Hexcel to Build Engineered Core Plant in Casablanca, Morocco

STAMFORD, Conn. — January 19, 2016 — Hexcel Corp. announced today that it will expand its global engineered core capacity by building a 117,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Casablanca, Morocco.

The new facility is part of Hexcel’s ongoing worldwide investment to create a diversified and robust global supply chain to support aerospace customers’ growing demand for engineered core. Engineered core is formed and machined honeycomb materials used for light weighting in structural applications such as aircraft secondary structures, nacelles, and helicopter blades. In recent years, Hexcel has increased its capacity at existing plants to support its current engineered core business and plans further expansions to capture additional opportunities in a global market with excellent growth potential.
The new Moroccan plant will be built at the MidParc Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Industrial Park, located close to Morocco’s Mohammed V airport and near several Hexcel customers including Safran (Aircelle), Airbus (STELIA), Matis (a joint venture between Boeing and Safran) and Bombardier. Construction on the $20 million project begins in the spring, and the plant is expected to be fully operational by mid-2017. By 2020, it is expected to employ more than 200 people.

Hexcel’s Chairman, CEO and President, Nick Stanage, said: “We believe engineered core has an excellent growth outlook and global upside potential. This new plant will position us to win new business to supply engineered core for engines and nacelles and other commercial aerostructure applications. We expect to partner more closely with our key customer base in Europe, Middle East, Africa and North America through this new Moroccan center of excellence.”

Bob Noble, Vice President, Partnering for Success, Supplier Management, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said, “Through our joint venture Matis, Boeing has been an anchor of the growing Moroccan aerospace ecosystem since 2000. We welcome Hexcel’s new facility, which will serve to further expand regional capabilities, increasing the value Morocco offers aerospace companies around the world.”

Posted January 19, 2016

Source: Hexcel Corp.

New Twins Chooses Lectra Fashion PLM

PARIS — January 19, 2016 — Lectra, a producer integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials — fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials — is pleased to announce that Italian apparel company New Twins has chosen Lectra Fashion PLM to connect its product development team with the creative department at cashmere and knitwear brand Falconeri, part of the Calzedonia Group.

New Twins develops and produces men’s and women’s knitwear for Falconeri, which is currently pursuing an aggressive plan to expand business internationally and increase its market share in Italy and across Europe. As the complexity and volume of orders increase, New Twins needs a way to improve workflow between its own teams and Falconeri’s, so that the two companies can work together efficiently as one cohesive team.

“Our development team is largely technical and follows a very different production model than the one Falconeri uses; we needed a reliable information system that would synchronize processes across different teams, different departments and even different companies. We looked at a few PLM systems but we chose Lectra, not just because their technology suited our needs, but also because we were impressed with the depth of their expertise and the way their recommendations took both people and process into account—they really considered the whole picture,” says Stefano Modena, PLM System Project Manager, New Twins.

New Twins will implement Lectra Fashion PLM in their technical and patternmaking office. The powerful solution allows design, development and production teams to access the same version of a work in progress and communicate in real time on one common platform, so that they can collaborate effectively and make more informed design decisions. By eliminating redundant tasks and problems arising from miscommunication, the technology saves time and minimizes errors so that companies like New Twins and Falconeri can get better products to market faster.

“New Twins needs a solution that will give them visibility over the entire collection lifecycle; this can be especially challenging when the clothing being developed is designed by a completely different entity. Connecting all the teams on Lectra Fashion PLM will help streamline the production cycle so that the company can waste less time going back and forth and focus on creating a quality product,” says Fabio Canali, Managing Director, Lectra Italy.

Posted January 19, 2016

Source: Lectra 

Yarn Exports Drive Growth in Vietnam’s Spinning

WASHINGTON — December 2015 — Cotton spinning in Vietnam has more than tripled in the last 4 years, with total use expected to reach 5.1 million bales in 2015-16. During this period, Vietnam accounted for half of the total world growth in cotton demand.

