Back From Bangladesh, NRF Executives Say Garment Factory Safety Is Improving

WASHINGTON — September 8, 2015 — National Retail Federation executives returning today from a visit to Bangladesh said a report issued by the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety reflects improvements in garment worker safety they saw during tours of factories and other facilities.

“The Alliance is doing important work to ensure the safety of Bangladeshi workers who make clothing worn by millions of Americans and other consumers around the world,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. “We saw first-hand in the past few days that significant progress has been made to improve conditions at factories in Bangladesh and that work is on track to see more improvements in the future.”

“Worker safety is a top priority for U.S. retailers whether those workers are here in our stores or in a factory on the other side of the world,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “That’s why we went to Bangladesh to see for ourselves what is being done.”

French and Gold spent two days in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka last week as part of a week-long trip that also included factories, warehouses, consolidation centers and ports in Hong Kong, China and Vietnam. In Dhaka, the two met with the U.S. labor attaché, Alliance executives and executives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. They also toured factories, including one of the first to complete the Alliance’s audit and compliance program, and visited a laboratory that conducts factory testing.

NRF helped bring together 26 apparel brands to form the Alliance in response to the 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Dhaka that killed more than 1,100 people and injured more than 2,500.

The Alliance’s annual report, which was released in Dhaka on Thursday and is being released today in the United States, shows that as of July more than 500 of the 662 factories used by member companies had received the first of two major safety inspections conducted by the Alliance to create a safer environment for garment workers. The factories had completed between 20 and 80 percent of repairs and six had passed final inspection. The Alliance said it had completed work with the International Finance Corporation to provide $50 million in affordable, long-term loans to factory workers and another $18 million in assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development for upgrades to factories that might not be eligible for the IFC program.

The report also cited a University of Texas study that found knowledge and awareness on fire safety had improved among the workers after participating in the Alliance training program.

Posted September 8, 2015

Source: NRF
 

30 Years In Business For Z-LASER

FREIBURG, Germany — August 1, 2015 — Since Z-LASER’s founding in 1985, the company has been an innovative manufacturer of intelligent laser technologies. Since its inception, applications in the fields of metrology, industrial machine vision, positioning, and medical technology have been developed. Z-LASER’s products are exclusively developed and manufactured in Freiburg, Germany and serve as illumination for high-quality 2D and 3D camera based applications as well as a visual positioning aid in various industries.

Besides high performance and industry proven (IP67) lasers, the company also offers computer based laser projector systems. Additionally, Z-LASER develops and manufactures highly customized OEM solutions, which are being designed in close cooperation with the customer.

In 2015, the company celebrates its 30-years standing!

About The Company
The current owner K.-M Zimmermann founded Z-LASER in 1985. The one-man show grew into a medium-sized company with more than 85 employees, sales offices in Italy and Canada, and 10M EUR turnover. Over the years, more than 60 international sales partners have been established. The network contains of machine manufacturers, local sales representatives, and general distributors. For years, Z-LASER is a fixed participant of leading fairs like LIGNA (Hanover), VISION (Stuttgart) or Photonics West (San Francisco). In 2015, the company has been present at 18 exhibitions and events worldwide.

Lasers In Action
Laser generated lines, dots, crosses and further projection types are being used for exact positioning of material in all kind of industries. Besides positioning tasks, Z-lasers are being used in combination with
industrial cameras for an automated quality control of objects or surfaces.

Mathematical angle functions (triangulation) create altitude profiles, which are being evaluated for possible errors. For this purpose, Z-LASER offers advanced laser technologies such as fibercoupled laser systems and customized laser solutions for sensor manufacturers.

Visionary laser products
Z-LASER concentrates on individual laser manufacturing for industry and science. Therefore, laser products are improved regularly, like the established ZM18 modules series. Since beginning of 2015, the new edition ZM18T3 is available with temperature stabilization. As it is common in many productions, also lasers get more powerful and smaller at the same time. The R&D department is already working on the realization of these features, which will be released with the successor ZX. One part of this project is the development of very small laser modules for OEM applications or limited space with superb projection quality.

Posted September 8, 2015

Source: Z-Laser
 

Milliken Acquires Assets Of Ontera Modular Carpets Pty Ltd

SPARTANBURG — September 2, 2015 — Today, Milliken & Company announced its acquisition, through its subsidiary Milliken (Australia) Pty Ltd, of the assets of Ontera Modular Carpets Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Cavalier Corporation Limited. Based in Australia, Ontera is a leader in the design and manufacture of commercial modular carpet, currently providing Milliken-branded products as part of its offering.
 
