From Field To Fiber With Tatham Hemp Technology

MANCHESTER, England — June 26, 2023 — BTMA member Tatham has just delivered an advanced industrial hemp processing line to a major customer in Turkey and had many fruitful discussions about its machinery for the processing of natural staple fibers at the recent ITMA 2023 held in Milan from June 8-14.

The Bradford, England-based company continues to equip mills around the world with staple fiber spinning and nonwoven technologies for manufacturing a wide range of products, while its TS system for drives and controls is suitable for retrofitting to all OEM textile machines, to provide user-friendly control systems with complete synchronization and significant energy savings.

“We are currently fielding a lot of inquiries for technologies for the decortication, fiber opening and fabric forming of hemp,” said Tatham director Tim Porritt. “This is being driven by the sustainability of the fiber and concerns over climate change as brands seek solutions to meet their sustainability goals. As a result, there has been an explosion in the interest in hemp production, from farmers through to fiber production, and a wide range of new potential end-uses are being explored.”

Hemp is a very versatile fiber with a wide range of end uses, he added.

“These include construction and insulation materials, paper and packaging and composites, while some of our customers are modifying the fiber properties so the hemp can directly replace synthetic fibers in existing processing lines, such as spunlace for wipes, for example.”

Tatham offers a complete ‘Field to Fibre’ service for industrial hemp fiber production and its decortication and cleaning process has a gentle opening action to maintain the fiber length, to make it suitable for subsequent processing.

Tatham Director Tim Porritt

“In the UK we have two of the most efficient hemp decortication lines operating in the world, with efficiency measured in machine utilization, low maintenance costs and machine operatives,” said Porritt. “The main challenge facing hemp processors is in the harvesting/retting process which is critical to producing a good quality fiber, but hemp production also provides significant benefit in agriculture, improving soil health and enabling nutrient cycling via crop rotation. It also sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for carbon negative production.

Tatham decortication lines take care of both the shiv and the fiber and for each 1,000 kilograms (kg) of stalk there is a maximum potential yield of 300 kg of fiber and 600 kg of shiv.

“We discussed many options with companies either looking to enter this field or expand their existing capabilities in Milan,” Porritt concluded.

“An extensive range of technologies and services from the UK was on display at ITMA 2023, with over 30 members of the British Textile Machinery Association in attendance,” added BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “It was a really fantastic exhibition. Sustainability, circularity and Industry 4.0 have been the primary themes coming from the market for some time now and our members have responded with innovations spanning the entire supply chain — from fibers to finishing — and with a specific emphasis in many cases on improved software and digitized control solutions.”

Posted: June 26, 2023

Source: The British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA)

TechStyle Innovation: A Hot New Business Opportunity For Textile Printers

By Naomi Kaempfer

Set to be worth $6.65 billion by 2030, the digital textile printing market has no doubt gained traction in recent decades, fueled by technological advancements that have helped to increase efficiencies and drive the industry forward. Today, however, with digital printing technology now the industry standard, textile printers are having to work harder than ever to push the boundaries of creativity and achieve true product differentiation. Regardless of designs or fabrics, the end result for textile printers to date has essentially been much of the same market-wide: a two-dimensional pattern that exhibits the same mechanical properties as the substrate textile. Looking to the future, it’s clear then that the next creative and commercial move for textile printing needs to go beyond just improving current processes to truly bring textile to life and reimagine what’s possible — which is precisely what direct-to-textile 3D printing is now delivering.

The world of fashion and textile is no stranger to the 3D printing process itself. 3D printed elements have been incorporated into textiles before, by first 3D printing the desired element then manually working it into an individual garment. We have seen elaborate 3D printed elements being used to elevate dresses and create show-stopping shoes for years, with esteemed designers from Iris van Herpen to Julia Koerner, Karim Rashid and Neri Oxman embracing the technology. This process, however, has for the most part been limited to the highest end of fashion and for conceptual and artistic endeavours.

Tech And Style For Textile Printers

Fortunately, new advances in the technology are now taking this process even further — both reinventing what is possible and, importantly, putting these revolutionary capabilities directly in the hands of textile printers, ultimately ushering in an entirely new era of textile printing. For the first time, we are now able to 3D print direct-to-textile, opening up a host of new opportunities. By enabling the construction of patterns and objects directly onto textiles such as denim, cotton, polyester and linen, it is possible to build 3D printing into textile production from the outset, effectively turning fabric into a blank canvas for new visual and tactile effects.

