Medical textiles save lives, promote healing, provide protection “It sure makes me want to come
to work every day.” At a time when the U.S. textile and apparel industry is threatened by the
availability of inexpensive imported products and U.S. producers are moving certain operations
offshore, promising and rewarding opportunities exist in the various specialized areas of medical
textiles.

Kerlix¨ A.M.D. antimicrobial wound dressing was developed by Avecia and Kendall”It is a very
good field to get into,” said Thomas R. Molz, executive vice president, Prodesco Corp., Perkasie,
Pa. “There are quite a few jobs available in the medical sector.”Kimberly Barkman, senior engineer,
product development, Guidant Corp., Menlo Park, Calif., concurred. “There are many ways to make
medical products better using various textile techniques,” she said. New products are providing
improved protection and healing properties and reducing risks to patients. “Our new endovascular
AAA system has helped so many people and saved so many lives,” said Barkman, referring to Guidant’s
ANCURE¨ System for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). “It sure makes me want to come to work every
day.”The range of applications includes very specialized and sometimes surprising uses in devices
that end up inside the body, including vascular grafts, stents, adhesion barriers, meshes, cardiac
support devices and parts of artificial organs. More conventional end-uses include surgical gowns
and drapes, dressings and bandages. Textiles are found, as well, in support devices such as
compression stockings, braces and casts.Research and development of new products in this field
often involves a multidisciplinary approach. Input from researchers in mechanical engineering,
microbiology, bioengineering and molecular biology, as well as textile sciences, is necessary to
address the various requirements of a particular product. Implantable TextilesDevices that are
implanted inside the body must be made of nontoxic blood-compatible and biocompatible materials
that are porous enough to allow tissue to grow on and enclose them. Sutures, bone-setting
materials, meshes, synthetic skin or other materials must often be bioabsorbable. Whether the
materials may be biodegradable or not is dictated by the intended application. Biodegradable fibers
used in implants include collagen, alginate, polylactide, polyglicolide, polyamine and some
polyurethanes. Non-biodegradable fibers include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyester,
polypropylene, carbon and others.

Guidant’s woven polyester ANCURE System for AAA.Prodesco, a research and development firm
specializing in engineered fabric and cloth structures for the medical, industrial and aerospace
industries, has been a player in the medical sector since the 1960s. The company has focused
increasingly on this sector over the last five years, developing and engineering medical fabrics
and innovative surgical implants that require minimally invasive surgery for implantation. Such
implants include vascular grafts, ligaments, heart valve components, hernia mesh, adhesion barriers
and other devices. Prodesco works with a range of companies – from startups to large, established
companies.Tom Molz talked to Textile Industries about working in the medical sector: “The challenge
is to educate medical device manufacturers to the possibilities and potential successes of textiles
for implantation. Textiles are biostable and have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for several decades.”Prodesco is now getting into combining metal and polymers to form
composite products,” Molz said. These composites are assembled in a clean-room environment by
mechanical means, thus removing the possibility of human error. The result is a more reproducible
and cost-effective product. Guidant and W.L. GoreandAssociates Medical Products Division,
Flagstaff, Ariz., both have developed vascular grafts that require minimally invasive surgery. The
procedures entail shorter recovery times and far less risk to the patient than the major surgery
required for traditional implantation. Guidant’s ANCURE System for AAA received FDA approval in
1999. Gore’s Excluder endoprostheses for the treatment of AAA and thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA)
are approved for use in Europe and are currently classified as investigational devices in the
United States.The procedures entail insertion of a catheter through a small incision in the groin
area or the leg into an artery to deliver the implant to the site of the aneurysm. The ANCURE
System’s woven polyester graft is attached to the aortic wall by small positioning hooks made from
Elgiloy®, a cobalt/chromium/nickel alloy developed by American GageandMachine Co., Elgin, Ill.
Gore’s devices, extruded from ultra-thin expanded PTFE (ePTFE), have an outer self-expanding
support structure of nitinol, a nickel/titanium alloy.

Ethicon’s polypropylene mesh Prolene Hernia SystemThe Prolene Hernia System from Ethicon
Inc., Somerville, N.J., a subsidiary of JohnsonandJohnson, is used for the repair of inguinal
hernias. It combines three repair techniques in one system. The knitted polypropylene mesh device
consists of an underlay patch that is positioned on the inside of the abdominal wall, another patch
on the outside, and a connector that joins the patches and plugs the rupture in the
wall.InterVascular Inc., Clearwater, Fla., manufactures knitted and woven Dacron® polyester
vascular and cardiovascular grafts. Some have velour or collagen-coated external surfaces to
facilitate tissue growth. Many of the knitted products are produced on warp-knitting machines using
a reverse locknit stitch. Some woven devices have a leno structure, which reduces fraying and holds
sutures better than other woven structures. InterVascular recently developed InterGard Silver, a
graft whose surface coating of silver provides lasting antimicrobial protection. It has been
approved for use in Europe and is awaiting FDA approval in the United States. Antimicrobial use in
implantation applications is expected to be particularly effective because the sites are
inaccessible after surgery is completed, making it difficult to impossible to use antibiotics
effectively. George Du, senior principal engineer, said the graft is the first of its kind to be
developed.Antimicrobial properties are added to certain of W.L. Gore’s hernia meshes as well.
Silver carbonate and chlorhexidine diacetate are used to control contamination during implantation
of the devices.

