By Dr. Minyoung Suh

Unlike other industries where diverse products have been manufactured without relying much on human labor in the past decades, automation has made slow progress in apparel manufacturing. Compared to rigid materials, such as plastic and metal, fabrics are notorious for having a much higher degree of freedom when transported. Fabrics deform significantly even under a very small load, such as dead weight or air resistance. This property creates extreme challenges when designing machinery to handle flexible textile materials. Despite continued advances in the latest technologies, fully automated apparel manufacturing still appears to be illusive, for now.

Amazon initiated on-demand apparel manufacturing in 2015 and patented its automated apparel factory in 2017. The facilities include printing customer-provided designs on textile surfaces, cutting the fabric into a custom size and fit, and assembling the garments without relying on human labor. Amazon’s service is geared toward the production of made-to-order T-shirts, which are relatively simple in their design and structure. It typically takes a few weeks from order to delivery. However, considering that it traditionally takes 12 to 18 months to have a clothing line ready for market, it is revolutionary to remarkable shorten the lead time.

On-demand or just-in-time production is not a new concept in fashion. Historically, every garment was made-to-order. But a lack of skilled labor and accessible resources, meant it required a long time and was very costly to produce a single garment before industrialization. Moving into the ready-to-wear market in the 19th and 20th centuries, textile products became more abundant and affordable as the industry was mechanized and grew rapidly during the industrial era. More recently, the modern concept of on-demand manufacturing — focused on making garments only when someone needs them within a fair amount of time at a reasonable price — has been a major breakthrough in the ready-to-wear market. Technological advances are key drivers to lead and support the transition to on-demand manufacturing.

At ITMA 2023, Israel-based Kornit Digital hosted a showcase under the slogan “Digital Production Goes Mainstream.” The company highlighted its end-to-end production facilities for on-demand manufacturing where the latest manufacturing technologies have been integrated into a T-shirt production line. It starts with user-friendly design software. The 3D simulation of a virtual garment enables customers to evaluate and finalize their design decisions. Unique, customized designs are digitally printed using a direct-to-garment printer, where curing also is administered seamlessly. The finished products are automatically packaged and shipped out for delivery. During the entire process, every tangible and intangible resource is managed by barcodes, such as print designs, fabric substrate decisions, and information on size and fit, among other information. Although Kornit did not spot-light cut-and-sew processes of the T-shirts in detail, automatic cutting and assembly may be involved on some level.

Automated manufacturing of sewn products is a prerequisite condition to enable on-demand production. Thanks to computer-aided-design tools and network systems, product development processes continue to be digitalized and remotely managed, but cut-and-sew operations still heavily rely on skilled human labor for hands-on assembly¹. Electrically powered sewing machines have assisted the fashion industry for more than 100 years, but the dependence on human dexterity and experience has not yet been lowered as radically as expected. Meaningful advances are semi-automated sewing systems that have been introduced to the market, where a human operator loads and aligns work pieces to the machine¹. Sewing automation is considered the last piece of the puzzle that finalizes the transition to a new revolutionary age in the future of fashion.

Since the worldwide clothing market is worth about $1.52 trillion², on-demand manufacturing has arisen as a game changer to boost the global economy as well as improve the quality of life. The benefit will not be limited to fashion consumers taking advantage of satisfactory products at an affordable price right on time. It allows a more ethical work environment for product developers by releasing the pressure from seasonal deadlines and inventory management. Less waste is generated because every production guarantees actual sales³. Personalization could have customers emotionally attached to what they create and buy, and there-fore the product lifespan becomes extended, turning the fashion market over for sustainable developments.

Based on the observations and discussions with machinery producers during ITMA 2023, this article introduces recent technical advances in automated apparel manufacturing. ITMA is the largest international textile and garment technology exhibition that takes place every four years. In 2023, the event featured 18 sectors for different manufacturing sectors, including spinning, weaving, knitting and printing, among other sectors. The two sectors explored and investigated in depth for this article — automatic cutting systems and automated sewing units — were under the garment making division. By illustrating several examples of automated equipment, novel features and key trends are highlighted for apparel cutting and sewing technologies. Reviewing the report on the same topic out of ITMA 2019 (see “Automated Cutting & Sewing Developments,” Textile World, March/April 2020), readers can gain more insights into where textile and apparel technologies were, are, and will be.

Automation In Cutting

Cutting rooms in apparel manufacturing facilities have been consistently mechanized and digitalized in the past 60 years since Gerber Technology introduced the first automated cutting system in the 1960s. Nowadays, computer numerically controlled (CNC) cutters are widely spread and adopted by many apparel manufacturers dealing with large quantity production. Various cutting technologies have been developed for diverse applications, including blade, laser, water jet, plasma and ultrasound technologies. As automated cutting technology reaches maturity, cutter manufacturers are focused on the development of auxiliary systems maximizing cutting efficiency.

Multiple major CNC cutter manufacturers participated in ITMA 2023. Italy-based Morgan Tecnica S.p.A. is one of the visible leaders in cutting innovations. Switzerland-based Zünd Systemtechnik AG and Kuris Spezialmaschinen GmbH, Germany, also are steady key players. Serkon Tekstil Makina, Turkey, continues to thrive. Based on observations of the automated cutting systems displayed during ITMA 2023, key technical features could be characterized into three points as follows: seamless integrations of equipment before and after cutting; popularity of optical pattern matching system; and enhanced heavy-duty cutting capability.

One of the noticeable features in the latest cutting equipment is that the system integration is more aligned than ever before. Multiple manufacturers presented their cutters together with other equipment in a row mimicking an actual production line, such as fabric inspectors, spreaders and pattern labelers. For example, Italy-based IMA S.p.A. showcased its “Syncro Cutting Room” where equipment — including a fabric roll loader, a spreader, an automatic cutter, and a labeler — can be mixed and matched Spreaders and labelers are not brand-new technology, but the seamless integration in between equipment was spotlighted in machine demonstrations during ITMA.

Kuris showcased a spreader with air blowers in connection with its cutter (See Figure 1). Air blowing facilitates precise and accurate control of elastic fabrics. A compressed air supply of up to 6 bar flattens and prevents the cut edges of fabric from curling. It also assists to blow fabric folds out from each layer, which minimizes human intervention during spreading. Vibrating plates are equipped to help release unnecessary tension on the fabric. Orox Group S.r.l., Italy, also introduced a spreader with com-pressed air of 100 liters per minute (7 bar) . Its spreading stick is equipped with the buttons for remote control to maximize productivity of the operator (See Figure 1).

Although cutting has fairly been automated since late 1900s, it has remained heavily dependent on human labor to sort and bundle cut pieces. As the technology progressed, labelers were incorporated into the cutter and assisted manual unloading processes. The features of the labeler seem to be diversified into multiple approaches. Morgan Tecnica continued sticking thermally printed labels directly to the cut pieces by locating additional cross-bar for labelling purposes (See Figure 2). Another approach was demonstrated by Serkon Tekstil Makina which placed a projector screening pattern layouts and the associated information over the cutting table (See Figure 2). Laser projection has been previously implemented for leather cutting, where non-rectangular substances with intri-cate geometries must be detected and located on the table before cutting. This technology is now widespread and assists sorting and unloading cut pieces. China-based TPET showcased a stamping machine that inks the information directly on each cut piece after unloading (See Figure 2).

Vision technology for pattern alignment has become more mainstream than ever before. Machine vision technology collects information from visual resources, detects optical characteristics of the surface, positions and manages them interactively⁴. Pat-tern matching assistance using optical devices was initiated in the early 2010s, and the technology continued to grow over the past decades. As a result, most cutters at ITMA 2023 were equipped with a high-mounted camera (see Figure 3) capturing the surface characteristics of cutting beds in real time. Recognizing design patterns over the fabric surface, this camera synchronizes the fabric surface information between the cutting table and marker screen. This allows visual administration of pattern alignment for garments made from stripes or plaids and engineered prints. Possible technical shortcomings are known to be associated with poor image quality, low precision, low efficiency, and high labor intensity of manual operation4.

Morgan Tecnica configured its vision system different from other manufacturers. While other manufacturers adopted a single commercial off-the-shelf camera (See Figure 3), Morgan Tecnica has developed multiple cameras specific to its system. The cameras re mounted as low as 50 to 60 centimeters from the cutting table, together with plenty of light sources (See Figure 4). To ensure a wider angle of view, four cameras are installed processing data in connection. Intense lighting from relatively short distances could provide clearer vision, improving accuracy and completeness of the overall system. It might also be easier to manage the cameras and light sources in case physical adjustments are required. In addition, the optical system that “sees” the fabric surface makes it possible to cut sublimation printed fabrics without creating separate markers since the print contours are detected for a cutting line as shown in Figure 4.

Cutting equipment with enhanced heavy-duty capabilities also was on display. Italy-based FK Group S.p.A. and IMA showcased their cutter models, Iron Heavy and Typhoon, respectively, capable of cutting 60-millimeter-thick stacks of denim fabric (See Figure 5). IMA also presented a sloper cutter, Maxima SP, that can cut 5-mm-thick hard boards for the accurate and precise management of flat patterns. Germany-based automated cutter manufacturer, Bullmer GmbH, employed modular cutting tools for its Premiumcut ELC cutter, which can handle various composite materials from fabric, rubber, and metal, for diverse industry applications. Here, the maximum cutting depth varies depending on the material.