Rising yarn exports have been the main source of this rapid expansion in mill use. Net yarn exports increased at an annual rate of over 40 percent from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016. China was the largest market for Vietnam yarn exports even before 2011-2012, and its share of Vietnam’s exports has expanded further over the last few years, now accounting for 80-90 percent of Vietnam’s yarn exports. This growth is paralleled by a large rise in Chinese investment in yarn spinning in Vietnam, alongside wholesale relocations of some firms. The key driver of this trend has been China’s domestic cotton policy which has elevated the internal price of cotton enough to render many spinning operations unprofitable.

Cotton consumption for Vietnam’s domestic yarn utilization has also shown impressive growth, more than doubling since 2011-2012. Thus, even as more yarn is being exported to China, Vietnam’s role further up the textile value chain is also growing.

World Markets And Trade Overview

For 2015/16, world production is lowered substantially, mostly due to changes in Pakistan, India, and China. Consumption is marginally lower. Trade is raised about 700,000 bales. U.S. production and use are lowered slightly, while ending stocks are raised. The U.S. season-average farm price is projected unchanged at 59 cents/pound.

The A-Index and U.S. spot prices continue to drift sideways as the market awaits more information about possible sales from China’s state reserve.

For the week ending December 31, accumulated exports for all cotton rose to 2.44 million running bales versus 2.53 million last year, while outstanding sales rose to 2.53 million versus 5.83 million last year. As of December 31 total commitments were 54 percent of forecast marketing year total exports, the lowest level since 2009/10.

January 2016
2015-16 TRADE OUTLOOK Major Importers:

  • Pakistan is boosted 700,000 bales to 2.7 million on a smaller harvested crop and strong purchases.
  • Major Exporters:India is raised 500,000 bales to 5.8 million on expected higher import demand from Pakistan.
  • Australia is raised 150,000 bales to 3.75 million on high end-of-season shipments.
  • Mali is raised 100,000 bales to 1.2 million on strong demand for West African cotton.
  • Brazil is increased 100,000 bales to 4.3 million on reports of higher recent sales.
  • Turkmenistan is lowered 100,000 bales to 1.0 million on a smaller harvested crop.

Posted January 19, 2016

Source: USDA

Savio Macchine Tessili: ITMA 2015

PORDENONE, Italy — November 4,2015 —  Since 1911, Savio has specialized in the yarn-finishing segment, being the leading supplier of winding, twisting and rotor spinning machines, with manufacturing plants spanning over Italy, China, India and Czech Republic.
At Hall 4 Stand B101, Savio will highlight breakthrough innovations in the winding segment, which is today its core business. There are important novelties in the pipeline, all representing high-end and niche products with important technological content:

  • Eco PulsarS, a quantum leap forward in automatic winding;
  • the drumless Multicone technology;
  • the Volufil Multicone automatic winder for continuous shrinkage, bulking and heat setting.

Eco PulsarS

Sustainable eco-green advantage. A quantum leap forward in automatic winding with energy savings of up to 30 percent and enhanced productivity of up to 10 percent.

Eco PulsarS, with its sustainable eco-green advantage, replies to the market demand of energy saving, including also room air conditioning, together with improved production performances, high quality packages and utmost flexibility. The combination of all new features and design has created an environment in which each part of the machine can operate at its optimum level and without limitations. Spindles and bobbins feeding systems set independently the level of suction required. Suction is generated as needed and used without losses. The new Controlled Cut System, Yarn Tension Control System, Waste Collection&Separation System and Upgraded Splicing Solutions, each contributing to the overall reduction of the process downtimes.

Polar Multicone

Multicone: The digital yarn layering technology

The Polar winder, extremely popular in all markets of the world, is absolutely the Savio bestseller. This state- of-the-art machine has been designed keeping in mind the demands of our customers in terms of increased productivity, reduced energy consumption, reduced waste and production of yarn package of top high quality.

Further emphasis has been given to realize machines friendly use and almost maintenance free for any type of working environments.

All POLAR models (manual feeding, automatic feeding free standing, automatic link) represent the utmost technology available: the previous success of the mechanical models has been followed by the last generation of the fully controlled electronic one, which is today the state-of-the-art.

