NTX® Makes Global Debut and Announces Full Commercialization of NTX® Cooltrans® Next Generation Textile Coloration Technology, and also NTX® Super N95, Next Generation Respirator to combat COVID-19
Oct. 13, TITAS (Taipei, Taiwan) – NTX™ presents the world’s most eco-friendly textile coloration technology that won’t break the bank. – Contrary to popular belief, the overall manufacturing of textiles is highly efficient with little waste generation along the value chain, except when it comes to how fabrics are colorized. Other than metallurgies used in the construction of, electricity in place of wood or coal and synthetic dyes in place of plant extracts; a time traveler from 2 millennia ago would still be able to recognize the dye baths of today – and remains more an art than an exact science.
NTX® Origins
At the turn of the millennia, co-founders Ms. Sandra Chou & Mr. Kalvin Chung took it upon themselves to instigate a completely new method of colorization that would leave mother earth in a much better place than we found it. Drawing inspiration from the paper print industry and over a decade of fundamental research and development, they created the break through NTX® Cooltrans® system – a combination of both a novel engineered color delivery machine process (NTX® Cooltrans® Series) and novel ink chemistry (NTX® Cooltrans® Ink).
NTX® Cooltrans®
Completely waterless, colorization is transferred from a paper transfer onto a cellulose based substrate and without the use of any heat – creating exact pattern to the substrate with rich, vibrant colors and second to none color penetration & color fastness. Continued development of both equipment and chemistry opened up the NTX® Cooltrans® capability to colorize onto any natural, man-made, or synthetic fibers (exception of poly propylene) including high power stretch material.
When compared to conventional wet print process, NTX® Cooltrans® reduces water use by 90%, energy use by 65% and chemical use by 40% – all at cost neutrality.
Systematically simplifying through automation
Existing coloration requires a team of nearly a dozen highly experienced and specialized individuals and even then there is a high degree of variability. NTX® Cooltrans® automates the process by first normalizing the coloration process, operation is drastically cut down to but three engineers for even bulk manufacture, right first time, every time.
NTX® Cooltrans® V
Today, NTX® Cooltrans® has further evolved with the introduction of our newest series NTX® Cooltrans® V. With our invention of the NTX® Transfer Roller, this eliminates the need of paper or film transfer media and is capable of the direct delivery of color inks to the fabric materials. This allows for not only high resolution and sophisticated artworks on a single side, but both sides simultaneously with 100% registration. The coloration process becomes so efficient that solid colors via direct print dyeing becomes an economic reality. In one single step, NTX® Cooltrans® V enables for the creation of sophisticated heather and mélange aesthetics without the use of mixed yarn types; or pinstripe and tartans without the use of lengthy yarn dying. Speeding up the manufacturing process by a minimum of 2×, further cutting carbon footprint and overall wasted materials as well as highly competitive economics.
NTX® Ecosystem
From origins firmly rooted in sustainability NTX® believes that only when we all collaborate together can we make a genuine difference. The NTX Ecosystem is a network comprised of manufacturing partners all committed to that shared vision towards manufacturing excellence and sustainability. Since 2018, from our early adaptors, Bailu (China), Fuhsun (Taiwan), Thong Thai (Thailand) to the multipliers Leun Thai (Hong Kong), RooHsing (Taiwan), Textile One (Indonesia) and Viettien (Vietnam) all have signed by joint venture to the cause to materialize this great innovation to sports, athleisure, outdoor and casual wear brand houses. By 2021 NTX® will have a combined commercial production capacity of nearly 200 million meters (400 million by 2023).
Despite a global pandemic, NTX® was selected by Dutch based Fashion for Good as part of Batch 7 for startup incubation in April, then selected by Hong Kong based sustainable textile incubator The Mills Fabrica in June,
COVID-19 & NTX® Super N95 – the Ultimate Face Mask
As a technology solutions provider, NTX® recognized that our pipeline solutions would have tangent applications beyond fabric coloration – and accelerated the commercial capacity of NTX® e-Nanofiber technology. Any fiber extruder will be able to tell you that no matter how carefully heat and pressure are controlled, it is notoriously difficult to attain precise diameters especially the smaller such filaments get. Electrospinning relies on a formula solution concentration and electrical voltage potential extrude fibers – both variables which are easily controlled with precision to permit the creation of nano-fibers. However, conventional electrospinning systems were simply not scalable with economy and became limited to niche applications. Once again, drawing on our competencies in chemistry and mechanical engineering, we created NTX® e-Nanofiber, which is scalable and in turn capable of increasing production rates by over 7× for needless systems and over 70× to needle systems without any compromise to quality, consistency, nor economy.
Using this new system NTX® has now completed the creation of NTX® Super N95 respirator.
Face masks have been paramount in protection against transmission of COVID-19. In addition to protection from transmission, first responders must be protected from infection by use of respirators. Existing N95 (and the like) respirators are notorious to breathe through – this is because existing respirators rely upon multiple heavy layers (up to 50gsm) to allow for the effective filtration of infectious or harmful particles. NTX® Super N95 utilizes a nano-fiber filtration layer (0.02gsm) in conjunction with a single light weight melt-blown filtration layer (25gsm) to uncompromisingly, safely and effectively filter out the same harmful particles but with 3× the breathability.
We are proud to announce of system partners Leunthai (Hong Kong & Phillipines) , Molgen (Netherlands) as well as our China & Thailand sites who will be launching this new innovative product.