Archroma Pakistan Wins ‘Employer of the Year’ And ‘CEO of the Year’ Awards

REINACH, Switzerland — August 15, 2016 — Archroma has announced that its Pakistan affiliate has been named Employer of the Year in the multinationals segment in a nationwide contest organized by the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP).

EFP granted the award in recognition of Archroma’s best practices in human resource management, industrial relations in maintaining excellent relations with workers’ unions, providing employees with their legal rights as per applicable laws and regulations, observing labor standards, and encouraging workers’ participation in management. Archroma always strives to maintain the highest standards in occupational health and safety, to ensure the work environments are safe and congenial at all it sites. The award helps to underscore the company’s focused commitment on corporate social responsibility initiatives.

The efforts of Archroma Pakistan Limited in this area also earned its CEO, Mujtaba Rahim, the ‘Best CEO of the Year 2015’ award.

Speaking at the award ceremony held on August 2, 2016, and attended by corporate heads, government officials and ILO representatives, Rahim commented: “Archroma’s success is driven by our employees first and foremost. We strongly encourage them to continuously challenge the status quo in the deep belief that we can make our industry sustainable. Our best practices in human resource management are built with this attitude in mind, and have resulted in high motivation amongst our diverse teams, working as a strong unifying force that lead to strengthen Archroma’s market position in Pakistan.”

Posted August 15, 2016

Source: Archroma

Crypton® Expands Design And Merchandising Team

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — August 15, 2016 — The Crypton Companies — a provider of performance fabrics in the contract, home furnishings and apparel markets — has announced the expansion of its fabric design and merchandising team. Janna Sendra has been hired as the new Director for Fabric Design and Merchandising for Crypton. She will be based in the company’s Bloomfield Hills office.

Sendra joins Crypton from Arden Companies where she was a Senior Stylist and Director of Textiles responsible for fabric line product and trend presentations to some of the nation’s largest retailers. Prior to Arden, she worked at companies such as Robert Allen Design and Wearbest, where she focused on collections for high end fabrics sold to interior designers. Sendra earned her B.A. from Michigan State University and her M.S. in Textile Design from Philadelphia University.

“Being able to flawlessly integrate client retail goals and the end consumers desires are a must in this industry,” said Randy Rubin, Chairman of Crypton. “Janna’s proven track record as a commercial and trend driven designer and merchandiser makes her a natural fit to our growing company.”

Sendra’s responsibilities at Crypton include working with all stakeholders including mills, retailers, designers and end consumers to advance Crypton’s various products to market.

Posted August 15, 2016

Source: The Crypton Companies

Advanced Exhaust Air Cleaner Module From Monforts

MÖNCHENGLADBACH, Germany — August 11, 2016 — A new advanced exhaust air cleaning module, suitable for fitting with the latest Montex 8500 Stenter, is optionally available.

The Eco Cleaner can be directly linked to the Montex 8500 integrated duct system extracting smell and visible particles in the air. VOC`s (volatile oxygen compounds) can be filtered out with an additional UV-C system.

Built to a proven design by the German Company KMA Umwelttechnik GmbH featuring a steel housing, the cleaner is fully integrated on top of the Montex stenter ensuring a space saving modular feature.

It is able to fulfil most limitations referring to hydro carbon, aerosol and smoke emissions; ensuring a minimum volume of filtered remainders. Oil remainders from oil recovery can be re-used as fuel where appropiate.

The highest efficiency operation with the heat recovery system is assured thanks to the fully integrated hydraulic heat exchangers at the inlet and outlet of the stenter.

The self-cleaning system requires an absolute minimum of maintenance.

