Unifi Names Eddie Ingle Vice President of Global Corporate Sustainability

GREENSBORO, N.C. — January 31, 2018 — Unifi Inc. announced today the appointment of Eddie Ingle to vice president of Global Corporate Sustainability, Supply Chain and General Manager of Recycled Chip and Flake.

In his new role, Ingle will drive Unifi’s many eco-friendly efforts and initiatives and establish a singular sustainability mission for the Company. In addition to these duties, Ingle has taken on the role of general manager for the Recycled Flake and Chip business, and continues as the vice president of Supply Chain.

“We look forward to Eddie’s leadership in continuing to grow Unifi’s global sustainability strategy,” said Kevin Hall, Unifi’s chairman & CEO. “Everything Unifi does, is done with an environmental mindset and through the lens of ‘for the good of tomorrow’. Promoting Eddie to this position should allow Unifi to accelerate our sustainability goals and focus on further developing the Company as a sustainability thought leader.”

Eddie began his career at Unifi’s operations in Letterkenny, Ireland, in 1986 and moved to Winston-Salem, N.C., in 1991 to work for Unifi in the U.S., and over the years has held numerous leadership positions.

“Unifi’s passion for recycling and sustainability has always been a point of pride for me,” said Ingle. “My goal moving forward is to collaborate across the Company and industry to develop sustainable solutions that create value for Unifi, our customers and consumers.”

Posted January 31, 2018

Source: Unifi

Cosmoprof North America Announces Exclusive Collaboration With LA Fashion Week

LAS VEGAS — January 30, 2018 —  Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) is proud to announce a special collaboration with LA Fashion Week (LAFW), the official fashion week of Los Angeles. CPNA always seeks out innovative and complementary collaborations, and has once again created a solid initiative never before done by a beauty exhibition. Recognized as the breeding ground of cool indie beauty and fashion labels, Los Angels offers the right elements for such a partnership whereby niche sought-after beauty and fashion labels are on display together for this unique cultural event showcasing fall 2018 trends.

“It is no secret that fashion and beauty are inherently linked,” says Daniela Ciocan, Marketing Director at CPNA.  “We are thrilled to partner with LAFW to further combine these two worlds and give guests an exclusive look at the upcoming brands on display at CPNA and allow small beauty brands the opportunity to be present at LAFW through their affiliation with us.”

VIPs attending LAFW shows and installations will be treated to a taste of CPNA indie beauty brands through the show’s coveted curated limited-edition BOUTIQUE beauty boxes, featuring new-to-market beauty products.  This exclusive opportunity gives LAFW VIPs a rare peek inside the global beauty exhibition, not open to the public, where up-and-coming brands are discovered. The limited edition beauty box, created by HCT Packaging, a leading packaging supplier for the cosmetics industry, includes over $200 in sought-after products from several leading brands including: Eve Pearl Brands, Pink Pewter, My Skin & CO, Hue For Every Man and Royal Apothic. Participating exhibitors in this program benefit from a collaboration that takes their products from the show floor and into the hands of tastemakers, celebrities, influencers and media.

“LAFW and CPNA are both dedicated to raising the profile of new and emerging brands through the global lookinglass in a multi-sensory, showcase of what’s new and innovative,” says Arthur Chipman, Executive Producer, LAFW.  “With so many celebrities, influencers and tastemakers at both our events, this collaboration brings tremendous value to everyone involved.  We are thrilled to help indies get visibility and look forward to expanding the collaboration with CPNA in the future.”

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Cosmoprof North America

Automation Anywhere Posts Record Growth In 2017

SAN JOSE, Calif. — January 30, 2018 —  Automation Anywhere, the largest enterprise software provider in Robotic Process Automation (RPA), today announced extraordinary customer and partner growth during the second half of 2017 and record-breaking growth for the full calendar year.

