Industry rumour mills have been running at warp speed (no puns intended) since we published an article on Nike’s Flyknit integrally knitted running shoe upper in February on our Knitting Industry website - see Nike Flyknit – a seamlessly knitted running shoe!.
Now having taken a closer look at the knitted upper, we can reveal that Flyknit is without any doubt made on an electronically controlled flat knitting machine.
Manchester
According to a new series of Textiles Intelligence reports, textile and clothing markets are likely to remain subdued in 2012, given the considerable uncertainty in the global economy, and the fact that the debt crisis in the Eurozone continues to hit business and consumer confidence.
Cary, NC
Looking to connect global technical innovation with practical product applications, the third annual Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE) Conference will be held October 23-25, 2012 at the Hilton Baltimore, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Melbourne
Wool’s credentials as a textile fibre that promotes health and wellbeing were presented by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) at the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) World Congress this week in Melbourne.
By Rachel Marusak Hermann, swissinfo.ch
The high performance fabrics beloved of mountain sport enthusiasts are fast becoming a fixture on clothing racks. Their growing popularity is providing a boost for the Swiss textile industry.
Bönnigheim
According to the Hohenstein Institute, 50 % of everyone in Germany practices sport at least once a week, which is still fourth place in a European country comparison. Wearing knee-length compression socks, the institute says, was long viewed as uncool by sportsmen and women, but more and more active sportsmen and women have reported the positive effects of wearing these special elastic socks.
Muttenz
Specialty chemicals producer Clariant is rebranding and from today, 16 July 2012, will have a new appearance, a new logo and a new motto. A striking new high quality movie has also been made to communicate the new image. The Swiss company says the rebrand marks a new episode in its history because with its current portfolio it is better situated than ever before.
Sevelen
A new technology which combines the outstanding natural features of cork with those of high performance fabrics has won one of the coveted Outdoor Industry Awards the Outdoor 2012 show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Hamburg
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the textiles supply chain. Since Texcare 2012 (Frankfurt/Main) it is stretching out its fingers into the dirt trapping mat industry, too. For the first time Milliken from Manchester and Austria based Kleen-Tex Industries presented product ranges with piles made from recycled polyester and nylon fibres.
Brussels
EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries, has released a public summary of its annual statistics on Nonwovens Production and Deliveries for 2011. The report is said to show growth in production volume for 2011 of 5.7%, with several market segments recording their best output ever in both tonnage and square metres, including baby diapers, medical, personal care wipes, civil engineering, automotive and agriculture.
Atlanta
Clarion Events North America (Clarion) announced yesterday the launch of ExpoProducción, a new trade fair primarily for the apparel and sewn products manufacturing industry in Mexico and Central America.
Swindon
TenCate Advanced Armour has been selected by QinetiQ as the supplier of armour for the Foxhound LPPV 4x4 military vehicle. Initial production of 200 vehicles has been followed by an order of a further 100 vehicles to be delivered by General Dynamics European Land Systems, Force Protection Europe, to the UK Ministry of Defence. No financial details have been disclosed.
Swindon
TenCate Advanced Armour has been selected by QinetiQ as the supplier of armour for the Foxhound LPPV 4x4 military vehicle. Initial production of 200 vehicles has been followed by an order of a further 100 vehicles to be delivered by General Dynamics European Land Systems, Force Protection Europe, to the UK Ministry of Defence. No financial details have been disclosed.
Frankfurt
Visitors to ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 are said to have greatly appreciated the commitment of the German textile machinery industry on the issue of sustainability. On occasion of the region’s leading textile machinery exhibition from 12th to 16th June in Shanghai, the VDMA Textile Machinery Association presented its sustainability initiative Blue Competence for the first time in the Asian market.
Grimsby
UK based Super Absorbent Fibre (SAF) manufacturer Technical Absorbents Ltd (TAL) has developed a new fabric technology which is said to keep wearers of heavy outer clothing cool even when working in the most challenging environments.
Milan
According to ACIMIT, the association representing the Italian textile machinery builders, last month’s ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition provided positive indications for Italian exhibitors, in spite of the current uncertain economic outlook. In addition, the association says the Italian green label certification initiative was greeted with special appreciation.
Istanbul
METYX Composites organized and hosted its signature event, METYX Third Composites Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, June 4-8, 2012, in conjunction with event sponsors Airex AG, Aksa, Duratek, PPG Fiber Glass, Reinforced Plastics Magazine, Scott Bader, The Turkish Carbon Society, the Turkish Composites Manufacturers Association, and Umeco.
Shanghai
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012, Asia’s leading textile machinery exhibition, which was held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 12 to 16 June 2012, ended on a high note for the organisers with record numbers of visitors and exhibitors.
Bergamo
Italy’s RadiciGroup has introduced a low environmental impact version of its Radyarn polyester yarns. R-Radyarn is said to be a low environmental impact product made from 100% post-consumer recycled PET bottles.
Tokyo
Japanese polyester producer Teijin Fibers, announced today that it is supplying its Nanofront high-strength polyester for use in replacement insoles for running shoes made by New Balance. The insoles will be marketed by New Balance Japan and sold in its directly owned shops in Tokyo and Osaka, as well as other sports retail stores nationwide beginning this month.
Farnborough
Umeco Structural materials, a leading provider of high performance prepregs and adhesives to the aerospace, space and military industries, will be exhibiting examples of Airbus-qualified prepregs on its stand at the Farnborough show, which takes place between 9 and 13 July 2012.
Lenzing
Following the successful completion of an environmental impact assessment, work has started on Lenzing’s new 67,000 tonnes per annum Tencel fibre production facility at Lenzing in Upper Austria. The build is expected to take two years.
Messe Farnkfurt has announced it will hold a two day high level ‘Techtextil India Symposium’ from October 30 - 31, 2012 in Mumbai.
Report summary
Over the next five years the global carbon fiber market is forecast to have an annual growth rate of 17%, reaching 118,600 tonnes, with an estimated market value of $7.3 billion by 2017.
From 2012-20 the market for carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) is projected to grow 16% annually and the industrial sector is forecast to become the primary growth market.
Report summary
Textiles are getting smarter, and much of this is being enabled by nanotechnology. “Smart Textiles and Nanotechnologies: Applications Technologies and Markets” provides the most in depth look to date at the impact of nanotechnology on the global textile industry.
Smart Textiles and Nanotechnologies: Applications, Technologies and Markets
Tokyo
Technical textile production in Japan continued to increase in 2011 after growing substantially in the previous year, according to a new report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence called ‘Statistics: Fibre Consumption for Technical Textiles in Japan’.
