0606rvw p48 65 - ifaijapan.com · technology division of foster-miller inc., ......

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Cheryl A. Gomes is a senior engineer in the Materials Technology Division of Foster-Miller Inc., Waltham, Mass., and a director for IFAI’s Safety & Protective Products Division.

Fabrics in the mil i tary :

mater ial demandsNew developments in f ibers , fabr ics and components make safety and protect ive products a rapid ly evolv ing market wi th wide-open opportuni ty. But i t takes t ime and test ing to make the grade.

By Chery l A . Gomes

The PyroMan Thermal Protective Clothing Analysis System from the NCSU College of Textiles measures body exposure to a simulated fuel flash fire, using a manikin wearing protective garments and equipment.

AAre your products good enough to be used in the U.S. military? What about your component architecture? If you test them, and test them, and then test them again, then maybe—eventually—your products will be approved. Developing materials and new product designs for the military is not easy, or there would be many more companies competing to outfit our military. And it takes time. It is rare to have a material or product ap-proved in less than one year; five years is a much more typical period.

If there’s a flaw, someone could be se-riously injured, or worse. There’s a good reason for all those requirements. Still, it’s vitally important to provide state-of-the-art materials and component designs to the military, to protect service men and women as they protect us. A constant flow of new technology (and new suppli-ers) helps on both sides of the purchase equation. Your company could be in line to design the next material or product to help protect U.S. military personnel.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fabricated products and materials being purchased by the U.S. military, but this article will focus on some examples in a few key areas: electro-textile garments for physiological monitoring, seamless garment transitions, thermal protection, and flame resistance. All of these areas have been hot topics in the news recently, and more and more companies are trying to enter the marketplace for these types of products—not just for the military, of course, but also for use in industry, medicine, firefighting and many other markets. The fibers, fabrics and struc-tures in these projects may give you some insights into designing some products of your own in these areas.

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I n d u s t r i a l F a b r i c P r o d u c t s R e v i e w J U N E 2 0 0 6 49

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foUsing “forward-looking infrared” thermography, the blue and green areas of the torsocovered by the Body Mapping shirt show that skin temperature has been reduced in those areas compared to the exposed skin in the face and wrist areas.

Malden M

ills Industries Inc.

1. This work is funded by the Department of the Army contract W81XWH-04-0146. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Ft. Detrick, Md., is the awarding and administrating acquisition offi ce. The content of this information does not necessarily refl ect the position or the policy of the U.S. Government, and no offi cial endorsement should be inferred.

Foster-Miller Inc.

Electro-textiles for physiological monitoring

Foster-Miller Inc. (Waltham, Mass.) and Malden Mills® Industries Inc. (Law-rence, Mass.) are jointly developing an ambulatory physiological status moni-toring (PSM) system for military1, first-responder and HazMat personnel use. The baseline system monitors heart rate, respiration rate, body posture, activ-ity level, and skin temperature, then transmits the data wirelessly to a remote display. This platform system is scalable to include additional and upgraded sensors, such as full digital electrocar-diogram (EKG), ballistic impact detec-tion, and more complex respiratory sensors. The backbone of the system is Foster-Miller’s patented “Wear-and-Forget” electronic-textile-based T-shirt platform, which has been designed to be worn under body armor as well as other protective gear.

The shirt, with its smaller-than-a-cell-phone-sized electronics module detached, is machine-washable. The electronics module itself is rugged and includes a waterproof electronics hous-ing and mil-spec connectors. A wireless remote display receives information from the system indicating the status of the individual wearer, to assist in medical and/or command/control de-cision-making. The current version of the system will process the individual wearer’s vital signs, then transmit to the remote display a color-coded Life Status signal: Red Light (needs urgent care), Yellow Light (needs to be closely monitored) or Green Light (normal vital signs).

Some of the obstacles in designing electro-textile materials are ruggedness, connectivity, and designing for manu-facturability. One method of evaluation of ruggedness is determining where the component could fail, then test for it, and test for it again. After ma-chine-washing, do you still have con-ductivity? If not, find where the break occurred, redesign it, then test it and test it again to verify performance. Hav-ing wires large enough to work with is a happy concept, but wires of that size might not be able to be knitted or woven without a lot of breaks. So, the

Above: Foster-Miller’s “Wear-and-Forget”electronic-textile-based T-shirt, designed

to be worn under body armor, monitors heart rate, respiration rate, body

posture, activity level and skintemperature, and sends data

wirelessly to a remote display.

Left: The “Body Mapping”capabilities of Polartec

fabrics incorporate a single-layer fabricconstruction that offers multiple performance zones mapped to the body’s need for comfort,

mobility and breathability.

Malden M

ills Industries Inc.

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FABRICS IN THE MILITARY

portion of the electromagnetic spec-trum, and FLIRs are used to detect thermal energy; therefore a warm object can easily be seen against a cold background. The torso covered by the Body Mapped shirt is in blue and green, indicating that the skin temperature of the soldier is reduced compared to the exposed skin in the face and wrist regions.

In this joint project, it makes sense to combine physiological status monitor-ing with enhanced Body Mapping; the PSM T-shirt will also incorporate the Body Mapping technology by varying pile height and pile placement through-out the shirt.

Cold stress, thermal protectionThe Naval Air Warfare Center

(NAWC), Patuxent River, Md., devel-oped the Multi-Climate Protection Sys-tem (MCPS), a multi-layering clothing system to enhance the safety, com-fort and performance of aviators and air crew. The flight-approved MCPS was developed to provide insulation, moisture management, flame resis-tance, and wind/water protection using state-of-the-art materials. The multiple insulating layers provide flex-ibility and versatility, allowing the user to customize the insulation to suit his/her needs by adding or removing in-dividual layers to achieve a personal level of comfort over a broad range of conditions. The system is comprised of twelve garments, seven of which have been developed using three flame-re-sistant Polartec fabrics that have been engineered specifically for aviator and air crew protection.

The MCPS components are:• Silk-weight (lightweight) under-

wear, shirt and pants• Mid-weight insulation, shirt and

pants• Heavy-weight insulation, shirt,

pants, and bib overalls• Fleece, jacket and vest• Shell, jacket and trousers• Face maskThe silk-weight underwear fabric is

a DuPont™ Nomex® blend. The mid-weight insulation layers of the MCPS are manufactured from Polartec Power Stretch®-FR with Nomex, and the heavy-weight insulation layers are manufactured from 200WT Polartec Thermal-FR with Nomex. The MCPS

Malden Mills Industries Inc.

The Multi-Climate Protection System (MCPS) is a multi-layering clothingsystem developed to provide insulation, moisture management, flame resistance and wind/water protection using state-of-the-art materials. The multiplelayers add flexibility and versatility, allowing the wearer to customize the insulation to personal comfort levelsin varying conditions.

knitters and weavers need smaller wires or small insulated conductive yarns; however, in that situation, the wires or yarns may be too small to be connected easily or cheaply. Designing for con-nectivity and manufacturability could be mutually exclusive—and that’s just one challenge.

Seamless garment transitions: Body Mapping

Malden Mills’ Polartec® fabrics are now enhanced by Body Mapping™ to provide custom performance precisely where it is needed in a next-to-skin fab-ric. A single-layer fabric construction offers multiple performance zones that are mapped to the body’s needs. These performance zones can:

• Increase comfort and mobility;• Eliminate excess bulk;• Provide cushioning and chafing

protection; and• Allow for breathability and cooling.Performance of the Body Mapping

technology is accomplished by varying the pile height and pile placement.

This technology was designed by the U. S. military for integration with body armor, so that the combination of ac-tivity-specific pile requirements with the underlying principles of moisture management offers state-of-the art fab-ric performance for any activity or en-vironment. The key is also the seamless transition between functional zones, which reduces the seam bulk. The dif-ferent pile heights:

• No Pile: highest cooling efficiency, enhanced breathability, and low bulk

• Low Density, Low Pile Pillars and No Pile Channels: protection from chaf-ing, enhanced breathability, faster heat dissipation, and limited bulk

• High Density, Low Pile Pillars and No Pile Channels: cushioning for carry-ing heavy loads (e.g. body armor, back packs), enhanced breathability, faster heat dissipation, and limited bulk

The bottom image on page 49 shows an image of a soldier wearing the Body Mapping shirt using “forward look-ing infrared” (FLIR) thermography. A FLIR thermograph uses the infrared

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also includes a fleece jacket and vest manufactured from 300WT Polartec Wind Pro®-FR with Nomex. This fleece is two times more wind-resistant than traditional fleece, and the inner layers are protected from wind and water, thus maintaining the system’s efficacy. The fabric has a surface of tightly constructed yarns, providing a wind-resistant garment that greatly reduces the harmful effects of wind chill. In addition, the fabric surface has durable water repellency, allow-ing moisture to bead off the mate-rial rather than be absorbed into the MCPS system, a condition which can reduce its insulation characteristics.

The outermost layers for the MCPS are the Gore-Tex® shell, jacket and trouser, which are worn over the entire system for complete protection. (Gore-Tex wind- and water-resistant fabrics are manufactured by W.L. Gore & Associ-ates Inc., Elkton, Md.) The shell fabric is made from a material comprised of three layers: a Nomex N303 face, Gore-Tex membrane, and a liner of Nomex

jersey knit. This system provides su-perior insulation while maintaining a breathable characteristic to prevent overheating. The material also protects against penetration by chemicals such as JP-8 jet fuel.

The MCPS Shell is designed to shield the insulating layers from wind, enhanc-ing thermal performance. It minimizes the negative effects of wind chill that become increasingly intense as wind speeds intensify. By keeping the micro-climate (the area between the skin and the first layer of clothing) undisturbed, the shell keeps the body warmer in cold weather conditions. The Gore-Tex shell nearly triples the CLO (a measure of the ability of a garment to provide insu-lation) value of the inner MCPS layers when they are used in combination with the shell, jacket and trousers.

Flame resistanceRecently, the U.S. Marine Corps

banned wearing synthetic clothing containing polyester and nylon while conducting operations out of forward-

operating bases and camps in Iraq. There is a significant burn risk associ-ated with wearing synthetic clothing materials that melt and fuse to the skin when exposed to extreme heat and flames. What is needed is no-melt and no-drip materials.

Military service members, as well as the average person, generally like to wear the synthetic high-performance fabrics next to their skin, because they wick perspiration away from the body to the outside of the fabric where it can then be evaporated. Some don’t like cotton-type absorbent materials next to their skin because it makes them feel clammy and uncomfortable.

Polartec Power Stretch®-FR with Nomex may be an alternative next-to-skin material because it offers per-manent flame-resistant protection; will not melt or drip; has a body-hug-ging four-way stretch; and provides moisture management. However, it’s imperative to perform system testing to determine the protection level; in the case of the MCPS, the garments need

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FABRICS IN THE MILITARY

to be worn with a Nomex flight suit over the inner garments for additional flame protection.

Testing the garments as a system is very important, because results from testing individual layers could be mis-leading. A photograph of a PyroMan® full-body flame test using an instrument manikin is shown on page 48. Results from this type of testing determine the percent of second- and third-degree burns over the body (total body surface area burned) while wearing this particu-lar clothing and equipment.

U.S. Army tankers and aviators of all services are required to wear flame-re-sistant clothing. Some requirements for aviators include provisions that the ma-terials also be non-melting and non-drip-ping. Service men and women may not be able to escape these vehicles quickly when they are ablaze, and more protec-tive clothing gives them more time to escape with a reduced amount of injury. Although the U.S. Army infantry also wants flame-resistance in their uniforms, incorporation of flame-resistant materi-als such as Nomex is cost-prohibitive at this time.

According to an article in the Feb., 2005 issue of the Journal of ASTM Inter-national entitled “Novel Approach to

Soldier Flame Protection”: “The U.S. Army desires to develop low-cost combat uniforms that provide flame protection, visual and near infrared camouflage, comfort, and durability.” Many fibers and fiber blends were evaluated for these characteristics: Melamine (Baso-fil® from Basofil Fibers LLC, Charlotte, N.C.), flame retardant-treated (FRT) cotton, FRT lyocell (Tencel® from Lenz-ing AG, Austria) rayon, FRT cotton/Kev-lar®/nylon, carbonized rayon/Nomex, Kevlar/FR rayon, and PBI®/FRT cotton. (Kevlar fiber is manufactured by Du-Pont, PBI fiber by Celanese Advanced Materials, Charlotte, N.C.) All of these fibers can be used successfully, but it’s how they’re used, and combined, that’s often the key issue.

