China’s mills, for example, currently consume more than 50 percent of all of the world’s fibers and its synthetic fiber manufacturers are responsible for over 70 percent of global production.

To meet their sustainability goals, many leading brands are now looking for the incorporation of even higher percentages of recycled fiber into the yarns that their products are made from.

“Many Chinese cotton spinning companies have been processing yarn mill waste for decades using rotor spinning technology, which is best suited for recycled yarns that contain a high short-fiber content,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “In the past, the practice of incorporating a percentage of recycled content into yarn blends has not been anything to do with meeting sustainability goals, but simply about achieving an acceptable quality with the cheapest available fibers. Now, however, these mills are in the position of potentially being able to charge a premium for yarns containing higher recycled content.”

According to the Zurich-based International Textile Machinery Association (ITMA), China has installed just under four million new rotor spinning spindles since 2015.

The potential is huge and this industry-wide development puts high demands on changing and adopting production with upgraded technologies not only in spinning, but also further up the production chain, something that TMAS members are well aware of and prepared for.

Eltex ACT-R for weaving looms

The subsequent weaving of yarns with recycled content requires special consideration, which is where TMAS member Eltex, with its ACT-R technology, can help.

The Eltex ACT-R is a stand-alone device designed to automatically keep weft yarn tension at a constant and required value on rapier weaving machines.

“This is especially important when weaving with recycled yarns because the quality of the yarn packages can be much more irregular,” said Eltex Senior Sales Engineer Daniel Sauret. “Shorter staple fibers result in inconsistencies and are prone to breakages, but the ACT-R system automatically compensates for any differences in weft yarn tension that may originate from such irregularities, regardless of whether the yarn package is full or almost empty.”

The ACT-R is designed to be fitted after the prewinder, and can be used on any type of rapier machine, regardless of its age.

“Our ACT-R is a completely plug and play, stand-alone system and self synchronizes without any communication with the weaving machine,” explained Eltex CEO Brian Hicks. “This is important, because many older weaving machines are still in operation worldwide, and the ACT-R enables instant improvements to be made without upgrading these machines in any way. We have achieved fantastic results for weavers working with recycled yarns who have been amazed at the difference in consistent quality and uninterrupted production that can be achieved.”

As a pioneer in the adoption of electronic sensors by the weaving machinery industry, Eltex of Sweden is marks its 60th anniversary this year.

That the company’s timeline aligns with the acceleration of weaving machine production speeds from around 150-200 picks per minute back in the 1960s to up to 1,200 picks per minute today is no coincidence — Eltex sensor technology has made a significant contribution to enabling today’s fault-free, high-speed production.

Vandewiele’s accumulated know-how

Advanced weaving control is also the bedrock of business for Vandewiele Sweden AB, which benefits from all of the synergies and accumulated know-how in fabric formation of the market-leading textile machinery builder Vandewiele Group.

The company supplies its weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms to the majority of the leading weaving machine manufacturers around the world, as well as for retrofitting in working mills, and will present its latest X4 yarn feeders with integrated accessory displays at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024.

X4 feeders are available in three different versions — with an integrated tension display (TED), with integrated active tension control (ATC), or with rapid tension control (RTC).

With TED, a manual setting of the weft feeder’s brake ring is digitally shown as a value that can be transferred to other weft feeders located on other weaving machines. It also displays alarms when they occur, for easier visibility. With ATC-W, the position of the S-Flex Tensioner is constantly monitored by an internal sensor — maintaining tension through the full weaving cycle to reduce waist and to improve the fabric quality, Machine learning AI. The Rapid Tension Control (RTC) is a fast reacting, programmable weft tensioner system. It allows “within-the-pick” adjustment to different tension levels, achieving the optimal tension required for the complete weft insertion cycle. The system requires only one device to be set for the weft tension. The integrated panel is easily used for electrical opening and programmable settings.

TexCoat G4 for faultless finishing

TMAS member Baldwin is meanwhile revolutionizing the traditional water and energy-intensive pad-dry-cure finishing process with its TexCoat G4 unit.

The TexCoat G4 precisely applies chemistry, including softeners, antimicrobials, durable water repellents, flame retardants, resins and most other water-based chemicals across a textile’s surface only where it is required, on one or both sides of the fabric. The system can therefore reduce water, chemistry and energy consumption by up to 50 percent compared to traditional pad application processes.

Baldwin already has multiple installations in China adding fluorocarbon-free durable water repellents to technical fabrics, including one in partnership with a major European sporting goods retailer.

Baldwin has further just announced a collaboration with Monforts, the German leader in dyeing and finishing equipment and Archroma, the manufacturer of, among other leading products, fluorocarbon-free durable water repellent finishes.

