Industry News

Rhode Island Governor signs PFAS ban act into law

July 8, 2025

Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee has signed into law an act that bans the manufacture, sale and distribution in the state of firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) containing intentionally added PFAS beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Under the act, entitled An Act Relating to Health and Safety: Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024, “‘intentionally added PFAS’ …

Company News

Better Cotton names Nick Weatherill new CEO

July 8, 2025

Better Cotton, a global cotton sustainability initiative, has announced the appointment of Nick Weatherill as its new CEO. Weatherill was the former executive director of the International Cocoa Initiative, where he led efforts to drive scalable solutions across the cocoa supply chain. He replaces Alan McClay, who has been leading the not-for-profit organization for the …

ATA News

ATA accepting applications for advisory board and member group positions

July 7, 2025

Advanced Textile Association (ATA) members and staff rely on engaged advisory boards and councils to help guide programming and initiatives.  Below are the openings for ATA’s Divisions and Groups, all for three-year terms. Applications are due Fri., Aug. 22, 2025. Open positions ATA Canada: 2 openings Fabric Structures Association (FSA): 4 openings Emerging Technologies Council (ETC): 1 …

Industry News

Minnesota to delay PFAS reporting deadline

July 7, 2025

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has announced it will extend the upcoming reporting deadline under the state’s PFAS-in-Products law. As currently written, the law requires manufacturers of intentionally added PFAS-containing products in the state to report detailed information to the MPCA—including the type of PFAS used and its purpose in the product—by Jan. 1, …

Company News

Lenzing appoints Georg Kasperkovitz COO, member of managing board

July 7, 2025

The supervisory board of Lenzing AG has appointed Georg Kasperkovitz as a member of the managing board and chief operating officer (COO) of Lenzing AG. Kasperkovitz brings more than 15 years of experience in various management functions in Europe, North America and Asia. During his career, Kasperkovitz has held positions including Business Unit CEO at …

Company News

Universal Fiber Systems appoints Jonathan Craig new CEO

July 3, 2025

Universal Fiber Systems℠ LLC has announced the appointment of Jonathan Craig as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Craig brings more than 15 years of executive leadership experience in the polymers industry to the role. Craig succeeds Marc Ammen, who is retiring after over 15 years as CEO and 25 years working with Universal Fiber …

Industry News

Consumer confidence decreases in June

July 1, 2025

The Conference Board released the June 2025 Consumer Confidence Index®, reporting that consumer confidence fell by 5.4 points in June to 93.0, down from 98.4 in May. The cutoff date for preliminary results was June 18, 2025. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—fell 6.4 points to 129.1. The Expectations Index—based …

Company News

Herculite Products Inc. promotes Mike Stephenson to director of manufacturing

June 30, 2025

Herculite® Products Inc., a high-performance and custom fabrics manufacturer, announced the promotion of Mike Stephenson as the new director of manufacturing. Stephenson joined Herculite in 2010 and has worked within manufacturing for the past 15 years. In his most recent role as production manager at Herculite, he has played a key role in enhancing efficiency …

Company News

EDANA and INDA establish Global Nonwoven Alliance

June 26, 2025

The Boards of Directors of INDA and EDANA have approved the formation of the Global Nonwoven Alliance (GNA), becoming the nonprofit’s founding members. Both boards have also approved a motion authorizing each organization to appoint six representatives from each founding organization, including the current chair and five representatives.   This move marks a milestone in the …

Industry News

Vermont governor approves bill restricting PFAS in more consumer products

June 25, 2025

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has signed into law H.238, which implements further restrictions on the use of PFAS in consumer products. Previously, legislation was adopted in the state under S.25 that restricted PFAS in personal care products, menstrual products, textiles, cookware, rugs and carpets, artificial turf and ski wax, among other products. The new law …

Expo News

Plan your stay: Official housing for Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 now open

March 11, 2025

We are pleased to announce that Site & Stay has been selected as the official housing partner for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, taking place Nov. 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Hotel booking is now open, offering attendees and exhibitors exclusive access to discounted rates at our official host hotels—all conveniently located …

Expo News

Advanced Textiles Expo 2024 brings more than 4,200 attendees, showcasing innovation and collaboration

October 17, 2024

Advanced Textiles Expo® 2024, the largest event of Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), concluded with resounding success Sept. 24–26 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Once again held in conjunction with Sun Shading Expo North America—organized by Messe Stuttgart, founders of R + T and the world’s largest trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun shading …

