Sustainable design requires individual metrics

“There is no doubt the world is warming,” says Mar Ricketts, principal and founder of GuildWorks in Portland, Ore., which specializes in permanent tension fabric structures. Ricketts considers climate change a market opportunity for people in the shade and comfort industry. In the Expo 2022 session “Warming Earth: The Need for Sustainably Designed and Built [...]

By |2022-10-17T11:23:35-05:00October 20, 2022|

IFAI Expo: Shade sail engineering software

On Nov. 2, 2021, at IFAI Expo in Nashville, Tenn., Timothy Akes, representative for the Americas, MPanel Software Solutions, and Andrew Askwith, senior software developer, MPanel Software Solutions, presented the education session “Shade Sail Engineering—It’s Not Just a Bunch of Numbers.” According to Akes, there is a tendency for shade sail engineering to be relegated [...]

By |2021-11-02T12:28:32-05:00November 2, 2021|

Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021

Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won't want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end [...]

By |2021-05-10T15:14:59-05:00May 10, 2021|

Standard for active illumination developed in Europe

In a session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, “Smart Textiles Standardization, Active Illumination,” Dr. Jan Beringer, senior scientific expert Hohenstein Group, explained the new standard for active illumination that will soon be implemented in European Union countries.  Organizations worked together to develop the standards. It is notable, he said that both textile and electronics industries [...]

By |2020-11-16T13:07:16-06:00November 16, 2020|

Rapid prototyping = faster market launch

A presentation at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, titled, “Rapid Prototyping and Textile Product Development” urged attendees to use “sticks and glue … whatever method you have to get your idea out there.” The presenter, Dr. Andre West, director of the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE), Wilson College of Textiles, NC State University, may not have meant [...]

By |2020-11-16T13:06:15-06:00November 16, 2020|

The larger issues in respiratory protection

Dr. Bryran Ormond, assistant professor, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State explained respiratory protection in an “Ask an Expert” session with Jing Liang, Medical PPE Consulting LLC. Dr. Ormand has typically worked in the area of chemical and biological protective equipment, but with the onslaught of the pandemic, began to focus on respiratory protection generally, [...]

By |2020-11-12T13:04:24-06:00November 12, 2020|

Rodgers: Textiles are the “T” in STEM

How do you create a channel from research to application? How do you create a pathway toward understanding complex human problems across supply chains and market sectors? STEM—a curriculum based on teaching science, technology, engineering and math—has branched out from basic chemistry and biology and physics classes, into collaborative efforts, including textiles, according to Stephanie [...]

By |2020-11-11T21:35:18-06:00November 11, 2020|

Partnerships in smart textile products

The second week of IFAI’s Virtual Expo 2020 advanced textiles educational sessions began with a presentation that illustrated the importance of collaboration. “Smart textiles for healthcare and wellbeing: a collaborative approach” had three presenters speaking from different perspectives, but with one, unified message about reaching across geographical distance and areas of expertise to create successful [...]

By |2020-11-11T16:17:33-06:00November 11, 2020|

Welding technology for your business

During IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, Jeff Sponseller, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Miller Weldmaster, led a campfire session titled “How to Select the Correct Welding Technology for Your Business.” “Essentially a good weld means that the fabric will tear before the weld does,” says Sponseller. Many types of different materials can be [...]

By |2020-11-10T22:12:40-06:00November 11, 2020|
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