June 18, 2018
Pvilion announces that it has recently launched , a new solar-powered tote and clutch, its second collaboration with the Tommy Hilfiger brand. The removable solar clutch allows easy access to mobile charging, incorporating a battery and a USB port to power a mobile phone. The tote showcases a front panel design with star-shaped cutout, allowing …
June 15, 2018
The Indian government is predicting an increase in demand for technical textile products as more people in India have disposable income, a release in Technical Textiles reported. “For the past four years, the [Indian textiles] sector has been growing at a CAGR of 12 percent. For the next four, it is estimated to grow at …
June 14, 2018
FiberVisions, a subsidiary of Indorama Ventures, is increasing its bicomponent fiber capacity in Covington, Ga. The expansion is expected to create a new generation of bicomponent fibers, the company’s largest line at 24,000 tons per year capacity. Indorama Ventures’ board has approved the project, a release in Technical Textiles says. The company’s expansion is in …
June 13, 2018
The coated fabrics for the defense market is growing at a significant pace, a recent report from Future Market Insights says. The market is expected to expand at a 2.9 percent CAGR between 2018 and 2028. The growth is due in large part to the increase of coated fabrics in applications such as personnel-oriented objects …
June 12, 2018
Chemical company Archroma has introduced Denisol Pure Indigo 30, an aniline-free* denim indigo dye. The company reports the new dye provides a nontoxic way to produce the traditional blue that consumers associate with denim. Currently, aniline impurities are an unavoidable element of producing indigo-dyed denim, but with its new product, aniline is locked into the indigo …
June 11, 2018
Compression stockings and bandages are essential elements in the treatment of various medical conditions, and applying the optimal pressure to stimulate blood flow for a given condition is a key to successful treatment. Now a team of MIT engineers led by assistant professor Mathias Kolle has developed pressure-sensing photonic fibers that some day may be …
June 11, 2018
The College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) announces that it has produced a fabric that allows the user to change the color or pattern of the fabric via smartphone. According to the university, CREOL’s ChroMorphous technology can be applied to large, woven fabrics and cut-and-sewn textile products. Each …
June 11, 2018
A Drexel University professor is studying snakes and their skins to better understand traction and to help engineers improve the design of textured surfaces such as engine cylinder liners, prosthetic joints and even footwear. Hisham Abdel-Aal, Ph.D, an associate teaching professor in Drexel University’s College of Engineering, believes that snakes offer an excellent means to study …
June 11, 2018
Soft robotics and exoskeletons offer human-centric solutions. On March 19, 2018, the New York Times ran a headline that said, “Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Pedestrian in Arizona, Where Robots Roam.” Although the science of robotics has made impressive strides, robots are having something of a crisis of identity. For more than a century science fiction …
June 11, 2018
“Robot.” What comes to mind? An R2-D2-type character? Something encased in metal that traverses the terrain in a clearly non-human way? Maybe you picture a sci-fi movie depicting an AI character so smart that it overthrows the human characters in a dramatic coup. Time to rethink that picture in your head and replace it with a …
June 11, 2018
Soft robotics and exoskeletons offer human-centric solutions. On March 19, 2018, the New York Times ran a headline that said, “Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Pedestrian in Arizona, Where Robots Roam.” Although the science of robotics has made impressive strides, robots are having something of a crisis of identity. For more than a century science fiction …
May 21, 2018
LOOMIA’s technology launches in major menswear line this fall. While wrist-worn mini-computers are now commonplace, a New York, N.Y.-based company is investing in a different wearables future, where technology is woven directly into clothes. LOOMIA designs and manufactures soft, flexible circuitry that can heat, light, sense and track data, while integrating—seamlessly—into soft goods with its …
May 21, 2018
How textile-based biomaterials and medical devices support human body repair. Textile-based biomaterials or biotextiles have the longest history in the field of biomaterials. In ancient China and Egypt as far back as 2000 B.C., natural fibers such as linen, silk, bark, horsehair and dried guts were used as suture materials for wound closure. The introduction of …
May 7, 2018
Commercializing innovations and sustainability issues highlighted at recent conference. The nonwovens sector has diversified from being a single-use product industry to an advanced fibrous materials industry. This shift has been underscored by the possible adoption of a new definition for nonwovens: engineered fibrous assembly, based on balloting at the International Organization for Standardization. Regardless of …
May 7, 2018
IFAI’s Smart Fabrics Summit in Washington attracts a large audience of industry participants. In addition to the presentations, the Smart Fabrics Summit held in Washington D.C. on April 24 proved to be a great way to connect with people in all areas of the smart fabrics industry. The Summit was co-sponsored by the Industrial Fabrics …
April 26, 2018
