Lectra Awarded
 Showcase For The Industry Of The Future Label

PARIS — September 14, 2017 — The Industry of the Future Alliance (AIF) has awarded Lectra with its Showcase for the Industry of the Future label for demonstrating the criteria exemplarity, innovation and commitment. This certification is given to companies who have concretely developed a ground-breaking project to organize their production by leveraging the potential of digital.

The AIF bestowed Lectra with this distinction for its competitiveness concerning cost, quality and delivery times, all obtained thanks to a lean approach and reflection around the design of its products. Further, Lectra received the certification for its competitiveness regarding value, achieved thanks to mastering customer use from which new associated services have flowed.

Since 2013, Lectra has invested 86 million euros in R&D, representing 9.4 percent of its revenues. This investment has enabled Lectra to undergo a metamorphosis—based on methodological advances and fundamental technologies—increasing recruitment and growing competitiveness in all of its markets and geographical sectors.

With ten years’ experience in the industrial internet of things for cutting and expertise in software solutions to automate and optimize design and product development, Lectra is in an unrivalled position to support customers as they enter the industry of the future era.

Pressure from certain shareholders to relocate manufacturing to China in 2005, triggered Lectra’s industrial project. Following risk analyses — the cost of transport for the European market, the turnover in qualified labor, uncertainty over patent rights and quality — Lectra decided to keep manufacturing in France. This choice was conditional on: disruptive innovation; upgrading; increased value to customers; and a rise in productivity.

The project was accompanied by a well-structured lean approach and organizational changes, which enabled Lectra to achieve the desired level of excellence in terms of productivity and competitiveness.

Some of the changes that took place thanks to this project are as follows:

  • Growth in industrial performance due to an improvement in working conditions, with teams involved in the lean approach;
  • Production engineers involved in creating awareness around factory constraints for a new offer as early as the design process. This co-design product/process optimizes global costs;
  • Emphasis on product, process and logistics’ modularity with the latest possible integration of options (delayed differentiation). This enables logistics’ constraints to be taken into account as early as the engineering phase. Product modularity allows, for example, machines to be put in containers when they might otherwise require special heavy-goods transport. 
Lectra’s factory improved its productivity rate by 18 points in three years, and has since maintained it at 89%. Costs have already reduced by 25% and the quality and level of service has improved. In terms of positioning, Lectra has confirmed its leadership in the high-end segment. Lectra has enriched its offer with end-to-end services and innovative, connected products whose embedded intelligence offers Smart Services, notably for predictive maintenance.

What Does It Mean To Be Certified As An Industry Of The Future?

In 2016, the Industry of the Future Alliance certified 20 companies with their ‘Showcase for the Industry of the Future’ label. This label is awarded to companies who have concretely developed an innovative project, most often by digital means, to organize their production. To be eligible, companies must put in place a range of technological solutions, which are mostly French. This label provides companies with national and international visibility and spreads best practice by highlighting remarkable and inspiring projects.

Posted September 14, 2017

Source: Lectra

Preview The Newest Innovations Coming To Filtration® 2017 On The Event Website

CARY, N.C. — September 14, 2017 — With the Filtration® 2017 International Conference & Exposition less than a month away, engineers, product developers and business managers can now preview many of the product introductions and innovations that will be introduced October 11-12 in Chicago on the INDA website for the event.

The “Product Preview” feature on the Filtration 2017 site includes new products that some of the 140-plus exhibitors will showcase at this year’s event at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Excitement is mounting for Filtration 2017 and INDA is expecting a strong turnout of about 1,500 industry participants with a new earlier date and continued growth in the filtration segment.

Among the innovations that will be launched in air and liquid filtration are filter pockets that help lower energy consumption, multi-layer filters from new synthetic materials, filter assembly systems engineered for extreme duty performance and new intelligent equipment that makes pleats in heavy duty materials.

