From the Sector

The 9th edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo has been successfully completed at International Convention City Bashundhara, Dhaka with the aim of highlighting the importance to develop business relationships for promoting best working practices. It showcased the strength and capacity in denim manufacturing of Bangladesh.

The theme of 2-days expo held on 7th & 8th November set ‘Simplicity’ to display latest trends of denim products to the global brands and retailers. Over 5540 visitors and buyers from 1018 companies&55countries from around the world joined the expo.

The theme of this edition ‘Simplicity’ is aimed at defining a much simpler, much easier definition to understand sustainability and ecology in denim. The Founder & CEO of Bangladesh Denim Expo said that “The underlying concept of the Bangladesh Denim Expo is to fulfill the need of the international denim community, offering the opportunity to make new contacts with potential buyers, discovering new products and to gain a comprehensive overview of the latest developments available from the Bangladesh Denim Industry”.

A total of 63 exhibitors from 12 countries with Bangladesh displayed their products in the 2-day show held on 7th and 8th November 2018. As Simplicity is the core of this edition of the expo and its series of seminars also let the visitors learn about the process of the Simplicity in denim manufacturing. A total of five seminars and two panel discussions were organized in the expo where international and national experts shared their opinions. The seminars highlighted the need for ‘Simplicity’ within the entire denim supply chain.

Trend Zone
A special event ‘Trend Zone’ area, the unique space dedicated to showcase the latest denim trends and innovative products, has been expanded in this edition where visitors have been able to gain insights on denim fabrics, styling and finishing available in Bangladesh, together with an offer of the most relevant denim publication.

• Huntsman Textile Effects and The Chemours Company FC, LLC (‘Chemours’) have agreed to expand their long-term alliance in the area of durable water repellence (DWR).

Singapore – By combining the strengths of both companies in innovation, technical support and marketing, the expanded co-operation unlocks the full potential of the alliance to develop and deliver new, sustainable DWR solutions and chemistry.  This historical alliance that was established in the early 1990s has been at the forefront of delivering state-of-the-art solutions to the textile industry for durable water repellent effects. In addition to
fluorinated solutions, the expanded alliance will now be able to offer non-fluorinated alternatives as well. The alliance will cover different aspects of the value chain including research, marketing, technical support and manufacturing.

“Strengthening the partnership between Huntsman Textile Effects and Chemours unlocks the full potential of both companies to shape technology and product offerings in sustainable durable water repellency. Our cooperation, which has stood the test of time, has clearly demonstrated that strong environmental credentials and performance can co-exist in equal measure. We are excited to move forward with a broader alliance as we strengthen our position as the industry leader in DWR textile solutions,” said Jay Naidu, Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Planning, Huntsman Textile Effects.

“Chemours is excited to expand our partnership with Huntsman Textile Effects. This partnership reinforces our commitment to take a leadership role in the innovation and development of more sustainable and high performing products that address the rapidly evolving needs of the textile industry and the consumers that use these products,” said Jesal Chopra, Vice President, Chemours Fluoropolymers.

Together, Huntsman Textile Effects and Chemours have worked to lead the textile industry’s transition  from long-chain water repellent products to more environmentally friendly short-chain chemistry and, more recently, non-fluorinated chemistry. The collaboration has resulted in new, market-leading DWR solutions that deliver on performance and sustainability. Chemours introduced Teflon EcoElite™ with Zelan™ R3 technology in 2015, a renewably sourced, non-fluorinated water repellent finish. Containing 60% plant-based materials* and complying with all key industry standards, Zelan™ R3 repellent offers excellent water repellency and durability while preserving fabric breathability. It meets or exceeds performance levels possible with fluorinated technologies. Teflon™ Eco Dry with Zelan™ R2 PLUS technology, which compliments Teflon EcoElite™, was recently introduced. Zelan™ R2 PLUS contains 30% renewably sourced plant-based raw materials* and is focused on delivering a high level of durable water repellency for all substrates.

