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We are delighted to be exhibiting at Techtextil in Frankfurt from the 23rd to 26th April 2024. Please do come and visit the team in Hall 9.1 Stand number D50. We look forward to seeing you there!

Techtextil is the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, which IFG have been exhibiting at since 1986. As a result we are delighted to be being honoured as a founding exhibitor on Wednesday 24 April at 09:00 a.m. in the Techtextil Forum in Hall 9.1, Stand E70.

What are they, what are they for, and why are IFG’s the best? 

Low melt binder fibres are fibres with a low melting point. When they are utilised without any pigment being introduced, they produce a clear melt effect. Low melt binder fibres are mainly used for floor coverings, for example carpets. 

Historically the preferred material for binder use was latex, but this is becoming less popular due to not being recyclable and therefore having a poor environmental impact. Using melting binder fibres as a latex substitute improves the recyclability of the end product. IFG’s binder fibres are made from 100% low melting polymer derived from PP and PE (Polypropylene and Polyethylene) 

Depending on construction and specific product requirements, the blending ratio of PE fibres with for example PP fibres can vary. A thermal treatment of approximately 125°C is required to create a bonding effect. 

At IFG, our unique approach to colouring allows us to match any given colour to our fibres, using a range of tried and tested techniques, and the best colourists in the industry. We use a mixture of pure pigments and computer assistance to develop our coloured fibres. This results in us both meeting and exceeding customer expectations, setting us apart from our competitors. 

Once the colours are developed, their application to client specific products is tested on our pilot line – the samples provided show the customer how the pigments harmonise and gives them the chance to view the fibres before they go into production. 

We’ve seen colour trends change significantly over the last few years, with a growing demand for more muted tones as opposed to the strong and vibrant colours we saw historically. Our ability to shift our colour production processes in line with industry trends is another way we set ourselves apart from the competition. 

We also need to make sure that our colours work well with other fibres additives as these develop – UV filters, water repellents and antimicrobial properties are regularly requested, and it’s important that the colour additions work well alongside. 

We are able to colour across our range of PP, PE, PA and PLA and offer customised solutions. We continue to invest in research and development across our entire offering, bringing us in line with our customers exacting expectations. 

Richard Hart started at IFG Drake (Huddersfield, UK) as Production Manager in July 2023.  Bringing with him a wealth of experience from a range of manufacturing firms, Richard has implemented a series of changes since his arrival, all with the aim of improving IFG’s manufacturing processes. 

We chatted to Richard about his first few months in the role, the best practice he has brought to the company, and his plans for the future: 

Tell us a bit about life before IFG. 

“Before starting with IFG in July 2023, I was working for a company that specialised in PVC compounding and extrusion.  Given that the extrusion process was similar to that at IFG, it was all very familiar!  Prior to that I have worked for a number of food & FMCG manufacturing companies, including HJ Heinz, McVities and Nice-Pak International.  They all have Lean manufacturing processes embedded in various stages, and the Lean process is something I am developing further with the IFG team, using the most appropriate practices taken from my experience.” 

How are you implementing Lean Manufacturing into IFG’s processes? 

“The key thing is to work out where the company is at on its Lean journey, what’s working and what’s not, and make changes and additions which complement and enhance what’s already in place. All staff are encouraged to bring ideas and suggestions to contribute to improvements.  Because of this engagement there is lots of enthusiasm amongst the teams for the new ways of working and implementation of related projects, with an overall goal of achieving a Lean Culture.” 

What training have the team had to undergo to facilitate this transformation? 

“Utilising an external Lean specialist, we have 10 delegates from the company undertaking a 12-month Level 2 Lean Operative Manufacturing course, including four shift managers and their deputies. This is due to finish in Summer 2024.  Part of the course includes each delegate implementing a Lean improvement project, which is leading to many improvements as a result of the training.” 

 What are the key components of a Lean Culture? 

 “We are concentrating on two elements that will give us the biggest leap forward in terms of a Lean culture. These are 1) Leader Standard Work, and 2) Daily Accountability Improvement Process.  

 1) Leader Standard Work (LSW) involves defining the key activities that a leader needs to undertake on a day-to-day basis.  This includes elements of safety, quality, people, process and production management, utilising a pre-defined worksheet.  The benefits of this ensure that the key tasks required to have a successful day or shift are completed, and it also gets all managers working in the same way.  Adopting LSW throughout the production teams reinforces structure, consistency and routine to manage effectively.  Knowing that the basics to achieve a successful shift are covered, it frees up leaders to be more creative, adding value via Lean improvement projects. 

 2) The Daily Accountability Improvement Review is a review of the preceding 24 hours’ production in a very structured meeting.  By discussing a number of performance metrics versus targets and standards we are able to identify whether production and its associated metric are on track or not.  In the event of a metric deviating from target or standard, an improvement will be agreed to rectify the deviation.  Since we started this process 3 months ago, more than 60 improvements have been raised and implemented.  One of the benefits of focusing on improvements as opposed to issues is that it creates a positive culture of accountability rather than a blame culture.” 

 What benefits have you seen from implementing these processes since you started? 

