News
Glen Raven Introduces Hi-Vis Anti-Static Material for Work Vests
Burlington, NC – Glen Raven Technical Fabrics, in a joint development initiative with Performance Textiles and William Barnet & Son, LLC, is introducing a new product to the GlenGuard Hi-Vis® line. GlenGuard Hi-Vis Anti-Stat is a high visibility, flame resistant vest for workers who not only are required to wear clothing that meets ANSI 107, ASTM 1506 and NFPA 70-E standards, but also need static electricity protection to prevent possible ignition of flammable gases that may be present in the workplace.
“Currently, there are no industry standards for static control in hi-vis safety vests,” says Gary Zumstein, VP Research & Development - Protective Market. “GlenGuard Hi-Vis Anti-Stat provides that protection. This innovative material is part of a proactive effort by Glen Raven and Performance Textiles to promote the implementation of fabric guidelines that include static control to maximize worker protection. Adopting these standards would help protect workers in all types of work environments, including a volatile gas setting.”
GlenGuard Hi-Vis Anti-Stat is an engineered fabric that helps prevent the buildup of static electricity and keeps static from igniting ambient gases with low ignition or flash points. “For people who work where volatile gasses are present, protective clothing that meets the needs for high visibility and flame resistance may not be enough,” Zumstein says. “Providing static control in these work garments adds a layer of protection to address an additional type of hazard.”
Zumstein adds, “Like all GlenGuard materials, Anti-Stat is inherently flame resistant. So it delivers the same no-drip, no-melt protection that has made GlenGuard Hi-Vis a workhorse product for safety vests in the petrochemical, electrical utilities, natural gas and many other industries.”
GlenGuard Anti-Stat is currently available in woven fabric, with a mesh product scheduled to be introduced later this year.
1/25/12
Lectra Showcases Full Range of Fashion Solutions at Intermoda Guadalajara in Mexico
Guadalajara Jal., Mexico – Lectra, a world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather, industrial fabrics, and composite materials, will exhibit at Intermoda January 17-20, 2012, at the Expo Guadalajara, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
At Lectra’s stand, the company will present a full range of its solutions, from design to production. Working in conjunction with its education partner Universidad Jannette Klein, students will create designs during the show using Kaledo®, Lectra’s leading professional textile and fashion design software solution, which accelerates the design processes by automating repetitive tasks, and improving communication and collaboration.
Lectra will also team up with The Camara Nacional de la Industria del Vestido, who will participate in the Lectra stand, providing [TC]²’s 3D body scanner. Working with the 3D body scanner, Lectra will demonstrate Modaris® V7, the company’s latest version of its apparel pattern-making and grading software solution, now fully-integrated with 3D prototyping technology developed by Lectra. Modaris V7 combines the best of pattern-making, draping, and sampling all in one seamless digital process where 2D patterns can be drafted and then seen in 3D right away. Utilizing design files created in Kaledo, specified fabrics can be viewed in 3D and other onscreen adjustments can be directly applied to the flat pattern while modifications are visible in real time, in both flat and 3D modes. This interactive process significantly reduces prototyping costs and development time while giving companies the control and flexibility they need to make decisions as quickly as possible and stay ahead of the market. Modaris and its 3D Technology can not only reduce the number of physical samples by half, it is also valuable during the decision-making stage when choosing whether a product goes into production.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about Diamino®, Lectra’s marker-making solution which produces automatically generated markers that respect all fabric and garment constraints from the simplest to the most complex shapes, as well as, experience Lectra’s high performance Alys® inkjet plotter that prints patterns and markers quickly and accurately, to round out the production process.
1/16/12
Gerber Unveils New Version of Accumark Software
(Tolland, CT) - AccuMark 8.5 has a number of new tools to improve productivity, simplify workflows and generate more accurate material costs. It is also easier to integrate with Gerber’s YinquePLM, a product lifecycle management software system.
AccuMark easily allows users to specify customers’ order sizes and quantities by color and set maximum ply height and number of bundles. The system then plans the markers and generates the orders automatically to maximize material use. Users can import fabric prints at actual scale, define repeats and use the information to match pattern pieces visually.
AccuMark 8.5 has an expanded pattern-design function that lets users quickly create sleeves and create diamond-or rhombus-shaped darts. There is improved grading for pleats and darts and support for multiple turnback corners and foldings of pleats and darts.
11/4/11
Express Opens in Canada
New York, NY – Express, Inc, the specialty retail apparel chain operating more than 600 stores, has arrived north of the border this September. The iconic multi-channel retailer opened its first location in Canada at Fairview Mall in Toronto. The 10,000 square foot store offers Canadian men and women the individual style and unrivalled attitude that has made Express a fashion authority in the U.S. for over 30 years.
Express plans to open a total six stores in Canada by the end of 2011, and an additional 50 stores across the country over the next five years. In addition to Fairview Mall, Express will also open at Lime Ridge Mall in September. In November, Express will have three locations opening in Calgary at Southcentre, Chinook Centre and Market Mall as well as an additional store in Toronto at Square One.
