Future materials Magazine for WTIN

Official publisher of techtextil news

future materials Issue 4 - 2014

technical textiles n composites n flexible materials OFC Front Cover.indd 1

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future materials awards

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Recognising innovation in the technical textile sector The Future Materials Awards 2014 are open to all end-use sectors for technical textiles as well as materials experts, product developers and designers

26th November 2014, The Westin Bellevue, Dresden, Germany In partnership with the 8th Aachen-Dresden International Textile Conference

Awards categories: Best Innovation in: Agrotextiles*, Textiles for building and construction*, Textiles for clothing*, Geotextiles*, Home textiles*, Industrial textiles*, Medical textiles*, Mobile textiles*, Sustainable textiles*, Packaging textiles*, Protective textiles*, Sportswear and outdoor apparel* * Fibre, yarn, fabric or process

Further Categories in: Most innovative small company, Most innovative medium company, Most innovative large company, Groundbreaking partnership, Best start-up, Innovator of the year, Young innovator of the year, Launch of the year, Lifetime achievement award

Judging panel includes: • Charles Beauduin, President, CEMATEX • Braz Costa, CEO, CENTi, Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials • Dr Jan Beringer, Scientific Head of the department Function and Care, Hohenstein Institute • Dr Peter Dinsdale, World President, Textile Institute • Siegfried Winkelbeiner, CEO, Schoeller Textiles

• Thomas White, Director of Textile Innovation, Under Armour • Dr. Jean-Pierre Haug, Secretary General of OEKO-TEX • Linda Keppinger, Global Materials Director, Nike Inc. • Michael Sieber, Research Textile Engineer, US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, & Engineering Center

Sponsorship:

Entry forms available on the website

Forward-thinking organisations are welcome to sponsor the awards. For more details contact: Alex Cooke acooke@wtin.com Tel: +44 113 388 4882

James Wilson jwilson@wtin.com Tel: +44 113 388 4882

www.futurematerialsawards.com Organised by

Event Partner

Platinum Sponsors

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contents

Page 14

Looking beyond apparel

Regulars

Page 13

Fire service selects Armadillo Merino

33

Events

On the cover

Page 30

Smart fabrics in Brazil

Page 24 Hot topics

The Spacetex project is taking functional textiles into space, as researchers hope to use the experiments in zero gravity to help with the development of new textiles for extreme conditions on Earth.

See page 22

Page 26 Taking it up a gear

Features

Page 32

Growth based on green innovation

“

The time from an idea for a new FR, from the laboratory until the market place to be realised commercially can take up to ten years

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“

See page 24

4

Ticking all the boxes

Vector protection in textiles - necessity or trend? Urs Zihlmann and Jürgen Royek explore this growing area of textile finishing

8

Messages from the stars

Smart fabric technologies for vital signs monitoring will soon be employed on the front line – and also sending back vital data from space. Adrian Wilson reports

14

Looking beyond apparel

Manufacturers in Indonesia are setting their sights on new high-value applications for textiles, discovers Jack Hewson

16

Back in the spotlight

Techtextil North America seemed to confirm what many have been seeing as a revival of the US market. Tara Hounslea reports from Atlanta

22

Out of this world

What will chemical industry textiles learn from the Spacetex project? By David Eilbeck reports

24

Hot topics

Sustainability concerns and more stringent European safety standards in trains and ships are leading to new developments in flame-retardants. Lado Benisek reports

26

Taking it up a gear

30

Smart fabrics in Brazil

Cocona has re-launched as 37.5 to emphasise the performance benefits of the activated carbon textile technology. Tara Hounslea speaks to the new CEO

Event held in Rio de Janeiro brings together practitioners and academics to discuss the future of technical textiles. By Marcia Mariano

32 Growth based on green innovation

David Stevenson profiles one of Turkey’s leading manufacturers of textile finishing machinery

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Editor Tara Hounslea thounslea@wtin.com Consulting Editor Adrian Wilson awilson@wtin.com Editorial Design Nicola Lewis nlewis@wtin.com Advertisement Sales James Wilson jwilson@wtin.com Managing Director Mark Jarvis Advertisement Sales Offices MAIN OFFICE: James Wilson World Textile Information Network Ltd. West One, 114 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 1BA Tel: +44 (0)113 388 4882 E-mail: jwilson@wtin.com Switzerland: Frank Stoll / Martina Kohler IFF Media Emmersbergstrasse 1 - 8200 Schaffhausen, Switzerland Tel: + 41 526330888 Fax: + 41 526330899 Email: iff@iff-media.ch Japan: Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media 4-12-6, Chome, Nishiiko, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 121-0824, Japan Tel: + 81 3 56913335 Fax: + 81 3 56913336 Email: amskatsu@dream.com Turkey: Badem Altı Sokak One Stop Ltd Hürriyet Apt, No 3/6, Moda / Istanbul, 34710, Turkey Tel: +90 216 450 6232 Email: onestop@gmail.com India: Bhupal Potdar B / 502, Nanddham Palace, Veer Savarkar Nagar, Near Nancy St. Stand, Borivali (East), Mumbai 400 066, India Tel: 91 - 98211 51035 Email: bhupalpotdar@gmail.com Subscriptions (six issues) £310.00 Worldwide Available in printed or digital versions For subscription details please contact Luke Hanratty Tel: +44 (0)113 203 1267 E-mail: lhanratty@wtin.com Printed in Singapore by: KHL Printing Company Pte Ltd. © Copyright 2014 Future Materials is published by World Textile Information Network Ltd. ISSN Number: 17404126

Strength from spiders Here at Future Materials, we have been following the development of Kraig Biocraft’s

genetically engineered spider silk quite closely. Warwick Mills has recently created the world’s first textile using the spider silk known as Monster Silk, in the form of a pair of recently

knitted gloves. The two companies believe this will be the first of many products created from the material.

“We have been working with various types of Monster Silk,” explained Warwick president Charles Howland. “We find that all of these fibres are compatible with existing yarn processing and textile formation methods. As is expected, fibre consistency is not yet at full production levels. However, for the current stage of maturity, these silk materials already have good levels of quality and consistency. We have been making jersey knit samples and will start weaving shortly... Overall the trials are well underway and we are making good progress toward commercialisation.”

Kraig Biocraft founder and CEO Kim Thompson said: “One of the biggest issues facing our company was creating our first textile and the open question of whether genetically engineered spider silk could be successfully processed using existing textile formation methods.

“With this successful test, and the creation of the first Monster Silk knits, we have established that our genetically engineered spider silk works well with existing manufacturing methods. The creation of these knits is a huge milestone in our progress toward making genetically engineered spider silk available for industrial and consumer applications.

The fact that these advanced materials process well on existing machinery will help speed up the development of advanced spider silk textiles.”

Spider silk fibres found in nature are known to have several outstanding properties in terms of being

lightweight, flexible and strong but up until now there has been no real viable way

to produce spider silk in commercial quantities. Kraig Biocraft acquired the right to use the patented genetic sequences for numerous fundamental spider silk proteins and works with leading universities which have developed some of the most relevant genetic engineering technologies.

The company has been steadily increasing the scale of production for its Monster Silk fibres. In late 2013, the pilot production’s viable silk cocoon rate was at approximately 30% but this increased to around 70% by March this year.

The latest report is that with the increased scale of operations in May, the high yields appear to be holding, and possibly improving even further.

“We always believed that our scientific model would translate very well into real world environments, but to actually see our silkworms perform at this level is inspiring,” said Thompson. “The technology is now outperforming the infrastructural capacities, which bodes well for future product, and production, expansion.

“The fact that the reported yield rates are holding, or improving, has given us the confidence to authorise a doubling of the scale of production. We anticipate this next larger production run will launch in June. We are excited and encouraged to see that our systems are holding up well as we increase the scale of Monster Silk production, and we are working with third parties to strengthen the infrastructure to support the increased production.”

Read about more new developments in fibres and textiles for protective applications in our special feature, which starts on page 4...

Tara Hounslea Editor thounslea@wtin.com www.wtin.com

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Ticking all the boxes Vector protection in textiles - necessity or trend? Urs Zihlmann and Jürgen Royek explore this growing area of textile finishing Vector protection in textiles was previously known primarily in practical application areas, such as military uniforms or mosquito netting.

Increasingly, this function is also found in work and leisure clothing. Vectors (from the Latin for carriers, as in carriers of disease-causing pathogenic agents), such as mosquitos and ticks, are among the greatest health risks worldwide. In many regions of the world, they are not just a real nuisance but greatly responsible for the increasing transmission and spread of life-threatening diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever or lyme disease. Textiles with a protective finish against vectors can make a major contribution to preventing these carriers from stinging or biting humans – thus inhibiting the transmission of

pathogenic agents.

There is a growing need for textiles with a vector protection finish for work clothing and uniforms. Employers are interested in safeguarding their employees with finished textiles while they are staying in risky locations. A textile material with vector protection must be seen as an aid to protection, however, and cannot be regarded as a sole defensive measure. With the greater popularity of outdoor leisure activities and increasing mobility, there is also a trend towards outdoor clothing with vector finishing.

Materials Permethrin formulations are used for lasting and wash-resistant vector protection. Permethrin with a cis-trans isomeric ratio of 25/75 is the only bioactive agent, which is approved for the European market. In North America, however, only permethrin with a cis-trans isomeric ratio of 40/60 is permitted. As a product, permethrin is an insecticide from the pyrethroid group. A synthetic insecticide, which is inspired by the primary active agent in the natural insecticide pyrethrum.

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Vectors Vectors Vectors Vectors Mosquito Mosquito Mosquito Mosquito

Transmitted diseases Transmitted diseases diseases Transmitted Transmitted diseases Malaria, dengue and yellow fever Malaria, dengue and yellow fever Malaria, dengue and yellow Malaria, dengue and yellowfever fever

Female Female sand sand fly fly Female sandsand fly fly Female Female sand fly

Leishmaniasis Leishmaniasis (black (black fever) fever) Leishmaniasis (black fever) Leishmaniasis (black fever) Leishmaniasis (black fever)

Tsetse fly Tsetse fly Tsetse Tsetse fly fly fly

Sleeping sickness, narcolepsy Sleeping sickness, narcolepsy Sleeping sickness, narcolepsy Sleeping sickness, narcolepsy Sleeping sickness, narcolepsy

Ticks Ticks Ticks Ticks

Lyme Lymedisease, disease,tick-borne tick-borneencephalitis encephalitis Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis Lyme disease, disease, tick-borne tick-borneencephalitis encephalitis Lyme (TBE) (TBE) (TBE) (TBE) (TBE)

Transmitting disease

Among the transmitters are the six-legged insects, such as houseflies, mosquitos, beetles, lice, bedbugs, or fleas as well as ticks and mites. Most serious fever illnesses in human beings are caused by microorganisms, which are transmitted by insects. Vectors can transmit diseases through contact, on the one hand, and through bites or stings, on the other.