A full-width Baldwin TexCoat digital spray unit is currently being installed on a stenter frame at the Monforts Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Mönchengladbach, Germany, to enable extensive trials to be carried out on an industrial scale.

“We strongly believe that this partnership will be greater than the sum of its parts,” said Rick Stanford, Baldwin’s vice president of Business Development for Textiles. “Together, we will support dyeing and finishing manufacturers in their development projects, boosting the quality and performance of their finished products, while at the same time maximising the productivity and resource utilization of the finishing application process. This is the first time our three companies have committed to working together with a focus on bringing transformative change to the dyeing and finishing space. It will result in significantly lower energy, chemical and water consumption with increased productivity and higher quality for fabric finishers.”

“We are really looking forward to being in Shanghai again and connecting with customers old and new to present Swedish innovations for the good of our customers as well as the planet,” concluded Therese Premler-Andersson.

Posted: September 26, 2024

Source: The Swedish Textile Machinery Association, (TMAS)

ITMF members already include companies responsible for approximately 90 percent of global textile and apparel production and the Federation’s reach continues to be extended through ventures such as this year’s Annual Conference, which will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 8-10, alongside the International Apparel Federation’s 2024 Fashion Convention. This follows on from the highly successful 2023 ITMF Annual Conference which took place in Keqiao, China.

TMAS members have a similar global perspective as the leading Swedish companies providing textile technology.

Expertise within the association ranges advanced systems for yarn fault detection and tension monitoring, to yarn feeding technology for weaving, automated sewing production lines, cutting machines, embroidery technology, effective material handling systems, spray application system for fabric finishing and much more.

“ITMF is delighted to welcome TMAS as its latest member, which will only strengthen our position as a unique international platform for the global textile value chain,” said ITMF Director General Christian Schindler. “Forging links with advanced textile machinery providers is extremely beneficial to our textile and apparel manufacturing members, who are always seeking the latest technologies and solutions which will help them to keep a step ahead in a very fast-changing and often challenging business environment.”

“Active collaboration across the supply chain is now vital to achieving the textile industry’s sustainable goals and we all need to work more closely together going forward,” adds TMAS Secretary General Therese Premier-Andersson. “Joining the ITMF provides TMAS members firstly with a unique set of statistics, publications and surveys that help in better understanding the global dynamics of the textile value chain. In addition, ITMF conferences and workshops provide unique opportunities for our members to meet and network with industry colleagues from around the world. ITMF’s information and networks are helping the industry to better analyze global trends and develop winning strategies.”

Posted: April 30, 2024

Source: International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF)

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — November 29, 2023 — As a member of TMAS — the Swedish Textile Machinery Association — ACG Nyström reports solid success in embroidery machine sales with the latest Tajima TMEZ models in Denmark, Norway, Sweden — and perhaps a little surprisingly, also in Ukraine.

The Tajima TMEZ range of single and multi-head embroidery machines is rapidly introducing intelligent thread management (I-TM) to the market, enabling virtually anyone to quickly and easily become an embroidery specialist.

“With I-TM, each individual design is analyzed, with automatic detection of the fabric thickness, and exactly the right amount of thread needed is precisely supplied for the job,” explains ACG Nyström sales engineer Richard Carlsson. “This eliminates the need for manual thread tension adjustment, making it much easier for non-skilled operatives to obtain consistent results. The age-old problem of pulling on designs is also a thing of the past with the TMEZ machines, so all the operator needs to master is accurately positioning the fabric through the machine.”

A digitally controlled presser foot for secure fabric stability further reduces fabric fluttering, he adds, and is especially effective when working with very thick or thin fabrics, or folds of material. Fluttering can occur when a material is lifted up during embroidery, causing skipped stitches, mis-trimming and reduced quality stitching.

The TMEZ machines are fully enabled for ease of operation by Tajima DG by Pulse – the strongest embroidery software on the market.

Adding value

ACG Nyström, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2021, is a complete supplier of CAD/CAM solutions for adding value throughout the garment manufacturing processes – from product development, technical design and cutting, sewing and welding to refining with embroidery and textile printing. Its knowledge of technical production systems and processes, built up over many years of close collaboration with customers and partners, has given the company a unique role as the link between the world’s leading machine manufacturers and the garment assembly industry.

“Our services and products are provided to a wide range of companies, from individual traders to multi-nationals, and we commit to helping them implement the most efficient and profitable overall solution in the areas of product development, garment assembly and labelling,” says ACG Nyström CEO Thomas Arvidsson.

The latest Tajima embroidery machines, he adds, are proving a game changer – especially in today’s fast moving environment when bigger companies are changing staff regularly and need expert assistance in getting machines up and running quickly and easily.