Savio’s Multicone digital yarn layering technology (drumless) is available for Polar range and represents the proper solution to achieve flexibility, for an easy and fast change in the winding process to prepare all formats. Packages for dyeing, warping, weft, knitting, double twisting, require a different and flexible package formation in terms of geometry, edges shape and density.

Polar “Multicone” system represents today the proper solution to achieve this kind of flexibility in the package formation.
Volufil Multicone

Volufil Multicone combines thermic treatment and winding process on a single machine.
The consolidated success of the “Volufil technology” and the new demand of different yarns for diversified fabric applications, has requested several new developments on the machine technology. The new Volufil Multicone represents the proper reply to the new markets requirements.

We have extended the technological process on acrylic heat set yarns, on special yarns (chenille) and on traditional HB Acrylic fibers, also blended with wool and elastomeric filaments.

The new winding system “Multicone” allows the best solution for any yarn type and package format with different traverse take-up. The Multicone system allows the tailoring of package for different end use with simple settings on PC.

Posted January 19, 2016

Source: Savio Macchine Tessili

India ITME Society Press Address By Chairman Sanjiv Lathia

MILAN, Italy — November 16, 2015 — The 10th edition of India International Textile Machinery Exhibition 2016, the largest textile machinery and accessory exhibition in India is to be held from 3rd to 8th December 2016 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India.

The exhibition will be spread over 150,000 square meters, with participation from 93 countries and the strength of 1,000 exhibitors from across the globe. The exhibits will have 17 chapters spanning the textile segment from raw material to finished products, India ITME 2016 is the focal event for the textile and textile engineering industry in India and in the neighboring region.

Global Textile machinery market is witnessing tremendous growth buoyed by growing demand of textile & apparel market. The major manufacturers of textile machinery are Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France and now China. One of the major trends in the Global Textile Machinery market is the growing number of technological innovations.

In India, industry witnessed a growth of 8-10 per cent to Rs.22,000 crore in 2014 from Rs 20,000 crore in 2013.  The size of India’s textile machinery industry is poised to double to Rs 45,000 crore in the next 7 years from the present Rs.22,000 crore in light of new projects and emphasis on setting up textile parks. The textile machinery manufacturing section is one of the important segments of the machinery manufacturing industry in India.  This industry is nearly sixty years old and has more than 1000 machinery and component manufacturing units. Nearly 300 units produce complete machinery and the remaining produces various textile machinery components.

India’s textile and apparel industry (domestic + exports) is expected to grow from the current US $107 billion to US $223 billion by 2021.  India is expected to be a leading textile producing country in the world by 2020.

Growing domestic demand and export market presence:

The current domestic textile and apparel market is estimated to be US $68 billion which is expected to grow at 12 percent CAGR to become US $154 billion by 2020.  Apparel constitutes the majority share of the market with value of US $50 billion in 2013.  Technical textile is a promising segment which is expected to grow fast at 18 percent CAGR.

In global exports of textile and apparel in 2013, India occupied second position in textile exports with 7-percent share but ranked sixth in apparel exports with 3.7-percent share.  Overall, India held second position with 5.2-percent share of global exports.  India has potential to increase its export share from present 5 percent to 8 percent by 2020.

Largest Exporters of Textile and Apparel

Country
2013 Exports

(In US$ billion)
China 297
India 40
Italy 36
Germany 35
Turkey 28
USA 27
Bangladesh 26
Vietnam 22
Gradual diversification in apparel sourcing from China and compliance issues in Bangladesh:

With increasing manufacturing costs in China and issues of social compliance in Bangladesh in the recent past, global buyers are looking towards sourcing destinations with costs lower than China and reliability higher than Bangladesh.  China’s bulging domestic market will also need more attention than earlier from its textile and apparel manufacturers which will decelerate their export growth.  The trend of buyers diversifying their sourcing albeit recent, is reflected in the fact that apparel exports growth of Cambodia, Vietnam and India has outgrown that of China and Bangladesh over the last 2 years.  Even though exports from the competing countries will continue to grow, India stands to gain most in the long run with abundant availability of skilled manpower and a bigger and well integrated supply chain from fiber to finished product.