The company executed over 890 deals from July through December 2017 and a total of 1,435 deals in the full year. In the second half, Automation Anywhere added 238 new customers. Together with 158 customer additions in the first half of the year, Automation Anywhere gained 396 new enterprise customers in 2017 – more than one customer signed per day in 2017. The company now has 932 enterprise customers using its Intelligent Digital Workforce Platform, reinforcing its position as having the industry’s largest global customer base. New customers in 2017 include technology giants Cisco, Google and Huawei, global logistics leader FedEx, banking leaders Bancolombia and Rabobank, fashion manufacturer Fossil Group, Singapore security leader Certis Cisco, Australian marketing services company Sensis, and global marketing services provider Quad/Graphics.

Automation Anywhere had an upsell growth rate of 411 percent in total business in the second half of 2017 compared with the second half of 2016. 2017’s subscription revenue growth rate was 146 percent year-over-year.

Mihir Shukla, the company’s CEO and co-founder, said: “After a record year of growth in 2016, we again set new growth records in 2017. We are not only acquiring new customers at a faster pace, we experienced an unparalleled upsell growth rate of 411 percent in the second half of 2017, validating our business model and delivering a superior RPA product to customers who want to start fast and scale fast. Customer success is driving our success.”

During the year the company solidified its market lead in the Americas and APAC regions with triple digit growth. In addition, 2017 saw significant expansion in Europe with a year-over-year increase of new enterprise customers of over 210 percent. The company had an existing annual customer retention rate of more than 98 percent, a very strong indicator of customer satisfaction as organizations continue to heavily invest in Automation Anywhere solutions.

Coming into 2018, 10 percent of Automation Anywhere’s global customer base were in various stages of deploying IQ Bot, the industry’s only cognitive RPA solution.

“Customers are embracing our AI-driven analytics and cognitive tools which enable them to experience the only true Intelligent Digital Workforce platform,” said Shukla. “We have a large penetration of IQ Bot adopters implementing AI capabilities today. Cognitive automation is the fastest growing area of our business and we expect this to accelerate further in 2018.”

HfS Research CEO and Chief Analyst Phil Fersht commented, “Our research indicates the global market for robotic automation software will reach $1.5 billion this year, and Automation Anywhere’s momentum has contributed significantly to this category’s growth. The firm is gaining impressive momentum each quarter with a consistent increase in customer wins and partner network growth, and impressive continual development of its solutions usability and features. The firm is also a strong contributor to thought leadership on the benefits and challenges of the Digital Workforce.”

Partner Expansion
Automation Anywhere greatly expanded its partner network in 2017, adding 27 new partners, bringing its total number of global partners to 74, as partners continue to drive strong bookings growth. In the second half of 2017, IBM chose Automation Anywhere’s RPA technology to embed into its business process automation portfolio.

Ankur Kothari, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer, said: “Our impressive partner growth is the direct result of the value we deliver to customers with the industry’s most intuitive and most easily scalable Intelligent Digital Workforce Platform. No other platform is as easily implemented or scales as quickly. Our partners clearly see this advantage for their end customers and in turn the success of their own practices. During 2017, Automation Anywhere partners realized 150 percent growth in bookings versus 2016.”

Continued Product Leadership
In December 2017, the company launched the latest version of its flagship product, Automation Anywhere Enterprise 11. Building on a robust enterprise RPA platform, Enterprise 11 delivers enhancements in scalability, security and cognitive automation. (More details can be found here.) Earlier in the year, Automation Anywhere also launched IQ Bot 5.0, the industry’s only bot capable of learning from observing human behavior. (More details can be found here.)

Automation Anywhere University Momentum
In August 2017, Automation Anywhere University (AAU) was launched as a comprehensive RPA training ecosystem for students, RPA professionals, global enterprises and non-profits. AAU includes a library of RPA courses and certification programs, an online, mobile-first eLearning platform and a network of training partners that deliver instructor-led, hands-on RPA training at a fast-growing list of authorized centers around the globe.

Over 20,000 students enrolled in AAU in the first three months since its launch. An additional 15,000 students have completed in-classroom, instructor-led RPA certification at authorized AAU training and testing centers. The AAU ecosystem continues to grow with an ever-expanding RPA certification catalog, micro-learning courses, video lessons, gamification, peer-to-peer community and new partnerships that are set to include renowned universities and colleges.

