Laziale Interni Auto Harnesses The Power Of The Digital Cutting Value Chain With A Second Versalis®

July 19, 2016

PARIS — July 19, 2016 — Lectra is pleased to announce that Laziale Interni Auto, an Italy-based supplier of leather cut parts to tier-1 and tier-2 automotive component manufacturers, has chosen Lectra’s Versalis® for its next-generation digital cutting room.

Specialized in the production of headrests and armrests for vehicle interiors, the company cuts,sews and assembles seating and interior components for major automotive manufacturers as well as for the rail and aeronautics industries. Laziale Interni Auto is also active in aftermarket vehicle customization, especially for classic and collector cars. The company runs two production units in central peninsular Italy.

A Lectra customer, Laziale Interni Auto has used Lectra CAD-CAM software for since 2005. The company made an initial foray into computer numeric control (CNC) cutting with the acquisition of Vector® Lectra’s fabric-cutting solution, in 2014. Driven by a commitment to continuous innovation, Laziale Interni Auto subsequently decided to migrate automotive leather production from manual die-cutting to the digital cutting value chain.

In 2015, the company transitioned to automated leather cutting with the acquisition of a first Versalis® for its plant in the Lazio region of Italy. To meet the increased demand of a major vehicle manufacturer, Laziale Interni Auto decided to implement a second Versalis solution in the same plant this year.

Laziale Interni Auto now runs a more efficient production cycle thanks to automated processes that expedite the identification of flaws, as well as nesting, cutting and the unloading of cut parts. Versalis’ uninterrupted hide cutting offers an unparalleled level of quality and significantly lower costs through material gains impossible to achieve using die presses.

Growing consumer demand for more personalized vehicle interiors is driving an increasingly high level of complexity for OEMs and their suppliers to manage, due to a wider range of product variants and faster product changeovers. Lectra’s Versalis improves flexibility by eliminating dies, saving eight to 12 weeks in vehicle program start-up time. With a newfound ability to adjust vehicle programs in substantially less time, Laziale Interni Auto can now stay apace of its vehicle manufacturer end-customers’ evolving needs.

“The difference between die cutting and our new digitalized process is night and day,” remarks Renato Clemente, Production Unit Manager, Laziale Interni Auto. “Our Versalis allow us to achieve much greater productivity. And without the need to retool, we can meet new requirements faster than we ever could before.”

“Remaining competitive in the automotive industry means staying on top of consumer tastes and emerging vehicle interior trends,” states Céline Choussy Bedouet, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Lectra. “This puts additional pressure on automotive interior suppliers to be more agile. By making the switch to a fully digitalized leather cutting process, Laziale Interni Auto can be sure to keep up with carmaker demand now and into the future.”

Posted July 19, 2016

Source: Lectra

Valdese Weavers Forms ESOP

July 19, 2016

Valdese, N.C.-based Valdese Weavers Inc. has established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and is now a 100-percent employee-owned company.

“One hundred years after our company was founded, and 80 years after Harley F. Shuford and his family acquired the company out of receivership during the Great Depression,

Valdese Weavers is now a 100-percent employee-owned company,” said Michael Shelton, president & CEO. “This change from a minority ESOP to a 100 percent ESOP creates a platform for ownership that will propel Valdese Weavers into the future. It is truly a wonderful opportunity for all of our associates who come here to work every day, and through their efforts have made our company the special place that it has become.”

“There are many options for charting the future of a privately owned, closely held company like ours,” said Snyder Garrison, a grandson of Harley Shuford. “The 100 percent ESOP achieves our family’s objectives for Valdese Weavers to remain an independent, privately owned company with a strong commitment to our local community. In keeping with our values, the ESOP is a great way to recognize the dedication from each of our associates toward achieving a successful, lasting legacy. Employee-owners know that their efforts can help them gain a benefit for their families that is greater than wages alone.”

July/August 2016

Warp Preparation Machine For The Warp Knitting Sector That Can Offer Both: Direct And Sectional Warping

July 19, 2016

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — July 18, 2016 — A targeted look at different technologies with similar objectives often reveals synergistic effects that can be used to great advantage — as the example of the DS Opto-EC developed by KARL MAYER shows. This innovative warp preparation machine combines sectional warping in weaving preparation with direct warping in warp knitting preparation on the basis of a universal hybrid principle. The result of this clever combination is maximum flexibility and economic viability when producing warp beams for warp knitting.

Direct and sectional warping on a single machine

The DS Opto-EC processes non-stretch filament yarns to produce warp beams having a wide band width. Conventional sectional warp beams with long running lengths, having a width of 21” and a diameter of 30″, can be produced efficiently by the direct warping process.

