Weaving TrendsATI Staff Report Taking Stock OfWeaving Innovation
Technology and trade shape the industrys future.The U.S. textile industrys weaving sector
continues to be shaped by the twin forces of market demands and technological
developments. Market ForcesInternational trade in general and NAFTA in particular have also
shaped U.S. weaving (see Figure 5 and Figure 6). Large imports of apparel and apparel fabrics have
forced U.S. apparel fabric weavers into niches. In addition, as U.S. cut-and-sew operations move
south, the industry appears to be seeing some weaving going with it, particularly for
apparel.Industry observers have told ATI that they expect woven fabrics that require more cutting
and sewing will also move south, while fabrics that require very little cutting and sewing will
remain in place domestically. Labor costs alone, however, may not drive this shift. Higher electric
costs in Mexico and the Caribbean countries may limit the profitability of some textile processes
there, most notably air-jet weaving.One industry observer described the U.S. weaving industry as
having a top and a bottom, but no middle. There are segments like sheeting and denim, in which
economy of scale is everything. Then there are smaller specialty weavers making a wide range of
ultra-high-quality products. Technological FactorsAs weaving machine builders have continued
to offer faster, more versatile looms, the industry has invested to replace older, less productive
machines with newer, faster equipment. As a result, square yards produced per loom hour has just
about doubled since 1990, moving from about 17 square yards per loom hour to almost 40 square yards
per loom hour (see Figure 4).The biggest change in weaving equipment over the last two decades has
been the steady decline of the shuttle loom. In 1987, there were over 75,000 shuttle looms in place
in the United States.As of last year, only around 7,000 shuttle looms remain (see Table 1 and
Figure 1). The watershed year was 1989, the year in which the number of shuttleless looms in place
finally exceeded the number of shuttle looms. It is hard to say whether shuttle machines have truly
bottomed out, because they seem to have found some interesting niches such as vintage denim and
medical applications. However, it is safe to say that they are no longer a significant factor.From
1987 to 1998, the number of shuttleless looms (including air-jet, water-jet, rapier and projectile
machines) dipped from 63,500 machines to 59,800.This decline is testimony to a tremendous increase
in productivity, considering the number of shuttleless machines decreased and at the same time,
they replaced 90 percent of the shuttle looms. Machine NichesA look at shuttleless looms in
place as of the third quarter of 1998 shows air jets with 29 percent, projectile machines with 27
percent, rapiers with 23 percent and water jets with 8 percent (see Figure 3).Of these, air jets
are the fastest growing segment (see Figure 2). Totals alone do not give a complete picture. Each
of these technologies is strong in one or more niches.Air jets dominate sheeting and denim. The
versatility of air jets has increased dramatically over the years. They are now being applied in
diverse areas that would have been impossible a decade ago, including delicate filament styles and
terry pile weaving.Rapiers are major players in apparel, home furnishings and industrial fabrics. A
major strength of these machines is their ability to accommodate a wide range of filling
yarns.Projectiles remain in use in specialty and industrial areas. Their strength continues to be
in the extra-wide segment, where air requirements remove the speed advantage of the air-jet
machines.Water jets are restricted to polyester and nylon filament fabrics, but still show
growth. Dramatic Speed IncreasesLoom speeds creep ever higher. Air jets, for example, have
moved from speeds of 600 rpm to more than 1,000 rpm (at least on the show floor) in a dozen years.
Of course, actual mill speeds are usually somewhat slower and vary by fabric type and construction.