Active in Ukraine

Despite Russia’s ongoing assault on its country, ACG Nyström Ukraine, which was founded in 2005 and is based in Lviv, 70 kilometres from the Polish border, reports that its customers are currently extremely active and a number of new embroidery machines have been installed in the west of the country over the past year.

“Some of our customers have also been forced to leave their businesses in the east of the country and have now successfully relocated in the west, where it is relatively calm, although we are still very scared,” says ACG Nyström Ukraine managing director Halya Andrushkiv. “Keeping busy also helps to keep everybody’s minds off the situation here.”

While military badges have been one growth area, there also remains much activity in branded corporate apparel and there has meanwhile been a huge revival of interest in vyshyvankas – the elaborately embroidered shirts and dresses traditionally worn in the country.

Vyshyvankas

Since Ukraine restored its independence in 1991, the wearing of vyshyvankas has greatly increased in popularity as an expression of positive national pride and identity.

Traditionally, each region of the country established its own unique designs and vyshyvankas are adaptable enough to be worn in many styles, having been adopted by major Ukrainian brands who have successfully promoted them globally.

Vyshyvanka Day is now a national holiday held on the third Thursday of May each year, and has become a symbol of resistance against Russian aggression.

This year, many celebrities joined in to support the cause, wearing tailor-made vyshyvankas, designed by the Ukrainian embroidery brand Etnodim and others. Some of the stars wore shirts with patterns specific to the regions where their ancestors lived – Liev Schreiber’s, for instance, came from Odesa and Barbara Streisand’s from Ternopil.

“Ukrainians are now united across the country in wanting to express their national identity,” said Andrushkiv. “Vyshyvankas were traditionally associated with religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter, which were, of course, frowned upon by the USSR, as was any sign of Ukrainian identity. After 1991 they returned, and now, of course, they represent freedom for us more than ever before. And their popularity has now spread around the world.”

Supported by its parent company in Sweden, ACG Nyström Ukraine is enabling this growth worldwide, via the latest Tajima embroidery techniques and associated software.

Design possibilities

“Traditionally, all of the embroidery was by hand, and the rich designs, colours and textures have been refined over many centuries,” said Andrushkiv. “Now, with the latest Tajima technology and software solutions backed by ACG Nyström’s expert services, any traditional design – as well as new ideas for motifs reflecting today’s situation – can be recreated or further developed for mass market designs. Our expertise can streamline and ensure premium quality in the development of all finished product ideas.”

“Throughout our company, including in Ukraine, TMAS provides us with valuable support in the promotion of our services,” says Thomas Arvidsson. “There are many synergistic benefits from open discussions and co-operations with other Swedish textile technologists and TMAS members are all at the forefront of digitalisation and automation. We are happy to provide all assistance we can to Halya Andrushkiv and ACG Nyström Ukraine.”

Posted: November 29, 2023

Source: ACG Nyström / The Swedish Textile Machinery Association (TMAS)

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — September 20, 2023 — Key members of TMAS – the Swedish Textile Machinery Association – will be taking part in the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition taking place from November 19-23 2023 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai, China, with back-up from TMAS representatives, local support staff and agents.

“There is no escaping the fact that China remains the Number One textile manufacturing centre worldwide,” said TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “We are very optimistic about the appetite for investment now, because China’s recovery from the pandemic has been so prolonged. Despite talk of losing market share in garment production to neighbours including Vietnam and India, China has a number of advantages — a massive domestic market and a highly developed infrastructure and supply chain network. Factories in China cover every possible product needed in the garment industry — from zips to buttons, to textiles and threads. There is a wealth of domestic producers and we still see big potential for further growth.”

Weaving

In the area of weaving, for example, 93 percent of the 114,000 new looms delivered in 2022 went to Asia, according to the latest figures from the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), with China the top destination, followed by India.

As a result, TMAS members like Vandewiele Sweden AB (Hall 3, stand D01 in Shanghai) and Eltex (Hall 3, stand A01) have a huge market to address that has been established over many decades.

Vandewiele Sweden AB benefits from all of the synergies and accumulated know-how of the market-leading Vandewiele Group, supplying weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms to the majority of weaving machine manufacturers. It also retrofits its latest technologies to working mills to enable instant benefits in terms of productivity and control.

Yarn and sewing thread monitoring

With nearly 70 years of expertise in yarn sensor technology, Eltex of Sweden AB has consistently been at the forefront of new product development. Catering to the high-tech transformation of China’s textile manufacturing industry, Eltex has rolled out a suite of intelligent solutions built on a proven robust quality framework. Its EYE and EyETM systems are capable of accurately and efficiently monitoring the movement and tension of more than 1,000 yarns simultaneously. These systems are suitable for various applications and fibre types, including warping, winding, multiaxial weaving and new material applications.

