Textile World November/December 2021 by TextileIndustriesMediaGroup

Quality Q u a l i t y Control C o n t r oll Roundup R o u ndd u p Cotton C o t t o n Market Cot M a r k et e t Update U p d a t e SYFA S Y F A In I n Person Pe r s o n

November/December 2021 Founded 1868

Executive Forums • IFAI Chairman Amyy Bircher • Archroma CEO Heike van de Kerkhof

Dyeing, Printing & Finishing • Thies: Modern Approach pp To Dyeing y • Zimmer: Digital g Pigment g Printingg • Company Profile: Carolina Cotton Works

Quality Fabric Of The Month Columbia Sportswear’s Omni-Heat™Infinity

November/December 2021 TextileWorld.com

Founded 1868

Publication

Features 12 14 18

IFAI Expo 2021 Makes Music In Nashville SYFA Hosts Fall Meeting In Person Breaking New Grounds Two major additions to Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center are intended to service the textile industry’s needs.

20 Advancements In Quality Control And Testing Quality control instruments, software and test methods all play an important role in the textile supply chain.

24 Executive Forum: IFAI Chairman Amy Bircher

Cotton News ON THE COVER: Columbia Sportswear’s new Omni-Heat™ Infinity advanced thermal reflective technology is featured in a collection of 80 styles offered for winter of 2021, including this women’s Joy Peak Omni-Heat Insulated Hooded Jacket.

Departments 4

From The Editor

News

8 Business & Financial 10

Yarn Market

Calendar

Quality Fabric Of The Month

Putting The Proof Behind Sustainability Promises As consumers work to check everything off their shopping lists this holiday season, sustainability is becoming part of the equation more and more.

Cotton: Interesting Times Reasons for upward trend in cotton prices and future outlook not entirely clear.

Dyeing,Printing & Finishing 26 Executive Forum: Archroma CEO Heike van de Kerkhof 28 Company Profile: Carolina Cotton Works CCW continues its investment strategy to support shifting markets and remain competitive.

30 “Digital Denim” Is A Pretty Good Match For The Real Thing NC State researchers report team of textile expert say fabric printed to resemble denim was a good match for the real thing.

Adopting Digital Pigment Printing Technology Digital printing developments in various dye classes present challenges to adoption by traditional textile printers.

34 Thies: Five Generations, Modern Approach The family-owned textile dyeing machinery company continues to innovate to meet today’s dyeing industry challenges. VOL. 171, No. 6 / TEXTILE WORLD (ISSN 0040-5213) is published bimonthly by Textile Industries Media Group, LLC, PO Box 683155, Marietta, GA 30068, and incorporates Modern Textiles, Textile Industries, Fiber World and Knitting/Apparel magazines, which remain the property of Textile Industries Media Group, LLC. Copyright 2021, Textile Industries Media Group, LLC Title registered with the U.S. Patent Office. All rights, including translation into other languages, reserved. Subscription rates for one year are: $65 (US); $85 (Canada and Mexico); $130 (Other International). Single copy rates are: $15 per copy. All prices are in U.S. dollars and all orders must be prepaid. Questions may be submitted to jdavis@textileworld.com. To obtain electronic copies of print articles, please contact ProQuest at www.proquest.com. To obtain microform copies, please contact NA Publishing at www.napubco.com.

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From The

Editor

Confidence Is Tricky To Maintain

rade shows, meetings, in person events — and even personal selling — are trying like heck to make a comeback. This time of year, eyes look forward, trying to plan the course for 2022. And it looks like it may be harder than first thought. As the industry entered the second half of the year, there was good news. The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), Synthetic Yarn & Fabric Association (SYFA), and other organizations held in-person events and there was a feeling of “Hey! We are back in business!” Things were a little different, with antivirus procedures and protocols now part of everyday life. But the strong desire for some sense of normalcy — not a full-blown return to the daily life of say, 2019 — but a life with face-toface meetings, sharing ideas in person, running into old friends, and even making some new ones, sure felt better for many attendees who have grown tired of staring at the computer screen for another zoom meeting. Then, just like the old“Jaws 2”movie tag line, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water,”the new COVID-19 variant Omicron made news. As of this writing, not much is known about the severity of the new variant or the effect of vaccinations and treatment options. But governments are applying new travel restrictions and considering new rules regarding testing and proof of vaccination. There also is a strong inconsistency in reactions to the Omicron variant, and politicization of the early response — and response in general — is not helping the situation. Emotionally there are many parallels between COVID and a war. Not to

minimize armed conflict, but the emotions of the embattled population are somewhat similar. The general population suffers real loss — personal, family and friends. Their world is smaller, and movements restricted. Daily life is very different with institutions like schools, law and order, and government shifting roles in society. And, after the initial shock of the foggy engagement and initial crisis subsides, a sense of adapting and finding a way through the daily battles comes to bare. There is a sense of optimism out there — one not stoked by just wishful thinking — that 2022 will have a path to a more normal daily life. There will noise from all corners, but many will find their way down the center. As of this writing, the year 2022 has a host of in-person textile events on the calendar, and the current conditions don’t seem to be impacting those plans. However, shows early in the year are threatened. As Omicron is studied and better understood, as new drugs are approved to treat COVID, and if lockdowns and travel restrictions are eventually relaxed, 2022 shows like IDEA® in Miami and Techtextil North America/Texprocess Americas in Atlanta will create some terrific opportunities for business, innovation and investment in U.S. textiles. There are lessons learned from the COVID war, but maybe it is time to shout,“Hey! We are back in business!”

James M. Borneman jborneman@TextileWorld.com

Publication EDITOR IN CHIEF

James M. Borneman EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Rachael S. Davis TECHNICAL EDITORS

Dr. Lisa Parillo Chapman Dr. Peter J. Hauser Dr. Trevor J. Little Dr. William Oxenham Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi Dr. Abdel-Fattah Seyam Dr. Andre West ECONOMICS EDITOR

Robert S. Reichard YARN MARKET EDITOR

Jim Phillips CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jim Kaufmann Stephen M. Warner INTERNET CONTENT EDITOR

Rachael S. Davis CIRCULATION MANAGER

Julie K. Brown-Davis ADVERTISING BUSINESS MANAGER

Denise Buchalter ART & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Julie K. Brown-Davis OWNER/PUBLISHER

James M. Borneman

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News Zoltek Invests In Carbon Fiber Capacity Zoltek Companies Inc. — with production facilities in the United States, Hungary and Mexico; and a U.S. subsidiary of Japan-based Toray Industries Inc. — has announced a capacity expansion in its large-tow carbon fiber production in 2023. Largetow carbon fiber is fiber with more than 40,000 filaments and is often used in industrial applications such as wind turbine blades. The $130 million investment will be used to increase capacity at a Zoltek facility in Jalisco, Mexico, by approximately 54 percent to more than 20,000 tons per year. Once the new capacity is up and running, combined annual production of Zoltek’s Mexico and Hungary plants will be 35,000 metric tons. Growing demand for alternative forms of energy, including wind power, are driving increases in demand for large-tow carbon fiber. Toray reports it expects the market for this fiber to continue to expand over the medium to long-term, and its investment will help stabilize supplies.

Techtextil North America/Texprocess Opens Early Bird Registration Early bird registration is now open for next year’s Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas, which will take place at the

Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The event takes place May 17-19, 2022, but anyone registering before February 18, 2022, has the opportunity to save on exhibit hall, symposium and special event tickets. Attendees are encouraged to purchase all tickets in advance. Early registration also makes planning easier, reduces wait times to pick up badges and ensures attendees are able to attend all events. Some features, such as the symposium and Official Techtextil North America & Texprocess Americas Reception, have a capacity limit. To learn more about the show and purchase early bird tickets, visit the event’s joint website: techtextil-texprocess.us. messefrankfurt.com.

VF Corp. Announces Investment In Virginia VF Corp. has announced a $10.2 million investment in Martinsville,Va., to increase capacity at a 500,000-square-foot distribution center. The expansion includes 82 new jobs. A grant in the amount of $225,000 from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund was approved by Governor Ralph Northam to assist Henry County with the project. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Martinsville-Henry

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

Milliken & Company: Carbon Neutral Flooring Milliken & Company, Spartanburg, S.C., reports all of its flooring portfolio — including carpet, luxury vinyl tile and entryway tile products — are now carbon neutral.This means the company offsets carbon emissions in raw materials and manufacturing carbon footprint — as calculated and verified through an ISO 14025/ISO 14040compliant life cycle assessment and published in a third-party environmental product declaration — using Verified Carbon Standard credits.The company is committed to a carbonneutral initiative, M/PACT, led by its flooring business. “A healthy future requires a commitment to big goals and developing world-class expertise,” shared Halsey Cook, president and CEO for Milliken & Company. “By utilizing our materials science expertise across a range of industries, we can develop

County Economic Development Corp. and the Virginia Office of Outdoor Recreation to secure the investment for the state, which was in competition with California and Pennsylvania. “VF Corporation has thrived in Henry County for nearly 20 years, and we are thrilled to see the company continue to invest in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam. “We’ve proudly operated our distribution center in Martinsville for 18 years

sustainable products. We can also ensure that we are doing our utmost to manufacture those products in a responsible manner. It will be collaborations and collective efforts that move the needle on sustainability.” “We are continuously working to remove unnecessary materials from our products, use recycled materials and reduce our dependence on oil,” said Jim McCallum, president, Milliken’s Flooring Business and executive vice president of Milliken & Company. “Our WellBac™ carpet products are Red List Free, containing no harmful chemicals, and all our flooring products have 100-percent transparency in materials to 100 ppm. We prioritize sourcing materials locally and manufacture our products regionally to decrease shipping distances.”

and we know that continuing to invest in Martinsville is the right choice given its location and committed employees,”said Cameron Bailey,VF Corp. executive vice president, Global Supply Chain.“The planned investments in this facility, from enhanced technology to improved distribution equipment, as well as the 82 new full-time positions, will help deliver our products to our consumers in a more efficient and prompt manner.” TW

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Business & Financial Textile Activity At A Glance DEMAND

*Latest

Year Ago

(Federal Reser ve Board [FRB], 2017=100)

PRODUCTION

Textile mill Textile product mill Apparel

90.1 92.6 101.0

90.2 89.8 93.5

(Dept. of Commerce [DOC], millions)

MANUFACTURING SALES

Textile mill Textile product mill Apparel Apparel retail

92.6 92.8 99.8

$2,263 $1,885 $865 $26,119

$2,266 $1,878 $856 $26,306

$2,199 $1,884 $880 $20,758

*Latest

Year Ago

154.4 169.7 152.5 183.9 175.0 187.0 147.2

149.7 163.4 151.3 183.2 168.0 185.0 147.2

126.5 155.7 137.0 163.8 160.8 175.3 144.4

$10,910 $1,912 $8,998

$10,977 $1,966 $9,011

$9,092 $1,777 $7,315

(BLS, 2011=100)

107.4

106.7

101.2

(BLS, 2005=100)

110.7

111.6

106.8

98.9 108.4 93.5

98.4 107.7 92.9

(BLS,1982=100)

Man-made fibers Processed yarn & threads Greige goods Finished fabrics Home furnishings Carpet Apparel

INTERNATIONAL TRADE (DOC, millions)

TEXTILE & APPAREL

SUPPLY (FRB, 2017=100)

CAPACITY

Textile mill Apparel

94.9 85.4

94.9 85.6

95.4 87.6 (FRB)

OPERATING RATE

Textile mill Apparel

66.8 81.0

67.8 79.9

STOCK/SALES RATIO Textile mill Textile product mill

1.40 2.13

1.38 2.12

1.38 1.96

65.5 73.1

114.9

109.5

68.1

(DOC)

COSTS Cotton

PRICES

(cents/lb)

(Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], $/h)

HOURLY EARNINGS

Textile mill Textile product mill Apparel

PRICE INDEXES

$22.62 $22.39 $22.48

$22.37 $22.31 $23.11

$21.99 $21.76 $20.64

(December 2003=100)

Imports Exports Trade Deficit IMPORT PRICE

Textile mill Textile product mill

EMPLOYMENT

(BLS, thousands)

Textile mill Textile product mill Apparel

PROFITS

(census, millions per quarter)

Textile Apparel

$1,195 $3,521

Textile Apparel

MACROECONOMIC FACTORS

154

Textile Product Mills Price Index

Unemployment Rate

Textile Mills Price Index

(DOC, billions)

150 148

(BLS)

Disposable income Housing starts

(DOC, thousands)

146 144

Consumer Price Index

$782 $2,451

$180 $-2,291

(census, quarterly per $ of sales)

MARGINS

156 152

95.8 103.9 91.3

10.8 16.0

8.6 13.0

2.4 -17.7

*Latest

Year Ago

4.6

4.8

6.9

$18,031

$18,060

$17,596

1,520

1,530

(BLS, 1982-84=100)

276.6

274.3

260.5

140

(BLS, 1982=100)

240.2

235.4

196.5

138

AGGREGATE

136

Factory utilization rate 77.1 Industrial production (2017=100) 101.6 Production capacity (2017=100) 99.6

76.1 100.0 99.7

73.7 96.6 99.5

142

Producer Price Index, all

134

2020 July – October = preliminary

2021 November = estimated

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

(FRB)

* all figures are for the latest available month as of TW’s press time, except for profits where only quarterly data are available.