While direct-to-textile 3D printing technology is relatively new to the market, early applications have already included decorative patterns on jeans and dresses, graphics on shoes, wearables and bags. With countless more potential creative applications still to be explored this is merely the beginning.

Landmark pieces such as the Greta Oto Dress designed by threeASFOUR and Travis Fitch are showcasing how 3D printing onto textiles can create never before seen textile designs. Exploring the interplay of light and fabric, the dress harnesses the lenticular effect of the 3D printed elements — printed directly onto a polyester substrate — to reflect and refract light creating a butterfly-like shimmer — ultimately resulting in a final product that simply couldn’t be produced by any other means.

Direct-to-textile 3D printing not only allows innovation in new products, but can even extend product lifecycle by enabling used clothing and accessories to be repurposed with the addition of 3D printed elements, including customized designs and one-of-a-kind personalization.

Looking beyond the surface, the true value of this technology grants textile printers the means to deliver a differentiated, stand-out service offering. Changing the way they can engage with fabrics, this opens the door to new revenue streams and provides an all-important critical edge in a competitive market landscape.

Editor’s Note: Naomi Kaempfer is creative director of Art, Design and Fashion at Stratasys, and is responsible for exploring innovative new applications for 3D printing across the creative disciplines and developing key collaborations with designers and artists to push the creative envelope.

June 26, 2023

Terrot: A Strong Line-Up At The ITMA 2023

CHEMNITZ, Germany — June 23, 2023 — With an impressive combination of new developments, enhanced blockbusters and ever-growing variety of leading applications the company presented at the fair a highly demanded range of solutions, in particular for mattress ticking, upholstery, sports and functional wear clients.

“ITMA was also 2023 a great platform to present our products and services to a wide trade audience. The fair exceeded our expectations in all areas. Given the circumstances, the economic slowdown and crises in the textile industry we were overwhelmed by the interest and feedback generated. The high frequency of visitors to our booth that continued until the very end gave us all the opportunities to intensify existing business relations, generate important deals and make valuable new contacts,” said Managing Partner Robert Czajkowski.

The showcased 8-lock blockbuster I3P 196 premiering with the integrable Smartex inspection system, is only one example of Terrot’s ability to manufacture world’s best circular knitting machines and its dedication to constantly improve their outstanding customer value in terms of productivity, efficiency and flexibility.

The demand for innovative technical solutions will continue to increase being additionally fueled by digitization. With the continuous development of value-added technologies and customer-centric solutions we are best positioned to be successful in the markets. Responding to our customers‘ needs and offering reliable, easy-to-use solutions is one of our USP’s and at the same time of highest customer relevance.

“The market response at the ITMA confirms the high demand for Terrot machines as well as our technical solutions. This is an incredible source of motivation for our team and a constant incentive to deal with all the challenges ahead of us. I am convinced that with the strength of our dedicated staff, agents and partners, we will be able to meet any of the challenges arising. We are already looking forward to ITMA 2027 in Hannover” Czajkowski added.

Many thanks to our fantastic team, our loyal agents and partners, and our valued custo- mers for making ITMA 2023 a great success for Terrot!