This acquisition is the latest initiative in Milliken’s focus on global growth within its floor covering division, as the company formally enters a new region noted for great market potential.
 
“Ontera and Milliken share a long history,” said Joe Salley, president and CEO, Milliken & Company. “Our partnership succeeds because of similar unwavering commitments to quality, innovation and environmental stewardship. This acquisition is a natural progression of our relationship.”
 
Founded in 1985, Ontera is headquartered and has operations in Northmead, Sydney. The company has licensed Milliken technology for more than 30 years.
 
“The addition of Ontera, a well-respected brand, to the Milliken portfolio strategically positions us to enhance our customer base and customer service in Australia and New Zealand,” shared Jim McCallum, president of Milliken’s floor covering division. “We are excited about the potential that our combined technological capabilities and market insights will bring.”
 
“At Ontera, we have long been impressed with Milliken’s technological capabilities, innovative designs and clear commitment to sustainability,” said Ontera CEO Dean Harriott. “It’s exciting to be part of this world-class company. Our customers will benefit from Milliken’s global product development capabilities, technologies and insights accrued during its 150-year legacy.”

Posted September 8, 2015

Source: Milliken & Company
 

GIS Components For Ink Delivery Systems (IDS) Now Available To Wider Market

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — September 7, 2015 — Global Inkjet Systems (GIS) — a supplier of industrial inkjet systems, components and services — today announced that it is now making its components for Ink Delivery Systems (IDS) available to non-GIS customers.
 
Launched in September 2014, the GIS ink system components range comprises electronics, software and a portfolio of customisable header tanks and peripherals. Initially the products were available only to customers who were already using GIS printhead drive electronics and software. Now any inkjet system developer can have access to the IDS components product range.
 
Nick Geddes, CEO explains: “We’ve had a very positive response to the components concept. We found that many companies prefer not to purchase a full IDS — they want more flexibility, more control over the final configuration and where it’s positioned on their machine. The GIS ink system components give them this greater sense of ownership over the final system and a route to cost reduction.”
 
GIS is not supplying complete Ink Delivery Systems. Instead the company offers a range of standard components and design consultancy that allow OEMs to integrate customised solutions according to their commercial and technical needs.
 
“We work with customers to design and configure a system tailored to their specific requirements” said Peter Stanier, GIS Senior Systems Engineer, adding “We design custom parts if required and we adopt a “building block” approach allowing machine builders to source their own components such as ink pumps and filters, which reduces their costs.”
 
Each Ethernet networked GIS ink control board can control from 1-6 fluids/inks independently. Two or more boards can be connected for systems that require 7-12 fluids/inks and beyond.
 
The GIS ink system components can be used with almost all industrial inkjet printheads and the majority of ink types including aqueous, UV curable and functional fluids – subject to materials compatibility tests.
 
Many inks and printheads have specific flow mode requirements which are fully supported by the GIS components.

  • End shooter mode for printheads such as Konica Minolta 1024/1024i/1800i, Ricoh MH2420 (Gen 4) / MH2620/MH2820 (Gen 4L) / MH5420/MH5440 (Gen 5), Kyocera KJ4A/B range
  • Low flow recirculating for end shooter printheads using inks that can benefit from recirculation
  • Controlled, adjustable flow recirculating for printheads such as Xaar 1002, TTEC CF1/CK1, Fujifilm StarFire and Samba 

The GIS header tank designs also take into account different flow modes, space restrictions and ink capacity requirements for different applications and printer sizes.  
 
For companies requiring additional support, GIS also offers a range of pressure control, heating, filtration, degassing and refilling systems, plus design consultancy and technical support.

Posted September 8, 2015

Source: GIS
 

Apparel Sourcing Paris Will Welcome 400 Exhibitors, Including More Than 100 Newcomers

PARIS — September 3, 2015 — The 9th Apparel Sourcing Paris trade fair, due to take place from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 September 2015 at Paris Le Bourget, promises to be out of the ordinary. More than 400 exhibitors from all over the world are expected, among which 100 newcomers will represent Bangladesh, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Vietnam.

Michael Scherpe, CEO of Messe Frankfurt France, said: “Registrations for the trade fair have broken a new record, passing the 400-exhibitor level, which represents a 40-percent rise in attendance, compared to the 289 exhibitors in September 2014. The event is consolidating its position as Europe’s premier world garment sourcing event.”

