September 29, 2022
The new Horizon Europe project CISUTAC will support the transition to a circular and sustainable textile sector. As part of a consortium of 27 partners working on the project, EURATEX will work towards facilitating the Circular Economy transition. While the production and consumption of textile products continue to grow, so does the impact on the …
September 28, 2022
Gaston College, one of North Carolina’s largest community colleges, is pleased to announce Jasmine Cox has accepted the role as executive director of the Textile Technology and Fiber Innovation Centers. Cox most recently served as the college’s director of Textile Technology Programs and Business Innovation. “Jasmine is a natural fit for this position. She’s an …
September 27, 2022
Piedmont Plastics®, a premier wholesale distributor of plastic sheet, rod, tube, and film, is pleased to announce the relocation of their newest branch location in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.As previously announced, Piedmont Plastics completed the acquisition of Edmonton-based Plastics Plus, Ltd. in June 2022. Since then, the Piedmont Plastics and Plastics Plus teams have been working …
September 26, 2022
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have reported the development of a microneedle patch that can be self-administered and painlessly deposit a tattoo onto skin within minutes. The technology is initially proposed for simple human medical or animal uses, but a number of cosmetic uses may be possible in the future. Microneedle …
September 26, 2022
As IFAI has evolved and become Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), and the Advanced Textiles Products division changed its name to Emerging Technologies Division (ETD), the name for this publication will also change to Textile Technology Source. A decision was made following discussion among ATA’s editorial team and ETD to make the distinction among entities and their …
September 26, 2022
Jenny Sabin Studios, Ithaca, N.Y., is known for using knitting technologies to create structural and architectural applications. Sabin’s “exoKnit” at Neue House in New York City is a recent example of the designers pushing knitting beyond its traditional boundaries. The exoKnit project is a community-centered, public pavilion pergola designed to embody the kind of urban …
September 26, 2022
Presented by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), the Advanced Textiles (AT) Conference opens Oct. 11 at the Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, N.C., with a full afternoon dedicated to advanced textiles education, including a welcome lunch with plenary session at 11:30 a.m., with Dr. Andrew Dent, EVP of Materials Research, Material ConneXion, speaking on the topic, …
September 26, 2022
Manufacturing to scale is arguably the most significant challenge facing the smart materials and wearable technology industries—and it’s not just desirable, but essential for growth and survival. Without full commercialization, the drive for new developments and research are in jeopardy. There is no shortage of interest and enthusiasm amongst stakeholders, which begs the question of …
September 26, 2022
George Courey Inc., a 112-year-old business, owned by the same family for four generations, has undergone a successful transition from the third to the fourth generation. Taking a century-old business into the future requires a business acumen and maturity of leadership which Jeffrey Courey and Robert Courey bring to the table. On September 15, 2022, the George Courey Inc. headquarters …
September 22, 2022
Milliken & Company, a diversified manufacturer committed to sustainability, is proud to achieve a gold rating on its 2022 EcoVadis assessment. EcoVadis is a trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, providing detailed insight into environmental, social and ethical considerations across 200+ purchasing categories and 160+ countries. Milliken’s score places it in the top 7% of …
July 7, 2021
Messe Stuttgart announced that its new U.S.-based show Sun Shading Expo North America will not be held in 2021 as a separate trade show but will instead contribute its expertise in internal and external sun shading systems at IFAI Expo 2021 in the form of expert talks, open discussions and more. IFAI Expo 2021 will still take place …
May 10, 2021
Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won’t want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end …
November 16, 2020
In a session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, “Smart Textiles Standardization, Active Illumination,” Dr. Jan Beringer, senior scientific expert Hohenstein Group, explained the new standard for active illumination that will soon be implemented in European Union countries. Organizations worked together to develop the standards. It is notable, he said that both textile and electronics industries …
November 13, 2020
The U.S. textile industry has stepped up to meet the demand for face masks, medical gowns, wipes and other products necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but it needs policy changes from Washington so that the U.S. is not caught off-guard again in a future crisis, according to association leaders speaking at Industrial Fabrics Association …
November 12, 2020
Dr. Bryran Ormond, assistant professor, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State explained respiratory protection in an “Ask an Expert” session with Jing Liang, Medical PPE Consulting LLC. Dr. Ormand has typically worked in the area of chemical and biological protective equipment, but with the onslaught of the pandemic, began to focus on respiratory protection generally, …
November 11, 2020