Surgical hosiery from Sigvaris provides compression support to the leg.All Wrapped
UpDressings and bandages must protect wounds from infection as well as from further injury. Among
new products in this category is Kerlix® A.M.D, an antimicrobial wound dressing developed by United
Kingdom-based Avecia and Tyco Healthcare’s Kendall Division, Mansfield, Mass. The 100-percent
cotton dressing contains Cosmocil CQ polyhexamethylene biguandine (PHMB).In the future, “living”
bandages may be available to fight infection or deliver medicines or drugs. A research team led by
Alex Fowler, associate professor of mechanical engineering, University of Massachusetts (UMass),
Dartmouth, is working to develop biologically active fabrics that have potential medical and
apparel applications. The interdisciplinary team includes researchers from UMass Dartmouth and
Harvard Medical School in the fields of mechanical engineering, textile sciences, microbiology,
bioengineering and molecular biology. The goal is to incorporate viable microenvironments
containing genetically engineered bacteria or mammalian cells into hollow fiber-based fabrics and
poly-laminate fabrics in order to provide sustained bio-active properties to the fabrics.Support
SystemsSupport devices help to hold blood vessels or bones in place during healing and help restore
normal function by providing pressure and/or a rigid framework around the affected area. Surgical
support hosiery provides compression support to the leg in cases of thrombosis, varicosity,
lymphoedema and similar conditions. Pressure is greatest at the ankle and decreases up the leg,
reducing the diameter and supporting the walls of the veins, and counteracting the pressure of the
blood on the walls and increasing blood flow. Sigvaris, Switzerland, manufactures a range of
knitted nylon/elastane stockings and pantyhose that provide from light to extra-strong
compression.The Militex Division of New York City-based Gehring Textiles has developed several new
fabrics in its line of D3 spacer fabrics that are suitable for sports-medicine applications. (See
“Quality Fabric Of The Month,”
TI, April 2001). The fabric structure allows greater control over such properties as
elasticity, according to Gehring. The fabrics are warp-knitted on Karl Mayer machinery.Protective
CoverSurgical apparel and accessories, breathable membranes, and barrier products such as surgical
drapes must be fluid-proof to protect against possible contamination by fluid-borne viruses and
bacteria. Apparel must be comfortable and provide freedom of movement. Typically, the fabrics are
knitted, woven or nonwoven cotton, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, viscose or glass fiber.
Barrier protection may be provided by means of coating, lamination or encapsulation. Products may
be reusable or disposable. It is estimated that the annual U.S. surgical pack and gown market is $1
billion. According to the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary, N.C., nonwoven
disposable medical/surgical products sales generated $462 million in 1999.

Standard Textile’s ComPel surgical gowns are made from microdenier polyester fabric.
Cost-effective, eco-friendly waste management of disposable medical products is a concern in the
nonwovens sector. OREX Technologies International (OTI), an operating unit of Isolyser Co. Inc.,
Norcross, Ga., has developed OREX®, a dissolution technology that reduces such waste, and
EnviroGuard, a hot-water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), hydroentangled spunlaced nonwoven used in
such products as Allegiance Healthcare’s Resolve surgical gowns and drapes. EnviroGuard fabric
biodegrades into carbon dioxide and waste. It may be dissolved in water heated to 205°F in an OREX
processor and released into a wastewater treatment system. Reusable products comprise approximately
50 percent of the total product in this category, up from 10 to 20 percent in the late 1980s to
early 1990s. The increase is due primarily to technological advances for reusable products, said
Richard Stewart, vice president, product development, Cincinnati-based Standard Textile, a
manufacturer of reusable surgical, incontinence-care and other health-care-related products. “The
advances have made reusables more viable from a clinical perspective,” he said. “As well, they cost
much less per use than disposables, as laundering costs are less than costs of acquiring comparable
disposables.”The woven solution-dyed microdenier polyester fabric used in the company’s ComPel
surgical gowns is specifically designed and engineered for use in the surgical environment. The
fineness of the filament, rather than an applied coating, gives the fabric its fluid resistance,
which is enhanced by fluorocarbons.Fabric woven from microdenier yarn requires different weaving
machinery than more conventional fabrics. ComPel fabrics are woven by Precision Fabrics Group,
Greensboro, N.C., on water-jet looms.Staying DryStandard Textile’s ComPly and Integrity reusable
incontinence products are twice as durable as similar products using traditional constructions,
according to Stewart.ComPly fabric’s tricomponent knitted loop construction combines polyester, to
wick liquids away from the body, and cotton, to provide an absorbent padding. A vinyl or
polyurethane barrier on the under side protects bedding.Integrity fabric is a stitch-bonded
polyester/rayon nonwoven. The stitching forms the top face, while the nonwoven web absorbs liquids.

