Wearables are here to stay

October 23rd, 2015

Interest, investment and applications in wearable technology show significant growth patterns. IFAI’s Advanced Textiles Conference in Anaheim, Calif., in October offered attendees a variety of opportunities to learn about the current and projected market, new product offerings and breakthrough technologies in the wearable technology sector. IFAI’s market research manager Jeff Rasmussen reported that the worldwide […]

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Water-free dyeing is in the works

August 7th, 2015

Tokyo-based zip manufacturer YKK is working on a new “eco” dyeing process using supercritical fluid dyeing (SFD) technology, which the company says will allow it to use almost no water in the dyeing process. YKK’s technology uses carbon dioxide (CO2) as a dyeing medium that can be collected and recycled. It also does not require […]

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Energy for the future

March 20th, 2015

Flexible and durable power-generating textiles are poised to make a difference in meeting tomorrow’s energy requirements. Looking forward, before imagination meets prototype, the next generation of energy-producing products seems unattainable. Looking backward, after such innovations are readily available, the development process seems logical—and simple. It’s the “hindsight is 20/20” phenomenon. While photovoltaic power-harvesting technologies are […]

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Argar introduces protective knitted fabrics

February 19th, 2015

Argar Technology of suburban Milan, Italy, has introduced Tes-firESD-HV, a new range of protective knitted fabrics featuring flame retardant, antistatic, arc flash protection and high visibility properties. The fabrics comply with the specifications of EN1149, EN11612, EN61482, EN20471 and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class II Certifications rules. Tes-firESD-HV knitted fabrics are used for protection in both […]

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Same technologies, new markets

August 13th, 2013

It sounds easy, doesn’t it? You already have this fantastic technology that’s been tested, prototyped and the first product launched. There’s quite a lot you can do with that one product, if that’s what it is: once it’s on the market somewhere, there’s the potential to find new markets elsewhere. But at some point, you […]

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Getting a reaction

June 10th, 2013

A reactive technology enables new functions and possibilities with normal interfaces. Tangible Textural Interfaces (TTI), a project created by materials and industrial designer, Eunhee Jo, sought to redefine the role of the surface in future lifestyles, exploring how surfaces can be an integrated as part of a product or environment. http://vimeo.com/44646607 TTI, a new sound […]

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Incredibly smart textiles

October 1st, 2011

As understanding evolves and resources become available, interactive textiles could be headed into the mainstream Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak may be fiction, but it could be a reality in the not-too-distant future. That may be a matter of physics, but perhaps a smart textile will help it along. Who would have thought a decade ago […]

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Driving the future of fabric structures

June 1st, 2011

Today’s advanced technologies will drive the future of fabric structures Fabric is one of the oldest materials humans have used for shelter; it remains an important material with diverse applications in design and construction today, and it will play an even more important role in the constructed environment in the future. Predictions of energy scarcity […]

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