Contact: Vectors can carry microorganisms on their legs and these can cause illnesses when a sufficient number of them come into contact with a human (typhoid

fever, dysentery or also trachoma – the most common cause of blindness around the world).

Sting or bite: Pathogenic agents, such as bacteria, viruses or parasites, are ingested into the body of a host by stings or bites and then likewise transmitted to the body of a new host.

Of all the disease-transmitting insects, mosquitos are considered as especially dangerous. Within the mosquito species is found the genus anopheles, the transmitter of the infectious disease, which most often results in death, malaria.

How they work Repellent effect

The insects are repelled by the finish and do not even approach the textile.

Hot-feet effect

If the insects land on the textile, the effective substance brings about an immediate and tangible effect on the insects through the contact surface.

Knock-down effect

Through longer exposure. The active substance causes paralysis in the insects and thus leads to their death.

Absorption of the active substance leads directly to the death of the larvae.

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Methods to prove the effect Cage test: Cage tests are a quick

method to test the mosquito deterrent effectiveness of finished textiles and also are very well suited for product development. The test persons cover a defined portion of their lower arms with the textile material to be tested and present them to the hungry mosquitos in a cage. The female mosquitos are predestined test candidates, since they require blood protein for the development of their larva.

Stimulated by the warmth of the arm and the body odor, the mosquitos attempt to get a blood meal. During this two-minute test, “mosquito landings” and their bites are counted.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guideline provides the basis for this test.

Protected

Unprotected

WHO test WHO cone test: WHO cone tests were originally developed for the toxicity testing of insecticide-treated bed nets against malaria mosquitos. However, these tests are also useful for assessing other textile surfaces, which have been impregnated with insecticides.

WHO tube test: The WHO tube test original was used to test the sensitivity of wild mosquito populations to active insecticide agents in order to be able to introduce countermeasures in the control strategy when resistance developed. The WHO also proposed the tubes as a test alternative to the WHO cone as a way of testing the insecticide effect on treated surfaces.

TL 8305-0331: These insecticidefinished textiles are used by the military, among others. The German

Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB), in its technical procurement terms 8305-0331 (Vector Protection Finishing for Textile Fabrics in the version dated 21 September 2009), required evidence of effectiveness against yellow fever mosquitos, ticks and silverfish in textiles washed 100 times. The finished textile is affixed to the inside wall of a standard WHO tube; then 10 test mosquitos are introduced to the inside of the tube and continually exposed to the test surface. The mosquitos are constantly observed during the test and the time of the first, fifth, and tenth knock-down is documented. For yellow fever mosquitos, a positive knock-down is considered to be limited flying capacity, swaying or staggering, and falling sideways. experience in the field of vector protection for textiles. The current recommended recipe was created in collaboration with Archroma Management GmbH. One of the greatest challenges was the retention of the wash-resistance of the effect. This required a special binder system, which maintains availability of the active agent even after many wash cycles. With Sanitized AM 23-24 and the Appretan binder, effectiveness is guaranteed after over 100 wash cycles, since sufficient active agent is still present on the textile.

The product was specially developed for military fabrics in order to meet their demanding requirements.

Result against yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) after TL 8305-0331. Source: Biogents

Interpretation:

All samples in this example fulfill the requirements in the technical guideline TL 8305-0331 and achieve a 100% knock-down of the Aedis aegypti in the prescribed time of 71.5 minutes ± 12 minutes. The fastest effect was observed in sample IV-12. The knock-down of the first test mosquito was established after

Issue 4 2014 p 4-6 Vector.indd 5

an average of 16 minutes and 37 seconds; five test mosquitos after an average of 23 minutes and 37 seconds; and all mosquitos after an average of 38 minutes and 42 seconds. Of all of the test tubes, sample II-06 required the longest time.

Collaborative approach Sanitized AG has many years of

Some of the important advantages of Sanitized AM 23-24 are: • High wash resistance > 100x 60° C • Temperature stability up to 170° C for up to 45 seconds • No condensation necessary • Ready-to-use product • Good compatibility with other textile effects, such as fluorocarbons • Dermatologically tested (DIN EN ISO 10993-5)

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• OEKO-TEX Standard 100, classes I-IV • Applicable on all normal substrates and their mixes except for pure polypropylene

demonstrates a very good mosquito repellant effect and can augment other protective measures, such as mosquito spray or bed netting, in a meaningful way:

Sanitized AM 23-24 complies with the specifications of guideline 98/8/EG (BPD) and REACH. The product is manufactured with scientifically tested substances, which have been labeled safe for the application purpose.

Sample recipe for outdoor apparel:

Application methods

• Suitable for full bath dipping • Suitable for the coating application with squeegee or rotating screen template.

This vector protection finish is especially well suited for application areas including work clothing, uniforms as well as outdoor apparel, such as hunting wear.

The need for vector protection is becoming a trend

A vector protection finish in textiles should always be understood as a complementary protective measure. For instance, a textile finished with Sanitized AM 23-24

Clothing fishermen, hunters, rider and golfers in combination with an “easy care” finish: Product/recipe

g/l

Flouwet UD liq

3

Arkofix liq

60

Katalysator NKC liq

30

Velustrol P 40 liq

30

Solusoft MW liq

20

Appretan N 92111 liq

60

Sanitized® AM 23-24

34

Advantages:

• For people with a western life style, an important additional comfort • Does not cause irritation and also suited for those with allergies • The active agent is fixed in the textile and is not directly on the skin • Reapplication on the textile is not necessary • As a complement to mosquito spray for greater security in critical areas Besides the ongoing need of the general population and members of the military for vector protection in risk areas, this finish on textiles makes sense for today’s growing numbers of mobile people and their outdoor activities. This trend will therefore continue to grow in the future.

Urs Zihlmann is a product manager for textiles at Sanitized AG and Jürgen Royek is head of new business development EMEA at Archroma Management GmbH. www.sanitized.com www.archroma.com

Trocknen/Kondensieren 140 ° c (45" eff.)

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Communicating material advances and bringing innovators together is what Future Materials is all about. Covering all the end-use sectors for technical textiles, it offers the latest material news, R&D and product launches in an easy-to-digest format, and provides a media bridge between materials experts, product developers, technologists and designers. Future Materials is the publisher of Techtextil News and Texprocess News.

Subscribe today to make sure you receive your regular update from the technical textiles industry.

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Call now on +44 (0)113 203 1267 Or email Luke Hanratty at lhanratty@wtin.com Future Materials is available in printed and digital format and is published 6 times a year.

I always find the magazine interesting because it really shows ‘future materials’ and not ‘futuristic materials’ Alex Lievens, product manager of workwear and medical, Concordia Textiles

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Messages from the stars

Smart fabric technologies for vital signs monitoring will soon be employed on the front line – and also sending back vital data from space. Adrian Wilson reports Protection against extreme conditions and sudden situations is paramount to those in dangerous jobs like soldiers, first responders and chemical workers here on Earth, and likewise for astronauts making extended journeys into space.

Those visiting the International Space Station typically spend six months outside the Earth’s atmosphere – which can take a mighty toll on the human body.

For one thing, astronauts can grow up to 3% taller, since without gravity, the spine is free to expand.

Then there’s the problem of muscle mass meltdown – in the weightlessness of space, muscles aren’t needed to support the body and they start to adapt to the change almost immediately, ridding themselves of unnecessary tissue.

As a consequence, the astronauts need to exercise for around two hours a day just to maintain the healthy amount of muscle mass they’ll need once back home.

They can also lose up to 1% of their bone density if they don’t get enough exercise.

Space exercise The European Space Agency (ESA) continues to invest in smart textile technologies and has worked with Denmark’s Ohmatex to develop a smart sock that can monitor the efficacy of astronaut training exercises in space.

It has built-in sensors that record the electrical activity of muscle (EMG) and use light to detect oxygen content in and around the muscle (NIRS).

Meanwhile, the fluids in the human body are distributed unevenly due to the effect of gravity on Earth and most bodily fluids will pool into the lower extremities, leaving little in the top of the body.

Life in orbit changes all of that.

For the first few weeks of spaceflight, most astronauts appear to have a puffy head and skinny legs. This is because the fluids in their bodies redistribute evenly when gravity isn’t playing a role in their biological systems. After a little time in orbit, however, the body adapts to this new distribution of fluids and the astronauts don’t appear as puffy.

CSA Astronaut David Saint-Jacques has been wearing an Astroskin prototype during his regular exercise routine and comparing and sharing his experience with the XPAntarctik crew in Antarctica

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How the body changes in orbit: • Astronauts can grow up to 3% taller.

• In the weightlessness of space, muscles immediately start ridding themselves of unnecessary tissue.

• Up to 1% of bone density can be lost without exercise.

• Without gravity, the fluids in the human body redistribute evenly and for the first few weeks of spaceflight, most astronauts appear to have a puffy head and skinny legs.

• Astronauts suffer from cosmic rays of high-energy particles that beam across the solar system and make sleep difficult.

• Many astronauts experience difficulty adjusting back to gravity.

Added to all this, some astronauts have reported seeing flashes of light zap through their eyes as they try to rest, making it difficult for them to sleep on the space station.

The flashes are actually from cosmic rays – high-energy particles that beam across the solar system – shooting through the orbiting outpost.

Thankfully, although the radiation from these cosmic rays can build up over time, the particles don’t pose too much of a risk during the limited time that astronauts spend on the station.

After coming home from a stint on the space station, many astronauts have also reported difficulty adjusting back to gravity. Sometimes they’ll drop things – forgetting that gravity is once again influential. After six months in

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microgravity conditions, it’s difficult to adjust to life in a place where materials fall if you drop them.

Monitoring All of these effects on the body need to be closely studied, and as smart fabrics for sports activity and health monitoring become increasingly sophisticated, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is planning to equip its astronauts with such equipment for a planned six-month trip.

Astroskin is an autonomous medical monitoring system developed by the Montreal-based company Carré Technologies, consisting of an intelligent garment fitted with sensors, along with associated software and technology that can measure vital signs such as heart rate, breathing rate and acceleration, sleep quality and the activity level of the wearer.

It offers an easy and more natural way of regularly capturing precise data which can be monitored on an iPhone or iPad, or via a web interface.

Antartica “The great thing about this technology is that since it’s wireless, it can be monitored at a distance,” says CSA chief medical officer Raffi Kuyumijian.

Carré Technologies has already used the knowledge gained from developing Astroskin with the CSA to refine its Hexoskin garment, which is now commercially available for sports performance, sleep analysis and health tracking.

Before any new technology is sent to space, it undergoes a rigorous testing process to ensure its reliability and performance and to test the Astroskin shirts, members of the XPAntarctik expedition were equipped with them earlier in 2014.