ITMA Highlights

  • The I3P 196 OW a highly flexible and productive, interlock and fine rib machine with open width frame that has been much demanded globally in the past years. The I3P 196 is a creates „8-lock“, interlock and modified structures like punto di roma, mila- no rib, piqué rodier and also racer mesh with maximum efficiency. Equipped with up to 4 needle tracks in cylinder cam and 2 needle tracks in dial cam the I3P 196 promises maximum flexibility and a wide range of pattern options. At ITMA it was combined with the latest technology of our partner Smartex. Their build-in CORE system gives the customer the power of latest hardware and software technology to control their fabric production, inspecting every inch of fabric using arti- ficial intelligence algorithms, which are constantly being upgraded. Smartex’s patented hardware set is comprised of an AI-powered graphic processing server, high resolution cameras with machine learning capabilities, and enhanced lighting for optimal grei-
ge fabric inspection controlled by an intuitive industrial grade touchscreen interface. Smartex’ software provides the customer with 24/7 access to real-time production in- formation including automated roll maps, business intelligence data, and performance analysis from anywhere, using their preferred device (computer, tablet, smartphone).
  • The UCC 672-ME in 3-way technology in dial and cylinder is Terrot’s flagship in the production of highest quality mattress covers, upholstery and fashion with unlimi- ted pattern possibilities on both fabric sides. With 88 feeders at 38“ (available from 34“ to 42“), newly developed dial needle selection and reliable elastane plating, the model’s flexibility and extremely high productivity are the newest demonstration of Terrot’s reputation as world’s leading producer of most sophisticated electronic jacquard ma- chines.
  • The Interlock model I 1120 as one of Terrot’s newly designed circular knitting ma- chines with 34” and 136 feeders (30“ – 42“ on request) can be with many innovative and current demand reflecting features an attractive alternative to our blockbuster ever- green the I 2108. You can reach maximum efficiency and productivity with an industrial frame and fabric rolls up to 1,050 mm. The motorized fabric take-down with three rol- lers and the automatic winding-up device supports industrial production at its best.
  • The UCC 572-T is Terrot’s flagship in the production of functional sport and leisu- re textiles, offering great flexibility and a high production output. The machine features a wide variety of applications while producing single and double jersey structure area combinations in addition to hole patterns. This model makes designer’s dreams come true.
  • Terrot extends its product portfolio even further and launches the new JV-3.0, which stands for high production outputs in the field of single jersey fabrics. This very productive knitting machine is easily capable of a speed factor of 1,280. In addition, other single structures like piqué can also be knitted with the JV-3.0. Despite its high efficiency the machine displays outstanding flexibility, long maintenance cycles and unseen operational convenience.
  • The JSP5-4 produces high-quality plush with uniform loop lengths and provides a variety of different applications for various market requirements like fashion, home and technical textiles. Terrot offers different highly productive single jersey knitting ma- chines for nearly every application and is very successful on the global market with its product portfolio.

Posted: June 23, 2023

Source: Terrot GmbH

Data, Legislation And Climate Crisis In Focus At Better Cotton Conference

AMSTERDAM — June 23, 2023 — Better Cotton has concluded its annual conference, which was held June 21-22 in Amsterdam.

The in-person and online event attracted more than 350 industry stakeholders from 38 countries around the world, and explored four key themes: Climate Action, Sustainable Livelihoods, Data & Traceability, and Regenerative Agriculture.

On the opening day, following a member meeting in which the impending launch of Better Cotton’s India Impact Report was previewed, keynotes from Nisha Onta, Regional coordinator for Asia at WOCAN, and Antonie Fountain, CEO of the VOICE Network, set the scene for discussions on Climate Action and Sustainable Livelihoods, respectively.

On the former, sessions highlighted both the scale of the impact of climate change on cotton farming communities, and the scope for collaboration. Breakout sessions centered on the potential of localized primary data and carbon financing projects to unlock farm-level improvements.

On the topic of Sustainable Livelihoods, meanwhile, Fountain’s presentation blended into a lively conversation on living income that he facilitated with support from IDH Senior Innovation Manager Ashlee Tuttleman. Together, they oversaw a quiz which explored agricultural myths bandied around across commodity sectors, before winners were invited to take to the stage as impromptu panelists.

Later sessions on the topic explored in greater detail the concept of wellbeing and sustainable livelihoods. Julia Felipe, a Better Cotton Farmer from Mozambique shared her experiences; as did Jyoti Macwan, the secretary-general of SEWA, a women’s employment association that’s helped millions of Indian women secure necessities through local social enterprises.

The second day started with a keynote presentation from Maxine Bédat, the founder and director of the New Standard Institute, on the important role of data and traceability in a sector that’s facing increasing regulation.

Better Cotton Senior Traceability Manager, Jacky Broomhead, took to the stage soon after to outline the potential of the organisation’s traceability system as one solution. Joined by Erin Klett, senior director, Research & Policy at Verité, and Sarah Solomon, International Relations officer at the U.S. Department of Labour, they discussed the system’s impending launch and how it aligns with an influx of legislation.

A series of breakout sessions followed covering a myriad of topics, from pilot traceability efforts in India and the value of increased transparency for farmers, to the issue of greenwashing and methods of measuring impact.