“Canada is the perfect country for Express’ first foray into wholly-owned international bricks and mortar locations thanks to its cosmopolitan cities filled with young, fashionable men and women,” said Michael Weiss, president and chief executive officer of Express. “We sincerely appreciate the warm welcome we have already received from the Canadian people and look forward to expanding our reach as a fashion authority and to the growth potential of the brand in this new market.”
The product assortment in Canada will mirror that of U.S. stores, including the iconic Editor Pant and 1MX Shirt. The Editor Pant is Express’ best-known, best-selling, most popular women’s pant and stands for sexy style, fine fabric, and a flawless fit. The 1MX, Express’ best-selling men’s shirt features an engineered collar, endless color options and an exclusive signature stretch fit.
9/22/11
Visual 2000 Partners with UP Solutions to Extend Distribution to Italy
Montreal, QC CANADA –Visual 2000 International Inc. has reached an agreement with technology solutions provider UP Solutions for the distribution of its suite of End2End fashion software solutions throughout Italy. From its headquarters in Cantù (Northern Italy), UP Solutions serves specialty goods production and distribution companies with deep industry expertise, strong project management skills, and powerful business software solutions. Visual 2000 expects that these value-added benefits will help accelerate growth of its ERP, PLM, Supply Chain Management, and other software solutions in the country.
According to Visual 2000 European Sales Director Tony Walker, “We are pleased to welcome UP Solutions as the latest in our fast-growing network of global partners. Their understanding of the local market and its technology needs will enable us to better serve the fast-growing demand for our solutions. We look forward to working with the UP Solutions team to help Italian apparel, footwear, and other fashion companies reach higher levels of operational efficiency, process visibility, and global competitiveness.”
Over the past year, Visual 2000 has significantly extended its global reach through the expansion of North America operations, creation of new regional offices in California (Los Angeles), Asia (Shanghai) and the United Kingdom (Manchester), and establishing local distribution in Australia, New Zealand, and Italy.
6/28/11
Unifi and REPREVE® Award Grants to Four Keep America Beautiful Affiliates
STAMFORD, Conn. – The REPREVE® Recycling Grant Program, through its parent company Unifi, has donated grant funding to four Keep America Beautiful affiliates in North Carolina to increase plastic bottle (PET) recycling.
This grant program, focusing on local community-based plastic bottle recycling programs, is the first by Unifi with Keep America Beautiful. Grants were awarded to one western and three eastern North Carolina communities for outstanding proposals to increase public space recycling.
”Today, only 28 percent of PET bottles are recycled,” said Roger Berrier, president and COO for Unifi, the makers of 100 percent recycled REPREVE yarn. “At Unifi, we are committed to driving education to consumers and throughout our industry regarding the importance of recycling.”
Keep Greenville Beautiful was selected for its plan to place new recycling bins in the Greenville town common area and amphitheater. Keep Nash-Edgecombe Counties Beautiful in Rocky Mount will offer new recycling bins at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. Keep New Hanover Beautiful, in the Wilmington area, will locate its new bins in a city park along with offering a “Recycling Ambassador” program to the public. Keep Gastonia Beautiful will be placing recycling bins in its new downtown Lineberger Park.
5/31/11
Lectra Presents Versalis® Fashion, its New Leather Cutting Solution Specific to Luggage, Footwear, and Fashion Accessories
Paris – Lectra, a world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather, industrial fabrics, and composite materials—is pleased to announce the release of Versalis® Fashion, its new leather cutting solution aimed at manufacturers in the luggage, footwear, and fashion accessories markets.
Present at Texprocess 2011, May 24 to 27, 2011, in Frankfurt, Germany, Lectra will unveil Versalis Fashion, the first in its Versalis family of leather cutting solutions. Faced with increasing leather prices, companies today are looking for solutions which reduce both their costs and manufacturing times, and enable them to respond to growing production demand, in particular from major brands.
The Versalis Fashion solution consists of a cutter, a hide analysis solution, and a software suite for optimizing and managing operations. Typically, leather cutting takes place in three stages: the first—which can also be the longest—involves identifying hide defects; the second, optimizing nesting; and the third, cutting and unloading the pieces. By dissociating hide analysis, nesting, and cutting, using an offline process, Versalis Fashion operates continuously to reach particularly high levels of productivity. Each step takes place without depending on the one before or after it.
This innovative process enables the operator to scan the hides before cutting, and to identify the different qualities of the material to process with a high level of detail and great speed. This benefit, combined with the power of the Versalis automatic nesting algorithms, enables material savings of 10% on average.
With three cutting heads operating simultaneously, Versalis Fashion is the most productive leather cutting solution on the market. It is the perfect response to the challenges that professionals face: high quality, complex shapes, management of numerous small pieces at once, etc. With Versalis Fashion, manufacturers in the leather industry can achieve exceptional gains in productivity and unrivaled material savings without compromising quality, particularly when compared with die-cutting.