Product Previews

A sample of the exhibitor innovations that participants will see on the show floor at Filtration 2017 include:

  • Allied Group (Booth 625): A new line of 100 percent glass coalescing filters for the compressed air and gas industries made using the vacuumed formed (cast) process
  • Bdtronic (Booth 814): A new atmospheric pressure plasma device to optimize the surface tension on a wide variety of materials in standard and high-performance applications
  • Bondex (Booth 624): A new technology for the industrial filtration market that combines the benefits of needle loom fiber entangling with hydro-entangling technology to deliver industry leading dust collection performance
  • Franklin Adhesives & Polymers (Booth 612): A new efficient filter adhesive that is a  self-foaming, two-part polyurethane potting compound supplying high strength without requiring special water, air or nitrogen injection equipment
  • Raleigh Precision Products (Booth 426): The new 2V Filter Assembly System is a unique four-piece construction engineered to securely hold filter media packs
  • Truetzschler Nonwovens (Booth 115): A new line including a drum dryer/oven as well as a foulard, a can dryer and a hot flue unit
  • TSI Inc. (Booth 817): New model 8130A Automated Filter Tester for the testing of particulate respirator filters, disposable filtering face pieces and a wide assortment of filter media
  • TTG Inc. (Booth 305): New “Ultima” product line of HD membranes in power and cement applications that do not contaminate under high-peak use

Conference Highlights

In addition to the many business opportunities to generate sales and leads at the exhibition, Filtration 2017 will feature a powerful educational component to learn from world-renowned expert speakers.

Top must-attend sessions include the keynote lunch on recent growth activity in filtration by Phil Whitaker, president and CEO, AAF Flanders;  a panel on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in Filtration;  a panel discussion on the ISO 16890 standards; as well as sessions on air purification, media design and measuring air filter energy efficiency.

Filtration 2017 kicks off on October 10 with the one-day acclaimed Nonwoven Filter Media Training Course prior to the exposition on October 11-12. The industry reception will be October 11, from 5-6 p.m., on the show floor.

Posted September 14, 2017

Source: INDA

Rakuten Fits Me Launches Retail Industry’s First Sizing Search Tool; Allows Consumers To Shop And Purchase With Greater Confidence And Satisfaction

SAN MATEO, Calif. — September 13, 2017 — Rakuten Fits Me, a provider of fit recommendation technology, announced today the release of Fit Match — the first fashion and apparel search tool that enables retailers to recommend and display fashion that directly matches a shopper’s unique style and individual body size. The tool is the latest enhancement to Rakuten Fits Me’s Fit Origin fit recommendation technology that arms consumers with sizing accuracy and confidence when shopping online.

As rising consumer expectations reshape the online shopping experience retailers are under increased pressure to deliver personalized shopping capabilities. Rakuten Fits Me’s Fit Match search capability enables merchants to drive greater personalization in the way they engage, promote and sell online. The tool is automatically accessible through the Fit Origin platform that delivers personalized and accurate shopper sizing through a proprietary algorithm that uses global consumer data from over 30 million profiles, garment type data, attribute mapping and data science algorithms.

Once a consumer establishes a Fit Origin profile with a retailer, the Fit Match search tool leverages Fit Origin technology to make garment recommendations. As shoppers search they are shown in-stock products sized according to their unique Fit Origin profile. The tool allows users to toggle between product sizes to assess fit impact across different body areas, allowing for self-tailoring and complete control over personal fit preferences. The tool also features refined search filters that narrow down recommended products by product type, brand and color.

Along with the benefits of highly personalized shopping capabilities, retailers — including Rhone, QVC, Taylrd and others, invest in Rakuten Fits Me’s Fit Origin technology and the Fit Match search tool to increase sales conversion; lower transaction value; reduce product returns; and increase bottom line profits. Rakuten Fits Me CEO Vicky Zadeh stated, “As e-commerce continues to fuel global retail growth it is critical for merchants to stay ahead of evolving consumer expectations. Shopping is the biggest performance driver for retailers, and specific to fashion and apparel, the ability to deliver products with accurate fit — which reduces return costs — sits as the most critical revenue driver. Our goal with Fit Origin and Fit Match is to arm retailers with innovative and powerful technologies that exceed consumer demand and drive profitable business value.”

