press release smart textiles success stories techtera english_120109
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They are entrepreneurs, startup designers, researchers, engineers, generating or initiating R&D projects, inventors of new products... All are members of Techtera, the innovation cluster for technical textiles and flexible materials. Portraits of these talents of intuitive, dynamic and confident innovation who, each in their own way, have revolutionised the industry...TRANSCRIPT
Press pack
The innovation "success stories"
They are entrepreneurs, startup designers, researchers, engineers,
generating or initiating R&D projects, inventors of new products...
All are members of Techtera, the innovation cluster
for technical textiles and flexible materials.
Portraits of these talents of intuitive, dynamic and confident innovation who, each in
their own way, have revolutionised the industry
2011
Press contact: Techtera
Anne Masson 04 20 30 28 80
INTRODUCTION
But what do they have in common? A small phrase that recurs as underlying theme: "a company that
does not innovate cannot survive!" And a belief: "nothing is impossible!". For some, a method:
"everyday, apply the principles of creativity: release the ideas that emerge, do not say no, find ways of
achieving". A way of life, also: "innovation, of course, and partnership". In fact, a network: they are all
members of Techtera, the innovation cluster for textiles and flexible materials, established in 2005 to
support and develop innovation in its sector.
Is there a typical portrait of an innovative entrepreneur? "No", replies Paul Millier, who teaches
innovation management at EM Lyon (business school). "I have observed those who innovate for years.
I have seen quite a number, and no, I cannot draw a typical portrait. They are all different. The only
thing they have in common is their conviction and enthusiasm".
This conviction is the theme of this second series of portraits of companies and research laboratories
conducted by Techtera. The selection is not exhaustive, not in order of importance, taken from among
the 120 members of the cluster:
- Raidlight, the race for innovation
- Centre Technique du Papier: the paper research centre for metapapers of tomorrow
- Schappe Techniques, the stretch-break experts
- Bel Maille, a universe of knitting
- Diatex, "Made in" Technical Textiles
- Denis & Fils, high fashion and high-tech
- Enveho, the thermal comfort specialists
- Ecole des Mines d'Alès: grey matter for industry
- ELyT Lab, the Franco-Japanese creators of smart materials
- Sofileta boosts innovation
- LGCIE, pioneer in the environmental monitoring of silicones
Raidlight,
the race for innovation
Turnover 2010-2011: €3.3 million
Growth: 25% per year on average for 10 years
Workforce: 30
Patents: 5
Products: backpacks, clothing, jackets for running, hiking,
climbing and mountaineering
Markets: Sport & outdoor recreation
Brand: Raidlight, Vertical, MadeinFrance
SMS: nothing stops the race forward of this small company founded in
1999 by Benoit Laval. In 12 years, this small specialist of clothing and accessories for trail running has carved out its place, among the major French brands in the world of sport & leisure, with a range of eco-
friendly products, among others. Making a decisive step, Raidlight notched up a fine performance in 2011 with the acquisition of Vertical - manufacturer of bags, suits and accessories for climbing and mountaineering - a move to the heart of the Chartreuse nature park, the design and launch of the first European trail station. Targets for 2012, new innovative "products", interactively developed with, and
for, users.
marathon year! Eleven months were
enough for Benoit Laval, CEO of the
Raidlight company, to take a decisive
turn for the company he founded in
1999, with the June 2010 takeover of Vertical,
a brand well known by climbing and
mountaineering pros.
A site for expansion
With more employees and confirmed growth,
Raidlight felt cramped in its Saint-Genest-
Malifaux buildings in the heart of the Pilat
nature park, in the Loire region. Benoit Laval
was looking for a site that could allow him to
expand and complete the project near to his
heart. "We needed a plot where we could put
up an eco-friendly building, to remain true to
our company values. We also wanted to find a
natural area to set up our trail station and
partners to manage it with us. Finally, the
living environment was an essential factor, for
the employees and myself. In 2009, we started
looking in the Loire region but without success,
until finding something here".
Eleven months after the start of negotiations
with the village of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse
in Isère, and here you can see the result, in the
centre of this small mountain village in the
Chartreuse nature park. A timber-framed
building, with photovoltaic roof and covering
1000 m², accommodates a workshop for
designing and prototyping products, factory
outlet, mail-order office, a sport and relaxation
room. Since June 2011, the building is also the
meeting place for trail runners - more than
500,000 adepts in France - who come to
discover the ten-or-so routes of 8 to 30 km
leading out from the trail station, designed,
tested and launched by Raidlight and its
partners, the village, the Park and the
Chartreuse association of mountain guides.
Half of the company's employees embarked on
the adventure. The dozen who could not move
were replaced. "The hardest part is behind us.
It was not easy. Now, we have found our
signposts again".
A
Among them, the company's motor long before
the explosion of this way of communication, is
interaction, an inherent characteristic that
marks out the path of Raidlight since its infancy
in the early 2000s. "When I launched the
brand, with a range of ten products sold at the
finishing line, I did it at weekends for the love
of it. I had one goal: improve the equipment of
runners and respond to their needs. Users
reacted to what I proposed and gave me ideas
and suggestions for improvement. I then
decided to organise the customer-relations
aspect by creating an interactive space on our
website and a space for testing products here
at the store".
The "Raidlight team"
Textile engineer and enthusiastic runner since
the age of 9, with some fine victories to his
credit, including the title of vice-champion of
France, Benoit Laval holds all the cards needed
for initiating a community spirit: "rather than
go into sponsoring like most sport brands, we
created a team open to all. This is the
"Raidlight team", which now has 3000
members. All our customers can join,
regardless of their level, create a running blog
on our website, and interact with other
runners. This is ideal for the company because
it allows us to understand and follow the
expectations of our users every day".
Bamboo and recycled polyester
Working capital: around fifty products,
designed by the four R&D engineers, are tested
throughout the year. One sole condition:
complete the company's questionnaire. New
materials and features voted for by consumers
join the range of products sold. The others are
reworked or simply abandoned. Our key words
are "lightweight and eco-friendly". The clothes
we make are 80 to 90% bamboo and recycled
polyester. We have also launched a
MadeinFrance range with a dozen products
made in the region, at little extra cost to the
buyer".
The career of the company does not stop there.
In mind for 2012, is the development of mail
order in Germany and Spain, via dedicated
websites, and launch innovative new products
to complement the range of backpacks, shirts,
hiking poles, etc, already winners of numerous
Innovation Awards.
A new look for the Cardis jacket
"By joining Techtera, we seek to develop
innovation and sourcing. It should, for
example, help us to find new materials".
In the coming months, Raidlight will market
sustainable trail shoes, offering the possibility
of replacing worn and "custom-built" parts of
the sole; together with a range of adaptable
accessories. New types of backpacks will come
on the market. The little Isère brand will also
relaunch the legendary jacket of Chamonix
guides, trackers and sailors in the 70s: the
famous Cardis, with a design and materials
updated to modern tastes.
Last but not least, the trail station should
gradually reach its cruising speed and its goal
of receiving from 10,000 to 15,000 runners on
its trails each year. Enough to satisfy the
leader of its adepts, Benoit Laval, who
nevertheless continues to run five times a week
in the mountains. "A nice reward"...
Raidlight Le Bourg - Chemin de Perquelin 38 380 Saint Pierre de Chartreuse
Tel: 04 76 533 555 E-mail: [email protected] More information: www.raidlight.com
Centre Technique du Papier (CTP):
the paper research centre for metapapers
of tomorrow
Founded: 1957
Turnover in 2010: €11.5 million
Status: nonprofitmaking
Workforce: 135 (researchers and technicians)
SMS: in the heart of Cellulose Valley, in the Grenoble area, the Centre Technique du Papier (CTP) has revolutionised the paper industry and nonwovens through process and product innovations. Among the most promising successes of recent years is Metapaper, a wallpaper that insulates buildings from Wi-Fi signals, or a hydrophobic paper obtained through
"chromatogeny", with many possibilities for the packaging industry. The development of biosourced materials and product diversification are central to research and the study of new applications for health and hygiene, future packaging, recycling, waste recovery, etc. This paper undoubtedly has a great future!
aper is not dead, far from it! With
textiles, it is one of the fundamental
materials as old as time, or almost!
