December 13, 2021
Registration is now open for the Smart Fabrics Summit 2022, which will be held at North Carolina State University (NC State), Raleigh, N.C. March 28-29. This event offers education, product showcases, facility tours and networking opportunities. Speakers currently scheduled include: Dr. Amanda Mills, a fusion designer and project coordinator in the Nano-EXtended Textiles (NEXT) research …
by Seshadri Ramkumar Strong cotton demand continues to drive its highest price in a decade. At the recent 79th plenary session, “Fortifying the Cotton Supply Chain: New Approaches to New Challenges,” of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), this was an important topic of discussion. Matthew Looney, ICAC data scientist says that while it is likely that …
November 22, 2021
The pandemic underscored the importance of maintaining strong business relationships. by Janet Preus The plenary luncheon session at IFAI Expo’s Advanced Textiles Conference brought together a panel of speakers united in a single message about the importance of collaboration in advancing textile manufacturing. Rhode Island’s textile industry provided the success story example. Michael Woody, CEO, …
November 8, 2021
Projects and products in industrial fabrics markets were recognized with 2021 International Achievement Awards, showcased in a special area on the show floor at IFAI Expo recently in Nashville. Projects in advanced textiles showed the scope of products and industries served in this market area. BICEP Array Telescope Boot J. Miller Canvas received an Award …
October 25, 2021
Megan Valentine, a professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the California NanoSystems Institute at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), has been awarded a $1.8 million collaborative grant by the National Science Foundation to design and create next-generation materials inspired and empowered by biological cells. Valentine will be working alongside a team of physicists, …
September 13, 2021
GCS Fibers, an environmentally friendly manufacturer based in Virginia, announces the launch of an Indiegogo fundraising campaign for its growth in the U.S. and international markets. The company’s patented technology produces high quality, non-toxic mineral fiber through repurposing coal ash. GCS is seeking to raise $3.5 million to expand operations and build as many as …
August 9, 2021
An NPR report described the personal experience of Maj. Melissa Elledge, deployed to combat zones twice when she had to wear body armor designed for male soldiers. This armor’s failing for female soldiers is not just uncomfortable, it’s potentially dangerous; bad fit created gaps at the arm openings and leaves the heavy ceramic plates resting …
July 26, 2021
To demonstrate the resilience of the Lexus LC Convertible under extreme weather conditions, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) recently froze the vehicle at – 18 C (-40 F). While in deep freeze at the Millbrook Cold Weather Chamber, the convertible was outfitted with a high-performance Sonnenland A5B/DS soft top material from Haartz Corp. that shielded its interior components …
July 12, 2021
The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on a more hygienic kind of underclothing worn by astronauts in their spacesuits. The ESA reports that the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) will work with the Vienna Textile Lab on the BACTeRMA project to test textiles with improved anti-bacterial properties for spacesuits used on long-duration space missions. As …
When a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base recently, it was carrying the NROL-82 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). AR Tech, a division of A&R Tarpaulins Inc., Fontana, Calif., provided essential products in support of this mission. AR Tech creates multi-layer and single-layer insulation blankets …
