Features

The ingenuity of the leading manufacturers of fibres, filaments and yarns continues to create a wealth of opportunities for technical textiles. Editor Nick Butler selects some of the highlights to look for during Techtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, on 9–12 May 2017.

The booming composites market is creating a variety of exciting opportunities for manufacturers of textiles and nonwovens. So said the Chairman of Composites Germany and the German Federation of Reinforced Plastics (AVK), Michael Effing, in his keynote presentation to the Nonwovens for High-performance Applications (NHPA) conference in Prague, Czech Republic, on 8 March 2017. Composites Editor James Bakewell reports.

On 1 April 2016, the then US Secretary of Defense announced the formation of the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America initiative, which has set itself the goal of helping the country’s industry to capture a 30% share of the global market for technical textiles. One year on, John McCurry spoke to key figures to report on progress.

Companies from every part of the supply chain will be represented at a major exhibition for the nonwovens industry—Index 17, which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 4–7 April 2017. Adrian Wilson offers some insight into the plans of key exhibitors.

The composites industry appears to be in rude health on the eve of this year’s JEC World, but the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastics in mainstream automotive applications is still not widespread. Textiles technologies will be vital in bringing these materials to the mass market, writes Composites Editor James Bakewell.  

A sea-change is taking place, writes Adrian Wilson, reporting from Heimtextil 2017 in Frankfurt. Polyester, cellulosics and glass-based substrates can all provide advantages in the digital printing revolution.

From its industry leaders to its politicians, Germany has grasped the importance of carbon fibre-reinforced composites to the future of manufacturing and is taking steps to secure its position in global markets. Adrian Wilson reports.

Director of Technology at Technical Fibre Products, Nigel Walker, recently outlined the functionalities that can be added to products via the use of specialized materials in multi-layered constructions. Adrian Wilson reports what he had to say. 

A collaborative research project in Germany is exploring the possibilities for nonwovens made from recycled carbon fibre as reinforcements for composites. Already the team has developed a novel production process and made unique materials that have potential as heating elements. Claus Lütke explains what the team has learned so far and what they will do next.

While presenting the Society of Chemical Industry’s prestigious Ivan Levinstein Memorial Lecture, Richard Horrocks surveyed the development and use of textiles in fire protection. Ian Holme listened to what he had to say and reports for Technical Textiles International.