CottonNews

Putting The Proof Behind

Sustainability Promises As consumers work to check everything off their shopping lists this holiday season, sustainability is becoming part of the shopping equation more and more.

rands and retailers have noticed an increased demand for more sustainable products since the pandemic began more than 20 months ago. Research conducted earlier this year by the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol revealed that nearly two-thirds of brands and retailers felt there has been an increased demand for sustainable products since March of 2020. However, it is not just about providing consumers with more sustainable products, it has also become about proving that sustainability with data and transparency. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, which was launched in the fall of 2020, can help brands and retailers meet these demands. The program provides farm level data on six key environmental metrics — water use, land use, soil loss, soil carbon, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. “I’ve spent most of my life working with cotton

and have committed the past several decades to helping U.S. growers raise the bar for sustainable stewardship of their land,” said Dr. Andrew Jordan, advisor to the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “This initiative is groundbreaking because of its commitment to data and its scalability. The data allows brands and retailers to demonstrate their commitments to their science-based sustainability targets and allows us to walk with U.S. cotton growers on a road of continuous improvement.” The U.S. cotton industry understands that continuous improvement is essential and has committed to a number of sustainability goals by 2025. Trust Protocol grower members will meet these goals by utilizing a data-driven approach that relies on innovative new technologies, cutting-edge research, and best management practices. “Today, the Trust Protocol is the first

sustainable cotton fiber to provide article-level transparency throughout the supply chain,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “The program provides access to more sustainably grown cotton for brands and retailers, and science based, data-led assurances that their consumers can have confidence in — something that has been lacking in the industry to date.” As public pressure continues to build, the Trust Protocol allows brands and retailers to prove their sustainability commitments to their customers, while at the same time continuously reducing U.S. cotton’s environmental footprint, providing consumers the confidence they need as they look for the perfect gifts this holiday season — and beyond. In its first year, the Trust Protocol welcomed more than 560 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members, including

Levi Strauss & Co.; PVH Corp. and its brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger; Gap Inc. and its collection of purpose-led lifestyle brands Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta; as well as global apparel manufacturer Gildan. The Trust Protocol has also welcomed U.K. retailers Tesco, Byford and Next Plc. The Trust Protocol was designed to deliver a better future for U.S. cotton, ensuring that it contributes to the protection and preservation of the planet, using the most sustainable and responsible techniques. To learn more about the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol visit trustuscotton.org. Be sure to follow @TrustUSCotton on Twitter and Instagram, and connect with U.S.Cotton Trust Protocol on LinkedIn for more updates. This sponsored content has been provided by the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

YarnMarket Textile Production Grows In November

By Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

anufacturing activity increased in November as the overall economy continued to grow for the 18th consecutive month, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Report on Business®. According to the December 1 ISM report, the 11 industries reporting growth in production during the month of November — listed in order — are: Petroleum and coal products; textile mills; furniture and related products; paper products; electrical equipment, appliances and components; computer and electronic products; machinery; chemical products; miscellaneous manufacturing; food, beverage and tobacco products; and plastics and rubber products.

Exports Also Increasing The exports of textile and apparel from the United States increased by 20.15 percent in the first nine months of 2021, as compared to the same period a year ago, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA). Among textile mill products, yarn exports increased by 26.09 percent year-on-year

to $2.902 billion, while fabric exports were up 15.79 percent to $6.451 billion and made-up and miscellaneous article exports grew 12.92 percent to $3.011 billion. The value of exports stood at $16.75 billion during January-September 2021, compared to $13.941 billion in the same period last year, according OTEXA. Category-wise, apparel exports increased by 28.94 per cent year-onyear to $4.385 billion, while textile mill products rose 17.31 per cent to $12.365 billion during the first nine months of 2021. Mexico and Canada together accounted for nearly half of the total U.S. textile and clothing exports during the period under review. The United States supplied $4.726 billion worth of textiles and apparel to Mexico during the nine-month period, followed by $3.911 billion to Canada and $1.051 billion to Honduras. Historically, textile and clothing exports have remained in the range of $22 billion to $25 billion per year. In 2019, for example, exports for the year totaled $22.905 billion. The effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, however, caused the value

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

of exports in 2020 to fall to $19.330 billion for the year.

Sustainability Yarn Market first reported on the eventual need for sustainability and traceability programs more than a decade ago. Back then, conversations about those issues were primarily concentrated in the agriculture and consumer products segments. But, even in the mid-2000s it was becoming clear that sustainability and traceability would eventually become priorities for any industry that manufactured components for products that would eventually be sold to consumers. Today, the United States has become a world leader in sustainability. In late November, Unifi Inc. announced a major milestone. The company has now transformed more than 30 billion post-consumer plastic bottles into its REPREVE® recycled performance fibers that are used by hundreds of the world’s leading brands. “Our brand and mill partners helped us achieve this ambitious goal,” said Unifi CEO Eddie Ingle. “By making the switch to sustainable by choosing to use Repreve, we’ve been

able to keep more than 30 billion plastic bottles out of landfills. We want to thank consumers for choosing to buy products — ranging from apparel to home furnishings to shoes — made with Repreve. Together, we are working today for the good of tomorrow.” Unifi began setting recycling goals in 2017 after hitting the 10 billion bottle milestone. The company pledged to transform 20 billion bottles by 2020 and 30 billion bottles by 2022. However, the company reached its 30-billionbottle goal a year early. To put this achievement into perspective: • When Unifi launched Repreve, it was initially adopted by only two brands; now, more than 1,000 brands worldwide use the recycled performance fibers. • Repreve fiber sales are approaching 40 percent of Unifi’s total sales, with that number expected to continue to grow in the coming year. • 30 billion bottles used to create Repreve fiber, instead of the virgin equivalent, can save enough energy to power nearly 284,000 homes in the United States for one year. TW

Color 41, Leaf 4, Staple 34, Mike 35-36 and 43-49, Strength 27.0-28.9, Uniformity 81.0-81.9 COTTON FIBER (BASE GRADE)

Spot Market, ¢/lb.

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

113.32

84.03

68.19

Ring-Spun 100% Carded Cotton

CARDED COTTON

Open-End Spun 100% Carded Cotton

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

10/1 18/1 24/1 30/1 12/2 20/2

2.30 2.33 2.50 2.52 2.87 2.96

2.01 2.04 2.21 2.22 2.58 2.66

1.83 1.95 2.00 2.10 2.42 2.61

4/1 10/1 16/1 18/1 20/1

1.56 1.63 1.68 1.74 1.83

1.18 1.23 1.28 1.34 1.43

1.10 1.13 1.29 1.35 1.37

Ring-Spun 100% Combed Cotton COMBED COTTON

POLYESTER/ CARDED COTTON

ACRYLIC & RAYON

Ring-Spun 50/50% Polyester/Combed Cotton

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

18/1 26/1 30/1 38/1

3.30 3.39 3.70 3.77

2.74 2.82 3.11 3.18

2.78 2.86 3.11 3.19

20/1 30/1

2.38 2.44

2.25 2.31

2.09 2.20

Ring-Spun 50/50% Polyester/Carded Cotton

Open-End Spun 50/50% Polyester/Carded Cotton

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

20/1 30/1

2.68 2.77

2.10 2.17

1.97 2.04

12/1 14/1 18/1 24/1 28/1

1.35 1.48 1.69 1.57 1.78

1.04 1.17 1.37 1.41 1.50

1.04 1.16 1.26 1.30 1.40

Open-End Spun 100% Acrylic (worsted count)

Open-End Spun 100% 1.2 Denier Rayon

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

1/12 1/18 1/24 1/28 1/32

3.10 3.15 3.22 3.27 3.48

20/1 30/1

4.56 4.79

Ring-Spun 100% Polyester (whites only) SPUN POLYESTER

Ring-Spun 100% Polyester (dyed)

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

8/1 16/1 20/1 22/1 30/1

2.35 2.47 2.60 2.70 3.08

2.19 2.31 2.44 2.54 2.92

2.16 2.28 2.41 2.51 2.89

8/1 16/1 20/1 22/1 30/1

3.57 3.78 3.85 3.92 4.29

3.30 3.51 3.56 3.64 4.01

3.25 3.46 3.51 3.59 3.95

Filament Polyester Partially Oriented Yarn (POY)

Textured Nylon

MAN-MADE FIBERS/ FILAMENTS

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

70/2 100/2

3.45 3.58

70 denier 100 denier 150 denier

2.20 2.14 2.08

Textured Polyester (knits)

Man-Made Staple Fiber

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

YARN TYPE

CURRENT

6 MO. AGO

1 YR. AGO

70 denier (dyeable) 70 denier (whites) 100 denier (dyeable or whites) 150 den. (dyeable) 150 den. (whites)

2.21 2.25 1.92

1.96 1.88 1.67

Polyester (1.5 denier) Acrylic (3.0 denier)

2.22-2.36 2.08-2.24

1.87 1.85

1.62 1.58

All yarn prices in U.S. dollars per pound & asking prices only. Prices compiled from 11/27/21 See TextileWorld.com for archived Yarn Market data.

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

IFAI EXPO 2021 REVIEW

IFAI Makes Music In Nashville People excited to return to “live” events and Nashville deemed a success both in terms of the show and the location.

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor FAI Expo, held recently in Nashville, Tenn., saw a continuation of the industry’s reemergence from a year-and-a-half of pandemic-induced hibernation. Judging by the reactions of exhibitors and attendees alike, the 100th anniversary edition of the show — with its corresponding special events and technical programs — was a pleasant success. “We had lowered expectations coming into this show, but are very happy with our booth traffic and the discussions held,” said Ted Fetterman, vice president, sales and marketing, Bally Ribbon Mills, Bally, Pa. “I think people are ready to come out of hibernation. I know I am! And this industry has always been look, touch and feel, which is very hard to do by email or on a Zoom call.” Other attendees agreed with those sentiments. Uli Tombuelt, CEO of Sattler USA, said: “Obviously this year’s attendance is less than in previous years, but we’re still having a very good show. There are a lot of interested buyers here and there is a lot of buying going on!” IFAI reported there was a total of 3,173 attendees on site with 218 exhibitors on the expo show floor.

AT Conference Kicks Off Festivities The Advanced Textiles (AT) Conference kicked off the first day of expo activities with a lunch and plenary session on innovation titled “A More Perfect Union — Advancing Textile Manufacturing Through Collaboration.” This session was followed by speakers discussing innovations in e-textiles, medical textiles, Industry 4.0, advanced manufacturing and sustainability, among other topics. One highlight from the AT conference was e-textile sessions presented by Dr. George Sun, CEO, Nextiles, and Clare King, president of Propel LLC. The somewhat astonishing fact was presented that currently “there exists over 2 billion more ‘connected electronic devices’ then there are people in the world” as part of the reason for the continued interest in e-textile wearables. King drew praise from several attendees by suggesting that “we need to build a bridge between technology and textiles, and to do that we would benefit from a textile/electronics engineering discipline being offered.” She added that “textile engineers are undervalued and really need to be paid

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

more,” which was nice to hear openly expressed, because plenty of industry veterans already knew that. Day two began with IFAI’s Annual Meeting where outgoing Chairman Kathy Schaefer, CFO of Glawe Awning & Tent Co., reviewed IFAI’s metrics validating that the organization had been able to manage well through the pandemic, its membership remains strong and that IFAI continues to be a solid and thriving industry organization. She also announced several member awards, including an Honorary Life Membership to Dennis Bueker of Miami Corp., before formally handing off the position to incoming Chairman Amy Bircher, founder and CEO of MMI Textiles Inc. Bircher, IFAI’s 53rd chair, acknowledged that the industry is experiencing numerous challenges related to supply chain and labor issues similar to other industries, but that IFAI’s board would be working to rebrand the organization going forward to emphasize collaboration across its different divisions and within the various industry segments in order to strengthen the organization as a whole and strengthen its future (See

“Amy Bircher: New IFAI Chairman,” TW, this issue). Then, following keynote speaker Steve Rizzo’s entertaining presentation on the powers of optimism — where he offered that “we create our own realities” and “need to get out of our own way so that we can live the life we deserve” — for expo attendees, it was either on to more of the AT conference sessions or out to the show floor to create some new realities.