A look at regenerative agriculture rounded off the event, starting with a keynote from Felipe Villela, founder of reNature.

Better Cotton, which continues to refine its approach to regenerative agriculture, featured throughout the theme, with Nathalie Ernst, the organization’s Farm Sustainability Standards Manager at Better Cotton, and Emma Dennis, senior manager Sustainable Agricultural Practices, helping set the scene as to how this approach can benefit nature and society.

This, before delegates heard from a panel of farmers representing India, Pakistan and the U.S. about how their operations have been impacted by the adoption of regenerative practices and the misconception surrounding its applicability.

Alan McClay, CEO, Better Cotton, said: “This year’s conference has been a resounding success. We’ve heard from experts throughout fashion supply chains, from valued cotton farmers in our network right through to the brands and retailers that source their product. Discussions have reiterated the urgent action required to tackle the worst effects of the climate crisis, but there was also a clear consensus around the need to deliver profound impact at farm level. With a regenerative approach and this group of changemakers we can push for social and environmental transformation.”

Posted: June 23, 2023

Source: Better Cotton

International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF): Shipments Of New Textile Machinery Decreased In Most Segments In 2022, Except In Spinning

ZÜRICH, Switzerland — June 23, 2023 — In 2022, global shipments of new short-staple spindles, open-end rotors, and long-staple spindles rose by 27 percent, 85 percent, and 195 percent, respectively, year-on-year. Deliveries of draw-texturing spindles decreased by 13 percent and the number of shipped shuttle-less looms dropped by 23 percent. Shipments of large circular knitting machines declined by 27 percent and shipped flat knitting machines registered a 24-percent reduction. The sum of all deliveries in the finishing segment decreased by 28 percent on average.

These are the main results of the 45th annual International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) just released by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF). The report covers six segments of textile machinery, namely spinning, draw-texturing, weaving, large circular knitting, flat knitting, and finishing. A summary of the findings for each category is presented below. The 2022 survey has been compiled in cooperation with more than 200 textile machinery manufacturers representing a comprehensive measure of world production.

Spinning Machinery

The total number of shipped short-staple spindles increased by 2.1 million units in 2022 to a level of 9.76 million. Most of the new shipments went to Asia & Oceania (86 percent) where deliveries increased by 21 percent compared to 2021. Europe (including Turkey) and America, North, rank second and third with respect to new deliveries. While levels remained relatively small in Africa, the region ranked fourth and experienced the strongest surge in year-on-year shipments with a  290-percent increase (primarily going to Egypt). The six largest investors in the short-staple segment were China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

1.28 million open-end rotors were shipped worldwide in 2022. This represents 587 thousand additional units compared to 2021. Some 87 percent of global shipments went to Asia & Oceania where deliveries increased by 91% to 1.1 million rotors. China, India, and Turkey were the world’s three largest investors in rotors and saw investments surging by 67 percent, 261 percent and 91 percent, respectively. Deliveries of rotors rose in all major destination countries except for Vietnam and Brazil, the seventh and eighth largest destinations in 2022, where shipment of rotors decreased by 34 percent and 30 percent compared to 2021 (totalling around 15 thousand units in each case).

Global shipments of long-staple (wool) spindles increased from 31.6 thousand in 2021 to 93.000 in 2022 (up 195 percent). This effect was mainly driven by a rise in deliveries to Asia & Oceania with a 435-percent increase in investment. Some 21 percent of total deliveries were shipped to China, 20 percent to Uzbekistan and 15 percent to Iran.

Texturing Machinery

Global shipments of single heater draw-texturing spindles (mainly used for nylon filaments) decreased by 14 percent from nearly 75.1 thousand units in 2021 to 64.4 thousand units in 2022. With a share of 95 percent, Asia & Oceania remained the strongest destination for single heater draw-texturing spindles in 2022. China, Turkey, and Japan were the three main investors in this segment with a share of 84 percent, 3.5 percent, and 2.3 percent of global deliveries, respectively.

In the category of double heater draw-texturing spindles (mainly used for polyester filaments), global shipments decreased by 13 percent to a level of 756 thousand spindles. Asia’s share of worldwide shipments remained at 95 percent and China continued to be the world’s largest investor, accounting for 86 percent of global shipments.

