Friday, October 29, 2010

‘International Denim Conference’ off to a deafening start

The first ever ‘International Denim Conference’ opened today to a rousing reception at the hallowed campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad, also called as the ‘Denim Capital of India, from the more than 350 plus delegates, who include, industry leaders and stakeholders from the textile industry, present on the occasion.

The conference has been organised by Fibre2fashion, the leading global B2B website for the textile, apparel and fashion industry in conjunction with the Ahmedabad chapter of the Textile Association of India (TAI), which is the foremost textile professional body in India & the largest in the world. The morning began with registration of all the delegates, who have come from across the length and breadth of India and abroad.

At the inaugural session of the conference were present, Mr Maheshwar Sahu - IAS and Principal Secretary, Industries & Mines, Govt. of Gujarat and also the Chairperson of the conference, Mr Sanjiv Shah, CEO – fibre2fashion, Mr Naishad Parikh, Advisor - Arvind Ltd, the biggest denim producer in India, Robin Anson - Managing Editor, Textiles Intelligence, UK, Dr PR Roy, convener of the conference, Mr TL Patel and Mr VJ Trivedi, President and Honorary Secretary, respectively of TAI.

Mr TL Patel gave the welcome address by welcoming all those sitting on the dais and all the delegates from across India and abroad.

Dr PR Roy, Director of fibre2fashion and President Emeritus of TAI, began the proceedings by announcing the theme of the conference. He began by saying, denim is a subject that does not need to be introduced, but needs to be experienced, touched and felt to understand the fabric. He said, India used to cultivate cotton and indigo was also used to dye cotton and wool more than five thousand years back, however in the intervening period, it did not witness much commercialization.

He informed that India is still struggling to find a sustainable cotton policy and at the same time, China is reducing its cotton acreage in order to increase food output, which could prove to be an opportunity for Indian denim manufacturers to take the lead. He further informed that globally, denim consumes 14 percent of the cotton produced worldwide and expects Indian denim output to touch one billion meters in a few years.

He spoke about a new strategy called ‘Blue Ocean’, which emanated from France and implies; “Why compete with everybody. Let everybody swim in the red ocean and you swim in the blue ocean, where there is less competition”. Denim manufacturing in India, he said, was born in the 1980’s from the need to compete with the decentralized sector also called denim the ‘New face of Indian textile & apparel industry’. He concluded by saying that, new innovations are needed to sustain denim for a longer period of time.


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Launch of Entrepreneur Pro PR-1000 with 3D technology

Brother International Corporation is raising the bar on industry trends and technological advancement once again, this time by introducing the first 10-needle home embroidery machine in 3D.

As the first company in the niche sewing and embroidery industry to incorporate 3D video into their product launch, Brother continues to impress their customers with excitement and innovation. Although 3D technology is taking over movies, television and even video games, there are few companies who have used it to promote their products.

The Entrepreneur Pro PR-1000 is an impressive, sixth generation machine. It is the result of more than 100 years of Brother research and innovation. The technology built into the 10-needle embroidery machine makes it easy to learn, use, and operate.

It is the fastest home embroidery machine yet since a 10-color, 50,000 stitch-count design can be completed up to 12% faster than a 6-needle machine and up to 30% faster than a single-needle machine. This means an embroiderer can be more productive than ever before. Other impressive features include:

New InnovaChrome LED Color Thread System: Underneath each of the thread spools is a full color LED light which mimics the color of the thread that belongs on the spool for each design, eliminating any guesswork as to what color thread should be used. The lights also double as a visual status system. They also flash when a design has been completed. Coupled with audio cues, the system allows an embroiderer to limit their supervision of the machine, as these cues give the operator the freedom to do more than one task at a time in their work room.


Monday, October 25, 2010

Demand for new Picanol weaving at high level in Q3

During the third quarter of 2010, the Picanol Group recorded a consolidated turnover of 96.51 million euros. This represented an increase of 63% compared to the consolidated turnover of 59.34 million euros realized in the third quarter of 2009.

Following on from the first half of this year, demand for new Picanol weaving machines also continued at a high level in the third quarter of 2010. Amongst other things, this is a consequence of continued strong demand in Asia (mainly China) and the effect of the favorable euro exchange rate. Furthermore, sales of spare parts and weaving accessories also profited from the positive market situation in the third quarter.