In 2017, Huntsman Textile Effects introduced PHOBOTEX® RSY non-fluorinated durable water repellent, which was developed to specifically meet extreme protection, comfort and durability requirements for both synthetic and cellulosic fibers, delivering an enhanced environmental profile for brands. PHOBOTEX® RSY durable water repellent raises the bar in performance on synthetics, allowing brands to offer high-performance weather protection with an assurance of eco-friendly sustainability. Providing effective protection in extreme environments together with breathable comfort, PHOBOTEX® RSY durable water repellent repulses rain, sleet, and snow, ideal for highperformance outerwear fabrics.

Both companies bring a rich and established heritage firmly centered on research and innovation. Through their expanded alliance, joint research and development efforts in DWR enable Huntsman and Chemours to stay at the forefront of industry trends and regulatory changes for a more sustainable textile industry.

• Italian expertise, research and green innovation.
• METALBOTTONI ups the stakes with one-of-a-kind interpretations, to enhance its market presence.

At Première Vision Accessories (Paris, 19-21 September) the company presents the new collection VÀNITA, a mix of leatherwear and sportswear, based on Made in Italy craft, with an increasingly wide and coordinated range.

Based on product experience, combining new trends in accessories. The METALBOTTONI strategy is enriched with product novelties which aim at exploring new existing market segments. A strategy which increasingly leads great artisan production skills to meet constant research and expansion of the range, with the world of sportswear becoming more and more pivotal; without forgetting the important sustainable innovations of the NO IMPACT protocol.

No Impact becomes “Committed Accessories”

The guideline for restyling the METALBOTTONI range over the past two years has been the recent implementation of the NO IMPACT corporate sustainability protocol, which has just acquired a new “dress”, associated with the following pay-off: “Committed Accessories”. It is a way of underscoring the constant green development of the company over the past few years, in terms of process and product: use of recycled raw materials, development of finishing without chemicals, implementation of processes which today have allowed to reduce electricity and water consumption to almost zero.

Moreover the range of NO IMPACT proposals for this season has expanded to include not only new metal finishing but also leather label completely made from processing scrap, thus establishing Metalbottoni as “partner for branding elements” also in terms of sustainability. Pure Made in Italy and constant expansion of collections towards sportswear The great skill in metal processing, which for sixty years now has characterised the top-of-the-range quality of METALBOTTONI products, is now combined with constant research work conducted by our in-house Style Office, resulting in new collections which are more and more in line with the trends emerging from major trade fairs. Maintaining a presence on strong markets (central Europe, Northern Europe and United States), increasing the depth of segments and intercepting new ones. This is the main goal also chosen for the Première Vision Accessories Exhibition where, alongside the autumn-winter 2019/2020 collections, there will be a preview of VÀNITA, the new collection dedicated to leatherwear and more.

METALBOTTONI is proving to be one of the most dynamic companies in the accessory industry.

Over the past two years, in fact, it has introduced numerous product and process innovations, aiming at increasing its range especially as regards sportswear accessories. This trend was driven by a substantial increase in demand by read-to-wear and luxury brands in the past two seasons, and today it means new proposals which account for 35% of the range for METALBOTTONI. New collections have been presented in the past two seasons expressly dedicated to the sportswear world, namely GRAVITA, the first line designed by the company for pressure buttons, and MÀRYA, the new beachwear collection. Also the line called LABORA, the classic collection of accessories for fashion and ready-to-wear has been constantly enhanced with proposals combining style and technical performance. This mix of fashion and sport elements is increasingly evident in the company’s product range, for example in the combination of different materials, using metal with nylon or other resins to create new and unique accessories.