Weaving Machinery

In 2022, global shipments of shuttleless looms decreased by 23 percent to 114 thousand units. Deliveries in the categories “air-jet” and “water-jet” dropped by 13 percent and 38.4 percent to 39.3 and 46.6 thousand looms, respectively. The number of “rapier and projectile” looms rose by 5.3 percent to 28.3 thousand units. The main destination for shuttleless looms in 2022 was Asia & Oceania with 93 percent of worldwide deliveries. 95 percent, 85 percent, and 97 percent of global air-jet, rapier/projectile, and water-jet looms were shipped to that region, respectively. The main investor for air-jet and water-jet looms was China. The main investor for rapier-and-projectile looms was India with 11.4 thousand units (a 70-percent increase compared to 2021).

Circular & Flat Knitting Machinery

Global shipments of large circular knitting machines declined by 27 percent to 28,651 units in 2022. The region Asia & Oceania was the world’s leading investor in this category with 77 percent of global shipments. China was the favored destination with 45 percent of all deliveries (i.e., 9,930 units) despite a decrease of 55 percent compared to 2021. India and Bangladesh ranked second and third destinations with 3,105 and 2,644 units, respectively.

In 2022, the number of shipped electronic flat knitting machines decreased by 24 percent to 72.6 thousand machines. Asia & Oceania was the main destination for such machines with a share of 83 percent of world shipments. China remained the world’s largest investor with a 63-percent share of total shipments despite a 41-percent decrease in investment. Shipments to the country dropped from 67.7 thousand units in 2021 to 39.6 thousand units in 2022.

Finishing Machinery

In the “fabrics continuous” segment, the number of shipped tenters decreased by 35 percent from 2,750 units in 2021 to 1,780 units in 2022. This number includes an estimate for the total number of tenters shipped by companies which have not participated to the ITMF survey to better grasp the global market size for finishing machinery. Participating companies reported a decrease in all other machine categories covered in the report (between -2.5 percent for “Relax Dryers/Tumblers” and -81 percent for “Bleaching – Line”), with exception of “Singeing Line” which grew from 4 to 22 units. In the “fabrics discontinuous” segment, the number of shipped “jigger dyeing/beam dyeing” and “air jet dyeing” declined by 35 percent and 45 percent to 707 units and 675 units, respectively. In 2022, deliveries in the categories “overflow dyeing” increased by 4 percent to 1,714 units.

Posted: June 23, 2023

Source: International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF)

DiloGroup: ITMA 23 — Great Exhibition Platform

EBERBACH, Germany — June 22, 2023 — All seven days from June 8-14 were highlighted by a stream of visitors to the Dilo stand which gave prominent attention to a complete production and demonstration line of MicroPunch technology. On this stand of 750 square meters, with 36 associates of DiloGroup in attendance plus external services, the complete line demonstrated the brand new “MicroPunch” technology from bale opening to end-of- line winding.

The MicroPunch features had been promoted in advance at INDEX to make interested parties acquainted with the features of high speed lightweight needling. Several press releases and official presentations including one at ITMA announced this breakthrough for significant energy savings.

All visitors have confirmed that the current commercial and environmental issues concerning sustainability, critical energy supplies at increasing prices, shrinking of water reserves as well as the outlook for fiber material savings should attract our utmost attention. These concerns find an answer in the field of lightweight nonwovens production through Dilo’s brand new MicroPunch production technology which will become relevant when investments take place for nonwoven production in a weight range between 30 up to more than 100 grams per square meter (g/m2). MicroPunch offers a tremendous savings potential for electrical energy and energy from gas heating as no water is consumed. Furthermore, there is no fiber loss associated with this production technology since trimmed material can easily be recycled within the process.

It has been illustrated that depending on the individual costs for electric power, gas and water, production cost savings may be as high as 25 percent associated with around 40 g/m2 and even up to 50 percent for products around 100 g/m2.

The MicroPunch line consisted of DiloTemafa fiber preparation, opening by a BALTROMIX bale opener, carding willow and dosing opener of the latest design followed by the successful DiloSpinnbau MultiCard fed by a universal card feeder including the new IsoFeed system for reduced weight variation. IsoFeed can add the correct amount of staple fiber volume in areas of lower mass in the flock mat plane, thus correcting weight deviations and improving the overall CV value by ca. 4 percent. The very regular web mass at the end of the card allows a reduction of the average weight by approximately 10 percent resulting in considerable fiber savings when a minimum weight associated with a high regularity must not be exceeded.

