Anti-graffiti film

November 1, 2017  |  Products

Mactac’s PermaColor SAG Anti-Graffiti and Window Protection Films are available in three laminate options designed to prevent graffiti, scratches, acid-etching gouges, UV light damage and tagging on smooth surfaces, graphic images, glass and windows. The films are clear with permanent acrylic adhe…
Read More
Atlanta stadium roof utilizes ETFE panels

November 1, 2017  |  Projects

On Aug. 26, Atlanta fans got to try out the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time when the Falcons hosted the Arizona Cardinals in a preseason NFL game. The two-million-square-foot facility seats 71,000 for football games and can expand to 75,000 for marquee events. Designed by HOK, a global …
Read More
Manufacturing fuels innovation

November 1, 2017  |  Editorial

And I know this happens because I took economics, and I’d explain it to ya, but I flunked that course. Not my fault. They taught it at 8 o’clock in the morning. And there is absolutely nothing you can learn out of one bloodshot eye.   ~Lewis Black When I was in college, I took a … <div>…
Read More
New IFAI chairman Steve Ellington shares his vision for the Industrial Fabrics Association International

November 1, 2017  |  Features, Perspective

With the geopolitical challenges and opportunities the specialty fabrics industry faces, we, as an association, need to make sure that we continue to educate our members and provide them with opportunities,” says Steve Ellington, president of Trivantage LLC, Glen Raven’s distribution and marketi…
Read More
IFAI Expo 2017: Report from New Orleans

November 1, 2017  |  Features

Despite the hurricanes and wildfires of late summer, IFAI Expo 2017 attracted many new first-time attendees to New Orleans in late September. And exhibitors reported that attendees were more likely than previous years to purchase their products, services and equipment. Aside from exhibitor-attendee …
Read More
Color swatch library

November 1, 2017  |  Products

Archroma® has introduced the Color Atlas, a six-volume library of 4,320 color swatches. The accordion-fold design allows for quick browsing of the cotton poplin samples. Also available is a compact version which includes the same color options in two volumes for increased portability. A mobile-frie…
Read More
Cut-resistant fabric

November 1, 2017  |  Products

Cut-Tex® PRO is a cut-and slash-resistant fabric made from a combination of ultra-high performance molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and other technical fibers woven by special high-density knitting machines. U.K.-based PPSS Group says the fabric offers five times the resistance of fabrics mad…
Read More
Flexible textile sensors for medical use

November 1, 2017  |  Projects

Researchers at Empa, the materials research institution in Dübendorf, Switzerland, have produced soft optic fibers for sensors that can be embedded in textiles as a thread. Worn next to the skin, the sensors can, for example, monitor whether a hospital patient is developing bedsores. Previously, po…
Read More
Fighting pink stain

November 1, 2017  |  Markets

The work “pink” brings to mind a little girl dressed as a princess, cotton candy at the county fair and plastic lawn flamingos. But for those in the marine industry, the word takes on a sinister connotation as a stain caused by streptoverticillium reticulum. It’s a far greater menace than a ne…
Read More
Energy storage systems printed onto fabric

November 1, 2017  |  Projects

One of the downsides of smart wearables has been the need to carry a battery pack to recharge electronics. Researchers at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom have developed technology that could make the cumbersome packs a thing of the past. The team was able to print a flexible batte…
Read More