December 2001

Spinning In Control
Murata keeps competitors on their toes with its spinning, winding and texturing
technology. In the intensively competitive worldwide market for textile machinery,
manufacturers are constantly looking for an edge – either a real difference or a perceived one – to
differentiate product offerings from those of competitors. The 7th OTEMAS, Osaka, Japan, provided
just the forum for some of the world’s pre-eminent machinery manufacturers to showcase their latest
products on the continent where the bulk of the world textile machinery is sold.It was in this
heady environment that Textile Industries caught up with Japan-based Murata Machinery Ltd.’s
Junichi Murata and Larry Kenyon. In a refreshingly frank interview, these Murata executives
discussed their products, the history of product development and future directions for the company.

Murata’s No. 21C Process Coner has a straight yarn path from the center of the photograph
above shows (1) Pac 21 process cartridge winding system; (2) indicator; (3) waxing device; (4) yarn
clearer; (5) splicer; (6) process cartridge tension manager; and (7) Bal-Con balloon
controller.Murata has made headlines over the past few years with the development of its high-tech
vortex spinning system, but it was a more basic product that had Kenyon gleaming in Osaka – the No.
21C Process Coner, a new Muratec automatic winder. The winder features such improvements as a newly
developed tension/pickup/monitoring and winding control system, and a more stable traverse
mechanism. Winding technology has been in development for more than 20 years at Murata, resulting
in the first completely new winder for the company since 1979. Murata, according to Kenyon, was the
company that first developed the splicer that reduces knots and facilitates linking of the winder
to ring-spinning frames. By getting good splices and efficient winders, he said, smaller bobbins
can be used as well.”That’s [smaller bobbins and linking] the real key of this process. By making
smaller bobbins, the spinning frame can run faster and use less power. It’s like a really small,
efficient car that can run pretty fast and uses less gas than a big fast car, you know. So that’s
the theory behind that, and it probably made ring spinning survive for these last 20 years.”A lot
of people can modernize and buy new ring spinning now,” he continued. “If they had to run really
big bobbins – and the operators had to carry them to the winder and put them on by hand – I don’t
think there would have been any payback to ring spinning. So that’s where Murata started, you know,
roughly 20 years ago.”Murata, according to Kenyon, was a pioneer in linking. “When we designed our
winder link, we made a winder where the wound bobbin came into the back – and the empty one came
out to the front and circulated around. Everybody else brought their bobbins down the front, put
them in and brought them back, so they have these cumbersome methods to handle bobbins. “We’ve had
this patented direct-link system, and I say over the last years, our winder was a really great
winder,” Kenyon said. Murata’s manufacturing was automated, which enabled the company to produce
its winder at a low cost. “We could compete on a cost basis where everybody else had to go to a new
design to compete on a cost basis,” he said.Competitors were forced into revamping designs because,
during the profitable 1980s, a number of companies did not invest in new manufacturing processes,
Kenyon said. Murata, however, did. “One of the nicest things about [Junichi Murata] is he owns this
company, and he puts all his money back into the company. So through all these years, when our
competitors were owned by people who knew they were going to sell their companies – so they took
all the money and sold – he modernized our company. We’ve been staying highly modernized in
manufacturing. We were not forced to change our winder like the other people were.But as winding
features became more widespread – such as the ability to remove a length of yarn with a slub –
Murata began considering a new design for its offering. “More and more, we did see the need to
redesign our winder and come out with a more electronically controlled winder.” Murata’s new
product, first shown at OTEMAS, features a far greater degree of electronic control. “It allows us
to put more features in without dramatically changing the design of the winder,” Kenyon said. “You
just change the software – rewrite some software portions as you change features in the future. Now
we have clearers that take out long, thin places, and we have clearers that detect hairiness. It
takes a long time to detect hairiness, so you only want to unwind it for a hairiness fault. You
don’t want to unwind 80 meters for slub when a half-meter will do. You want to unwind exactly the
amount of yarn that you need to, so that’s what made us go to a more electronic winder.” Texturing
In texturing, Murata has also been selling machines for more than 20 years, primarily to Asian
customers. “I think we listened to the Asian market, and we dominate the Asian market in texturing
machines, and for spinning winders,” Kenyon said. The company, however, has not always been as
attuned as it would like to the Western market. “The Asian market was big, and they wanted simple
machines and they all wanted the same machine, so it’s pretty good for us because, remember, our
concept is to go very quickly into automated manufacturing, not to have an army full of people
running around making things by hand. We jumped very quickly into automated manufacturing, and that
concept worked well in Asia, because there’s very little difference in Asian machines from company
to company or country to country. We are very big in the texturing market and the spinning winder
market in Asia. We haven’t been in America. We do have a nice installation of texturing machines in
America, but they are specialty machines. No one has bought the commodity texturing machine in
America for a number of years. The people that have them have a lot of machines not running.
They’re going to get their machines that are idle running before they buy some more.”

