ITMA Asia + CITME 2018 Exhibitor Preview: TMAS, Textile Machinery Association Of Sweden

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — October 1, 2018 — The highly inspiring, exciting platform for the world to view the latest technological developments, ITMA Asia + CITME is happening in Shanghai, China. This time, Swedish machinery producers will be proudly represented by four TMAS members: IRO, Eltex, Eton systems and ES Automatex. TMAS, the Textile Machine Association of Sweden, has nine members, each at the forefront of their own specific segment, and with a long and successful history and a passion for textile manufacturing.

China has been and is an increasingly important market for the Swedish machinery producers. Not surprising, since the country is one of the most important production hubs in the world today. The dramatic technology drive shaping the Chinese textile industry is setting the agenda with automation and sustainability being the key drivers. As TMAS member companies are at the forefront of automatization and innovative production processes, they look forward to working closely with Chinese customers on this exciting journey towards next-generation solutions.

Swedish producers invest heavily in R&D especially because technological innovation is so inbuilt in the corporate culture of Swedish companies. At the show we will see inbuilt intelligence and utilization of data for customized production developed to meet real customer needs.

“We know and understand the Chinese market, and we realize the trends for the future that will shape the Chinese textile and garment industry. We work in close collaboration with our customers and understand the market drivers. This enables us to constantly drive innovative breakthroughs in order for our customers to stay competitive,” said Mikael Äremann, president, TMAS.

The demands on machine producers are much more than just supplying a machine or technology. As a supplier you must understand and be prepared to integrate interface with procurement, administration, production and stock handling systems in order to create a complete, intelligent system and efficient processes for the customer. This means that, as a machine builder, you have to work closely with your customers to find the best solutions for all the different products and processes within the textile and garment industry, which Swedish companies have proven themselves to be very good at. We have been able to give the Chinese customers ideas on efficiency, quality improvements, reduced waste and how products can be adopted to fit automation.

“Swedish machines always deliver groundbreaking technology that will allow the customers in China to be flexible and innovative in their solutions to their customers. Local production and assembly of machinery are other Swedish ways to improve the customer experience and increasing demand for customized solutions,” said Therese Premler-Andersson, secretary general, TMAS.

IRO (H3 C01) will be displaying their wide range of yarn feeding equipment, that are optimized to meet the demands of advanced modern weaving machinery. The feeders incorporate innovative energy efficient permanent magnet motor design and incorporate developments such as easy “plug and play” for connecting intelligent accessories and an improved threading-up system.

Eltex (H3 C10) will have their new Eltex EyE™ Yarn Tension Monitoring System on display. The system monitors the yarn tension on all positions in real-time and you are able to immediately detect any fault position. Eltex EyE greatly helps increase the quality of warp beams. The result is fewer problems, not only when warping, but also in the next step when weaving or tufting. The system is suitable for applications such as warping, winding, etc.

Eton Systems (HS B14) will show their unique concept for material handling, developed to create efficiency, increase production and full traceability. The machines incorporate a real-time information system and the necessary tools to improve the manufacturing processes through powerful software programs. When visiting their stand at ITMA Asia + CITME you will also understand how the Eton systems are integrated on the mill floor.

ES Automatex (H5 D04) deliver high performance automated systems with high reliability, designed to meet specific customer requests. Are you looking for intelligent, automated sewing units for home textile, bags or garments then make sure you visit ES Automatex.

The Swedish companies are very excited to be participating in the ITMA Asia + CITME show.  The show is an excellent platform to view the latest technological developments. Furthermore, the show offers an excellent marketplace for making valuable business contacts with new partners and customers as well as strengthening existing ones. TMAS has been a part of the show in the past and we have been very happy with the results. We are certainly looking forward to this year’s show in Shanghai.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source: TMAS, Textile Machinery Association of Sweden

Chicago’s Roscoe Company Earns Hygienically Clean Food Safety Certification

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — September 28, 2018 — Roscoe Company, a Chicago-based independent industrial textile service facility, has earned the Hygienically Clean Food Safety designation, reflecting its commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and its capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The certification confirms the laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing linens and garments using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points (CCPs) that minimize risk. The independent, third-party inspection must confirm essential evidence that:

  • Employees are properly trained and protected;
  • Managers understand legal requirements;
  • OSHA-compliant; and
  • Physical plant operates effectively.