Rapier machines have sped up to the point that they now approach the low end of the air-jet
envelope, say 500 to 600 rpm.Increased weaving speeds mean that warps are consumed much more
quickly. Many weavers have gone to large warp beams to reduce the frequency of warp-outs. Very
large beams (1,600 mm) require new larger slasher heads and improved material handling and beam
storage.To get a clear idea of just how much the speed portion of the equation in weaving has
changed over a dozen years lets compare the machines exhibited at the 1983 Milan ITMA with those
shown at the 1995 Milan ITMA. Weaving 1983Picanol showed an air jet weaving corduroy at 684
rpm. Somets Master SM 92, a 190-cm rapier prototype, was running at 520 rpm.Sulzer Ruti showed a
demonstrator model of its L 5001 L1-1TNS 190 I air jet weaving a suit lining fabric at 720 rpm. The
companys F2001 flexible rapier machine was shown weaving a downproof fabric at 400 rpm.Tsudakoma
demonstrated a 360-cm air jet weaving a poplin fabric at 400 rpm for a weft insertion rate of 1,300
meters per minute. The company also showed a 190-cm loom weaving a taffeta at 700 rpm.Vamatexs P
1001 flexible rapier was shown running at 557 rpm. Picanol showed a Delta F-2-E 190 air jet
weaving a high-twist polyester crepe fabric at 900 rpm. An Omni-2-E 190 was shown weaving a lining
fabric with a viscose warp and acetate filling at 1,500 rpm.Somet showed its Mach 3 prototype
air-jet machine weaving two fabrics at once at 600 rpm for a filling insertion rate of 4,000 meters
per minute. The company also showed its Clipper air jet weaving a cotton downproof fabric at 1,200
rpm.A Thema 11 Excel rapier machine was shown weaving linen shirting at 610 rpm.Sulzer Ruti
unveiled its new M8300 prototype multi-phase air jet weaving print cloth at about 2,700 rpm for a
filling insertion rate of more than 5,000 meters per minute.Tsudakoma showed its ZAX-190-2X-4S air
jet weaving a cotton pinpoint oxford fabric at 1,700 rpm. A ZW405-140-1C-4S water jet produced a
nylon taffeta fabric at 2,000 rpm. The Flexibility FactorWhile speed increases have been
making the headlines over the years, many developments have boosted weaving productivity and
flexibility. These advances include quick-style-change systems, off-loom take-ups, inverter drives,
weft feeders and new monitoring systems.Quick-style-change systems changed the way mills look at
changing loom patterns.Vendors have taken three approaches: The modular machine system, where reed,
harness frames, warp-stop motion, warp beam and frame parts of the machine are disconnected as a
package; The quick connect/disconnect system for all the vital parts of a warp/style change are
used in conjunction with a suitable warp beam truck or other transport; and Modular construction
and specialized transport systems combined. This approach could be used in conjunction with servo
motors and robotic functions and might include automatic guided vehicles or overhead transport
systems for entire style packages.Each major textile exhibition brings more and more sophisticated
quick-style-change systems.The use of off-loom take-ups has grown to the point that a weaving mill
without them is remarkable. Replacement weft feeders are a common option. And loom monitoring
systems are also becoming commonplace.Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) in the weave mill is
here to stay. Pattern data and machine settings can be downloaded directly to the loom from
workstations. In fact, ATI editors have toured several jacquard weaving facilities where the lines
between the computer design system, production planning system and quality monitoring system have
blurred to the vanishing point.The user friendliness of weaving machines has also improved
dramatically. Todays looms are often equipped with touch screen controls. Production and
maintenance data are displayed in real-time on a unit on the machine itself.If the machine stops,
the reason for the stop and downtime are displayed on-screen. On-board diagnostics tell the
technician which parts to check. This puts the information where it belongs on the production
floor.Electronic let-off and electronic takeup have become universal on weaving machines. Automatic
filling repair, available on air jets since the mid-90s, can now be found on rapier machines. In
the near future, weaving machine automation is expected to include functions like automatic
warp-stop repair, automatic cloth doffing, and perhaps even automatic filling supply systems.The
continuous improvements in spinning technology and yarn quality have also played a role in
increased loom speeds. As a result, fabric quality levels continue to rise, as loom stop levels
continue to decrease.Looking back over the last few major machinery exhibitions, there are many
innovations that have made weaving more productive. ATME-I ’93Dornier demonstrated its new
quick style-change system, further developed since ITMA 91 in Hannover, for the first time on an
air jet.Luwa Bahnson Inc. introduced its LoomSphere humidification system, giving weavers the
flexibility to custom fit conditions to individual looms.Picanol introduced its Delta and Omni
air-jet machines. Both were designed to use that companys rapid style-change system.Stli introduced
its new closed-shed dobby 4080 for industrial fabrics.Sulzer Ruti introduced its own version of a
quick-style-change system.Zellweger Uster exhibited its Delta 200 drawing-in machine for the first
time at a U.S. show. The Delta, since sold to Stli, offered a needed step forward in drawing-in
technology. ITMA ’95 MilanAlexander Machinery Inc. showed the latest version of its off-loom
takeups with a 48-inch lighted lower section for improved fabric inspection.Benninger AG introduced
a completely new weaving preparation system including the Ben-Matic automatic sectional warper, the
Ben-Direct beaming machine for beams with 1,250 mm flange diameter and the Ben-Vac system for
removing dust and fiber during warping.Grob + Co. AG demonstrated the new Optifil thread eye, which
reduced friction on warp yarns and allowed up to 30 percent more healds per frame.Staubli focused
its attention on its new CX 1060 jacquard head, which was shown controlling the shedding for a
30,000-end tapestry fabric.West Point Foundry and Machine Co. showed a new Model 951 warper deigned
to accommodate a 1,270 mm diameter section beam. The new model 950 beam winder for beams with
diameters of up to 1,600 mm was also introduced at the show. ATME-I ’96This show saw a number
of new weaving machine introductions. Nissan
(recently purchased by Toyota, see Supplier Notes pg. 65) introduced the NAX-100A air jet.