Expo Show Floor The IFAI Expo show floor was markedly smaller than in years past with numerous companies opting for smaller booths. That said, most on the show floor were resolutely upbeat. “It’s just nice to see people in person again instead of the numerous emails, calls and Zoom calls we’ve all been juggling

throughout the pandemic,” stated Juliana Wilson, a technical sales representative for Warwick Mills. “Warwick has shown before, but this is my first time at IFAI and I’ve felt very welcomed. We’ve had several very good meetings and have made numerous strong connections.” Zoe Newman, a graduate student at the Wilson of Textiles at NC State University, was also a first-time visitor to IFAI Expo. “It’s been great to be here and see the diversity of the textile industry and its wide-reaching applications,” Newman said. “It’s also been nice to actually put a face with the names of companies, products and people that we’ve come in contact with or learned about through our studies.” Tony Ehrbar, owner and CEO of American Tent, added: “It’s been a good show and we’ve had a steady stream of traffic throughout. We didn’t know what to expect but it feels like the attendees are not just tire kickers, they’re actual decision makers.” The show floor was also a good place to be for those looking for innovation. “You can’t really look for innovation while sitting behind your desk,” Fetterman suggested. “You need to get out and see concepts, ask questions and have the discussions. Then think a bit and maybe ask more questions, all of which is hard to do from behind a desk.” Innovation was definitely found at a number of different booths. Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) — an industry organization “working to enable a manufacturing-based revolution by transforming traditional fibers, yarns and fabric into highly sophisticated, integrated and networked devices and systems” — had several innovative concepts on display in its booth and a constant flow of curious people. Alpha Systems, a manufacturer of straight drop motor systems for awnings and window treatments was one of several companies receiving this year’s IFAI Show Stopper awards for its innovative products. “The show and networking events have

(left): Dr. George Sun, founder of Nextiles Inc., during his Advanced Textiles Conference presentation titled, “Building a More Connected Future Through Textiles” (right): Outgoing IFAI Chairman Kathy Schaefer during the association’s annual meeting.

been really good for us,” said Alpha Systems’ Samuel Alamsyah. “Angie from IFAI has been great to work with and we’ve had really good discussions with our customers and partners this week.” Renegade Plastics, founded only a few months ago to commercialize and further a new plastics-based technology, used the show floor to present a soft introduction of its products that should be available in early 2022. According to Curran Hughes, Renegade’s president, the plastics technology, available in films and scrims, will be lighter, yet with the same performance of heavier polyethylene fabrics and films used in the agricultural space. “The polymers used are expected to be food safe, so no off-gassing concerns, will have long life and will be fully recyclable,” Hughes said. “It presents an alternative to vinyl that can perform similarly, yet without as many environmental concerns.” Initial product introductions in Asia and Europe have already garnered acceptance. “Our long-term goals are essentially to make upstream plastics more sustainable, while building a closed loop plastics economy for upstream industries,” Hughes added. “We want to change ‘plastics as usual.’” It should also be noted that

Nashville received rave reviews from attendees. “Nashville is a great location for trade shows,” offered Jim Briggs, global market leader, Mehler Engineered Products. “The conference hall is nice and conveniently located close to hotels and the entertainment districts where there are lots of options to entertain and be entertained.” “Nashville just creates a great environment for an industry event like this,” Warwick’s Wilson added. “There’s the city’s history, good food, plenty of live music, and all easily accessible, which allows you to venture out with new and old friends alike and have some fun.” “Nashville was a wonderful location for IFAI Expo and we’ll be back!” said Steve Schiffman, IFAI president. “The industry was excited to be back together, and we were delighted to provide the venue to help people reconnect. We’re already well into planning and looking forward to IFAI Expo 2022, October 12–14, 2022 in Charlotte, N.C.” Hopefully, the industry’s reemergence endures unabated and life in general is able to continue its way back to some semblance of normalcy. TW Editor’s Note: Please see TextileWorld.com for a full list of International Achievement Award Winners.

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

SYFA FALL 2021 CONFERENCE

SYFA: Back To Business AA

fter back-to-back-to-back cancellations of its 2020 meetings and also its spring 2021 meeting because of “continued effects of the Covid-19 virus,” the Synthetic Yarn and Fabric Association (SYFA) was excited to gather in person for the fall 2021 meeting held recently at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel, Charlotte, N.C. The event focused on the industry’s current supply chain challenges under the title, “Identifying Solutions for Growth Amidst A Disruptive Supply Chain.” Presenters came from companies including Kuehne + Nagel International, Accelerating Circularity, Gap Inc., Hire Dynamics and Wood Mackenzie, as well as the Hohenstein Institute, Manufacturing & Textile Innovation Network and Kennesaw State University. While attendance was slightly lower than for a typical SYFA conference, overall turnout was good and

After hosting a successful fall conference — SYFA’s first inperson event in two years — the association looks to 2022 and its 50th anniversary. TW Special Report

things look promising as SYFA looks to 2022 when it celebrates its 50th anniversary. “It was encouraging to see the strong in-person attendance, and so good to be back together as a group,” said SYFA President Daniel P. Sistrunk. “Think of what we’ve all been through over the last 18 months — a global pandemic, labor issues, a shipping crisis, supply chain disruption and more! Yet we, the SYFA and its members, are still going strong, which is a testament to the

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value of the organization and its importance to the industry. As we prepare for our next conference and the 50th anniversary of the organization in 2022, we are positioning ourselves to provide even greater value through our publications and conferences and continue to move forward in support of our members and the textile industry.” Conference sponsors included Gold Sponsors Premiere Fibers Inc., Unifi Inc. and Jomar Softcorp International Inc.; Silver Sponsor Pulcra Chemicals LLC; and Bronze Sponsors Goulston Technologies Inc. and Polyspintex. Patrons included Avient, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Milliken & Company, Measured Solutions Inc., and the Furniture Manufacturing Expo. SYFA will hold its next conference April 21-22, 2022, at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel. TW

COTTON MARKET UPDATE

Surplus In 2019-2020 Much Larger Than The Combined Deficits In 2020-21 And 2021-22 130 125

World Production

World Mill-Use

120 115 110

Reasons for upward trend in cotton prices and future outlook not entirely clear.

105 100 95 90

By Jon Devine

85 80 2019/20

2020/21

2021/22 Source: USDA WAOB

Cotton: Interesting Times

o say the least, it has been an interesting couple of years for the cotton market. With COVID, an initial effect was a large overhang in supply. Before the pandemic, the expectation was that cotton production and mill demand would be virtually even in the 2019-20 crop year. When the virus shuttered spinning mills around the world, it caused a yawning surplus. At nearly 20 million bales, it represented the second-largest addition to global supply on record, only behind the addition made to stocks in 2011-12, after the 2010-11 spike, according to market and trade data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Since then, a global production deficit occurred in the 2020-21 crop year — 5 million bales — and a small deficit is expected for the world in the current 2021-22 crop year — 2 million bales. The net result expected after these three crop years is the addition of more than 10 million

bales to global stocks, according to the USDA FAS. Before COVID, the world was not facing a shortage of cotton. With supplies swollen, a persistent question is why cotton prices have been able to continue to climb.

Undefeated Uptrend Part of the reason may be that cotton prices have simply been unable to break lower. Since April 2020, cotton prices have moved only in one direction. This has happened despite the emergence of the COVID delta variant, recurring lockdown orders around the world, persistent shipping challenges, inflation, and concerns about the future trajectory of Chinese economic growth. Cotton’s undefeated uptrend may be partly due to what has been called the “everything rally” that has spanned financial markets. An illustration is the correlation between cotton futures and the S&P 500. Both tracked a nearly linear trend line since April 2020. Relative to their

averages in January 2020 — preCOVID — nearby cotton futures were down 31 percent at the start of April 2020 and the S&P 500 was down 25 percent. By the end of August 2021, nearby cotton futures were up 37 percent versus their January 2020 average and the S&P 500 was up 38 percent, according to data from Reuters and calculations by Cotton Incorporated. One common thread shared among cotton and other seemingly unrelated financial markets was the rising macroeconomic tide in place since the worst of the shutdown period. Relatedly, another shared connection is exposure to the unprecedented stimulus measures that were unleashed to counter the effects of shutdowns and other restrictions on economic activity. Among other efforts, the Federal Reserve has been pumping $120 billion of new money into the economy each month since the spring of 2020. The Fed has been doing this to prevent the collapse of asset values. In

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this regard, it appears to have been succeeding, with prices across many asset classes rising together. This economic effort plus other stimulus measures, has left many U.S. consumers better off than before the pandemic. Direct payments and reduced spending lifted consumer savings rates to level nearly double those before the pandemic, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. On top of that, the value of consumers’ largest assets, including their homes and retirement accounts, have risen sharply according to Federal Reserve data.

Linear Uptrend Accelerated In Late September 2021 130 120

NY Nearby (cents/lb)

110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40

Rebound In Consumer Demand With travel and other recreational services still affected by COVIDrelated regulations and concerns, this has translated into spending growth on physical goods like clothing. Relative to the same period in 2019, consumer spending on apparel has been up 25 percent over the past six months. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data shows normal rates of spending growth for apparel are 2 to 3 percent, so consumer demand is well beyond what could have been expected without the virus.

Source: Reuters

Even with port congestion and rising costs, retailers and brands have been ramping up imports of finished textiles. In terms of raw cotton equivalence, U.S. imports of apparel are set to post their highest volume since 2010, and U.S. imports of home textiles are on pace to set a new record according to the USDA Cotton and Wool Outlook and Cotton Incorporated calculations.

U.S. Supplies Tight

U.S. Stocks-To-Use Ratio Pulled Tight In 2020-21; Expected To Hold Tight In 2021-22 60% 50% 40%

41%

30% 21% 20% 17% 10% 0%

Source: USDA NASS

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Demand pull from other countries has not been as strong, but the world has collectively pulled out of recession. During recessions, companies commonly seek to conserve cash to survive. This generally means pulling back on orders and inventory. When demand resurfaces during the recovery, a common result is a wave of orders to refill pipelines. The scramble to secure capacity can bid up costs for materials and manufacturing.

While stimulus and the everything rally may help explain the linear growth in prices from the spring of 2020 through the summer of 2021, desperation to secure cotton to meet near-term needs may help explain the acceleration in cotton price increases since late September. Compounding the difficulty of getting cotton shipped to mills in a timely fashion is that the world’s largest cotton exporter, the United States, experienced significant tightening last crop year. The combination of adverse weather conditions and strong demand from China caused U.S. cotton stocks to drop by more than 50 percent between the start and end of 2020-21, according to the USDA FAS.

The current stocks-to-use ratio estimate for the United States in 2021-22 is below 20 percent. This ratio has fallen below that level just a handful of times over the past couple decades. In 2021-22, the United States is expected to collect a healthy harvest. However, strong import demand from China and other markets is expected to keep U.S. stocks at relatively tight levels through the end of the 2021-22 crop year, according to USDA FAS data. Heavy speculator investment likely has been another factor in the recent price surge. Among other possible factors, speculators could have been attracted to the cotton market due to the tightness in U.S. supply, strong Chinese purchases of U.S. cotton, and memories of what happened to cotton prices after the last recession. The Commodity Futures and Trade Commission (CFTC), the government agency that oversees all U.S. futures markets, reports positions in futures according to participant type. Between September 21 and October 5, the CFTC reported that speculator bets that cotton prices would increase grew 48 percent. That surge of money on the long side of the market could have contributed to volatility.

