FESPA Works With ESMA To Showcase Industrial Print Innovation At FESPA 2015

SURREY, United Kingdom — March 23, 2015 — FESPA 2015 — to be held 18-22 May 18-22, Cologne, Germany — will build on the exhibition’s 50-year heritage as the leading event for the screen industrial sector with the introduction of a new Industrial Showcase Feature, designed to highlight the cutting edge innovations that are taking place in industrial printing using both screen and digital processes.

The feature will occupy 100m² in Hall 8, and is being promoted and delivered by FESPA in partnership with ESMA, the European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association and organiser of popular conferences on industrial applications including glass, direct container printing, printed interiors and conductive printing.

The Industrial Showcase at FESPA 2015 will create an easily identifiable destination area where visitors with an interest in industrial applications can see what is happening in industrial print. Showcase exhibits will be sourced from across the exhibition community and supporting information will link each displayed item to the supplying exhibitor. This will enable visitors to investigate further any items of particular interest.

The showcase will be supported with ESMA-hosted ‘lunch and learn’ sessions, offering visitors the chance to hear from opinion leaders in the field of industrial printing.

So far, 40% of respondents to FESPA’s ongoing global Print Census report that they are currently producing industrial applications such as décor and laminates (18%), automotive (7%), 3D printing (5%), electronics (3%), biomedical (4%), glass (3%) and ceramics (2%), with all expecting to be producing even more of these over the next two years.

FESPA Divisional Director Roz McGuinness explains: “FESPA’s audience is deeply rooted in screen print, which has traditionally been the default process for industrial print applications. We expect the next few years to be revolutionary in terms of the progress of industrial print, and the adoption of digital production processes alongside screen print to enable smaller production volumes and increased customisation.

“FESPA is the global event for all areas of speciality print, and many of our exhibitors will be using FESPA 2015 as a launch pad for innovations for industrial applications. However, we acknowledge that there are many visitors who will welcome the chance to explore these opportunities without being ready to consider specific products. We hope that the Industrial Showcase will inspire visitors and give them confidence to develop their business ideas in this direction.”

CEO of ESMA, Peter Buttiens comments: “Industrial printing covers an array of applications including automotive, ceramics, glass, textiles, printed electronics, decorative surfaces and packaging. Wherever we look in our everyday lives, we find examples of industrial print, whether on our white goods, in our cars, on our mobile phones, or even integrated within products that have no visible link with ‘print’, such as kitchen utensils and biomedical devices.

“Developments in output technology, media and inks are driving innovation, while consumer trends such as exponential uptake of electronic devices, are fuelling growth. Speciality printers from all sorts of backgrounds are keen to know how they can access these opportunities, or incorporate industrial print thinking into more conventional printed products, and FESPA is the intuitive environment for them to access this information.”

Posted March 23, 2015

Source: FESPA
 

President Obama Launches Competition For New Textiles-Focused Manufacturing Innovation Institute

WASHINGTON — March 18, 2015 — The President has announced nearly $500 million in public-private investment to strengthen American manufacturing by investing in cutting-edge technologies through a new, textiles-focused manufacturing institute competition led by the Department of Defense, and by sharpening the capabilities of small manufacturers through Manufacturing Extension Partnership competitions in twelve states. The White House, as detailed in a new report, is also launching a Supply Chain Innovation Initiative focused on building public-private partnerships to strengthen the small U.S. manufacturers that anchor the nation’s supply chains.

The President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget, to create jobs and strengthen America’s leadership in advanced manufacturing technology, provides the resources to double the number of manufacturing innovation institutes nationwide to 16 by the end of 2016 and fulfills the President’s goal of building a network of up to 45 institutes over the decade. In contrast, the House Republican Budget released yesterday entrenches the harmful sequester levels of funding and proposes to eliminate the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, putting at risk critical investments in advanced manufacturing, workforce development and training, and innovation proposed in the President’s Budget.