Murata’s Bal-Con balloon controller maintains even winding tension from start to finish,
enabling more stable, high-speed winding for high-quality packages.MarketsOf all the markets Murata
serves, China is definitely the hottest right now, Kenyon said. “In fact,” he said, “if you take
China and then you take the South Asian countries around China, almost all the machines are going
either to China, or they are going on the border of China. The yarn’s going to China. Some
companies maybe don’t quite have the courage to install in China yet. They want to wait and see a
little longer, but most of the machines are being sold to Chinese people, although not always in
China. Remember, a lot of Chinese people are outside of China, but they have the contacts to sell
yarn to China.”Added Junichi Murata: “Chinese competition is not fair because it is not a
democratic country. They don’t have any labor unions, and their welfare and insurance are not very
good. For all intents and purposes, they can produce textiles so cheap, and they export to all of
the world. They are talking double deal – okay, it’s both ways, we can export to many countries,
but we also have to import. But I don’t think it’s true because when we export our machines to
China, there are many expensive duties and also some discrimination from government. But in the
United States and Japan, it’s free… the government doesn’t touch anything. Then we can compete on
the same ground.”SpinningDespite advances in winding and texturing, it is spinning that has earned
Murata its reputation as an innovator. In the late 1970s, the company succeeded in developing and
commercializing the Murata Jet Spinner (MJS), the world’s first air-jet spinning frame, Kenyon
said. The MJS feeds sliver directly to the package, integrating the roving, spinning and winding
processes; and reducing labor, energy and maintenance costs.

Murata’s No. 21C Process Coner“We right now have an AO2HR, and that is our MJS series,”
Kenyon said. “We’ve sold about 2,500 of these machines, most of them in the States. This machine
will run 100-percent polyester and 100-percent acrylic. It really is a poly/cotton machine. That’s
the sweet spot on the tennis racket. It goes at bottom-weight twills and some knits, but it really
is a poly/cotton knit machine, where you want no pilling.”After the MJS, Murata turned its
attention to its acclaimed vortex line. The Murata Vortex Spinner (MVS), according to Kenyon, is
the world’s first spinning frame to achieve knotless yarn with 100-percent carded cotton at speeds
up to 400 meters per minute (m/min). Murata currently has about 200 machines installed and hopes to
increase that considerably, Kenyon said. “I think, with the time in the market, we would like to
have been at 1,000. But the market has been changing over the last few years. We started installing
these machines and perfecting them. As we got them perfected, the market became unperfected.” When
the MVS was first introduced, there was considerable interest from U.S. companies, but Murata had
difficulty making the machines fast enough to meet demand, and lost a window of opportunity. “When
you first come out with a machine, it’s expensive to make. We sold 100 machines roughly to two
people, and I frankly would imagine [Murata] lost money on those machines. Everything’s made by
hand, and we were changing our hardware know-how. When you change your hardware know-how, you
redesign. Then you go to those first customers and you say, “you know, I’m sorry, but this part is
not the way it should be,

The Murata Vortex Spinner produces knotless yarn from 100-percent carded cotton.it should be
this.” So you give them this and, frankly speaking, I imagine you lose a lot of money. We have to
go through a period of that and then, once we get the machine design stable, we go into automated
manufacturing, and that’s when you can get aggressive on the price and still make money. If you
look at a car, every part is designed the cheapest possible way. Even on a Lincoln Continental, the
parts are made economically. No one can hand-make car parts anymore. So I think we’re at the stage
now where we have pretty well frozen the design, and the people in the factory can start making the
parts more automatically. We will be more aggressive, but the market is kind of slow right now. But
a good number of people in the market want this machine.”Kenyon continued: “Mr. Murata has always
given us the technology and tools to dominate markets, and once he decides to go into a market,
you’ll notice he doesn’t make a me-too machine, does he”

December 2001

 
New dye lab equipment shortens testing times, ensures more precise measurements for improved
quality control.As business conditions for the U.S. textile industry become more and more
competitive, the stresses on the industry’s manufacturing processes and methodologies become
correspondingly more demanding.