Vànita: beyond leatherwear, a world of accessories

The meeting between fashion, luxury and sportswear has produced VÀNITA, the brand new collection which presents a new approach to accessories dedicated to leatherwear, from an allround perspective from luxury to sportswear. Developed starting from solid product research by the company’s in-house Style Office, VÀNITA is a true meeting of styles and elements, a combination of high product standards with unique elegance. This line introduces one-of-a-kind visions for accessories, exploring highly original pathways dedicated to the world of leather. The VÀNITA proposal ranges from accessories for leatherwear and small leatherwear, to those for shoes, bags and the sportswear worlds. There are two main lines within this collection: one is expressly designed for the world of luxury, the other has a more technical and sporty approach. A true mix between artisan metal processing, based on the great METALBOTTONI expertise in this sector, and “ingredients” such as nylon, rubber finishes or innovative 3D processing, which are often combined together.

“Our goal is to offer an increasingly comprehensive range which allows us to explore new segments on the markets where we are present” - says Gregorio Valli, CEO and President of METALBOTTONI S.P.A – “a ‘recipe’ which should be able to integrate our unmatched product expertise with a constant expansion of our range and continuous implementation of our pathway towards corporate responsibility and sustainability”.

In line with the powerful global trend towards smarter fashion solutions, Iluna Group launches its Embroidery Division. Specialists in lace since 1985, the new Embroidery Division offers a complete and innovative product match in line with the modern expectations of brands and retailers. Staying true to Iluna’s DNA, the introduction of embroidery and guipure are all produced with only recycled materials.
IIn addition to the launch of the Embroidery Division, this season novelties include:

1. Of major interest today, the launch of velvet lace entirely made of sustainable materials including ROICA™ Eco-Smart family.

2. Within the Black Label collection, the Ultralight series is enriched with new multicolor floral galloons: here Iluna changes the color of the thread not only in the background, but also in the design, the same article reinvents itself in a variety of great visual impact.

3. Green Label collection, the Iluna dedicated range featuring a new responsible approach in respect of the planet and people, able to deliver innovation, beauty and quality, at 360°. In addition to the all over, jacquard, double jacquard and mesh offer, the line is also featuring new stretch Galloon laces fully made with GRS certified recycled materials, including the stretch thanks to the introduction of the unique ROICA™ sustainable yarn part of the ROICA™ Eco-Smart family.

4. ILUNA has strategically included in all their stretch laces only ROICA™ Eco-Smart family of sustainable yarns since some time.

5. ILUNA can also boast its new STeP (Sustainable Textile Production) certification by Oeko-Tex, a certification that clarifies and communicates the company’s sustainable production commitment. In addition to this, all products are Oeko-Tex 100 certified.

6. ILUNA has created the new e-shop offering its exclusive materials to smaller companies looking for added values as: creativity, innovation, made in Italy and responsibility.

7. The whole collection is also visible online at its web site, previous registration, and orders can be done directly online always aiming to customers care.

Packaging solution made of 100% plastic recyclate delivers circular economy proof point
Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, announces the successful launch of a new packaging solution produced entirely with post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. Developed in close collaboration with the German consumer and industrial goods company Henkel and two additional value chain partners, this truly sustainable packaging solution is further evidence of how mtm plastics GmbH, a member of the Borealis Group, is helping increase the circularity of plastics. The launch has significance for the consumer goods industry because the robustness of this new packaging solution provides further evidence that plastic recyclate is indeed suitable for a variety of demanding packaging applications, in this case a popular adhesive brand marketed by Henkel.

Value chain collaboration yields plastic bottle and nozzle composed of 100% PCR material
In 2016, Borealis acquired leading German recycler mtm plastics GmbH, which is now a member of the Borealis Group. By leveraging their respective areas of expertise and decades of experience as a virgin polyolefins producer and “upcycler”, respectively, Borealis and mtm plastics are exploring new growth opportunities with joint forces.