After a decade of decline in the 2000s when 40 percent of all large factories closed their doors, American manufacturing is adding jobs at its fastest rate in decades, with 877,000 new manufacturing jobs created since February 2010. Ohio alone has added nearly 70,000 manufacturing jobs over that period. Manufacturing production is up by almost a third since the recession and the number of factories manufacturing across the United States is growing for the first time since the 1990s.

In addition to announcing new competitions for nearly $500 million in public and private investment the President is calling on Congress to do its part to make the bipartisan investments needed to strengthen manufacturing across the United States, including in places like Ohio.

Investing Nearly $500 Million to Strengthen U.S. Advanced Manufacturing:
More than $150 Million in Public-Private Investment through a New Manufacturing Innovation Institute Competition

  • The Department of Defense has launched a competition for leading manufacturers, universities, and non-profits to form a new manufacturing hub focused on revolutionary fibers and textiles technologies. The $75 million federal investment will be matched by more than $75 million of private sector resources.
  • This is the ninth competition for a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation institute, and the first of eight new institutes that the President’s budget proposes to fund by the end of 2016. Returning to sequestration levels for appropriations, as the House Republican Budget proposes, would put this expansion at risk.
  • The first institute awarded is in Youngstown, Ohio. Only in its third year, it is already drawing investment to Ohio — including a $32 million job-creating investment in the region from GE — and advancing research that will help accelerate the speed of 3-D printing in metals by a factor of ten.

$320 Million Competition to Strengthen Small Manufacturers in 12 States

  • Non-profits in 12 states will compete for $158 million in Federal funds matched by $158 million or more in private investment over five years to provide technology and engineering expertise to small manufacturers through the latest round of competitions to strengthen the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)’s network of centers in these states.
  • Today, the President will tour MAGNET’s Manufacturing Innovation Center at Cleveland State University, the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliate.
  • In contrast, the House Republican Budget proposes to end funding for the MEP, dealing a blow to the 30,000 small manufacturers the program serves, including the more than 450 Ohio manufacturers served by MAGNET, the Ohio MEP affiliate, in recent years.

New White House Supply Chain Innovation Initiative

  • The President will unveil a White House Supply Chain Innovation Initiative focused on building public-private partnerships to strengthen the small U.S. manufacturers and a new report on the need to further strengthen small manufacturers that form the backbone of America’s supply chains and play an increasingly important role in creating and retaining manufacturing jobs and investment in the United States.

More than $150 Million for a New Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute Competition:
As part of a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, each manufacturing institute serves as a regional hub for leadership in emerging manufacturing technologies, bridging the gap between early research and product development by bringing together companies, universities and other academic and training institutions, and Federal agencies to co-invest in key technology areas that can encourage investment and production in the United States.

The new competition, kicked off by the Department of Defense is the ninth manufacturing innovation institute competition launched by the Administration to date, joining the eight institutes already underway. The Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute will ensure that America remains at the leading edge of fiber science, through a $75 million public investment matched by more than $75 million of private investment in researching, prototyping, and commercializing fibers with extraordinary properties. Known as technical textiles, these modern-day fabrics and fibers boast novel properties ranging from being incredibly lightweight and flame resistant, to having exceptional strength and electronic sensors. With wide-ranging applications, technical textiles can forge the foundation of protective gear for firefighters impervious to the hottest flames, replicate the sensing capabilities of a smart watch into a lightweight fabric, or detect when a wounded soldier needs to be treated with an antimicrobial compression bandage.

After a decade of decline in U.S. manufacturing during the 2000s, the American textile industry is adding jobs for the first time in two decades, increasing shipments by nearly a fifth since the recession, and winning globally with a 45 percent increase in exports since 2009. Today’s announcement builds on this momentum in American textile manufacturing and lays the foundation for future leadership in the production of sophisticated fibers and textile technologies.

Posted March 20, 2015

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
 

Richard Hough’s New China Service Centre Boosts Access To Latest Calendering And Dewatering Technologies

Bolton, England — Mach 20, 2015 — Chinese textile producers now have direct access to Richard Hough’s unique roll technology, after the opening of a new China Service Centre. Growing demand for the company’s special roll solutions for textiles – as well as metal and automotive industries – will be met by the new hub, located in the city of Changzhou, in Jiangsu province.

