From the Sector

Climate change is causing temperatures to rise and storms to increase. Especially in inner cities, summers are becoming a burden for people. While densification makes use of existing infrastructure and avoids urban sprawl, it increases the amount of sealed surfaces. This has a negative impact on the environment and climate. Green facades bring more green into cities. If textile storage structures are used, they can even actively contribute to flood protection. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) have developed a corresponding "Living Wall".

The plants on the green facades are supplied with water and nutrients via an automatic irrigation system. The "Living Walls" operate largely autonomously. Sensory yarns detect the water and nutrient content. The effort for care and maintenance is low.

Innovative hydraulic textile structures regulate water flow. The rock wool plant substrate on which the plants grow has a large volume in a small space thanks to its structure. Depending on how heavy the precipitation is, the rainwater is stored in a textile structure and later used to irrigate the plants. In the event of heavy rainfall, the excess water is discharged into the sewage system with a time delay. In this way, the "Living Walls" developed at the DITF help to make efficient use of water as a resource in post-densified urban areas.

The research project also scientifically investigated the cooling performance of a green facade. Modern textile technology in the substrate promotes the "transpiration" of the plants. This creates evaporative cooling and lowers temperatures in the surrounding area.

The work of the Denkendorf research team also included a cost-benefit calculation and a life-cycle analysis. Based on the laboratory and outdoor studies, a "green value" was defined that can be used to evaluate and compare the effect of greening buildings as a whole.

Candour Techtex, a Melegaon JR Group company, is satisfied with the latest coating and lamination line supplied by UK’s Amba Projex and has ordered a second, wider one to meet increasing demand.

Based in High Peak near Manchester, BTMA member Amba Projex has over 40 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of special purpose technical textile machines, with coating and laminating installations around the world.

Amba will be working closely with Candour over the next five years, to establish an Indian technical textiles powerhouse capitalising on the UK technology provider’s long experience in the field.

Formerly Chandni Textiles Engineering Industries, Candour Techtex of the Malegaon JR Group assumed its new name in 2022 to reflect its focus on a wide range of technical textiles at its new plant in Malegaon in the Nashik District of Maharashtra.

The company was founded in 1986 and at its existing plant in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, produces an annual 1.2 million metres of light velvet fabrics mainly for the domestic market for apparel and light home furnishings. In 2020 it also began operations at a plastic moulded components division in Gonde, Nashik, with a capacity of 4,500 tons per annum.

Blackout fabrics
In particular, the new Amba Projex system enables blackout fabrics to be produced efficiently and at scale.

Blackout fabrics are installed in rooms where complete light shielding is required, such as in public institutions like hospitals, and retirement homes, in hotels and conference rooms, and also in the home, especially in bedrooms.

They obtain their light impermeability by a special three-layer blackout coating which works on textiles of all colours. Only the middle layer of the three coatings needs to be black for obtaining the necessary light absorption. The fabrics are usually also treated for permanent flame-retardancy, and also with water or stain-repellent finishes. In addition to locking out light and providing maximum privacy, blackout curtains also help to insulate a home and reduce energy costs, in addition to protecting furniture and carpets from fading due to sunlight exposure.

With four months until the technical textiles and nonwovens show opens its doors, floor space booked by international suppliers is already more than double the area of the previous edition, which attracted 366 exhibitors from eight countries and regions. Taking place from 19 – 21 September 2023 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, this year’s fair will see the European Zone return to the fairground. The high-traffic zone is set to welcome a number of new and returning exhibitors eager to showcase their products to a business-hungry domestic market.

Speaking at the fair’s previous edition in 2021, Mr Roberto Galante, Plant Manager of FMMG Technical Textiles (Suzhou) Co Ltd, said: “The Chinese market is a big opportunity for everybody, because every day the market is demanding more. The potential here is incredible, and there is more demand for overseas brands. These brands are known for their very high quality, and while China’s industry has developed very well in the past few years, it still needs support from overseas brands with high quality products. This fair is good for us, and we exhibit here every year.”