The XPAntarctik crew members spent 45 days in a previously unexplored region of Antarctica, beaming their medical information back via the shirts during skiing, walking and climbing jagged peaks and glaciers.

Carré Technologies has already used the knowledge gained from developing Astroskin to refine its Hexoskin garment, which is now commercially available for sports performance

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The University of Quebec at Montreal has monitored the suit both from the Antarctic and in its labs, and shared the data with both the CSA and Carré in order to refine the technology beyond its initial prototype.

Such wearable biomedical diagnostics technology could also eventually The XPAntarctik beamed their medical information back to Canada for analysis become a useful via Astroskin shirts tool for patients on Earth – especially for those living • Employing the advanced use of in remote communities with medical

impact resistant composite structures conditions requiring regular monitoring.

on the suit’s upper and lower torso The smart shirt collects data seamlessly

system. and automatically, and is equipped • Integrating the ‘suit-port’ concept with an alert feature that can process

with a hard upper torso suit structure. historical data to predict future trends, • Featuring the most conformal and sending warnings immediately to a

re-sizeable hard upper torso suit built patient’s doctor whenever medical

to date. parameters require attention.

Z-2 NASA has meanwhile just released details of its next generation Z-2 spacesuit which is intended to be the one in which the first astronaut will one day – after a substantially more arduous and punishing journey – step onto the surface of Mars.

The Z-2 is said to mark several milestones in respect of: • Being the first surface-specific

planetary mobility suit to be tested in

full vacuum.

• Involving the first use of 3D human

laser scans and 3D-printed hardware

for suit development and sizing.

Advances

There are many key advances to be found in the Z-2 suit when compared to the previous Z-1. The most significant is that the Z-1 had a soft upper torso. The Z-2’s hard composite cover will provide the much-needed long-term durability that a planetary extra-vehicular activity (EVA) suit will require.

The cover layer on flight suits used for spacewalks has to perform many important functions, not least protecting the spacewalker from micrometeorite strikes, the extreme temperatures in space and the harmful effects of radiation.

The shoulder and hip joints of the

The winning Z-2 spacesuit shell design

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Z-2 also differ significantly, based on extensive evaluations performed during the last two years to look at different ways of optimising the mobility of these complex joints.

In addition to typical fit checks and mobility evaluations, NASA is currently planning a very comprehensive test campaign for the Z-2 suit.

Engineers will conduct multiple vacuum chamber tests, including one series at full vacuum, mimicking the lack of atmosphere found in space. The suit will also be tested at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab – a huge indoor pool used to train astronauts to spacewalk.

Further testing at a site at Johnson that imitates the rocky Martian surface will help evaluate the suit’s mobility, comfort and performance.

Three themes Special engineering development and manufacturing company ILC Dover, headquartered in Frederica, Delaware, teamed up with Philadelphia University to study numerous options that combine aesthetics with system requirements for the development of the cover layer of the suit, following which three basic aesthetic themes were selected for it – Biomimicry, Technology and Trends in Society.

The Biomimicry design draws from an environment with many parallels to the harshness of space – the world’s oceans.

Mirroring the bioluminescent qualities of aquatic creatures found at incredible depths and the scaly skin of fish and reptiles, this design specifically includes segmented pleats at the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee, and electroluminescent wire across the upper torso, which becomes apparent in reduced light.

The Technology design pays homage to the spacesuit achievements of the past while incorporating subtle futuristic elements. The use of Luminex wire and light-emitting patches puts a new spin on spacewalking standards such as ways to identify crew members. The design specifically includes electroluminescent wire and patches across the upper and lower torso, exposed rotating bearings, collapsing pleats for mobility and highlighted movement, and abrasion resistant panels on the lower torso.

Trends in Society is intended to reflect what every day clothes may look like in the not too distant future. This suit uses electroluminescent wire and a bright colour scheme to mimic the appearance of sportswear and the emerging world

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of wearable technologies. The design specifically includes Gore-tex pleats with contrast stitching throughout, to highlight mobility, an exposed bearing at the hip, and electroluminescent wire and patches of varying styles across both the upper and lower torso.

NASA created a website to encourage a crowd-sourced vote on the cover design that ILC will fabricate for the Z-2 earlier in 2014 and the clear winner – with 63% of the over 150,000 votes – was the Technology option, which will now be incorporated into the final version of the suit to be ready for testing by this November.

PPE Personal protective equipment (PPE) and military applications currently account for 27% of the overall smart textiles market, which was worth $289.5 million in 2012 and is expected to exceed $1,500 million by 2020, according to a study published in January 2014 by Grand View Research. It is expected to remain the largest segment in the next six years.

Research and develo pment is beginning to result in the commercialisation of smart textile solutions for firefighters and the military, although across the board there has been a glaring gap between prototype development and commercialisation.

Intelligent Textiles (ITL), for example, the company, formed by Asha Peta Thompson and Stan Swallow and based in Laleham, Surrey, UK, featured in one of the very first issues of Future Materials

back in 2002, when its fabric switches generated considerable attention.

“The development was purely by accident, due to my knowing about weaving and Stan knowing about electronics,” said Peta Thompson. “We realised that keeping one yarn separate from another until pressure is applied makes a tiny switch.”

The company went on to develop a range of products from heated bedding to iPod-connected clothing, but found itself in the position familiar to many innovators – it had a product without a market.

Major contract Now, however, ITL has just signed a major contract worth several million pounds with the US Department of Defence, as part of a joint project with BAE Systems (the British multinational defence company) and Synetic Designs of Canada.

This follows a contract to supply its materials to the British Ministry of Defence secured during 2013, following four years of MOD-funded further development.

ITL has now developed an e-jacket that can reduce the weight carried by infantry soldiers by streamlining the huge number of batteries they carry.

Its effectiveness is due to the way the electronics are woven into the fabric in order to create, in effect, a flexible circuit board that connects together all of the soldier’s equipment. This enables the use of a single power source instead of the multiple batteries that currently weigh soldiers down.

“By weaving the electronics into the

ITL has now developed an e-jacket that can reduce the weight carried by infantry soldiers by streamlining the huge number of batteries they carry

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fabric, we’ve created something like a ring-main in a house for a soldier,” said Peta Thompson. “It also takes away the need for heavy cabling.”

The soldier system containing the ITL technology is due to go into trials with the US Department of Defence at the beginning of 2015 and if all goes well, both UK and US soldiers could be wearing their intelligent uniforms later that year.

“They’re taking a tiny little company in the UK seriously because we’ve ticked off the technology risk and because of the work we’ve done here,” said Peta Thompson. “The technology is building its own momentum. We’ve got an infrastructure for all the equipment but the armies haven’t yet decided what they’ll be carrying. I honestly believe that the British ground soldier system is ahead of its time. We’re ahead of other nations at the moment.”

WASP In a parallel development, select US training academies for firefighters have been trialling the WASP wearable system, which is now commercially available from Globe Firefighters, based in Pittsfield, New Hampshire – again after a considerable research and development period.

According to the US Fire Administration, stress and over-exertion account for 50% or more of firefighter line of duty deaths. Factors that affect

physiological responses include the exertion of the work performed, elevated thermal environments, wearing heavily insulated protective clothing and carrying heavy equipment, as well as individual health status, fitness, medication and hydration levels.

WASP provides a tool for incident commanders to track the location of team members to improve situational awareness and potentially shorten the time needed for a rescue team to locate a downed firefighter.

The system provides instructors at training academies or incident commanders on scene with mission essential situational, real-time awareness of both physiological status and location/tracking of personnel to aid in decision making.

Embedded sensors The system consists of a four-way stretch knit fabric t-shirt that wicks moisture away from the body and dries quickly, while also exceeding ASTM D 6413 for flame resistance. The physiological measurement sensors are mounted on an adjustable strap embedded within it. The TRX location tracking unit, which is about the size of a pack of cards,

is worn on a belt at the waist and provides indoor location data in 3D in GPS-denied environments.

The Zephyr BioHarness 3 electronic module is small, detachable and attaches securely to the outside of the shirt. The system tracks heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, activity levels, posture, and other physiological factors.

With this simple, lightweight system the command station receives data from live sessions or logged data from memory and provides tools to rapidly analyse user physiological response over time, in addition to showing user location and tracks.

Both physiology and location data for each user wearing the WASP system are displayed on the same command station screen with an easy to understand graphical user interface. www.ohmatex.dk www.carretechnologies.com www.nasa.gov www.ilcdover.com www.globefiresuits.com www.bioharness.com

Globe’s WASP wearable system is now commercially available

Issue 4 2014 p 8-11 protech.indd 11

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Tekstina launches lightweight FR laminate for PPE

Slovenia-based Tekstina has developed a new fabric for personal protective garments utilising Lenzing’s inherently flame resistant cellulosic fibre Lenzing FR and laminated with a breathable PU membrane.

The URIM Laminate is designed to be extremely light, soft and comfortable to provide heat-, flame- and durable weatherprotection for wearers in the gas, electricity, petrochemical, construction and rail industries.

In tests, the arc flash properties of the URIM Laminate in combination with Lenzing FR woven lining fabric have been found to meet EN 61482-1-2 Class 2 and welding class 2 at 340gsm. The fabric was also tested according EN ISO 61482 1-1 Open Arc Flash test with an arc rating of ATPV 24.1 cal/cm².

The fabric can be dyed to most colours, with good light and UV fastness. Tekstina also says that thanks to its smooth and shiny filament aspect, it has the look and feel of more casual sports garments, making it easy and comfortable to wear. www.tekstina.si

Milliken acquires Westex

Milliken & Company has acquired Westex, in a move that strengthens the company’s offer of flame-resistant (FR) fabrics for protective clothing.

The two companies provide a portfolio of fabrics for industrial workers who need protection from arc flash, flash fire and other thermal hazards.

Westex was established in 1919 and has over 50 years of experience manufacturing flame resistant fabrics.

The company’s brands include UltraSoft, UltraSoft AC, Indura, TrueComfort, Moda-Quilt and Vinex, serving end users in the utilities, electrical maintenance, oil and gas, and metals industries.

“We look forward to welcoming the Westex team to Milliken & Company," said Jeff Price, president of the speciality fabrics division at Milliken & Company. "As we look to the future, we are committed to changing the experience for industrial workers with FR innovations that further improve comfort and productivity."

"All of us at Westex look forward to joining a strong, values-based company with a long heritage of innovation," said Mike Enright, vice president of sales and marketing at Westex.

"Westex has a proven track record of developing FR technology, products, and strong end-user relationships that help customers develop successful programs. By combining our collective R&D talent, deep customer knowledge, and market access, we will strengthen our capabilities and offer workers the highest levels of FR protection and comfort." www.milliken.com

Westex produces a wide range of flame resistant fabrics

12 p 8-11 protech.indd 12

www.westex.com

TenCate wins major protective fabrics order TenCate Protective Fabrics has received an order for fabric to make 23,000 items of protective clothing for European employees of the French chemicals group, Arkema. Delivery of the Tecasafe Plus XL-9300 fabric for the first 10,000 sets has already begun.