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Automation Anywhere

Epson To Host Fourth Annual Digital Couture Project Where Fashion Meets Technology

LONG BEACH, Calif. — January 30, 2018 — Epson today announced it will host its fourth annual Epson Digital Couture Project on February 6, 2018, leading up to Fashion Week in New York City. Designers from North and Latin America will leverage Epson’s world-class textile printing solutions to create fashion designs built around the theme “Cosmopolitan Couture with Impossible Colors – How Does Your Culture Dress-up?” This unique fashion presentation will showcase the design possibilities made possible with Epson’s digital imaging technology.

“The future of fashion is customization — from the colors and prints, to the size and shape of garments — all on-demand,” said Keith Kratzberg, president and CEO, Epson America, Inc. “Epson’s digital imaging technology is changing the business of fashion, providing a platform for designers to print higher quality, more unique designs for customers on-demand, as well as the ability to print just in time. This Digital Couture event showcases how the design potential and impact on the fashion marketplace is limitless.”

Prior to the fashion showcase, Epson will host a Fashion and Technology panel — a thought-provoking conversation about how digital technology is evolving the fashion industry, as well as market trends and technology’s role in fashion. Anthony Cenname, vice president and publisher at WSJ. Magazine will moderate, with opening comments from Kratzberg and closing comments from Agustin Chacon, Epson America’s vice president of international marketing. Panel participants include interior designer Ryan Korban, Mark Sunderland from Thomas Jefferson University, and Aliza Licht, EVP Brand Marketing and Communications for Alice  + Olivia and author of “LEAVE YOUR MARK.”

At the Digital Couture Project event, each designer or design team will tell a story through their collection via textiles created with Epson dye-sublimation printing technology. These technologies enable limitless design possibilities, with the result being original prints of the highest quality unique to each designer, on fabrics that convey their signature style. The fourth annual Epson Digital Couture Project event will showcase the design capabilities through the featured collections of designers from North and Latin America:

  1. Brazil – Lua Luá (Michele Gevaerd)
  2. Canada (Toronto) – Hayley Elsaesser
  3. Chile – Karyn Coo
  4. Ecuador – Stephanie Ruiz
  5. Guatemala – Eduardo Figueroa
  6. Mexico – Emilio Mata
  7. Paraguay – Ilse Jara
  8. Peru – Ana María Guiulfo
  9. Colombia – Lina Cantillo
  10. United States (Los Angeles) – Candice Cuoco
  11. United States (Miami) – Fernando Alberto
  12. United States (Philadelphia) – Thomas Jefferson University (Alexandra Pizzigoni and Patricia Franklin)
  13. United States (New York) – threeASFOUR (Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser and Adi Gil)

More about Epson Digital Textile Printing Solutions
Epson offers the textile and fabric printing market three printing solutions, allowing entrepreneurs and established fashion brands to print on a variety of fabrics in real-time, including cotton and synthetic fibers, for a new level of creative freedom.

  • Epson SureColor® F-Series: Epson’s dye-sublimation printing technology provides designers an accessible means to bring their ideas and inspiration to life with outstanding quality. The newest SureColor F9370 is ideal for high-speed, economical, medium- to large-volume dye-sublimation transfer printing, delivering speeds up to 1,169 square feet/hour1. The SureColor F-Series leverages PrecisionCore® TFP® printheads and Epson UltraChrome® DS with High-Density Black ink to produce fabric output with exceptional color saturation and high contrast. Including a Wasatch SoftRIP workflow with specialty features for textile and fashion printing, the SureColor F-Series enables designers to create and print original designs with greater flexibility and control.
  • Epson SureColor F2100: Designed exclusively for direct-to-garment printing, the SureColor F2100 offers an entirely purpose-built system for high-quality prints at production speeds. With the ability to print directly onto garments ranging from 100 percent cotton to 50/50 fabric blends, the SureColor F2100 offers fashion entrepreneurs a high-quality, affordable printing solution. The SureColor F2100 offers four color ink technology, plus White ink, to deliver improved image quality, speed, and efficiency. Additional improvements, including a quick-load platen and robust Epson Garment Creator Software, take productivity even further, while the all-new integrated self-cleaning system means less downtime.
  • Monna Lisa: The Monna Lisa printer is the ultimate solution for the industrial textile market. It is produced by F.lli Robustelli and equipped with Epson PrecisionCore printheads and Genesta inks, designed by Epson in collaboration with For.Tex. Available in three widths (180, 220 and 320 cm), it offers numerous advantages, including the ability to print custom designs on a wide range of fabrics and the flexibility to produce low-cost samples. Fabrics printed with the Monna Lisa machines have high color yield, color fastness and reproducibility – essential features for fabrics used in the home textile industry, obtained also by means of pre-treatment processes.

