In the dynamic and global textile fiber industry with its various manufacturing processes and end-uses, news and information is breaking on a daily basis. International Fiber Journal is tracking stories relevant to our industry from manmade to natural to bio-based fibers, innovations in nonwoven, woven, braided and technical textiles, technologies for additives, bonding, coatings and polymers, and applications from apparel to hygiene to transportation, and more. Here we will post news stories relevant to textile fibers and their downstream applications on an ongoing basis. Please check back for regular updates. If you have news that you feel should be added to this summary report, please email it to Ken Norberg at [email protected].
Most recent update: October 13, 2026
INDA Opens Registration For IDEA®27, The Premier Global Event For Nonwovens And Engineered Fabrics
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has opened registration for IDEA®27, the premier global event for the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry, taking place March 23-25, 2027, at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Participants can register for IDEA27 at https://events.american-tradeshow.com/IDEA27.
Expected to bring together more than 4,000 industry professionals and 400 exhibitors from across the nonwovens value chain, IDEA27 will provide three days of business development, sourcing, innovation and industry connection. Exhibitors will showcase the latest materials, technologies, equipment and solutions serving markets including hygiene, medical, filtration, automotive, geotextiles, building and construction, and home furnishings.
“IDEA is where the global nonwovens industry comes together to discover what’s next, strengthen business relationships and turn new ideas into opportunities,” said Ben Muller, executive director of INDA. “IDEA27 will bring together the people, technologies and expertise that drive our industry forward, and we look forward to welcoming the global nonwovens community to Kansas City.”
INDA recognizes the economic pressures and market uncertainty our industry is facing and its impact on our members’ ability to convene and connect. To facilitate members building relationships, sourcing solutions, identifying new opportunities, and moving business forward, INDA Members can receive an IDEA®27 show floor pass at no charge in 2027.
For the first time since its inception, the RISE® Technology Conference will be held in conjunction with IDEA27, expanding the event’s technical content and providing professionals with greater access to emerging technologies and innovations that have the potential to influence future products and processes.
The combination of RISE and IDEA27 will create a comprehensive experience connecting forward-looking technical content with commercial technologies, market developments and business opportunities across the show floor.
The reformatted RISE program will highlight innovation across the full spectrum of development, including fundamental and corporate research, upstream innovation and performance-driven applications. Designed to be broadly applicable across markets, the program will provide actionable technical insights for professionals throughout the global nonwovens value chain.
Details on the RISE conference program will be announced in the coming months and available on the IDEA27 website.
IDEA27 will begin Monday, March 22, with six professional development courses designed to build technical knowledge and address key nonwoven market applications.
Course offerings will include an introduction to nonwoven manufacturing as well as specialized education focused on the technical design and performance of baby and adult care absorbent systems, wet wipes and period products. A one-day filter media course also will be offered featuring technical content.
Additional course details will be announced this fall at ideashow.org.
INDA and Nonwovens Industry magazine will once again collaborate to present the IDEA Achievement Awards, recognizing outstanding innovations, technical advancements and achievements across the nonwovens and engineered materials industry.
Industry professionals are invited to submit their companies’ most innovative products, materials, equipment and sustainability advancements or nominate innovations on behalf of their clients. Finalists will receive global industry recognition, with winners announced during IDEA27.
Nominations will be accepted through Nov. 8, 2026, on the Nonwovens Industry website: https://www.nonwovens-industry.com/vote-now-for-the-2027-idea-achievement-awards/
MAAG Wins First Place in the Innovation Award for Revolutionary PVC pump
The Fakuma Innovation Award was presented for the first time at the 30th trade fair for plastics processing to the MAAG Group. The Germany headquartered company took first place in the Extrusion category with its new extrex⁶ EC PVC pump. It is the world’s first gear pump specifically designed for the continuous conveyance of rigid PVC, opening a new chapter in PVC extrusion.
Technological highlights of the extrex⁶ EC:
- Gap-free construction with no dead zones: The innovative design eliminates dead spaces and prevents prolonged residence times of the material. This stops thermal decomposition and ensures a stable, clean process.
- Up to 50% greater efficiency in the extruder: The uniform, pressure-stable conveying significantly reduces the load on the extruder. Depending on the application, throughput can be significantly increased or energy savings of up to 50% achieved.
- Reduction in process temperature by up to 10 °C: The optimised temperature control reduces the thermal stress on the material. This makes the use of expensive stabilisers unnecessary in some cases – a considerable economic advantage.
“Winning the first Fakuma Innovation Award confirms our role as a technology leader,” said Jonathan Hummer, Head of Product Management Pumps & Filtration. “With the extrex⁶ EC, we offer a reliable and economically attractive solution that redefines efficiency and process reliability in PVC processing.”