In addition, Roscoe’s facility passed three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean uniforms, garments and linens and diminished presence of harmful bacteria. To maintain their certification, laundry plants must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for full- and limited-service restaurants and other food service operations.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices are examined in the Hygienically Clean Food Safety inspection process, evaluating the plant’s techniques for:

  • Conducting hazard analysis;
  • Determining CCPs, monitoring their control, correcting them if not under control;
  • Validating and verifying HACCP system effectiveness; and
  • Documenting and record-keeping to show ongoing conformance.

Inspections also evaluate practices relevant to handling and processing textile products used in food manufacturing/processing establishments for adherence to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directives. Introduced in 2014, Hygienically Clean Food Safety brought to linen and uniform service laundering in North America the international cleanliness standards used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

“Congratulations to Roscoe on their certification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

This achievement complements Roscoe’s Clean Green certification, which they’ve held since 2012, proving their commitment to customers that their laundry is dedicated to standards for operational efficiency and sustainability. Clean Green certification underscores ongoing sustainability efforts and adherence to the highest standards in their production and delivery operations.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source: TRSA

ITMA Asia + CITME 2018 Exhibitor Preview: Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment

SHANGHAI, China — October 1, 2018 — “From Melt to Yarn, Fibers and Nonwovens – Bring it to Life” — is the motto under which the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment will transform itself into a digital machinery and plant manufacturing company showcasing its power as one of the innovation leaders for the production of chemical fibers. ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018, taking place in Shanghai from October 15th to 19th, is the world’s biggest textile machinery exhibition this year and with over 750 square meter exhibition space will be a virtual show for trendsetting digital products and services “From Melt to Yarn, Fibers and Nonwovens”. En route to the digital yarn factory, technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning or innovative HMI (Human Machine Interface) solutions promise the bridging between material and data flow – for customer value. These topics are also the central point of the “Oerlikon Innovation Forum” at which presentations in English and Chinese will be held several times a day for visitors of the exhibition booth.

The scenario of the future: textile production — from the supply chain through to dispatch — is autonomously controlled in the fully-networked Factory 4.0. The product being created controls and monitors the processes itself using embedded sensors. The manufacturing or order status is known at all times, raw materials are automatically reordered, wear and maintenance are planned as integral parts of the production process and error processes are identified, alleviated or displayed. This should cut costs, convert production lines more flexibly and help reduce downtimes and waste. For this, the machine construction sector has to provide correspondingly intelligent and Web-enabled production systems. No easy feat, as this requires interfaces between all systems involved and the collation, channeling and evaluation of tremendous volumes of data in real time.

Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment wants to face those technical development challenges and has high standards. “We want to become the textile machine construction trendsetter for technologies of this kind,” said CEO Georg Stausberg. The first steps on this journey have already been taken. The Plant Operation Center (POC) for process monitoring enables the collation of existing production data in a central location and to make these data available. HMI based services such as process monitoring via a service online app on smart phones and tablets were introduced as well as an assistance system based on mixed-reality glasses (Microsoft HoloLens). The system supports predictive maintenance concepts and enables virtual 360-degree tours through spinning systems.

AIM 4DTY: Automated detection of error cause

At ITMA Asia + CITME 2018 the company gives an insight to this as well as an outlook for new developments for the digitization of the process chain “From Melt to Yarn, Fibers and Nonwoven”. The digital future solution AIM4DTY provides help with the identification of possible error causes in texturing machines to help reduce quality risks. Here, machine learning is being used: The system recognizes and is being “trained” using trend charts and their respective errors. An example: In the texturing machine, the UNITENS monitoring sensor continually measures the yarn tension at all positions. An error is generated if a measurement value does not lie within the prescribed tolerances. In a lot of cases, the form of the graphs can provide information on the error causes and ultimately provide targeted and efficient response to these. A manual analysis and optimization is nearly impossible with more than 125,000 graphs per day. With the automated solution AIM4DTY the information is instantly available to customers, therefore allowing them to immediately optimize the quality during running production. It also ensures that predictive maintenance is now a reality.

Here, data security, data minimization and transparency are extremely important. This means that the data are utilized at the customer site as far as possible and only transferred to the Oerlikon central customer data center if required – and only following customer approval. “We process all data in accordance with the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), taking all further international data protection standards into account. Our customers always know which data we use and why”, explains Mario Arcidiacono, Business Intelligence & Data Warehouse specialist for the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment.