The new centre is fully equipped with lathes, grinding machines, overhead cranes and a roll press, enabling a wide range of services to be provided for customers in the region. Roll regrinding and the fitting of Hough’s newly-developed Roberto and RoberteX sleeves onto customer roll shafts are among key facilities likely to be popular with Chinese manufacturers.

From its headquarters in the UK, Hough has already established a significant reputation worldwide, including China, and the new Service Centre is seen as a platform for even more rapid growth there. Major producers such as Guangdong Esquel Textiles and OEMs such as Jiangyin Guoguang Calender & Fiber Roller Co. are among existing customers for world-leading developments such as the Roberto high expression dewatering rolls and Syncast polyamide calender rolls.

The new facility will dramatically improve logistics, boosting new business links in the region, which is an important industrial centre for textiles, engineering and high technology. Changzhou is a city of 4.5m people, on the Southern bank of the Yangtze River, near the provincial capital of Nanjing. It is part of the Shanghai-Wuxi-Suzhou area, which now has over 36 million inhabitants.

Posted March 20, 2015

Source: Richard Hough Ltd.
 

The Rupp Report: Techtextil Preview – Trützschler

Last year, Textile World published an article titled, “Flushability – Tomorrow’s Trend For Disposables,” which reported that Trützschler Nonwovens and Voith Paper have developed a flushable solution for disposable nonwoven products.
 
Durables And Disposables
In nonwovens, a basic distinction is made between disposables and durables. Durables are products like geotextiles, roofing membranes and other such products. Disposables are primarily single-use items such as diapers, hygiene products, wet wipes and similar products, produced in very large quantities by companies specializing in such items. They are mainly made of spunlaced or hydroentangled nonwovens, spunbonds, or fiber webs that generally are bonded through needlepunched nonwovens. The big problem with disposables is the waste they create. In many hospitals around the world, getting rid of theses disposables is a big problem. The disposables clog whole line systems and also prevent bacterial action to reprocess the wastewater.
 
What, actually, does flushability mean? Nothing other than the ability to be flushed. After a short mechanical interaction, the web dissolved into its fiber parts, thus allowing clean disposal or disintegration in the wastewater treatment plant. Pulp and Tencel are both products made of wood that do not disturb the bacterial action.
 
On one hand, the production method is an obstacle because the product requires a certain strength for its given application. And on the other hand, the fiber material used is of decisive importance. Both components together form a product that must be strong and at the same time must dissolve through mechanical interaction after its use. This has long been the problem of squaring the circle. Now a solution seems within reach.
 
Paper And Spunlace Technology
Trützschler Nonwovens possibly has accomplished a significant coup that could solve a big problem facing the nonwovens industry: What to do with the waste?
 
Some months ago, Trützschler reported about a new cooperation with the market leader for paper machines, Voith Paper, a subsidiary of Voith GmbH, Germany. Initial talks were held more than a year ago. As with most great solutions, the concept is very simple: The combination of two different production technologies. One technology involves the wetlaid process, which is similar to paper manufacturing technology. Wood pulp, primarily from beech trees, is dissolved in water, passed over a sieve, drained, calendered, and dried. This method also is used for wetlaid nonwovens. The other process uses Trützschler’s spunlace bonding technology. In this process, the fibers are bonded using water jets after web formation. A combination of both technologies could present a breakthrough for nonwovens that can be mechanically dissolved in relatively short time, thus no longer creating problems in reprocessing.
 
Focus On Efficiency And Quality
Now, Trützschler’s participation at this year’s Techtextil sho in Frankfurt is focused on efficiency and quality. Various examples of Trützschler Nonwovens’ complete line concepts and technologies combine these targets. Multimedia and interactive presentations will inform visitors about line layouts, machinery, applications and end products.
 
A special topic will be the cooperation with Voith Paper in the area of wet-laid and spunlaced nonwovens. Although flushable wipes are the main application, tailor-made solutions for other end products will be discussed at the booth, too.
 