Today, it is highly innovative.
Moreover, in our business for a
good ten years, we talk less of
paper and increasingly of cellulose substrate.
This term includes new products and uses for
paper. It is our personal role to open up these
new ways".
Abundant on Earth
Guy Eymin Petot Tourtollet is a director of the
CTP scientific and technical unit in Grenoble.
For him, as for all of these enthusiastic
defenders of paper gathered on the campus of
Saint-Martin-d'Heres, no question, cellulose
has a future. "It is the most abundant polymer
on earth. It is infinitely renewable and
completely recyclable. We are far from having
explored all its possibilities".
Founded in 1957 in the middle of the
traditional papermaking area to support the
industry in its effort to rebuild after the war,
the CTP is the only organisation of this kind for
paper in France. It devotes three quarters of its
energy to R&D, in the service of companies and
groups of all sizes looking for technological
solutions or breakthrough products for the
future. The centre has accompanied the
evolution in production processes. "The paper
industry has made tremendous progress. It
works virtually in a closed circuit. It treats and
recycles its waste and limits its energy
consumption. Today, we continue to play a
leading role in process and product innovation.
Moreover, the product part has expanded
greatly since the year 2000".
Wallpaper that blocks Wi-Fi signals
Among the most spectacular inventions
recently developed by its teams, and tested on
pilot industries, metapaper is wallpaper with
patented patterns, printed with a conductive
ink, which filters out the Wi-Fi signals. It can
be used as an underliner to be covered. It can
insulate a room or building for increased data
protection, provide easier access to the
network, and protect the health of users. "It is
a major "first", which we have developed with
"
P
our industrial partner Alstrhom. Tests were
carried out successfully in January 2011. The
product is very innovative".
A Gore-Tex paper or cardboard
Other success of the year? A hydrophobic
paper created through "chromatogeny" (green
chemistry), clean technology for molecular
modification of the surface of ligno-cellulosic
materials, developed by the CNRS. "The
problem of cellulose is that it is hydrophilic. If
you make a boat out of paper, it sinks. With
this breakthrough technology, we get a kind of
gore-tex paper or cardboard, which holds great
promise in very many fields: the press and
packaging, for example". Tests are under way
for the food industry. They are carried out on
the pilot line of the TekLiCell technology
platform, which brings together 26
manufacturers and Grenoble INP-Pagora, the
engineering school for paper science. All that
remains, is to move on to an industrial scale.
Sixty research projects under way
"The biggest challenge in innovation is to
convince. We need demonstrators and must
prove the feasibility of a product. Among our
projects, 90% lead to improvements in
processes or products, which are then
marketed in France and abroad. Our job is not
only innovation; it is primarily to enhance a
product".
With 60 projects in 2012, including THID and
PEPS*, with the Techtera "approved" label, the
CTP continues exploring the issues, trends and
major social questions that its industry is faced
with: lignocellulose chemistry, biosourced
materials, applications for hygiene and health,
packaging of the future, printed electronics and
smart paper, waste recovery and optimisation
of industrial processes, etc. There is no
shortage of areas to investigate. "Just like
textiles, paper can integrate many functions;
create new uses and non-traditional
opportunities for its industry. Everything
remains to be invented, or almost!"
Centre Technique du Papier
Domaine Universitaire Rue de la Papeterie
38 044 Grenoble cdx 09 Tel: 04 76 15 40 15 [email protected] More information: www.webctp.com
* PEPS: printed electronics project for future secure
packaging
THID: tag development project for RFID, chip-free,
low-cost, tamper-proof
Schappe Techniques
The stretch-break experts
Founded: 1853
Turnover in 2011: €11 million (80% for export)
Workforce: 130
Patents: 12
Products: high performance technical and sewing thread
Markets: personal protective equipment, automotive,
aviation and aerospace, defence, industry (composites)
SMS: a very specialised firm, with technology developed in the 50s: stretch-breaking consists of stretching the filaments of continuous thread until they break, in order to remove their weak points and provide new properties, including strength. The target is niche markets in advance-technology sectors such as equipment with high-level protection, aviation, aerospace and defence. Special feature: performance. The high-tech threads created by Schappe regularly receive prizes awarded to
their users. One of the latest is a prestigious award presented as part of the European Days of Composites (JEC) to the Latecoere aerospace equipment supplier. But, for Schappe, this was a modest
victory.
ot easy getting yourself talked about
when producing long-fibre yarns for
technical applications, even when you
are a highly innovative leader. And yet...
"If we had to summarise our company values,
we would focus on innovation and discretion.
Our goal is not to put ourselves forward. We
are technicians. We develop highly specific
thread on specifications often developed with
our customers to meet the needs they express
when they come to us. This is the essence of
our business".
Customers: major international firms
Manager of Schappe Techniques since the
takeover of the company in 2007, nearly 160
years after its founding, Serge Piolat divides his
time between its two sites - the Croix-aux-
Mines factory in the Vosges and the Blyes site
in the Ain - and his customers. These include
major international groups, whose
technological performance and innovation
encircle the planet, and small-to-medium
enterprises specialising in technical products.
The latest, in March 2011, to cite just one
example, is the composite aircraft door
developed by Latecoere, the equipment
manufacturer, which received one of the
prestigious JEC Awards 2011 in Paris. The
structure, with stitched pre-forms in which
high-pressure resin (RTM) is injected, is
revolutionising the architecture and assembly
of aircraft structures by reducing the time and
tools required for assembly. It uses a carbon
thread developed by Schappe, one of the
French partners of the project.
Traditional, but not only
"We definitely have a true culture of
innovation; in the past, of course, but not only.
Today, we reinvest more than 5% of our
turnover in R&D". Result: an image of quality
and increasingly efficient products dotted along
one and a half centuries of activity.
N
In fact, the Schappe story begins in the 19th
century, already with"originality": the company
recycled and recovered scrapped silk. In the
1950s, with the rise of artificial and synthetic
fibres, it developed the stretch-break
technology, intended for the traditional clothing
and furnishing sectors. Mastering these skills
makes it possible to have intimate blends of
raw materials providing, for example, more
suppleness and comfort for clothing.
Downstream of stretch-breaking, the spinning
involves various operations: assembly,
reaming, cabling, impregnation, scraping, etc,
giving it a stature and position and opening up
a variety of markets. "Schappe business grew
significantly in the 60s and 70s. The company
was bought and then sold after the first oil
shock in 1973. In the 80s, it took a major
turn", relates Serge Piolat.
Focus on technical thread
Innovation, indeed, again before the 21st
century, with the development of stretch-
breaking and spinning technical fibre yarn.
Over the years, the company completed its
transformation to focus on technical thread,
and take the leading position in line yarn with a
wide range of products.
"Stretch-breaking has many advantages: you
can make very fine thread and blend it, in
precise proportions with raw materials
endowed with complementary characteristics.
It produces very long, strong and regular
fibres, even though they are discontinuous. It
can produce thread more swelling and ready
for impregnation".
Convinced of these advantages when he
arrived at the helm in 2007, Serge Piolat
decided to push forward and reinforce the
upmarket position of the company in its core
markets such as personal protection and
composites. Thus, the business portfolio
profoundly changed with a 2- to 3-figure
increase in some key sectors in 2011.