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Epson America, Inc.

Maverick Industrial Services Certified Hygienically Clean For Healthcare Laundering

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — January 30, 2018—Maverick Industrial Services of Weslaco, Texas, has earned the Hygienically Clean Healthcare designation, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The certification confirms the laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing healthcare textiles (HCTs) using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for laundry plant inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points 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, Maverick passed three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles 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 hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations through testing and inspections that scrutinize quality control procedures in linen and uniform service operations. The Hygienically Clean standard provides for two inspections every three years. OSHA compliance is closely examined, particularly toxic and hazardous substance handling rules governing textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare incorporates the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Maverick on their certification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their dedication to building their customers’ confidence that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: TRSA

KARL MAYER Reports Its Denim Business Is Booming

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — January 29, 2018 — Jeans are, and will continue to be, a top fashion trend, and its denim business is extremely lucrative for KARL MAYER. With its Centre of Excellence for the denim sector, Karl Mayer ROTAL, this global player can offer one-stop solutions for slasher and rope dyeing.

Compared to conventional machines available on the market, the PRODYE-S and PRODYE-R indigo dyeing machines from this Italian subsidiary consume less water, produce less waste and enable deeper, brighter indigo shades to be produced. The dye add-on as a percentage of the total yarn weight is 5.5 percent maximum. This warp preparation equipment is also highly productive. The PRODYE-S can double output when processing lightweight denim. The market has been extremely impressed by the performance offered by Karl Mayer ROTAL’s indigo dyeing machines. Demand has been increasing continuously since 2015, and has been especially high this year. Turkey, in particular, has placed a large number of orders.

A large number of orders was placed in 2017

Turkey is a lucrative market for Karl Mayer ROTAL. Many large denim producers there are already working with the PRODYE-S machine and have placed follow-up orders this year. Follow-up orders have also been received from companies in Mexico. Machines have also been delivered to companies that are new to this technology — in Turkey and Iran as well. Turkish companies are also contributing to the success of the PRODYE-R. This rope dyeing machine was only delivered in May 2017. It was sent to Algeria as part of a large project, under the auspices of TAYAL, a joint venture involving the participation of the Turkish company, Taypa. Turkey invested in another PRODYE-R machine in the autumn of this year.

Karl Mayer ROTAL invited any specialists who were interested to travel to Vietnam to see a practical demonstration of its indigo dyeing machine. One customer, who has been working with the PRODYE-S since February 2017, made his company available for the open-house show, and reported on his experiences. The event was attended by a small yet highly qualified group of people. The visitors came mainly from the host country, but also from Hong Kong, Indonesia and China. The next opportunity to see Karl Mayer ROTAL’s DENIM machines will be at the ITM International Textile Machinery Exhibition in Istanbul, which will take place from April 14-17, 2018.

Designed by experts

What makes PRODYE so interesting for the denim sector is that it is based on well-thought-out components. One of these innovative elements is the Double Vario dyebath, which operates on the basis of a well-thought-out cross-flow system for perfect dye liquor circulation to give a uniform dyeing result. Additionally, the Quick Oxidation zone operates with temperature-controlled air flow to guarantee uniform dye uptake. Rejects are also reduced and the colour tone of the warp yarn sheet is more uniform than with conventional techniques.

