Hands-free boat covers eliminate hassle
May 1st, 2010
Boat ownership can be an expensive proposition. Beyond the initial upfront purchase, owners pay for winter storage, insurance, docking fees, fuel costs and maintenance. IMT Inc., Winter Park, Fla., has developed an ideal way to cover this important investment—the Touchless Boat Cover™, a one-touch remote control protective shelter system for a wide array of lifts […]
ISU adds Bachelors degree in graphics
May 1st, 2010
The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved a new Bachelor of Science degree in graphic communications at Illinois State University. ISU is a research partner with the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation and has a long tradition of printing education, beginning as a teacher-training program in the 1940s, and, since the 1960s, supporting the industry. […]
Shade canopies keep California students safe
May 1st, 2010
Recess takes the edge off rambunctious elementary school students, but officials for the Pasadena Unified School District want the bright California sunshine tempered with shaded play areas that block UV rays and cool temperatures to keep youngsters safe. Southern Hemisphere Shades (SH Shades), Sacramento, Calif., installed high density polyethylene shade canopies recently in three Pasadena […]
How to buy dye-sub equipment
May 1st, 2010
By Steve Urmano Purchasing equipment for your shop can be a complex routine, but it can be broken down into specific tasks. An equipment budget should consider the wide-format equipment and be based on the print size desired and the number of printers required. Wide-format printer widths, like 60-inch, 74-inch and 98-inch to 128-inch, are […]
Sculpted fabric screen gives Guggenheim a new feel
May 1st, 2010
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum became the spinning center of the New York cultural elite in December 2009, as the next generation of art collectors (the Young Collectors Council, or YCC) hosted its annual Artist’s Ball. The museum, designed by architectural legend Frank Lloyd Wright, features an atrium that forms a sweeping helix shape, but […]
Philips leads EU luminous textiles project
May 1st, 2010
The goal is to create light sources that are “flexible, supple and also soft, just like textiles,” says Christian Dalsgaard, director of the Danish firm Ohmatex, and the European Union is backing 12 partners in five countries to develop intelligent light textiles. The project, led by Royal Philips Electronics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, will receive more […]
Bananas provide new textile opportunities
May 1st, 2010
Between 50 and 70 percent of farmers in Uganda grow bananas, and the fibers of banana trees end up as waste material. Now the DKTE Textile and Engineering Institute of India will partner with Busitema University in Uganda to develop extraction technologies for banana fibers, which may have properties that will enhance textile products such […]
Silk crepe producers adopting bioplastic
May 1st, 2010
Several silk production facilities in Kyotango, Japan, are working in partnership with Teijin Co., Tokyo, Japan, in developing innovative applications for BIOFRONT™ bioplastic, a plant-based fiber with a silk-like sheen. Most bioplastics melt under high heat and humidity, but BIOFRONT has a melting point of 210 degrees C, which allows it to tolerate high-temperature processes, […]
Strategic alliance promotes architectural fabrics
May 1st, 2010
Two big names in architectural fabrics have joined forces to produce and market Tenara®, expanded PTFE fibers patented by W. L. Gore & Associates, Newark, Del., and licensed exclusively to Sefar AG, Heiden, Switzerland, for production and sales. Tenara, used in such projects as the retractable roof over Centre Court at Wimbleton, features excellent natural […]
IIS to distribute WeatherMax
May 1st, 2010
Innovative Industrial Solutions Inc. (IIS) is a full-service distributor that serves the awning, marine, sign, billboard and banner markets. IIS now carries Safety Components Fabric Technologies WeatherMax 80, WeatherMax LT and fire-retardant WeatherMax FR. WeatherMax FR meets California State Fire Marshall Title 19, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA-701), Canvas Products Association International (CPAI-84) and FMVSS […]