Markets – Page 3 – Specialty Fabrics Review

A faster path to market through industry dialogue and profitable partnerships

November 1, 2018 | Markets

If innovation is a key to growth and profitability because of the differentiation it can offer in our broadly commoditized industrial fabrics industry—one that for decades has been under strong pricing pressure from low-cost imports—then R&D is an essential component of a company’s toolbox…

Basic training principles for new and long-time tent installers

October 1, 2018 | Markets

Labor is a problem everywhere, with tent rental companies experiencing constant turnover and the need to train new installers. Desperate to fill out their crews, tent renters will often send new employees on the road for installations right off the bat, with training coming on the job from long-time…

Incorporating new materials into composites

October 1, 2018 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

In material science, strength alone is often found to have its limitations; a combination of hard and soft, rigid and flexible is an area of increasing interest for a wide range of applications from construction, to sports equipment, to protective apparel. Composites bring together two or more mater…

Recommended fabric cleaning products

September 1, 2018 | Markets

It’s pretty simple. People buy boats because they want to have fun. The reality, however, is that work—the opposite of fun—is required to keep any watercraft in tip-top condition. Therein lies the rub. “A lot of boaters don’t want to do all the cleaning and maintenance,” says Marianne Io…

Textile-based robots

September 1, 2018 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

A Harvard collaboration develops soft, wearable robotics for hands. Soft, wearable robotics is an emerging field that looks at methods of enabling functional, powered support to assist human movements using lightweight, low-profile and flexible materials such as textiles. A diverse team of researche…

Prototypes and progress: The problems of today are the products of tomorrow

August 1, 2018 | Markets

Good companies allocate time, energy, money and resources to the art of product development. Why? Because the products of tomorrow can’t be developed without working through the problems of today. Whether you’re doing product research and development for your own products or you’ve been…

Textile-based bio materials mend bodies

July 30, 2018 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

Textile-based biomaterials, or biotextiles, have the longest history in the field of biomaterials. In ancient China and Egypt as far back as 2000 B.C., natural fibers such as linen, silk, bark, horsehair and dried guts were used as suture materials for wound closure. The introduction of steel wire a…

Future architecture: Nicholas Goldsmith and the journey from mass to membrane

July 1, 2018 | Markets

Nicholas “Nic” Goldsmith, FAIA, has been a major player for more than 40 years in the development of fabric architecture in North America and around the globe through his leadership of the innovative architectural/engineering firm FTL Design Engineering Studio, based in New York City. I’ve kno…

New technologies make textiles interactive and smarter

July 1, 2018 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

Textiles are well established as passive materials offering comfort and protection, as well as design and fashion choices. With strong interest in promoting textile manufacturing and enhancing the utility and performance of textiles, academia and government researchers have initiated efforts to enab…

How to use the H-2B program to hire legal temporary guest workers

June 1, 2018 | Markets

For tent and event rental companies, the busy season not only brings the promise of more work, it also ups the need for more workers, a worry for businesses facing potential labor shortages. In response, some U.S. businesses turn to the H-2B program, hoping to fill their seasonal needs by employing …

Category: Markets