Posted August 11, 2016

Source: A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG  

New Air Monitoring System By KEMPER: AirWatch Captures Nanoparticles

VREDEN, Germany — August 11, 2016 — Clearly verify the presence of dust in production: Companies check the hall air quality efficiently with the new air monitoring system AirWatch. KEMPER GmbH’s sensor technology is able to determine and document the number and weight of nanoparticles and then analyze it with smartphone, tablet or PC and compare it to limit values. A traffic light display visualizes permanently the status of air quality. The system is suited for any workplace in production facilities, warehouses and logistics halls. With AirWatch, Kemper wants to raise awareness of the dangers behind fine dust.

“With our new air monitoring system AirWatch, we introduce for the first time a system on the market that is in a position to efficiently measure the number of fine dust particles,” emphasizes Björn Kemper, managing director of Kemper GmbH. For this purpose, the highly sensitive sensor technology is essential as it can capture particles right up to the nano range.

Checks are not depending on the workplace

Whether industrial production facility, warehouse or logistics operation: AirWatch continuously monitors the air quality regardless of the type of workplace. The air monitoring system measures fine dust particles in a radius of up to 30 meters using a laser-powered sensor. An integrated fan draws in ambient air.

It is possible to save individual limit values for hazardous substances. A traffic light shows the current air quality level measured against these values. At the same time, the system saves the data across a long time period. Users access the data simply using a smartphone, tablet or PC. A trend display for day, week, month or year also allows companies to analyze concentration of hazardous substances in more detail.

Verify the presence of fine dust according to WHO standards
AirWatch captures particles in the range of 100 nanometers up to 16 micrometers. This area includes the fine dust categories PM2.5 for alveolar common dust (A dust) and PM10 for all inhalable dusts (E dust) as defined by WHO. AirWatch automatically classifies the captured particles accordingly.

In addition to checking the air quality, AirWatch also monitors the effectiveness of ventilation measures. Companies can independently check their compliance with regulations issued by professional associations apart from official checks made by professional associations.

Highlight the value of employee health

With the system, KEMPER aims to raise awareness of the fine dust risk. “Companies are wise to continuously check air quality with regards to employee productivity.” Yet, dust in warehouses is also a threat to the quality of products and can develop into a tremendous cost factor.

A best-practice example shows how it is done: Once the Airwatch traffic light jumps to red at the workplace of a metal processor, the employees ask the welder to switch on the extraction and filter plant. “Not only employees consider their health more thanks to AirWatch,” explains Kemper. Employers show that they consider their employees’ health as important. “Within the framework of a successful recruitment of specialists, they place themselves as a sustainable business.”

Verify hazards despite adherence to limit values

Counting fine dust particles has great advantage compared to applicable limit values, which analyze the weight of fine dust: If coarse dust particles in the production move around then a limit value is surpassed quickly.

Kemper explains that the invisible fine dust on the other hand often remains undetected — with fatal consequences: “Millions of fine dust particles which do not reach the weight of the specified limit value make employees sick.”

Even if the limit value is adhered to, a permanent exposure to fine dust can lead to serious health problems. Current studies show that fine dust is the cause of increased heart attack risk, accelerates dementia, causes cancer and may even lead to death. The WHO classes fine dust as a direct cause of lung cancer.

Posted August 11, 2016

Source: KEMPER GmbH 

SPGPrints To Highlight Sustainability, Productivity, Vibrancy Of Digital Textile Workflow At SGIA Expo 2016

BOXMEER, the Netherlands — August 11, 2016 — SPGPrints will demonstrate its ground-breaking JAVELIN® — the digital inkjet printer with a two million-meter annual production capacity — in the USA for the first time at SGIA Expo (Booth 3381), September 14-16, Las Vegas. Furthermore, at the show, the company will emphasize the superior runnability, color richness and environmental benefits of its new-generation NEBULA® inks, suitable for a wide range of textile applications.

Introducing the Javelin digital inkjet textile printer to the United States

SGIA Expo marks the first showing in the United States of the Javelin digital inkjet printer for companies printing up to two million meters of textiles annually. Throughout the show, the printer will be operational, giving visitors a real-time experience its quality, flexibility and ease of use. Print samples will be available for evaluation. Additionally, the live demonstrations will be accompanied by video presentations, showing the sustainable, quality-controlled processes SPGPrints employs to manufacture and test its high-performance inkjet inks.

