October 11th, 2016
Evolon® replaces coated woven textiles to provide an anti-mite mattress encasing that is coating- and rustle-free, breathable and soft. Photo: Freudenberg Performance Materials. David Nelson was devoted to nonwoven technology at 3M when the Minnesota-based corporate powerhouse became a charter member of The Nonwovens Institute, which launched in 2007 at North Carolina State University. Nelson...
Read MoreOctober 1st, 2016
A collection of temporary structures throughout the “Google on the Beach 2015” (GoB) event in Cannes, France, featured small fabric-roofed pavilions using atypical materials. Photos: Google. For Harry Osborne, creative lead at “brand experience agency” SET Live, headquartered in London, the graphic applications and collection of temporary structures throughout the “Google on the Beach 2015”...
Read MoreOctober 1st, 2016
Government invests $300 million to expand applications in the defense, aerospace and geosynthetic industries. The Russian government plans to invest up to $300 million USD in 2016 and 2017 toward developing the technical textiles industry, according to recent statements by Denis Manturov, Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade. Manturov is responsible for the development of...
Read MoreSeptember 19th, 2016
Sandler’s liquid- and dirt-repellent sawasorb® exterior nonwovens are used as lightweight acoustical absorbers for automobile applications such as engine covers and wheel-house liners. Photo: Sandler AG. Nonwovens may be best known for their role in disposable products; but, with advances in technology, these engineered fabrics are reaching further into markets where traditional textiles have been...
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September 1st, 2016
Sommers Plastics Products’ thermochromatic liquid crystal technology creates dramatic effects for fashion applications, but has a variety of practical uses as well. Photo: Sommers Plastic Products. New research and applications are proving that color-changing smart textiles continue to offer viable technology and products in the smart fabrics marketplace. Most recently, researchers from the School of...
Read MoreJune 1st, 2016
Smart fabrics technologies present unique opportunities—and challenges—to commercial product development. The growth of smart fabrics technologies and applications is no longer a curiosity; it’s the new reality of high-tech fabrics, and it’s gaining ground at an impressive pace. The size of the smart fabrics market, as presented at the Smart Fabrics Summit on April 11...
Read MoreMay 1st, 2016
Pvilion has designed an integrated shade and power canopy for American parking lots that is UL certified and is as efficient as glass-enclosed PV systems at one-third the weight. Photo: Pvilion. As efficiencies continue to improve, more applications are found for flexible photovoltaics. For a long time, it was common knowledge that thin film and...
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May 1st, 2016
German start-up Wearable Life Sciences’ Antelope suit won the 2014 Brandnew award in the active wear segment at the sports business show ISPO. The suit has integrated electrodes that amplify muscle contraction to make a workout more effective. Photo: Wearable Life Sciences. Today’s smart fabric products, with embedded or woven technological components, are resonating with...
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May 1st, 2016
Directa Plus and Colmar have launched a line of sportswear using Graphene Plus. The lightweight smart fabric can be tailor-made for maximum comfort. The Graphene Plus technology disperses heat produced by the human body in warm conditions and preserves and distributes the heat evenly in cold conditions. Photo: Colmar. Nonelectronic fabrics can cool, warm and...
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May 1st, 2016
The final panel at the Smart Fabrics Summit in Washington, D.C., included (from left) David Lauren, Ralph Lauren Corp.; Penny Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Commerce; Mary Hennessy, IFAI; and Joshua Walden, Intel Corp. Photo: Kaveh Sardari/IFAI. Government and industry players gathered in Washington, D.C., April 11 to discuss the “nascent smart fabrics market,” as described...
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