Textile Bulletin Online Verson – Vietnam Local authorities tend to say “no” not only to textile projects because of the fear for environmental pollution, but to garment projects as well, because garment factories do not help develop local economies. 

The Vietnam Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) has complained that it has been facing big difficulties in implementing projects because local authorities now tend to restrict the licensing to textile and garment companies.

Tran Quoc Van, Deputy Director of the Hung Yen provincial Planning and Investment Department, said on Dau tu that Hung Yen has a textile and garment industrial zone already, and that the provincial authorities have been creating the best conditions to facilitate the projects in the zone. However, in the time to come, the provincial authorities would have to consider the projects outside the industrial zone carefully before licensing. In general, the province would restrict textile and garment projects.

Local authorities, after a long time of trying to attract as many investment projects as possible, have changed their mind, now focusing on improving the investment quality instead of running after the quantity. They now try to attract high technology projects which allows to create high added values and help develop local economies. Meanwhile, textile and garment projects do not create high added values, while they may pollute the environment.

The local authorities, when programming their industrial production development, nearly do not reserve the land fund for textile and dyeing industries. Only some provinces still accept textile and garment projects, but they set up very strict requirements on investors, especially the ones on waste water treatment. Meanwhile, they do not offer any support to the enterprises in the waste water treatment.

The Thanh Hoa provincial party committee secretary Mai Van Ninh has said that the province supports the textile and garment industry, but in the future, the province would focus on attracting the projects in the business fields which can create higher added values.

Not only in the northern provinces of Hung Yen and Thanh Hoa, garment and textile project investors are also facing difficulties in the southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces.

The less enthusiasm of local authorities towards textile and garment projects has made it difficult for the textile and garment industry to implement the plan on investment expansion. Under the plan, Vietnam would continue expand the investment scale on the textile and garment industry by 2020 with the total investment capital for the period reaching 43 trillion dong. Currently, textiles and garments are still the key export products of Vietnam.

By the end of 2011, the textile and garment industry had generated 2 million jobs. With the average pay of 3 million dong a month and 40 million dong a year, the total pay fund for the 2 million workers is 4 billion dollars, a big volume.

Meanwhile, just one hectare is enough to build a factory that creates 1000 jobs. With the income of 40 million dong per worker per annum, the total income on the one hectare of land is 40 billion dong.

Vu Duc Giang, Chair of Vinatex, said Vietnam’s textile and garment industry still can develop for 20-30 more years. Prior to 2003, Vietnam had not been known in the world as a garment producer. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s garment export turnover is now in the top 5 in the world.

Hong Sun, Secretary of the South Korean Business Association said on Dau tu that Vietnam still needs to attract the projects on making garment, footwear and bags. Even if Vietnam tries to attract high technology projects, it still needs more time to train skilful workers for the high technology industries.

Dan Viet newspaper has reported that the Ministry of Industry and Trade is calling for foreign investment in the textile and garment industry, in an effort to fulfill the industry development strategy. The newspaper has quoted its source as saying that while the investment from other countries into the garment sector has decreased, more South Korean projects in the field have still been set up in Vietnam.

Source: VietNamNet Bridge

The Florence County Economic Development Partnership and the North Eastern Strategic Alliance announced today that Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc., which produces and markets CRAiLAR®, a natural fiber made from flax and other bast fibers, plans to open a facility in Florence County. An initial $8 million investment will create 25 jobs as part of the company’s move to the county.

“We thank the state of South Carolina, Florence County and all those who helped to establish the company’s presence in South Carolina,” said Ken Barker, CEO of NAT, in a press release. “We are proud to see our investments and hard work beginning to pay off in the form of the production of CRAiLAR for commercial use. We’re particularly excited that Hanesbrands, our first production partner for Crailar, is being recognized this month for its sustainability efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and that it cited the used of our flax fiber, produced out of our test facility in Kingstree, in its EcoSmart socks.”

NAT will locate its operations in the 143,500-square-foot Delta Mills Cypress plant on Old River Road in Pamplico, S.C. Since March 2011, NAT has announced purchasing agreements with HanesBrands Inc., Georgia-Pacific LLC, and Brilliant Global Knitwear, along with development agreements with Levi-Strauss & Co., Carhartt, Cintas and others. The terms of the Hanes agreement is for 10 years and includes commercialization of NAT’s proprietary fiber.

 Since August 2011, Carolina Eastern Precision Ag of Pamplico has provided agronomic consultation to NAT. Flax, grown as a winter crop in Florence and surrounding counties, will be processed out of the new facility in Pamplico. The proprietary CRAiLAR process is the first to remove the binding agents from flax that contribute to its stiff texture by bathing it in a proprietary enzyme wash. The result is a textile fiber that merges the strength and durability of flax with the most desirable attributes of cotton. NAT is scheduled to begin operations there in Q2 2012.

 “South Carolina has a strong history in the textile, advanced materials and agribusiness sectors, and today’s announcement builds on all three. Every one of these jobs will have an impact in Pamplico and we appreciate Naturally Advanced Technologies’ decision to do business in South Carolina,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt via press release.