Partner of Textilub
To achieve these results, Schappe Techniques
increased its efforts in R&D. The century-old
spinning business initiated projects with the
help of OSEO and became involved in many
collaborative projects, with "approved" labels
from the innovation clusters. For example,
within Techtera, it is a partner in the Textilub
project, led by SKF Aerospace and launched in
2008 for a period of 3 years. Objective:
develop a new generation of self-lubricating
textile composite for aircraft articulations, the
results of which could be known in 2012.
Schappe Techniques Parc Industriel de la Plaine de l’Ain Allée des Erables 01 150 Blyes
04 74 46 31 00
[email protected] More information: www.schappe.com
Bel Maille: a universe of knitting
Founded: 1956
Turnover in 2010: €17 million (45% for export)
Annual production: 4 million metres
Workforce: 100
Products: creation, development and manufacture
of knitted fabrics for clothing, lingerie and technical
mesh in the fields of personal protection, medical,
sport (functions of thermal insulation, moisture
transfer, non-flammable, cut-resistant, automotive,
3D mesh, breathable waterproof membranes).
Markets: clothing, lingerie, personal protective equipment (PPE), administrative and
institutional markets, automotive, medical, industrial, sport & leisure
SMS: the Riorges company, on the outskirts of Roanne, is an endangered species. It is currently one
of the few French companies, and the only one in the Rhône-Alpes, to be 100% specialised in mesh. In fact, Bel Maille has been knitting for over 50 years: originally for ready-to-wear, today increasingly for markets consuming high-tech products, which represents 25% of its turnover. Taken over in 2009 by Stéphane Ziegler, the Roanne SME successfully continues to diversify its activities.
t Bel Maille, we have several lives and
several trades. This company, based in
Riorges near Roanne, is a fine example.
A showcase of its industry, its 11,000 m²
is a condensed history of textiles over the last
50 years - a story in motion.
Starting from mesh for women's ready-to-wear
- including lingerie and swimwear, spearhead
of the 90s - it changed profoundly and
developed a range of technical mesh, first for
sport & leisure and image clothing, then for the
automotive, health and increasingly diversified
markets.
Seats in the A380 and gyms for the
London Olympics in 2012
In the company today, fashion coexists with
fire-resistant materials, designers with
engineers, creation with R&D, quality-control
lab with the Parisian showroom. Every year,
600 different fabrics leave the factory for the
manufacturers of the major brands of ready-to-
wear. While 50 to 100 new meshes are
developed on request or specifications of
customers from industry, personal protection,
medical, motor racing, defence, etc.
Similarities between the two branches of the
business are creativity, response and
adaptability, but also, and above all, the mesh
and seventy circular knitting machines, which
run non-stop. Every day, three new meshes
are created...
A very special trade
"The knitting trade is very special. There are
very few in France 100% specialised, like us.
Everything is made here on site in the factory.
This is one of our special features". Former
executive of leading brands of clothing,
Stéphane Ziegler took over the business from
the Bel family in 2009. Since then, he has
increased diversification and modernisation.
"This business has changed dramatically during
its existence. When Jacques Bel founded it in
1956, it was knitting exclusively for French
women's clothes. With the arrival of his
A
children, he embarked on creation and
developed technically into sportswear and
protection products, particularly for export. A
fire destroyed the old factory in 1989. It was
rebuilt on the present site".
After this drama, and in the following years,
the change of orientation was definite: Bel
Maille set up its design department, knitting its
first seats for the Megane and Clio, and
designing fabrics for personal protection. The
finishing part was integrated: washing,
bleaching, mechanical and chemical finishes,
drying. An industrial waste treatment plant was
installed. Sales of technical textiles doubled in
2006. The small Roanne company launched
into specialty performance products for shoes,
helmets, gloves and suit linings. It invested in
a fleet of high-tech machines, with gauges to
make all sizes of mesh, and 3D knitting
machines. New, ecological, fair-trade materials
are used in production, with, most importantly,
the launch of an "eco-friendly" line in 2008.
To survive, we must innovate
"On arrival, I was impressed by the industrial
tool, no doubt about that, but also by the mix
of creativity and technology". Bel Maille had a
lot of potential; however, it needed to maintain
its place in a highly competitive world. When
he took over control of the small business,
Stéphane Ziegler was well aware of this fact.
To survive, we must constantly innovate and
create at all levels. In short, take up many
challenges.
In the factory, the production process must
include environmental requirements, notably
associated with recycling and waste recovery.
A lean management programme aimed at
developing best practice was implemented.
Training for the 41 operators employed in
production was streamlined.
Sustainable derma-textiles
Upstairs, above the workshop, among the
designers, marketing and R&D, no letup either.
The logo and graphics of the company were
given a new look. The marketing policy was to
become more aggressive. In the offices
dedicated to the technical mesh and on the
machines, we focus on very specific demands
of customers, proposing increasingly
sophisticated tenders. With the leitmotiv: "Bel
Maille is technology at the service of its
customers' creativity".
Bel Maille 32 rue Paul Forge ZI La Villette 42 153 Riorges Tel: 04 77 44 09 70
Contact: [email protected] More information: www.belmaille.fr
Diatex
"Made in" technical textiles
Founded: 1986
Turnover 2010-2011: €12 million (including 40%
export)
Workforce: 25
Products: agro-textiles, filtration ducts and filters
for automotive, pharmaceuticals, water purification,
lightweight aerospace parts, parachute fabric and
air brakes, fabrics for balloons and airships, linings
of bulletproof vests, technical baggage, consumable
films and textiles supplies for vacuum-moulding of
composites, etc.
Markets: agriculture, aviation and aerospace, construction, industry, events, personal
protection, recreational boating and car racing, wind power, etc.
Turnover per sector: composites (50%), technical textiles (30%), agriculture (17%), light
aircraft (3%)
SMS: no silk industry past or weaving ancestor. From start-up in the 80s, the medium-sized firm from Saint-Genis-Laval, in a suburb south of Lyon, focused 100% on technical textiles. Since then, it is
diversifying, not all categories, but in four key sectors: agriculture, aerospace, technical textiles and composites, with outstanding achievements. Some examples: filtration for buildings at the Beijing
Olympic Games, the rear fuselage of the A380 and the fuel tank of the Ariane 5, etc. The weaving factory, taken over in the Vercors around ten years ago, is turning at full speed seven days a week.
he story of Diatex begins with...
mosquito netting! Yet, nothing very
exotic in the career of this small
technical textile firm. "The company
started with agro-textiles, fabrics for crop
protection, such as anti-insect or windbreak
netting, different mesh fabrics with an impact
on plant pollination". When Philippe Gouthez
founded Diatex in 1986, he had one idea in
mind: develop a new type of net, more
effective, for agricultural protection. The
challenge? Adapt the mesh to the requirements
of air porosity, durability and ease of
installation of protection systems. A 100%
technical challenge, to which the small
debutant team, located in offices in central
Lyon, provided an innovative answer.
Right from the start, Diatex focused totally on
technical textiles. No question of producing
fabrics for clothing or decoration. The company
aimed at diversification, but only into highly-
developed technical markets.
Light aircraft: the only French company
Diatex very quickly distinguished itself and
invested in extremely specialist sectors. Its
mission? Respond to the specifications of its
customers or prospects, and develop new,
often-complex products with them. At the end
of the 80s, it left the Lyon asphalt to settle in
larger premises in the heart of the industrial
area south of the city. New address, new
market: light aircraft. Using a very tough
polyester fabric, the firm designed fins and the
rear of small aircraft - a niche market in which
it is the only French player. "Our products are
lighter and stronger, which is of course
essential. Our customers are airfields, small
manufacturers and many individuals. It does
T
not represent high volumes, but it is one of the
traditional divisions of the company".