Multiple domestic and international exhibitors have confirmed their participation at Cinte Techtextil China 2023, with the European Zone playing host to FMMG and other key industry players, such as:

• Bekaert, Belgium
• Fil Man Made Group, Italy
• SANITIZED, Switzerland
• SCANTECH, France

Outside the European Zone, additional international suppliers will showcase their diverse product applications at the fairground, with categories including Coating & Bondtec (Stahl); Fibre & Yarn (Barnet); Nonwovens Equipment (Dilo); Technology & Machinery (Picanol); and Testing Equipment & Certification (TESTEX). Other European exhibitors in these categories include Autefa Solutions, Reifenhauser Heinsberg, Reifenhauser Reicofil, and SICAM.

Chinese suppliers set to complement international contingent
A comprehensive range of domestic exhibitors are eager to meet new buyers and renew old business connections at this year’s fair, including:

• Shanghai Shenda Kebao New Materials
• SIJIA New Material (Shanghai)
• Zhejiang Jinda New Materials
• Zhejiang Hailide New Material

The fair’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which comprehensively span a full range of potential uses in modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also cover the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions. This scope of product groups and application areas ensures that the fair is an effective business platform for the entire industry.

• Flame Retardancy for Composites Applications in the Transport Sector

On 10-11 May 2023, the AVK - Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e. V. in cooperation with the FGK - Forschungsgesellschaft Kunststoffe e.V. in Berlin organised for the first time an international, English-language conference on flame retardancy.

In 18 compact lectures, more than 20 experts informed nearly 80 participants about new developments, requirements and innovations regarding specific flame retardant properties of components made of fibre-reinforced plastics/composites for the transport sector.

Among others, there were presentations by industry representatives from Saertex, BÜFA, Clariant, Diehl Aviation and Airbus, but also from institutes such as the Fraunhofer Institutes or the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing. Presentations on the topics of standardisation, raw materials, automotive or recycling were on the agenda, but also flame retardants for connectors and battery housings for electric vehicles or fire-retardant systems for rail vehicles or fire-retardant CFRP made from recycled CF nonwoven were presented.

As a trade fair for safety and occupational health in China, the 104th China International Occupational Safety & Health Goods Expo (CIOSH 2023), organized by China Textile Commerce Association (CTCA) and Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (MDS), will be grandly held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) Hall E1-E7 from 13-15 April 2023. Following three years of epidemic prevention and control measures, the situation has stabilized in China, allowing the labor protection market to enter a phase of rapid recovery and rebound. CIOSH 2023 will attract over 1,500 exhibitors from 14 countries, showcasing their latest protective equipment and technology in an exhibition area exceeding 80,000 square meters.

Integrating Online and Offline Platforms
CIOSH 2023 encompasses four major sectors: Safety at Work, Security at Work, Health at Work, and Emergency Rescue Management. Renowned domestic and international exhibitors, including 3M, Honeywell, Ansell, SATA, JSP, MSA, DELTAPLUS, Lakeland, Cortina, UVEX, CM Chaomei, Xing Yu Gloves, DS, East Asia Glove, Hanvo, SOMO Zhongmai Safety, SAFETY-INXS, and TELPS, will assemble on site. At the same time, CIOSH 2023 has introduced an innovative online platform - CIOSH VIRTUAL. By offering online displays, live streaming, interactive features, and real-time communications, it breaks time and space constraints, facilitating exhibitors and visitors to continue their business exchanges and cooperations beyond the physical exhibition. So far, nearly 1,300 companies have joined the CIOSH VIRTUAL, showcasing more than 3,000 products online and attracting over 70,000 views.

CIOSH Industry Technical Seminar, Sustainable Development Emerges as the Key Focus
The annual Industry Technical Seminar, held concurrently with CIOSH, serves as a platform for professionals to discuss product solutions, share industry insights, and exchange ideas on relevant policies. In 2021, China integrated climate change mitigation measures into its 14th Five-Year Plan, established a 2030 carbon peaking action plan, and proactively pursued the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. Under the development objectives of "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality," the sustainable development of the personal protective equipment (PPE) industry has become the primary theme of this year's seminar. Experts from China Carbon Low-carbon Certification (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., China Certification Centre, Inc., and SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd., will examine related policies, the effects of "carbon neutrality" on the PPE industry chain and the industries using PPE from different angles. They will also explore the future direction of PPE and offer professional guidance for the transformation of relevant enterprises.

