The Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) has awarded Propex GeoSolutions, Chattanooga, Tenn., first prize in the 2019 IFF Innovation Award competition. The company’s PETROMAT® Enviro engineered paving fabric won in the category of End Products. Propex GeoSolutions was awarded a prize of $5,000, presented at IFAI Expo in Orlando, Fla.

PETROMAT Enviro was developed to solve the milling and recycling issues associated with traditional paving fabric: It offers the installation flexibility, superior stress absorption and moisture protection of a traditional paving fabric, but it is nearly indistinguishable in recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) once it is milled. Milled PETROMAT Enviro comes in sizes up to one inch in diameter, allowing it to pass easily through recycling machines. Unlike brittle glass-based geosynthetic interlayers, Enviro can be placed directly on a milled surface without fear of breaking or tearing. The flexible design also allows for smooth, wrinkle-free installation, even around curves.

Gerber Technology, Tolland, Ct., was awarded Honorable Mention for its MCT Cutter digital finishing system, a versatile, robust, accurate and easy-to-use flatbed cutting table featuring a variety of sizes, a universal tool head with 12 interchangeable tools and high-powered laser, and industry-leading print-to-cut capabilities to finish digitally printed textiles with a clean, sealed edge.

Innovation is the heart of creating a specialty fabrics industry that will inspire technology in the 21st century. The IFF Innovation Award transforms that idea into action, working to foster the next generation of specialty fabric industry innovators.

The Industrial Fabrics Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to education and research in specialty fabrics. For more information, contact Linden Wicklund, IFF Managing Director, at llwicklund@ifai.com, or visit www.indfabfnd.com.