German textile engineering meets artificial intelligence

February 12, 2024  |  In the Industry

German circular knitting machine builder Terrot and Porto, Portugal based Smartex.ai have announced a strategic partnership. As the industry moves towards smart machines that both produce a wide variety of fabrics quickly as well as automate previously manual tasks, such as quality control and data …
Read More
European Parliament agrees on “greenwashing” directive

January 29, 2024  |  In the Industry

The European Parliament has agreed on a directive that aims to improve product labeling and ban the use of misleading environmental claims (“greenwashing”) to help consumers make better purchasing choices. As reported in sportstextiles.com, the new rules aim to make product labeling clearer an…
Read More
Columbia expands its involvement in Space exploration

December 18, 2023  |  In the Industry

While designing for the demands of sportswear can be challenging, Columbia Sportswear have pushed their game a step further by meeting the requirements demanded in Space. In his presentation at the Advanced Textiles Association’s Expo 2023, Haskell Beckham, the company’s vice president for inno…
Read More
The importance of standards in textile innovation

November 27, 2023  |  In the Industry

Erika Simmons, technical director, AATCC, challenged her audience to “Level-up your standards game” to achieve “next-level innovation” in her presentation at ATA’s Expo this year. Simmons provided up-to-the-minute information on where new standards are in their development or release. 
Read More
BRM marks 100 years in business

November 27, 2023  |  In the Industry

Bally Ribbon Mills, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, was founded with the purchase of a silk mill in 1923 and the manufacture of narrow band material that was mainly used for intimate apparel and hat bands. Today it manufactures a range of narrow fabrics including highly technical mater…
Read More
Designing around patents

November 27, 2023  |  In the Industry

Attorneys from the firm of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, discussed the importance of patents for innovators in their presentation at ATA’s Expo 2023, sharing key points to help inventors protect their innovations. Cory Schug specializes in patent procurement and management, and Jack Hicks is a t…
Read More
Research in hemp as a textile alternative grows

November 27, 2023  |  In the Industry

At this year’s Emerging Textiles Conference, Dr. Andre West presented a compelling argument for the future potential of hemp as a sustainable alternative for industrial textiles, which he believes is at a watershed moment. Dr West is director of the Zeis Textiles Extension, North Carolina State Un…
Read More
Smart textiles in automotives

November 13, 2023  |  In the Industry

Many of the developments in smart textiles are focused on the fiber and textile structure. However, there is a growing opportunity for the use of textiles within flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) that is of interest to the automotive sector, in particular.
Read More
Light capture with a twist

November 13, 2023  |  In the Industry

Conferences aim to inform and surprise delegates, so in inviting Dr. Mridula Nair from Kodak as this year’s Emerging Technologies Conference plenary speaker, curiosity was undoubtedly aroused—Kodak and textiles! Nair is a research fellow and distinguished inventor at Kodak, serving as senior pri…
Read More
NASA partners with Prada for new spacesuits

October 23, 2023  |  In the Industry

Prada will design and produce NASA’s lunar spacesuits for the Artemis III mission planned for 2025; this will also be the first lunar mission to place a woman on the Moon. In collaboration with Axiom Space, the architect of the world’s first commercial space station, the Axiom Extravehicula…
Read More