5/26/11
Tukatech Revolutionizes Online Shopping with New Venture StykuTM and its Online Fitting Room
Los Angeles CA - Tukatech Inc., Los Angeles-based provider of 2D/3D apparel software solutions, is pleased to announce its most recent venture Styku, headed by CEO Raj Sareen.
Styku’s True-to-Life online fitting room can create a predictable fit visualization. Styku’s 3D application allows consumers to virtually try-on a garment on an avatar from the comfort of their own home. The applications have the power to dramatically increase online sales, reduce returns, and remove customer hesitancy to online apparel shopping.
A Styku application launches asking the consumer to create an avatar or sign in to access their avatar, made from user provided measurements. Users can view garments on their avatar in 3D, post images on Facebook to attain feedback, view multiple sizes at once, and even view a color map to discern differences between sizes and across brands. Styku is also working with body scanning companies to make it easier for consumers to create avatars. Styku will launch its private beta to exclusive Tukatech clientele in late 2011, followed by an official launch in early 2012.
5/10/1
Unifi Celebrates the Grand Opening of its REPREVE® Recycling Center
YADKINVILLE, N.C. Unifi, Inc. celebrated the official opening of its REPREVE® Recycling Center on Wednesday, May 4th. This $8 million investment will allow the company to expand production capacities of its REPREVE recycled fiber.
REPREVE is a family of first quality recycled polyester and nylon fibers that can be used in a wide range of applications, including apparel, automotive, seating and paneling fabrics. Since its introduction in 2006, REPREVE has grown from a single recycled polyester fiber into an entire brand of sustainable products. In the last two years alone, over 247 million post-consumer PET bottles have been recycled into REPREVE. Unifi estimates to recycle over 400 million bottles into REPREVE in 2012 in its REPREVE Recycling Center.
The 50,000 square foot, state-of-the-art REPREVE Recycling Center enables Unifi to recycle post-industrial and post-consumer polyester waste, and in the future, fabrics and garments. The goal of the facility is to expand production capacities and capabilities, improve fiber color and drive volume growth for improved economics.
“The opening of the REPREVE Recycling Center solidifies Unifi’s commitment to be the world’s leader in the production of sustainable fibers,” said Roger Berrier, president and COO of Unifi. “The REPREVE Recycling Center was built using the latest state-of-the-art recycling technology providing us with flexibility to further expand the REPREVE brand in new and innovative directions.”
“The new REPREVE Recycling Center will grow employment in Yadkin County, adding at least 25 new jobs when fully implemented,” added Berrier.
5/5/11
OptiTex Releases Newest Version of its Signature Software
Petach-Tikva, Israel - OptiTex, a leading developer of innovative, easy-to-operate 2D and 3D CAD/CAM solutions for cut-fabric products and other related industries, announces the release of Version 11 of their signature software.
OptiTex's Version 11 software provides users with an array of enhancements and new features including improved 2D tools in Slash and Spread functionality, Walking capabilities, Variation Grading, 3D algorithm and GUI, and a new network protection system (SRM).
OptiTex Version 11 also provides improvement in its 3D capabilities. The algorithm field of Version 11 includes better collision detection, improved folding options for pre-simulation, rigid bending and improved physics. New multi-core parallel hardware capabilities are fully utilized accelerating simulation time dramatically. Examples are Intel® Core[TM] i7 Processor and NVIDIA CUDA[TM]. The 3D Creator engine has been reworked to provide even faster simulation, improved accuracy of drape, decreased file size, and updated avatars with even more measurements.
Global users of OptiTex Version 11 will find a new measurement chart, the ability to plot marker files from an "OptiTex Viewer" option and choose from an array of 25 languages incorporated into the program.
4/14/11
International Conference on Textiles Coating and Laminating 2011
Buena Vista Palace Hotel, Orlando, FL, USA 17-18 November 2011
TCL2011, the original and most-followed international conference on the coating and laminating of textiles, will be held on 17-18 November 2011 in Orlando, FL, USA.
This year’s meeting will be eagerly anticipated. It is the first time TCL has been held in the USA since 2005.
International experts will discuss topics including:
• developments in coating and laminating technology
• coating materials
• end-use applications
• testing
Subjects for consideration will include the latest updates on: coatings for flame retardancy, heat resistance, water repellency, weather resistance, and ballistic protection; technologies such as plasma technology, UV curing, infrared treatment and hotmelt systems; and coating materials including nanocoatings, ceramic coatings, silicone coatings and hotmelt coatings, along with smart/intelligent coatings and laminates.
Call for papers issued
Although the core of the programme will be presentations by invited experts, in order to give an opportunity for anyone with exciting and relevant ideas to present to a high-level international audience, a call for papers is being issued for contributions with emphasis on work that will impact the industry, short term as well as the future. Selection of the papers to be presented will be based on abstracts of 300-500 words. Authors should emphasize new and significant findings/developments.
Abstracts must be received before May 15, 2011 and sent to William C. (Bill) Smith, Symposium Director TCL2011, 110 Shady Creek Court, Greer, SC 29650, USA; Email:smithita@charter.net; Phone: 864-236-5631; Fax:1-888-752-1169.
4/14/11
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