All surgical gowns are not created equal, and a Nov. 11 presentation at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020 helped sort out the differences. The finer points of surgical gowns were discussed by Dr. Martin King, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, and Jing Liang, president of Medical PPE Consulting LLC. …
November 11, 2020
How do you create a channel from research to application? How do you create a pathway toward understanding complex human problems across supply chains and market sectors? STEM—a curriculum based on teaching science, technology, engineering and math—has branched out from basic chemistry and biology and physics classes, into collaborative efforts, including textiles, according to Stephanie …
November 11, 2020
At the 2020 Virtual Expo session, “Ask the Expert: Textile Electronics Testing and Standards,” Jesse Jur, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, discussed how standards and testing continue to evolve due to the evolution of textile-based electronics (e-textiles). Jur said that standards have long been a vital resource for …
November 10, 2020
Wildfires, hurricanes, a pandemic and civil unrest have wreaked plenty of chaos on the commercial insurance market in 2020. Steve Christenson, with Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, offered guidance to business owners Nov. 9 at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020. “The business insurance market has been going through several changes this year,” says Christenson, with U.S. …
November 6, 2020
Thinking about selling your business—either to an outside party or the next generation? Then it’s time to start considering how your equipment and processes fit into your succession plan. Jonathan Palmer, the second-generation owner and CEO of equipment supplier Autometrix, and Autometrix director of global sales Truy Pham, led an educational session at IFAI Virtual …
September 26, 2022
Manufacturing to scale is arguably the most significant challenge facing the smart materials and wearable technology industries—and it’s not just desirable, but essential for growth and survival. Without full commercialization, the drive for new developments and research are in jeopardy. There is no shortage of interest and enthusiasm amongst stakeholders, which begs the question of …
September 12, 2022
Historical branding of textiles has led the general population to think that textiles are anything but advanced. As anyone in the textile industry can appreciate, textiles are not simple or basic, but are platforms that facilitate a human’s ability to blur the line between creativity and engineering to elicit remarkable advanced functional capabilities from textile …
August 22, 2022
As the e-textiles industry continues to grow, it will be essential that there are consensus-based international standards to support the industry to ensure reliability of materials and products and best practices used in design and manufacture. As an industry trade association with decades of standards development for the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC has a collection of …
August 9, 2022
Unexpected demand, raw material price volatility, market fluctuations and other factors have created a stressful scenario for the commodity textiles sector. In countries like India, where textile exports contribute significantly to export income, such volatile situations create a panic in the entire supply chain. Solutions, in part, lie in enhancing the availability of raw materials …
July 25, 2022
In seeking to promote growth in the textile industry, it’s important to identify value-driven markets that our capabilities, or core competencies, can address. Our inspirations concerning the industry come from different sources. Most recently, a blog post on this site, by Advanced Textiles Source editor Janet Preus, “You call that a textile?”, as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning …
July 11, 2022
A safe, clean and pollution free workplace is important in offering quality of life for a labor force, which also enhances worker productivity. With multiple risk factors in a work environment, including mechanical or electrical hazards, extreme heat or cold, toxic chemicals, noise and air pollution, providing for worker physical and psychological comfort is a …
June 27, 2022
Government contracts, historically, have been a major source of funding for research and development in the advanced textiles world. An example of this significant commitment was announced recently with a new program through The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). It has introduced its Smart Electrically Powered and Networked Textile Systems (SMART ePANTS) initiative to …
June 9, 2022
When is a material a textile? When is a textile a fabric? The unprecedented scope of new materials in development—by academia, government-funded technology groups, and start-ups—is challenging traditional concepts of fabric formation. How this will impact the larger industry is a useful question to consider. E-textiles are progressing from “devices” mounted on a fabric structure, …
May 23, 2022
There is no shortage of innovation in medical textiles, but it remains a persistent challenge to get those great ideas to market. In terms of patents filed, medical technology is showing relatively slow growth among the technology fields—just 6.5 percent during the period 2008–2018, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Around 40 percent …
May 9, 2022
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for, and the benefits of, translational research, which enables startups. “Startups are akin to having new plants and trees in an ecosystem,” says Dr. Atul Parvatiyar, director, Center for Sales & Customer Relationship Excellence at Texas Tech University. “Without new plants and trees, we will have a …