New dye lab equipment shortens testing times, ensures more precise measurement for improved
quality control.Today’s environment places a premium not just on price and quality, but on delivery
as well. Quick response is becoming the norm for those companies that want to grow or maintain
market share – and many U.S. textile companies are finding that their blue-chip customers will
accept nothing less. As a result, equipment and machinery manufacturers that supply the industry
are looking for innovative new ways to both cut production and testing time and ensure the
elimination of as much off-quality product as possible. Perhaps nowhere in the industry is that
more evident today than in testing and measurement equipment made for the dye lab.The modern dye
lab must be a sophisticated, scientific operation geared toward creating unparalleled consistency
and quality. From the manner in which shrinkage and elongation are measured, to the tolerance
specifications for color matches, there is little room for error. It is a well-known, if not
acknowledged, fact that inventory garners close scrutiny during lean economic times. Even the
suggestion or perception of variance from standards can send a perfectly good lot of yarn or fabric
back to the manufacturer as rejects.Therefore, one is more likely today to see rigorous testing
methods that drastically reduce both sampling and production time and labor; sophisticated
color-measurement devices that enable more exacting color matching; and state-of-the-art software
that does everything from evaluating samples, to monitoring production, to managing post-production
inspection and analysis.”Reducing testing time, eliminating redundancy and creating less
opportunity for off-quality goods – all of these factors can contribute significantly to the bottom
line of the manufacturers who are our customers,” said J. Mark Raiteri, president and CEO, Raitech
Inc., the Charlotte, N.C., manufacturer of textile control and measurement systems. “Our mission at
Raitech has been to provide these customers with relatively inexpensive equipment that creates the
opportunity for a rapid return on investment.” Shrinkage TestsAmong the company’s flagship products
is its Quickwash Plusª system. Originally developed in 1997 by Raitech and Cotton Incorporated,
Cary, N.C., an enhanced version, model EC300, was made available last year. Essentially, the
Quickwash Plus system radically reduces the time it takes to test for dimensional stability and
other fabric properties that require a washing and drying process. “The system reduces shrinkage
testing to about 15 minutes for most fabrics instead of up to 8 hours,” Raiteri said. “The
Quickwash Plus system uses a patented method for inducing the relaxation and shrinkage behavior of
textile fabrics. The process is one where a sample or samples are separately submitted to a short,
but complete, washing cycle in a whirling, oscillating hot-water bath followed by short rinse
cycles. Afterwards, the samples are subjected to a very short hydroextraction cycle and then
submitted to drying in a hot air stream. This method of drying induces constant motion of the yarns
at crossover points and flexing of the yarns in the fabric structure.” The Quickwash Plus system is
composed of a perforated vertical drum that contains up to five radially arranged partitions that
divide the space into an equal number of chambers capable of bi-directional rotation, he said. The
drum is enclosed in a thermally insulated protective casing covered by a lid and connected
mechanically to a shaft that can provide alternately a rotational or oscillating motion. The drum
has connections to a pressure air inlet from an air heater, a common water inlet for regulated
heated water and a water outlet for drainage. In addition to shrinkage, the Quickwash Plus system
can be used to evaluate a fabric’s tendency to spiral, twist or change in appearance. As well,
Raiteri said, it can be useful in reducing both time and effort in the determination of
colorfastness.”The overall benefit of the product is, of course, that it reduces the time it takes
to ensure the production of a quality product,” Raiteri said. “But also important is the fact that
the time and fabric savings alone can pay for the product in six months or less. The system only
uses one-fifth the fabric other testing methods require.”More than 300 Quickwash Plus units have
been sold, 100 of which have been to U.S. companies. “Currently, there is at least one Quickwash
Plus system in every country in the Americas,” Raiteri said. Customers include Cotton Incorporated,
National Textiles, Russell Athletics, Cone Mills, GaleyandLord, Guilford Mills and others, he
said.The latest offering from Raitech is a product called Quickviewª, an optical measurement device
for fabric shrinkage. “Quickview will do in a minute what it takes 15-30 minutes to do by hand,”
Raiteri said. “It eliminates up to 18 separate hand measurements.”Raitech also has available its
Quickcircleª fabric sample cutter; Quickcutª fabric cutter; Quickdryª fabric sample dryers; and
Quicktempª water temperature controller system. Testing ColorfastnessWhile the primary mission of
the Quickwash Plus system is to test for fabric shrinkage, United Kingdom-based James H. Heal –
represented in the United States by Advanced Testing Instruments Corp. (ATI), Greer, S.C. – focuses
on colorfastness with its Gyrowash machine. The latest incarnations of the Gyrowash range of
machines are used to investigate the fastness to washing, dry cleaning and chlorinated water of
colored textiles and leather.

