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UPDATES TECHNICAL TEXTILES
On The News Beat
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MEDICAL TEXTILES
Leeds spin out makes textile that disinfects itself
Pic courtesy: University of Leeds
A spin out company from the University of Leeds has developed a novel weapon in the battle against deadly hospitalacquired infections – a textile that disinfects itself. Tests show it can reduce bacteria levels by more than 90 per cent.
By incorporating the speciallyengineered textile in a device designed to be used on hospital doors instead of the traditional aluminium door plate, the part of the door that people push to open it, the team aims to bolster hand hygiene.
The self-disinfecting device – known as Surfaceskins – is a collaboration between the Nonwovens Innovation and Research Institute( NIRI) – a spin out company from the University’ s School of Design – and two industrial designers, Adam Walker and Simon Scott-Harden. It is the culmination of seven years research and development.
Surfaceskins antibacterial door pads work by dispensing a small quantity of alcohol gel onto the pad when it is pushed, to disinfect the surface ready for the next person to use the door. This low-cost device, which incorporates three separate nonwoven textiles, is designed to be replaced after seven days or one thousand pushes, whichever comes sooner.
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Vestagen closes $ 9.5 million financing to work on Vestex
Pic courtesy: Vestagen
Vestagen Protective Technologies, which develops and markets Vestex Active Barrier fabric healthcare uniforms, lab coats and patient garments, has closed a
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$ 9.5 million financing. Existing investors Advent Life Sciences and HealthQuest Capital, and new ones Greenline Ventures, Northwell Ventures and Mercy Health of Cincinnati, took part in the funding round.
Proceeds from the financing will primarily be used to generate additional clinical evidence of Vestex’ s ability to protect healthcare workers and patients from the risks of unanticipated exposures to body fluids, to obtain regulatory review of the protective properties of Vestex fabric and to expand the company’ s commercialisation activities.
COMPOSITES
Gurit to move UK prepreg business to Gurit Spain by 2018
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Pic courtesy: Gurit
Gurit will transfer its UK prepreg business to its Spanish prepreg production facility by summer 2018. Following the technology change from the use of preimpregnated fibres( prepregs) to infusion technology for the production of wind blades in the global wind energy industry over the past 10 years, Gurit faced nonutilisation in China and Canada and underutilisation of its prepreg production capacity in Europe in recent years.
The manufacturing of Formulated Products and the UK-based automotive components Technology Centre will remain unaffected from these changes.
RWC tripling its product offering for bicycle frames
Rock West Composites( RWC), a full
Pic courtesy: Rock West Composites
service supplier for composite products, has announced expansion of its carbon fibre tubing for carbon bicycle frame applications.
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Tripling its available products for bicycle frames, RWC’ s carbon fibre tubing covers the major elements of frame production including: head and seat tubes with steerer tubes and seat posts, top and down tubes, chain and seat stays, and bottom bracket shells. These materials have high strengthto-weight properties and ability to accommodate a variety of design specifications. These properties benefit the performance of the cyclist and merit the increased price point relative.
Hexcel acquires Structil
Hexcel Corporation, a leading advanced composites company, has completed the acquisition of the shares of Structil, a French producer and supplier of high-performance composites to the aerospace, defence and industrial markets. Structil has been a joint venture between Safran Ceramics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safran, and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation( formerly Mitsubishi Rayon Corporation).
Approximately 70 people work at the 68,000-square-foot production plant on a seven-acre site in Vert-le-Petit, France, about 25 miles south of Paris. Structil’ s 2016 sales were approximately $ 21 million. Product lines include prepregs, structural adhesives and pultruded profiles used in engine nacelles, aerospace interiors, military jets and more.
Altair acquires Componeering
Altair has acquired Componeering, a Helsinki, Finland-based technology company specialising in structural analysis and design of composite structures. Componeering, now Altair Engineering Finland, is the developer of ESAComp composites simulation software.
ESAComp is software for the design and analysis of composites, ranging from conceptual and preliminary design of layered composite structures to advanced analyses for final design verification. The foundation of ESAComp’ s micromechanical and solid / sandwich laminate analyses capabilities is its comprehensive material database. The software also includes analysis tools for structural elements including flat and curved panels, stiffened panels, beams and columns, and bonded and mechanical joints.
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