Results for this testing reported in that same article showed that the entire

clothing configuration did not need to be flame-retardant; however, it was vital that the outermost materials be flame-re-tardant as the first line of defense. It was also concluded that a direct substitution could not be found for the current in-fantry cotton/nylon uniform; however, a supplemental flame-resistant overgar-ment is recommended. Results from instrumented manikin testing demon-strated that when a Nomex Limited-wear coverall was worn over the standard battledress uniform, the total body burn injury was reduced from 88 percent to 8 percent. This type of overgarment should continue to be evaluated. As previously mentioned, it is important to have a ‘system’ test of the clothing configuration to be worn.

Fabric constructionKeep in mind that all Nomex fab-

rics are not created equal. If you think that because your military clothing is made with Nomex that it will pass a flame/thermal test, think again; the material properties are also derived by the fabric construction. It’s impor-tant, obviously, to provide clothing and equipment that are equal to or better than the currently fielded items. It is necessary to evaluate current materials

and components with respect to those being proposed.

In one instance, the U.S. Army Natick Soldiers Center (Natick, Mass.) evalu-ated a 9-10 oz/yd2 Nomex interlock knit fabric as an option to the current Nomex Simplex knit (MIL-C-81393B) used in Summer Flyer’s Gloves. As the interlock knit is more open then the simplex knit, a heat transfer test was also performed. Although the heat transfer properties of the interlock knit were good, they were not as good as the simplex knit; in addition, the interlock knit has different stretch characteristics than the simplex knit and did not meet the requirements. Therefore, the inter-lock knit was not recommended as an alternate to the simplex knit for use in the current Summer Flyer’s Gloves by either the U.S. Army or the U.S. Navy.

Another issue concerning no-melt and no-dripmaterials for U.S. military clothing is that there are relatively few domestic suppliers.

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Unfortunately, some companies adver-tise Nomex flight gloves to the “design” specification for the Summer Flyer’s Gloves (MIL-DTL-81188C), but they use the Nomex interlock knit, which is not authorized and does not have an NSN number. No one wants to provide air-men with inadequate equipment; it’s imperative to meet military specifications at all stages.

Another issue concerning no-melt and no-drip materials for U.S. military clothing is that there are relatively few domestic suppliers. The types of domes-tic materials are cotton, wool, melamine, meta-aramid, lyocell, and polybenzimid-azole (PBI). However, meta-aramid and PBI materials are expensive; and because of the Berry Amendment, materials like FR rayon and modacrylic cannot be used because they are not domestically pro-duced. There are many opportunities for new suppliers in this area.

Coming soon?The much-anticipated M5® fiber

from Magellan Systems International LLC, Richmond, Va., is still anticipated. Magellan has a pilot manufacturing plant in Richmond, Va., and has manu-factured some fiber on a small-scale basis. Some of the desirable attributes of M5 are: high strength, stiffness, re-sistance to high temperature, good adhesion to matrix materials, etc.; for those reasons, potential applications for this ultra-high strength fiber are vast, from ballistics protection to composite structural materials to tethers in outer space. Although Magellan is a private company, DuPont owns an interest and has been helping Magellan work on scaling up their processes.

There’s plenty of room for more fibers, fabrics and fabric products to be developed in the area of personal protection. What works now will cer-tainly be surpassed in the near future as technologies advance. What role your company might play will depend as much on information and innovation as it will on capability. Learn the rules, and then change the game.

To offer feedback or comment on this article, please contact Galynn Nordstrom, Senior Editor, at +1 651 225 6928, e-mail [email protected].

Turn to page 78 for contact information on the sources used in this article.

Last zipper purchase didn’t hold up to expectations?Dunlap Industries offers fast, reliable delivery andtop-notch customer service. Joinfashion’s most trusted names who

have depended on our full line of quality zippers,hook and loop and thread since 1966. For more

information, visit www.dunlapii.com,or call 1-800-251-7214.

It’s hard to sell confidence with your tail between your legs.

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Jamie Swedberg is a freelance writer based near Athens, Ga.

Don’t forget your

COATINGCOATINGOften, fabr ic is just the beginning—without the coat ing, i t ’s not f in ished. From tradi t ional to h igh-tech, f rom waterproof ing to b last res is tance, market potent ia l is s t rong.

By Jamie Swedberg

YYou might think that nowadays, with engineered fibers conferring so many useful characteristics to industrial fabrics, coatings and finishes would take a back seat. But of course the two can—and do—work in tandem. A high-tech fabric can be greatly enhanced by the addition of compounds with characteristics of their own.

In fact, it’s an exciting time in the fabric coatingand finishing industry. Vinyl and Teflon® and other fa-miliar coatings are going strong, but the newest frontier is nanotechnology.

Granby, Québec-based coating and lamination firm Stedfast Inc. specializes in safety and protective fabric coatings. As such, company researchers are always on the lookout for stronger and more chemical-resistant barrier technologies.

“We are working on a project to develop a barrier that would substitute for steel plates for blast resistance,” says vice president of research and development François Simard. “The idea is to get an equivalent protection or better with a lighter material. We are looking into carbon structures and nanotubes of carbon as part of a compound which is blended and applied onto a textile. We don’t have it made yet—it is all very new.”

Enercon Industries Corp. is developing plasma technology to coat fab-rics for anti-fogging, anti-reflective effects—and to help inks, coatings and dyes adhere better.

Enercon Industries Corp.

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Enercon Industries Corp.

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Mostly, Stedfast depends on fibers such as Kevlar® for strength, while looking to coatings for other characteristics such as imperviousness to biological and chemical threats.

“The weak point of a protective fabric is not so much its resistance to breaking or tearing,” Simard explains. “It’s the resistance to the environment to which it is exposed. Whether it’s UV exposure, or some kind of a nasty liquid, or battery acid, it has to provide protection despite all those things.”

That’s where the coatings come in. In the past, the military has relied on heavy, non-breathable rubberized suits to protect against agents such as mustard gas. But they are swelteringly hot in places such as the Middle East. Activated carbon is another option, but it loses its efficacy as it absorbs toxins, and there’s no way to mea-sure how much protection is left in it as it’s used.

A new Stedfast technology promises to stop chemical agents while providing good vapor permeability. It’s a combination of a selectively permeable membrane and a secret nanotech coating that interacts with certain

molecules. Together, the two parts work to let moisture through, but not mustard gas. The military likes it so much that it has specified it for some of its gear.

This type of technology has applications in hospitals, too. There, the challenge is to create coatings that maintain their efficacy through repeated washes and sterilizations.

Meanwhile, Enercon Industries Corp., a Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based manufacturer of surface treating systems, has found a way to use atmospheric plasma technology to deposit chemical vapors on fabrics for a variety of functionalities.

Vice president of business development Rory Wolf says these coatings can create anti-fog and antireflective effects on films and fabrics.

“We are providing samples to clients,” Wolf says. “We are not yet commercial on it, but we are moving in that direction. We are applying to nonwovens—spunbonded polypropylenes and similar types of materials—at this phase, to help our customers get a feel for what its po-tential will be.”

Sticking to itBut plasma technology has another, perhaps even more

intriguing role in the coating and finishing industry: It can create a dielectric discharge that micro-etches surfaces and helps inks, coatings, and adhesives adhere better.

“Essentially it also allows the material to accept and wick inks and dyes much more quickly,” Wolf says. “Once you increase the wickability rate, you increase the ability to process the material faster. You can actually increase your profits by having that type of a treatment prior to printing or coating.”

How does it work? It increases the fabric’s affinity for oils and liquids, Wolf says.

“It creates a more oleophilic or hydrophilic interface on the surface, so there is better adhesion with coatings for all kinds of purposes,” he explains. “Or we can go the other direction and create something that’s more water-resistant in terms of the coating that can be applied. High levels of leakability on one side and water resistance on the other is a typical applica-

Will the new technology put a damper on business for companies that spe-cialize in spread coating, laminating, impregnating, calendering and other methods? Far from it. Carbon structures and nanotubes are part of developing barrier

technologies from Stedfast Inc.

Stedfast Inc.

tion.” The potential end uses may include protective fabrics, medical materials, or even simply foul-weather gear.

Hypalon®, a trademarked chlorosulfonated polyethylene synthetic rubber produced by DuPont Dow Elastomers, is com-monly used as a coating for fabrics used in everything from inflatable boats and backpacks to industrial equipment covers. But Reeves Brothers Inc., a Spartanburg, S.C.-based company that weaves, coats, fabricates, and converts engineered fabrics, has begun using a proprietary new technology to improve the bond between its fabrics and Hypalon coatings.

“I guess you could say that it is a combination of chemistry and process,” says marketing manager Lynn Mayberry. “We’ve done benchmark tests of our new products against Hypalon-coated fabric that would be considered the industry standard within the marketplace, and we have shown significant im-provements as a consequence of those changes. We’re calling it our new-generation Hypalon product.”

Specifically, the new technology has increased abrasion resistance and bonding, she says.

“For instance, when it comes to adhesion loss [between the substrate and the coating], one of the tests that we have done is to measure the percent of adhesion change after 42 days in water,” she continues. “For the standard market product, the standard is a 42.10 percent loss in adhesion. With our new product, it is 17.2 percent.”

Reeves Bros. isn’t saying exactly what helps the Hypalon bond better with its substrate. All Mayberry will reveal is that the proprietary formulation deepens the cross-link density of

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DON’T FORGET YOUR COATING

the coating. Whatever the specifics, it is probably a harbinger of even greater things to come.

Tapping into the marketSo do these innovations spell trouble

for more traditional fabric coaters and

finishers? Will the new technology put a damper on business for companies that specialize in spread coating, lami-nating, impregnating, calendering, and other methods? Far from it. In fact, Kevin Lee, president of Buckeye Fabric Finishing Co. and Excello Fabric Fin-ishers, Coshocton, Ohio, says coatings represent a growth market across the board. Why? Because more and more end-product manufacturers are clueing in to the benefits.

“I think there are always new products coming along as technology advances,” Lee says. “The market will always be robust because it affects such a broad spectrum of sectors of the economy, from construction to agriculture to rec-reation and transportation. It just covers almost everything.”

What Lee’s companies do is a far cry from nanotechnology, but it’s just as much in demand. Buckeye focuses on wax coating for outdoor weather pro-tection, whereas Excello does primarily vinyl for everything from boat covers to tents and awnings.

Wax and vinyl coatings reliably confer water and mildew resistance to whatever substrates they envelop. An extra com-pound added to the mix can give them flame-retardant qualities, too.

“Often we are not even aware of the end use,” Lee says. “Many times the customers will source the fabric and send it to us to apply a specified coat-ing to it. We are excited and surprised when we find out how it is being used, because it could be military, it could be commercial, it could be horse blankets or teepees—things that don’t always come to mind. There are new things all the time.”

Cotton duck with a wax coating could be regarded as the epitome of low-tech. But there are reasons why, in this day and age, end-product manufac-turers choose it.

“I think it’s the breathability, du-rability, and lower cost,” Lee opines. “And I think just the performance over the years. It’s proven itself.”

Proven solutions continue to be in demand. Yes, Reeves Bros. is enthusiastic about its improved Hypalon coating. But much of its business consists of vinyl- and rubber-coated fabrics for truck tarps, rafts, industrial covers, and the like.

One way these companies have stayed on the cutting edge is by offer-

A new technology being used by Reeves Brothers Inc. to increase the bond between the fab-ric and a Hypalon® coating greatly decreases adhesion loss when submerged in water.

Reeves Brothers Inc.

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ing lab testing facilities. Reeves main-tains an onsite quality assurance lab and tries to comply with whatever cer-tifications its clients need in order to satisfy their clients. Over time, the lab has developed expertise in meeting ASTM, military, aerospace, and auto-motive specs.

Buckeye uses its onsite lab for inter-nal quality testing, but it also sells the lab’s services to outside parties on a contract basis.

“They can send their fabric in for test-ing, or for color matching and develop-ment,” Lee says. “There are times some-body will have a specific fabric—let’s say in a particular Coca-Cola red or some-thing—and we can do color matching to make it custom and special for them.”

Laboratory testing is like coating and finishing in that the equipment costs a lot up front. The companies who contract these services have ei-ther made a large capital investment or built up their businesses over decades. That’s even more true for the com-panies developing new processes that use nanotubes or atmospheric plasma technology in fabric finishing.

But the benefit is undeniable: These products are in demand for the long haul.


Turn to page 78 for contact information on the sources used in this article.

Kevin Lee, president of Buckeye Fabric Finishing Co., says coatings represent a growth market across the board—from construction to agriculture to recreationto transportation.

Buckeye Fabric Finishing Co.

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Bob Filipczak is a freelance writer in Minnesota, co-author of “Generations at Work,” and a creator of Web sites for businesses and universities from time immemorial.

