Speed Networking to attract 300 industry executives to Vision 2011

Vision 2011 Consumer Products Conference, January 10-12, 2011 at the Park Hyatt in Carlsbad, California will feature an ambitious, far-ranging program with topics as diverse as Brand & Market Strategy, Social Trend Forecasting and Boomer Demographics!

Celebrating its tenth consecutive year as the most important conference bringing together the worlds of consumer products and nonwovens, Vision 2011, organized by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, will once again focus attention on the role of nonwovens in consumer products ranging from diapers, feminine hygiene and incontinence products to filtration, wipes and other personal care items.

“The world of consumer products is constantly evolving and for the past decade the Vision Consumer Products Conference has kept the nonwovens industry and its related businesses up-to-date on these changes,” says Rory Holmes, president of INDA. “Attendees at Vision 2011 will have the opportunity to hear from some of the country's most respected experts on topics that will drive the consumer products and nonwovens industries for the next 10 years.”

One unique, new feature of Vision 2011 is “Speed Networking”. Described as “compressed networking in a low-pressure environment,” Speed Networking provides attendees a series of small group opportunities where each participant spends up to three minutes talking and sharing business cards before moving on to make additional connections in the next small group. The rest of the time at Vision serves to cultivate those contacts and develop them into credible relationships. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

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Research project to improve working clothes

Sunscreen was yesterday's solution, today it's UV protection clothing - doctors believe that the right clothing gives better protection from the dangers of the sun than creams. Nevertheless, many people who spend a long time outdoors because of their work, such as builders, gardeners, farmers, law enforcement officers, industrial cleaners or waiters, are reluctant to use special UV protection clothing.

"Working clothing that provides UV protection has to be able to be washed lots of times - and that's why until now it was always made of thick fabrics that soon made you feel uncomfortable if you had to exert yourself physically", says Dr. Boris Bauer. As a project leader at the Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim, he is currently trying to develop working clothes which provide adequate UV protection for a full (working) day and at the same time are optimised physiologically. That is to say, they should be really breathable and feel like light casual clothes.

"It is a widely held misconception that any clothing provides adequate sun protection", says Dr. Bauer: "Depending on the type and density of the fibre, the surface finish, the structure and colour of the textile, the UV protection factor can be very different. Our aim is to develop working clothes which, visually and functionally, are more like normal working or leisure clothes, but have additional functionality such as good UV protection and are comfortable to wear. Only when all these aspects come together will more people begin to include this type of clothing in their working wardrobe and so protect themselves from the negative effects of UV radiation."

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Vestex - First clinical development program for an antimicrobial textile

Vestex uses exclusively licensed and patented Swiss technology to repel blood and bodily fluids, wick away perspiration and control odor. The innovative, nanotechnology-based textile helps prevent contamination of the fabric while keeping the wearer clean, cool and dry.

Research at Washington Hospital Center found that Vestex-treated uniforms harbored fewer microbes than traditional scrubs, based on a study in emergency rooms and ICUs. The research was presented in a poster session at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in September.

Vestagen also completed a 16-week blind cross-over clinical trial involving Vestex technology-based products at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in July. The trial compared levels of bacterial contamination, on Vestex treated scrubs versus standard scrubs. The results from study showed Vestex scrubs had significantly fewer MRSA colonies.

The evidence-based research documented during the testing proves the operational and financial benefits of Vestex as a barrier to infections. Vestex benefits have been confirmed by real doctors and nurses in major teaching hospitals, critical care units, emergency departments, trauma centers, and operating rooms.

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Viridis to produce NIMBUS Gauze Dressings

Quick-Med Technologies, Inc., a life sciences company that is developing innovative technologies for the healthcare and consumer markets, announced that its proprietary NIMBUS antimicrobial technology has been approved for manufacture, marketing and sale in India. Viridis BioPharma, an India-based manufacturer and marketer of medical devices, received approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of India to manufacture and market gauze wound dressings that incorporate NIMBUS antimicrobial technology.

"The approval of our proprietary NIMBUS antimicrobial wound care technology by the India FDA marks an important milestone for both Quick-Med and Viridis," said J. Ladd Greeno, Quick-Med's CEO. "India's large wound care market represents a significant opportunity for Viridis to drive sales with our unique, value-added NIMBUS antimicrobial feature."

Dr. Dilip Mehta, CEO of Viridis BioPharma, commented, "We see this approval to manufacture and market NIMBUS technology based antimicrobial gauze dressings as a paradigm shift in the burn and wound care management. There will be an unparalleled protection afforded against infections to a major percentage of the affected population."

Viridis BioPharma plans to have its first NIMBUS products on the market in the second quarter of 2011.

Quick-Med expects NIMBUS to become an important technology in the $14 billion global wound care market, as wound care companies and health care professionals look for more effective and efficient ways to prevent infections and avoid cross-contamination. By incorporating a non-leaching antimicrobial, bandages with NIMBUS technology can diminish the opportunities for infection and cross-contamination.

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Fiberweb & Chisso form Non-Wovens JV, China

The Consumer Fabrics Division of Fiberweb plc and the Fibers and Fabrics Division of Chisso Corporation of Japan announce the successful completion of their joint feasibility study in respect of a potential investment in a jointly-owned spunbond non-wovens manufacturing operation in China.

These two leading nonwovens manufacturer companies first announced the joint feasibility study in December 2009 and extensive market and technical work since then has confirmed the attractiveness of the market for the cutting-edge products that the latest generation spunbond manufacturing technology can produce. The venture will focus on serving producers of disposable hygiene and personal care products and will benefit from the long-standing and close relationships both partners enjoy with leading customers in this rapidly-developing market.

Both Fiberweb and Chisso Corporation consider the personal hygiene market in China and in other Asian markets to be of strategic importance in the future development of their non-woven businesses. The next phase of this exciting project will be to finalise the JV structure and financing over the coming months.

Fiberweb plc (Fiberweb) is a leading international manufacturer of speciality nonwoven materials, with a total of sixteen plants operating in eight countries across Europe, North America and Asia. The Group comprises businesses supplying tailored solutions to Industrial and Hygiene nonwovens markets. The Industrial businesses focus on growing niche markets in filtration, speciality construction and agriculture, with technologically differentiated products and strong brands.

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