Campfires

Student Winners of the Advanced Textiles Student Design Competition
Gregory Jones, Shelter Structures

Support and be inspired by the future of the industry. The Advanced Textiles Products (ATP) and Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI) sponsor a competition that challenges students in the textile industry to create an original design and prototype for a safety product which will protect bodies or property from hazardous conditions. Come hear about the winning project as well as meet the students who designed it!

Gregory Jones, Shelter Structures

Large Tensioned Fabric Structures (TFS) have more in common with the traditional building construction process than with “tents” when it comes to large Design/Build projects. However, too often the agents tasked with writing the specification, or with overseeing the installation, do not have sufficient product knowledge to operate effectively and efficiently. Join with Gregory Jones of Shelter Structures Inc., as he takes you on a fun-filled, interactive journey through a recent 40,000 square foot installation for a military customer. Laugh at some of the customer-side conceptions, cry at the unnecessary excess costs, and take away some lessons to help you educate your next prospect.

Alan Fenno, Rubberlite, Inc.

Ok, so what? What is it about this type of technology that makes it interesting enough to get you to read this far? Although rotary screen technology is absolutely not new or unknown within the textile world, it remains relatively obscure and overlooked within the coating and lamination sectors of a wide range of markets. The various (and sometimes subtle) features, benefits and advantages of this technology will be examined during this session. Attendees will leave with an enhanced understanding pertaining to:

– Substrate types and constructions
– Patterns, designs and blotches
– Add-on control and consistency
– 3D and tactile effects
– Performance properties

Objective is not to try and convince that this is the best technology to use for these processes, but rather to highlight how and when it might be considered as an alternative to the numerous traditional and mainstream methods that are predominantly used today.

Apurba Banerjee, brrr° Inc

The world of cooling performance fabrics and related products is currently booming. Despite all the advances we have made in understanding the science behind performance textiles, there is a cloud of misinformation and a disparity between what we think functional textiles are and what they truly are. This session revolves busting a few myths around cooling textiles and a peek into future technologies that are set to revolutionize the industry of cool.
The key takeaways are:

1. Misconceptions around cooling – moisture management and cooling
2. Factors involved in enhancing cooling and thermoregulation
3. Types of cooling technologies for textiles
4. Where are we today?
5. The future of cool

Ed Keough, FutureGuard
Will your business survive in this new “digital world”? The answer is YES but it’s up to you. This session will provide some insight into basic marketing and customer acquisition tools that are critical in assuring your business will survive and prosper in this digital age.

Ronnie Bell, Chemical Fabrics & Film Association (CFFA)

The manufacturers of coated fabrics used in commercial upholstery applications, through membership in the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association, support a process of total quality management and continuous improvement in their products, processes and services. These fabrics are engineered to meet a wide variety of requirements. To that end, an industry-developed standard references minimum performance criteria and test methods to promote product performance, facility quality control and assure customer satisfaction.

At the end of the session, attendees will be able to:

1. Explain how the chemical and structural composition of chemical coated fabrics make them a sound choice for commercial seating applications both functionally and aesthetically.
2. Cite an industry-developed standard that sets the bar for coated fabrics to withstand the normal conditions of commercial use, and its referenced test methods.
3. Identify the wide range of surface treatments that can be achieved using coated fabrics.

Jeff Rasmussen, IFAI

This presentation of the advanced textiles market update focuses on the U.S. Advanced Textile Products (ATP) marketplace. The presentation will provide a definition for the Advanced Textile Products market and specify the key market segments in it. It will also cover key aspects of the U.S. ATP market—including the state of the U.S. ATP market, the percentage breakout of market segment shares in the ATP market, market growth, trends, opportunities, threats, and market outlook.

The advanced textiles market update presentation will be delivered by IFAI’s Director of Market Research, Jeffrey Rasmussen—who has more than 20 years of market research experience. For the last 11 years, Rasmussen’s work at IFAI has included researching and writing the annual State of the Industry published in IFAI’s Specialty Fabrics Review magazine. He has also been a speaker at a number of industry events over the past several years.

