Nanocoated boards to reduce friction on jacquard harnesses

Tag: jacquard textile AGM Jactex has announced that it plans to introduce nanocoated comber boards which can be attached to jacquard machines harnesses and will ultimately lead to reduced friction on harnesses.In an exclusive interview with fibre2fashion Mr Mark Feer, CEO of the company said “the boards are made from a vulcanized regenerated cellulosic material which makes it more effective as it absorbs a little of the coatings. The harness cords will last longer on account of reducing the abrasion particularly at high speeds.”Mr Feer added “90% of the company’s business was generated from jacquard weaving sector, with rest of the contribution coming from accessories for the general weaving industries.”The company is looking in to coatings being researched at universities across Switzerland that will help reduce friction on the harness, more particularly those set at an angle down from the jacquard textile machines to the loom.AGM Jactex was founded in 1997 from the sale of the textile division of AG Muller. The company has customers in more than 80 countries across the globe.

Twintex Chosen for Vacuum Bag Moulded Thermoplastic Composite Canoe

Tag: vacuum moulding Twintex Technical Fabric has been chosen by German sport and leisure boat builder, Mega Sports Vertriebs, for its new innovative Robson Brook-16 composite canoe. In this application Twintex allowed the boat builder to replace rotomoulding with low investment vacuum bag moulding, to achieve a light weight, high stiffness, abrasive and impact resistant structure that was not subject to part shrinkage during processing. Twintex Technical Fabric comprises commingled E-glass fibres and thermoplastic filaments which, in this particular application, are polypropylene (PP) fibres. The commingling technology also allows a high glass content of up to 80 percent to be achieved, thereby providing for exceptionally strong lightweight parts, while still retaining an even surface finish. A significant environmental advantage of utilizing thermoplastic composites and vacuum bag closed moulding technology is that no emissions are produced during the curing process. Moreover, the material can be recycled at end-of-life when it can be shredded and, in a 50/50 mix with virgin resin, be reused for injection moulding automotive and other applications. Importantly, the combination of Twintex and vacuum bag moulding enables the production of low volume, large thermoplastic composite parts able to meet high mechanical performance and long-life criteria, as well as delivering consistent part quality. This makes it ideal for sport and leisure, niche automotive and marine applications for which high quality is demanded in short production-run parts. To achieve an optimum performance to weight ratio for the application Twintex T PP60 745 AF 1-1, a 60/40 glass to PP grade was selected for the new Robson Brook-16 canoe structure, which measures 488cm long, has a beam of 99cm and depth of 48cm. “We chose Twintex thermoplastic composite because it met all the criteria we set for the new canoe,” says Karl Fischer, Co-owner of Mega Sports Vertriebs. “The material gave a technical look similar to that of carbon with its fusion of performance, style and colour. Its weight is almost the same as an ABS sandwich construction but 30 percent lighter than canoes moulded in PE. The material’s high stiffness and impact and abrasion resistance were also important to prevent damage during transportation and use.” “Customers like the characteristics of the thermoplastic composite canoe because it’s light, strong and equally easy to handle in-water and during portage and also, of course, because it’s an innovative product which is distinct and differentiated from other brands. This positive reaction has led us to consider touring kayaks made of Twintex as a next development in our range,” concluded Fischer. Twintex Technical Fabric is manufactured by Owens Corning in Europe and is supported by a technical centre at Chambéry, France, where a team is available to assist customers to maximize the value-in-use benefits of the company’s range of technical fabrics, reinforcements and specialty products. Twintex, a commingled product based on reinforcement glass fibres and thermoplastic filaments such as PE, PP, PET or PBT is commercially available mainly in the form of rovings, sheets, pellets, and fabrics and used to reinforce plastics for applications in a wide range of end-use markets such as electricity/electronics, construction, automotive, marine and sports and leisure. Following approval by regulatory authorities in Europe and the United States, Owens Corning completed the acquisition of Saint-Gobain's Reinforcements and Composite Fabrics businesses for $640 million on November 1, 2007.

