July 2009 Issue

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Features

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Markets

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News

  • Russians buying PPE for workers

    Oil revenues have created a boom in the Russian construction industry, along with a subsequent increase in worker accidents and injuries.

  • Ending Berry Amendment exemptions urged

    Two exemptions in the Berry Amendment are unwarranted and should be eliminated, according to Senator Jim Webb, D-Va.

  • China launches three-year stimulus plan

    Chinese textile manufacturing has slowed, and unemployment in China has grown, leading the China State Council to announce a three-year plan to assist the ailing textile sector.

  • India buys U.S. cotton

    In an unusual turnaround, Indian textile manufacturers who built industries around domestic cotton are importing U.S. cotton.

  • ARA partners with the U.S. Census Bureau

    With the 2010 Census less than a year away, preparations for the nationwide effort to count all U.S. residents are already underway across the country.

  • Business fighting labor legislation

    A number of business organizations, including many textile and apparel manufacturers, are working to defeat legislation that would overhaul the way union elections are held.

  • Fiber Society to hold fall conference

    The Fiber Society’s Fall 2009 Annual Meeting and Technical Conference will take place October 28–30 at the University of Georgia.

  • AATCC call for papers

    The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) is soliciting papers and posters for its 2010 International Conference.

  • Prof. Lamar and her team design variations on the hospital gown. “It is as if the patient is an object,” she says. “Can’t we develop a more respectful garment?” Photo: North Carolina State University.

    Designers rebel against “one-size-fits-none” hospital gowns

    Professor Traci Lamar, North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Textiles, is a rebel without a gown—at least until the ugly, flimsy, shapeless hospital gowns of today experience a makeover.

  • SCORE offers online resources

    SCORE Association, Herndon, Va., supports 370 chapters and 11,700 volunteers whose mission is getting small businesses going strong.

  • Laser cutting technical guide available for download

    Textile manufacturers looking for information on how to match laser cutting technology to their application requirements may now download the Spartanics Laser Cutting Technical Guide.

  • PBDEs found in ecosystem

    The commonly used flame retardant chemicals polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) used in building materials and textiles are finding their way into coastal ecosystems in South Florida.

  • Decontamination wipe patented

    Texas Tech University recently received a patent for its nonwoven toxic chemical decontamination wipe, Fibertect™, from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

  • New dyeing technology developed

    Three professors from the University of Leeds have developed a unique dyeing process that creates colored polymers inside textile fibers via a catalyst.

  • Portugal invests in textile stimulus

    The textile industry represents approximately 12 percent of Portugal’s exports and employs more than 180,000 workers, but has been hard hit in the current world economic slowdown.

  • India gaining strength in textile production

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) ranks India among the top five developing nations in industrial production in textiles, motor vehicles, chemicals and basic metals.

  • Two new websites cover sustainability of cotton

    Cotton Incorporated, the research and marketing company for U.S. cotton, now offers two sustainability-oriented websites.

  • NCTO wins DOC Appreciation Award

    The award was for NCTO’s continuing efforts to support trade—specifically, export trade—within the U.S. textile industry.

  • The flexible, laminate-type photovoltaic solar collection strips, manufactured by United Solar Ovonic LLC, are configured to maximize hours of sunlight throughout the year. Photo: Republic Services Inc.

    Landfill cover acts as energy source

    Energy and waste-disposal companies recognize that landfills aren’t burial sites for garbage, but reactors in which gases produced by decomposing waste can be used for energy production.

  • An asymmetric profile and curved, flexible skin gives the KG-1 concept car a proto-human appearance, just as the designers envisioned. Photo: KesselsGranger Design Works.

    Composite technology stretched to the limit

    Composite technology is stretched to the limit on the exterior of the KG-1 concept car, an eerily humanoid vehicle introduced by KesselsGranger Design Works at the AutoRAI 2009 in Amsterdam.

  • Protective hoods of fire-resistant, skin-friendly and sweat-absorbing Lenzing FR are succeeding in American markets. Photo: Lenzing Group.

    Hoods provide skin protection

    The hoods are made of a fire-resistant fiber with skin-friendly softness and moisture management.

  • Shade structures reduce temperatures by 15-20 degrees, a real plus in exposed athletic venues such as the Bowie Skate Park. Photo: Shade Systems Inc.

    Shade structure covers skate park

    The City of Bowie, Md., wanted to upgrade its aging Bowie Skate Park to a premier destination for skateboard athletes.

  • Nanotechnology is helping to create cleaner, healthier pet products. Photo: Nano Pet Products LLC.

    Nanotechnology goes to the dogs

    When Rover rolls over on his fabric-covered pet bed, most dog owners resign themselves to an ongoing, unsightly mess of dog coat oil, dirt, grime, food stains and hair.

  • WalkerWonder’s slogan, “Brighten a walker, you brighten a life,” is supported by customer feedback on the company’s website. Photo: WalkerWonder.

    Fabric decorates walkers for mobility-impaired

    WalkerWonder is building a business on making mobility aids into personal statements.

  • The Dedmon Athletic Center’s composite membrane roof is supported with a steel truss system that adds visual interest. Photo: Birdair.

    Air-supported membrane roof gets an upgrade

    The Dedmon Athletic Center at Radford University is known as “The Bubble” because of its air-supported membrane roof, installed in 1981 by Birdair Inc.

  • Performance Fibers updates website

    Customers of Performance Fibers, Richmond, Va., will have easy access to product performance specifications on the company’s updated website on the company’s new website.

  • Schoeller’s “textile DNA” offers piracy protection

    Schoeller Textil AG unveiled a new way to stem the tide of fake fabric products at the June 16-18 Techtextil conference in Frankfurt, Germany.

  • OMNOVA wins excellence award

    For the fourth consecutive year, OMNOVA Solutions Inc., Fairlawn, Ohio, has won the Award for Excellence in Environmental, Health, Safety and Security Performance from the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council.

  • Sandler AG celebrates 130 years

    Sandler AG celebrated its 130th anniversary in Schwarzenbach/Saale on May 15, with many high-profile guests from business, politics and society.

  • Fiberweb moving into composites

    Fiberweb PLC, a manufacturer of specialty nonwovens, has acquired a 50 percent interest in Coroner Composites GmbH from its German joint venture partner Nordenia International AG.

  • Nilit acquires Nylstar Inc. in Virginia

    After opening a production facility in China last year, nylon yarn manufacturer Nilit®, Migdal Ha’emek, Israel, took another step toward a global network with the acquisition of Nylstar Inc.

  • Rainier Industries receives ISO-14001 certification

    The company has received ISO-14001 certification to confirm its commitment to environmental stewardship.

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Products

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Business

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Projects

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Resources

  • Getting certified as green

    With the rising concerns regarding sustainability and green design, a great deal of emphasis is being placed on how ‘green’ a product is.

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