A success story originating from this exploration is a recently completed pilot project with Henkel, the global leader for adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. The companies have worked to develop a new packaging solution based on recycled material for the Made-at-Home all-purpose glue bottle and cap, which Henkel is marketing under its well-known Pattex brand.  The aim was to replace the virgin plastic material traditionally used for this packaging with a recyclate-based resin. The resin, however, had to fulfil the diverse material demands for packaging of an adhesive product.

After extensive and joint application development, a new bottle was developed with the proprietary mtm product Purpolen® PE, a high-quality polyethylene regranulate produced by mtm at its facilities in Niedergebra, Germany. Value chain partner KKT Kaller Kunststoff Technik GmbH, a plastics processor also based in Germany, manufactured the bottles. For the three separate components of the adjustable applicator nozzle, which is used for both filigree and wide-area gluing, high-quality Purpolen® PP polypropylene regranulate produced by mtm was identified as the ideal solution. German plastic components manufacturer bomo trendline Technik GmbH produced the applicator nozzles.

The new Pattex Made-at-Home packaging solution successfully passed extensive application tests, including a three-month storage test and other tests of mechanical properties. It was launched on the European market in 2018.

“Our commitment to leadership in sustainability is deeply embedded in our companies´ values,” explained Matthias Schaefer, Project Manager for Global Packaging Engineering at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. “We are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to new sustainability strategies in packaging.  Thus, we identified Pattex Made-at-Home as a candidate for exploring the use of recyclate instead of virgin plastics. This constructive collaboration with our partners proves the viability of 100% PCR material for an adhesive product like Made-at Home. It also underscores our efforts at Henkel to drive leadership in sustainability in the consumer goods sector.”

“As a virgin polyolefins producer, Borealis is thrilled to be among the pioneers in using plastic recyclate in new applications,” says Günter Stephan, Head of Borealis Circular Economy Solutions. “Even though momentum is gaining in the drive to increase the circularity of plastics, we still need to prove without a doubt within the industry that using recyclates – and even 100% PCR – is a suitable and effective option, even for demanding applications. Thanks to this successful value chain cooperation with our partners Henkel, KKT and bomo, we are giving plastics a second life and are thus one step closer to the goal of a more circular economy of plastics.”
 

• China-based Yanfeng Global Automotive Interiors improves cutting precision with Lectra’s Vector® iX6

Paris – Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, is pleased to announce that Yanfeng Global Automotive Interiors (YFAI), the world’s largest supplier of vehicle interior components, has adopted the Vector iX6® advanced fabric-cutting solution to stay apace of evolving production needs.

YFAI supplies a broad range of products spanning instrument panels, cockpit systems, door panels, floor consoles and overhead consoles—the majority of which incorporate vinyl and laminated woven fabric pieces.

Growing consumer demand for personalization and customization is contributing to an overall increase in soft trim content in vehicle interior components. The Vector iX6 provided by Lectra is intended to help YFAI increase the capacity and fabric-cutting efficiency of its new vehicle program in Anting.

In the manufacturing of vehicle interiors, cutting level precision is of the utmost importance because pieces must fit into door panel designs with a high degree of accuracy. Equipped with a special cutting blade, Vector iX6’s ultra-precise cutting improves material utilization by minimizing buffer between parts. The solution’s superior cutting control software and high-frequency vibration cutting also enable a considerable improvement in productivity.

“As vehicle interior designs become increasingly complex, process requirements change accordingly,” remarks Guan Qinghua, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, YFAI. “The ability to achieve greater productivity and precision for the smaller fabric and vinyl pieces becomes particularly critical. Lectra’s Vector iX6 satisfies this need while also improving fabric utilization and cutting efficiency.”

“Understanding evolving market trends lies at the heart of what we do,” states Javier Garcia, Senior Vice-President, Automotive Sales, Lectra. “Since its launch, Vector iX6 has been quickly adopted by interior component suppliers like YFAI. VectorAuto iX6 contributes to a drastic reduction in the manufacturing cost per set, especially for small parts produced using vinyl and other materials complex to cut.

