The relaunch of the two trade shows Techtextil and Texprocess at Messe Center Frankfurt, with more than 1,300 exhibitors from 51 countries, was a success. Together with Heimtextil, all three shows attracted more than 60,000 visitors. Textile innovations and technologies always provide the impetus for many sectors and promise market and sales success. They inspire, motivate and show new approaches to solutions for implementation.
The textile industry is one of the most important global industries and continues to be a high-growth market. As one of the most environmentally impactful industries, the textile industry also has a responsibility to integrate future-proof developments into the value chain as quickly as possible. Techtextil and Texprocess are two of the trade show platforms for the textile industry that are helpful in finding these solutions.
From June 21 to 24, visitors were able to experience the latest global developments and advancements in textile fibers, textile technical materials, and textile and digital processes. As the first face-to-face event in three years, there was intense, personal communication at all locations of the shows.
The Innovation Awards
For the 16th time, the Innovation Awards at the leading Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs offer an excellent platform for cross-sectoral exchange between players from business, science and politics and for initiating forward-looking cooperations. A high-caliber international jury of research institutes, universities, colleges, industry and press carefully selected for each of the two fairs awarded these coveted prizes.
The Techtextil Innovation Awards concern technical textile materials and fibers for auto, medicine and apparel:
- Alucoat – shielding solution for electric vehicles
- Citeve – textile coating from natural leather waste from the automotive industry
- DITF Denkenorf – non-toxic dips for technical cord materials
- ITM TU Dresden – woven heart valves
- Vérabuccia – leather from pinapple waste
- Iroony® - low-impact cellulose from oilseed hemp for various applications in textile and packaging
- Centexbel – innovative biobased & biodegradable dispersions for ink and coatings
- Saxon Textile Research Institute – cellulose-based non-woven with high absorbency even for reusable products
- Ogano Click – 100 percent biobased and home compostable binder for nonwoven applications from waste stream components
The Texprocess Innovation Award focuses on automation and digital processes as well as innovations and progressive new developments:
- Vetron automation cold bonding – cold adhesive tape application
- ZSK R-Hed high-speed embroidery – speeds up to 2,000 stitches/minute with a unique compensation mechanism for first and second-order mass forces
- Automatic bobbin thread wind-and-feed device AW by Juki – improving workability and reducing fatigue
- Qondac / Guided Working software module by Dürrkopp – first shop floor control system for the sewing industry with in-depth machine integration for improvement
With their new products, materials, solutions and processes, the 13 award winners demonstrate in exemplary fashion that textile innovations are the ideal way to turn the challenges of the present into the market opportunities and sales successes of the future.
Noteworthy highlights from Techtextil
Concerning innovative and sustainable fibers you can find for example SeaCell™ using raw and organic algae from Iceland and smartcel™, a sensitive fiber containing zinc oxide by the fiber producer Smartfiber AG to be used in natural and technical blends. Both fibers enhance and add special value in any blend.
Innovative in technical textiles among others is that JRC Reflex is currently developing a highly breathable bi-stretch reflective fabric.
With twelve application areas, Techtextil promises a wide variety and breadth of product offerings as well as innovative strength on the part of suppliers – whether car makers, fashion designers, medical technicians or industry specialists. Exhibitors at Techtextil offer innovative materials for all requirements.
Outstanding areas at Texprocess
Among the exhibitors of digital and 3D software, one could discover exciting new developments at every booth. For example, Assyst has developed a model suite as a plug-in for its 3D program that makes avatars look very human and has an extremely high degree of realism in simulation. Vizoo, on the other hand, has developed the xTex software with which the material capture scanners harmonize perfectly, transforming your physical sample into a digital material in a matter of minutes. The output files are compatible with all 3D programs such as Vstitcher, CLO, Assyst and other 3D CAD programs. 3D simulation thus becomes a completely new experience for everyone.
Another highlight at Texprocess was the Denim Future Lab: the denim production of the future. In this area, it was discussed and demonstrated, for example, how denim is produced and processed sustainably or how luxury denim can be individualized in the future. Innovative and advanced processes such as eco-bleaching, eco-dyeing, upcycling solutions or the individual design and finishing of luxury denim were presented.
About the author
Alexa Dehmel is an expert in sportswear and workwear with over 20 years of experience in the apparel industry. In addition to her design agency (active sports design & consulting), she has curated the Functional Fabric Forum for Performance Days for over 12 years and the Functional Fabric Fair powered by Performance Days for over 4 years. For the past two years, she has returned to guest lecturing and started as a journalist. Among other things, she will write several times a year for SGI Europe about trade shows and trends in the textile sector. She has an extensive network of leading experts as well as personal connections to relevant collaborators and supporters that are profitable for her clients and the textile industry.