In addition, Eltex sewing tension monitors, such as the ETM422, have been increasingly well-received by customers. This high-precision device can monitor the tension of sewing threads in real time, effectively improving the quality and safety of sewn products. Particularly in China’s rapidly growing automotive manufacturing sector, the ETM422 has seen widespread use to meet the industry’s escalating demands for product safety and quality.

All of these devices and systems are smart, digitalized and capable of seamless integration with higher-level factory systems, enhancing intelligent manufacturing capabilities.

Dyeing and finishing

“Digitalisation, automation and AI have become the key enablers for sustainable gains across the entire textile industry and so much has been achieved in the past few years, especially in terms of automation,” says Premler-Andersson. “One area in which TMAS members are really making a difference right now, is in replacing water and energy-intensive technologies for the dyeing and finishing processes with new digital technologies.”

The TexCoat G4 non-contact spray technology for textile finishing and remoistening, for example, will be showcased in Shanghai by Baldwin at stand C22 in Hall 5. It not only reduces water, chemicals and energy consumption, but also provides the flexibility to adapt to a customer’s requirements in terms of single and double-sided finishing applications. The TexCoat G4 can reduce water consumption by as much as 50% compared to traditional padding application processes.

“We have already seen government policies encouraging factories to reduce their water usage and waste using tax incentives and grants and we expect more to come,” Premler-Andersson observes in conclusion. “This will take time, and China’s market in particular has been geared for many years to large volume production, but Swedish machinery innovators are there to support what is an inevitable transition. We are looking forward to fruitful discussions at ITMA Asia + CITME.”

Posted: September 20, 2023

Source: TMAS – The Swedish Textile Machinery Association

“Just a week before the opening of ITMA 2023, the European Parliament voted for the full adoption of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles,” said TMAS secretary general Therese Premler-Andersson. “It was very clear in Milan that this is already galvanising the textile industry into new collaborations and there was huge interest in the sustainable benefits offered by the latest automated concepts of our members.”

Non-contact

Rick Stanford, vice president of global business development at Baldwin was in full agreement.

“It was the most enthusiastic show I’ve been involved in in a very long time,” he said. “You hear about the textile industry being down a bit, but that’s not what it felt like at ITMA this year. Everybody’s talking about sustainability and the Baldwin booth was just jammed with visitors throughout the show.”

Baldwin’s TexCoat G4, a non-contact spray technology for textile finishing and remoistening not only reduces water, chemicals and energy consumption, but also provides the flexibility to adapt to a customer’s requirements in terms of single and double-sided finishing applications. TexCoat G4 can reduce water consumption by as much as 50% compared to traditional padding application processes.

Among its many installations, Baldwin now has key reference systems in place for the TexCoat G4 at North Carolina State University and Graniteville Specialty Fabrics in the United States, as well as at Pincroft in the United Kingdom.

“Since its introduction at ITMA 2015 in Milan, global textile finishers have embraced TexCoat and are reaping the benefits,” Stanford said. “They have been able to increase profitability, cut energy use and reduce their carbon footprint in addition to exercising precision control with our patented precision spray technology.”

Plan Zero

Plan Zero is the bold name for the new cross-industry cluster of disruptive companies formed by TMAS member imogo with Revozona from Switzerland and Pluvia from Turkey announced during ITMA 2023.

Together, the three companies will provide complete lines, with imogo’s spray dyeing technology complemented by ozone gas pre-treatment and bleaching and highly efficient after-treatment to substantially contribute to the global net-zero targets set by the textile industry.

“Companies adopting Plan Zero into their processes will experience an increase in profitability, productivity and competitiveness,” said imogo CEO Joacim Wellander. “At the same time, consistent, predictable production output is secured, meeting the highest global standards.”

Imogo employed VR headsets to showcase the full capabilities of its Dye-Max technology in Milan.

Multi-thread options

Coloreel has meanwhile recently secured its 100th patent and taken its instant embroidery thread colouration system to the next level with a new multi-thread software option, opening up new options for designs with special effect threads such as frosted, metallic or neon colours.

“This update expands our technology capabilities and opens up new possibilities for embroidery producers,” said Mattias Nordin, senior vice president of product management at Coloreel.

Coloreel’s technology, which is based on applying dye directly to the thread as it passes through the unit, resulting in precise and vibrant colours, was demonstrated on integrated embroidery systems in partnership with Germany’s ZSK at the Milan show and is also now integrated into the software of Tajima Software Solutions.

Robotics

ACG Kinna and ACG Nowo have developed a complete process for robotic pillow filling which they demonstrated at ITMA 2023.

With the ability to fill and finish some 3,840 pillows in an eight-hour shift, demonstrations of the system drew huge and appreciative crowds to witness seamless fiber handling, filling, sewing and packing in action.

