Italy-based UTIT Wagner Automation S.p.A. provided the automation systems adopted by TRC
Candiani for a ring spinning expansion at the Robecchetto mill (1997 to 1998) and at the new
Malvaglio plant.

Choosing a supplier capable of providing automation systems to contribute to this growth, in
terms of views and know-how, is important. Because of previous successful installations, UTIT has
become the perennial supplier of choice for TRC, as well as a partner.

Design simplicity, ease of management, low operational cost and low investment cost were the
guidelines followed by UTIT in designing the automation for the Malvaglio mill, according to Sergio
Vandolfi, responsible for UTIT’s textile division. These concepts already had been largely
experimented with in TRC Candiani’s previous projects, and here they have been refined by new
technical, simpler and less expensive solutions.

At the Malvaglio spinning mill, 700 spools per hour are handled. The intermediate yarn
warehouse has four planes and 60 channels. Each channel has a capacity of 12 pallets therefore the
warehouse simultaneously stocks 60 articles and 720 pallets.

Areas with automated intermediate package transport include: raw cotton bale handling from
the storehouse to the withdrawal and the return of empty pallets; transportation of full spools to
the spinning frames and empty spools on the reverse path; package take-up and palletization;
loading, management and unloading of the yarn storehouse; cone transportation from the yarn
storehouse to weaving, warpers and loading bays for outside weaving; and management of empty
pallets.

Spider Cross, a quiller’s new servicing system, simplifies the introduction of the full
spool trains and the removal of empty spool trains. Its implementation alone eliminated 250 train
control units, 250 pneumatic pistons and 250 pilot valves for the switch opening and closing.

Value added should be increased not only on the product, but also on market service with
enhanced flexibility and on-time delivery. All components of the company should contribute to the
network operation ensuring maximum productivity and value-added possibilities. This is what TRC
Candiani and UTIT tried to create when building the Malvaglio plant — an experience that has
certainly enriched both companies.

Today, the Italy-based Benetton Group S.p.A. is present in more than 120 countries around
the world. With apparel production at its core, it is a group with a strong Italian character and
its style, design expertise and passion are clearly seen in its brands – the casual United Colors
of Benetton, the more fashion-oriented Sisley, Playlife leisurewear and Killer Loop streetwear. The
group produces around 110 million garments every year.

Olimpias operates 12 plants in Italy, with 2,000 employees and a turnover of more than 300
million. Its most important customer is Benetton; however, 30 percent of its output is sold to
companies outside of the group – proof of Olimpias’ production quality and level of customer care.

Its organizational structure to reach these targets is complete – product design, product
engineering, and marketing and sales. The production can be marketed at any level of the bill of
material and of the production cycle – yarn, gray fabric or finished fabric.

Olimpias handles all production steps from yarn to finished fabric – yarns, weaved and
knitted fabrics, printed fabrics, and dyeing and washing operations.

However, our group was not satisfied with the reached level of standardization and
information sharing. Therefore, we launched this project to gather together all resources and to
integrate the data. The project was feasible because every plant was using the same information
system functions, in spite of different manufacturing activity.

Datatex: What are the main phases of your project?

Pillon: The project goal is to concentrate physically and logistically all the
production supporting applications. The target is a unique information system providing services to
all the plants, fully fitting the specific requirements of every manufacturing unit and
guaranteeing a correct interface with the departmental applications.

The first phase was the migration of every plant information system to the iSeries installed
in Ponzano Veneto. Of course it was not a simple removal. We took advantage of this activity to
enhance the level of use of the Datatex solution in all those plants that had implemented a subset
of the available functions.

The second phase is focused on the “logical” consolidation of the information system. For
example, we will have a single bill of material, used by the Olimpias’ plants producing yarns and
by those manufacturing fabric. Therefore, the article code of the yarn has no need to be changed
when it is delivered to the plant using it.

Datatex: Can Olimpias be viewed as a single, integrated plant?

Pillon: Yes, but in order to understand the project size and complexity, it is
useful to remember that the project concerns companies acquired through the years, located in 10
different places, each of them with a significant use of third-party manufacturing operations. The
starting point was 10 Datatex solutions installed in 10 different locations to support a total of
330 workstations.

Datatex: Usually, for a complex project, the hottest item is the respect of the
time budget. What about you?

Pillon: Olimpias management was strongly committed to the project and gave it the
highest priority. Therefore, the plant managers forgot the fear of “losing” their own information
system and were involved by the top management to evaluate and reach the big benefits for the whole
group.

From the operational point of view, we created a team with Olimpias system engineers and
Datatex project leaders. The pace was the consolidation of a plant information system every three
months.

Datatex: Any main direction or idea to make the project feasible?

Pillon: First of all, we worked to fit the specific requirements of each plant. We
are becoming a “virtual” single vertical plant without imposing changes to the structure and
guaranteeing the application functions already implemented by each plant. Moreover, the project
preliminary phase was the creation of analysis standard and of implementation and development
standards. These tools shortened the implementation time and made uniform and consistent the work
of the whole group.