Looking Ahead An old saying in commodities markets is that the best cure for high prices is high prices. The reason is that higher prices motivate producers to increase supply while they simultaneously depress demand. One decade ago, cotton prices rose to levels much higher than they have currently. Record prices in 201011 resulted in a new record for global acreage in 2011-12. Those record prices also caused a seven-year depression in cotton demand, with it taking until 2017-18 for world mill-use to recover back to its 2009-10 level. The everything rally pulled corn and soybean prices higher alongside those for cotton. However, the latest surge in the cotton market has made cotton more favorable and three-digit cotton can be expected to boost cotton acreage in the next crop year. The outlook for demand is less clear, but a slower pace could be expected to follow the initial push to refill supply chains. If forecasts for 2022-23 call for a significant surplus in the United States and globally, they could prove to be the challenge that finally upend the uptrend. TW Editor’s Note: Jon Devine is a senior economist with Cary, N.C.-based Cotton Incorporated. The information contained herein is derived from public and private subscriber news sources believed to be reliable; however, Cotton Incorporated cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. No responsibility is assumed for the use of this information and no express or implied warranties or guarantees are made. The information contained herein should not be relied upon for the purpose of making investment decisions. This communication is not intended to forecast or predict future prices or events.

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

GASTON COLLEGE EVENT

President John Hauser (front, 6th from left) with Gaston College and Textile Technology Center Board members and project partners at the groundbreaking event for the Fiber Innovation Center.

Breaking New Grounds

ecently, Gaston College’s Kimbrell Campus, Belmont, N.C., hosted a doubleheader event as it introduced two new significant additions to compliment and strengthen the college’s Textile Technology Center (TTC). The doubleheader first featured an introduction to the newly formed Textile Academy, which was established to address textile industry educational needs; followed by a formal groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fiber Innovation Center (FIC) — a stand-alone building devoted to fiber and yarn development opportunities adjacent to the TTC.

Textile Academy At Gaston College The newly established Textile Academy’s mission is to “cultivate highly skilled workers for local industry employers.” “It introduces students to the basic concepts of textile technology and careers within the textile industry and is focused directly on addressing the workforce skills gap currently found there,” said Jasmine Cox, director of Textile Technology programs. The Textile Academy is modeled after Catawba Valley Community College’s Furniture Academy, but its offerings will be customized and tailored around meeting the specific needs of

Two major additions to Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center are intended to service the textile industry’s needs. By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor the textile industry. “This industry continues to change at a rapid rate,” noted Karen Menting, vice president of Human Resources for Parkdale Mills, Gastonia, N.C. “The challenges today as a textile manufacturer are even greater than in years past, and Parkdale Mills is committed to help build this worker training and education resource and future talent development because we need to be able to meet the demands of the business we want going forward, not just the business we already have.” The Textile Academy is intended to be industry driven, with a strong focus on hands-on training utilizing TTC’s fiber, yarn and fabric processing labs, as well as relying on the experiences of its technicians and operators. Initial offerings will include apprenticeships and entry-level training in a variety of textile-related disciplines to address current employment vacancies at local textile companies. “The programs are

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intended to be cost effective and will consist of targeted training using a common framework that is customizable as warranted by the individual company and/or specific position,” Cox stated. “Potential costs are expected to be as low as $200 per student, and there is also the potential for funding from state, local and other agencies to offset the training costs.” The apprenticeship segment is currently up-and-running for several company sponsored programs, and TTC is in the process of building a pool of instructors including industry professionals and TTC employees to meet additional training needs. New course offerings between six and eight weeks in length are in development, along with degree track programs with a tentative program catalog expected to include courses in textile fundamentals, quality and testing, and yarn and fabric formation. According to Cox: “We’re in the process of building out what the complete program will look like, but it will initially focus on machine operator through shift supervisor tracks. We’ll first target current textile industry employers with training needs, and then begin filtering down to tech schools and high schools to raise interest in textiles as a career where students can grow with the industry.”

The course offerings are intended to yield certificates of completion and stackable credentials that can be used to transfer into degreed programs at institutions such as NC State University, Raleigh, N.C. “TTC is a strong resource for the local textile industry,” explained Sam Buff, TTC’s vice president and general manager. “We function with and for the industry. We are committed to making this happen. We will listen to the industry’s comments and adjust accordingly and will be flexible to meet their needs and wants, but the textile industry really needs to drive it in order for us to be successful.”

Fiber Innovation Center Groundbreaking Ceremony After the introduction to the Textile Academy, Gaston College held a formal ceremony with college leaders and assorted luminaries for the groundbreaking of the new FIC building. The FIC, an expansion of Gaston College’s Kimbrell Campus, will be a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to advancing fiber and yarn technology towards new and innovative applications. “Roughly 12 months ago, CVCC [Catawba Valley Community College] and Gaston College joined together to create the Manufacturing and Textile Innovation Network (MTIN), a partnership formed to improve both and benefit from the power of one,” said John Hauser, president of Gaston College. “This, along with the events related to the COVID pandemic and resulting immediate need for the development, testing and evaluation of personal protective equipment, created a push for new facilities at both locations in order to more closely support the U.S. textile industry.” Construction of the $16.5 million FIC facility is slated to begin later this year or in early 2022. When completed, FIC will be the only North American facility open to industry housing the entire range of advanced fiber through fabric development capabilities. As Davis Warlick, execu-

tive vice president of Parkdale Mills, explained: “When combined with the resources already available within the Textile Technology Center and the Manufacturing Solutions Center, this will essentially be a one-stop shop. It’ll be the only facility in the United States able to take a fiber idea through all the related or subsequent processes and convert it into actual textile products.” “This will be the first of its kind in the world focused on textiles,” noted John Lowery, president of the Gaston College Foundation Board of Directors. “It will be an ideal facility to promote the importance of the textile industry, not only locally, but around the world, leading to better textile solutions for sustainable, innovative products and applications.” The FIC’s cost is largely funded by private donors from industry and institutions, the state of North Carolina, and through assorted grants. “This project has so much support from state, county, city, academia,

industry and philanthropy,” said Anderson D. “Andy” Warlick, chairman and CEO of Parkdale. “Fiber innovation is key! It represents the future of the textile industry in the United States. New fibers that can be used in a wide variety of applications across the textile spectrum, including sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable, antimicrobial and other possibilities are key to the growth or re-growth of the U.S. textile industry.” With the additions of the FIC and Textile Academy, TTC is certainly positioning itself to be a viable longterm resource for the textile industry — locally and globally. “TTC’s mission hasn’t really changed dramatically since its beginning though everything around us has,” Buff noted (See “Evolution of a TalentDriven Textile Industry Resource,” TW, March/April 2020). “We see the Textile Academy and the FIC as game changers for the textile industry. There will be nothing like it anywhere else!” TW

Custom Monofilaments for Filtration & Technical Fabrics

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QUALITY CONTROL & TESTING SDL Atlas HydroPro hydrostatic head tester

Quality control instruments, software and test methods all play an important role in the textile supply chain. TW Special Report

Advancements In Quality

Control And Testing

uality control and advanced testing have never been more important throughout the textile supply chain. Solid quality management is important on multiple levels — in-plant, between suppliers, and ensuring safety and quality for brands and consumers. Meeting established standards and specifications with universal test methods — like those established by ASTM International and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) — and utilizing the latest in testing equipment provides consistency in the supply chain among multiple manufacturers. Whether the focus is on apparel and consumer goods, technical textiles or advanced materials like composites, quality control and testing is at the heart of today’s textile supply chain.

Air Permeability And Hydrostatic Instruments James Heal recently expanded its Performance Testing product range with the addition of the AirPro air permeability tester. The company

reports it is an innovative alternative to similar testers available in the market. Some key features of the AirPro include: • TestWise software — James Heal’s in-house, proprietary system for simplified operation with preloaded standards and a “quick test” function; • A large, illuminated test bed to accommodate a variety of materials and large samples; • Quick change test heads ranging from 5 to 100 square centimeters; and • A wheeled base for easy movement around the lab or factory floor. “What differentiates James Heal’s AirPro is that there is no requirement for compressed air,” said Paul Montalto, Technical Knowledge manager. “This makes changing of test heads efficient, as there is no requirement to disconnect the air supply or change air pressure during the testing procedure, something which is commonly seen in alternative air permeability testers. This takes up valuable testing time. James Heal’s focus is to make

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testing simple, fast and intuitive; for greater throughput, and accurate, consistent and reliable results.” James Heal also recently introduced the HydroView hydrostatic head tester. The unit can test at pressures ranging from 0 to 10,000 mbar making it well-suited to testing medical textiles, outerwear and performance apparel, and geotextiles and nonwovens. HydroView features an innovative safety guard arrangement that allows a user to hold a test specimen in place while keeping hands away from the pneumatic clamps. Like the AirPro, the HydroView comes equipped with James Heal’s TestWise software. ATI Corp. of North America, Greer, S.C., represents a variety of quality control testing companies including Switzerland-based Textest AG. The Textest FX 3000-IV HydroTester automatic hydrostatic head tester is one of the most popular models sold by ATI Corp., according to Alex Ziegenfus, president of sales. The unit can measure pressures up to 5 bars or a 50 meter water column. According to Textest, low pressures are precisely controlled when they are required such as when

James Heal Air Pro air permeability tester

testing nonwovens. Optional features include an Automatic Drop Detector, which enables automatic test termination so an operator is not required to manually terminate the test; an Automatic Level Control that fills the water tank prior to the first test and can automatically compensate for any water loss between measurements; and an integrated data evaluation program for flexible data management. Textest’s fourth-generation FX 3300 LabAir IV air permeability tester is another popular testing machine sold by ATI. The company touts a robust design and sturdy clamping arm; custom-built test heads and adapters for special applications; and optional Sequence Module for programmed pressure or velocity sequences for research and development work as benefits of the machine. The FX 3300 LabAir IV also has the capability to measure pressure drop and specific air flow resistance in addition to air permeability. SDL Atlas, Rock Hill, S.C., just launched a redesigned HydroPro hydrostatic head tester. New features include video recording and image capture; new pneumatic sample clamping; a Fast Test function to rapidly determine failure point and other tasks in 80 percent of the typical test time; automatic water filling and water level detection; full color touchscreen controller; LED-lit testing area; and clear safety shield. The HydroPro tests at pressures up to 5 bar. With optional fixtures, the unit also can perform a pore size test and blood penetration test. SDL Atlas’ Vortex M6 commercial grade top loading washing instrument was designed to meet the M6 Monograph requirements developed by the American Association of Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), as well as alternate conditions of AATCC’s LP12018 requirements. The device, recognized by sportswear apparel retailers for testing against AATCC wash standards, is fully programmable, may be calibrated to ISO 17025, and offers a testing cycle of up to 100 hours.

(above): Textechno Statimat (right): Textest FX 3000-IV HydroTester

Understanding and measuring the amounts of microfibers during home laundering has become a hot topic in the textile industry. SDL Atlas’ accelerated washfastness instruments — such as the Rotawash and the LaunderOmeter® — may be used to test for microfiber release, or shedding.

Fiber And Yarn Measurement Measured Solutions Inc., Greenville, S.C., provides testing solutions for the fiber and yarn industry. The Fibrotest, from Germany-based Textechno, combines fiber length and strength testing in one machine. The tests are performed in succession on the same fiber bundle. The mass of the sample is then determined so tenacity also can be calculated. The instrument does not require any calibration cotton and may be used to measure man-made fibers and blends as well

as cotton. Fibrotest also is suitable for measuring recycled fibers. Textechno’s Statimat DS is a traditional tensile tester that also incorporates yarn evenness and yarn count testers, combining the three tests into one instrument. The Statimat DS features the PC-based TESTCONTROL system for test control and data evaluation. The MDTA-4 and Quick Spin Unit from Textechno is unique in that it is a typical microdust and trash analyzer but with added NT-DA neps and trash digital analyzer, fiber length measurement, and the ability to measure fiber cohesion. The sliver produced by the MDTA-4 can be spun into an open-end sample yarn using the optional Quick Spin unit. The MDTA-4 is suitable for cotton and man-made fibers. The Covamat automatic capacitive evenness tester for filament yarns from Textechno offers a state-ofthe-art quality control system for a filament yarn testing lab. The instruments novel capacitive sensor design; self-threading, high-speed yarn twister; and testing speeds of up to 800 meters per minute provide an opportunity to quickly detect irregularities in the production process. Covamat also is available in a model for spun yarns, the Covamat S.

