#Composites

2019-05-15

Building: Reducing crime through design

Siniat’s newly launched Securtex® integrates Chomarat laid glass scrim into its gypsum plasterboard. According to the dry construction material specialist, it is the first plasterboard-only system certified to Loss Prevention Standard (LPS) 1175 and accredited by the Secured by Design Police Initiative. Siniat Securtex® helps withstand intruder attacks and meets the LPS 1175 Security Rating Class 1 standard.

ANTI-INTRUDER WALLING SYSTEM INTEGRATES CHOMARAT LAID GLASS SCRIM

Siniat Securtex® plasterboard contains a laid high-tensile glass scrim from Chomarat, combined with a dense gypsum core.

The glass reinforcement protects the building construction, because it dissipates the force across the whole area of the board, providing impact resistance to both deliberate and accidental damage. No other components are required in the system to design out crime and help avoid long-term maintenance costs caused by damage.

“Chomarat laid glass scrim brings extra mechanical strength and impact resistance to party walls and doorsets. Combined with a dense gypsum core, it prevents damage from tools typically used by opportunistic burglars, such as screwdrivers or from physical attack, eliminating the need for additional materials such as metal lath or ply in the partition”, explains Pierre Peyron, Industrialisation Engineer for Securtex®.

TAKING ADVANTAGES OF CHOMARAT EXPERIENCE BOTH IN TEXTILE & CHEMISTRY

“I have known Chomarat for years and we have forged a long business relationship: Chomarat is always ready to provide support and be creative in finding solutions. This is what happened with the Securtex® project” explains Eric Bertrand, Head of R&D, Innovation & Marketing at Etex Building Performance.

The laid glass scrim was developed in close collaboration with Siniat: “We designed this glass grid specially to provide good tensile strength and tear resistance. The diameter of the threads is selected to produce a grid with considerable flexibility and mechanical properties. Moreover, the Chomarat coating contributes to the flexibility of the grid and offers excellent resistance to puncture and aging”, explains Claudio Colombi, product manager for Construction at Chomarat.

Chomarat’s tailor-made solutions help provide up to 120 minutes of fire protection and contribute to a simpler installation.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

Heberlein reinforces its commitment to the Chinese market

Heberlein, globally recognised as a leading provider of air interlacing and air texturing jets for synthetic filament yarns, is consolidating its success in the Chinese market with its APh- and APe-series for DTY applications. Particularly in the field of Air Covering, Heberlein technologies combine excellent quality with significant savings in compressed-air consumption. A new service hub in Shengze City underlines the company’s long-term commitment in the Chinese market.

RE&UP’s Next-Gen Cotton fibers power Zalando private label t-shirt collection crafted from innovative recycled textiles

RE&UP Recycling Technologies’ Next-Gen Cotton powers a new collection from Zalando’s private labels, marking a step forward in bringing textile-to-textile recycled fibers into commercial fashion production. Launching on Zalando in August, the collection comprises five t-shirts across YOURTURN by Zalando and Even&Odd by Zalando, made from a circular-knit fabric blending 80% organic cotton with 20% RE&UP Next-Gen Cotton — textile-to-textile recycled fiber produced from textile waste. This is the first time RE&UP's recycled fibers feature in Zalando's private label assortment.

Heimtextil Trends 27/28: ‘Home-Maxxing’ between performance and respite

Sleep better, recover faster, live more efficiently: the desire for optimisation has long since reached our homes. Under the title ‘Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living’, Heimtextil Trends 27/28 show how our relationship with efficiency-driven thinking and technology is influencing the design of spaces and textiles. The more sleep, wellness, routines, materials and spaces are optimised, the stronger the desire for a home that does not demand even more of us.