It emphasized productivity, improved fabric quality, cost effectiveness, greater reliability, and
easier access and handling.Nuovo Pignone
(purchased last year by Sulzer Ruti, see Sulzer Scales New Heights pg. 32) showed its new
Terry-Jet air jet. Its operation was based on two different beat-up positions of the reed with no
alternate movements of the warp.Picanol introduced its Gamma rapier machine. The Gamma had fewer
moving parts, gears, seals and no timing belts. It was designed for low power consumption and ease
of maintenance. Future ExpectationsTaken as a whole, these trends point to a U.S. weaving
industry with increasingly fewer looms producing more fabric per loom hour.Sulzer Textils M8300
machine may well point the way to the weave mill of the future if its patterning limitations can be
overcome. Patterning considerations aside, the M8300 still offers a compelling look ahead to new
weaving machine concepts.These include modular construction, fly-by-wire communications between
loom modules and weaving mills with entirely different plant layouts. The vertical orientation of
the M8300 with the cloth roll on top points toward overhead cloth roll transport. It is interesting
to note that Somets Mach 3 prototype also shared this vertical orientation with cloth rolls on
top.Certainly the weave mill of the future will be much more fast-paced, computer-integrated and
customer-driven than anything the industry has seen to date.

February 1999

Burlington Industries Inc., Greensboro, N.C., has announced the reorganization of its apparel
fabrics business, a move designed to position the company for long-term success against growing
worldwide competition. According to the company, operations will be streamlined, and U.S. capacity
will be reduced by 25 percent to compensate for the continuing surge of low-priced garment imports,
primarily from Asia.The plan will result in the loss of approximately 2,900 jobs and the closing of
seven plants.We have been running our apparel fabrics operations at less-than-full capacity over
the last 9 to 12 months, anticipating that the surge of low-priced garment imports from Asia might
only be the temporary result of the Asian financial crisis, said George W. Henderson III, chairman
and CEO.We now believe that this situation is more permanent in nature and we must reduce our U.S.
manufacturing capacity accordingly and utilize only our most modern facilities in order to be
competitive.The plan affects only the apparel products segment of the company.The major elements of
the plan are: To create a fast, responsive organization with an improved cost structure, the
company will merge Burlington Klopman Fabrics and Burlington Tailored Fashions two businesses that
have complementary product lines and serve many of the same customers. Burlington Sportswear will
become a business unit within the Burlington Global Denim division. The company will close its
knitted fabrics and knitted shirts business. Burlington will reduce U.S. apparel fabrics capacity
by 25 percent and at the same time reorganize manufacturing assets to work together. Seven plants
will be closed: Mooresville, Forest City, Oxford, Cramerton and Statesville, N.C.; Bishopville,
S.C.; and Hillsville, Va. One department in Raeford, N.C., will also be eliminated. The cost of the
reorganization will be reflected in a restructuring charge, before taxes, of approximately $80 to
90 million in the second fiscal quarter, ending April 3, 1999, plus other expenses related to the
restructuring of approximately $25 to 35 million, before taxes, that will be charged to operations
over the next six to nine months.By reducing our overall capacity, using only our most modern
equipment, and concentrating on a value-added product mix, we will be able to run our U.S.
operations on a much more efficient and cost-effective basis, Henderson said.The combination of
streamlined and modern U.S. operations, together with our new state-of-the-art manufacturing
facilities coming on stream later this year in Mexico, will position the company well to compete on
a global basis.Henderson added: We deeply regret the loss of jobs, many of which are held by
long-term Burlington employees.