Investment worth US $100 billion will be required in India by 2020, to cater to the growing market:

The total domestic and export market of India will grow at a CAGR of 12 percent from present US $108 billion to US $243 billion in 2020 and investments worth US $100 billioin will be required for textile and apparel manufacturing in India to support this growth.  Besides the capacity addition by existing players, we envisage entry of new entities, including major international players, in manufacturing of textile and apparel in India.  Yarn manufacturing, weaving and processing are expected to attract-75 percent of the investments.

Advantage India:

India has the potential to become manufacturing hub in the textile machinery, with abundance of skilled labour, low cost and natural resources available, provided sufficient focus is given on research and development in order to ensure modern and innovative technologies are developed in our country.

Except spinning, majority of the textile and apparel machinery demand of India is being fulfilled through imports, especially for investments in latest technology machines by large/organized mills.  With a growing market and manufacturing scenario in India, textile machinery manufacturing in India will become more attractive and beneficial.  Following are some of the reasons:

India’s strong and improving manufacturing competitiveness:

Over the years, India has established a strong and vertically integrated supply chain in textile and apparel manufacturing and has become one of the leading manufacturing destinations for textile and apparel in the world.  India continues to be a competitive manufacturing destination for textiles as manufacturing costs in competing countries have increased.

Higher import cost of machinery due to currency devaluation:

In the last couple of years, the Indian currency has depreciated significantly with respect to US$ while Yuan has appreciated.  As almost 30% of total textile and apparel machinery is imported from China, this has caused a double impact.  Under such a scenario, cost of importing machinery has also increased significantly.  In coming years the trend is supposed to continue.

Costs in China are rising:

There is no doubt in the fact that China has been a strong manufacturing base in recent years but the production costs in China are rising at a faster rate than other developing countries.  Increase in manpower cost is the major factor which will impact cost of machinery manufacturing as well.

The labour wage cost index of China has almost doubled since 2002.  The wages are further set to increase in coming time.  In addition to it, the demographic shifts in China will limit the labour force in coming years due to ageing population.  This will further increase wage rate and availability of skilled manpower for machinery production will also be an issue.

In contrast, India has very favorable demographics with a young population base.  60% of population in India falls in the age group of 15-59 years and 49 percent of population is less than 25 years.  More number of people would be added in the productive age group of 20-60 years leading to abundant availability of skilled work force.  The favorable demographics and relatively lower wage cost make India as one of the favorable destinations for manufacturing machinery.

Better Service & availability of Spare Parts:

Apart from the cost advantage, manufacturing in India will give significant competitive advantage to the global machinery manufacturers in providing better service to buyers, especially in terms of spare parts.  Import of spare parts has shown significant growth in value terms with 7 percent CAGR from 2005 to 2013 directing towards rising requirement in India.

Once machinery manufacturers decide to set up their unit in India, spare parts suppliers will also follow them.  Even many Indian companies will also start manufacturing the machinery parts looking at the potential future demand size.  Similar scenario has already been observed in automobile industry.  Once spare parts availability becomes easier and quicker, it will also help in increasing market size of those machineries.

Export potential of textile machinery:

Indian subcontinent is increasingly becoming dominant in textile and apparel manufacturing.  India also has signed bilateral and multilateral treaties with different countries that have significant presence in textile manufacturing.  As the cost of manufacturing in China is increasing, India is coming out to be the export hub for this region for different product categories including automobiles.  Similar potential exist for textile machinery as well.  In cost of manufacturing of spinning machineries, India is already one of the lowest if not least.  Present textile machinery manufacturers are already exporting all over the world and the fresh investment in this sector will scale it up many times.

Indian Government supporting indigenous machinery manufacturing:

Government of India has recently proposed a drive in favor of indigenous manufacturing and taking several policy decisions to make its “Make in India” campaign successful.

