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A ‘mixed bag’ for U.S. textile manufacturing
March 1st, 2021
When supply chains from Asia were cut off in the spring of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic revealed the extent to which the U.S. was dependent on imports of personal protective equipment (PPE) including nonwoven surgical masks, according to U.S. trade representative Bill Jackson. Photo: © Kateryna Rykun, Dreamstime.com The year 2020 was not a particularly […]
Recycled marine waste textile
March 1st, 2021
Intersection is a screen and panel fabric developed through a partnership between Duvaltex, Steelcase and the SEAQUAL® Initiative, which turns marine plastic waste into recycled products with full traceability. The fabric, the first with the Ocean Waste CLEAN IMPACT TEXTILES™ designation, is designed with a small crisscross pattern woven alongside a subtle pucker, providing a […]
Next generation fleece
March 1st, 2021
Polartec® Power Air™, the first 100 percent recyclable and circular fabric technology engineered to reduce fiber shedding by 80 percent, is available through a special collaboration with Swedish sportswear brand Houdini and its Mono Air Houdi jacket. Seen as the next generation of fleece, the innovative platform offers advanced thermal efficiency by encapsulating lofted fibers […]
Hemp on the horizon
March 1st, 2021
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of natural products like cotton. As cotton farmers look for new market opportunities, natural fibers such as hemp (at right), flax, coir and jute offer advantages for certain high-performance applications. Photo: ©Leekaomeng, dreamstime.com. COVID-19 has upended a way of life that we may have taken for granted. With the […]
For the Atlanta Opera, the show goes on under an Armbruster circus tent
March 1st, 2021
Written in 1892, Leoncavallo’s opera Pagliacci is perfectly set in a circus tent styled from the same era, even with an updated twist of COVID-19. Reviewing the performance within the open-air venue, a writer for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution quipped, “It was a breath of fresh air to see it live.” Photo: Raftermen. In the Atlanta […]
Pvilion and Rensselaer developing robotics to manufacture rapidly deployable structures
March 1st, 2021
A project to develop robotics for the manufacturing of emergency shelters such as Pvilion’s rapidly deployable structures answers “a timely challenge in both manufacturing and health care,” according to senior research engineer Glenn Saunders. Illustrations: Pvilion. When tents are needed immediately—for disaster response, a public health crisis or a military action—time is of the essence. […]
Macon City Auditorium repair includes a roofing membrane system
March 1st, 2021
A few years shy of its 100th birthday, the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Ga., is getting a makeover, starting with a new roofing membrane system. The Classical-style structure, surrounded on three sides with limestone Doric columns, is on the National Register of Historic Places and has hosted the likes of the Allman Brothers and […]
Opportunities in fabric graphics
March 1st, 2021
PWG created this artwork using dye-sublimation and silicone edge graphics, with LED perimeter backlighting. Photo: PWG. The market for fabric graphics continues to evolve, with new challenges presented by everything from COVID-19 to the changing workplace. Innovative companies, though, can find opportunities as they work to position themselves for the post-pandemic rebound. There’s no question […]
Fabric blocks electromagnetic waves
March 1st, 2021
Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa., have created “Faraday fabrics” that can block almost all electromagnetic (EM) waves. The development could help protect wearables from interference and people from potentially dangerous radiation. The key ingredient is a 2D material called MXene. While electromagnetic waves are incredibly useful, interference in the airwaves can make connections […]
Triple-layer protection
March 1st, 2021
TRIO® by Sattler has applications for furniture, boat and car covers with a durable topcoat of 100% solution-dyed acrylic, a middle construction of a microporous breathable waterproof membrane and a bottom layer of soft knit tricot headliner that won’t scratch or damage the covered surface. Available in six popular colors, it is water, oil and […]