Wiping robot with intelligent control system

The crucial advantage of the wiping robot used for the cleaning of the spinnerets is automation: intelligent control system which connects machines and processes. The information relating to all wiping positions, cycles and times can be saved in the management system. The robot accesses the saved wiping intervals in an automated and safety-relevant manner. To this end, the robot can cope with up to 48 positions, corresponding to one entire production line. However, more decisive here is the impact of the intelligent control system, with whose help the spinning pump can be moved up and down in an automated and ‘in-time’ manner. To this end, pump stops can be kept to the absolute minimum using a robot, considerably reducing the impact of the wiping on both the polycondensation system process stability and on the yarn data of the spun yarn. The advantages over the manual process are for example extended cleaning cycles, less silicon use, more production time, less operating costs as well as advantages for human resources and health management. The wiping robot has been operating at two major yarn manufacturers in China now.

World premiere: Staple FORCE S1100

There are even more news regarding the exhibition to come: The Staple FORCE S1100 is a one-step plant, which spins, draws, crimps, cuts and bales in a single process step, produces small batches (up to 15 tons per day) and can be swiftly reconfigured for various requirements, including polymer, dye and titer changes. Its process control system for easy operation is absolutely unique.

The service for repair-coating from Oerlikon Barmag for thread-handling parts such as godet jackets also includes the expert’s know-how to identify and review abrasion in order to recreate the correct surface structure at the location. This way they can provide all important requirements to creating optimal plant and yarn quality.

News from the PA6/66 sector

With the acquisition of the PE Polymer Engineering Plant Construction GmbH, based in Thuringia, Germany, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment expanded its now completed polyamide process chain for fibers and filaments. The now available and tested technologies in the melt preparation process include the entire polyamide 6 polycondensation systems division and its PA6/66 co-polymer and the patented dimer-hydrolysis procedures for feeding recycled-lactam with the very highest end-product quality.

En route to digitization with a new mindset

To show its direction towards digitization, the company wants to offer its visitors at the exhibition booth in hall 2, B24 alongside machine exhibits mostly virtual experiences. They will be deploying playful solutions to present the topic of artificial intelligence as well as a virtual showroom to allow visitors to experience complex systems live in 3D. “We want to show that the ‘digital factory’ is already in part becoming a reality in conjunction with our machine exhibits and that we are in a good position to further optimize the efficiency of our equipment and quality of their end products — with digital solutions” affirmed Stausberg.

According the CEO the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment already started establishing new ideas and mindsets a few years ago, are working between disciplines, departments, areas and companies. An important step was the acquisition of the newly integrated partner AC-Automation who has substantiated know-how in large-scale automation, transport, packaging and warehouse logistics and end product automated quality control. “Together with our process competencies and digital data handling we not only want but will offer further innovative Industrie 4.0 solutions for our customers — all the way to the digitization of the complete process chain,” promised Stausberg.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source:  Oerlikon

NCTO Welcomes United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Announcement

WASHINGTON — October 1, 2018 — The United States, Mexico and Canada have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement to replace NAFTA. The text of the deal, now referred to as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, was released by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative last night.

“The U.S. textile industry is pleased the United States, Mexico and Canada have reached an agreement because Canada and Mexico are its largest trading partners,” said National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Auggie Tantillo as he noted that products from the textile and apparel supply chain accounted for nearly $12 billion in U.S. exports to Canada and Mexico in 2017.

“Unlike the original NAFTA, the new agreement includes a separate textile and apparel chapter. This outcome is a tangible recognition by all three parties of the importance of textile manufacturing to the regional economy,” Tantillo added as he explained that NCTO would not be making any further comment with respect to the deal until the substance of the agreement could be carefully analyzed by NCTO.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 550,500 in 2017.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $77.9 billion in 2017.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.6 billion in 2017.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.4 billion in 2016, the last year for which data is available.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source:  National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

Retailers Applaud U.S., Canada And Mexico Officials For Reaching Trilateral Agreement On NAFTA

WASHINGTON — October 1, 2018 — The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay after the U.S., Canada and Mexico reached a deal updating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“We are pleased a deal has been reached that preserves NAFTA’s trilateral framework, which is critical to protecting North American supply chains that support millions of American jobs. The administration, as well as officials from Canada and Mexico, should be applauded for months of hard work aimed at modernizing NAFTA for the 21st century —  a goal retailers have shared from the start. We will carefully review all the details of the agreement to ensure it promotes U.S. economic growth and maintains access to the products American families need at the prices they can afford.”

Posted October 1, 2018

Source:  The National Retail Federation (NRF)

RadiciGroup Presents Its 2017 Sustainability Report

BERGAMO, Italy — October 1, 2018 — The RadiciGroup 2017 Sustainability Report has been released. Prepared according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, the Report synthesizes numbers into graphics and tables that clearly and transparently show how the Group is committed to social and environmental sustainability “in the field” on a daily basis.

