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Fashion meets function with conductive threads
May 1st, 2010
Fashion design took a technological turn at the 26th Annual Cornell Design League Fashion Show in March at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Student Abbey Liebman combined coated cotton threads with proprietary nanotube technology to created an e-jacket that charges cell phones, iPods and other hand-held electronic devices. The pink, southwest-inspired jacket has ultra-thin solar panel […]
New inks for soft signage
May 1st, 2010
By Udi Nachmany In the current economic climate, many print service providers (PSPs) are looking to diversify their application offerings in order to acquire new customers and become a one-stop shop for existing clients’ signage and marketing needs. As part of this trend, PSPs are increasingly turning to fast-growing soft-signage applications printed on polyester, cotton, […]
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 […]
Nonwovens help North Carolina economy
May 1st, 2010
Since 2003, 226 companies making synthetic fabrics have moved to or expanded in North Carolina, in part because of research technologies that are creating nonwoven fabrics for the filtration and healthcare markets. The College of Textiles at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., is one of the bright spots, as researchers develop new fibers from […]
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 […]
South Carolina nonwovens machinery group expands
May 1st, 2010
The city of Greer, S.C., recently welcomed a new American Truetzschler Inc. plant to the community, along with the spinning and nonwoven machinery company’s $3.5 million investment and 30 new jobs. American Truetzschler, based in Charlotte, N.C., purchased production machinery from John D. Hollingsworth on Wheels and hired 35 former Hollingsworth employees. American Truetzschler is […]