Visitors to Apparel Sourcing Paris appreciate the added value of quality and originality. Knits are showing the strongest growth, with more than 35 new manufacturers, such as Anjuman Garments (Bangladesh), BLR Knits (India), Thai Son S.P (Vietnam), Sanyang Cashmere Textile (China) and others, who are focusing on highly diverse collections of circular and cut and sewn knits for men, women and children. Unstructured garments continue to develop, with 29 businesses, among which are Kimberley Apparels Ltd. (Bangladesh), Monarch International (Hong Kong) and Thien Nam JSC (Vietnam), to name but a few.

As for sleeved pieces, in high demand from winter purchasers, the segment will welcome 25 new manufacturers, among them Apex International (India) and New Zeenat Textile Mills (Pakistan). Among the newcomers in sportswear, very fashionable collections by Kreateks Tekstil (Turkey) and Alphabeta (South Korea) are waiting to be discovered.

Accessories always attract more exhibitors. Newcomers such as Ningbo Kingshi (China) and Rashish (India) are aiming to attract buyers with traditional, fashionable pieces in quality finishes.

The dedicated Shawls&Scarves section numbers three newcomers among its 21 exhibitors: Porostar (China), K.U.M. (India) and Shengzou First Garment & Necktie (China). The collections on offer will be highly market- oriented, displaying particular skills, such as hand embroidery, vegetable dyes and digital printing. The extent of the product ranges, from simple cotton to baby cashmere, is noteworthy.

Made to measure deserves a special mention as a it is still a strong trend in sourcing for customised dresses and unstructured garments at competitive prices, because consumers are becoming more and more demanding, searching for original products worthy of old-fashioned tailoring, without abandoning their existing budget. From bespoke R&D to an industrial scale, this solution provides European brands and designers with an attractive developmental focus.

Made to measure had a modest debut at last year’s fair and is coming back in force, represented by seven companies: Ai Xin Dao, Dalian Faric Garment, Ningbo LS Lace, Ningbo EJJ Knitting Garment, Sendi, Shanghai Leads Enterprise and Wujiang Silk Garment.

On the whole, the manufacturers at this event will be offering collections intended for the entry-level and midrange women’s and children’s market. In the case of men and accessories, there will be many premium collections on offer alongside more affordable collections – a sign that brands and buyers are now increasingly making up their collection purchases at attractive prices and with more sophisticated, more expensive pieces.
 

Brands are now putting their faith in elaborate limitededition collections as lead products.

Vietnam Will Have The Kudos Of A Dedicated National Pavilion
A first! The fair will feature a national pavilion for the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), with ten exhibitors: Babeeni, Diep Duong, Garment 10 Corporation, Hai Phong Xhan, Hoa Tho Textile, International Fashion, Lewave, Resources Garment, Thai Son S.P. and Thien Nam Investment & Development JSC.

They will be offering accessories, casualwear, unstructured garments, bottom pieces, business wear, formal wear, children’s wear and denim for men, women and children, mainly targeting entry-level and mid-range buyers. Hand embroidery aimed at OTC and top-of-the range brands deserves a special mention. Many brands are being attracted to Vietnam because of the quality and the sourcing solutions which the country and its businesses can offer thanks to free trade agreements with Europe (Eurasian Economic Union – EAEU).

In other respects, Vietnam has become the world’s fourth-largest exporter of textile products on the basis of its first-quarter figures: US$ 12.18 billion and a year-onyear rise of 8.2% in exports to the EU, according to the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex). To better appreciate the enthusiasm for Vietnam, a seminar on “the Vietnamese textile and clothing sector: a prosperous, competitive industry” led by Jean-François Limantour , a specialist in both sourcing and Vietnam, is scheduled for Wednesday 16 September at 10.15 hrs.
 

Outstanding Program Of Seminars And Fashion Shows
The trade fair has a full programme, featuring four seminars and numerous fashion shows to reveal the specialities of exhibitors from participating countries.

The seminars on sourcing, apart from the above-mentioned one on Vietnam, will feature two other highly interesting topics: “European garment sourcing in 2015: suppliers, products and markets” and “Garment sourcing management and alternative strategies for industrial offers.” They will enlighten visitors, particularly product and supply chain managers, on the decisions to be taken to optimise sourcing.

