Material technology group TenCate will present innovative previews of the possibilities that digital textile finishing can offer during the Kampeer en Caravan Jaarbeurs 2014 exhibition for camper and caravans taking place in Utrecht, Netherlands, this week.

At the experiences pavilion The Freedom Collections, TenCate Outdoor Fabrics aims to show how its technology can give maximum freedom to the design and production of digitally finished cloth qualities for both tents and sun awnings.

The official opening of The Factory of the Future of TenCate will be held towards the end of this year, when the innovative strength of TenCate Outdoor Fabrics for digital printing and finishing of high quality tent cloth and awnings fabric will be displayed, the company reports.

Flexible and sustainable production

The introduction of sustainable digital inkjet technology as a form of smart production is said to include such advantages as the ability of TenCate Outdoor Fabrics' industrial customers to respond more flexibly to the ever more rapidly changing design trends of designers and to individual consumer requirements.

New technologies such as digital inkjet technology are expected to enable the specifications of the customer or end-user to be read digitally into the production process. In the near future mass customisation and on-demand delivery will also be possible for tent manufacturers, the manufacturer believes.

Moreover, in The Factory of the Future work will take place to develop and produce smart textiles. In addition to technical advantages, this technology is also said to offer considerable environmental benefits for TenCate.

Freedom Collections

In the experiences pavilion The Freedom Collections, TenCate Outdoor Fabrics will present its vision of the camping world of tomorrow. This is a preview of the ongoing development of digitally produced TenCate products for outdoor use.

The first commercial applications will consist of digitally printed tent cloth and sun awnings fabric, developed and produced in The Factory of the Future.

Visitors to the trade show will experience the future of digital printing of outdoor textiles through a modern and informative presentation. Visitors to the Kampeer en Caravan Jaarbeurs 2014 will be challenged to test the limits of their growing freedom of design with their own images - such as prints or patterns - in the digital design competition Win your own unique tent.

Factory of the Future

The innovation centre The Factory of the Future in Nijverdal, Netherlands, aims to tie in with technological innovations in the manufacturing industry.

Production processes will become more sustainable and smarter. Communication between the parties and logistical coordination in advanced production networks - smart factories - will be made possible, the company reports.

These innovations aim to provide an impetus to the Dutch manufacturing industry, in order to make this more competitive, cost efficient and flexible. Smart, technologically high-grade manufacturing processes can make a significant contribution to future growth.

www.tencateoutdoorfabrics.com