 “It’s clear that there is already a very positive and collaborative working environment within IFG, and everyone works together and supports each other.  The structure that comes about from implementing these processes allows for a calmer, more organised workplace with clear indication as to whether we are on target or not.  The way of working that has been created allows the senior management team to focus more on strategy and ‘the bigger picture’ without getting too involved in the detail.  The team are encouraged to work autonomously which generates a positive atmosphere throughout the business.  The team are able to achieve a high degree of job satisfaction by seeing their ideas put into action.” 

 So what are your next plans? 

 “Over the next 12 months we are introducing a new training programme, to improve the skillset of the production team.  We will introduce a ‘topic of the month’ in which all the team members will be trained.  In total we have over 40 people taking these training modules which range from health and safety, environmental and HR topics.” 

 Are you enjoying the role? 

“The role is a really motivating one and it is a very interesting time to join this organisation where it is, on its Lean journey.  The way to advance the organisation rapidly is to make many small improvements, via a structured improvement process, and never stop learning. This advances the maturity of the company in terms of Lean with everyone pulling together and moving forward. 

 The team here are truly receptive to change and improvement.  Long may it continue!” 

Dear IFG Customer,

Due to a continuation of rising inflation throughout 2023, we find it necessary to implement a price increase on the sale of IFG products for 2024, to ensure we maintain the high level of product quality, service, and innovation we provide to our customers.

We aim to do this in a fair and transparent manner and undertake to continually monitor the situation throughout the year.

We appreciate that this will not come as welcome news in the continuing difficult climate. However, we hope you understand the justification behind this decision and thank you for your understanding through these still challenging times.

Your sales representative will be in touch with you to provide further detailed information and answer any questions you may have.

Yours sincerely

 

Richard Barker-Poole

Group Sales Director

International Fibres Group

Introducing Rachael Doran, HR Manager at IFG Drake, Huddersfield, UK 

September 2023 saw IFG Drake in Huddersfield welcome Rachael Doran as HR Manager. With four short weeks under her belt, we caught up with Rachael to find out more about her. 

Rachael’s recent roles included working for a UPVC window manufacturer, and previously for an automotive manufacturing company, who were a direct customer of IFG, so she had some previous knowledge of the business and what it does. Her previous company were supplied with IFG fibres as raw material to manufacture into car components including wheel arches and heat shields. 

Having had some previous experience of IFG as a supplier, alongside a strong manufacturing background, when Rachael saw the opportunity for a part-time HR Manager at Golcar, she leapt at the chance. The role tied in perfectly with her desire for an improved work-life balance that would allow her to continue a career she loves, whilst also caring for a young family. 

So how have the first four weeks been? 

“The people here are lovely and so helpful”, says Rachael, “They really can’t do enough for you. It’s such a good culture here, with multiple team members who have been here for their whole working lives. The company promotes development from within, and has seen staff start at factory level and work their way right through the company into management positions. This enables organic growth of people and the company itself, whilst maintaining the industry knowledge that goes with a huge breadth of experience within the organisation.” 

“People who work at IFG are hugely passionate about what they do. Everyone is empowered, and encouraged to suggest improvements wherever they can, especially in Health and Safety and Production. Any new starter here can easily see the opportunity for personal development, with a clear development platform to climb the career ladder and go as far as they would want within the company.” 

Rachael is currently recruiting for two posts – for more information on those visit the careers page here: Careers – IFG – International Fibres Group 

IFG Exelto (Belgium) are delighted to have received the BQA Certificate of Quality Management for Recycling and Production Companies – QA-CER system 2 in honour of our development, production and sales of recycled staple fibres.

BQA is an accredited certification body with a focus on system certifications for SMEs, both active in industry and services. The expertise of their auditors in the various sectors, their reliability and their independence form the basis of their approach.

BQA QA-CER Recycled Content is an international, independent, third-party certification system based on EN 15343 following the principles of ISO 9001, including chain of custody. It goes beyond ISO 14021, in that it identifies all possible waste streams that can be recycled so that it offers a comprehensive system.

‘Recycled content’ refers to a product that contains recycled materials. Recycling is an essential part of the circular economy and is grounded in the belief that our planet has only a finite amount of resources.

Rising economic activity and growing demand for materials make the familiar linear economic model unsustainable. Therefore, there is an urgent need to shift to a circular economic model based on the continuous reuse of materials and products in the economy. Repair, reuse and recycling are essential elements in this economic model and are an intrinsic part of IFG’s commitment to a sustainable future.

A company certified to QA-CER recycled content proves to independent and expert auditors that they have implemented a monitoring system for their production sites that allows them to determine the recycled content of their products. Those companies must be able to prove this continuously to independent auditors.

What does QA-CER recycled content mean?

the possibility of building a relationship of trust between companies and customers regarding recycled content

a tool for companies to demonstrate their efforts and ambitions to add value to the circular economy by using recycled content in their products

a tool that allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions in order to contribute to a circular economy

For more information on the requirements of the certification, download the pdf here:

https://www.bqa.be/en/system/files/attachments/requirements_qa-cer_v3_e_1.pdf

No, IFG are not branching out into producing popular music, we’ll stick to fibres! However, our customer Veltex® have provided carpets for the stadium tours of many popular musicians, including those mentioned above.