If short warps are needed for product development, or if small runs have to be worked, the DS Opto-EC offers easy handling and low costs in the sectional warping mode. Furthermore, the warp-for-warp technique enables processing tests to be carried out on expensive yarns economically. Expensive yarns can also be used efficiently when producing high-quality sectional warp beams for the current production operation. These advantages are the result of the small number of packages needed. In addition to the financial advantages, the small number of packages required also saves space.

The DS Opto-EC also offers advantages for cone warping when producing patterned sectional warp beams. This innovative machine places yarn sections of different colours next to each other accurately, and operates at high speed, thus producing precision warp beams efficiently. This is opening up new possibilities in the warp knitting sector, especially in terms of the range of patterns that can be produced. The HKS 4-M EL was illustrating these possibilities impressively at ITMA 2015 in Milan.

The HKS 4-M EL and the DS Opto-EC — a tandem solution with numerous advantages

The HKS 4-M EL was processing patterned sectional warp beams produced by the DS Opto-EC when it was being demonstrated at ITMA 2015 (Fig. 2). During the machine show, this high-speed tricot machine was producing a fabric having six different, attractive designs seamlessly one after the other – without stopping and at top speed. The HKS 4-M EL was operating at an average speed of 2,100 min-1. The EL pattern drive on this innovative machine enables the pattern to be changed quickly, and virtually unlimited repeat lengths can be worked. The combined performance of the HKS 4-M EL and the DS Opto-EC enables new products to be developed economically, if required. The high-speed tricot machine also enables short runs to be produced economically, thanks to its high operating speed.

Sophisticated technology guarantees a high performance

As well as being flexible, the DS Opto-EC also offers top quality in both warping modes, and enables warp knitting to be carried out at maximum efficiency. The sectional warp beams have absolutely identical circumferences, and the package build is completely uniform. This unique level of precision owes its success to the improvements that have been made and to technology transfer. For example, the master successive band or master successive beam principle, which is a feature of weaving preparation, has been transferred to the DS Opto-EC, and the conventional sectional warping process has been optimised. The creel system, yarn feed and braking synchronisation are all perfectly coordinated during cone warping. A warping carriage (Fig. 3), which moves parallel to and across the drum axis, guarantees exact positioning of the yarn sheet on the warping drum, and the band build-up is monitored by a laser and computer. During beaming, dancer rollers (Fig. 4) control the yarn tension and thus ensure that beams having the same circumference are produced. The DS Opto-EC also operates extremely quickly – the maximum speed during direct warping is 1,000 m/min and during sectional warping is 600 m/min.

The feedback from the market is justifying the hybrid concept of the new machine

The operating principles and advantages of the DS Opto-EC were presented to the public for the first time at ITMA 2015. By watching a video presentation and by talking to Krishna Adhikari, the visitors were able to gather information and develop new business ideas. The product developers specialising in textile technology at KARL MAYER were delighted at the extremely positive feedback they received on this innovative new machine.

All the possibilities offered by this warp preparation machine for universal use are already being exploited in practice. “We have sold a DS Opto-EC to a highly innovative customer in Asia. The machine was delivered to the manufacturer in March of this year, and the client is currently testing the new machine,” said Oliver Mathews, the Sales Director of KARL MAYER’s Warp Knitting Business Unit.

The next opportunity to see the DS Opto-EC in operation and also to find out more about this innovative technology will be at ITMA ASIA, which is being held from 21-25 October 2016. KARL MAYER (China) will be holding an in-house exhibition in Wujin to coincide with the fair, and this new warping machine will be on show then.

Posted July 19, 2016

Source: KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH

National Spinning Appoints Pourdeyhimi To Board

July 19, 2016

At its recent quarterly meeting, Washington, N.C.-based National Spinning Co. Inc. unanimously voted Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi to its Board of Directors. Pourdeyhimi is the Klopman Distinguished Professor of Textile Materials and the Associate Dean for Industry Research and Extension at Raleigh, N.C.-based North Carolina State University (NCSU), where he also serves as director of The Nonwovens Institute. In addition to his own research and teaching, Pourdeyhimi has been a consultant to more than 30 major research institutions and corporations. He also is a technical editor for Textile World.

“We could not be more excited to add Behnam to our board,” said James Chesnutt, chairman, National Spinning. “His input will be invaluable as we continue to expand our footprint in nonwovens and as our legacy yarn business evolves. Behnam’s breadth of experience and contacts will serve all our operating divisions well.”

