HEYtex® and BondCote™ brands presents “Texineering®”
March 31st, 2015
Nearly all things can be made or improved upon using technical textiles. Many different applications made from technical textiles have become part of our everyday lives: tarpaulins, tents, hot-air balloons, sport mats, shade sails and even entire stadium roofing structures are made of finely woven and innovatively coated materials. Oil barriers are put to use […]
Vicar unveils new threads
March 30th, 2015
Vicar International of Union, N.J., has added new colors to its Aqualon #92 polyester thread line. Now expanded to 32 colors, Aqualon thread matches the most popular acrylic colors available in the marine marketplace, including Sunbrella marine acrylic colors. Aqualon is specifically constructed for outdoor applications, such as awnings, patio furniture and automotive convertible tops. […]
Chinese scientists invent fabric that cleans by sunlight
March 27th, 2015
Mingce Long and Deyong Wu, material scientists at Donghua University of China, have developed a special fabric that rids itself of dirt and bacteria when exposed to sunlight. According to a report at www.textile.com, they have done it by dunking cotton into a vat of specially crafted nanoparticles. The chemistry behind the self-cleaning fabric is […]
Brother with artificial heart receives transplant
March 25th, 2015
Dominique Larking of Ypsilanti, Mich., who has the same heart condition as his older brother Stan, also in his 20s, has received a donor heart after living with the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart since November 2014. The product, developed by Tucson, Ariz.-based SynCardia, is also working for Stan while he awaits a matching-donor heart. […]
White House launches textile manufacturing initiatives
March 20th, 2015
President Obama has announced nearly $500 million in public-private investment to strengthen American manufacturing by investing in technology through a new, textiles-focused manufacturing institute competition led by the Department of Defense (DOD). The initiative will also sharpen the capabilities of small manufacturers through Manufacturing Extension Partnership competitions in twelve states, according to The White House. […]
Solar Shirt: the phone charger you wear
March 20th, 2015
Created in collaboration by the Dutch independent open-innovation R&D center, Holst Centre; the nonprofit, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO); and fashion designer Pauline van Dongen, the Solar Shirt brings the worlds of high tech and high-street fashion together. It combines solar panels and flexible electronics in an attractive, off-the-peg T-shirt with the […]
Vestagen unveils Vestex OR scrubs
March 20th, 2015
Orlando, Fla.-based Vestagen Technical Textiles Inc. has introduced scrubs for operating room (OR) personnel made with its Vestex active barrier textile technology. In addition to being embedded with Vestex’s antimicrobial and fluid-repellent properties, the apparel is made with tightly woven, 100 percent polyester to limit lint shedding, and includes its WarpDry wicking technology. The company unveiled […]
Plant-based nonwoven wins 2015 INDA RISE® award
March 20th, 2015
INDA has awarded the 2015 RISE® Durable Product Award to Fitesa Simpsonville Inc., a global nonwoven supplier for the hygiene, medical and industrial markets, for a new nonwoven material made from plant-based materials. Fitesa 100 Percent Biobased Spunbond was based on votes from attendees and other INDA members at INDA’s Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered […]
Energy harvesting tiles to be installed for the French National Railway
March 20th, 2015
Clean technology company Pavegen has been commissioned by the French National Railway Company (SNCF) to install six kinetic energy tiles in the middle of a corridor in SNCF's Innovation & Research office in Paris. The kinetic energy harvested by the staff members of SNCF will illuminate LED strip lighting along the corridor. This energy will […]
Stimulating the “creating industries”
March 20th, 2015
Dutch program seeks to support creative ventures and notes the service factor in bringing smart materials and applications to market. The exhibition "Smart Textiles – Wearable Services" at the TextielMuseum, Tilburg, The Netherlands, highlighted the importance of including the provision of service in the development of smart materials, particularly for wearable applications. Although we have […]