Learning something new every day

February 5, 2016  |  My Take

I learned something new writing this month’s features. (Well, I always learn something new preparing copy for this publication.) But this revelation helped me see innovation in a new light. Our topic this month is coatings and finishes, and the feature will run in two parts. I talked to coaters as…
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The real Martians

January 8, 2016  |  My Take

Members of NASA’s materials team were on hand at IFAI’s Expo last fall–and with good reason. The agency needs the textiles industry to reach their goal of a manned mission to Mars sometime in the 2030s. In fact, Evelyne Orndoff told her audience in her keynote address, “We can’t do it with…
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Protective textiles: not an oxymoron

December 4, 2015  |  My Take

When the average person thinks of safety and protective products, I doubt that he or she thinks “fabric.” Used for clothing, bedding and curtains, in their world, fabrics are soft, flexible and lightweight–not the sort of material that could protect from fire or hazardous chemicals, much less …
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The intellectual property minefield

November 6, 2015  |  My Take

In the advanced textiles world, new technologies and products are practically an everyday occurrence. We hear about “breakthrough” research in every segment from thermal control, to e-textiles, to biomedical materials and many others. When one considers the difficulty—never mind the expense—…
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Just the beginning

October 9, 2015  |  My Take

I cannot help but be struck by the diversity of the products and technologies—and the passion of the individuals who have developed and promote them—at IFAI’s Advanced Textiles Conference and Expo this past week in Anaheim, Calif. I wanted to go out to dinner with all of them, video our conver…
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Starting with standards

September 4, 2015  |  My Take

There’s something about the topic of regulations, standards and testing that makes very bright, articulate people pause in silence. It’s not that they don’t understand the topic; it’s that it is such a complicated—and large—topic for a single discussion. Impossible, maybe. But let’s st…
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High tech and here to stay

August 7, 2015  |  My Take

The growth of advanced technologies in medical and biomedical textiles cannot be denied. A recent report, “Medical Textiles Market: Global Trends, Demand and Forecast 2015-2019” released by www.reportsnreports.com, says that the global medical textiles market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.8…
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Product, then procurement: MUST

July 24, 2015  |  My Take

Mary Hennessy, president of Industrial Fabrics Association International, has provided this guest editorial. Something very exciting and potentially game-changing is occurring in the military market: IFAI members will soon have the opportunity to get into the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) supply pi…
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Do you think you know narrow fabrics?

July 10, 2015  |  My Take

It’s not hard to picture a “narrow fabric.” After all, the name describes it. Well, that’s true to a point. Although ribbons, ropes, straps, slings, elastics and webbing are all narrow, for those who make high performance products for particularly demanding markets, that’s just the beginni…
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Stargazer

June 5, 2015  |  My Take

When I was very young, my dad drove me just outside of town away from the city lights, stopped on a gravel road and  when we got out of the car, told me to look up at the night sky.  It was clear, and there were lots of stars, but one of them was moving—very fast. … <div><a href="https:/…
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