Color Measurement Grand Rapids, Mich.-based X-Rite Inc. offers key products for a textile digital workflow including spectrophotometers, color formulation software, software to help with virtual materials and lightbooths for visual evaluation. The company offers many different spectrophotometers depending on the application, but the Ci7800 is a top choice for textile manufacturers. The spectrophotometer can measure opaque, translucent and

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

AATCC: Articulating The Efficacy Of

Odor Control Technologies The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) has long been a leader in developing test methods. All of its test methods, procedures and monographs are developed by research committees. These groups research, test and discuss a method — sometimes for several years — and it must also be approved by the committee and the Technical Committee on research before a standard can be published in the AATCC Manual of International Test Methods and Procedures. Recently, AATCC developed an objective test method — AATCC TM211-2021 — that can articulate the efficacy of odor control technologies in as little as 48 hours. It was always assumed that reducing bacterial populations would eliminate odor in textiles, but with no

transparent samples using up to five reflectance and four transmission apertures. Various accessories may be used to measure a wide range of materials including textured samples. Ultraviolet filters also can be used to control optical brighteners found in textiles. The Ci7800 is compatible with X-Rite’s Color iQC quality assurance software. If samples are found to be out of tolerance, the software provides direct feedback to get the color on target. X-Rite offers its Color iMatch color formulation software, which uses multi-flux technology to provide optimal color matches, thus reducing wasted formulation

quantifiable way to measure odor elimination, it was hard for companies to make true odor control claims related to antimicrobial textile technologies. The highly sensitive test gives real-time and visual depictions of ammonia levels on a colorimetric scale and as a percentage of reduction compared to untreated fabric, in under 48 hours. The straightforward method of inoculating the test material in a sealed flask, allowing the bacteria to grow for 18-22 hours, and then collecting the ammonium gas in a Drager gas detector tube for a following eight hours, has been approved by the AATCC and can be adopted by labs worldwide. Please visit the November/December 2021 issue page on TextileWorld.com to read an article about AATCC’s new test method.

attempts. X-Rite’s lightbooths offer a controlled lighting source for color evaluation. The company offers a variety of models — including the SpectraLight QC, Judge QC and Pantone 3 Lightbooth — to accommodate different manufacturing needs. Lawrenceville, N.J.-based Datacolor launched the Spectro 1000/700 series of benchtop spectrophotometers earlier this year. The family of instruments was designed to be efficient while ensuring uniform color assessments across various instruments in multiple locations in the supply chain. The units feature internet connectivity.

(right): Datacolor Spectro700V benchtop spectrophotometer (far right): X-Rite’s Color iMatch color formulation software helps a company determine the best color formula for an application.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

“Heightened by the pandemic and remote working trends, the need for digital exchange of color data has increased,” said Albert Busch, president and CEO, Datacolor. “Datacolor set out to develop a family of high-efficiency spectrophotometers designed to meet the industry needs of today while also staying ahead of tomorrow’s trends. With the Spectro 1000/700 series, users can feel confident their instruments are ready to take advantage of future product enhancements, allowing for remote service and data analytics thanks to internet connectivity.” Datacolor also offers the SpectraVision, a solution for objectively measuring multicolored, textured, small, or irregular-shaped materials including textile prints, yarns, lace, trims and accessories. In addition, Datacolor TOOLS is the company’s color quality control application suitable for color specialists in the textile industry. Using Datacolor Tools, an operator can analyze, report, communicate and visualize accurate color results. Pass/fail tolerances may be set to remove subjectivity and ensure consistent color quality.

Software Solutions For Lab Management Accelerated Technology Laboratories Inc. (ATL), West End, N.C., offers Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). The company is active in many industries and believes its software is a great fit

access to data and key reports. This solution can be useful to textile manufacturers that often have decision makers located in different global plants and offices.

No Shortage Of Solutions Advances in quality control and testing have a significant effect on standardizing and improving today’s textile supply chain. Many vendors

Accelerated Technology Laboratories Sample Master® workstation

for the textile industry. According to the company, its Sample Master ® LIMS is an ideal solution for both large and small textile organizations. Sample Master features an intuitive user interface, Master Query functionality, scheduling, integrated calculations, configurable captions, automated alerts and reporting options. All functions are customizable based on a customer’s specific needs. The company reports it has seen an uptick in popularity for its Software as a service (SaaS) option that allows a customer to use the LIMS without having to worry about performing backend maintenance tasks because ATL hosts the application for the customer. ATL also offers a web portal solution named Result Point® that allows a company to provide other departments outside of the laboratory

are developing technologies to improve the quality control process. Test methods and standards also are in constant development (See sidebar). In today’s demanding manufacturing environment, textile testing and quality control are at the center of making high caliber products to tight specifications that meet the performance and aesthetic promises made to brands and consumers. TW

ExecutiveForum Amy Bircher: New IFAI Chairman MMI Textiles’ Amy Bircher shares her thoughts on IFAI and its value to the industry, as well as the textile industry in general as she begins her term as chairman of the IFAI board of directors. TW Special Report

my Bircher was recently named the 53rd chair of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) at the IFAI Annual Meeting held during IFAI Expo 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. Bircher, founder and CEO of MMI Textiles Inc., Westlake, Ohio, succeeded outgoing Chairman Kathy Schaefer, CFO of Glawe Awning & Tent Co., Fairborn, Ohio. In business since 1997, ISO 9001-certified MMI Textiles specializes in supplying technical textile products — from woven and knit fabrics to webbing, elastic, hook and loop fasteners, and more — to military and tactical, medical, and commercial markets. Initially operating as a manufacturer’s representative, the company now also oversees the production of its own stock and custom products, many of which are domestically made. According to the company, it has experienced doubledigit growth every year

Amy Bircher

since it opened its doors — a fact it credits to strong vendor partnerships and customer commitments. The company’s growth included the acquisition of NDW Textiles Inc. in 2007, her family’s converting business that has since quadrupled in size. MMI also opened a new narrow weaving facility in Lenoir, N.C., that oversees production of its patented CT Edge® and other Mil -Spec narrow fabrics. Textile World recently had the opportunity to speak with Bircher as she embarks on her term as IFAI chairman. TW: What led you to

the textile industry? Bircher: My family owned and operated a textile dyeing and finishing plant in Lynchburg, S.C., from 1980 to 2000. I started cutting fabric swatches for customers at a very young age and then worked in various parts of the business during high school and college summers.

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TW: IFAI reached its

100th anniversary last year? What do you see for your term as chairman, and how does the history of the organization impact your role? Bircher: It is quite a historical milestone for the association, and I am honored to be chosen as its 53rd chairman. IFAI is in the middle of an extensive rebranding exercise that will ultimately raise the brand perception and awareness within our textile industry so that IFAI can capture an audience that exists in growth markets for them, while maintaining the importance of legacy markets that are the heart of the association. Our board is very engaged in this important exercise and our membership is very excited and ready for this change. I would also like to continue to push for more collaboration among our divisions. In this everchanging business environment, and with all of the issues that have come

out of the pandemic, it is more important than ever to get out of the silo-effect and work across the industry to tap into growth opportunities and discuss common issues. It’s an exciting time for IFAI — it is a remarkable association with very strong leadership that is driven to take IFAI to the next level and provide member benefits that resonate with everyone. TW: What do you think

is the true value of IFAI membership? Bircher: Almost everyone would say the networking — and it’s true. To grow your business and stay relevant, you need to network as much as possible in any industry. IFAI provides the platform to do just that — networking events with great educational content, webinars, advocacy, and the online CONNECT forum that has produced peer groups coming together to share common issues.

ExecutiveForum TW: How do you see the

role of IFAI, and what does the organization mean to the U.S. textile industry, especially this year with the increased demand for medical textiles? Bircher: This is definitely a focus point for the association — to grow its footprint in the medical textile space. IFAI collaborated with many other organizations during the pandemic — NCTO, INDA, AFFOA, Seams, to name a few — to come together and fight for U.S.made personal protective equipment (PPE) — this really helped IFAI’s brand during a very difficult time. That, I believe, was a pivotal moment for IFAI and really shone a light on Steve Schiffman’s leadership. IFAI has a military division and USIFI for advocacy that strongly supports the Berry Amendment. The membership of those divisions really pushed hard during 2020 to get textiles to mask and gown producers and push for long term commitments for domestically produced PPE. TW: As the leader of an

innovative textile business, how do you see the current state of the industry, including current and/or future challenges and opportunities? Bircher: Unfortunately, the textile industry has been dealt tough issues that may not go away any time soon. From labor issues to supply chain

issues, everyone is fighting the good fight to get products to their customers in a timely manner. These are unprecedented times and one that I have never seen in my long textile career. This is also a time to be very connected to your customers as good partners and get creative on servicing their needs. We are always innovating and looking for opportunities to move forward, and we will get through these challenging times. In the end, I think we will come out stronger than before and having gained knowledge that we never thought to seek. We are continually investing in our industry, and in 2022 MMI Textiles is moving to our new 40,000-square-foot headquarters facility in Cleveland, Ohio, and we are adding equipment in our Lenoir, N.C., narrow weaving facility to expand capacity and capabilities. TW: For textile industry

leaders who step forward to serve in elected positions, there is a tremendous commitment of time and brain power to the duties involved. How will you balance those new demands with your responsibilities at MMI Textiles? Bircher: Thankfully I have the best team in place within MMI Textiles that will allow me to have the time to commit to my responsibilities as chairman. I have also had time to prepare for this moment. I take

this role and responsibility seriously — MMI stands for Me, Myself, and I — a commitment that I will give 110 percent to anything that I do. And that is the same with my responsibilities as IFAI chairman. TW: Trade has been a

significant issue for the current administration. What are your thoughts as IFAI chairman as well as a CEO of a company with global business interests? Bircher: From an MMI perspective, trade has been, and always will be, a tough topic for business — we live in a global environment with trade policies evolving and potentially changing all the time. We import product from Asia, including China, and while tariffs affected me when they were put in place, I actually agree with them. What has been difficult is the tariff exclusions for PPE. We have proven that the United States can produce PPE products and we need to have those products produced on American soil. What happened when we were cut off from PPE out of Asia — where some 80 percent was produced pre-pandemic — and the subsequent price gouging is a wake-up call that we can’t rely on foreign entities to keep us healthy and safe. Now we are fighting for “Made in USA”PPE laws so that all of the companies that made huge investments in equipment can continue to produce PPE in this country.

From an IFAI perspective, the organization is global and must remain neutral in its opinions on trade, however it does have the USIFI division that advocates for regulatory and legislative issues to protect its USAbased manufacturing membership. TW: Imagine you are

looking back on your year as chairman. Where is IFAI, and what contributions did you make to the organization? Bircher: After one year, I hope I have provided Steve and his leadership team with the support they need from me in my role to continue to propel them forward in the manner for which they have approached their vision and mission every day. We will also have finished our rebranding and unveiled to the industry at large. TW: What do you see

for IFAI in the future, beyond your tenure as chairman? Bircher: Post chairman role, I see great IFAI board leaders and next chairmen continuing the hard work and support of Steve Schiffman and his team to stay the course they have taken in their strategic vision for IFAI. The organization will continue to evolve and will not only strengthen and grow its core divisions, but will add new markets that feel the need to belong to IFAI. TW

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

ExecutiveForum

Sustainability: The Archroma Way Archroma’s CEO Heike van de Kerkhof discusses the company’s sustainability journey and sustainable textile initiatives.

Heike van de Kerkhof

TW Special Report

rchroma is a global, diversified provider of specialty chemicals serving the branded and performance textiles; packaging and paper; and coatings, adhesives and sealants markets. Headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland, Archroma operates in more than 100 countries, with 2,900 employees located in 35 countries and 26 production sites. At the beginning of 2020, Archroma’s board of directors named Heike van de Kerkhof CEO of the company. She succeeded Alexander Wessels who was named vice chairman of the board.Van de Kerkhof joined Archroma from Castrol, BP plc’s branded lubricant division, where she was vice president, Western Hemisphere. Her personal beliefs that “industrial leaders must fight for climate and environmental protection,” inform her leadership approach as she puts Archroma on an economically and ecologically sustainable path. TW: You entered your

CEO role at Archroma during a challenging time.

