R+T 2022 postponed
December 1st, 2021
Messe Stuttgart is postponing R+T, a leading trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun shading systems, which was scheduled to take place in February 2022. "R+T is the most international event in Stuttgart. Three quarters of the exhibitors at the last edition of the world's leading trade fair in 2018 came from abroad," says […]
Hexcel and Fairmat partner to recycle carbon fiber prepreg composites
December 1st, 2021
Hexcel Corporation and Fairmat, a deep technology startup based in France, have announced an agreement to build the capability to recycle carbon fiber prepreg from Hexcel European operations for reuse in composite panels sold into commercial markets. Under the partnership, Fairmat will lease a former Hexcel facility in Bouguenais (Loire-Atlantique) where it will recycle cutoffs […]
Working together to solve problems
December 1st, 2021
An event like last month’s Industrial Fabrics Association International Expo in Nashville, Tenn., is a good way to check the pulse of an industry. And if anything was clear at Expo, it was that textile manufacturers are ready and eager to get back to work. Exhibitors and attendees at Expo were clearly excited to be […]
Upholstered pods offer spot for creative immersion
December 1st, 2021
Lazerian Space combines food and drink with art and design, immersing guests within fabric upholstered aluminum pods. Photos: Gu Photography. With commissioned work coming to a halt last year because of the pandemic, artist Liam Hopkins set out to design his own project—a venue that would inspire and evolve. The result is Lazerian Space, a […]
Composite fabric protects against biological, chemical threats
December 1st, 2021
Researchers have developed a versatile composite fabric that can deactivate both biological and chemical threats. A material that is effective against both classes of threats is rare. Photo: Northwestern University. A research group at Northwestern University has created a versatile composite fabric that has the potential to deactivate both biological threats, such as novel coronaviruses, and […]
Growing textiles from algae
December 1st, 2021
Algaeing’s algae-based textiles are biodegradable, nontoxic and vegan. Photo: Tammy Bar Shay/Algaeing. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe recently announced that the global fashion industry accounts for as much as 10 percent of global carbon emissions and creates pollution and waste. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency says that only about 15 percent […]
HeiQ creates sustainable nylon substitute
December 1st, 2021
The first HeiQ AeoniQ yarns from the pilot production plant will be delivered in the second quarter of 2022. The Swiss-based HeiQ textile company has introduced a high-performance cellulose yarn based on a new fiber derived from carbon negative materials. The fiber, called AeoniQ, is made of cellulose biopolymer, which can be sourced from a […]
Nextil Group unifies Spanish production
December 1st, 2021
Nextil headquarters in El Masnou, Spain, has unified production in two of its Spanish facilities. Photo: Nextil. Nextil Group, one of the largest groups in the European textile industry, has combined its Dogi and Ritex production facilities in El Masnou, Barcelona. The two companies will become one large textile production plant. The combined operation will […]
Hybrid Air Vehicles plans passenger transportation
December 1st, 2021
British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. (HAV) has announced that it plans to have its Airlander 10 ready for passenger transportation in 2025. Billed as the “world’s largest aircraft,” the exterior looks like a very large airship, but the inside more closely resembles a first-class ferry, with spacious and comfortable seating for 100 passengers, all […]
‘Robotic’ textile can help control breathing
December 1st, 2021
OmniFiber, developed by researchers at MIT and in Sweden, contains a fluid channel (air or water) in the center that allows the fiber to act similar to an artificial muscle when activated. Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Sweden have developed a new “robotic” textile that can be woven into clothing. Called OmniFiber, […]