December 2, 2024
Jones Family of Companies Inc., headquartered in Humboldt, Tenn., and ECO Fiber Inc., based in Charlotte, N.C., announced the formation of a joint venture to establish a new company, ECO Fiber Packaging. ECO Fiber Packaging will provide sustainable cold chain packaging solutions and operate as a new entity under its own brand. This new venture …
November 27, 2024
Techmer PM, a materials design company in Clinton, Tenn., announced the publication of its 2024 Sustainability Report. Key highlights of the 2024 Sustainability Report: “We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made in our sustainability journey,” says Mike McHenry, CEO at Techmer PM. “Our 2024 Sustainability Report reflects our core values and relentless …
November 26, 2024
Herculite® Products Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance and custom fabrics based in Emigsville, Penn., announced the company has reached two consecutive years with zero loss-time incidents (LTI) as a result of various safety initiatives. “Our associate-driven culture is empowered to work safely and ensure our fellow associates share the same level of commitment. I am …
November 25, 2024
AB Svenskt Konstsilke (SKS), a single-end cords producer for tires and MRG reinforcement in Gothenburg, Sweden, announced the acquisition of the assets from Mehler EP’s 153,500-square-foot Martinsville plant. The equipment will enhance SKS’s production capacity at its facilities in Estonia, China and Mexico, adding 3,000 tons of SEC capacity annually. The assets include multiple dipping …
November 21, 2024
Yang Zhang, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University’s (NC State) Wilson College of Textiles, has received a five-year, $1.8 million research award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a sector of the National Institutes of Health. Light, or lack thereof, is a key issue when studying nanoscopic biological environments in high-resolution …
November 19, 2024
Eastex Products LLC, a textile producer based in South Bend, Ind., announced it has named Brian Foley as its new national marine, outdoor and RV sales manager. In this position, Foley will drive the growth and success of the company’s products within the marine, outdoor and RV markets. He will also be involved in developing …
November 18, 2024
AATCC announces that Haskell W. Beckham is the 2024 recipient of the AATCC Olney Medal. Beckham, vice president of innovation at Columbia Sportswear, is being recognized for his significant contributions to textile sciences. Beckham has worked in academia, consulting and industry focusing on the development of advanced materials, textiles and test methods, and teaching and …
November 18, 2024
As state and federal PFAS regulations continue to increase, textile manufacturers must prioritize thorough record-keeping and create a long-term plan for their business to accommodate these regulations. At this year’s Advanced Textiles Expo and Emerging Technologies Conference (ETC) in Anaheim, Calif., education about new regulatory requirements for PFAS substances was a major theme. Top of …
November 18, 2024
Cornell University researchers have developed a sustainable way to clean up waterways by reusing one waste product to remove another. Led by Larissa Shepherd, assistant professor in the Dept. of Human Centered Design, College of Human Ecology, the team has proposed using discarded silk yarn for the removal of dye and oil from water. Studies on …
November 18, 2024
Specialty clothing brand Vollebak has made “Martian Aerogel Jackets” from space parachutes that NASA used in developing its Rover mission on Mars in 2021. The jackets are fabricated using two materials that NASA employed during its missions. The parachute fabric is used for its exterior, while the inside uses the laser-drilled aerogel built by the same team …
July 7, 2021
Messe Stuttgart announced that its new U.S.-based show Sun Shading Expo North America will not be held in 2021 as a separate trade show but will instead contribute its expertise in internal and external sun shading systems at IFAI Expo 2021 in the form of expert talks, open discussions and more. IFAI Expo 2021 will still take place …
May 10, 2021
Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won’t want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end …
November 16, 2020
In a session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, “Smart Textiles Standardization, Active Illumination,” Dr. Jan Beringer, senior scientific expert Hohenstein Group, explained the new standard for active illumination that will soon be implemented in European Union countries. Organizations worked together to develop the standards. It is notable, he said that both textile and electronics industries …
November 13, 2020
The U.S. textile industry has stepped up to meet the demand for face masks, medical gowns, wipes and other products necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but it needs policy changes from Washington so that the U.S. is not caught off-guard again in a future crisis, according to association leaders speaking at Industrial Fabrics Association …
November 12, 2020
Dr. Bryran Ormond, assistant professor, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State explained respiratory protection in an “Ask an Expert” session with Jing Liang, Medical PPE Consulting LLC. Dr. Ormand has typically worked in the area of chemical and biological protective equipment, but with the onslaught of the pandemic, began to focus on respiratory protection generally, …
November 11, 2020
All surgical gowns are not created equal, and a Nov. 11 presentation at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020 helped sort out the differences. The finer points of surgical gowns were discussed by Dr. Martin King, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, and Jing Liang, president of Medical PPE Consulting LLC. …