 “On behalf of the State of South Carolina, I would like to congratulate Naturally Advanced Technologies for their commitment to Florence County.  As the State Senator and a resident of Florence County, I am thrilled to see another new capital investment and an increase in jobs.  This company has enormous growth potential here in South Carolina.” said state Senator Hugh K. Leatherman in the press release.

 “The long-term lease with an option to purchase the Pamplico facility is a testament to Florence County’s pro-business climate and ability to attract top performing companies. On behalf of the partnership, I would like to thank Florence County Council, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, NESA, and Florence County Progress that contributed to making this project a reality for our community.” stated Florence County Economic Development Partnership Chairman Dr. Charles Gould.

 “Once again, Florence County has proven its dedication to grow and prosper economically,” stated Florence County Council Chairman K.G. “Rusty” Smith.  “Our aggressive economic development agency, natural resources, workforce, and strategic location have secured us yet another success. Some of NAT’s clients are the most recognizable brands in the world.  We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with NAT.”

“What a great win for Pamplico and our citizens,” said State Senator Kent Williams. “It also indicates that South Carolina is still a competitive place to do business and that manufacturing and distribution continue to thrive in the Pee Dee region.”

 NAT signed a long-term lease with an option to purchase the building last week, and its full execution is contingent upon tax and job creation incentives in review with Florence County. A first hearing took place on February 16 and a second is scheduled for March 15. A final environmental and incentives review is scheduled for hearing on April 19 and would complete the process. The South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a set aside grant for $263,500 for building upfit and job development credits, which will be available when hiring targets are met.

“All the top fashion retailers of the world are now looking at Bangladesh,” says Nasir, chairman and managing director of Pacific Jeans Ltd, one of Asia’s largest jeans makers with 22,000 employees.

Talking to The Textile Bulletin at his Chittagong office last week, he said he sees massive opportunities in the quality sensitive Japan market, where he made a breakthrough a decade back.

Nasir also believes China will become a major importer due to a sharp rise in its own production cost. “In five years’ time, China will have to import 35 percent to 40 percent of their apparel demands.”

“At the same time, Bangladesh can tap Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. But we will face competition from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. This is why we need effective commercial diplomacy to ensure preferential market access or market access through bilateral or multilateral agreements,” he said. “Presently we have such a deal with only Malaysia.”

In addition, Turkey and central and Latin American markets will also offer greater opportunity, he added.

But to tap this non-traditional market, suppliers should continuously focus on production efficiency, on-time delivery, capacity enhancement, stricter labour and environmental compliance, value added and premium product promotion, embrace new technology and efficient supply chain management.

From the government side, there should be greater emphasis on effective commercial diplomacy to bag business friendly treaties.

Nasir strongly advocated setting up new industrial or economic zones in every divisional headquarters with the capacity to create jobs for five to 15 lakh people in each region. The new zones should be provided with sufficient energy, infrastructure and logistic support, he said. Port operation efficiency and connectivity to the industrial zones need to be improved, he added.

More than 55 percent of the population is below 25 years age, which gives the country a great resource that can be transformed into a skilled workforce.

“Due to high labour costs, appreciation of currency, shortage of labour, etc, China’s overall industrial structure will shift to high-end products. This suggests there is huge potential in furniture, toys, household, light and engineering and other low-end labour-intensive industries in Bangladesh,” he said.

If the government can ensure uninterrupted power supply, power and energy tariff hikes that fuelled non-food inflation would not hurt the export industries, he said.

Nasir’s positive outlook comes from his successful experience in building Pacific Jeans from scratch from 1984, attracting top global brands now. In 1995-96, he approached and impressed Gap, the respected American fashion icon, to take supplies from Pacific Jeans.

He played a pioneering role in getting into the Japanese market a decade back. “Although Bangladesh had Preferential Market Access (GSP) in Japan, we hardly could utilise the benefit as the Japan market remained unexplored to us,” he said. The Japanese apparel market is dominated by China that now holds 80 percent market share, he added.

“Our target was to get deals from Japanese top brand Uniqlo,” says Nasir. “Thanks to cooperation and advice from Tadashi Yanai, the chairman of Uniqlo, we have positioned our company as a trusted supplier in the Japan market.”

“Bangladeshi people are highly respected by the Japanese and vice versa. That is why it is easy to promote Bangladeshi products there. The Uniqlo chairman himself promoted Bangladesh on television. I am grateful to him,” he added.

“Bangladesh’s opportunity in Japan is unbelievable in both knit and woven garments. Interested exporters must remember that Japan is very quality conscious; they are very committed to the promised punctuality and they go for transparent business operations,” he said. “In other words, interested companies must be ethical and efficient.”

Sharing his experience in growing with his company, Nasir said, “We need to create positive branding for Bangladesh.”

Bangladesh has long suffered from a negative image of a poor country that drew the sympathy of other countries — but not a country with which they wanted to do business, he added.

“We may be branded as the country of fashion and apparel destination,” he said.

Textile Bulletin – Face2Face Interview Desk

In their effort to diversify export markets, Bangladesh readymade garment (RMG) manufacturers are seeing China and Japan as their potential lucrative export markets.

Currently, China is shifting its business to high technology areas and the cost of labour is also increasing. Hence, China is finding a need to source low-cost apparels for its domestic market from other countries. Bangladesh RMG sector feels it can fill this gap and export its garments to China.