Ducts for the Olympics
Traditional, and almost cultural, we would like
to add because, after starting on the ground,
Diatex rapidly rose into the air. With three key
markets: filtration, events and aeronautics.
At the end of the 90s, this Lyon SME developed
its first textile ventilation ducts - again, from
parachute fabric. The products are lightweight,
washable, colourable and customisable,
endowed with a whole range of properties:
antistatic, antibacterial, etc. Result: Diatex
ducts, now the French leader in 2008, were
fitted in some of the Beijing Olympics reception
buildings.
Four years earlier, in 2004, the company
launched membranes for balloons and airships,
which also become one of its specialties. The
requirements for these complex textiles:
resistant to UV, helium, tearing and, finally yet
importantly, not turning yellow. Goal achieved,
using lamination and coating techniques
designed by the Lyon teams of weavers.
The climb continues - in 2009, new entry in the
range, with airbrakes for fighter aircraft.
High-tech innovations
Nevertheless, it is well before these successes
that the technical textiles expert really took off.
The year 1994 marked a turning point, with the
start of a totally new activity: film and textiles
consumables used in the vacuum moulding of
composite materials. The process is complex.
The company provided high-tech innovations,
designed and tested on site, on small pilot
moulds. Markets concerned: pleasure and
racing boats, wind turbines, motor racing,
electrical boxes, etc, and above all, aviation.
In just over 10 years, from the late 90s and
the purchase of a weaving factory in the
Vercors, Diatex has not stopped developing,
has quadrupled its workforce, and continues to
rack up significant achievements.
Rear fuselage of large aircraft
"We went for increasingly technical products,
including one of our key products, used in the
design of the rear fuselage of the A380. To
work for Airbus, we of course had to obtain the
very-demanding EN 9100 aerospace standard,
but it has opened doors..." Diatex composite
consumables are also used in the design of the
Ariane V fuel tank, and parts for the cars of the
Paris-Dakar race.
Storage space of 1500 m2
Today, composites represent more than 50%
of sales. Yet this is not necessarily the only
sector in development. Now aged 25, Diatex
continues to diversify and consolidate its
strengths: strong export presence through a
network of distributors of consumables, large
product storage capacity, cutting department,
etc. The adventure continues with, amongst
the latest, a textile covering for casting
concrete parts to give them special forms.
Planned for 2012: even better textiles for
personal protective equipment and parachutes,
followed by the long-awaited entry into service
of Airbus A 400 and A 350...
Diatex 58 chemin des Sources ZI La Mouche 69 230 Saint-Genis-Laval Tel: 04 78 86 85 00 Contact: [email protected]
More information: www.diatex.com
Denis & Fils, high fashion and high-tech
Founded: 1956
Turnover in 2010: €5.5 million
Workforce: 38
Products: textiles for clothing, optical-fibre textiles
Markets: clothing, furniture, building, transport,
communication, health
Annual production: 840,000 metres
SMS: what is common between a top-of-the-range sari and a luminous fabric made of optical fibre? At first glance, not much. Nevertheless, there is indeed. In the Loire region, a small family business weaves for both the luxury market and for high-tech textiles; it is one of the few - perhaps the only one - in France to master the technique. At the controls, the second and third generation of the Denis family perpetuate the family tradition of the business and fight successfully to maintain local industry.
The result: a "gem" to be discovered in the village of Montchal, an SME that is full of treasure.
ou will probably not believe this, but
Christian Denis could have a place in the
magazines of the popular press. Yet, he
is not that sort of chief at this small-to-
medium textile firm located in the small village
of Montchal in the Loire region. No, his motto
was more innovation and sustainable
development - no glossy paper. At Denis & Fils,
for example, all stages of textile production are
integrated - from silk thread to the finished
product and verified in the laboratory -and all
checked locally.
Fashion models and stars
Nevertheless, in the corridors of the company,
the walls have some beautiful photographs of
models and celebrities wearing haute couture
clothing and lingerie created with the fabrics of
this small family business in the Loire region.
"One of our specialties is natural silk. So we
are very active in the luxury market through
partnerships with major brands, some of which
date back more than 20 years", says Christian
Denis. But hush, no question of giving names
or revealing trade secrets! In the fashion
design studio, we are preparing the 2012-2013
winter collection. "Around fifty new models
every season", declares Françoise Faure, the
company's fashion designer. Chiffon, satin,
broche cut velvet, silk crepe, etc and, of
course, natural silk form the "evening" lines,
lingerie, jacquard, furnishings and tweed,
which will make the rounds of international
shows and will be proposed to buyers,
particularly for export to the Gulf, but also
India, China and South Korea. If necessary, the
samples presented are reworked to suit
customers' requirements; or recreated from
zero according to specification.
High precision
"Textiles are creation, of course. Nevertheless,
above all, it is innovation. I have lived with this
since childhood, and it is obvious. If we had
tried to make everything, we would not be here
now! Our job is very demanding and high-
precision", says Christian Denis.
As proof, the other "specialty" developed by
the company in early 2000: optical-fibre
weaving. The Montchal business is one of the
few French companies - perhaps the only one -
to master this technique, which it has
developed in partnership with the leader for
luminous textiles from Lyon, Brochier
Technologies, also a member of Techtera.
A real challenge - optical fibre is fragile! It took
months of trial and adaptation of the jacquard
Y
weaving machines to manage, position and
work it without damage or breaks.
A 6-tonne prototype
Today, of the 48 looms that the factory has
nestled in a hollow in the village of Montchal,
one of the machines - a unique prototype
weighing six tonnes - weaves optical fibre full-
time, for future applications in transport,
construction, communicating clothing, health,
etc. High-tech is side-by-side with high fashion.
The company's past meets its present. In
charge since the mid-2000s, the third
generation of Denis remains true to the
philosophy and history of a totally family-
owned firm.
Cycling between looms
A story that begins in 1956: André, Christian's
father and artisan weaver, decided to set up on
his own and took over a workshop weaving for
the Lyon silk industry. The village of Montchal
still had nearly a hundred looms in homes. The
Denis firm very quickly expanded. The eldest
son, Jean-Paul joined the team formed by his
parents and two employees. The limited
liability company was founded in 1969. The
first factory was built in 1984. It was equipped
with the most modern looms. The following
year, Denis & Fils launched its first range of
products.
"I joined the firm in 2000. We had developed a
lot. I was supervisor at the public works
department. I spent my free time helping my
brother. But that was not enough!" Christian is
not a little Denis for nothing. Like his
ancestors, textiles are in his blood. "As a child,
I cycled between looms!" Like them too, he is
determined to fight to keep the industry and
local expertise in their region.
In the 90s, Denis & Fils bought a small
drawloom firm and acquired a stake in the
Hugo Soie silk-finishing firm. In 2007, here we
go again! Anxious to preserve the textile chain,
the company acquired 35% of the shares in
Moulinages de Riotord specialising in twisting
fibre, including silk. From fibre to finished
product, the overall industrial process has been
integrated. The plant has five warping
machines for unwinding reels of thread before
weaving. Sampling is done on site. The quality
control of finished products is performed in the
lab.
Trademark: family
"The future, now, is Bruno and Fabienne!" The
third generation of Denis is a duo: consisting of
Christian's nephew and daughter. One is
responsible for developing new high-tech
innovations; the other, for nurturing a range of
scarves, created and made on site, and two
annual collections, which are presented in the
factory's showroom. "One of the hallmarks of
our company is the family! Not just the Denis
family, but all the employees, who are very
loyal to us. We are sure this has helped us to
be successful, even if it was not always easy!"
