Designing for failure prevention

November 6, 2014  |  Industry News

As C.S. Lewis would have it, “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” Haskell Beckham of the scientific and engineering consulting firm Exponent Inc. likely would agree. Speaking on “Failure Analysis of Industrial Fabrics and Design for Failure Prevention” as part of the 2014 …
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SBI secures license for Unequal’s military-grade protection

November 5, 2014  |  Industry News

SBI Inc.—a supplier of armor, apparel and accessories to the military, government and police—has signed a worldwide exclusive agreement with Unequal Technologies Co. to launch the EXO Skeleton line of tactical protective apparel and equipment. A military-grade version of Unequal’s patented…
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ITMA innovation award nominees set

November 4, 2014  |  Industry News

Five companies are finalists for the International Textile Machinery Association (ITMA) Innovator of the Year award, and another five were named finalists for Launch of the Year. More than 50 companies are nominated in 10 “best innovation” categories, and three will be cited as “company of the…
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IAC free webinar on odor-control technology, markets and regulations

November 4, 2014  |  Industry News

The International Antimicrobial Council (IAC), will offer a webinar entitled “Odor Control for Today’s Consumer: Understanding the Technology and the Market” Oct. 22, the first in a series of educational webinars the IAC is producing to improve understanding of the benefits of antimicrobials, …
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Major growth in sensors and smart clothing materials anticipated

October 27, 2014  |  Industry News

The market for sensors and smart materials used in clothing will grow from roughly $212 million this year to more than $1.8 billion by 2021, according to a new report from industry analyst firm NanoMarkets. Smart clothing might finally evolve to become the computing devices of the future with watche…
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Smart textiles collaboration underway

October 27, 2014  |  Industry News

Smart textile and wearable intelligence prototypes for all kinds of applications with the potential to alter people’s lives are increasingly shown at major trade shows. Safety and intervention, home care and medical, military, sports and leisure applications are believed to be the major growth ma…
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TenCate-led consortium wins innovation center subsidy

October 10, 2014  |  Industry News

A consortium of companies led by Dutch protective fabrics manufacturer TenCate has received a €1.5 million ($1.9 million) subsidy from the Province of Overijssel for the development of “The Factory of the Future,” a high-tech innovation center to be established in eastern Netherlands. The tota…
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Research on spider silk fibers for composites in cars funded

October 10, 2014  |  Industry News

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a Utah State University professor nearly $2 million to produce synthetic spider silk fibers that could be used to make lighter, more efficient automobiles. According to a story in the Herald Journal of Logan, Utah, Randy Lewis and his Utah Science Technology…
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Fuel economy drives fiber demands in the automotive sector

October 10, 2014  |  Industry News

Emphasis on sustainable architecture and consumer demand for comfort propel use of fibers in the global automotive sector. With stringent fuel emission legislations compelling original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to adopt “lightweighting,” the need for fibers is poised for rapid growth. In th…
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Smart growth

October 10, 2014  |  Industry News

Jeff Rasmussen, market research manager for IFAI, provides an overview of growth and innovations in the smart fabrics market and what kinds of opportunities might accompany those advancements. He will speak on this topic Oct. 13 at IFAI Advanced Textiles Expo. Smart fabrics—including wearable prod…
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