TenCate says Arkema chose the fabric after studying different types from a number of manufacturers. It claims Tecasafe Plus XL-9300 gave the best results in terms of protection and wearer comfort. Wearing trials were carried out in twelve Arkema European operations and clothing manufacturers were then asked to include only this fabric in their tender. Mulliez-Flory emerged from this selection as the best.

The order involves approximately a total of 60,000 metres of TenCate Tecasafe Plus in 2014 and 2015. Of this, 35,000 meters have already been delivered to Mulliez-Flory. This French clothing manufacturer will supply a large number of the operations of Arkema (formerly a part of Total) at the beginning of September 2014 with 10,000 items of work clothing. Fabrics for a second series of garments are expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year.

TenCate Tecasafe Plus satisfies a number of standards, including both European NEN-EN-ISO 11612, 1149-3 and 13034 type 6 and the North American NFPA 2112 standards for industrial use. www.tencate.com

Techtera and Axelera launch textile coating research Two research clusters in the Rhone-Alps region of France – Techtera (technical textiles) and Axelera (chemistry and environment) – have launched the Solarclym project, aiming to develop translucent sun-protective coatings for textiles and other surfaces.

They envisage coatings that will be translucent or transparent when used on textiles and other surfaces, whilst protecting them from the sun’s deleterious effects, including overheating, ageing and damage. One version might provide insulation by transmitting visible light while reflecting

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Protech

Officers from the Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service wearing the customised Panther long sleeve crew neck top by Armadillo Merino

UV and infrared wavelengths.

The project, involving a total of seven partners, is set to last for 3.5 years and is valued at €2.4m. It covers products from the textile industry and the varnish market. www.techtera.co.uk

Fire service selects Armadillo Merino Armadillo Merino has been chosen to supply a head to toe clothing system for the Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) in the UK. Manufacturer of base layers and garments for professional risktakers, Armadillo Merino is supplying a wide clothing range constructed from a special selection of 100% ZQ certified New Zealand Merino wool.

“Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority were looking for base layer garments which had fewer limitations and challenges than cotton or synthetic materials,” explained Mark Jones, CFO of Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority. “We wanted a T-shirt style top that could be worn at all times when on duty, without the need to issue alternatives.”

Issue 4 2014 p 8-11 protech.indd 13

The work of the Buckinghamshire technical rescue staff requires base layer clothing that can be adapted to meet the physiological demands of challenging environments and differing weather conditions. The team is part of the national Urban Search & Rescue capability, meaning they can be deployed to incidents anywhere in the UK for extended periods of time.

Before deciding on which options to source, Buckinghamshire FRS undertook extensive user trials looking into aspects of protection, performance and comfort from moisture management and thermo-regulation to next-to-skin comfort and the creation of odour.

The trials found the Armadillo Merino garments offered a higher level of flame resistance than existing next-to-skin clothing. The outcome of these trials was crucial in the purchase decision, stated Jones. “After a series of extensive and punishing wearer trials, the Armadillo Merino garments outperformed the cotton and synthetic alternatives, providing a good solution on the grounds of effectiveness and wearer comfort.”

Officers in the Bucks FRS will wear the Kojak beanie hat (black), Giraffe long neck gaiter (black), Panther long sleeve, crew neck tops (blue) branded with the

Bucks FRS crest and Johnnies long john bottoms (black). Approximately 225 of the crew neck tops have been ordered so far. The team will also be supplied with lightweight high density, mid-calve boot socks. The socks are constructed in a technical blend for increased durability, but with 100% wool next-toskin.

“Whilst there are less expensive garments available and money is always tight in this service, we felt that we needed a greater focus on improving baser layer clothing in addition to outerwear PPE,” Jones explained.

“This represents a significant investment to improve the health, safety and welfare of our specialist staff that fits well with our ethos of seeking high quality to achieve the best value over time.

“Andy Caughey from Armadillo Merino has worked closely with us to ensure that everything, from the options selected to the colours and badging, met our requirements and, in seeking to support British industry, we are pleased to be working with a UK-based company that is growing a worldwide market,” he added. www.armadillomerino.com

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Looking beyond apparel Manufacturers in Indonesia are setting their sights on new high-value applications for textiles. Jack Hewson reports Investment in the Indonesian textiles industry is set to remain stable this year, but with expansion in technical textiles, according to Ade Sudrajat Usman, chairman of the Indonesian Textiles Association (API). Technical textiles including medical textiles, geotextiles and agri-textiles - are a growing market and industry within Indonesia, with $150 million worth of investment anticipated for 2014, according to Ade. “Textiles aren’t just for clothing. There are many other uses, in cars, or in agriculture and so on,” he stressed. “There has been an especially big interest in water filtration in Indonesia. It’s a basic need for humans to have clear and drinkable water so there is large demand, firstly for the domestic market, but also for export as well.”

“

It’s a basic need for humans to have clear and drinkable water so there is large demand for water filtration materials, firstly for the domestic market, but also for export as well

“

Ade said Indonesian manufacturers were receiving growing numbers of orders for a wide variety of technical textile products, including fabrics for automotive upholstery, soundproofing for studios, protective nets for crops and others.

The API chairman was upbeat about the textile sector’s performance. In 2013, Indonesia’s textile exports increased by 1.76% year-on-year to $12.68 billion and may hit $13.3 billion this year.

However, speaking in an election year, he said Indonesia’s next government must implement measures to remain competitive with its regional neighbours, particularly Vietnam.

A key issue, said Ade, was that

14 P 14 Indonesia.indd 14

Investment in Indonesia is expanding in technical textiles

Indonesia’s new president, set to be elected on July 9, will need to break down trade barriers if the country is to remain competitive.

Indonesia has a protectionist history of economic policy and Ade said it was vital that south-east Asia’s biggest economy open up trade with its biggest export markets: the United States and the European Union (EU).

Ade said the API was ‘eager’ for Indonesia to enter into negotiations to join the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) – the proposed free trade agreement being brokered by 12 Asia-Pacific nations, including the United States, to which Indonesia exports 36% of its textiles and garments.

Ade said export tariffs to the US of between 12% and 28% are limiting Indonesia’s export potential and he is concerned large orders will be lost to Malaysia and Vietnam who are already in talks to join the TPP, which will eliminate or reduce tariffs between member nations.

“Nearly $4.5 billion worth of exports went from Indonesia to the States last year, so the States is still very important,” he said. “We are hoping that the newly elected government will enter into negotiations soon.”

Ade also said that government

negotiations for a free trade agreement between Indonesia and the EU - to which Indonesia exports 16% of its textiles and garments - were expected to begin in July. If these are successful, it is hoped that an EU-Indonesia trade deal will increase Indonesia’s textile exports to the EU threefold within a five-year period.

The presidential race is being contested by the current Governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, and former general Prabowo Subianto. Ade although siding with Joko, who is seen as a moderniser - said he is confident that both candidates will be good for business and understand that ‘the climate of investment needs to improve.’

Indonesia: In numbers • Population: 242.8 million (UN, 2012) • Capital: Jakarta • Area: 1.9 million sq km (742,308 sq miles) • Major languages: Indonesian, 300 regional languages • Main exports: Oil and gas, plywood, textiles, rubber, FM palm oil 24/06/2014 11:36

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Back in the spotlight Techtextil North America seemed to confirm what many have been seeing as a revival of the US market. Tara Hounslea reports from Atlanta Techtextil North America, JEC Americas and Texprocess Americas attracted just over 9,000 visitors to the three-in-one event that was hailed as the largest technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery, composites, sewn products and equipment trade show in the United States.

The event organisers praised the record attendance (a 45.8% increase on 2012) as signalling a recovery in the US textile and apparel market but it is worth noting that this is the first time all three events have been located together. However, many exhibitors and visitors on the showfloor confirmed that they were returning to the event after a break of several years, lending a sense of renewed enthusiasm and optimism to the proceedings.

“It was extremely encouraging to see such a high level of energy and buzz on the show floor,” said Dennis Smith, president of Messe Frankfurt North America, “As the US sewn products industry improves and the technical

The event attracted a record attendance

SDL Atlas SDL Atlas was promoting the newly-launched ThermaRate Thermal Barrier Test Apparatus, designed to measure the level of protection against burns for fabrics used for clothing worn by first responders, military personnel and industrial workers.

It works by replicating the effects of fabrics being close to a fire and not necessarily being immersed in a fire as simulated by the Thermal Protective Test (TPP) described in National Fire Protection Association NFPA: 1971 Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.

The system includes a closed-loop controlled IR radiant heat source, an automated shutter, a fabric sample holder, heat flux gage and skin simulant sensor, and a PC-based data acquisition system with burn injury algorithms.

Users can select the radiant heat flux level at the fabric

16 p 16 -21TTNA .indd 16

sample, the irradiation time, and choose the air gap between the fabric sample and sensors. They can also select whether a skin simulant sensor or heat flux gauge output is used in the burn injury algorithm.

The system includes automated data analysis algorithms for burn injury calculations, and can be used for both R&D and quality assurance applications.

SDL Atlas was also offering demonstrations of the Fabric Touch Tester (FTT), which objectively and quantitively measures fabric hand and skin touch comfort.

“Techtextil North America has been an amazing show for us this year, with many new leads,” said John Crocker, SDL Atlas business development manager. “People keep talking about the US textile business being dead, but our results are far from that. It was the best US-based textile show I have been to in probably 10-15 years.”

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TTNA review

textiles industry continues to prosper, we are proud to contribute with this business platform.”

The accompanying symposium programme featured 21 mainly well-attended sessions and more than 70 presentations on a wide range of topics including nanotechnology, protective and military research, medical and high performance textiles, fit, sizing and virtual try-on, welding, automation and smart machines.

“The synergy between JEC Americas, Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas, three powerful brands, results in a unique platform where raw materials and manufacturing will be enhanced by emblematic leaders and niche start-ups,” said Frédérique Mutel, president and CEO of the JEC Group.

“Technical textiles have a wide range of application sectors with similar final application markets to composites.

These industries have common interest to grow together.”

She explained that the global composites industry is worth some $70 billion and accounts for 8.2 million tons in value terms. North America accounts for around a third of this figure (32% in value,

Bayer MaterialScience Bayer MaterialScience was exhibiting for the first time at the show to highlight its development of products for textile applications in the area of waterborne polyurethane dispersions, or coating materials that do not utilise solvents.

“Our process can use up to 50% less energy and up to 95% less water than comparable solvent processes, while the performance is the same or better,” explained Nicholas Smith, global head of the textile coatings business. “It also offers new design possibilities like extreme softness, unlimited stretch and various mechanical properties.”