Following action points have been proposed by the expert committee in their draft ‘Vision, Strategy and Action Plan’ document prepared for Indian textile sector.  All of those once implemented will motivate the textile and apparel manufacturers to purchase machineries made in India only.

  • Incentives under Scheme of Hire-Purchase and TUFS in specific segments should be made available only on indigenous machinery after period of 3 years.
  • Import of second hand machinery should not be encouraged except in case of select machinery.
  • Basic customs duty of complete machinery should be at least 5 percent higher than that on raw material and components.

As per the union budget 2014-15, Indian Government has offered benefits for capital goods manufacturing in India with investment allowance at the rate of 15% to a manufacturing company that invests more than INR 25 crores in new plant and machinery.

India ITME Society, a 36 year old apex non-profit industry body has continuously strived through “ITME Series” to facilitate and push towards these goals. From 1980 onwards to ensure flow of latest technology and attract customized product launches for Indian market.

The 10th India  ITME to be held in December 2016 will serve as an ideal convergence point for all exhibitors, buyers, agents and dealers from Asian, Middle East and European countries.

India ITME 2016 is supported by Heavy Industries Department, Textile Ministry, NSIC and many other domestic and international organizers, making it one of the most anticipated exhibitions in the year of 2016. It is one of the premium events globally with 93 countries ensuring their presence as exhibitor and visitor.

India ITME-2016 is much anticipated & looked forward by Industry member, Technical Study Students Researches, Education of Textile & Textile Engineering Industry.  It’s a catalyst to realize our future goals and growth target for Indian Textile and Textile Engineering Industry.  This is a must participate, must visit, event, if you are in textile business.

Posted January 18, 2016

Source: India ITME Society

Loepfe Presents Quality Control Solutions At ITMA Milan 2015

WETZIKON, Switzerland —  Loepfe Brothers Ltd. presented a comprehensive portfolio of quality control solutions for the textile industry at ITMA in Milan, which was held November 12-19, 2015. The company, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, always played an important role over the past six decades as a technology innovator for yarn quality control in spinning and weaving mills.

Presented at ITMA for the first time, the brand new LabMaster series sets a new standard for laboratory measurements. The testing devices integrate the most important measurements into one system. LabMaster consists of the two measurement devices FiberMap and YarnMap as well as LabMaster Top. The integration of all fiber-related parameters into one instrument delivers the complete fiber profile throughout the whole preparation process of the spinning mill, from bale to finisher sliver. FiberMap provides data of standard HVI measurements and also neps, seed coat neps, trash and stickiness. The efficiency of yarn testing is increased considerably by synchronized measurement of the most relevant yarn properties, like count, evenness, hairiness, and strength. In addition, all preparation products can be checked for mass evenness at the same time as the yarn. User-friendly and intuitive operation of the instrument increases the efficiency even further. LabMaster Top delivers value-added reports directly on the management’s desk.

The new yarn clearer generation YarnMaster Zenit+ utilizes state-of-the-art technology, fastest processors, and measuring technology. This extremely reliable tool safely detects even the finest yarn irregularities. Just one sensing head covers the range of yarn counts from Nec 2.4 to Nec 320. The YarnMaster Zenit+ allows even more precise yarn clearing then ever before and delivers a multi-layered evaluation of the measuring results. The new yarn clearers have additional features like nep cluster channel, off-standard bobbin detection, and improved foreign matter detection. They enable a 100 % online quality control in the spinning mill. Many of expensive and lengthy laboratory measurements are incorporated in the yarn clearer. The easy to service and easy to operate central unit LZE-V provides a clearly structured user interface. When needed, Loepfe technicians have the possibility to remote control the system, to check the status of the central unit and to update the software. The result is an increased reliability.