November 11, 2020
How do you create a channel from research to application? How do you create a pathway toward understanding complex human problems across supply chains and market sectors? STEM—a curriculum based on teaching science, technology, engineering and math—has branched out from basic chemistry and biology and physics classes, into collaborative efforts, including textiles, according to Stephanie …
November 11, 2020
At the 2020 Virtual Expo session, “Ask the Expert: Textile Electronics Testing and Standards,” Jesse Jur, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, discussed how standards and testing continue to evolve due to the evolution of textile-based electronics (e-textiles). Jur said that standards have long been a vital resource for …
November 10, 2020
Wildfires, hurricanes, a pandemic and civil unrest have wreaked plenty of chaos on the commercial insurance market in 2020. Steve Christenson, with Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, offered guidance to business owners Nov. 9 at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020. “The business insurance market has been going through several changes this year,” says Christenson, with U.S. …
November 6, 2020
Thinking about selling your business—either to an outside party or the next generation? Then it’s time to start considering how your equipment and processes fit into your succession plan. Jonathan Palmer, the second-generation owner and CEO of equipment supplier Autometrix, and Autometrix director of global sales Truy Pham, led an educational session at IFAI Virtual …
November 18, 2024
As state and federal PFAS regulations continue to increase, textile manufacturers must prioritize thorough record-keeping and create a long-term plan for their business to accommodate these regulations. At this year’s Advanced Textiles Expo and Emerging Technologies Conference (ETC) in Anaheim, Calif., education about new regulatory requirements for PFAS substances was a major theme. Top of …
November 11, 2024
Advanced textile recycling, including chemical, enzymatic, and molecular technologies, is considered by many to be the path to true circularity, making waste into materials not once, but over and over. Globally, 73 percent of collected apparel textile waste, according to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, is landfilled or incinerated. Textile Exchange (TE) reports that of the 124 million …
October 28, 2024
The smart fabric segment of the textile industry is poised to grow from $4.19 billion in 2024 to $15.21 billion by 2032, according to a Business Research Insights market report, but stumbling blocks remain that keep smart products from wider acceptance, and therefore even larger commercial success. The Advanced Textiles Association’s Emerging Textiles Conference in …
October 14, 2024
This year’s Emerging Technologies Conference, presented by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) had a clear focus on the topics on everyone’s minds, with sessions addressing sustainability and PFAS updates, smart textiles and e-textile technology, biomaterials, artificial intelligence, health and wellness markets, and textiles needed for space missions. Additional sessions were presented on the show floor, with …
September 18, 2024
Manufacturers of advanced textiles often are new entrants in young markets, so the regulatory hurdles can feel high—or invisible, until you hit them. This article highlights three regulatory issues related to global trade compliance, which advanced textile manufacturers must navigate to succeed in the international market. Unlocking government contracts The customer for advanced textiles often …
September 9, 2024
Seeking patent rights in the U.S. can be daunting enough to prevent some from seeking protection, and the thought of seeking patent rights outside of the U.S. is unfathomable. But even though the process can be arduous, the benefits of patent rights can far outweigh the time and expense to obtain those rights. While the …
August 26, 2024
The 2024 Olympics in Paris captivated a global audience. But while the games were in progress, the athletes—and spectators, too—were feeling the effects of heat reaching 97 o (36.11 °C) prompting authorities to look for better protection. A Rings of Fire II report points out that the average temperature in Paris during the Summer Olympics months had …
August 12, 2024
Americans over the age of 75 years are expected to account for more than 50 percent of the anticipated 19 million population increase in the country over the coming decade. This is according to a March 2024 report by Wells Fargo that goes on to warn, “Assuming the share of the population that has difficulty …
July 29, 2024
In May of 2022, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), the research and development arm of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, announced a program designed to develop sensor systems that can record and store audio, video and location data. It also seeks to develop a garment that maintains stretchability, bendability, …
July 15, 2024
NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C. recently ended with a commitment from its members to reach the 2 percent GDP target for defense spending, although the timeline to achieve this goal may vary among some members. As of this year, 23 out of 32 members will reach this target. This spending level will have an …
December 2, 2024
Jones Family of Companies Inc., headquartered in Humboldt, Tenn., and ECO Fiber Inc., based in Charlotte, N.C., announced the formation of a joint venture to establish a new company, ECO Fiber Packaging. ECO Fiber Packaging will provide sustainable cold chain packaging solutions and operate as a new entity under its own brand. This new venture …
November 27, 2024