February 1999

Springs Industries Inc., Fort Mill, S.C., announced it has agreed to acquire the stock of Regal
Rugs Inc., North Vernon, Ind., the wholly owned subsidiary of Readicut International, the United
Kingdom.The strategic acquisition will further expand our bath and accent rug product lines, said
Crandall C. Bowles, Springs chairman and CEO. This purchase will continue Springs strategic
emphasis on increasing sales through acquisitions that complement our already extensive line of
home furnishings.The purchase price of $30 million is subject to adjustments based on Regals net
assets as of the closing and related to certain incremental tax liabilities that might be incurred
by Readicut as a result of the transaction, the companies said. Regal will operate as a subsidiary
of Springs.Springs will also acquire the remaining 50 percent interest in American Fiber Industries
LLC (AFI), Commerce, Calif. Springs acquired its current 50 percent in February 1997.AFI
manufactures and distributes bed pillows, mattress pads, down comforters and comforter accessories.
It will operate as a subsidiary of Springs Industries, with Jack Foley as its president.Jack and
Janet Foley have owned AFI since 1990 and control the remaining 50-percent interest in the
company.Springs also announced that it sold its Springfield Division to a management group led by
Edward N. Shogan, the divisions president since 1989.Over the past decade, Springs has
strategically repositioned itself from a manufacturer of apparel fabrics to leadership in home
furnishings, Bowles said. This divestiture marks another major step in this process and allows us
to focus all of our efforts on improving our home furnishing business.Springs received
approximately $46 million for Springfield, including a preferred equity interest of $10 million in
the business. According to the company, Springfields 1998 sales approximated $120 million.The
company also announced that it sold its Industrial Products Division to Chiquola Industrial
Products Group LLC, an investor group led by Marvin B. Fuller, a former Springs executive, for a
price in excess of $24 million.Consideration for the sale was in the form of cash, a subordinated
note and a limited, preferred equity position in Chiquola, Springs reported.

February 1999

The beginning of this year has brought with it a new force in the weaving industry. The
merger agreement between Sulzer Ruti and Nuovo Pignone was finalized, forming the new Sulzer
Textil. This move creates the largest supplier of weaving machines in the world.The industry is
waiting to see how this consolidation will affect these two companies and their product lines.
Nuovo Pignones line of rapier machines will make Sulzer Textil an industry powerhouse, covering
major sectors of the industry under one corporate umbrella.Philip Mosimann, president of Sulzer
Textil, recently sat down with ATI to discuss the merger, the future of weaving technology, new
markets and the upcoming ITMA in Paris.ATI: What are Sulzer Rutis most important markets How do you
separate markets by different needsPhilip Mosimann: From a geographical viewpoint, Europe remains a
strong market for us. Within Europe there are countries that are more important than others in
terms of the size of the business, such as Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.Then there
are the American continents, where the United States, Mexico and Brazil, going by size, are the
most important ones to us.Asia also is a big market. Currently, for obvious reasons, that market is
very soft.In Europe, rapier looms are very strong because they produce articles following fashion.
In the United States, air jet is a lot stronger than any other technology. We are in a position to
adapt our sales organization to sell the type of technology that the customer needs.ATI: What role
is the North American market playing in Sulzer Rutis product and market strategyPM: An important
one. We have reviewed our product market strategy and have definitely decided to give the American
market a strong push, mainly with our air-jet machines, but also in special applications with
projectile. But projectile is more of a niche application in the U.S. market.For specific
applications, our rapier machine is also sold in the United States. A new development is that
American companies order looms and then they install them in Mexico, but we also get direct orders
from Mexico. ATI: Nuovo Pignones rapier loom has an excellent reputation. Was that one of the
reasons for Sulzers recent purchase of the companyPM: Definitely. The weaving machine industry is
really ahead of a consolidation. If you look at it, $2.1 billion is roughly the market size. There
are about nine major players, so each one of them has about $200 to 250 million, and for a global
business that is very small.We want to lead the field. We were looking for the most complementary
partner, with regard to products and customer markets. If you look at Nuovo Pignones weaving
machinery division, they have a good rapier loom, and they are strong in Asia because they have a
more standard loom at a lower price. Nuovo Pignone also has as additional customer base. It works
out well for us.ATI: Will Nuovo Pignones strong position in Asia have any impact on your
relationship with Toyoda Automatic LoomsPM: In the long term, there is always an impact. The
question is how big it will be. We will definitely continue with Toyoda as in the past. Our
relationship wont change. And, we continue to push our L5200 machine, which has a good position in
the market and is getting a positive response in the United States. Last year was successful,
better than 97. Our air-jet sales are increasing this year compared to last year, and in that
respect, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works remains our partner as before.ATI: How has the weaving machine
business changed over the last five to 10 years, and how has Sulzer Ruti adaptedPM: The good old
days were in the early 90s or late 80s, when there were some 70,000 looms a year being produced.