Beyond brochureware:

bet ter businessthrough thoughtful Web design

Dotcom is more than the name of a famous economic bust ; i t ’s an umbrel la term recogniz ing that huge sect ions of the World Wide Web are str ict ly business.

By Bob F i l ipczak

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HHow do we improve our Web site? It’s a question that comes

up in management meetings time after time after time. A little digging into that seemingly simple question can reveal a great deal. It can mean that the Web site isn’t generating the sales that folks thought it would. It can mean that someone—mean-ing someone with decision-making authority—just doesn’t like the way it looks. It can mean that someone with a corporate checkbook saw a competitor’s site and thought: “me, too!”

Whatever the case, if you have a .com at the end of your Web address, you really should try to focus on one thing: Does your Web site tell customers that you are easy to do business with? Answering that question, and designing your site accord-ingly, can clear away a lot of those pesky questions from those concerned about the state of your Web site.

Down to basicsWhile people may decry your Web site as nothing more

than your print brochures, chopped up and slung up on the Internet, if that works, don’t listen to those critics. On the Web, whatever works, works. And it’s hard to argue with what works, especially since there is no science, and very few rules,

e

about creating a great Web presence. There are, however, some basics that apply virtually universally. What follows is a checklist that can help you adjust your Web site so that custom-ers will find you, and find you easy to work with.

Please note, however, there will not be much advice forth-coming about colors, white space, layout, photo sizing, resolu-tion or other purely design elements. Much of this checklist will deal with mechanics and general business sense as it translates to the medium of the Internet. So don’t give this article to your graphic designers—give it to whomever does the actual Web loading and maintenance (though that may be the same person).

Location, location … Most people will find your business through an ad (you do list your Web address in ads, business cards, etc., don’t you?) or through a search engine like Google or Yahoo. The ability to get your company listed on the pri-mary search engines is part science and part game theory. That is to say, it’s not easy. You can, of course, buy a position on a search engine around key words like “tent rental” or “indus-trial filters,” but it is very expensive and getting more so every day. If you want to investigate search engine optimization for your business, understand up front that it is a long journey peppered with seminars, textbooks, metatags and geeks. If

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the way your customers will look at your Web pages … only they’ll do it even faster. In a sample chapter from his book Don’t Make Me Think, Steve Krug writes: “One of the very few well-documented facts about Web use is that people tend to spend very little time reading most Web pages. Instead, we scan (or skim) them, looking for words or phrases that catch our eye.” He cites an article from Jakob Neilsen (“How Users Read on the Web,” www.useit.com) that provides supporting documentation.

Spend 90 percent of your time putting up good pictures, short headlines, great captions for the pictures, and then writing bullet points. If you have an entire Web site without a paragraph of text, you’re on the right track.

To see what not to do, go to almost any Ivy League college Web site and click past the homepage. The sea of grey text you’ll encounter will definitely make an impression.

Finally, remember that this is not print. If you want to change the text, or pictures, on your Web site every day, it costs almost nothing. So keep text fresh so your returning customers rec-ognize that you’ve got new things to say about your company and its products all the time.

Communication. Simple is good; honest is better. The book The Cluetrain Manifesto will tell you everything you need to know about writing excellent text for your Web site. Instead of buying and reading the whole book, you can also go to www.cluetrain.com and just read the 95 Theses. It says things like “markets are conversations” and “conversations among human beings sound human. They are conducted in a human voice.” These 95 statements will change your notions about how to write for the Web, and if you like these ideas, read the whole book. If you can’t see your company going for this kind of honest dialogue with customers, don’t feel bad. Most businesses aren’t ready for this advice. But if you do go ahead and write text that is honest and human, it will set you apart from your competition and 90 percent of other Web sites. And your customers will thank you for it.

Broken Links. Check your links from time to time to make sure they’re working. Many Web authoring systems (Front-Page, Dreamweaver, etc.) will be able to do this automatically. More importantly, your customers, employees, and passers-by will gladly point out broken links to your company. Always thank them, and then find out if they’re a customer that might be interested in finding out more about your products.

Search tools. It used to be standard operating practice to have a search box on your Web page, but it’s generally fading among sophisticated Web sites. First of all, many of these tools didn’t work very well. Secondly, Google has made it easy for users to install a universal search engine on their browser, and it works. So your customers may have brought their search engine with them. And finally, does your com-pany have so much information on your Web pages that you really need a search engine built in? Do you have more than 500 pages up there? It might be better to concentrate on simplifying your navigation so customers can find products rather than investing in an internal search function. Check out Google’s site map software (free) as an alternative. Cus-tomers who can’t find things on your Web pages will trust a site map more than a search box.

you want a readable, high-level view of search technology, download the first chapter (free) of “Ambient Findability” at www.oreilly.com/catalog/ambient.

Otherwise, find out six or seven key words and phrases that customers would use to find your company and make sure that those key words are included on most, if not all, of your pages. Put these key words in the bullet points that comprise most of the text on your site (see “Text,” below). Also make sure that the titles of your Web pages—all of them—include the name of your company and a short description of what you’re selling. Be concise; you only have 66 characters. That’s all the major search engines will use.

First contact. Please, just quickly check your Web homepage and make sure that there is some way to contact your business right there on the first page. If the address and phone/fax numbers are not right there, usually at the bottom of the first page, then please make sure there is a link to a contact page. This may sound like pure foolishness, but you’d be surprised at how many companies get caught up in creating the Web site and forget to do this one simple thing.

Navigation. You can buy a lot of books and read a lot of articles that will discuss the esoteric philosophy of user naviga-tion, but what you really want to know is whether your custom-ers can find their way around your Web site. Instead of hiring a consulting firm to do focus groups and user testing—a fancy phrase designed to separate you from your money—just ask your customers, neighbors, friends and family to visit your Web pages and find out what they think.

In terms of navigation, it’s always better to err on the side of simplicity. More navigation isn’t always better. Some Web pros may try to talk you into creating three different naviga-tion systems for the front page. Ask yourself this question: If my mechanic tried to talk me into having a speedometer on my dash, the roof of the car and the driver’s-side door, would I continue to talk with this mechanic, or drive away quickly with my existing speedometer? Simple navigation means doing what everyone else does. That means having a series of links to your pages running down the left side of your homepage.

Text. Again, simpler is better. Find someone in your com-pany who can write in bullet points and let her do all the writing. If you are hiring a copywriter, ask him whether he can write in bullet points and make him give you some examples. Your customers don’t want to be forced to read too much. The research from newspapers is telling. When people pick up a newspaper, the first things they look at are the pictures, then the headlines, and then the captions under the pictures. Often they stop before they get to the article, and that’s

While people may decry your Web site as nothing more than your print bro-chures, chopped up and slung up on the Internet, if that works, don’t listen to those critics. On the Web, whatever works, works.

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BEYOND BROCHUREWARE

Run for the hillsOnce you have a Web site, software vendors will begin to stalk your com-pany trying to sell you tools to “optimize” your Web presence. Here are a few popular technologies to watch out for. If any part of the vendor’s conversation uses these phrases, be very, very careful that what they’re selling actually matches what you really need to buy.

Content Management Systems—expensive database-driven software thatis designed to help your company publish Web pages more easily. Unlessyou have more than 10,000 pages of Web content, you probably don’t needthis headache.

Portals—Often packaged with a content management system, this is soft-ware that allows customers to create their own personalized Web page on your system. Guess what? Your customers do not want to do this. Ask them. Unless your customers come to your Web site five or more times a month, just to look around and see what’s new, AND you have new products going up on your site at least five times a week, a portal is a waste of time and money. If your business-to-business customers come to your site that often, consider creating a landing page for them. A landing page is a customized Web page for your customer, usually branded with your logo and the customer’s logo that shows you know what they will be looking for. If, for example, Boeing orders products from you all the time, a landing page with a separate address shows the company that you know how important they are to your business.

Flash—This is a technology that allows businesses to put animation up on their Web pages, and it is almost always done poorly. Companies usually put a Flash animation on their front page that starts up automatically, and it is the single most effective way to spend a lot of money to drive customers from your Web homepage. Flash programmers are expensive to hire, even on a contract basis, and the animations they create often annoy Internet users with the same success rate you might expect from a street mime.

Can Flash ever be effective? Of course. If someone approaches you and wants to create a Flash animation demonstrating how your installation of awnings works, or how to take down one of your tents safely, do not automatically drive him or her from your office with a sharp stick. —B.F.

tomers to contact you? Most businesses build a form that customers fill out. There’s nothing less personal than filling out a Web-based form (one that automatically puts all the information into a database). This may make their information more useful to you, but visitors to your site will feel like they’ve been dumped into a hole. Instead, build a simple hyperlink into the page such as:

Contact Us: [email protected] does this tell me as a cus-

tomer? It tells me I’m sending an e-mail, in my own words, to a real human being. It makes me feel as though there is someone at the other end of this communication, someone I could contact again if I don’t get a reply; someone who is accountable for checking that e-mail box. The address [email protected] does not communicate the same level of human attention.

Please make a promise or put a policy somewhere on the page telling your customers how fast you will be returning their e-mail. If you can’t return the e-mail faster than 24-48 hours, it’s time to review whether you should even have a Web presence. Zemke’s book recommends that a re-sponse time of 1-2 hours for e-mail is a best practice.

Easy to do business with? This phrase was stolen from a chapter in the book E-Service: 24 Ways to Keep Your Customers—When the Competition is Just a Click Away, by Ron Zemke and Tom Connellan. Having written a book with Ron, I felt at liberty to borrow it. That said, it is one of three books I recom-mend on the subject.

If your company is already easy to do business with, and your custom-ers tell you this, you are more than halfway to creating a successful Web site in terms of sales. If not, a Web site won’t be much help unless it forces your business leaders to take a hard look at your interactions with your customers.

Latest and greatest (maybe)If you read about Internet trends

and technologies, you won’t be able to avoid articles about blogs, podcasts, and RSS. These are the latest trends in Web communication, but beware ven-

Prices. Customers want prices. They came to your Web site looking for products AND prices. If you refuse to put your prices up on your Web pages, they will probably go some-where else.

Now, in all honesty, some businesses have complex pricing that involves volume discounts, labor, shipping and other variables. If your salespeople must honestly answer the question “How much?” with the phrase “it really depends,” then listing prices on your Web site may not be the greatest idea. In lieu of that, at least have a way for customers to get a price quote. Here

you can let your Web folks design a form that customers can fill out so they can get a price quote for their particular project. Again, guarantee a turnaround time for the quote—and miss that time window at your peril. Your customers are just as busy as you are, and you want them to be! If you don’t respond promptly and positively to this initial contact, customers will assume that’s how you operate in all areas, and you’ve just missed a sale.

Response. Having contact informa-tion up front was mentioned before; but how do you encourage your cus-

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load them up on their Web pages so that other people can listen to them on their com-puters or their iPods. As with the blog, ask yourself if your organization really has a lot of strong opinions about your industry before you consider this. On the other hand, if you think creatively, a podcast might actually be interesting to your customers. One chain of computer repairpersons did a podcast in which their employees would call in their most unusual house calls. A dozen of these calls were ed-ited together with some fun music, and the stories were compelling. Of course, these particular podcasts were only used internally within the company, because a few of the stories involved some very peculiar customer behavior.

RSS? This stands for Re-ally Simple Syndication, and is a tool for letting customers know when new content goes up on your Web site. This tool only makes sense for you if you have very newsy

items, or very current new content, going up four or fives times a day. ESPN, the New York Times, and stock market sites need an RSS feed. Do you?

One relatively new tech-nology that businesses can actual l y benef i t f rom i s called “Breeze.” It can be a bit pricey, but if you use Pow-erpoint as a sales tool, you should consider it. Breeze is a tool from Macromedia that essentially puts your Power-point presentations up on the Web so that customers can see them anytime. The cool thing is that you can add an audio narrative to the presentation: Ins tead of jus t f l ipping through the slides, a cus-tomer can listen to your most compelling salesperson narrating the presentation. This combines the audio of podcasts with some relatively interactive technology. Best of all, it allows you to use a business tool you are already

comfortable with in a way that com-municates clearly, using the latest technology, without having to hire an actual Web programmer.

Getting your Web site beyond bro-chureware—i.e., just putting your print brochures up on the Web—may make you re-examine the way you do busi-ness and how you interact with your customers. And, it may not. This is usually the point in an article at which some Web-head gets up on a soapbox and starts talking about how the In-ternet is going to change everything, for the better, and how businesses will never be the same.