MAAG is presenting the award-winning extrex⁶ EC live at Fakuma in Friedrichshafen in Hall A6, Stand 6202, until 16 October 2026.
ICF Mercantile LLC Expands Into Lehigh Valley
New Jersey textile company ICF Mercantile LLC that has customers in the medical and aerospace industries is opening a manufacturing facility in Bethlehem Township in Pennsylvania.
ICF Mercantile LLC will occupy a 70,000-square-foot suite in the 120,000-square-foot industrial facility at 2500 Emrick Blvd. in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI. The building is owned by J.G. Petrucci Company Inc., which announced the deal.
“We’re thrilled to welcome ICF Mercantile to LVIP VI where they join a strong and diverse group of small manufacturers,” Kerry Wrobel, president of Lehigh Valley Industrial Park Inc., said in a statement. “We congratulate the J.G. Petrucci Company on their sustained record of success attracting quality manufacturers to the Lehigh Valley and specifically to LVIP’s business centers.”
ICF Mercantile is a family-owned company that specializes in the manufacturing of fiber, yarn and fabrics, and operates facilities in Warren, New Jersey, and Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.
ICF Mercantile was recently awarded a $9.3 million investment from the Defense Department to establish the first domestic production source of rayon filament cellulose precursor rayon, which will be used to support the production of material used in solid rocket motor and reentry body heatshields.
Precision Products Group Acquires Monadnock Non-Wovens
Precision Products Group, an Auxo Investment Partners portfolio company, announced the acquisition of Monadnock Non-Wovens LLC, a Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of highly engineered meltblown nonwoven materials for filtration, acoustic, medical, and industrial applications.
The acquisition expands PPG’s Engineered Textiles division and adds a new category of highly engineered materials to a portfolio that already spans paper, tubing, and woven products. Like PPG, MNW focuses on highly engineered, highly specified materials, developing sound-dampening, filtration, and other specialty nonwoven solutions that meet the exacting requirements of its customers.
Founded by the Verney family and family-owned ever since, MNW has spent more than 25 years manufacturing meltblown nonwoven media for filtration, automotive, healthcare, appliance, and consumer markets. The company designs and builds its own fiber production equipment and operates a number of meltblown and hydro-charging lines ranging in width from 70 to 94 inches. Its in-house applications development laboratory allows customers to take new products from pilot runs to full-scale production.
Given MNW’s reputation with its customers and the legacy associated with the Monadnock name, MNW will continue to operate under its brand alongside the other brands within PPG. James Cree will continue to lead the business as President. “Innovation has always been at the heart of MNW. Our team is constantly looking for ways to create better materials that serve our customers’ needs, whether that means better acoustic dampening or more effective filtration,” said Cree. “In PPG, the Verney family and I found a partner that shares that culture of material innovation. With PPG’s resources and expertise behind us, we’ll be able to accelerate that work and bring even better solutions to our customers.”
SupAbsorb Tech Partners with Aspire International for Middle East Distribution
SupAbsorb Tech® has signed an exclusive Sole Selling Distributor agreement with UAE-based Aspire International to distribute its advanced, chemical-free sorbent products across the Middle East.
Aspire International is a premier supplier of industrial safety and PPE solutions servicing the oil and gas, construction, marine, and manufacturing sectors across the UAE and GCC. Their deep regional expertise makes them the ideal partner to fuel SupAbsorb’s international expansion and meet the rising demand for high-performance Sorbent solutions.
“This agreement marks a major milestone for SupAbsorb Tech,” said Sid Sharma, President of SupAbsorb Tech: “We look forward to a strong partnership with Aspire International and extend a warm welcome to Mr. Vipin Gupta as we accelerate our regional growth.”
Parkdale Mills Acquires CiCLO® Technology
Parkdale, Incorporated, a leading textile and consumer products manufacturer, announced that its subsidiary, Parkdale Advanced Materials, Inc., has acquired full ownership of CiCLO® technology.
The acquisition expands Parkdale’s polymer and fiber portfolio and its capacity to advance next-generation solutions across textile and related markets.
Parkdale Advanced Materials develops and commercializes innovative textile technologies that deliver responsible manufacturing solutions and address environmental challenges. CiCLO technology aligns with that focus as a biodegradable textile ingredient designed to reduce microplastic fiber persistence in the environment.
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The acquisition will build on CiCLO technology’s established presence in apparel, home and hospitality textiles. Parkdale will expand its adoption into adjacent markets, including nonwovens for industrial and hygiene products, geotextiles, filtration, insulation, furnishings and other materials that rely on synthetic fibers.