Meanwhile, Chinese RMG exporters are also finding good response from Japanese importers.

Speaking to Textile Bulletin, Mr. Mohammed Hatem, Vice President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said, “China is a large country with a huge population like India. China’s economy is very strong. But, owing to increasing costs of labour, its industries will not be able to sustain in the garment sector. Hence, entrepreneurs are considering shifting their business to high technology areas. This will create a gap in the apparel sector in China and I think Bangladesh can fill in the gap.”

“The exports from Bangladesh to China are currently growing at 80-90 percent year-on-year. We are looking forward to explore China further and increase our exports,” Mr. Hatem adds.

“Besides China, Bangladesh RMG exporters are also exploring markets in Japan and Russia. Both are good potential markets for Bangladesh and we are getting very good response from the industry in these countries,” reveals Mr. Hatem.

“Last week, a 115-member delegation from Bangladesh visited Tokyo, Japan, along with our Commerce Minister. The delegation received good response from the Japanese importers during the visit,” the BKMEA Vice President informs.

Textile Bulletin News Desk – Bangladesh

Couture Fashion Week New York : Latest Season Wraps with a Flourish of Style & Luxury “The remarkable journey continues. This unique event brings together first class couture and luxury fashion designers, amazing performers and trend-setting hair and makeup styling all in an incomparable world-famous venue. Our goal is to establish New York City as a true couture fashion capital.”

It is exciting to see many fashion designers returning each season to show their powerful collections in New York during Couture Fashion Week at the Waldorf-Astoria. Among the award-winning designers returning this season were Walid Atallah (Dubai), Amal Sarieddine and Mireille Dagher (Lebanon), Nedret Taciroglu (Turkey), Sushma Patel (USA/India), Marco Marcu (Germany), Luis Machicao (USA/Peru) and Romanitza (Romania) who chose CFW as one of the events to celebrate her 20th year in the fashion industry. Designers showing for the first time at CFW included Pilar Macchione, Evgenia Luzhina-Salazar, Romero Bryan, Tammy Duffy, Eredappa, Giovanni Lopresti and Alicat by Avril Lemieux.

Couture Fashion Week’s Official Hair Stylist this season was the Elie Esper Salon, and the Official Makeup Artists were Mykel Renner and AOFM Pro with cosmetics by Inglot. Afterparties and VIP dinners were held at Nino’s Tuscany Steakhouse and Scarpina Bar & Grill. Flawless luxury car transportation was provided by Quintessentially Driven.

Along with the fabulous fashions and accessories shown on the runway, audiences enjoyed performances by such notable entertainers as singers Christine Reber, Veronica Iovan, Dalal, Michael Raven, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Luciano Lamonarca, Gerardo Contino and Cristina Fontanelli (fresh from her appearance with Andrea Bocelli in Central Park). Also appearing were Jane Hunt (“The Violin Venus”), pianist Laura Korpa, The Broadway Dolls, cellists The Monticelli Trio, dancers Kiana & Melia and the Nika Ballet Company.

A dazzling display area included a $500,000 limited edition sports car by Alessi Fiberglass and paintings by world-renowned surrealist painter Michael Cheval. Among other exhibitors were Xais Handbags, Hillcock Enterprises, Ashmina Designer Knitwear, Laser Cosmetica, American Laser, and NTDTV.

The event was covered by a large number of press outlets from around the world, with video, print and internet coverage continuing to appear.

The next Couture Fashion Week New York will be held February 17-19, 2012. It is already shaping up to be a memorable event.

Couture Fashion Week is a multi-day event showcasing couture and luxury fashion. It also includes exhibits of luxury brands and fine art as well as world-class entertainment and receptions. The event is held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City and occasionally in other selected cities and is attended by upscale consumers, invited VIPs, the press and high-end store buyers. Couture Fashion Week offers unique branding opportunities for luxury products and services.

The show definitely met the expectations of the visitors in terms of innovation and versatility that the machinery manufacturers exhibited, which covered fiber formation to end product. The innovation and versatility in the areas of weaving and weaving preparation got a significant share of attention by the visitors. This report covers the most innovative weaving and weaving preparation technologies shown at ITMA 2011. The author provides technical critical evaluation whenever appropriate. A substantial part of this report follows the recent historical innovation of technologies. To get full benefits and better understanding, it is recommended that the reader review the author’s previous articles covering ITMA 2003 and 2007 technologies that have appeared in Textile World ‘s print and online publications.

Winding 
Oerlikon Schlafhorst, Germany, exhibited the Autoconer X5, a new variation of the Autoconer 5 automatic package winders shown at the previous ITMA, with new features introduced. The winder is equipped with a separate motor for feeding the supply packages to the active position. A feeding motor operates only if a bobbin is depleted and a new bobbin is required, which saves energy compared to the previous bobbin feeding system that used a continuously running centralized motor and belt to drive the feeding positions.

The Autoconer X5 produces cone or cylindrical packages. The doffer detects the empty cylinder or cone package shape and rejects the package if it is not the shape that is programmed to process at the specific spindle. Further, if a magazine of a position does not have empty packages, the doffer takes a correct package from a neighboring magazine to avoid loss of production.

