Making connections and finding solutions

August 1, 2021  |  Editorial

How do you build a digital workflow? What skills do you look for when hiring an employee with no experience? How are you handling vaccination policies for both current and new employees? And finally, where do you turn to find answers to questions like these? Industry professionals often cite “netw…
Microneedles may offer better MRSA treatment

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Associate professor Georgios Sotiriou and Ph.D. student Jill Ziesmer at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet have developed a patch that is designed to provide a localized treatment for MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) skin infections by using microneedle arrays. With its resistance to…
Sensor gloves for weightlifting efficiency

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

A new smart device has made it possible to turn the tracking of an exercise regimen over to personal training gloves with sensing technology. Shape.Care of Kraków, Poland, offers a comprehensive system designed to support both amateurs and professionals in their weightlifting training routine by mo…
Birdair installs tensile roof retrofit

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Custom membrane provider Birdair Inc. has brought a modern look to a shopping mall in Lancaster, Pa., with the installation of a retrofitted Tensotherm™ translucent insulated tensioned membrane system. The three-layer Tensotherm roof replaced a single-layer tensile membrane roof Birdair installed …
Aqualung launches eco-responsible wetsuit collection

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Scuba gear designer Aqualung is setting a new standard for sustainability in water sports with the release of its 100 percent neoprene-free XSCAPE wetsuit with a rash guard made from eco-friendly materials.
Face mask made with sustainability in mind

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for masks continues worldwide. A collaborative initiative between Indorama Ventures, DyeCoo and STOLL has resulted in Easy Mask, a fashionable mask manufactured with sustainability in mind throughout the production process, from yarn production t…
Mesh textile produces puncture-resistant bike tires

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

A punctured tire can ruin a biker’s day, but opting for puncture-resistant tires involves a trade-off, because they are generally heavier and slower than other types of tires.
Backpack brand is ‘plastic negative’

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Travel bag and backpack brand Solgaard has announced that the company has achieved its “plastic negative” sustainability goal through the use of recycled materials and upcycled ocean-bound plastic in all of its products, in addition to an offset of a minimum of five pounds of ocean-bound plastic…
AR Tech supports U.S. Space Force launch

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket launched in April from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, with AR Tech supporting the mission with its multilayer and single-layer insulation blankets.
‘Fabricating Networks’ amplifies the invisible

August 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Architect Felecia Davis used active textiles and advanced knitting technologies to create “Fabricating Networks,” on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) this past spring as one of 11 projects featured in “Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America.” The exhibition…