Denis & Fils
Le Bourg
42 360 Montchal
Tel: 04 77 28 60 21
www.denisfils.fr
Enveho: the thermal comfort specialists
Founded: 2007
Turnover in 2010: €196,000
Workforce: 3
Trade: service provider (laboratory, R&D); expertise, research and
development of textiles for personal protection and comfort
Markets: clothing, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), sport &
leisure, building, furniture, industry
SMS: installed right in the Doua campus, in the heart of the science cluster of
Villeurbanne (69), Enveho - the clothing environment of people - is a young
company providing testing and R&D services. With a specialty all its own:
protection and thermal comfort. Founded in 2007 by two women, the small
firm has developed software for measuring thermal comfort, CASETO®, which allows its customers -
mostly small-to-medium businesses - to identify the specifications of their products and adapt them to
their targets.
hermal comfort is a subjective
concept, which takes into account heat
transfer between people and their
environment and each person's
perception, including psychosocial factors.
Research into this is new. It only started in the
70s with a precursor, Fanger, a Danish
researcher who was one of the first to
mathematically model the human body. This is
the reference in our field". Sabine Varieras,
aged 40, is a specialist in thermal comfort.
With a Ph.D. in energy and heat transfer, she
devoted her thesis to heat exchange in
vehicles, then her early professional life to the
development of textile products, taking
protection and comfort into account.
Tailor-made
In industry, where she held a position in the
R&D for 3 years, the young scientist noted a
lack; namely small responsive organisations
offering advice and personal services to
companies wishing to test and provide
specifications for their products or develop new
ones. In 2007, she decided to set off on her
own and start a business: Enveho. The
company name is an acronym for the clothing
environment of people; an idea worked out by
both of them. In fact, it was the duo that she
formed with Amandine Souply, textile engineer,
which is behind the project and development of
the firm.
Thermal conductivity and radiation
properties
Conceived around a very specific theme, the
small firm has several trades: testing and
analysis, conducted in the laboratory in Feyzin,
in the southern suburbs of Lyon, the
development of new products, together with
industry, and establishing the specifications of
thermal comfort, which is still quite new.
In the lab, the Sabine-Amandine duo evaluates
the performance of work clothing or equipment
for firefighters and military personnel, and
checks them for compliance with standards.
They also perform tests on the thermal
conductivity and radiation properties of
textiles.
Rating thermal comfort
Their technology base, consisting of specially
developed measuring equipment and test
benches, enables them to function as an
external R&D centre working on innovation
with the textile industry and other sectors such
as construction. To help them in this, they
partly rely on the thermal comfort
" T
specifications software, which they launched in
2009: Caséto®.
"The initial problem was to rate the thermal
comfort. Comfort means not being hot and not
being cold, not feeling uncomfortable drafts.
However, there are no standards similar to
those for protection. We therefore had to
define measurement indicators such as heat,
the characteristics of the textile, moisture
management, the person's activity and
environment, etc. That's the basis of our
software" and the starting point of the firm.
Sales pitch based on reliable information
In front of the computer screen, the user
enters the required information: textile
characteristics (water vapour resistance,
thermal resistance, recovery rates, etc),
activity, environment (ambience, wind, etc).
Within seconds, the software provides accurate
data on thermal sensation and its variations,
depending on environmental parameters and
activity (skin temperature, temperature of the
material, radiation, moisture). "This allows our
clients to establish their position and product
sales pitch based on reliable, verifiable
scientific and technical information, which is
supported by full-scale tests. This is
increasingly important for the public", says
Amanda Souply. For manufacturers, too, since
it allows them to validate their actions and/or
adapt their products to their targets.
Ergonomics of physical activities
Caséto® has been running at full speed for two
years, with key improvements. Developed from
single-layer clothing models, the software now
includes multilayer clothing. In 2012, it will
include the female variable and propose
calculations designed for each gender. "Each
step takes a fair time to set up. Since start-up,
our firm has evolved a lot. Our project is to
complement this research with aspects of
product ergonomics and diversify into other
sectors".
In 2009, Enveho expanded its small team and
recruited a young researcher preparing a thesis
on the ergonomics of physical activities and the
engineering-design of products. Over the
months, the small firm has invested in new
fields of application, including the building
industry through insulation and furniture.
"People are always at the centre of our
concerns. We protect persons, whether this be
at home, or why not, when travelling",
Amandine Souply concludes, before adding,
"Our role is important because we work on the
product design. We started six months before
the crisis; to move forward, we had to build
our credibility! Sometimes it's sport, but it's a
great adventure". Witness at the entrance of
the firm, a quote from Aristotle, posted on the
door: "There is no genius without a touch of
madness!" Talking about the future, no?
Enveho
Centre d’Entreprises et d’Innovation
66 boulevard Niels Bohr
69 100 Villeurbanne
Tel: 04 72 70 84 99
Contact: [email protected]
More information: www.enveho.com
Ecole des Mines d'Alès:
Grey matter for industry
Founded: 1843
Workforce: 376
Number of students: 813
Number of engineering graduates: 181 (2010 figures)
Budget: €31.4 million
Turnover through research partnerships: €2.7 million
Number of research contracts: 127
International publications: 43
SMS: the Ecole des Mines d'Alès, or EMA, is one of the oldest of seven French schools for mining.
Founded in the 19th century to meet the labour needs of a booming mining industry, it has followed the evolution of history and has succeeded in accompanying industrial change. It now accommodates 800 engineering students, most general, and ranks in the top tier of French engineering schools. At the forefront of innovation, its three research centres work on advanced materials, environment and risk management, and new technologies of information and communication. The psychosensory properties of materials - smell, colour and touch - are screened for industrial applications, particularly in the textile sector, but not only.
fter the 2011 summer holidays, 260
new recruits joined the prestigious Ecole
des Mines d'Alès, in initial or continuous
training, 166 years after their elders,
who made up the ranks of the promotion-
baptism of the School of Masters-Workers-
Miners in 1845.
The Ecole des Mines d'Alès is one of the oldest
of seven French mining schools with whom it
also forms a large family: the group of mining
schools, historical, like its little sister in Douai,
which opened in 1878... The royal order to
create the Cévennes establishment was
enacted in 1843 to address the shortage of
personnel in the Languedoc mines. Objectives:
firstly, fulfil the labour needs in a growing
industry by training master-miners with
theoretical and practical skills; secondly,
enable young experienced workers to climb the
ladder of social advancement - a promise kept
right into the 60s. Affected by the decline of
French coal, the school then became technical,
changing its name to Ecole Nationale Technique
des Mines d'Alès. It began to change. In over a
century and a half, the transformation was
radical.
Engineer-entrepreneurs
Today, the Ecole des Mines d'Alès offers its
students engineer-entrepreneur courses lasting
three years, open internationally, with a
number of options and routes within the five
departments of the institution allowing them to
orientate themselves to their choice of
profession: civil engineering, mechanical and
materials engineering, risk and environmental
management, production engineering systems,
and information systems.
"We could say that our trademark, or oldest
activity, is civil engineering and construction.
This is what attracts most students. Our results
are very good: 94% of our graduates have a
job four months after gaining their diploma;
one third of them in the building sector. This is
more important to us than our ranking in the
twenty to thirty top schools". Responsible for
relations with the innovation clusters, Mireille
A
Fouletier is a professor in a discipline that is
one of the jewels of Alès: mass-market
materials. "Our students receive a broad
education that will allow them to evolve
throughout their working life and come out
with a double profile: technology and trade,
making them operational quickly. Our mission
has not changed all that much, despite the
historical upheavals. Our function is always to
meet the needs of industry; as much in training
students as in research".
Colour and tactile properties of textiles
At Alès, Nîmes and Pau, where the school has
its three sites and research centres, the motto
is indeed unchanging: listen to the needs of
companies, considered as partners. The EMA is
member of eight innovation clusters and full
participant of the Carnot Institut, which
includes the seven schools under the name
M.I.N.E.S. It puts applied collaborative
research and economic development at the
heart of its concerns.
