SLINTEC and Stretchline kick-start joint research

Friday, 20 December 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) and Stretchline Private Ltd. have entered into a joint research agreement to investigate and develop textile processing in an energy efficient manner. Energy is one of the main cost factors in the textile industry. Textile processing is a high energy, water and chemicals intensive activity. Of the different processes within textile processing, ‘dyeing and finishing’ account for a large portion of the total energy, water and chemicals whilst other processes such as yarn spinning, fabric production and garment manufacture account for the remainder. The new collaboration between SLINTEC and Stretchline will aim to address the issue of high energy consumption and look to improve energy efficiency using nanotechnology solutions. In particular the research intends to investigate the Nylon dyeing process. SLINTEC CEO Harin De Silva Wijeyeratne said: “Supporting the garment export sector is of particular significance to SLINTEC as the industry is a key contributor to the national economy. Providing local industry with cost effective solutions to meet global price competition is one element of SLINTEC’s mandate.” Stretchline Director of Research and Innovation Krishan Weerawansa said: “At Stretchline we are firm believers in open innovation as it enables us to meet the rapidly changing needs of our customers in a timely fashion. Stretchline has always strived to minimise the environmental impact of the materials and processes used to bring our innovations to life and working with partners like SLINTEC makes this possible without compromising our offering to the consumer.” Stretchline Head of Dyeing Technology Sasanka Bandara added: “The predominantly used method of dyeing nylon in the industry has remained essentially unchanged for decades. Breaking this tradition requires challenging the status-quo. We are delighted to be working with SLINTEC in order to explore the possibilities of making this process a more energy efficient one.” SLINTEC is a public-private partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and six private companies, namely MAS Holdings, Brandix, Dialog, Hayleys, Loadstar and Lankem. Its mandate is to add value to the Sri Lankan industries by helping them contribute to the GDP through innovations in nanotechnology and advanced technologies. Stretchline is a leading global brand in narrow fabrics and the world’s largest producer of crochet, woven, jacquard and printed elastic. It is a three way joint venture between Stretchline (UK), MAS Holdings (Sri Lanka) and Brandot International Ltd. (USA) that was first established in 1996. Stretchline is reputed for its innovation and design with patented products such as Fortitube bra-wire casing Locksafe, Bondelast, Stay4Sure elastics as well covered elastomeric yarn. Stretchline has manufacturing plants in Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Honduras, USA and UK which are supported by marketing offices in the US, UK and Hong Kong, enabling the Group to provide needle point support to the world’s leading lingerie and active wear brands.