Up and coming: Hybrid piezoelectric photovoltaics

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Michael Lotti What it is Nylon fibers or ribbons with a thin, flexible photovoltaic film coating over polyvinylidene fluoride and ceramic piezoelectric materials. Professor Elias Siores, director of Research and Innovation at the University of Bolton in the U.K., developed the patented material w…
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Up and coming: Power felt

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Michael Lotti What it is Nonwoven, washable cloth that continuously generates an electric current. How it works The thermoelectric effect, which is the tendency of charged particles to move from warm to cold parts of metals, ceramics, fibers, and other materials. Possible applications “This…
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Research on repellents continues

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Carla Waldemar Dirt, rain and snow repellent? Yes, of course. But how about repelling invisible threats, such as germ warfare? Research is ongoing. These performance capabilities are not yet on the production line, awaiting ways to make them more resistant to wear and tear, according to innovatio…
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The “Made in America” tag

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Carla Waldemar The Berry Amendment enacted by Congress requires companies that fulfill government contracts to have the work done in America. “This suits us fine,” says Sharon Asmus of Responder Gear. “We use fabrics made entirely in the U.S. to make sure the design is perfect a…
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Vest keeps first responders cool

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Sigrid Tornquist In response to comments made by clients, Amit Kapoor of First Line Technology set out to find a way to keep first responders cool in a variety of high-temperature environments. In collaboration with CarbonX Non-Flammable Fabrics (a product of Chapman Innovations), Kapoor designed…
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Specialty Fabrics Review interviews Amit Kapoor, president of First Line Technology

January 1, 1970  |  News

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist The federal government is one of your biggest clients. How does the current political climate affect your business plan? It’s the uncertainty of how much Department of Defense funding will be available that presents the biggest challenge for us right now. As a sma…
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Explore inflatable art

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Barb Ernster Closer to earth, Architects of Air is giving thousands of people a new experience of color and light with its gigantic walk-through inflatable luminaria. Designer Alan Parkinson has been creating luminaria at his Nottingham, U.K., company since 1986, and has shown them at more than 5…
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The inflatable airship experience

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Barb Ernster Airship Ventures in San Francisco, Calif., is giving tourism a boost on the West Coast, as the only company offering airship flights for fare-paying passengers. Its 246-foot German-made Zeppelin NT (the only one in America) takes up to 12 passengers on sightseeing tours from San D…
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Shrinkable fabric use expands

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Holly O’Dell In some instances, objects being transported via flatbed trucks require a cover that can be wrapped tightly. To that end, Greg Todt developed Transhield Shrinkable Fabric™ 20 years ago to protect high-end paint jobs on loads such as vehicles, boats and industrial equipmen…
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Printed truck curtains provide a moving message

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Holly O’Dell For soft-sided curtains on trucks, digital printing can transform a blank canvas into a mobile billboard. Load Covering Solutions Ltd., based in Burlington, Ont., Canada, encourages customers to add value to their deliveries by printing a four-color message on their soft-sided …
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