He suggests there is a huge shift coming in the fashion, sport and apparel industries to this type of technology, and says that we are currently at the start of this change.

The company has a pilot coating line in Germany and inaugurated another in China in April. It has also created a global team of textile industry experts to specifically serve this sector.

Three events under one roof

Bluestar Silicones Bluestar Silicones was showcasing its silicone solutions for textile and nonwoven applications, including a new flame and fire resistant elastomer.

Bluesil TCS 7521 is a flame and fire resistant silicone elastomer for coating fibreglass and other fire resistant fabrics that can be used as fire blankets and welding curtains. The company says it is easy to coat and cures at high speeds, improving productivity for coaters.

Bluestar offers a full range of silicone solutions for the textile industry, including urface treatments, textile coatings and thick bonding coatings for applications ranging from automotive airbags, to fire and thermal protection, to non-slip coatings.

“Bluestar Silicones takes a collaborative, problemsolving approach to developing solutions, making us an ideal partner for textile coaters looking to create new and innovative products," says Ron Hanks, marketing director for Bluestar Silicones North America.

“We are committed to our customers' success and continue to enhance our North America footprint to grow with the markets we serve. We are investing in our new facility with equipment and improved quality systems, new product development, market expansions and adding new talent to our teams.”

In June 2012, Bluestar Silicones opened a new 226,000 square foot manufacturing facility located in York, South Carolina, to house all the company’s manufacturing and R&D in North America.

Issue 4 2014 p 16 -21TTNA .indd 17

technically engineered fabrics

gelvenor Textiles produces protective textiles that provide specific protection against industrial chemicals, hazardous work environments, ballistic, fragmentation, hot metal splash, medical risk, fire as well as many other areas where a worker has to be protected from a hostile situation. gelvenor is always striving to achieve higher levels of protection and performance and so innovation and development is a core priority of our business.

The protective range is divided into 5 categories: • • • • •

Tel: +27(0)31 736 8000 Fax: +27(0)86 669 6927 Email: customerinfo@gelvenor.co.za

Fire retardant Medical Technical workwear Ballistic Military

www.gElvEnor.com

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TTNA review

28% in volume), followed by China (26% in value, 32% in volume), Europe (20% in value, 17% in volume) and Asia, excluding China (17% in value, 18% in volume).

The main application areas for these composites in North America are the transportation markets (automotive, trucks and buses), and building and construction.

The global composites industry is forecast to grow by 6% per year in future, and North America is expected to represent 23% of the global growth, according to statistics from the JEC Group.

The 12th edition of Techtextil North America will be co-located with JEC Americas, from June 2-4, 2015 at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

In 2016, Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas will be co-located with JEC Americas from May 3-5, at the Georgia World Congress Center once more, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lacom Laminating and coating machinery specialist Lacom was exhibiting at Techtextil North America for the first time in four years, showcasing its range which includes duplex laminating and coating machines for simultaneous laminating of three webs. The company’s portfolio spans gravure roller, multi-roller, hotmelt, slot die, scatter coat and dispersion coating processes to meet the needs of various industries and applications, from automotive lining to packing tape.

“Coating and laminating with hotmelt adhesives is still a niche market in the US,” said Achim Schaile, Lacom sales director. “Our challenge is to find new potentials and applications. It is quite a new technology so we need to be present when the market is ready, which is why we are here.

“A big market for us is the automotive industry. Now we are looking to develop a machine specifically for this application. We can offer this with our existing machinery but we are working on more cost-effective solutions.”

Mr Schaile said the main markets for this type of technology, beside classical textiles, are in Europe for technical textiles and premium sophisticated products, abrasive paper, building materials and automotive applications.

“Some companies are expanding capacity in here and we are seeing repeat orders. In China and the Asia Pacific region, some companies are switching to added value products, particularly when expanding to the US and Europe.

“To sell our machines we need to demonstrate what we can do,” he said.

www.techtextilna.com

Alexium Alexium launched two new fire retardant (FR) products for the upholstery and furnishing market.

Bactron is a halogen-free fabric back-coating, which has passed key upholstery standard tests for the UK and Europe. Omnitron, meanwhile, is described as a highly effective FR halogen-free treatment package designed for a range of fabric blends in the upholstery and furnishing market.

Both treatments are applied in a single application pass and have been engineered to offer durable FR protection.

Representatives from the three show organisers officially open the event

Zwick Zwick unveiled new materials testing solutions for applications such as passenger vehicle seat belts and carbon fibre used in composite door assemblies at the show.

“As applications for technical textiles continue to evolve, the materials that are incorporated into these novel products evolve as well – requiring more sophisticated analysis of strain,” explained business development manager Bob Donohue.

Among the equipment on display was a 50 kN Allround-Line testing system performing inplane shear tests on composite specimens utilising a videoXtens video extensometer.

The company has a range of extensometers to suit various requirements, such as contact extensometers

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contact extensometers in clip-on and sensor arm formats, for samples where whiplash is not a problem.

For whiplash-prone samples such as seatbelts, Zwick offers a suite of non-contact extensometers that includes the LaserXtens laser extensometer, the VideoXtens video extensometer and an optical extensometer.

The company’s measurement and control software, called TestXpert, has been designed to support a wide range of applications - from tensile tests on fibres and filaments and elastic behaviour of elastomeric yarns to strength testing as well as delamination and adhesion of fabrics - in accordance with corresponding ASTM, ISO and DIN standards.

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Bondcote BondCote was promoting its newlycreated fabric technology called Nano-Spear that has been developed to inhibit odour-causing bacteria and a microorganisms such as mould, mildew and funghi. It is not metal-based and does not leach out, and is it said to be effective for the useful life of the fabric.

“The technology is almost like a bed of nails so it ‘spears’ the microbes and mechanically breaks them apart,” explained government

and shelter programme manager Sherry Fisher. “It can be used to coat things like polyester, nylon or fibreglass.”

The company was also showcasing an EMI fabric targeting the military and defence applications relating to communications. Ms Fisher said that BondCote is looking to increase its exports out of the US, with sales currently standing at 97% domestic, 3% export, from 1.5% export previously.

A steady flow of visitors

Glen Raven Technical Fabrics Glen Raven Technical Fabrics has a new focus on providing solutions for the energy sector, and reported that both its protective and industrial businesses are increasing, “We currently serve the automotive and outdoor sectors, which are our biggest markets and account for some 50% of sales between them, followed by the industrial, protective and military segments,” said marketing director Rich Lippert.

He said the company’s protective business was initially focused in North America but has shifted in the last two years to be global. The impact of military sequestration has been felt but he said that the company were prepared so had been rationalising.

“Our biggest concern is the Berry Amendment,” he said.

Product demonstrations and new launches

James Heal James Heal introduced the latest version of its Martindale Abrasion and Pilling Tester, with an improved design and intuitive operating features for routine laboratory testing.

Available in three sizes, the new 1300 Series includes the Mini-Martindale 1302 model, the Midi-Martindale 1305 model and the 9 station Maxi-Martindale 1309 model.

New features include a hinged top plate on the Maxi-Martindale model, which allows access to all testing stations.

The tester was developed initially for woven and knitted textiles, but can be used for a wide range of materials including nonwovens, socks, gloves, cords and straps, carpets, leather wood high pressure laminates, painted surfaces and for many other applications (either dry or wet).

www.alexiuminternational.com www.sdlatlas.com www.bluestarsilicones.com www.materialscience.bayer.com www.lacom-online.com www.bondcote.com www.james-heal.co.uk www.zwick.com The Graduate Student Poster Programme display

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www.glenraven.com

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Made in the USA News of investments is providing fresh impetus in the US market but while production figures are increasing, the number of jobs doesn’t seem to be keeping the same pace. Tara Hounslea reports

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invest $40m and create 84 jobs over the next two years.

Over in South Carolina, the Keer Group will spend some $218m on its first US cotton yarn manufacturing unit. The new site is expected to create 501 jobs within five years.

Stateline suggests that these highly automated plants require far fewer, but more tech-savvy, workers. They earn higher pay than their forbearers but this still does not compare with the manufacturing jobs in other industries. The average textile wage in the US in 2012 was $37,900, compared with $60,496 for all manufacturing jobs. In North Carolina, the average textile wage was $33,219, up from $28,216 in 2002.

Last year in North Carolina, nine textile firms announced plans to build or expand plants in the state, creating 993 jobs and investing $381m. Sharon Decker, the state secretary of commerce, cited three factors that helped her state win the new factories: culture, education and a competitive business climate.

Notable investments in the state’s textile industry over the past four years include Gildan Activewear (two new spinning facilities, investment of over $200m during the 2014 and 2015 financial years), Glen Raven ($10m) and Tuscarora Yarns ($6.3m).

Unifi recently announced it will be expanding its centre for the recycled polyester Repreve fibre that opened in Yadkinville, North Carolina, in May 2010.

The company is increasing recycling capacity from 42 million pounds to 72 million pounds annually, thanks to an upturn in demand from new customer adoptions from companies including Ford, The North Face, Nike, Volcom and Patagonia.

The expansion is expected to create 10 new jobs including two salary shift managers, four hourly operators and four hourly material handlers. The recent $5m capital expenditure brings the total investment in the Repreve Recycling Centre, since its opening in 2010, to $15m.

“Expanding our Repreve manufacturing capabilities highlights our commitment to the Repreve brand and provides increased flexibility to better serve our customers,”

Textile companies from around the world are investing in North Carolina

said Roger Berrier, president and chief operating officer of Unifi Inc. “As we bring the new machinery online, it’s clear that the increased versatility will help better position Repreve to support the growth and demand for recycled products.”

The largest and fastest growing segments for Repreve continue to be apparel and automotive. The expansion will also increase the availability of Repreve product offerings such as lower deniers that support lighterweight fashion trends, flame retardant yarns and WaterWise colour technology.

“

To meet consumer demands for more rapid product innovation and socially responsible business practices, many companies are rethinking the complexities and risks of their global supply chain strategies

“

There has been much talk of re-shoring in the US market and a resurgence of ‘Made in America’ products. Dave Gardner, managing director of SPESA, (the Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas) confirmed this trend at Techtextil North America but he suggested that there has been no sign of increasing employment in the industry.

“Over the last two years production has increased by 13% but this has not resulted in more jobs because the increasing output can be attributed to improvements in efficiency and technology,” he said. “These are the major trends in our industry.”

A report from news service Stateline found that more than 200,000 textile manufacturing jobs have been lost to automation in the last decade. Over the last 18 months, there has been a spate of announcements of companies expanding production or starting greenfield projects in the US but while many of the capital investments seem high, the number of jobs mentioned in these announcements is not likely to get hearts racing.