Let’s face it: If markets are conversa-tions, then all you really need to know about your Web site is how to make it more conversational. And if you didn’t already know how to converse with your customers, you probably wouldn’t be in business any more. So ignore all of the gurus, consultants and pontificators, and listen to your gut. Take what you already know about dealing with your customers, and find ways to translate that to your Web site.


BEYOND BROCHUREWAREdors or executives who claim that you need to have one of these elements on your Web site. Because they are new, they are ideal venues for people who have too much time on their hands and a lot of opinions and attitudes they need to get out of their systems. Don’t get sucked in by how easy they are to set up, or even how cheap they are. Stick to your guns and make sure you have a very good business reason to use these technologies.

So do you need a …Blog? This is a personal journal

entry (Web log), usually updated daily, in which people discuss their strongly-held opinions and display them for all to see. So ask yourself: How would such a daily editorial help me sell my products? If you can think of a rea-son that your customers would want to read your president’s musings on business, politics, art or religion, by all means put a blog on your site. But before you do, read 10-12 of them to get a sense of how much “attitude” should be included in it.

Podcast? This is sort of an amateur radio show, sometimes with music and commentary, sometimes with just com-mentary. People record them and then

More online resourcesAccording to the National Federation of Small Businesses, 85 percent of all busi-nesses would like to have a Web site. Ber-nard Kamoroff’s easy-to-understand Online Operator is aimed both at those who want to build a Web site and those who aren’t satis-fied with the one they have. Topics include current and pending laws, IRS and sales tax issues, licensing, liability, insurance, domain names, privacy issues, secure servers, patent

and fraud protection, home-based busi-nesses and interna-tional law. This book is available for sale (with a 25 percent discount available for Review readers) through the IFAI Book-store at 800 207 0729, e-mail [email protected], http://bookstore.ifai.com.

From the Web, for the Web: www.cluetrain.com offers its “95 Theses” to change the way you think about writing for your Web site.

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S

Jeff Barbian is associate editor of the Review.

On top of thecoversOld-wor ld craf tsmanship is carv ing out a new-wor ld n iche, as Lohmann Sai ls & Covers makes i ts case to the boat ing wor ld .

By Jef f Barbian

Soon after it completes its plunge from the Alps, the Rhine River broadens and forms Lake Constance before resuming its 820-mile meander to the North Sea. At 40-miles long and nearly nine-miles wide, the Lake Constance watershed offers striking vistas from all directions. If you were afloat in the middle, you’d see the Swiss and Austrian Alps rise in the south; to the north are the rolling hills of southern Germany.

Chris Lohmann, who hails from those hills in a town called Tutzing, just south of Munich, points to a telling feature of Lake Constance: Most of the boats moored along its banks are blan-keted by a cover, no matter the season. Hop over to a neighbor-ing lake, however, and you’ll see very few fabric-covered boats.

After touring Europe to research the market for all-season boat covers, Lohmann concluded that this simply is a matter of supply and demand. “I went to Holland, northern Germany, Italy and France, and I realized that boat covers are used only if there’s someone in the area who makes them,” he says. “The areas where there’s nobody to offer this, the boats are either uncovered entirely or tarps are hastily put over them.”

In the Lake Constance area, Lohmann says, at least six or seven well-outfitted boat-cover makers service the region with all-season covers. With the bulk of its boats covered, Lake Constance is a microcosm of Lohmann’s vision, in which all luxury boats of all sizes, from Bayliners®, powerboats, Schooner sail boats, Grand Banks® yachts and Catalina cruisers to everything in between, are equipped with an all-season fabric cover for protection from the elements.

These boats, after all, are beloved toys to their owners. Why subject them to rain, dust, air pollution, UV rays or the tyranny of birds when a cover can keep the paint job fresh, the upholstery pristine?

This Martinac boat was built in 1926 at the Martinac Boatyard in Tacoma, Wash. The four-part cover, completed in 2002, has approximately 180 yards of 5-foot-wide 600-denier polyester fabric. The opposite page shows the boat fully covered.

PROFILE

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In fact, Lohmann would like to see boats rolled off the assem-bly line already equipped with a custom cover. “I try to convince boat makers,” he says. “It will cost a bit more in the beginning, but the boats will have protection from the start. People put thousands of dollars in a boat’s electronics, and with the 30- to 60-foot boats, a cover is one percent or less of what the boat is worth when you buy it new.

“With the UV index rising all the time,” continues Lohmann, “the cover’s going to preserve the plastic and fiberglass. I know people who have their boats polished by professionals three or four times a year. This costs more than the cover, which would reduce the need for waxing, anyway.”

Happy sailsLohmann Sales and Covers Ltd. has been in business for more

than six years, but Lohmann has been making boat covers since 1979. He got his start as a sail maker, beginning with an appren-ticeship in 1972 while still living in Germany, where he earned the rank of master sail maker. “I tried everything before that,” he says. “Then my mother finally said, ‘this is your last chance.’”

Getting into sail making seemed logical; he and his family were big sailors (his brother missed making the 1976 Montreal Olympics as a member of the German sailing team by one point). But those early years of sail making were challenging, and Lohmann found competing with the established big fish a daunting task.

Then, the local boat-cover maker retired, leaving a void that Lohmann eagerly filled. He began to make specialty transport and mooring covers for racing boats (Dragon, Star, 11m one design, Etchell, H Boat, and so forth). “I was the only one, more or less, who was making these covers that go around the whole boat,” says Lohmann.

When Lohmann’s mother died, he sold his business to a friend and moved to Canada, where his sister had been living. With his wife and two sons, he settled on Salt Spring Island—the largest of a group of islands nestled in the Strait of Georgia

between mainland Vancouver and Vancouver Island, B.C. Salt Spring has a reputation as an “art town,” where artists, farmers, chefs, mechanics, romantics and retirees come to smell the mild northern air. Now, though, it’s more or less a playground for the wealthy, Lohmann says, adding that that’s not exactly bad for business.

Initially, Lohmann and his family built a log house and invested in a bed and breakfast; he was pretty much retired

This Grand Banks 42 Europe is wrapped in a total winter cover with a 5-foot width of 600-denier polyester fabric making up approxi-mately 200 square yards. The cover consists of three parts with five supporting posts.

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PROFILE

from boat covers. But when the family’s finances were stretched thin, his hiatus came to an end.

Realizing there was no market in the Pacific Northwest for the sort of boats he dealt with in Germany, he searched for a niche market where he could im-plement designs that would improve on existing winter boat covers. “I tried to do the bimini boat tops, which are a big market here, but I couldn’t compete. It’s too precise.”

According to Lohmann, his compet-itors didn’t exactly perceive him as a threat. “They were laughing when I ar-rived,” he remembers. “They were think-ing, ‘who’s this crazy German thinking he can step right into this, on Salt Spring Island, no less.’”

When Lohmann decided to go back to making full boat covers there was only one business in the Richmond area that provided that service. “I thought his ask-ing prices were ridiculous,” he says. “I figured I needed to find a cheaper way to do them.”

He set up a 1,000 square-foot work-space in his garage, complete with a plot-ter and sewing machines and a 30-foot-long cutting table. At first, Lohmann tried using cheaper materials, starting with a nonsolution-dyed polyester fabric. He’s since switched to a polyurethane-coated 600 denier solution-dyed UV-resistant polyester, called Nidema 600 Plus. Three years ago, there were two or three sup-

pliers of this fabric, Lohman says. Today, there are ten or more, which has driven the prices down.

Bits and piecesLohmann’s current process is to wrap

plastic over the boat, mark the outline, cut the fabric and then sew it. To do jobs where he’s not physically working on a client’s boat, Lohmann simply finds a sister ship in the local area with the same specifications. Often, the job calls for a cover on the exact make and model of a

boat he’s worked on before. Eighty per-cent of the time, he says, the cover is a pre-cise fit, which isn’t a problem considering that part of the service plan is to send the cover back after one year for Lohmann to make adjustments and check on wear and tear. Approximately 30 percent of his cov-ers are exported into the United States (of these, 30 percent go to the East Coast).

Because of the soft, pliable material, the cover can be stuffed nicely into a bag without folding. On a Grand Banks 42 Classic yacht, for example, there are no sand bags or water bottles used for le-verage and weight. Instead, the cover is attached with 30 webbing straps and buckles. The fabric runs from the rail at least five feet and is tucked under the swim grid or the upright dinghy and then secured by a drawstring that can be tight-ened at the front and back. “Sandbags are old fashioned and heavy,” Lohmann says. “A 40-foot Trawler cover in Tofino Vancouver Island has easily withstood 80-mph winds.”

As for set-up and take-down, after five tries two people will be able to install the cover in less than 20 minutes, while taking it down will take 10 minutes.

Family affairLohmann Sails and Covers is a small

operation. Working with only three other employees, including his two sons Mar-ius, 24, and Nico, 22 (both getting theirapprenticeships from their father),

Chris Lohmann’s workshop on Salt Spring Island, B.C., Canada. Ideally, Lohmann would like to upgrade his next workshop to at least 5,000 square feet, where he’d be able to lay out the covers inside, rather than outside in his current location.

Christian Lohmann at the IFAI Canada Expo in February, 2006, in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

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is—at the moment. “Okay, I have maybe two or three competitors around here who do it, but they don’t advertise and they don’t even put a label on them,” he says. “They don’t want to. The normal upholsterer doesn’t want to deal with up-grading a shop to accommodate covers.”

Convinced that the market for boat covers will grow, Lohmann doesn’t rule out franchising, or waiting for someone big to buy him out. But first, he says, it wouldn’t hurt if his craft was more widely acknowledged. He tells how he recently

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Lohmann already has pumped out more than 100 boat covers this year.

Having his sons on board is a welcome surprise. “We bought them a house in Victoria [on Vancouver Island] to go to school and work but now they’ve come back. My older son [Marius] says to me, ‘yeah, dad, it looks like it’s a good way to make money. Easier than filmmaking.’ I don’t mind. It’s fun to all be together.”

While he doesn’t have a monopoly on the boat-cover market, Lohmann is amazed at how little competition there

solicited some contract work from Harken Inc., a manufacturer of sailboat hardware and accessories, based in Pewaukee, Wis. “I contacted them, and I hear nothing,” he says. “This is my biggest problem. No-body thinks that this really is a business. They think, nobody has ever done it, why you?”

If his sons want to stay with the busi-ness, Lohmann is happy to keep it in the family. “Then I wouldn’t have to look for someone to buy it,” he says. “One thing is for sure, it would be a waste if nobody kept it going. Nobody is copy-ing me, yet.”

His material buying is minimal—he requires the fabric, buckles, some thread, webbing and rope—which makes it easy to outsource. “My three guys had never touched a sewing ma-chine before, and they are all pretty good now after half a year. This is all very simple, actually. Don’t tell any-body,” he laughs.


PROFILE

Left: Wrapped in fabric: Marius Lohmann sits at the controls in his father’s workshop. Right: Nico Lohmann concentrates on a delicate cut. According to their father, Nico and his brother picked up the cover trade quickly and are considering keeping the business going.