September 29, 2022
The new Horizon Europe project CISUTAC will support the transition to a circular and sustainable textile sector. As part of a consortium of 27 partners working on the project, EURATEX will work towards facilitating the Circular Economy transition. While the production and consumption of textile products continue to grow, so does the impact on the …
September 28, 2022
Gaston College, one of North Carolina’s largest community colleges, is pleased to announce Jasmine Cox has accepted the role as executive director of the Textile Technology and Fiber Innovation Centers. Cox most recently served as the college’s director of Textile Technology Programs and Business Innovation. “Jasmine is a natural fit for this position. She’s an …
September 20, 2022
The Commission has proposed to prohibit products made with forced labor on the EU market. The proposal covers all products, namely those made in the EU for domestic consumption and exports, and imported goods, without targeting specific companies or industries. This comprehensive approach is important because an estimated 27.6 million people are in forced labor, …
September 14, 2022
The Pantone Color Institute (PCI) announced a collaboration with luxury tea blenders, TEALEAVES, alongside other organizations and NGOs on an impactful partnership and awareness campaign to educate people and call attention to biodiversity loss through a novel Pantone color release, called the “Pantone Color of Biodiversity”. According to UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and …
September 9, 2022
The global Nonwoven Fabrics Market is predicted to witness substantial development. Demand for personal protective equipment such as gloves, facial masks, facial covers, and gowns, is mounting, leading to high demand for nonwoven fabrics. But the scarcities are leaving healthcare workers riskily ill-equipped to care for COVID-19 patients. The world needs about 89 million medical …
September 7, 2022
The 15th ITMF Corona-Survey shows that the business situation plunged into negative territory in July 2022. The business situation is worse in Asia than in the rest of the world. Textile machinery is the only segment still in positive territory. Business expectations have also turned negative for the first time since the start of survey …
September 6, 2022
According to the latest PMI composite index data, economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in August, with the overall economy achieving a 27th consecutive month of growth, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®. The report was issued today by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply …
August 29, 2022
The European textile & fashion in Europe, represented by EURATEX, calls for a single European strategy to tackle this energy crisis. To safeguard the future of the industry, a revision of the electricity price mechanism is necessary and an EU wide cap on gas prices at 80€/MWh. Special company support needs to be granted to …
August 22, 2022
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has named experienced operations and development officer Ryan Ragan as its new Director of Membership and Industry Relations to retain and grow memberships and enhance member values. He brings 20 years of experience from various bio-medical and healthcare organizations. For the past four years he worked in …
August 18, 2022
Developments in advanced mono material fabrics and fabrics made using cellulosic fibers were widespread at the European fabric fairs for spring/summer 2023 as manufacturers continue to improve the recyclability of textile products, according to “Survey of the European fabric fairs for spring/summer 2023,” a 24-page report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence. The …
September 26, 2022
Jenny Sabin Studios, Ithaca, N.Y., is known for using knitting technologies to create structural and architectural applications. Sabin’s “exoKnit” at Neue House in New York City is a recent example of the designers pushing knitting beyond its traditional boundaries. The exoKnit project is a community-centered, public pavilion pergola designed to embody the kind of urban …
May 9, 2022
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have invented a new insulation material designed to shield hands from heat, but, because it can be economically mass produced, the adaptive fabric could potentially have a range of uses. Drawing inspiration from cephalopod (squid) skin, the engineers in the Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have shown that the …
April 25, 2022
NASA has agreed to test SpinLaunch’s technology, designed to launch a satellite into space at hypersonic speeds with an electric centrifuge instead of a rocket. The company says that modern carbon fiber is one of the main reasons why the technology was not possible until recently, as the fiber has transitioned to more widespread industrial …
February 21, 2022
Scientists have believed it’s impossible to induce polymers to form 2D sheets, but using a novel polymerization process, MIT chemical engineers have created a new material that is stronger than steel, as light as plastic, and it can be easily manufactured in large quantities. According to press information from MIT, the material is a two-dimensional …
February 3, 2022
Italian company Lapitech has created a cooking system that could be completely concealed under a modern sintered stone kitchen counter. Activated by a high-tech cooking mat, the Lapitec Chef features an electrothermal component developed in collaboration with the University of Padua. To operate the induction cooking system, the Lapitec Chef silicone mat is placed on …
January 24, 2022