Steven Webb, National Textile, checks color and quality of fabric prior to cutting with
ColorTools¨ software from Datacolor.Softrol, Acworth, Ga., manufactures a catalyst system,
ChemPulse, that includes a redundancy feature that continues chemical delivery to all washers when
one unit is taken out of service for maintenance or repair. Each catalyst, according the company,
can work in a preferred network range of machines to ensure equal utilization of
equipment.SpectrophotometersSpectrophotometers measure light reflected from an object at each
wavelength in the color spectrum. New developments in this arena include the LCS+ Liquid Color
Spectrophotometer from Mahlo America Inc., Spartanburg, S.C., and the CM-2600d portable from
Minolta, Japan.The LCS+ is a highly precise transmission spectrophotometer that spectrally measures
the color of transparent liquids, according to Udo Skarke, executive vice president, Mahlo America
Inc. “It makes sure the pigment in the dyes is the same,” he said. The LCS+ is designed for use
with disposable plastic cells, high-precision optical cuvettes or 11-millimeter (mm) tube cells.The
CM-2600d from Minolta is the first portable spectrophotometer on the market with instantaneous
ultraviolet (UV) adjustment, according to Norm Demers, technical support manager for Minolta’s
Light and Color Applications Center Instrument Systems Division.The product is lightweight and
compact and features dual apertures of 3 mm and 8 mm, Demers said. The CM-2600d performs like a
bench-top spectrophotometer and is suited for measuring fluorescents, paper, textiles or any
product with optical brighteners. Also from Minolta is the CM-3600d benchtop spectrophotometer for
reflectance and transmittance color measurement. This product, according to Demers, performs faster
and more accurate measurements of samples with gloss differences and offers instantaneous numerical
UV adjustment for samples that contain a UV-absorbing light component, such as fluorescing dyes,
pigments and optical brighteners.As well, Minolta offers the CL-200 Light Source Chroma Measurement
System, which can perform measurements of tristimulus colorimetrics, chromaticity, color
difference, correlated color temperature and illuminance of light sources. The CL-200 System
features an expandable modular design that uses compact and lightweight interchangeable components,
according to Demers. The system can be used for such applications as research and development of
light sources; color adjustment of cathode ray tubes (CRTs); flat panel displays and other display
devices; color evaluation and control of light boxes and booths; and optimum installation of
projection systems and presentation lighting.An ongoing argument for some concerns exactly when a
fabric should be tested for color consistency and quality. Should the greige fabric be tested for
consistency and dyeability before production is finished – or should the final product be tested to
measure conformity to specifications Mahlo’s Skarke told Textile Industries that U.S. manufacturers
in general produce dyed fabric and then use off-line testing as a quality control feature. “What we
are finding, however, is that a number of European companies are beginning to test fabric in-line
in order to be able to make quality decisions on the production floor. To this end, Mahlo has
developed its Colorscan CIS-10 offering, an on-line sensor that runs back and forth across the
fabric during production. The CIS-10 logs any variations in shade, both across and along the length
of the fabric.”The CIS-10 can measure properties on-line and at high speed after mercerizing, after
the range, at just about any step in the process, and can cull bad greige goods. That way, the
textile manufacturer knows very quickly that the products being manufactured are top quality. This
is faster, provides less waste and increases efficiency,” said Skarke.Testing Light Stability And
WeatheringOf course, color consistency, colorfastness and dimensional stability are not the only
factors that determine the quality and marketability of a particular yarn or fabric. Resistance to
the deteriorating effects of sunlight and other harsh lighting systems, for example, is critical to
the performance of many products today, particularly activewear. The Q-Sun Xenon Test Chamber,
manufactured by Q-Panel Lab Products, Cleveland, uses full-spectrum xenon arc lamps to reproduce
the damaging wavelengths of light encountered in a multitude of environments, according to Ronald
L. Roberts, U.S. sales manager. The Q-Sun can be used to simulate and accelerate these conditions
for both research and development and quality-control applications. The Q-Sun is used for the
selection of new materials, the improvement of existing materials or the evaluation of how changes
in formulations affect product durability. In addition to photodegradation, Roberts said, the Q-Sun
can also be operated as a weathering tester.From SDL America Inc., Charlotte, N.C., the M237 Light
Fastness Tester determines colorfastness and sunlight degradation through the use of a 500-watt
mercury-blended tungsten lamp. The machine includes a presettable timer and time-elapsed counter.
The SDL M237 can be fitted with type C, D or E sample holders within which humidity can be
controlled using saturated salts. The company also has available a rapid fade model fitted with a
400-watt mercury tungsten high-powered lamp.Software For Control, EfficiencyNot all of the
improvements in quality measurement and production efficiency are related to manufacturing
equipment. A number of software offerings are on the market that assist companies in formulation
and dispersement of dyes and chemicals, as well as product testing and sorting.SheLyn Inc.,
Greensboro, N.C., has its SLI-Form¨ package that can interface with a wide variety of
spectrophotometers. In addition to formulation, SLI-Form can evaluate dyeings to ensure accuracy in
formulations and can correct or fine-tune formulas in production, according to Ann C. Laidlaw,
manager, color applications.DCIMatch from Datacolor International, Lawrenceville, N.J., provides
for the matching of any shade on any substrate or blend. DCIMatch features the company’s Smart
Match¨ Expert System, which “learns” the behavior of dyestuffs, processes and substrates in order
to match color theory to real world practices.GretagMacbeth, New Windsor, N.Y., offers its
ProPalette Textile Formulation software, a complete quality control program that measures color
difference, plots variations in color and features pass/fail tolerancing for all major color spaces
and illuminants. As well, ProPalette offers dyestuff calibration and performance
monitoring.National Textiles – Committed to CustomersIf there is one thing management at the
National Textiles LLC plant in Forest City, N.C., has learned in an era of extreme competitive
pressure, it’s that quality is a process-by-process measurement.”Today, we’re driving quality into
the process, instead of waiting until the end,” said Bonnie Davis, the plant’s quality manager.
“Two years ago, we would do quality audits on the finished product. Now more than 90 percent of our
quality is checked in process from the very beginning.”