India-based Shri Govindaraja (SGR) Textiles, for example, is to locate a new textile operation in Rockingham County, North Carolina. The company plans to

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Canada-based Gildan Activewear has committed to invest $250m in North Carolina

Earlier this year, knitted fabrics and apparel producer Coville Inc said that it is receiving a growing volume of orders from domestic apparel and sewn products companies that are bringing their manufacturing back to the US. Coville, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said that it is seeing increasing demand from US fashion and other sewn products retailers, brands and OEMs, “as they work to reduce supply chain complexity by reshoring select manufacturing programmes back to the USA.” It added that such customers are also bringing their production back to the US to limit supply chain cycle times and to reduce risk.

Don Trexler, Coville president, said: “To meet consumer demands for more rapid product innovation and socially responsible business practices, many companies are rethinking the complexities and risks of their global supply chain strategies.”

Coville, whose subsidiaries include the North Carolina companies Alandale Knitting Company, based in Troy, and Carolina Apparel Group, based in Wadesboro, offers finished and greige fabrics and contract and full package production programmes. It is said to have expertise in a wide range of activewear, military, performance, protective, sportswear, underwear and other sewn products.

Meanwhile, in the wake of Techtextil North America, Highland Industries announced it would be expanding its North Carolina manufacturing operations in Iredell County. The company plans to create 29 jobs and invest $8.25 million over the next three years in Statesville.

The company currently operates a 110,000 square foot finishing facility in Kernersville, North Carolina, but this new division will be completely separate from the existing operations. It will manufacture parts and assemblies utilising carbon fibre, aramid, fiberglass and other composite materials for customers in aerospace, automotive, sporting goods and industrial markets.

Many hope these investments in manufacturing activity will also have more far-reaching benefits, such as stimulating new supply chains in the country, which in turn could create more jobs. www.spesa.org www.stateline.org

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Technology

Out of this world What will chemical industry textiles learn from the Spacetex project? David Eilbeck reports With the recent launch of the Blue Dot space mission, there is speculation over which textile industries will benefit most from the experiment’s findings.

Aside from the significant advances the Spacetex project will give to the astronautics industry, the results from the first textile experiment in space promises to offer unique insight into improving extreme environment textiles like those used in the chemical industry.

May 28 marked an historic day in textile innovation with the launch of the Blue Dot space mission from the cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The German ESA astronaut, Dr Alexander Gerst, began his journey to the International Space Station on a six-month mission to carry out over 40 different space-based experiments. One of these, Spacetex, is the first textile-focused experiment to be carried out in space and promises to deliver new data and insight to aid the development of protective materials used in the extreme conditions astronauts face. In addition to the unique insight that Spacetex will offer in further developing astronaut clothing, the experiment is expected to provide textile developers with results that could change the way that we develop protective textiles for use in extreme conditions here on earth.

Textile manufacturers are tracking the Spacetex project with interest as they anticipate the developments it will offer that are specific to their industries.

is central to development, the greater challenge lies in these materials not becoming inhibitive to human performance in these conditions.

While Spacetex is predominantly being seen as a project that will deliver earth-based applications to extreme climate conditions, there are clear and present applications that can apply to a far wider range of industries.

Looking in particular at the chemical industries, the application may not be as immediately obvious but the impact on resource expenditure and workforce functionality is substantial. In a sector where the heavy durability of protective workwear is both in need of constant replacement and inhibiting to users’

Spacetex made of E1 textiles from Schoeller – the textiles absorb sweat and transport it away from the body without drying out the skin

functionality, the promise of materials technology which can withstand the harsh environment of outer space, while at the same time reducing the negative impact on bodily function is

Chemical industries

The chemical protective clothing industry is unique in so much as it must constantly innovate to deliver protective textiles which are capable of withstanding threats in newlydiscovered conditions. This is true as much in the development of chemical warfare as it is in non-combative working environments. While the need to create textiles that can protect the body from potentially damaging contact

22 P 22-23 Spacetex.indd 22

The Spacetex project team (from left to right): Eleni Antoniadou (ESA), Dr Jan Beringer (Hohenstein Institute), Prof Dr Hanns-Christian Gunga (Charité), Claudia Philpot (DLR), Hans-Jürgen Hübner (Schoeller Textil) and Dr Alexander Gerst (ESA)

FM 24/06/2014 11:39

Technology

On May 28, the German ESA astronaut Alex Gerst took off in a Soyuz rocket from the cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, bound for the International Space Station ISS

The experiments The main datasets expected to return from this project will look to elaborate on how textiles can prevent the loss of the body’s cooling function in extreme conditions. At the same time it is looking at ways in which materials can be developed to further reduce the build-up of odour-causing bacteria on fabrics over prolonged periods of strenuous activity.

Given these main goals, it is understandable that extreme sports and disaster relief work are being pinpointed as the earth-based fields which are likely to benefit from findings the most.

However, from a lateral perspective, these applications have as much potential value in chemical industries as they do for the above.

The prohibitive nature of chemical protective clothing (CPC) on the human body significantly impacts the duration in which wearers can carry out tasks in such materials. The knock-on effect to productivity combined with the extra

Issue 3 2014 P 22-23 Spacetex.indd 23

resource cost from the time it takes to complete work is substantial. Being able to develop materials which retain the protective properties of existing CPC but vastly improving the wearer’s

“

resource savings that could come into effect with the development of more durable material that can fight off the affects of bacteria build-up on regularly used protective clothing.

Partnerships

“

particularly exciting. Where the most obvious benefits that Spacetex will offer are focusing on pushing performance boundaries, textile industries that have aspirations of a lower grandeur can look forward to potential cost savings and sustained overall productivity improvement.

Extreme sports and disaster relief work are likely to benefit from the findings the most

comfort and ability to function could have dramatic effects on resource and manpower costs.

The degradation of protective clothing over time and after regular use is a cost that is perhaps not often considered as one that could be economised. It is therefore difficult to quantify the potentially positive saving implications of CPC which does not need to be replaced anywhere near as often as it may do currently. Nevertheless, one thing Spacetex results could offer, which is not being considered in great detail currently, is the company

The pioneering Spacetex project was first conceived by the Hohenstein Institute and in December 2012 it brought on long term collaboration partner, Schoeller Textiles.

The textile manufacturer was tasked with developing and manufacturing the Spacetex clothing, designing it to complement the requirements of the Hohenstein skin model.

While much of the potential to come out of the experiments remains speculative at the moment, there is little doubt that the insight gained will have significant impact on several textile industries. Hans-Jürgen Hübner, Spacetex Project Leader at Schoeller Textil AG has commented on the “very interesting tests” which Dr Jan Beringer has put together, commenting further, Mr Hübner said that they “hope to get through project Spacetex, information and insights which can be integrated into future product developments.”

Dr. Alexander Gerst returns from the international space station in November 2014.

David Eilbeck is the co-founder of design innovation company G2. www.g2innovation.co.uk

23 24/06/2014 11:39

Technology

Hot topics Sustainability concerns and more stringent European safety standards in trains and ships are leading to new developments in flame-retardants. Lado Benisek reports Over 100 participants attended a one-day flammability conference on new trends in flame-retardant research in Dübendorf near Zurich, Switzerland, organised by EMPA. The main topics were new developments in environmentally acceptable flameretardants, associated with recent trends to replace effective organo-halogen based flame-retardants (effective in the gas phase), due to environmental concerns and the introduction of new more stringent EU safety standards for trains and ships.

After 15 years of developing a new standard for the safety of materials and components of train interiors the new EU standard EN 45545-2:2013 Fire Protection on Rail Vehicles – Part 2: Requirements for fire behaviour of materials and composites - was approved in March 2013.

This introduces very stringent flammability test methods and performance requirements, based on critical heat flux according to radiant panel flame spread test ISO 5658-2, maximum average rate of heat emission using cone calorimeter ISO 5660-1, smoke obscuration value and conventional index of toxicity using smoke chamber, according to ISO 5659-2.

This new standard practically excludes the use of FR thermoplastics and elastomers, according to Dr Jürgen Troitzsch, Fire and Environment Protection Service, Germany.

A revision of this new standard has been

“

The time from an idea for a new FR, from the laboratory until the market place to be realised commercially can take up to ten years

p 24-25 Flame retardant .indd 24

“

24

recently initiated with a proposal to reduce the heat flux in the Cone Calorimeter and Smoke Chamber, to allow the use of suitable FR thermoplastics and elastomers.

The other proposal is to assess toxicity every 15 seconds instead of after four and eight minutes.

Initiated by these new stringent FR standards for train interiors, IMO (International Maritime Organisation) has also updated some of its FR standards from July 2012 for ships.

To comply with the new EU CE (Conformité Européene) labelling requirements introduced on 1 July 2013, in public buildings floor- wall- and ceiling- textile coverings have to comply with stringent flammability requirements.

Dr Timea Stelzig and Dr Rudolf Hufenus, EMPA, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, St Gallen, Switzerland, reviewed developments for new flame-retardants for thermoplastic

fibres. The FR additive should be based on an organo-phosphorus compound with about 1% phosphorus (P) add-on, it should be stable up to 300OC to allow fibre spinning, with a maximum 5% add-on of non-melting powders and 10% of melting powders to avoid clogging of filters and spinnerets during fibre spinning.

DOPO (9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-phosphaphenatren-10-oxide) was found to be the most promising gas-phase FR, because of its FR performance and environmental acceptability. DOPO can be effectively combined with condensed phase/char forming FR

FM 24/06/2014 11:40

Technology

additives. EMS Chemie, Switzerland launched in 2012 a FR polyamide fiber Nexylon FR that contains 1.2% phosphorus, while Trevira CS, a FR polyester contains 0.4-0.6% of P. Dr Matthias Neisius, Schill & Seilacher, Germany described another important challenge in new FR developments - the EU REACH No 1907/2006 (registration, evaluation, authorisation of chemicals). In the worst case scenario it can take up to two years and cost up to €2 million for testing and approval of a new chemical that involves extensive chemical, physical and toxicity testing.

Several speakers emphasised the importance of the addition of synergists, such as nitrogen compounds, metal oxides, boron compounds, silica derivatives to the main FR compound to enhance not only FR effectiveness but also to reduce costs. FR compounds that produce intumescent char are very effective because they insulate the flammable substrate from oxygen and act as a heat barrier, but may also require an additive that is active in the gas phase, to avoid re-ignition through cracks in the char, according to Manfred Göring, Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability, Darmstadt, Germany.

The Flaretex Sustainable FR project for textiles and related materials, involving participants from 27 countries, to be finalised by 22 May 2016, as part of the European Cooperation on Research and Technology initiative (COST), was mentioned as an example of new FR co-operative research.

Dr Sabyasachi Gaan described developments in FR chemistry and its application, pursued at EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St Gallen – new flame-retardants based on phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) and silica (Si)

compounds, concentrating on phosphoamidates, phosphonates and DOPO derivatives.

