Orders Slow As Holidays Approach

Jim-Phillips-colorBy Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

Several spinners said that, while orders remain relatively brisk, they have begun to slow a little as the end of the year approaches.

“This is a normal cycle for us, noted one spinner. “We expect business to generally stay strong and pick back up to normal levels as the new year begins.”

Indeed, spinners have reason for optimism. U.S. consumer confidence was at an 18-year high at the end of September. Consumers were more upbeat about the labor market, pointing to sustained strength in the economy, despite the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China. The increase is estimated to boost household wealth and continue to support consumer spending, as well create opportunities to make home purchasing more affordable for first-time buyers.

“After a considerable improvement in August, Consumer Confidence increased further in September and hovers at an 18-year high,” said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “The September reading is not far from the all-time high of 144.7 reached in 2000. Consumers’ assessment of current conditions remains extremely favorable, bolstered by a strong economy and robust job growth. The Expectations Index surged in September, suggesting solid economic growth exceeding 3.0 percent for the remainder of the year. These historically high confidence levels should continue to support healthy consumer spending and should be welcome news for retailers as they begin gearing up for the holiday season.”

NAFTA 2.0

At the end of September, the United States reached an agreement with Canada, along with Mexico, on an updated NAFTA. The new agreement will be called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

It will still be some time before the new agreement can take effect, as it still needs to be ratified by all three countries. The earliest U.S. President Donald Trump can sign the agreement is near the end of November, 90 days after notifying Congress. The U.S. International Trade Commission has 150 days after the agreement is signed to release an assessment of the new pact. Finally, Congress will need to enact legislation to approve and implement the agreement.

Textile officials are hailing the agreement as a win for both the United States and the textile industry. “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. 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.

USMCA still adopts the “yarn-forward” rules of origin. NAFTA was the first trade agreement to include the yarn-forward rule. Since then, the rule has become standard in nearly every agreement negotiated by the United States.

Spot Market Cotton Prices

Average spot market cotton quotations for the week ending October 11 were 59 points higher than the  previous week, according to the USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service’s Cotton and Tobacco Program. Quotations for the base quality of cotton (color 41, leaf 4, staple 34, mike 35-36 and 43-49, strength 27.0-28.9, and uniformity 81.0-81.9) in the seven designated markets measured by the USDA averaged 73.25 cents per pound for the week, up from 72.66 the previous week and from 67.04 cents reported during the corresponding period a year ago. The ICE December settlement prices ended the week at 76.81 cents, compared to 76.00 cents the previous week.

Oct18chart

October 19, 2018

Kurabo International: Bridging The Generation Gap With Lectra

TW Special Report

Founded in 1973, Kurabo International is one of Japan’s major textile trading firm, generating $202.4 million in annual revenue in 2016 and producing 25 million pieces a year for clients like lingerie brand Wacoal, childrenswear brand Miki House, and its own in-house brands. While the company operates plants in countries such as China, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam, it has two domestic factories in Murakami and Takeda that specialize in manufacturing higher-quality items.

Because producing in Japan is more expensive than overseas, where its competitors are located, Kurabo needed to lower its costs to keep its pricing competitive, without sacrificing profits or quality. In addition, many long-time employees were retiring and taking their knowledge with them, leaving a gap in the company’s skilled workforce and a decrease in efficiency, productivity and cutting quality.

The Kurabo Group is a powerhouse in Japan’s textile industry. Its supply chain extends from textile production to finished garment and the group’s manufacturing arm, Kurabo International, produces clothing for highprofile brands like Wacoal and Miki House, as well as uniforms and casualwear for its in house brands. “Having earned the trust of our customers, we are committed to providing quality they can depend on,” said president and CEO Atsuhiko Nishizawa. “Our company mission is to create innovative products that add value to our customers’ lives. Lectra technology helps make that possible.”

Home-field advantage

Kurabo International owns and operates plants in China, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam, but the company processes its most complex orders in Japan, where employees have the skills and experience required to handle delicate fabrics, intricate details, complicated patterns, and small-batch orders. “Manufacturing domestically is getting increasingly expensive, but keeping production going in Murakami and Takeda is important to us because it gives us more control over product quality,” explains Hiroyasu Kamohara, Chairman of the Board for Kurabo International. Unwilling to give up their domestic production sites, Kurabo looked for other ways to lower costs. The company began using Lectra’s patternmaking software Modaris to streamline product development.

Atsuhiko Nishizawa_Kurabo International

“Our company mission is to create innovative products that add value to our customers’ lives. Lectra technology helps make that possible.”

— Atsuhiko Nishizawa, President and CEO, Kurabo International

“With Modaris, we can check color and fit quickly and more accurately. We save on time, labor and materials because we now need 20 percent less samples than before,” Kamohara explained. “Lectra has helped make our product-development process faster and more precise, so that we are still cost-efficient, despite the fact that our production costs are higher than if we were manufacturing overseas.”