The third important guarantee of success is the PROSIZE® sizing machine, which is equipped with the VSB and HSB size boxes. “These size application systems are becoming more and more popular, since they offer numerous advantages,” says Dieter Gager, the Sales Director. The PROSIZE uses up to 10-percent less size than similar conventional systems on the market. Uniformity is improved and less fiber dust is produced, which improves weaving efficiency. It is ergonomically designed and provides greater process transparency. With an operating rate of up to 180 m/min, it is extremely fast and can also be used flexibly. The yarn sizing range, which depends on the number of yarns and the yarn count, may be up to 20-percent higher than on conventional sizing machines. The working width is 3,200 millimeter maximum. Another advantage of the PROSIZE is that it reduces the number of rejects, because stoppage marks caused by over-sizing are greatly reduced, even when the machine is stopped for long periods.

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Karl Mayer

Alterra Pure Launches A Textile System Designed To Change The Way We Think About Organic Bedding

OJAI, Calif. — January 2018 — Organic home goods company, Alterra Pure, announced today a new model for environmental and social sustainability. Introducing slow living methods to the home goods market, the company weaves its products in equitable partnership with a collective of villages, farms and facilities in Odisha, India, practicing zero-impact production and non-irrigation techniques. To set this new model into motion, the company is, today, introducing organic cotton sheets and duvet covers to conscious consumers through a crowdfunding campaign launching on Indiegogo.

Alterra Pure’s “farm to fabric” business model assures environmental and social sustainability through deliberate design, organic verification and fair trade partnerships with farm co-ops. Committed to aggressive water conservation, the company uses an innovative water reclamation process at its LEED-certified production facility to effectively recover all water used throughout the production process. In addition, the company is dedicated to transparency—sharing every detail of its fabrication, from the elimination of toxic chemicals to its verification processes—providing customers with peace of mind upon purchase.

Alterra Pure’s bedding has a 310 thread count and is made of 100 percent GOTS-certified and verified organic cotton. Sheets are available in four different sizes — twin, queen/full, king and cal king — and two colors: pebble gray and off white. All sheets and pillowcases are oversized for complete coverage; duvet covers feature all natural coconut button closures, while packaging is created from upcycled scrap cotton and recycled paper. Featuring a more traditional, tight weave, the Percale bedding is durable, crisp and cooling.

“We are the first to add verification to organic standards, personally assuring our bedding is free from pesticides and toxins. After all, you spend one third of your life in bed,” said Alterra Pure co-founder Kevin Dixon, formerly of Tecnica Group and Standard Fiber. “We believe by leading through example, our business model and message can be replicated on a global scale.”

After a successful crowdfund launch, Alterra Pure products will be available at alterrapure.com.

“By honoring the practices of traditional farmers in India, we will bring deliberate design, craftsmanship and slow living production methods to western markets,” says Alterra Pure co-founder, Wanda Weller, formerly director of design for Patagonia. “We were the first company to personally verify the practices of our farms and facilities in Odisha, India, to ensure we are working with the most credible manufacturers possible, that sets us apart from the other direct-to-consumer bedding disrupters on the market.”

By crowdfunding on Indiegogo, Alterra Pure will meet the crucial next step in bringing this regenerative, slow-living production to scale, as well as provide an innovative model that can set a new standard for the industry. With initial backing for its organic sheets, the company can successfully transition to introducing additional home products made with the same transparent formula. Moreover, funding will also be used to finalize Alterra Pure’s fair trade certification, and further support community and social projects. Alterra Pure aims to not only certify social standards, but to also engage directly in projects that empower the community to advance their organic methods. Working with co-op coordinators in the villages involved, Alterra Pure will partner on projects that go above and beyond current fair trade benefits.

Alterra Pure’s Indiegogo backers will receive exclusive rewards, including being the first to experience this new system at pre-launch pricing.

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Alterra Pure

Monforts At Filtech 2018

MÖNCHENGLADBACH, Germany — January 30, 2018 — Monforts will once again be the only manufacturer of finishing and coating equipment exhibiting at the forthcoming Filtech 2018 filtration show which takes place in Cologne, Germany, from March 13-15.

