March 26, 2010
SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” and Experian, a leading global information services company, have joined forces to offer “how to” resources that help entrepreneurs better understand their business credit profile and strengthen their credit score. As a newly recognized national corporate sponsor of SCORE, Experian will help promote financial health by sponsoring SCORE Expert …
March 25, 2010
A new, patent-pending line of flocked fabrics that can be printed with sublimation inks to create brilliant, colorfast pictures and patterns is now available from Spectro Coating Corp. The washable VividHD fabrics feature a soft plush pile, and are not pretreated or coated, to offer a good feel and hand. Available in 54-inch widths on …
March 24, 2010
TenCate Geosynthetics, a leading provider of geosynthetics, and Roctest Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of fiber optic sensors for civil engineering applications, are collaborating in the development of a unique geotextile monitoring system—TenCate GeoDetect®—that will provide unprecedented detail about the properties of embankments, slopes, walls, levees, roads, rails and other earth structures. Customers will benefit …
March 23, 2010
EFI announced that its VUTEk QS Series r ink has been approved by the Nordic Ecolabelling Board, and print companies may now refer to the approved ink when documenting their application for a Nordic Ecolabelling license. In order to achieve Nordic Ecolabelling status, printing companies agree to follow a certain criteria set, which includes the …
Lowy Enterprises has added to its line of military components ACU patterned mil-spec nylon binding tape (per Mil-T-5038, Type III) and mil-spec nylon MOLLE/PALS webbing (per Mil-W-43668, Type III), both of which blend perfectly with ACU pattern fabrics. Also available are ITW Nexus backpack accessory items ÔWeb DominatorsÕ for webbing retention, Grimlocks for quick-release d-rings, …
March 22, 2010
Manufacturers and importers must list the presence of substances of very high concern (SVHC) in their products if they want to do business with European Union nations. The regulations directing the process are called REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals), and the first brand of antimicrobial fiber receiving REACH certification is Amicor™. The …
March 19, 2010
Encouraged by the Allentown Economic Development Corporation, which is located in a Keystone State Opportunity Zone that provides tax incentives, Lightweight Manufacturing Inc. (LWM) has moved its fabric structure and tent rental industry business to Allentown, Pa. The move brings together the LWM fabric shop (where custom fabric panels and panel graphics are made) and …
March 18, 2010
Now available at Tri Vantage is the new and improved Firesist, a fire retardant awning fabric specifically designed for the commercial awning, canopy and shade markets. Available in 12 colors, Firesist is lightweight, yet very durable. Firesist is woven from high UV- and fade-resistant, solution-dyed fiber that provides superior resistance to weather, stains, mildew and …
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Textile Asia Kayser Winsiang Sung passed away at the age of 90 on January 12, 2010, in Hong Kong. A skilled reporter and editor, Sung worked for the Reuters News Agency from 1947-1957; was employed as managing editor and publisher for the Far Eastern Economic Review from 1959-1968; in 1970, he …
March 17, 2010
Silk crepe kimonos made with Teijin’s eco-friendly Biofront bioplastic will be worn by Japanese restaurant staff at the Japan Industry Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China, beginning May 1. The material for the kimonos was produced in collaboration with the city of Kyotango, home of traditional Tango silk crepe, or chirimen, known …
March 16, 2010
Facilities in Austria, England and Indonesia will benefit from the Lenzing Group’s expansion plans for its worldwide cellulosic fiber business. Lenzing will add a pulp production plant with eco-friendly ozone bleaching at its home base in Lenzing, Austria; expand Tencel® production from 10,000 to 60,000 tons per year at its Heiligenkreuz, Austria, plant; renovate the …
March 15, 2010
In March 2010, Toho Tenax Co. Ltd., the core unit of Teijin’s carbon fibers operations, will begin selling a carbon fiber fabric that is less than half the weight of conventional carbon fiber fabrics. Developed with Sakai Ovex Co. Ltd. and used for forming prepregs, the new fabric will help to further reduce the weight …
March 12, 2010