Generation Gap

Kurabo’s Takeda factory was primarily staffed with highly skilled employees who did their cutting by hand, but many were reaching retirement age, with nobody to replace them. As their numbers dwindled, the yield rate for small-volume orders dropped, and cutting efficiency decreased. Kurabo decided to offset the skills gap left by its aging workforce with a CAM solution. Pleased with the results they had achieved with Modaris, they added Lectra’s marker-making software Diamino and Vector fashion cutting machines to their operation.

Diamino’s optimized markers, coupled with the Vectors’ speed and precise, zero-buffer cutting, improved quality and reduced fabric waste. With Vector’s easy handling, fewer people were needed to manage the cutting process. “We can now manage cutting process with 20 percent less manpower than before,” attested Kamohara.

Solutions That Take You From A To Z

Thanks to the time, material and labor costs that Kurabo International was able to save with Lectra’s software and hardware solutions, the future of its production sites in Japan is secure. The product-development and production processes in Takeda and Murakami are smoother than ever, and overall efficiency at the factories has increased by more than 10%. Over the course of their 20-year relationship with Lectra, the Japanese group has become one of the tech company’s most loyal customers. Kurabo knows from past experience that it can count on Lectra’s dedication and service to see it through any challenges that may arise in the future. “We trust Lectra to deliver high-quality technology solutions that will help us maintain the level of efficiency, quality standards and flexibility in production that is crucial to our survival in today’s marketplace,” affirmed Kamohara.

“We couldn’t ask for anything more in a technology partner.”

Posted October 16, 2018

Customer story courtesy of Lectra

Cost-Efficient Production: R 36 — Strong In Spinning Regenerated Fibers

Link no 72 72-205 Cost-Efficient Production Karel Bonek dup_88395_OriginalBy Karel Bonek

Regenerated fibers are gaining importance, as they reduce the raw material cost of spinning. Rotor spinning technology is most suitable for these fibers. High-quality yarns can be produced cost-efficiently with the new semi-automatic rotor spinning machine R 36.

They are less expensive than new raw material: regenerated fibers that are recycled from woven fabric or knitted fabric. This variant is playing an increasingly important role in reducing yarn costs around the globe. However, a prerequisite is that the resulting yarn characteristics find the necessary level of acceptance. The high amount of short fibers limits the strength of the yarn and reduces the stability of the spinning process. The newly developed rotor spinning machine R 36 is particularly suitable for spinning regenerated fibers. The quality of the yarns produced on the semi-automatic rotor spinning machine R 36 is greatly appreciated by the market. The consistently high piecing quality with the AMIspin system ensures that the follow-up process flows smoothly. Customers frequently prefer this quality from R 36 compared to yarns from automated machines with outdated piecing mechanisms.

Better Yarn Quality, Finer Count

Customers who use the R 36 observe a significantly better spinning stability of the new S 36 spin box compared to the spin box of older models R 35 or R 923. They are right, since quality tests confirm a yarn strength that is more than 0.5 cN/tex higher with the R 36. Furthermore, the yarn has a better unevenness. This supports the possibility with R 36 to also go for finer counts with regenerated fibers, if the fiber material is still suitable.

Less Dust

Extensive tests with the R 36 demonstrated a relationship between yarn abrasion and rotor diameter. This opens up new possibilities for spinning regenerated fibers. With smaller rotors, yarn strength and evenness are getting better thanks to optimized fiber flow and improved spinning tension. At the same time, yarn abrasion is reduced (See Figure 1). This means that yarns made of regenerated fibers produce less disturbing dust in the follow-up process. This tendency also increases with the R 35. Some customers already use rotors with diameters of 36 or 38  millimeter for spinning in such applications.

Link no 72 72-205 Cost-Efficient Production Pic 1_88394_Original
Figure 1: Smaller rotor diameters can give advantages when spinning regenerated fibers. The yarn shows less abrasion and, consequently, less dust in further processing.

Strengths Of R 36 For Coarse Counts

Complementary to the technological strength of the improved spin box S 36, the new R 36 unrolls functions that are especially interesting for spinning of coarse yarns from regenerated fibers (the R 35 also already has some of these functions):

  • The optimized AMIspin spin start assists for good quality and efficiency, especially with yarns of low strength. The new optional AMIspin-Pro  technology with better setting possibilities increases the success rate. The fast and simple piecing without having to press another button saves time and ensures uniform quality.
  • Thanks to the fully independent sides of the R 36, lot changes are significantly easier.
  • Because of the sturdy machine design, long machines are also highly productive, with no speed restrictions.
  • The “Quality Spinning-In” (QSI) function starts the whole machine in a time-saving and energy-saving manner. The QSI process guarantees piecings of consistently high AMIspin quality. If yarn clearers are installed, they additionally test all piecings.
Link no 72 72-205 Cost-Efficient Production Pic 2_88396_Original
Figure 2: The sliver feed (top) and the dirt particles (bottom) eliminated during spinning show that the good fibers are fully utilized. The optimized air flow and the improved fiber guidance in the S 36 spin box form the basis for this.