The Industries Division also experienced an increase of activities in the third quarter. Through making full use of the advantages delivered by its new molding line (Proferro) and by focusing on the continued development of its controller competences (PsiControl Mechatronics), the group was able to complete several new projects across various different sectors.

During the third quarter of 2010, the Picanol Group recruited 150 additional temporary workers for its production unit in Ypres – taking the total of temporary workers being hired in Ypres to 200 since the start of 2010. The Picanol Group remains on the lookout for skilled technicians and CNC operators. The third quarter also saw the registered office of the group moved to the Karel Steverlyncklaan 15 in Ypres.


Thursday, October 21, 2010

Nishat Mills to install Monforts Energy Towers

Pakistan’s fully vertical integrated textile producer, Nishat Mills, has ordered six Energy Towers from Monforts to ensure significant energy savings.

To combat ever increasing energy costs, Pakistan’s vertically integrated fabric producer, Nishat Mills has ordered six Energy Towers from A. Monforts Textilmaschinen.

The towers will be installed on three existing Monforts, Montex stenters at Nishat’s Lahore finishing facility.

Fresh air passed through the towers heat recovery system is heated by the exhaust air of the stenter, before re-entering the stenters chambers.

With the Monforts heat recovery system capitalising on the high temperatures of the exhaust air, savings of up to 30% on energy costs can be achieved.

The Monforts Towers each housed within a 1.3 m x 1.7m x 2.9 m high enclosure, have been designed for retrofitting to existing stenters or hot flues where access is restricted above the units.

They are built as a ‘stand alone’ unit for installation alongside the stenter.

Ordered through the local Pakistan representative Al Ameen, its six Monforts Towers are scheduled to be installed before the end of the year.


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Machinery makers seek end of sops on second-hand imports

A demand to end fiscal sops on imported technology, particularly from China, has been made by the domestic machinery manufactures to the government in order to curb the unrestrained import of second hand textile machinery.

An expert cited that such an import of second-hand and low-priced Chinese looms is the biggest hurdle in country’s textile growth. A pre-budget memorandum submitted recently to the government by
Textile Machinery Manufacturers' Association (TMMA) says that according to the planning commission, no subsidy should be offered to import any second-hand machinery.

In this regard, the association has recommended the Textiles Minister, Mr. Dayanidhi Maran to restrict the import of
second-hand textile machinery, and subsidy under the Technology Up-gradation Fund (TUF) scheme should not be offered to such imports. It also suggested the removal of distortions in the excise duty structure in 2011-12 Budgets.

In addition to this, TMMA made further suggestions, including uniform rate of eight percent excise duty on all items of textile machinery as well as imposition of less than four percent taxes on parts, components and accessories in order to encourage its domestic textile machinery.

The industry has been held back by decades-old technology, which is less efficient, consumes more electricity and requires high maintenance. In the year 2008-09, around 1354
second-hand looms have been imported in India.


Monday, October 18, 2010

Navis TubeTex to improve global HQ & manufacturing facility

Navis Tubetex, the leading global manufacturer of textile finishing machinery, has announced that a 15 year lease extension has been signed for its manufacturing and headquarters facility in Lexington, NC. Additionally, Navis Tubetex has announced that it will be performing major renovations to the facility.

In a statement, President and Chief Executive Officer Will Motchar noted “We are pleased to announce the long term commitment that we are making to North Carolina and Lexington in particular. We will continue to house our Global Headquarters and manufacturing operations at this facility”. Work will soon begin on completely renovating the office space along with improvements in the 90,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

Tube-Tex started out as a manufacturer of knit-based machinery, and from the very beginning has been a leading innovator in the
textile industry. Over the years, this machinery has helped change the way fabrics are processed, dramatically improving appearance, feel, and performance while increasing efficiency and cutting production costs.

By adopting a more far-reaching vision, Tube-Tex has transformed again to Navis TubeTex. Navis TubeTex has emerged as a world-wide force in the design and manufacture of finishing machinery for knits and wovens, with a presence in more than 65 countries.

Navis TubeTex is a designer, manufacturer and developer of processing and finishing machinery and
equipment for woven fabrics and knitted fabrics.