The JAVELIN printer features SPGPrints’ unique Archer® print head technology. The nozzles are 4mm from the substrate, compared with the more usual 1.5mm nozzle-fabric distance. This means a wider range of substrates can be run, a reduction of the chance of print head damage. Using only six colors, Archer technology enables a gamut wider than the HD-gamut of other digital textile printing solutions. In addition, SPGPrints’ ‘Archer Print Head Program’, provides a two-and-a-half year guarantee on the print heads in combination with the use of accredited inks.

The Javelin printer uses a scanning action with an array of Fujifilm Dimatix Samba print heads to cover the 1850mm width with sharp image production. Fine line details, smooth gradients, blotches and geometrics can be accurately printed thanks to Javelin’s variable drop-size capability (2pL – 10pL) at resolutions up to 1200 x 1200dpi.

Javelin is ideal for companies wanting to take the first step into digital textile printing, or with a need to supplement their existing capabilities. JAVELIN complements SPGPrints’ PIKE digital printer that is capable of printing up to 13 million meters per year. Its fixed-array printing bar comprises 43 print heads for single-pass printing in a width of 1850mm. The print head jetting-distance, together with the anti-misting properties of the machine’s inks, makes Javelin ideal for printing on sublimation papers.

“The launch of the Javelin printer provides another powerful tool for companies operating in this highly competitive market”, said Jos Notermans, commercial manager digital textiles, SPGPrints. “With the color range and print quality combined with digital’s fast-turnaround, fast time-to-market, this technology delivers what brand-owners want and what textile printers need for a competitive edge.”

“The Javelin’s capabilities integrate well with screen printing for trial, fast-turnaround and limited edition runs,” he concluded. “As a result, it is a valuable tool for attracting and maintaining business from fashion brands.”

Expanded NEBULA textile inkjet ink range

SPGPrints will present its complete portfolio of NEBULA inkjet inks for textile applications that offer a broad color gamut, optimized drying and excellent runnability with all digital printers that use Kyocera print heads. Developed and manufactured at SPGPrints’ recently expanded, dedicated facilities in the Netherlands, the four ink chemistries in the NEBULA range are suited for the widest range of textile applications and fabrics.

“At SPGPrints, we have enabled textile printers around the world to achieve success not only by developing inks that offer outstanding quality advantages, but by supporting them with long-term support, too,” stated Notermans.  “With our intimate knowledge, we collaborate closely with each customer to ensure the ink delivers optimum performance with their application. We will also help customers recalibrate their color profiles when they make the transition to our new high-density inks.”

Nebula Sublimation inks, for polyester fabrics, eliminate the need for post-processing by steaming or washing. They offer vibrant colors with the best deep black available on the market, as well as superior print quality and enhanced manufacturing costs, notably through high ink yields.

Nebula Reactive HD (high density) inks, for printing on all natural fibers offer a color density that is 20 percent higher than industry alternatives, as well as superior ink yields.

Nebula Acid HD inks have been introduced for Polyamide (PA) Lycra swimwear, luxury silk items like fashion scarves and neck ties, and wools. Offering increased color depth, they meet all industry standards for color and water-fastness, as well as the specifications for all major swimwear manufacturers. The new high-definition inks replace SPGPrints’ existing acid ink range.

Nebula Disperse inks for polyester and blended fabrics are specially formulated to provide both mist-free production that enables crisp, clean printing, and contamination-free drying. They cover the widest color gamut available for textiles today and offer high brilliance.

Nebula Sublimation inks, for polyester fabrics, eliminate the need for post-processing by steaming or washing. They offer vibrant colors with the best deep black available in the market, print quality and reduced manufacturing costs.