On the subject of corporate responsibility, the association Wellmade will present “Trends in sustainable development”, which will provide professionals with information on new innovations and the development of certification.

The fashion shows, a showcase for skills, will allow visitors to evaluate the exhibitors’ products, shown off to their best effect by the artistic director responsible for the programme. Seminars concentrating on countries and types of product are scheduled during the four days. For example, on Tuesday, the theme will be China, unveiling the flagship products of manufacturers from the Shaoxing region. Vietnam and Pakistan will have their turn on Wednesday.

In the case of accessories, two fashion shows will be dedicated to the products featured in Shawls&Scarves, on Monday and Thursday. Visitors will discover the latest developments by manufacturers of shawls and
scarves.

The couturier Eymeric François will show his Black Desire collection on Wednesday at 15.00 hrs to mark fifteen years of his fashion house.As for young designers, the finalists in the 2015 Frankfurt Style Award competition will reveal their creations at midday on Monday.

Posted September 8, 2015

Source: Messe Frankfurt
 

Noble Biomaterials Receives bluesign® Certification For Its XT2™ Anti-Odor Technology

SCRANTON, Pa. — September 1, 2015 — Noble Biomaterials, manufacturer of antimicrobial and anti-odor technologies for performance fabrics announced it has received bluesign® Product Line Approval for its XT2™ technology. Through a comprehensive biocidal product review process, Noble demonstrated that the XT2 product line meets bluesign requirements for durability, adherence, efficacy, and low human toxicity, among other quality and safety performance measures.
 
“This next milestone in our partnership with bluesign demonstrates our continued commitment to sustainability,” said Jeff Keane, CEO, Noble Biomaterials. “As a leader in odor management, it’s our mission to not only deliver the performance and durability consumers expect, but also align with environmental and social impact best practice.”
 
XT2 employs a proprietary process to provide permanent anti-odor protection that does not wash off or wear out, allowing consumers to play more and stink less. XT2 fibers are completely dyeable providing brands with flexibility in design and the freedom to meet end user wants and needs.
 
bluesign is widely recognized as the benchmark for addressing the environmental, health, and safety impacts of textile manufacturing. Noble has been a bluesign® system partner since 2013, meeting stringent standards for production management practices in raw materials, wastewater, air emissions, waste management, hazards management, safety, and chemical use. Periodic audits and regular reporting of progress toward improvement goals is a key component of the bluesign system.
 
Noble Biomaterials’ commitment to pursuing sustainable paths for its technologies, facilities, and operations is firmly grounded in its core values. Noble works to address additional sustainability issues including recovery and recycling of silver — both internally and working with several partners — addressing sourcing, production, and product end-of-life. In addition to its commitment to the bluesign system, Noble also produces a number of filament and fabric products that are OEKO-TEX® certified.
 
Posted September 1, 2015

Source: Noble Biomaterials
 

National Safety Apparel® Acquires Tecgen® Brand From Invista

CLEVELAND — September 1, 2015 — National Safety Apparel (NSA), a manufacturer of safety apparel, has acquired the TECGEN® brand of technologically advanced safety apparel designed for use in a wide range of industries including petrochemical and electrical power, from INVISTA Ashburn Hill LLC.

The acquisition of the Tecgen brand further increases National Safety Apparel’s portfolio of premium flame resistant (FR) brands. Tecgen brand products will be promoted to National Safety Apparel’s distributor‐partners in conjunction with existing brands like ArcGuard®, Carbon Armour™, Arc H2O™, and CARBONCOMFORT™. The addition of the Tecgen brand further validates NSA’s commitment to building a house of PPE brands for their customers.

Chuck Grossman, President & CEO of National Safety Apparel is quoted as saying “This acquisition further strengthens NSA’s position as the leader in high‐performance FR garments. We continue to look for strategic acquisitions that complement our organic growth in the protective clothing markets that we serve. “

Anthony Green, INVISTA’s Global Business Director of FR apparel, said “the timing was good for National Safety Apparel to acquire the Tecgen brand assets. This adds a strong brand to their growing portfolio. INVISTA will continue to focus our capabilities on developing innovative technology based solutions for workwear, military and consumer applications where performance and protection create value for our customers.”

