Tough marine zip

December 1, 2017  |  Products

Sunbrella® Performance Zippers feature tape made using 100 percent Sunbrella fibers, giving them the inherent performance characteristics of all Sunbrella textiles—UV and fade resistance, mold and mildew resistance and bleach cleanability—while the specially-designed WX zipper teeth keep wind a…
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On the march

December 1, 2017  |  Features

For several years the U.S. military market has been characterized by base closures and troop drawdowns, which has had an admittedly dampening effect on the need for and spending on military textiles. The United States isn’t the only geographic market for these products, nor are these textiles limi…
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Rugged thread

December 1, 2017  |  Products

Trivantage has introduced a new line of filament-bonded polyester sewing thread designed for vinyl, canvas and carpet applications. PremoBond features maximum durability, UV protection and colorfastness. With yarn that’s approximately 30 times stronger than the current industry standard, the threa…
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Upscale upholstery

December 1, 2017  |  Products

WG Design Studio created two new vinyl-coated textile designs for Wolf-Gordon’s Performance Upholstery 02 collection. Barras is printed with a robust, weathered-linen look. Zig Zag fools the eye with faux stitching—complete with realistic shadows—for a convincing 3-D effect. Both are bleach-cl…
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Protect and conserve potable water

December 1, 2017  |  Features

If you’ve had a glass of clean water today, you can likely thank a fabric-based product. Engineered fabrics, membranes and geosynthetics perform behind-the-scenes work to ensure that communities have access to adequate potable water and clean waterways. Creative fabric uses also hold promise in de…
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Exosuit normalizes walking for stroke patients

December 1, 2017  |  Projects

About 80 percent of people who suffer a stroke lose functionality in a limb—a clinical phenomenon called hemiparesis. Even if those patients return to walking, normal gait can be affected. Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the Harvard John A. Paulson School o…
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Marketing to millennials

December 1, 2017  |  Editorial

Take two ideas and put them together to make one new idea. After all, what is a Snuggie but a mutation of a blanket and a robe? ~Jim Kukral For years now, I’ve been endearing myself in meetings with manufacturers by asking questions like: “So when will there be an awning that is delivered by &he…
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Smarter smart apparel

December 1, 2017  |  Products

DuPont™ Intexar™ smart clothing technology is a suite of premium and high-performing stretchable electronic inks and films that transform ordinary fabrics into smart garments that provide biometric data including heart rate, breathing rate, form awareness and muscle tension. Intexar is seamlessl…
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Fabric tester redux

December 1, 2017  |  Products

Due to renewed demand from retailers, SDL Atlas has re-introduced the Bean Bag Snag Tester, which is designed to determine the snagging and picking characteristics of fabrics by tumbling fabric pillows containing a weighted bean bag within two separate test cylinders provided with eight pinned bars,…
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How textile innovator Milliken & Co. became one of America’s safest companies

December 1, 2017  |  Industry News

Milliken & Co. is known around the globe for its innovations in the manufacturing of specialty chemicals, floor covering, and performance and protective textiles. It’s also one of America’s safest companies. The Spartanburg, S.C.-based company was recently named as one of 13 companies featur…
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