With Rakuten Fits Me’s focus on the U.S. market, the company is fundamentally changing how U.S. brands sell clothing and footwear to online consumers.  Fit Origin is key in allowing shoppers to better understand what apparel fits and suits them before they make purchase decisions, ensuring what they purchase – no matter what retailer or brand, accurately meets their personal shopping desires and expectations. In addition, Rakuten Fits Me’s technology provides invaluable insights that allow brands to understand customers without exception, dramatically reduce product returns, and truly enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction. To learn more about Rakuten Fits Me and its suite of size and fit technology visit Rakuten Fits Me.

Posted September 13, 2017

Source: Rakuten Fits Me

OEKO-TEX®: Sustainability In The Textile Industry

ZURICH — September 12, 2017 — Social and environmental concerns will soon play a greater role in public procurement. Although the aim is simple, the implementation may prove to be difficult.

Given the global supply chains within the textile industry, even experts face numerous challenges when evaluating the sustainability of uniforms and protective clothing. Due to its international
nature and the sheer volume of third parties in the production chain, responsibility is increasingly placed on those releasing new textiles onto the market. Public procurement stipulates that clothing must be safe, produced in environmentally friendly production facilities and under decent working conditions. Yet how can procurers gauge whether the supplier complies with these provisions? Thanks to public procurement regulation, the adherence to such sustainability requirements can now be determined from labels. Labelled textile products offer guidance and help consumers make responsible decisions when purchasing workwear. Yet when bombarded with hundreds of worldwide labels and certificates, selecting the right one is by no means an easy feat, so much so that the phrase “label labyrinth” was coined.

In pursuit of a suitable label, it makes sense to draw on those tried and tested designs. Since
 1992 OEKO-TEX® has been developing various solutions for environmentally friendly and socially responsible textiles. The guiding principles of Oeko-Tex are based on transparency, traceability, credibility and trust. Now available on the market, Oeko-Tex certificates and labels allow
textile manufacturers to prove compliance with environmental and social regulations in their production chains. Whether it is the use of chemicals in production, the continuous improvement
of the supplier’s working and production conditions or the safety of the final product – it can all be independently and credibly verified with the help of the various products developed by the Oeko-Tex Association.

With the label MADE IN GREEN by Oeko-Tex, for example, procurers can even trace the production process of the finished garment. Through a bar code or the product ID on the label, the different stages of production can be viewed. On the website www.siegelklarheit.de, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development commends the transparency that the Made In Green label offers consumers, classifying it as a “very good option”.

Likewise, if the new legal status wishes to make procurement procedures simpler, then sustainability regulation requires a new approach. Relying on a trustworthy partner is certainly advantageous. 
For 25 years, Oeko-Tex has offered easy solutions, enabling procurers to successfully
overcome the increasing demands of the market; ensuring everything from chemical management, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and fair working conditions to labels clearly displaying product performance. The Oeko-Tex system provides the optimal basis for this as it continually refines its standards and always focused on current market developments.

The Made In Green by Oeko-Tex label offers buyers the safety that products bearing the label are produced sustainably, and enables them at the same time to transparently trace the manufacturing of the article.

Posted September 13, 2017

Source: Oeko-Tex

Hand In Hand – 125 Years Thies Textile Dyeing Machines

COESFELD, Germany — September 13, 2017 — Thies Company is celebrating its 125th anniversary in September 2017. Heartfelt thanks are expressed to its customers, suppliers, employees, retirees, business partners, families and friends for their support and trust.