Wayne Rendely PE

Introduction to the recently published Standard for Tensile Membrane Structures.

• Design LRFD vs. ASD
• Air Houses
• Tear Propagation

Barbara Griffith, SCL Equipment Finance a Division of Southern California Leasing Inc.

Learn how to acquire capital for your business and differentiate between the different types of funding you need to jumpstart your company’s growth. Find out what lenders look for in a loan application and how they determine a business’ borrowing power. Topics will include the various types of funding sources, A/R financing, working capital and equipment lines of credit.

You will Learn:
• Where to find your capital
• Where to acquire a line of credit
• Finding capital to replace older equipment so you can automate
• Bank Loans vs. Equipment Financing
• New Guidelines for raising capital

Darrel Collier, Tecnon Orbichem

Presentation will cover near term prospects (6-18 months) for fiber and polymer in terms of supply, demand and pricing and how those trends might impact industrial fabric production costs.

Attendees should leave with the understanding:
1. Global fiber and polymer macro trends
2. Impact of crude oil on fiber and polymer markets
3. Specific (regional) fiber and polymer supply and demand and how this might impact fabric production costs near term

Michael Sullaway, P.E., Sullaway Engineering, Inc.

This presentation will be an overview of engineering principles for awnings, canopies, shade sails, etc. Attendees will gain valuable insight into what it takes to ensure the safety, durability and longevity of properly engineered fabric covered structures.

Topics Covered:
– Loads & load analysis (wind, snow, live, seismic)
– Anchorage
– Members: Material & Shape
– Code Requirements

Jeff Rasmussen, IFAI

The specialty fabrics market update presentation will provide an overview of the U.S. and Canadian specialty fabrics market; the overview will be presented using short profiles for seven U.S. and Canadian specialty fabrics market segments in 2017-2018—with an emphasis on the United States. Market profiles will include key features for each market segment such as growth rates, developments, and growth projections. Market segments include:
– Marine
– Fabric Graphics
– Military
– Narrow Fabrics
– Geosynthetics
– Tarpaulins and truck covers
– Equipment (industrial fabric)

The specialty fabrics market update presentation will be delivered by IFAI’s Director of Market Research, Jeffrey Rasmussen—who has more than 20 years of market research experience. For the last 11 years, Rasmussen’s work at IFAI has included researching and writing the annual State of the Industry published in IFAI’s Specialty Fabrics Review magazine. He has also been a speaker at a number of industry events over the past several years.

Marie O’Mahoney, O’MAHONEY CONSULTANCY

Famous for 15 minutes. Do the creative industries bring a dollar value to e-textiles, or simply a moment of fame? In this fireside chat we look at some of the ways that science fiction, film, art and fashion design have furthered R&D in new materials, their application and consumer acceptance of the new.

Madeleine MacRae, MM MacRae Coaching & Consulting

Do you know why your clients love working with you? What REALLY brings them back to your business? Makes them refer their colleagues?
Whether you’re trying to stand out in a crowded market or trying to capture more business from your already loyal clients, sharpening your competitive edge is the key to sustainable growth.

We will explore key considerations which will allow attendees to:
1. Evaluate the baseline of your competitive edge.
2. Explore the most significant place to look for your authentic advantage.
3. Reimagine what truly makes you unique.

Keith Soya, Zund America, Inc.

Cutting system look different but how are they really different? Single ply cutters have evolved to perform more operations and fit into more production markets than ever before. Here is how it happened.

1. Brief explanation of the origin of the single ply cutter.
2. The place in the cutting room for single ply cutting.
3. How the cutter has become a key tool in the Lean Manufacturing evolution as a measurement tool for your production.
4. How to increase the effectiveness of your cutting room and reduce cost.

Mareesa Fredrick, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
Clara Jimenez, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP

Advanced textile companies may look at technology acquisitions as a way to fast-track its growth. The complex nature of the assets to be transferred raises a number of critical IP concerns companies should investigate and evaluate in the process. The speakers will share common IP issues that arise in conducting technology acquisitions, and questions and practical strategies to avoid them.

