Eastman debuts flat PET fibre for wetlaid nonwovens
September 06, 2014 (By TT.NET)
New product possibilities are on the horizon for manufacturers of wetlaid nonwovens and specialty papers with the addition of a flat PET fiber to the Cyphrex microfibers portfolio at Eastman Chemical Company.
The flat PET Cyphrex fibers which are less than 0.4 denier in size with their novel cross section, enable functional benefits such as uniformity, lightweight strength and improved processing compared with other synthetic microfibers, Eastman informs.With its distinctive, consistent cross section, the flat PET microfiber greatly improves nonwovens formation and sheet uniformity when compared with other synthetic fibers and offers functional benefits in applications, for which dimensional consistency within and across the nonwoven is critical, the fibre producer adds.Eastman adds, “In addition, the flat PET fiber provides greater lightweight strength in nonwoven media. Compared with other synthetic fibers, flat PET fibers enable impressive tensile, tear and burst strength within a very lightweight nonwoven sheet, as well as outstanding green strength.”
“In some applications, these fibers can also improve strength-to-weight ratio and dimensional stability”, it claims.“By offering round and flat fibers, nonwovens producers can more precisely manufacture media to fit their customers’ needs, giving them an advantage in formulation capability”, says Fred Dulin, Director, Microfibers platform at Eastman.Since, flat PET microfibers disperse easily in water; they are compatible with standard wetlaid and papermaking processes and equipment and do not require special shear or agitation and also allow easy blending with a broader range of fibers.“The flat PET fiber is part of our ongoing effort to create and give our customers innovative microfibers that fit their specific needs,” Dulin said. “This is the latest example of how Cyphrex can keep creating new possibilities for wetlaid nonwovens manufacturers.”
US-based Eastman Chemical serves customers in around 100 countries, posted revenues of around $9.4 billion in 2013 and employs approximately 14,000 people around the world.
Kimberly-Clark releases 11th Annual Sustainability Report
July 31, 2014 (United States Of America ) by TT.NET
Kimberly-Clark Corporation has published its annual report on sustainability, a comprehensive overview of the Company's progress against its sustainability efforts within its People, Planet and Products framework. "At Kimberly-Clark, our vision is to lead the world in essentials for a better life. Sustainability challenges us to deliver on this vision by being responsible stewards of the environment and positive contributors to our communities," said Lisa Morden, senior director of global sustainability for Kimberly-Clark.
The 2013 Sustainability Report highlights Kimberly-Clark's progress towards its multi-year Sustainability 2015 goals. "In 2013, we continued to make progress towards the goals outlined in our 2015 strategy and we have engaged customers, employees, suppliers, business partners, and social and environmental organizations to help us reach our goals," said Morden. Kimberly-Clark's sustainability efforts have been recognized globally, appearing for the 11th straight year on the "FTSE4Good Index" for corporate responsibility, the Ethisphere Magazine's "World's Most Ethical Companies" ranking for the third consecutive year, and ranked No. 6 among "The World's Best Multinational Workplaces" by Great Place to Work Institute.
"Our team is continuously improving how we build sustainability into the way we run our businesses," said Tom Falk, chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark. "In 2013, we celebrated achievements in each of our sustainability pillars — People, Planet and Products."
Mikrosam offers Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) and Automated Tape Laying (ATL) full equipment and software. AFP/ATL heads can be integrated on different machine structures - gantry, column, or a multi-axis articulating robot.Automated fiber placement and tape laying (AFP/ATL) are the technologies that for more than two decades have revolutionized the production of composite structures for the aviation and space industry, and nowadays are entering into new industries such as wind energy.
Complex composite structures that have been built manually (using hand lay-up), today are automatically produced using AFP/ATL technologies, resulting in:
•higher throughput (10-40kg/h)
•improved composite structure quality through better compaction
•reduced scrap material
•reduced labor costs
•low operator skill level requirements
•reduced manufacturing time
•accuracy and repeatability of the production process
•comprehensive software solutions which allow complex shapes to be programmed quickly
•continuous improvement in the state of the art
Final parts manufactured by AFP/ATL technologies fully exploit special and non-isotropic composite characteristics due to the freedom these processes give to the designer.
Visitor numbers massively up by 63% at Cinte Techtextil
Oct 21,2014 CTT News from TT.NET
Cinte Techtextil China, the biennial technical textiles fair held last month, witnessed 12,496 visitors attending the fair, massively up by 63% from the previous edition fair held in 2012.Organizers of the fair, Messe Frankfurt said visitors came from a total of 61 countries and regions, with the top five, excluding China, being Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India and Hong Kong.In total, 459 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions took part in the fair, a 4% increase compared to the last edition.
This year the fair was held across 35,000 sqm, an expansion of 40% from the last edition and the largest in the show’s history.It was also held separately from Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, unlike in 2012, and according to Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, there were a number of positive effects to come out of this.“Being held independently to the apparel fabrics show really ensured more qualified buyers attended, with many exhibitors expressing that visitors to their booths were more aligned with their target market,” she said.She added, “Numerous exhibitors also reported that there is still a lot of potential in the Chinese market, and in particular for European suppliers, the demand for their products and recognition of their strong quality by domestic buyers was very evident.”
According to Messe Frankfurt, exhibitors said that this year, the quality of buyers had improved, and that they were able to find their target buyers at the fair.Susie Zhang, Marketing Representative in the Shanghai office of German testing company ISRA Vision AG said, “This year the visitor flow has been good, and we could meet both existing and new customers.”David Xue from British firm Reliant Machinery informed, “We’ve had a lot of discussions here and met buyers from a wide range of the industry, and many of them were managers.”Richard Leung from first-time German exhibitor - DIENES said, “We are very happy that we could find a lot of our target buyers here. We didn’t make any appointments before the fair but we were still able to find new customers.”Potential in the Chinese technical textiles market is still high according to exhibitors, and there is growing demand across a wide range of products many of them reported.“We have some existing customers here in the filtration industry and there is strong demand in China for these products,” B. Mehmet Inceoglu from the Technical Fibres division of Turkish company AKSA explained.
Medical products are another area with potential in China according to the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA). “The feedback from buyers has been good and we’ve met a lot of people from R&D departments here. Many buyers here are looking for medical technology,” Marketing Manager Lydia Fung said.
Bright Shield’s safety clothing bags ANSI approval
July 30, 2014 (United States Of America ) by TT.NET
Bright Shield, manufacturer of high visibility safety clothing, has received ANSI approval for its apparel. The safety clothing manufacturer ships its products nationwide, with ordering available online.Bright Shield offers thirteen safety green clothing items including tees, hoods, mesh vests, beanies, and baseball caps. Some of the items are made with wicking polyester that are great in all climates.
Clothing that is high visibility is recommended for those in construction, landscaping, security, recreational activities and riding motorcycles. By achieving ANSI approval, consumers can rest assured the garments achieve high visibility routinely for safety.Bright Shield's management includes over 60 years experience in manufacturing, sales administration, logistics and distribution throughout the United States and Canada. The clothing is made of the highest quality material and offered at extremely fair prices with bulk discounts available.