Automation In Sewing

In contrast to the competent progress in cutting technology, automated sewing is still in the middle of developing its core technology. It is notoriously difficult to automate apparel assembly. In most commercial systems currently available, automated sewing capability is limited to simple textile products such as pillowcases, bed sheets, towels and mats. With only straight seams involved in a simple structure, these types of products are the first-generation products pioneering sewing automation. Automated production of these products looks more specialized and diversified than before and was demonstrated by a number of companies during ITMA 2023. Multiple technologies for fully automated production of bed sheets, towels, and mats were on display. The flat single layered structure of these products means they can simply be finished by cutting fabrics and finishing the edges, but sewing techniques are quite varied depending on production needs. The systems for bed sheets and towels, demonstrated by Texpa GmbH and Carl Schmale GmbH & Co. KG (Schmale Durate), both based in Germany, were equipped with fold-and-sew stitchers located on the path along which the fabric was transported. With multiple trimming options, decorative effects are available (See Figure 6). TPET completed towels by applying overlock stitches covering the edges instead of folding and Italy-based Rimac S.r.l. chose to stitch a binding around a car mat (See Figure 6).

The appearance of diverse handling technologies was noticeable in each system. As captured in Figure 6, TPET uses a metal plate pressing a fabric piece against a worktable to rotate the piece while its four-side edges are sewn. Another type of handling technique — four grippers— was charged to pick up, unload, and stack the finished towels. Rimac adopted spheric rollers, where roller arrays spin omni-directionally and transport a workpiece over the sewing table. Schmale Durate and Texpa utilize a few sets of cylinder rolls to feed and drive fabric forward. Though omni-directional rotations are not achievable in this configuration, it is still possible to turn the workpiece perpendicularly.

More than a single layer of fabric needs to be incorporated for pillowcase production. Fully automated pillowcase production starts with two fabric layers passing through feeders into the system directly from fabric rolls (See Figure 7). They are seamed at each side by two sewing machines located on their path and cut to a certain length depending on pillow dimensions. Flowing on a conveyor, the workpiece is turned to 90 degrees and the third seam is finished while a product label is simultaneously inserted. Heat treatment follows on the unseamed side to protect the edge from unraveling.

A pillow maker — which is a separate system from pillowcase maker —was demonstrated by a Sweden-based company ACG Kinna Automatic (See Figure 8). It requires a pre-sewn pillowcase to start with, which could be acquired using a system such as the one described above. The pre-sewn pillowcase is loaded onto the system by a human operator and filled with filler materials. It flows along a conveyor and the open seam is closed (See Figure 8). The pillow maker includes two simple opera-tions for filling and closing, but it is remarkable to see that 3D products can be handled and processed through automatic systems. It is expected sooner or later that the ini-tial loading step will be mechanized, making the system fully automated.

One new invention was seen in the T-shirt sewing machine presented by Texpa. It showcased automated sewing capability for stitching seams in a streamlined shape, while other companies have stuck to sewing straight seams. Texpa’s machine was configured with two overlock stitchers located in variable distances (See Figure 9). Once two layers of T-shirt fabric, front and back plied with each other, are loaded by a human opera-tor, the sewing machines start creating side seams on each side simultaneously. While stitches are made moving the fabric forward, the machines also travels right and left for a predetermined distance and speed. This movement results in curved side seams that shape a T-shirt.

This approach to T-shirt sewing is somewhat comparable to what Germany-based Nähmaschinenfabrik Emil Stutznaecker GmbH & Co. KG (Mammut) has implemented for mattress production in terms of the fact that both a workpiece and a sewing machine are moving. In the Mammut automatic quilter, a big frame holds multiple layers of rectangular workpieces tight while a sewing head travels omni-directionally to leave needle stitches in patterns. Making a synchronized movement to the top sewing head, a counterpart sewing head with a bobbin exists underneath the workpiece. In this way, Mammut creates double lockstitches in diverse quilting patterns. A hollow frame makes it possible for needle and bob-bin threads to get interlaced at any spot. The overall configuration of the automated quilting machine is similar to the structure of automatic cutters where a cutting head is attached to a crossbar moving over the workpiece.

The use of a hollow frame, however, would not always be possible when stitching fabric pieces of greater variety in their shape and size, such as during apparel production. A Denmark-based company, Fast Sewn (Mikkelsen Innovation ApS), has proposed an innovative method, called “mobile cavity technology” for automated garment assembly (See Figure 10). A sewing table is made of multiple conveyor belts that transport the workpiece, but the belt successfully detours the sewing spot by creating a mobile cavity around a bobbin. In this configuration, the flexible workpiece still gets supported and driven along the process, while the interlacing between needle and bobbin yarns takes place anywhere on the workpiece. This relatively new company is expected to launch commercial machinery on to the market eventually.

One of the leading companies in automated sewing, Atlanta-based Softwear Automation Inc., was absent from ITMA 2023. Its introduction of the Sewbot® revolutionized apparel manufacturing in 2012, with its vision of producing clothing without traditional garment workers. Its system utilizes a combination of patented high-speed vision technology and lightweight robotics that monitor fabric pieces and steer the workpiece through conventional sewing machines. Specialized in T-shirt production, Sewbot was launched as a service contract for a monthly fee starting at $5,000 per unit⁵. As previously reported in Textile World, an automated T-shirt workline was able to produce a collared shirt in 162 seconds⁶.

Alternative Sewing Technologies

On the other hand, alternative sewing technologies were more visible than before at ITMA. They may replace stitch-making operations such as ultrasonic welding, adhesive bonding and printed embroidery. Those operations might be considered easier to administer without a human operator compared to conventional sewing. Ultrasonic welding and adhesive bonding are not new technologies, but extended applications were featured at ITMA.

Spain-based Optron Textile Machinery presented calender rolls that can create welded lines of quilting stitches over a blanket or a mattress (See Figure 11). Major sewing machine makers Juki Corp. and Brother Industries Ltd., both headquartered in Japan, also displayed several welding machines that can join thermoplastic fabrics. According to Hayes and McLoughlin⁷, welded seams are less durable, but create softer and smoother joints than sewn and bonded seams.

Adhesive bonding is similar, but different from welding because joining is accomplished by solidifying an adhesive material placed between the layers of workpieces. Typical adhesive materials are in the form of tape, which is activated under heat and pressure and joins seams by melting through the fabric structure. Bonding is possible for almost all non-fleece fabrics with some limitations, such as porous materials⁸. Brother attracted good deal of attention ITMA with its bonding machine equipped with a liquid adhesive feeder (See Figure 11). Bonded seams for apparel are reported to be smoother and less visible than sewn seams.

Another sew-free technology example was demonstrated by Kornit Digital. A printed embroidery technique was spotlighted as a part of its digital production line of T-shirts. Its direct-to-garment printers were improved for quality production enough to mimic 3D surface decorations such as embroidery. As shown in Figure 12, it was not easy to distinguish between stitches and prints even close up. A major advantage of using printed embroidery is to digitally control the manufacturing processes. Leaving nothing on the wrong side of the fabric, it also maintains the light and soft properties of the fabric rather than adding intense embroidery stitches.

Textile Industry 4.0

The textile industry was at the fore-front of three prior industrial revolutions and is actively adapting itself to the fourth revolution currently going on. Triggered and driven by information technology development, the major innovations for Industry 4.0 are based on digital transformation. It aims to merge the actual and virtual worlds through cyberphysical systems and interconnects humans and machines through the Internet of Things (IoT)9. This allows apparel producers to monitor manufacturing issues in real time and control production progress remotely making apparel factories smart. The key elements of the technology are the IoT and interoperable network. The overarching goal is maximizing production efficiency and productivity. As evidenced at ITMA 2023, Industry 4.0 is an active on-going term for many textile companies with lots of technological innovations forthcoming. With Industry 4.0 in mind, multiple cutting and sewing machine
producers are actively engaged with software development, working to expand the capability of their hardware. Multiple examples were found at ITMA. Zünd Systemtechnik has partnered with Portugal-based Mind Technology to strengthen its user interface. Juki continues linking its hardware devices to the network system, called JaNets¹. Mammut launched its own software product series that reads machine operation status, formulates analytic reports on productivity issues and suggests predictive maintenance. ACG Kinna Automatic is working on developing software to reinforce their its technology, not only to enhance pattern matching accuracy, but also to inspect and manage fabric defects efficiently.

In regard to quality control, advanced technologies are more actively incorporated, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. For a long time, quality control systems were not autonomous and asked machine operators to stay alerted and detect product defects. Relying on human-oriented labor, some defects often ended up unnoticed until finished products reached the end user. Thanks to recent advances in vision technology, artificial intelligence now replaces human inspectors and assists production optimization by suggesting data-driven decisions. At ITMA, Serkon Tekstil Makina demonstrated a new fabric inspection system run by deep vision technology and artificial intelligence. Its system is designed to manage not only surface defects, but also color transitions.

Another visible area pioneered by artificial intelligence is creative design. By merging artificial intelligence into computer-aided design (CAD) tools, the intelligent CAD system creates digital designs automatically based on the database from various resources and provides professional suggestions for new designs. This enables people with limited expertise in design to customize products for themselves, which supports the very first stage of on-demand manufacturing. A start-up company, Myth.AI, presented an AI-based pattern design tool at ITMA that visualizes unique unlimited options for new designs from multiple clicks.

In the meantime, the next revolution — Industry 5.0 — already is underway in the textile industry, while many industries are still in the middle of Industry 4.0. According to the European Union⁹, Industry 5.0 discusses the values beyond manufacturing efficiency and productivity. Shifting the focus from economic to societal values, it adds sustainable development and human-centric solutions to Industry 4.0. The concept is not new, however. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) or triple bottom line approaches have been emphasized during the past decades by different levels of entities across the world. Industry 5.0 reminds us that human, environmental, and social aspects are a corporate social responsibility for the textile and apparel industry. Supporting Industry 5.0, specific examples of machinery in tangible and intangible formats are foreseen to dominate future ITMAs.

Developmental Journey

The technological innovations presented in ITMA 2023 were summarized to highlight the advanced state of automation in apparel cut-and-sew processes. The advances were obviously seen both in quality and quantity. More diverse applications of automated cutting and sewing technology were visible compared to ITMA 2019¹. The key trends in cutting were seamless integrations of equipment before and after cutting, popularity of optical pattern matching system, and enhanced heavy-duty cutting capability. Compared to cutting, sewing automation was still under active development of core technologies, which allowed only limited types of products in automated configurations. The direction of this developmental journey makes it clear that the textile and apparel industry is making a steady progress every day towards the fourth industry revolution and Industry 4.0.