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The Industrial Fabric Products Associa-tion is a complex organization that offers assistance to the specialty fabric industry in many areas. To get more information on specific programs and divisions, please contact the following staff:

AdvertisingSarah Hyland, Advertising Director +1 651 225 6950, [email protected]

BookstoreBarbara Connett. Bookstore Manager +1 651 225 6913, [email protected]

Certification Deb Stender, Certification Programs Manager+1 651 222 2508, [email protected]

Conferences Tracie Coopet, Conference Management+1 651 225 6947, [email protected]

DivisionsAutomotive Materials AssociationKristy Osman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6959, [email protected]

Banner, Flag & Graphics AssociationJan Schieffer, Managing Director+1 651 225 6944, [email protected]

The Casual Furniture Fabrics AssociationElizabeth Newman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6925, [email protected]

Geosynthetic Materials AssociationKathleen Mattson, Managing Director+1 651 225 6942, [email protected]

Inflatable Recreational Products DivisionRuth Stephens, Managing Director+1 651 225 6920, [email protected]

Lightweight Structures AssociationBeth Hungiville, Managing Director+1 651 225 6952, [email protected]

Marine Fabricators AssociationBeth Hungiville, Managing Director+1 651 225 6952, [email protected]

Narrow Fabrics InstituteKaren Musech, Managing Director+1 651 225 6948, [email protected]

Professional Awning Manufacturers AssociationKaren Musech, Managing Director+1 651 225 6948, [email protected]

Safety and Protective Products DivisionRuth Stephens, Managing Director+1 651 225 6920, [email protected]

Tent Rental DivisionJan Schieffer, Managing Director+1 651 225 6944, [email protected]

IFAI UPDATE

The Industrial Fabric Products Association is a complex organization that offers assistance to the specialty fabric industry in many areas. To get more information on specific programs and divisions, please contact the following staff:

AdvertisingSarah Hyland, Advertising Director +1 651 225 6950, [email protected]

BookstoreBarbara Connett. Bookstore Manager +1 651 225 6913, [email protected]

Certification Kristy Osman, Certification Programs Manager+1 651 225 6959, [email protected]

Conferences Tracie Coopet, Conference Management+1 651 225 6947, [email protected]

DivisionsAutomotive Materials AssociationKristy Osman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6959, [email protected]

The Casual Furniture Fabrics AssociationElizabeth Newman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6925, [email protected]

Fabric Graphics AssociationJan Schieffer, Managing Director+1 651 225 6944, [email protected]

Geosynthetic Materials AssociationAndrew Aho, Managing Director+1 651 225 6907, [email protected]

Inflatable Recreational Products DivisionKristy Osman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6959, [email protected]

Lightweight Structures AssociationBeth Hungiville, Managing Director+1 651 225 6952, [email protected]

Marine Fabricators AssociationBeth Hungiville, Managing Director+1 651 225 6952, [email protected]

Narrow Fabrics InstituteKathy Mattson, Managing Director+1 651 225 6942, [email protected]

Professional Awning Manufacturers AssociationMichelle Sahlin, Managing Director+1 651 225 6941, [email protected]

Safety and Protective Products DivisionRuth Stephens, Managing Director+1 651 225 6920, [email protected]

Tent Rental DivisionJan Schieffer, Managing Director+1 651 225 6944, [email protected]

An honored

v is ionaryFor many years, Ryotaro Nohmura was the convention-bucking force behind the

structural principles that made Taiyo Kogyo Corp. what it is. He astonished us for decades with membrane structures that were forever setting the bar higher with in-novative materials and fresh, even unusual applications. The growth of the specialty fabrics industry owes a debt of gratitude to Nohmura.

Memorial services for Nohmura, who was Taiyo Kogyo Corp.’s chairman and an honored life member of IFAI, were held on March 31, 2006, at the Rhiga Royal

Hotel in Osaka, Japan. In a show of his influence on the lives he touched, more than 2,000 people attended the service, including former Japan Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

Representing IFAI were AR Tech’s President Carmen Weisbart and Bud Weisbart, vice president, who conveyed condolences from Jeff Kirk, chairman of IFAI, and Steve Warner, president.

As part of the service, models of membrane structures were displayed that Taiyo Kogyo had accomplished under Nohmura’s leadership, including the U.S.A. pavilion at the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, Japan; and the Millennium Dome, the world’s biggest dome, in Greenwich, England.

One room featured a large picture of Nohmura with the words, “A lifelong townsman.” A flower was offered by Imperial Prince Mikasanomiya, and those in attendance followed suit, laying a flower in front of his smiling photo.

Mourners pay tribute to Ryotaro Nohmura. Nohmura was chairman of Taiyo Kogyo Corp. and an honored life member of IFAI.

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Truck Cover & Tarp AssociationKristy Osman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6959, [email protected]

United States Industrial Fabrics InstituteRuth Stephens, Managing Director+1 651 225 6920, [email protected]

Education ProgramsJill Rutledge, Education Program Manager+1 651 225 6981, [email protected]

IFAI CanadaElizabeth Newman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6925, [email protected]

IFAI JapanKikuko Tagawa, Executive Director+81 727 80 2803, [email protected]

Information Services HotlineJuli Case, Information & Technical Services Manager800 328 4324, [email protected]

International Achievement AwardsChristine Malmgren, Achievement Awards Manager+1 651 225 6926, [email protected]

MagazinesFabric ArchitectureBruce N. Wright, Editor+1 651 225 6953, [email protected]

GFRChristopher Kelsey, Editor+1 651 225 6988, [email protected]

Industrial Fabric Products ReviewGalynn Nordstrom, Senior Editor+1 651 225 6928, [email protected]

InTentsKatie Harholdt, Editor+1 651 225 6970, [email protected]

Marine FabricatorMelissa Kaudy, Editor+1 651 225 6922, [email protected]

Upholstery JournalJanet Cass, Editor+1 651 225 6933, [email protected]

Magazine SubscriptionsSusan Smeed, Assistant Circulation Manager+1 651 222 2508, [email protected]

Market ResearchRobin Simoson, Market Research Manager+1 651 225 6946, [email protected]

MembershipMatt Mason, Membership Manager+1 651 225 6949, [email protected]

Web SiteTris McCann, Web Site Manager+1 651 225 6954, [email protected]

Truck Cover & Tarp AssociationKristy Osman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6959, [email protected]

United States Industrial Fabrics InstituteRuth Stephens, Managing Director+1 651 225 6920, [email protected]

Education ProgramsJill Rutledge, Director of Shows & Events+1 651 225 6981, [email protected]

IFAI CanadaElizabeth Newman, Managing Director+1 651 225 6925, [email protected]

IFAI JapanKikuko Tagawa, Executive Director+81 727 80 2803, [email protected]

Information Services HotlineJuli Case, Information & Technical Services Manager800 328 4324, [email protected]

International Achievement AwardsChristine Malmgren, Achievement Awards Manager+1 651 225 6926, [email protected]

MagazinesFabric ArchitectureBruce N. Wright, Editor+1 651 225 6953, [email protected]

GeosyntheticsRon Bygness, Editor+1 651 225 6988, [email protected]

Industrial Fabric Products ReviewGalynn Nordstrom, Senior Editor+1 651 225 6928, [email protected]

InTentsKatie Harholdt, Editor+1 651 225 6970, [email protected]

Marine FabricatorMelissa Kaudy, Editor+1 651 225 6922, [email protected]

Upholstery JournalJanet Cass, Editor+1 651 225 6933, [email protected]

Magazine SubscriptionsSusan Smeed, Assistant Circulation Manager+1 651 222 2508, [email protected]

Market ResearchHeather Mattson, Market Research Manager+1 651 225 6946, [email protected]

MembershipMatt Mason, Membership Manager+1 651 225 6949, [email protected]

Web SiteTris McCann, Web Site Manager+1 651 225 6954, [email protected]

IFAI UPDATE

The futuristsThe IFAI Japan spring meeting was

held on March 31, 2006, at the Dawn Center in Osaka, Japan. AR Tech Presi-dent Carmen Weisbart and Vice Presi-dent Bud Weisbart attended as guest speakers for the event.

Twenty-six people attended the meeting. After Carmen’s and Bud’s introductory remarks, everyone shared and discussed their dreams and thoughts on the future of the specialty fabrics industry and the role their businesses will play.

But Weisbart conveyed a message from IFAI Chairman Jeff Kirk that one of the goals of IFAI is being more responsive to the needs of end users of fabric products, and to create increased awareness of the great latitude of applications for the prod-ucts that are created for them.

Because the meeting fell on the same day as the memorial service for Ryotaro Nohmura, the attendees discussed their dreams for the future of the industry, as a way to honor and commemorate the life of Nohmura and his impact on the specialty fabric industry.

USIFI MilSpecs committee seeks helpIn Feb., 2006, the United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) MilSpecs

committee met and formed a color subcommittee in order to recommend standards and test methods for use when making various coated fabrics for the U.S. military. Terry Sliwinski, Ferro Corp., Cleveland, Ohio, will chair this subcommittee.

The first task was to establish a color test study of certain coated fabrics to deter-mine benchmarks for each color and IR reflectance, to be run at Ferro Corp.

If you are actively involved in coating fabrics for U.S. military use and would like to participate in this study, please notify Ruth Stephens, USIFI executive director, at [email protected] or +1 651 225 6920.

Automotive Materials SymposiumThe Automotive Materials Symposium is

scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, during IFAI Expo 2006 at the Georgia World Con-gress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The symposium is organized by IFAI and the Automotive Materials Association (AMA), a division of IFAI.

The Automotive Materials Symposium will consist of a full day of educational topics including:

• Design trends/low-cost alternatives • New developments/material trends• VOC emissions & specifications • Testing trend alternatives • Ask-the-industry-experts panel discussion“This symposium will not only educate newcomers to the auto industry but cur-

rent automotive industry professionals as well,” says Jim Harper, AMA’s chairman, and director of automotive development, Techmer PM, Clinton, Tenn.

The Automotive Materials Symposium will offer prime networking opportunities as well as access to more than 500 exhibitors during the IFAI Expo 2006 trade show, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2006. The event will mark the first time IFAI has collaborated with the American Textile Machinery Exhibition International (ATME-I) trade show and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) annual meeting to create MEGATEX, an extraordinary event for the specialty fabric and textile industry.

For more information about the Automotive Materials Symposium or IFAI Expo 2006, please contact Kristy Osman, IFAI, +1 651 225 6959 or 800 225 4324, fax +1 651 631 9334, e-mail [email protected]. For the most up-to-date information, visit Web site www.ifaiexpo.com.

Kikuko Tagawa, executive director of IFAI Japan (standing), addresses attendees of the IFAI Japan spring meeting in Osaka, Japan.

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IFAI UPDATE

New Members

Auto & Marine UpholsteryAntonio Smith, Owner1 Mill Creek Ln.Pitts Bay Rd.Pembroke, HM05Bermuda+1 441 292 9394, fax +1 441 295 9794E-mail [email protected] division(s) joined: Marine Fabricators AssociationAuto and marine upholstery

Boat Bunkers Inc.Bruce Nelson, CEO1609 E. 41st St.Cape Coral, FL 33904United States+1 239 542 7197, fax +1 239 542 7108E-mail [email protected] site www.boatbunkers.comIFAI division(s) joined: Marine Fabricators AssociationIn-water mooring stations

Canvas West / EZ2CYMichael Town1745 Northgate Blvd.Sarasota, FL 34234-2138United States+1 941 355 0780, fax +1 941 355 0360E-mail [email protected] division(s) joined: Marine Fabricators AssociationMarine canvas

Colonnade Events LLCJack Nance, Pres.7930 Blankenship Dr.Houston, TX 77055-1006United States+1 713 682 9000, fax +1 713 682 9001E-mail [email protected] site www.colonnadeevents.comIFAI division(s) joined: Tent Rental DivisionTent rental

Pacific Tent & AwningKem Bricker, Owner7295 N. Palm Bluffs Ave.Fresno, CA 93711-5737United States+1 559 436 8147, fax +1 559 436 8148E-mail [email protected] site www.pacifictentandawning.comAwnings and retail tent sales

Party Time Rental Inc.Karl Wagner, Gen. Mgr.2075 S Platte River Dr.Denver, CO 80233-3852United States+1 303 935 4545, fax +1 303 935 6731E-mail [email protected] site www.partytimerental.comIFAI division(s) joined: Tent Rental DivisionTent rentals

Ready AwningFred Ready, Treas. 98 N. Billerica Rd.Tewksbury, MA 01876-3510United States+1 978 851 3963, fax +1 978 851 8762E-mail [email protected] site www.readyawning.comIFAI division(s) joined: Marine Fabricators AssociationAwning manufacturing

Sewn Products Equipment Co. (SPEC)Mel Berzack, Vice Pres.971 Airport Rd., P.O. Box 357Jefferson, GA 30549United States+1 706 367 2755, fax +1 706 367 4112E-mail [email protected] site www.sewnproducts.comSuppliers of machinery parts and accessories to manufacturers

Solstice 235 SolutionsMichael Shih1445 Chambers Rd.Tustin, CA 92780United States+1 714 433-7151E-mail [email protected] furniture, marine fabrics, solutiondyed fabrics

DelStar TechnologiesMarjorie Wilcox, Mktg. Mgr.601 Industrial Rd.Middletown, DE 19709-1083United States+1 302 378 8888 ext. 4918, fax +1 302 378 4482E-mail [email protected] site www.delstarinc.comRoll-goods manufacturer

Durkopp Adler America Inc.Ed Atkinson5875 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.Ste. 220Norcross, GA 30092-3677United States+1 770 446 8162, fax +1 770 446 7521E-mail [email protected] site www.durkoppadler.comIndustrial sewing machines, tackers, parts

The Fiberglass Shop Of Stuart Inc.Brian Odonnell3355 S.E. Dixie Hwy.Stuart, FL 34997-5240United States+1 772 223 8005, fax +1 772 223 8005Custom boat building and upholstery work

Legendary Marine Canvas & UpholsteryErnie Vierra, Owner690 Regatta Bay Blvd.Destin, FL 32541-5335United States+1 850 337 8310, fax +1 850 337 8311E-mail [email protected] division(s) joined: Marine Fabricators AssociationMarine canvas & upholstery

Marine Canvas AmericaLinda Harrell1837 S. Dixie Hwy.Pompano Beach, FL 33060-8939United States+1 954 941 8055 E-mail [email protected] division(s) joined: Marine Fabricators Association

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), publisher of the Review, is a not-for-profit trade association that facilitates the development, application and promotion of specialtyfabric products manufactured by its diverse membership. The following companies have madean investment in their future by joining IFAI.