Fall Protection Zone
Falls from height are one of the most common accidents that cause serious injury or death to workers. Effective fall protection requires not only protective equipment, but also professional instructions and training. Therefore, CIOSH set up a new Fall Protection Zone in 2021, which received unanimous acclaim. CIOSH 2023 has continued to invite SKYLOTEC, rothoblaas, JECH, Mode and NTR Safety, five companies that specialize in protection at height, to conduct on-site demonstrations on fall testing, fall protection solutions and aerial rescue, and provide visitors with the most professional fall protection guidance and training.

Occupational Health
CIOSH has always implemented the strategy of expanding the business scope in a diversified way, which devotes itself to providing innovative opportunities and new driving forces for the sustainability of the occupational safety and health industry. This year, focusing on the "occupational health" sector, the exhibition will launch an Ergonomics Zone and an Exoskeleton Technology Zone for the first time.

The diabetic community has always been a priority for Hologenix, creators of CELLIANT® infrared technology, so the company embarked on an initial study to test the hypothesis that the technology can positively impact diabetic patients with vascular impairment, now published in Journal of Textile Science & Engineering. Another study is underway as well with more research on the horizon.

According to statistics cited in the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas, 9th edition, globally, close to a half billion people are living with diabetes and that number is expected to increase by more than 50 percent in the next 25 years.
 
The introduction of the study in the Journal of Textile Science & Engineering also reports that diabetic patients frequently suffer from a combination of peripheral neuropathy and peripheral artery disease, which particularly affects their feet. It further states that it has been estimated that the lifetime risk for the development of foot ulcers in diabetic patients can be as high as 25 percent and that the risk of amputation is 10 to 20 times higher than in non-diabetic subjects.
 
The study was performed by Lawrence A. Lavery, D.P.M., M.P.H., a Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. His clinic and research interests involve diabetic foot complications, infections and wound healing, and he participated in the conception, design, implementation and authorship of the Journal of Textile Science & Engineering study.  

CELLIANT technology is a patented process for adding micron-sized thermo-responsive mineral particles to fibers, in this case polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. The resulting CELLIANT yarns were woven into stockings and gloves containing either 82% CELLIANT polyester, 13% nylon and 5% spandex or for the placebo, 82% polyester with no CELLIANT, 13% nylon and 5% spandex. CELLIANT products absorb body heat and re-emit the energy back to the body as infrared energy, which is non-invasive and increases temporary blood flow and cell oxygenation levels in the body.

The objective of the study was to “evaluate changes in transcutaneous oxygen (TcPO2) and peripheral blood flow (laser Doppler, LD) in the hands and feet of diabetic patients with vascular impairment when CELLIANT gloves and stockings are worn.” While there was not a statistically significant result across all subjects, the study did show that some patients wearing CELLIANT stockings for 60 minutes had an increase of as much as 20% in tissue oxygenation and 30% in localized blood flow. According to the study’s conclusion, “the trends that were observed in favor of CELLIANT stockings suggest that a larger well-designed clinical trial should be undertaken and may provide evidence of clinical efficacy in treatment of the diabetic foot.”
 
The study also notes that “There have been no documented or observed side effects of wearing CELLIANT stockings, and they are relatively inexpensive compared to conventional pharmaceutical interventions.”

Hologenix has embarked on a more comprehensive trial, “Study to Evaluate CELLIANT Diabetic Medical Socks to Increase Tissue Oxygenation and Incidence of Complete Wound Closure in Diabetic Foot Wounds” – NCT04709419, which focuses on the impact of CELLIANT technology to potentially improve tissue oxygenation and wound healing outcomes.
 
“We are excited to explore whether future studies of infrared, with its most common biological effects of increased localized blood flow and cellular oxygenation, could result in a breakthrough in diabetic patients with vascular impairment,” said Seth Casden, Hologenix Co-founder and CEO. “We see a huge potential opportunity with this research for helping to fulfill our core mission of improving people’s health and well-being by potentially reducing the impact of diabetes, and we are actively seeking partners to expand our research efforts.”

