Compiled by Juli Case What is ETFE? ETFE is a polymer of tetrafluoroethylene and ethylene. As the name implies, it’s in the fluoropolymer family of chemical compounds. Although it has a number of applications, in the specialty fabrics industry, we’re seeing it mostly in the fabric structures industry. When it first came to market, ETFE [...]

Compiled by Juli Case What’s a Rexine fabric? “Rexine” is a term that’s been around for decades and is currently used primarily outside the United States. Originally, it was a trade name for a specific fabric, but Rexine has generally come to mean a faux leather material. It is a coated fabric, and PVC is [...]

Compiled by Juli Case We’ll be making some pads that will be used to polish glass lenses. Our client gave us samples of fabrics, but we’re not sure what they are. There are three different types, which they describe as .020, .025 and .030. Can you help us identify them? Once we received the fabric [...]

Four highly adhesive acrylic foam tapes, the XHA 6600 Series, meet fastening and bonding requirements for applications in the transportation and signage industries. The tapes form a permanent bond and withstand temperatures up to 400¡ F. Resistant to chemicals, UV rays and humidity, they offer high tensile strength and holding power and can be applied [...]

Island living has inspired two new custom textile designs from Upper South Studio. A vintage Hawaiian color palette with a contemporary twist decorates the reflective leaf pattern on the Island Leaf design, creating a balance between positive and negative space. Natural-toned Tahitian fabrics, named the Bora Bora Collection, feature repeating patterns, evoking tropical scenery; the [...]

Value Vinyls is expanding its product offerings to include material for shade structures and sails. Monotec 370 is a 100 percent round monofilament yarn shade cloth engineered to work for shade structures and sails without requiring any re-tensioning. Made in Australia with only monofilament yarn (no tape yarns), Monotec will not stretch or elongate like [...]

Two new outside weatherable (OSW) films are designed to cover windows with laminates, low-emittance coatings or wired glazing systems. Solar Gard® Sentinel™ Silver 20 and Silver 35 can be installed on the outside of a window, blocking heat from entering and reducing glass breakage. The films also prevent seal failure and reject up to 78 [...]

Lock stitch construction blocks up to 96 percent of UV rays while allowing cool air to filter through the high-density polyethylene fabric. AF350™ architectural shadecloth, available in eight colors, is designed for use with large shade structures, prevents shrinkage and maintains dimensional stability under tension. AF350™ FR, currently available in four colors, provides the same [...]

Why you need a good disaster-preparedness plan, and how to put one in place. By William J. Lynott Many of the thousands of small businesses destroyed by the catastrophic effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will never reopen their doors. Many others are already back in operation and on their way to a healthy recovery. [...]

Problem: High-pressure sodium lamps used in greenhouses are inefficient and need to be replaced frequently. Solution: A warp-knitted, textile-based lighting system developed by TAMK University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Finland, incorporates LED technology, which can reduce energy costs for greenhouses by 50 percent. The curtain of light, to be commercialized by Netled Ltd., can be [...]