Now we are seeing a downturn to nearly 45,000 looms. 1997 was up quite a big jump, but it was in
water jet. We saw a lot of this in Asia, where there were 17,000 water-jet looms sold in 1997. The
water-jet boom collapsed in the first half of 1998. Water jet is a totally different business, one
we are not a part of. As big as this jump was, the fallout in 1998 was equally big and caused
serious headaches to my colleagues in Japan who manufacture those looms. Water jet is only used
with synthetics, and this had an impact on the 1997 increase, along with some huge orders being
placed in Indonesia, China and Korea.Then came the Asian crisis, and as suddenly as this wave went
up, it went down. Our assessment is for an average of 45,000 looms per year, plus or minus 5,000.
That corresponds to the swings and the volatility of the textile industry. So, in a bad year like
1998, it will probably be in the 40,000 range, and in a good year it could be close to 50,000. In
1997, there were 53,000 looms sold under these statistics.ATI: In the future, do you plan to focus
your production on a specific type of loom or series of loomsPM: Yes. I think given the market
situations. With our merger with Nuovo Pignone, we will give rapier special attention.Projectile
looms have had a huge success story. More projectile machines are sold worldwide, and we are going
to sell to those customers who can take advantage of that type of technology. No one weaving type
will get 60 percent of the market, so there will always be a balance. But on average, over several
years, we expect projectile to remain strong.ATI: Which countries can best take better advantage of
the projectile loomPM: Countries with high energy costs work best. Projectile looms have, by far,
the lowest energy costs. For countries that dont need multi-color applications, such as eight or 10
colors, projectile is very good, and when someone needs a more universal machine than an air
jet.Two countries in the Americas with large concentrations of projectile looms are Brazil and
Mexico. We see good applications in Germany for projectile. In Europe, there is mainly rapier and
projectile, depending on the type of style being manufactured. ATI: What is the status of the
M8300 Multiphase weaving machine, and where do you have commercial installations Will there be a
U.S. installationPM: We have completed development work for the standard applications, and we are
in the controlled-market-introduction phase. That means we have a limited number of customers where
we sell these looms in a controlled manner. We need mills and customers who really fine tune their
logistics, to be able to handle the high-speed and achieve the maximum benefits.For example, if the
company does not have an optimized warp change, or if their machine stands there for a long time,
every minute you lose on the M8300 is a greater production loss than the same minute on a
projectile, rapier or air-jet machine. We have installations in France, Germany and Italy. We plan
to have one small installation in the United States this year. Right now, we cant disclose the
location. In Northern Italy, we have an installation at Standard Tela and the controlled market
introduction is in the area of fabrics that go from six to 30 threads per centimeter in the warp
and filling for standard applications. ATI: Looking ahead, what kind of market share do you see for
each of the weaving machine technologies (multiphase, air jet, rapier, projectile) in terms of
machines purchasedPM: We see rapier technology, on a global basis, to be in a range of 40 to 50
percent of all looms sold. We see air jet to be in the range of 20 to 25 percent, and water jet on
a global scale is in the range of 15 percent, with some big swings like 1997. That is important.
From year to year it can change quite dramatically.ATI: What is the prospect for Sulzer Ruti looms
in Latin America for the next five years Which Latin American countries are your best clientsPM:
Brazil and Mexico are by far the largest. That doesnt mean that we dont have any sales and activity
in the other countries, but these are the dominant countries. The M8300 loom has big potential in
Brazil and Mexico. They have large production of standard fabric applications. We see big potential
for these two countries in the future.ATI: What has been the growth rate of Sulzer Ruti loom sales
in Latin America over the past few years Which of your looms are the most popular and whyPM: With
the exception of a very lousy year in 1996, we are in the order of some 500 to 600 looms.