With requirements for greater energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions becoming more and more prominent, Trützschler Nonwovens’ second focus is on new and efficient drying technologies. The Streamliner, introduced at the last ITMA show, is a spiral-shaped drum dryer with highest evaporation capacities. The model is used in nonwoven lines producing extremely moist and high density nonwovens — it passed the acid test in a production line last year. Another pillar of the dryer and oven program is the redesigned multi-drum dryer. The new, modular model is optimized in several respects, which results in significant reductions in both thermal and electrical energy consumption.
 
Trützschler Man-Made Fibers will highlight the small but technologically challenging segment of short-staple fibers. One of the most important quality requirements of short fibers with a length of fewer than 3 to 6 millimeters is absolute length uniformity. Here the technologies presented come to full circle since short-staple fibers often are blended with other fiber material for typical wet-laid products such as nonwovens wallpaper, high-quality tea bags and battery separators. 
 
Card Clothing
In the field of technical nonwovens, Trützschler Card Clothing is offering new metallic wires for roller cards application on doffer and condenser.  Especially for medium and coarse fibers, used in geotextiles needlepunched webs, new and already field-tested tooth geometries are available, providing enhanced process stability and low maintenance.
 
Trützschler Nonwovens & Man-Made Fibers, Trützschler Card Clothing and Voith Paper will present new and proven solutions in Hall 3, Booth B03.

March 17, 2015

Spotlight On Shanghai

ShanghaiTex 2015, the 17th International Exhibition on Textile Industry, will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) in Shanghai, June 15-18. Show organizers — Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., Shanghai Textile Technology Service & Exhibition Center and Shanghai International Exhibition Co. Ltd. — “aim to feature the latest development of textile technology in multiple sectors and markets to help enterprises reduce cost, improve efficiency and increase competitiveness in the current industrial reshuffling period.”

ShanghaiTex was established in 1984 as a biennial textile event. The most recent event, held in 2013, attracted 53,183 global visitors from 79 countries and regions. The exhibition area of 103,500 square meters (m2) showcased the products and services of more than 1,000 companies from 25 countries and regions including four international pavilions — from Italy, Germany, Korea and Taiwan. Organizers anticipate a similar level of exhibitor participation in 2015 with as many as 60,000 visitors.

The show is sponsored by ShangTex Holding Co. Ltd., China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai Sub-council and China Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai Chamber of Commerce.
 


The last ShanghaiTex event attracted more than 53,000 visitors.

Specialized Theme Zones
ShanghaiTex features seven theme zones in nine exhibition halls covering an exhibition area of more than 100,000 m2. The seven zones are:

  • Knitting & Hosiery Machinery — Halls W1 and W2;
  • Weaving Machinery — Hall E4;
  • Digital Printing Machinery — Hall W5;
  • Printing, Dyeing & Finishing Machinery & Textile Chemicals — Halls W3 and W4;
  • Spinning & Techtextile Machinery — Halls E1 and E2;
  • Spare Parts and Accessories for Textile Machinery — Hall E3; and
  • New Materials, Technology & Designs for Knitting Products — Halls W1 and W2.

Organizers report the Digital Printing Machinery zone has been expanded for 2015 to meet the needs of this growing segment of the industry. Digital printing has witnessed significant growth in recent years, and its advantages for environmentally friendly production, small-batch production and product customization options are only likely to fuel more growth in the coming years. According to England-based Smithers Pira, a market intelligence and testing services company, digital printing output is expected to reach 10 percent of total textile printing output between 2014 and 2015.
 


In 2015, ShanghaiTex will expand its Digital Printing Machinery zone.

Concurrent Activities
ShanghaiTex will highlight new products and technology releases, as well as offer visitors the chance to participate in technical seminars and networking events. Some of the events include a Sports Boutique hosted by Italy-based Santoni S.p.A., a Knitted Sports Shoes Academy hosted by China-based Ningbo Cixing Co. Ltd., and the Digital Print Arena.