The MultiCard was additionally equipped with the new “variogap and speed controller” which allows an optimum of gap and speed adjustments at the fifth worker and at the doffers. The web quality during the show impressed by superior regularity. This is particularly important when no crosslapper is used as was the case at ITMA where the card fed the following needle punching equipment directly.

The Dilo team installing this complex line within 10 to 12 days including commissioning demonstrated its capabilities under high time pressure. It gave an example to all involved with their efficiency, coordination and professional attitude. This resulted in a great performance and added to an excellent atmosphere during these days together with our range of customers and interested parties.

This line will be shipped back to our research and demonstration center were DiloGroup will use it for product development and also in cooperation with our customers and their specific fiber and requirements.

The second highlight of DiloGroup’s ITMA demonstration was the introduction to our cooperation with Messrs. Dell’Orco & Villani and Technoplants for “RecycloLine”. “RecycloLine” is the platform for the three companies involved to engineer and supply complete lines for mechanical recycling of garment waste in order to fulfil current and future requirements to save valuable fibre material instead of wasting, burning and dumping it.

DiloSystems as a general contractor will coordinate the engineering of individual projects for our customers worldwide and will be offering demonstration of tearing, aerodynamic web forming, through air bonding, carding, cross lapping, needling as well as air systems engineering which is to control excessive amounts of dust in such production lines. Our engineering will also comprise end-of-line cutting, winding, palletizing and packaging.

Our customers will be informed and included in the engineering process in order to decide which method of web forming and consolidation works best for their particular purpose, its quality and economics. Four demonstration locations in Florence, Ancona, Pistoia (all Italy) and Eberbach (Germany) are available to offer a deep insight into this particular technology including sampling of material from recycled fibre.

ITMA attracted also for this field a lot of visitors who have discussed the features of recycling lines in detail with our experts.

Posted: June 23, 2023

Source: Oskar Dilo Maschinenfabrik KG

BB Engineering Presents Novelties And Records New Order Intakes

REMSCHEID, Germany — June 23, 2023 — For the first time, BB Engineering was an official sub-exhibitor of its parent company Oerlikon at ITMA Milan — and with success. In addition to man-made fiber spinning with the VarioFil® compact spinning line, and fiber-to-fiber recycling with the VacuFil® recycling technology, the company focused on introducing its new JeTex® air-texturizing system and left the fair with a pleasing volume of orders.

Innovations in air-texturizing, spinning and recycling

With the JeTex® air-texturizing system, BBE is expanding its product portfolio in order to be able to offer existing spinning customers in particular, but also new customers, a finishing technology as well. It is a production line for high-quality air-texturized yarn (ATY). It combines an innovative texturing system developed by BB Engineering as key component with state-of-the-art components by Oerlikon Barmag to ensure fast production speed, the desired effects, and the quality of your product. At ITMA, JeTex® air-texturizing had its market launch. It was impressively demonstrated in the ‘Experience Center’ of the Oerlikon stand, which the visitors gladly took advantage of.

Regarding the proven and popular VarioFil compact spinning line for synthetic fibers, BB Engineering also brought some innovations to ITMA. Higher production capacities per spinning position and improved spin pack lifetime form a new machine generation with increased productivity. The customers’ interest in this was already high in the run-up to the fair and could finally be converted into high order intakes here.

The VacuFil PET recycling system was launched at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona. Over the last four years, BB Engineering has been working on further development and this time presented its solution for waste-free production of filament yarns. The patented liquid-state polycondensation (LSP) unit Visco+ for viscosity adjustment and control as key component was the main focus and attracted great interest.

High visitor interest and order intake

In general, BB Engineering assesses the ITMA as very positive and full of opportunities. According to company, the number of visitors and the interest in the topics of synthetic fiber spinning, fiber-to-fiber recycling and air-texturizing were continuously high. In addition to many discussions with existing customers and interested parties the medium-sized company recorded a level of incoming orders like never before.

