TEXTILES.ORG
Trade: Bring in the experts
February 24th, 2020
by Janet Preus I would not qualify as an expert in textile technology, but for topics discussed in our features, I can generally come up with a correlation that makes sense and provides some illumination from a journalist’s perspective. Then there’s international trade. I’m going to have to go way back in my history and […]
Skin patches: the advantages of the ultimate wearable
July 11th, 2018
Electronic skin patches could well be described as the ultimate wearable electronic devices. They deploy electronic components, including sensors and actuators with appropriate processing, energy storage and communication, directly onto the body, typically attached using an adhesive. Therefore, along with smart apparel and perhaps implantable devices, they serve as one of the most direct means […]
Priorities change
September 9th, 2016
I am writing this while visiting at an army installation; I’ve visited others, as well. I didn’t grow up around the military, so it’s all a little new to me, and it’s impressive. I don’t get to see the inner workings of the Army, but I’ve met quite a few soldiers and I’ve learned a […]
Do you think you know narrow fabrics?
July 10th, 2015
It’s not hard to picture a “narrow fabric.” After all, the name describes it. Well, that’s true to a point. Although ribbons, ropes, straps, slings, elastics and webbing are all narrow, for those who make high performance products for particularly demanding markets, that’s just the beginning. (See “Narrow fabrics’ widening markets.”) It is a part […]
Standards are not written in stone
May 11th, 2015
Nobody’s going to argue the importance of having standards for fire resistant and fire retardant textiles, but the issue of standards is anything but simple. Who decides? Who does the testing? Which fabrics for which uses must meet which standards? In fact the new California State Fire Marshall standards run many hundreds of pages. No […]
When is a fabric a fabric?
February 10th, 2015
This month, our featured material is not about a specific market area, per se, but rather about the challenge of commercializing new technology in any segment of the industry. There’s enough to talk about here to fill a shelf of encyclopedias (remember those?), so the challenge was to manage the topic, given the expanse of […]
A way in
June 9th, 2014
When I tell people what I do, there is often a moment of silence while the answer gets processed. They get the editor part; it’s “advanced textiles” that trips them up. But when I tell them about all the amazing materials, technology and expertise in the advanced textiles industry, they’re genuinely surprised. I start with […]
Everyday, but not ordinary
May 9th, 2014
Protective textile products are hard workers in industrial environments. Around the world, countless people start their work day following a critical routine by donning protective apparel: a hard hat, fire-retardant coverall, safety glasses, cut-resistant sleeves or gloves, high-visibility vests or jackets, clean-room garments, breathing masks. It may seem ordinary just because it’s common, but fire […]
Right and light
April 19th, 2014
Hazmat protection needs to be exactly right for its use—and as lightweight as possible. Protecting people from hazardous materials is serious business—and it’s complex. Fabric designed for use in hazmat suits and gear undergo careful research and rigorous testing before they are ever made into an application. Once a garment or tent is assembled, more […]
With risks this high, how much protection is enough?
April 7th, 2014
I haven't done a survey, but I think this is accurate: emergency personnel are most frequently dealing with crises they can understand. In fact, they may have been in similar situations many times in the past. They have been trained to deal with fires, car accidents and assaults, for example, and may feel confident that […]