From the Sector

Intertextile Shanghai concluded its 2017 Autumn Edition on 13 October as the strong business results and praise from the worldwide participants once again affirmed its reputation as the world’s most effective apparel fabrics and accessories trade event in terms of boosting sales and product sourcing. Knowing the fair covered an all-encompassing range of products that cater to all sourcing needs, 77,883 buyers travelled from 102 countries and regions (2016: 73,927, 90 countries and regions) to Shanghai to source. This year, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the UK and the US were the top 10 visitor countries and regions after Mainland China.

Meanwhile, a total of 4,538 exhibitors from 32 countries and regions (2016: 4,553, 29 countries and regions) also enjoyed the surge of business potential brought by this large number of high-quality trade buyers. The strong line-up of exhibitors, including 10 country and region pavilions – France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Milano Unica (Italy), Pakistan, Taiwan and Thailand – as well as 10 Group Pavilions organised by foremost industry leaders like DuPont, Hyosung, INVISTA and Lenzing, presented a full-spectrum of innovative and fashion offerings in 11 halls across 276,000 sqm (gross) exhibition area, an increase of nearly 6% compared to 2016.

While the nature of textile trade fairs has evolved over recent years, exhibitors’ successful results at this year’s Intertextile Shanghai shows that it is still the industry’s most effective order-writing and business development trade show because it remains the event where the global industry gathers to make purchasing decisions. As a result, many exhibitors see the fair as their business growth engine, and reported positive outlooks for sales after the fair.

Exhibitor opinions
 Ms Erika Jimenez, Development and Purchasing Department, Luca Cuccolini, Spain (SalonEurope)
“A few years ago we decided to explore the Chinese market. Knowing that Intertextile Shanghai is the most comprehensive fair of its kind in Asia, there was no doubt that this would be the fair to expose our brand. Throughout the years we have been satisfied with the visitor flow and business opportunities, especially this year. There has been a good flow of a diverse range of buyers visiting our booth, and we’ve already met with abundant potential buyers on the first day. Our objective is still to get our brand known to local buyers, and by looking at the progress in the first two days, we are even expecting to get orders later on.”

Mr Jean Denerolle, General Manager, Dormeuil, France (Premium Wool Zone)
“There has been lots of visitors coming to our booth on the first two days. Joining Intertextile Shanghai is an effective ways for us to develop the Chinese market. We are happy that the organiser referred a VIP buyer to us. Overall, we succeeded in receiving orders and promoting our brands, so I am pleased with the result this year.”
Mr Max Deery, Global Director, Print Stories Ltd, (for Amanda Kelly Ltd), UK (Verve for Design)
“We are satisfied with the results this year. The Verve for Design zone is well organised, and it’s a busier year compared to last. After day one, we’ve already found more than 10 potential buyers, both old and new customers. We’ve participated in other fairs in Europe as well, and I would say Intertextile Shanghai is in line with these shows, and busier than we expected.”

Mr Luca Maderna, New Age srl, Italy (Verve for Design)
“It’s our 10th year exhibiting in Intertextile. Given the large scale, we can always find new contacts here, and it’s also a great opportunity for us to present our new collection to our regular customers.”
Mr Ederhard Ganns, Managing Director, Union Knopf (HK) Ltd, Germany
“Our target clients are mainly brand owners and resellers. I have successfully met with them and have some promising contacts. We have also developed some new connections with both domestic and overseas customers. Intertextile Shanghai is no doubt the world’s number one show.”

Ms Kang Nan Hee, Assistant Manager, R&D Textile Co Ltd, Korea (Korea Pavilion)
“This is our 10th year at Intertextile Shanghai. Every year, we participate in both the spring and autumn fairs and they have never let us down. Not only can we meet numerous new buyers in each edition, we can also keep pace with the ever-changing market trends in the fabric industry. Besides that, in terms of visitor flow, this fair has always been the strongest. Take this year’s fair as an example. In our estimation, we have already received enquiries from almost 300 buyers and agents on the first two days, which has exceeded our expectations. Therefore, we are expecting some 400 orders in total by end of the fair.”

Mr Taku Ito, Manager, Sojitz Vancet (Shanghai) Trading Co Ltd, Japan (Japan Pavilion)
“We exhibit at this show to find new customers and sales channels in China. We’ve been joining the show for a while now, and we continued this edition as we can always meet new customers – I mean, really ‘new’. This year, there were about 400 companies that visited our booth. It’s also interesting that we are getting more online apparel shops visiting us lately.”