With previous Autoconer models, when a new lot starts, the operator has to manually wind the reserve of the first package for all positions. The Autoconer X5 forms the reserve on each package of the new lot automatically. The recognized advantages of this new feature are an increase in productivity; and consistency in position, winding tension and the amount of the reserve yarn, which results in avoiding problems for the next processes including packages for warping and weft packages for weaving.

Savio Macchine Tessili S.p.A., Italy, continued to show its Polar package winders that were exhibited at ITMA 2007. Two Polar package winders were shown at this ITMA: Polar E and Polar I/DLS (Direct Link System). The previous version of Polar E was equipped with automatic bobbin loading and manual doffing. Polar E now is offered with automatic bobbin loading and automatic doffing.

Polar I/DLS is similar to Polar I shown at ITMA 2007. However, the link to the spinning frame in Polar I/DLS is designed to work with ring-spinning machines that have a much higher number of bobbins.

Warping 
Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH, Germany, continued to show its impressive innovations in warp preparation for sample and short orders. The company showed its new Multi-Matic® sample warper with creel capacity of 128 yarns or colors, which is a significant increase compared to the capacity of the Gir-O-Matic (GOM) 24 sample warper that was shown at the previous ITMA. This feature increases the capability of producing more intricate striped warps. Other features of the Multi-Matic sample warper include: warp length range of 35 to 1,500 meters; working width up to 2.25 meters; maximum warping speed of 800 meters per minute (m/min); and maximum color change speed of 800 m/min. The warper is equipped with a user-friendly interface to preprogram the leasing pattern and color selection. After the preprogramming and setting of the packages on the creel, the rest of the warping process is automatic, including the leasing for drawing-in and size rod separation, and there is virtually no need for operator intervention. The beaming process requires the operator to transfer the warp from the pattern drum to the warp beam. The beaming speed is 150 m/min. With such features and capabilities, the Multi-Matic sample warper can be used for extremely short samples, as short as 35 meters, or for short orders of 1,500-meter increments, which sets this warper to compete with sectional warpers.

Karl Mayer Multi-Matic® sample warper

CCI Tech Inc., Taiwan, specializes in sample weaving equipment. The company showed its Lutan sample warper, which uses a ring to wind and traverse the warp yarn coils in such a way that the yarn coils are fixed once they are laid on the pattern drum. The company offers sample warpers of two different pattern drum sizes to provide a range of warp lengths. The warpers are equipped with a computerized system for programming the color sequence. Three types of warp creels are available — stationary, rotary, and super. The stationary creel for up to eight colors supplies different packages of different colors or yarn types; the rotary creel for up to 12 packages allows for simultaneous warping of multiple yarns and is dedicated for solid color or simple warp sequence; and the super creel for up to 12 colors allows for simultaneous warping of multiple colored yarns and thus is designed for intricate striped warps. Lutan v3.6 with 3.6-meter drum circumference can produce warps ranging from 11 to 200 meters in length, and Lutan v5.0 with 5-meter drum circumference can produce warps ranging from 15 to 500 meters in length.

Drawing-in And Tying-in 
Stäubli Group, Switzerland, introduced its Magma tying-in machine — which is capable of handling spun, multifilament and monofilament as well as polypropylene ribbons — for the first time at ITMA 2007. At the 2011 show, Magma T12 was exhibited. The new version is equipped with new optoelectronic patented system for detecting double yarns and separates them from the lease. The system does not need thread-specific separation needles or settings.

Stäubli introduced the Safir automatic drawing-in machine at ITMA 2007, and exhibited the new-generation Safir S80 drawing-in machine at this ITMA. Like the previous version, the S80 integrates the Delta drawing-in and the Opal leasing technologies. In the S80 model, a new thread separation unit detects double yarn using an imaging technique with a camera. The separation unit checks for yarn color and its correct sequence in the color pattern repeat. In case of the color not being in sequence, the system picks up the correct color without operator intervention. S80 is equipped with a user-friendly interface via intricate display to allow easy programming of drawing-in including color sequence. The system is network-compatible, which makes it possible to transfer drawing-in data created by computer-aided design, and thus repetition is avoided and errors are eliminated. Stäubli reported that the Safir S80 has been installed in many plants since its launch.

Weaving 
The competition in shed forming systems that started at ITMA 1999 with the introduction of the Grosse UniShed and Stäubli Unival 100 Jacquard systems continued. In fact, the competition expanded to include more shedding systems by other machine producers.

Stäubli commercialized Unival 100 in 2003. In 2007, the Unival concept was expanded in Unival 200 to individually control warp yarns using actuators in label machines. In Unival 200, the actuation is not limited to controlling only the shedding motion, but also main motions of the machine. The actuators are used to control: weft tension with individual control for each weft yarn that can be preprogrammed digitally; weft feed rate; warp tension; cloth take-up rate; latch needle for securing the filling yarn; and filling selection of up to eight colors. The concept was also expanded in Unival 500 to individually control harnesses in dobby shedding systems. Unival 500 uses more powerful actuators to control harness movement in a dobby shedding system. Each harness is controlled by an actuator that controls links connected to the harness. Clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the actuators is decided based on which harnesses need to be raised/lowered to form the shed according to the weave design.