References

1. Suh, M. (2019). Automated cutting and sewing for industry 4.0 at ITMA 2019. Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management. Special Issue,
1- 13.
2. Aeppel, T. (2022). Robots set their sights on a new job: sewing blue jeans, Reuters, Retrieved on July 2023 from https://www.reuters.com/technology/robots-set-their-sights-new-job-sewing-blue-jeans-2022-12-12/
3. Davies, G. (2021). How does on-demand manufactur-ing work for fashion brands? Techpacker, Retrieved on July 2023 from https://techpacker.com/blog/design/fashion-on-demand-manufacturing/
4. Li, R., Zhao, S., and Yang, B. (2023). Research on the application status of machine vision technology in furniture manufacturing process. Applied Sciences, 13(4), 1-14.
5. Francis, S. (2019), SoftWear Automation launches Sewbots as a service, Robotics and Automation News, Retrieved on July 2023 from https://roboticsand automationnews.com/2019/02/05/softwear-automa-tion-launches-sewbots-as-a-service/20847/#:~: text=For%20a%20monthly%20fee%20starting,and%2 0three%20shifts%20a%20day
6. Textile World (2019). Sewbots® Transforming The Sewn Products Industry, Textile World, Retrieved on July 2023 from https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/2019/07/sewbots-transforming-the-sewn-prod ucts-industry/
7. Hayes, S. and McLoughlin, J. (2015). The sewing of textiles, In J. Jones and G.K. Stylios (Eds.) Joining Textiles (pp. 66-122). Sawston, United Kingdom: Woodhead Publishing.
8. Sarkar, J., Rifat, N. M., Sakib-Uz-Zaman, M., Al Faruque, M. A., & Prottoy, Z. H. (2023). Advanced Technology in Apparel Manufacturing. In M. Rahman, M. Mashud, and M. Rahman (Eds.) Advanced Technology in Textiles: Fibre to Apparel (pp. 177-231). Singapore: Springer Nature.
9. Muller, J. (2021). Enabling Technologies for Industry 5.0, European Commission, Retrieved on July 2023 from https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/pub-lication/8e5de100-2a1c-11eb-9d7e-01aa75 ed71a1/language-en

Editor’s Note: Dr. Minyoung Suh is an assistant professor in the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State, Raleigh, N.C., in the department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management. This article was adapted for Textile World from a paper by Dr. Suh published in the NC State Wilson College of Textiles’ Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (JTATM).

January/February 2024

Part one in a two-part feature reviewing improved tests for fabric performance along with automated inspection and digitalization technologies that reduce product defects and waste to help improve the textile supply chain.

By Dr. Kavita Mathur

Key topics at ITMA 2023, held in Milan, Italy, included Automation and Digital Future, Advanced Materials, Sustainability and Circularity, and Innovative Technologies. These focus areas were very prominent throughout the show and were displayed in the ways of continuous improvement and advancements in technology, design capabilities and service for enhanced performance and overall efficiency. Machine manufacturers displayed diversified machines for apparel, home, carpet and technical textiles applications. To service these broad product portfolios, testing and qual-ity control (QC) equipment manufacturers offer advanced instruments in the field of measurement and control and automation, which support the textile industry in achieving efficient and reliable QC.

Textile testing and QC form a very important part of textile production, distribution and consumption. Quality management is important not only inside the factory, but also between suppliers because it helps to ensure the safety and quality for brands and consumers. Textile testing is used to check the quality and suitability of raw materials and aid in their selection, monitor production, assess the final product, investigate faulty material, and during product research and development. QC instruments, software and test methods have never been more important throughout the textile supply chain.

It is worth mentioning the increased number of digital solutions— many presented at the show — to help manage resource use and minimize waste, perform continuous online QC, and carry out automatic fault detection and predictive maintenance. The machinery and software presented at the show reduces the need for physical prototypes by way of virtual design software, simulation tools and digital replicas that facilitate testing and QC. Software solutions —either stand-alone or integrated into machinery — were more present at ITMA 2023 than in previous editions of the show. Machine learning and generative artificial intelligence (AI) may be the next frontier in testing and QC of textile materials.

The article covers the latest developments and advancements in testing and quality control technologies for fibers, yarns and fabrics presented by exhibitors at ITMA 2023 in five separate areas — fiber and yarn measurement, fabric performance testing, color measurement and communication, tactile measurement, and QC measurement.

Fiber And Yarn Measurement

Germany-based Textechno GmbH & Co. — represented in the United States by Greenville, S.C.-based Measured Solutions Inc. —presented its latest innovations at ITMA 2023, including several testing devices for fibers, yarns, nonwovens and fabrics. Two of these innovations are a new weak spot tester for spun yarns; and a modular testing system, which determines the quality parameters of recycled fibers, including fibers from post-industrial and post-consumer waste, regardless of their color, blending or chemical treatment.

The increasing importance of work safety as well as new demands for testing reinforcement fibers motivated Textechno to develop a new electronic wrap reel, the Texreel. It is applicable to textile yarns as well as technical yarns and reinforcement fibers used in composites such as car-bon fiber tows and glass fiber rovings. As part of the new ITMA chapter “Composites,” Textechno demonstrated the Fimatest testing system for fiber/matrix adhesion and for the characterization of roving and tow properties. The system consists of the Fimabond embedding station and a clamping accessory to the Favimat+. Information about the dynamics of the bonding process is provided through a new feature of the Fimatest, via contact angle measurements.

Additionally, the company exhibited the latest generation of its Favimat+ and Statimat DS testers. Favimat+ Airbot 2 is an automatic linear density and tensile tester for single fibers used to test various types of fibers, including high molecular weight polyethylene, glass, carbon and aramid, and is considered among the most important test devices with its structure combining six single-fiber test methods. For this device, since Textechno has already successfully entered the market of testing reinforcement fibers such as glass or carbon fiber, the company also presented an integrated measurement of fiber conductivity that is especially interesting in the field of smart textiles. Covafil+, designed by Textechno for filament yarns, was also on display. Compatible with MDTA 4, Covafil+ is identified as a reliable quality control system that can be adjusted to various applications, ensuring that all yarn parameters are tested at the same time.

Statimat DS, another innovation exhibited at Textechno’s stand, offers a new series of automatic tension tests, including tensile, shear, evenness and yarn count measurement, which are the most important four test methods of textile yarns and threads. Beside these machines, Textechno also introduced the MDTA 4, a micro-dust, trash and fiber-length tester, part of its Fibre Classifying System. The MDTA 4 works by processing raw cotton from the bale, providing data relating to impurities such as neps, trash, dust and fiber fragment content. The MDTA 4 can be used to determine the stickiness of raw cotton. For precise analysis of the number and size of impurities, it can also be combined with the NTDA module.

Another well-known manufacturer of textile testing equipment, Lenzing Instruments GmbH & Co. KG, Austria, provided a detailed insight into its comprehensive range of testing equipment for online, at-line and laboratory applications. In line with sustainability being a key theme for the textile industry at ITMA, these resource saving factors connected to QC with Lenzing Instruments also contribute to greener production processes. The company presented solutions for enhanced testing efficiency, reproducibility and accuracy, including the ACW 600/DVA, the DTI 600, the Rapid 600 and Sess. These systems enable yarn bobbins to be tested for linear density (dtex, denier) —using the ACW 600/DVA; for molecular orientation via the DTI 600, as well as for entanglement of flat and industrial yarn shortly after the last production step. Used together with the highly automated sampling system Sess, these ASTM standardized at-line testing instruments can decisively contribute to quick reactions to any detected quality issues. Additionally, intended for high-volume offline detection of filament yarn defects such as broken filaments and fluff, the company presented its Elkometer 200. Equipped with a customized number of Prompt Olo optical defect detection sensors, the system enables simultaneous defect inspection of up to eight yarn bobbins.

Italy-based MESDAN S.p.A. offered a comprehensive range of testing equipment for physical analysis, dyeing, and finishing assessment. At ITMA, MESDAN displayed its solutions in the spinning hall on the VANDEWIELE stand and at the Thermetrics booth. Highlights from the company included a new mechatronic splicer for the Savio Proxima machine; two novel cotton fiber testing systems — the CONTEST-F2 for high volume cotton fiber testing and the CONTEST-S, a cotton stickiness tester; and the LAB SHREDDING MACHINE, a new laboratory scale equipment for textile mechanical recycling. The latest shredding machine complements its well-known Mini-Spinning line, extending Mesdan’s applications in one of the most important trends — textile recycling.

Switzerland-based Uster Technologies AG introduced its latest product for fabric inspection. The company presented solutions based on automation and artificial intelligence, which are now integrated in its innovative fabric inspection technologies. The company attracted attention at the show for its new 360Q integrated solution suite, which combines instrumentation, software and support services for better decision making in the mill. The company has observed that many mills do not have enough personnel resources, and considering the fact that the number of textile graduates is insufficient, automation will simplify mills’ work. Uster’s 360Q presented a solution suite to enable the mill to be more successful, meaning it can make better-informed decisions that have a real impact on profits.

For fabric quality management, a component of the 360Q suite is the Uster Fabriq Assistant, a central platform for automated processing, analysis and visualization of quality data from Uster fabric inspection systems. The application is a Web-based tool with individual user accounts and specific dashboards. The Assistant eliminates manual data processing and speeds up decision processes significantly. Fabric manufacturers can release their product for delivery automatically based on their specific business rules without any humans in the loop, which eliminates bottlenecks and increases productivity. The application can also show a summary of quality performance from all the fabric rolls ever inspected in the mill. Information is presented as a variety of statistical analysis tools, with results in different charts, histograms or evolution trends. Fabriq Assistant uses advanced technologies such as AI. The AI attaches codes to each image generated by the Uster Fabriq Vision products, eliminating the need of mill personnel to spend time and effort, inserting codes to each defect in a computer to carry out a data review. Data classification — AI Classification — is fully automated with the use of AI, so producers can save more than 80 percent of the time taken when using manual methods.