New diaper system a greener alternative

Tag: Lining Cloth Parents riddled with environmental guilt over the seeming indestructibility of disposable diapers and the energy used to wash Lining Cloth diapers now have an alternative.Gdiapers are flushable, compostable diapers that are super-absorbent without being super-nasty landfill lingerers.The gdiaper starter kit is a three-part system: a reusable, washable outer pant, a reusable, washable, snap-in liner and an absorbent inner pad that can be flushed down the toilet or composted.Some work on the part of the flusher is required. The flushable pad needs to be torn open to prevent the contents - farmed tree fluff pulp and super- absorbing sodium polyacrylate - from plugging your toilet. Those innards need to be stirred in the toilet bowl to be sure they break down, but a plastic "swishstick" is included in the starter kit just for that purpose.The company says wet, flushable pads can also be composted, though any solid waste should be flushed. They'll take between 50 and 150 days to biodegrade in a home composter, according to the company's website. In a landfill, where air circulation is poor, the results will be less successful.While it does take some extra effort and cost, using the flushable diapers has advantages beyond helping the environment, says Sarah Thepsouvanh, co-owner of Princess and the Pea, which sells gdiapers. "One great advantage is that you're getting rid of the wet, smelly diapers right away," she says.Some parents use them as an occasional alternative to Lining Cloth diapers, for longer outings or for travelling, when it's not practical to tote around a bunch of soiled diapers, she adds.Gdiapers are available at several local stores, including Princess and the Pea, Planet Organic and Organic Roots. The starter kit, with two Lining Cloth pants, four snap-in liners and 10 flushable refills sells for between $32 and $43, depending on the store. Refill packages with either 32 or 40 flushables (depending on the size) cost between $20 and $26.For more information about gdiapers and to view a video of how they work, go to www.gdiapers.com