At this ITMA, Toyota Industries, Japan, joined the competition for individual harness control of dobby shedding systems with the E-shed Electronic Shedding Motion.

Mageba Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, exhibited its narrow shuttle weaving machine SL-MT 1/180 combined with a Mageba dobby shedding system in which a separate motor drives each harness. Each harness can be raised or lowered at different levels to form multisheds and allow for multi-weft insertion.

At this ITMA, Stäubli expanded the Unival 100 applications. A small-size Unival 100 combined with a narrow fabric shuttle weaving machine was shown at Mageba’s booth to form multi-weft insertion for the production of medical and technical products. A very small-size Unival 100 termed Univalette, which is intended for working with a dobby shedding system, was shown at Stäubli’s booth for weaving selvage labels.

GITEC Grosse Internationale Technologie GmbH, Germany, commercialized the improved UniShed 2 about two years ago. At ITMA, the unit was shown at Japan-based Tsudakoma Corp.‘s booth on the ZW8100 water-jet weaving machine. It should be pointed out that this is the first time water-jet weft insertion has been combined with a Jacquard shedding system at ITMA.

Advantages Of Individual Yarn And Harness Control 
The advantages of individual control of warp yarns and harnesses in Jacquard and dobby weaving allowed the separation of the Jacquard/dobby drive from the main weaving machine drive, leading to elimination of the complexity associated with coupling the weaving machine main drive with the shedding system; increased weaving speed; elimination of stop/start marks owing to reduction of load on the main motor; and formation of multisheds, enabling the formation of 3-D woven structures for medical, shaped preforms for composites. These systems set the stage for the development of multiphase weaving with intricate designs using the advances of the new dobby/Jacquard shedding systems.

Integration Of Weaving And Embroidery By Dornier 
A highlight of the show was Germany-based Lindauer Dornier GmbH‘s air-jet weaving machine AWS 6/S 12 OC integrated with an embroidery mechanism that controls a set of yarns. The embroidery yarns are guided by needles and are raised up to move out of the reed dents — the reed is open-top. While they are out of the reed, these yarns are moved laterally depending on the embroidery design, and then are lowered and entered into the reed dents. The embroidery yarns form sheds to interlace with the weft yarns according to the design. The sequence is repeated until a design repeat is formed. Besides the competition with embroidery machinery, the system could replace the weaving technique known as extra warp figuring that requires dedicated Jacquard hooks. The system also competes with the embroidery effect produced by yarn lay-in in warp knitting. While intricate design could be obtained by the system, the degree of intricacy is limited compared to that of traditional embroidery because of the limitation of the lateral movement of embroidery needles or yarns. Another limitation of the system is that the embroidery yarn size is limited to the reed dent width.

Dornier Air Jet Type AWS 6/S 12 OC with Embroidery Unit weaving embroidered curtain

Speed And Versatility 
Weaving speeds and filling insertion rates reached their maximum at previous ITMA shows. The machine manufacturers competed mainly by showing different machines weaving a broad range of fabrics for different markets, emphasizing diversity that includes weaving articles for home textiles; apparel textiles; and technical textiles such as filters, preforms for composites, medical and ropes. Examples of diversity offered by various machine manufacturers include:

• Dornier: embroidered curtain fabric – A1 air-jet, Jacquard African damask for shirting – air-jet, womenswear – rapier, filter fabric – rapier;
• ITEMA Weaving, Switzerland, including Sultex, Vamatex andSomet: coating – rapier, shirting – rapier. fancy apparel – rapier, fancy denim – air-jet, sheeting – air-jet, geotextiles – projectile, home textiles – rapier, terry towel – rapier;
• Panther Textiles Co. Ltd., Hong Kong: labels – rapier, technical – rapier, shirting – rapier, fancy womenswear – rapier;
• Picanol NV, Belgium: stretch denim – rapier, para-aramid – rapier, worsted fabric – rapier, coating – rapier, upholstery – rapier, lining – air-jet, parachute fabric – air-jet, automotive – air-jet, sheeting – air-jet, terry – air-jet, apparel – air-jet, womenswear – rapier;
• Toyota: gingham shirting – air-jet, wool suiting – air-jet; fancy voile curtains – air-jet, denim fabric – air-jet, terry towel – air-jet;
• Tsudakoma: pongee – air-jet, Jacquard terry towel – air-jet, heavyweight Jacquard fabric – water-jet, womenswear – air-jet.
• Mageba shuttle weaving: medical, net shape for composites – T-beam, I-beam, tubular and such, ropes with sheath/core layers;
• Jäger of Schlatter Industries AG, Switzerland: technical fabrics – SK560 rapier weaving machine equipped with high tension let-off and beat-up;
• Vúts Liberec, Czech Republic: leno fabrics for the production of glass fiber preforms for fiber reinforced composites – Cam El and Combine air-jet; and
• Jürgens Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Germany: technical textiles including multi-axial fabrics – JP-4000 projectile 6-10-meter wide weaving machine equipped with ITEMA projectile and Stäubli Unival 500 dobby.