Although phosphorus is the seventh most common element in the earth’s crust and global phosphates sources are at a level of 16,000-71,000 megatones, at current production levels the world-wide reserves will be exhausted in fewer than 80 years.

The primary use of P is presently in fertilisers (82%) and animal feed (7%), while for flame-retardants only about 1%. These statistics indicate the need for sustainable and efficient solutions and recycling.

Recent industrial solutions resulted in non-halogenated derivatives such as metal phosphonates, aluminium salt of hypophosphorus acid and DOPO-phosphinate, as gas-phase active FRs. Zinc borate has the advantage of being also a smoke and afterglow suppressant. EMPA research for textile fibres involves the application of aliphatic phosphoramidates acting in the condensed phase for cotton and aromatic bis-phosphonamidates for viscose.

The most recent development at EMPA involves a hybrid flameretardant, active in both condensed and gas-phase, based on a P-based additive, including a meltable additive with high thermal stability (>300 C) to overcome degradation during processing. Recent sustainable solutions for brominated FRs can be seen in the launch of several sustainable commercially available brominated derivatives, such as

brominated polymers and oligomers (Abermale, Chemtura, ICL) with good thermal stability, although these can produce high smoke emission and hydrogen bromide levels.

Thomas Zich, KCCS AG, Austria, described the development and commercial manufacturing of new flameretardants based on DOPO derivatives, especially for applications where a gas phase effect is of importance. The number of DOPO patents is increasing every year with most innovations originating from Japan. An additional advantage is that so far DOPO and its derivatives did not shown concerns regarding health, environment and recycling. The time from an idea for a new FR, from the laboratory until the market place to be realised commercially can take up to ten years. To be successful in the market place it is very important to clearly define the technical, economical, health and safety requirements.

Professor Richard Hull, Centre for Fire and Hazard Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK, introduced another very important criterion in the development of new flame-retardants - the toxicity of fire effluents, such as carbon oxide and hydrogen cyanide. Gas phase quenchers, such as halogens and certain phosphorus compounds tend to increase the content of incomplete combustion that can be highly toxic.

Increasing char yield decreases fire toxicity by decreasing the release of volatiles in the gas phase. For the assessment of fire toxicity it is important to have fire test methods simulating real fires and fire effluent products. The cone calorimeter test can produce low fire effluents. The level of carbon oxide (CO) in fire indicates the level of other intoxicants, such as hydrogen cyanide. www.empa.ch www.flaretex.eu

Issue 4 2014 p 24-25 Flame retardant .indd 25

25 24/06/2014 11:40

Sporttech

Taking it up a gear Cocona has re-launched as 37.5 to emphasise the performance benefits of the activated carbon textile technology. Tara Hounslea catches up with Jeff Bowman to find out the latest about the company’s new brand name, updated business model and expanded capabilities

Cocona CEO Jeff Bowman

Jeff Bowman became CEO at Cocona last year, having acquired a lifetime of experience in the performance apparel industry at companies including Gore, Polartec, Cascade Designs and Massif.

“I had retired and was spending a year climbing with my wife when I got a phone call about Cocona,” he explains. “When I started looking at the technology, I found it fascinating and that’s what motivated me to come back to the industry.”

This technology utilises patented active particles embedded at the fibre level to capture and release moisture vapour. The particles provide 800% more surface area to the fibre, and also provide a driving force

26 p 26-28 37.5 interview.indd 26

to remove moisture vapour immediately, which the company says makes it significantly different to other technologies on the market. By actively responding to body heat, the particles use this energy to accelerate the movement of the vapour and speed up the conversion of liquid to vapour, thus increasing drying rates.

“It essentially means the hotter the wearer becomes, the faster the moisture is removed and the more comfortable the garment remains,” says Bowman. “Our technology is the only one I know that can add benefits to each of the three layers as it starts moving the moisture vapour immediately.”

Initially the activated carbon used came

solely from the husks of coconuts because it has the right size molecules to capture and release water vapour. The company still use a lot from this source but because it is essentially charcoal, it can be challenging to make light coloured fabrics. So now a mineral volcanic sand is also used, which has a pore size that mimics those of the activated carbon.

During Bowman’s first year, he spent a lot of time talking to key customers and suppliers, where he kept hearing the same three messages: that they loved the technology, hated doing business with the company and found it difficult to explain the value of the technology to consumers.

Consequently, he had two major issues to address. The management team had to look at its business model as it added cost and complexity to the process. They re-organised the supply chain so that now textile mills license the company’s technology and purchase proprietary yarn from Cocona to produce fabric. Brands sign contracts with the company directly to by fabric from the mills, which means they have a much tighter rein on quality.

He spent a lot of time on supply chain issues to ensure that the yarns they were supplying were of high quality.

“The second challenge concerned the brand name,” he says. “We had consistent feedback that the name did not portray the high performance technology that it should. One of our customers said us that Cocona conjured images of drinking a certain coconut-based cocktail on a beach somewhere, which is definitely not the objective we were trying to achieve.

“We relaunched the brand as 37.5 to highlight the scientifically proven benefits of the patented technology, symbolising its ability to capture and release moisture

FM 24/06/2014 12:35

Sporttech

vapour, while helping the body to maintain optimal relative humidity and temperature.

“The new name clearly outlines the benefits of our technology to the brand partners we work with, and to the consumers.

It enhances the body’s natural thermo-regulating mechanism to quickly remove moisture from your microclimate. It helps to maintain the optimum ‘37.5 zone’ of 37.5% technology and 37.5°C core body temperature.”

The name has been very well received in the US, he reports.

Bauer Hockey, for example, is using it to differentiate their range from others available on the market and said they are finding it very easy to communicate its benefits.

The company is now starting to roll it out in Europe now, where previously they didn’t have the sales force and merchandising team to be able to do this effectively. There is work to do in Europe but he is confident of success, following the pattern seen in the US. Now that branding is ‘correct’, he wants people to use it and will not supply customers if they don’t want to use the 37.5 brand.

“We don’t sell to everyone and our strategy is to partner closely with brands to work at a deep level,” he says. “Tog 24 is one such example, which is utilising the technology in some products but has expressed great interest in introducing it to more of the product line. Rab is doing some interesting things, as are the likes of Kwintet, Snickers, Low Alpine, Adidas and Salomon.

“We have been working with our yarn suppliers (such as Unifi and Huvas) to develop a wider selection of yarns so now in addition to polyester, we can offer nylon, as well as yarns made for woven tops and trousers. We are going to see a much wider range of products available in the marketplace over the coming

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Sporttech

season, such as Carhartt who are doing some good things with flannel shirts and denim utilising our technology that simply were not possible before.

Brands like Lululemon wanted nylon products and now we can offer them.

“We have just had a big launch in the US in the bedding market which is going to be a big area of focus for us going forward. We are just in the process of trying to establish who to work with in the European market, for example. The technology also lends itself well to more streetwear applications, such as the heavier flannels and denims that Carhartt is working on.”

The company is very small, currently at around 40 people including our sales team. It is smaller than it was thanks to the changes to the business model. Now the focus is on expanding the marketing and merchandising team, as well as significant investments in R&D at the Boulder facility, which has resulted in technical developments like the expanded range of yarns.

The platform currently includes polyester and nylon yarns, polyester insulation and the technology can be printed onto films for laminates such as PE and PTFE. It can be put into foams, knitted or woven, in fleeces and softshells and many others.

Both wool and cotton blends are strong as the technology can improve dry times significantly, which can be a problem with natural fibres like wool. With Merino wool, the blends are typically 51-67% wool with polyester. In cotton, it can be 50/50 or 70% cotton/30% polyester.

“Once you get below around 30% of our technology, you don’t tend to see the benefit, with the exception of sheeting,” says Bowman. “At just 20% you can still see a benefit in fabrics for sheets.

“When I first took over, I pulled sock yarns off the market as I was worried

28 p 26-28 37.5 interview.indd 28

about the quality but that has now been rectified and socks are a great category for us. I see it as a gateway drug to the technology – an inexpensive way to introduce the brand and what it can do to consumers.

“We are still a relatively young company – Cocona was established nine years ago – so there are interesting times ahead. I think our goal for the next three years will be focused on execution by identifying those customers that view

our technology as a platform that they can take through their product line.

These are partners like Carhartt, Bauer Hockey, Kwintet and Snickers, that have the same vision that our technology gives them a competitive story which is hard to find nowadays. The story, marketing material and most of all, a quality product, will be critical for us.” www.cocona.com

FM 24/06/2014 12:35

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Event report

Smart fabrics in Brazil

Event held in Rio de Janeiro brings together practitioners and academics to discuss the future of technical textiles. By Marcia Mariano

ABIT director Fernando Pimentel and president Rafael Cervone Netto

Brazil is the largest producer and consumer of technical fabrics and nonwovens in South America, with annual production estimated at 600,000 tonnes and apparent consumption of 690,000.

Over the past five years, the number of companies in activity in the area of nonwovens increased from 82 in 2008 to 88 in 2012; while the technical textile industries increased from 194 to 210 during the same period, according to research from IEMI - Studies Institute and Industrial Marketing, which specialises in data from the textile chain. Among Brazilian economy sectors that were crucial to the growth of this market are the automotive, footwear, infrastructure and cleaning and hygiene industry.

But there is still much to develop in the country in terms of innovative, high performance and value-added products.

The Brazilian textile industry wants to be recognised and admired by the economic, political and social relevance of its activities,

30 p 30-31 Brazil.indd 30

having as a differential the use of ethical and sustainable diversity, interacting with other productive chains and forming an agile and versatile value network. For this purpose, an event was held at the Senai-Cetiqt, Rio de Janeiro, entitled I International Forum on Textile Innovation - Present and Future.

Directions Organised by ABIT (Brazilian Association of Textile and Clothing Industry), the event was supported by the Brazilian Association of

Antonio Braz Costa, CEO of CITEVE

Producers of Artificial and Synthetic Fibres (Abrafas); Senai-Cetiqt and by the Textile Technology Centre of Portugal (CITEVE), along with the Selectiva Moda Association (ASM) and Association of Textile Portugal (ATP). The Forum provided a platform for discussion on topics including technical fabrics for garment production, professional uniforms, transportation, military, sports, agriculture and construction.

In the hall of entrance of the Senai-Cetiqt, there was an exhibition that demonstrated the possibilities of technical textiles.

Rafael Cervone Netto, president of ABIT, said: “The textile and clothing sector in Brazil is not limited to fashion. We have companies that produce technical textiles, with applications in the medical, security, agribusiness and others. We also have some research centres and universities developing textiles that we cannot imagine, because they are not yet on the market. I'm sure that this partnership with CITEVE, which has expertise in the smart fabric area, will change the level of Brazil in this sector in few years.”

The general director of CITEVE, Antonio Braz Costa, said that this agreement will strengthen the relationship with the Brazilian textile entity.