More Regenerated Fibers Available

Following the interest of the spinning mills and resulting from an increased environmental awareness, more fabrics are being recycled to recover the fibers. Suitable machines are available for recycling. Numerous suppliers offer preprocessed fibers.

The rotor spinning machine R 36 is well suited to also handle the shorter fibers after recycling. Due to different sources, the composition of the material is less constant than with original cotton. Yarn ends that are not fully opened and contamination from pieces of filaments, such as from elastomers, are especially demanding for the spinning process. Such elements may be spun into the yarn by the spin box S 36. Nevertheless, the frequency of contamination will affect the yarn breakage rate.

Experience in various spinning mills has shown that Rieter customers successfully process this challenging material with the R 36 (See Figure 2). Thanks to its easy operation in combination with a sturdy machine design, they achieve commercial success with the R 36.

Editor’s Note:Karel Bonek is a rotor spinning product manager for Switzerland-based Rieter Group’s Machines & Systems Business Group. He can be reached at karel.bonek@rieter.com

Posted October 19, 2018

White Technology Turns Textile Chemical Industry Greener

Textile Chemicals Market 01By Bhushan Wankhade

It’s no secret that the fashion industry needs to step up the game in terms of sustainability. The fabric dyes used in the textile industry are considered as a “necessary evil”. The dyes used in the textile industry are usually combined with water, which increases the amount of wastewater containing harmful, insoluble solvents. However, researchers are making herculean efforts to develop more sustainable and eco-friendly chemicals that can be used in the dyeing and finishing processes. Moreover, surge in research and development activities to develop sustainable chemicals and significant development in the apparel industry have boosted the growth of the textile chemical market. According to Allied Market Research, the global textile chemical market is expected to garner $27.56 billion by 2022, registering a CAGR of 3.4 percent from 2016 to 2022.

Eco-Friendly Chemicals

Singapore-based Huntsman Corp. recently launched UNIVADINE E3-3D, an eco-friendly, next-generation diffusion accelerant. UNIVADINE E3-3D accelerant is low-odor and free from hazardous components such as benzyl benzoate. It is a part of Huntsman’s wide range of novel dyEvolution dyeing auxiliaries, which uses active diffusion technology to offer high-speed dyeing with best-in-class retarding, leveling, and migration properties.

“The newly launched diffusion accelerant, UNIVADINE E3-3D, provides three major properties, including diffusion, leveling, and migration for outstanding performance and economic sustainability,” said Kerim Oner, global marketing manager for dyeing auxiliaries at Huntsman Textile Effects. “Moreover, its environmental credential offer factors greater flexibility and an optimum price-performance ratio.” Oner believes that the new offering would revolutionize the way textile chemical industry dyes polyester while meeting the stringent governmental standards.

There are several types of research regarding how toxic textile chemicals led to skin diseases and respiratory issues among the factory workers and users, which gave impetus to develop new, allergen-free chemicals. Belgium-based Devan Chemicals recently introduced a novel technology to manufacture carpets, curtains, and other textile components for an allergen-free environment. The company’s Purissimo chemical is said to be a probiotic-based solution that can fight allergens. According to the company, the use of this new chemical can reduce about 92.8 percent of cat hair allergens. Thus, it can be incorporated in textile components that are used in public spaces such as school, hospitals, and libraries.

Purissimo consists of inactive probiotic bacteria encapsulated into the microcapsule, which is then embedded into the textile products. Moreover, when subjected to friction, these microcapsules break and release the spores that transform the inactive bacteria into active ones and fight with allergens present in the textile products. Thus, with a remarkable reduction in the population of house dust mite, the new chemical can be an effective and preventive strategy to reduce allergic diseases caused by chemicals used in textile industry.

Era Of White Technology In Textile Industry

The textile industry is at the dawn of a new era of white technology. White technology refers to the use of living cells and other enzymes to develop industrial products that are easily degradable, create less waste during production, and even perform better than the products developed using traditional methods. PILI, a France-based biotechnology startup, has been developing bridgeable dyes using sugar-munching microbes. Recently, PILI has announced closing a $3 million initial funding round that would help its fermentation technology to produce high-performance bio-based pigments and dyes. The technology can be applied to industrial processes to improve efficiency, performance, and sustainability.

Most of the people never realize that the blue colored jeans that they wear are the biggest enemy of the mother nature. Recently, a team of energy bioscience researchers have found a “greener” way to manufacture blue jeans. Professor John Dueber and his team have used genetically modified bacteria such as E. coli and yeast to produce indigo color.

Currently, indigo color is synthetically created using petroleum. The process involves the use of a variety of chemicals that are harmful to the environment and sea life. However, with the help of bacteria, the use of these hazardous chemicals can be eliminated, and the process could complete at a faster rate.

Zach Russ, a bioengineering graduate that worked on this project, stated, “You can get indican from plants and turn it into indigo, which would remove the need for dangerous chemicals. One of the chemicals that are used to make indigo color is so hazardous that it can react with water and become highly flammable.” The team has offered a ground-breaking way to produce indigo using the white technology, which would make a significant impact on the textile chemicals industry.

