Coats Group plc. may not ring a bell at first, but their products are part of your life without doubt. From a historical perspective, for example, their thread was used by Thomas Edison in his experiments to complete the light bulb. And do you remember the famous yellow thread on the sole of the iconic Dr. Martens? Yes, Coats has been supplying the boot maker with the ‘94s HS Polyester Z Welt Thread: Yellow’ for decades now. Actually, Coats thread holds together 1 garment of 5... worldwide. With 250 years of know-how and expertise, the multinational company is the first producer/distributor of confection thread and supplies. Coats “only” comes second in zips and fasteners manufacturing.
The group has invested a lot in research and progress. Amongst other innovative products, Insectiban was the first anti-bed bud thread. Flamepro is a fibre resistant to cuts, flames and electric arcs. The company is also into developing techniques for aramids, tracer threads and fibre optics. But for now it's all about reflection. Retro-reflection, more precisely. This new product is called Coats Signal thread. According to its manufacturer, it has a “high level of retro-reflectance when illuminated in dark or low visibility conditions”. The silver colour then turns to white. The thread offers a good and resistant sewability too, thanks to its protective lubricated finish. Despite its reflective qualities, the yarn in not especially made for safety wear. It's mainly to be used in embellishment for fashion and apparel confection, such as enhancing a design or a logo. Coats Signal thread is presented at the Texprocess expo which is being held in Frankfurt until Thursday.
*Photo: Coats image library
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