How can I…Reduce downtime and costs caused by outsourcing? Here’s how: Improve workflow by preparing fabric pieces on-site for further processing with the FIAB 3000 CMS flatbed cutting machine. Designed for processing thick or dense and large technical textiles, the machine features high cutting accuracy for increased efficiency and intuitive software for economical pattern management [...]

How can I…Trace or digitize patterns quickly while reducing waste? Here’s how: SiliconEye Machine Vision Software enables operators to accurately scale photographs of what’s on the cutting table directly into the background of the nesting queue. Trace or digitize even the most complex patterns in an instant. Mark faults on fabric and nest into irregular [...]

Efficient production means choosing (and changing) the best equipment configurations. By Jill Lafferty Technological developments in the specialty fabrics industry allow end product manufacturers (EPMs) to print larger, faster and at higher quality; to create and save complicated patterns through computer-aided design; and to execute a diverse set of tasks with the same piece of [...]

TEXbase, provider of web-based compliance, quality and materials management software solutions has announced the launch of TEXbase Guardian&#8480, an advanced compliance solution for brand, retail and consumer goods that helps companies manage state, country, corporate and social compliance requirements. TEXbase Guardian is a suite of compliance solutions on a single platform that addresses product regulatory, [...]

Embracing technological innovations and equipment advancements to stay ahead of the game. By Maura Keller Imagine it is 1973 and you’ve just received an order for custom canvas awnings. One glance around your small shop reveals all the necessary equipment needed to complete the job: handheld rotary cutters and the “electronic” sewing machine that recently [...]

At the International Defense Industry Fair 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey, two companies signed a letter of intent to cooperate on developing the best ballistic-protection material for armored vehicles. DSM Dyneema, the Dutch manufacturer of the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber Dyneema®, will work with FNSS Savunma Sistemieri A. S., a Turkish manufacturer of armored [...]

Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, Tenn., introduced its new Cyphrex™ microfibers at IDEA 13, the International Engineered Fabrics Conference and Expo, in April. The microfibers give producers of wet-laid nonwoven solutions an alternative fiber choice for applications such as filtration systems, specialty papers, battery separators and other products. Cyphrex microfibers can be customized in size, shape [...]

The Intermediate People’s Court in Shanghai, China, found that the Shanghai Colva Dyestuff Industry Co. Ltd. (Colva) infringed on a Chinese patent belonging to Huntsman Corporation’s Textile Effects Division in Singapore. Huntsman registered the patent (ZL00106403.7), which pertains to an innovative method of producing deep black shades, with the State Intellectual Property Office in 2004. [...]

Miller Weldmaster scores an ‘E’ for exports Miller Weldmaster scores an ‘E’ for exports The Presidential “E” Awards for Exports are the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. U.S. Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank presented Miller Weldmaster, Navarre, Ohio, with this prestigious [...]

A pound of low-micronaire cotton, a cotton of lesser value in the fiber market, can pick up more than 30 pounds of crude oil, making it an effective absorbent for cleaning up spills. Researchers at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, published their findings in the journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. Low micronaire cotton, about [...]