The birthplace and headquarters of the Thies Group is the old Hanseatic city of Coesfeld in Münsterland, Westphalia. A traditional textiles area, Münsterland is the birthplace of, and home to, a number of reputed businesses engaged in this sector. Thies lives out this tradition, supplying textile machines across the globe from Coesfeld since 1892.

Bernhard Thies founded Thies Co. in 1892. As a chemist, he searched for techniques to mechanically support dyeing procedures. Just two years later, he obtained the first machinery patent from the German Imperial Patent Office. Following his death in 1922, his four sons assumed charge of the business. Initially, they sold their yarn dyeing machines on the domestic market, but the corner-stone for a solid export business was laid as early as in 1926, when preliminary major successes were scored abroad. Today, the export ratio stands at over 90 percent.

The patent for and the following construction of the first pressure vessel in 1929 made it possible, going forward, to carry out high-temperature dyeing operations, and this set new benchmarks for the entire sector. Once the Second World War ended, Alfred Thies as the third generation, engaged in the business. In those days, significant milestone were achieved with the development of the pressure dryer, which is integral to yarn dyeing to this day and the start of manufacturing piece dyeing machines.

The years that followed saw the development of a network of global sales and service units, put in place to support customers in an even better way at the local level. Today, Thies has support centers in Bulgaria, China, France, India, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United States.

In the late 1980s, Erich and Klaus Thies intensified business links with the Polish supplier Dofama and the Slovenian machine engineering company Alchrom. Both partners have been wholly integrated within the group of companies since 2007.

In 2015 the company shares were transferred to the fifth generation in charge. Profoundly committed to the enterprise’s heritage, this fifth generation endeavor to preserve the long-standing corporate philosophy and to pass it on in a sustainable manner.

In the company’s own research center, interested parties are always welcome to test the various machine models and develop and detail the correct solution in conjunction with an experienced Thies team.

Posted September 13, 2017

Source: Thies GmbH & Co. KG

Matrix World Group (MWG) Chile Partners With Mount Vernon FR To Debut New Flame Resistant Clothing Collection

SANTIAGO, Chile/TRION, Ga. — September 11, 2017 —Matrix World Group (MWG) Chile officially launches its first-ever collection of treated flame resistant clothing, all manufactured using fabric from Mount Vernon FR. MWG specializes in the technical design, development and custom manufacturing of flame resistant workwear for industrial use.  Until the recent collaboration with Mount Vernon FR, MWG’s primary focus has been on high-quality flame resistant clothing made from inherent flame resistant fabrics.

“Working with Mount Vernon FR, we have paired two of the strongest brands in the industry, allowing us to provide consumers with treated and inherent flame resistant clothing without tradeoffs in comfort or protection,” said John Funk, president of MWG Chile.

MWG Chile will offer a complete collection of UL-certified products including flame resistant shirts, pants, coveralls and jackets, all made using fabric from Mount Vernon FR. MWG’s new flame resistant clothing line will be available across South and Central America.

“This collaboration enables us to combine our shared dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction,” said Mike Woods, vice president of FR fabrics for Mount Vernon FR. “We’re honored to work with MWG to provide consumers across the globe with access to durable, high-performing flame resistant garments made from Mount Vernon FR fabrics.”

MWG Chile garments meet the performance requirements of ASTM F1506, comply with NFPA 70E and are UL® certified to NFPA 2112.

Posted September 12, 2017

Source: Mount Vernon FR

TRSA Conference Cancellation Generates Support For Hurricane Relief

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — September 12, 2017 — Although TRSA was forced to cancel its Annual Conference this week in Miami due to Hurricane Irma, there’s a silver lining: the association will make a significant contribution to relief efforts in areas affected by hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

While offering to refund all registration and sponsorship fees, TRSA has asked members to donate all or a portion of these fees to support local charities. Roughly half have committed their Annual Conference registration and/or sponsorship fees to local charities and as a result of this generosity, TRSA expects to donate approximately $125,000 on behalf of its members to ongoing relief efforts in Houston, Miami and elsewhere in Florida in the aftermath of these powerful storms.