Automatex too, demonstrated a sewing and assembly unit for the fully finished production of consumer bags, configured to carry out the automated hemming, handle insertion, cutting, labeling, bag forming and gusset forming which all previously had to be carried out manually, to produce some 540 units an hour.

“Further automated concepts were demonstrated by Eltex of Sweden, Eton Systems and Svegea, and TMAS also held a vibrant reception at ITMA 2023 and was honoured to have Swedish Ambassador Jan Björklund attend the event as special guest,” said Premler-Andersson in conclusion. “ITMA 2023 really was an upbeat and positive experience and our members now have much to build on from reacquaintances with customers and many new relationships established during the show.”

“If you’re not at ITMA, you’re simply not in the game,” added Brian Hicks, CEO of Eltex of Sweden. “ITMA just keeps getting better and better.”

Posted: August 17, 2023

Source: The Swedish Textile Machinery Association (TMAS)

“So much has been achieved in the rollercoaster years since the last ITMA 2019 in Barcelona, especially in terms of automation,” says TMAS secretary general Therese Premler-Andersson. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, the need to respond to many shortages, such as in PPE for example, resulted in major gains in automated machine efficiency, remote monitoring and supply chain transparency. These are now influencing the undiminished drive to establish a more sustainable textile industry.”

Automation

At ITMA 2019, ACG Kinna, demonstrated its robotic pillow filling system with the ability to fill and finish some 3,840 pillows per eight-hour shift.

A year later, however, at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company was diverted into drawing on its long experience and using its wide industry contacts to rapidly respond to Sweden’s urgent need for PPE – setting up a dedicated new single-use garment making-up plant in just three weeks.

“We discovered so much from that experience and we have subsequently applied many of the lessons learned to our latest technologies,” says CEO Christian Moore.

ACG Kinna’s pillow system now includes new features including an integrated marking solution which allows the customer to print QR codes, batch numbers and dates on the pillows’ labels, and a unique AI software for automatically detecting pre-programmed faults which will be introduced in Milan.

Bold moves

Similar gains are reported by Automatex in the development of a sewing and assembly unit for the fully finished production of consumer bags. It is now configured to carry out the automated hemming, handle insertion, cutting, labelling, bag forming and gusset forming which all previously had to be carried out manually, to produce some 540 units an hour.

“Terrible as it was, the Covid-19 pandemic gave us the opportunity to stand back from what we were doing and make some bold moves in advancing automated features,” says Chuck de Sousa, the company’s head of business development.

Materials handling

Eton Systems provides automated material handling systems consisting of individually addressable product carriers designed to eliminate manual transportation and minimise handling, radically increasing the time for adding value to garments and other finished items.

After Covid-19 supply chain shortages, these advantages have subsequently proven a powerful incentive for textile manufactures across Europe and the United States to bring some production closer to home, according to CEO Jerker Krabbe.

At ITMA 2023 Eton will launch its new ETONingenious software platform, which continuously gathers, processes and presents powerful, value-adding product information to operators, supervisors, quality control personnel and management.

Other notable TMAS machine demonstrations to look out for at ITMA 2023 include the latest EyETM system for the monitoring of literally hundreds of yarns in real time on a warping creel, developed by Eltex, and Svegea’s EC 300 collarette cutting machine for the production of essential tubular apparel components which is now operating at speeds of up to 20,000 metres per hour.

Bedrock

Weaving remains the bedrock of the textile industry and Vandewiele Sweden AB benefits from all of the synergies and accumulated know-how of the market leading Vandewiele Group.

The company supplies weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms to the majority of the leading weaving machine manufacturers, as well for retrofitting in working mills around the world, and at ITMA 2023, will present its latest X4 yarn feeders with integrated accessory displays, as well as launching its own e-commerce platform – iroonline.com.

X4 feeders are available in three different versions – with an integrated tension display (TED), with integrated active tension control (ATC), or with quick release, which enables weft tension settings to be transferred from one machine to another, enabling a fast start-up the next time the same article is woven. The position of the S-Flex Tensioner is constantly monitored by an internal sensor – even if adjustment is made during power off.

Specialised weaving technology for the paper making industry is meanwhile the domain of TEXO AB which has seen a surge in the demand for its Compfelt weaving looms for press felt base fabrics for the paper making industry. One of the machines TEXO AB has recently successfully delivered and commissioned has a working width of 23 metres.

Dyeing and Finishing

Visitors to ITMA 2023 will quickly come to realise that terrific sustainable gains are now possible with new technologies in dyeing and finishing and two TMAS members are at the forefront here, offering highly digitised alternatives to a water and energy-intensive sector.

Baldwin’s TexCoat G4, a non-contact spray technology for textile finishing and remoistening not only reduces water, chemicals and energy consumption, but also provides the flexibility to adapt to a customer’s requirements in terms of single and double-sided finishing applications.