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Medical Textiles 2004 Conference Proceedings Item# 16115(2004, paperback, 381 pages)

The full pro-ceedings of the recent symposium “Medical Textiles 2004: Advances in Biomedical Textiles and Healthcare Products”. The event was held in Pittsburgh in October 2004.

This symposium focused in particular on the following topics: Materials in Medical Applications and Healthcare; Wound Closures/Suture Materials; Cardiovascular Implants; Orthopedic Devices and Compression Therapy; Wound Care and Antimicrobials; Protective Medical Textiles and Barrier Fabrics; and Future Directions and Opportunities for Healthcare Products.

Standard Practice for Stitches and Seams D6193-97(2004)Item # teckija042(2004, paperback)This is the new version of D 6193-97 Standard Practices for Stitches and Seams, which replaced Federal Standard 751, the pri-mary guidance manual for seam structures used by government and industrial textile includes a general discussion of stitches and seams and drawings of each stitch and seam type.

Coated Textiles: Principles and ApplicationsItem # 16099(2001, hardcover, 248 pages)Contents: Polymeric materials for coating; Textile substrate for coated fabric; Coating

methods; Physical properties of coated fab-rics; Rheology of coating, Fabrics for foul weather protection; Nonapparel coating; High-tech application; and Test methods.

Fire Retardant MaterialsItem # 16111 (2001, hardcover, 444 pages)This book provides a detailed analysis of the burning behavior and flame retarding qualities of polymers, composites, and tex-tiles. It also covers reducing fire hazards of real materials such as textiles, composites, and natural polymers. In addition it also explores emerging methods and anticipated changes to performance-based tests.

Handbook of Technical TextilesItem # 16093(2000, hardcover, 640 pages)

Contents: Technical textiles market - an overview; technical fibers; technical yarns; technical fabric struc-tures - woven fabrics, knitted fabrics and nonwoven fabrics; finishing of techni-cal textiles; coating of technical textiles;

coloration of technical textiles and much, much more.

Textile Testing & AnalysisItem # 16094(1998, paperback, 374 pages)This book presents basic information on methods and techniques used to analyze textile fabrics for end-use performance and product quality standards.

Textiles (9th Edition)Item # 20013(1998, hardcover, 419 pages)This textbook provides a solid background on textiles and is an excellent fundamental source of information about fabrics and their characteristics. It introduces the basics on fibers, yarns, fabric construction, fabric finishing, and other textile-related issues. While not specifically written for the indus-trial fabric industry, most of the information is readily applied to any aspect of the textile industry. Our technical staff was particu-larly impressed with its fiber comparative information, charts, and easy to understand language.

To order, visit www.bookstore.ifai.com; call 800 207 0729, +1 651 225 6913; or

e-mail [email protected]

T H E R E F E R E N C E S E C T I O N

Textile Terms and Definitions - 11th EditionItem # 16096(2002, hardcover, 407 pages)Nearly 4,000 textile terms are clearly defined and are sup-ported by numerous illustrations. The pub-lication also includes abbreviations, symbols, ISO codes, conversion factors and more.

SportstechItem # 16103(2002, hardcover, 191 pages)This book, written by two experts on revo-lutionary textiles, describes the new fabrics (including those made of metal, glass, or ceramic yarns) and their amazing proper-ties. It explains the new design processes for making clothes that are “smart”, seam-less, have clever venting systems or mimic the carapace of an insect. It covers clothes and shoes intended for runners, swimmers, snowboarders, football players, divers and more. Not only does this book talk about what fabrics are appropriate for what appli-cation it tells you why.

Materials in Sports EquipmentItem # 16110(2003, hardcover, 407 pages)

The book provides insight into the over-all influence of mate-rials in sports and the significance of mate-rial processing and design. It explores how individual sports have benefited from recent improvements in material technol-

ogy and analyses the way in which improve-ments in our understanding of biomechan-ics and the engineering aspects of sports equipment performance have influenced materials and design.

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NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Tent supportSave t ime and money wi th new and improved accessor ies and hardware.

1. The new Model 20 FS offers efficient, automatic grommeting. This all-electric model has a motor that runs only when the pedal is pressed. It quickly inserts eyelet and washer in one stroke, and has few moving parts; no belts, pulleys, clutch or flywheel. Also, it fea-tures a release for excessive materials, and because the machine cuts through tough materials, self-piercing grommets are not required.

For more information, contact Munro Fastenings & Tex-tiles Inc., Toronto; 877 476 6638, +1 416 675 1102, fax +1 416 675 1136, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.munrofastenings.com.

2. The Model 3P5 portable pneumatic press has been designed specifically for grommet applications. Measuring only 16 inches tall x 3.5 inches wide, and weighing just over 20 pounds, this powerful com-pact press is capable of punching a hole in a wide range of industrial fabrics and attaching a grommet and washer, all in a single cycle. Two versions are available: one for standard fabrics, one for heavier fabrics and larger grommets. The setting tools are interchangeable. Simply threaded in place, they allow for fast conversions. The sturdy, welded frame is designed for safe operation, portability and ease of use. The machine can be hand-carried or mounted to a bench.

For more information, contact Edward Segal Inc., Thomas-ton, Conn.; +1 860 283 5821, fax +1 860 283 0871, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.edwardsegalinc.com.

3. Whether washing tents in machines or by hand, generally large sections of vinyl are hung to dry. The Hercules Hoist System (patent pending) allows one person to raise each section of the tent with an ordinary hand drill. The direct-pull method is labor-intensive, while the block-and-tackle method leaves dead line on the floor that traps moisture, making it difficult to fold tents that are completely dry. This system was devel-oped after several years of hands-on experience in the tent and party-rental business, is cost-effective to install, reduces labor costs, minimizes stress on the back, and requires minimal maintenance.

For more information, contact Demco Ltd., Austin, Texas; 888 934 6478, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.demcoltd.com.

4. DAF’s printed window panel is encapsulated between two double-polished, clear films. The window print will not scratch, and the clear films have been formulated for fire retardance and UV resistance.

For more information, contact DAF Products Inc., Wycoff, N.J.; 800 228 9837, +1 201 251 1222, fax +1 201 251 1221, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.dafproducts.com.

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Ready to installDesigned to save awning fabricators

time and labor, Astrup now supplies Sta-tionary Awning Kits. Ready-to-install kits

include sub-assembled frame sections made of 14-gauge 1.315 Gatorshield tubing and plated adjustable slip-fit fit-tings. The kits come in five widths, three projections and are available unpainted or powder-coated white.

For more information, contact The Astrup Co., Cleveland, Ohio; +1 216 696 2820, fax +1 216 696 8202, Web site www.astrup.com.

Soft and clever protectionThe Dow Corning® Active Protection

System is an “intelligent” textile that remains soft and flexible under normal conditions but hardens instantly upon

impact. When the impact force is re-moved, the material immediately returns to a flexible state. The material can be stitched directly into garments, custom-ized for creative design possibilities; is breathable, flexible, lightweight, and washable. The Active Protection System is a 3-D spacer textile treated with a coat-ing that allows it to absorb and distribute impact energy.

For more information, contact Dow Corn-ing Corp., Midland, Mich.; +1 989 496 7881, fax +1 989 496 6731, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.dowcorning.com, or www.activeprotection-system.com.

Award Winning Designs . . .Ford Amphitheatre

Tampa Bay, FL

Creative Solutions . . .B-2 Bomber Hangar

Diego Garcia Air Force Base

American SpaceframeFabricators International

9030 W. Ft. Island Trail, Suite 11B

Crystal River, FL 34429

Contact: Chris Longley

352-564-0040

Toll-free: 866-444-2734

asfi .net

Diverse Applications . . .Bottineau Sports Facility

Minneapolis, MN

DESIGN • ENGINEERING • FABRICATION

Bench-top testingThe eXpert 760x line of machines

range from 1kN (225 lbf) to 10kN (2,250 lbf). The small, bench-top systems pro-vide flexibility to perform low-force tension, compression and flexure tests on textiles and other materials. Three closed-loop controllers are available for

use with the eXpert line: the eP Digital Controller includes load and crosshead inputs; the Precise Controller adds live graphing capabilities to show stress vs. strain calculation results; and the Admet MtestWindows™ software system supplies statistical summaries for test groupings.

For more information, contact Admet Inc., Norwood, Mass.; +1 781 769 0850, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.admet.com.

For your perusalWire Rack Literature Holders are eight,

12, or 16-pocket displays that save space for set-ups at trade shows, showrooms and

lobbies. The racks come with black-star style bases and wire bases, as well as a top clip for signs, and an add-on wire basket option for further expansion.

For more information, contact Creative Banner Assemblies, Minneapolis, Minn.; 800 528 8846, or +1 763 566 1118, fax +1 763 278 6542, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.creativebanner.com.

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omNEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Super guardGlenGuard™ FR addresses the issues

of protection, economy and comfort. It meets or exceeds all of the major government standards related to fire protection, including NFPA 70E. Glen-Guard fabrics were created by blending Kermel® SoftShield fibers with solu-tion-dyed FR modacrylic fibers. The fabric is inherently flame-resistant and

colorfast, even after repeated commer-cial launderings. GlenGuard fibers have enhanced abrasion resistance for longer life, chemical resistance and improved moisture management for increased worker comfort.

For more information, contact Glen Raven Technical Fabrics LLC, Glen Raven, N.C.; +1 336 227 6211, fax +1 336 226 8454, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.glenguard.com.

Bracket racketThe John Boyle Co. announces

the addition of a 2-inch “U” bracket to its awning hardware line. The new “U” bracket is stamped from .125-inch thick steel and is then galvanized to protect the steel from rust. The “U” bracket is designed to join together two pieces of 1-inch square tubing, without unsightly gaps.

For more information, contact The John Boyle Co. Inc., Statesville, N.C.; 800 438 1061, fax +1 704 878 0572, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.johnboyle.com.

Off the wall: tensioned vinylClip Tex walls offer the look of hard-

wall at an easy-handling weight and with time-saving installation technology. The easily replaceable panels extend the life of the wall and reduce replacement costs. This durability and affordability

is possible through the system’s integra-tion of aluminum frame and traditional vinyl. The vinyl is tensioned across the frame using a patented holding system. You can change the panel colors, add clear, or include corporate branding.

For more information, contact Losberger US, Frederick, Md.; 800 964 8368 or +1 301 682 8000, fax +1 301 682 8005, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.losbergerus.com.

Trim and snipThe Trimmers’ Choice Tool Set for

upholstery and trim is a 5-piece double-ended tool kit designed for all types of automotive and marine upholstery ap-plications. The kit can be used to aid in the disassembly of door panels, remov-ing trim strips from dashboards, and in window installation, among other ap-plications. Made from impact-resistant

delrin plastic, which won’t scratch or mar working surfaces.

For more information, contact Vicar Intl., Union, N.J.; 800 526 6997, fax +1 908 964 0909, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.vicarinternational.com.

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Discover new solutions and opportunities for the safety & protective fabrics industry:• Identify trends in military, fi rst responder and homeland security• Learn about new research, materials, testing, applications and more• Network with the international safety and protective products community

NOVEMBER 1, 2006GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTERATLANTA, GEORGIA USA

Visit www.ifaiexpo.info for more information about the 5th International Conference on Safety & Protective Fabrics and IFAI Expo 2006 Exhibit Hall, Oct.31–Nov.2, 2006, a part of MEGATEX.

Send us your dirty fabrics...We’ll return them to you cleaned and protected!

Awning Cleaning Industries - The Outdoor Fabric Specialists31 Fitch Street, New Haven, CT 06515

1-800-542-3009e-mail: [email protected] • www.cleancanvas.com

Proud distributor of a full line of Apco products!Outdoor Fabrics Cleaners and Protectors

The next best thing to new fabrics!

Inspector gadgetThe new Model 7762A Pick & Course

Counter is for fabric overfeed and shrinkage on tenter frames, compres-sive shrinkage machines, and knit-goods compactors, as well as cloth inspection in the mill and in the garment-maker’s

plant. The counter includes high-speed signal processors that perform indi-vidual thread analyses in fabric. Thread analysis is done automatically online at production speeds. A laser beam counts the threads as the cloth makes grazing contact with the sensor. A high-preci-sion, wheel-driven surface displacement counter gates the thread count to dis-play picks and courses to the nearest tenth per inch or centimeter on a large LED display.