Posted September 1, 2015

Source: National Safety Apparel
 

Suominen Extends Its Growth Investment Program To 60 Million Euros; Specifies The Value Of Its Investment At The Bethune Plant

HELSINKI, Finland — September 1, 2015 — Suominen, a global manufacturer of nonwovens, announces it has decided to extend its growth investment program to approximately 60 million euros because of the promising growth prospects in the high value-added nonwovens. Earlier, Suominen had stated that the company will spend 30-50 million euros in growth investments during the strategic period of 2015-2017.

Additionally, Suominen specifies the total value of its investment in a new wetlaid line at the Bethune plant in South Carolina. The total value of the investment project, including both equipment and facilities, will be close to 50 million euros. Suominen has selected Andritz as the main supplier and integrator of the project.

“With the investment at Bethune plant, Suominen will take the wetlaid technology to a totally new level in its industry,” said Nina Kopola, president and CEO, Suominen Corp. “The new manufacturing line will be tailor-made, based on our unique nonwovens technology expertise, enabling us to supply our customers with exclusive, best-in-class nonwoven products for wiping, medical or hygiene applications. This is perfectly in line with our strategic intent to achieve product leadership. As the demand for nonwovens with higher value added is forecasted to grow at an attractive pace, I am pleased that we are able to intensify our growth investment program which supports our target to achieve the above-industry-average growth in our net sales”,

The new line is anticipated to be installed during the second half of 2016.

Posted September 1, 2015

Source: Suominen
 

Clariant’s New VAMax™ Catalysts Improve The Economics Of The Vinyl-acetate Monomer Production Process

MUNICH, Germany — August 25, 2015 — Clariant has announced the successful expansion of its selective oxidation catalyst portfolio with its new VAMax™-series catalysts, which offers high-activity for Vinyl-Acetate Monomer (VAM) producers.

VAM is produced by reacting ethylene and acetic acid with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst. It is an essential building block for various polymer and co-polymer derivatives, which find broad applications in the manufacture of paints, adhesives and performance plastics for the automotive and construction industries. Global VAM consumption is expected to reach nearly 8-million tons by 2020, growing at a CAGR of +4.4 percent.*

Clariant’s VAMax series of catalysts have demonstrated consistent and outstanding performance in commercial scale production of VAM over extended run-lengths. An attractive aspect of VAMax is its high activity characteristic. This can allow a VAM producer seeking to increase production to achieve higher yields on the basis of the same scale of production equipment. In consequence, this makes new plant projects more attractive by helping reduce the specific investment amount required per metric tonne of VAM capacity. Clariant’s high activity catalysts can further be a viable option for de-bottlenecking existing VAM plants, as well.

Catalysts within the VAMax series can be matched to meet the specific requirements of diverse VAM plants. Because of this, Clariant can work with VAM producers to find the most suitable catalyst solution depending upon their economic and technical needs.

Stefan Heuser, Senior Vice President & General Manager BU Catalysts, Clariant, said: “Our new VAMax product line gives our VAM producing customers new options to increase production without added infrastructure expense.”

*Grand View Research, “Global Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) Market Analysis And Segment Forecasts To 2020,” January 2015

Posted September 1, 2015

Source: Clariant
 

Stoll Enters Into A Partnership With Shang Gong Group

REUTLINGEN, Germany — August 29, 2015 — The well-known German flat knitting company Stoll has announced a partnership with Shanghai based Shang Gong Group (SGG) which is focusing on sewing and textile welding. Together the two renowned companies strive to develop innovative solutions along the textile value chain. Both companies share the vision of Industry 4.0 in the textile industry and of new fields for technical textile applications.

Stoll emphasizes that all current corporate values — including innovation, quality, service, support and responsiveness — will remain key priorities. This partnership supports future growth and sustainability and is the basis for further expansion of products and solutions. Stoll will benefit from additional know how and an even broader presence in Asia.

SGG is a strong international partner who deeply understands the textile industry. With its famous German brands Dürkopp Adler, Pfaff Industrial and KSL Keilmann SGG also has a significant footprint with considerable operations in Europe. In addition SGG can facilitate deeper access to the Chinese respectively Asian markets.

Shang Gong Europe (SGE) – the Germany based subsidiary of SGG – will join H. Stoll AG & Co. KG as a limited partner with a minority share by means of a capital increase. Also SGE will have one member in Stoll’s supervisory board while the Stoll family will keep the dominate majority in the company. The formal partnership will become effective after clearance by the relevant merger control authorities.

Posted September 1, 2015

Source: Stoll

 

1...1,8461,8471,848...2,638Page 1,847 of 2,638

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2026 Quarterly Issue II

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.