Features

A booming global market should ensure brisk business for suppliers of raw materials and manufacturing technologies at Index14, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 8–11 April. Adrian Wilson previews the highlights.

As the market for carbon fibre-reinforced composites seems poised for spectacular growth in the next decade, close attention is being paid to how best to recover post-use the valuable fibres and fabrics they contain, according to Adrian Wilson.

There is high value in much of the abandoned fishing industry waste that lies at the bottom of the world’s oceans. Now, a polyamide fibre manufacturer has built a plant that is equipped to exploit it. Adrian Wilson reports from Slovenia.

Niki Tait reviews the use of ultrasonics to bond fabrics, considering the advantages and disadvantages of the technology compared with traditional sewing, and the growing range of machinery now available to manufacturers.

Gluing and welding fabrics together can result in process speeds much higher than those achieved with sewing⁽¹⁾, while making seams that are strong, and water-, wind- and air-tight. Niki Tait reviews the machinery available.

Nonwoven wipes made the news headlines for all the wrong reasons this year, even as the industry was responding with its own tighter guidelines with respect to the disposal of these products according to Adrian Wilson.

Nonwoven- and textile-based wallcoverings can provide more than just static visual appeal, according to Adrian Wilson. The latest products can insulate for sound and heat, display moving images, and even offer protection from earthquakes.

The content of the 52nd Man-made Fibre Congress held in Dornbirn,  Austria, in September 2013, underlined the commitment of fibre manufacturers to developments for a range of technical end-uses and markets, says  Adrian Wilson.

Ian Holme travelled to Ghent, Belgium to learn about the latest developments in materials, applications and coating processes, as well as the impact of current and mooted legislation at the 7th European Coating Congress (5–6 September 2013).

The growing markets for soft signage and one-off special installations reveal the full potential of digital printed textiles, but their impact on the mass markets for textiles has been limited to date, according to  Adrian Wilson.