FibeRio Spins a Future of Nanofibers
FibeRio Technology’s nanofiber-producing machinery is drawing international manufacturers and R&D companies to Sharyland Business Park. The attraction is FibeRio’s disruptive technology: the capability of producing nanofibers quickly, cheaply and with less material.
FibeRio CEO Ellery Buchanan, Chief Technology Officer Dr. Karen Lozano, and UTPA President Dr. Robert Nelsen welcomed guests to FibeRio’s celebration of the research-to-commercialization success of nanofiber Force Spinning. (VBR)
Microscopic nanofibers (1,000 bundled nanofibers are as thick as a human hair) are capable of adding tensile strength, conductive and insulative capacity, corrosion resistance, water impermeability, bacterial barriers or thermal protection to a product, depending on what material is used to make the nanofiber.
Until FibeRio’s technology breakthrough, the procedures for creating nanofibers –from nylon, polymers, ceramics, metals, etc. – have been prohibitively expensive, limiting their use. The company’s Cyclone
ForceSpinning™ Systems uses centrifugal force to spin out the gossamer thin layers which can be sandwiched into an incredibly wide range of products from industrial and medical filters, baby diapers and ballistics to electrical capacitors.
In operation, the Cyclone machinery appears to be spinning out wisps of white cotton-candy, but the wisps are, in fact, a mat of nanofibers.
The recent sale of FibeRio’s first industrial nanofiber production machine, along with several R&D models, represents a remarkable research-to-commercialization path, the first of its kind by the University of Texas Pan Am. Dr. Karen Lozano, an endowed professor of Mechanical Engineering at UTPA, began the initial research on her idea of ForceSpinning technology in 2006. Deviating from the industry standard of using heat or electrical current (which can contaminate the fibers) to make nanofibers, Dr. Lozano worked out a process of centrifuging the materials and spinning out superfine nanofiber strands. In collaboration with Dr. Kamal Sakar, she perfected the process and applied for a patent, which is pending.
The assistance of UTPA’s Office of Innovation and Intellectual Property, Rapid Response Manufacturing Center and the School of Business combined with the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, McAllen EDC and McAllen Chamber of Commerce brought the technology to the marketplace.
“It takes a village to bring a FibeRio here,” said UTPA President Dr. Robert Nelsen, commenting on the collaboration necessary. He noted the university’s revised mission statement includes a commitment to job creation and building prosperity through entrepreneurship and commercialization.
A technology startup is not for faint-hearted. Jacquelyn Michel, Director of the Office of Innovation and Intellectual Property, first talked to Lozano in 2006.
“People tend to forget how long everything will take.”
A major obstacle for Lozano was the $40,000 required to get a Proof of Concept. Obtaining subsequent funding was not easy, either, despite the viability of the idea. Now money exists at the university to fund that early step. FibeRio CEO Ellery Buchanan mentioned it took a year to compete for and win Emerging Technology Fund backing. Now the ETF is an equity owner. Cottonwood Technology Fund of El Paso and Silverton Partners capitalized the startup. FibeRio licenses the core technology from the Board of Regents of UTPA and since then has developed its own intellectual property piggybacked on the concept. Dr. Lozano is FibeRio’s Chief Technology Officer.
“When you spin polymers into a nanofiber, you get a better barrier. We believe our technology is going to give a competitive edge to the users, both from perfecting the product and lowering the cost,” said Roger Lipton, FibeRio’s senior vice president for sales and marketing. “If you can save manufactures of diapers a few pennies per diaper, that’s a huge edge.”
Nanofibers are so small that in filters, for example, the designated air or liquid passes through quickly and doesn’t lose critical momentum, but it does capture target particles. FibeRio manufactures three different systems (machines) for research and development, which are used by academia and industries alike.
“The industrial companies aren’t even going to buy lab-scale unit until they have made a strategic commitment and have a clear idea of where they would use nanofibers,” Buchanan said. With the R&D tool, they can determine the viability of the products incorporating nanofibers and work out production details. Then they can turn to FibeRio to fabricate the industrial equipment that can be integrated into a production line.
The manufacturer has brought in specialized talent from Texas and the U.S.
“We are absolutely talking about high technology jobs, high paying jobs for highly educated people. And we are growing,” said Buchanan. FibeRio’s workforce includes engineers of every stripe: electrical, materials, mechanical.
