Hill-Rom, Batesville, Ind., a manufacturer of medical technologies and surface products, will offer customers the option of antimicrobial silver enhancement for all preventive and therapeutic surfaces by 2009. The company has developed an agreement with NanoHorizons Inc., State College, Penn., to use nanoAg+™ with SmartSilver™ in patient supports, such as beds for hospital or long-term [...]

The economy, in particular the losses of manufacturing jobs, currently occupies the center stage in the presidential election campaigns in the U.S.—a dramatic shift from other issues that were considered priorities six months back. Some economic pundits are predicting (or acknowledging) recession. The situation is quite a contrast 10,000 miles away in India. For the [...]

Victor Group Inc. has announced that it will be the exclusive mill distributor of GreenShield™ finishing from G3 Technology Innovations LLC (G3i), an ecological nanotechnology-based stain and water repellent. Eco Intelligent® Polyester fabrics finished with GreenShield are certified Cradle to Cradle™ Silver by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), a combination that can also help contribute [...]

The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), introduced by senators Durbin, Snowe, Lincoln and Coleman, is designed to help small businesses that now employ about 13.5 million workers who are uninsured. Key elements of the legislation: It would provide small businesses with tax credits to help them afford premium costs; help control costs by offering [...]

More than 7,500 textile and apparel manufacturers now have their products tested and certified according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100, and the number continues to grow. In order to continue to provide comprehensive information about the advantages and use of the standard in assuring consumers that materials are free of harmful substances, 14 international Oeko-Tex Testing [...]

From magazine articles to seminars to trade show floors, the topic of sustainability has worked its way into business consciousness. And most manufacturers and distributors are starting to realize that implementing a few green elements here and there is not enough. Is it possible for a business to be a responsible steward of both the [...]

Hear the term “competitor intelligence,” and you may visualize sinister activities like industrial espionage, electronic eavesdropping and other shadowy phenomena that smack of poor ethics or outright illegality. Typical competitor intelligence-gathering techniques, however, are generally based on common-sense research principles, and usually involve public information available to any savvy business person willing to seek it [...]

We want to shape a multilayer laminated fabric into a three-dimensional form. What is the process and where can we get the equipment? It sounds as though you’re describing thermoforming, a process that is used with plastics, but has also been used for fabric. In thermoforming, a material is heated and stretched over a form. [...]

What is NFPA 701? What test and specs must be met to earn the NFPA 701 Registered Flame Retardant Seal from the State of California Fire Marshal? Our sales team struggles when this question is asked. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the California State Fire Marshal (CSFM) are two separate entities. While both [...]

When Time Warner’s Home to the Future exhibit in New York City proved a smashing success, the company asked the project’s designers, NYC’s ESI Design, to find a way to take the 4,000-square foot installation on the road. ESI came up with the Time Warner Home to the Future Mobile, which traveled to 12 of [...]