Company News

CiCLO Technology and Microban International announce partnership

September 6, 2024

Microban International, an antimicrobial solutions provider for the health care industry based in Huntersville, S.C., and CiCLO® Technology, a patented textile technology that reduces microfiber pollution caused by synthetic materials, announced that the companies have formed a strategic partnership to incorporate sustainable performance functionality into synthetic fibers, yarns and fabrics. The collaboration combines Microban International’s …

Company News

Cansew Inc. celebrates 100 years of business

September 5, 2024

Cansew Inc., an industrial sewing threads, dyeing, elastic and accessories producer based in Montreal, Canada, announced its celebration of 100 years of business. The company makes high-performance polyester, nylon and technical threads that are sewn into furniture, geotextiles and garments, including personal protective equipment. “Our industry has grown very significantly over the years, and while other …

Company News

Milliken & Company names Allen Jacoby EVP, president of textiles business

September 4, 2024

Milliken & Company, a global manufacturer of flooring, textiles, chemicals and health care solutions based in Spartanburg, S.C., announced that Allen Jacoby is its new executive vice president and president of its textile business, assuming full operational responsibility for the company’s textile product portfolio. Jacoby has served as the company’s chief strategy officer and senior vice …

ATA News

ATA, other textile industry associations announce formation of Alphabet Soup Collective

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 …

Company News

Elevate Textiles names Elizabeth K. Ren head of corporate development and strategy

August 30, 2024

Elevate Textiles, a global provider of textile solutions based in Charlotte, N.C., announced that Elizabeth “Liz” K. Ren has joined the company as head of corporate development and strategy. “We are excited to have Liz join Elevate’s Leadership Team,” says Jeffrey P. Pritchett, CEO and member of the board of directors for Elevate Textiles. “Liz’s expertise and insights …

Industry News

Digitalization and AI at the forefront of 2024 ITMF Annual Conference and IAF World Fashion Convention

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 …

Features

High-tech textiles in high-growth markets

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 …

What's New?

Chalk coating could help clothing cool the wearer

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 …

In the Industry

ATA’s Emerging Textiles Conference begins Sept. 23

August 26, 2024

The 2024 Advanced Textiles Association’s Emerging Technologies (ET) Conference starts Monday, Sept. 23, with a full day dedicated to emerging technologies education and networking. The second day includes classroom education in the morning, transitioning to Advanced Textiles Expo in the afternoon with education continuing on the show floor.  Among the topics to be featured in …

In the Industry

Repreve introduces two new recycled textile offerings        

August 26, 2024

Unifi, based in Greensboro, N.C., has launched two new products it calls “regenerated performance polyester.” The company is the maker of Repreve recycled polyester. The white, dyeable polyester filament is made of 100 percent recycled polyester feedstock, with at least 50 percent coming from textile waste, rather than single-use plastic bottles. Similar to Repreve’s black …

ATA News

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

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 …

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 …

Expo News

E-textile testing and standards are evolving

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 …

Expo News

Guidance offered in commercial insurance market

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. …

Expo News

How to make your business attractive to a buyer

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 …

Features

High-tech textiles in high-growth markets

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 …

Features

Smart garments for elderly healthcare

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 …

Features

Next generation smart textiles are in development

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, …

Features

Collaborating with the defense industry

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 …

Features

Energy harvesting smart fabrics

June 24, 2024

Energy harvesting accounts for the largest market share of the global smart textiles market by functionality, according to a recent report by Impactful Insights. The report puts the value of the smart textile market at $4.1 billion in 2023, and anticipates its rise to $24.5 billion in 2032, indicating a insignificant CAGR of 21.5 percent. In …

Features

Textiles and alternative energy

June 10, 2024

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the amount of renewable capacity added to energy systems around the world grew by 50 percent in 2023, reaching almost 510 gigawatts (GW), with solar PV accounting for three-quarters of additions worldwide. The IEA forecasts that U.S. solar power generation will grow 75 percent from 163 billion kilowatt …

