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Forethought: IFAI Expo 2015
September 1st, 2015
IFAI Expo 2015: Let's talk Some of the most interesting conversations I have with people in our industry occur after I ask them to tell me about a connection that changed their business, or their jobs. Their stories are always interesting and informative, and I am often amazed to see how delighted they are because […]
Powering up
September 1st, 2015
The demand for inflatables used for shelters, rescue and training is strong and growing, as new applications for a well-known but developing technology attract more attention worldwide. Air is a powerful force. Properly harnessed, it can be completely transformed, becoming an integral player in products that serve all manner of purposes, from strictly fun to […]
In the bag
September 1st, 2015
As the war in Afghanistan aptly illustrates, combat units deployed in remote locations struggle to keep supply lines open for food, water, ammunition and medical supplies. Mountainous regions of Afghanistan can be re-supplied by helicopter drop; unfortunately, 50–60 percent of the supplies are damaged after they hit the ground. “We originally received this need from […]
Water-based digital inks
September 1st, 2015
The J-Lux series of dye-sub inks is comprised of water-based digital inks for polyester fabrics and substrates, featuring superior light fastness for applications such as fashion and home decoration fabrics, sportswear and flags and banners that require high resistance to light combined with brilliant color and image definition. The new inks have been launched in […]
Walking on water
September 1st, 2015
Grand scale installation artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude have a long history with Italy, where the visionary couple has wrapped monuments, a medieval tower and a Roman wall in fabric. After a 40-year hiatus from the country, and the death of his wife and partner in 2009, Christo now has plans for Italy’s Lake Iseo—a modular […]
Fabric meets frac sand
September 1st, 2015
A fast-growing industry relies on fabric architecture for a long-term, large-format storage facility. Wind and sand are like oil and water; they don’t mix. When Source Energy Services (SES), Eau Claire, Wis., enlisted the assistance of Legacy Building Solutions Inc., South Haven, Minn., to build the largest regional frac sand storage facility in Alberta, Canada, […]
Imitating nature
September 1st, 2015
When Birce Ozkan, a Turkish international relations graduate from Istanbul’s Koç University, decided to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree at Parsons The New School for Design, New York, N.Y., she brought along a number of unique questions about clothing design. “My thesis project was evolved around the questions,” writes Ozkan on her website. […]
No fear
September 1st, 2015
Per Lindstrand sees obstacles as stepping stones as he develops new methods and products for fabric engineering. Never be afraid to stick your head out. I’d rather have my head slapped one time too many than too little,” says aeronautical engineer Per Lindstrand, founder and president of Lindstrand Technologies, Oswestry, U.K. “You get nowhere unless […]
Commemorative canopy
September 1st, 2015
The first name of Frei Otto, a pioneer in tensioned fabric architecture born in 1925 in Siegmar, Germany, translates to “free” in his native tongue. The gifted architect developed his vision of lightweight architecture following stints as a stonemason for his parents (both sculptors), a pilot in WWII, a prisoner of war charged with camp […]
Estimating for profit: Where to begin
September 1st, 2015
Understanding the customer’s unique wants and requirements goes to the heart of successful custom projects. Larry Schneider, owner of Homestyle Awning & Upholstery in Bay View, Wis., recently worked on a project that seemed fairly simple—adding screens to a car trailer so the customer could sleep in it. After talking it through with the customer, […]