Global technical textiles business update, March 2019
This report provides a round-up of recent corporate developments in the global technical textiles sector, including: acquisitions, divestments and mergers; business news; investments; and joint ventures. The report contains news relating to the following innovative companies, other organisations and research centres: Adient, Adient Aerospace, Airbus Helicopters, Andritz, Arville, Aurora Specialty Textiles Group, BGF Industries, Bio-on, Boeing, Bolger & O'Hearn (B&O), Coats, DSM Coating Resins, EDANA, ELG Carbon Fibre, Eloxel, Fibertex Nonwovens, Fiber-Line, Glatfelter, Grupo SARI (Rubi Industrial), Hof University of Applied Sciences, Kartell, Kelheim Fibres, Lenzing Group, Lenzing (Nanjing) Fibers (LNF), M&J Airlaid Products, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mogul, M?lnlycke Health Care (M?lnlycke), the National Composites Centre (NCC), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), PolyOne, SGL Carbon, Silk Inc, Soteria Battery Innovation Group (BIG), Stora Enso, ThreadSol, TreeToTextile, the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Composite Centre, and Volt Smart Yarns.
SUMMARY
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Coats has acquired ThreadSol in order to strengthen its position as a supplier of production software
Fibertex Nonwovens has acquired a facility for producing hydroentangled nonwovens in the USA
Lenzing Group has acquired the remaining 30% of its Chinese operation which it did not already own
Mitsubishi Corporation has agreed to acquire a strategic stake in ELG Carbon Fibre
M?lnlycke Health Care has acquired M&J Airlaid Products, a producer of air-laid nonwovens
PolyOne has acquired a US manufacturer of fibres and composites in order to target markets for fibre optic cables and fifth generation mobile networks
BUSINESS NEWS
Andritz will supply a complete needlepunching line to Grupo SARI (Rubi Industrial) and a complete hydroentanglement line to Sheng Hung Industrial
Production at Kelheim Fibres’ viscose fibre production plant has been disrupted by a fire
Research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) could lead to a process for making carbon fibres from biomass
Soteria Battery Innovation Group (BIG) has sold a licence for its nanofibre battery separator technology to Glatfelter
Speciality chemicals company Bolger & O’Hearn has entered into an exclusive agreement to represent DSM Coating Resins in the USA
The European nonwovens industry has pledged to increase its use of recycled polyester (R-PET)
Volt Smart Yarns has set up a division to produce smart fabrics
INVESTMENTS
Aurora Specialty Textiles Group has invested in sustainable manufacturing at its North American plant
BGF Industries plans to invest US$7 mn in new US headquarters
Silk Inc has secured funding to scale up its silk protein based finishes business
Technical textile producer Arville is investing ?1.2 mn in new technology to increase production
The National Composites Centre (NCC) in the UK is to target the composites market with a multimillion pound investment
The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Composite
Centre has invested in a permeability testing system
JOINT VENTURES
Airbus Helicopters has signed an agreement with SGL Carbon relating to the supply of glass fibres and carbon fibres
Bio-on and Kartell have established a new joint venture called Eloxel to exploit opportunities for developing bio-based smart fabrics
Boeing and Adient have formed a joint venture to improve aircraft seating
Boeing and ELG Carbon Fibre have established a partnership to recycle carbon fibre
Carbon fibres and fabrics supplied by SGL carbon are to be used extensively in BMW’s upcoming iNEXT electric vehicle
Hof University of Applied Sciences and Lenzing have signed an agreement relating to the development of performance nonwovens
Stora Enso has joined TreeToTextile, a joint venture established to industrialise a process for manufacturing cellulose fibre
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Coats has acquired ThreadSol in order to strengthen its position as a supplier of production software
Fibertex Nonwovens has acquired a facility for producing hydroentangled nonwovens in the USA
Lenzing Group has acquired the remaining 30% of its Chinese operation which it did not already own
Mitsubishi Corporation has agreed to acquire a strategic stake in ELG Carbon Fibre
M?lnlycke Health Care has acquired M&J Airlaid Products, a producer of air-laid nonwovens
PolyOne has acquired a US manufacturer of fibres and composites in order to target markets for fibre optic cables and fifth generation mobile networks
BUSINESS NEWS
Andritz will supply a complete needlepunching line to Grupo SARI (Rubi Industrial) and a complete hydroentanglement line to Sheng Hung Industrial
Production at Kelheim Fibres’ viscose fibre production plant has been disrupted by a fire
Research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) could lead to a process for making carbon fibres from biomass
Soteria Battery Innovation Group (BIG) has sold a licence for its nanofibre battery separator technology to Glatfelter
Speciality chemicals company Bolger & O’Hearn has entered into an exclusive agreement to represent DSM Coating Resins in the USA
The European nonwovens industry has pledged to increase its use of recycled polyester (R-PET)
Volt Smart Yarns has set up a division to produce smart fabrics
INVESTMENTS
Aurora Specialty Textiles Group has invested in sustainable manufacturing at its North American plant
BGF Industries plans to invest US$7 mn in new US headquarters
Silk Inc has secured funding to scale up its silk protein based finishes business
Technical textile producer Arville is investing ?1.2 mn in new technology to increase production
The National Composites Centre (NCC) in the UK is to target the composites market with a multimillion pound investment
The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Composite
Centre has invested in a permeability testing system
JOINT VENTURES
Airbus Helicopters has signed an agreement with SGL Carbon relating to the supply of glass fibres and carbon fibres
Bio-on and Kartell have established a new joint venture called Eloxel to exploit opportunities for developing bio-based smart fabrics
Boeing and Adient have formed a joint venture to improve aircraft seating
Boeing and ELG Carbon Fibre have established a partnership to recycle carbon fibre
Carbon fibres and fabrics supplied by SGL carbon are to be used extensively in BMW’s upcoming iNEXT electric vehicle
Hof University of Applied Sciences and Lenzing have signed an agreement relating to the development of performance nonwovens
Stora Enso has joined TreeToTextile, a joint venture established to industrialise a process for manufacturing cellulose fibre