Ms Susan Hon, B2B Marketing Communication Director, North Asia, INVISTA Co Ltd, Hong Kong (Functional Lab & Group Pavilion organiser)
“With the help of Intertextile Shanghai – the most well-known platform in the industry – we can promote our newly launched products more efficiently and enhance the influence of our brand. Our booths were packed with visitors over the three days, with many of them high-quality buyers. Intertextile has always been one of the most important trade fairs for us because of its strength in attracting a wide range of buyers, including an unrivalled number of market-leading brands that no other fairs can offer.”

Mr Martin Yang, Marketing Manager, Nilit Nylon Technologies (Suzhou) Co Ltd, Israel (Functional Lab)
“Our management is satisfied with the results as this is where we can boost our business and sales. On the first day, we’ve already met with nearly 20 potential buyers that are very likely to develop into new orders after the fair. The most attractive trait of Intertextile Shanghai is its ability in gathering large numbers of trade buyers. More importantly, the majority of them are quality buyers who aren’t only our target customers but also keen to place orders. This fair is seen by the industry as the major platform to source as it includes more industry leading suppliers, raw material providers, fabric mills and garment manufacturers compared to other similar fairs, and this is why we are here.”

Mr Syed Kamran Shah, Marketing Manager, Soorty Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Pakistan (Beyond Denim)
“Our objectives are to establish connections with Chinese brands and manufacturers, as well as to learn buyers’ expectations in this market. We are happy with the visitor numbers, and Intertextile Shanghai is where buyers really come to make purchasing decisions. Buyers came to talk to us and run tests on our fabrics afterwards, and usually within 2-3 months’ time, we will receive orders. We also like the idea of the Beyond Denim hall as it ensures the effectiveness of gathering and getting in touch with our target buyers.”

Mr Štěpán Kučera, Managing Director, Preciosa Components, China (Accessories Vision)
“This has been Preciosa’s third consecutive appearance at the autumn edition of Intertextile Shanghai, where we continue to see an increase in attendance by our target customers, namely high-end fashion brands from both the Chinese and international markets. Among the 200-plus buyers we met on the first two days of the fair were domestic fashion brands, sourcing managers of overseas brands, garment producers, as well as OEMs & ODMs, and we are more than satisfied with the results. Compared to similar fairs in which we have participated, Intertextile has a stronger focus on sourcing and manufacturing. International brands tend to send their sourcing teams, while local manufacturers and vendors also source here.”

Ms Shanshan Lu, Client Manger, Beijing Ecocert Certification Centre Co Ltd, China (All About Sustainability)
“As Intertextile Shanghai is the largest fair of its kind, we can always find our target customers here which are manufacturers from the Greater China area and the Asia Pacific region. The All About Sustainability zone has enhanced the exhibiting effectiveness as it creates a strong theme that attracts the right visitors to our booth. I think the visitor flow is stronger than last year. On day 1 alone, we received enquiries from over 10 potential customers which included old and new accounts. Moreover, by sharing our certifications in the seminar, our brand got further promoted in the fair. All in all, we are very pleased with this year’s outcome and very likely will return again next year.”
Worldwide buyers impressed with the unparalleled range of sourcing options on offer
While the exhibitors highly valued the fair’s ability in attracting quality, genuine buyers from around the world, these buyers were pleased to find all categories of apparel fabrics and accessories products from the entire industry under one roof.

Buyer opinions
Mr Johnny Lau, Head of Material Management, Quiksilver Asia Sourcing Ltd, Hong Kong
“The strongest trait of Intertextile Shanghai is its scale and aptitude in gathering the entire industry in one place. I believe no matter which sector of the industry or market you belong to – suiting, casual wear or ladieswear; high-end or fast fashion – you are ensured to find the right suppliers here. The fair houses a full-spectrum of suppliers which ease the sourcing process for purchasing departments like us. To maintain brand competitiveness, it is getting more important for us nowadays to know about suppliers and manufacturers from around the world, so we were also impressed with the fair’s internationalism and had unexpected returns from this trip.”

Mr Luis Alfonso Yepes Londono, Manager, Yetex SAS, Columbia
“Among all trade shows, Intertextile Shanghai is the most influential one for my business, even compared to the European shows. Not only can I find local suppliers, but the fair literally puts brands from around the globe under one roof. This morning I discussed with three local companies that match my interest. Their fabrics were of good quality and competitive pricing, so I will soon make a decision and place orders.”