The company also launched a new edition of Uster Statistics, a globally accepted quality benchmark for industry-wide quality improvement, which now includes a section for recycled yarn. The Uster Statistics 2023 edition features an extended range of fiber data, supporting sustainability goals. The challenge in this area is the spinning of recycled yarns. Uster Statistics aims to facilitate spinners transforming their mills to a more sustainable future, as spinning yarn blends of virgin and recycled fibers is a much bigger challenge than any other commonly used blend.

Italy-based Tomsic S.r.l., active in the production and marketing of complete laboratory equipment for spinning mills and autoleveller systems for cards and drawframes, showcased its new innovation — the Tomsic Nep & Trash Tester — designed to facilitate the control and tuning of fiber parameters in spinning mills. The company is trying to reduce electricity consumption in its products. The tester offers spinners control technology, simplicity of operation, flexibility and low maintenance costs, according to Tomsic. The company also presented its Evenness tester and the TensoTester3 strength tester, as well as other laboratory equipment for spinning mills.

Fabric Performance Testing

Among the companies with solutions to test fabric performance, Atlas Material Testing Technology, Mount Prospect, Ill. — a provider of accelerated lightfastness testing instruments and services for the textile industry — showcased its Ci3000+ Fade-Ometer® and Xenotest® 440 instruments. With Atlas weathering instruments, users can closely simulate real-world exposure to sunlight, temperature and moisture under accelerated conditions, allowing them to quickly and accurately predict product service life.
The Ci3000+ Fade-Ometer is widely considered the benchmark instrument for weathering and light-fastness testing of textiles. It has an advanced digital control system and optical technologies for reliable control of all test parameters, providing accurate prediction of textile products’ service life. The instrument features a large and intuitive graphical user interface, WXView. Also, for textile weathering tests, the Xenotest 440 is a compact, high-performance xenon-arc instrument with an ultrasonic humidifier to reduce water consumption, up to 4,000-hour lamp service life, and capable of simultaneous testing of more than 200 samples and meeting global lightfastness and weathering standards, including AATCC, ISO, Marks & Spencer and GB/T.

England-based SDC Enterprises (SDCE), with a newly designed logo and brand refresh, used ITMA 2023 in Milan to launch two new products — the PVC Sensor Film for testing BS EN ISO Standard 9185:2007 and the Reference 7 Wool Liquid Detergent, in line with the updated version of ISO Standard 6330:2021. These two products add to SDCE’s range of products for color fastness, lightfastness and physical testing for QC of textiles at international BS, EN and ISO Standards. The exhibit included Martindale consumables, detergents, grey scales, blue wools, and SDCE’s signature Multifiber for guaranteed consistency in the quality control of textiles.

In addition to its fiber testing equipment, Mesdan also presented three new yarn and fabric testing solutions: AUTOFIL, a high speed, fully automatic, 24-position yarn strength tester that can also test threads, hanks and fabrics in the semi-automatic mode; AUTODYN 3, a single-position, automatic version tensile strength tester for fibers, yarns, hanks and fabrics that incorporates an automatic yarn loading system; and BURSTMATIC, a pneumatic bursting tester to determine the bursting resistance of woven and knitted fabrics, nonwovens, and cardboard.

Rock Hill, S.C.-based SDL Atlas presented its extensive offering in consumables for QC. In addition to many core performance textiles testers, like the MMT moisture tester, DryRate 201 for the determination of dry rates, and FTT for skin touch property measurements, the company displayed next generation versions of its HydroPro, a hydrostatic head tester; AirPerm, an air permeability tester for paper, textiles and nonwovens; and Vortex Plus, a multiple-wash simulator machine.

England-based James Heal, a PPT Group brand centered in material testing, focused its presence at ITMA on innovations related to testing protective clothing and personal protective equipment. Continued development of textile testing equipment has been driven by global growth in more advanced protective wear, particularly for military and emergency services sectors. Initially launched at ITMA 2019, the company showcased developments in the James Heal Performance Testing Range line of instruments. Among them were the WickView, a tester for moisture wicking behavior in fabric; Aquabrasion, for analysis of effects of wet abrasion to better replicate real-life wear situations; and TruRain, a sustainable water repellency tester able to recycle water and cutting waste by 99 percent. In particular, WickView has moved ahead of the current test standard for moisture wicking behavior in fabric. James Heal is working with the industry to establish new standards in this area of textile testing after it developed its own test methods.

England-based Roaches International — a globally recognized manufacturer and supplier of laboratory dyeing, finishing equipment and textile performance testing instruments— introduced its IR Bonder, a vertical infrared bonding and chemical application line consisting of a single end bond applicator and infrared curing chamber with extremely low electrical consumption. The IR Bonder is integrated with a single head winder and, in addition to textile industry, has a potentially broad range of application markets including the automotive and medical sectors. Its drying mechanism simulates current coating technology and standard winding equipment to bond sewing threads by applying a nylon terpolymer, which is applied in a solution form. The system has a running speed of up to 600 meters per minute to process narrow width yarns or textiles on as many as six lanes.

GESTER International Co. Ltd., China, presented the GT-C13B-6 Martindale Abrasion Pilling Tester, offering precise evaluation of fabric pilling resistance, which is the standard method of determining the wear resistance of textiles or leather and the resistance to pilling. The company also displayed its GT-C02-1, a precisely calibrated tester to determine the tensile strength and elongation of fabrics. Also on display was equipment for waterproof test-ing of fabrics, hood fabric, tarpaulin, rainproof fabrics and geotextiles; the highly efficient GT-C26B hydrostatic pressure bursting tester; mask synthetic blood penetration tester, the GT-RA01, exclusively designed to test the blood penetration resistance of masks; the GT-C09 vertical tensile button tensing machine, which can perform even and vertical tensile test of all kinds of buttons on garments; and two circular sample cutters —the GT-C75 and GT-C75-3.

In the area of smart textile testing, China-based ChiuVention presented a number of instruments including its SmartTexLab smart lab management system, which is the first of its kind in the textile industry. This smart system efficiently digitally links multiple smart textile testing instruments and sample preparation equipment using multiple technologies like IoT automation, RFID, AI or vision detection. With this software, customers can easily control, obtain and share test results by installing the company’s SmartTexLab app on their cell phones. This is in line with the Sustainability and Circularity topic at ITMA, as textile labs can achieve automatic sample identification, automatic sample cutting, and automatic transmission of test results for the same sample and instrument, and then, after the test, a summary report can be quickly shared online to the quality control department or customer.

In addition to the SmartTexLab, and among the most popular of its nine instruments showcased, the company showed its SmartShrink Rate Tester. The machine is used to automatically calculate the shrinkage rate of a particular textile product, using visual automation to capture warp and weft data of the textile before and after shrinkage rate testing. The process can be done in seconds, reducing human error and improving the efficiency of this process in textile factories.

Q Lab Corp., Westlake, Ohio, showcased its accelerated weathering and lightfastness testers. The varied versions of the Q-SUN testers use xenon arc lamps, which provide the best match to the full spectrum of sunlight and rain, and can reproduce the damage that occurs over months or years in outdoor environments. The company also presented its QUV, an accelerated weathering tester to measure UV damage in textiles. The QUV tester’s fluorescent lamps simulate short-wave ultraviolet (UV) rays, reproducing the physical damage caused by sunlight, which can include color change, gloss loss, blistering, embrittlement and strength loss, and oxidation, among other damage. The test chamber includes a condensation system that simulates dew, accelerating its effect using elevated temperatures.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Kavita Mathur is an associate professor in the department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, at Raleigh, N.C.-based NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles. This article was adapted for Textile World from a paper by Dr. Mathur published in the NC State Wilson College of Textiles’ Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (JTATM). Part two of this article will appear in an upcoming issue of TW.

January/February 2024

A look at the latest software developments in advanced  planning systems on display at ITMA 2023.

By Dr. Kristin A. Thoney-Barletta

ITMA 2023 featured a wide range of software technologies from companies located throughout the world. Software ran the gamut, but this article focuses primarily on advanced planning and scheduling systems (APS) showcased at ITMA 2023. In contrast to an ITMA review written after the 2019 ITMA show (see “Supply Chain Management Software For Textile Networks,” TW, September/October 2020) that provided an overview of 10 APS systems, this article compares the features of APS systems featured at ITMA 2023, presents developments in those systems over the past two to three years, and provides information on what company representatives feel are the key differentiating factors of their software.

Companies included in this article appeared in ITMA’s Index of Products in category 15.3.2 — “Software systems for Supply Chain Management (SCM) in textile networks” and/or 15.3.3, “Software for Enterprise resource Planning [ERP], Product Lifecycle Management [PLM], and Production Planning and Scheduling [PPS].”

Details Of APS Software Packages

All the software packages discussed here offer the ability to provide detailed capacity planning, and also can generate detailed production schedules to help meet customer due dates and minimize costs over one or more factories. Most of the company representatives who were interviewed considered their company’s software to be an ERP system, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), a Quality Management System (QMS), a Warehouse Management System (WMS), and a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (See Table 1). Only some of the representatives considered the software to be a PLM system. This is not surprising, since PLM systems are designed to manage product development, while APS systems focus on managing production. Only Italy-based Retelit S.p.A., the developer of Just MES manufacturing execution system, did not consider its software to be an ERP system.

Company representatives also were asked about the types of textiles processes and industries in which their software package is implemented. Table 2 displays the process results, while Table 3 reveals the findings regarding the industries. The tables show that all of the software systems have been implemented in a wide range of processes and industries. Software was least commonly implemented in nonwovens processes and footwear.