Representatives from corporations in the U.S., Japan, Korea, India and South America have traveled to McAllen to talk to FibeRio. Norma and Samuel Torres of Amaida Machine Shop in Edinburg have toured the facility, as well, to see the end product Cyclone for which they fabricated the metal-frame components.
FibeRio is the first but will not be the last research-to-commercialization to come out of UPTA, Michel asserted. Other research is in the pipeline.
“We are actively educating our faculty (on the importance of commercializing research.) One of the things that has changed in the UT system is that patents are being viewed positively in the tenure process.”
For more information, see www.fiberio.com.
Story by Eileen Mattei
FibeRio Announces Shipment of Cyclone FE 1.1 Nanofiber Production System to Kertak Nanotechnology for Ceramics Applications
December 12, 2011 | McAllen, TX – FibeRio Technology Corporation announced a shipment today of its new continuous nanofiber production system, the Cyclone FE 1.1, to Kertak Nanotechnology, a leading manufacturer of ceramic nanofibers. Located in the Czech Republic, Kertak is manufacturing and supplying cutting edge ceramic nanofibers to a broad range of industries including batteries, fuel cells, catalysts, solar cells and high end cosmetics.
Ceramic nanofibers have been extensively researched and the outstanding properties have been heralded by advanced materials experts for quite some time. Commercialization, however, has been hampered by low yield and expensive manufacturing platforms. After an extensive comparative analysis of technologies from around the world, Kertak found that the Cyclone FE 1.1 with Forcespinning™ technology was the most cost effective and high output nanofiber equipment on the market. Forcespinning™ technology uses centrifugal force to make fibers in the nanoscale, which increases productivity by an order of magnitude at one quarter of the cost of other platforms such as electrospinning. Kertak intends to utilize the Cyclone FE 1.1 to combine their expertise in ceramic nanofibers with the high output of Forcespinning™ to provide their customers with advanced ceramic materials for end products that are economically feasible and profitable.
“As a leader in ceramic nanofibers, we have been searching for a way to provide our customers with more cost effective products and to meet the rapidly increasing demand for this advanced material” said Kertak CEO Daniel Mozis. “We are proud to now have that capability with the Cyclone FE 1.1, which has proven to overcome the previous limitations of electrospinning equipment and will enable our customers to utilize the properties of this media to make the most advanced ceramic nanofiber based products in the world.”
The Cyclone FE 1.1 is the first industrial scale nanofiber production system to enable Forcespinning™ technology and is capable of both melt and solution spinning fibers, which increases productivity and expands the range of materials that can be processed. FibeRio launched the FE 1.1 in November at the INDA Filtration 2011 conference in Chicago to much praise from industry, but the company insists that this is just the beginning.
“Now that we have scaled Forcespinning™ technology to industrial volumes, we will continue to ramp up both the size and output of our Cyclone FE product line” says FibeRio CEO Ellery Buchanan. He went on to say that, “FibeRio is committed to providing our customers with a manufacturing platform and high quality equipment that gives them a competitive advantage for years to come.”
About FibeRio
FibeRio Technology Corporation provides the technology and capital equipment to transform the materials market through the unlimited availability of nanofibers. The company is headquartered in its manufacturing facility in McAllen, TX. For more information, please visit www.fiberiotech.com or call 956-207-5448.
About Kertak
Kertak is the sales and marketing partner of Pardam, a manufacturing and research company dedicated to making the Czech Republic a world leader in the field of ceramic nanofiber production as well as other forms of nanotechnology.
FibeRio Closes Private Financing to Support Product Initiatives, Commercial Ramp-Up, and Workforce Expansion
September 20, 2011 | McAllen, TX – FibeRio Technology Corporation – The Force For Nanofibers™, announces that it has closed an oversubscribed Series B round of private investment led by Silverton Partners and supported by current investors including series A lead investor Cottonwood Technology Fund. The new capital will facilitate the Company’s production ramp for its new industrial scale nanofiber equipment formally launching later this year. The financing will also be used for workforce expansion in Manufacturing, Customer Service, Engineering and Sales and Marketing departments.
FibeRio, a capital equipment and technology provider to the nonwoven, filtration, energy, medical device and textiles industries, launched its first product, designed for research and development, in December of last year. In doing so, FibeRio introduced a novel technology for nanofiber production called Forcespinning™, which uses centrifugal force to process polymers into nanofibers.Since that time the company has focused on scaling the technology to industrial volumes with continuous production equipment that can be integrated into their customers’ production lines. The capital infusion from the Series B round provides the operating capital and infrastructure required to manufacture and service the industrial equipment for which FibeRio has already begun taking orders.
