The Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) announced BondCote Corp. as the recipient of the 2015 Innovation Award at IFAI Expo 2015, held in Anaheim, Calif., through Oct. 9.
BondCote, a Heytex Group company based in Pulaski, Va., manufactures coated, laminated and composite fabrics for the single-ply roofing, transportation, military, environmental, agricultural, recreational and athletic industries. It was awarded a $5,000 prize for HEYtrax, a three-dimensionally woven structure with two base fabrics that are interlinked with spacer threads. When fully inflated, it has a flat, hard surface and can serve as a replacement for products made of rigid materials, allowing for improved, compact handling and increased portability.
Anchor Industries Inc. of Evansville, Ind., was awarded honorable mention for its new, patent-pending WeatherShield wall attachment technology. Anchor manufactures fabric structures, pool covers, tents and military products. After hearing complaints from tent rental companies about the inability to seal sheer top tent walls to the tent top, Anchor developed the technology to join a wall to the tent at the eave line, providing a wind- and rain-proof seal while making it easier and faster to hang walls.
IFF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and research in specialty fabrics. The goal of the Innovation Award is to inspire companies around the globe to develop innovative products and processes, sharing their stories from concept to completion.