July/August 2016

A&E Celebrates 125th Anniversary

July 19, 2016

Mount Holly, N.C.-based American & Efird (A&E) recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. “125 years of continuous operation is a significant accomplishment for A&E, our customers, and the communities in which our associates live and work,” said Les Miller, CEO. “This longevity has been possible due to our numerous past and present dedicated, hardworking, and charitable associates. In addition, we have loyal and long-term customers who have supported A&E by using our products and services. We are here today because of the success of those who worked here before us, and as we celebrate the past, we are very excited with a bright future for both our company and our associates.”

The company’s industrial and consumer sewing threads, embroidery threads and technical textiles are produced in 23 countries, distributed in 50 countries, and sold in more than 100 countries. A&E owns or operates 27 manufacturing facilities and employees more than 10,000 people globally either directly or through joint venture companies.

July/August 2016

Darlington Development, ARC Enterprises Plan Palmetto Restart

July 19, 2016

An investment group comprised of Darlington, S.C.-based Darlington Development LLC — a unit of International Process Plants, Hamilton, N.J. — and Houston-based ARC Enterprises LLC is making moves to reopen the former Wellman Inc. Palmetto polyester fiber facility located in Darlington.

The facility was shut down in 2008 when Wellman entered bankruptcy. However, key safeguards were taken as the plant was closed down to facilitate a restart at some time in the future, and Darlington maintained the facility with the view that a restart could happen.

The investors recently filed an air permit application with South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control for the facility, which they consider a milestone toward reopening the plant. If the permit is granted, the companies hope to have the plant operational in 2017.

“I am very excited with the achievement of this milestone as it brings us one step closer to restarting the Palmetto facility and producing staple fiber and chip,” said Andrew Rosenfeld, ARC Enterprises partner.

“We believe that, if the air permit is approved, a restarted plant will provide at least 150 direct new jobs for the local community and bring to market a new low cost domestic provider of quality polyester product,” said a spokesperson for Darlington Development.

July/August 2016

Retailers & Brands: Consider The Total Cost

July 19, 2016

By Jim Borneman, Editor In Chief

jborneman@TextileWorld.com

In this issue, “Yarn Market” by Editor Jim Phillips describes a slowing market for yarn with smaller orders demanding a shorter time frame. Interestingly, that is what Buhler Quality Yarn Corp.’s David Sasso describes in his piece “Responsive Retail” as a strength of the western hemisphere — collaborative apparel supply chains. Responsive suppliers making smaller quantities with shorter lead times, reducing retailer’s markdowns and stock-outs — perpetuating the fast fashion model.

In a near-shored total cost model, it makes sense. Shorter lead-times, lower shipping costs, the right product at the right time and the ability to respond quickly to the whims of the consumer is very possible.

However, it does rely on highly cooperative supply chains — but they are already built and they already exist. If you want to see for yourself, pop in on an Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) meeting — and save yourself a lot of legwork. Many AAPN members — from spinners, knitters and weavers to apparel factories and shippers — have collaborated for years. As Mike Todaro, AAPN’s managing director often says, “At AAPN, we compete as supply chains.”

There is an effective way to compete with goods sourced in Asia, but the change requires a review, recosting, and the use of supply chain executives, like Buhler’s Sasso, who can help brands and retailers make high-quality products at competitive prices.

There are some low-cost products that aren’t time sensitive and virtually never marked down that will always chase the cheapest needle. And high-end retailers already are using responsive supply chains — chasing quality not cost.

So the real opportunity may be for mid-tier retailers that followed the herd to source in Asia and achieved a lower cost when the China price simply couldn’t be beaten. Many assume that China still is the answer.

The retail environment has seen incredible pressure, and a look at reshoring and a responsive supply chain that can put less product on the shelf more often may be the solution to reduce the pressure. A total cost model that puts a value on time and minimizes the risk of order quantity predictions may show a way for mid-tier retailers to mimic their high-end peers.

There are great things happening in the NAFTA and CAFTA regions. More yarn spinning has come on line with tremendous flexibility in manufacturing. With a highly developed cotton supply chain and a yarn forward rule in the CAFTA and NAFTA trade deals, conforming product is allowed into the United States duty free. Another competitive win for the regions.

As Sasso points out, communication with all members of the supply chain is key. And there are strategies of a collaborative chain — like pre-staging fabrics — that can cut days out of the cycle.

So if you are feeling the pressure — losing at the cash register and suffering the markdown blues — you may want to consider the total cost that puts a value on time. The quickest way may be to take a meeting with a collaborative supply chain. Take advantage of the work they’ve done and the chains they’ve built.

July/August 2016

July/August 2016: Textile Activity At A Glance

July 19, 2016

July/August 2016

Spinners Optimistic Despite Continuing Slump

July 19, 2016

By Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

Sales of commodity yarns continue to be stagnant mid-year, with many spinners reporting results significantly below projections. At the same time, while the downturn has been a disappointment, it does not, at least to this point, compare with the disastrous declines experienced in years past.

