Futuristic fabrics

August 1, 2016  |  Products

Emana® technology is now enhancing two collections by Myshapes, an Italian company. Emana smart yarn was developed by Fibras of the Solvay Group and manufactured and distributed in Europe exclusively by Fulgar, an Italian company that produces nylon and covered yarns worldwide. The two collections …
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High-grade leather substitute

August 1, 2016  |  Products

Teijin Cordley Limited, the Teijin Group’s manmade leather business, has developed Maestley™, a new high-grade leather substitute. Maestley has a texture and richness equivalent to natural leather. The company plans to expand the Maestley lineup by leveraging its production technologies for high…
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Sheltering safety standards

August 1, 2016  |  Fabric Structures, Markets

Rain or shine, fabric roofing structure allows a crash test facility to continue research year-round. Earlier this year, the National Safety Council estimated motor vehicle deaths to be 8 percent higher in 2015 than they were in 2014—the largest year-over-year percentage increase in 50 years. Whil…
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Antique sewing machine museum attracts Expo attendees

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

  One of the special attractions being offered to attendees at this year’s IFAI Expo in Charlotte, as a fundraiser for the Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF), is an opportunity to see a unique private collection of antique sewing machines: almost 600 machines, originating from the early 1850…
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International flair

August 1, 2016  |  Products

Home décor authority Joe Ruggiero’s latest collection of Sunbrella® fabrics is titled “Exotic Lands.” Persian influences can be seen in Delhi and Delhi II, which feature large-scale, floating “buta,” or “paisleys” as the Persian droplet-shaped motif is called in English. Persian flai…
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Bold predictions: What’s realistic for smart textiles

August 1, 2016  |  Business

The words smart textiles have generated much discussion in the industry and the media recently. India-based market research firm Markets and Markets has estimated that the value of this high-tech textile sector will grow to $4.7 billion by 2020. Given that the smart textile industry was estimated to…
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Getting the word out about fabric graphics

August 1, 2016  |  Fabric Structures, Features, Graphics, Tents

Fabric graphics have become a marketing and branding essential. As they go outside to play, the medium is definitely part of the message. Fabric graphics are a perfect vehicle for our branding-obsessed culture, providing the ability to transmit messages in fun, colorful, impactful and attention-gett…
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Space-themed fashion explores possibilities

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

To mark the 2014–2016 European Space Agency (ESA) mission to the International Space Station, European fashion schools from the astronauts’ home countries explored the future of fashion and all its technical possibilities. “Couture in Orbit” was a project of ESA and the Science Museum of Lon…
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Providing “shady deals” since 1972

August 1, 2016  |  Business, Management

Debbie Lacy, general manager of The House of Canvas Inc., Glendale, Ariz., takes pride in her family owned and operated custom awning business. From residential and commercial window awnings to shade screens and roll curtains, everything from start to finish is done in-house. Here, Lacy shares her t…
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For leather and webbing

August 1, 2016  |  Products

The 70TT is a butane-powered handle that burns for approximately 30 minutes on mid-setting and is refillable; it comes with a hole-burning tip that works on synthetic materials and is useful for trimming close threads. Eight additional attachments are available. Slightly smaller, Model 25TT burns ab…
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