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Atlanta stadium roof utilizes ETFE panels
November 1st, 2017
On Aug. 26, Atlanta fans got to try out the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time when the Falcons hosted the Arizona Cardinals in a preseason NFL game. The two-million-square-foot facility seats 71,000 for football games and can expand to 75,000 for marquee events. Designed by HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering and planning […]
Manufacturing fuels innovation
November 1st, 2017
And I know this happens because I took economics, and I’d explain it to ya, but I flunked that course. Not my fault. They taught it at 8 o’clock in the morning. And there is absolutely nothing you can learn out of one bloodshot eye. ~Lewis Black When I was in college, I took a […]
Industry 4.0: the new manufacturing
November 1st, 2017
Automation in the textile industry has brought with it an increasing need for better communication within the manufacturing plant, as well as between manufacturers at different stages of the supply chain. Dialogue between people is one thing, but getting machines to speak to one another is a whole new challenge—a digital Tower of Babel that […]
New IFAI chairman Steve Ellington shares his vision for the Industrial Fabrics Association International
November 1st, 2017
With the geopolitical challenges and opportunities the specialty fabrics industry faces, we, as an association, need to make sure that we continue to educate our members and provide them with opportunities,” says Steve Ellington, president of Trivantage LLC, Glen Raven’s distribution and marketing services subsidiary in Glen Raven, N.C. “We need to make sure that […]
IFAI Expo 2017: Report from New Orleans
November 1st, 2017
Despite the hurricanes and wildfires of late summer, IFAI Expo 2017 attracted many new first-time attendees to New Orleans in late September. And exhibitors reported that attendees were more likely than previous years to purchase their products, services and equipment. Aside from exhibitor-attendee interaction, the show floor was a hive of lively “campfire” educational sessions […]
Color swatch library
November 1st, 2017
Archroma® has introduced the Color Atlas, a six-volume library of 4,320 color swatches. The accordion-fold design allows for quick browsing of the cotton poplin samples. Also available is a compact version which includes the same color options in two volumes for increased portability. A mobile-friendly Color Atlas Online offers features such as “color-on-the-go”, which allows […]
Cut-resistant fabric
November 1st, 2017
Cut-Tex® PRO is a cut-and slash-resistant fabric made from a combination of ultra-high performance molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and other technical fibers woven by special high-density knitting machines. U.K.-based PPSS Group says the fabric offers five times the resistance of fabrics made from Kevlar® and is comfortable and fully machine washable. Current applications include uniforms […]
Flexible textile sensors for medical use
November 1st, 2017
Researchers at Empa, the materials research institution in Dübendorf, Switzerland, have produced soft optic fibers for sensors that can be embedded in textiles as a thread. Worn next to the skin, the sensors can, for example, monitor whether a hospital patient is developing bedsores. Previously, polymer optic fibers, used in communication technology, weren’t supple enough […]
Fighting pink stain
November 1st, 2017
The work “pink” brings to mind a little girl dressed as a princess, cotton candy at the county fair and plastic lawn flamingos. But for those in the marine industry, the word takes on a sinister connotation as a stain caused by streptoverticillium reticulum. It’s a far greater menace than a never-washed red garment laundered […]
Energy storage systems printed onto fabric
November 1st, 2017
One of the downsides of smart wearables has been the need to carry a battery pack to recharge electronics. Researchers at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom have developed technology that could make the cumbersome packs a thing of the past. The team was able to print a flexible battery-like device known as […]