For open-end spinning applications Loepfe offers YarnMaster 3N1. The yarn clearer combines three sensors: an optical sensor for diameter measurement, a F-sensor for detection of foreign matter, and a P-sensor for detection of synthetic foreign matter like polypropylene. In addition YarnMaster 1N1 is available, which has one sensor for diameter measurement. Both yarn clearers can communicate with the machine control of the open-end spinning machine. The graphical user interface provides comfortable access to all functions and reports. The user activates the yarn clearing by setting classes within the clearer matrix using the touch screen. The length and deviation limits of the classes can be set individually within certain limits. Repetitive quality stops or longer faults can be blocked for particular rotors. The YarnMaster 3N1/1N1 covers the range of yarn counts from Nec 3 to Nec 60 with maximum spinning speeds up to 400 m/min. The desired quality can be achieved with the maximum possible machine efficiency.

For weaving mill applications the new WeftMaster Falcon-i optical yarn defects sensor contributes to the quality of the end product. The sensor is able to detect and eliminate smallest knots, fluff or even filamentation from the weft yarn. A wide range from 20 to 3,000 dtex and yarn speeds of up to 30 m/s is possible. The WeftMaster Falcon-i can work with monofilament or multifilament yarns and is insensitive for yarn color. It is also suitable for high performance yarns such as glass fiber, aramid, carbon etc.

The new online data management system MillMaster TOP is able to monitor and analyse the quality data from Loepfe yarn clearers. The modern software can collect, visualise and analyse quality data from up to 7,200 spindles in real-time. The data management system has a comprehensive functionality. The shop mill floor view gives an overview of all winding machines. Traffic light colours indicate the performance of the different machines or yarn production lots. Setting-up MillMaster TOP is very easy, because all connected machines are recognised automatically. With its modern client server architecture the system is the ideal solution for winding machines. The data is not only available on the server, but can also be displayed on a handheld device, e.g. a tablet computer. MillMaster TOP can be customized with various options, which are installed automatically via Loepfe´s cloud service.

Posted January 18, 2016

Source: IFF Media /Loepfe Brothers Ltd. 

Bicomponent Fibers With Compact Spinning Process On Display At ITMA 2015

NEUMÜNSTER, Germany — November 2015 — For the production of bicomponent fibers, high take-up speeds are necessary in order to achieve homogenous filament formation. Previously, this was only possible with a two-step staple fiber process. With the Staple FORCE S 1000 from Oerlikon Neumag, bicomponent fibers can now also be produced in the compact spinning process.

Oerlikon Neumag has many years of experience in the production of bicomponent fibers in the two- step process. This competence has been successfully transferred to the Staple FORCE S 1000. It is a small, compact staple fiber line that works according to the one-step process. Spinning and defined drawing take place in direct succession without intermediate storage of the spun tow in cans. Compared to conventional one-step processes, which work with take-up speeds of approx. 80 meters per minute, the Staple FORCE S 1000 achieves a take-up speed of approx. 1000 meters per minute and is thus also suitable for the production of bicomponent fibers. For example, the production of core/sheath bonding fibers made of PET/CoPET is now possible in the compact spinning process.

Cost-effective, flexible and compact

With a throughput of up to 15 tons per day, its compact construction, easy handling and energy efficient operation, the Staple FORCE S 1000 is not only attractive for fiber manufacturers focusing on special applications and on ‘on-demand’ deliveries, it also enables nonwoven producers to efficiently integrate fiber manufacturing into their own production operations.

By means of virtual reality, interested parties at the ITMA in Milan can see the advantages of the system for themselves: the fact that installation is possible on a standard industrial floor minimizes investment costs. Energy and water savings through a dry drawing process lead to a reduction in operating cost and protect the environment. “Cost-effective, flexible and compact — this appeals to our customers and opens up diverse new market potential for them,” concludes Mathias Gröner- Rothermel, Senior Manager Business Development Plant Engineering from Oerlikon Neumag.

Posted January 18, 2016

Source: Oerlikon 

 

WinFors – Special Winder For Delicate Materials Ensures Stable Processes — On Display At ITMA 2015

PFÄFFIKON, Switzerland — November 2015 — With the new WinFors reversing winder, Switzerland-based Oerlikon Barmag is expanding its family of winders to include a further member. The specialist for especially delicate yarns reveals its potential in particular when winding materials such as micro-filaments, mother yarn, airbag yarns and seat belt yarns. Deployable in the POY, FDY, industrial yarn and BCF processes, WinFors can be used as standard for polyamide, polyester and polypropylene polymers, while other polymers — such as PVA, for example — are also not a problem.