To provide information about system capability updates since the article from ITMA 2019 was published, the company representatives were asked what changes and additions were incorporated into their software over the past two to three years. Company representatives were also asked what differentiates their software from that of their competitors and what their customers tell them about why they chose their software over alternatives. The answers to these questions follow. The sections are grouped by the primary regions in which the software is implemented to allow the reader to focus on the regions in which they are most interested in APS software implementation.

Austria, Germany, Switzerland

Halo GmbH – inteos®, Germany: Klaus Kreutzberg of Kreutzberg Consulting, a Halo Business Partner, said that new features of inteos include the ability to control machines with mobile devices. A primary differentiator of inteos compared to its competitors is that inteos can track all materials used and can therefore sup-port the identification of an optimized reuse of the raw material. Kreutzberg says that customers choose inteos because Halo knows how a textile company thinks, helps to analyze its customer’s process and can customize its software if required.

France And Other Parts Of Europe

Schaeffer Productique, France: Olivier Heitz, technical manager, said that the latest version of Schaeffer Productique is fully Web-based, there is now workflow to manage fashion, and artificial intelligence has been added into the ability to change the scheduling rules. Key company differentiators include Schaeffer Productique’s ability to communicate about textiles and that the software is already used in textile factories. Heitz said that customers choose Schaeffer Productique because the company speaks the same language as most of its customers — French and German — and employs many textile engineers.
Italy

Computer House S.r.l., Italy: Paolo Langé, engineer at Computer House, said that Computer House® has added artificial intelligence into its software, including new functions to provide better production plans. Computer House’s experience over the past 30 years is what differentiates it from competitors. Langé said customers choose its software because Computer House continually improves its product and shares implementation of new features requested by one customer with other customers. In addition, Computer House is always willing to listen to its customers and react to customer requests.

Interlem GP Omega, Italy: CEO Andrea Picone said that Interlem GP Omega is now a completely Web-based software. It uses a new scheduling system called Net@Pro, in partnership with another company, and Interlem GP Omega also includes a new ERP version. In addition, a new Gantt chart-based procedure helps detect the source of problems. Picone believes that Interlem GP Omega’s scheduling is better than that of its competitors. The lower price and flexibility of Interlem GP Omega’s solution are other reasons he thinks that their customers choose Interlem GP Omega.

Worldwide

AREL, Australia: According to Michael Sakowicz, project manager, Arel has added business intelligence into its software, which allows companies to better meet a company’s key performance indicators. The strategy of how Arel works — taking a template and customizing it to the customer’s processes and business — is what differentiates it from competitors. Sakowicz believes that its customers choose Arel over alternatives because it can quickly change the software in reaction to the customer’s needs.

Datatex®, a global company with offices in Alpharetta, Ga.: Shannon McCarthy, head of Business Development & Administration Americas, said that Datatex® has updated its user interface, and its ERP module now has some finite capacity planning and scheduling. Datatex now also offers a finance module and a mobile sales app. Key differentiators of Datatex include strong scheduling, excellent transferability, and bottom up and actual costing. In addition, there is fairly limited customization in Datatex implementations because the software has so much functionality and this makes it easier to upgrade customer’s software with new releases. McCarthy believes that customers choose Datatex because it is proven, the company knows their customers’ manufacturing processes, and the software looks modern and is modern.

Just MES, Italy: Just MES used to be owned by Up Solutions, but now is owned by the Retelit Group. Lucrezia Rivetti, sales back office specialist, said that Just MES has added automatic planning capability and now includes machine learning algorithms to help companies analyze their processes. Differentiators of Just MES over its competitors include lower cost, ease of use and implementation, and that it is ERP independent. Rivetti said that customers appreciate that they do not have to explain textile processes to Just MES contacts at the Retelit Group because these contacts are very experienced with textile operations.

Porini S.r.l., Italy: Thorsten Steiert, a consultant at b4dynamics— an IT/ERP consulting company that works with Porini — said that Porini offers a complete system. Key differentiators are that Porini is based on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 system, it has cloud functionality, and when new features are added to the Microsoft system, Porini also can offer these capabilities. Steiert believes that customers choose Porini since it works with all kinds of textiles and textile processes and is very flexible.

Conclusions

There have been many changes to APS software over the past two to three years. Some company representatives said that its software now includes some mobile device capabilities. A few companies said that its software is now fully Web-based. Several mentioned that they have included artificial intelligence and business intelligence within their software solution.

With regards to factors that differentiate the software and why representatives believe customers choose their software over their competitors, many highlighted their company’s knowledge of textile process. In addition, many representatives also emphasized that its system has been developed to be used with textile processes, which means less cus-tomization is required. These advantages speak to why a textile company might want to choose an APS system that focuses on the textile industry rather than a general APS system.

APS company representatives also mentioned many other differentia-tors and reasons customers choose its system. Better scheduling was mentioned by a few representatives, as was lower cost. Some discussed cultural factors, like language knowledge or competency of area business practices. However, the reason most commonly given by company repre-sentatives was its responsiveness to customer requests.

Choosing the correct APS system is difficult. This paper provides a high-level comparison of potential options to help textile companies begin to narrow down possibilities.

Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: Dr. Kristin A. Thoney Barletta is professor, associ-ate head & director of Undergraduate Programs in the Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management Depart-ment at NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles. This article was adapted for TTWW from a paper by Dr. Barletta pub-lished in the NC State Wilson College of Textiles’ Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (JTATM).

January/February 2024

TW Special Report

ITMA 2023 is now in the textile industry’s rear-view mirror, but for exhibiting companies leads, connections and information accumulated during the event are starting points for future business opportunities and ideas for the next generation of technologies.

Textile World recently interviewed just a very small sample of exhibitors that participated in ITMA 2019, held in Milan, Italy, to learn about their experience and get a sense of the overall market for textile investment especially as it relates to the United States.

Responses below were provided by Will Motchar, Navis TubeTex; Hardy Sullivan, Thies Corp.; Rick Stanford, Baldwin Technology Co. Inc.; Gunar Meyer, Monforts; Stefan Engel, American Trützschler; and Thomas Oetterli, Rieter Group.

Responses are in no particular order and have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Respondent: Will Motchar, president and CEO of Navis TubeTex, Lexington, N.C.

TW: Can you comment on the quantity and quality of visitors at your booth during the show, and the countries and regions where the visitors came from?
Motchar: Quantity and quality of visitors was excellent at ITMA. As always, ITMA is a truly global show so we had current and potential customers from around the world. I would say South Asia was very strong, central and south America, and even the U.S. was well represented.

TW:Of the machines/technology your company had on display, what drew the most attention?
Motchar: Our newest acquisition, Gaston Systems foaming technology drew the most attention for us. The technology has been traditionally used for chemical application offering significant benefits in terms of reduced chemical, water, and energy usage. We now have the capability to use the Gaston technology to dye fabrics and even yarn in a continuous process that is far more sustainable than current methods.

TW: Based on customers’ interests and questions during the show, do you see any overarching trends? In your sector, what impact does sustainability have? 
Motchar: Well you said it, sustainability is the overarching trend. But customers want and HAVE to have real sustainable solutions, not just hyperbole. Too many suppliers are slapping the word “sustainability” on their newest models when the improvements are miniscule to non-existent.

TW: What is the appetite for investing? Is U.S. interest apparent?
Motchar: Discussions at ITMA were very positive for investment. However, we have not seen actual orders come in as fast as we anticipated following the exhibition. Interest from U.S. customers was very high, but they also have delayed ordering.

TW: Do recent orders point to any evidence of nearshoring and reshoring in the Western Hemisphere?
Motchar: Yes, definitely. There is no denying that we are seeing this happen. Probably a higher degree of nearshoring than reshoring, but both are happening.

TW: Do inflation and higher interest rates create investment headaches? Do you think the United States will avoid a recession?
Motchar: Absolutely. Inflation and high interest rates are a problem. Inflation is killing the lower and middle class buying power. Interest rates obviously play a big role in capital investment decisions. I do not think the U.S. will avoid a recession.

TW: Are there any roadblocks, such as high energy prices, holding manufacturers back from investing in new equipment and technologies?
Motchar: If anything, high energy prices are driving manufacturers to invest in new equipment and technologies that use less energy. The biggest roadblock for investing is uncertainty. Geopolitical and economic conditions are very volatile and unpredictable. That is a bad recipe for investment.

TW: Would you say ITMA 2023 was an overall success for your company?
Motchar: If we see the orders come in that were anticipated following the show it will be an overall success. Nevertheless it was a great opportunity to showcase all the new and exciting products/technologies that we have been working on.

Respondent: Hardy Sullivan, sales, Thies Corp., Rock Hill, S.C.

TW: Can you comment on the quantity and quality of visitors at your booth during the show, and the countries and regions where the visitors came from?
Sullivan:We were pleased with the traffic in terms of quantity of visitors from the Americas, Europe and India. The lingering effects of Covid probably resulted in a smaller turnout from China. While there weren’t a lot of deals negotiated on-site, some ITMA visits turned into sales. In other cases, however, promising projects have been delayed.  Being at ITMA was the right decision but the results have been mixed.

TW: Of the machines/technology your company had on display, what drew the most attention?
Sullivan: Practically every discussion started with Signature Series because of its strong environmental story and low operational cost. It was, literally, the centerpiece of our booth. Being able to prepare and dye cotton without salt in a dye jet is a compelling advancement. Of course, each customer has his own area of interest, so our focus follows the individual need.

TW: Based on customers’ interests and questions during the show, do you see any overarching trends? In your sector, what impact does sustainability have? 
Sullivan: For sure, sustainability and digitalization, which is a subset of sustainability, were the overarching trends.  Sustainability was our booth’s theme but, more importantly, it has been our engineering mission. To set our story apart, we openly reported metrics that quantify usages of water, materials, and electricity; and we benchmark our values to the next-best offering, not outdated standards.

