Features

A cradle-to-cradle philosophy, contributions to clean indoor air and some innovative technology are among the positives that can be claimed by carpet manufacturers in their bid to regain lost shares in the floorcoverings market, reports Adrian Wilson.

The emerging trends in the markets for body and vehicle armour strongly favour lightweight materials and, Nick Butler reports, DSM Dyneema has responded by developing a technology to make its ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibre a stronger candidate for such applications than ever before.

Editor Nick Butler reports on the trends and latest machinery developments relevant to technical textiles, as revealed by exhibitors’ plans for the forthcoming ITMA Asia, to be held in Shanghai, China, on 16–20 June 2014.

Editorial Comment.

A range of exhibits and events at Index14 demonstrated that nonwovens are far from exhausting their search for new markets, writes Adrian Wilson⁽¹⁾, with the current trend markedly towards high-performance end-uses.

John W. McCurry and Nick Butler select some of the highlights to be found at the the forthcoming Techtextil North America (to be held on 13–15 May 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA), and assess the mood of the industry in the region.

Heavy-duty nonwovens are central to global paper manufacturing, and as stabilizers and filtration materials in many major land and sea reclamation projects, according to  Adrian  Wilson.

Niki Tait reviews the latest computer numerically controlled cutting techniques available from some of the world’s key suppliers, and discovers a vibrant industry engaged in continual development of machinery. In addition, she reveals that new companies are entering the market, including some from China.

The nonwovens industry is just one field in which Germany’s economic growth contradicts the claim that manufacturing must inevitably continue to move to low-cost regions in the wake of globalization, according to Adrian  Wilson.

On the eve of JEC – which will take place in Paris, France, on 11–13 March 2014 – the Editor of Advanced Composites Bulletin, James Bakewell reviews what is being done to recycle the textile components of carbon fibre-reinforced plastics.