Plant Manager Ken Warren and Quality Manager Bonnie Davis inspect dyed knits at National
Textiles’ Forest City TextilesAs a result, the plant has reduced its lead time and increased
production efficiency – while continuing to manufacture highly respected dyed knit fabrics.National
Textiles is a vertically integrated company, encompassing everything from yarn to cut fabrics. At
the Forest City Plant, yarn is brought in from sister facilities, knitted, dyed and finished. The
plant ships about 1.3 million pounds of finished fabric per year and cuts about 200,000 dozen
samples per week.Like many other companies in the U.S. textile industry, National Textiles feels
the mounting pressure from the expanding influx of low-cost foreign textiles, particularly from the
Far East. The company, however, is committed to a strategy it believes will keep National
competitive through the rollback of quotas in 2005 and beyond.”We key in on things that are really
important to our customers,” Davis said. “We identify those things they are really looking for and
focus on them.”That commitment runs through the company, from top to bottom, Plant Manager Ken
Warren said. “Our basic philosophy is simple. We give our customers what they want when they want
it. We’re working with lead times we wouldn’t even have thought about a few years ago. The
commitment runs not only to processes but also to equipment purchases. National’s Forest City Plant
was among the first facilities, for example, to embrace the Quickwash Plus system offered by
Raitech Inc. Armed with the potential of saving time and simultaneously increasing quality, Warren
saw the opportunity to serve both his customers and the company.”The Quickwash Plus machine has
really taken our fabric performance to a new level. It gives us a much quicker view of what the
fabric will be like after the compaction process,” Warren said.”To meet our objectives today, we
can’t hold up a product for a lab test that might take six hours or more before we can begin
cutting fabric,” Davis said.National uses other state-of-the-art systems, such as ColorTools¨
software by Datacolor International, to ensure dyed fabric is within customer specifications. The
company has a reputation of being among the lowest-cost manufacturers of knitted fabrics in the
United States. But that is only part of the reason behind the company success, according to
Davis.”People usually come to us because of price,” she said. “But they stay because of the quality
and service they receive.”Today, our focus, instead of on mass production, is on the individual
lots that we ship to our customers. On-time performance is measured on a weekly basis. Our quality
process has enabled us to move product through the plant without getting stopped along the way.
And, if for any reason the flow does stop, we know how to address and correct the situation
quickly.”In an era in which competition has made quick response the norm, on-time performance is
especially critical if a company is to keep its customers. “If a product doesn’t ship within our
specified lead time, it’s late,” Warren said. “And being late gets a lot of attention around here.
But we believe that – if we continue to deliver a high-quality product that exactly meets our
customers’ wants and needs and deliver it on time – then we will continue to grow. I truly believe
that if you focus on service and quality, you will not lose customers.”Prospects for continued
success for National are good, Warren said. The company is comfortable without being complacent.
Indeed, there are many challenges looming on the horizon, but both Warren and Davis believe
National’s commitment to customer service will be more than enough to keep the company at the top
of supplier lists for many of its customers.

 
December 2001

While the textile industry has been going through tough times recently, cycles of good and
bad times are not unique to the industry. Over the long run, every industry has its ups and downs.
So, when tough times hit, why do some firms weather the storm and come out stronger, while others
are casualties At least part of the answer to this critical question has become more evident over
the last two decades. The “secret” to success in good and bad times, across a wide range of
industries, lies in large measure in having a strong corporate culture that ensures the flow of
ever-higher-quality products and services.Defining Corporate CultureWhat is corporate culture Many
different definitions of corporate culture have been offered over the years. At the heart of all
these definitions, however, are two important ideas. First, corporate culture speaks to “how” the
firm has decided to do business. Second, corporate culture, expressed through the core values of a
firm, helps to explain “why” the business should exist, not just from the owners’ perspective, but
for everyone who has a stake in the well-being of the firm.How does corporate culture impact the
quality of products and services produced by a firm and, therefore, its capacity to survive There
are three key ways that culture impacts this relationship. First, as noted above, firms vary in
“how” they like to do business, and these choices make a significant difference in the quality of a
firm’s products and services from year to year. The first widely recognized evidence about this
relationship came out in the early 1980s, when Thomas Peters and Robert H. Waterman published their
bestseller book, In Search of Excellence. In looking closely at many consistently profitable,
high-growth firms across several industries, they discovered that all these companies had a
remarkably similar way of doing business that enhanced their reputation as quality providers.
Specifically, they all shared, in large measure, eight common ways of conducting business: a bias
for taking action rather than overanalyzing issues; a drive to get close to customers; the
willingness to grant employees sufficient autonomy to explore new entrepreneurial opportunities; a
quest to improve productivity by investing in their people; hands-on, value-driven styles of
management; a preference for sticking to businesses they knew how to run; creation of simple
structures and operating with a lean staff; and the granting of operational autonomy at the shop
floor while retaining control over the values of the firm at large.