Autoneum erzielte 2022 weitere messbare Fortschritte in den Bereichen Umwelt, Soziales, Governance und Compliance. Das Unternehmen verpflichtete sich zu wissenschaftlich fundierten Zielen, die im Januar 2023 von der «Science Based Targets»- Initiative (SBTi) validiert wurden. Die Ziele stehen im Einklang mit denen des Pariser Abkommens, die globale Erwärmung auf deutlich unter 2°C zu begrenzen, und unterstützen die bereits in der «Advance Sustainability»-Strategy verankerten Umweltziele von Autoneum. Im Berichtsjahr wurden die Treibhausgasemissionen weiter reduziert und die Recyclingkapazitäten global ausgebaut.

Trotz der zahlreichen Herausforderungen, mit denen die Automobilindustrie auch im vergangenen Jahr konfrontiert war, konnte das Unternehmen, seine gesamten Treibhausgasemissionen im Vergleich zum Basisjahr 2019 relativ um 14.8% und absolut um 33% zu senken. In 37 Autoneum-Werken weltweit wurden 214 Ökoeffizienz-Projekte zur Reduzierung von Abfällen sowie des Energie- und Wasserverbrauchs durchgeführt, womit sich die Anzahl solcher Projekte im Vergleich zu den Vorjahren fast verdreifachte.

Das Unternehmen konnte mit der Einführung seiner vollständig rezyklierbaren Teppichsysteme aus 100% Polyester, die auf bestehenden und besonders umweltfreundlichen Pure-Technologien aufbauen, seine Position als Markt- und Technologieführer im nachhaltigen Akustik- und Wärmemanagement für Fahrzeuge weiter ausbauen. Für die innovativen Tuftingteppichsysteme hat Autoneum erste Kundenaufträge erhalten. Auch für E-Motor-Kapselungen auf Basis seiner patentierten, lärmreduzierenden Pure-Technologie Hybrid-Acoustics PET wurden weitere Aufträge gewonnen.

Autoneum hat 2022 das erste unternehmensweite Frauennetzwerk ins Leben gerufen. Ziel des Netzwerks ist es, die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter und eine Kultur der Vielfalt und Inklusion bei Autoneum zu fördern und Mitarbeitenden einen regionen- und funktionsübergreifenden Austausch zu Themen wie Karriereentwicklung, Führung und Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie zu ermöglichen. Darüber hinaus haben Mitarbeitende von Autoneum 2022 weltweit 67 Projekte zur Förderung des gesellschaftlichen Engagements durchgeführt.

Im Berichtsjahr legte Autoneum zudem einen besonderen Fokus auf den Ausbau der Corporate-Responsibility-Organisation im gesamten Unternehmen. Darüber hinaus wurde der Verwaltungsrat stärker in die entsprechenden Prozesse eingebunden. Mit der Aufnahme von Zielkriterien aus den Bereichen Umwelt, Soziales und Governance («Environmental, Social, Governance» – ESG) in den Executive Bonus Plan der Gruppe ab dem Geschäftsjahr 2022 wird das Thema Nachhaltigkeit für Autoneum in Zukunft noch mehr an Bedeutung gewinnen.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK will shortly be exhibiting at INDEX 23, the leading nonwovens exhibition in Geneva, 18-21 April.

As well as featuring its latest meltblown and spunbond technology, FET will focus on its new Fibre Development Centre. Construction and fit-out of this new purpose-built building is now fully operational. This modern two-storey development provides state-of-the-art facilities, including enhanced laboratory for client testing and product development.

Resident equipment in the Fibre Development Centre reflects the wide range of fibre extrusion systems offered by FET to clients across the globe and will enable continued growth of the company through innovation.  

Complementing FET’s highly successful meltblown technology, the more recent spunbond range provides unprecedented opportunities for the scaled development of new nonwoven fabrics based on a wide range of fibres and polymers, including bicomponents.