The 2015 New Textile Wastewater Treatment Technology Forum will present the latest trends and applications in water treatment technologies and will explore eco-friendly denim solutions. According to ShanghaiTex organizers, jeans production discharges 420 million tons of polluted water in China, which is a problem that must be tackled.

New in 2015 organizers have worked with the Shanghai University of Engineering Science to create the Fashion•Passion•Innovation Digital Textile Design Contest. Premium exhibitors will sponsor advanced digital printing equipment for the contest, which will bring young fashion designers’ work to life.

Visiting The Show
In 2011, ShanghaiTex introduced the International Group Delegation Programme to meet the overseas demand from customers interested in Chinese textile machinery. Companies or associations with 10 or more people attending the show are encouraged to form buyers’ groups, which entitles them to a set of services including express registration at the group delegation counter, free use of the visitors lounge, a networking program, travel packages and connections with potential business partners. Some 20 delegations from China, as well as many more from abroad, took advantage of the delegation program in 2013.

ShanghaiTex admission is free, and visitors may preregister online or register on-site during the show. As of Textile World’s press time, opening hours are still to be announced.

For more information about ShanghaiTex 2015, visit shanghaitexonline.com.

March/April 2015

APDN Launches On-Site™ Authentication Program, Collaborates With Crypton™

Stony Brook, N.Y.-based Applied DNA Sciences (APDN) has launched On-Site™, a DNA authentication program to provide faster reporting at every step along the cotton supply chain. A desktop-sized polymerase chain reaction machine with consumables is provided through the program, as well as supporting software, on-site training, guidance on chain-of-custody protocols and online customer service support.

In other company news, APDN has partnered with The Crypton™ companies, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., to provide its SigNature T DNA marking technology to Crypton’s stain-, water- and bacteria-resistant performance textiles. The agreement allows Crypton to mark products with SigNature DNA and submit samples for authentication based on an annual volume-based commitment.

The two companies worked for a year to develop the SigNature T DNA program for a wide range of treatments and fabric types. The initiative proved that the technology is durable, and also did not interfere with the quality or performance of the Crypton fabrics.

“Innovation is in our DNA,” said Randy Rubin, CEO and founder, Crypton. “It’s in every part of our business and it’s why we believe the SigNature T DNA program is going to help us keep our promise to customers — that our products are truly the industry standard when it comes to assuring quality, performance and now traceability within trusted supply chains.”

March/April 2015

 

Sewn Products Success In Mexico City

ExpoProducción successfully concluded its third edition held February 4-6, 2015, in Mexico City, Mexico. According to show organizer Atlanta-based ExpoProducción Mexico LLC, the show was well-supported, which illustrates the need for a sewn products trade fair in Mexico.

“We are extremely pleased with the continued and growing support we received from our exhibitors and attendees that made ExpoProducción 2015 such a success,” said David Audrain, president and CEO, ExpoProducción, Mexico. “The 2015 event showed that Mexico and Central America continue to see growth both for domestic consumption and exports, and that ExpoProducción plays a vital role by providing an event in Mexico that brings together the suppliers and buyers for this emerging and growing apparel and textile market.”

A total of 2,398 attendees walked the exhibition floor during the show’s three-day run. Visitors were global and came from the following countries and regions: Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Taiwan, Belgium, South Korea, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, Peru, the United States and Mexico.

Attendees — including designers, engineers, educators, plant managers, purchasing managers, quality control managers, research and development managers, and sourcing managers — came from all facets of the textile industry including aerospace, automotive, garment manufacturing, government manufacturing, home textiles, leather and footwear, medical, military and pet products sectors.
 


The collaborative Lean Sewing Lines project was demonstrated at Casa Diaz’s booth during ExpoProducción.

Exhibits
The show featured 115 exhibitors offering products, services and equipment from across the fashion, home and technical textiles industries including computer software and information technology; full package and private label contract manufacturing; cutting and sewing equipment; distributor and wholesaler; fabrics; fibers and yarns; findings and trims; nonwovens; research and development; services and logistics; supplies; textile machinery; associations and academia; and publications.

