TEXTILES.ORG
Working with architects
January 1st, 2018
Key to the success of a productive partnership: exploration, preparation, communication and education, with a firm grasp of details and a final vision for the project. Fabrics and architecture have been partners for millennia and have worked together to create some of the most iconic, useful and beautiful structures in the world—from traditional Mongolian yurts […]
Cooling vest for firefighters
January 1st, 2018
Heat exhaustion, cramps and heat stroke are very real dangers to firefighters. Not only are they in a hot environment, but often protective gear traps heat and inhibits the body’s natural ability to cool itself through sweat and moisture evaporation from the skin. Teijin Limited, Tokyo, Japan, has introduced a cooling vest that protects firefighters […]
Marine tension shade options
January 1st, 2018
Marine fabricators help boat owners expand shading options with stretched fabric. It could easily be argued that the pleasures of boating are best appreciated on a deck rather than in a cabin. But protection from sun exposure requires more than that provided by a wide-brimmed hat. With that kind of coverage in mind, boat owners […]
Savvy cash management helps your bottom line
January 1st, 2018
Cash flow—the amount of money flowing into and out of your shop—is an easy concept to understand, yet not always well managed. Not every owner is aware of the impact skillful cash management has on net income, probably because the importance of managing revenue is far easier to recognize in some types of businesses than […]
Colorfast inks
January 1st, 2018
Huntsman Textile Effects has introduced a new range of reactive inks that deliver outstanding light- and weather-fastness for digital printing of polyester fibers. TERATOP® XKS HL inks are designed to help mills produce technical textiles with the highest color-fastness performance for the automotive interiors, outdoor furnishings and home textiles industries. Formulated for Kyocera print head […]
Recycled water bottles create jobs and coats for homeless people
January 1st, 2018
The idea of sustainability is attractive to business owners and consumers. Executing on sustainability is not simple, however. In practice, sustainability can depend on a partnership of companies working together. Wm. T. Burnett & Co., Baltimore, Md., a foam and nonwoven materials manufacturer, transforms recycled water bottles from General Motors facilities and the city of […]
Durable cushion fabrics
January 1st, 2018
Phifer’s new 2018 GeoBella® cushion and Phifertex® sling fabrics lines are marked by water-inspired blues and greens and varied textures. The GeoBella line of high-end, performance cushion fabrics mirrors the comfort of indoor furniture yet has the stability, strength and durability needed for high-traffic applications. Phifertex fabrics for outdoor seating combine clean lines and a […]
Geofoam solves construction challenges
January 1st, 2018
High atop Hidden Peak, lightweight geofoam solves construction challenges the easy way. All projects have challenges, purpose and meaning, yet some projects mean a lot more to owners than others. It takes a visionary to leave a legacy, and Richard Bass, founder of Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Utah, fit the bill. Bass is […]
Advanced awning fabric
January 1st, 2018
Cooley Group has launched Weathertyte PLUS, a premier product designed for use in commercial awning applications. The product features the benefits of the original flagship Weathertyte® fabric, with a softer hand, superior strength, improved weldability and bolder image quality. It offers the high performance of vinyl with the look, feel and texture of a woven […]
Creating a welcoming workplace to retain employees
January 1st, 2018
To prevent employee turnover, create a workplace that provides continuous learning, competitive pay and benefits and open-minded management. Like many industries that rely on skilled workers, the specialty fabrics industry is facing a shortage of qualified personnel. As manufacturers and fabricators develop recruitment efforts to attract the next-generation workforce, management must simultaneously find strategies to […]