Expo News

ATA negotiates lower rates for exhibitors at Advanced Textiles Expo

August 14, 2024

The Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) has renegotiated its General Services Contractor contract for the 2025–2027 Advanced Textiles Expo® shows. By selecting Freeman through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, we have secured rates that significantly lower the cost burden on our exhibitors. RFP process Key achievements This successful negotiation translates directly to cost savings for …

ATA News

Messe Stuttgart’s Sun Shading Expo North America moves co-location debut with IFAI Expo to 2022

July 6, 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 …

Expo News

Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021

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 …

Expo News

Standard for active illumination developed in Europe

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 …

Expo News

Textile industry leaders call for policy changes to support U.S. production of PPE

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 …

Expo News

The larger issues in respiratory protection

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, …

Expo News

Surgical gowns require extra manufacturing considerations

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. …

Expo News

Rodgers: Textiles are the “T” in STEM

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 …

Features

The complexities of antimicrobial textiles

June 23, 2025

Editor’s note: Although we did not preserve the Q&A format for this article, it is the product of a conversation with Ryan Scott senior product development chemist with Microban International, which started with my questions, and eventually covered a range of issues in the antimicrobial textiles market.  “Antimicrobials in textiles” is a topic that doesn’t …

Features

Increased expectations for antimicrobial textiles

June 4, 2025

Antimicrobial fabrics and commodities continue to expand their applications in various sectors, driven by the increasing awareness of hygiene and infection control. The importance of antimicrobial materials has grown in parallel with media reports on global infectious diseases, including emerging viral threats such as COVID-19, antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA and VRE, and other pathogens like …

Features

Trade and Textiles in the New Global Era

May 22, 2025

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), tariffs and uncertainty surrounding trade policy due to recent U.S. policy shifts will lead to the decline in global trade volume by 0.2 percent in 2025, contrary to growth predictions in January 2025. Global trade is heavily influenced by two major economies, the U.S. and China, which are …

Features

Making the best use of AI

May 8, 2025

Editor’s note: Todd Morgan shares his experiences and expertise in helping textile industry businesses implement artificial intelligence tools. A graduate of NC State’s College of Textiles, he has more than 30 years of experience working with manufacturers, designers and business leaders applying AI to solve operational challenges. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already reshaping the textile industry—not …

Features

Hidden and essential

April 24, 2025

Is there a role for textiles in today’s composites industry? The answer is not just yes, it is a resounding affirmative. In March, the composite industry’s JEC show in Paris confirmed this with a strong showing of textiles ranging from super high-strength fibers to large scale textile structures. These are used across a wide range …

Features

Chemicals and functionality in textiles

April 14, 2025

The ongoing tariff uncertainty will certainly impact the global textiles and apparel market.  Although a needed commodity, textiles are dependent on discretionary spending, which depends on the economy. GDP growth plays a critical role in the consumption of textiles and apparels and, therefore, the growth and market size of the global textiles and apparel sectors.  Textile …

Features

Powering smart fabrics

March 24, 2025

Energy has become a key issue in the development of e-textiles for applications ranging from wearables to transport. LOPEC 2025, held in Munich in February, elected to highlight the end-user perspective this year across conference papers, poster presentations and the Innovation Showcase, with new technologies sharing the stage with energy efficient designs, so that every …

Features

Making wearable tech a reality

March 10, 2025

We are in the middle of a historic leap in textile technology. Whether it’s the development of new yarns and coatings, or the integration of electronics into existing textiles, the future of wearable technology is rapidly evolving—and the future is bright. It seems like every week brings another breakthrough from R&D firms and universities, unveiling …

Features

Recent advances in biomedical textiles

February 24, 2025

In 2003 after 13 years of global collaboration, the Human Genome Project was successfully completed, providing a comprehensive blueprint of human genetic information. This has given impetus to a rapidly expanding level of research in disease diagnosis, such as cancer, personalized medical treatments, the understanding of genetic disorders, genetic engineering therapies, and applications in tissue …

Features

Challenges and rewards

February 10, 2025

Biomedical textiles are a highly specialized, relatively small segment of the global textile industry. Even among the more advanced textile technologies, the path to commercializing  medical textiles, generally, and biomedical textiles, in particular, is unusually challenging, facing stringent industry standards and government regulations that can take years to meet.  According to Allied Market Research, the global …