Editor’s Note: Bhushan Wankhade is a digital marketing specialist with Allied Market Research. He can be reached at bhushan.wankhade@alliedanalytics.com. For more information, visit www.alliedmarketresearch.com.

Posted October 19, 2018

Copyright Trolls

PeroffheadshotBy Mark Peroff

Copyright trolls — registering copyrights on a large universe of fabric designs and then pouncing on unsuspecting manufacturers and retailers — are now an unpleasantly hot industry trend. They operate with the intent of making money in litigation by aggressively and opportunistically filing complaints against legitimate companies that are unaware any copyrights exist – banking on the fact that their targets would rather pay and settle than fight a costly lawsuit. Prominent retailers and textile manufacturers have been targets of this practice.

These copyright troll attacks are difficult to defend against — they proceed based on a clear strategy. The fabric patterns, prints and designs these entities own copyrights to may not even be products they are producing or licensing for paid distribution. Yet, they amass huge “libraries” or “stockpiles” of copyrighted fabrics and then send out teams of “shoppers” to scour stores for identical or substantially similar fabrics. Given the sheer volume of copyrights they own, they will likely find something, especially since even basic fabric prints like floral, paisley, animal or geometric can be subject to a copyright infringement lawsuit.

Once their “shoppers” identify potentially infringing fabrics, copyright trolls retain law firms to send out hundreds of “cease and desist” letters and to file lawsuits. Regardless of whether the textile manufacturer has valid defenses to assert, most companies decide it’s simplest and least expensive to settle.

It would take a huge investment in time and money to individually and legally vet hundreds, sometimes thousands of fabrics, especially given the constant pace of change and turnover. Attempting to do so would be not just a nuisance but completely impractical.

Copyright infringement claims may seem inevitable — with the only guarantee of protection being to only produce and sell solid fabrics. That, of course, is ridiculous and completely unrealistic. Thankfully there are much more reasonable steps textile manufacturers can take to avoid such claims altogether or, if it occurs, mitigate damage during litigation.

The first step is to ensure the designers are well educated on the importance of creating prints that are substantively different, and why copying work even inadvertently can lead to legal trouble. To avoid infringement claims, the possibility of one always needs to be top of mind. All it takes is for a designer to see a cool fabric somewhere once to be influenced by it and not realize later that their burst of creativity was more imitation than inspiration.

This is particularly tricky when the fabric designs involved follow or incorporate a fashion trend. A designer’s interpretation of that trend into their work must be different enough that it can’t be considered copying.

Collaboration between manufacturers and retailers is also important. Manufacturers want to be able to assure their customers of the originality of their design and, when the design comes from the retailer, the manufacturer has the right to some assurance about the source. The parties may want to include indemnification and hold harmless clauses, clearly stating whose responsibility it will be to defend copyright lawsuits and under which circumstances.

At the end of the day, legitimate textile manufacturers want to supply great products that consumers enjoy wearing and bringing into their homes. Instances of true copyright infringement in the traditional sense are actually the exception.

A copyright troll’s “business” capitalizes on the fact that, for most companies, it makes more sense to pay than to fight. That’s why it is so important that companies prepare ahead of time. Copyright trolls are lurking, and once they strike, it could be a costly proposition.

Editor’s Note: Attorney Mark Peroff, managing partner, Peroff Saunders, P.C., has represented clients in the US and globally on a range of intellectual property matters, including copyright infringement lawsuits with copyright trolls. He can be reached at mark.peroff@peroffsaunders.com, or (646) 898-2030.

Posted October 19, 2019

SoftWear Automation Announces The Next Generation LOWRY SEWBOT®

Atlanta — October 18, 2018 — Since the beginning, we have worked to make the SEWBOT® a platform for industrial sewing automation. While sewing is at the center of that challenge, we have been successful because of our ability to master material handling like picking, placing, moving, stacking, lifting, holding, labeling, welding and more. As it turns out, automated sewing may be the easiest part of sewing automation. What makes the LOWRY® special is the sheer number of products, operations and styles that one system can handle without an operator and without it being retooled, reprogrammed or re-configured.

Our major advancements in this next generation Sewbot have come from our improved vision technology, which has put us light years ahead in flexible production automation from our previous releases. There is no question that textiles present challenges unique to industrial automation. Our needs as consumers to have textile products that are light, breathable, stretchable and fashionable creates an ever changing landscape of complexity. Unlike hardware intensive solutions, vision technology allows the Sewbot to adapt to handling the unique pieces of a material good.

The vision technology recognizes material shape, size, fabric, style and sewing requirements in order to calculate and complete full automation of a product. This means minimal retooling is required any time a change or an upgrade is made to the style or appearance of the product — reducing cost, down time and labor. The machine vision also allows us to see material distortion in real time and to dynamically adjust to correct that distortion without any programming, resulting in high quality produced goods each and every time.