TW: What is the appetite for investing? Is U.S. interest apparent?
Sullivan: U.S. textile producers tend to evolve capabilities rather than make greenfield, step-change investments in technology or new products.
In the United States there are relatively small but important pockets of customer interest.  A few examples of domestically-dyed end-uses include automotive fabrics, military fabrics, and upholstery yarns. Fiber cleaning and bleaching for nonwoven products, such as facial wipes, is another important market for us.
As happens in textiles, in the ‘90s and ‘00s there was an exodus of large-scale apparel dyers from the US to lower-cost countries.  While the US is not a strong market for dye machines, relatively, Thies US is well-prepared to support dyers that remain committed to domestic production. Large orders are infrequent, so we’re building machines for niche manufacturers and customizing automated chemical management solutions. The latter systems offer safe, hands-free blending and dispensing of fabric finishes and coatings to fabric applicators (i.e. pads, spray systems).
Thies produces machines in Germany but the technical, commercial, and warehousing support is local.

TW: Do recent orders point to any evidence of nearshoring and reshoring in the Western Hemisphere? 
Sullivan: Unfortunately, the evidence is not overwhelming.  We have had some pleasant surprises from orders from Mexico.  However, some near-shoring decisions appeared to have slowed.  With their economy struggling, are Chinese mills lowering prices to overcome slow supply and high transportation costs that were experienced during Covid?  We’re not sure.

TW: Do inflation and higher interest rates create investment headaches? Do you think the United States will avoid a recession?
Sullivan: US consumers have an oversized appetite for taking on debt, as evidenced by credit card debt reaching pre-pandemic levels. Inevitably, however, paying more for housing, in particular, is going to cut into consumer demand, particularly for semi-durable and durable goods.  In turn, our customer base may see a slowdown in sales.
A recent WSJ article indicated the US economy, which has been resilient, might have a soft landing, meaning lower inflation without a recession. I think a recession will be narrowly avoided … but our long-term problem, which is not being addressed, is rising debt.

TW: Are there any roadblocks, such as high energy prices, holding manufacturers back from investing in new equipment and technologies?
Sullivan: On the contrary, the US still has relatively low energy prices. When natural gas prices were high — early 2022 (Russia invaded Ukraine) — there was a spike in interest in our technologies that consume less fuel and recover energy from heated effluent. Now that the fuel price pressure has subsided, paybacks are longer and interest has softened a bit.
Of course, higher energy consumption has another cost — higher emissions of greenhouse gases. For now, at least, this environmental cost does not show up in ROI calculations.  As a result, this aspect of sustainability is not the driving factor for capital decisions.

TW: What are your thoughts on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in textile manufacturing and the technology your company designs/supplies?
Sullivan: I wouldn’t say we’re using AI today, meaning systems are working to make improvements without human intervention.  However, we do have customers that are taking full advantage of tools to work smarter.
Smart systems in use today consist of (1) an understanding of materials and processes (by smart, informed people), (2) user-friendly software networked to advanced machines for controlling process settings, (3) automatic, real-time measurement of process variables, (4) maintenance of wear-and-tear components, and (5) continuous implementation of lessons learned.
As a technical example, we offer chemical dispensing systems that have a self-learning feature.  A pump dispenses a predetermined volume and that volume is then measured by a flow meter.  If the flow meter indicates more or less chemical than expected, then the pump will adjust its number of revolutions, accordingly, during the next dispense.  In another example, we can easily ensure certain chemicals do not get combined in future recipes if we identify a negative interaction.  Lastly, I can envision a central system that shortens time spent problem-solving by analyzing data trends in an automated way.  For me, having a system that implements decisions without human intervention (AI) is a step too far, at least for now.
I think the most important job we have at Thies is to educate customers on the potential that already exists.

Respondent: Rick Stanford, vice president of Global Business Development, Textiles, Baldwin Technology Corp., St. Louis

TW: Can you comment on the quantity and quality of visitors at your booth during the show, and the countries and regions where the visitors came from?
Stanford: We had more than 300 visits with the vast majority high quality contacts.  As you can imagine a concentration of visitors came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Western Europe.  We heard that some Indians were not able to get their visas so traffic from India could have been better. We saw good traffic from Taiwan and Japan. I would say the Americas is about what you would expect.  Not so many visitors, but very serious opportunities.

TW: Based on customers’ interests and questions during the show, do you see any overarching trends? In your sector, what impact does sustainability have?
Stanford: In dyeing and finishing, sustainability and lowering the carbon footprint is the most important.  Our technology’s main objectives are in these areas. We believe that this ITMA was sustainability front and center and then mills were focused on how to improve their processes more than purchasing more production capacity. During COVID there was a big push for more production as people were working from home and looking for more comfortable, casual clothes. Now the mills have the capacity and want to be more sustainable with a lower carbon footprint.

TW: What is the appetite for investing? Is U.S. interest apparent?
Stanford: Asia is looking to invest. We actually sold machines at the show. For our technology, the U.S. is interested, but quite honestly, because of the poor business conditions, the U.S. mills are holding off on investment.  It really has not improved since the show.

TW: Would you say ITMA 2023 was an overall success for your company?
Stanford: Overall, it was the best ITMA I attended. I have attended each ITMA since Hanover in 1991. Baldwin has the products that the market is looking for and that helps. It was a well organized very successful exhibition. Many times exhibitions are a bit disappointing when you consider the money and people resources that are required. With this show, it definitely paid dividends!

Respondent: Stefan Engel,  CEO, Trützschler USA, Charlotte, N.C.

TW: Can you comment on the quantity and quality of visitors at your booth during the show, and the countries and regions where the visitors came from?
Engel: We were very pleased with the quantity and quality of our discussions. The fact that the total number of visitors at this ITMA was higher than at the ITMA 2019 was also reflected at our stand. We had a very good response at our booth and recorded more than 1200 “qualified” conversations with visitors from all over the world.

TW: Of the machines/technology your company had on display, what drew the most attention?
Engel: Trützschler Spinning experienced a strong demand for its recycling solutions and the new cooperation with the Turkish company Balkan Textile Machinery INC.CO. This has made us the first full liner in the spinning preparation and recycling sector, as our product portfolio is now completed by Balkan’s cutting and tearing machines. Further, the next generation card TC 30i attracted a lot of attention. It achieves the best quality from any raw material thanks to an enlarged cylinder diameter and a higher number of active flats. Another highlight was our 12-head high-performance comber TCO 21XL that maximizes productivity by 50 % without sacrificing quality – while saving 25 % space. A special topic for Trützschler Nonwovens was the presentation of customized needle-punching solutions together with the Italian company Texnology S.l.r.

TW: Based on customers’ interests and questions during the show, do you see any overarching trends? In your sector, what impact does sustainability have?
Engel: Sustainability continues to be one of the biggest trends and it has a big impact. Our customers are always looking for cost-effective solutions to make our industry more sustainable. As a fabric manufacturer you have a lot of textile waste. You can use this waste as a raw material to make new yarn, for example. In general, using textile waste as a raw material can be an attractive business model if you can achieve a certain level of quality. Our spinning preparation machines achieve this level.

TW: What is the appetite for investing? Is U.S. interest apparent?
Engel: Most investments of our U.S. customer base increased between late 2020 and topped mid-2022. As delivery times increased dramatically over the same period due to supply chain issues, some customers began to place few cancellations in mid-2023 as the economy slowed down. Currently there’s a little appetite for investment as recession fears linger and companies cut CAPEX in 2024.

TW: Are you seeing manufacturers shift their product mixes? Are they moving toward more innovation or are investments more focused on improved efficiency and lowering costs?
Engel: Product mixes have shifted from cotton to poly-cotton over the past few years.  However, processing types have changed dramatically in the recent past.  Ring spinning is becoming less prevalent in the United States (labor intensive) and is moving to areas such as Central America. OE and MVS remain but will not increase in production in the next few years. Most new projects are driven by lowering the cost per pound by reducing labor requirements and improving efficiencies.

TW: Do inflation and higher interest rates create investment headaches? Do you think the United States will avoid a recession?
Engel: Elevated inflation and high interest rates have always a dampening effect on investment. The housing market is the biggest loser in such scenarios that weigh on consumer sentiment. As energy/fuel and food prices rise, consumers allocate less disposable income to textiles/apparel and other nondurable goods. With job security still relatively high, consumer confidence is strong. The likelihood of a recession at this point is low, as the overall economy is strong and inflation is trending down. If the FED does not continue to raise interest rates, it would be a sign that we will see some cooling in the next 12 months, but nothing close to a recession.

TW: Are there any roadblocks, such as high energy prices, holding manufacturers back from investing in new equipment and technologies?
Engel: The most significant investment roadblocks on a global scale are (1) volatile demand in downstream textile consumption, (2) availability of qualified staff to operate the machines effectively, (3) maintaining cost efficiency and profitability as operating costs (e.g., labor costs) increase. This last factor in particular is proving to be a common barrier for the U.S., as clients continue the trend of investing in Central America to reduce operating labor costs (electricity costs are lower in the U.S. than in Central America), resulting in a shift of production capacity rather than expansion for the American market itself.

TW:What are your thoughts on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in textile manufacturing and the technology your company designs/supplies?
Engel: In textile manufacturing, AI enables the intelligent analysis of large amounts of data by combining information from different sources to gain new insights. AI can optimize defect detection and product quality, as well as realize predictive maintenance, which will provide our customers with crucial competitive advantages in the future, and significant cost savings per kg produced. In particular, machine learning supports predictive modeling such as quality control, demand forecasting and predictive maintenance.

Respondent: Gunar Meyer, managing director, Monforts

TW: Can you comment on the quantity and quality of visitors at your booth during the show, and the countries and regions where the visitors came from?
Meyer: There was an unexpectedly high number of visitors from all over the world at this year’s ITMA, and especially more customers from Latin America than expected. Generally, all textile manufacturing regions were well represented.