“I don’t think you could say we’re disappointed in our sales,” said one spinner. “Certainly, from the perspective of where we were last year at this time, we are well below expectations. But, we haven’t dropped

as far or as fast as we have experienced in the past. Our hope is that this is a temporary correction based on over-ordering in previous quarters and that business will return to normal levels in the very near future.”

“Some weeks have been better than others,” said one spinning executive. “We’ve had some bad weeks and some decent weeks. But it’s been a long time since we’ve had a terrible week.”

Another spinner reported a similar experience. “We’ve done all right some months, not so well in others. It’s almost like one month on, one month off. Our customers are waiting to the last minute to order what they need. And then they buy only what they are sure they can sell. Then the process starts all over. Our customers are getting the same treatment from their retail customers, who are waiting until inventory is very low before restocking.”

Creating Differentiation

Despite the recent slowdown in orders for many spinners, the fact remains that for the first time in many years, U.S. spinning capacity is increasing.

With the announcements over the past few years of expansions and new plant construction, the competition for business among U.S. spinners will only increase in the future.

And that means that all spinners are going to have to approach the market from a different angle than that traditionally used for marketing commodity products. Spinners today should be looking for every opportunity to differentiate their businesses from their competitors.

“We are able to keep our customers happy by having an aggressive delivery strategy,” said one Southeastern spinner. “Our ability to get business often hinges on whether we can get product to our customers, particularly those in Central America, faster than anyone else.”

“Service and the customer experience is everything today,” said an industry expert. “When one product is the same as another and can be had for the same price, the only way to stand out is to make sure your customers are not just satisfied, but happy — and that goes way beyond meeting basic expectations.”

TPP Still A Topic

Despite the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement by all member nations, for the pact to be binding on the United States, it must be ratified by Congress. And, at this point, that is far from certain.

While President Obama and most Republican members of Congress are strongly in favor of TPP, many Democrats oppose, as do Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton says she would like to see changes in the agreement before it is approved, which might require additional negotiations.

The net result is, in the middle of an election year, the TPP is unlikely to come before Congress. And it is just as unlikely that the next U.S. president will send the agreement through Congress without modification.

Cotton Prices Hold In The Low 60s

As of the week ended June 24, spot-market cotton prices for the base quality of cotton (color 41, leaf 4, staple 34, mike 35-36 and 43-49, strength 27.0-28.9, uniformity 81.0-81.9) in the seven designated markets measured by the USDA averaged 62.87 cents per pound, up from 61.96 the previous week and 62.47 reported during the corresponding period a year ago. The ICE October settlement prices ended the week at 65.62 cents, compared to 65.38 cents the previous week.

July/August 2016

Hotlanta Hosts Successful Event

July 19, 2016

The thirteenth edition of Techtextil and third edition of Texprocess Americas recently colocated with the JEC Americas show at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Over a period of three days, the three-shows-in-one highlighted the technologies and products of 589 exhibitors to 9,357 visitors. These numbers represent an increase in participation compared to the East-coast edition of the three shows held in Atlanta in 2014.

“We are proud to take these events to the next level as we better serve the U.S. sewn products industry, Made-in-America manufacturers and the technical textile industry,” said Dennis Smith, president, Messe Frankfurt North America.

The event covered a broad spectrum of textile technologies from technical textiles, nonwovens and composites to sewn products and the latest in textile machinery for all segments.

Country pavilions grouped companies from Italy, Belgium, China, Germany, Taiwan and France; and the Texprocess Americas side of the show featured a Made in USA pavilion sponsored by SEAMS.

In addition, more than 20 symposium sessions provided attendees the chance to learn, as well as collaborate with speakers and fellow show visitors.

After the show, feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike was positive. “Techtextil Atlanta was a very rewarding experience for our company,” said Kenny Parrish, country manager U.S., Devan Chemicals. “Being located where it is in Atlanta affords not only the U.S. visitors, but those visiting from overseas, an easy and enjoyable venue. The textile industry as a whole really embraces this event and you can see the benefits as it is growing each year with ever increasing involvement and expanded business opportunities.”

“I love the diversity of the different vendors here,” said Lynette Grant, Tranglah LLC. “I’m developing a small business so I’m looking for one hub here I can get a wealth of information to get the business going, so it has been very informative for me.”

In 2017, the West-coast edition of Techtextil North America will be held in Chicago in June. The combined East-coast edition of Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas will be held Atlanta in May 2018. “We look forward to the next chapter in our journey and would welcome everyone to our 2017 Techtextil edition in Chicago and the joint platform once again in Atlanta in 2018,” Smith said.

July/August 2016