Smart yarns

Typical applications for electrically conductive yarns include medical textiles (Medtech), clothing and the automotive sector. With the help of the Amann conductive touch board, the topic of conductivity was presented in a very lively way at Texprocess in Frankfurt this year.

Wherever switches and buttons made of plastic were used until now, embroidered touch switches made of the conductive thread Silver-tech will take over their function. The textile switch, which is embroidered onto the lampshade, is made from the silver-coated special sewing and embroidery thread and can readily replace toggle switches and dimmers. A single touch with the finger is all it takes to operate it.

The textile switches not only represent a special design element, they are also easy to manufacture and more pleasant to touch. Another advantage is that the threads make a significant contribution to the sustainability of components and products, especially when it comes to avoiding the use of materials that are difficult to recycle, such as plastic and other synthetics.

Transmit or heat up!

How different the application areas of a product can be, was shown at Texprocess with two Steel-tech exhibits. On the one hand, Steel-tech was used as an antenna for an RFID label. This allows garments to be tracked at any time in the leased laundry. Moreover, the number of wash cycles can be easily read out or the garment can be assigned to its owner. In this context, a high wash resistance is certainly a basic requirement.

Another area of application for Steel-tech is the outdoor jacket with integrated heating element, which keeps you pleasantly warm even at cold temperatures. While many models come with individual heating elements, Amann supplies Steel-tech, a material that can be worked into the jacket in a space-saving and flat manner. The „textile heating“ has a comparatively low weight and is very comfortable to wear.

Embroidered switch replaces cable and plastic buttons

The connection between classic application fields and the Innovation Lab can be demonstrated with a car seat: The car seat not only impresses with beautiful seams and embroideries – the special highlight is the embroidered touch switch with Silver-tech, with which the backrest can be adjusted. A single touch with the finger is all it takes to operate it. An essential advantage of textile switches and conductors is a massive weight reduction by avoiding plastic cables and switches. This is certainly not unimportant in the sustainability discussion.

Ahead of their time

The thread specialist conceives and develops innovative concepts relating to smart yarns in close cooperation with the customer in its own Innovation Lab. With examples like these, Amann clearly demonstrates how the company is expanding its classic product range with forward-looking solutions and opening up new fields of application.

Bodo Th. Bölzle, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of the Amann Group:

“Thanks to our longstanding experience and our investments into our Innovation Lab, we consider ourselves as pioneers of forward-looking solutions relating to threads. We are also proud to be part of innovations in other industries, whereby our smart yarns are crucial in showing the way.”