#Research & Development

2021-10-21

ITA scientist Dr Frederik Cloppenburg awarded Karl Arnold Prize 2021

The textile researcher Dr Frederik Cloppenburg, scientist at the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, was honoured on 8 September 2021 with the Karl Arnold Prize of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts, endowed with 10,000 €, for his outstanding scientific achievements.

The background to Dr Cloppenburg's award is his interdisciplinary work within nonwovens production, his lucrative research in the field of artificial intelligence in the textile industry and his commitment to structural change in the Rhenish mining area with the help of scientific innovations. Dr Cloppenburg has been working as a research assistant at the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University since 2014, where he completed his doctorate. He is now in charge of the nonwovens technologies research group at the Aachen site. He is responsible for all nonwovens activities at the institute. In addition, in his function as Chief Digital Officer, he is responsible for digitalisation at ITA and the digitalisation of the institute's infrastructure and processes. Dr Cloppenburg's high international reputation in his field is evidenced by multiple publications and lectures on his research.

Dr Lisa Sofie Höckel from the RWI-Leibniz Institute for Economic Research was also honoured with the Karl Arnold Prize.

Background

For 30 years now, the Karl Arnold Prize has been awarded annually to young scientists and artists for outstanding research work or artistic achievements. The prize is named after the founder of the Academy, Minister President Karl Arnold, and is endowed with 10,000 euros. The prize money is donated by the Foundation of Friends and Sponsors of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Small tolerances, big impact and a recyclable alternative to elastane

ITA Master's student Janne Warnecke investigated tension differences over the fabric width in the weaving process and thereby contributed to quality assurance; ITA Bachelor's student Jasmin Roos found a basis for the development of recyclable yarns and textiles. For these developments, they were awarded the Walter Reiners Foundation's Promotion and Sustainability Prizes on 27 November. Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation, presented the awards at the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) in Aachen, Germany.

Aachen Summer School: Strengthening German-Korean cooperation in 4D and robotics

The Aachen Summer School has established itself as an important platform for promoting cooperation between RWTH Aachen University and Seoul National University. The focus is on practice-oriented research projects in the field of 4D and robotics technologies, which have been successfully implemented for years at the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University.

Innovation center for textile circular economy inaugurated

Just over eight months after the foundation stone was laid, the new Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy was officially inaugurated today at TITK Rudolstadt. Thuringia's Minister President Mario Voigt, TITK Director Benjamin Redlingshöfer, and other guests of honor cut the ribbon to the modern building complex and viewed the premises, which are now ready for occupancy. The “DICE – Demonstration and Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy” is TITK's largest single investment to date. The Free State of Thuringia supported the total cost of €11.5 million with €8 million in GRW and FTI funding.

Sustainable design of Geosynthetics and roof underlayments made from recyclates

Is it possible to recover plastic recyclates from previously unused waste streams in order to produce high-quality fibers and films? How can bio-based polymer fibers be manufactured so as to allow adjustable biodegradability? These are the questions being addressed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE in the Zirk-Tex project.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.

Fraunhofer CCPE presents the “Monomaterial Design Set” – Innovative solutions for circular product design

Composite materials made from different types of plastic often extend the lifetime of products but make recycling more difficult in the circular economy. That is why Fraunhofer CCPE has developed the “Monomaterial Design Set”. This new approach helps to reduce the variety of plastics used in durable products and offers circular solutions for designers and product developers.

Waste2Fashion: FTTH Committed to advancing Circular Fashion in the Mediterranean

As an official partner of the Waste2Fashion project, the Tunisian Federation of Textile and Apparel (FTTH) participated in the Kick-off Meeting held on 10–11 December in Spain. The event brought together project partners from across the Mediterranean, including Spain, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia, to align on a shared vision and initiate the first implementation steps.

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.

Yanpai expands nonwovens capacity with two new ANDRITZ needlepunch lines

Zhejiang Yanpai Filter Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yanpai”) has placed an order with international technology group ANDRITZ for two high-performance needlepunch lines. The equipment will be installed at Yanpai’s headquarters facility in Tiantai County, China. Commissioning is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.