Jeff Sponseller, Miller Weldmaster

Weld or Sew? Our industry has been built on the sewing machine assembling canvas products for our end customers. However, welding technology is quickly becoming the most prevalent way of putting products together. Although both sewing and welding technologies provide a similar outcome, the real bottleneck for most production is fabric handling.

Attendees will learn the following:
• the multiple types of welding technologies available in our industry.
• simple solutions for improving material handling.
• when to sew … when to weld.
• current trends with welding and sewing manufacturing.

Danielle Iverson, TÜV Rheinland of North America

Increased regulatory action on chemicals and consumer products containing regulated chemicals are having a growing impact on the industrial fabrics industry. This session will provide an overview of U.S. federal and state chemical regulations impacting the industry, and the steps manufacturers and brands can take to mitigate risk.

Madison Maxey, LOOMIA Technologies, Inc.
Madison will share key findings, experiments, and results from the last five years of building the LOOMIA Electronic Layer. This presentation will review our 5 years of research and the resulting philosophy we use to make e-textiles market-ready. From research to certification, this presentation is an in-depth share-all, exposing data and information about how our LEL (LOOMIA Electronic Layer) came to be.Takeaways:
1. Washability tests and outcomes.
2. Teardowns from market products and analysis that lead to our philosophy on e-textile construction.
3. Overview of failed experiments that we can all learn from.
4. A robust understanding of how complex e-textiles production can be and some of the main issues.

Alan Stewart, MPanel Software Solutions LLC
Shade Sail technology is little understood and mostly underestimated. As a result, too many shade sails don’t last as long or look as good as they should.In this session you will learn:
• Why is shape so important and how to achieve it
• What is a Catenary and how it works
• Correct patterning of shade sails

Chris Jorgensen, IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries

Description coming soon.

Student Winners of the Fabric Structures Student Design Competition

Support and be inspired by the future of the industry – the Fabric Structures Association (FSA) sponsors a competition that challenges students in the design/architectural industry to explore a variety of design issues that could incorporate the use of fabric in design. Come hear about the winning project, as well as meet the students who designed it!

Torey Heinz, Teagles Consulting
What does it take to shorten your lead times? From production to projects, the key to reducing your lead times is streamlining your workflow. This session will introduce you to one of the leading causes of poor workflow, and a counterintuitive solution that is really common sense.Key Takeaways:
1. Identify how poor workflow is affecting your lead times.
2. Recognize the true benefit of shortening your lead times.
3. Learn a simple solution.

Martin Denney, Bondcote Corporation, a HEYTex Group Company

Double Wall fabric technology has enabled new market opportunities for lightweight, inflatable products that are easy to transport yet rigid and dimensionally stable when inflated. Its appearance, apparent strength, and favorable adhesion properties makes it an attractive alternative to traditional inflatable solutions. Attendees will leave this session having learned:
1. Double Wall 101: The basics of double wall fabric.
2. Features and benefits of double wall fabric.
3. Existing and potential product applications.
4. How to fabricate with double wall fabric.

Brydon Roe, Shade Sails Canada

Do’s and don’ts of shade sails, from structure to flying sails.
• Gain a better understanding of material choices, which shade cloth to use, which not
• Posts and footings, what to use and how to do it
• Learn from the experts – we have made the mistakes
• Learn how to build the quality structures that will help you grow your business

Kalen Caple, Wolff Industries Inc.

General Scissors Overview:
1. Choosing the right scissors for the right job.
2. The importance of having a sharp pair of scissors and maintaining them.
3. Bent scissors vs. straight scissors.
4. Old vs. new technology.