Multiphase Weaving 
The absence of the Sultex M8300 multiphase weaving system from the show for the second consecutive time is a disappointment. The author addressed the reasons behind the limitations of the M8300 in previous ITMA reviews. Its greatest disadvantages are the limited weave design capability and warp yarn densities. However, with the new development in shedding systems addressed above, it is believed that opportunities are emerging to develop multiphase weaving using dobby/Jacquard shedding systems with individual harness/yarn control.

Mageba Shuttle Weaving 
The comeback of shuttle weaving at seen at ITMA 2007 continued at this ITMA. Mageba showed its narrow shuttle weaving machine SL-MV 140 1/315 combined with Stäubli ‘s Unival 100 Jacquard shedding system. The combination of the weaving machine and Unival 100 permitted the formation of multisheds and multi-weft insertions to form shaped and 3-D articles for medical and technical applications such as bifurcated and trifurcated grafts; tubular structures for fire and garden hoses; and T-, I- and C-shaped preforms for fiber-reinforced composites. While these products have been produced using traditional technologies, the use of Unival 100 with shuttle weaving provides an ultimate electronic system that allows switching from weaving a shaped article to weaving another with ease and speed that have never before been seen.

Application examples of woven fabrics formed using Mageba shuttle loom

Mageba also exhibited its narrow shuttle weaving machine SL-MT 1/180 combined with its dobby shedding system, in which each harness is driven by a separate motor. Thus, each harness can be raised or lowered at different levels to form multisheds and allow for multi-weft insertion.

Energy Reduction 
ITMA 2007 witnessed serious developments in air-jet weaving to reduce energy consumption to offset the increase in energy costs. Further developments were exhibited at this show. Dornier showed its TandemPlus system, consisting of a movable tandem nozzle attached to the reed bar for variable-width weaving and a third fixed-position nozzle for weaving slick or subtle filling yarns. On wide machines, the Dornier TRIM system features the movable tandem nozzle and movable third nozzle. Both systems reduce the air pressure and power consumption.

Picanol exhibited four Omni plus Summum air-jet weaving machines equipped with a patent-pending AirMaster software system that monitors air consumption and detects leakage and clogging. AirMaster also could be used to carry testing procedures to check all air elements. Identifying leaks and clogs, and managing air lead to reduced air consumption.

Wireless Smart Label 
TexTrace AG, a subsidiary of Jakob Müller Holding AG, Switzerland, demonstrated a new wireless smart label for article identification using radio frequency (RF) technology. The label can be read from a distance of up to 7 meters using a RFID reader. The smart label consists of two parts: a woven antenna comprising textile yarns and electrically conductive yarns; and a chip with integrated circuit. The integration of the antenna and the chip is achieved with precise placement using a new automated process that applies pressure and heat to connect the chip to the antenna using thermoplastic adhesive. The system has a range of applications that include the detection of numerous articles simultaneously, sales tracking, checkout, counterfeit detection, theft protection, inventory, order tracking and more. TexTrace reports repeated laundering does not affect label performance. An additional feature of the system is its ability to connect to mobile phones, thus allowing remote tracking of data. While the cost of the smart label is expected to be much higher than the traditional label cost, the time and labor savings in conducting the above tasks would translate to higher profit.

Conclusion 
Developments introduced at previous ITMAs — such as automatic pattern change, direct drive, quick style change, variable pick density, variable speed, automatic stop/start mark prevention, on-loom woven fabric inspection and adaptive control system for air-jet weft insertion — are well-established and are becoming the standard owing to the demand for versatility and high-quality fabrics.

It is strongly believed that the new dobby and Jacquard shedding systems will revolutionize weaving technology and help weavers find new uses for these technologies in intricate textiles as well as functional smart, industrial, and technical fabrics. Given the establishment and the spread of the individual harness/yarn control of dobby/Jacquard shedding systems, multiphase weaving with no limitation in design capability or thread density is expected to be developed soon. Such development will take the weaving speed to new levels while producing intricate as well as technical textile products. Another route for increasing the weaving speed is twofold: continue the increase of electronic controls and thus reduce heavy mechanical parts; and replace heavy metal parts with much lighter fiber-reinforced composites.

The new developments in weaving and weaving preparation equipment provide a range of opportunities for woven fabric manufacturers and allow the production of much smaller orders than ever before with minimal waste.

The shuttle comeback for two successive ITMA shows is a welcomed event owing to its success in producing specialty industrial and medical products. Shuttle weaving is a viable technology for the formation of net-shaped products for medical and technical textiles including preforms for fiber-reinforced composites.

Manufacturers have responded to the need to reduce environmental impact through reduction in energy consumption and raw material waste including reduced selvage waste. Future ITMAs are expected to reveal more advances in this direction due to the mounting pressure resulting from increases in the costs of energy, raw material and waste disposal.

GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global outlook on the Textiles Industry. Global textile industry dynamics are shaped by a wide range of demographic factors such as disposable income levels, degree of consumer confidence and other general economic variables. Future growth would be driven by segments such as geosynthetics, filtration products and medical products that have survived the adverse economic conditions.

