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HYDRO_BOT manages moisture in clothing
February 16th, 2017
A research facility and industry team have created a product they call HYDRO_BOT, aimed at transporting moisture to match human sweat rates in various climates, conditions and activity levels. The electronically controlled moisture management technology will be applied to sports, work and protective clothing. Osmotex, a Swiss-Norwegian startup, has been developing HYDRO_BOT for ten years. […]
Katharine Morgan becomes president of ASTM International
February 15th, 2017
ASTM International announces that Katharine “Kathie” Morgan has began her tenure as president of the worldwide standards development organization. She succeeds James A. Thomas, who served as president for 25 years. Morgan has been involved with ASTM International for 33 years. For the last two years, she has been the executive vice president. Prior to that, she was […]
Swedish researchers develop textile “muscles”
February 10th, 2017
Researchers at Linköping University and the University of Borås in Sweden have developed electro-active textile muscle systems that turn everyday apparel fabrics into artificial external musculature. The technology may aid people with disabilities, laborers and others who need a boost when lifting and pulling. Seeker and www.phys.org report how the system works: Lightweight apparel fabric […]
Smart fabric mimics bone tissue
February 10th, 2017
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) announces that biomedical engineers at the University have woven a “smart” fabric that mimics the properties of the bone tissue periosteum, a soft tissue sleeve that envelops most bony surfaces in the body. The complex arrangement of collagen, elastin and other structural proteins gives periosteum marked resilience and provides […]
Smart phone app helps design a custom dress
February 10th, 2017
The H&M-backed Swedish fashion house Ivyrevel has teamed up with Google and MediaMonks to create a personalized garment based on data gathered by a smartphone app. Ivyrevel calls the technology “Coded Couture.” The company says it works on the philosophy that fashion and technology go hand-in-hand. When you want a new dress to wear to […]
Textile integration of piezoelectric energy harvesting
February 10th, 2017
Breathing is the most consistent source of kinetic energy in the human body, as it produces a large circumferential displacement in the chest, even during sleep. This oscillation is one of few mechanisms in the human body that can also be exploited non-invasively for energy harvesting. The National Science Foundation’s ASSIST (Advanced Self-Powered Systems of […]
As natural as breathing
February 10th, 2017
All moving things generate kinetic energy. Ok, that’s obvious. … The human body itself is a reliable source of energy. Not the first thing that jumps to mind. … The most consistent energy source in our body is … breathing. Let that settle for a minute, and then read our feature, “Textile integration of piezoelectric […]
What “going circular” means for the apparel and textile industry
February 10th, 2017
The apparel and footwear industry is forecast to generate double-digit growth to 2020 according to business analysts McKinsey & Co. One of the challenges is reconciling this growth with sustainability initiatives. As this report states it, “Sustainability and rapid business growth are not compatible; to pretend otherwise would be disingenuous.” The solution proposed is an […]
U.K. textile academy trains next generation
February 9th, 2017
The Textiles Growth Programme, a U.K. initiative designed to support the country’s textile industry, has provided funding of £30,000 to establish a new textile academy in Keighley, West Yorkshire. The academy will be on the campus of Keighley College, an offshoot of Leeds City College. Colin Booth, CEO and principal of Leeds City College, says the academy […]
New line of air-lay nonwovens from Bouckaert
February 8th, 2017
Textile World reports that Bouckaert Industrial Textiles has acquired a new 3.4-meter-wide air-lay line from Laroche S.A. and TechnoPlants S.r.l. The material will primarily serve the thermal and acoustical insulation markets and, secondarily, specialty filtration and conveyor belting. The line represents an investment of more than $3 million. The company expects to produce 8 million […]