Features

Manufacturers of additives, finishing chemicals, coatings and adhesives for laminating will attend Techtextil with the message that they are a vital part of the supply chain’s efforts to create additional value in technical textiles, reports Nick Butler.

Machinery builders come to Techtextil to learn about the latest trends in technical textiles so that they can develop equipment suited to this growing sector and, in the last decade, their presence in Frankfurt has become significant, writes Nick Butler.

Rounding off our previews of the innovations that will be displayed at Techtextil (and Texprocess) in Frankfurt, Germany, in June 2013, Editor Nick Butler looks at those that do not fit into our other categories.

The second edition of Texprocess, an exhibition dedicated to presenting the latest developments in the processing of textiles and flexible materials, is to be held in Frankfurt, Germany, on 10–13 June 2013, concurrently with Techtextil. Niki Tait helps readers navigate the show floor with a round-up of her selections from the new technology that will be on display.

Techtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, offers the whole industry an opportunity to share knowledge and information across a wide range of markets. Beginning Technical Textiles International’s comprehensive preview of this year’s event, Editor Nick Butler presents some of the highlights of European research that will be presented.

Within the US$50-billion filtration market, Donaldson’s products – all of which are based on advanced filter media, including nonwovens and technical textiles – find applications in a diverse range of industries, according to Adrian Wilson.

Careful control and monitoring of all the parameters in a modern nonwovens plant is helping to reduce energy consumption and the use of raw materials each to a bare minimum, according to Adrian Wilson.

Editor Nick Butler attended the inauguration of a pilot plant in Montbonnot, France, dedicated to hydroentangled nonwovens to learn more about the latest machinery and processes behind a sector of the industry enjoying robust growth.

Warmth, moisture and a food source, such as dead skin cells, prompt microbes on clothing to proliferate and generate unwanted odours. Karel Williams of Dow Microbial Control explains how the company’s latest antimicrobial treatment can offer a durable, responsive way to combat the problem.

Several drivers are shaping developments of a range of fabric-based solutions designed to offer protection against chemical and biological threats. Ian Hutcheson from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics describes what these drivers are and urges users to take care when selecting from the array of solutions now available to them.