Demand for textile and garments declined considerably in 2008 and 2009, particularly in the US, Japan and Europe due to the rising unemployment levels and decline in consumer confidence. While few consumers exhibited preference for low-priced products, several others sought to defer purchases. The recession urged industry participants to resort to cost saving measures such as work furloughs, line closures and staff reductions to survive in the competitive environment. Several countries adopted protectionist policies in order to deal with social and political instability, decline in international trade, and closure of factories. The industry however recovered driven by the economic stimulus packages offered by various Asian countries. Governments of various countries implemented strong policy framework and provided support to intensify the pace of recovery. The global textile industry is also witnessing the sustained migration of manufacturing activity from the developed nations to developing countries.

China dominates the global textile market in terms of annual production capacity for cotton textiles, woolen fabrics and chemical fiber garments. In view of the recession, China adopted a different strategy to focus on domestic market, as against the earlier export-oriented operations. Improving economic conditions, coupled with favorable government support policies as well as industrial upgradations contributed to the increase in industry’s production output. Domestic demand is expected to drive production, sales and exports growth in the Chinese textile industry. Factors such as favorable infrastructure, liberal labor laws, and social security are expected to contribute to the industry growth.

Cotton is a major raw material used in about 40-50% of textiles. In addition, cotton makes up for about 85% of all natural fibers, other than wool, hemp and linen. Cotton consumption is largely driven by population growth, as evident by the fact that consumption has tripled during the period 1950 and 2009. In addition, factors such as rising per capita incomes, stable or falling prices of cotton in comparison to other fibres, and extensive promotional campaigns of market participants have contributed to substantial growth in demand for cotton. India, China, Pakistan and the US dominate the global cotton production.

The global market for technical textiles is set to grow rapidly driven by the expanding use of the material in emerging markets. Asia, in particular, is expected to emerge as a force to reckon with in the technical textiles market due to rapid growth in local markets, and the rising installation of local production capacity. Asian countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan, India, and Korea are expected to drive global consumption of technical textiles. In particular, India is expected to emerge as a major player largely due to the abundance of raw materials, and availability of skilled manpower. The geotextiles segment is expected to register the fastest growth in view of climate changes that are increasing the threat of hurricanes, and floods, among other disasters. Germany, France, Japan, UK, Korea, India, China, and the US are the leading producers of technical textiles, globally.

The research report titled “Textiles: A Global Outlook” announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a collection of statistical anecdotes, market briefs, and concise summaries of research findings. The report offers an aerial view of the global textiles industry, identifies major short to medium term market challenges, and growth drivers. Regional markets elaborated upon include United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, UK, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, China, India, Pakistan, and Brazil, among others. Also included is an indexed, easy-to-refer, fact-finder directory listing the addresses, and contact details of companies worldwide.

For more details about this comprehensive industry report, please visit -
www.strategyr.com/Textiles_Industry_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world’s largest and reputed market research firms.

Source:CTEI

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textilebulletin.com | January 2012

The Industrial Fabrics Foundation(IFF) chose TenCate’s new water-wicking geotextile, Mirafi® H2Ri, to receive this year’s Innovation Award. The product was officially launched with the announcement of the award at IFAI Expo Americas 2011.

The story of Mirafi H2Ri began with one question at a business meeting in Alaska between officials from that state’s Department of Transportation(DOT) and representatives fromTenCate Geosynthetics North Americaof Pendergrass, Ga. “We always ask, ‘What problem do you have today that can’t be solved with geosynthetics?’” says David Jones, TenCate’s director of product and application development.

Alaska officials cited the difficulties of building and maintaining roads in a harsh climate and over problematic geology. “When you build over the tundra, you’re on frost-susceptible soils, which take in water at different rates,” Jones explains. “When the water in the soil freezes, it expands and contracts at different rates, creating frost heaves or frost boils. We figured we can’t stop that, but then we figured if the entire road did the same thing at the same time, there wouldn’t be a problem.”

Moving the water

The TenCate team contemplated how to create an industrial fabric that might improve the situation. The initial planning phase, which involved qualifying and quantifying exactly what features the fabric should have and how it should perform, took about 18 months, Jones says. “Could we move water out of the road system? Yes, but how much would be enough?”

The textile would have stability applications, so it needed to allow sufficient water to pass through while holding back small particles. It would also need to be strong enough to withstand extreme stresses and pressure, but still be lightweight and cost effective to use.

Once the plan was in place, the team began experimenting with composition and materials. In designing a fabric with the stated goals in mind, “We figured the only way to do it was to build the fabric vertically,” Jones says. “We needed to make it thicker.” With more than one layer, the fabric could channel enough water, but the holes could still be small enough to block particles from flowing through.

Developers knew the choice of yarn would play a significant role in how the fabric performed and found a fiber with a geometric shape to maximize surface area, providing optimum wicking capabilities, but getting everything right took trial and error. “Two-layer weaving was new to us,” Jones says. “We went through 23 trials on the loom, looking at the samples and trying to figure out how to balance soil retention and water flow-through.” The project was nearly complete.

A new fabric category

At about the same time the team in Georgia was working on the textile first conceived in Alaska, TenCate’s European division was finishing its own new product. After four years and more than 120 extrusion trials, the European division had developed a stiffer, higher modulus yarn that could bear increased loads at lower elongation points. The new fiber “basically doubled the modulus,” Jones says. “It was really an innovative breakthrough for us.”