Witness to this, are its three research centres:
the CMGD (centre for mass-market materials),
the LGEI (laboratory for the industrial and
natural environment) and the LGI2P
(laboratory for computer science and
production engineering). They started their
activities in the 80s, around themes related to
new technologies, the industrial environmental
and materials, and including textiles with highly
specific features.
Sustainability, life cycle and recycling
Thus, among others, the CMGD studies the
psychosensory properties of materials, the first
of which is... colour. "We began by studying
the colour of mineral powders and then
expanded our research to other properties and
other materials. We were interested in the
formulation of colours and visual effects in
order to develop a predictive model of the
visual aspect of materials. It's very innovative".
Also, very strategic for the manufacturers
concerned, ranging from the building industry
to cosmetics, among others. Psychosensory
too, are the tactile properties of textiles, for
example, on which a dozen researchers at the
Centre are working with the University of Pau.
With 127 current contracts, the list of activities
and fields of investigation in the school's three
research centres is long. "We have several
themes, in a way, our warhorses. As regards
materials, we work a lot on sustainability, life
cycle and recycling of polymers. One of our
specialties is also the behaviour of fire. Some
of our work focuses on the mechanical
properties of textiles: elasticity, strength, etc.
For example, we have developed a highly
innovative photomechanical device that allows
us to monitor the deformation of textiles and
establish laws of behaviour. The LGEI has a
large team investigating smells and volatile
organic compounds, and is developing organic
filters for the decomposition of smells. We also
have a big team working on natural and
industrial hazards," sums up Mireille Fouletier.
The oldest French technology incubator
The EMA is partner of the Doseless R&D
project, which has the Techtera and Trimatec
"approved" labels for developing more efficient
personal radiation protection equipment for
those working in the medical and nuclear
sectors. The EMA is undeniably noted for its
close relationship with industry. "The school
distinguished itself very early through its
teaching oriented towards entrepreneurship.
Each year, our students have field missions in
firms established locally, throughout France
and even abroad".
Attesting to the strong links between the
campus and industry, the EMA is the leading
French business incubator. Founded in 1984, it
was extended with the creation of the Science
Park business centre on the Alès site, whose
first stone was laid in late 2010. Objective:
accommodate up to thirty new companies,
which will benefit from the proximity of the
incubator and laboratory equipment. To be
continued...
Ecole des Mines d’Alès
6, avenue de Clavières 30 319 Alès cdx Tel: 04 66 78 50 00 More information: www.mines-ales.fr
ELyT Lab, the Franco-Japanese
creators of "smart" materials
Founded: 2008
Workforce: around 150 (students and researchers)
Status: International Associated Laboratory (IAL) of the CNRS
Institutions involved: INSA Lyon, Lyon Ecole Centrale, Tohoku University (Japan)
Research areas: biosciences and engineering, sustainability and reliability in energy and
transport, nano- and micro-materials, fluid dynamics, heat transfer and micro-fluids,
tribology
Application areas: health, industry, transport, electronics, energy, environment, etc
SMS: ELyT Lab - meaning Engineering and Science Lyon Tohoku Laboratory - is a unique example in
France of a public research laboratory associating two countries, France and Japan. Founded in 2008
after over 20 years of varied collaboration between the three schools and universities involved, the
Franco-Japanese laboratory is noted for its many fields of study and the number of researchers and
students participating in this bicultural adventure. Results expected? Progress in basic research on
smart materials and multi-functionality (tribology - the science of friction and wear -, reactivity,
mechanical and thermal properties) giving the possibility of many applications; closer relations
between the two countries. In March 2011, the two Lyon schools mobilised to help their Tohoku
colleagues in Sendai, in the north of the archipelago, the region most affected by the tsunami.
or me it was a sign, an extraordinary
coincidence. In 2007, the Lyon Ecole
Centrale celebrated its 150th
anniversary, Tohoku University its 100th
anniversary and INSA Lyon, its 50th
anniversary. We were then thinking deeply
about the work areas for our future joint
laboratory established in 2008. So, we all
participated in the festivities, in Lyon and
Japan! The Japanese researcher, Prof. Tetsuo
Shoji, quoted here, is one of the three joint
head scientists of the ELyT Lab, the French-
Japanese research laboratory set up under the
auspices of the CNRS, by the Tohoku
University, which he represents, INSA Lyon and
the Lyon Ecole Centrale. He, together with his
colleagues Jean-Yves Cavaillé and Philippe
Kapsa, designed, built and manage this unique
laboratory. A laboratory without walls and
without its own equipment, like all the
International Associated Laboratories (IAL) of
the CNRS, based on joint work teams and the
energy of several laboratories recognised in
their fields on both sides of the planet. With -
and this is what makes it a success story - an
original bias: a multidisciplinary approach.
For three years, ELyT lab has been noted for
the number of students and researchers
involved in its projects, the variety of topics
and vitality. Success was almost immediate.
A deeply-rooted history...
"In fact, our history goes back 25 years. It
began with the previous generation. Our
laboratories, whether in France or Japan, have
always been very active in the field of tribology
and smart materials. At the time, four of our
internationally renowned professors regularly
met each other in symposia. They got on well
with each other scientifically and became
friends. Those were the beginnings of ELyT
Lab", recalls Jean-Yves Cavaillé. At the time,
this researcher, specialising in the science and
engineering of materials, was a member of the
team of Professor Gobin, at INSA Lyon, one of
the original four musketeers. In a few years,
the quartet set up the first collaborations,
exchanges of PhD students, and increased the
number of contacts. In 1997, it organised the
"
F
first Franco-Japanese Symposium on smart
materials, supported by the CNRS. The
laboratory teams involved were mobilised. The
bicultural adventure really began. From that
moment, the number of participants has
continued increasing.
Their rallying point? The liaison office is on the
INSA Lyon campus, in Villeurbanne, on the first
floor of the MATEIS laboratory. In these 20 m²,
was born the ''embassy'' in 2004 through a
formal agreement between the three
institutions. Within these walls, are received
students preparing their double degree. It was
opened in 2006 and, since late 2008, receives
Japanese researchers of ELyT Lab on mission
to Lyon. 10,000 km away in Sendai, the
configuration is identical: like in France, the
liaison office is the place for physical
representation of the agreements linking the
French schools and the Japanese university -
the place where researchers and students meet
to work.
The beginnings of a joint adventure...
However, the first joint research projects did
not wait for dedicated buildings and formal
agreements before starting. Work began long
before the creation of ELyT Lab. In 1990,
students from the Ecole Centrale joined the
Tohoku teams working on the durability of
video tapes. In 2003, a larger project was
launched by the CNRS and its counterpart the
TSPS. The markers of the joint laboratory were
in place. The idea caught on. In March 2008,
INSA Lyon and the Ecole Centrale submitted a
file to the CNRS for an International Associated
Laboratory. In Japan, the administrative
procedures were begun at the same time. The
official agreement for the birth of the IAL was
signed on December 8, 2008 in Sendai. It was
followed by a scientific symposium organised
for the first time, with the name ELyT Lab.
An example: innovative biomaterials
"In fact, we went ahead quickly, despite the
administrative aspects," recalls Philippe Kapsa,
from the LTDS (laboratory of tribology and
system dynamics) of the Lyon Ecole Centrale.
One year of scientific brainstorming was in fact
enough to define the laboratory research
subjects, with the underlying theme:
multidiscipline, and objective: link up the
mutual excellence to start totally new projects.
Five workgroups federated around five themes:
bioscience, sustainability and safety in energy
and transport, micro- and nano-materials, fluid
dynamics, tribology. In three years, they
became the fertile ground for 21 joint research
projects on various subjects.