The reference to “the field” is not by chance. As a matter of fact, the site of the Sustainability Report presentation was the Bortolotti Sports Centre in Zingonia, Bergamo, training headquarters of Atalanta B.C. Last year, the RadiciGroup logo appeared on the team jersey to confirm the ties of both organizations to their territory of origin and to demonstrate that great objectives can be reached through team play, in both sport and the work world.

“Following our excellent environmental performance in recent years – also thanks to sizeable investments at all our sites,” Angelo Radici, president of RadiciGroup, pointed out, “our trends in emissions, energy and the use of resources stayed positive. Even on the social front, the figures on Group workers were very good. RadiciGroup is growing in terms of human resources, not only from a numerical point of view but also – and more importantly – from a professional perspective.

“Some figures, which can be viewed in more depth by reading the Report: today the Group’s renewable source electrical energy mix is 40.3 percent of total electrical energy consumption, and the goal is to continue along this path to ensure high levels of green energy. During the three-year period 2015-2017, total primary energy consumption of fossil fuels dropped from 6.43 GJ/t to 6.19 GJ/t, and, during the last six years, decreased by 22 percent.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source:  RadiciGroup

Registration Has Officially Opened for Techtextil North America 2019

ATLANTA — October 1, 2018 — Registration for Techtextil North America 2019, being held February 26-28, 2019 in Raleigh, N.C., has officially opened. Techtextil North America is where manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and industry professionals come together for three days of networking, education & innovation.

Decision makers from all of the major industries that touch technical textiles and nonwovens attend Techtextil Noth America to conduct business and discover the latest product developments and industry trends. This year’s event is expected to draw visitors from across the globe, including of top industry executives, buyers, engineers, technical directors, plant managers, product development managers, and more.

Program Highlights

Premier Symposium: The highly-acclaimed symposium provides attendees the opportunity to listen and learn from industry leaders and subject matter experts as they discuss some of the most pivotal advancements in research and technology and shed light on the current global economic state and its effects across industries. Those who purchase symposium passes will attend sessions on today’s hot topics including smart textiles, new fiber developments, advancements in nonwovens, and sessions that will address innovations in textiles for industry-specific applications including medical, aerospace, personal protection and more.

For the first time, Techtextil North America 2019 will offer a la carte pricing, giving visitors the flexibility to pick and choose the sessions most relevant to them, as well as a “Full Experience” option, which includes three-day exhibit hall access, entry into all Symposium sessions, as well as shuttle transportation and entry into the Reception & Tours at NC State. For more information on pricing and session offerings, visit https://techtextilnorthamerica2019.expotracker.net.

“The Lab” Testing Demonstration Area: A brand new show floor feature to Techtextil North America, “The Lab” is a demonstration and learning area featuring equipment & technology for textile testing and standards. Participation in The Lab will provide exhibiting companies with amazing opportunities for additional exposure, and give visitors the chance to experience textile testing first hand, discover new testing methods and educate themselves on the latest in industry standards.

Student Research Poster Program: The annual Graduate Student Poster Program has become a must visit show floor attraction for visitors at Techtextil North America. This year, the Program is open to undergraduate students, as well as those pursuing their Master’s or Ph.D.  Students from around the world will have a platform to share their research findings with peers and potential employers/sponsors, and a chance to present their research in front of a captive audience during the three days of Tech Talks, which will be located on the show floor and will once again be powered by The Nonwovens Institute.

After-hours Reception & Tours at North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles: Techtextil North America and North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles are excited to announce an evening of education and exploration, taking place on Wednesday, February 27 from 6:00-8:30 pm. Ticketholders will enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and will have the chance to network with other show attendees in an open-house style reception, as well as meet and greet with students and faculty and view current projects and research studies as they tour the top-of-the-line laboratories and fabrication facilities. Guided tours of The Nonwovens Institute will also be taking place, with a limited number of spots available. Tickets are currently available as an add-on to all registration types, and will be available for purchase on-site for an increased price. Limited Availability.

For more information on the upcoming edition of Techtextil North America, February 26-28, 2019 in Raleigh, please visit www.techtextilna.com.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source:  Messe Frankfurt North America

ASB Sports Acquisition Inc. Announces Three Add-on Acquisitions

MIAMI — September 28, 2018 — Trivest Partners today announced that its affiliate, Athletic Supply/Barcelona Sporting Goods has partnered with Williams’ Sporting Goods (WSG), Cardinal’s Sports Center, and Team Sports Inc. (TSO). These acquisitions will serve to broaden the company’s product lines, build density in existing markets, deepen relationships with key vendors, grow the company’s sales coverage network, and expand into the attractive Midwest geographic region. The key executives of each partner company are joining Athletic Supply’s management team and will retain meaningful ownership in the combined business. Most importantly, Athletic Supply remains well positioned to continue to deliver on its #1 priority — delivering outstanding customer service.