IFAI and the Dept. of Commerce sponsored the event April 24 in Washington, D.C. “I’m taking this up there with me,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross told his interviewer, Amit Kapoor, as the two of them stepped on stage for the Secretary’s “fireside chat” at IFAI’s Smart Fabrics Summit April 24. Kapoor is chair …
April 23, 2018
NASA’s next generation spacesuit will require new textiles to meet extreme demands. Human space exploration is one of the most ambitious and exciting endeavors upon which mankind has ever embarked, and it has always been an integral part of the U.S. space program. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sent our first astronaut, Alan …
April 9, 2018
A range of new materials and technologies are adding functionalities to textiles. Textiles are well established as passive materials offering comfort and protection, as well as design and fashion choices. With strong interest in promoting textile manufacturing and enhancing the utility and performance of textiles, efforts have been initiated by academia and government researchers to …
March 26, 2018
From raw materials to manufacturing processes, the word “textile” takes on new meanings. Textile technology is undergoing a revolution, with innovative structures, raw materials and manufacturing platforms creating new fabrics that defy old-school definitions. Introductory textile science classes taught us that textiles were materials that could be woven, knit, crocheted, knotted or felted from yarns …
March 12, 2018
Manufacturers are finding new ways to enhance product performance with textiles. As the demands made on textiles have increased, the nature of what is defined as “textile” has greatly expanded, often including non-textiles or treating them in a textile manner. Hybrids that bring together different materials and processes can offer the benefit of conventional textiles …
June 18, 2018
Pvilion announces that it has recently launched , a new solar-powered tote and clutch, its second collaboration with the Tommy Hilfiger brand. The removable solar clutch allows easy access to mobile charging, incorporating a battery and a USB port to power a mobile phone. The tote showcases a front panel design with star-shaped cutout, allowing …
June 15, 2018
The Indian government is predicting an increase in demand for technical textile products as more people in India have disposable income, a release in Technical Textiles reported. “For the past four years, the [Indian textiles] sector has been growing at a CAGR of 12 percent. For the next four, it is estimated to grow at …
June 14, 2018
FiberVisions, a subsidiary of Indorama Ventures, is increasing its bicomponent fiber capacity in Covington, Ga. The expansion is expected to create a new generation of bicomponent fibers, the company’s largest line at 24,000 tons per year capacity. Indorama Ventures’ board has approved the project, a release in Technical Textiles says. The company’s expansion is in …
June 13, 2018
The coated fabrics for the defense market is growing at a significant pace, a recent report from Future Market Insights says. The market is expected to expand at a 2.9 percent CAGR between 2018 and 2028. The growth is due in large part to the increase of coated fabrics in applications such as personnel-oriented objects …
June 8, 2018
STOLL, a German 3D knitting machinery company, and Myant Inc., a Canadian textile computing company, have announced the launch of their Digital Textile Factory. A recent article in Printed Electronics World reports that the collaboration weaves together STOLL’s 140-plus years of 3D knitting expertise with Myant’s proprietary biometric sensing and actuation technology. The digital factory …
June 7, 2018
BRW Safety & Supply announced the restocking of a new line of arm guard made of Kevlar, a recent release says. Kevlar, known for its use in bulletproof vests, is the primary material used in BRW’s arm guards. The Kevlar arm guard is intended to protect workers in metal fabrication, construction trades, automotive assembly, glass …
May 22, 2018
Millioninsights.com, a distributor of market research reports, expects a surge in the demand for protective clothing. The rising concerns regarding the safety of workers and increasingly stringent government regulations are leading factors driving this market, the report says. The booming demand for multifunctional protective clothing from end-user industries is also propelling the market, as well …
May 21, 2018
National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) president and CEO Auggie Tantillo testified as a witness at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) public hearing on proposed China 301 tariffs in Washington, D.C. May 17. “The U.S. textile industry strongly supports the Trump administration’s Section 301 case to sanction China’s rampant intellectual property rights (IPR) theft,” Tantillo said. …
May 9, 2018
June 12, 2018 | Noon EST Free to IFAI Members/$79.00 for Nonmembers The presenters will cover four components used in a cutting room: digitizing, cutting, material handling and ROI. Learn what applications are best suited for full automation and how to implement them and increase your product volumes. Presenters Truy Pham Autometrix Inc. Truy “Tree” …
May 9, 2018
June 20, 2018 | Noon EST Free to IFAI Members/$75.00 for Nonmembers Learn about increasing your bottom line and how to encourage your clients to upgrade to better quality materials. Find out how upselling reflects company image, leads to future referrals and produces long-lasting products. Presenter Dave Callahan Granite State Cover & Canvas Inc. …
March 14, 2016
