#Yarn & Fiber

2020-06-18

DOMO to stop and close BOPA production at Leuna plant

DOMO Chemicals, a leading producer of high-quality engineering materials for a diverse range of markets, has announced plans to stop and close its third line of Biaxally Oriented PA films (BOPA) from DOMO in Leuna (Germany), effective from August 2020. Affected employees have been informed and other operations at the Leuna plant will not be impacted by the move. The difficult decision was reached as a result of global overcapacity for nylon films.

Biaxally Oriented PA films (BOPA) production at DOMO’s Leuna (Germany) plant to be stopped and closed during summer 2020

DOMO’s Nylon Film business has proven to be a key asset, serving essential market segments during COVID-19 period: Italian branch, DOMO Film Solutions Spa (DFS), will keep on operating its Cesano Maderno BOPA and CPA plants and continue serving the market, without impacts for customers and suppliers

DOMO Chemicals maintains its Nylon 6 core operations hub in Leuna, continuously developing sustainable and innovative solutions for EP and other key industries worldwide

Attilio Annoni, Managing Director at DFS states: “In these extraordinary circumstances of high business volatility, we have opted to continue to focus on quality and flexibility through cautious and smart asset management, rather than reacting with short-term volume strategies.”

With the acquisition of Solvay’s European PA66 business at the beginning of this year, DOMO Chemicals has become a leading integrated Nylon 6 and 66 player worldwide. Despite the current market slowdown, which is affecting the automotive and other industrial segments served by DOMO’s “Polymers & Intermediates” and “Engineering Materials” units, the company remains on course to achieve its global growth objectives. These include, among others, the continued development of sustainable solutions for customers, in accordance with the highest corporate, social and environmental responsibility standards.

DOMO to stop and close BOPA production at Leuna plant. (c) 2020 Domo

DOMO’s Nylon Film business remains a key asset. It forms an integral part of the supply chains related to segments such as pharmaceuticals, medical, and food packaging, which have all proven to be so essential during the COVID-19 period.

“We continue to focus on flexibility and competitiveness, and have not been impacted in how we support our customers in successfully meeting current and future market challenges with specialized and sustainable solutions. As ever we will continue to partner with our customers in developing and supplying nylon films for high performing and sustainable flexible packaging structures,” Mr Annoni concludes.

“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.

Expansive innovations converge in Shanghai as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 opens doors next week

With just days to go, industry enthusiasm is building for the opening of Yarn Expo Autumn, Asia’s premier yarn and fibre trade fair, running from 25 – 27 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Across 27,000 sqm in Hall 8.2, buyers will find nearly 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, spread across seven specialised zones that range from cutting-edge man-made and regenerated fibres to time-honoured cashmere and silk. Beyond the extensive sourcing options, a fringe programme of trend showcases, presentations and product launches rounds out the three¬day event with design, innovation and market intelligence.

Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

HeiQ & Archroma and Lenzing & Armedangels win ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named two industry partnerships as winners of the ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026. The awards go to collaborations between HeiQ and Archroma as well as Lenzing and Armedangels, highlighting joint approaches to innovation and sustainability across different parts of the textile value chain.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.