#Associations

2020-06-11

Guidance for Making a Better Face Covering

Face coverings are now required or recommended in many areas. But quality and performance vary widely. And there is little guidance for manufacturing or selecting face coverings for general use.

In response to this situation, an ad-hoc group of industry stakeholders convened to provide some much-needed guidance. This guidance is entirely voluntary and for non-medical face coverings intended for use by adults. Surgical masks, respirators, and other medical personal protective equipment (PPE) are not addressed in the face covering guidance; these items are regulated by separate standards and requirements.

The ad hoc group, including experts in textiles, manufacturing, filtration, safety, and testing, met throughout April and May 2020 to develop a draft document. That document was then submitted to AATCC for ballot and eventual publication.

The draft guidance is currently being balloted as an AATCC monograph, with results expected by early July. In the meantime, the draft is publicly available for use and comment.

AATCC MXXX-2020 Guidance and Considerations for General Purpose Textile Face Coverings: Adult

https://www.aatcc.org/testing/emerging/

Considerations included in the draft are intended to help manufacturers more efficiently design and produce face coverings for general purpose (non-medical) use. It may also serve as a useful resource for those sourcing face coverings for general use. This document contains voluntary guidance and practical options for:

Regulatory Considerations

Fit and Sizing Considerations

Material and Construction Considerations

Particle Filtration Considerations

Breathing Resistance Considerations

Laundering and Service Life Considerations

Tie and Ear Loop Considerations

Product Labeling and Marking Considerations

To submit comments or questions, contact Diana Wyman, AATCC Executive Vice President, or any of the task group members listed on the cover sheet of the draft monograph.

AATCC announces 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition winners

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) recognized the winners of the 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition. Founded in 1982 to give student members the chance to conduct and present original research, the competition was renamed in 1994 in honor of Herman and Myrtle Goldstein, following their US$60,000 endowment. Their gift is a lasting remembrance of their dedication to young people in the textile industry.

New funding available for textile research

The AATCC Foundation Student Research Support Grant Program provides financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing textile-related projects. Students may submit proposals now for funding to be awarded January 2026. Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2025, to be considered.

Business situation weakens slightly, but the industry stays cautiously optimistic

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published the results of its 39th Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS), conducted from 14 to 22 July 2026 among companies along the entire global textile value chain. Worldwide, 10% of participants rated their business situation as good, 53% as satisfactory and 37% as bad — a balance of -26pp, down from -17pp in May but still well above the 2023 lows. All regions are now in negative territory, from South Asia at -3pp to North & Central America at -58pp.

Italian textile machinery orders show quarterly recovery in Q2 2026

In the period between April and June 2026, order intake for Italian textile machinery manufacturers showed mixed but encouraging signals for the second half of the year. The order index at constant prices stood at 46.6 points (taking 2021=100 as the base year), showing a slight decrease of 3% compared to the same quarter of 2025. This trend was largely due to the contraction recorded in the domestic market, which fell by 25% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

SHIMA SEIKI brings new flat knitting technologies to FEBRATEX 2026

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Brazilian representative BRASTEMA TECNOLOGIA TEXTIL LTDA., will exhibit at the Brazilian Textile Industry Fair (FEBRATEX 2026) this month. On display will be a roundup of SHIMA SEIKI computerized flat knitting technology, represented by WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines, computerized flat knitting machines featuring a brand-new model with high productivity and excellent cost performance, a glove knitting machine and the latest digital solutions.

Lenzing reports improved half-year results and advances strategic transformation

Despite a persistently challenging market environment in the first half of 2026, characterized by volatile energy and raw material prices, subdued global consumer demand and intensified competition from Asia, the Lenzing Group significantly improved its financial performance. Net result after tax more than doubled to EUR 35.6 million, compared with EUR 15.2 million in the first half of 2025. Free cash flow increased to EUR 45.8 million, while EBITDA amounted to EUR 239.2 million. Revenue totaled EUR 1.27 billion, compared with EUR 1.34 billion in the previous year.

Trützschler’s latest spinning and card clothing innovations at CAITME 2026

From September 8 to 10, 2026, Trützschler will present its latest innovations in spinning and card clothing for state-of-the-art fiber processing at CAITME in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Visitors are invited to meet the experts at Pavilion 2, Booth D50 and explore solutions designed to increase productivity, streamline processes, and ensure consistently high yarn quality. Key topics include the next-generation card TC 30i, the integrated draw frame IDF 3, the high-performance comber TCO 21XL as well as Trützschler Card Clothing’s new flat top series STEELTOP®.