We are proud to be associated with Silverton Partners and believe that their technology and people-driven philosophy and history of achievement will complement FibeRio’s culture and contribute significantly to our success” says FibeRio CEO Ellery Buchanan. “This investment allows us to accelerate our plan to provide our customers with the most advanced nanofiber production equipment and technology available while delivering market-leading service and support.”
In August of last year, FibeRio received funding from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, a competitive multi-stage process to invest in the most advanced technologies and experienced management teams to create jobs in Texas. The capital provided by the State of Texas enabled FibeRio to rapidly advance the state-of-the-art technology, while receiving several awards such as the 2011 R&D 100 from R&D Magazine.
We have been impressed with FibeRio’s rapid pace of development and believe that the management team has well-positioned the company to enable the nonwovens and textiles industries to exploit nanofiber technology to the fullest extent using Forcespinning™ technology” said Silverton Partners’ Bill Wood. He went on to say that “we look forward to a bright future for FibeRio.”
ABOUT FibeRio Technology Corporation
FibeRio Technology Corporations is transforming the materials market through the unlimited availability of nanofibers. By incorporating the proprietary Forcespinning™ technology into equipment and manufacturing processes, the company is providing researchers with versatile production capabilities that will facilitate ground breaking research and providing the nonwovens industry with dramatically increased system level production capacities that will escalate the commercialization of nanofiber applications. www.fiberiotech.com
FibeRio to Present Forcespinning™ at N3M Conference
Raleigh – Dr. Karen Lozano, CTO at FibeRio, will present Forcespinning: An Alternative Method For the Mass Production of Nanofibers at the Nanofibers for the Third Millenium Conference on Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. The presentation will be given between 8:30-10:00am in the session called Nanofiber Production Technologies.
Among the topics Dr. Lozano will be discussing are novel materials processed with Forcespinning™, increased production capacities of the Cyclone FE 1.1, in-line integration capabilities, and the public announcement of the launch date for the highly anticipated Cyclone FE 1.1 – the first continuous running 1.1 meter wide industrial scale nanofiber production system using Forcespinning™ Technology.
For more information e-mail info@fiberiotech.com
2011 R&D 100 Awards Announced
Experts, editors pick top high technology innovations of the year
ROCKAWAY, N.J. – The editors of R&D Magazine have announced the winners of the 49th Annual R&D 100 Awards, which salute the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year. Click here for a full list of this year’s winners.
A strong field of entries this year gave our judges a challenge, but they ultimately emerged with a list of the top 100 high-technology products for 2011. The innovations are as wide-ranging as ever: electronic paper, renewable methane, a 3D camera, ceramic capacitors, and a composite bridge all made the grade.
The R&D 100 Awards have long been a benchmark of excellence for industry sectors as diverse as telecommunications, high-energy physics, software, manufacturing, and biotechnology. For industry leaders, government labs, and academic institutions, the awards can be vital for gauging their efforts at commercialization of emerging technologies. And in winning an R&D 100 Award, developers often find the push their product needs to find success in the marketplace.
“During the recent economic downturn, industry, academia, and government labs continued to innovate. The editors were impressed with the strong field of candidates for this year’s R&D 100 Awards. The number of entries exceeded that of recent years,” said Rita Peters, editorial director of R&D Magazine.
The winners represent a cross-section of industry, academia, private research firms, and government labs. Winning technologies are used in medical, industrial, research, consumer, and manufacturing applications.
Since 1963, the R&D 100 Awards have identified revolutionary technologies newly introduced to the market. Many of these have become household names, helping shape everyday life for many Americans. These include the flashcube (1965), the automated teller machine (1973), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the Kodak Photo CD (1991), the Nicoderm anti-smoking patch (1992), Taxol anticancer drug (1993), lab on a chip (1996), and HDTV (1998).
Winners of the R&D 100 Awards are selected by an independent judging panel and the editors of R&D Magazine. The publication and its online portal serve research scientists, engineers, and other technical staff members at high tech industrial companies and public and private laboratories around the world.
Winners will be recognized at the R&D 100 Awards Banquet on Oct. 13, 2011, in Orlando, Fla. A list of winning innovations is on the R&D 100 Awards website, www.rdmag.com. Additional information, including registration for the Orlando event, will be available at that website on July 1, 2011.