The Lowry leverages all of our advancements made in vision technology allowing for efficient production of sewn goods.  Made of durable industrial-grade steel, the base frame has been upgraded to provide a machine that can run 24/7 and is able to withstand the test of time. Whether from potential damage from giant forklifts or wear and tear from micro particles, it is truly built to last on the factory floor. The Lowry can also undertake simultaneous automated operations, like automated loading, flaw detection, sewing, seaming, cutting, labeling and re-stacking all through a simple control touch panel.  One single machine operator is able to control up to six Lowrys at once, resulting in a significantly higher production scale.

The Lowry enables companies to achieve on-demand production automation with its modular design and interchangeable components. We understand that every sewn good is constructed differently, which is why the Lowry has flexible configurations to support a variety of goods. Each machine module can be removed, replaced, upgraded, repurposed and repaired depending on your unique product specifications. For each product listed below, the Lowry has a product specific configuration available to enable full automation.

The Lowry is built to serve a number of different industries, supporting both local and global supply chains and is available now, worldwide. The Lowry is here — to transform and revolutionize the future of manufacturing.

The Lowry® Supports A Wide Range Of Construction Methods

  • Serging;
  • Over edging;
  • Hot seal cutting;
  • Lockstitch;
  • Chainstitch;
  • Side seaming;
  • Piping;
  • Binding;
  • Label attaching;
  • Overlock;
  • Heat transfer;
  • Bonding;
  • End cuts;
  • Seaming/finishing;
  • Switchable sewing speeds; and
  • Variable thread type/thickness.

Posted October 18, 2018

Source: SoftWear Automation

ITMA Asia + CITME 2018 Exhibitor Preview: James Heal

HALIFAX, England — October 15, 2018 — UK-based materials testing instrument manufacturer, James Heal, is exhibiting at the ITMA Asia + CITME Exhibition, from today until 19 October, 2018, at the new National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Shanghai.

Today, taking centre stage on their booth H5-F50, an exclusive launch of their next generation TruFade light fastness tester, now with on-board Weathering, has given visitors the opportunity to view this machine for the first time, watch live demonstrations, and speak to their team of experts to discuss physical and colour fastness testing challenges.

An exclusive product launch

“TruFade with weathering was unveiled for the first time as part of an exclusive product launch event at ITMA Asia this morning,” says James Heal Managing Director, Amanda McLaren. “Its represents a significant investment for James Heal, both in terms of product development, innovation, and customer research”.

James Heal’s original Trufade Xenon Arc Light Fastness Tester has an excellent reputation at global reference sites for its reliability, superior build quality and simplicity of use, emphasizes Innovation Director, Neil Pryke: “We’ve taken our existing instrument; and using customer feedback, have made several upgrades – most notably, with the addition of on-board weathering. During product development, extensive testing emulated operation in typical environmental conditions, so customers can be assured that TruFade will perform in line with light fastness & weathering testing Standards in any environment.”

Testing colour fastness to light and weathering conditions for a range of materials

Now with Weathering, a range of tests can be performed for the light fastness of textiles, leather and other materials. “With the next generation TruFade, our aim was to simplify a notoriously difficult area of colour fastness testing, to deliver consistent and accurate results. TruFade is ideally suited for independent laboratories and in-house factories where space can be maximized from the small footprint of the instrument,” adds Neil Pryke.

From intuitive touch-screen controls (similar to using a smart phone); to tri-sided sample holders that allow up to 27 specimens to be tested at a time – TruFade, like all James Heal instruments, is designed to simplify the user experience.

Developed with James Heal’s simple and intuitive TestWise™software – for faster, more intuitive testing.

Routine testing can be started with only three touches of the screen, and the software effortlessly tracks the fading progress of samples, as well as the life of the lamp and filters with a ‘traffic light’ system that shows their status at a glance. SoTruFade can be operated with minimal training, saving time and reducing the potential for operator error.

  • Affordable: complete confidence at a competitive price
  • Save time: minimal operator training needed, start testing in minutes
  • Tri-sided sample holders: increase the usable exposure space to up to 1640cm2, so more testing can be done at once
  • Credible and reliable: reference locations in the best independent labs and factories globally
  • Meets ISO and AATCC standards
  • Lamps and optical air filters easy to replace – reduces maintenance costs and maximizes return on your investment
  • Accurate and consistent results – every time

James Heal is showcasing their range of testing instruments for physical and colour fastness testing on booth H5-F50, including:

  • Titan 10 – 10kN Dual Column Universal Strength Tester
  • TruBurst – Pneumatic Bursting Strength Tester
  • ElmaTear – Digital Elmendorf Tear Tester
  • Martindale – Abrasion & Pilling Tester
  • ProMace – Mace Snag Tester
  • FlexiFrame – Stretch & Recovery Tester
  • Impulse – Random Tumble Pilling Tester

Posted October 18, 2018

Source: James Heal

Cone Denim’s Natural Indigo Collection Combines Heritage And Innovation

GREENSBORO, N.C. — October 18, 2018 — Reaching back to its roots, Cone Denim® combines heritage and innovation in its newest Natural Indigo capsule collection of denim fabrics in unique vibrant shades of indigo. Cone Denim is excited to continue its legacy and leadership of innovative denims offering the most advanced SGENE® stretch performance featuring REPREVE® and TENCEL™ sustainable yarns with Natural Indigo dyed cotton. The Collection debuts at Kingpins Amsterdam on October 24-25.