Feedback from exhibitors about the show and the business climate in Mexico was positive.

“There have been tough years in the apparel industry in Mexico, but we are seeing opportunity and growth in sewing again,” said Alfonso Peláez, Casa Diaz, the exclusive representative in Mexico for leading garment, embroidery and screen printing brands, with more than 80 years of experience in the industry. Casa Diaz had the largest floorspace at the show encompassing booths from many of the companies it represents including Groz-Beckert, Brother, Tajima and Schmetz, among other companies.
 


Frank Henderson (center), president and CEO, Henderson Sewing Machine Co.;


The team from Block Bindings and Interlinings Ltd.
 

“The synthesis of machinery, technology and ideas to provide manufacturers with solutions is where we see opportunity and big changes in the sewing industry,” said Peláez. “We do not see any big developments or innovations in technology.” He mentioned the collaborative Lean Sewing Lines project where workers stand to sew, multitasking and moving from one machine to another to produce a complete product rather than sitting at one machine all day sewing only one component of a garment repetitively. According to Peláez, workers experience less fatigue and fewer repetitive injury problems using this process, among many other benefits. Cary, N.C.-based [TC]2 — participating at ExpoProducción as a special guest in the Casa Diaz booth — organized and trained a Lean Team of sewers from a foundation for single mothers of children with special needs. During the show, the team demonstrated the Lean Sewing process while producing backpacks that Casa Diaz handed out to show visitors. The foundation, sponsored by Casa Diaz and Iberomericana University in conjunction with [TC]2, aims to develop skilled sewing specialists for the industry while providing jobs to women with children with disabilities.

Lonny Schwartz, president, New York City-based Superior Sewing, a wholesale distributor of industrial sewing and cutting machine replacement parts and supply items, views the event as a valuable sales tool for his company. As a wholesaler, Superior is a non-traditional type of exhibitor, but Schwartz said the show provides the perfect platform for Superior to safely meet with Mexico-based dealers. “We’ll definitely be here in 2017!,” Schwartz said.

Seminar Series
A number of companies participated in a seminar series held during the three-day show. New York City-based Fashion Snoops; [TC]2; Burlington Industries, Greensboro, N.C.; Atlanta-based Lectra North America; Jesta I.S. Inc., Quebec; InkCups Now Corp., Danvers, Mass.; Polyfab USA LLC, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; and the Americas Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), Arlington, Va., gave presentations on a variety of topics ranging from fashion trends and sustainable manufacturing to technical developments in fibers and fabrics and software solutions. José Manuel Martínez Cabrera, director general, Cámara Nacional de la Industria del Vestido (CANAIVE), offered a look at the Mexican sewing industry in his State of the Industry presentation.
 

(left to right) Mario Gomez, sales manager, and Jamie Castaneda, after-sales technician, Stäubli Corp. Mexico, and Ludovic Pitrois, Textile Division manager, Stäubli Corp. North America


David Sasso (center), vice president, sales, and PJ McCord (right), director of sales, Buhler Quality Yarns Corp.

Luis Valázquez, director of business development, Lectra North America, in his “Creating Value Through Technology” presentation, talked about the growth in Mexico’s retail market and how it is an attractive market for fast fashion driven by millennials.  Valázquez stressed that Mexico has lots of expertise in making traditional textiles as well as lots of design talent. His suggestion is for Mexico to harness this talent and know-how to establish its own brands that can be manufactured in Mexico for the Mexican retail market versus importing foreign brands produced outside of Mexico.

ExpoProducción is supported by CANAIVE; Clover, S.C.-based Synthetic Yarn and Fiber Association; U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel; and Textile World and its sister publication Textiles Panamericanos.

The next show will be held in 2017, and will continue in a biennial format.