As it goes from strength to strength, the Filtech show has this year attracted more than 140 new exhibitor companies, including some of the industry’s biggest players such as Mann+Hummel, Pall Corp. and Porvair for the first time.

Also making its debut at Filtech 2018 is Monforts customer BWF, a leading provider of filter media for industrial filtration and solid/liquid separation, with manufacturing sites throughout the world.

BWF produces over nine million ready-to-install filter media annually under the brand names needlona and PM-Tec. Some of the chief areas where its nonwoven media are employed are in biomass or coal-fired power stations, in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and in asphalt, steel and cement plants.

Of specific interest to BWF when selecting the latest Montex 8500TT stenter was its ability to thermally set PTFE fabrics without oil greasing in the stenter chain and in the width adjustment.

“This protects workers and the environment from harmful oil vapours and keeps the filter material clean,” explained Jürgen Hanel, head of Technical Textiles at Monforts. “The guarantee of reaching 320°C with a very low temperature tolerance and with an excellent housing insulation is a major advantage, so that an outside temperature over 60°C is never reached at any position.”

Hanel and his colleagues will be on hand at the Monforts booth, T8 in Hall 11.1, to provide information and advice on the wide range of production machines for filter materials made by the company — all of which are developed and manufactured in Europe.

A Montex 8500TT stenter in special execution is ideal for the preparation of filter materials for the drying and finishing of both wovens and nonwovens. It is characterised by high stretching devices in both length and width of up to 10,000N, and can accommodate operating temperatures of up to 320°C.

In addition, the company offers coating and printing heads for the application of chemical compounds together with padders and foam-padders for foam and liquor applications. Calenders for the flattening and compaction of the filter materials can be added for lines with working widths from 80 centimeters up to 7 meters. Explosion-proof dryers are also available for the risk-free application of solvents.

According to the latest analysis from BCC Research, the market for global nonwoven filter media was worth $4.3 billion in 2017.

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Monforts

Lectra: Guangzan Fuels Rapid Growth With Leaner Operations And Increased Productivity

PARIS — January 2018 — Seeking to improve profitability, the China-based automotive trim cover and headrest supplier turned to Lectra to digitalize fabric-cutting processes in the face of evolving market challenges.

A Fast-Growing Automotive Supplier

Based in Shanghai, Guangzan is a supplier of automotive headrests and interior trim. Initially an automotive injection molding manufacturer, the company expanded into automotive seating trim covers, from the cutting of fabric parts all the way to sewing and assembly. With the vision to grow its business, Guangzan upgraded its product line, making the company more attractive to customers.

New revenue opportunities also brought challenges to productivity and cost control, a drag on the company’s overall growth. Guangzan found that it was difficult to satisfy demand with inflexible production capabilities based mainly on manual die press operations. Increasingly sophisticated seating designs involving smaller, more intricate parts added a further degree of manufacturing complexity.

Guangzan’s business underwent a major transformation once a contract was signed with an OEM, resulting in a company-wide initiative to streamline production. Guangzan then sought a digital cutting solution that could provide a higher production capacity while ensuring premium quality.

A Foundation For Long-Term Growth

At the end of 2015, Guangzan acquired two automotive fabric cutters from a rival CAD/CAM system manufacturer. It was only after implementation that the company determined the equipment was not suited to cutting the multi-fabric material used in headrests. The technical limitations of the cutters restricted the number of plies that could be cut due to the risk of material fusion. Additionally, the buffer required to achieve small, detailed shapes contributed to low cutter productivity and material waste.

Guangzan needed to both acquire more efficient equipment and benefit from cutting room expertise to streamline existing operations. Determined to build a foundation for long-term growth, Guangzan began researching alternative fabric-cutting solutions on the market. With the support of Lectra’s Professional Services, Guangzan reevaluated its technological needs and re-outfitted its cutting line with DesignConcept 2D prototyping software, Diamino marker-making solution and VectorAuto iX6 precision fabric cutting equipment.