WSG, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Paris, Texas, is a provider of apparel and sports equipment to schools, little leagues, and other sports organizations in Northeast Texas and Southeastern Oklahoma. The partnership closed in May 2018. Cardinal’s Sports Center is a 70+ year old supplier of athletic equipment and apparel and market leader in West Texas and beyond. Based in Lubbock, Texas, Cardinal’s also maintains a state-of-the-art screen printing and embroidery operation. The Cardinal’s partnership closed in August 2018. TSO is a leading customer service-focused provider of athletic apparel, uniforms, equipment, and footwear to the Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Indiana markets. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, TSO will serve as the platform for Athletic Supply’s continued growth in the Midwest. The TSO partnership closed in September 2018.

Athletic Supply is now one of the leading value-added distributors of sporting goods equipment in the country. With a team of over 80 sales professionals and a loyal customer base of more than 3,500 accounts across seven states, the company is positioned to build on its reputation of providing a broad array of products from nearly every brand in the marketplace with unmatched, local customer service. As a relationship driven organization, Athletic Supply will continue to partner with Sports Inc., the largest team and outdoor buying group in the country.

Posted September 28, 2018

Source:  Trivest Partners

JCPenney Announces Departure Of CFO

PLANO, Texas — September 27, 2018 — J. C. Penney Co. Inc. today announced that Jeffrey Davis has informed the company that he is resigning from his position as executive vice president and CFO effective Oct. 1 to pursue another opportunity. Jerry Murray, senior vice president of finance, will assume the position of interim chief financial officer, reporting directly to the Office of the CEO.

“On behalf of our board and leadership team, I want to thank Jeff for his service to JCPenney,” said Ronald W. Tysoe, chairman of the JCPenney board. “His leadership has been instrumental as both the Company’s chief financial officer and as a member of the Office of the CEO. We wish him much success in his future endeavors, and we thank Jerry for stepping in to assume this leadership role.”

Murray joined the company in Feb. 2016 after serving as chief financial officer for Valassis, a multimedia marketing firm. As interim CFO, he will report into the Office of the CEO members Therace Risch, chief information and digital officer, and Mike Robbins, executive vice president of private brands and supply chain. The company will commence a formal search for Davis’ successor, reviewing both internal and external candidates.

“I am grateful for my time with the company, leading some of the most talented teams in retail during a time of transition. I have every confidence that JCPenney has the experience and determination to persevere and strengthen its position as one of America’s leading retailers,” said Davis.

Posted September 28, 2018

Source:  J. C. Penney Co.

CORDURA® Brand Launches New Website With Fabric Sourcing Experience In Mind

WICHITA, Kan. — September 25, 2018 — INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand announces the launch of its redesigned website, which features several new interactive tools designed to make sourcing Cordura fabrics easier than ever before. A fabric technology explorer allows users to search for Cordura fabrics to meet their specific needs, and a mill locator helps identify relevant fabric suppliers and sources for fabric samples.

“One of our biggest goals for the design of the new website was to create a seamless and intuitive user experience that promotes both inspiration and education for our value chain partners and prospective customers about how to integrate head-to-toe Cordura fabrics into their offerings.” said Mallory Faust, digital marketing manager at Cordura brand. “The development of these tools was heavily influenced by conversations with our customers about what inspires their fabric sourcing decisions.”

In addition to the fabric technology explorer and mill locator, the new site also offers focus pages with technical fabric information curated to help educate designers of military/tactical equipment, workwear, footwear, bags/packs, motorcycle gear, and active/outdoor apparel about relevant Cordura fabric options by end-use.

“As we continue to evolve our brand, we want to ensure that innovation through collaboration remains at the forefront of our mission. The redesign of our website helps us better connect to our brand customer and mill audience, making working with our technologies easier than ever before,” said Cindy McNaull, global Cordura brand and marketing director. “In addition to better servicing our supply chain partners, we are excited to launch our new blog that embodies the Live Durable™ ethos for a broader, consumer-based audience.”

The blog features the latest product reviews, seasonal trend gear guides, and key customer spotlights.

To explore the new Cordura brand website, visit www.cordura.com.

Posted September 27, 2018

Source: INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand

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