Industry News

Rhode Island Governor signs PFAS ban act into law

July 8, 2025

Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee has signed into law an act that bans the manufacture, sale and distribution in the state of firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) containing intentionally added PFAS beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Under the act, entitled An Act Relating to Health and Safety: Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024, “‘intentionally added PFAS’ …

Industry News

Minnesota to delay PFAS reporting deadline

July 7, 2025

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has announced it will extend the upcoming reporting deadline under the state’s PFAS-in-Products law. As currently written, the law requires manufacturers of intentionally added PFAS-containing products in the state to report detailed information to the MPCA—including the type of PFAS used and its purpose in the product—by Jan. 1, …

Industry News

Consumer confidence decreases in June

July 1, 2025

The Conference Board released the June 2025 Consumer Confidence Index®, reporting that consumer confidence fell by 5.4 points in June to 93.0, down from 98.4 in May. The cutoff date for preliminary results was June 18, 2025. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—fell 6.4 points to 129.1. The Expectations Index—based …

Industry News

Vermont governor approves bill restricting PFAS in more consumer products

June 25, 2025

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has signed into law H.238, which implements further restrictions on the use of PFAS in consumer products. Previously, legislation was adopted in the state under S.25 that restricted PFAS in personal care products, menstrual products, textiles, cookware, rugs and carpets, artificial turf and ski wax, among other products. The new law …

Industry News

President Trump doubles tariffs on steel, aluminum imports

June 4, 2025

President Donald Trump has increased tariffs on most steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%, effective June 4. The U.S. and the U.K. previously reached a trade deal May 8, agreeing to negotiate an alternative arrangement for the 25% Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. According to President Trump’s June 3 executive order, …

Industry News

U.S. Court of International Law ruling about tariffs put on hold

June 2, 2025

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal District granted the Donald Trump administration’s request to put a temporary hold on the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade’s judgment May 29. The Court of International Trade Law’s May 28 judgement ruled in favor of six American-based companies, ruling that President Trump overstepped his authority …

Industry News

Consumer confidence partially rebounds in May

May 29, 2025

The Conference Board released the May 2025 Consumer Confidence Index®, reporting that consumer confidence increased by 12.3 points in May to 98.0, up from 85.7 in April. The cut-off date for preliminary results was May 19, 2025, and about half of the responses were collected after the May 12 announcement of a pause on some …

Industry News

PRIMON Automation and SYMTECH form partnership for U.S., Canadian markets

May 21, 2025

PRIMON Automation, an automation system manufacturer for creel automation and textile manufacturing, and SYMTECH, a U.S.-based machinery and equipment distributor for the textile industry, formed a partnership April 1. SYMTECH will represent all existing PRIMON installations for support and service, as well as the sale of new equipment for the U.S. and Canadian markets. With …

Industry News

EPA delays start of submission period for PFAS manufacturers and importers

May 12, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an interim final rule to extend the dates of the reporting period for data submitted on the manufacture of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Previously, the submission period was to start July 11, 2025, and it has now been extended to April 13, 2026. For most manufacturers, …

Industry News

U.S. and U.K. announce trade deal, modifying tariffs

May 12, 2025

The U.S. and the U.K. announced May 8 that the countries have made a trade deal. The deal states that the 10% reciprocal tariff imposed April 2 on U.K. imports is still in effect, but an alternate deal has been made for Section 232 tariffs for U.K. autos. Section 232 tariffs for U.K. steel and …

Out There

Material made from fungi reacts to its surroundings

June 4, 2025

Researchers at EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) have created a living biodegradable material made from fungi that can allow trash bags to decompose organic waste. It is one of the many potential applications of the studied fungi.  In the field of electronics, the living biodegradable material made from fungi can be used to produce sensors, as well …

Out There

Puffer jacket doubles as monitoring sleepwear

April 24, 2025

The ZZZN Sleep Apparel System is a voluminous puffer jacket that doubles as a cozy sleep sack, so users can doze off anywhere and anytime in comfort. But beyond its apparent comfortability, it also offers biometric data monitoring and headphones that play  music with frequency bands to help people fall asleep.  The ZZZN puffer jacket for sleep modernizes “Yagi,” a traditional Japanese winter nightwear. …

Out There

Gaia Communication System feels the health of nature

February 24, 2025

Pavels Hedström has introduced the Gaia Communication System, a vest and a pair of gloves with sensors so that users feel the health of plants, insects, soil and air. Unveiled under his design practice Inxects, the Swedish architect has installed multiple haptic sensors around the vest and gloves, each of which correspond to a natural object.  The …

