Techtextil to present latest innovations in technical textiles

February 28, 2013 - Germany

From 11 to 13 June 2013, Techtextil will present the latest innovations from the fields of technical textiles, nonwovens and functional apparel textiles all together at the same time and place.

As in previous years, the leading international trade fair will be accompanied by the 17th Techtextil Symposium and the 7th Avantex Symposium with interesting lectures on the latest trends in the sector. High-ranking international speakers will present the newest product, material and technological developments. EURATEX - European Apparel and Textile Confederation - has once again agreed to be the patron of the two symposiums. The detailed programme will be published in April.

“The Techtextil and Avantex Symposiums have been the main platforms for manufacturers from the textile and apparel manufacturing industries and their users for many years”, explains Michael Jänecke, Director Brand Management Technical Textiles / Techtextil, and adds, “What makes our programme so special is the orientation towards practical applications. All presentations focus on specific uses for the innovation.”

The lectures and discussions revolve around the latest global trends, such as functionality, lightweight construction, mobility and sustainability. Altogether, visitors and exhibitors can choose from 66 different Techtextil and Avantex lectures.

Techtextil and Avantex Symposiums with innovative themes The Techtextil Symposium begins on Tuesday, 11 June, with a lecture block on ‘Textile technology goes sustainable’ chaired by Dr Thomas Stegmaier of ITV Denkendorf – Institute of Textile Technology and Process Engineering. The subjects to be covered include sustainable fibre production with bacteria and fungi and environmentally friendly polyurethane emulsions for water-repellent textile finishes.

The second lecture block to be held on the Tuesday of the fair is entitled ‘Towards sustainable technical textiles’. Dr Klaus Jansen, Director of the Textile Research Board (Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V.), will chair the lectures on biodegradable PLA tapes, solar-thermal active membranes and other innovative subjects.

On Wednesday, 12 June, Braz Costa of CITEVE, Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias téxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal, will chair lectures on ‘Smart materials and flexible electronics’ covering, inter alia, new heatable and electroluminescent textiles. Techtextil Symposium closes on Thursday with a special lecture block on new areas of application for ‘Textile reinforced concrete’, which will be chaired by Dr Silvio Weiland of Torkret Substanzbau AG and Dr Norbert Will of RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Structural Concrete.

Other future-oriented subjects at the Techtextil Symposium include: ‘New developments in fibres and fibre-based composites’, ‘Finishing and surface modification,’ ‘Lightweight technical textile structures’ and ‘New processes’. The various lectures and discussions will be chaired by renowned experts Dr Jan Laperre of Centexbel Gent, Zwijnaard, Belgium, Prof Marijke Mollaert of Vrije Universiteit Brussels / Belgium and Prof Roshan Shishoo of Shishoo Consulting AB, Askom, Sweden.

The Avantex Symposium is concerned with innovations in the apparel industry and research. The main theme on Tuesday, 11 June, is ‘Smart textiles – from research to products’. Dr Hartmut Strese of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH and Sabine Gimpel of TITV Textile Research Institute (Textilforschungsinstitut Thüringen-Vogtland e.V. – TITV), Greiz, will chair the two lecture blocks, which include lectures on illuminating textiles, textile sensors and new, multi-functional auxetic structures. The symposium closes on the Wednesday of the fair with a lecture block on ‘Apparel designed for function and protection’. Among the subjects covered will be heat-sensitive additives and breathable membranes.

About Texprocess
Techtextil is held concurrently with Texprocess, Leading International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials, and runs from 10 to 13 June 2013. At Texprocess, manufacturers from all over the world present their high-tech solutions for the apparel industry and textile processing. The spectrum of products ranges from design, pattern development and cutting, via sewing and joining, to embroidery, textile finishing, IT and logistics. The première of Texprocessin in 2011 attracted 326 exhibitors and 17,000 trade visitors, 6,500 of them from Techtextil.