High Bulk | Low Weight
Building an authentic culture of innovation takes time and involves a conscious effort to change behaviors, processes, and ways of thinking to bring new ideas to the table.
For more than 50 years, our experts at Universal Fibers® have been developing a variety of innovations for solution-dyed fibre. Some would say we were born to do this. One of our recent innovations brings a new twist to the old concept that ‘less is more’
The result of years in research and development, by blending our deep technical expertise and our proprietary technology, we now offer an exclusive finishing capability "High Bulk | Low Weight."
True to its name, High Bulk Low Weight delivers a highly bulked fibre, with voluminous coverage when tufting at lower weights; while simultaneously offering opulent aesthetics different than anything in the market. Utilizing our proprietary bulking technology with our exclusive 667 dtex building block, you can now achieve full coverage while using approximately 20% less fiber, a standard unmatched in the industry.
"Why is this an advantage" one might ask? A main bonus is a reduced cost, since lower fibre weights mean less carpet fibre needed per square meter. There are also multiple sustainable advantages; less fiber requires less energy in production, minimizing the use of non-sustainable resources; the result is lower CO2 emissions. Other environmental benefits are achieved with lower shipping weights and associated shipping costs to your carpet customers.
Weight reduction also provides conveniences with ease of care and maintenance. Less carpet fibre to maintain means less effort during the soil removal process and less drying time associated with common hot water cleaning methods; the result is less down time and disruption while cleaning.
Defying Gravity
Two examples of our exclusive fiber finish techniques that utilize this patented high-bulking technology are Intrinsic™ and Harmonize™. Both exclusive finishes offer superior coverage while maintaining low weights and a lower carbon footprint using this technology.
A perfect marriage of colour
Harmonize™ can, in simple terms, be defined as a selection of varying colours that work together in harmony and result in a heathered mélange effect yarn. This finish allows for several lightweight ends to be combined through our specialized blending techniques to create a unique aesthetic.
Delicate distinctness
Intrinsic™ fiber finish offers a blend of our fine denier solid colours to accentuate the contrast level, bringing each colour component to the fore. The result is a tailored and sophisticated, multi-tonal yarn with highlighted colour accents.
Both Harmonize™ and Intrinsic™ are available now in Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6. These finishes support low weight carpet objectives while providing end-users with sustainability benefits, lower costs, and ease of care and maintenance.
At Universal Fibers, we believe less is more.
Feature Interview
This week we are proud to spotlight our very own Larry Kestner. A true leader, team player, and innovator, Larry joined the Universal Fibers team more than 45 years ago. Throughout this journey, Larry is credited as one of the folks who have helped us maintain the title "Pioneers in the industry." Larry's leadership and insight, mixed with his ability to think outside the box to produce unique, custom solutions through collaboration with our customers, make Larry a pivotal asset to the Universal Fibers Team. We are thrilled to sit down with him to ask him some questions.
“I started in Oct. 1975, about 6 yrs after our founding. We were still considered a startup operation with only about 35-40 people. At that time, this operation was kind of a pilot program - a “vision” from our founder, Buzz Dawburn. In Bristol, Virginia, in the ‘70s, there were not many “gainful” places to work, but my father worked in the maintenance department here, and I began working in the Spinning Department, running our two extrusion lines. I loved that it was something different than the previous places I had worked. The atmosphere was that of a family, and everyone here had a sense of ownership in what we were making/doing. We all wanted to be a part of making this company succeed.”
“Over the years, I’ve worked in virtually every department, from extrusion and winding maintenance to managing color compounding. I ran our textile production in plant 2, then automotive production. I’ve worked in our finishing and texturing operations and supported quality, sales, and marketing through the years. I also directed process engineering and now have a chance to put all that experience to work in product development.
Each of my many experiences have allowed me the opportunity to learn and understand the process completely. Knowing the capabilities of each step helps you understand what is possible, and this has been invaluable to me in leading our development efforts.”
“Honestly, there are so many unique, groundbreaking products we’ve introduced. Heather Helix® is one of my new favorites. Taking two different yarns, varying in lengths and textures, and marrying them within one cone, was a very challenging process. Wool-Look™ is another one, this was something completely different – trying to duplicate the aesthetics of something so natural and organic, but we’ve done it. I am incredibly proud of both achievements. In a short time since development, the design teams who have seen these products have shown great interest – which is extremely rewarding.”