“TexCoat G4 can reduce water consumption by as much as 50% compared to traditional padding application processes,” says Rick Stanford, Baldwin’s VP of global business development.

Similar impressive savings can also now be made in textile dyeing with imogo’s Dye-Max spray dyeing technology.

It can slash the use of fresh water, wastewater, energy and chemicals by as much as 90% compared to conventional jet dyeing systems as a result of an extremely low liquor ratio of 0.6-0.8 litres per kilo of fabric. At the same time, considerably fewer auxiliary chemicals are required to start with.

In addition, Coloreel’s instant embroidery thread colouration system will be demonstrated on a ZSK Stickmaschinen Sprint 7 embroidery machine at the show and Tajima Software Solutions is also incorporating the Coloreel colouring system into its leading DG16 embroidery design software.

“Brands and mills are already starting to see environmental and economic benefits from non-contact precision dyeing and finishing systems,” says Premler-Andersson in conclusion. “Spray application and instant thread colouring technologies are a perfect illustration of how new digital technologies can lead to more sustainable production and it’s fantastic that all of this innovation is taking place in Europe, as will be conclusively demonstrated at ITMA 2023.”

TMAS Members at ITMA 2023:

• ACG Kinna Automatic, Hall 9, stand C108
• Baldwin Technology, Hall 14, stand C205
• Eltex of Sweden, Hall 6, stand A210
• ES Automatex Solution, Hall 9, stand B108
• Eton Systems, Hall 9, stand B202
• Imogo, Hall18, stand B105
• Svegea of Sweden, Hall 9, stand A101
• Texo, Hall 6 stand B301
• Vandewiele Sweden, Hall10, stand B201d
• ZSK (Coloreel), Hall 9, stand D109
• Tajima Software (Coloreel) Hall 9, stand D107b

Posted: June 1, 2023

Source: TMAS – The Swedish Textile Machinery Association

“Today, everyone is talking about digitalisation, but there is a strong case for considering the weaving process as the digital forerunner over 200 years ago,” says TMAS secretary general Therese Premler-Andersson. “When Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented his loom controlled by perforated cards and the first automated machine for which elaborate patterns were stored on them in ones and zeros, he arguably set the ball rolling for binary computer programming and all that has followed. There is certainly a direct line from Jacquard’s lightbulb moment to the latest innovations that will be displayed by our weaving technology members at ITMA 2023.”

Know-how from Vandewiele Sweden

Vandewiele Sweden AB, for example, benefits from all of the synergies and accumulated know-how of the Belgium-headquartered Vandewiele Group – one of the market leaders in comprehensive weaving technologies (Hall 10, stand B201). This TMAS member has been the market leader in weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms for many years, supplying systems to the majority of the leading weaving machine manufacturers, as well for retrofitting in working mills around the world.

In Milan, Vandewiele Sweden will present its latest X4 yarn feeders with integrated accessory displays with which current settings and any alarms can be easily monitored and any required changes seamlessly carried out.

X4 feeders are available in three different versions – with an integrated

tension display (TED), with integrated active tension control (ATC), or with quick release, which enables weft tension settings to be transferred from one machine to another, enabling a fast start-up the next time the same article is woven. The position of the S-Flex Tensioner is constantly monitored by an internal sensor – even if adjustment is made during power off.

With the ATC-W active tension control, the required tension is easily set and monitored on the integrated display. Once set, the system constantly regulates itself, ensuring consistent yarn tension during the weaving process which is constantly and accurately measured by the ATC sensor unit, sending a signal to the ATC operator unit resulting in consistently stable yarn tension at the required level. Quick release meanwhile provides a quick and easy way to change the brushring or tensioner.

Vandewiele Sweden is also launching its own e-commerce platform for ordering the market’s leading range of textile accessories at ITMA 2023

Wide width from Texo

TEXO AB (Hall 6, stand B301) has meanwhile seen a surge in the demand for its Compfelt weaving looms for press felt base fabrics.

“These are far from standard machines,” explains TEXO president Anders Svensson. “Off-the-shelf industrial weaving machines generally range in their working widths from 1.9 to 3.2 metres, with those purpose-built for technical applications such as geotextiles extending to wider widths of six metres and beyond. Meanwhile, one of the machines we have recently successfully delivered and commissioned has a working width of 23 metres.”

The demand for such machines comes from the suppliers of paper machine clothing (PMC) to paper mills, who in turn operate colossal machines for paper manufacturing.

All paper machines require a regular supply of PMC fabrics which are employed in three separate areas of the paper machine – the forming section, the press section and the drying section.

“Although the PMC business represents a small proportion of the total cost of manufacturing paper, it can have a significant impact on the quality of the paper, the efficiency of a machine and machine production rates,” Svensson explains.