Posted August 11, 2016

Source: SPGPrints

Shopfloor Advances Innovation With New R3 Capabilities & Enhancements

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — August 10, 2016 — Shopfloor Support LLC announces Release 3.0 (R3) of its breakthrough Shop Floor Control (SFC) solution for sewn products and other discrete manufacturers. The major new software and supporting technology upgrade delivers both new and enhanced capabilities that extend the value and benefits of SFC for its fast growing and diverse client and partner community.

“R3 brings so much more than a typical software update,” explained Shopfloor Partner Justin Hershoran. “Over the past three years, we have been honored with the trust and collaboration of so many customers and partners that now represent the driving force in our ongoing development efforts. This community has inspired the many new capabilities, usability enhancements, analytics and supporting technologies that make up this powerful new release.”

Key among the new capabilities of the Android™-based Shopfloor Eye™ app are:

  • Visual Communication – of construction details, operational methods, quality standards and other information on tablets empower workers to more quickly and accurately perform tasks.
  • Smart Sequencing – eliminates significant non-productive time by automatically selecting the operation type for as workers begin each new bundle or unit of production.
  • Operator Switch – a tap of the tablet supports self-measurement and pacing of individual units or bundles for production workers.

Most notable new business analytics and cloud-based management capabilities include:

  • Data Rollups – companies using multiple servers, e.g. across multiple plants/facilities, can automatically roll-up information from all servers to gain operation-wide visibility and control.
  • WIP Calculation – enables businesses to immediately visualize the economic value and throughput time of the current level of work-in-process inventories.

Technological enhancements include:

  • HTTPS Security – provides encryption and enhanced security for information shared outside of your secured internal network through industry standard Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure.
  • Pay Rate Variances – small bundle premiums and product size incentive piece rate variances are now supported.
  • Power Options – simplifying the supply of power to tablets, Shopfloor now supports direct connection to USB-equipped equipment (e.g. sewing machines) and through the Power over Ethernet (PoE) protocol.

Shopfloor R3 is now being deployed as part of the company’s standard service level agreement across current customers and is now integrated into the standard feature set for all future implementations.

Posted August 11, 2016

Source: Shopfloor Support LLC

R3 Denim™  A New Collection Of Sustainable Denim Jeans Created With ECO2cotton®

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — August 10, 2016 — Jimtex Yarns, a division of Martex Fiber Southern Corp., is pleased to announce the development of an exciting market innovation in cooperation with Denim North America (DNA), a sustainable denim collection called R3 Denim™.  The launch of the R3 Denim™ line further advances Martex’s “No Fiber Left Behind – Zero Landfill™” campaign. According to Steve Lister, CEO of Martex Fiber, “We are very proud of the new denim line jointly developed with DNA, which demonstrates our commitment to U.S. manufacturing, and how innovation and partnership can develop sustainable performing products for the marketplace.”

The R3 Denim line utilizes certified Martex Fiber Southern Corp. ECO2cotton®, a sustainable fiber solution for today’s environmentally conscious manufacturers. ECO2cotton is manufactured through a unique process utilizing pre-consumer cut cotton knit waste, which is re-fiberized and spun into a beautiful yarn at the Jimtex Yarns facility, located in Lincolnton, Ga. Martex Fiber’s ECO2cotton competes at the highest levels of sustainability, using no chemicals or additives to alter the fiber structure. Martex Fiber has been recycling textiles for over 40 years and this development with DNA is a testament to its continuing leadership in textile recycling and product development.

The R3 Denim line is one in a series of innovations Martex Fiber currently has in its pipeline. Watch for future announcements of other new product developments containing ECO2cotton® and other recycled fiber products from Martex Fiber.

Martex Fiber and Jimtex Yarns products are certified by SCS Global Services for recycled content and made in the USA.