Thursday, October 14, 2010

YIWU H&G – ‘must-go’ knitting exhibition

Knitting industry has not only become the significant element of China’s textile industry, but also has been developing in fast pace recently. The competitiveness index of China’s knitted garments and accessories has been experienced a wavy upward trend since 2005. In Jan – May 2010, it climbed to 97.23%, which was 1.85% higher than woven garments and accessories.

Official statistics showed that China’s knitting industry has contributed RMB156.245 billion to the Gross Industrial Output Value in Jan – May 2010, witnessing an increase of 22.21% and a growth rate at 14.56% respectively as compared to the statistics of last year. Meanwhile, total sales value accumulated to RMB152.356 billion, showing an increase of 21.26% and a growth rate at 14.21%, which is an apex since 2008; The sales/output ratio met 97.51%, the industry’s production and sales is running smoothly. Therefore, China’s knitting industry has been recovered from the financial crisis and is developing steadily.

Modern exhibition is the best platform for enterprises’ product launching and brand showcasing, the development of the industry’s trends and directions have been witnessed. The 11th China (Yiwu) International Exhibition on
Hosiery machinery, Knitting machinery, Dyeing machinery & Finishing Machinery (herewith below “YIWU H&G”), which will be held on 24-26 November 2010 at Yiwu International Expo Centre, has steeled itself through the past 10 years and become the top professional exhibition specializing in knitting technology, especially on hosiery and seamless underwear machineries. Most of the domestic and overseas industry players would regard it as a ‘must-go’ knitting exhibition every year.


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

VTG 2010 to kick off on October 27

10th Vietnam Int’l Textile and Garments Industry Exhibition (VTG 2010) will return to Ho Chi Minh City from Oct. 27-30, 2010 at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) with a stronger and larger scale show for consecutive 10 years. VTG 2010 is expected to attract more than 16,000 domestic and overseas visitors. The exhibition will host about 230 exhibiting companies which will cover approx. 9,000 sqm of the SECC exhibition ground.

A
Fashion show with more sponsors will be held at this year’s exhibition as a catalyst for more business deals and exposure for the exhibitors’ brand names. Fashion brands like CK, Diesel and Levi’s will present the latest fashion on the runway with 2 performances in the first 3 show days. We also humbly invite all the listed companies and members in the related associations in Vietnam to VTG 2010; surely, more professional buyers are guaranteed.

Suppliers of textiles and
garments manufacturers are upbeat about the current business prospects and will be joining in large numbers. Country/region pavilions from China, Indonesia and Taiwan will amaze you at the first glance. International leading brands from Australia, Belgium, China, France, German, Holland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and U.S.A will be taking parts in the exhibition, with major industry companies such as brother, calmat, Chee Shiang, CTMTC, Da Kong, Flying Tiger, HASHIMA, HIKARI, Kornit, Kauo Heng, Luwa, M&R, MHM, MITSUYIN, Naomoto, ORGAN, PEGASUS, PICANOL, Respa, Rutland, Schenk, SiRUBA, SMART MRT, SwissTex, TWIN STAR, TYPICAL, VIET TIEN TUNG SHING and more… who will be showcasing their brand-new products and technology to the Vietnamese market.


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Gartexma 2010 expo begins in Mumbai

Mumbai hosts the three-day Garment and Textile Machinery and Accessories (Gartexma) 2010 expo, which started on 10th October. The expo will display the country’s garment and textile machinery and accessories.

The expo is a business to business (
B2B) platform for the promotion of products, companies as well as technology and has been organized in collaboration with Community of International Sewing Machine Industry, India (CISMI) and Dara Projects.

According to Manjeet Singh Bakshi – the chief executive officer of Gartexma 2010, over 100 processing units and 30,000 apparel units have emerged in and around the city during the past several years. He further added that, Gartexma 2010 has been held in Mumbai for the first time because of the growing prospects of the region.

A number of technology providers from countries like Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland and Italy would also display their machinery in the expo. Around 150 participants from India will take part in the exhibition.


Monday, October 11, 2010

LMW delivers new ringframe model to Chinese clients

Deputy Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu has recently launched a product of Coimbatore-based Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW) in Shanghai, which had established a textile machinery unit in the southern Jiangsu province of China in September 2009. This was the first South Indian venture in China.

