Finger Lakes Paragliding

3336 County Road 40

Bloomfield, NY 14469
(585) 703-6607
http://fingerlakesparagliding.com

PARAGLIDER SAILCLOTH
Nylon is the most commonly used raw fibre for the manufacture of sailcloth. The properties of
nylon include excellent strength, flexibility, abrasion resistance, ease of drying and resistance to
attack by insects and microorganisms. Teijin alone uses polyester for their sailcloth. Polyester
fabrics are more resistant to shrinking and stretching, dry quicker and less prone to wrinkle and
crease. Used properly, both nylon and polyester have their place in paraglider construction.
However, just remember that both types of material are very UV sensitive.
Here's a brief look at some of the major players in paragliding fabric manufacture.
Carrington Novare [UK]: Carrington are based in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire in the UK. They have
been a big player in the field for a long time. However, the profile and direction of their company
and its target markets is changing. They issued us with this statement:
Carrington Performance Fabrics (CPF) was purchased from the IPT group in December 2000 by
the British Millerain Company. The purchase of CPF and the subsequent incorporation of
Millerain's Blake's operation enables The British Millerain group of companies to offer one of the
widest range of coating techniques in Europe. Over recent years the paraglider market has
become increasingly competitive with the pressure from manufacturers to reduce selling price. In
such conditions it has become impossible to recoup the high cost of developing new and
improved products. Without a continuing product development programme the ability to service
the sector becomes increasingly difficult. CPF has therefore decided that it will no longer actively
develop new paraglider fabrics but will continue to offer the existing range of fabrics whilst
demand remains. It is with regret that with our long association with the paraglider sector we have
had to take this decision, but our development efforts have to be focused on those sectors where
a positive return can be obtained from the investment of resources.
Porcher Marine/NCV [France]: French group Porcher Industries is a world wide leader in textiles
for industrial applications, specialising in mechanically and chemically transforming yarn to
produce glass, carbon, aramid and synthetic fabrics as well as non-woven and coated fabrics.
Founded in 1912 by the SNC PORCHER Frres [brothers], by 1950 the company had started
production of textiles for technical applications. Porcher started producing fabrics for
spinnakers,gliders and parachutes in the mid 1980s. The Group reached a sales figure of 660
million Euros in 2000, with 4200 employees spread out over 19 industrial sites installed in 5
countries, ensuring the Group has a worldwide commercial presence. Paragliding cloth is made
by the sport department of textile division NCV [Nebon Carle-Vassoilles] as well as the other
cloths they make for sailing and parachuting, and to a lesser extent ballooning, windsurfing, hang
gliding and microlighting. Paragliding cloth is produced in four different weights and with three
different coatings. NCV do the whole manufacturing process in house [vertical integration]:
preparation, weaving, dyeing and coating. NCV Industries is a fully owned division of the Porcher
Industries Group, and produces other products like airbags and fabrics for protective clothing.
Porcher have developed a new water based [as opposed to solvent based] PU coating for their
9092 fabric that seriously reduces the effects of aging on the cloth and helps it retain its visual
appearance. This development has come about as a result of EU requirements for reduced
solvent use & emission, as well as customer pressure for longevity of both appearance and
functionality in the cloth used in paragliding. Some manufacturers like FreeX are already using
this new fabric [designated E85A] in their newest gliders. A lighter weight of material is also being
developed for use with this coating.
Today, Porcher is one of the biggest players in the production of fabrics for paragliders.
Gelvenor Textiles [South Africa]:
Gelvenor Textiles is a leading global producer of high technology industrial, technical and
specialised fabrics. They are also involved in production of specialty apparel for sport and
leisurewear, satins and other high performance outerwear fabrics like those used in the protective
textiles market and in corporate/school wear.
Gelvenor Textiles (Pty) Ltd was established in 1965 as a weaver and dyer of continuous
filament lining fabrics. In 1967 the company started producing nylon fabrics for the manufacture of
parachutes and other military fabrics, mainly for the Defense Force. Textured polyester weaving
started in 1968 and by 1970 Gelvenor were producing a wide range of industrial base fabrics for
PVC coating, woven from high tenacity Polyester yarn. The late 1980's and early 1990's saw the
transformation of the business away from finished commodity products to concentrate on fabric
engineering and designing fabrics for specific niche market applications.
Gelvenor's OL-KS fabric range is manufactured from HT nylon 6.6 in a double-ripstop fabric base,
which is coated with silicone, and polyurethane based compounds. This finish gives the fabrics a
fuller, firmer and crisper handle to allow for easier inflation of the glider without sacrificing tear
strength. The finish is an extremely durable and hard wearing polymer coating which gives zero
air-permeability and sufficient fabric rigidity for good aerofoil maintenance. To give added
protection against ultra-violet light and dirt adherence, the fabric is further treated on both sides
with UV inhibitor and soil release agents. The company is involved in continuing research into
new polymer coatings for a lighter weight glider fabric as well as alternative fabrics for bottom
skins and ribs.
Perseverance Mills:
Perseverance have returned to the PG market after some time away from it with a new, exclusive
contract with Swing for the top surface material of the new Astral 3. They also manufacture cloths
for most outdoor garments and are very active in the promotion and sponsorship of outdoor
activity sports that use the products they supply cloth for. They supply a number of parachute
manufacturers like Parachutes de France with cloth.
Perseverance Mills Ltd was founded in 1901 as a weaver of specialist fabrics for balloons and
typewriter ribbons. Since that time the company has become a world leader in specialist leader in
specialist lightweight fabrics using man made yarns for the parachute, medical, and outdoor
sports industries. As a vertically integrated manufacturer Perseverance Mills has complete quality
control, not only over the weaving of fabrics but also the dyeing and finishing, ensuring that their
products are fit for use in the most demanding environments.
The new cloth for PG is a 6.6 filament rip stop nylon with a Silicon PU coating. It is the same
weight as other cloths commonly used in paragliding which do not have the same coating. This
cloth has been developed in the last two years in partnership with Swing, with whom
Perseverance have an exclusive contract for the supply of the cloth.
Toray:
Toray Industries is the largest fibre and textile manufacturer in Asia. The Toray Group factories
are located in Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, and The Czech Republic. Their range
of textile fabrics includes active sportswear, polyester & nylon taffetas and other linings. They
also handle other kinds of fabrics such as polyester/cotton, casual/sportswear fabrics and
specialised applications like paragliding.
The cloth Toray produce is also nylon based, with a PU coating. Some grades are water
repellent, but not water-resistant.
Toray is currently increasing its textile production overseas as well as focusing on producing
more "cutting edge" fabrics such as high performance textiles from Japan.
This isn't an exhaustive list. It just gives you an idea of where your cloth comes from. With the
maturity of the sport and the pace of development, expect market shares to change and new
fabrics to move the goalposts.