TEXTILES.ORG
Skyrocketing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide tightened supply of durable water repellents (DWR) and antimicrobials that are used in the textile finishing process. While the surging need for face masks and other protective medical gear can be a boon for the industry, as mills reopen, some textile finishers are reporting more difficulty procuring the chemistry to meet their customers’ needs. They are seeking ways to maximize its yield as well as meet company sustainability objectives.
“The woven and knit mills, which are our main customers, were forced to stop production because of the coronavirus lockdown and/or lack of business due to lower demand and cancellation by brands and major retailers of orders already in the pipeline,” said Rick Stanford, business development leader, textiles, for finishing equipment manufacturer Baldwin Technology Co. Inc.
“However, as they are opening back up and starting to produce consumer products, I’m hearing that they are facing higher prices and longer lead times for DWR. It is more critical during this time than ever to reduce chemical waste,” Stanford said.
In the face of this shift in market demand, Baldwin’s TexCoat™ non-contact textile finishing system delivers zero chemistry waste and minimized water and energy consumption, the company says. In contrast to traditional padding of chemistry onto fabrics, the system uses precision spray technology, significantly reducing chemistry consumption.
The latest generation, TexCoat™ G4, sprays the exact amount of chemistry required consistently and uniformly across the textile surface and applies it only where it is needed — on one or both sides of the fabric.