For more information, contact Strandberg Engineering Laboratories Inc., Greensboro, N.C.; +1 336 274 3775, fax +1 336 272 4521, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.strandberg.com.

Shag-tastic!Shagarl® fabric is made from 100-per-

cent recycled fibers. This environmen-tally smart fabric’s fibers derive from PET bottles. Furthermore, a beautiful color selection is available. The material is solution-dyed and has strong color

fastness without color shading. And it’s fire retardant and water resistant.

For more information, contact Teijen Techno Products Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; +81 3 3506 4230, fax +81 3 3506 4114, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.teijin.co.jp.

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CALENDARJune

June 27–July 2, ITM 2006The International Textile Machinery (ITM) Exhibition will be held at the CNR World Trade Center, Istanbul, Turkey. For more information, call +90 212 663 08 81, fax +90 212 663 09 73, Web site www.cnrexpo.com.

June 22-23, CAD/CAM Technology SymposiumThis AATCC-Global Design Initiative will be held at the QVC headquarters in West Chester, Pa. The symposium will address the interests and day-to-day concerns of the Computer Integrated Textile Design Association (CITDA) membership, targeting CAD de-signers, CAM managers, textile and apparel designers, stylists, colorists, merchandisers, retailers, design tech-nology providers, educators, and fashion and home furnishings management. For additional information, contact Kim Nicholson, The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), +1 919 549 3535, fax +1 919 549 8933, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.aatcc.org.

JulyJuly 5–8, ShanghaiTex 2006At the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, For more information, contact Glenn F. Jackman, +1 919 733 2829, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.2456.com/shanghaitex.

July 12-14, Polymer Fibres 2006At the Weston Conference Centre, University of Manchester, U.K. Co-sponsored by the Fiber Society & The Manchester Materials Science Centre. For more information, contact Caroline Sumner +44 1483 427770, fax +44 1483 428516, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.meetingsmanagement.com/

July 17-20, Improving Dyeing and Finishing Op-erations Using Six SigmaAt the AATCC Technical Center in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Modeled after the Green Belt program at NCSU, customized specifically for the dyeing and fin-ishing manufacturing sector. The data and case studies will be from real world situations encountered while working with various dyeing and finishing operations over the years. For additional information, contact Kim Nicholson, The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), +1 919 549 3535, fax +1 919 549 8933, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.aatcc.org.

July 26-27, High Performance in a High Performance Apparel WorldAt the Red Lion Hotel on the River in Portland, Ore. The targeted audience will include designers, buyers, colorists, educators, merchandisers, product and quality control managers, retailers, and stylists. For additional information, contact Kim Nicholson, The American Association of Textile Chemists and Color-ists (AATCC), +1 919 549 3535, fax +1 919 549 8933, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.aatcc.org.

AugustAug. 1-4, Interior Lifestyle USA and Heimtextil USAAt the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev. International Showcase featuring home textiles, home accents and interior decor products. For more information, contact +49 6975 755 855, fax +49 6975 756 704, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.messefrankfurt.com.

Aug. 1-3, Direction ShowThis international textile design show is held at the Penn Plaza Pavilion in New York, N.Y. Hundreds of collections from around the world show off the trends, with exhibitors showcasing original textile designs and lifestyle concepts for a variety of markets. Featuring designs for prints, knits, wovens, appliques, embroi-deries, vintage garmetns, antique swatches, and CAD technology. For more information, contact +1 973 761 5598, fax +1 973 7671 5188, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.directionshow.com.

Aug. 1-3, Printsource New YorkAt New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania, this show addresses the textile and surface design markets in the United States. For more information, contact +1 212 352 1005, fax +1 212 807 0024, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.printsourcenewyork.com.

Aug. 5, PAMA Fabrication and Installation WorkshopAt Bluegrass Awning Co., Louisville, Ky. For more information, contact Michelle E. Sahlin, +1 651 225 6941, fax +1 651 631 9334, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.awninginfo.com.

Aug. 7-9, AFINT 2006AATCC International Conference on Advances in Fibrous Materials, Nonwoven, and Technical Textiles (AFINT 2006), Hotel Jenney Club, Coimbatore, India. For more information, contact S.S. Ramkumar, +1 806 885 0228, fax +1 806 885 2132, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.afint2006.com.

Aug. 24, Developing Digitally Printed ProductsSponsored by [TC]2, Cary, N.C. For more information, contact Maria Muñiz, 800 786 9889, fax +1 919 380 2182, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.tc2.com/what/seminars.html.

Aug. 28–30, Special Effects: Enhance Your Textile PrintsAt the Screen Printing Technical Foundation’s labora-tory in Fairfax, Va. Make your work stand out and earn more profits at the same time by printing specialty inks in your designs. For more information, contact +1 703 359 1366, Web site www.sgia.org/sptf/wrkshps.cfm.

SeptemberSept. 1, Cinte Techtextile ChinaPutting you face-to-face with thousands of Asia’s qualified buyers for technical textiles and nonwovens. Origanized by Messe Frankfurt RUS O.O.O., Shanghai, China. For more information, contact Meike Schad, +49 69 7575 6179; fax: + 49 69 7575 6541, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.techtextil.com.

Sept. 12-14, 6th-Annual SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Exposition (ACCE) At the MSU Management Education Center in Troy, Mich. This event is designed to educate and inform about the benefits and expanding importance of thermoset and thermoplastic composites in passenger vehicles, light trucks, and other transport applications. For more information, contact Pat Levine, +1 248 244 8993, e-mail [email protected]. Web site www.speautomotive.com.

Sept. 13-16, International Casual Furniture & Accessories MarketAt the Merchandise Mart. For more information, con-tact Whitney Gillespie, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.merchandisemart.com/casualmarket.

Sept. 18-21, TexworldWorldwide Fabrics Rendez-Vous, C.N.I.T. & Espace Grande Arche, Paris la Défense, Paris. For more information, contact +49 69 75 75 58 55, fax +49 69 75 75 67 04, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.messefrankfurt.com.

Sept. 18-22, Introduction to Apparel ManufacturingSponsored by [TC]2. Get up-to-speed quickly on the entire apparel manufacturing process. This course provides an overview of the manufacturing process, its techniques, its systems, and its business strategies. Held at [TC]2 headquarters in Cary, N.C. Fore more information, contact +1 919 380 2156 or 800 786 9889, fax +1 919 380 2181, Web site www.tc2.com.

Sept. 20, Regulatory Compliance for the Flammability of General Wearing ApparelSponsored by ASTM Intl., New York City. For more infor-mation, contact Eileen Finn +1 610 832 9668, fax +1 610 832 9668, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.astm.org.

October 31 – November 2, 2006AtlantaGeorgia World Congress Center

Organized by the Industrial Fabrics As-sociation International (IFAI), IFAI Expo 2006 will be the largest event in the world for the specialty fabrics indus-try. Innovation, technology and global networking will defi ne the show.

In addition to networking opportuni-ties on the show fl oor and in network-ing events, IFAI Expo 2006 will feature eight market-specifi c symposiums covering automotive materials; aw-nings and small structures; archi-tecture and lightweight structures; marine fabrication; medical textiles; safety and protective; sewing and fabric welding; textiles and graphics.

IFAI Expo 2006 will collaborate with ATME-I 2006 and the American Asso-ciation of Textile Chemists and Color-ists tradeshow to create MEGATEX of the Americas, the world’s largest specialty fabrics tradeshow that will bring hundreds of suppliers, manufac-turers and small shop owners under one roof. The events will be held in conjunction with one another, but will remain separate so as to keep the in-dividual fl avor of each.

For more information about IFAI Expo 2006, contact IFAI Conference Manage-ment at 800 225 4324, +1 651 222 2508; fax +1 651 631 9334; e-mail [email protected] or visit www.ifaiexpo.info.

A Part of

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Sept. 20-21, USIFI MilSPecs Committee MeetingAt the Natick Soldier Center, Natick, Mass. Contact Ruth Stephens, +1 651 225 6920, [email protected], Web site www.usifi.com.

Sept. 21-24, Indonesian Textile and Apparel Fair 2006 (ITAF 2006)Jakarta International Expo, Jakarta, Indonesia. For more information, contact Antheus Indonesia; tele-phone +62 21 530 3111; fax +62 21 530 3113, e-mail [email protected].

Sept. 24–26, ITMF Annual ConferenceBy invitation of the Fabric & Accessories Manufacturers Association (FAAMA) of Sri Lanka, the 2006 International Textile Manufacturers Federation annual conference will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The invitation brochure will be available towards the end of May, 2006. For more information, contact +41 44 283 63 80, fax +41 44 283 63 89, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.itmf.org.

Sept. 25-28, INTC 2006At the Hilton Americas, Houston, Texas. Sponsored by the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Indus-try (TAPPI). For more information, contact +1 919 233 1210 fax +1 919 233 1282, Web site www.inda.org.

OctoberOct. 8-11, International Textile, Clothing & Design ConferenceHeld in Dubrovnik, Croatia, this conference will explore the development of textile science, the trade in general and higher education in the fields of textiles, textile and garment technologies, fashion, design and marketing. For more information, contact Zvonko Dragcevic at +385 1 37 12 542, fax +385 1 37 12 535, e-mail [email protected], Web site http://itcdc.ttf.hr.

Oct. 17-19, Needlepunch 2006 International ConferenceAt the Hilton Charlotte Center City, Charlotte, N.C. For more information, contact INDA (the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry), +1 919 233 1210, fax +1 919 233 1282, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.inda.org.

Oct. 31-Nov. 2, IFAI Expo 2006IFAI Expo 2006 will collaborate with ATME-I 2006 and AATCC to create MEGATEX of the Americas, the world’s largest specialty fabrics trade show. For information, contact IFAI Conference Management at 800 225 4324, e-mail [email protected].

Oct. 31-Nov. 3, ATME-I® 2006The American Textile Machinery Association (ATMA), Falls Church, Va., and England-based Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd. will hold their 2006 exhibition under the umbrella of Megatex, which will be held Oct. 31 through Nov. 4, 2006, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. For more information on ATME-I, call +1 703 538 1789; e-mail [email protected], Web site www.atmanet.org.

NovemberNov. 8-10, EMITEXTextile Machinery Show, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For more information, call +54 11 4856 6635, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.emitex.com.ar.

Nov. 13-16 Absorbent Hygiene Products Training CourseSponsored by the European Disposables and Non-wovens Association (EDANA), Brussels, Belgium. For more information, contact Catherine Lennon +32 2 734 9310, fax +32 2 733 3518, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.edana.org.

for Outsourcing

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E-mail: [email protected]

Fax. +91 22 2673 2568

for Outsourcing

PVC • PU •TPO •TPUCoated fabrics for

• Tents • Oil Booms

• Tarps • Defence

• Awnings • AC Ducting

• Blackout • Special uses

• Tennis Net lining

• Cricket pitch covers

• Flexible Water Storage tanks

from INDIAVisit: www.entremonde.com


Fax. +91 22 2673 2568

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$171

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I n d u s t r i a l F a b r i c P r o d u c t s R e v i e w M O N T H Y E A R2

For more information on classified advertising in IFAI’s Industrial Fabric Products Review, contact Trisha Allex at IFAI, 1801 County Rd. B W., Roseville, MN 55113-4061 USA.

Phone: 800 225 4324, fax: +1 651 225 6966 , e-mail: [email protected]

WantedHelp Wanted

Look for classifieds on our website

www.ifai.com

For Sale

Established and very profi table New Mexico fabricator available for merger or acquisition. Successful management, manufacturing and sales team in place. Confi dential inquiries only.

Ralph Bennett

505-982-9836 in Santa Fe

BARKER BUSINESS BROKERAGESANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Phone 864/242-3491 Fax 864/232-5658

P.O. Box 1984, Greenville, SC 29602


Visit our Web site for additional

positions: www.godshall.com

Call Richard Heard

Meltblown Process Engineer, $85KQuality Engineer, $60K

Process Eng–Weaving, $60KTextile Engineer–Wovens, $75K

Nonwovens Plant Engineer–$75KApplications Engineer–Automotive, $75K

Robert Graham

Narrow Elastic Weave Manager, $65KManufacturing Mgr–NY, $75K

Fiber/Yarns Plant Manager, $110KWebbing Plant Manager, $125K

Narrow Weave Technical Manager, $60KIndustrial Fabric Sales, $80K

GODSHALL & GODSHALL CONSULTANTS

Textile Industry Specialists Since 1969Fee Paid Positions

SURPLUS AND SECONDS OF CLOSED CELL FOAM

Available in rolls, sheets and buns. Our prices are cheap cheap cheap.