• “Fashion Goes Digital” takes the Lead in Fashion Technology
• Customers get Industry 4.0-ready as Lectra unveiled latest product offerings and shared insights at annual fashion VIP event

Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, put theory into practice at its recent fashion event by unveiling their latest 4.0 Cutting Room to more than 100 privileged industry professionals.

“Fashion Goes Digital” drew industry stakeholders and market experts from 20 countries, who gathered at Lectra’s International Advanced Technology Center (IATC) in Bordeaux-Cestas, France, to examine the real-life application of digitalization in fashion.

While the topic of digitalization served as a backdrop for the event, there was a recurring theme at the forefront: fashion companies need Industry 4.0 technology and support in order to be more precise in meeting the evolving needs of their digitally savvy consumers.
Nick Chiarelli, Client Partner of Foresight Factory, shed light on new business opportunities for fashion, Nora Kühner, founder of Nora Kühner Fashion Design Consulting, used her designer perspective to decode the digital future of product development, and Fabrizio Fantini, founder of Evo Pricing, showed participants how machine learning could help fashion companies predict consumer demand and avoid waste.

“While speaking about the future challenges and trends in fashion and luxury, the trend now is to use analytics to drive the entire production process,” highlighted Stephen Taylor, Principal Director of Kurt Salmon.

Waruna Tennakoon, General Manager of Group Cutting, Brandix, and Ajith Perera General Manager of Mathliya Plant, MAS Kreeda, also shared their Lectra customer experience. Based in Sri Lanka, both companies have established themselves as the country’s largest apparel exporters, with Brandix specializing in producing intimate and activewear, and MAS Kreeda in sportswear.

“Thanks to the digital revolution, consumers are now more specific in their demands. This will cause a shift in mass manufacturing where there will be smaller-volume orders coming in at a faster rate. As a result, manufacturing models have to be more agile in the immediate future,” explained Ajith Perera, “I am happy to see that Lectra is already spearheading this change by providing us with the necessary technology to help us meet market demand.”

There was no better time to put digitalization into context than during “Fashion Goes Digital”.
VIP guests got a sneak preview of the brand new, fully automated cutting room solution for fashion and apparel. Lectra’s Cutting Room 4.0 is an embodiment of Lectra’s commitment to empowering its customers with the best solutions to thrive in this new digital era. This avant-garde technology leverages industry 4.0 principles to provide greater agility, throughput, cost efficiency and in particular scalability in order to respond seamlessly to small batches orders and shorter lead times.

Jean-Yves Collet, CEO of Treize Roches Couture, a high-end French womenswear manufacturer, provided a testimonial on why his company chose to be one of the first to adopt this new solution. He explained how Lectra’s latest technology would help Treize Roches speed up their artisanal production process to bring products faster to market.

“When we discussed the possibility of a made-to-order production project, we could really foresee the benefits both in terms of quality and productivity. Industry 4.0 solutions do not yet exist in garment manufacturing. This is why we have decided to develop an Industry 4.0 cutting room. This will allow us, in the preparatory stages to automate the processes as much as possible and improve quality, productivity and training time.”

“We have unveiled our strategy last year where we have identified Industry 4.0 and digitalization as our key drivers. Our goal for this event is to show that we are, indeed, living and breathing Industry 4.0 and we do have what it takes to help our customers succeed in this era. Our latest cutting room 4.0 shows that we are not just talking about the future of fashion anymore, we are living in it right now as we speak,” concluded Céline Choussy Bedouet, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Lectra.

The automotive market is undergoing a period of great change. Global demand for light vehicles is increasing, but at slower rates than seen in previous years, and this is resulting in ever greater competition between carmakers. At the same time, the technological capabilities that can be offered are advancing rapidly. Areas such as autonomous driving, connectivity, interior comfort and the customization of vehicles in line with personal taste are becoming key ways that manufacturers can differentiate themselves and win market share. Indeed, automotive supplier Lear, recently unveiled a new biometric ‘smart’ seat, that tracks a driver’s health indicators.