How did you manage the new role with the increased leadership challenges? Van de Kerkhof: I indeed took the helm of Archroma in January 2020, just a few weeks before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I think we were very well armed to weather the crisis. We had a solid foundation as a leader in sustainable, R&D-enabled chemistry, and a diversified portfolio, and that allowed us to serve our customers despite the disruptions and challenges worldwide. At the same time as our team stepped up to the challenge, we also reorganized ourselves and implemented a regional structure with seven clusters, bringing sales and marketing, supply chain and production all under one roof and closer to our customer base. We also created a network of global Competence Centers dedicated to R&D and application development in their specific area of expertise, such as for instance our global Competence Center for Denim and Casual wear in Barcelona, Spain; our global Competence Center

for Paper Chemicals in the United Kingdom, and our global Competence Center for Textile Finishing in Switzerland. This has produced the expected results: After the first months of the pandemic in 2020 that impacted all our industries and markets, we have seen a regular recovery, and today our sales are back at pre-pandemic levels. TW: Does your history

with heavy industry associated with lubricants and chemistries affect your approach to sustainability at Archroma? Van de Kerkhof: Quite the contrary. I have worked with companies which decided very early on to address environmental challenges in a responsible manner, and I actually decided to join Archroma because of their leadership in this area. Archroma has a very long history of driving sustainability in the textile industry. Our very first offering of sustainable solutions dates back to the 1990s when we introduced our “3R”concept with products helping customers to Reduce, Reuse,

or Recycle at all stages of the product life cycle. Since then, we have led many trailblazing initiatives in our industry. In 2013, we opened what we believe to be the first zero discharge facility in the textile industry in Jamshoro, Pakistan — a water stress area — with the aim of setting new standards not only in the quantity but also in the quality of the recovered water. And in the past few years, we have developed several ground-breaking, iconic innovations, such as our aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo, Smartrepel® — a PFC-free* waterrepellent solution — and our plant-based EarthColors® dyes used in several exciting brand collections such as G-Star, Esprit, or more recently by Primark. TW: What are the guid-

ing principles in developing a “path to make the industry more sustainable, economically and ecologically” at Archroma? Van de Kerkhof: As we like to put it, we touch and color people’s lives every day, everywhere.You will find Archroma colors, antimicrobials, repelling

* Below limits of detection according to industry standard test methods

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ExecutiveForum agents, anti-odors, flame retardants, and more, in your clothes, bedsheets, delivery boxes, writing paper, wall paints, and car seats, among other products. Such a broad presence comes with responsibilities. That is why, in 2012, we launched the ONE WAY Impact Calculator — a textile production process simulator designed and used to provide our customers and partners with an accurate estimate of the process conversion costs, resource utilization, effluent discharge quality, and CO2 emissions of their existing production process versus more sustainable alternative systems. And as fashion, online shopping and food packaging, for example, are increasingly associated with air and water pollution, brands especially are eager to demonstrate their efforts, in particular in a post-pandemic world where consumers have no tolerance for green washing. With ONE WAY, any manufacturer or brand can calculate how much positive impact the Archroma solutions will have on their water, energy, chemical, raw material or CO2 footprint. That is how we help them reconcile economy and ecology. TW: In support of the

slogan “The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced. It’s our nature,” can you expand on what

this means in terms of leadership at Archroma? Van de Kerkhof: “Safe” is about products that are safe to use, safe to release and also safe to wear. “Efficient”is about innovative application processes that minimize resources and maximize productivity.“Enhanced”is about adding effects, functionalities, aesthetics and sustainable differentiation to bring additional value to the final user. In line with this approach, we started to develop holistic solutions designed to bring innovation and performance, whilst reducing the impacts on water, energy and other natural resources — as demonstrated by the ONE WAY Impact Calculator. We actually launched more than 70 such systems in the last two years! To mention just one as an example: CASUAL X SMART is a sulfur dyeing system for trendy washdown effects to make clothes that look smart at home and at work. The colors won’t fade in the washing cycle, and the application process allows resource savings of up to 33 percent water, 21 percent energy and 35 percent chemical usage compared to a benchmark reactive and pigment garment dyeing. With ONE WAY we can substantiate how we actually help transform our industry. For instance, we estimate that, since 2013 we helped save 7,740,000,000 liters of

water and reduced 420,000,000 kilograms of CO2 with our DEEP DIVE 2.0, DARK BLISS 2.0, SMART START and SMOOTH AS IRON (FASHION) systems, thus allowing massive resource savings in cotton items.

emissions, energy and water consumption, sustainable sourcing, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and product innovation. In terms of sustainable sourcing, Archroma requests all material suppliers to provide valid certification from EcoVadis, and we aim to assess all vendors against our Archroma sustainable sourcing rating which goes beyond the requirements of EcoVadis. We already assessed more than 70 percent of our material spend with valid ratings during the reported period, and aim for a coverage of more than 90 percent for fiscal year 2022. TW: Looking forward,

TW: What is your

assessment of Archroma’s recently released Sustainability Report for the fiscal year 2020, and what are the key take-aways? Van de Kerkhof: We try to apply the same ambition to our sustainability reporting as to everything we do. First, this was the fourth sustainability report released by Archroma, and the third report prepared in accordance with the demanding GRI Standards — something we are quite proud of. Second, we consulted our stakeholders for the first time, via an online survey, in order to consider and integrate the sustainability topics that are critical to them into our own strategy and reporting. The report covers our impacts and efforts in areas such as greenhouse gas

what do you see as the leading challenges of Archroma’s sustainability journey? Van de Kerkhof: I am actually rather positive. We have seen a historical shift in public awareness over the past two years, and we at Archroma see this as a unique opportunity. Brands in fashion, food, home decor, or sportswear make ambitious pledges, and they want to honor them. They are therefore eager to understand how they can introduce new, exciting innovations with safer ingredients and a lower impact on resources. That is where Archroma can help, with our eco-advanced ingredients and demonstrated resource-saving solutions. We can help them make a difference. TW

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

DYEING & FINISHING Carolina Cotton Works recently invested in new equipment including two Lab-Pro dyeing machines (one pictured, right) and a PLM Impianti system (below) for improving the fabric inspection process and wrapping finished rolls.

CCW continues its investment strategy to support shifting markets and remain competitive. TW Special Report

Carolina Cotton Works:

A Heritage Of Investing

affney, S.C.-based Carolina Cotton Works Inc. (CCW) opened its doors in 1995 with an initial investment in all new equipment for garment dyeing, and continuous bleaching and scouring. Fast-moving market trends meant the company needed to quickly pivot shortly after opening its doors. But recognizing an opportunity, the company made an additional investment in a one-piece dyeing machine. That mentality of adapting when needed to maintain flexibility and nimble production set the tone for CCW moving forward, and its continued success has allowed it to add capacity

almost every year since it opened. Today, the family-owned business is run by Founder Page Ashby’s two sons — Bryan and Hunter. They are committed to continuing Page’s legacy by dealing with challenging times by diversifying. Wishing to remain competitive and environmentally responsible, CCW recently made an investment in new equipment for the plant. “We use technology to improve quality, make jobs easier, improve efficiency and reduce our environmental footprint,” noted Stacey Bridges, sales manager. “Over the years, we have added technologies

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that dye fabric using less water and fewer chemicals. We have also emphasized technologies that ensure every lot of fabric is consistent whether running knits or wovens in a wide range of styles.”

New Equipment For its latest investment, CCW purchased two new dyeing machines from Switzerland-based Lab-Pro GmbH, a Benninger AG company. CCW operates three different brands of dyeing machinery in its plant, but chose Lab-Pro machines for its latest upgrade because of the low liquor ratio capabilities and resulting water

and chemicals savings. The flexibility of the dyeing machine was another consideration. “We can run our 100percent poly filament automotive fabrics, body size apparel for the government, heavyweight fleece, and any other styles we need to on the Lab-Pro machines,” Bridges said. The company also added a new dye inventory system that requires less floor space for dye storage, and simplifies retrieving the dyes when they are needed. “The vertical carousels from Summit Storage make the job easier on our employees and better utilize space,” Bridges noted. In addition, CCW invested in a new system to improve the fabric quality inspection process, automatically wrap finished rolls and move the rolls through the plant. CCW selected the system from Italy-based PLM Impianti S.r.l. “We chose PLM Impianti for the quality control inspection and roll wrapping system because of the quality of their equipment,” Bridges said. “It gives CCW a chance to improve our fabric inspection and eliminate the job of bagging rolls manually. The system also uses less plastic than bagging the rolls, so it’s a better choice for the environment too.”

Reacting To The Times Today’s array of machinery and technology found at CCW includes capabilities for: • Piece dyeing; • Tubular finishing; • Open-width finishing; and • Fabric package sales. Its expertise in dyeing and finishing focuses on cotton, and filament and spun polyester, as well as an assortment of specialty fibers for flame-retardant applications. The company serves a myriad of markets including performance, fashion and military apparel; industrial applications; automotive interiors; flame-retardant workwear; medical fabrics; aerospace textiles; napery; and filtration applications. During the pandemic, the product

Over the years, Carolina Cotton Works has continually invested in new equipment to stay competitive, become more environmentally responsible and make the employees jobs easier.

shift was dramatic with demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) at an all-time high. Fortunately, the nimble company is built to respond to challenges such as those thrown its way such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. “At the beginning of the pandemic, CCW moved very quickly to running all types of mask fabrics, level 1 reusable gown fabrics and level 2 reuseable gown fabrics,” Bridges noted. “We ran knits and wovens with antimicrobial and antivirus treatments for masks. We processed knits and wovens for gowns. Within just a few weeks, CCW transformed our normal business into fabrics for personal protective equipment. The switch allowed us to keep work flowing, employees working and we did not have to shut the company down for even one day because of the pandemic’s effect on our business.” Unfortunately, CCW has not been immune to the labor shortage affecting the entire industry at the current time. “We definitely have had a difficult time staffing in 2021,” Bridges

admitted. “The new investments do help make jobs easier and eliminate jobs where possible. We have made huge investments in 2021 to grow our capacity, we now just need the staff to help us continue that growth!”

Going Forward A willingness to invest has been part of the fabric of CCW since its inception. Markets and demand change, and investment to support those changes is what keeps CCW relevant. Page Ashby’s legacy, with sons Bryan and Hunter and a devoted staff, continue to make a difference. “The Ashbys have always invested in the company to reduce cost, improve the flexibility of fabrics we manufacture, and to make the jobs easier for our employees,” Bridges said. It might seem to be a simple business model, but awareness of market demands, shifting interest of clients and technological developments, and the ability to increase capital investment is no easy road, but CCW is staying the course. TW

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

DIGITAL PRINTING NC State researchers asked a team of textile experts to compare traditional denim to digital denim fabric. Photo courtesy of Ming Wang.

“Digital Denim” Is A Pretty Good Match For The Real Thing NC State researchers report team of textile expert say fabric printed to resemble denim was a good match for the real thing.

By Laura Oleniacz rop by drop, researchers from North Carolina State University printed ink on cotton fabric to make “digital” denim fabric resembling six different styles of jeans. When they asked a team of textile experts, they found that overall, the samples made with the computer and printer were a good match on average for denim made using traditional, more labor-intensive methods. However, in the Journal of Imaging, Science and Technology , the researchers reported that certain styles of jeans were easier to replicate using inkjet printing than others, and certain features, like color, were more easily replicated. With further study, researchers said they expect digital printing will be a viable method for making new jean products in the future, with less waste. Writer Laura Oleniacz recently spoke with study co-author Lisa Chapman, associate professor of textile and apparel technology and

management at NC State, Raleigh, N.C., and lead author Ming Wang, a former graduate student at NC State, about the study. Oleniacz: Why were you inter-

ested in printing jeans digitally? Chapman: Denim is a staple of our wardrobe. Almost everybody has several pairs of jeans in their closet. It’s a really popular item. It’s also one of those garments that’s sold worldwide. But the process for making denim is water-intensive. One of the things the industry is looking at is: How do you reduce the amount of water that’s used for denim? Wang: To make jeans, the cotton yarn is dyed, and then there are finishing and washing processes that give jeans a certain look. Those processes can have a lot of negative environmental impacts such as water pollution and energy consumption. I wanted to explore another way to produce the same look of the denim that is more environmentally friendly.

