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New textile solutions for thermal management

December 1, 2021  |  Features

Life on Earth—as we know it—would not be viable without managing the temperature levels of our personal climates, our environments and the perishable materials we use. Textiles play an important role in these efforts.
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Showroom showdown

December 1, 2021  |  Features

Whether it’s online or brick and mortar, a well-conceived product showroom can make a substantial difference in how customers perceive your company and its offerings. Strategic improvements in both can help your clients better understand their choices and smooth your way toward easier, more profit…
Working together to solve problems

December 1, 2021  |  Editorial

An event like last month’s Industrial Fabrics Association International Expo in Nashville, Tenn., is a good way to check the pulse of an industry. And if anything was clear at Expo, it was that textile manufacturers are ready and eager to get back to work. Exhibitors and attendees at Expo were cle…
NASA tests new heat shield material

December 1, 2021  |  Swatches

The team behind the umbrella-like, deployable heat shield design called ADEPT (Adaptable, Deployable, Entry and Placement Technology) is testing out a new material to deliver science payloads on future missions to Mars and beyond. Called Spiderweave, the woven fabric will make it safer for larger ve…
Carbon nanotube fibers used in new ‘smart shirt’

December 1, 2021  |  Swatches

A Rice University lab has developed a new technology for creating a health monitoring shirt using flexible, conductive nanotube thread to weave functionality into regular apparel. The university’s Brown School of Engineering lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Matteo Pasquali report that the…
Smart gloves translate sign language

December 1, 2021  |  Swatches

A Chinese startup has found a way to commercialize and mass produce a smart glove that can translate sign language into text or audible speech. Wulala Technology Co. has launched a glove paired via Bluetooth® to a subscription-based app on a smartphone. It incorporates two-way bending sensors in e…
‘Robotic’ textile can help control breathing

December 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Sweden have developed a new “robotic” textile that can be woven into clothing. Called OmniFiber, the textile can sense and respond to the movement of its wearer, giving immediate tactile feedback via pressure, lateral stretch or vi…
Hybrid Air Vehicles plans passenger transportation

December 1, 2021  |  Swatches

British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. (HAV) has announced that it plans to have its Airlander 10 ready for passenger transportation in 2025. Billed as the “world’s largest aircraft,” the exterior looks like a very large airship, but the inside more closely resembles a first-class ferry…
Nextil Group unifies Spanish production

December 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Nextil Group, one of the largest groups in the European textile industry, has combined its Dogi and Ritex production facilities in El Masnou, Barcelona. The two companies will become one large textile production plant. The combined operation will be known as NEFE (Nextil Elastic Fabrics Europe), whe…
HeiQ creates sustainable nylon substitute

December 1, 2021  |  Swatches

The Swiss-based HeiQ textile company has introduced a high-performance cellulose yarn based on a new fiber derived from carbon negative materials.