Out There

Rewoven silk cocoon waste used as a leather alternative 

December 9, 2024

Japanese designer Hiroto Ikebe recently showcased a leather alternative he developed using rewoven silk cocoon waste. His exhibition COCOON ANATOMY, shown during DESIGNART Tokyo 2024, displayed clothing that was designed to demonstrate that silk materials typically discarded or not used for mass production can be repurposed into fabrics and materials with multiple uses.  The leather alternative comes from raw silk, …

Out There

Project explores human-bacterial interaction in textile design

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 …

Out There

Solid-knitting machine builds reconfigurable objects

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 …

Out There

FLOAT designed for moving on the Moon

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 …

Out There

Color-changing resin material is heat-activated

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 …

Out There

U.K. firm launches second-generation invisibility shields 

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 …

Out There

E-skin can produce tactile feedback

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 …

What's New?

Smart bandage could speed up warfighter recovery

June 23, 2025

Leonard Tender, Ph.D., a researcher in the Biological Technologies Office (BTO) at DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), is working on groundbreaking advancements in wound care technology. Building on the success of the Bioelectronics for Tissue Regeneration (BETR) program, which focused on developing a “smart bandage” to monitor and accelerate wound healing, BTO is now embarking …

What's New?

DNA-inspired fiber enhances sensors for wearables

June 23, 2025

Researchers at Shinshu University, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, have developed a new design for a fiber sensor inspired by the shape of DNA, which the researchers have found to be more durable and flexible.  Traditional fiber sensors have electrodes at both ends, which often fail under repeated movement when placed on body joints. The proposed double-helical …

What's New?

Knitted microtissue can accelerate healing

June 23, 2025

Treating severe or chronically injured soft tissues, such as skin and muscle, is a challenge in health care. Current treatment methods can be costly and ineffective, and the frequency of chronic wounds in general from conditions such as diabetes and vascular disease, as well as an increasingly aging population, is only expected to rise. One …

What's New?

3-D printed smart fabrics: comfortable and washable

June 4, 2025

New research from Washington State University has demonstrated a particular 3D ink printing method for smart fabrics that performs well after repeated washing and abrasion tests. The research, published in the journal ACS Omega, represents a breakthrough in smart fabric comfort and durability, as well as using a process that is more environmentally friendly. Hang Liu, a textile …

What's New?

New e-textile helps deafblind people understand live conversations 

May 22, 2025

Thousands of people who are born deafblind will understand live conversations for the first time thanks to new research into smart textiles being developed by Nottingham Trent University (NTU). This first-of-its-kind study will eventually allow the spoken word to be translated into a form of braille and communicated through e-textile gloves to the fingers of …

What's New?

New thread is invisible to infrared cameras

May 22, 2025

Turkish thread manufacturer Durak Tekstil has developed its new Durak Poly-Strong PC-IR sewing thread to provide infrared (IR) invisibility. Developed as a solution to the infrared problems experienced by the military and security industry in the sewn areas of clothing and other materials, the new IR thread enables the camouflage feature to be used to …

What's New?

Fiber computer allows apparel to “understand” the wearer

May 22, 2025

MIT researchers have developed an autonomous, programmable computer in the form of an elastic fiber, which could monitor health conditions and physical activity, alerting the wearer to potential health risks in real-time. Clothing containing the fiber computer was machine washable and comfortable, and the fibers were nearly imperceptible to the wearer, the researchers report. Unlike …

What's New?

Smart shoe insole tracks the wearer’s movement

May 8, 2025

A new smart insole system that monitors how people walk in real time could help users improve posture and provide early warnings for conditions from plantar fasciitis to Parkinson’s disease. Constructed using 22 small pressure sensors, and fueled by small solar panels on the tops of shoes, the system offers real-time health tracking based on …

What's New?

Elastic Inks for textile-integrated electronics

April 14, 2025

Electrically conductive prints on textiles are the basis for functional textiles with electronic functions, or “smart textiles.” Conductive inks and binders must be well matched to ensure permanent conductivity even under external mechanical influences, such as stretching, pressure and bending. German research institute DITF is working on new ink formulations that meet these requirements. Textiles …

What's New?

Smart prosthetic hand knows how hard to grasp 

April 14, 2025

Johns Hopkins University engineers have developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip plush toys, water bottles, and other everyday objects like a human, carefully conforming and adjusting its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds. The system’s hybrid design is a first for robotic hands, which have typically been too rigid or …