March/April 2015

Loepfe Introduces WEFTMASTER® FALCON-i

WETZIKON, Switzerland — March 17, 2015 — The optical yarn defects sensor WEFTMASTER® FALCON-i for simple and reliable monitoring of all finest knots, filamentation, fluff, smallest thick places or capillary breaks on running threads

In order to monitor an individual thread for finest knots, fluff, filamentation, smallest thick places or even capillary breaks, Loepfe’s newly developed FALCON-i sensor is installed, e.g., before or after a weft feeder. The thread can be monitored by using sensitivity levels, to be set manually or automatically. Automatic mode determines the sensitivity level itself. The sensor is insensitive to vibrations which can be extremely disturbing, especially with laser measuring devices, and which could cause false stops. When contamination is severe, the sensor can also be installed «upside down» which allows most reliable and constant monitoring. The thread is guided virtually contact-free through the optical measuring field by yarn guides before and after the sensor and a stop is triggered for defined faults. The color of the thread to be monitored also has no influence on measurement reliability.

It is therefore possible to monitor the latest high-tech materials, e.g. carbon, without problems with FALCON-i. Monofilaments, multifilaments as well as spun yarns in any material composition can be processed. Conductive materials can also be processed without restriction. The housing of the sensor is made from shielding material so that any existing static or electromagnetic fields will not affect measurement reliability.

The FALCON-i sensor is microprocessor-controlled and therefore provides many options for connection to evaluation modules. The latest findings and experience flow into the design work of our software engineers. Adaptations of the software and individual adaptations to customer requirements can therefore be easily
implemented through software upgrades of already available sensors.

Loepfe is today global leader in manufacturing optical yarn clearers for automatic winding machines. Many years of experience in this field enabled the development of the new optical FALCON-i sensor. Technical support and spare parts availability, even many years after purchasing the sensors, are a matter of course for
Loepfe.

Loepfe’s new yarn defect sensor FALCON-i is not only complementing the various available knotless weaving concepts, but can be used in many different processes down the textile production chain — wherever an individual yarn monitoring should ensure quality.

Posted March 17, 2015

Source: Loepfe
 

TED Speaker Seth Godin To Speak At AAPN Annual Meeting

ATLANTA — March 13, 2015 — The Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) will hold its 35th Annual Meeting in a row May 3-5, 2015 at the Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach, Fla.

These are not meetings but rather the continuation of conversations held both face-to-face, in travel, at trade shows and online every day by the over 600 executives from nearly 200 organizations in the AAPN. THE Meeting format is open interaction. More than half the agenda is set aside for networking.

The entire supply chain that overlays the Western Hemisphere attends this forum. Fiber and yarn, fabric and finishing, trim and supplies, shipping and software, factories and logistics, and brands and retailers participate equally.

AAPN is a factory-centric organization led this year by Juan Zighelboim, president, El Salvador-based activewear producer TexOps. In fact, the AAPN has a 2:1 ratio of producers to service members. Participants are often the owners, presidents or senior executives of their firms.

The theme of the meeting this year is specifically STRATEGIC INNOVATION. Speakers include:

Seth Godin, Keynote Speaker
Seth is a world renowned author of marketing and management books, a TED speaker and a widely followed blogger. He will speak on change.

Anastasia Charbin, Worldwide Fashion & Apparel Marketing Director, Lectra
Evolutions of the Market: Product Innovation – an update on fashion and technology trends around the world

James Vatalaro, Productivity, Inc.
Let’s Get Personal … Strategy Innovation and YOU! — How factories and other producers can implement change easily
    
Johnnie Rush, VP, Retail Innovation, HSN Inc.
The Retail Discussion: Innovation and Engagement – amazing new ways for consumers to order directly instantly

Shawn Neville, President RBIS for Avery Dennison Corp.
Driving Innovation from Consumer Through Supply Chain — How a ‘label’ producer became an innovation company with Nike

In his manifesto, Stop Stealing Dreams, Seth Godin wrote how students today are educated in “….collecting dots. Almost none of it spent teaching them the skills necessary to connect dots. The magic of connecting dots is that once you learn the techniques, the dots can change but you’ll still be good at connecting them.”

