Coating at a fibre level is a practice not usually seen in the high-performance fibres industry, despite this technology having immense advantages. European high-performance fibres supplier, EuroFibers BV developed and implemented this technology in its products for better performance last year, and is now in an expansion mode. MARCEL ALBERTS, managing director of Eurofibers talks to Fibre2Fashion about the scope this technology holds in the industry, and their plans to integrate this technology in the products.

1. INTERVIEW
High-PerformanceFibres
92 | FIBRE2FASHION MAY 2016
Please shed some light on coating technology,
for the uninitiated.
Eurofibers is a supplier of high-performance
fibres for the technical textiles industry. We have
a very clear focus on high-performance fibres
like Dyneema, Twaron, Technora, Vectran and
Zylon. We have been around for five years. We
are headquartered in the Netherlands, and have
a production location in the Czech Republic. We
supply high-performance fibres by integrating
various technologies into the fibres like twisting,
plying, coating and chopping. The coating
technology is the latest addition to our range of
products.
About two years ago, we started working on
what we now call the Prisma coating technology.
The idea is to enhance the properties of high-
performance fibres by means of coating
technology. For instance, the UV resistance of
our product, Vectran is not particularly good. By
using the coating technology, we can shield the
product against UV degradation, i.e. losing of
strength under direct sunlight.
COATING
TECHNOLOGY
WILL BE
A GAME-
CHANGER
Coating at a fibre level is a practice not usually seen in the high-performance fibres industry,
despite this technology having immense advantages. European high-performance fibres
supplier, EuroFibers BV developed and implemented this technology in its products for better
performance last year, and is now in an expansion mode. MARCEL ALBERTS, managing
director of Eurofibers talks to Fibre2Fashion about the scope this technology holds in the
industry, and their plans to integrate this technology in the products.
How does this technology work?
Coating of fabric is well-known. Many companies do that. But what
we do is—we apply coating technology at the fibre level itself. We
have yarn, which we run through a coating bath. We have a squeeze
roll to get rid of the excess amount of coating. We dry the coating in
an oven, and then the Sahm winders wind the yarn on bobbins again.
And, that is the product we sell. The core of our technology is more in
coating formulation. The coating formulation is more or less tailored
to serve the needs of customers.
This is not a patented technology, is it?
It is specifically not a patent, because if it is, everybody can read
it and everybody can do it. So, we have decided to protect it by
the means of trade secrets. We sign a very strict confidentiality
agreement with all our employees that they cannot reveal any details.
What are the latest applications and scope of this technology in the
technical textiles industry?
The main application of this technology is in the rope-making
industry. Customers make rope of these high-performance fibres.
What usually happens is that people get yarns, twist them together,
make ropes and then coat them for the desired properties. But here,
the coating may not penetrate deep enough. So, there is coating only
Marcel Alberts

2. MAY 2016 FIBRE2FASHION | 93
outside of the rope and not inside it. In our case, before
our customers twist and braid the yarns together, we make
sure that each and every single filament is well-protected
and consistently coloured. Also, net-makers are trying to
improve the properties of the net, and this technology helps
them.
There is also an application of this technology in knitted
fabrics, which can be used in industrial applications. Like
Dyneema, it was only available in white. But customers
wanted in different colours. So, what we do is we coat it in
the desired colours, and then our customers knit it.
Are you the only user of coating technology, despite this
technology being not patented?
There are a few other companies who coat on the yarn level.
However, our technology is cost-effective, and we can tailor
the coating to the specific desires of our customer.
What is the penetration rate of this technology in the
high-performance industry?
In the last two years, I would say that we have expanded our
capacity. We have had difficulties in meeting the demands
of the market. We simply did not have enough capacity,
as it required a lot of investment. Now, we have set up
production capacities to fulfil market demands, and we
have a lot of products to gain more of the market share.
Can you elaborate on the science involved in this
technology?
The idea is that we spread the filaments, and coat them so
that the coating covers each and every filament. Normally,
what we see is that the products are coated on the rope
level or fabric level. So, that only enhances the product from
the outside and not from the inside. The coating helps in UV
degradation and the loosing of strength thereby, but also
helps to improve abrasion resistance or make the yarn anti-
microbial or anti-fouling.
What about the manufacturing facilities that you have for
this technology?
We have two lines at the moment for this technology.
One line is in the Czech Republic, and another in the
Netherlands. The line in Czech Republic is for big orders,
and for the small level orders and customer trials and new
developments, we have one in the Netherlands.
How do you see the future of this technology in your
company? What is the profit you expect to reap from here?
The ambition is that this technology becomes more or
less a game-changer. People get a much better product
by the use of this technology. They get something better,
which also lasts longer. We expect that in the future most
manufacturers will change their production process, which
not only make their lives easier but also improves the
performance and aesthetics of their products.
Since last year we have acquired the distribution rights
from Teijin for Twaron® and Technora® and from DuraFiber
for their specialty portfolio like PEEK, PPS, PBT and PEN.
This brings us in contact with new markets and companies
and we see interesting new opportunities in these fields too.
Is this technology already out in the market, or is yet to be
introduced?
We introduced the technology at Techtextil last year in May.
But then, there were so many inquiries that we could not
live up to the demand of the market. So, the priority with
respect to this technology last year was to add capacity to
meet demand. At this moment, we have enough capacities
to meet demands, so now—finally—we can take on board a
few customers.
What is the current clientele for this technology?
The rope producers like Gottifredi Maffioli, LIROS, Armare,
OTS, Teufelberger, etc.
What is the pricing for this technology?
It is a bit difficult to answer that because it really depends
on what the client produces. I cannot give you a flat price,
because it depends on the yarn count we are processing.
Thin yarn costs more compared to course yarn.
What R&D went into the introduction and development of
this technology?
We spent three years fine-tuning the production process
and coating formulation. We had a lot of help from our
customers who were willing to try the first samples which
actually were not so good. Luckily, we have taken some
major steps forward since.
What is your overall budget allocated towards R&D?
Roughly, 6 per cent of the revenue is allocated towards R&D.