TEXO Compfelt weaving machines are specifically employed for the production of endless (tubular) woven base fabrics for the press section of paper machines, where water is mechanically removed from the newly formed sheet of fibres.

Eltex EyE

Eltex of Sweden AB will be running live demonstrations of the latest version of EyE – a versatile multi yarn tension monitoring system – at ITMA 2023, in Hall 6 at stand A210.

The Eltex EyE system is being widely adopted by weavers but unlike weft break sensors that are fitted solely on the weft insertion systems of weaving machines, it monitors the warping process prior to weaving. This means that instead of monitoring only the six-to-eight weft yarns fed by the weft insertion system, the EyE system is monitoring literally hundreds of yarns in real time on a warping creel.

“Several hundred yarns can be fed from the creels during the warping process compared to only a few weft insertion yarns during weaving,” says Peter Wiberg, responsible for marketing at Eltex. “Our motto is ‘No Loose Ends’ and that’s exactly what we can guarantee with our system.”

With warping that can operate at speeds of 500 metres a minute, the yarn tension values from all yarns are continuously updated and displayed on a screen with pre-set warning levels indicated in red. When tension reaches outside the pre-set stop level, the machine is immediately halted, with indications both on the sensor’s LEDs as well as on the screen.

Bedrock

“Weaving remains the bedrock of the textile industry and the potential for continuously improving the process remains virtually limitless,” concludes Premler-Andersson. “This is a key area for specific TMAS members, as will be demonstrated in Milan. We look forward to meeting you there.”

Posted: May 23, 2023

Source: TMAS – The Swedish Textile Machinery Association

“Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation are becoming increasingly important in the textile industry and in Milan, Swedish companies will showcase new machines and software that can help streamline production and improve efficiency,” says TMAS secretary general Therese Premler-Andersson.

In partnership with a number of other companies, for example, ACG Kinna (Hall 9, stand C108) drew considerable crowds to demonstrations of its robotic pillow filling system at the last ITMA show in 2019.

With the ability to fill and finish some 3,840 pillows per eight-hour shift, automated units cover the entire process – from the opening and weighing of the fibre to the filling of the product and on to the sewing and packing processes.

The system has been further developed to include new features including an integrated marking solution which allows the customer to print QR codes, batch numbers and dates on the pillows’ labels, and a unique software for automatically detecting pre-programmed faults which will be introduced in Milan.

Single source potential

In addition, following its acquisition of the portfolio of Nowo, Kinna is now a single-source supplier of such lines. Nowo’s portfolio of textile production machinery, primarily for fibre processing and quilting, is well established and includes the highly successful Nowo Vac pillow filling system and the Noworoll ball fibre machine.

“The integration of Nowo’s range into our portfolio enables us to now oversee complete projects from start to finish for the highly automated production of pillows, quilts and other finished products,” says the company’s sales and marketing manager Tomas Aspenskog. “This provides our customers with a number of advantages in terms of transparency and the elimination of bottlenecks. When multiple suppliers are involved in building a line, it can often be difficult for customers to keep them aligned and ensure the construction of one line component is not holding back the completion of others.”

Materials handling

Eton Systems (Hall 9, stand B202) provides automated material handling systems consisting of individually addressable product carriers designed to eliminate manual transportation and minimise handling, radically increasing the time for adding value to garments and other finished items.

These advantages have proven to be a powerful incentive for textile manufactures across Europe and the United States to bring some production closer to home, which has been a notable trend in the past few years.

At ITMA 2023 Eton will launch its new software platform, ETONingenious which is a real-time system used to manage, control and follow up on production in the Eton system. ETONingenious continuously gathers, processes and presents powerful, value-adding product information to operators, supervisors, quality control personnel and management.

Utilizing the latest development environment, it features a web-based user interface and runs on any browser – laptops, PCs, tablets and even mobile phones – without any client installation requirements. It is also easy to integrate with any existing ERP system and is industry 4.0 compatible. Dashboards provide a clear and easy overview of production.

“ETONingenious will help companies reach their production targets, freeing up more time for supervisors, reducing throughput time, identifying bottlenecks and helping to adapt production in real time,” says CEO Jerker Krabbe

Major benefits

For Premler-Andersson, the AI and advanced automation already being used in a number of ways by TMAS members such as ACG Kinna and Eton has the potential to revolutionise the textile industry, improving production efficiency, quality control and design processes.

“AI-powered systems can, for example, help detect defects in fabrics and garments during manufacturing processes,” she explains. “By using computer vision in the machinery, different defects such as stains, holes and uneven stitching can be rapidly identified and corrected at an early stage. Predictive maintenance is another benefit. AI is being used to monitor machines and predict when they are likely to need maintenance. This can help prevent breakdowns and reduce downtime, improving overall efficiency. AI is also proving valuable in R&D for TMAS companies, enabling data from different sources to be coordinated in order to optimise product design and reduce time and costs via the sensor-controlled optimisation of a host of different parameters.”