Commatech Proves Dmg 5-Axis Is The Solution For Complex Racecar Parts

Over 600 different jobs were produced for the autosport industry in 2007 on DMG of Luton supplied Deckel Maho machines using five-axis universal machining centre technology by CommaTECH (Braye). Each job, of which more than half were new, involved very intricate features in problematical to machine materials such as Titanium, high-grade stainless steels and aircraft alloys using five Deckel Maho DMU 50T, two DMU 50 eVo and the very latest installation, a linear driven DMU 50 eVolinear. CommaTECH (Braye) is a small batch specialist where quantities rarely exceed 10 and are produced out of free issue materials from the leading F1 race teams and their demanding Tier 1 industry suppliers. Such is the level of complexity required that it is not unusual for cycle times on a single part to take eight hours while machining times between two to five hours are more commonplace. According to Managing Director Graham Saunders: “Sometimes a combination of part design, material and the intended function of the part dictate extra special attention.” He was referring to one particular racecar suspension fixing bracket in Titanium that chalked up 40 hours in a single cycle on one of the Deckel Maho machines to produce just one end of the component. The process involved considerable 3-D contouring of the outer form with a cross bore and various holes. However, the pièce de résistance was at the opposite end to the cross bore that involved a fairly narrow, around 12 mm tapered cavity, about 60 mm wide at the mouth and around 75 mm deep with a wall thickness of under 1 mm. The internal cavity, blendings and outside contour had to perfectly smooth without any machining marks being visible. Said Mr Saunders: “Most of the parts we produce will be highly stressed and often have recorded life cycles on the racecar. Almost all are very weight critical involving very narrow sections as they are used on suspensions, in transmissions and as part of the on-board hydraulic systems. Due to their very nature, most are produced out of solid so we combine as many features as possible into a single operation – hence the need for all our machining centres to be highly flexible to enable a five face approach to the job.” He explains further: “Although five-axis can be quicker – especially when lead times are considered, our goal is to maintain very strict geometric relationships of different features and it is the presentation of the tool to the job that is important. We also save on fixturing and the possible introduction of errors that could creep in if we had to relocate the part.” Most toolpaths followed by the Deckel Maho machines have very convoluted 3-D profiles, any numbers of cut outs, reliefs and forms with the added complexity of compound angled features requiring drilling, boring and milling cycles. According to Graham Saunders: “The DMG supplied machines were selected partly for their accuracy and flexibility of positioning, but especially their ability to enable negative angle machining in-cycle. The machines also provide very good tool access but also important in the decision is their excellent track record machining the type of work we produce. We also enjoy the commonality of controls, tooling and machine operation, which is important on the shopfloor, and the Deckel Maho design only requires a small footprint which helps on space requirements. The specialist operation of CommaTECH (Braye), which has a turnover of some £2M, shares the facilities of another group division CommaTECH (Hertford). This division has the capability to provide a complete project management service from its 60,000 ft² facility covering design, prototyping, pre to full production machining involving sheetmetal, fabrication, assembly CNC machining and power press work. Both business operations at Hertford are part of the CommaTECH group of companies that has, as its focus, high precision machining. The group employs 500 people with sales of some £40M. Other group businesses include CommaTECH (Northampton), CommaTECH (Leicester) and CommaTECH Holdings based in Birmingham. Within the group, DMG of Luton has installed eight five-axis machines at Braye and another DMU 50 eVolinear at Northampton to produce racecar engine components. Prior to the acquisition by the CommaTECH group and relocation in Hertford with the name change to CommaTECH (Braye), Braye Precision operated out of Cricklewood and built a track record of component supply to motorsport, medical and aerospace industries over some 40 years. Today, 95 per cent of production is motorsport orientated with just five per cent or so going to aerospace. Programming of the five-axis machines is totally dedicated to Open Mind HyperMILL® with only minor edits or offsets carried out on the machines. Solid carbide tooling predominates with the facility of a small toolroom alongside the main machine shop to easily alter radii and forms on tooling to meet the varying requirements of the different race teams. General tolerances vary according to the customer and intended use of the part. Most vary between 0.02 mm and ±0.05 mm with positional tolerances within 0.05 mm. However, 12 and 15 micron limits are very common on critical parts and, of course, due to the focus in avoidance of stress points plus the production of porting and sealing faces on hydraulic components, surface finishes are always strictly monitored. This means that speeds, feeds, step-over and depth of cut are always critical but according to Graham Saunders, the inherent rigidity of the machine and axis drive performance plays an important part. To ensure machines are maintained in a fully capable state, CommaTECH (Braye) has recently engaged DMG to progressively refurbish and upgrade the drive systems on its five DMU 50T machines on site which have all seen six years of sterling service. The latest DMU 50 eVolinear, like the other DMU 50 machines, uses the flexible concepts of a universal milling machine to provide the capability of a vertical machining centre for five-face tool to component positioning. Here, CommaTECH makes good use of the 500 mm by 380 mm dynamic swivelling NC table that has a 40 revs/min rotational speed and a swivelling range in the B-axis for machining at angles between 0º and 100º. Travel in the X-axis is 500 mm while, through linear drive technology, rapid traverse speeds of 80 m/min can be achieved with an acceleration of 10 m/sec² giving a major advantage when repositioning the tool during 3-D contouring. Travels in Y-axis are 450 mm and 400 mm in Z. Again ideal for autosport work, when machining materials as tough as Titanium, 6ALV4, 1M1318, and 7075 aircraft alloys and 13.8 PH and 17.4 stainless steels, is the rigidity and power at the spindle. Here, according to Mr Saunders, the 35 kW spindle drive, that has the benefit of 130 Nm of torque and a rigid HSK-A63 tool mounting, is ideal. Also with 18,000 revs/min available, aluminium components can also be machined if required and very small tools used to best advantage. CommaTECH has the 30 tool magazine fitted as standard to the machine that creates a chip-to-chip time within 5 secs, and control is via Heidenhain iTNC530 control with DNC linking to the off-line programming centre nearby.