The latest products manufactured in partnership by Italian clothier Calzedonia and Emana®, the smart-yarn developed by the global business unit Fibras of the Solvay Group, look like standard jeans, but feature a polyamide yarn incorporated with bioactive minerals that, in contact with the body, facilitate heat exchange which boosts skin microcirculation, thereby improving the skin’s …
September 9, 2014
.of-interest dd { height: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: .75em; } Schiller Bikes “baycycle” is engineered for the water Schiller | product Forbes magazine takes note of smart textiles Forbes | article
June 14, 2014
Texworld USA has announced a full roster of complimentary seminars organized by Lenzing Fibers, producer of man-made cellulose fibers Knitting Industry | article Graphene Flagship Announces large influx of partners through competitive call Graphene Flagship | pdf Oct. 1, 2014 deadline for EUREKA water tech Cluster ACQUEAU call for projects Eureka Network | article
May 15, 2014
dd{margin-bottom:.75em;} Researchers look for more eco-friendly chemicals used in textile manufacturing Research and Markets | article Environmentally benign single-layer breathable Nanowebs developed Commodity Online | article “Thinnest feasible membrane” is extremely light and breathable ETH Zurich | article Forbes gets interested in smart textiles and wearable technology Forbes | article
February 7, 2014
Electronic textile cushion This short video shows an electronic textile cushion recently produced by Ioannis Anastasopoulos of the Advanced Textiles Research Group, Nottingham Trent University, U.K.. The LED chips and interconnects have been fully integrated into the fabric structure. “Power pocket” could do more than store your phone Scientists at the University of Southampton are …
December 16, 2013
Wearable Computing: Adaptive Tech to Blink and Bling Wearable computing, creative use of e-textiles—developed by someone amazingly young! Chinese giant takes control of Pakistan’s Masood Textile Chinese textiles conglomerate Shandong Ruyi Technology Group has acquired a 52 percent share of Masood Textile Mills (MTM) based in Pakistan.
November 12, 2013
Structuring shade Shade structure reduces heat gain – for an entire building. The nanosilver debate A court ruling addresses limiting nanosilver in textiles. Call to reduce toxic chemicals Ecotextile online reports that the Natural Resource Defense Council has called for a new ‘Five Step Program’ to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in the global …
October 8, 2013
“Knitted Light” A project at the Swedish School of Textiles uses three-dimensional patterns to create textile surfaces with complex properties that are capable of reflecting, filtering and transmitting light. Answer your glove Bluetooth phone gloves have been available in the marketplace for a while. Are they calling to you?
September 10, 2013
KYMIRA Sportswear Not every observer buys into the claims of this sportswear company. It uses a new, but quite credible technology. What do you think? New nanomaterial increases yield of solar cells Researchers have optimized the nanostructures so that a solar cell provides more electricity and loses less energy in the form of heat. Paper-thin …
July 31, 2013
The ultimate in a customized shoe The ‘DNA 3D printed shoe’ will be designed according to the individual’s foot contours and how that person moves. Under the sea Three Massachusetts research facilities will receive funding to help find out if undersea ”kites” can reliably produce renewable energy. Bountiful bamboo One researcher’s fascination with textile engineering, …
June 11, 2018
The College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) announces that it has produced a fabric that allows the user to change the color or pattern of the fabric via smartphone. According to the university, CREOL’s ChroMorphous technology can be applied to large, woven fabrics and cut-and-sewn textile products. Each …
June 11, 2018
A Drexel University professor is studying snakes and their skins to better understand traction and to help engineers improve the design of textured surfaces such as engine cylinder liners, prosthetic joints and even footwear. Hisham Abdel-Aal, Ph.D, an associate teaching professor in Drexel University’s College of Engineering, believes that snakes offer an excellent means to study …
June 6, 2018
An open-source 3D-printed upper-extremity prosthesis gives drummers who have lost a hand or arm a new way to play. Working with renowned drummer Greg Anton, who lost his left hand, “Paradiddle” designer Dominic Siguang Ma developed unique features that allow the drummer to play intuitively and comfortably. One of Siguang Ma’s main challenges was to design a mechanism that can …
May 7, 2018
A giant, air-purifying sculpture is not just art; it has the ability to absorb emissions from 90,000 cars per year, its creators say. “Breath/ng” by Kengo Kuma, initially on display during Milan’s 2018 Design Week, is composed of 120 hand-folded panels inspired by Japanese origami and made of an innovative fabric called The Breath®. Italian …
April 23, 2018
Engineering firm nat-2 has developed fungi footwear made of “mushroom leather” that has a vintage look and is reported to be very soft. The leather-like material is created from the trama of the tinder sponge, fomes fomentarius, which grows on dead or weak birches and beeches. The material is organic and chemical-free and the fungus gives it …
April 9, 2018
Benjamin Hubert’s London design agency LAYER will be launching a flexible, retail shelf system for Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat. The system called “SHIFT” is LAYER’s first collaboration with Kvadrat and the result of ten prototypes over a period of six months. The shelving is made from Kvadrat’s Really Solid Textile Board, a material made of …
