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Oerlikon enters strategic partnership
April 19th, 2017
The Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group is entering into a strategic partnership with the Italian company Teknoweb Materials s.r.l., which is aimed at extending both companies’ nonwovens portfolio to include disposable nonwovens. Teknoweb uses its Arvell Technology manufacturing process to produce spunbond-airlaid nonwoven wipes. Arvell Technology dispenses with hydroentanglement and subsequent drying, […]
Walmart pushes for technology and talent
April 18th, 2017
As part of reviving manufacturing, Walmart has advocated for developing talent and technology. Speaking recently to a standing room only audience at the 2017 international conference of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) in Wilmington, N.C., Joe Quinn, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Walmart, presented a case for growing talent and […]
Auto racing FR undergarment to be introduced
April 17th, 2017
Alexium International Group Limited has partnered with Benwel Inc., a South Carolina–based uniform developer, to introduce a fire retardant undergarment for the auto racing industry. The garment is treated with both Alexiflam and Alexicool technology. The companies expect that the combination of fire retardant and phase change materials in one product will meet the comfort […]
NC State researchers develop touch-sensitive fabric
April 14th, 2017
Researchers at North Carolina (NC) State University have developed elastic, touch-sensitive fibers with the ability to interface with electronic devices. Michael Dickey, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State and the author of the study says, “We have created soft and stretchable fibers that can detect touch, as well as strain and […]
Foldable touch screens could expand sensor capabilities
April 13th, 2017
Picture a tablet that you can fold into the size of a phone and put away in your pocket. Or a “skin” that can sense your body’s movements and vital signs. A new sensor developed at the University of British Columbia (UBC) could help make advanced devices with these capabilities common. UBC reports that the […]
Patent law for innovators
April 7th, 2017
Protecting the technologies and products that drive growth in the textile industry. Is innovation a key component of your business plan? Will you distinguish yourself with unique product offerings? Whether protecting our men and women in uniform, advancing the treatment of medical conditions, or adding to a more sustainable tomorrow, innovation fuels the growth of textile […]
Solar-powered “skin” developed
April 7th, 2017
A new way of harnessing the sun’s rays to power synthetic “skin” could help create advanced prosthetic limbs capable of returning the sense of touch to amputees. According to a report in Energy Harvesting Journal, engineers from the University of Glasgow have already employed graphene in an electronic covering for prosthetic hands; now those engineers […]
Active sportswear spurs waterproof breathables market
April 7th, 2017
Market interest in apparel that protects active people from the elements, but doesn’t trap sweat, will continue. Information from Global Market Insights Inc. (GMI), reported in an article by David Bradley on materialstoday.com, suggests consumers’ increased demand for environmentally friendly products, general market growth in sportswear, and more people taking up extreme, mountain-based sports could […]
Duoskin enables accessible e-tattoos
April 7th, 2017
In her research as an engineer and artist, Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao blends aesthetic and cultural perspectives into the design of on-body electronics. Currently a Ph.D. student at the MIT Media Lab, she is leading a project to make on-skin interfaces accessible to everyone. MIT’s Duoskin is a process that enables anyone with access to a […]
Recycling textiles: every thread counts
April 7th, 2017
According to the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Advancing Sustainable Materials Management Report, out of 16.22 million tons of discarded textiles in 2014 only 2.62 million tons were recycled. According to Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) executive director Jackie King, more than 95 percent of all textiles can be recycled or reused […]