Techmer PM, a materials design company in Clinton, Tenn., announced the publication of its 2024 Sustainability Report. Key highlights of the 2024 Sustainability Report: “We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made in our sustainability journey,” says Mike McHenry, CEO at Techmer PM. “Our 2024 Sustainability Report reflects our core values and relentless …
November 19, 2024
Eastex Products LLC, a textile producer based in South Bend, Ind., announced it has named Brian Foley as its new national marine, outdoor and RV sales manager. In this position, Foley will drive the growth and success of the company’s products within the marine, outdoor and RV markets. He will also be involved in developing …
November 18, 2024
North Carolina State University (NC State) Wilson College of Textiles announced its first-ever Wells Fargo Entrepreneur Pitch Event, a competition sponsored by Wells Fargo. Registration is open until Wednesday, Nov. 20. The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students at NC State and all staff, faculty and alumni from Wilson College of Textiles, …
November 14, 2024
The Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress is inviting researchers, experts, manufacturers and practitioners to submit papers for the 64th edition, taking place in September 2025 in Dornbirn, Austria. This congress offers a platform to present research and innovations that will shape the future of the fiber and textile industries. Submissions for the 2025 Dornbirn Global Fiber …
October 15, 2024
XFS Global LLC, a service-disabled veteran-owned manufacturer of semi-permanent engineered fabric shelters and support equipment technologies headquartered in Natural Bridge, Va., has announced its acquisition of HeyTex USA Inc., the manufacturer of Bondcote® engineered fabrics. HeyTex USA Inc., formerly BondCote Corporation, has been renamed Bondcote Performance Textiles LLC. Established in 1949, the company is headquartered in Pulaski, Va. The …
September 9, 2024
The start date for businesses to report PFAS data, previously Nov. 12, 2024, may be pushed back until July 11, 2025. This proposal went up for public comment in early September. Affected businesses who wish to submit a formal comment on the reporting delay can do so here. The public comment period ends Oct. 7. …
September 3, 2024
A collaboration of associations representing the global sewn products, textile, apparel and nonwovens textiles industries — known collectively as the Alphabet Soup Collective in a nod to their various and plentiful acronyms — officially launched in Raleigh, N.C. last month. The group includes 11 industry associations: The Alphabet Soup Collective inaugural meeting, which was held …
August 29, 2024
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) Annual Conference and IAF World Fashion Convention, an international textile and fashion event, announced its business program for this year’s event. The 2024 ITMF Annual Conference and IAF World Fashion Convention will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Sept. 8–10. The ITMF Annual Conference, titled “Innovation, Cooperation and Regulation-Driving Forces …
August 16, 2024
Gold Long John, a global fabric supplier for the footwear industry, announced it has begun applying Green Theme Technologies’ (GTT) EMPEL® Nø-Wick™ waterless and PFAS-free finishing product at its Vietnam mill. “Our Oeko Tex-certified EMPEL platform is a solution for the future,” says Martin Flora, President of Global Business Development with GTT. “It creates the …
September 18, 2024
Carolina De Lara’s project, Bacterial Brickbats, explores the interaction between bacterial cellulose and knit textiles to challenge traditional, human-centered design in fashion and textiles. The project negotiates human/non-human liaisons by proposing a study where sharing agency between designer and bacterial cellulose produces a material library illustrating differing needs, creative or biological, resulting in an expressive …
August 12, 2024
A new materials technique has blended the usefulness of knitting needles and yarn with cutting-edge technology to create the equipment and process to make a solid-knit object of almost any kind. Yuichi Hirose first dreamed up this technique when he was a student at Keio University in Tokyo. There, working on digital fabrication methods in …
June 24, 2024
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) 2024 Phase II awardee Ethan Schaler has proposed the first lunar railway system to provide reliable, autonomous and efficient payload transport on the Moon. The Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) system is a durable, long-life robotic transport system—a function that will be critical to the daily operations of a …
April 22, 2024
Artist and designer Kim Mesches has unveiled his “Collection 5,” featuring garments made of a color-changing resin with a technology activated by heat. The material is a mix of thermochromic dyes, pigments and other ingredients, which are then mixed with hardened resin to create the garments. For example, on sunny days the garments change themselves …
April 8, 2024
Following the successful development of functional invisibility shields in 2022, U.K.-based Invisibility Shield Co. has launched its second-generation invisibility shields on Kickstarter. Among the products is the “Megashield,” which the company claims is the largest one ever created. According to a report on designboom.com, more than four years ago the company focused on refining optical …
March 25, 2024
In recent years, materials scientists and engineers have introduced increasingly sophisticated materials for robotic and prosthetic applications, including a range of electronic skins, or e-skins, designed to sense the surrounding environment and artificially reproduce the sense of touch. As explained on techxplore.com, researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing recently introduced a new dual-modal tactile e-skin that could …