Core Values Impact Quality And LongevityThe second way corporate culture impacts quality and
longevity was only discovered during the past decade. This connection has to do with understanding
“why” an organization should exist at all. More precisely, in a landmark study that compared the
small handful of high-quality companies that had existed for over 100 years – like DuPont –
compared to the millions that go out of business during the first 20 to 30 years of life, the only
consistent differentiating factor was the nature of the core values that were held as being of
primary importance to the firm. Specifically, when a company is aimed primarily at maximizing
short-term economic gains, it is a high-risk candidate for failure because there is always the
temptation to sacrifice long-term quality for near-term profits. In contrast, when a firm places
primary importance on “changing with the times,” so that a community can be created of individuals
who know who they are and why they hold in common certain values – such as continuously improving
the quality of their products and services – the prospects for long-term survival increase
exponentially
(See “Chas. W. HouseandSons – Striving For Quality,” below).The third way corporate
culture impacts quality and the likelihood of long-term survival stems from the value an
organization places on building systems that both reflect the organization’s core values and are
designed to help ensure the firm will last for the long haul. All of the long-lived organizations
that have been studied to date have placed great importance on this kind of investment in quality
improvement. In contrast, when organizations are “built to flip,” as occurred with many of the
dot.com firms created during the past decade, the end result is less pleasant. What systems need to
be built for a firm to continually enhance the quality of its products and services Research over
the past decade indicates that while many systems can be created, there are four that clearly stand
out as most useful in impacting a firm’s ability to survive and thrive. These systems focus on:
building a deep strategic planning process; creating an intense customer focus that permeates the
organization; enhancing the capacity of a firm to develop its people; and expanding the
organization’s commitment to recognize and reward the efforts of all employees.ConclusionsIn
summary, if you want to make it through these challenging times and thrive over the long term, look
to your corporate culture. Knowing how to improve the quality of your products and services is not
enough. Everyone in your organization must believe and act on this value. So, review and improve
“how” you are doing business. Reflect on and make it clear to employees, customers, shareholders,
and the community “why” you should be in business. Then, enhance or build the systems that will
take your firm to the next level.Chas W. HouseandSons – Striving for QualityChas. W. HouseandSons
Inc., located in the quaint New England village of Unionville, Conn., provides a good example of
how a strong culture can help a firm win in good times and bad. Founded in 1867, over the last
several decades, the company has emerged as a leader in the U.S. market for high-quality woolen and
wool-blend woven felt applications.What is the secret of the firm’s success According to Matt
Bristow, CEO, its longevity is the result of adherence to a basic cultural value that “We are
survivors,” who will change with the times, combined with a prudent set of business practices aimed
at always striving to produce higher quality products and services for their customers. More
precisely, according to Bristow, who bought the firm in 1995 after a distinguished career at The
Stanley Works, its success stems from a culture that is “a blend of long-standing values combined
with the reality of today’s globally competitive marketplace.” In addition, the firm’s ability to
remain in the fight today and do battle tomorrow depends on several key business practices that
reflect its culture: strategic planning, customer focus, as well as developing and recognizing its
employees.HouseandSons’ strategy is based on two key fundamental principals. First, focus on
maintaining and enhancing the firm’s core manufacturing competencies. Second, always be in a
position to make choices around what actions can preserve or strengthen the firm’s leadership
position in its markets. So, for example, when the casino gaming and billiard markets began
changing dramatically over the past five years due to a surge of imports and man-made fibers, the
firm responded by introducing a blend of imported products that could meet or exceed the high
quality standards of home-grown products. This decision was based on the recognition that the firm
could add value to the imported product by performing finishing operations that meet or exceed
market specifications. At the same time, being open to importing allowed the company to explore
opportunities to expand its total product offering by selling other products it did not make.
Another key to the company’s long-standing success has been the concerted drive to establish and
maintain close contact with its customers. For example, the company has actively combined the
efforts of its textile technical and sales engineers to work in unison with its customers’
engineering and product-design staff as a way to identify opportunities to become problem solvers
as well as to improve long-term relationships.

By adhering to basic cultural values, Chas W. HouseandSons Inc. has emerged as a leader in
the U.S. market for high-quality woolen and wool blend woven felt applications.The third key
component of HouseandSons’ business culture is to proactively seek ways to develop and recognize
its employees to the greatest extent possible. To this end, the company provides competitive
industry salaries and a profit-sharing plan, and routinely holds employee-recognition and
communication meetings. Beyond these basics, however, the company has also moved to promote a
culture of greater engagement and accountability by flattening the organization. This has occurred
through the elimination of the position of plant superintendent and similar changes in the sales
and marketing and administrative support areas. At the same time, recognizing employee
contributions has remained a top priority. For instance, in 1996, the company made a key hire of a
textile engineer that allowed it to develop an international sourcing capability. This employee has
since become head of the firm’s textile engineering function. Thus, as new challenges arise, the
company’s leadership, first-line supervisors, and employees can more effectively implement new
business plans through faster product development and a commitment to become ever more
customer-focused.

Editors note: James W. Fairfield-Sonn operates his own consulting practice and is also a
tenured associate professor of management at the University of Hartford, Conn. Fairfield-Sonn
teaches courses in process management and leadership and was voted outstanding teacher of the year
in 1999.His first book, Corporate Culture and the Quality Organization, published by Quorum Books,
focuses on identifying the core activities that are essential to the success of any quality
enhancement effort and how to make them happen in a company or organization.

December 2001