Cone Denim continues its exclusive partnership and collaboration with Stony Creek Colors, a leading innovative manufacturer of sustainable plant-based dyes located in Tennessee. Stony Creek Colors recently received the USDA Certified Biopreferred® designation. As the only natural colorant producer globally to have its natural indigo certified by the USDA as 100-percent Biobased Product, Stony Creek Colors must be tested regularly using ASTM standards for plant-derived chemicals. This certification ensures a transparent and renewable indigo supply chain for Cone Denim’s Natural Indigo customers. Stony Creek Colors develops and manages seed-to-harvest agricultural supply chains to deliver reliable bio-based dyes to textile mills, sourced from a trusted network of farmers throughout the Southeastern U.S.

“Excitement continues to grow around our Natural Indigo denims,” says Kara Nicholas, vice president, Product Design + Marketing. “Natural indigo was the dye-stuff used when Cone produced its very first denims in the late 1800s and it is amazing to see the momentum growing with modern consumers who appreciate not only the beauty of the fabric but its sustainable benefits too.”

Nicholas continued: “Our Natural Indigo story is about more than great denim. Stony Creek Colors is serving as a catalyst for the revitalization of once-prominent industrial corridors where tobacco farmers had been adversely affected by changing trends. Indigo crops provide denim enthusiasts and socially responsible consumers natural alternatives to synthetic dyes while at the same time returning economic viability to rural economies and farmers.”

Cone Denim began its journey of producing scalable Natural Indigo denims in 2015, bringing back a tradition that had not been done in over 100 years. The partnership with Stony Creek Colors represents the pinnacle in authentic denim bringing together the work of US farmers with heritage of Cone Denim’s expertise.

Posted October 18, 2018

Source: Cone Denim’s

EFI Showcases High Quality, Productivity And Opportunity With New Signage And Textile Technologies At SGIA Expo

FREMONT, Calif. — October 18, 2018 — Visitors to the 2018 SGIA Expo will see the advanced technologies that can create their future success from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. The company is showcasing eight new products for advanced signage and industrial textile production — innovations that expand one of the industry’s leading digital print portfolios. New products include:

  • The worldwide premiere of the EFI™ Pro 32r, an entry-level, 126-inch (3.2-meter) wide roll-to-roll LED printer shown in the exhibit of EFI channel partner Nazdar SourceOne® (booth 2941);
  • An enhanced EFI VUTEk® 3r+ superwide roll-to-roll LED printer platform offering a combination of high speed and high quality with new and unique options;
  • The breakthrough EFI VUTEk h series – a 2018 SGIA Product of the Year award-winning hybrid platform in its North American debut;
  • The VUTEk FabriVU® 340i, a high-end soft-signage printer offering in-line sublimation;
  • Previews of the newest-version EFI Fiery® digital front ends (DFEs) for wide- and superwide-format production offering unified print job management with Fiery Command WorkStation® for mixed print technology environments;
  • EFI Reggiani TERRA, a new system that combines leading-edge textile digital printer technology with new pigment ink and binder offerings for greener, more sustainable industrial textile printing without washing and steaming;
  • The latest version of EFI Optitex®, O/18, which brings the latest innovations available in 2D and 3D CAD software. O/18 offers features such as an all-in-one avatar solution, enhanced fabric features and cutting-edge marker innovations;
  • Version 4 of EFI Fiery DesignPro software for efficient creation of inspiring textile designs;
  • The newest-version EFI Midmarket Print Suite, an easy-to-navigate and user-friendly browser based MIS/ERP workflow for end-to-end signage and graphics production printing management.

EFI, which is in booth 301 at SGIA Expo, is highlighting advanced products that help customers drive growth in high-quality applications. One such customer, retail graphics manufacturer PVS In-Store Graphics, is boosting its capabilities as one of the first users of the EFI VUTEk h series — the next-generation hybrid VUTEk LED printer platform making its North American debut at the SGIA Expo. The company runs several VUTEk printers and chose the 126-inch (3.2-meter) VUTEk h3 printer to further its competitive advantage as a provider of high-end graphics to some of the largest brands in the world.

PVS Co-owner Nick Olsen said of his new printer, “We cut our teeth on fast turn jobs. This fits right in our niche. EFI in our company toolbox is why we are able to be successful. If we didn’t have that we would be turning things around much slower. We wouldn’t have the clientele that we have.”

