In three years of operation, Po.in.tex gave birth to 12 research and development projects co-funded by the Regione Piemonte, concerning diverse issues, many of which are still in progress.
We asked the companies involved to summarize the most important aspects of their experience.
COLORPIU’
Automatic system for slub yarn directly out of the spinning.
What's it?
It’s an innovative technique for the production of fancy yarns in particular for the production of:
Where to apply?
On cotton or woolen spinning
How does it work?
It works through a patented coaxial blocking command system of the pre-drawing shaft that allows to dose, in an independent and synchronized way at the same time, the quantity of fibers drawn from the card sliver for the base thread and from the card sliver for the colored effect. The described above wire types are first programmed and simulated by a user interface that allows you to manage all the parameters of the spinning electronically and not through the changing of sprockets or pulleys.
It uses two brushless motors (brushless electric motor with permanent magnets that eliminates the need for electrical contacts sliding on the shaft; therefore, it has a lower mechanical resistance, eliminates the possibility of sparks with increasing speed of rotation and greatly reduces the need for periodic maintenance) managed by a dedicated electronic device.
It guarantees perfect program reproducibility over time.
Whose is the idea?
CAIPO automazione industriale s.r.l. (Po.in.tex member) It’s a company that deals with the resolution of automation problems, process control for the textile industry and construction of machinery and related equipment.
MARCHI E FILDI SpA (Po.in.tex member)
The project has been patented and implemented. It is already on the market.
Economic benefits?
Reduction of production costs because it is no longer necessary to insert the colored effects into the finished yarns previously produced.
Role of Po.in.tex
Po.in.tex supported Caipo in the preparation of the application for funding, in particular in identifying the partner spinning company , Marchi e Fildi, with whom the research and development activity has been carried out.
During the course, it has monitored the progress of the technical activities and phases of technical and economic accountability in the Regione Piemonte in order to ensure the successful funding grant.
Info:
polo.tessile@cittastudi.org
Tel. +39 01 8551148
Search for new high added-value textile products for application in the marine and shipbuilding fields.
NAVALTEX is an inter-chain project that capitalizes and creates synergy between two excellences of the “made in Italy” by combining, for the first time, the expertise and the needs of the shipping and the textile industry. The project, unique in its kind, has been launched thanks to the cooperation between the Unione Industriale Biellese (Industrial Association of Biella) and Rina, the Italian Naval Register, which together, and for the first time on the national scene, have given rise to a fruitful collaboration between the shipbuilding and textile industry.
What is it?
The project focuses on two different areas of research, one concerning the furnishings, the other the application of technical-structural with the following focuses:
Why?
In order to meet the needs of the shipbuilding industry:
What are the objectives?
General technical objectives concern the development and experimentation for the following products:
Who are its members?
The project provides the participation of four textile companies, two of which are SMEs, supported by a research center, as developer partner of product and technology solutions, as well as the active participation of end-users (the naval sector coordinated by RINA SpA, a company which is monitored by the Italian Naval Register.
Filidea Spa (Po.in.tex member)
Famas Srl (Po.in.tex member)
Tintoria di Quarenga Srl (Po.in.tex member)
Pratrivero Spa (Po.in.tex member)
CNR-ISMAC (Research Center Po.in.tex member)
With the help of the users coordinated by RINA: Cantieri Rodriquez, Azimut-Benetti, UCINA (National Union of Shipyards and Nautical Industries and similar), ASSONAVE (National Association of Shipbuilding Industry).
Economic benefits?
All participants, of course, have as their objective the acquisition of a competitive advantage of the product and of the process as well, concerning all the enabling technologies.
In terms of more general expected benefits, for example the natural dyeing of high-performance fabrics, this certainly reflects an initial gap of higher costs (+30-50%) compared to the conventional one which uses less expensive materials because they are more common and produced synthetically.
The real potential benefit of natural processes, both economic and ecological, is given by the best eco-efficiency and the overall environmental mark resulting in lower costs for wastewater treatment and disposal of waste, which in this case can be recycled and / or re-used to produce energy (biomass).
In addition, the potential competitive advantage of the companies involved in the project would allow a considerable increase in both the Italian shipbuilding and as a cascade, for the textile industry as a supplier, not only national.
Ecological benefits?
They are the elimination of the processes used to ensure the specific performance required to materials that are heavily impacting on the environment, with high costs for processes and waste treatment, moving toward environmentally friendly materials and finishing processes, that may save raw materials, and may reduce waste discharges and emissions.
Role of Po.in.tex
Po.in.tex has supported the project since the early stage of formation of the first working groups for dialogue and exchange between the textile and the shipbuilding sector.
Po.in.tex participates actively in the work of the Team of Users whose purpose is to focus on the technical development of textiles on the real needs, the application priorities and the regulatory requirements of manufacturers of passenger ships and yachts.
Info:
polo.tessile@cittastudi.org
Tel. +39 01 8551148
WOOLRES – Recovery of oil from the liquid surface (eg oil spills)
What's this?
It’s an innovative technique for absorbing oil or other hydrocarbons discharged at sea even in large quantities as a result of an accident or due to phenomena of industrial pollution.
The WOOLRES system uses the greasy wool (unprocessed) as an absorbing tool or wool sheared from sheep as it is, without having undergone any industrial processing. For this application we plan to use some types of very ordinary wool of a little economic value as unsuitable for textile uses.
The wool is used within a completely mechanized system that withdraws the hydrocarbon from the surface of the water and transfers it inside the tank or vessel destined to its collection.
The wool can be used repeatedly, up to 10 times, to pick up oil.
Why?
The system works thanks to the great absorbing power of the greasy wool that reaches up to 10 times its weight.
A absolutely simple project, yet revolutionary: if the process will confirm its effectiveness (tests have started in 2011), this would be one of the most important inventions to solve some failures that oil causes to the environment.
Whose the idea is?
The idea is to Luciano Donatelli - former President of the Unione Industriale Biellese, which involved Mauro Rossetti his time friend and Director of the Textile and Health Association and then Mario Ploner of Tecnomeccanica Biellese which has developed the project.
The project has been patented at European level and a prototype is under construction.
The research project also involves the RINA for the technical issues related to the application on ships, ERXA for the development of the automation system and the Politecnico of Torino for the development of special sensors and for the study of how to use the exhausted wool.
Economic benefits?
The wool exhausted, after being used in the process, can be useful as fuel for thermovalorisation systems.
The recovered oil can be reused completely and refined.The recovery process is very fast, it is estimated to require about 10 hours of work to clean up 1 kmq of sea surface. The system is suitable for already available vessels and boats.
Ecological benefits?
The huge ecological benefit is the ability to quickly remediate large polluted areas, whether they are marine or lake, fully recovering the spilled oil.
The procedure utilized today requires long lead times that widen the polluted areas and provide chemical processes in which the oil is deposited on the seabed causing further damage to the ecosystem.
Role of Po.in.tex
Po.in.tex has supported the Tecnomeccanica Biellese throughout the preparation of the application for funding.
In particular, it has identified and involved industrial and scientific partners able to develop the automation and the system control.
Info:
polo.tessile@cittastudi.org
Tel. +39 01 8551148
PROGETTO COFINANZIATO DALL’UNIONE EUROPEA, DAL MINISTERO DELL’ECONOMIA
E DELLE FINANZE E DALLA REGIONE PIEMONTE - Citta Studi - C.so Pella 2b - 13900 Biella (I)
Tel. +39 015 855 11 48 - Fax + 39 015 855 11 90 - polo.tessile@cittastudi.org