Vom 25. bis zum 27. April 2023 findet die diesjährige JEC WORLD, die international führende Leichtbaumesse, in Paris statt. Das Sächsische Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) wird seine jüngsten Innovationen aus dem textilen Leichtbau und dem Textilrecycling auf dem Stand der sächsischen Wirtschaftsförderung präsentieren. Das STFI fokussiert seinen Messeauftritt in Paris dieses Jahr vor allem auf erfolgreiche Beispiele aus Industriekooperationen, die zur Nachhaltigkeit des Herstellungsprozesses beitragen.

Im Forschungsvorhaben „optiformTEX“ innerhalb des BMBF-Förderprogramms „Zwanzig20 – futureTEX“ wurde eine neue Technologie für flächige Naturfaser (NF)-Halbzeuge mit belastungsgerechter topologischen Fasermasseverteilung entwickelt. Dies lässt eine signifikante Gewichtsreduzierung von bis zu 30 % bei Leichtbauteilen vor allem im automobilen Interieur zu.

Es entstand das Modul „3D-Lofter“ zur lokalen Verstärkung von Vliesstoffen mittels definierter Faseranhäufungen; entwickelt und gebaut durch den Projektpartner Oskar Dilo Maschinenfabrik KG, Eberbach. Ein Exemplar des Moduls wurde in eine Labornadelvliesstoffanlage im Technikum des STFI integriert und steht für Kundenversuche sowie nachfolgende Forschungsvorhaben zur Verfügung.

Im Ergebnis des internationalen BMBF-Vorhabens „HiPeR – Orientierte Carbonfaserstrukturen aus Luftfahrt-Produktionsabfällen zum Wiedereinsatz im Flugzeug“ entstand ein Strukturbauteil für die Luftfahrt aus Recycling-Carbon. Dafür wurden am STFI rCF-Tapes sowohl aus recoverten, mechanisch aufbereiteten Abfällen als auch aus pyrolysierten Fasern entwickelt. Die rCF-Tapes werden auf dem STFI-Stand, das Bauteil selbst am CU-Messestand/CTC präsentiert.

• Iconic 200 Series fleece to be the first fabric made from this new process.

Polartec®, a Milliken & Company brand, announces Polartec® Shed Less Fleece, a new milestone in its industry-leading efforts to reduce textile fiber fragment shedding. Shed Less is a process that combines yarn construction, knitting, chemistry, and manufacturing to reduce home laundry fiber fragment shedding by an average of 85%. The first fabric to receive this new technology is the brand’s iconic Polartec® 200 Series Fleece, the modern version of the original PolarFleece® launched in 1981, and in 1993, the first performance fleece knit from yarn made from recycled plastic bottles.

The Shed Less process works by engineering the lofted fibers that give fleece its soft hand the ability to resist breaking and rubbing off during home laundering, cited as one contributing factor to the spread of fibers fragments (commonly referred to as microfibers). Polartec® Shed Less Fleece achieves this while maintaining all of the attributes that continue to make Polartec fleece a staple of midlayer collections - lightweight, breathable and warm.

The brand used the AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) TM212-2021 test method for fiber fragment release during home laundering. This test was conducted with large sample sizes to account for variability. The testing concluded that Shed Less Fleece reduced fiber fragment shedding by an average of 85% compared to the baseline fabric.

“In 2016 we began looking into how we might test for fiber loss because there wasn’t a lot of research on the issue.” said Aimee LaValley, Polartec Textile Development, Dye and Chemistry Manager. “This led to new products like Polartec Power Air™, new manufacturing processes, as well as our participation in the TextileMission workgroup to study the issue on an interdisciplinary basis.”

TextileMission was a three year collaborative initiative of academia and industry to reduce the impact of textile microplastics funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Founding partners include The Association of the German Sporting Goods Industry, Hochschule Niederrhein - University of Applied Science; TU Dresden - Institute of Water Chemistry; Vaude Sport; WWF Germany; Adidas AG; Henkel AG; Miele & CIE; and Polartec, LLC.

Polartec® Shed Less Fleece will be initially launched in the United States and will be available to customers beginning March 1, 2023. The brand plans to apply the Shed Less process to many other industry-leading fabric platforms and manufacturing facilities around the world.