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Machinery and equipment

A production machine for digital finishing based on inkjet printing technology has been unveiled by Royal Ten Cate of Almelo, The Netherlands.

Machinery builders to be a major presence at Techtextil 2013

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.

Italian sock knitting machine manufacturer Busi Giovanni is expanding production and marketing of its Idea Medical range of compression stocking knitting machines following strong sales in Italy and e

Latest innovations for processing textiles and flexible materials

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.

Nonwoven machinery builders declare war on processing waste

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.

Pilot line opening provides fresh resource for nonwovens makers

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.

Modernization and conversion—alternatives to new machinery

Before investing in new machinery and plants, spinners should consider the alternative of modernization and conversion. Hans-Joachim Schaupp and Rudolf Opitzer of Mainsite Technologies argue that lower investment costs, the retention of established process

Sewing needles—vital components for technical applications

Niki Tait learns from various key suppliers about the importance of the correct selection of a sewing machine needle, and how this choice can significantly improve the quality and productivity of sewn technical textiles.

Andritz Kusters of Krefeld, Germany, has developed a calendar technology specifically for the manufacture of technical textiles.
An improved soft coating solution from Monforts of Monchengladbach, Germany, which could be used for medical textiles, is reported to be making a strong impact following launches at recent trade shows
The acquisition of Bastian Winder Technologies GmbH & Co KG of Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany, will allow its new owner Trutzschler Nonwovens of Egelsbach, Germany, to offer complete nonwoven
A staple fibre of polypropylene (PP) has been developed as an alternative to using asbestos to reinforce concrete.
A range of redesigned power supplies for the ultrasonic welding machinery used in the automated assembly of textiles is now available from Branson Ultrasonics Corp of Danbury, Connecticut, USA.
Engineers at Oerlikon Saurer have developed a pack that they can fit to the company's cabling machine, the Allma CC3, in order to save on its consumption of energy.
A UK manufacturer has redesigned its tear-testing machine to make it more accurate, safer and cheaper.
German producer of circular knitting equipment for medical stockings Merz launched a new four-feed machine with reciprocating heel and toe movement at the ITMA textile machinery exhibition held in Bar
A specialist in air-treatment systems for manufacturing plants, Luwa Air Engineering from Uster, Switzerland, is introducing two new products--the MultiCell Filter and the EasyHeat Plus.
A novel means of heating certain parts of an electrospinning device to control the properties of the solution or polymer melt has been proposed by Elmarco.
A US company has developed a rotary die made of thin etched plates stacked in a configuration that defines the outflow (or die-extrusion) edge through which polymer flows.
Trutzschler Nonwovens is set to introduce a Tow Drawing Unit at the Techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, 24-26 May 2011 (Hall 3.0 B03).
A modular system for the bonding and finishing of hydroentangled (spunlaced) nonwovens will be exhibited for the first time by Bruckner at Techtextil in Frankfurt, Germany (24-26 May 2011; Hall 3.0 F2
GF Machinery from the Czech Republic will present two innovations at the forthcoming Techtextil (Frankfurt, Germany, 24-26 May 2011; Hall 3.0 D33):
UK machine builder Tatham has supplied a nonwovens production line to medical technology supplier Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS) at its new facility in Winsford, Cheshire, UK.
Equipment desinged to meet better the needs of manufacturers who need to cut the edges of knitted fabrics is now available from Erhardt+Leimer.
Two inventors based in Texas, USA, have patented a spinneret, associated apparatus and methods that exploit centrifugal forces for the production of nanofibres.
Italian narrow fabric machine builder Comez has developed an electronic double needle bar warp knitting machine for use in a regional governmentfunded biomedical textiles project.
An Italian company has developed a warp-knitting machine with an electronic double needle-bar especially for use in a biomedical textiles project.
Bioengineers at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA claim to have developed a practical technology for fabricating nanofibres at production speeds far in excess of current methods.
Engineers at Oerlikon Textile have redesigned the horizontal drive and gear kinematics of a needling machine to make it more compact.
Lightweight, dry processed nonwovens having widths greater than 5 m can be manufactured at throughputs of more than 200 kg h-1.m-1 on a machine developed by Rieter Perfojet.
Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH is set to reveal details of the latest improvements made to its Malitronic machine, which is used to make multiaxial textile constructions as reinforcements for c
The Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) and the Italian Trade Commission (ICE), in partnership with the Nonwovens Institute of North Carolina State University (NCSU), Ralei
The latest market and technology trends were the subject of discussions at the second Digital Textile conference, held in Amsterdam in May and organized by the Federation of European Screenprinters As
IMB--World of Textile Processing took place on 21-24 April 2009 with the aim of covering a comprehensive range of technologies and services for the processing of flexible materials.
Indian companies serious about their technical textiles and nonwovens businesses are increasingly demanding state-of-the-art European and Japanese technologies.
Z-Laser, an international designer and manufacturer of laser modules, systems and projectors for positioning applications, has introduced two new lines for the textile industry-- the Z M18-B and the Z
Jointly developed by Biteam AB of Gothenburg, Sweden, and the Department of Lightweight Structures at Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, a three-dimensional (3D) loom became oper
Heraeus Nobelight of Neston, UK, has developed a made to order infra-red (IR) dryer to solve a problem one of its customers was experiencing in dyeing a special fabric.
Sellars Absorbent Materials Inc has developed a forming head that the company from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, claims produces a more uniform web of fibres.
Precision dispensing equipment supplier Nordson has introduced improved versions of its Universal SureWrap nozzles, which are said to accurately apply hot melt adhesive to elastic strands used for ela
Designed for simultaneously measuring coating weights and moisture on substrates such as textiles and nonwovens, a range of online gauges is now available from NDC Infrared Engineering of Maldon, UK.
A cooling chamber with at least two sections is at the heart of an invention relating to making cellulose filaments into spunlaid fabrics.
Improvements to the production of spunlaid webs by the twin means of controlling the airflow around the extruded filaments and the way they are subsequently collected are the subjects of two recently
An innovative system for monitoring blood pressure is disclosed in US Patent 7 381 187 by Textronics. This features an inflatable arm cuff that can be inflated to different air pressures.
A system that turns nanomaterials into fibrous materials - yarns, tows or nonwoven sheets - is the subject of International Patent PublicationWO 2008/036068.
Gneuss Kunststofftechnik GmbH has introduced its latest development: a patented evacuation technology for polymer melts, describing it as a significant step forward in vacuum degassing.
Strandberg Engineering Laboratories has developed a portable moisture meter to measure the moisture content of fabric, nonwovens, carpet, yarn and raw stock across the full moisture spectrum from bone
Surrey NanoSystems of Newhaven, UK, made its debut at Nanotech 2007 (Santa Clara, California, USA, 20-24 May) where it displayed equipment for nanomaterial fabrication suitable for research or commerc
MRS Seitter of Holzmaden, Germany, has launched the WSP 3600, an automatic device for testing the water tightness of sheets, membranes and other flat textiles, including bandages, plasters and medical
A Taiwanese inventor claims to have improved the strand feeding device for a coaxial braiding apparatus.
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