McCullough Corp.248-646-6195 fax: 248-646-8913

email: [email protected]

100% Cotton Tarp Duck–Tan Canvak® Treated Weight 17.6 oz., 36” w x 200 yd rolls. Approx. 1600 yds available.

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For further information and specs

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or e-mail to: [email protected]

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Awnings by Scottie’s is seeking expe-rienced help for all aspects of the busi-ness. Good pay and benefi t package.

800-780-8677 fax: 239-995-1196


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SHELF-DATED BANNER FABRIC, IND. FABRIC, LAMINATED & COATED VINYL,

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L is ted below is contact in format ion for the ind iv iduals and companies consul ted for th is month’s ar t ic les . Get listed on

this page!Share your knowledge and expertise; offer input on Review stories. We are preparing future issues, and we’re looking for knowledgable sources on these topics:

Upcoming features• Shade and sustainability• Seams and sealing• New uses for retro-reflective materials• Safety products v

Don’t forget your cameraWe rely on our readers for most of the images that appear in the Review. How-ever, we have specific requirements for photos. We can use high-resolution digital imges—specifically, 300 dots per inch (dpi), sized at least 4-by-5 inches (1200 by 1500 pixels)—in jpg, tif or eps formats (NO images im-bedded in Word, PowerPoint or PDF files, please!) In order to get print-qual-ity images, your digital camera has to be a 2.4 megapixel model or higher. We can also use hard-copy photos printed from film. (NO images printed from your computer printer, please!)Cover photos: If you provide us with very large, clean and crisp, attractive electronic or hard-copy photos, they can be considered for the magazine’s cover. For electronic files, that means at least 300 dpi resolution, sized at least 9-by-11 inches (2700 by 3300 pixels). For hard copy photos, 8-by-10 prints are best. Also, we generally choose vertically aligned pictures for the Review cover.

Contact Galynn Nordstrom

+1 651 225 6928,

e-mail [email protected].

EDITORIAL SOURCES


Your Project

Here

Page 24Globally localTaiyo Kogyo Corp.+81 3 3714 3325Fax +81 3 3714 3326E-mail [email protected] site www.taiyokogyo.co.jp

Page 42The environmental space-design continuumN.I. Teijin Shoji Co. Ltd.,Osaka, Japan+81 6 6266 8107Fax + 81 6 6266 8273E-mail [email protected] site www2.ni-teijinshoji.co.jp

Sansen Shinbun Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan+81 72 632 2550Fax +81 72 633 3155E-mail [email protected] Web site www.con.co.jp/sansen

Yamaten Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan+81 6 6911 7400Fax +81 6 6911 7778E-mail [email protected] site www.yamaten.com

Page 46Cheers for engineersAmerican Association of TextileChemists and Colorists (AATCC),Research Triangle Park, N.C.+1 919 549 8141Fax +1 919 549 8933Web site www.aatcc.org

Page 48Fabrics in the military: material demandsBasofil Fibers LLC, Charlotte, N.C.+1 704 423 4218, fax 704 423 2261Web Site www.basofil.com

Celanese Advanced Materials, Charlotte, N.C.Web site www.celaneseventures.com

Foster-Miller Inc., Waltham, Mass.+781 684 4000Web site www.foster-miller.com

W.L. Gore & Associates, Elkton, Md.+1 410 506 8400, 800 276 8451Fax +1 410 506 8445E-mail [email protected] site www.gore.com/tenara

Magellan Systems International LLC, Richmond, Va.+1 804 275 1000E-mail [email protected] Site www.m5fiber.com

Malden Mills® Industries Inc., Lawrence, Mass.Web site www.mmreorg.com

The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), Patuxent River, Md.+1 301 342 1133, 866 242 2143Fax +1 301 342 1134E-mail [email protected] site www.nawcad.navy.mil

U.S. Army Natick Soldiers Center, Natick, Mass.+1 508 233 4300Web site www.natick.army.mil

Page 54Don’t forget your coatingBuckeye Fabric Finishing Co., Coshocton, Ohio+1 330 524 5529, fax +1 740 622 3251E-mail [email protected]

Enercon Industries Corp., Menomonee Falls, Wis.+1 262 255 6070, fax +1 262 255 7784Web site www.enerconind.com

Reeves Brothers Inc. Engineered Fabrics Group, Spartanburg, S.C.+1 864 595 2219, 800 635 9350Fax +1 864 595 2211E-mail [email protected] site www.reevesbrothers.com

Stedfast Inc., Granby, Quebec+1 450 378 8441, fax +1 450 378 1558E-mail [email protected] site www.stedfast.com

Page 62On top of the coversLohmann Sails & Covers Ltd.+1 250 537 9611Fax +1 250 537 9611E-mail [email protected] site www.boatcovers.ca

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When you contact an advertiser in this issue, please tell them that you saw their ad in Industrial Fabric Products Review.For advertising rates and information call Sarah Hyland at 800 225 4324.

Alpha Productions800 223 0883www.alphaproductions.com . . . . . .39 American Cord & Webbing Co. Inc.+1 401 762 5500www.acw1.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

American Spaceframe Fabricators Inc.866 444 ASFIwww.asfi.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Astrup Co.+1 216 696 2820www.astrup.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Awning Cleaning Industries800 542 3009www.cleancanvas.com . . . . . . . . . . .73

John Boyle & Co. Inc 800 438 1061www.johnboyle.com . . . . . . . . . . . Cv4

Canvas Replacements800 232 2079www.canvasreplacements.com . . . .39

Ciba Specialty Chemicals800 431 [email protected]/textilesandfibers .47

Coletech800 872 6950www.coletech.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Covin Sales & Converting888 862 [email protected] . . . . . . . .45

DAF Products800 228 9837www.dafproducts.com . . . . . . . . . . .44

DEFAB+161 3 9305 3988www.defab.com.au . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Dunlap Industries Inc.800 251 7214www.dunlapii.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Eastman Machine Co.+1 716 856 2200www.eastmancuts.com . . . . . . . . . . .18

Entremonde Polyecoaters [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . .75

Erez USA888 446 [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

ADVERTISER INDEX

Fabrite Laminating Corporation+1 973 777 1406www.fabrite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Fasnap Corporation800 624 2058www.fasnap.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Gale Pacific USA Inc.800 685 3226www.galepacific.com . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Glen Raven Custom Fabrics800 788 [email protected] . . . . . . . . . Cv2, 1www.glenraven.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Gore & Associates Inc.800 276 8451www.gore.com/tenara . . . . . . . . . . . .13

HSGM Heatcutting Equipment& Machines+1 864 486 8300www.hsgmusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Herculite Products Inc.+1 800 772 0036www.herculite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

IOSSO Products888 747 4332www.iosso.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Intertape Polymer800 565 2000www.intertapepolymer.com . . . . . . .51

InterWrap Inc.800 567 9727www.interwrap.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

J.N. Zippers & Supplies Corp.+1 888 699 1188www.jnzipper.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Jentschman+41 0 1 735 83 83www.jentschmann.ch . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Leister Process Technologies800 345 9353www.leister.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Lowy Enterprises+1 562 531 8134www.lowyusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

MarChem Coated Fabrics+1 573 237 4444www.marchemcoatedfabrics.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Metro Tag & Label Co. Inc.800 221 7840 www.metrotag.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Miller Weldmaster Corp.+1 877 WELDMASTERwww.weldmaster.com . . . . . . . . . Cv3

Munro Fastenings & Textiles Inc.+1 877 GROMMETwww.munrofastenings.com . . . . . . .15

Robeco Inc.800 992 1067www.robecoinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Sinclair Equipment Co.800 624 2408www.sineqco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Snyder Mfg Inc 800 837 4450www.snyderman.com . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Stimpson Co. Inc.+1 631 472 2000www.stimpson.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Sun Solutions LLC800 831 4377www.sunsolutionproducts.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

SuperTex Fabrics800 858 8033www.supertexpvc.com . . . . . . . . . . .56

TechFiber LLC+1 480 393 0060www.tech-fiber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Texas Thread Mfg. Co.+1 800 840 3670 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Tucson Rolling Shutters Inc.+1 800 687 2559www.tucsonrollingshutters.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Vidir Machine Inc.800 210 0141www.vidir.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

The Wagner Companies888 243 6914www.wagnercompanies.com . . . . . .57

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I N F O R M A T I O N C E N T R A L?Don't le t a quest ion

s idetrack your

business. The tex-

t i le profess ionals at

Informat ion Centra l

answer quest ions

about sources of

supply, bu i ld ing

codes, technical

issues, and more.

This f ree serv ice is

exclus ive ly for IFAI

members . For mem-

bership in format ion,

contact IFAI at 1801

County Road B W. ,

Rosevi l le , MN 55113-

4061 ; 800 225 4324 ,

+1 651 222 2508 ,

fax +1 651 631 9334 .

Need an answer?

Contact Informat ion

Central , 800 328 4324,

+1 651 225 6935,

fax +1 651 222 2508 ,

e-mai l in focentra l@

ifa i .com.

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80 I n d u s t r i a l F a b r i c P r o d u c t s R e v i e w J U N E 2 0 0 6

Complied by Juli Case, IFAI Information and Technical Services Manager, and Christine Malmgren, IFAI Information Services Representative.

I’m looking for a circular curtain track that’s 43 feet in diameter. Any ideas who supplies it?

We contacted suppliers of curtain tracks and found the following suppliers:

• Norcostco-Northwestern Costume, 825 Rhode Island Ave. S., Golden Valley, MN

55426-1611; +1 763 544 0601, fax +1 763 525 8676; Web site www.norcostco.com.

• Secoa, 8650 109th Ave. N., Champlin, MN 55316 - 3743; +1 763 506 8800, or fax +1 763 506 8844; Web site www.secoa.com.

• Tru Roll Inc., 622 Sonora Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201; +1 818 240 4835, fax +1 818 240 4855; Web site www.truroll.com.

If you also are a supplier of a circular curtain tracks, please contact Information Central.

My building code official is requiring a permit to install a stationary canopy over a patio on a residential home. This comes as a surprise to me, because after 30 years of business I’ve never been required to have a permit for a residential canopy. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for the permit; the canopy cover is removed in the winter and it isn’t a capital improvement. Do you have any suggestions that might help me avoid the permit?

We contacted the Professional Awning Man-ufacturers Association (PAMA) for advice on how you might handle your permit require-ment for a residential canopy, and here’s

what we found: PAMA members agree that getting a permit can be a

nuisance, but that it’s not a bad idea when it protects you and your customer from potential problems. Plus, they suggest making friends with the building-code official. If you’re caught without a permit, you might be asked to take the canopy down until a permit is purchased. Or, worse case scenario, you’d have to scrap the canopy.

Once the code official has made contact with you, you may have to attend a zoning or committee meeting for approval or dismissal of the permit. An issue of the house vs. lot-ratio could arise, which is something that some towns limit. Even though the cover is removed in the winter, the official might be looking at the strength of the canopy and how well it will withstand heavy winds and storms that occur in the summer.

So, although there may be no way to get around the permit, there are some ways to deal with it. Our experts suggest letting the customer know in writ-ing that there will be a charge for permits and the additional time that it takes to attend meetings. Or, advise your clients ahead of time that it will be their responsibility to obtain the permit.

In the field, it’s easier to have a label sewn into our canopies showing that they’re made of flame-retardant materials rather than try to keep a paper certificate on hand. The California State Fire Marshal provides examples of labels, but not the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and a lot of the materials I use pass NFPA 701. Is it okay to use the NFPA logo on the labels I create?

Unlike the California State Fire Marshal, the NFPA is not a government entity. It’s a nonprofit organization that, among its other fire safety-related activities, writes a number

of flammability codes and standards. We contacted NFPA’s licensing department with your question and were informed that the NFPA logo is reserved for use only by NFPA and its products. It does not allow its use by others. NFPA 701—the Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films—doesn’t have a labeling section and, again, unlike the California State Fire Marshal, NFPA does not test or certify any materials. If you do create your own label, NFPA indicated that you need to make it clear that it is your company that is making the claim that the fabric passes, and not NFPA, and that there is no misunderstanding that a particular product has any sort of NFPA approval. For more informa-tion, contact NFPA at 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA, 02169; +1 617 770 3000, fax +1 617 770 0700, Web site www.nfpa.org.

Correction: In the April, 2006 Review Informa-tion Central, we stated that cotton canvas was cur-rently not often used in tents. That’s not entirely true. Military tents and mass-produced camping tents have largely moved away from using cotton fabrics, but niche products such as hunting tents and pop-up trailers still use cotton materials. Cot-ton fabrics are widely available treated for flame retardance and mildew resistance.

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