Posted August 10, 2016

Source: Jimtex Yarns

Dow Launches INTELLIFRESH™ Global Branding Program

MIDLAND, Mich. — August 10, 2015 — Dow Microbial Control, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., has introduced a global branding and comarketing program that will signal to hygiene-conscious consumers that the products they purchase feature built in odor protection and longer lasting freshness. The new brand, INTELLIFRESH™, will be prominently featured by manufacturers in a variety of consumer product categories including, but not limited to, socks, t-shirts, underwear, sports and fitness apparel, athletic gear and equipment, workwear, footwear, home textiles and bedding, furniture, carpet, cleaning and deodorizing products and laundry aids.

Initial products featuring the IntelliFresh label will be treated with Dow’s patented SILVADUR™ technology. This technology intelligently inhibits the growth and minimizes the presence of unwanted odor-causing and nuisance bacteria that are prominent on consumer goods, enabling them to stay fresher longer.

“The growing desire of consumers for solutions to control odors has become an increasingly important trend in the marketplace and has changed their priorities when they purchase products,” said Karel Williams, global strategic marketing associate director and brand manager for Dow Microbial Control.

“The IntelliFresh label will give consumers peace of mind that the products they are buying support their attitudes, expectations and perceptions about hygiene and fit the lifestyles they are striving to achieve.”

The increasing consumer emphasis on hygienic lifestyles and practices is underscored by proprietary Dow research which showed that:

  • More than 60 percent of consumers surveyed indicated a very high concern about bacteria,parasites, dust, mold and the like in the home.
  • Sixty percent of those surveyed, who do not currently own products with odor-protection properties, are interested in future purchases of products with durable protection against odor- or infection-causing bacteria.

IntelliFresh is available to select manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods who collaborate with Dow through a licensing and quality assurance program. The quality assurance program is designed to ensure that all products featuring the IntelliFresh label meet measurable and quantifiable performance standards, specifications and quality protocols and comply with industry and regulatory requirements.

Posted August 10, 2015

Source: Dow Microbial Control

Asher Fabric Concepts And Da Solo Textiles Chosen To Collaborate Fabric For Ralph Lauren 2016 Olympic Team Uniform

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — August 10, 2016 — Asher Fabric Concepts — a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of domestic-knit fabrics for the contemporary fashion, activewear and intimate apparel markets — is among a select group of U.S. manufacturers — from yarn to dye to finished product — chosen by Ralph Lauren to produce Team USA’s 2016 Olympic opening and closing ceremony uniforms.

Over 1,100 athletes of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team proudly opened and will close the 2016 Rio Olympics marching in recognizably-classic and patriotic apparel designed by Ralph Lauren, and made in the USA. The sporty Team USA Ceremony T-Shirt, made exclusively for the Rio Olympic games, is made of 100-percent combed cotton from Asher Fabric Concepts.

Asher Fabric Concepts is represented by Anthony Vecchione, president of Da Solo Ltd. Textiles in New York City, who collaborated closely with the Ralph Lauren design team on the Rio Olympic uniform project. The Olympic games create a huge emotional connection with people all over the world,” said Vecchione. “This project highlights the importance of made in America.”

“We are honored to have worked with Ralph Lauren to provide fabric for the USA 2016 Summer Olympic team uniforms,” said Asher Shalom, President, Asher Fabric Concepts. “We are proud to have sourced American yarn from which we knitted, dyed and finished the fabric locally in Los Angeles for the Team USA Ceremony T-Shirt.”

Posted August 10, 2016

Source: Asher Fabric Concepts

Stäubli At ITME India 2016

PFÄFFIKON, Switzerland — August 10, 2016 — The 10th ITME India will be held in Mumbai from December 3-8, 2016. On the occasion of this anniversary edition of ITME in India, Stäubli is presenting numerous highlights from its extensive range of products for the weaving industry. Represented in the Indian textile market since 1947 and established with a company-owned liaison office in India since 1996, Stäubli has been an important supplier to numerous local weaving mills for decades. Stäubli machines incorporate state-of-the-art technology and stand out by virtue of their impressive service life, simple maintenance, and easy integration. Offering these and many more advantages to weaving mills and supporting them as a reliable partner, Stäubli helps mills to improve their workflows, achieve more economical production, increase their output, and expand their technical capabilities.

