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Milco Industries joins with Fablok Mills
June 1st, 2014
Milco Industries of Bloomsburg, Pa., a leading supplier of knitted fabrics, is combining with Fablock Mills, a Murray Hill, N.J. supplier of raschel and tricot fabrics to a variety of markets in North America. The new relationship will enable Milco to offer a more diversified product line targeted to automotive, health care and government end […]
Stealth shelters colonize “legally ambiguous” space
June 1st, 2014
The graffiti-laden wall of a train station in Marseilles, France, may be the next frontier in both fabric architecture and homelessness. Architect Stéphane Malka, of Malka Architecture in Paris, installed 23 shelter pods vertically on the three-story wall, creating a barnacle-like colony called A-KAMP47. Homeless or displaced people inhabiting the stealth shelters are not technically […]
Outlook: Guarded optimism
June 1st, 2014
IFAI’s 2014 Outlook Conference speakers review current economic and industry trends. By Mary Hennessy When members of the United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) and the Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI), both divisions of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), gathered this May for the annual Outlook Conference, they enjoyed all the usual benefits: interesting speakers, […]
Economies of scope
June 1st, 2014
Fabric structures designed for storage, warehousing and shelter can be as durable as brick-and-mortar structures, and far more flexible. With the construction of fabric structures consistently meeting (and often exceeding) stringent building codes, you’d think that more clients would opt for one of these highly engineered and efficient fabric-clad buildings. With clearspan or air-supported fabric […]
Market mobility
June 1st, 2014
Embracing the dynamic business technology environment of smartphones and tablets. Streamlined efficiencies. Cost-effective measures. New revenue streams. In this recovering economy, fabricators and end product manufacturers (EPMs) are pulling out all stops—eager to find ways to stay ahead of the game. One way of doing this is by using mobile technology to conduct business—on- and […]
Riding a wave
June 1st, 2014
Marine fabricators are swamped with projects for boat owners, from vintage renovations to custom upgrades for new boats. The boating market has always been a good indicator of economic health and consumer confidence in the U.S. Nearly 90 million Americans participate in recreational boating, generating some $83 billion in annual spending. Even while sales of […]
Mist methodologies
June 1st, 2014
NCSU lab rethinks chemical/biological hazard protection testing and derives important new conclusions. By Bryan Ormond, Ph.D. When you ask first responders if they are more concerned about having enough protection against flash fire exposures, ballistic and physical hazards, heat stress, or chemical and biological threats, more times than not they are going to say they […]
An invisible barn?
June 1st, 2014
“Invisible Barn: An Architectural Folly Merging with Nature” is a site-specific design proposal that recreates its environment by projecting the landscape onto the building. The project proposes to clad the barn-shaped structure in 5mil reflective mylar film with a clear UV coating, creating a mirrored piece that becomes a part of the grove’s trees and […]
Safe enough to drink
June 1st, 2014
A new cover for an old water reservoir provides a long-term solution. Last November, Newport Beach, Calif., completed a major water reservoir renovation project that it expects to solve the city’s decades-long water quality issues. The 22-acre Big Canyon Reservoir, constructed in 1958, would hold nearly 200 million gallons of potable water—enough to serve 70 […]
PVC-free wallcoverings
June 1st, 2014
A new line of thermoplastic olefin (TPO) wallcoverings from the Carnegie creative studio offers long-term performance and ease of cleaning without the health and environmental concerns of PVC’s chlorine chemistry. Composed of 90 percent TPO and 10 percent post-consumer recycled glass, the collection matches or exceeds the durability and cleanability of Type II vinyl, and […]