James Zahler, ARPA-E
ARPA-E’s “Delivering Efficient Local Thermal Amenities” (DELTA) program seeks to develop thermal management systems to expand the temperature ranges building occupants consider to be comfortable, dramatically reducing the energy consumption for conditioning indoor environments.
This talk will provide an overview of ARPA-E and the DELTA program concept and review the technology developed by DELTA researchers including:
• University of Maryland’s Meta-Cooling Textile that responds to wearer temperature and moisture levels.
• Otherlab’s Kestrel Passive Thermo-Adaptive Textile where fiber geometries are optimized to adjust the textile’s insulation and breathability properties based on ambient temperature.
• University of California at San Diego’s Adaptive Textiles Technology with Active Cooling & Heating (ATTACH) smart textile that employs both active electrically powered and passive mechanisms to heat transport through the garment.
• University of California at Irvine’s Thermo-comfort Cloth based on a tunable thermoregulatory fabric that leverages established capabilities of space blankets to modulate a wearer’s radiant heat production.

Mark Stiver, Glen Raven

Fabrication technology is constantly evolving to improve user experience, help users visualize projects before installation, and increase operating efficiencies. During this session, attendees will gain a better understanding of what technology is available, its possibilities and how it can improve the bottom line.

Attendees will leave with the ability to see how technology is changing the way we approach business, understand different types of industry-leading technologies that help save time and money and discern which of these technologies are a good fit for my business.

Leanne Luce, Voodoo Manufacturing

The fashion industry is undergoing massive change because of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This presentation walks through the ways in which AI is currently being used in the fashion industry, how it works and where it is headed. Leaving this session, you will be an expert on:
1. The ways in which the fashion industry is adopting AI at every layer of the value chain.
2. How AI works from a technical perspective (at a high level).
3. Where this field is headed as it pertains to fashion.
4. How you can begin to implement AI in your department.

Frank Keohan, Bolger & O’Hearn, Inc.

Current outdoorwear fabrics run the performance gamut from no rain protection to rain resistant to fully waterproof. How can you combine the breathability of traditional DWR-treated unlaminated fabric with the rain-defeating protection of laminates and coated fabrics?

Stormproof/breathable fabrics offer the promise of wearer comfort and extended rain protection. The evolution of water repellent technology and the development of advanced rainwear fabrics will be presented in the session. Attendees will learn the basics behind repellent finishes and be introduced to the evolving technology in this product space including:

• Fluorochemical and fluorine-free repellents
• Test methods for water and storm repellency
• Description of “stormproof/breathable” performance
• Fabric construction and finish sustainability issues
• Applications for stormproof/breathable fabrics

Torey Heinz, Teagles Consulting

Streamlining your workflow will not only increase your bottom line, but it will also simplify your life. This session will cover some tools and techniques that won’t take much time to implement and can produce quick results.

Some items we will cover are:
• Take time to clean-up daily
• The power of saying no
• “Sharpen” your tools
• Use a kitchen timer
• Know your mode

Jacob Blackburn, American & Efirds

Companies that do not innovate, generally do not succeed. We will examine process and product innovations in the marketplace today and discuss the rise of sustainability and increasing importance of supply chain accountability. Navigate your way through the ever-evolving thread industry with useful technology information and tools.

Margueritte Ramos, ShadeFLA

Description coming soon.

Sara Beatty, White Haven Trade
Lloyd Wood, Lloyd Wood GroupUSIFI and NFI advocate for our legislative and regulatory needs. Hear a recap of their activities in Washington on policy items of interest and gain an outlook on both ongoing and upcoming policy challenges that will affect the industry.

Stephanie Rodgers, Apex Mills

During this campfire session:
• Spead-storming – a newer technique designed to inspire transdisciplinary thoughts into mindful new ideas will be discussed. A step by step description of the inputs and possible outcomes.
• Proto-knitting – a 3-month rapid development service enabled with speed-storming to jump start an e-textile project.

Matthew Neri, Markilux North America Inc.

This course provides an overview of exterior retractable shading systems, including the components, finishes, design, and, specification considerations. We will discuss how shading strategies contribute to healthier living conditions in a constantly evolving environment.
Learning Objective 1: Identify the advantages of integrating exterior shading systems into architectural design conversations to increase outdoor living.

