Surmountable challenges in making e-textiles

December 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

According to a Business Research Insights market report, the smart fabric segment of the textile industry is poised to grow from $4.19 billion in 2024 to $15.21 billion by 2032, indicating future opportunities to commercialize more smart textiles. However, there are still obstacles that smart produc…
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Smart garments for elderly health care

November 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Americans over the age of 75 are expected to account for more than 50% of an anticipated population increase of 19 million during the coming decade. This is according to a March 2024 report by Wells Fargo that also warns, “Assuming the share of the population that has difficulty with self-care rem…
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Textiles in the defense industry

October 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

A synergistic relationship exists between defense agencies and the textile industry. Small-to-medium enterprises enjoy support from the defense sector through funding mechanisms such as the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Federal agencies, includi…
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Textiles’ role in alternative energy

September 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the amount of renewable capacity added to energy systems around the world grew by 50% in 2023, reaching almost 510 gigawatts (GW), with solar/photovoltaic accounting for three-quarters of additions worldwide.
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Thermal control in wearable technology

August 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

The textile-heated garment industry is revolutionizing how we stay warm. Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), the organization I work for, is at the forefront of developments in the types of heat sources used, particularly how they are controlled for optimal comfort and efficiency.
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WCO trade law affects textiles with plastic treatments

July 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Recent trade law clarifications could mean lower tariff rates, and other effects, for laminated textiles and goods made from them.
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Printed, flexible electionics for e-textiles

June 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Can printed electronics (PE) and flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) offer to e-textiles a means to overcome the design, manufacturing and sustainability challenges facing the industry? The Large-Area, Organic & Printed Electronics Convention (LOPEC), an annual conference and trade show, recently …
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AI’s potential in saving manufacturers time and money

May 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained global prominence since serious discussions on this subject surfaced at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Following the 1990s’ information technology (IT) revolution, we now have arrived at the point of harnessing the power of machine inte…
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Looking back, looking ahead: Textile industry trends

April 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

A political, economic, social, technology (PEST) analysis on the smart and advanced textile industry for 2023 would likely show that “P” dominated, as politics has affected all sectors. But that is not to diminish the important developments that have taken place in the industry, in some cases be…
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Smart fabrics testing and standards under development

March 1, 2024  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Smart textiles that use specialized polymers, chemical additives or electronics to react with their environment are changing textile technology in the 21st century. E-textiles or “wearables” have been particularly promising due to their ability to monitor and communicate data to provide sensory …
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