[TonySuit Wingsuits] Zephyrhills, Fla., U.S.A. The Apache Rebel Wingsuit, created by Tony Uragallo, was the first wingsuit to be landed in May 2012 by stunt man Gary Connery, and was used by Jhonathan Florez to break the skydiving world records for wingsuit freefall time and distance in June 2012. One month later, Uragallo won first [...]

[Dorsal LLC] Sturgeon Bay, Wis., U.S.A. The owner of a 30-foot Sea Sprite boat wanted the appearance of sunrise over the water for the craft’s sail. Dorsal LLC created a custom-designed solution with Challenge’s Fibermax 44, a ¾-ounce ripstop nylon. The sail is a classic-type spinnaker that uses a spinnaker pole for stabilization. Dorsal also [...]

[Canvasland] Levin, New Zealand The Drift, designed by artist David Cross and created by Canvasland New Zealand, was an art piece that asked audience members to rethink their experience of the urban environment and perform a curiously different passage through this frenetic city thoroughfare in Sydney, Australia. This participatory installation consisted of a yellow tunnel-shaped [...]

PTFE- and PVC-coated fabrics are often used in tents and membrane structures, but have been difficult to recycle due to the difficulty of separating the fibers from the coating resins. Taiyo Kogyo has developed Kenafine™ for architectural structures, a “green” fabric made by weaving kenaf bast fiber with polyester fiber as a base fabric; it [...]

W.L. Gore & Associates and Massif Mountain Gear Co. have introduced Massif® Battleshield™ and Massif Battleshield X™ fabrics, two nylon-faced, flame-resistant, water-resistant laminates for the military and tactical markets. Nylon has a long history of outdoor performance but less-than-adequate flame resistance; the new fabrics offer a shift in FR protection by combining filament nylon-faced laminates [...]

Both younger and older generations face unique challenges in succession planning. By Jamie Swedberg Michele Quadri, owner of Al’s Awning Shop Inc. in Erie, Pa., grew up in the family business and dreamed of working alongside her father one day. But it was not to be; he died when she was a teenager, and she [...]

E.Volution, a new platform for textile printing, combines the latest technologies with artistic creativity and environmental responsibility. Latest-generation printers produce exceptionally clean images; specially formulated inks offer high quality and color fastness, using less water than traditional processes; the system results in up to 90 percent reduction of CO2 emissions and 57 percent less energy [...]

National Nonwovens has created the aircraft industry’s first fire blocker for all aircraft seating dress covers, by upgrading from aramid to high-performance fiber made from SABIC’s inherently flame-retardant ULTEM™ resin. Sold under the Ultra-Protechtor™ fire blocker brand, the new product can be used with leather, synthetic leather and woven fabrics. The Ultem resin produces higher [...]

BetterVue® Improved Visibility Insect Screen is recommended for all screening applications: windows, doors or porches. Its increased openness and smaller yarn diameters offer increased protection against insects and maximize the outward view, making it sharper and more brilliant. Phifer Inc. provides a variety of options for screen enclosures—fiberglass, aluminum, bronze or stainless—in a range of [...]

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, widely regarded as the fastest person ever recorded since fully automated time measurements became mandatory at the Olympic games in 1977, has inspired a new PUMA® athletic wear line with powerful extras. The sleek designs are made of polyester fibers embedded with a patented natural mineral blend from Hologenix LLC, Santa [...]