[pageLogInLogOut]

#Research & Development

Halocline is a new partner

The Halocline GmbH & Co. KG and the Digital Capability Center Aachen (DCC) announce a cooperation between the worldwide leading management consultancy McKinsey & Company, the ITA Academy GmbH in cooperation with the RWTH Aachen University and other leading technology companies.

DCC welcomes Halocline as a new partner in the DCC network: Visitors of DCC Aachen can now experience and test the products of the Embodied Engineering Suite.

Embodied Engineering stands for the simplified planning of production processes that can be experienced with the body - with the help of Virtual Reality (VR). The Halocline software package has been on the market since January 2019 and offers new solutions for the manufacturing industry.

One of these VR software solutions is "Boxplan". It offers an environment for layout and workplace design for assembly planning. Boxplan enables the design, testing and optimisation of planning results in virtual reality. The planning of workstations and assembly processes up to the whole factory hall is continuously evaluated by direct experience. The comparison of different concepts, for example by means of the visualisation of movement data, ensures a high quality of results, avoids expensive planning errors and takes efficiency and ergonomics already in the conception into account.

Boxplan complements the technology portfolio and fits the DCC's motto "Explore - Try - Apply".



(c) 2020 ITA Academy GmbH
(c) 2020 ITA Academy GmbH

 

The DCC is a learning factory with a focus on Industry 4.0 manufacturing. Visitors are invited to explore this realistic factory environment to learn first-hand about solutions that companies can use to drive digital transformation, and how such solutions can be used along the entire value chain - from the initial customer inquiry to development, production, delivery and service. In hands-on workshops, participants will discover a systematic and targeted approach to unlock value from Industry 4.0.

The insights gained can be easily applied to a variety of practical applications in a wide range of industries. The DCC is designed to teach workshop participants how to use the latest digital technologies and how to increase productivity by applying them.


More News from Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA)

#Research & Development

Kick-off for the Textile Production of the Future: Establishment of a Textile Technology and Development Centre in Mönchengladbach, Germany

The Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University, together with its partners, is pleased to announce that it has received approval for its joint initiative, ‘Textile Factory 7.0’. The goal of the project is the establishment of a technology and development centre for the textile industry in Mönchengladbach.

#Research & Development

Exchange data between textile companies openly, securely and cost-effectively without a central platform – ITA makes it possible

The Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University has launched a new demonstrator for an open and secure data space in the textile industry at the Digital Innovation Centre Europe (DICE). For the first time, the demonstrator shows directly and clearly how companies can share their data securely with each other without the need for a central platform. Data exchange is based on shared, freely usable technical foundations.

#Research & Development

Sustainable athletic wear made from bio-based Polyethylene

Conventional sports textiles made from petroleum-based synthetic fibres are to be replaced in the future by sustainable, bio-based, cooling textiles. Polyethylene, previously used mainly in the packaging industry, is thus qualified for use in textiles and, as a bio-based drop-in solution, offers a cost-effective, sustainable alternative for the future.

#Research & Development

India, ITA and innovation – enhanced cooperation in research, implementation and bilateral projects such as hydrogen mobility

The Indian Consul General, Dr Shuchita Kishore, visited the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University on 15 December to inspect the joint project between the ITA, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and industrial partners from India and Germany and to tour the ITA.

More News on Research & Development

#Research & Development

Bio-based fibers with good flame retardancy

Fibers made from bio-based plastics reduce dependence on fossil raw materials and promote the circular economy. The covalent bonding of flame-retardant additives can open the way for these fibers to enter the mass market.

#Research & Development

Innovation center for textile circular economy inaugurated

Just over eight months after the foundation stone was laid, the new Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy was officially inaugurated today at TITK Rudolstadt. Thuringia's Minister President Mario Voigt, TITK Director Benjamin Redlingshöfer, and other guests of honor cut the ribbon to the modern building complex and viewed the premises, which are now ready for occupancy. The “DICE – Demonstration and Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy” is TITK's largest single investment to date. The Free State of Thuringia supported the total cost of €11.5 million with €8 million in GRW and FTI funding.

#Research & Development

Sustainable design of Geosynthetics and roof underlayments made from recyclates

Is it possible to recover plastic recyclates from previously unused waste streams in order to produce high-quality fibers and films? How can bio-based polymer fibers be manufactured so as to allow adjustable biodegradability? These are the questions being addressed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE in the Zirk-Tex project.

#Research & Development

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.

Latest News

#Functional Fabrics

“Action helps us change what we do!”

DAY 0 takes place deliberately before PERFORMANCE DAYS begins. It is conceived as a space for reflection, dialogue and active engagement — a moment to pause before the fair, rethink established systems and address sustainability not as a trend, but as a fundamental transformation challenge. Under the guiding metaphor “Turn the Tap Off”, DAY 0 focuses on root causes rather than symptoms, systemic change rather than isolated solutions, and collective responsibility rather than individual silos.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Pets in fashion: functional and sustainable textiles find new market at Intertextile Apparel

China’s pet economy is booming, especially amongst younger generations, and pet apparel – from designer outfits to functional garments – was a RMB 3.5 billion (over USD 500 million) market in 2024, growing more than 20% annually¹. To help exhibitors harness this trend, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2026 will launch the Pet Boutique, presenting a range of innovative, sustainable materials that prioritise both functionality and comfort for pets.

#Sustainability

VAUDE eliminates PFAS from all products

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are now detectable worldwide – in drinking water, soil and the human body. These so-called “forever chemicals” are considered hazardous to health and potentially carcinogenic, as they do not break down and remain in the environment permanently. Despite these risks, PFAS are still used in a wide range of products. More than 15 years ago, VAUDE made a strategic decision to gradually eliminate PFAS from all product categories.

#Man-Made Fibers

Lenzing AG to become majority owner of TreeToTextile AB and accelerates industrialization of new fibers

The Lenzing Group is taking another strategic milestone by acquiring a controlling majority in the Swedish innovation company TreeToTextile AB. This step strengthens Lenzing’s position as a leading provider of sustainable, wood‑based specialty fibers and expands its innovation pipeline with a highly scalable, patent‑protected technology platform. The transaction is executed through the issuance of new shares.

TOP