Posted: June 23, 2023

Source: BB Engineering GmbH

Durst Success Story: Kimoha Label & Flexible Packaging

Left to right: Thomas Macina, Global sales manager, Labels & Flexbile Packaging, Durst Group; Christoph Gamper, CEO and co-owner, Durst Group; Vinesh K. Bhimani, managing director, Kimoha; Ramakrishna Karanth, CEO, Kimoha; and Martin Leitner, product manager, Labels & Flexible Packaging, Durst Group.

TW Special Report

Durst Group, a digital printing solutions company, is thrilled to announce another successful installation of its Tau RSC printing machine at Kimoha Entrepreneurs Fzco. Among other past installations at Kimoha, a prominent provider of label and packaging solutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this landmark collaboration marks a significant milestone in redefining the label printing landscape.

With a shared commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, Durst and Kimoha joined forces to embark on a transformative journey. Leveraging Durst’s state-of-the-art Tau RSC technology and Kimoha’s industry expertise, this strategic partnership has resulted in a game-changing investment that will propel Kimoha to new heights.

“We are delighted to partner with Kimoha in their pursuit of excellence,” said Thomas Macina, global sales manager, Labels & Flexible Packaging at Durst Group. “The successful installation of the Tau RSCi printing machine is a testament to our commitment to revolutionizing the printing industry. We are proud to be a part of Kimoha’s journey towards success, and we look forward to witnessing the remarkable achievements that lie ahead.”

Kimoha has built a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable label and packaging solutions across various industries. By incorporating Durst’s cutting-edge technology into their operations, Kimoha will be able to enhance its production capabilities, streamline workflows, and exceed customer expectations.

“We always had the best digital solution in our facilities, and we wanted to add a inkjet press to our digital portfolio, where we found Durst to be one of the top notch players in the space. Advantage of speed and ease of operation made our choice obvious,” said Vinesh K. Bhimani, managing director at Kimoha. “We can say many, but some of the highlights is picked on around improved margins, helping achieve company’s sustainability goals by reducing the load on the conventional technology. That’s our main winning in putting Durst in our plant.”

During a recent visit to Durst Headquarters, Durst Group CEO and Co-Owner Christoph Gamper presented Vinesh Bhimani with a small ward for the record of 75,720 linear meters labels printed in just one day.

June 23, 2023

Say Goodbye To Fabric Defects With AI Fabric Inspection From Pailung

TW Special Report

Fabric defects are a thing of the past, thanks to Pailung’s Fabric Defect Detection system, which uses computer vision to detect fabric defects inside the knitting machine, reducing waste fabric, and increasing customer satisfaction.

A study by the Waste and Resources Action Programme found that up to 15 percent of fabric goes to waste during production because of defects such as snags and needle lines. This can result in significant financial losses for manufacturers, and negative impacts on the environment.

What’s even worse for manufacturers is when defective fabric reaches the customer, leading to quality complaints that can threaten future business. It’s all too easy for a human to miss a tiny defect in a long roll of fabric, and for that fabric to be delivered to the customer by mistake.

That’s why Pailung has been working hard to develop more advanced ways of detecting fabric defects. Their latest innovation utilizes cameras, fitted inside their knitting machinery, and equipped with computer vision to detect defects during production.

Real-time defect monitoring is game changer for textile manufacturers. When a defect gets detected, the knitting machine can be shutdown, immediately, pausing production until the problem has been solved, and reducing the manufacturer’s waste fabric losses.

But that’s just one of many benefits that textile manufacturers can expect from Pailung’s new, three-tier software suite. “We created this software to aid textile manufacturers in their digital transformation, and enable them to reap the benefits of textile industry 4.0,” said James C.C. Wang, chairman and CEO of Pailung.

Transfer All Know-how From The Technician To The Factory

The Knitting Fabric Management System (KFMS) stores an archive of knitting detail resources. Every fabric that a Pailung knitting machine produces can be saved in this database, enabling any technician to produce all of those fabrics without prior knowledge of how they’re made.

Whereas, in the past, one technician might have all the know-how for producing a certain fabric, now any technician can produce that fabric. This effectively transfers all fabric production know-how from the individual technician to the factory as a whole.

Detailed parameters can be saved for each fabric. Knitting parameters, including machine type, yarn type, specification, yarn length, and weight etc. And adjustment parameters, including knitting needle, tension, angle, and timing etc.