Features

Evolving heat

May 27, 2024

The textile-heated garment industry is revolutionizing how we stay warm. Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is at the forefront of developments in the types of heat sources used, particularly how they are controlled for optimal comfort and efficiency.  Heat sources in textiles Disposable hand warmers, popular for their immediate heat via the exothermic oxidation …

Features

Keeping cool

May 13, 2024

Thermal control is one of the basic functions of textiles for apparel. The key association is that it affords comfort, so it can be tempting not to properly prioritize it, given its other performance factors. Now, from sportswear to workwear, new and hybrid fiber and fabric technologies are offering advances for a range of markets. …

Features

Trade and market dynamics in advanced textiles

April 22, 2024

Textile trade in developed economies is imbalanced and it is a deficit one. While this is the trend, compared to the trade in manufactured goods, trade in advanced technologies offers another picture, which is optimistic. In the case of aerospace and warfare systems, the U.S. has a trade surplus. The advanced textiles industry should model …

Features

Changes in trade classifications are now underway

April 8, 2024

Every five years, the World Customs Organization (WCO) updates the International Harmonized System (HS) used to classify imported and exported goods. Effective January 1, 2022, a change was made to the interpretation of textile materials considered to be impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with plastics. This can impact rates of duty, not only for the textiles, themselves, …

ATA News

ATA, other textile industry associations announce formation of Alphabet Soup Collective

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 …

Industry News

Digitalization and AI at the forefront of 2024 ITMF Annual Conference and IAF World Fashion Convention

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 …

Industry News

Gold Long John adopts EMPEL at Vietnam mill

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 …

Industry News

Better Cotton Council welcomes new co-chairs and members

August 15, 2024

Better Cotton, an international cotton initiative, has announced the appointment of two new co-chairs and five new members to the Better Cotton Council.   “I’m excited to welcome our new co-chairs and members to the Better Cotton Council. Their experience, insights and perspectives will be invaluable as the council continues to evolve to best serve …

Company News

Sen. Sherrod Brown visits MMI Textiles to discuss closing trade loophole

August 9, 2024

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined manufacturers, retailers, law enforcement and workers at MMI Textiles in Brooklyn, Ohio, on August 2, to push for the Biden Administration to close a loophole that foreign countries like China exploit to avoid paying duties and fees they owe, and that fentanyl traffickers exploit to evade customs inspections. Brown introduced …

Company News

CNITA announces date for 2024 EurAsia Geosynthetics Symposium

August 5, 2024

The China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA) announced that the 2024 EurAsia Geosynthetics Symposium (EAGS) will be held in Tai’an, Shandong, China on November 22. Co-organized by CNITA and EDANA, the EurAsia Geosynthetics Symposium is a conference and tabletop exhibition covering markets, products, technologies and applications for geosynthetics, including geotextiles, geogrids, geonets, geomembranes, geocomposites, …

Company News

FabricLink Network announces launch of The Textile Gateway

July 17, 2024

The FabricLink Network announced the launch of The Textile Gateway, an online platform that connects the textile industry to students of all ages, including elementary school and undergraduate students. “The mission of The Textile Gateway is to educate and inspire students at all levels about textiles, promote career paths in the industry and serve as …

Company News

Textiles Recycling Expo set for 2025 in Belgium

July 11, 2024

A new event was announced, the Textiles Recycling Expo, and it is set for June 4–5 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. It is supported by EuRIC, Fedustria, ReHubs, the Textiles Recycling Association and Plastics Recycling World, and organizd by AMI. AMI is also organizing the Plastics Recycling World Expos in Europe, the U.S. and India, scheduled …

Industry News

Better Cotton Conference 2024 emphasizes farmer empowerment, industry ambitions

July 10, 2024

The Better Cotton Conference 2024 concluded on June 27 in Istanbul, Turkey, where over 400 attendees from around the globe joined virtually and in person. “This year’s Better Cotton Conference has highlighted the crucial need for collective action in the cotton industry. The insights and stories shared over these two days emphasize that empowering farmers …

Industry News

Better Cotton announces 2024 Member Award winners

July 3, 2024

Better Cotton™, a worldwide cotton sustainability initiative launched in 2023, announced the recipients of its 2024 Member Awards.  The 2024 Member Awards were presented by Alan McClay, CEO of Better Cotton, and Eva Benavidez Clayton, senior director of membership and supply chain, and honored members who have significantly contributed to the cotton industry.  In the …