In concrete terms, the WinFors offers a considerably larger process window for seatbelt yarn applications than alternative winders. For manufacturers of airbag yarns, the longer chuck — measuring 1200 mm in length — is a more efficient solution for producing yarn. And the new development from the R&D departments in Chemnitz and Remscheid promises a more stable process for the manufacture of mother yarn. Successful endurance tests for all processes — POY, FDY, IDY and BCF — have confirmed that the WinFors is ready for the market. “With this, WinFors is more versatile than any other winder on the market”, states Peter Steinke, Head of Development at the Chemnitz site.

Reversing Shaft Ensures Gentle Yarn Treatment

The winder — which will be exhibited at the ITMA in Milan — is based on the WINGS and ACW platform, but relies on the reversing shaft in terms of its traverse system. With this, the yarn is laid in a particularly gentle manner, albeit not at the speeds common in birotor traverse systems. Nevertheless, speeds of between 2500 and 4000 m/min are possible depending on the process.

Flexible And Versatile

A further benefit of the new WinFors winder is its flexibility: to this end, it can be converted from a 4- end to an 8-end winder without much effort by simply exchanging the traverse system. “This is particularly relevant for spinning polypropylene. Here, the systems are usually smaller with mostly just four spinning positions. To nevertheless be able to flexibly react to customer requirements, manufacturers must be able to cover the broadest-possible titer range with their system. However, to ensure that the package size is nonetheless the right fit for downstream processes, easy conversion from 8 packages for fine titers to 4 packages for coarser titers makes the system considerably more cost-efficient”, explains Peter Steinke.

But its flexibility not only makes the WinFors interesting to investors in new systems and equipment: this all-rounder is also perfect as a retrofit solution. 4-, 6- and 8-end and equipped with a 1200-mm chuck, WinFors can be fitted under virtually every older spinning system. Its huge process window and its versatility with regards to polymer processing and spinning processes make it the prudent solution for system modernization. As in the case of all Oerlikon Barmag winders, the WinFors is controlled by the multiply tried-and-tested Guide system as well as the current Siemens electrical system for the required ribbon breaking methods.

Posted January 18, 2016

Source: Oerlikon

The USTER® TESTER 6: Redefining Quality Testing Will Set New Standards At ITMA 2015

USTER, Switzerland — November 24, 2015 — The new USTER® TESTER 6 has quality at its heart and soul — and now it also drives spinning mill productivity and profitability. It is the pulse of a new generation in testing, with the brainpower to deliver precise quality across the entire yarn manufacturing process. At ITMA 2015, USTER® TESTER 6 will set new standards, signaling the future of mill management.

The new USTER® TESTER 6 represents everything USTER customers would expect – and much more besides. It is the latest advance in a technology family that has always been a key driver of quality in the textile laboratories of the world. The USTER® TESTER 6 simply takes every single quality aspect to a new level.

Today, all previous standards are surpassed. The latest sensor technology, highest accuracy and new measurement options create the ultimate yarn testing system and the gateway to Total Testing. The USTER® TESTER 6 covers all spinning mill processes, and is the essential step forward in guiding customers towards ‘managing a spinning mill with quality in mind’. It has become a unique business tool, transforming data into practical choices for quality yarns and profitable production.

The Total Testing Center

USTER® TESTER 6 incorporates the USTER® QUALITY EXPERT, an essential tool for quality management, creating the brand-new Total Testing Center. Accurate laboratory test results from the USTER® TESTER 6 are the starting point for Total Testing. This data is combined with real-time information from yarn clearers monitoring 100% of mill production.

Practical analysis and interpretation of this combined data is the specialty of USTER® QUALITY EXPERT. It goes beyond mere data collection, guiding spinners towards targeted improvements in each aspect of yarn production, throughout the mill. Vital parameters are automatically presented from lab tests and yarn clearer data. Quality and processing options are then compared, allowing mill managements to make the crucial decisions on the basis of all the relevant facts. Forecasts for customer satisfaction are even provided. This includes predicting weaving performance and giving vital previews of fabric quality. Numerous additional benefits are possible as further USTER® instruments are connected to the system.