An example? In the medical sector, the
development of innovative biomaterials for
catheters in the Biocat project, based notably
on the tribology expertise of Lyon researchers,
or innovative alloys used in hip replacements,
endowed with special microstructures
developed by metallurgists at INSA Lyon.
The projects, mostly focused on fundamental
research, generate international publications
signed by ELyT Lab in scientific journals.
Nevertheless, they arouse the interest of large
groups such as Total and EDF on the French
side, the lab's first industrial partners, but not
the only ones...
A first ELyT School
"In our three establishments, this laboratory is
now by far our most important international
collaboration," says the trio in chorus. "For its
scientific advances of course, but also because
it demonstrates that we are convinced from the
start: the meeting of cultures is a source of
innovation. It is necessarily creative".
No doubt, beyond the scientific aspects, ELyT
Lab is a cultural and human adventure. In
2009, the laboratory held its first summer
school: ELyT School, held each summer for
three years. For around thirty participants,
alternately French side and Japanese side, it
allows students and researchers to immerse
themselves for ten days in the culture of their
partner country, with a programme of scientific
lectures, visits and exchanges and awareness
of the cultural aspects of the host country.
"It has taken a lot of time, but we see that our
ties are becoming stronger". Witness to these
ties, is the solidarity of INSA and the Ecole
Centrale towards Tohoku, in the first hours of
the earthquake on March 11, 2011. The INSA
foundation donated to Haru, the association of
Japanese students, to help reconstruct
laboratories damaged or destroyed by the
tsunami. The Lyon Ecole Centrale received a
small group of students deprived of premises.
With 40,000m² of buildings damaged, the
Japanese University had to work extra hard to
restore its infrastructure and continue its work.
Beyond scientific exchanges...
A major event, the March 11 tsunami is
probably also a turning point for ELyT Lab. An
international scientific programme, bringing
together researchers from the laboratory and a
much wider network of expertise in North
America, Asia and Europe, will be launched in
2012 at Tohoku University. Objective: to
explore new solutions to prevent damage due
to tsunamis, using information gathered after
March 11, working in particular on the
dissipation of sea energy. Students of the
department of Science and Material
Engineering at INSA Lyon are already working
on innovation projects concerning the
prevention of tsunamis; the first workshop
devoted to this research is scheduled for late
2012. Techtera will be closely involved.
Elyt Lab – Bureau de liaison INSA de Lyon 69 221 Villeurbanne cdx Tel: 04 72 43 81 84 More information: www.insa-lyon.fr
/Laboratoires/GEMPPM/ang_index.html
Sofileta boosts
innovation
Founded: 1911
Workforce: 235
Turnover in 2010: €55 million
Trades: warping, weaving, knitting, dyeing, finishing, coating, laminating
Products: jacket textiles for firefighters, racing driver suits, protection against electric arc,
functional textiles for sport, refreshing and energizing textiles, components for aerospace, etc
Markets: sport, lingerie, fashion clothing, bags and luggage, personal protection, aerospace,
automotive and medical
SMS: Sofileta is part of a family Group, which from preparing the thread to the final finishing of mono- or multi-layer fabrics, masters many textile trades. When the Group began, just 100 years ago, their trade
was the work of dyeing for the Lyon silk industry. Today Sofileta has an industrial organisation with several production sites in Isère, where the Bourgoin-Jallieu SME prepares the thread, weaves, knits, and finishes... And, every year, launches a significant number of innovative products in its preferred markets: sport and personal protection. Growing, despite the crisis, this model company applies its expertise to new horizons, including aviation.
nique: this could summarise the profile
of Sofileta, the family-owned firm.
Situated in Bourgoin-Jallieu, about fifty
kilometres east of Lyon, it is based on
an industrial organisation incorporating almost
all the textile trades on several Isère sites. Full
industrial integration in less than 100 years.
What could be better?
An industrial heritage
"In France there are very few textile companies
like us, who combine the two techniques of
weaving and knitting, with a good balance
between the two". Chairman of the board since
2007, Benoit Bouret is the third generation of
the family. Today at the helm, along with his
father, Jean-Claude Bouret, the young
manager, graduated from HEC in 2007, is well
aware of being at the head of an industrial
heritage. "Sofileta condenses the whole history
of textiles. The company has followed textiles,
and adapted, from the outset. We are
centenarians and have been faithful for many
years to our strategy of integration and
diversification. First and foremost, our Group is
a powerful industrial tool."
The Sofileta trade is to design, develop and
market technical and functional textiles. Also,
the Isère family Group factories do beaming,
weaving, knitting and finishing, and have sites
in other parts of the region. "We made a
choice… We could have relocated at any time.
We have done the opposite and prefer being
successful with French industry. This took, and
still takes, a lot of courage and tenacity".
Seventy percent for export
Totally French, the SOFILETA company is
organised around business units for the
markets: Sofileta Advanced Textiles for
personal protection, Sofileta Advanced
Materials for industrial applications and Sofileta
ActiveWear-Bodywear-Fashion for sport,
lingerie, ready-to-wear and bags. These are
separate units, each with their line manager,
their R&D and sales teams. Objective: simplify
and clarify the organisation and activities of the
company management, particularly as regards
international customers. In 2010, Sofileta
achieved 70% of its turnover from exports.
It is difficult to portray all the products sold in
Europe, particularly the East, Asia and South
America. Two of the company's specialties have
become famous: sport and personal protection,
areas where Sofileta has contributed major
innovations. One of the latest? Sofileta Cooling
U
Fabrics®, a technology exploiting the
refreshing properties of a revolutionary
polymer: it absorbs moisture from the body
during physical activity and provides freshness
in exchange. This product, developed in
partnership with the Belgian company Luxilon,
manufacturer of the filament, won an award for
innovation in May 2011 during the prestigious
Techtextil international trade fair in Frankfurt.
"What is also very innovative, is the
specification work done on textiles using this
polymer. Comparative tests have been
conducted on a laboratory model simulating
the human body with its heat and moisture
exchanges. A temperature difference on the
surface of the skin between 1.4°C and 3°C was
measured after 60 minutes of physical effort,
compared with existing fabrics on the
sportswear market. This is not mere sales
talk".
Aerospace, automotive and medical
Other examples of star products: the
Sofil'Arc® range for the electrical industry,
providing protection from electric arc, the
Diamond Technology® innovation, which
through its special weaving, functions and new
performances, provides fire and heat resistant
textiles, or SofiShield® technology, which is
about to be marketed in Europe after two years
research, gives treated textiles outstanding
resistance to abrasion without compromising
breathability and flexibility.
Two years ago, Sofileta added another string to
its bow, with the development of technologies
inducing new functional processes in textile
products. The hundred-year-old company
invests in new markets: aerospace and
medical. "Our culture is diversification. What
marks our history, are the technical challenges
to which we have responded. We are therefore
consistent with our past".
When Grandfather Benoit Bouret joined
Sofileta, shortly after the founding of the
company in 1911, and took over management,
the little firm had only one trade: dyer for the
Lyon silk industry. It mutated in line with the
great transformations in the sector, with the
advent of artificial and then synthetic fibres,
and expanded rapidly in the 60s, until the key
date: 1969, when it bought a major weaving
factory. "From then on, we ceased to be mere
subcontractors. The company designed and
sold finished products - only to the clothing
sector at the start. Our flagship product at the
time was acetate lining, of which we were one
of the largest European producers". But, no
question of resting on our laurels. In the early
90s, Sofileta added a first knitting unit and
launched new lines of product, before
developing textiles increasingly complex in
their properties and functions.