Entry-level roll-to-roll with EFI’s proven LED and UltraDrop Technology

The new EFI Pro 32r launching at SGIA Expo in the Nazdar SourceOne booth is an economical, production-level roll-to-roll printer that can make users more competitive and profitable. Designed for high-quality print with mid-level production, the Pro 32r prints up to 2,227 square feet (207 square meters) per hour, and features a built-in EFI Fiery digital front end (DFE) with FAST RIP acceleration technology.

The printer, which is available from EFI, Nazdar and other authorized channel partners, uses four colors plus optional white ink and 7-picoliter EFI UltraDrop™ Technology for high-end imaging. Its proven, “cool cure” LED imaging technology drives down operating costs with less energy use and waste while delivering superior results on an extended range of supported substrates. A host of value-added options are available as well, including slitters,automatic blockout printing, manual backlit printing, an iPhone® printer management application and a software productivity pack featuring enhanced tools to reduce media waste.

The 138-inch (3.5meter) wide EFI VUTEk 3r+ roll-to-roll printer launching at the SGIA Expo builds on the success of the nearly 150 global VUTEk 3r and 5r roll-to-roll LED printer installations in less than two years. The “plus” platform, which also includes the 204-inch wide VUTEk 5r+ model, drives greater value for signage and graphics professionals in high-volume, premium-quality close viewing applications. The 3r+ and 5r+ models deliver high-end imaging with superior ink coverage, high color density and a wide color gamut. Users also gain improved white printing with up to 30% faster throughput compared to the original VUTEk 3r/5r models.

An improved platform chassis for the printers delivers highly accurate feeding and reliability while allowing for an exceptionally wide range of media types. Plus, several new options are available, including double-bladed slitters,multi-roll support for automated backlit and blockout printing, and upgraded ID backprinting using white ink for dark-colored substrates. Designed to offer the lowest total cost of ownership, the highest image quality, the highest rated throughput speeds and the most available options in their class, the two new VUTEk roll-to-roll printers print with EFI – 3M™ SuperRange inks, including white ink, covered by the 3M MCS™ Warranty, or with EFI – 3M SuperFlex inks for vehicle wraps and fleet graphics.

VUTEk h series: EFI’s next-generation hybrid LED printer innovation

The EFI VUTEk h series making its North American debut is a 126-inch wide printer series platform built from the ground up to offer higher productivity, print quality, reliability, capability and profits. It is the culmination of EFI’s decades of experience in signage and graphics production technologies as the world’s leading manufacturer and developer of UV and LED inkjet superwide-format printers and inks. The series’ new, high-velocity 7-picoliter UltraDrop Technology grayscale printhead imaging delivers precision dot placement and consistency. The series offers eight- and optional four-color printing modes plus white, as well as nine-layer print capability in a single pass.

The new VUTEk h3 model on display — SGIA’s 2018 Product of The Year award winner in the UV Hybrid/Flatbed High Volume Production Class category — offers maximum throughput of up to 74 boards per hour. The h5 model, which is available direct from EFI or asfield upgrade to the h3 model, can produce up to 109 boards per hour.

Ricoh® USA, an EFI channel partner, is featuring two printers from EFI’s Wide Format inkjet printer portfolio in its booth, No. 3601: the 65-inch wide EFI Pro 16h LED hybrid printer (which also is in the EFI booth), and the EFI Pro 24f, a LED flatbed printer with true 4×8-foot architecture. Both printers feature high-quality versatile white ink and variable-drop grayscale imaging, as well as built-in EFI Fiery proServer Core DFEs with FAST RIP acceleration technology for speedy file processing, higher throughput and accurate color management.

From concept to shelf: End-to-end industrial textile innovation

The 71-inch wide Reggiani FLEXY printer is running at SGIA Expo as part of the new Reggiani TERRA system for direct-to-textile production. EFI Reggiani TERRA eliminates the need for steaming or washing on direct-to-textile applications using a greener, more-efficient polymerization process that takes place as printed textile goes through the printer’s on-board dryer. Users can achieve superior results – including excellent wet and dry fastness, intense colors and fine detail reproduction – while using less time, water and energy. New software developed for the TERRA system speeds productivity and improves print management with real-time image processing and advanced ink usage and throughput monitoring.

Industrial textile producers and apparel designers can drive even greater efficiency by using EFI Optitex’s cutting-edge 2D and 3D CAD software. The new software version, O/18, is making its worldwide debut at the show and delivers a faster, more customizable, user-friendly experience, saving time and resources with a faster time to market. This new launch includes a variety of 3D innovations, including an all-in-one avatar feature that allows users to easily create sizes, define poses and otherwise customize avatars with either a scanned avatar or one from the Optitex library. The software’s innovative features support multiple dynamic avatar poses, improving the process for users to easily and accurately review final draped results and test fit and pattern placement.

The software also provides more than 100 types of pre-defined fabrics to choose from. Users can now visualize their designs before creating physical samples in a better, more realistic digital environment that features an accurate final draped result. In addition, a new EFI Optitex Marker Creation Wizard simplifies the production process as it enables users to create and define multiple markers within a single, user-friendly interface.