A 50-Percent Increase In Overall Productivity

To manufacture its headrests, Guangzan uses a pour-in-place (PIP) process requiring an especially high level of accuracy for the production of cut pieces. Any deviation beyond the tolerance of less than ± 1 mm can compromise sewing quality, resulting in foam leakage. Lectra’s Vector iX6 features a 2×7 mm blade that exerts less pressure on synthetic materials than the rival CAD/CAM cutting solution it replaced, minimizing friction and the risk of fusion. Combined with Vector iX6’s more sensitive stress sensor, the precision blade enables a reduction of buffer between pieces, significantly lowering the waste ratio.

Together with Lectra’s automatic nesting solution, Vector iX6 furthermore enables the best possible placement of pieces, saving time and maximizing fabric efficiency. Lectra’s integrated solution comprising advanced software, cutting equipment and value-added professional services has enabled Guangzan to significantly optimize production. Overall productivity per machine has improved, and the lower waste ratio and superior cut quality of the Vector digital cutting solution have increased productivity by more than 50%.

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Lectra

Chinese Spinning Mills Exploring Africa: Loepfe Talked With Zhou Ye Jun, President, Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill

WETZIKON, Switzerland — January 2018 — The level of China’s investment in Africa is increasing fast. Until recent, investments from China in Africa have been largely focused on large projects in a few sectors, including mining, oil and infrastructure. Chinese companies are the major players in the world’s textile market and important customers in the cotton market. Cotton exports from Africa to Asian countries are increasing. Textile production in China is today confronted with rising wages, higher energy bills and mounting logistical costs, as well as quotas on the import of cotton. The combination of these reasons is leading Chinese textile companies to invest overseas. One of them, Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill Textile Group Co. Ltd., recently signed a memorandum of understanding with a partner in Ethiopia to invest in a 300,000 spindles spinning mill.

Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill Textile Group Co. Ltd. (Wuxi YGM Textile Co. Ltd.) established in 1919, is today the largest producer of high quality compact yarns worldwide. The group today produces in China with 500,000 spindles annually 26,000 tons of yarn.

Loepfe believes that such development is quite interesting and has spoken with the president of Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill, Zhou Ye Jun about the motive of this partnership as well as the current state of affairs of their China operation and their focus on quality as their key factor for success.

“The encouraging message is that Africa has some unique advantages for Chinese investors,” said Zhou. “In comparison with Asia, Africa’s location is physically closer to the European and American markets. Africa also enjoys more favorable trade policies with the European Union and the United States. Today’s African market of textile manufacturing has less competition as well. The huge population and immense space in the continent provide great potential for manufacturers to develop. Africa’s rich natural resources and low labor costs are very attractive to Chinese investors as well. As an investor, Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill is bringing advanced technology and management techniques to their southeast African partner that will help improve local production processes and finally ensuring that the investment will be sustainable and profitable for all parties involved.”

Also for their China operation, innovation is the key factor to work successfully in the market. Today, Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill aims to strengthen the existing product lines and is constantly upgrading their manufacturing facilities. The quality demand for cotton yarns is ever increasing. To operate a spinning mill profitable, 2nd quality must be avoided by all means and contamination free yarn is expected from the demanding worldwide markets. That’s why Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill has only recently invested heavily in upgrading all their existing Savio winders with Loepfe’s yarn clearing technology with foreign fiber functionality. Contamination, even if it’s a single foreign fiber, can lead to downgrading of yarn, fabric or garments to second quality or in the worst case, the total rejection of an entire order.

“Loepfe Brothers Ltd. is the pioneer and worldwide market leader in foreign matter detection in yarns and we rely 100 percent on their competence in this field,” Zhou said.

“Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Loepfe’s MillMaster monitoring system is connected to all our existing Loepfe yarn clearers on our Savio winding machines. The information provided by Loepfe’s MillMaster systems allows us to be promptly informed when there is a need to intervene and to steadily optimize the entire yarn manufacturing process in our mills. For Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Mill, we rely on this proven combination of total quality control by Loepfe Brothers Ltd. since many years.”

Posted January 30, 2018

Source: Loepfe Brothers Ltd.

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