FRANKFURT / MUMBAI — March 7, 2018 — Decision-makers from the Indian textile and nonwoven industry are warmly invited to register under www.germantech-indiantextile.de for the next VDMA Textile Machinery Conference and B2B-Forum from 15 to 16 May 2018 in Mumbai (Hotel The Leela). Registration is mandatory. The VDMA will bear organizational costs (no entrance fee). Deadline for registration: April 30, 2018.

The VDMA organizes the event in close co-operation with the VDMA India Office, important media partners and Indian textile associations such as CITI. More than 30 well-known VDMA textile machinery and component manufacturers will hold 36 application-oriented presentations about spinning, knitting, weaving, finishing, dyeing and embroidery. Other important cross topics, such as automation, digitalization (Industry 4.0) and smart production technologies will show all kind of Indian textile manufacturers how to improve their competitiveness.

State-of-the-art-technology will be presented in three sessions:

• Textile machinery & components for the fiber & yarn industry (May 15, 2018)
• Textile machinery & components for the technical textiles and nonwovens industry (May 15 & 16, 2018)
• Textile machinery & components for the apparel, home textile & carpet industry

(May 15 & 16, 2018) – program: www.germantech-indiantextile.de/program.html

In addition, a training seminar at Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute will take place on 17 May 2018 at the premises of VJTI in Mumbai. Mrs. Regina Brückner, chairperson of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association states: “The knowledge needed to keep up in the textile business is changing at a faster rate, which makes lifelong learning a must. The knowledge transfer at the VDMA event will improve the competitiveness of the Indian textile industry not only in the short but also in the medium and long-term. The students of today are the decision-makers and technical managers of tomorrow.”

Participating VDMA member companies:

• ANDRITZ Küsters
• AUTEFA Solutions Germany
• Benninger Zell
• BRÜCKNER Textile Technologies
• DILO SYSTEMS
• DILO TEMAFA
• Lindauer DORNIER
• ERBATECH
• Erhardt+Leimer
• FESTO
• GROZ-BECKERT
• INTERSPARE
• IQ-SPS
• KÜSTERS TEXTILE
• MAHLO
• Mayer & Cie.
• KARL MAYER
• Monforts
• Neuenhauser
• Oerlikon Manmade Fibers
• Reseda Binder
• SAURER Accotex
• SAURER Texparts
• Sedo Treepoint
• SETEX
• TEXPA
• THIES
• TRÜTZSCHLER NONWOVENS & MAN-MADE FIBERS
• TRÜTZSCHLER SPINNING
• WEITMANN & KONRAD – WEKO
• WELKER VACUUM, ZSK

Posted March 7, 2018

Source: VDMA

RALEIGH, N.C. — March 6, 2018 — North Carolina State University (NC State) has announced two new educational opportunities both to take place at the College of Textiles, on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

April 30-May 2: Discover the Science Behind Clothing Comfort & Protection

If your work involves the production or testing of high-performance athletic apparel and/or advanced garment systems for the military and first responders, you won’t want to miss Clothing Comfort and Protection Science, a three-day course taught by experts at the world-renowned Textile Protection and Comfort Center (T-PACC) at the College of Textiles at NC State University. Led by Dr. Roger Barker, T-PACC is the nation’s leading center for research and education on advanced clothing systems.

This is the first time the center has offered an onsite short course on topics including comfort, systems ergonomics, heat strain, functionality and protection from thermal, chemical, biological and physical threats. Those who attend this limited-seating course from April 30-May 2, will not only attend lectures and take part in class discussions, they will observe tests in TPACC’s state-of-the-art labs featuring instrumented manikins. The cost to attend is $1,195 and registrations are being accepted now. The class will take place at the College of Textiles on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

The course presents the science behind the characterization and development of comfortable and/or protective textiles and clothing.

What makes clothing comfortable? How do you define the limits of high-performance apparel? How do you ensure materials provide protection from various threats?

Properties associated with human tactile response, thermal comfort and heat stress are emphasized. Inherent issues of balancing comfort versus protection are illustrated by research studies on performance garments or protective clothing systems. Methods and standards for evaluating comfort and protective performance range from bench level instruments to system level tests for ensembles using instrumented manikins, human clothing wear trials, and physiological tests. Protection from mechanical, thermal, chemical and ballistic threats are addressed, and the key role of standards is discussed.

April 16: Textiles Research Open House Brings Innovation to the Forefront

On Monday, April 16, 2018, the NC State College of Textiles will host the 2018 Textiles Research Open House. This one-day event provides an opportunity for College of Textiles students to share their research with industry professionals. Organized by the Textile Association of Graduate Students with support provided by The VF Foundation, the event aims to open a dialogue and establish networks with those involved in textiles and related industries.