Swiss knitwear specialist Eschler supplied high-tech fabrics to the manufacturers of speed suits of many national teams at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Four different fabrics are used in one single speed-skating suit, giving each body zone a particular construction. Critical zones, specified by the International Skating Union, use extremely durable and cut-resistant fabric; …
March 11, 2010
Atlas Material Testing Technology offers basic and advanced Fundamentals of Weathering seminars to educate its broad client base on the essential elements of weathering testing, designed for professionals involved in coatings, plastics, textiles, cosmetics and other products that can be affected by exposure to light or weather. The courses are held in Atlas’ Center of …
Digital Designware and the International Sign Association (ISA) are hosting the American Wrap Star contest for the first time at ISA Expo in Orlando, Fla., April 8-April 10. The contest will award $250,000 worth of prizes. 3M is the platinum sponsor of the event, providing 3M product as prizes, on-site support and demonstration, along with …
March 10, 2010
Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC has launched a mobile version of its popular Sunbrella fabrics website, allowing users to search a fabrics library and locate the nearest Sunbrella resource from a handheld device. “Our initial mobile offering includes the five most popular portions of our website, and gives consumers a powerful decorating resource they can …
March 9, 2010
The quality of your estimates has an impact on your bottom line. By Shelby Gonzalez Estimating job costs is one of the cornerstone skills of running a successful marine fabrication business. The more accurately you can estimate the amount of labor and materials a given job will require, the better the job will go, and …
The European Apparel and Textile Organization (EURATEX) will host a conference examining the regional and national dimension of textile research and innovation in Europe on March 24-25, at the Hotel HUSA President Park Hotel, Brussels, Belgium. The conference aims to showcase the strategies and activities of national and regional platforms, clusters and networks from across …
March 8, 2010
The International Oeko-Tex® Association and Textile Insight will present “A Focus on Workwear” on March 12 in New York City, at the DuPont™ Corian® Design Studio. The latest installment in the popular “Insight on What’s Next” textile and apparel industry roundtable discussions, the event will feature expert opinions on current trends in workwear and the …
March 1, 2010
GreenLight™ is an FSC-certified, bright white, latex-saturated moisture-resistant backlit poster paper. Even though it is non-recyclable, this translucent engineered paper remains a more sustainable option than traditional styrene or polyester film for backlit signage. GreenLight™ is currently printable using offset screen or flatbed UV technology. SOURCE Converd
An updated national consensus standard for high-visibility safety apparel from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) now provides criteria and test requirements for garments marked as flame- or water-resistant, and includes service-life guidelines. The American National Standard for High Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear (ANSI/ISEA 107-2010) is the authoritative document for the design, performance specifications …
Problem: Traditional PVC trim for covering staples on awnings is not available in all fabrics and colors. Solution: The CaMillion, available from Back-Lit Awnings and Canvas, is a fabric-covered insert that uses the same material as the awning for a perfect texture and color match every time, which will weather and can be cleaned the …
Customers purchasing shade products of Polyfab USA Polytex® and Comtex® extra-heavy-duty knitted shadecloth asked the company to establish a recycling process to take pre- and post-consumer material out of the waste stream. Polyfab USA, Manhattan Beach, Calif., has partnered with Recycle Solutions of Memphis, Tenn., to launch a recycling program for HDPE knitted shadecloth. “We …
Fisher Textiles’ 480L Soft Poly Pad, an alternative to foam and core boards for retail signage applications, can be dye sublimated and UV-curable printed with roll-to-roll or flatbed printers. The three-layer material features a printable side laminated to a polyester fiber layer, a middle layer consisting of a polyester fiber made from recycled PET bottles …
Custom digital graphics create value-added opportunities for customers and new economies for manufacturers. By Barb Ernster Personalized, customized, made-to-order, tailor-made—everyone wants their brand to stand out in the crowd. Upselling to that need is easier with digital capabilities that are becoming more accessible and affordable. Fabric companies weighing these new possibilities against hesitant customers with …
