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We have launched Making a Material Difference, our new media campaign about the impact our materials have on the products they are part of. The first editorial, on acoustics, is by our Head of Global Product Marketing, Emanuele Vavassori, and appears in the November 2026 issue of Essential Install Magazine, the UK publication for the installed audio and AV industry.
In the article, we present ourselves to installers and loudspeaker manufacturers as an engineering partner more than a fabric supplier. Our Innovation Hub works alongside customers’ R&D teams from the earliest design stages. Together we tune acoustic meshes and membranes to the right balance of sound transparency and protection against dust, water and oil.
The focus is on PFAS, the “forever chemicals” now under scrutiny from regulators in Europe and the United States. Many global electronics brands are already setting their own phase-out targets ahead of legislation. We chose not to simply replace one chemical treatment with another, because fluorine-free finishes on their own typically lose performance. Instead, our textile and chemistry teams redesigned the whole material system, from polymers and threads to weave structure, treatments and processes.
This work has produced two non-PFAS ranges. Acoustex non-PFAS acoustic meshes are drop-in replacements for conventional meshes: they keep the same acoustic values and formats, so manufacturers can switch without retuning enclosures or changing assembly lines. SAATIvent is our platform of acoustic venting membranes based on thermoplastic elastomers instead of ePTFE. It is recyclable and reaches IP68 sealing without compromising acoustic transparency. Qualified laboratories verify the non-PFAS compliance of both ranges independently, using test methods that support the EU POPs Regulation.
The article closes with the trends that will shape the sector in the coming years: higher performance expectations, broader and more data-driven compliance requirements, and a growing focus on circularity. In each of these areas, we want to be an early partner for manufacturers.
Click here to read the full article!