Saving Australian water

Tag: water filling machine "Water is precious and we've got to realise that water's not always there. You need to save it," says Sonia, a pupil at Wattle Park Primary School in Melbourne. That is the lesson children in Melbourne are learning every day. After 10 years of drought, water restrictions have always been part of their lives. When they wake up they use timers to take two minute showers, and collect the water in buckets so it can be re-used in the garden. At school they have "scarecrow monitors" whose job it is to oversee the filling of more buckets from under the drinking taps to water the school vegetable patch. Their teacher, Randall Simons, says every drop is now watched carefully, at school and at home. "You can't wash your car, you can only clean your windshield and wing mirrors and side windows. It's a daily impact really." Climate change Australians are among the highest per capita consumers of water in the world. For decades, city dwellers have been used to freely topping up the family swimming pool and hosing their gardens to keep them green. [Drought has] been the barbecue conversation for the past five years Tom Hatton, CSIRO But nearly 90% of Australia's population now live in cities, and the dams and rivers simply cannot keep up with demand. The consensus in the scientific community is that the drought is just one indicator of longer term climate change in Australia, making what is already the most arid continent on the planet even hotter and drier. According to environmental campaigner and Australian Man of the Year Tim Flannery, the country's rivers have been suffering a double whammy. "What's happened as Australia has warmed over the past three or four decades is that not only are we getting less rainfall, but the soils have warmed up, which means any rain that does fall is more likely to evaporate." The drought has sharply focused minds on water use and supply. "It's been the barbecue conversation for the past five years," says Tom Hatton who oversees the Water for Healthy Future Flagship at CSIRO, Australia's national scientific research organisation. He believes managing urban water is about both reducing demand and finding new water supplies. Desalination and sewage recycling plants are already on the increase, and Dr Hatton is excited about innovative developments to make better use of the water that Australia has. "We're looking at opportunities to use groundwater systems as underground dams that can be artificially refilled when water is in surplus," he says. Such technological solutions require significant investment, so water prices are predicted to double in the next few years. 'Smarter irrigation' Interviewed shortly before his recent death, Australia's "Water Tsar", Peter Cullen, said pricing would be key to managing demand. Watering the garden has become a sensitive issue "Water has been too cheap, people have to learn to appreciate its real value," he said. But that means better monitoring of water use; for example, controlling the spread of private boreholes and encouraging smarter irrigation systems. In many Australian cities, 40% of mains water is used in gardens, and the water restrictions are having a big impact in reducing this. Installation of domestic rainwater tanks is fast becoming the norm. Rob Adams of Melbourne City Council believes the restrictions are here to stay. "The interesting thing is that the population actually adapts quite quickly. If everyone thinks everyone else is suffering under the same restrictions, they'll happily do it and become quite proud and innovative, so I think we shouldn't be squeamish putting regulations in place." Canberra resident Sharon Boggan agrees. "It has become socially unacceptable to be seen using too much water so the challenge becomes, OK, what can I glean from my washing machine?" And in Brisbane, where residents are currently on the highest "Level 6" restrictions - which limit their personal consumption to just 140 litres a day (less than two bathfuls) - the campaign towards change has been remarkably successful. Leading the way Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made water a key priority of his administration, and other countries are watching closely to see what they might learn. The government has also just announced a $250m (£140m) investment in domestic water recycling. "When climate change begins to impact on water supplies, it does so in a far more rapid and dramatic manner than any of the experts ever predicted. That's why everyone must be proactive," says Ross Young, executive director of the Water Services Association. Back in the classroom of Wattle Park primary school, one of the children, Melissa, is clear about what all the water-saving steps mean. "It'll be very good to make sure that we have the same resources we had when we were younger so that we can keep saving them for future generations."

About HighManufacture

About HighManufacture

HighManufacture Co. Ltd. (www.himfr.com) was established in October 2005, is one of the world's fastest-growing B2B 2.0 platforms. The use of advanced search engine technology and trade comparison model for multinational enterprises provide accurate procurement easy-to-use search tools, simple clear message here from the various user interface and an objective evaluation to help global buyers in the world quickly search, evaluating the best products and suppliers, realizing the one-stop services.


Based on international procurement chain-depth study and analysis, HighManufacture established a set of practical information search and comparison tools, more than 80 million around the world in English website analysis of business information, achieve more than 10 million products index can be from more than 5 million worldwide supplier of rapid assessment, the average international procurement to enhance the efficiency of more than 50 percent. Has attracted over 2 million international buyers use of the international B2B platform easy to search and issued Lead day match effectively promote international trade more than 3,000.


Since its inception, the HighManufacture has successfully attracted Goldman Sachs, New Horizon and Sequoia input more than 8 million dollars in venture capital, is the fastest growing leader in the new generation of B2B.

Our mission is to simple the international trade.
· To simple the international trade.
· Provided top platform for global buyers and Chinese Suppliers
· Help buyers & suppliers to conduct businesses online effectively & efficiently.