Itma to be held in Spain from June 20 to 26, 2019, will feature companies that use new and emerging textile technology. One is Natural Fiber Welding that uses a closed loop platform to fuse fibers together without denaturing the natural polymers of the fibers. The technology hinges on a key technical insight that the glue that holds cellulose molecules in cotton together – intermolecular forces – can be extended from within a fiber to bridge surrounding neighboring fibers. The technology uses intrinsically safe salt-based chemistries to activate fibers to controllably fuse them together (using no resins, glues, or synthetic plastics) to make new materials. The salt is then continuously reclaimed and recycled making the process closed loop.
Software Automation is a US-based company that’s disrupting the sewn products industry by creating autonomous sewbots that use artificial intelligence to automate garment and footwear production. Software uses machine vision to map fabric and robotics to steer the fabric through the needle. This is the critical step to creating rapid reaction urban manufacturing anywhere in the world regardless of the supply of cheap labor.
Wider is a company that provides diagnostic tools such as workers’ mobile phones to track and encourage improvement in labor practices along the textile supply chain.