TW: Of the machines/technology your company had on display, what drew the most attention?
Meyer: There was a lot of interest in the Montex®Coat, the latest addition to our range of technologies which we displayed in Milan.
The Montex®Coat can serve a very diverse number of markets and enables full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments, as well as solvent coatings. Knife coating, roller coating or screen printing can also all be accommodated with this system.
As such, it provides the ultimate in flexibility and the ability to switch quickly from one fabric run to the next, without compromising on the economical use of energy or raw materials.
Many refinements have been made to the Montex®Coat in the past few years, resulting in higher coating accuracy and the resulting quality of the treated fabrics. A number of advanced new improvements were introduced in Milan, including automatic edge limiters for immediately adapting to new coating widths and a new and simplified hand-held control device. These save considerable time in setting up the machine and ensuring consistent production.

TW: Based on customers’ interests and questions during the show, do you see any overarching trends? In your sector, what impact does sustainability have?
Meyer: Monforts Montex stenters for processes such as drying, stretching, heat-setting and coating are already the industry standard for the fabric finishing industry, providing a number of advantages in terms of production throughput and especially in energy efficiency and resource savings.
As finishing is a particularly energy-intensive part of the textile production chain, it is exactly where palpable results can be achieved and we have developed a wide range of energy-saving measures.
This not only includes state-of-the-art machine chamber insulation, but also heat recovery systems. The Monforts Universal Energy Tower, for example, is a free-standing air/air heat exchanger that achieves energy savings of up to 25 percent.
The ECO Booster heat recovery system with integrated automatic cleaning is meanwhile directly integrated into the chamber design of the Montex stenter and enables energy savings of up to 35% depending on the application. One ECO Booster module is sufficient for stenter ranges with up to eight chambers.
Both the ECO Booster and the Energy Tower can be retrofitted to existing ranges, in order to make production more resource-efficient and economical, yet without having to invest in a new machine.

TW: What is the appetite for investing? Is U.S. interest apparent?
Meyer: Prior to ITMA 2023, we were expecting this year to be challenging, given the generally gloomy analyst forecasts for the immediate future of the textile industry, so the number of new sales being announced at ITMA 2023 and the upbeat atmosphere took us by surprise.
We have sold a number of machines to companies in Mexico and other Latin American countries who are primarily manufacturing for the U.S. brands. Established manufacturers in the USA are meanwhile looking to replace older installations in order to benefit from all of the latest developments and increased productivity in high-level finishing.

TW: Do recent orders point to any evidence of nearshoring and reshoring in the Western Hemisphere?
Meyer: We have certainly seen more investments within Europe during the past two-to-three years, in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK. Where nearshoring and reshoring are happening, it is generally in the upstream fields of digital decoration, printing and garment making-up — the final stages of the supply chain.

TW: Are there any roadblocks, such as high energy prices, holding manufacturers back from investing in new equipment and technologies?
Meyer: If anything, high energy prices are having the opposite effect and encouraging investment. For our customers, energy costs can account for up to 70% of production costs, so there is great demand for ways of saving money. This also helps in terms of global warming and reducing carbon footprint, of course.
We see the energy crisis of the past two years as an opportunity because it is leading to an energy consumption rethink in the textile industry.
At ITMA 2023, for example, the two seminars we organized on green hydrogen as a new energy source for textile finishing were very well-attended.
Monforts is currently leading a consortium of industrial partners and universities in the three-year WasserSTOFF project, launched in November 2022, to explore all aspects of this fast-rising new industrial energy option.
The target of the government-funded project is to establish to what extent hydrogen can be used in the future as an alternative heating source for textile finishing processes. This will first involve tests on laboratory equipment together with associated partners and the results will then be transferred to a stenter frame at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Germany.
Green hydrogen’s potential as a clean fuel source is tremendous, but there is much we need to explore when considering its use in the textile finishing processes carried out globally on our stenter dryers and other machines.

TW: Do you have any forward-looking thoughts as you digest ITMA 2023 and look ahead to Hanover in 2027?
Meyer: The textile industry is preparing for the future and wants to contribute to a general reduction in CO2 emissions.
At ITMA 2027 in Hannover we will see what further responses to this major challenge have been realised. In Milan this year it was just good to be back at a physical show and meet many colleagues and customers from around the world. This is something everybody has missed during the past few years.

Respondent: Thomas Oetterli, CEO Rieter Group, Switzerland

TW: Can you comment on the quantity and quality of visitors at your booth during the show, and the countries and regions where the visitors came from?
Oetterli: We were blown away by both the quality and quantity of visitors to our booth. We welcomed many current and prospective customers from around the world, engaging in insightful and in-depth conversations around a shared passion: Rieter technology. In addition, our virtual booth enabled us to share the greatest moments with customers from around the world in real-time, from the unveiling event through to daily product launches.

TW: Of the machines/technology your company had on display, what drew the most attention?
Oetterli: Our innovations were well received. Our revolutionary double-sided air-jet spinning machine J 70 drew huge crowds. The machine boasts up to 200 autonomous spinning units and four robots, allowing production speeds of an unmatched 600 m/min.
Interest in our recycling offering is skyrocketing: Com4recycling is the Rieter system that enables customers to produce fine, high-quality ring and compact yarns from challenging raw material. This holds true even with a relatively high proportion of mechanically recycled cotton fibers.

TW: Based on customers’ interests and questions during the show, do you see any overarching trends?
Oetterli: All things automation and digitization sparked interest. ROBOspin, the industry’s first fully automated piecing robot, is highly coveted in times of tight labor markets. We are also seeing a growing appetite for digitization services like ESSENTIAL – Rieter Digital Spinning Suite. This indicates that there’s a generational shift underway to younger mill owners for whom digitization is a must-have. This aligns seamlessly with our vision to fully digitize spinning mills.

TW: What role does sustainability play?
Oetterli: For a long time, yarns were perceived as a commodity in the textile value chain. But recycling is changing all this, putting yarns at the forefront of the industry’s efforts to become more circular and fight climate change and biodiversity loss. When yarns made from recycled fibers reach acceptable quality levels, this also has positive impacts on downstream processes. Global brands are now turning their focus on spinning to understand the limitations and opportunities in processing recycled fibers. Our in-depth textile expertise is helping customers tap into a unique market opportunity.

TW: What is the appetite for investing? Is U.S. interest apparent?
Oetterli: The textile industry is highly cyclical. Markets across the globe have recorded a slowdown since the middle of last year and now a certain restlessness is palpable. Projects are being planned and everyone is waiting for the recovery, but it is hard to pinpoint when it will set in.

TW: Are you seeing manufacturers shift their product mixes? Are they moving toward more innovation or are investments more focused on improved efficiency and lowering costs?
Oetterli: In the spinning industry, competitiveness is the name of the game. This is why we design every new machine generation to improve efficiency in terms of energy and raw material consumption. Our latest machine generations are unbeatable in this respect. Highlights include the J 70, our sewing thread finish winder, Thread King, and our new card C 81, to name just a few.

TW: What are your thoughts on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in textile manufacturing and the technology your company designs/supplies?
Oetterli: We are incorporating artificial intelligence into existing machinery, a case in point is our card C 81, where we have added intelligent sensors which set the carding gap to the ideal size and monitor contaminant content in real-time.
The use of artificial intelligence will make a significant contribution to automation and process optimization and thus to improving sustainability in the textile industry. To expand our leadership in the field of industrial artificial intelligence, Rieter and the Johann Jacob Rieter Foundation are funding a professorship at ZHAW School of Engineering in Winterthur, Switzerland.

TW: Would you say ITMA 2023 was an overall success for your company?
Oetterli: It was a resounding success! ITMA 2023 confirms our strategy of advancing our systems approach by incorporating intelligence and engineering performance. Our technology helps customers to capitalize on more market opportunities and produce more economically.

January 2024

SAAL ON THE DANUBE, Germany — October 10, 2023 — Presented for the first time at ITMA in Milan, the new Orthopac RXVMC-20 automatic straightening system for forward control of knitwear with strong distortions can remove distortions in textile webs even faster and more precisely.

“With the new straightening concept, special attention was paid to the straightening mechanics and their interaction with the analysis electronics of the scanner system,” explains Head of Sales Thomas Höpfl. Two individually controlled and driven straightening modules with a total of four bow and three skew rollers ensure that the correction of bow and skew distortions takes place in small steps. The control concept is also new. A scanner group at the infeed of the straightening machine detects distortions even before they reach the correction rollers. This way, the rollers are brought directly into position and the fabric is corrected from the very first centimetre. A scanner group at the outlet also detects possible residual distortion, which is corrected at the second straightening module. This enables an even more precise and faster response when it comes to reacting to rapidly changing distortions.

Especially useful for knitted goods

The Orthopac RXVMC therefore shows its full strength when straightening knitwear and distortion-sensitive fabrics. Knitted fabrics are special in terms of distortion dynamics. It is difficult for operators when changing the fabric rolls to join the relatively short fabric webs with weft and loop-straight seams. Before and after unavoidable insufficient seams, the distortion (e.g. right before to left before) changes abruptly. Conventionally, the distortion change is only detected by scanning at the output of the straightener.

The RXVMC concept enables a shortened reaction time to jumping distortion, (especially in the case of seams) due to the improved scanning concept with scanning at the outlet and inlet. This reduces knitted fabric outside the straightening tolerance up to 50 percent after each seam. Fewer fabric pieces have to be reprocessed.

It guarantees higher quality goods and thus less waste. “Especially at a time when our customers are under increased cost pressure and competition in the textile industry is intensifying, our new concept has been convincing.”

Posted: October 10, 2023

Source: Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG.

Warp Knit Seamless

The KARL MAYER GROUP showed a chic example under WARP KNIT SEAMLESS with a sports dress that attracted attention at ITMA 2023. The trendy outfit can be made on a DJ 6/2 EL or RDPJ 6/2 EL in gauge E28 and offers all the performance features of functional sportswear: breathability through open areas in exposed places, freedom of movement and quick drying. It also feels right. The fabric is soft and supple, thanks to the use of polyamide. To provide precise elasticity, the jacquard bars were drawn in with a two-component yarn, comprising a polyamide core and elastane sheath.