These trends are having a knock-on effect for suppliers. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), being able to satisfy diverse consumer preferences is now considered more of a success factor than getting a vehicle to production faster than the competition. Across the automotive supply chain — and especially for those involved in the production of car seats and interiors — a growing emphasis on interior styling and luxury components has created new challenges that are further compounded by increasing cost pressures.

Although news coverage about the automotive industry tends to focus on such innovations as ‘driverless’ cars and ‘intelligent’ vehicles, one of the most farreaching changes occurring is this trend towards personalization: how automotive manufacturers are managing to make mass-produced items unique. Not only are manufacturers increasing the number of models they are offering but also the options available to a consumer per model. The Vauxhall Adam is a case in point: consumers can have more than 1 million different combinations when they order the car.

To cope with these challenges, suppliers will need to re-evaluate and improve their production processes. Within this context, the integration of smart solutions and services, and the replacement of production tools that are incompatible with connected factory concepts, will be vital. The combination of Software as a Service (SaaS) with the cloud is already opening up new horizons for innovation. Factories remain at the heart of the value chain. But Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing mass production, allowing more and more large-scale, personalized — and profitable — manufacturing, with greater quality and no added costs or delays.

As customer expectations reach new levels, it is especially important that suppliers in the automotive cutting value chain ramp up their transformation, adopting the technologies and services shaping Industry 4.0. For years, OEMs and suppliers alike have used foam and frames to develop patterns for producing seat covers in material or leather. The automotive industry was among the first to use sophisticated 3D computer-aided design (CAD) programs for the design and development of vehicles. But it has taken time for this technology to be used extensively for seat covers. Although 80% of fabric seating and interiors are currently cut digitally, only 10% of leather seats are cut using this method. The majority of suppliers of automotive leather seating still rely heavily on manual cutting equipment, such as die and roller presses.

To gain the agility and flexibility to remain relevant and competitive in a market that is dictating more change, variants, and faster reaction times, close cooperation between OEMs and suppliers is necessary. For if even one aspect of the process fails to provide sufficient flexibility, speed to market and consistent quality, then the entire chain will be impacted.

In such a complicated and fast-moving market, only the most adaptable and innovative companies will succeed. The solutions that form part of the Industry 4.0 framework will help give suppliers the capacity to adapt and thrive in this new environment. For more Information please find the complete White Paper attached.

• Deep Insights into the Multifaceted World of Cotton
• Quality, Innovation and Digitalisation are Crucial

From the 21st to the 23rd of March, the international cotton industry came together in the historic Bremen Town Hall, under the motto "Cotton Insights". More than 500 participants from almost 40 countries came to exchange views on the latest trends in the natural raw material as part of the conference organised by the Bremen Cotton Exchange in cooperation with the Fibre Institute Bremen. The 34th International Cotton Conference provided a varied, in-depth programme which addressed the current and burning issues within the industry.

Summarising his visit to the conference, Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in Washington said “The Bremen Cotton Conference is unique because it brings the diverse world of cotton together in one place. It is always a great opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, talk to cotton merchants and get an overview of the industry".

Sustainability and Cotton
This year, the conference developed into a whole week of diverse events around the entire cotton supply chain. With the “SUSTAIN” event, which was organised in cooperation with the Weser-Kurier newspaper, it was possible to build a bridge between the issue of sustainability and the end consumer.
With the focus on Africa, the emerging continent, which also has a special significance for cotton, became the centre of attention.

In his opening speech, Henning Hammer, President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, made it clear that sustainability is also of great importance during the Cotton Conference: "The three pillars of sustainability – the environment, the economy and social issues – were already playing a role in the cotton industry when the word sustainability was far from being on everyone's lips.
Many changes that are being demanded in the sense of responsible agriculture and responsible trade take their time, many are already in the starting blocks and a lot already exists. We have a very alert, active agricultural research worldwide."