About R&D Magazine
Since its founding in 1959 as Industrial Research, R&D Magazine has served research scientists, engineers and technical staff at laboratories around the world, providing timely, informative news and useful technical articles that broaden readers’ knowledge of the research and development industry and improve the quality of their work. R&D Magazine is a publication of Advantage Business Media (www.advantagebusinessmedia.com).
From Incubator to Company – FibeRio is opening its global headquarters and manufacturing in McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas: FibeRio Technology Corporation, a nanotechnology company selling equipment for nanofibers, will be opening its doors in McAllen, Texas after signing a lease for 13,660 SF in Sharyland Business Park in June. FibeRio produces and sells equipment that incorporates a technology developed at The University of Texas Pan American called Forcespinning™. Forcespinning™ is a new method for producing nanofibers that increases the types of materials that can be used and is more cost effective for industrial production. FibeRio will be assembling and testing their equipment which is sold in the global nonwovens and textiles market in their new McAllen, Texas facility – making this plant the first official operation after being incubated by the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg where the core technology was developed.
FibeRio will eventually create a total of 220 jobs in the region with the opening of their company headquarters in McAllen, Texas being also the first company to ever be spun out of the University of Texas Pan American from its incubator system, which sets a valuable precedent for the region.
Some of the key factors that influenced the company’s decision to locate its operations in Mcallen, Texas were availability of abundant suppliers and service providers on both sides of the border, competitive city incentives, and proximity to the original knowledge base that developed this technology at the University of Texas Pan American.
“McAllen provides the perfect setting for a technology company with a manufacturing operation serving a global market.” said Ellery Buchanan, President and CEO of FibeRio Technology Corporation. “The world class Economic Development Corporation here makes doing business in the region simple and effective. Coupled with a business friendly UTPA providing talented graduates, the region has everything to attract business.”
McAllen EDC has worked closely with FibeRio to secure incentives and facilitate a smooth transition from the University to their new facility in McAllen. Ed Peno, COO of FibeRio mentioned, “The MEDC has worked closely with us for several months on site location, cross-border contacts, introducing financial programs and facilitating lease negotiations.”
“By establishing the first plant and corporate headquarters in McAllen, it shows that FibeRio sees a future for technology companies here,” said Keith Patridge, President and CEO of McAllen EDC. “It demonstrates we have the talent and location to support a unique manufacturing operation like this one.”
Leader in Rheology Research Joins FibeRio Technical Advisory Board
Ronald Larson Ph.D. Brings Advanced Modeling Capabilities to FibeRio Team
June 06, 2011 | McAllen, TX – FibeRio Technology Corporation – The Force For Nanofibers – is welcoming its newest member to the Technical Advisory Board – Ron Larson Ph.D. Dr. Larson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of Rheology to FibeRio as the company provides the nonwovens and textiles markets with the most versatile and cost effective nanofiber production equipment enabled by Forcespinning™ Technology.
Before joining the University of Michigan in the GG Brown Professorship of Chemical Engineering, Dr. Larson spent seventeen years at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. He has previously served as the President of the Society of Rheology and the Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Michigan. Dr. Larson is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society and sits on the Fluid Mechanics Programming Committee of the American Institute for Chemical Engineers. His awards include the Bingham Medal from the Society of Rheology and the Alpha Chi Sigma Award from AICHE.
“FibeRio is proud to continue our tradition of working with the foremost experts in the world to ensure that the full potential of Forcespinning™ technology is delivered to the nonwovens, textiles, filtration and biomedical industries in the form of the most versatile and cost effective nanofiber production equipment possible” said FibeRio CEO Ellery Buchanan. He went on to say that, “Dr. Larson’s credentials, knowledge and character are consistent with the world-class Technical Advisory Board that FibeRio has formed to guide the future of nanofiber production with Forcespinning™ technology.
Forcespinning™ is an award winning technology that utilizes centrifugal force to produce nanofibers from a wide variety of base materials using both melt and solution based processes.
FibeRio provides both laboratory and industrial scale nanofiber production equipment. FibeRio’s Cyclone™ L-1000 Series is the most versatile nanofiber research system available and delivers Forcespinning™ Technology to your laboratory. The company plans to launch its first continuous process light production systems later this year.
To place an order, please call FibeRio at 956-207-5448.
ABOUT FibeRio Technology Corporation
FibeRio was formed to make Forcespinning™ Technology, the next generation of nanofiber production equipment, commercially available for both research and development and high-volume industrial applications. Forcespinning™ Technology utilizes centrifugal force rather than electrostatic force.