Projectile weaving is very strong in Latin America overall. Our rapier loom, for example, is too
focused on high-end applications. We basically have few customers and sales of our rapier in this
area, with the exception of American-based companies that are starting to build factories in
Mexico.With Nuovo Pignone, that can change as well, because of the type of looms. We also sell in
Asia standard and more simple. There will be more potential in Mexico and Latin America for us in
the future.ATI: What has been the response of Latin American customers to the P-Lean loomPM: It has
been very well accepted in Brazil. Mexico has some small installations. Brazil is a strong outlet,
and the customers always do battle for productivity and flexibility. P-Lean is more productive and
simpler, but in the end has somewhat lower flexibility than the normal P7100 or P7200.ATI: Have you
had good response from Latin American customers to your new computerized training programs PM: They
are interested. Some are looking into it and some customers have bought it. It is still a slow
start. Some workers in Latin American mills arent as computer savvy. Its a matter of time.Mill
management has seen the potential for savings of training costs, but it has not really gotten off
the ground as we would like. I think it will take another year or two and then were there.ATI: How
have your sales to Mexico been affected by NAFTAPM: As far as Mexico goes, you see some of our
strategy in our air-jet push. It not only goes to the United States, but it also goes to Mexico. In
1994 we were below 100, in 97 we were above 250 and last year will be in the same area. Theres been
positive growth in Mexico.ATI: Will Sulzer Ruti and Nuovo Pignone have separate booths at ITMA, and
what can you tell us about your new releases at the upcoming showPM: We will have one booth.
Through an arrangement with CEMATEX, we have neighboring booths so we will be able to have one
booth under Sulzer Textil.As far as new releases, we cant say anything in precise terms, of course.
I think the developments, not only our own but the industry in general, basically go in three
directions.One is an increase in performance. Another is an increase in textile applications
machine flexibility. The third is ease of operation simple, repeatable machine adjustments. We are
active in these areas. This includes style changes. For example, you may have the same warp but you
might want to change the density of filling, or things like that.Also, demand machine interfaces
will be changed in a way to go to more modern technologies. There wont be such a sensation like
ITMA 95, and definitely not the revolution we experienced with the M8300, which was completely
new.ATI: The Swiss textile machinery will have a slightly smaller space at ITMA Paris than they had
in Milan in 95. If you combine your booth and Nuovo Pignones, wont that mean youll have twice as
much spacePM: No, it wont be that much. If you have one booth for Sulzer Ruti and one booth for
Nuovo Pignone, it is obvious you need less space.So on the Swiss booth space, you have an increase
and on the Italian booth space you have a decrease. I think that is the first synergy we are
realizing, we dont need as much. ATI: Will the recent troubles in world markets affect ITMA
attendancePM: I think the audience will be good. Suppliers with exhibitions are larger than they
were last time, and thats a good sign.On the other hand, ITMA and all exhibitions have lost a
little bit of that paradise we had 10 years ago. Customers dont hold their orders for ITMA anymore.
For suppliers, if we have a new loom or invention, why should customers wait for a year or so
before they purchase it The Russian and Asian situations are also going to slow things down.ATI:
Originally, plans called for a loss of 200 jobs in Switzerland. Does that mean there will be an
increase in jobs in Italy or will you be able to manage with fewer peoplePM: There will be a slight
increase in Italy. If you look at the Italian businesses, they are organizing with a lot of
sub-suppliers. That means that if sales go up, we dont have to increase our number of people. But
there definitely will be more work in the area. So maybe there will be more jobs in the supplier
network around the company. ATI: Are you planning to send anybody from your Swiss operation to
ItalyPM: We will send one person, who will be the general manager of this company in Italy. But
thats all. We really tried to integrate the management team of Nuovo Pignone into our organization
in order to profit the most from their knowledge and their experience in the rapier business. That
means the responsibility for the combined rapier business will be in Italy. Because they are
producing a lot more looms than we do on Sulzer Rutis side, we want to have it in one location not
two. However, the global logistic center for spare parts will be run out of Switzerland. Therefore,
all spare parts, including those for Nuovo Pignone looms, will continue to be available 365 days a
year, and orders are done automatically. All orders leave the factory within 24 hours of being
received. We fly spare parts four times a week from Switzerland to the United States.ATI: When you
introduced the M8300 three-and-a-half years ago, you said it did not require a standard structural
base. It this still true in the practical applicationPM: Its absolutely true. You take that
machine, place it on the floor, and you dont even have to fix it to the floor.There is a simple
reason for this. The loom has the fewest vibrations because everything is rotating. You dont have
oscillating masses. If you look at a rapier machine, for example, you have the rapiers going back
and forth, so you move masses in an oscillating way.None of this exists on the M8300. You place it
on the floor and thats it. Its a big advantage in terms of layout, flexibility and building
construction costs. All the machines we have in our plants that have more than a billion picks were
only placed on the floor, not even screwed on.

February 1999