Textiles Research Open House attendees will:

• Discover the exciting research being conducted by the talented students in the College of Textiles;
• Learn about new technologies, innovations and the global market;
• Hear from panelists from across the textile supply chain as they discuss “Trends in Apparel and Footwear”;
• Tour the College of Textiles and its state-of-the-art labs; and
• Listen to Scott A. Deitz, vice president, public affairs for VF Corp., as he delivers a keynote address. Scott leads the public affairs and corporate relations functions at VF Corp. in Greensboro, N.C.

The industry panel features:

• Michael Fralix, president, (TC)2;
• Will Duncan, executive director, SEAMS;
• Bill DiIanni, director of Research and Development, International Textile Group; and
• Melissa Bastos, director of Market Research, Cotton Incorporated.

See the full agenda here. All events will take place in the James B. Hunt Library and the College of Textiles, both of which are located on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

There is no charge for this event, however registration is necessary to attend the presentations and the lunch. NC State participants should login with their Unity ID. Guests can sign in using the “guest” login option.

Posted March 6, 2017

Source: NC State

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — March 6, 2018 — CVR Uniforms, Shippensburg, Pa., has earned the Hygienically Clean Food Service 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 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, CVR Uniforms’ 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 January 2016, Hygienically Clean Food Service 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 CVR Uniforms 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 March 6, 2018

Source: TRSA

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — March 6, 2018 — Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, today announced that Giant Tiger, a leading Canadian discount chain with more than 240 locations and employing over 8,000 people, has deployed an Aruba Mobile First Network in multiple operations locations including its new 600,000 square foot distribution center, as part of the company’s expansion plans. The new distribution center will utilize the Aruba network to enable automated inventory operations and deliver secure and pervasive wireless connectivity.

Giant Tiger’s business philosophy is to keep operational costs low and sell a high volume of merchandise including apparel, grocery and home fashion at affordable price points. According to Eric Boudreau, Director of Network Engineering and Operations for Giant Tiger Stores Limited, implementing a mobile-first infrastructure is critical to meeting this fundamental business objective.

“Having a network that is always available and enables greater efficiencies is a huge priority for Giant Tiger,” Boudreau said. “Aruba’s mobile-first approach matched our organization’s need to streamline operations, improve inventory processes and move towards efficiencies and efficacy.”

With assistance from partner Mobia Technology, Giant Tiger deployed Aruba 300 Series indoor and outdoor access points, 7200 Series Mobility Controllers, 2920 Switches, AirWave network management and ClearPass Guest for authenticating visitors, in its headquarters and active distribution center in Ottawa, a freezer facility in Brockville, and new distribution center in Johnstown.

The ruggedized Aruba outdoor access points are ideal for Giant Tiger’s 200,000 square foot freezer facility, given the extreme temperatures in that location, and the Aruba indoor access points used in the two distribution — particularly the new facility — easily accommodated the connectivity challenges associated with ceiling heights of up to 60 feet.

For the new distribution center, in particular, wireless was the primary focus of the design. Using Aruba wireless access points, Giant Tiger could ensure pervasive coverage and full redundancy for 24×7 availability, and fast, reliable connectivity for workers, including forklift drivers who need to update the system using mobile computers while working – sometimes from 40 feet in the air.

The network enables the warehouse management system to increase both the speed and, more importantly, the accuracy of Giant Tiger’s supply picking. Increased picking accuracy results in a higher percentage of correct product on store shelves, improving the overall efficiency of Giant Tiger’s inventory process and ultimately, impacting sales positively.

“We have voice-picking RF devices and approximately 140 pickers between our Ottawa distribution facilities and the new center in Johnstown, who are picking goods conventionally, using voice pick technology through a Bluetooth headset,” explained John Hubbard, associate vice president, Warehousing, Giant Tiger Wholesale. “The pickers are directed to choose a location and are required to provide a check digit to confirm that they are at the correct pick location, and the system then tells them the quantity of units to pick. The entire picking process depends on the Wi-Fi. Without a high-performing, reliable wireless connection, our picking staff could not do their jobs as effectively.”

The network enables other mission-critical applications such as inventory control, allowing receiving dock associates to quickly scan inbound products via ruggedized handheld RF scanners while forklift operators can perform “put away” and replenishment functions using barcode scanners that are connected by USB to large screens tablets mounted on their forklifts for easy and safe viewing. In both situations, Giant Tiger team members can ensure products are tracked and correlated in the system for more efficient inventory control. The system is designed to assist staff by making their tasks easier, more efficient, and accurate.

Although Giant Tiger is currently using Aruba ClearPass primarily to deliver simplified guest access to vendors visiting the company’s home office or distribution center, the organization plans to pilot guest access in its stores in the near future. In addition, since Giant Tiger is using Aruba location-ready APs that contain built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, Jeff Scobie, Senior Vice President, Information Systems for Giant Tiger Stores Limited, says the organization will evaluate how they can leverage location services as they move forward with their digital transformation process.

“With the new, Aruba mobile-first foundation now in place, we’re confident that we can layer new applications and capabilities on top of the network as we need them. And by transforming and improving how we operate, we can continue to meet our company’s core objective of delivering valued products at low prices to our customers.”

Posted March 6, 2018

Source: Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company