Smooth stretching

August 1, 2016  |  Products

The Rosebud Stretcher Frame System is designed to fix the extreme hour-glassing and puckering often encountered with scrims, bobbinettes, vinyl, projection screens and muslin backdrops. Hour-glassing naturally occurs when fabrics stretch vertically, causing the sides to pull in, and in some cases, p…
The Third Dimension

August 1, 2016  |  Features, Perspective

John Bland revolutionizes marine fabrication by applying 3-D CAD principles to the design process. Look at the motor industry—you wouldn’t be happy driving a car that was spec’d 20 years ago,” says John Bland, managing director of Tecsew Ltd., Gosport, Hampshire, U.K. “It’s the same in t…
Protective footwear for sports makes a splash

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

People who enjoy board sports like body boarding and surfing, or other outdoor activities like rock climbing, trail running or volleyball, will tell you they prefer to be barefoot for better balance. But there’s a problem with that: cuts, abrasions and other injuries are always a possibility. Swis…
Ultimate PremiumPlus Gloss Effects colors

August 1, 2016  |  Products

Eight new Ultimate PremiumPlus Gloss Effects colors have been introduced: Daytona Blue, Thundercloud Metallic, Hornet Metallic, Gunmetal Metallic, Bronze Metallic, White Metallic, Black Metallic and Metal Gear Blue. Line features superior gloss retention upon stretch, improved repositionability duri…
Doing well, doing good

August 1, 2016  |  Editorial, News

Someone recently asked me: “What value do we (IFAI and the specialty fabrics industry) bring to the larger community?” It caught me by surprise. I have a deep and personal interest in the success of our industry. IFAI staff and volunteers work every day to advance, promote and protect it. I beli…
Glass curtainwall gives great transparency

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

The UCLA School of Medicine’s South Tower building is undergoing a major renovation to convert nine of the former hospital’s 12 floors into a research lab. Known as the South Tower Seismic Renovation project, the four-phase initiative includes reinforcing the building’s structure, making inter…
Motorcycle racers confront danger in D-air®

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

Motorcycle racing isn’t for the faint of heart, and the 2016 Supersport World Championship is a top-tier competition for international riders on production-based motorcycles of 600 to 750 cm³ displacement. Czech rider Ondrej Ježek finished in 14th place at the Motorland Aragon race in Spain, but…
Photographs tell a Texas-size tale

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

Haltom City, Texas, is a community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with a long history. It was the county seat of the early Birdville Settlement, which was established four years before Texas became a state. It remained the Tarrant county seat until 1856 when Fort Worth won the designation in an elect…
Satellites and silk conjure earthly delights

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

It’s called the “overview effect”—a term coined by space philosopher and writer Frank White in a book of the same name. It’s the mental shift that happens to astronauts in space when they see Earth as a tiny, fragile ball of life. National boundaries vanish and the reality that we are all …
Space under pressure

August 1, 2016  |  Projects

The first inflatable structure designed for human use in orbit was attached to the Tranquility module of the International Space Station (ISS) in April. A collaboration between Bigelow Aerospace, Las Vegas, Nev., and NASA, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was delivered to the ISS in the…