“Our job is alerting companies to the opportunities within the technical textiles.

This forum will bring access to the best productions from Europe and Brazil in the context of technological and technical textiles. This segment was responsible for retrieving the textile sector in Portugal that now represents 25% of the textile industry of our country. Why would not it succeed in Brazil?” asked Braz.

The event was organised into thematic panels where researchers and professionals spoke about the market scenario, technological innovation and new business opportunities. Among the participating companies were PSA Peugeot Citroën, Solvay Rhodia Group, Dupont, Embraer, Cia. Cedro, Dini Têxtil, Golden Química, Grupo Imbra, and others.

FM 24/06/2014 12:36

Event report

Challenges

The entrepreneur Aguinaldo Diniz Filho, member of the Board of Directors of Cia. Cedro Cachoeira – a weaving factory founded in 1872 and considered the oldest in operation in Brazil - was invited to the opening of the Forum. He said that the great turning point of the Brazilian textile industry will be given for the innovation of the textiles products. Diniz Filho reminded that Europe is the destination of 20% of the total exports of Brazil, but he acknowledged that the participation of the Brazilian textile products in the world trade is still minimal.

He said: "The European Union generates nearly $120 billion in textile/ apparel per year, if Brazil could export at least 5% of this volume, the raise in our industry would be huge.”

According to ABIT data, in 2013 the Brazilian Textile /Apparel sector, with $56 billion invoicing, exported only $1.3 billion and imported $6.8 billion.

On the other hand, the Portuguese textile industry is celebrating the good results obtained in 2014. After the difficulties that the country faced because of the 2008 global crisis the local industry is showing signs of recovery. According to the Textile and Apparel Association of Portugal (ATP) in January the sales abroad increased 14% from the same month of 2013, reaching €411 million. The expectation of the Portuguese entrepreneurs is to increase textile exports by 16% until 2018.

Future opportunities ABIT president Rafael Cervone Netto highlighted the importance of technical textiles in the Brazilian market. He said the Brazilian agribusiness contributed to an annual turnover of $2 billion for geotextiles, while the security sector has given a boost to the annual sales of more

Example of an e-textile, curtain with photovoltaic cells that collects energy from the sun during the day and emits light at night, by Textiles Penedo, Portugal

Issue 4 2014 p 30-31 Brazil.indd 31

than 500,000 bulletproof vests.

“With apparent consumption of 372,000 tonnes / year and invoicing of $20 billion, the industry that produces technical fabrics today has relevance within the national textile chain,” he concluded.

Then, Fernando Pimentel, economist and CEO of ABIT, presented an overview of the Brazilian textile chain and chimed with his colleague Cervone Netto. He said: “Innovation is the ultimate exit for our industry that is the largest and fully integrated in the South American continent.”

Referring to the Gherzi Consulting Study of Value Added Products in the World Textile Chain, Pimentel showed that technical textiles totalled $160 billion in 2012 and by 2025 it is projected to reach $250 billion.

Growth Among the markets of great potential for technical textiles companies in Brazil, Pimentel pointed out the automotive, energy, aviation, life science and clothing as the most promising.

Fernando Pimentel listed opportunities in new fibres and spinning processes; process through Digi-Finishing (“factory of the future”), thermostable textiles, composite materials and nonwovens.

And in the medicine and heath fields, new applications of textiles as "smart implants", which assist the body in tissue regeneration (self-healing).

In the area of natural resources, new textile technologies can be used as renewable energy sources, such as fabrics with photovoltaic cells that absorb light.

Piece with Emana Denim, smart fabric developed in Brazil that absorbs heat from the human body and returns it in the form of long infrared, stimulating blood microcirculation

The textile sector is facing the biggest global competition and therefore must be prepared for the new challenges of the market,”concluded the CEO of ABIT. Now, it seems the industry is interested in investing in new projects for the future of smart textiles to become reality in Brazil. This first forum was so productive and rich in ideas that the organisers are planning the next edition for 2015, which will probably be held in São Paulo.

Functionality He also highlighted the increase of the functionality of clothing for sports, welfare, aesthetics and protection besides finishings and surface coatings that offer textile properties and attributes such as antibacterial, flame retardants and waterproofing.

Other potential products were quoted as examples: self-luminous filament yarn in technical applications, seamless integration of textiles with electronic elements like microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators; higher performance of wastewater treatment plants with textile carrier materials for micro-organism and sticky-free adhesive textiles.

“There is a path designed for our industry, and we have to follow it to be innovative. We can no longer be selling lunch to buy dinner. The domestic textile industry, that has the capacity to do basic products, must also invest in the specialties.

Venus FR Fabric for uniform high protection developed by Venus FR Fabric for uniform high protection developed by Cedro, Brazil

www.abit.org.br www.citeve.pt

31 24/06/2014 12:36

Profile

Growth based on green innovation David Stevenson profiles one of Turkey’s leading manufacturers of textile finishing machinery The HAS Group has experienced growth in both turnover and capacity in the last 12 months, as it has benefited significantly from pursuing the development of greener, leaner technologies.

During 2013, the company sold 125 machines, ranging from stenter frames to sanforizing, drying, compacting, raising, shearing, brushing and tumbler machines for both mainstream and technical textile applications. It also sold stenter frames and shearing machines for carpet and applications.

But, according to marketing director Selim Zeydanli, one of its crowning glories has been collaborating with DuPont to boost its R&D activities to develop more environment-friendly machines.

“Today, machines produced by HAS Group have some of the highest energyefficiency rates in terms of electricity and natural gas consumptions. However the target is to further improve these efficiency levels,” he said.

Working in conjunction with DuPont’s

Manufacturing operations at HAS Group.

32 p 32 HAS group .indd 32

Innovation Centre in Istanbul, the HAS Group believes this will lead to a continuous improvement in its technology platforms. “Therefore, no time-limit or a deadline has been set for this collaboration with DuPont,” said Mr Zeydanli. “It was thought to be a long-term and continuous partnership over the years to come.”

With a business focus in four different areas – Textile Finishing, Carpet Backcoating, Technical Textiles and Special Projects – HAS Group says it is seeing major growth, especially in the wovens and denim areas.

“The other fast-growing branch is carpet-back-coating – especially in Gaziantep, where 30% of the total woven carpet is produced. The quality thanks to HAS Group machines is well appreciated by the market,” added Mr Zeydanli.

“Repeat orders and new accounts are expected in 2014 and beyond.”

In 2013 the HAS Group has reported a ‘healthy year of growth’, with its turnover reaching $35 million. It also benefited from the long-term work of its R&D team.

Mr Zeydanli said: “The Group collected the fruits of its work on denims, by booking a recent deal with Vicunha Textiles for their factories in Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador. “With Vicunha Textiles an agreement was reached for two stenter frames and three sanforizing machines. This will be the basis for a long-term partnership between the two companies.”

The deal is also the HAS Group’s first entry into the denim market of South America, where there is significant growth potential.

As well as increasing demand for its machinery abroad, locally Tümer Halı, one of the most important tufted carpet manufacturers in Gaziantep, started mass production with a secondary backing lamination line, delivered by HAS Group.

“The company is totally satisfied with the performance of the machine, which they use for the production of export goods, with high-level quality requirements,” noted Mr Zeydanli.

“Thanks to increased demand from their customers, Tümer Halı is planning 24-hour, uninterrupted production on the line.”

The HAS Group’s modern headquarters.

Marketing director Selim Zeydanli

Another R&D area where the company has been able to draw inspiration for its finishing lines has been in expanding the width of carpets that its machinery can work with. And, to highlight this, the HAS Group has already installed a line at BYS Tekstil/Isparta where the customer can work with 5m carpet width.

“Thanks to innovations by the R&D team, BYS will be able to work with 3.6m, 4m and 5m carpet-widths on this finishing line. Working with three different carpet widths on the same line is going to be possible with small adjustments on the relevant units in the line.”

Going forward, the company says it plans to continue its growth sustainably in 2014 and offer its customers a new after-sales and technical support option, which it is currently developing with industry partners.

“Focus will be mainly on the technicaltextiles field. In textiles and carpet sectors the main objective will be increasing the current market share and gaining new accounts all around the world,” said Mr Zeydanli. “With our young and dynamic production capacities, R&D and sales and marketing teams, HAS Group is committed to innovation, improvement and technological developments.” www.has-group.com.tr

FM 24/06/2014 11:45

diary of events JULY 2014 2-4

FESPA Afirca 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa www.fespa.com

10-13 Outdoor Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, Germany. www.outdoor-show.com

AUGUST 2014

6-9 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Salt Lake City, United States www.outdoorretailer.com 12-15 Febratex Mexicao 2014, Mexico City, Mexico www.fcem.com.br 21-23 Fespa Mexico 2014, Mexico City, Mexico. www.fespa.com

SEPTEMBER 2014

8-11 RISE Conference, Atlanta, GA, United States. www.inda.org 10 - 12 Dornbirn Man-Made Fibres Congress, Dornbirn, Austria www.dornbirn-mfc.com 24-26

Outlook, Barcelona, Spain www.edana.org

24-26 CINTE Techtextil, Shanghai, China www.messefrankfurt.com.hk

OCTOBER 2014 29-1 IAF World fashion convention, Medellin, Colombia www.iafnet.eu 1-2 Filtrex, Berlin, Germany www.edana.org.

14-16 IFAI Specialty Fabrics Expo and Advanced Textiles Expo 2014, Minneapolis, United States www.ifai.com 15-17

Future Technical Textiles conference, Istanbul, Turkey www.technical-textile.com

15-17

TITAS 2014, Taipei, Taiwan www.titas.tw

16-18 ITMF Annual Conference, Beijing, China www.itmf.org 19-23

Insight International Conference, Indianapolis, indiana, USA www.marketingtechnologyservice.com

27-29 FESPA Eurasia, Istanbul, Turkey www.fespa.com 28-29 JEC Americas, Boston, MA, United States www.jeccomposites.com

NOVEMBER 2014 4-5 International Conference on Textil Coating and laminating (TCL 2014) Cannes, France www.intnews.com/TCL 6-7

Submit your event listing to: The Editor, Fu ture Materia ls, World Texti le Informati on Network Ltd. West One, 11 4 Wellington Street, Leeds, UK. LS 1 1BA. Tel: +4 4 (0)1 13 2031258 Fax: +4 4 (0)1 13 3884 84 4 e-mail: thou nslea@w tin .com Website: w w w.futuremat erials.com

PCI Fibres Conference 2014, Istanbul, Turkey www.pcifibres.com

17-19 JEC Asia 2014, Singapore, Singapore www.jeccomposites.com

future materials awards

IBC - Diary of Events Issue 4.indd 33

14

26 November Future Materials Awards

Rewarding innovation in the

technical textiles sector, Germany.

Website: www.futurematerialsawards.com

24/06/2014 11:46

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