Already, several hundred homeless residents were given welcome boxes that had been packaged for conference attendees.

“It’s very sad that for the first time in living memory, bad weather has forced TRSA to cancel our Annual Conference,” said TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci. “In an effort to make the best of an unfortunate situation, our members have stepped-up by contributing their registration and sponsorship fees to help the association make a significant contribution to the local economies and to people in need.”

“We are all very fortunate that we have not had to endure the hardships of our fellow Americans that reside in Houston and those impacted on the East Coast,” said G.A. Braun President Joe Gudenburr IV. The company is donating all of its TRSA conference registration and sponsorship fees. “The country is in need of unity, and we all need to look after our fellow man/woman/child in times of hardship and need. This is a nominal contribution that will hopefully be matched by many so that those in need can get some relief.”

Posted September 12, 2017

Source: TRSA

Teijin Frontier To Participate In Première Vision Paris

TOKYO — September 12, 2017 — Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fibers and products converting company, announced today that it will participate in Première Vision Paris, a major global event for fashion industry professionals that will be held in Paris from September 19 to 21.

The booth, named TEIJINTEX® by TEIJIN FRONTIER (stand 6G24/6H29), will feature fabrics made from two top quality materials — SOLOTEX® and DELTAPEAK® — and will include a selection of materials designed for the Autumn/Winter 2018-19 season developed using advanced spinning-processing, yarn-processing and finishing methods.

Specific items in the exhibit will include:

Solotex, a polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber which, owing to its molecular structure, is soft, stretchable, shape-retaining, dimensionally stable and brightly colored. Several versions will be presented, including textiles with uneven surfaces, printed fabrics and double-face fabrics, in addition to thin, transparent and lightweight fabrics, which are appealing as all-purpose fashion materials. The partially bio-derived Solotex is also an environmentally-friendly choice for the future.

DELTAPEAK®, a next-generation polyester fabric that combines excellent physical properties with high levels of functionality and quality. Thanks to its dense, flat-knit surface, Deltapeak is a wonderfully multifunctional material that is rated highly and adopted by a number of global sports-apparel brands. The booth will present a bulky, light and extra-soft 4-dimentional Deltapeak material as the latest addition to the Teijin Frontier’s Deltapeak series, and highly functional nylon-based Deltapeak, both of which are excellent choices for use in athleisure-type fashionwear.

Première Vision Paris, held twice yearly, is expecting some 60,000 visitors and nearly 1,900 exhibiting companies from over 50 countries this year. By participating in the show, Teijin Frontier aims to further raise its profile in Europe and promote the continued expansion of its global business.

Posted September 12, 2017

Source: Teijin Frontier

Relaunch Of The USTER® LVI Family

USTER, Switzerland — September 12, 2017 — Nearly 70 years ago, the earliest accurate test equipment for cotton fiber properties were introduced to the market. These were the so-called Low Volume Instruments (LVI), which made an immediate market impact at the time, and which in later years were the platform for the development of the high-speed integrated system known as High Volume Instrument (HVI) testing. However, the LVI® instruments still play an important role in the industry today, providing essential lab test solutions for companies focused on specific fiber parameters, or those without the throughput needs or budget necessary for HVI®. Now, USTER has relaunched its LVI family with upgraded electronics and design – and the accuracy and reliability as expected from Uster.

In the United States in 1948 with the ‘Fibrograph’ and the ‘Colorimeter’ two specific fiber testing instruments were launched. More than two decades later HVI testing became available, combining measurement of fiber length, strength, micronaire, color and trash of these LVI® instruments into a single, high-throughput system, ideally suited to large-scale processors such as classing offices and major spinning mills.