February 26, 2024
An interactive installation that combined textile arts, smart materials and engineering and received a 2023 Black Rock City Honorarium at the 2023 Burning Man. Set against the vast and surreal backdrop of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, Burning Man is an annual gathering that transforms the flat, barren expanse into a vibrant playground for artistic …
January 15, 2024
Avery Dennison has completed a project with NRVLD, a community-based agency comprised of artists, technologists and media personalities supporting disruptive innovation. Innovation in Textiles reports that the company created limited edition augmented reality T-shirts worn by the NRVLD executive team during an immersive event held during Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2023. The 30 …
September 11, 2023
Although we’re hearing more about stretchable electronics, the fabrication of such devices’ components is far beyond most people’s abilities. Now, however, scientists have created inks that let anyone draw stretchable LEDs onto various surfaces, including fabric, using regular ballpoint pens. The inks were produced at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., by a team led by Assoc. …
June 12, 2023
Inside The Reykjavik EDITION hotel in Iceland, fashion designers Tanguy Mélinand and Drífa Líftóra unveiled their collection of clothes stitched from harvested and preserved Icelandic seaweed. The designers collaborated with SEAWEEDWORKS, a project founded by creative director Charlie Strand, to spotlight the potential uses of seaweed in art, fashion, design and technology for the special exhibition. Before Tanguy Mélinand conceived his pieces, he …
November 18, 2024
Specialty clothing brand Vollebak has made “Martian Aerogel Jackets” from space parachutes that NASA used in developing its Rover mission on Mars in 2021. The jackets are fabricated using two materials that NASA employed during its missions. The parachute fabric is used for its exterior, while the inside uses the laser-drilled aerogel built by the same team …
November 11, 2024
MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab team has developed the 4D Knit Dress, a new way to personalize a dress in any size using a six-axis robot arm (typically used in the automotive industry), computerized knitting and heat-activated yarns. Led by Sasha MicKinlay, a recent graduate of the MIT Dept. of Architecture, in collaboration with fashion company Ministry of Supply, the 4D Knit Dress …
October 28, 2024
In a show floor presentation, textile industry expert and consultant Paige Mullis provided an overview of “Innovations shaping our world.” Her opening question, “Why the Consumer Electronics (CES) show?” launched a review of highlights from the annual event, considering the perspectives of brand positioning, business intelligence, brand development and market relevance. Artificial Intelligence (AI), sustainability …
October 28, 2024
Juliana Cherston, Ph.D., an emerging technology consultant at the MIT Media Lab, led an Emerging Technologies Conference session about the development and launch of the first electronic textile sensor in space. She also discussed how to create academic partnerships to further textile research and development—and how to secure funding for these projects. There are an …
October 14, 2024
Konrad Rykaczewski, who spoke at this year’s ATA Emerging Technologies Conference, hails from Arizona State University, the perfect location for his research topic of clothing and human survival in extreme heat. To illustrate the impact of climate change he used the example of temperature changes at Phoenix airport comparing the period 1970-1980 where the mean …
September 18, 2024
During the recent RIMOWA Design Prize 2024, the winning entry came from Janne Kreimer and her wearable technology, RO. The Anhalt University student of Integrated Design presented a therapeutic smart vest wrapped with small, pod-like soft robots that swell with air when the wearer is anxious. These inflatable pods target the acupressure points around the body that can help reduce anxiety and …
September 18, 2024
Researchers Dr. Sophie Skach and Dr. Victor Shepardson have been doing research into fabrics, as part of their work in the Intelligent Instruments Lab, University of Iceland. Recently, they devised a set of smart fabrics that can produce sounds like musical instruments when people handle them, producing sounds comparable to ASMR scratches and water sloshes. The fabrics incorporate materials …
September 9, 2024
Protective gloves, such as those used for work, sport or household gardening, get their protective function from a special coating. This coating provides abrasion resistance, makes the material waterproof and resistant to chemicals or oil, and even protects against cuts and punctures. Until now, coatings made of oil-based polymers, nitrile rubber or latex have been …
August 26, 2024
Keeping cool on hot days requires wearing the right clothing, as much as wearing less clothing. A new fabric coating, essentially made of chalk, could help make clothing cooler. In natural unfiltered sunlight, it’s the near-infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths that deliver heat to our bodies. With that fact in mind, scientists have previously developed experimental fabrics that incorporate compounds …
August 12, 2024
The University of Edinburgh, U.K., reports that researchers there have developed a novel, two-stage tissue engineering process intended to create better vascular grafts for use in bypass surgeries. Many cardiovascular diseases ultimately require bypass surgery, whereby a vascular graft is installed to navigate blood flow around a damaged blood vessel. Currently, autologous grafts are the …
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