LMW supplied its recently engineered ring frame machine, utilized in
yarn manufacturing, to its three Chinese clients.

The $12-million manufacturing unit of LMW located adjacent to Shanghai, is just one of the few Indian companies, which have established such units in China and are looking forward to cater to the requirements of the Chinese market.



Friday, October 8, 2010

Gartexma to make a remarkable debut on 10\10\10

GARTEXMA 2010, an exhibition to showcase Garment, Textile Machinery & Accessories in association with CISMI (Community of International Sewing Machine Industry, India) & Dara Projects; announces its grand opening at Bombay exhibition centre at Goregaon, Mumbai on October 10, 2010. One of the oldest & biggest show builders `GARTEXMA 2010' will be an exclusive B2B platform to promote company, Product, Machinery & Technology or Institute in Mumbai.

The exhibition will see participation from textile and apparel machine suppliers to showcase latest technology for different processes like stitching, cutting, finishing, drying, testing, embroidery, spinning, knitting, water treatment solutions, etc. Besides, machinery accessory suppliers, consultants and
fashion institutes from all over India will also exhibit their products.

While India is retaining its position as an important destination for international retailers and as buyers consider India as an important market there is a growing need towards building capacities in terms of upgraded and modern technology. The industry has realized the need for an industry platform to showcase products and technology for
manufacturers in this sector.

Spread over an area of 10,000 square metres, Gartexma 2010 is first of its kind exhibition that has been organized keeping in mind the international standards and benchmarks.

“The focus of the show is to offer a world class business environment to both participants and exhibitors so that new business opportunities are created for relevant sectors associated with this industry,” said Manjeet Singh Bakshi, CEO, Gartexma. The exhibition would see 150 participants from India and several international technology suppliers from regions such as Italy, China, Korea, Japan and Switzerland - to showcase their quality oriented and efficient production systems.


Thursday, October 7, 2010

Gujarat - Home to the most vibrant textile hub

Gujarat which is considered one of the most industrialized states in India has a vibrant textile industry, whose history can be traced, going back by many decades.

Ahmedabad at one time was considered the ‘Manchester of the East. Surat, the second biggest city of the state is one of the biggest
textile hubs in India and is also the biggest man-made textiles manufacturing hub in the country.

The textile industry contributes as much as 6 percent to the industrial production of the state and Surat also has to its credit installations of over 40,000 multi-head
embroidery machines in the world, in the last three years.

The state also accounts for 12 percent of all textile exports from the country and has a well developed infrastructure for the textile industry, consisting of 18 product clusters, 5 dedicated Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and six industrial parks.

Gujarat accounts for 35 percent of the cotton output and also 60 percent of cotton exports from India. With the world’s third largest denim production capacity and the biggest in India, Ahmedabad has arguably earned the distinction of being called the denim capital of the world.


Galaxy of speakers lined up for 'Global Denim Conference'

As the countdown begins for the ‘International Denim Conference’ to be held in the hallowed premises of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad on October 29-30, 2010, about 15 eminent speakers from the global denim and textile sector have confirmed their presence, so far, with more yet to confirm.

Textile Association India, Ahmedabad Unit is all set and geared up to host the conference on the global denim &
jeans industry in association with Fibre2Fashion, under the chairmanship of Dr. PR Roy.

The inaugural keynote address on ‘Strategic Issues in Managing Global Denim Business’ is slated to be delivered by Mr Sanjay Lalbhai, Chairman and Managing Director of one of the largest global
denim manufacturers – Arvind Ltd., India.

Robin Anson, Managing Editor, Textiles Intelligence, UK, will share insights on ‘India's potential in the International Market for Denims & Jeans vis-a-vis China, Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka’.

Mr Shumone Chatterjee, Head Marketing, Levi Strauss (Asia Pacific Region) will deliver his views on ‘Global Brands entry into emerging Indian Market’.

Another well-known face in Branding & Retail - Mr Darshan Mehta, CEO, Reliance Brands will speak on ‘Premium Denims & India - Branding & Retailing’ while Mr Rajiv Dayal – Managing Director of Mafatlal Denim will provide an ‘Overview of Indian Denim Business’. Ms Jenna Caccavo from Cotton Inc, USA will delve on the ‘US Denim & Jeans Industry’.