Another featured product, EFI’s Fiery DesignPro software suite, is a series of plug-in applications for Adobe® Illustrator® and Adobe Photoshop® that gives design teams the power to quickly and easily create professional textile or apparel designs. It is shown at the SGIA Expo along with the Fiery proServer DFE, which delivers professional color management and high-quality RIP output for EFI Reggiani digital printers.

The new version 4 of EFI’s Fiery DesignPro software suite includes new and updated plug-ins that significantly reduce the time and effort needed to create repeat patterns and sophisticated colorways directly within Photoshop. The new tools now also offer multi-channel separations with more color depth, eliminating the need to reduce designs to indexed colors. Users also gain superior fidelity with smoother transitions and gradients and optimum color results, especially for digitally printed textiles.

Exclusive bi-directional integration between Fiery DesignPro and Fiery DFEs for textile applications provides a seamless handshake between design and production. All production and sampling print queues are at designers’ fingertips, allowing direct submission of print-ready data from Illustrator or Photoshop to the Fiery DFE without flattening, exporting or cumbersome hot folder management.

Additional technologies in EFI’s SGIA Expo exhibit include the latest version of the EFI Midmarket Print Suite, a comprehensive workflow featuring Pace™ ERP software. The Suite features an interface for display graphics users that addresses the unique needs of this segment for faster estimating and job production. MarketDirect, EFI’s advanced multi-channel customer communication platform software is featured at the show as well, as is EFI Digital StoreFront® eCommerce software. Attendees also can witness immersive VR demonstrations of the high-volume EFI VUTEk HS125 Pro hybrid printer and the EFI Nozomi C18000 ultra-high-speed corrugated packaging press – winner of the SGIA 2018 Product of the Year award for single-pass print technology.

Posted October 18, 2018

Source: EFI™

Williams-Sonoma Releases 2017 Corporate Responsibility Scorecard, Demonstrating Leadership In The Home Industry

SAN FRANCISCO — October 18, 2018 — Williams-Sonoma Inc. today released its 2017 Corporate Responsibility Scorecard, demonstrating strong progress towards company-wide goals for responsible sourcing, sustainable design, landfill diversion, energy and carbon intensity, supply chain development, corporate giving, and volunteering. For the first time, Williams-Sonoma Inc. (WSI) has aligned the Corporate Responsibility Scorecard to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global framework for achieving a better, more sustainable future for all, and is actively contributing to nine of the SDGs.

“As we meet and exceed the company-wide goals set out in our annual Corporate Responsibility Scorecard, we are proud to know that our breadth and scale expand our impact beyond our own company into the global home industry,” said Laura Alber, president and CEO, Williams-Sonoma Inc. “Ultimately, at the center of everything we do is our customer; they are the ones who drive change whenever they purchase responsible, sustainable products. Their values are our values, and we’re grateful to be on this journey with them.”

Highlights from the 2017 Corporate Responsibility Scorecard include:

  • Worker Well-Being: A new goal of educating and empowering 100,000 workers by 2020. Through partnership with HERproject and VisionSpring, WSI has already reached a third of this goal, reporting improved financial and health-related knowledge of 30,000 workers in their supply chain.
  • Fair Trade: Fair Trade has launched across all WSI brands, with over 5,000 Fair Trade Certified SKUs from bedding at Pottery Barn, to rugs at West Elm, to food at Williams Sonoma. To-date, WSI has also paid over one million dollars in Fair Trade premiums, achieving a third of WSI’s overall goal of paying three million dollars in Fair Trade premiums by 2020.
  • Organic Cotton: Through partnerships with the Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS) and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), WSI has achieved 50% responsibly sourced cotton across the company and is halfway to its goal of 100% responsibly sourced cotton by 2021. These achievements have earned WSI recognition from the Textile Exchange as a top 10 company using organic cotton and preferred fibers, the Sustainable Furnishings Council as the 2nd highest-ranking company sourcing responsible wood, and Barron’s as the 14th most sustainable company worldwide.
  • GreenGuard: WSI is on track to reach 100% GreenGuard certification for Pottery Barn Kids brand nursery and bedroom furniture by 2018, ensuring that brand furniture products for WSI’s youngest customers meet the highest standards for indoor air quality. This year, WSI launched the Pottery Barn Modern Baby Collection, which features 100% organic cotton and 100% GreenGuard certified bedroom and nursery furniture.

Williams-Sonoma. Inc.’s corporate sustainability efforts extend to every part of the business – from operations, to product and materials, to people and communities. The company is constantly seeking ways to support innovative programs that deliver social and business impact to reinforce their commitment to creating quality products and providing sustainable options for every room of the house. To learn more about WSI’s commitments around these three focus areas: operations, products and materials, and people and communities, please visit the WSI CSR website.

Posted October 18, 2018

Source: Williams-Sonoma

1...1,3111,3121,313...2,573Page 1,312 of 2,573

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2025 Quarterly Issue Number III

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.