Veltex®, IFG’s Catalan customer, produce display carpets and fabrics, amongst other applications. They provided the stadium floorcoverings of approximately 25,000m2 using IFG Exelto’s grey colour: a blend made from mixing 25% black and 75% white fibres.

The colour blend is delivered in each bale, so no need for colour mixing. It’s an eight denier 75mm polypropylene fibre. Interestingly, IFG Exelto can extrude this fibre on a line where up to 4 colours can be produced in one bale; in quarter parts. In this case it was 25% black and 75% white, but for example could be 25% red, 25% grey and 50% black.

By producing the fibres in this way, the customer saves the time and expense associated with blending the fibres in the production process, ensuring they have an absolutely accurate blend of the required colours in the correct proportions.

In addition, IFG Exelto are able to supply the required fibres in approximately one week. With decisions on colour requirements often being left to the very last minute, especially in the music industry, IFG Exelto are able to act quickly, and guarantee very fast delivery times.

“On June 8th we were delighted to see some areas of the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona (Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic Lluís Companys) being carpeted in Veltex® for Beyonce’s concert,” Sales Manager Frank Huygevelde commented. “VELTEX® is doing very well, and we look forward to continuing to support them with mixed bales.”

For more information contact Frank Huygevelde frank.huygevelde@ifgexelto.com

In 2023, IFG celebrates the ten year anniversary of the launch of PLA, which kick started the journey to a sustainable future.

The world has changed a lot in that time. At 2013’s TechTextil show, we presented IFG`s first fibres made from PLA (Polylactide), a renewable raw material.

Polylactide (PLA) is a polyester based on renewable raw materials such as sugar cane or corn. The material, which is made up of lactic acid molecules, is one of the few biodegradable plastics.

The feedback at the show was varied, ranging from ‘fantastic’ to ‘interesting’ and some less positive: ‘why do we need this?!’

At that time, admittedly, the price / performance ratio wasn’t optimal, as can often be the case with products that are ahead of their time. We were convinced that the market would catch up, especially when they realised the environmental benefits, so we continued to develop the range and research and improve the products’ features.

In the end, it was a further six years before we achieved the first major market success. This was mainly attributed to developing societal thoughts around sustainability: it became a growing requirement for both consumers and corporations, and customers were willing to pay a higher price for those products that had a lesser environmental impact.

In today’s market this trend continues and has gathered momentum. There are now numerous applications for PLA, including: yarns and textiles, fine and short-cut fibres for speciality papers, and nonwovens for landscaping and home gardening.

IFG have only scratched the surface of applications for PLA. We continue to expand the product range, and our team are constantly researching additional options for sustainable, compostable and biodegradable fibres as part of our ongoing commitment to a sustainable future.

Our team are the most important thing at IFG. But what do they do, and what matters to them in their work? We had a conversation with Andreas Weinburger, Head of R&D and Product Safety at IFG Asota, Linz, Austria. Here’s what he had to say:

What is your role at IFG?
At IFG Asota, I’m responsible for Research and Development (R&D), the quality lab and the coloristic department in Linz, Austria. I’m also the contact partner for product safety & regulatory issues at IFG Asota. Within the wider International Fibres Group I support all other sites with R&D related topics and give technical support for fibre products. I am also in charge of R&D trials on the pilot line in our Fibres Research Centre for the Group.

How long have you worked at the company and what led you to working at IFG?
I started in 2019 at IFG Asota. The role involved developing new sustainable fibre products on the pilot line in an international field which was very enticing.

What are you working on at the moment (that isn’t under NDA)?
Our main R&D focus at the moment is biobased and biodegradable fibres as well as fibres from recycled waste streams.

What would you like to see happen in the fibres industry?
I would like to see a real change in sustainability in the fibres industry. There is a lot of interest coming from the customers, but sometimes people/customers hesitate to do the last steps.

What role do you see IFG playing in making this happen?
The afore mentioned change can only happen if we all work on the same problems and tasks and if we support each other. IFG has a great network of customers, suppliers and colleagues allowing the combination of several talents. Within this network I am sure that we can achieve real change.

How has the installation of the pilot line helped IFG’s R&D?
The installation of the pilot line has significantly increased the speed of development whilst simultaneously decreasing costs and the use of resources. We are able to evaluate spinability and test new polymers/additives/raw materials in a quick an efficient way, before scaling up to industrial lines.

What kind of companies would you like to work with?
I like to work with innovative companies that allow us to create new fibre products. It is great to work with polymer or additive producers and be the first who spins a new kind of material into fibres.

What has been the biggest breakthrough you have seen since you started working at IFG?
The biggest breakthrough was to scale up PLA fibre production from lab line to the industrial line as well as being one of the first to produce staple fibres from new polymers including PA11 and PBS.

Andreas Weinberger
IFG Asota – Head of R&D
IFG Asota – Product Safety

andreas.weinberger@ifgasota.com