Problem: Printers don’t necessarily handle metallic and white ink. Solution: The VersaCAMM VS-640 inkjet printer/cutter from Roland DGA Corp. features DPI Metallic Silver ECO-SOL MAX ink. Metallic and white inks allow users to add impact to virtually any graphic. The VS-640 is Roland’s largest, fastest and most versatile VersaCAMM printer/cutter to date, designed to produce …
Malcolm Campbell, managing director of Joseph H. Clissold cloth design and export firm in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, criticized Prime Minister Gordon Brown for rejecting plans for a national academy for fashion and textile skills. Campbell says that the failure to establish a national academy and “dumbing down” existing training programs would set back skills …
The Series 975 Carbon Fiber Cast film from Oracal USA has a textured surface specially developed for exterior automotive accent restyling and interior applications for fine detailing. Series 975 is recommended for many carbon fiber applications within the interior design, craft and hobby, and surface effects markets. The cast film offers stability and conformability over …
Compiled by Juli Case We do installations of clear curtains for restaurants who want to extend the use of their outdoor patios in rainy or cooler weather. One city we install in is requiring that we use clear vinyl that meets ASTM E84. Does such a thing exist? It’s not unusual to find a clear …
Craig Fawcett builds up a business by building up the staff. By Sigrid Tornquist “Skills can be taught, but you either have character or you don’t. When you find an employee with character and work ethic, those people are your golden people—people you’ll do anything to build up,” says Craig Fawcett, president of Lethbridge Custom …
The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) has discovered how to convert the hard, coarse and stiff fibers of indigenous plants into soft spun yarns, a potential boost to use of renewable resources in textile manufacture. The PTRI process involves fiber pretreatment with alkaline chemicals and mechanical processing with fluted rollers to make fibers spinnable into …
WeatherMax FR is now available in 10 colors: black, burgundy, captain navy, forest green, light charcoal, pacific blue, toast, true red, yellow and white. The solution-dyed, fire- and UV-resistant fabric from Safety Components is designed for awnings, tents and other outdoor applications. The fabric is guaranteed to retain its color for at least five years. …
Compiled by Juli Case Where can I get flexible solar panels? Photovoltaic technology has been around for years, but offered in rigid solar panels that were rather bulky and not very compatible with fabric products. New innovations have made flexible photovoltaics possible, allowing them to be incorporated into products such as fabric sunshades or umbrellas. …
Jens J. Meyer, Essen, Germany The fire flower is seen as a metaphor for the secret, mystic power in all people. It has been described in myths as ‘soul’ or ‘world spirit.’ This was the inspiration for a site-specific, tensioned fabric installation created by Jens J. Meyer, Essen, Germany, for the Middle German Olympic Festival …
The Polymer Group Inc. (PGI) facility in Suzhou, China, becomes the newest regional Center for Excellence (COE) in PGI’s research and development efforts to develop new technologies to improve nonwoven materials used for health care, hygiene and industrial markets. The focus of research efforts will be aspects of spun-melt polymer fabric performance that could be …
The JV5-320DS printer, from Mimaki Engineering Co. Ltd., enables direct printing on polyester substrates up to a width of 3.2 meters. Based on the JV5-320S printer, the new model caters to the increased demand for outside signage on polyester textiles that are better suited for use with water-based dye-sublimation inks. The direct and dye-sublimation printer …
Compiled by Juli Case Where can I get Detroit car books? I’m looking to buy a collection. Companies that do automotive upholstery are familiar with Detroit Car Books; they’re sample books that show the fabrics used in OEM automotive interiors for a particular year. You can purchase them through suppliers that specialize in automotive fabrics. …
MakMax, Eagle Farm, Queensland, Australia MakMax Australia fabricated a white lycra installation that provided a frame for the stage at the MTV Australia Music Awards held in Sydney, Australia. The purpose of the project was to create something unique for the MTV Music Awards that no other award show had seen. The concept first presented …
