Business and industry

Israel-based Shalag Industries is to acquire Texsus of Chiesina Uzzanese, Italy, a producer of air-through bonded nonwovens and laminated products primarily for the hygiene market.

Toray Advanced Composites and BASF have signed a manufacturing and supply agreement for the production of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tapes for automotive and industrial applications.

Prodrive Composites is increasing production capacity at its facility in Milton Keynes, UK, as it looks to meet the automotive industry’s growing demand for composite parts.

Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has signed a definitive agreement to buy the stamping operations of AMI, including its 8361-m² (90 000 square-foot) headquarters and manufacturing f

3M is to sell its advanced ballistic-protection business to Avon Rubber Plc for US$91 million. 

Teijin Ltd has completed its acquisition of the US supplier of highly heat-resistant thermoset prepreg for the aerospace industry, Renegade Materials Corp of Miamisburg, Ohio.

Vanuatu has announced it will ban disposable diapers by December 2019 as part of efforts to reduce plastic pollution.

Following the signing of a year-long contract extension, SGL Carbon is to supply carbon fibre prepregs to Elbe Flugzeugwerke for the manufacture of the Airbus A350 cabin’s floor panels until the en

Print-on-demand apparel and e-commerce specialist Spreadshirt Group of Greensburg, Philadelphia, USA, plans to invest US$10 million in digital printing technology over the next two years.

Flat-knitting machinery manufacturer Stoll is to relocate its headquarters to the outskirts of its home city of Reutlingen in Germany.

Covestro of Leverkusen, Germany, is investing in the manufacture of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) in response to growing demand for the materials from its customers.

Lenzing has completed work to expand and modernize its pulp plant in Lenzing, Austria.

In response to increasing demand for its flame-resistant products, Mount Vernon FR is to increase the production capacity of its facility in Trion, Georgia, USA, by 20%.

Digital printing specialist Electronics For Imaging (EFI) Inc has been bought by an affiliate of Siris Capital Group for approximately US$1.7 billion.

In response to increasing demand from suppliers of automotive interiors and information technology (IT) accessories, Asahi Kasei is to further increase its production of artificial suede (Lamous) a

A production plant for lyocell fibres with an annual capacity of 100 kt is to be built in Thailand, at a cost of €400 million, by Lenzing Group of Lenzing, Austria.

Hyosung Corp of Seoul, South Korea, and Saudi Aramco of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the building of carbon fibre plants.

Saurer has already sold a number of it latest air-spinning machines, called Autoairo, which it launched at ITMA in Barcelona, Spain, on 20–26 June 2019.

Rieter Group has signed seven contracts worth a total CHF180 million with the Cotton & Textile Industries Holding Co, Cairo (Egypt).

Following a year of discussions, the Global Chemical Industry Round Table (GCIRT) and the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation have agreed to work together to promote the widespr

Milliken & Co, a producer of performance and protective textiles, speciality chemicals and floorcoverings, has acquired Andover Healthcare, a manufacturer of cohesive bandages and compression s

US companies Raytheon Co of Waltham, Massachusetts, and United Technologies Corp of Farmington, Connecticut, are to merge through a transaction that is expected to close in the first half of 2020.

The National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol, UK, has secured a prestigious new partner and has cemented relations with another.

Alexium International Group Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding that could see its flame-retardant for cotton and cellulose-based textiles (Alexiflam NF) being marketed, sold and manufactu

Industrial thread manufacturer Coats of Uxbridge, UK, has completed the opening of three research and development (R&D) centres.  

A company for the manufacture, sale and servicing of warp preparation machines and creels in India is to be established by Karl Mayer, Rabatex Industries and ATE.

IBM has announced partnerships with a number of companies, including Mitsufuji Corp, to further develop wearable technologies for monitoring worker safety in hazardous environments, .

Freudenberg & Vilene Nonwovens has put a new production line for car headliners into operation at its Suzhou site in China to meet increasing demand from customers across South-East Asia.  

A production facility for long glass fibre-reinforced polypropylene (LGFPP) is to be built by Mitsui Chemicals Inc at the site of its Chinese manufacturing subsidiary Mitsui Advanced Composites (Zh

Mitsui & Co Ltd has bought additional shares in a manufacturer of plastic-lined carbon fibre reinforced-plastic (CFRP) pressure cylinders, Hexagon Composites ASA, for NOK123 million (about €12.

Hyosung Advanced Materials Corp is to invest 46.8 billion won (about €36.5 million) to expand its carbon fibre production plant in JeonJu, South Korea.

Teijin Ltd has agreed to acquire US manufacturer and supplier of highly heat-resistant thermoset prepregs for the aerospace industry Renegade Materials Corp.

Turkish manufacturer of reinforcement fabrics for composites Metyx Group is to boost production capacity at its site in Ranlo, North Carolina,

Victrex has invested in novel mould-heating technology as it seeks to overcome existing challenges to the widespread use of thermoplastic composite parts.

Yarns spun from staple fibres made with polymer derived from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are to be supplied in Turkey by Kipas Mensucat Isletmeleri AS following the signing of

A viscose fibre for disinfectant wipes is to be highlighted by Kelheim Fibres at IDEA 2019 as the company announces its intention to focus increasingly on the production of speciality fibr

Bombardier Aerostructures and Engineering Services has awarded a contract extension to Teijin Ltd for the supply of carbon fibre until 2025.

Oerlikon Manmade Fibers has become a member of Adaptive Manufacturing Open Solutions (ADAMOS), an alliance of machine construction, production and information technology (IT) companies established

While the outlook for the global composites industry remains positive, a half-yearly survey of companies in Germany reveals what appears to be some dissatisfaction with how the domestic market is p

Following many years of cooperation on the development of composite doors for Airbus Group, the helicopter manufacturer Airbus Helicopters Germany and SGL Carbon are intensifying their partnership.

Mölnlycke Health Care of Gothenburg, Sweden, has acquired M&J Airlaid Products of Horsens, Denmark, a manufacturer of absorbent airlaid nonwovens that generates annual revenue of €10 million.

Singapore-based provider of software for the apparel industry ThreadSol has become the latest company to be acquired by industrial thread manufacturer Coats of Uxbridge, UK.

SGL Carbon is to supply carbon fibres and semi-finished textile products for a range of components in BMW’s upcoming electric vehicle (EV), the iNEXT, after signing an agreement with the carmaker. 

The £60-million Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at the University of Manchester in the UK was officially opened on 10 December 2018.

GKN Aerospace is to open a £32-million research and development (R&D) centre in Bristol, UK, to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies for the manufacture of aircraft.

Arville is investing £1.2 million in six rapier looms and a high-grade warping machine to expand production capacity by 20% at its site in Wetherby, UK.  

Gerber Technology has added modular laser cutting technology to its portfolio through its acquisition of large-format cutting specialist MCT Digital.

A 15-ha (37-acre) plant for the manufacture of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor and carbon fibre has been opened in Isère, France, by Hexcel.