At Booth D1 in Hall 6 visitors can see a complete Jacquard installation in operation and see the latest dobbies and cam motions for frame weaving on demonstration stands. Other Stäubli highlights being displayed include:

  • Weaving preparation systems including automatic warp drawing-in and tying machines
  • Carpet samples woven on ALPHA carpet weaving machines
  • Original Stäubli spare parts

With its DEIMO brand, Stäubli is exhibiting state-of-the-art electronic drives and control solutions for textile machinery and especially for circular knitting machines.

A selection of products being displayed:

High-speed Jacquard machine for flat fabrics, terry cloth, and technical applications

A complete Jacquard installation featuring the SX electronic Jacquard machine and a perfectly fitted Stäubli harness demonstrate astounding weaving capabilities for producing fine upholstery fabrics.

The SX Jacquard machine on exhibit is available in two formats: 1,408 and 2,688 hooks. The larger format will be demonstrated at the booth weaving with 16,176 harness cords over a reed width of 190 cm.

SX electronic Jacquard machine

Jacquard machines for enhancing premium fabrics with name tags or logos

Indian mills are at the forefront when it comes to unique and identifiable woven products. Stäubli has been supporting Indian weavers for several years with the specially adapted CX 172 Jacquard machine with computerized control for patterning name selvedges. This machine features an independent servo-drive transmission for easy installation and allows easy adjustment of the heads to match the exact weaving width. It can be seen at the Stäubli booth on a demonstration stand and at a partner’s booth in operation on a weaving machine.

Shedding solutions for frame weaving with the utmost reliability

The S3260 electronic rotary dobby is a third-generation Stäubli machine. It features a unique locking system for selection of the movement of the heald frames. The rotary dobby is a Stäubli invention, and this  state-of-the-art model reaches new heights of performance and reliability.
S3260 electronic rotary dobby
To round out the overview of Stäubli’s shedding systems, a refined positive cam motion from the 1600 series is also being demonstrated at the booth.

Weaving preparation systems for optimized workflows

Stäubli is showcasing a variety of weaving preparation solutions for perfectly prepared warp sheets – the basis for quality of any weave.

Visitors to the booth are invited to an interactive automatic warp-tying experience. Together with Stäubli staff, they can “try out” the warp-tying installations and see how quickly and easily reliable knots can be automatically tied with different yarn types.

The SAFIR S40 mobile automatic drawing-in machine is being shown in a different kind of presentation. Weavers can see why this machine is the perfect solution for enhanced quality of cotton weaves and learn how it can prolong the service life of any weaving machine.

SAFIR S40 automatic drawing-in machine

Schönherr carpet systems for a very wide variety of woven carpets

Stäubli develops and manufactures ALPHA carpet weaving machines under the Schönherr brand. The proven ALPHA 400 and 500 series feature cutting-edge technologies and enable mills to weave an extremely broad range of carpets up to 5.3 metres wide.

Many exclusive carpet samples can be seen at the booth, including those displaying the recently developed “Magic Shadow Effect” and the “Traditional carpet Effect”.

ALPHA carpet weaving machines are highly efficient for weaving any kind of carpet, from high-density rugs to transportation carpets.

Magic Shadow Effect

woven on an ALPHA carpet machine

DEIMO knitting solutions for high-performance production workflows

With its DEIMO brand, Stäubli is showing the 2900SL controller for circular knitting machines, ideally suited for sock and seamless hosiery machines. Easy to program, this electronic control system offers massive operating flexibility. With a wide range of supply options and a flexible housing design, this controller is easy to integrate and can be built to the knitting mill’s specific requirements.

Posted August 10, 2016

Source: Stäubli 

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