Canadian designer Sarah Roseman is working in a new material that straddles the boundary between textile and glasswork. According to a story on designboom.com, Roseman began her research experimenting with knitting glass fibers, working to find innovative and sustainable industry alternatives in materials. The result is a material called “soft silica,” that can be formed into …
December 20, 2021
German design studio WertelOberfell, in collaboration with a consortium of technical partners, sought to find a way to protect people from a very modern hazard: CCTVs that are equipped with AI human-recognition algorithms. With today’s sophisticated technology, CCTV doesn’t just record video footage, it also uses artificial intelligence with human detection and facial recognition algorithms to track our behavior …
September 27, 2021
Engineers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have designed a soft, lightweight and potentially low-cost neuro-prosthetic hand that can give an amputee the ability to perform daily activities with dexterity. Additionally, the researchers found the prosthetic, designed with a system for tactile feedback, restored some primitive sensation in a volunteer’s residual limb. The MIT …
August 23, 2021
Musical keyboards with digital interfaces (MIDI), no matter how big or small, expensive or not, are rigid structures that can be very heavy. Irmandy Wicaksono from MIT’s Media Lab turned to user-friendly textiles to create an interactive textile-based musical interface, laid out in 88-keys, just like a full piano keyboard. The prototype KnittedKeyboard II utilizes digital knitting technology, utilizing …
June 28, 2021
When a person bumps an elbow against a wall, they not only feel pain but can also experience bruising. But robots and prosthetic limbs don’t have these warning signs, and that could lead to further injury. Researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed an artificial skin that senses force through ionic signals and changes color …
September 26, 2022
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have reported the development of a microneedle patch that can be self-administered and painlessly deposit a tattoo onto skin within minutes. The technology is initially proposed for simple human medical or animal uses, but a number of cosmetic uses may be possible in the future. Microneedle …
September 12, 2022
A new kind of reusable face mask promises to be light, comfortable and as protective as commonly used disposable masks. Other reusable face masks, known as elastomeric respirators, do exist. Most people would be familiar with the two-chambered gas mask, for example, but that is not a design that could succeed in health and wellness …
September 12, 2022
An experimental graphene-infused mesh has been designed that could help prevent a recurrence of a rotator cuff injury. The University of Connecticut’s Dr. Cato Laurencin says that surgical repairs are often only a short-term solution. “The real problem is that the muscle degenerates and accumulates fat,” he says. “With a tear, the muscle shrinks, and …
August 22, 2022
Using a novel fabrication process, MIT researchers have produced smart textiles that snugly conform to the body so they can sense the wearer’s posture and motions. By incorporating a type of plastic yarn and using heat to slightly melt it (a process called thermoforming) the researchers were able to improve the precision of pressure sensors …
August 22, 2022
The lung function of patients with respiratory problems is typically monitored with a stethoscope, which requires a health care provider and usually a trip to a clinic. An experimental new vest, however, has been designed to monitor lung function continuously and reliably throughout the day. A report on newatlas.com says that the Pneumo.Vest is a …
August 22, 2022
In a reinterpretation of classic shoe design, Berlin- and Munich-based design studio Wertel Oberfell’s Auxetic Wear introduces a 3D printed shoe that utilizes an auxetic structure to adapt itself to the ergonomics of its wearer’s foot. Combining traditional shoemaking with modern technology, the designers emulate techniques from classic shoe craftsmanship to design a boot with low-profile, two-dimensional shapes. Made …
August 9, 2022
Humans aren’t good at grasping things underwater, but new research reveals how nature could lend us a helping hand. Scientists at Virginia Tech have developed a glove for grasping things underwater with rubber suckers and a sophisticated sensing capability that mimics an octopus’s unique muscular and nervous systems. The octopus is very well equipped to …
August 9, 2022
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) and the University of Pennsylvania have developed soft robots that can navigate complex environments such as mazes without input from humans or computer software. “These soft robots demonstrate a concept called ‘physical intelligence,’ meaning that structural design and smart materials are what allow the soft robot to …
July 25, 2022
Bionic clothing brand CIONIC has collaborated with Swiss industrial designer Yves Béhar and his firm fuseproject to unveil the Neural Sleeve, designed to improve mobility. The FDA-cleared “bionic” leg wearable uses artificial intelligence (AI) to enable greater independence for those living with mobility differences such as those that may be caused by sclerosis, stroke or cerebral palsy. …
July 11, 2022
Canadian researchers may have found how to develop light-emitting fabric based on principles taken from typical ultrasheer tights (known as pantyhose in North America). Current approaches to producing light-emitting apparel can involve stiff diodes, wires and optical fibers within the textiles that are difficult or impossible to wash. Light-emitting displays that can be integrated into fabrics …