Ms Zhou Jie, General Manager, Shenzhen New Look Fashion Co Ltd, China
“Intertextile Shanghai is a comprehensive trade fair, and what’s unique about this fair is its unparalleled ability in gathering both domestic and premium international apparel fabrics and accessories suppliers. Therefore, the sourcing options in this fair cater to all market demands. I can say Intertextile is a fair that all fashion brands can’t miss as one can definitely find all kids of materials here. We sent over 10 colleagues from the sourcing and design departments to this year’s fair and sourced around 80% of the fabrics we need for the next season’s collection from about eight exhibitors.”

The next Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is the Spring Edition, held from 14 – 16 March 2018.
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. For more details on this fair, please visit: www.intertextileapparel.com. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: www.texpertise-network.com.

At JEC Asia 2017 (1-3 November), the international textile group CHOMARAT will receive a JEC Innovation Award in the Sports & Leisure category for its C-PLY™ Hexagonal with visual & structural stitching. “CHOMARAT provided NEILPRYDE and COBRA with its C-PLY™ Non-Crimp Fabric (NCF) technology to help them manufacture an innovative windfoil board, and we are very proud to be rewarded with our partners”, says Pascal JOUBERT DES OUCHES, Sports Equipment Market Director at CHOMARAT.

C-PLYTM HEXAGONAL COMBINES NEW CARBON LOOK AND PERFORMANCE

The unusual stitching of this carbon multiaxial NCF reinforcement combines visual appeal and mechanical performance. C-PLY™ Hexagonal is an innovative carbon NCF with a unique stitching yarn designed to be visible within the resin and to capture resin colour pigments. The stitching yarn also improves fracture toughness compared to standard NCF.
“We researched the right stitching yarn among multiple options before coming up with a tailor-made yarn solution. C-PLY™ Hexagonal provides a unique honeycomb carbon design that appeals to end users”, adds Philippe SANIAL, R&T Director at CHOMARAT.

A WIDE RANGE, FROM AERONAUTICS AND AUTOMOTIVE TO SPORTS & LEISURE APPLICATIONS

Originally dedicated to the design of aerospace and automotive parts, the concept is now successfully applied to the sports & leisure sector. In this innovative windfoil board construction, tows are spread to create thin plies, which are then stitched with precise ±45° angles. The C-PLY™ NCF structure respects the fibre alignment and is optimized in terms of fibre angles and ply weights, thanks to unique spreading technology. The result is a leading-edge carbon NCF reinforcement allowing structural design benefits, premium surface quality and overall parts cost savings. “Bringing a new carbon visual signature for our high-performance C-PLY™ range of NCF is a key to boost retail sales in the whole sports & consumers product industry”, concludes Pascal JOUBERT DES OUCHES.

Ein neues Forschungsprojekt der Hohenstein Group hat das Ziel, produkt- und anwendungsspezifische Referenzaufbereitungsverfahren für Warnschutzkleidung zu entwickeln, die Textilservicebetriebe als Grundlage für die Umsetzung in die individuelle Praxis nutzen können.

BÖNNIGHEIM (blb) - In vielen Branchen werden die Arbeiter durch das Tragen von Warnschutzkleidung vor möglichen Gefahren geschützt, z. B. bei Arbeiten im Straßenbau oder an Gleisanlagen. Aber gerade diese Tätigkeiten verursachen zum Teil starke Verschmutzungen der Warnschutzkleidung beispielsweise durch Bitumen-, Teer- oder Pufferfett. Solche Verschmutzungen reduzieren die Sichtbarkeit und Signalwirkung der Warnschutzkleidung durch Reduktion der sicherheitsrelevanten Flächen des Hintergrundmaterials und der Reflexstreifen und führen zu einem erheblichen Sicherheitsrisiko für den Träger.

Zur Gewährleistung der Schutzfunktion von Warnschutzkleidung während der gesamten Gebrauchsdauer werden produkt- und anwendungsspezifische Aufbereitungsverfahren benötigt, die die Schmutzentfernung sicherstellen und gleichzeitig die Textilien so gut wie möglich schonen. Solche Verfahren gibt es bislang nicht, weshalb Textildienstleister ihre Aufbereitungsprozesse individuell zusammenstellen müssen.

Bisherige Aufbereitungsverfahren tun sich mit diesen Verschmutzungen schwer, denn Verschmutzungen wie Bitumen, Teer oder Pufferfette lassen sich nur unter hohem Zeit- und Chemikalieneinsatz entfernen. Diese intensiven Waschbehandlungen führen zu Materialienschäden und reduzieren die Zahl der Leasingeinsätze der Warnschutzkleidung.

Neue Verfahren sollen mehr als 25 Aufbereitungszyklen für Warnschutzkleidung sicherstellen.

