Europe in October 2019² concluded that nine out of ten consumers would immediately change their purchasing behavior for wipes if they found out that their current product contains plastic. This would seem to imply that new market dynamics will emerge once the labelling rules for single-use plastic products takes effect. According to a Smithers Report³, about 500,000 tons of petroleum-based fibers are used each year for the production of wipes.

¹ Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment
² Representative Marketagent Online survey, n = 1,005 (14 - 69 years old, from Austria and Germany). https://itsinourhands.com/
³ Smithers Report “The Future of Global Nonwoven Wipes to 2023”, published in 2018, page 23, reference year 2018

Lectra’s Shareholders’ Meeting appointed Jean Marie (“John”) Canan as a new Director, for a period of four years. Jean Marie Canan becomes a member of Lectra’s Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Strategic Committee.

A Canadian national, at 64, Jean Marie Canan is currently Lead Independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of REV Group, an American company listed on the NYSE; Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Acasti Pharma, a Canadian company listed on the NASDAQ and Director of the Angkor Hospital for Children, a leading non-profit pediatric hospital in Cambodia.

Jean Marie Canan, graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and is a Canadian Certified Public Accountant (CPA), began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 1978, starting in their Montreal office, and then two years in their Hong Kong office. From 1990 to 2014, he held many ever-increasing positions of responsibility at Merck & Co, Inc. (“Merck”). These included senior roles in finance, strategy development, business development and operations. He was part of a small team that led the acquisition of Schering-Plough by Merck. He also provided operational oversight for most of the Merck group’s joint ventures, including DuPont-Merck, Johnson and Johnson-Merck, Astra-Merck, and Schering-Plough-Merck. Merck’s Executive Committee selected Jean Marie as one of the five senior leaders charged with defining Merck's new strategy in 2006.

Teijin Limited announced today that its Tenax™ carbon fiber prepreg has been adopted for a part of nacelle, or streamlined housing, for next-generation aircraft engine to be used by Airbus. A prototype of the nacelle part, which Nikkiso Co., Ltd. is developing for Airbus’s Propulsion of Tomorrow project, will be delivered to Airbus by the end of 2021.

The Tenax™ prepreg used for the nacelle part was developed especially for aircraft applications using high-performance and rapid-curing epoxy resin. Notably, the Tenax™ prepreg can be molded at a lower temperature and in a shorter time than conventional prepregs for aircraft applications. In addition to general autoclave molding, the Tenax™ prepreg also is suited to press molding for mass production, achieving excellent quality required for aircraft applications. Furthermore, it is compatible with automated fiber placement (AFP) therefore can be combined with automatic laminating technology and short-time molding to maximize production efficiency. The excellent productivity and cost efficiency of the Tenax™ prepreg were key reasons why it was adopted for Nikkiso’s nacelle.

Teijin is intensively accelerating its development of mid- to downstream applications for aircraft, one of the strategic focuses of its medium-term management plan for 2020-2022. Going forward, Teijin intends to further strengthen its carbon fiber and intermediate material businesses to contribute to increasing global sustainability, aiming to become a company that supports the society of the future.

Following the European Commission’s update of the 2020 New Industrial Strategy: ‘’Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s Recovery’’, the European Social Partners for the Textile, Clothing, Leather, and Footwear (TCLF) sectors came together to call for support via a dedicated strategy.  The Strategy aims to help guide the TCLF industries through the current green and digital transition, while facing tough global competition, stressing the need to safeguard the industries and protect jobs in Europe.

On 25 May, employers’ and workers’ representatives for the European TCLF sectors met with the European Commission to discuss the current challenges facing the TCLF industries and potential EU action to help support the sectors and their workers.  Following discussions on the terrible impact of COVID-19 on the sectors and the need for a strong EU action, the Joint Statement: ‘’The future industrial strategy of the EU Textiles Ecosystem (TCLF sectors)’’ was adopted.

The Joint Statement highlights the need for a dedicated strategy with support at national and EU level to help the TCLF sectors survive following the COVID-19 pandemic, while they continue to face tough, and, sometimes unfair, global competition. The Social Partners of the TCLF industries fully support the EU’s ambitions for a green and digital transition of the sectors, but insist on concrete European measures to help the industries transform while the continues to suffer from an unlevel global playing field.

Specific joint demands include: full engagement with Social Partners in both the recovery and the transition of the industries, support for the EU Pact for Skills for the relevant ecosystem, a revision of the GSP which doesn’t negatively impact the sectors and its workers, support to decarbonise the sectors, careful consideration of the Due Diligence Legislation and quality dialogue with Social Partners ahead of the EU Sustainable Products Initiative and the Consumer Agenda to ensure that all policy gaps are addressed. Special attention must also be given to the forthcoming EU Textiles Strategy which should fully represent the needs of the EU’s entire textiles ecosystem.

We aRe Spin Dye (WRSD) AB (publ) (“WRSD”) enters into a collaboration agreement with the international premium brand, Hugo Boss.

Hugo Boss has a clear agenda for how they will gradually become even more sustainable. One of the company's intermediate goals is to have reduced total water consumption by 40% by 2025 - where WRSD is expected to be involved and contribute with competence and technology. The long term goal for Hugo Boss is to be completely climate neutral by 2050.

