Technical Textiles

Oeko-Tex has launched a new online buyers guide to its certified companies at www.oeko-tex.com. When searching for suitable suppliers and production facilities, purchasing organisations and retailers now have at their disposal an extensive network of manufacturers from around the world who can offer a range of textiles in every conceivable quality for the most diverse of fields of application. By using the Oeko-Tex Buying Guide, interested companies can access this international company network, which is in the form of an interactive database with different search filters. Around 10,000 companies from over 90 countries and at all levels of the value-creation chain currently participate in Oeko-Tex Standard 100 product certification.

Archroma, a leader in colour and specialty chemicals, and the former textile, paper and emulsions businesses of Clariant, has appointed Stephan Sielaff as new Chief Operating Officer. Based in Reinach, Switzerland, Stephan Sielaff will oversee the business' global production, manufacturing and integrated supply chain activities, ensuring the highest level of performance and efficiency to meet the company’s commitment to world-class standards and high service levels.

On January 1, 2014 Karl Mayer will acquire the majority of the ownership of LIBA Maschinenfabrik GmbH, which will be integrated into the Karl Mayer group.

This year's meeting of the OEKO-TEX General Managers took place in Lucerne, at the heart of Europe and Switzerland on 14 and 15 November to mark the establishment of the OEKO-TEX Secretariat 20 years ago this year in Switzerland. The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 has worked towards the effective exclusion of harmful substances from products at all processing levels of the textiles sector since 1992.

The 14th China International Exhibition on Hosiery, Knitting, Dyeing and Finishing Machinery and the 3rd China International Exhibition on Automatic Garment Machinery and Sewing Equipment, YIWU TEX 2013, are taking place from 19-22 November at Yiwu International Expo Centre, Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, China. The four day exhibition has attracted 200 knitting and automatic garment machinery exhibitors from 11 countries and regions. It is expected to receive 12,000 visitors and about ten delegation groups from local and overseas. With the aim of specialisation, marketization and brand building, the exhibition strives to provide the strongest trading platform for knitting and automatic garment machinery.

This week it was revealed in the national press that a UK company is in talks with Victoria’s Secret about 3D printing 10 million pairs of knickers a year for the US headquartered lingerie giant.

Tanatex Chemicals, a leading producer of specialty chemicals, has introduced Fibermate CW, a high performance waxing agent, designed to create surface smoothness in yarns.

Kornit Digital, a manufacturer of direct-to-garment and digital roll-to-roll textile printing solutions, plans to demonstrate the ‘game-changing possibilities’ that cutting edge technologies can offer competitive and visionary enterprises in Asia by showing high speed and entry level digital printers in Shanghai. It is showcasing two machines in its portfolio, from entry-level equipment to mass production solutions at FESPA China & CSGIA 2013 taking place at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center from 18-20 November.

A new AccuTense 0º Type C yarn tensioner has been developed by Karl Mayer in the AccuTense range. It is said to operate smoothly, handle the yarn gently, and is ideal for processing warp beams made up of non-stretch glass yarns, the company reports. It can operate from a yarn tension of 2 cN up to a tension of 45 cN. The lower value defines the minimum tension for removing the yarn from the package. The AccuTense 0º Type C can be used in all the current types of creels for processing filament yarns. This device is mounted horizontally and can be fitted with a non-contact yarn monitoring system, without needing any modification.

Protective clothing and condom maker Ansell will pay more than $40m to buy South Korean glove maker Midas. Ansell says the takeover will provide it with new manufacturing capabilities in specialised yarn and polyurethane technology, which will be important in accelerating growth of the company's HyFlex range.