The Keynotes
The keynote session, moderated by the journalist Lisa Boekhoff from the newspaper Weser-Kurier, gave participants an overview, with an informative analysis of the current cotton situation. Kai Hughes, executive director of ICAC, emphasised in his keynote address the need to provide credible facts and figures which should be the basis for the entire supply chain. The marketing of cotton and changing consumer habits in a globalised and digitalised world were the subject of lectures by Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated and Robert Antoshak, Olah Inc. Eugen Weinberg and Michael Alt from Commerzbank took a look at the raw material from a stock market perspective.

Traceability and Digitalisation
Digitalisation is also a cross-cutting issue that runs through the entire supply chain of the cotton industry. In his opening speech, Prof. Axel S. Hermann, Head of the Fibre Institute Bremen, emphasised the importance of digitalisation for the industry. “It enables new approaches in cotton cultivation and textile processing, but also influences consumer behaviour and thus the necessary changes in the textile industry.” The focus is on the status quo of the implementation, as well as the opportunities and risks of digitally controlled, vertically integrated procurement and sales processes and the associated challenges at retail level.

Another current topic is traceability, which is also closely linked to sustainability. More and more buyers want to know whether their suppliers are meeting the promised sustainability criteria for their products, also textile products. Consequently, the conference presented various techniques for testing the authenticity of a cotton provided in the finished textile, such as DNA testing, fingerprint analysis technique, marker methods and block-chain processes.

Cotton Quality
In addition to current subjects such as digitalisation and traceability, questions of cotton quality have traditionally been an essential element of the Cotton Conference, which was further reinforced this year with the "Spinners Seminar". The spinning mill seminar, which was carried out by the Cotton Exchange and the Fibre Institute in cooperation with the ITMF and IVGT associations, far exceeded expectations.

More than 70 participants discussed the handling of impurities in supplied cotton in the manufacturing process.
In addition, in a high-level expert session, there was an exchange of the latest research results which determine the future of cotton production and the processing of cotton into innovative products.

Wilmington, MA – March 1, 2018 - Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS), a global leader in membrane filtration technologies, announced today that it has provided PURON® Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) modules as part of a system upgrade to the wastewater treatment facility of KPR Mill Limited. KPR Mill is one of the largest apparel manufacturing companies in India. KPR Mill decided to upgrade their wastewater treatment facility from an old conventional plant to an advanced MBR technology due to its environmental commitment to ensure zero liquid discharge (ZLD) by recycling 100% of their wastewater. Among the key reasons for selecting the PURON® MBR modules are its unique design, including single header and central aeration, reliable and consistent operation, and strong after-market support from KMS.
 
KPR Mill has been using a conventional Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).  Their old technology involved high chemicals consumption which required high maintenance levels, resulting in frequent production shut downs due to ETP failures.  The new MBR plant is designed to handle 3000 m³/day of textile effluent, utilizing two MBR trains. Initial results show that KPR Mill has reduced chemical costs and eliminated downtime, maximizing textile production. In addition to savings in operational cost and production optimization, KPR strives for an eco-friendly textile processing system. KPR’s selection of PURON® membranes help them achieve their goals of environmental sustainability.
 
“The membrane bioreactor technology from KMS operates very reliably and has resulted in a significant reduction of chemical, operating and maintenance costs of about 10%,” said Mr. C.R. Ananda Krishnan, executive director of KPR Mill Limited. “And as we are a trend setter in using eco-friendly advanced technologies, we were happy to have PURON® MBR as a technology partner who fits our needs and our vision.”
 
“KMS has developed advanced membrane solutions for the textile industry,” said Mr. Manny Singh, President of KMS. “Our products and services help the industry treat wastewater to meet strict discharge and reuse targets, and create value through various chemical recovery processes.”