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Oleniacz: What is inkjet printing? Why is it used in textile manufacturing? Chapman: Inkjet printing is really similar to your inkjet printer at home in that it’s going to jet droplets of ink onto the fabric. But in this case, it’s dropping textile colorant onto the surface of the fabric. We consider it an emerging technology in that it’s still fairly small market share in textiles. But it has potential mainly because it uses less water, it uses less energy and it’s a print-on-demand process. So you’re eliminating some of the steps in the coloration process, and you have unlimited colors. To print using the traditional process, as you increase the number of colors, you increase the cost of the design. Inkjet printing is not like that; 200 colors is the same as two colors in cost. At one point in the history of apparel, and in home furnishings, we had a lot of the same products. We would print lots of yards of the same design. Now we’ve moved to a consumer group that demands a lot of variety. When you have a lot of variety, you have more prints and you have smaller production runs and costs of the screen can be really expensive. Inkjet printing becomes more cost effective. Oleniacz: In your experiment, how did you create the digital denim? Wang: I used a high-resolution scanner to scan a very high-resolution image of the jean samples, then transferred it to a computer file that can contain the color and transparency information. Then I chose a pretreated fabric that has the same weight and texture as the traditional jean samples. In the digital print lab, I had access to four different inkjet printers. After struggling to find the

right ink and printer, I chose the latex printer, which is more environmentally friendly. I chose six different denim types that have different washing effects. We found digital printing can reproduce all of those effects. Oleniacz: What did the expert panel say about the digital denim quality? Wang: We found 12 experts from the textile industry who have a lot of experience, especially on denim and color matching. We asked them to compare the digital denim and the traditional jean samples. For color, the traditional and digital denim were very close. On a scale from one to five, with one as the greatest difference, five means there is no difference, the average score for color was around three or above three. Which means we had a good match for color. Besides color, we also evaluated the line quality, the texture, the lightness, and overall match. What we

found is that it’s very hard to achieve the line quality and texture. We think the reason might be that the traditional dyeing has high ink penetration. But for digital printing, it’s printing on the surface of the fabric, and it’s not penetrating that much into the fabric. That could cause the difference in line quality and texture.

Oleniacz: What is the future of Oleniacz: What is the future of digital denim? Wang: If someone could solve the ink penetration problem, I think we could mass produce denim products with a high-speed printer. It could bring the cost of production down. However, since mass production is not quite realistic yet, we could use digital printing for high-end denim products like for home textiles or apparel. For kids, they are growing every day, so you could have something that looks like jeans. Chapman: It may be difficult to replace traditional denim, but

Quality makes the difference!

FASCINATING TEXTILE MACHINERY www.brueckner-textile.com

there are other markets where this could do a much better job. Jeggings is a great example. In addition to infant wear, there are situations where you want the denim look, but you want a higher drape and a softer fabric, like dress shirts or women’s dresses.

digital printing for textiles? Chapman: While there is a pretty high learning curve for digital printing, there are also advantages with reduced energy use, chemicals, and water waste when we’re comparing digital printing to screen printing. The dot-com market is also going to drive digital printing. We’ll be looking at new technologies that speed up the production cycle to get goods to consumers faster. TW Editor’s Note: Laura Oleniacz is Public Communications Specialist at NC State News Services.

DYEING, PRINTING & FINISHING

Samples of pigment-printed fabrics made using Zimmer Austria’s Colaris Inkjet digital printing system on a variety of substrates.

Adopting Digital Pigment Printing Technology

rom its introduction in the early 1990s, the promise of digital textile printing was enticing, but slow to develop. Initially, digital printing became a sample and development tool for designers in a preproduction environment. The technology was expensive, but found a niche in commercial printing for banners and signage.

Development Of Digital Printing Printing speeds for early jet technologies were relatively slow compared to traditional printing methods and this hampered adoption by the textile industry. But printhead development brought speed into the equation; dyes, inks and substrates improved; and the color gamut available to the printer increased. Scanning technology and computational power also expanded capabilities.

Easing The Transition For some textile printers, the transition from traditional to digital printing involves only minor changes to established processes, and offers great savings in the engraving and

Digital printing developments in various dye classes present challenges to adoption by traditional textile printers. TW Special Report

storage of traditional screens and other pre-print necessities and design constraints. A traditional reactive printer adopting digital reactive printing will face fewer challenges than those printers trying to adopt a new dye class with significant processing changes.

Conventional And Digital Mix Data provided by long time printing technology supplier Austriabased Zimmer Austria points to a 97 to 3 percent traditional to digital printing product mix, with 45 percent of the traditional printing achieved using pigments and 57 percent of the digital printing performed using a sublimation — transfer paper — process. Conventional printers also produce 27 percent of their output using

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reactive dyes, while digital printers use 36 percent reactive. This presents an interesting contrast into the penetration of digital printing into the traditional market and the challenge for traditional pigment printers to adopt new dye class processing technologies.

Conventional Dyestuff Selection Criteria When adopting digital printing for textiles, dye selection has not really changed regardless of the system. The addition of pre- and post- fabric coating options in digital printing can enhance the digitally printed fabric’s appearance and performance, which is a bonus for digital processes. Reactive, pigment, vat, acid, and disperse dye classes, or inks, all retain the performance achieved through the years of traditional printing development. Printheads and processes, including dye circulation, have evolved. For instance, reactive and acid dyes don’t require circulation in the digital print process, while pre-metalized dyes benefit from dye circulation. Disperse, pigment and vat dyes must be circulated.

These developments have reached a point where digital printing can meet the needs of the printer’s final product performance and where each dye class performs at its best.

Where Pigments Shine There are many reasons why pigment printing holds a 45-percent share of the conventional printing market. Pigment printing is versatile in that it has few substrate constraints so one printing and processing system can print on many different fabrics — unlike for many of the other dye classes. It is also a fairly uncomplicated printing system, whether a conventional or digital printing platform is used. “What you see is what you get,” unlike the mysteries of other dye classes as they go through sometimes complex finishing processes to reveal the final color. There also is the benefit of little wastewater, no solvents and low energy consumption combined with low initial investment and ability to achieve low print costs when using pigments.

printing, and introduced the high resolution 76 dpi printer for carpet in 2006 and towel printing in 2007. In 2009, Zimmer developed the CHROMOJET 76 dpi with process color printing. The following year, COLARIS entered the market targeting applications in home textiles, fashion, and flags and banners. The Colaris technology introductions continued with new products for narrow fabrics, digital carpet printing and more.

Colaris Pigment Printers

Digital Printhead Solution

A Digital Future

The Colaris digital printing technology utilizes the Fujifilm Dimatix StarFire ™ industrial printhead. Originally developed for the ceramics industry, the head features 1,024 nozzles per head, the RediJet™ ink

As the promise of digital textile printing technology seemingly rounds the corner from a sample and development tool for designers in a preproduction environment to a full blown production

The StarFire industrial printhead currently is the centerpiece of a family of seven Colaris pigment printers. The models range from print widths of 74 millimeters (mm) up to 3,400 mm, and feature square meter per hour (sqm/h) performance at 400 X 800 dpi from 140 up to 1,060 sqm/h. The Colaris family features six-color machines with a maximum 2 to 16 heads per color, depending on the model.

End Uses According to Zimmer, pigmentprinted fabrics are suitable for applications in: • home textiles; • bed-Linen; • upholstery; • cushions; • window fashions; • outdoor fabrics; and • print on panels. Although there are many digital printing technology developers and suppliers in the evolving textile space, Zimmer Austria stands out with the development of its Colaris technology. As a printing systems manufacturer, the company builds on more than 140 years in the textile printing industry and 45 years in digital printing with a deep knowledge of the complete textile and print process.

Zimmer’s Digital Path In 1986, Zimmer offered the CHROMOJET 16 dpi for carpet

Zimmer Austria’s six-color Colaris digital printing machines feature Fujifilm Dimatix StarFire™ industrial printheads and an “open-ink” system for flexibility in ink and dye choices.

circulation system and an integrated heating system. The printhead’s modular design makes it repairable with the changing of individual components. In order to add value and extend the system’s useful life, Zimmer opened the Colaris Printhead Reconditioning Center offering a repair service for a nominal fee. Interestingly, Zimmer’s technology features an “open ink system,” which allows the printing company to choose its ink or dye supplier. Zimmer does test inks and dyes for performance in its printheads and system and can make recommendations to Colaris users.

process offering speed, quality and efficiency — digital print adoption by traditional printers is looked upon with optimism. Solutions for conventional pigment printers to adopt digital solutions utilizing familiar finishing processes are available. Certainly costs matter and will the process transition savings — like screen engraving, rotary screen storage and management, repeat design constraints, and a smaller manufacturing footprint offset the costs of digital inks and maintenance? Those analyses are underway in many places and a digital future may happen sooner than expected. TW

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

DYEING, PRINTING AND FINISHING

Thies GmbH & Co. KG is headquartered in Coesfeld, Germany.

Thies: Five Generations,

Modern Approach The family-owned textile dyeing machinery company continues to innovate to meet today’s dyeing industry challenges.

TW Special Report

hies GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned and -run custom textile dyeing machinery company established in 1892. Currently, the fifth generation — siblings Verena, Christiane and Alexander Thies — manage the export-oriented business. Thies’ production facility in Coesfeld, Germany, produces its dyeing machines using components made by subsidiary companies based in Poland and Slovenia. “With a qualitatively and quantitatively strong team of young and experienced employees, we strive to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for practical use,” said Verena Thies. The company also promises a customer partnership with investment security and strong service. “We have built up a comprehensive network of dedicated service technicians, salespeople and agencies over the past six decades,” Thies added. “Hence, customers are optimally looked after locally, in their time zone and language.”

Modern Machines, Intelligent Controls Thies strives to build dyeing machines that consume extremely low amounts of water and energy and feature efficient control tech-

nologies. It’s state-of-the-art iMaster series embodies these concepts in a modern dyeing machine. Chemical consumption, primarily measured in grams per liter (g/L) is largely dependent on the water consumption. In 1980, the complete dyeing cycle — including washing, dyeing and rinsing — required approximately 105 liters of water per kilogram of fabric. Today, the Thies iMaster series can achieve on average 28 L/kg on medium shades, which represents a reduction of 73 percent.

Sustainable Technologies Sustainability is the driver for change. With this in mind, Thies has developed a new machine series — the Signature Series. According to the company, the Signature Series not only achieves a further reduction in water consumption, but also lowers dye consumption and significantly reduces the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) when processing cotton fabrics. Solids production as well as their treatment in wastewater treatment systems is very complex and ties up many resources. Thies emphasizes that when talking about sustainability goals, the entire finishing process must be considered.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

“Fabric preparation — consisting of scouring and/or bleaching — and after-treatment processes often are not considered and sustainability efforts are limited to one process part — the dyeing,” Verena Thies noted. Digital measurement and analyses of dyeing processes are key to process optimization, according to Thies. The company offers several tools for this purpose that optimize the recipes and dye curves. DyeControl, for example, is an automated system for more water-efficient dyeing and rinsing. This is achieved by individually adapting the required amount of water during the wet finishing process. Rinsing, washing and dye baths are measured and analyzed online. The visual representation of the process curves enables both a control of the turbidity and a determination of the dye extract from the liquor.

Heat Recovery Systems According to Hardy Sullivan, sales, Thies Corp., Rock Hill, S.C., heat recovery systems are often not used in U.S. dye houses or they are undersized based on the needs of the plant. This is because they weren’t promoted initially when dye houses were purchasing equipment. However, today this is a technology included from the beginning when investing in new dye house equipment. The Thies heat recovery system uses hot wastewater to heat up cold, fresh water needed for dyeing processes. According to the company, the level of benefit increases depending on the temperature difference, 6t, between the hot wastewater and cold water. For example, a machine with a dyeing capacity of 500 kg dyeing three batches of cotton per day can save up to 80 percent of the steam needed with the consistent use of a heat recovery system. This results in a significant reduction in production costs as well as carbon dioxide emissions. “It’s easy for dye houses without

heat recovery systems to add one,” Sullivan said. “The Thies system is scalable for increased production. The closest installations of Thies heat recovery systems are in Central America, but several North American companies are showing interest, in part because of the savings in carbon dioxide emissions.”

