Global Technical Textiles Business Update, May 2018
This report provides a round-up of recent corporate developments in the global technical textile sector, including: acquisitions, divestments and mergers; business news; investments; and joint ventures. The report contains news from the following innovative companies, other organisations and research centres: 4M Carbon Fiber, Ahlsell, Ahlstrom-Munksj?, Aquafil, Bekken & Str?m AS, Coats, Conbility, Daio Paper, Dual, DUCI, EDANA (the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries—formerly the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association), ELG Carbon Fibre, the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), Fibertex Nonwovens, Fraunhofer-Einrichtung f?r Giesserei-, Composite- und Verarbeitungstechnik (IGCV—Fraunhofer Research Institution for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology), Fraunhofer-Institut f?r Produktionstechnologie (IPT—Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology), Genomatica, Global Safety Textiles (GST), Gloves, HanesBrands, Hexcel, J.E. Herndon Company, Jinan Qing Na Material Technology, Karl Mayer Group, Lectra, Leigh Delaware Holdings, Oerlikon Barmag, Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), Patrick Yarn Mill, Safe Workwear Sweden AB, SGL Group, Shandong Institute of Industrial Technology Fund, Sulzer Chemtech, Suominen, Teijin Limited, TenCate Advanced Composites (TCAC), Toray Industries, Versarien and Xeros Technology Group.
SUMMARY
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Fibertex has acquired the nonwovens manufacturer DUCI in order to target South
American markets
Fibres and polymers supplier Leigh Delaware Holdings has acquired the fibre and by-products reprocessing specialist J.E. Herndon Company
High performance structural materials producer Hexcel has acquired the Aerospace & Defense business of Oxford Performance Materials
Polymer-based technology provider Xeros Technology Group has acquired Gloves, a provider of cleaning, inspection and repair services for firefighter personal protection equipment (PPE)
Thread manufacturer Coats has acquired the high performance yarn producer Patrick Yarn Mill
Toray is to acquire TenCate Advanced Composites
Workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE) supplier Ahlsell has acquired Safe
Workwear and Bekken & Str?m
BUSINESS NEWS
Conbility is to commercialise Fraunhofer’s placement and winding systems for consolidating composite tapes
Consumer awareness is key to solving the flushability problem, according to a report exploring the impact of wipes and personal care items on UK sewer systems
Lectra has become the sole supplier of cutting equipment to Dual’s automotive seating and interiors business and the sole supplier of laser cutting equipment to Dual’s airbag cushion business
Vector system
FocusQuantum system
Oerlikon has secured yarn spinning technology contracts valued at Euro460 mn
Teijin is to launch a range of high performance polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) compounds targeted at the Asian market and will build a new PPS polymer plant in Thailand
The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) has called for an easing of restrictions on the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in industrial hemp production in the EU
Woodland Holdings has been renamed 4M Carbon Fiber to help it to target the manufacture of cheap high quality carbon fibre
INVESTMENTS
Airbag fabric maker Global Safety Textiles has improved its efficiency by using the latest laser cutting technology
Daio Paper is to produce cellulose nanofibres (CNFs)
ELG Carbon Fibre is to increase its capacity for recycling carbon fibre
Fibre-based materials producer Ahlstrom-Munksj? plans to acquire land next to its plant in Louveira, Brazil
HanesBrands has invested in Baldwin spray finishing systems
Suominen is to invest Euro6 mn in its plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Textile machinery builder Karl Mayer has set up a new company to focus on digitalisation
Toray is to expand its business in India
JOINT VENTURES
Genomatica and Aquafil are to work on the development of sustainable caprolactam for use in the manufacture of polyamide
SGL Group and Fraunhofer IGCV have opened a centre for the development of fibre placement technologies for use in the manufacture of composite parts
Sulzer Chemtech and SGL Group have expanded their cooperation in the field of filtration and separation column internal components
Versarien has formed a partnership with a global textile and apparel manufacturer to incorporate graphene into fabrics
Versarien is to establish a graphene manufacturing centre in China in a joint venture with Shandong Institute of Industrial Technology Fund and Jinan Qing Na Material Technology
ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND MERGERS
Fibertex has acquired the nonwovens manufacturer DUCI in order to target South
American markets
Fibres and polymers supplier Leigh Delaware Holdings has acquired the fibre and by-products reprocessing specialist J.E. Herndon Company
High performance structural materials producer Hexcel has acquired the Aerospace & Defense business of Oxford Performance Materials
Polymer-based technology provider Xeros Technology Group has acquired Gloves, a provider of cleaning, inspection and repair services for firefighter personal protection equipment (PPE)
Thread manufacturer Coats has acquired the high performance yarn producer Patrick Yarn Mill
Toray is to acquire TenCate Advanced Composites
Workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE) supplier Ahlsell has acquired Safe
Workwear and Bekken & Str?m
BUSINESS NEWS
Conbility is to commercialise Fraunhofer’s placement and winding systems for consolidating composite tapes
Consumer awareness is key to solving the flushability problem, according to a report exploring the impact of wipes and personal care items on UK sewer systems
Lectra has become the sole supplier of cutting equipment to Dual’s automotive seating and interiors business and the sole supplier of laser cutting equipment to Dual’s airbag cushion business
Vector system
FocusQuantum system
Oerlikon has secured yarn spinning technology contracts valued at Euro460 mn
Teijin is to launch a range of high performance polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) compounds targeted at the Asian market and will build a new PPS polymer plant in Thailand
The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) has called for an easing of restrictions on the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in industrial hemp production in the EU
Woodland Holdings has been renamed 4M Carbon Fiber to help it to target the manufacture of cheap high quality carbon fibre
INVESTMENTS
Airbag fabric maker Global Safety Textiles has improved its efficiency by using the latest laser cutting technology
Daio Paper is to produce cellulose nanofibres (CNFs)
ELG Carbon Fibre is to increase its capacity for recycling carbon fibre
Fibre-based materials producer Ahlstrom-Munksj? plans to acquire land next to its plant in Louveira, Brazil
HanesBrands has invested in Baldwin spray finishing systems
Suominen is to invest Euro6 mn in its plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Textile machinery builder Karl Mayer has set up a new company to focus on digitalisation
Toray is to expand its business in India
JOINT VENTURES
Genomatica and Aquafil are to work on the development of sustainable caprolactam for use in the manufacture of polyamide
SGL Group and Fraunhofer IGCV have opened a centre for the development of fibre placement technologies for use in the manufacture of composite parts
Sulzer Chemtech and SGL Group have expanded their cooperation in the field of filtration and separation column internal components
Versarien has formed a partnership with a global textile and apparel manufacturer to incorporate graphene into fabrics
Versarien is to establish a graphene manufacturing centre in China in a joint venture with Shandong Institute of Industrial Technology Fund and Jinan Qing Na Material Technology