Still a vital role

In this case, the advent of HVI didn’t replace LVI in the way that products with improved capacity often do. In fact, certain segments of the industry still depend on the LVI series. This includes cotton traders or spinners with a lower budget, as well as those with a need for testing only specific parameters. It’s also clear that not every customer needs a measuring speed of 800 samples per hour — as provided by the Uster HVI 1000. For many purposes, testing of one sample per minute is perfectly adequate. That’s why the Uster LVI 930 length tester, for example, with its speed of 50 samples per hour, still has its fans.

For spinning mills with lower-cost production structures, random sampling is generally sufficient, since their customers often do not specify high yarn quality levels. Nevertheless, a certain quality level is required by such mills, and it is therefore essential to check the quality of the purchased cotton before the bale laydown. To ensure the desired quality standard is met, it is vital to check parameters such as fiber length, color/trash and micronaire, which are necessary for an effective cotton bale mix.

For many mills, the Uster LVI family includes instruments which each cover a particular aspect of fiber quality, with absolute reliability: the Uster LVI 930 length tester, the Uster LVI 960 color/trash tester, the Uster LVI 975 micronaire tester and the Uster LVI 920 nep tester provide measurements describing these various cotton quality parameters, while the Uster LVI 940 serves as the control system and data manager.

Different – but equally accurate

Even though their key characteristics can be described as “small, slow and affordable”, all LVI instruments show the same accuracy in measurement as the flagship models — because all measurements are based on the Uster HVI and Uster AFIS principles. The relaunched LVI instruments now feature refreshed electronics and an updated design. The Uster LVI 940 introduces even more novelties, connecting the other LVI instruments through a new software package with expanded reports, new diagnostics, calibration and data storage. “The LVIs can be easily justified as budget-friendly systems for cotton quality checks covering all basic parameters with excellent reliability,” says David McAlister, Product Manager for Fiber Testing at Uster Technologies.

The Low Volume Instruments also serve as the entry point for customers to join the Uster family at an affordable price. Starting with Uster’s unique `Think Quality´ approach, spinners are equipped to move up the profitability chain step by step with every additional instrument, towards further control of quality throughout the mill processes.

Paybacks for traders and spinners

Cotton trading companies exist in various sizes. Many are local, focusing on their domestic markets, such as in India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They understand the importance of a quality tag for their trading business and therefore opt to invest in Uster LVI. Their need isn’t comparable with that of USDA (cotton classing at the United States Department of Agriculture): at this important cotton export institution, more than 250 Uster HVIs operate at speeds of 800 samples/hour in three shifts, throughout three to four months per year.

Whether cotton is classified using LVI or HVI models, the important thing is that the classification takes place. Cotton marketed with no quality tag is regarded as low quality and not to be trusted — and the price suffers accordingly. The benefits of cotton classing are equally valuable to both spinners and traders. Spinners need to get the most out of their purchased raw material with a smart cotton mix. For the right decision on this, proper quality parameters are necessary. The fact that the raw material is the biggest cost factor in a spinning mill is itself justification for investment in an Uster LVI. “Quality control always pays back,” says McAlister.

Posted September 12, 2017

Source: Uster Technologies

White Oak Commercial Finance Provides $20 Million Factoring Facility To Luxury Goods Distributor

NEW YORK CITY — September 12, 2017 — White Oak Commercial Finance LLC (WOCF) announced today that it has provided a $20 million dollar factoring facility to a distributor of luxury and branded apparel, accessories, handbags and watches. The proceeds will provide working capital to purchase inventory, manage account payables, and repay existing debt.

“White Oak Commercial Finance has a deep history in retail financing, having provided designers, importers and manufacturers of retail goods with access to growth and working capital for nearly 30 years,” said Robert Grbic, president and CEO, WOCF. “With strong historical profits and seasoned management team, this luxury goods distributor is an ideal company to finance.”

White Oak Commercial Finance, formerly Capital Business Credit, was acquired by White Oak Global Advisors LLC on behalf of its institutional clients in late 2016. Today WOCF has over $300 million of assets deployed with office locations in New York, Charlotte, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Posted September 12, 2017

Source: White Oak Commercial Finance LLC

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