There was a lot of chatter in Milan, particularly about the ready-to-wear top and leggings set. Both elements simply need to be cut out of the manufactured panels. This decreases sewing effort and waste. Depending on the size and cut, the proportion of fabric to be disposed of is around 15% for leggings and around 5% for tops. When producing tops, only the shoulders and neck need to be cut out – the arms and torso are made ready to use directly on the machine. In addition to these advantages, this “WARP KNIT SEAMLESS” technology offers the possibility to efficiently produce mass products with customisations, such as logos, and items at customers’ request.

Innovative Fashionable 3D Seamless

An exciting look and comfortable feel are offered by a completely new seamless warp knitted fabric that cleverly combines three-dimensional and open structures in a single textile. The plastic pattern parts create extravagant irregular surface effects, paired with very fine yarns for a soft handle, yet the fabric only comes into partial contact with the skin. They are produced using the jacquard bars of a specified machine, a DJ 6/2 EL or RDPJ 6/2 EL, each with a gauge of E28. The jacquard bars process a polyamide yarn with an elastane cover in alternating lapping with long float stitches, which creates plasticity by shrinking during finishing. The jacquard bars allow the design elements to be placed as desired. The fact that the garments can produced almost entirely directly on the machine is another distinct advantage. Only a few processing steps are required until the item is finished.

4D Knit – The Next Generation Of Spacer Fabrics

When the spacer layer of 3D warp knitted fabrics is filled with bulked yarn, previously unattainable performance features and surface designs can be created. Smooth patterns, two-tone coloring, breathable mesh zones and — in a new development — clearly pronounced relief parts with individual placements and dimensions are all possible.

Depending on the amount of filling and the design of the plastic motifs, a wide variety of textile solutions are possible; the product repertoire ranges from breathable fabrics, e.g. for functional shoes, to cosily padded and warm jacket fabrics.

When it comes to garments with an insulating effect, 4D-KNIT articles stand out for their decisive sustainability advantage over napped fleece fabrics: fewer fibre fragments are released into the water during washing, as the insulation fibres are enclosed between the cover surfaces of the 3D textile. The results of a study conducted by the Hohenstein Laboratories in Bönnigheim confirmed these findings.

The new spacer warp knitted fabrics are produced on a RDPJ6 6/2 EL FB, in gauge E28.

Posted September 26, 2023

Source: Karl Mayer

“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)

The introduction of the new COLARIS printer generation with up to 16 color groups was a highlight at the show. Not only the option for 16 colors but also the possibility to operate the printer with multiple ink families have been a novum presented. The next generation of COLARIS printers comes with the Seiko RC1536 printhead generation with lower energy consumption. The open ink system philosophy of ZIMMER AUSTRIA is continued as it offers the customer to choose from a wide range of certified ink suppliers which helps to reduce ink costs and be free from supply constraints. A newly designed ink circulation system without need for a vacuum ensures a stable print run and high-quality print results.

Automated imaging and computer-controlled processes, coupled with artificial intelligence, can open-up completely new directions for the textile processing value chain. The COLARIS-vision camera detection system is a concept that comes in two different versions:

COLARIS-vision I — Match Print to Cut includes an individual piece goods recognition and outline masking with automated computation of the print mask positioning and customization of the design.

COLARIS-vision II — Match to Print is a roll-to-roll print process with seamless detection of a pre-imaged fabric followed by a registered print. The system has an automated distortion compensation which ensures that the print is fitted precisely into the given structure on a web. The design can be fitted exactly despite of any weft-misalignment or shrinkage from fabric preparation in the pre-print process. Multitude applications have so far given textile producers absolute headaches but can be solved through this innovative technology. COLARIS-vision can be seen as a further step towards the automation of the textile printing process.

ZIMMER AUSTRIA, a global supplier in construction of customer-oriented solutions for textile and carpet printing systems can look back on a 150-years tradition. Experience, paired with visionary thinking and a team of developers from different disciplines stands for the innovative power as well as for the continuity of our company in terms of customer satisfaction. This is proven by the fact that our customers are our best advertising media. Machinery supply and services provided can be seen as a socio-technical system in which man and machine must be in balance to meet the highest quality requirements.

Accordingly, the service of supplied equipment by our specialists for mechanics and electronics as well as from our hardware and software departments are our focus. If required, we can also support our customers with product development through our ZIMMER AUSTRIA Digital Printing Technology Center. Further, ZIMMER Academy, the training center for our own employees offers training courses for customer staff. However, our greatest assets are our employees. Entrepreneurial thinking of all team members is encouraged by our management and contributes to the fact that employees see themselves as a part of the company and its success story.

ZIMMER AUSTRIA will be happy to welcome visitors in our premises including manufacturing site and the ZIMMER AUSTRIA Digital Technology Center on a prior appointment.

Posted: July 17, 2023

Source: J. Zimmer Maschinenbau GmbH

Thanks to the extensive know-how and long-term collaboration with key customers, Bonfiglioli engineering specialists work side-by-side with customers to develop tailored and forward-thinking integrated solutions for the textile industry, covering the entire motion drive train, including the Industry 4.0 approach. Their drive system portfolio has the perfect features to respond to the typical demanding environment of the textile sector, characterized by fiber-polluted air, high ambient temperatures and occasional mains failure management. Bonfiglioli faces the harsh environments of the textile sector in different ways:

• In order to prevent material damages (i.e. yarn breaks) due to DC-Bus & Mains failure, Bonfiglioli takes care that the machine can react during a power failure with a managed ramp down
• To keep heat losses outside the cabinet and allow space savings, the company offers the cold plate and feedthrough solutions. Device variants without fans and without electrolyte capacitors improve the longevity of the inverters and their robustness to work in high temperature environments.
• They offer alternative cooling concepts for frequency and servo inverter and coated printed circuit boards

All this, coupled with a comprehensive range of professional services, allows Bonfiglioli to satisfy the customers’ demands with solutions aimed at minimizing the total cost of ownership of plants by significantly reducing maintenance activities, energy consumption and downtime.

Promoting sustainability and a responsible resource usage is one of Bonfiglioli’s main goals. The following approaches help to increase the energy efficiency of the drives and therefore of the whole machine:

• Smart energy usage
• Converting energy with high efficiency
• Using kinetic energy during braking
• Reducing energy consumption through energy saving functions in the frequency inverter

“Energy efficiency, cost saving and sustainability have been the roots of the design for Textile Drive Solutions,” said Christofer König, sales manager at Bonfiglioli. “Thanks to our wide experience in controlling machines through electronic drives, we have improved the functionality and monitoring of controllers, motors and gearboxes to ensure long-term and stable operations of textile machines. As a result, we are able to offer complete product packages (inverter + gearbox + motor) of highly dynamic drive systems for increasing production efficiency.”

More specifically, Bonfiglioli showcased three different examples of solutions at ITMA for roving frames, ring spinning machines and warp preparation. The first solution, designed for roving frames, includes the EVOX CP, a coaxial gearbox with a smooth surface that can be fitted to any machine thanks to its compatibility with market standards, the MXN asynchronous low voltage e-motor (IE3) developed to be modular, reliable, energy-efficient and internationally certified, and the DGM MPM decentralised inverter with sensorless vector control operation for optimal dynamics control.

As regards ring spinning machines, a compact right-angle A gear unit available in a wide torque range, an IE4 certified BSR synchronous reluctance motor, which guarantees an ecological and high-performance solution thanks to the absence of magnets and the AxiaVert smart inverter, featuring integrated functional safety and high application versatility, also for IoT.

Finally, on display is a solution for warp preparation, which consists of the TR precision planetary gearbox, characterized by great modularity due to multiple design configurations as well as wide ratios range and the BSR synchronous reluctance motor with the AGILE smart inverter, available in three mechanical sizes for power ranges between 0.12 and 11 kW for maximum standard application flexibility.

Posted July 11, 2023

Source: Bonfiglioli

The desire for innovation is expressed in the ability and courage to change to be more efficient, more present, including communication, and in the flexibility and ability to respond to market needs. Driven by the desire for the best performance, that is not only technical, the company complied to the new business languages, guaranteeing competence and speed in answering to the many requests of customers and especially to those customers who look to LAIP for a personalized response to their needs for industrial dyeing.

LAIP has thus supplied dyeing machines of entire compartments in factories specially made by customers to insert LAIP products, this is a sign of the established trust that the market places in the company and in its machines.

The difference can be seen in the passion that everyone puts into their work, from the engineers to the assemblers, everyone committed to taking care of even the smallest detail, seeking solutions closest to the customer’s needs and innovation and to the quality of all the elements of the machines.

A constant success that saw the company as a protagonist at the recent ITMA: great affirmation of esteem from customers who came to visit the booth at the fair and excellent feedback from a great number of new customers who appreciated the work and production capabilities.

LAIP presented new and higher performing machines in addition to its great classics:

• 198 HT, the highly demanded machine for tow – packages and fibre dyeing, it allows the same liquor ratio to be maintained even with partial loads!
• BID, (Bobbins Injection Dyeing) ensures absolute repeatability, productivity and reliability for multicolour printing and dyeing of yarn in bobbins.
• Nautilus, the cutting-edge machine. Conceived with a double belt, it is suitable for dyeing delicate fabrics keeping the low liquor ratio constant by the maximum fabric load up to 40 %. The low water consumption means low electrical consumption and energy saving.
• 250 HT Jet, the easy machine that never stops to get perfectly dyed fabrics with no abrasions nor creases.
• Beam, the ideal machine to dye high end silk and technical fabrics, tubular and warp knit for sportwear enabling the optimisation of production times and superlative technical performance.

One constant is to be able to make machines that can prove effective in all-around energy savings, not an easy task in dyeing sector, and LAIP, as always, meets the challenge and the results are manifest. Less water consumption, more efficient components, more automation and indeed, significant energy savings.

Posted July 11, 2023

Source: LAIP