To make the management tasks even easier and faster, the Total Testing Center comes with its own knowledgeable support at hand: Assistant Q – a clever support which may be likened to acquiring a new staff member with 65 years’ USTER know-how. Assistant Q provides guidance to complex questions, freeing managers from repetitive tasks, so they can focus on the wider goals.

Sensor innovations

Pure innovation is at the core of the USTER® TESTER 6: the new digital CS capacitive sensor measures with more accuracy and reliability than ever, and is ready for even greater future requirements. All data – including the famous `USTER value´, CVm – is presented in easy-reference graphs. Quality issues with periodic faults are highlighted, avoiding customer complaints and claims. The new Product Consistency Alert flags up potential problems in advance when indicating any apparent abnormalities. Spinners are alerted to potential issues caused by significant changes in raw material, yarn structure or yarn count.

USTER® TESTER 6 also features the new Sensor HL, for hairiness length classification. Complete evaluation of the vital hairiness parameter is now possible at a speed of 800 m/min. In combination with the established hairiness Sensor OH, users now have the total picture of hairiness, for the first time. The USTER® TESTER 6 now provides the definitive hairiness solution, giving mills full confidence in controlling this key quality issue.

People-friendly, throughout the mill

Laboratory staff especially will appreciate novel features of the USTER® TESTER 6. For example, its designed-in ergonomics and superb touchscreen interface make it intuitive and user-friendly. Managers will also welcome the powerful quality package for fiber-to-yarn engineering, backed by built-in USTER knowledge for better and faster identification of issues. With the USTER® TESTER 6, the laboratory staff and management benefit from its defenses against potentially costly claims and damaged reputation.

Quality testing will never be same again, as USTER® TESTER 6 sets the pulse of the future today – bringing predictable profits and long-term business sustainability.

Posted January 18, 2016

Source: Uster Technologies

Groz-Beckert Welcomed More Than 10,000 Visitors At ITMA In Milan And Gave “Transparent” Insights

ALBSTADT, Germany — November 2015 —  From 12 to 19 November 2015 the 17th International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) took place in Milan, Italy. It is still the world’s most important textile machinery exhibition where about 123,000 visitors from 147 countries were welcomed. Groz-Beckert had more than 10,000 guests from 85 countries on its booth. Most of the visitors on the booth came from Italy (11.5%), India (10.2%), Turkey (10.1%) and Germany (9.5%).
The ITMA 2015 set its focus on innovative solutions that enable sustainable development. Groz-Beckert presented itself under the motto “Living in a Textile World” and took the visitors on a journey through the textile worlds of the company. Groz-Beckert demonstrated with exhibits and video clips, that it is possible to save resources and to have an improvement in productivity at the same time by choosing and using intelligent products. The focus was on the customer benefits.
Alongside video clips Groz-Beckert chose realistic seeming textile machinery made of acrylic glass for product presentation for the fields of Knitting, Weaving, Felting, Tufting, Carding and Sewing. For each product area acrylic glass machines and exhibits were prepared and equipped with the company’s products. This made the area of application visible, for example the knitting machine needles and system parts and their perfectly matched interaction.

In this context, the first presentation of the knitting needle LightSpeed® Plus was one of the highlights. By using this needle type it is possible to reduce the energy consumption up to 20% compared to conventional needles. Another novelty was the presentation of the new product range Carding, who was first represented on a booth of Groz-Beckert.

Weaving presented their comprehensive offer for the weaving industry. The area of Felting focused in its presentation on product solutions for filtration and the Tufting sector showed the enhanced Gauge Part System, consisting of tufting needle, grippers, reed fingers and cutter.

In addition to numerous product innovations and new developments Groz-Beckert presented at ITMA 2015, a completely new booth concept and a new corporate design.

Posted January 18, 2016

Source: Groz-Beckert 

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