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 …

Out There

Interactive pavilion knitted with smart yarns 

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 …

Out There

Augmented reality T-shirts demonstrated at Art Basel

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 …

Out There

New inks make it possible to draw stretchable LEDs

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. …

Out There

Streetwear is made from preserved seaweed 

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 …

Out There

Biomimetic soft “seed robot” can navigate through soil

May 8, 2023

Researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Genova have created what they say is the first 4D-printed, biomimetic, biodegradable, soft robot that changes shape in response to humidity and can navigate through soil. The researchers say the device has great potential as a new means of monitoring the environment. Photo: Istituto Italiano di Tecnología. 4D …

What's New?

Chalk coating could help clothing cool the wearer

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 …

What's New?

Researchers develop a breakthrough vascular graft

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 …

What's New?

Motorcycle denim created for protection and comfort

July 29, 2024

Armalith®, touted as “the world’s strongest denim” by its French manufacturer, announces testing results that describe the product’s seven levels of protection, ranging from the most everyday uses (micro-mobility) to the most extreme (Moto GP). They are expressed by a maximum speed of resistance during a standardized motorcycle fall (17 092 Darmstadt) as well as …

What's New?

Partnership develops new cooling technology 

July 15, 2024

Liberta Co. Ltd., based in Tokyo, Japan, has recently launched HYO-GEKI α, an upgraded version of HYO-GEKI FREEZE TECH cooling wear, combining fabric made with the polymer-based temperature control material Comformer®️ by Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. and Cool Touch Printing technology by Utax Co. Ltd.  In 2023, Japan experienced a record-breaking heat wave, and heat waves …

What's New?

Nautilus Defense announces e-textile breakthrough 

July 15, 2024

Rhode Island defense technology company Nautilus Defense announces a critical advancement in the field of electronic textiles by successfully demonstrating the world’s first direct die attach of chiplets to embroidered conductive yarns at a 180µm pitch, a space between yarns that is as thin as a single hair. This technological milestone is an important step …

What's New?

Passive cooling fabric protects from thermal radiation

June 24, 2024

In an effort to counter rising heat waves induced by climate change, researchers have created a wearable fabric that can reduce heat from the sun and thermal radiation from nearby buildings. The fabric, named spectrally selective hierarchical fabric (SSHF), selectively emits mid-infrared radiation through a specific atmospheric window, significantly reducing heat absorption from the environment. …

What's New?

Bally Ribbon Mills partners with NASA

May 27, 2024

In partnership with NASA, Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM) recently developed the 3D Orthogonally woven 3DMAT Quartz Material for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) compression pads. The 3DMAT Quartz Material was recently named the 2023 NASA Government Invention of the Year. The company designs, develops, and manufactures specialized engineered woven fabrics, which include high-performance products with …

What's New?

Based on user’s data, elbow brace is customized

May 13, 2024

The +/- Brace is a user-centered, customizable elbow brace produced by combining additive 3D printing and subtractive laser-cutting technology. Designed by Nils Sorger during an internship at WertelOberfell, the brace can relieve pain, promote comfort and reduce the risk of injury or irritation during demanding physical tasks or sport activities.  Taking the user’s data and existing users’ …

What's New?

Machine learning used to create a fabric touch sensor

May 13, 2024

A new study from NC State University combines three-dimensional embroidery techniques with machine learning to create a fabric-based sensor that can control electronic devices through touch. Integrated into the fabric of a piece of clothing, the sensor can activate and control electronic devices, such as mobile apps, entirely by touch. The device is made up of …

What's New?

Nanodiamonds used in high tech textiles for cooling 

May 13, 2024

Researchers from RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) are using nanodiamonds to develop high-tech textiles that can help people wearing the textile cool down faster. In the study, they coated the fabric made from cotton with nanodiamonds using electrospinning, a voltage-driven technology. As reported on designboom.com, the study found that high-tech textiles with nanodiamonds can help the wearer …