The FabricLink Network Announces the Top 10 Innovations for 2011

TARZANA, CA--(Marketwire - Feb 22, 2012) - The FabricLink Network is pleased to announce its 2012 picks for the Top 10 Textile Innovations of the year. This year's winners represent the best the industry has to offer, incorporating innovations from across the industry. The new technologies are commercially available in the specialty fabrics market, and are also available in finished consumer products from major brands.

The awards each year are an eagerly awaited feature of the FabricLink Network, the leading website for textile networking, education, information and resources. "Our industry depends on the technical innovations of talented product developers and designers," Kathy Swantko, president of the FabricLink Network. "We have established this award to recognize the contributions of today's best products, and to encourage the future development of new textile products."

A FabricLink Network (FLN) industry panel chose the winners. Judges looked for the novelty of the technology and the importance of innovation on the future of specialty fabric and textile marketing:

• AeroFlate™, by BondCote, is an inflatable boat fabric providing strength, durability, and UV resistance even in the roughest waters.
• A*Star Research made more eco-friendly way to introduce color into silk fibers, by adding fluorescent dyes to silkworm feed to produce luminescent silk fibers.
• CORDURA® Naturalle™ fabric from INVISTA durable fabric technology that looks and feels like natural fabrics; suited for active wear, outerwear, shell fabrics, and apparel.
• Fasten-Air™, by Darlington Fabrics, is a group of unbroken loop warp knit stretch fabrics, that offer different levels of stretch, weight, and compression qualities.
• Glenoit Fabrics Corporation, USA, received an award for the innovative ways it is using its traditional sliver knitting machines.
• Keramatrix™, by Keraplast Technologies is a medical dressing material, designed for hard-to-heal wet wounds.
• Kermel® Denim - new jeanswear twill fabric made of a 100% proprietary Kermel blend of meta-aramid fibers.
• OFFRAY FR-FLEX™, by Offray Specialty Narrow Fabrics and Fulflex Inc. is a line of flame-resistant, no melt/no drip elastics.
• Schoeller Textil AG™'s USP (Ultra Soft Protection) new breathable, ultra-light technical protection. USP fabrics are lightweight and offer protection from rain and wind.
• Tencate Mirafi® H2i, by Tencate Geosynthetics Americas, is a patented multi-layer, multi-channel wicking fiber that produces a high tensile woven fabric for road repairs.