Control Every Knitting Machine From One Dashboard

The Pailung Online Monitoring System (POMS) allows the technician to control multiple knitting machines from a single computer. All workflows, from production to order scheduling and machine monitoring, can be performed remotely using this central system.

All fabrics that are saved in the KFMS, along with their corresponding parameters, can be accessed through the POMS. From there, the technician can select a fabric, schedule production, and monitor each knitting machine’s progress — all via the dashboard on their computer.

Boost Functionality of Textile Factory ERP System

The KFMS and POMS can be further integrated with the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Together, these three systems are able to send data directly to the factory’s ERP system, which can use that data to account for knitting machine resources.

They can account for the difference between production volume and expected delivery volume, the ratio of knitting machine running time and downtime, as well as the type and frequency of knitting machine errors etc.

Automate Knitting Machine Setup And Maintenance

Data from the KFMS and POMS informs the MES, which uses the fabric parameters to automatically set up each knitting machine. This saves the time that it would take for a technician to manually set them up, one by one.

It can quickly reset each knitting machine, according to the fabric scheduled for production, switching all parameters automatically. In this way, it can replace a large number of manual adjustments, and work order scheduling, which saves significant manpower and time.

Predictive maintenance is an added benefit of using the MES. It constantly monitors each knitting machine’s performance, and reports any abnormality back to the POMS. Big data can be used to optimize this function as more performance data gets recorded from the knitting machines.

Greater Accuracy And Efficiency In Quality Control

The MES can deliver even more benefits when combined with the Fabric Defect Detection (FDD) system. Installed close to the top of cylinder, the FDD system uses computer vision to inspect the fabric for defects, and has the ability to immediately detect any defect.

Knitting machines can be shut down immediately, whenever a fabric defect gets detected. This minimizes the amount of defective fabric that goes to waste, reducing the manufacturer’s losses, and the environmental impact of textile manufacturing.

Fabric defects can be very difficult to see with the human eye, especially when so much fabric is being produced by multiple knitting machines. Because of this, human quality control normally requires a lot of manpower and time. AI fabric inspection not only saves all that manpower and time; it even guarantees a higher level of accuracy. For example, the difference between the MES setting value of the yarn length and the actual measurement is ± 0.5% FS.

Another advantage of the FDD system is that it can be used in both tubular and open-width devices, allowing the factory space to be utilized in more flexible ways.

Elevate the Quality of Knitted Fabrics

What’s the greatest benefit of Pailung’s software suite? It’s not just about detecting defects and eliminating poor quality fabric; it’s actually about elevating the quality of knitted fabrics to the next level. All of the data, collected throughout today’s production, can be used to improve tomorrow’s production, and so on.

In the near future, textile manufacturers that have not adapted to industry 4.0 will be left behind. Those that have adapted will reap the benefits, and succeed against their competitors. Now is the time for textile manufacturers to embrace digital transformation, and look to the future.

June 23, 2023

INDA Receives United Nations Accreditation; Participates In Plastics Treaty Negotiations

Wes Fisher

CARY, N.C. — June 21, 2023 — INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, was granted status last month as an accredited stakeholder with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which, among other privileges, will allow representatives from the association to observe the formal ongoing negotiations of the UN Global Plastics Treaty.

INDA Government Affairs Director Wes Fisher was on site at the second session of the treaty negotiations formally titled the “second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.” The negotiations took place from 29 May to 2 June 2023 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris, France.

“We are excited to continue to enhance the capacity of INDA’s government affairs department to better serve the industry on a global scale,” Fisher stated. “We look forward to working with the UNEP to provide technical input regarding ongoing plastics treaty issues specific to the nonwovens industry, and engaging with other UN processes with our new status as an accredited stakeholder.”

Accreditation provides non-governmental organizations with observer status to the United Nations Environment Assembly, UNEP, and its subsidiaries. Accreditation will bring many advantages to INDA with respect to participation in the work of UNEP’s Governing Bodies, such as the United Nations Environment Assembly of UNEP and the Committee of Permanent Representatives.

UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations have garnered significant attention from both industry and environmental groups. At least three more negotiation sessions are expected with the goal of finalizing a treaty by the end of 2024.

Posted: June 22, 2023

Source: INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

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