Automation The demand for automated machinery continues to grow. The advantages of automation are diverse — productivity rates can be increased and stabilized by the reduction of unproductive waiting times; automation increases occupational safety and the attractiveness of the work itself; and automation also may be used to counteract an ever-increasing shortage of skilled workers. In yarn dyeing, bobbins are placed on the spindles of the bobbin carrier, which in the case of a 500 kg yarn carrier and a package weight of 1 kg, means 500 yarn bobbins must be loaded and unloaded. Thies offers robotics that can take on this timeconsuming and physically demanding work, as well as locking/releasing the locking devices. The robotics can be programmed to avoid waiting times for the machines, and the bobbins and locking devices are damaged less frequently as a result of the automatic unloading. The prepared carriers can also be automatically loaded and unloaded into a horizontal yarn dyeing machine. Thies also offers Multi Product Supply (MPS) systems for automated dye and chemical storage, weighing and dispensing. The system comprises MPS-L for liquids; MPS-D for dissolving dyes; MPS-S for solids; the gravimetric MPS-G; and at the highest level, the MPS-Colourmatic, which controls the entire path of the dyes from the warehouse to the dyeing system including storage, weighing, dissolving and provision in an automatic cycle.

According to the company, some of the advantages of the MPS systems include: • Reduced occupational safety hazards for employees who less frequently or no longer come into contact with dyes and chemicals; • No danger of spills, thus preventing plant damage; • Automatically managed stock levels and auto-generated order proposals if stock falls below a predetermined level; and • Increased productivity and reproduction rates. Thies MPS system is a modular concept that can be implemented in small or large dye houses. The system can also be implemented gradually, making the investment economical. The systems also create a more transparent dyeing process, according to Thies. All additions are documented, and incorrect measurements and product mix-ups are prevented thus

The gravimetric Thies MPS-G combines the functions of the MPS-L, MPS-D and MPS-S and can supply up to 30 chemicals to the dyeing machines automatically.

maximizing reproducibility. Down time also is avoided because the systems can prepare the dyes, chemicals and auxiliaries in advance. The synchronized system and production sequence ensures each product is available in the right quantity at the right time at the right machine. The delivery precision of Thies’ liquid dispensing system is automatically checked, monitored and optimized. Therefore, recurring calibration is not necessary. The measurement of the supplied chemical quantities is performed volumetrically with the help of a magnetic-inductive measuring system. With integrated small quantity measurement, small amounts as little as 5 millimeters can be precisely supplied. Sullivan reports that a relatively new manufacturer, American Merchant, Bristol, Va., has recently adopted Thies’ dye dissolver and chemical dispensing equipment. The terry towel manufacturer operates under the philosophy of supporting local farmers and workers by producing all-American made towels. American Merchant took over an abandoned factory space and invested a significant amount to bring in all new looms and other machinery including the Thies equipment. Its brand, American Choice Textiles, provides products direct to the consumer, and the company also supplies high-quality bath linens to retailers of all sizes.

Today And Tomorrow It is clear that this established firm is dedicated to developing innovative and sustainable solutions for practical use. That being said, a company with five generations of institutional knowledge reaching back to 1892 definitely takes its craft seriously. But it’s the blend of history and ability to focus on the future that makes a difference — automation, sustainable technologies and modern machines featuring intelligent controls — that is Thies’ story today. TW

Textile World NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

Calendar JANUARY 2022 4-6: Beltwide Cotton Conferences, organized by the National Cotton Council of America, Marriott Rivercenter Hotel, San Antonio,Texas.Visit cotton.org/beltwide. 11-14: Heimtextil 2022 organized by Messe Frankfurt, Messe Frankfurt Fairgrounds, Frankfurt, Germany.Visit heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com. 18-19: Première Vision New York, Center 415, New York City. Visit newyork.premierevision.com. 18-21: IM Intermoda, Expo Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico. Visit intermoda.com.mx. 25-27:Texworld New York City/Apparel Sourcing New York City, organized by Messe Frankfurt, Javits Convention Center, New York City.Visit texworld-usa.us. messefrankfurt.com; and apparelsourcing-usa.us.messefrankfurt.com. 26-27: Materials Innovation & Advanced Technology Leadership Forum, organized by SAMPE North America, Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel, Huntington Beach, Calif. Visit materialsinnovationforum.org. 26-28: Outdoor Retailer Snow Show, organized by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo.Visit outdoorretailer.com.

7-9:Texworld Evolution Paris, organized by Messe Frankfurt France, Paris Le Bourget – Parc des expositions, Le Bourget, France. Visit texworld-paris.fr.messefrankfurt.com.

22-24: 38th SpinExpo™ Shanghai, the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Shanghai, China. Visit www.spinexpo.com/shanghai.

8-10: Première Vision Paris, Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center,Villepinte, France.Visit paris.premierevision.com.

28-29: Smart Fabrics Summit, hosted by IFAI and partner NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles, NC State, Raleigh, N.C. Visit smartfabricssummit.com

13-16: Sourcing at Magic Las Vegas, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. Visit sourcingatmagic.com. Also, Sourcing at Magic Online from February 1-April 1. 16-18: Women In Textiles Summit, organized by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, Braselton, Ga.Visit ifai.com/women. 23-24: 57th Edition of Filo, MiCo Milano Congress Centre, Milan, Italy.Visit filo.it.

MARCH 8-10: JEC World 2022, organized by JEC Group, Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center, Villepinte, France. Visit jec-world.events.

FEBRUARY 2-3: 2022 AAPN Dallas Hybrid Regional Conference (in-person or virtual option), organized by the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN),Texican Court Hotel, Irving,Texas, and Haggar Clothing Co. headquarters, Farmers Branch,Texas.Visit aapnetwork.net

16-17: First Annual Evolving Textiles Conference: Materializing the Future — Circularity in Textiles and Alternative Fibers, organized by NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles, Raleigh, N.C. Visit sites.textiles.ncsu.edu/ sustainability-conference.

28-31: FiltXpo™, International Filtration/ Separation Exhibition & Technical Conference, organized by INDA, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Fla.Visit filtxpo.com.

APRIL 24-26: 18th International Istanbul Yarn Fair, organized by Tüyap Trade Fairs Inc., Tüyap Istanbul Fair and Congress Center. Visit iplikfuari.com.

9-11: Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles/Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics,Yarn Expo Spring 2022, organized by Messe Frankfurt, National Exhibition and Conference Center, Shanghai, China.Visit intertextile-shanghai-home textiles-spring.hk.messefrankfurt.com; intertextile-shanghai-apparel-fabricsspring.hk.messefrankfurt.com; and yarn-expo-spring.hk.messefrankfurt.com.

25-27: Colombiatex de las Américas/ Colombiamoda, organized by Inexmoda, Plaza Mayor Medellín, Colombia. Visit colombiatex.inexmoda.org.co.

28-31: IDEA® 2022, organized by the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Fla.Visit ideashow.org.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

5-7: National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.Visit ncto.org. 10-12: International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) Annual Conference, Davos, Switzerland.Visit itmf.org. 20-21: Outlook™ Asia, organized by EDANA, Parkroyal Collection Pickering Hotel, Singapore. Visit edana.org/events/ outlook/outlook-asia. 21-22: Synthetic Yarn and Fabric Association (SYFA) Spring 2022 conference, Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel, Charlotte, N.C. Visit thesyfa.org. 24-26: IFAI’s Outlook Conference, Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs,Va. Visit usindustrialfabrics.ifai.com/events/ outlook-conference. 26-28: Heimtextil Colombia licensed by Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, organized by Inexmoda, Medellin, Colombia Plaza Mayor convention center, Medellín, Colombia. Visit heimtextilcolombia.com.

Calendar MAY

Argentina.Visit industriatextilexpo.ar. messefrankfurt.com/buenosaires.

1-3: Southern Textile Research Conference (STRC), Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C.Visit thestrc.org. 1-3: 2022 pro:Americas Annual Conference, organized by AAPN, Miami, Fla.Visit aapnetwork.net. 17-19:Techtextil North America/ Texprocess Americas, organized by Messe Frankfurt, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.Visit techtextil-northamerica.us.messefrankfurt.com; and texprocess-americas.us.messefrankfurt.com. 23-26: SAMPE 2022 Conference & Exhibition, organized by SAMPE North America, Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, N.C. Visit sampeamerica.org. 31-June 2: Emitex/Simatex/Confemaq, organized by Messe Frankfurt Argentina, Costa Salguero Center, Buenos Aires,

31-June 3: FESPA Global Print Expo 2022, Messe Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Visit fespa.com

JUNE 9-11: Outdoor Retailer Summer, organized by OIA, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo. Visit outdoorretailer.com. 14-18: Hightex 2022 — International Technical Textiles & Nonwoven Trade Fair, Istanbul Tüyap Exhibition and Congress Center, Istanbul,Turkey. Visit hightexfairs.com/hightex2022. 14-18: ITM 2022 – International Textile Machinery Exhibition, Istanbul Tüyap Exhibition and Congress Center, Istanbul,Turkey. Visit www.itmexhibition.com/itm2022.

12-14:Techtextil/Texprocess 2022, organized by Messe Frankfurt, Messe Frankfurt Fairgrounds, Frankfurt, Germany. Visit techtextil.messefrankfurt.com; texprocess.messefrankfurt.com. 27-29: Southern Textile Association (STA) and Annual Fiber Buyers Group Annual Meeting, organized by STA, Hilton Head, S.C.Visit southerntextile.org/events.html. 27-30: INDA’s World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, Marriott Marquis Chicago, Chicago, Ill.Visit worldofwipes.org.

JULY 4-7:Texworld Evolution Paris, organized by Messe Frankfurt France, Paris Le Bourget – Parc des expositions, Le Bourget, France. Visit texworld-paris.fr.messefrankfurt.com. 20-21: Furniture Manufacturing Expo, Hickory Metro Convention Center, Hickory, N.C. Visit furnituremanufacturingexpo.com. TW

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Quality Fabric Of The

Month By Rachael S. Davis, Executive Editor

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For more information about Columbia Sportswear’s Omni-Heat™ Infinity, please visit columbia.com/gold. Go online to TextileWorld.com for archived Quality Fabric articles.

Columbia Sportswear’s new Omni-Heat™ Infinity advanced thermal-reflective technology is the “Gold Standard in Warmth.”

Omni-Heat™ Infinity: “Gold

“GG

old Beats Cold” is the marketing slogan for Portland, Ore.-based Columbia Sportswear’s latest addition to its Omni-Heat™ product line. Omni-Heat Infinity is an extension of the company’s successful patented Omni-Heat Reflective product, which features small, silver, aluminum dots on the surface of the fabric to provide reflected radiant heat to the wearer. The new Omni-Heat Infinity takes that concept to the next level by significantly increasing the amount of aluminum metal on the surface and differentiating the fabric from its predecessor with an eye-catching gold color. “Most consumers are familiar with the NASA space blankets and emergency thermal blankets,” said Dr. Haskell Beckham, senior director, Innovation. “Columbia just figured out how to apply the same technology in a pattern that still allows the fabric to breathe.” Omni-Heat Reflective features approximately 30-percent aluminum metal on the surface of the fabric. The relationship between heat reflection and surface coverage is quite linear — more metal on the fabric equates to more reflected heat. However, too much metal on the surface and the breathability, and therefore comfort, is impacted. “We knew we could increase the surface coverage of the metal, but the question was by how much before the fabric is no longer breathable,” Beckham said. After researching variables and plotting moisture vapor transfer rate (MVTR) as a function of surface coverage, the answer to the question was, “that we can actually go pretty high, and don’t see much of a drop in breathability until 65-percent-plus surface coverage, at which point the MVTR really plummets,” Beckham noted.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 TextileWorld.com

Beats Cold”

Omni-Heat Infinity products feature a pattern of small and larger dots with between 50 and 60 percent aluminum coverage — doubling the foil coverage compared to the Omni-Heat Reflective technology. Then the question became how to differentiate the fabric at the consumer level. “If you look at the products from a distance, it would be very difficult for a consumer to detect that there is a difference in the surface coverage of the metal, even though the printed pattern is different,” Beckham said. “We came up with the idea of making the foil gold, and were able to place a colored pigment in the protective transparent coating over the aluminum layer without reducing the reflectivity of the aluminum foil. “The nice thing about the technology is that it is very visible,” Haskell added. “It’s not some invisible ingredient hidden within the garment that we have to try convince people is effective. It’s also conveniently a surface-applied technology that we can apply to different base materials, which is helpful in creating a variety of different products.” “The inaugural collection for Infinity features 80 pieces across the new winter collection making it one of the largest launches ever for the company,” said Andy Nordhoff, senior manager, public relations. “Primarily it’s featured in jackets, but also hats, gloves and boots — in both adult and kid’s styles. With our Omni-Heat platform, we are really focused on building the most versatile collection we can. People might wear our products to walk their dogs, while others may be at the top of a mountain where it is 10 degrees below zero. The more options we can provide to people so they can stay outdoors longer, the better!” TW

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