“Development decisions are driven by one of three ways, in my opinion:
1. Customer-specific – creating a new, distinct fiber that the customer has requested (not anything standard), and we develop what is needed.
2. Customer collaborations where they partner with us to achieve something new; either party may have no idea what that may be. Something unique for a particular application, and they advise the aesthetics or finish look they desire, and leave the “fiber know-how” to our experts. We create a solution for them (it may be a combination of 2-3 different finishes or styling attributes that help achieve what they are looking for.) It is a unique solution that can address what they desire.
3. The last is ‘thinking outside the box’; or knowing what has and hasn’t been done before. It may be a marriage of different styles or processes – you never know what this product may end up as. In my opinion, this one is the most gratifying. That is part of that “sense of ownership” instilled within me – from being here so early on.”
“In addition to working on developments for the commercial carpet market, I really enjoy working on development projects that take the novelties of carpet and apply those to other market segments we participate in. We have developed products for apparel and military applications as well as different transportation segments such as rail and tractor-trailer. This process takes a ton of qualifying and testing over time and is something that I’m proud of. Taking a carpet fiber and completely changing the way it is used. You see, each time you work on a new project, you learn something new – you understand what can and can’t be done, and you take that knowledge with you onto your next project.”
“One of the things you need to remember is the cost. You know, we can pretty much figure out how to make anything. But, something I always ask is, “Is the view worth the climb?” In other words, can we sell it? Is it reasonable or commercially viable? You know – if I can make this, and the concept is there, what’s it going to cost us to make it? That typically determines the path forward.
The other thing you need to realize is (something that should be obvious) - not everything will work. By its nature, the development process requires many iterations; it’s natural to have failures on your way to success. The key is learning from those failures and using those as a step toward success. I’m confident in saying that I believe we can make almost anything if we take the time to figure it out and work the process for a solution. But again, is it viable? This question sometimes puts you back to the drawing board.”
“One example I can think of is how back in the ‘70s, and early ‘80s, “standard” denier ranges were averaging 3800-6000 dtex. ‘Cushion was King’ back in that era.
You would see heavy carpet being used in healthcare applications and schools, etc. A lot has changed since then. The heavyweight carpets were taken out of those public spaces because of things like dust issues and soiling/staining problems, drastically changing over the years into a lower weight, tighter tufted variation of products. A “denser” carpet is typically easier to clean, and it lasts longer. Our current average product weight range is 1200-1800 dtex, which would have been unheard of back then – especially considering that we are using a 600 dtex building block for our products. You can now achieve this low weight with a blend of 2-3 different color ends if desired. We offer a ton of variation as far as color capabilities. We can vary a broad array of colors and finishes together in a lightweight fiber –making unique and innovative combinations that were unheard of in the past.”
“It’s hard to point out one specific thing.
I’ve had my name on several patents over the years, but there’s nothing like the feeling when you’re showing one of the design teams you’re collaborating with a new product, and them saying “Wow!” I believe that I’m fortunate to be able to use my creative mind and make something new. Dreaming up a unique product and asking yourself, “how do I get there”… in a way, I get to leave my mark by making something unique. There’s a great sense of achievement in that.
I also feel fortunate to be a part of this team we have here at Universal Fibers. We have something truly special, almost like a family. There is a level of trust and respect that I have for my colleagues here. Imparting what I’ve learned over the years to someone new also gives me that sense of fulfillment – “passing the torch.” I know I can’t do this alone, and I wouldn’t have the experiences that I have without the partnerships and relationships I’ve had with this team over the years. Developing these friendships over the years and has been truly rewarding.”
Be sure to join us on November 30th for our next featurette. We will be sitting down with our Global Sustainability Leader for a Q & A, discussing our family of sustainable products, and how Thrive® can help you meet your eco-initiatives.
Are you ready to An·i·māte with us?
For assistance, or to learn more about Harmonize™ and Intrinsic™, or to explore how our high-bulk/low weight fibres can help you create, feel free to connect with our team via the contact page.