That kind of strength—especially for applications such as road stabilization—coupled with the fabric’s water-wicking capabilities, would create a fabric in a category by itself. After another 12 loom trials adding the new yarn to the mix, Mirafi H2Ri was born. “Once we saw what we had, we said we need to revamp all of our products and put in this new-generation technology,” he says.

Proven benefits

In August 2010, TenCate tested Mirafi H2Ri in Alaska on the Dalton Highway, a road running from north of Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean subject to frost-related damage due to uneven moisture levels in the soil.

To test Mirafi H2Ri’s water-wicking ability, at mile marker 110 TenCate engineers dug out several feet of the existing road, graded the surface and installed a section of Mirafi H2Ri at a depth of about three feet. Engineers covered that with a foot of dirt, compacted it and installed a second piece of fabric at a depth of about 18 inches. Workers placed sensors between the layers of fabric, opened the road for use and monitored the sensors for more than a year.

The results showed that the moisture moved out of the road bed, preventing frost-related road damage. Areas on either side of the fabric installation suffered the typical frost-related road damage.

“[The fabric] won’t drain a lake,” says Jones, “but it will move moisture around so you don’t have saturated and unsaturated areas. That’s the true benefit of the fabric.”

Not just the frozen North

The recently introduced (and patented) geosynthetic has been installed in several roads vulnerable to frost-related damage in Alaska and northern Canada. As of this fall, more than 30 new or revamped products are on the innovation list, with half a dozen “on the same caliber” with the kind of innovation found in Mirafi H2Ri, Jones says. Most will be in development for another 18 to 24 months.

Jones says the product use potential is “anyplace where water and the need for stabilization come together”—for instance, the clay soils of Texas. “They’re expansive soils, so as long as they’re wet, they’re fine,” he says. “But they’re like Play-Doh. If they dry out, they develop huge cracks. If you’re building over those types of soils, foundations will crack, and that’s a problematic issue.”

Tests are continuing at The University of Texas at Austin.

MILAN, Jan 15, 2012/ FW/ — With musicians Joe Jonas and Charlie Siem in attendance, Italo Zucchelli unveiled his Fall 2012 Calvin Klein Collection in Milan today.

Describing the collection as “an urban inspired take on timeless sportswear essentials,” Italo Zucchelli proposed 46 looks that will blend nicely in any city while also turn heads après ski.

For Fall 2012, Mr. Zucchelli updated the classics as he created oversized proportions and used tactile materials.

Reflecting the textures and colors of city life, fabrics included cashmere, alpaca, mohair, merino and tweed in a tonal palette of camel, navy, grey heather, gotham and black.

A diffused light print seen in suiting and outerwear added a graphic vibrancy to the collection.

Looks were paired with detachable hoodies designed in luxurious alligator, felted wool and quilted nylon, as well classic lace ups and loafers modernized with a slim, polished aesthetic or a more rugged, textural look.

As previously announced, the runway show was live streamed and will shortly be made available at calvinklein.tv.

Different small industrial enterprises have taken part in the fair at the pavilion of Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC). Handbag, school bag, moneybag etc are found in these stalls. Sellers told this correspondent that visitors thronged to the stalls throughout the day.

Abul Basar Bhuiyan, Researcher of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute said that jute made products figure huge demand among the visitors this time. The disappeared golden fibre retuned as golden dream. Europe and America based companies have ordered for the products in good quantity he added.

Asma Mahbub Moni, owner of ‘Suchili’ said that she had noticed huge demand of jute products among the visitors. “We have received export order for one lakh bags from Singapore and Canada”, she said.

A few stalls like jute made product ones have been able to retain the image of the DITF, which has been held for the last 13 consecutive years as wane by local stuffs, mismanagement of authority, fake stalls and things.

The purpose of trade fair is to represent local products to the visitors instead of making profit. But the purpose is marred. Authority should allocate pavilion only to the manufacturers said Mujibar Rahman, Managing Dircetor of Asian Textile Mills Ltd. “Only a handful organisations are allocated Pavilions and Stalls. Rest of all have come to make business”, he added.

Stalls were allotted to even such organisation whose stuffs were found in the streets, as appears from the actual circumstances.

Cheap and fake stuffs have marred the image of the fair said a visitor. “We have to buy low standard materials like sandal, bungle etc in double the price though the same things are found in the footpaths near New Market, Chadni Chawk “, he added.

The joint force of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) seized illegal roaming SIM from a stall of the fair on January 04.

They caught the sellers of Awal Call Centre at the time of vending ‘World SIM’, a product of an international company, for which they were not approved.

An official of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Bangladesh said that these organisations got allotment by lobbing and as a result of nepotism.

According to an EPB source, many rules could not be implemented due to irrational interference by it. At the onset of the fair, rules were followed which went on for two years. After, 1997 the fair was opened for the local organisations too and the scenario has changed.

The space of the fair has been more constricted this year. According to EPB 373 stalls were allotted in 2006 while 395 stalls in 2007. But this year 467 stalls were given allotment for the fair, which have made the fair congested.