Global technical textiles business update, June 2020
Directa Plus is a group with a holding company in London, UK, which manufactures graphene-based elastomers, masterbatches, membranes, technologies and treatments. The group's treatments and membranes impart an impressive number of properties--including bacteriostatic properties, and the ability to dissipate static electricity--and they are being used in the manufacture of performance items such as sportswear, workwear and outerwear. Its elastomers are used in a broad range of automotive and bicycle tyres, sports equipment and rubber products. The group also manufactures a highly adsorbent material called Grafysorber for use in tackling environmental emergencies, such as major offshore oil spills, and in waste water treatment processes. The group has established key partnerships with a number of companies, including the workwear provider Alfredo Grassi and the sportswear specialist Colmar. Looking ahead, the group plans to expand its portfolio of products and is exploring the use of graphene in smart textiles and clothing for aerospace, health care and sportswear applications. The group is committed to manufacturing products which contain materials derived from natural sources and are free from chemicals. In fact, Directa Plus follows a strict code of ethics which outlines its position on its commitment to environmental sustainability and, in recognition of this commitment, the group has received a number of acknowledgements, awards and certifications. This report analyses the group's corporate structure, and provides insight into its establishment and the development of its diverse portfolio of products. Also, the report examines the markets in which the group operates and its commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Furthermore, the report provides an outlook for the future.
SUMMARY
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Freudenberg Group has completed its acquisition of needlepunched nonwovens and laminated materials producer Filc
Gurit has divested its automotive business
Karl Mayer is to acquire Stoll Group
Textile manufacturing joint venture MGC has acquired Melchior Textil from HOS Group
BUSINESS NEWS
3M has taken action to stop respirators from being sold at grossly inflated prices and prevent counterfeiting
A company in Asia has acquired a melt blowing line from Oerlikon Nonwoven to manufacture nonwovens for medical applications, including face masks
A team at The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) at North Carolina State University (NC State) is producing materials for respirators, face masks and mask filters to protect health care workers from COVID-19
Johns Manville has started to produce nonwovens in the USA for making face masks which are needed to stop the spread of COVID-19
Karl Mayer has designed a face mask which can be made on its raschel warp knitting machines in a single step
A number of major trade fairs have been postponed or cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
Two TMAS machinery companies have teamed up with Juki Corporation (Juki) to accelerate the production of filter bags
INVESTMENTS
Berry has brought forward a plan to invest in the production of meltblown nonwovens in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Carbon ThreeSixty has installed a tailored fibre placement cell
Cygnet Texkimp has supplied a high capacity 3D weaving creel to the University of Sheffield
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)
Karweb Nonwovens will invest in a hydroentanglement line for producing viscose, polyester and biodegradable wipes
Montefibre Carbon will invest Euro16.2 mn in the establishment of a line for producing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor and the construction of a carbonisation line in Spain
NIRI has purchased an air laying machine from Dan-Web Machinery for use in the pilotscale manufacture of nonwovens from natural fibres
Quantum Materials is bringing forward a US$3.5 mn investment aimed at expanding US production of technical textiles
Teijin Group has opened a European research and development base for automotive components
JOINT VENTURES
Consolidated Pathways has signed an agreement to become the brand and technical representative for the products of Sanitized
HeiQ has granted licences to three competitors in order to meet high demand for antiviral HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03
Lenzing and Palmers Textil have set up a joint venture company called Hygiene Austria to produce face masks on an industrial scale
Wrapping Solutions is switching production from interior fittings for cars to protective face masks
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Freudenberg Group has completed its acquisition of needlepunched nonwovens and laminated materials producer Filc
Gurit has divested its automotive business
Karl Mayer is to acquire Stoll Group
Textile manufacturing joint venture MGC has acquired Melchior Textil from HOS Group
BUSINESS NEWS
3M has taken action to stop respirators from being sold at grossly inflated prices and prevent counterfeiting
A company in Asia has acquired a melt blowing line from Oerlikon Nonwoven to manufacture nonwovens for medical applications, including face masks
A team at The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) at North Carolina State University (NC State) is producing materials for respirators, face masks and mask filters to protect health care workers from COVID-19
Johns Manville has started to produce nonwovens in the USA for making face masks which are needed to stop the spread of COVID-19
Karl Mayer has designed a face mask which can be made on its raschel warp knitting machines in a single step
A number of major trade fairs have been postponed or cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
Two TMAS machinery companies have teamed up with Juki Corporation (Juki) to accelerate the production of filter bags
INVESTMENTS
Berry has brought forward a plan to invest in the production of meltblown nonwovens in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Carbon ThreeSixty has installed a tailored fibre placement cell
Cygnet Texkimp has supplied a high capacity 3D weaving creel to the University of Sheffield
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)
Karweb Nonwovens will invest in a hydroentanglement line for producing viscose, polyester and biodegradable wipes
Montefibre Carbon will invest Euro16.2 mn in the establishment of a line for producing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor and the construction of a carbonisation line in Spain
NIRI has purchased an air laying machine from Dan-Web Machinery for use in the pilotscale manufacture of nonwovens from natural fibres
Quantum Materials is bringing forward a US$3.5 mn investment aimed at expanding US production of technical textiles
Teijin Group has opened a European research and development base for automotive components
JOINT VENTURES
Consolidated Pathways has signed an agreement to become the brand and technical representative for the products of Sanitized
HeiQ has granted licences to three competitors in order to meet high demand for antiviral HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03
Lenzing and Palmers Textil have set up a joint venture company called Hygiene Austria to produce face masks on an industrial scale
Wrapping Solutions is switching production from interior fittings for cars to protective face masks
