Reaching New Heights

More and more consumers are demanding sustainable options and materials. How does comfortemp® fill a gap in the market for sustainable materials?

When did the development of comfortemp® begin?

Freudenberg is the world market leader for interlinings and has been supplying highly functional thermal insulation materials for over 40 years. We first began developing the comfortemp® brand in 2008 with the introduction of mPCM thermo adaptive insulationsWith the launch of our the Fiberball padding in 2017, we extended the brand comfortemp to cover all our thermal insulations range offerings and  with the option for co-branding to the sports market.
We have development centers and factories that produce thermal insulation materials in Europe, Japan, South Korea and China. All four development centers design their own product ranges. That is the core of the original strategy and results in a very innovative and varied product range, with very different approaches and characteristics from the different centers. So comfortemp® Thermal Insulation has been developed out of the best and most innovative products from the four different development centers.

There are many variations of comfortemp®, the latest development being comfortemp® flexx. What is it?

How did you develop comfortemp® flexx?

Two years ago, I found a material on our shelves of collectibles that made my heart beat faster. I had in mind an elastic padding with extraordinarily good physiological properties that could be used for high activity sport level.

The goal was to bring together our expertise in nonwovens and stitch reinforced technologies in order to build up a technology platform for different apparel applications in the future. This will help us fulfill different customer needs. This material was made with a combination of technologies that can create something unique. 

Together with the team, we reactivated the possibility to produce like this, as it was not a standard. The first result was overwhelming. With the post-treatment, I had the material in hand, as I had imagined.  

In order to test the clothing physiological and adaptive properties for proving uniqueness, the wadding was tested at the Hohenstein Institutes. The adaptive, lightweight, elastic padding was tested for insulation capacity and breathability. With the results we were able to prove that during movement the breathability is higher. The athlete will feel more comfortable with FLEXX at high activity levels.

Are there other developments in the pipeline for comfortemp®?  

We will continue to focus strongly on customer requirements and always have an eye on the sustainability. Our goal is to make the 3 R's - reuse, recycle and repair - possible for the customer and end-consumer. But more important are our developments in the field of bio-based and biodegradable materials. A combination of such fibers, binders, adhesives and the appropriate technology fill our pipeline.

What challenges are we facing to be a supplier of sustainable materials for the apparel industry? 

For a more sustainable future, the apparel industry must change the product development process. The product development process shall allow more transparency along the supply chain with greater cohesion between brands and suppliers.  We must avoid shipping materials around the globe and focus on material delivery close to the manufacturing. 

In our product development process, we consider recycled, biobased or biodegradable raw materials, think about using sustainable textile processes or technologies. 
Another challenge is focusing on more circular business models. We have a product which is Cradle to Cradle certified. Our customer can use the wadding in their jackets without separating single layers from each other after use in their recycling process.

How do you find inspiration in your work? 

I am a passionate athlete and constantly motivate my family, friends and even colleagues to get up and move. I want to create ideal conditions with new interlinings and make our lives more comfortable in garments.

In addition, I find sustainability something we need to push even more. Especially the conservation of resources. Sustainable production of very good quality materials that serve the purposes of use, recycle and repair is what drives me. The exchange with customers on these topics makes work a lot of fun and motivates me.