In November, Hugo Boss Ag entered the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World for the fourth year in a row. Hugo Boss is thus one of the four companies in the textile, clothing and luxury segment that have qualified for the index this year. Hugo Boss is also listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe for the first time. In the assessment carried out by S&P Global, HUGO BOSS improved significantly compared with the previous year and received, among other things, the assessment “best in class” in several categories.

As part of ISKO’s Responsible Innovation™ strategy, the company has a commitment to supporting the next generation of design students and up-and-coming designers and brands. This commitment was shown most recently when the leading denim innovator donated a selection of its denim fabrics to three students at the Savannah College of Art and Design, to support the design and development of their final year collections and help them shape their creative vision.

On 7 May, the students’ collections were presented to a panel of fashion industry experts, including ISKO’s Marketing and Business Development Manager, Sonny Puryear, who offered invaluable feedback and support for their future endeavours.

The university has taken part in several past editions of ISKO’s I-SKOOL™ denim design contest, so it was logical that three of this year’s graduates, Ifeade Adedokun, E'Naiyah Frazier, and Maryam Muhammad would turn to ISKO in light of its longstanding knowledge and expertise when it comes to denim. The company was proud to provide them with ISKO fabrics, developed according to advanced and responsible processes and in compliance with strict international standards.

Alchemie Technology, a leader in waterless, digital on-demand, smart dyeing technology, has today announced its partnership with HeiQ, a leader in textile innovation, as it prepares the production rollout of its NOVARATM digital multifunction finishing solution to the global textile market in Q3 this year.

NOVARA can apply single-sided, or simultaneous two-sided, coating of multiple finishes to specific areas of textile. For example, combining anti-odour and water repellence in one material.

“For example, using NOVARA for single-sided finishing of HeiQ Viroblock required 52% less chemistry, 66% water reduction and 50% less energy, whilst achieving a 99.7% reduction in antimicrobial activity after 15 washes at 400celsius. With the huge demand for high-performance antibacterial, antiviral finishing for face masks, medical apparel, gym wear, home furnishing, mattresses, and textiles for high-risk, high traffic areas such as train, plane seats, and more, our combined technology is critical for increasing protection and reducing environmental impact of these products” says Dr Simon Kew, Managing Director, Alchemie Technology.

NOVARA also enables unique lifestyle product innovations at lower production cost for fashion, sportswear, technical clothing, and upholstery such as combining sustainable odour control, skin care additives, and fragrance finishing, without impacting breathability, hand feel or wicking. It is suitable for finishing all fabric types, from 50 - 1000 gsm, including polyester, cotton, nylon and polycotton.

RINCO ULTRASONICS is strengthening its market presence in Central America – a significant market for the automotive supply industry – by opening its own subsidiary in Mexico.

Romanshorn, May 2021 – With the establishment of its eleventh global subsidiary and its first in Central America, RINCO ULTRASONICS is highlighting the importance of the Central American market. “The automotive supply industry is one of the strongest sectors of industry in Mexico and one of the most important markets for RINCO. Our subsidiary in Querétaro, which is located 200 km away from Mexico City, will bring us closer to customers and partners alike,” explains Serge Patamia, CEO of RINCO ULTRASONICS. “We already enjoy high levels of confidence from both customers and partners in the region, and local presence will only serve to improve this. Investing in a dedicated subsidiary underlines our commitment to the market in Central America.”

José Armando Vázquez, the newly appointed country manager for Mexico, brings both passion and specialist expertise to his role. Having grown up in the automotive industry, Vazquez knows the needs and requirements of the supplying industry and the plastics sector inside out.

In José Armando Vázquez, customers and interested parties in Mexico have a local point of contact who is bringing Swiss perfection to Querétaro in the form of RINCO ULTRASONICS MEXICO. In addition to sales, RINCO in Mexico also offers technical services such as an application-based test laboratory and various service facilities to promote the building of partnerships and the delivery of new projects.
“Our aim is to captivate users with our ultrasonic technology and offer them tangible added value so that by using solutions like our AGM Pro ultrasonic generator, for example, they can save time and user fewer materials,”, says Serge Patamia, summarising what customers in Central America can expect.

Monforts Head of Technical Textiles Jürgen Hanel will take part in the next international webtalk to be held by the VDMA’s textile machinery division on May 20th.

He will be joined by Johannes Lutz, Research and Development Engineer at Pleva, to provide full details of how the latest Monforts coating technology is supported by special microwave measuring systems.

The Montex®Coat magnetic roller coating option allows a wide range of coatings and finishes to be carried out, while being easy to handle for operators and much easier to clean at the end of the process.

“This roller provides textile finishers with an expanded range of options due to the fully-adjustable positioning of the magnet within the roller and with four different magnet positions possible, can be set to operate both as a direct coating system and as an indirect coater,” Hanel said.

Lutz will provide an overview of the use of Pleva microwave measurement technology in coating processes, in addition to the latest developments in electronic evaluation.

To ensure a constant high quality in coating operations it is necessary to accurately measure and control the amount of chemical being applied, and Pleva’s series 700 devices achieve this via contact-free microwave moisture measurement technology which can be supplied either as single- or three-point units, or as a traversing measurement unit.

The free-to-attend webtalk will take place on May 20th from 2-3pm (CEST) and registration can be made here, along with further information.