WELCOME TO TECHNICAL-TEXTILES.NET, the web's most comprehensive source of information about the world of performance and technical textiles. Full membership gives access to: unique feature articles; relevant, edited and verified news; events and more, to keep you up to date with the latest developments in materials, technologies, processes, patents and research, and business and markets

Business and industry

A group of European trade bodies has called on the European Union (EU) to impose an ambitious and immediate cap on the wholesale price of natural gas in order to protect the region’s textiles indus

In response to the human coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Berry Global Group Inc has brought forward its plans to install a line for the production of meltblown nonwovens for use in high-efficiency

UK-based companies Oxford Advanced Surfaces (OAS) and 2-DTech Ltd are to work together to develop a range of nanomaterial-modified surface treatments for plastics and composites.

US textile and nonwoven associations are urging federal, state and local governments to categorise textiles and nonwovens manufacturing facilities as “essential” when drafting shelter-in-place orde

Lenzing says that its increased focus on speciality fibres has enabled it to weather a drastic drop in prices for standard viscose during 2019.

Vehicle-seating supplier Adient has entered into an agreement to sell its automotive fabrics manufacturing business to Asahi Kasei subsidiary Sage Automotive Interiors for US$175 million.

Increased demand from its domestic market has prompted Quantum Materials of Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, to bring forward plans to invest US$3.5 million in new manufacturing equipment.

Beaulieu Fibres International will announce new investments and products during its participation at the forthcoming Index20, scheduled to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 31 March to 3

International Fibres Group (IFG) of Danderyd, Sweden, is to exhibit at Index for the first time.

Volkswagen (VW)’s first innovation hub in North America is to be opened at the University of Tennessee (UT) Research Park in Knoxville, USA.

Hexcel Corp and Woodward Inc have signed a definitive agreement to combine through a merger of equals.

The world's largest plant for the production of dissolving wood-pulp, a key ingredient for the manufacture of cellulosic fibres, is to be built near São Paulo in Brazil.

More than 1350 Australian women have won a seven-year-old class-action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) of New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, for misleading patients and surgeons about

Coats Group plc of Uxbridge, UK, has signed a binding agreement to purchase Pharr High Performance (Pharr HP), a supplier of yarn for protective apparel, including to the industrial thermal protect

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has agreed to sell its glass fibre reinforcement business in Mikkeli, Finland, to Vitrulan Composites Oy – a subsidiary of Vitrulan Group – for €6.5 million.

An alliance to promote the role that fibre-based packaging can play in circular economies, thereby minimising their environmental impact, has been set-up by the Confederation of European Paper Indu

Kimberly-Clark is to invest US$20 million to expand nonwovens production capacity at its manufacturing facility in Corinth, Mississippi, USA, to support growth in the North American personal care m

Manufacturer of reinforcements for the tyre and construction industries, Kordsa has formed a partnership with the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to develop

A collection of fabrics made predominantly from bio-based fibres has been launched by Lenzing and DuPont Biomaterials.

“Disparate and frequently unclear” regulations are slowing and, in some cases, preventing the use of composites in the UK—restricting the growth of a potential multi-billion-pound benefit to the na

Two upholstery manufacturers in Bursa, Turkey, have installed the latest version of Baldwin Technology’s spray applicator for fabric finishing (TexCoat G4).

Gurit is to close its automotive production site in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, in mid-2020.

Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon have agreed to pay US$117 million to settle lawsuits in the USA following allegations of deceptive marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices.

Multinational industrial conglomerate 3M has completed the acquisition of Acelity and its KCI subsidiaries from a consortium of investors for US$6.7 billion, including the assumption of US$2.4 bill

Supplier of composite components to the automotive industry, Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has broken ground on a new manufacturing facility in Seguin, Texas, USA.

Reifenhäuser Reicofil GmbH & Co KG has announced that the first RF5 line for the production of spunbond, meltblown and composite nonwovens has started operation.  

A new technology acquired by Freudenberg of Weinheim, Germany, could create applications for advanced nonwovens in automotive powertrain and chassis components, particularly in electric vehicles.

Kimberly-Clark of Irving, Texas, USA, will reportedly invest US$42 million in its product

Russian technical textile industry set for a period of major growth

Russian correspondent Eugene Gerden explains why the government and the industry are optimistic about the prospects for domestic manufacturers of technical textiles and nonwovens.

East Africa’s largest diaper factory has been opened in Kenya by a Chinese investor, Sunda International, repor

Cortland Biomedical has opened a new, purpose-built manufacturing facility for the design, development and validation of biomedical textile constructions.

Fibre manufacturer International Fibres Group (IFG) has invested approximately €1.3 million in a research and development (R&D) facility at its plant (IFG Asota) in Linz, Austria.

Specialist in the production and supply of arc-flash protective clothing, Skanwear has secured a new contract with ABB North America.

Coats of Uxbridge, UK, is launching a new business, Coats Digital, through which it will sell all of its software.

Voith Composites and HRC are to work together to develop next-generation high-pressure hydrogen vessels for fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

A plant and technical centre for the development and manufacture of resins has been opened in Ayutthaya, Thailand, by Teijin.

Andritz of Graz, Austria, is to supply a wetlaid line for the production of glass fibre mats to Saint-Gobain Adfors of Chambery, France.

GKN Aerospace of Redditch, UK, is to cut 100 jobs over the next two years as it consolidates its four divisions in order to create what it describes as a simpler, more competitive business.

Saertex says that it is now able to sell a wider range of large-tow multiaxial fabrics following its purchase of TK Industries GmbH in July 2019.

Andritz of Graz, Austria, has received an order for three needlepunch lines from Zhejiang Yanpai Filtration Technology Co Ltd of Tiantai, China.

Ineos Enterprises has completed its acquisition of Ashland Global Holdings Inc’s entire composites business.

Hyosung Corp is to invest KRW1 trillion (approximately €752 million) in the construction of the world’s largest factory for the production of carbon fibre in JeonJu, South Korea.

Lauma Fabrics of Liepaja, Latvia, a manufacturer of lace, elastic knitted fabric and ribbons, has separated its medical business with the establishment of a new subsidiary called Lauma Medical.

Tex Tech Industries Inc has completed its acquisition of the coating and laminating operations of Highland Industries Inc, together with its defence-related business in the USA.

Increasing numbers of composites manufacturers in Germany are dissatisfied with the current business environment and are becoming increasingly restrained in their expectations of future growth.

Solvay of Brussels, Belgium, has taken a key step towards divesting its remaining polyamides (PAs) business to BASF of Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Oerlikon Barmag of Remscheid, Germany, is to supply a total of 120 spinning systems for the production of polyamide (PA) pre-oriented yarn (POY) to two Chinese manufacturers.

XXXX