Learning Objective 2: The benefits of shade structures on personal health, and UV protection.

Learning Objective 3: Discuss how the use of shade can positively impact thermal comfort and energy efficiency.

Learning Objective 4: Explain the types of exterior shading systems, common components, and finishes of exterior shading systems.

Join us for an illuminating presentation about the latest member benefit from IFAI. In “Data-Driven Procurement & Consulting”, we’ll go into an in-depth look at how APPI Energy’s program can help your company can save time and money during the energy procurement experience, drive down electricity and natural gas prices by utilizing competition and secure competitive rates with ease, at no upfront cost or obligation to purchase.

Dave Nelson, NC State University, NonWovens Institute

Today’s nonwovens fabrics are highly engineered and versatile materials which, in many cases, are a perfect solution for a multitude of industrial fabrics applications either as a substitute for traditional textile fabrics, or a stand-alone solution. Nonwovens continue to evolve as a unique technology offering innovative functionalities for challenging problems. This session will discuss the current state of the nonwovens industry and technology advances along with valuable insights into the applications of nonwovens for the industrial fabrics markets.

Tim Kellogg, Capital City AwningAre your customers asking for shade and you would like an alternative to a shade sail or a retractable awning? Consider a cable-slide shade, especially if your customer has an existing structure like a pergola.

A cable-side shade:
1. provides shade for your customer only when they want it,
2. is self-storing,
3. and is easy to fabricate and install (more profit for you).

Attendees will leave with basic understanding of when to recommend a cable-side shade system, how it operates, how to fabricate and install it and how to manage their customers’ expectations regarding it.

Magda Ronnigen, IFAI

Learn about the Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) and the new grant opportunity for companies to fund new trainees and new talent including sewing operators, manufacturing and operations talent and more. Engage in an industry workforce discussion about talent and hiring with other workshop attendees.

Marc Jolly, Norafin Industries

Spunlace products are usually used in disposable or semi disposable application. Through the unique combination of card and spunlace technology, Norafin is able to push the boundary of the usage of the non-woven. Norafin would like to present the technology settings and the product advantages in the field of protection, filtration and technical application.

The attendee will leave the session being able to
1. explain a spunlace technology set up for technical textile.
2. present the advantages of this technology in different markets.
3. display the potential further development within reach of this technology.

Jeff Rasmussen, IFAI

The shade market update presentation will provide an overview of the U.S. and Canadian shade market in 2017-2018; the overview will focus on key features for three market segments: 1) Awnings and canopies, 2) Fabric structures, 3) Tent rental and manufacturing. Key features covered in each market segment will include: 2017 growth rates and projections for 2018, market developments, trends, opportunities, threats, and market outlook.

The shade market update presentation will be delivered by IFAI’s Director of Market Research, Jeffrey Rasmussen—who has more than 20 years of market research experience. For the last 11 years, Rasmussen’s work at IFAI has included researching and writing the annual State of the Industry published in IFAI’s Specialty Fabrics Review magazine. He has also been a speaker at a number of industry events over the past several years.

Luisa Gil Fandino, University of Texas at Austin

• Mixing traditional fabrication techniques with computer aided design tools is a promising research direction with potential to enrich both fields.
• Weaving structures out of elastic ribbons offers a rich design space with potential applications across many length scales, with exciting potential applications in everything from medicine, to architecture and the built environment.
• Woven spacial structures can exhibit forms with a robustness and economy of material that is difficult to replicate with other fabrication techniques.

Matt Kolmes, Supreme Corporation

Connections in Wearable Tech are the Achilles heel of the Industry. Typically, these are brittle, fragile points that are resistant to strain relief. Since clothing moves, flexes, and expands and must be washed we need to think outside the box to create durable solutions to this problem.

Magda Ronnigen, IFAI

IFAI heard your concerns! Learn about new resources for sewing training developed by IFAI’s Makers Division to help take the burden off of your sewing training program. Use these resources for training or DIY learning on your schedule in any location. Join in a group discussion about sewing operator industry needs.