UNIFI®, Makers of REPREVE®, Launches Cofira™, Dual Function Yarn
UNIFI, Inc., the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, recently launched Cofira™, a versatile yarn that can be tailored with synthetic, blended, and functional fiber technologies for enhanced performance. This innovation within UNIFI®’s portfolio delivers a fusion of filament and spun characteristics in one yarn, offering the advantage of spun yarn comfort with filament functionality.
Cofira offers broad design flexibility that supports the integration of sustainable performance technologies. Designed for versatility, it is ideal for applications including apparel, furnishings, gear, and accessories.
Key features of Cofira:
- Combines spun yarn aesthetics with filament yarn performance in one construction;
- Enables unique fabric aesthetics and hand feel;
- Can be combined with other UNIFI technologies including: A.M.Y.®, ChillSense®, and ReFlexx® ; and
- Available globally in virgin and REPREVE polyester yarns, including REPREVE Takeback™, with REPREVE options fully traceable via FiberPrint® technology and certified by U-TRUST®, GRS, and SCS for recycled content.
In addition, UNIFI also announces the launch of Resist2O™ Pro, an expansion of water-resistant offerings engineered for all types of fabric formation. Designed to deliver durable water resistance without compromising fabric performance, Resist2O Pro gives brands and manufacturers greater freedom to develop water-resistant fabrics for a wide range of textile applications, without the use of topical treatments or fluorinated chemistry. From apparel and footwear to furnishings and industrial, Resist2O Pro is ready to perform in a variety of applications.
Key Features of Resist2O Pro:
- Minimizes water absorption;
- Eliminates the need for traditional topical DWR finishes;
- Fluorine free technology; and
- PFOA-free technology (defined as below 5ppb).
“These new products bring true innovative solutions through their multifunctional capabilities,” said Eddie Ingle, CEO of UNIFI, “that help reduce complexities associated with high-performance products. Engineered with recycled materials, these high-performance tech yarns are both versatile and sustainable.”
UNIFI will showcase Cofira and Resist2O Pro technologies at Performance Days Munich (Booth #J18) in Munich, Germany on October 13-14 and the Functional Fabric Fair (Booth #730) in Portland, Oregon on October 26-28.
Teijin Expands PFAS-Free High-performance Resin Lineup
Teijin Limited announced new grades of SOLFIGA®, its family of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) compounds, which offer excellent sliding properties without intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The new grades are also designed to help customers balance wear and friction performances with regulatory compliance.
Teijin already supplies polybutylene naphthalate (PBN) resin with good sliding properties as its PFAS-Free product. By expanding PFAS-Free high-performance resin lineup, Teijin will further enhance its ability to meet increasingly diverse customer needs.
As with the existing SOLFIGA® lineup, the PFAS-free SOLFIGA® grades incorporate carbon fiber and aramid fiber as reinforcement. The carbon fiber-reinforced SOLFIGA® sliding grade provides high strength and rigidity for components used under high-load conditions. The aramid fiber-reinforced SOLFIGA® sliding grade reduces the coefficient of friction (CoF) – one indicator of sliding performance – by approximately 70 per cent compared with conventional products that do not use sliding agents. Its flexibility can help reduce damage to mating materials while allowing easier adjustment during assembly. Both types of SOLFIGA® sliding compounds offer high wear resistance for longer service life. Like Teijin’s PBN resin, they are less likely to scratch metal components such as aluminum. Teijin can also formulate them to produce sliding parts for a wide range of conditions by varying the amount of high-performance fibers. Applications for these new grades include components for automobiles, industrial machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, and other wear and friction applications.
IND HEMP Invests In Premium Fiber Processing Line for Spinnable Hemp Fiber
IND HEMP, a leading U.S. producer, processor and supplier of industrial hemp materials, has announced a significant investment in new fiber processing equipment at its IH Fiber decortication facility in Fort Benton, Mont.
The investment adds a secondary processing line featuring multiple fiber refining technologies for opening, cleaning and cottonizing, bringing IND HEMP’s hemp fiber to ready-to-spin quality directly at the source.
Yarn is the foundation from which nearly every fabric application is built. Once hemp fiber is spun into yarn, it can be woven or knit into a wide range of end products, from garments and home goods to technical fabrics such as composites.
The new line allows IND HEMP to offer multiple grades of premium cottonized fiber directly from its Fort Benton facility, ready for spinners and nonwoven manufacturers to use as supplied. Because refining now happens at the source, fiber yields and quality are improved, giving customers a more consistent fiber with better overall economics.
Historically, reaching that spinnable quality has required additional refining beyond standard decortication, work that has fallen to third-party processors or to the spinners themselves, who must upgrade standard decorticated technical fiber before it can run on their equipment. The commissioning of IND HEMP’s new processing line brings that refining capability in-house, at the fiber’s source.