March 26, 2018
Studio Samira Boon collaborated with the TextielMuseum’s TextielLab in Tilburg, the Netherlands, and Professor T. Tachi from the University of Tokyo to translate traditional paper folding into digital weaving techniques. The computerized origami structures are able to incorporate smart properties to adapt to their surroundings, including being responsive to light, heat and sound. Archi Folds, …
March 12, 2018
The production of leather and textiles is often a resource-heavy process, and the industries are responsible for diverse impacts, including human, animal or ecological, depending on the material type and production methods. The growth in popularity of vegan lifestyle choices, as well as an increased concern for animal welfare in livestock farming, has prompted a …
March 12, 2018
U.S. Army Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms could benefit from a new study about cephalopods. A research team led by Leila Deravi at Northeastern University has set out to discover how the stealth capabilities of cephalopods could help protect soldiers. Cephalopods are tentacled mollusks including squid, octopi, cuttlefish and the nautilus. These species can change their …
January 22, 2018
Your new rain boots could offer something quite distinctive; the smell of popcorn while doing chores or stomping through puddles. These nature-inspired, waterproof boots are made from rubber and recycled non-food-grade corn. They’re designed by Sebastian Thies and manufactured by the German company nat-2™ in Italy. Besides the distinct smell of popcorn, the semi-transparent boots …
June 11, 2018
Compression stockings and bandages are essential elements in the treatment of various medical conditions, and applying the optimal pressure to stimulate blood flow for a given condition is a key to successful treatment. Now a team of MIT engineers led by assistant professor Mathias Kolle has developed pressure-sensing photonic fibers that some day may be …
June 1, 2018
Brooks Running Company has announced that the company’s first personalized running shoe, the Brooks Genesys, will be available in the U.S. in early 2019 and globally soon after the U.S. launch. The shoe is created based on an individual’s biomechanics captured by HP Inc. FitStation technology, which gathers data from 3D foot scans, dynamic gait …
May 25, 2018
Protective apparel maker Kappler has developed an economical suit to protect healthcare responders against the Ebola virus and other biohazards. Technicaltextiles.net reports that the NFPA-certified suit, ProVent Plus, a use-and-dispose product, provides protection for emergency responders and healthcare workers faced with Ebola-infected body fluids and other biohazards. The product is distinctive for being economical and …
May 21, 2018
Textile finishing company Devan Chemicals has launched its patent-pending “Moov&Cool” technology. Called a “cool comfort technology,” the innovation has the potential to improve athletic performance for both amateurs and professionals by helping to regulate core body temperature. The product consists of a multi-functional polymer technology that absorbs heat during performance and improves the moisture management …
May 17, 2018
Researchers at a Shanghai laboratory have transformed silk into screws to stabilize skull bones during brain surgery, according to a report in www.technicaltextile.net. After extracting silk proteins from the cocoons of the Bombyx mori silkworm, the scientists converted them into fixing devices like screws and linking stripes. After animal trials, the devices’ properties, such as …
May 15, 2018
Nike’s first 3D printed textile upper, FlyPrint, is promising greater breathability and less weight. The shoe upper is a TPU filament melted and applied in layers that can be customized for specific regions and individual athletes, according to a recent Engadget article. Compared to previous textiles, Nike has shaved off 0.38 ounces, a significant figure …
May 14, 2018
After nearly two years of research and development, Accel Lifestyle has announced the launch of its athleisure brand with a Kickstarter campaign on May 1. Accel Lifestyle founder Megan Eddings says the fabric uses a protected science that is free of chemicals, and each garment comes with an inspirational quote; it as “an ethical fashion …
May 11, 2018
Teijin Aramid has announced the introduction of Teijinconex Coolnex Stretch, a single-layer, high-performance textile that aims to combine flame resistance with built-in stretch and recovery. The fabric is engineered with Solotex stretch technology, a patented fiber solution engineered by Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd. Originally developed for casual wear, Teijin’s textile engineers have now applied it to flame-retardant (FR) protective clothing. The company points out …
May 10, 2018
Clariant’s new AddWorks solutions are aimed at improving performance and efficiency of plastics materials for compounders, polymer and fiber producers in China’s major plastics manufacturing segments. The company is slated to open a new facility later in 2018 in Zhenjiang, China, which will be dedicated to the manufacture of AddWorks solutions tailored for the Chinese …
May 7, 2018
It’s no secret that consumers love to wear t-shirts, but what if those t-shirts could last longer—much longer—without losing their soft feel, shape and good looks? That’s the question answered by Japanese brand ONFAdd with its new t-shirt. Using durable CORDURA® thread, the company says the fabric is woven with a special technique so the shirt will …