A brand new factory
Next rendezvous: in 2013, 102 years old, the
Group will offer itself the luxury of celebrating
its centenary and, above all, writing a new
chapter in its history. If administrative
obstacles do not excessively delay the project,
a brand new factory will open in Isère. High-
tech and "clean", it will focus on new more
energy-efficient technologies, optimised
processes, more environment-friendly, and
technologically advanced. Without doubt, this
will boost the success of the Isère SME. Among
those coming in 2012: Sofileta Energizing
Fabrics®, a technology that could, if ongoing
trials confirm, confer slimming and stimulating
properties to lingerie or clothing worn close to
the body. This just shows, concluded the young
head of the company, "there is always
something to invent". Listening to him, we
have no doubt that this is true.
Sofileta 25, Petite Rue de la Plaine 38 311 Bourgoin Jallieu Tel: 04 74 43 55 00 Contact: [email protected]
More information: www.sofileta.com
The LGCIE, pioneer in the environmental
monitoring of silicones
Founded: 2007
Staff: 88 teachers-researchers and administrative staff, about 50 Ph.D. students
Research domains: civil engineering and urban planning, environmental analysis of
processes and industrial systems, urban hydrology, treatment and recovery of waste, soils,
polluted sediments
SMS: here, in this Villeurbanne laboratory on the INSA Lyon campus, the science of waste treatment took its first steps in the early 70s, led by visionary chemist professors - Alain Navarro and John
Véron. The initial chemist approach was then enriched by the addition of process systems researchers. Then, in January 2007, the team collaborated with other separate institutions, INSA and UCBL Lyon1, to form the LGCIE (laboratory of civil and environmental engineering). Thereafter, research made significant advances. Today, one of the team's flagship topics focuses on the anaerobic digestion of organic waste and energy recovery from the biogas produced. Thus, the team conducted the first work in France on the deterioration of silicones present in countless consumer products.
id you know? Every French person uses
an average of 1 kg of silicon per year,
found in cosmetics, health, household
products, shampoos, paint,
repositionable adhesive, bathroom joints,
kitchen moulds, electrical insulation, mobile
phone shells, etc. A recent but exponential
development: since their post-war discovery,
these chemical products derived from silicon
and silica (sand) continue to procreate. Their
applications are endless. No wonder: their
properties, resistance in particular, put them in
the first rank of performance polymers. Current
global growth is 6-7% per year. In short, they
are everywhere, and their future is assured.
Starting from scratch...
Silicones are central to the work done by the
LGCIE (laboratory of civil and environmental
engineering) of Villeurbanne on the LyonTech
campus of Doua.
The groundwork began in 2004. The teams
from INSA Lyon and the Claude Bernard Lyon I
University, came together in 2007 under that
name to pool their respective fields of
investigation in civil engineering, urban
planning and environmental analysis of
processes and industrial systems.
"We started from nothing. Our knowledge was
zero! What pushed us into this was a problem
encountered in the field by the biogas energy
recovery sector; the gas (over 50% methane)
produced by the fermentation of waste.
Unexplained deposits of silica (abrasive) on the
energy-recovery engine pistons were likely to
damage them. We analysed these deposits and
went up the chain to discover that they came
from the deterioration of silicones in waste.
This is how our work started". Seven years
later, Patrick Germain, professor and head of
the environmental, industrial and urban science
degree from 2005 to 2010, gives an
enthusiastic report. "Here in our laboratory,
around ten researchers are involved in
methanisation, biogas and silicone! It must be
said that since 2004, the general context has
evolved a lot. The interest in these subjects is
greater now". The first world thesis on the
relationship between the deterioration of
silicones, and the technical and economic
problems engendered, was continued by the
LGCIE in 2008; another topic followed in 2011.
D
A patent was filed on a method for analysing
biogas. A purification process was developed
and field-tested. Today, LGCIE is the only
French laboratory successfully working on the
deterioration and environmental impact of
silicones.
"We are different because of our
multidisciplinary approach. When we started
talking about the science of waste in the 70s,
only chemists were interested. Then we
recruited biologists, geologists, statisticians.
Our research on silicones combines many skills.
This gives us another outlook. For us, 1 + 1
equals 3".
Global benchmark in the sector
The equation shows the value of adding talent.
Manufacturers quickly understood this. Hence,
of course, the global benchmark in the sector -
Bluestar Silicones, one of the leading silicone
manufacturers, first-class leaders in markets
such as elastomers for paramedics and the
automotive industry, anti-adhesion for
packaging, adhesives and textile coating for
airbags, technical textiles and lingerie. From its
birth in 2007, and the takeover of the silicone
business by the Bluestar Group from the
Rhodia chemist, the new unit formed a closer
relationship with the Villeurbanne lab.
Objective: measure the impact of its products
in the waste treatment sector. European
regulations require the silicone industry to
review its production processes and use new
types of catalysts free of tin or mercury
compounds. Bluestar Silicones took up this
environmental and economic challenge and
launched a collaborative research project:
ECOMAT, approved by Techtera in 2009, with
four manufacturers and three research
laboratories, including LGCIE, as partners. One
aim of this project, supported by the French
government, was to assess the environmental
impact and study the deterioration of silicone
products with this new generation of catalysts.
Conclusion? Too early to tell; the research is
still going on but the outlook is attractive.
"ECOMAT is expanding our areas of
investigation, allowing us to better understand
the decomposition of silicones. Possibly even,
to eventually control it with super-bacteria and
move towards biodegradable silicones. If all
goes well, the silicone will finish as sand, the
most common material on the planet. But, we,
the researchers and manufacturers, know what
is needed to get that far".
Hydrology, environmental engineering
Examining environmental issues to improve
their consideration when preparing building
plots and provide better control over pollution:
such could summarise the overall definition of
the work done by the LGCIE. With a strong
presence on the ground for sewerage,
purification or waste treatment plants (from
which researchers regularly take samples), the
lab works on a variety of subjects in
partnership with local communities and waste-
treatment and construction companies.
Its role? Identify, analyse and study recovery
possibilities. For this, the teams employ all
their expertise: hydrology, environmental and
civil engineering; the examples abound. Thus,
in the Lyon area, the LGCIE continuously
monitors the many physical-chemical
parameters of wastewater and surface water in
the sewers. It also takes specific samples for
its research into the impact of weather
conditions or human activities. Our teams also
work on the transformation of household
rubbish into materials usable for sub-layers of
roads or in the building industry.
The long-term aim is greater recovery and
recycling of waste. "Today, we only reuse 30%
of biogas production. With the explosion of
renewable energy, this percentage will increase
dramatically. We need to work on, study and
eliminate the technological blocks in these new
waste-recovery sectors".
LGCIE – Laboratoire de Génie Civil et d’Ingénierie Environnementale Tel: 04 72 43 82 76 Contact: [email protected]
More information: http://lgcie.insa-lyon.fr
TECHTERA: FACTS AND FIGURES
Techtera is the innovation cluster for textiles and flexible materials in the Rhône-Alpes
region. A network of manufacturers, researchers and persons in higher education gathered
around one aim: to develop R&D partnership projects (involving at least two firms and one
laboratory). Focused on its mission, innovation, the cluster offers its members a range of
services dedicated to the development of new products, processes and technologies:
Innovation Workshops, "project" workgroups, search for partners and funding, monitoring of
funded R&D projects, international communication and development, etc.
Founded: July 2005
Number of members: 110, including 80% manufacturers and 70% small-to-medium firms
(2010 figures)
Number of projects supported by the cluster: 204
Number of projects with the cluster's "approved" label: 110
An average of 4.5 partners per project (manufacturers, research laboratories, technical
centres)
R&D budgets for all projects funded since the cluster's creation: €137 million.
Fifty-five percent of the cluster's manufacturing members are partners of one or more
projects.
To do this, they invested more than €11 million in R&D from their own capital in 2009.