We look forward to demonstrate the Swedish capabilities at ITMA 2023 to continue futureproof the textile industry.

Posted: May 3, 2023

Source: TMAS – The Swedish Textile Machinery Association

“Everybody is looking to automate right now, and not in the huge factories of the past, but with more compact and precisely targeted operations,” said Chuck de Sousa, the company’s head of business development. “It’s happening in Europe and beginning to snowball for us in the USA too. Our system provides companies with highly streamlined, just-in-time and sustainable production close to their customers.”

The Automatex model FDC-77735-B90D-EC system enables the full production and folding of six fully-fitted sheets per minute — approaching 3,000 an average shift — overseen by a single operator and eliminating many of the repetitive cut and sew operations of the past. Elastics insertion — usually a highly complex labor-intensive task — can be on all four sides of the sheet, two, or simply within the corners, depending on customer specifications.

Fabric is fed directly from the roll, with precise edge guiding and tension control, into a length-wise hemming and elastics insertion section with adjustable tension devices, before being measured and cross cut in an accumulator. It is then transferred to the cross hemming section, again with elastics insertion.

A side drop forming unit pre-forms the sheet before it is transported by a multi-axis clamp conveyor system to the corner sewing section, consisting of left and right overlock sewing heads. Here, the  corners are robotically sewn at 90 degrees and labels are also attached when specified.

Further customized systems for folding are also supplied as required.

“The system is very simple to program and operate, with remote access for troubleshooting capability,” de Sousa said. “It can be fully customized to the individual needs of the specific customer.”

“The automation enabled by the latest Industry 4.0 developments is currently top of the agenda for TMAS member companies,” added TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson.  “Automatex is among companies leading the field in new technologies which enable significant resource savings to be achieved, while making production in high-cost countries once more profitable. Cost effective production closer to the customer also leads to more sustainable production while enabling companies to change their cost structures but also increase their capacities and flexibility while creating a cleaner working environment and fewer heavy lifts. Ultimately this is good for the plant, the production, the people and the planet.”

Posted: March 3, 2022

Source: The Swedish Textile Machinery Association (TMAS)

“Over the past few decades, textile mills have transitioned from consisting of collections of individual machines serviced and maintained largely by in-house mechanics as well as separate supplier companies for each part of the production line,” said TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “Those in-house engineering service teams have diminished over the years, while the introduction of electronic drive systems in the 1980s and 90s also put an increased emphasis on the need for third party electrical engineers, operating separately to the machine builders.

“Subsequently, mechanical machines and electronic drive systems became much more integrated, and more recently, with the advent of digitalization, entire production lines are becoming centrally controlled with remote, instantaneous connections to their suppliers for service and maintenance.

“In this context, the integration of machinery and automation specialists as single-source suppliers makes perfect sense, while partnerships between machine builders and their customers have never been more important.”

The recent acquisition of Nowo textile machinery from its previous owner, Brandstones Ab Oy, by TMAS member ACG Kinna, she adds, is a good example of this general trend.

Nowo, headquartered in Turku, Finland, designs, manufactures and exports high-end textile production machinery mainly for the fiber processing industry. At the end of the 1980s it introduced the highly successful Nowo Vac pillow filling system, which has been its best-selling system, alongside the Noworoll ball fiber machine, introduced in the 1990s.

Nowo’s machine range covers the entire production process from bale opening to weighing and filling, and complete production lines are tailored to the specific needs of customers. The company can also deliver individual machines such as bale openers, cards, crosslappers, pickers, mixing devices, material silos, sucking devices, anti-static units etc. Seven patents cover the company’s technologies.

Founded in 1977, ACG Kinna Automatic, based in Skene in Sweden, specializes in customized and cost-efficient solutions for the production of pillows and quilts. All of its design, manufacturing and final line testing is carried out in Sweden and the reliability and longevity of its machines has earned it the trust of the world’s largest furniture and home decoration retailers and Europe’s largest manufacturer of pillows and duvets, among many customers.

“We see good opportunities for growth for Nowo’s technology, alongside and in combination with the extensive ACG Kinna product portfolio,” said ACG Kinna CEO Christian Moore. “We aim to continue the good cooperation with Nowo’s current suppliers and partners and will accelerate the development of fully integrated production lines based on the know-how of both companies. As new Nowo MD, Jurgen Jürimä brings a wealth of fibre and textile knowledge to the team and this will enable us to take Nowo textile machines to the next level in automated, seamless production.”

Posted December 13, 2021

Source: TMAS – The Swedish Textile Machinery Association