There will also be a panel discussion on ‘Jeans’ which will be chaired by J Suresh - CEO,
Arvind Brands.

Enrique Silla representing Jeanologia from Spain - a consultant for the apparel industry, specialised in product and process research and development, and engineering solutions for garment production will speak about ‘Recent developments in garment treatment for jeans’.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Texprocess shows trends in decorating textile products

Apart from special weave, knit, dyeing, printing and fabric finishing effects which can be produced during the manufacture of fabrics, normally the main methods of product decoration are printing and embroidery. These techniques can be mixed and matched as much as the designer's flare and inspiration will allow. The wealth of different threads, fabrics for appliqué, trims, dyes and inks further enhance the decoration. Texprocess, the new leading international trade fair for the garment and textile processing industry from 24 to 27 May 2011 in Frankfurt, shows the new machinery for decorating textile products.

In terms of embroidery a wealth of single and multiple head machines are available; each head containing multiple needles, each of which can sew a different colour. Some multiple head
machines now have selective head switch-off allowing apparent variable head spacing. Increasingly sophisticated software compliments the machines enabling maximum innovation of design. Attachments can be added enabling automatic attachment of a wide array of fancy yarns, ribbons, cords, chains, sequins, as well as colour and height adjustable chenille stitch loops. Tufted embroidery is also available.

Lasers further enhance the embroidery effect possibilities for cutting embroidery appliqués, holes, emblems and labels. Lasers can also be used for garment decoration in their own right by burning and engraving patterns direct onto the fabric, especially when used with thicker fabrics such as
leather, plastic, and denim. Machines for embossing three dimensional designs using metal moulds have also been developed.


Monday, October 4, 2010

Mattei helps Autofil in its drive towards energy efficiency

Rotary vane compressor manufacturer Mattei, has helped yarn manufacturer Autofil to reduce energy usage in its Nottingham facility by upgrading its compressed air equipment.

Autofil manufacture a range of yarns primarily used for car seating fabrics. Part of this process involves operation of the dye house to colour the
fabrics, which runs 24/7. The processes within the dye house require compressed air to be provided at a pressure of seven bar. As compressed air can account for a high proportion of a company’s energy usage, Autofil decided to invest in two new, more energy efficient compressors to help reduce consumption and associated overheads.

Following extensive comparisons of a variety of makes of air compressor, they chose Mattei’s highly energy efficient Maxima75 as this equipment has the capability to provide a similar amount of air from a 75kW motor as other manufacturer’s 90kW models. This reduced input offered significant savings by minimising power consumption, but still delivering the same levels of compressed air.

Mattei’s Maxima range can provide 1m3/min of compressed air from as little as 5.4kW of electricity. This demonstrates the benefit to those looking at improving energy efficiency and reducing costs. Additional benefits to the customer include the very low operational speed of 1000rpm, which helps to extend the life of the compressor.


Saturday, October 2, 2010

New TMT/Oki A3 Colour Printers – more than just OK!

TheMagicTouch as global pioneers of the digital image transfer process continue with a host of original developments and innovations.

The company have recently extended their global alliance with OKI Printer Group as image transfer partners and have awarded the new range of digital A3
colour printers with their unique “5 Star” compatibility rating for use with their complete range of transfer papers.

Jim Nicol, Managing Director explains “The new A3 OKI printers are simply the best for our unique transfer process; they are quick, outstanding image quality and very affordable with the TMT/Oki A3 model available for less than a thousand pounds. Using the latest toner technology the durability of transfers especially for textiles gives outstanding results on textiles and fabrics including 100% cotton,
denim, nylon, polyester and even leather regardless of colour. Plus when not used for transfers they are the perfect plain paper office printer”.

The new TMT/Oki printer models are firmware and printer driver enhanced for compatibility with all transfer papers from TheMagicTouch, and are supported with a standard 3 year warranty.

TheMagicTouch allows those yet to benefit from transfers to do so without the financial risk or capital investment normally associated. Garment decorators should consider TheMagicTouch as an additional sales and marketing tool that assists in creating new business from both existing and prospective customers.