The textile industry in Ghana is sinking under loads of imported Chinese fabrics that mimic the designs of Ghanaian cloth and sell for substantially less. Two well-known Ghanaian companies, Ghana Textile Print and Printex, have shut down spinning and weaving operations that can’t compete with Chinese imports. Instead, according to The Stitch Times, retailers “have …
Sawgrass Technologies Consumer Division announced the availability of the Cap Cleaning Kit for the Brother GT-541 direct-to-garment printer. The manufacturer recommends that the Wiper Cleaner be replaced with every black ink cartridge. The Cleaning Kit is individually packaged and contains the Wiper Cleaner, as well as cleaning solution, swabs and latex gloves to facilitate the …
Digitally printed fabrics provide a world of opportunities for home interior applications. By Holly O’Dell Mass production may have been the hallmark of American retail and design, but consumers are ditching what they see as ‘cookie-cutter’ products and using interior designers to help them create one-of-a-kind furnishings and accessories for their homes. In turn, these …
Pink Inc., New York, N.Y., U.S.A. Pink Inc. delivered a “party like a rock star” environment in a project for an International Special Events Society (ISES) occasion. The installation assembled with nylon/spandex structures utilized dramatic lighting effects to create texture and focus that transformed the space and established the party atmostphere. Orchestrating the project was …
The Asia-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) will tighten competition within Indonesia’s already struggling textile industry and, according to a survey conducted by Bank Indonesia, will make securing bank loans difficult for domestic textile operations. The Indonesian government has called upon banks to lower lending rates to the textile sector for updating equipment and adapting to …
Octi-Tech Ltd. released the Sublideck Surface Decoration System, a new range of specialty heat presses. The system combines infrared heat and vacuum pressure to mold images onto two- and three-dimensional substrates and surfaces. Sublideck 2D allows users to decorate simple shaped products, curves and dimensional items by using a special vacuum press bed, flexible top …
A comprehensive line of cut yardage fabrics available for use on Pearson upholstered pieces or in other applications is now available: 54 new fabrics, half of which are exclusive Pearson designs, and half of which are made of natural fibers. The newest fabrics are characterized by sumptuous damasks, chenilles, velvets, finely detailed embroidered designs and …
The “Norway powered by nature” exhibit at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China will showcase Norwegian woods in the Nanpu Bridge–Lupu Bridge area in the crowded center of one of China’s largest cities. The pavilion, supported by 15 tree-like structures made of renewable wood and bamboo, will wear a modern canopy of Teflon®-coated ETFE sail …
The Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in 2006 and extended in 2008, boosted the Haitian apparel industry by allowing duty-free exports to the United States. Haiti has been the 17th largest supplier by volume of apparel products to the U.S., with exports up 22 percent between 2008 and 2009. In addition, …
The iQuote Xpress Quotation System helps businesses improve sales force productivity and information. The web-based SaaS application enables sales personnel to generate detailed, accurate sales proposals that include complete marketing information, images and “intelligent relationship” product-tree management. With iQuote, sales management is provided online access to securely stored client contact and proposal information, sales forecasting …
The TRIAC BT hot air indoor welding tool is an economical alternative for indoor fabric welding, designed specifically for indoor tarpaulin and billboard welding. Lightweight, comfortable, ergonomic handle and intuitive controls meet the highest standards for functionality, design and convenience. Unit is packaged in a kit featuring a carrying case, manual pressure roller and a …
The Talisman Centre for Sport and Wellness, a full-service Calgary, Alberta, Canada, athletic facility hosting Olympic-caliber competitors, will upgrade its 1983 fabric roof by installing a material with five times the insulating value. Birdair Inc., Amherst, N.Y., began work on the 162,000-square-foot roof in January, using the company’s Tensotherm™ with Nanogel® architectural composite membrane system. …