Well, Aapn Connected The Dots Starting In 1981 And Was The First Apparel Industry Organization To Implement Email Broadcasts For Sourcing, Answers, Information And Help In 1996. Aapn Is The Author Of A Asia/americas Report Card; The First Ever ‘living Wage’ Project Ever Shared In Our Industry; The Online Denim Map; The Summit Of The Americas; And Other Innovations.

We expect a capacity crowd at the meeting because of the popularity of Seth Godin. Non-AAPN members can contact Mike Todaro or Sue C. Strickland in Atlanta at 404.843.3171 to discuss attending this unique event. 

Posted March 17, 2015

Source: AAPN
 

Business & Financial: Costs And Prices

By Robert S. Reichard, Economics Editor

Wondering how the industry’s prices are likely to fare over the next year or two? Cost trends may well provide the answer. History reveals a strong correlation between these two variables — quotes generally rising when production costs increase and falling when they begin to slip. One clear confirmation of this relationship comes from the recent sharp decline in gasoline prices when crude oil tumbled. The textile and apparel industries also provide a recent example. According to a study by Cary, N.C.-based Cotton Incorporated, the last three times cotton fiber dropped by more than 20 cents per pound over a six month period — during the 2009 business recession; the correction following the 2010-2012 price spike; and the recent 2014 falloff — the average price of cotton-containing products edged lower. There’s not that much of a time lag between these cost declines and their textile and apparel end products. According to the study, the full impact was felt in only seven months. More importantly, Cotton Incorporated analysts feel this downward industry cost-price drift will continue into late spring and summer, and even well beyond that time. This forecast is based on the likelihood of a continuing cotton glut — a glut being exacerbated by two other developments: the increasing availability of Chinese cotton, reflecting recent reforms in that nation’s stock reserve program; and large global cotton plantings because farmer returns on crops like corn and soybeans look even bleaker. Upshot: Factor in all the above, and cotton input costs are likely to remain low for quite some time, with fabric and garment prices likely to follow suit.

Other Costs Ease
There still are other cost slippages that could help put a lid on prices. Man-made fiber markets currently are far from firm, with Uncle Sam’s overall producer price index for these items now running fractionally under year-ago levels. All indications point to additional man-made-fiber market softness stemming from both today’s lower energy-influenced feedstock costs and continuing industry overcapacity. One thing for sure, overall fiber weakness — cotton plus man-mades — can’t be ignored, if only because this input factor accounts for 60 percent of the average base textile mill revenue dollar and about 45 percent of a typical garment. Also worth noting: Labor costs are following a similar non-threatening pattern, thanks to a combination of relatively small pay increases that are being offset or even more than offset by impressive productivity gains. Result: Average unit labor costs for the average mill or apparel manufacturer are flat or even down a bit. And this trend, too, should continue through the current year and into 2016. Finally, some relief in the transportation sector should also become apparent, with today’s significantly lower energy tabs expected to put some downward pressure on shipping bills.

Special Import Factors
The above cost-price discussion is equally applicable to textile and apparel imports. But when it comes to shipments from abroad, there are two other factors that are playing a role. First, the lower shipping costs just alluded to are a lot more important in the case of imports because of the long distances between our major overseas sources and the U.S. mainland. But equally important are international currency changes that currently are taking place. Specifically, today’s strong U.S. dollar, and conversely weak foreign currencies, are beginning to affect the cost of American purchases making them less likely to rise in price. This is especially true of China, by far our biggest overseas source. Note that the Chinese yuan, after advancing 25 percent vis-á-vis the dollar over the extended 2006-2013 period, has recently started to weaken falling about 3.5 percent since early 2014. Not surprisingly, this Chinese currency, shift as well as similar ones noted for some other big foreign suppliers, are beginning to have an effect on import quotes, with Uncle Sam’s import price index now topping out after the slow advance of recent years. This could well improve overseas suppliers’ competitive positions. As such, TW’s earlier projections calling for a slight drop in imports this year now seems less likely. A better bet: A relatively unchanged level of incoming textiles and apparel shipments.

March/April 2015

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