Erfahrungswerte der Textildienstleister zeigen, dass verschmutzte Warnschutzkleidung durchschnittlich bereits nach ca. 20 Aufbereitungszyklen aus dem Verkehr gezogen werden muss. Für den wirtschaftlichen Leasingeinsatz ist aber eine durchschnittliche Verwendungsdauer von oftmals 25 Aufbereitungszyklen einkalkuliert.

Referenzaufbereitungsverfahren für Warnschutzkleidung wären als Grundlage für die Umsetzung in die individuelle betriebliche Praxis geeignet. Sie dienen als Ausgangsbasis für validierte Aufbereitungsprozesse der Wäschereien und Textilleasingunternehmen. Darüber hinaus fehlt eine Bewertungsmatrix der verfügbaren Verfahren, welche es den Wäschereien ermöglicht, in ganzheitlicher Betrachtung ein möglichst wirtschaftliches Aufbereitungsverfahren auszuwählen. Ressourcenverbrauch, Materialschonung und Erhalt der Schutzfunktion sind die hier gegeneinander abzuwägenden Entscheidungskriterien.

Im aktuellen Forschungsprojekt der Hohenstein Institute stehen produkt- und anwendungsspezifische Referenzaufbereitungsverfahren für Warnschutzkleidung im Fokus. Diese Waschverfahren sollen textilschonend sein und dabei aber auch hartnäckige Verschmutzungen, wie Bitumenflecken, von der Warnschutzkleidung entfernen. Die Ergebnisse können die Wäschereien als Grundlage für die Umsetzung in die individuelle Praxis nutzen.

Positive Ergebnisse bei Schmutzentfernung und Wascheffizienz

Ansatzpunkt ist ein verbessertes Lösen, Emulgieren bzw. Suspendieren fett- und ölhaltiger Verschmutzungen im Waschprozess, da insbesondere diese Verbindungen die Einsatzdauer von Warnschutzkleidung begrenzen. Als Grundlage für textilschonende Referenzwaschverfahren sollen Mikroemulsionen und Soil-Release-Ausrüstungen untersucht werden, da beide Systeme positive Effekte hinsichtlich der Schmutzentfernung und Wascheffizienz aufweisen und bei milden Temperaturen und Waschbedingungen realisierbar sind. Um eine einfache und wirtschaftliche Umsetzung in die Praxis zu realisieren, ist eine Zusammenstellung der ermittelten Daten (u. a. Retroreflexion, Wetterschutz, Wasser- und Energiemengen) für die Referenzaufbereitungsverfahren in einer Bewertungsmatrix erforderlich. Erst mithilfe dieser Bewertungsmatrix wird für Hersteller von Warnschutzkleidung, Textildienstleister und Zertifizierungsstellen eine sichere Basis für die Umsetzung in die Praxis geschaffen.

Kalkulationsgrundlage für die Einsatzdauer von Warnschutzkleidung

Mit Hilfe von Referenzaufbereitungsverfahren und einer Bewertungsmatrix kann die Aufbereitung von Warnkleidung ganzheitlich bewertet und die Prozessparameter nach individuellen Rahmenbedingungen und Vorstellungen in den Betrieben optimal eingestellt werden. Mit der Adaption der ermittelten Prozessparameter auf die eigenen betrieblichen Rahmenbedingungen wird Wäschereien und Textilleasingunternehmen die größtmögliche Sicherheit gegeben, dass durch den Aufbereitungsprozess der Warnkleidung kein vorzeitiger Funktionsverlust hervorgerufen wird. Durch die im Projekt ebenfalls zu entwickelnde Bewertungsmatrix kann die Auswirkung der individuellen Prozessadaptionen auf die Warnkleidung noch besser abgeschätzt werden. Somit entsteht eine verlässliche Kalkulationsgrundlage für die Einsatzdauer von Warnschutzkleidung im Bereich Textilleasing.

In May 2017, Jochen Adler, Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer at Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG, presented a Oerlikon Barmag take-up winder as a partial gift to Prof. Dr Thomas Gries, head of the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University. The new Type ASW602 winder, which is equipped with modern control software and user interface, replaces the former institute’s Barmag take-up winder.

Due to this modernisation, ITA has access to a latest generation take-up winder which is used for various research projects. The new winder is applied at ITA’s two pilot melt spinning plants and ensures the transfer of new research and development insights into the pilot scale. Furthermore, this winder has two winding positions and operates with winding speeds between 2500 m/min and 5500 m/min. The new winder is suitable for all kinds of polymers, from polypropylene to polyethylene, polyester, polyamide etc. as well as for the production of several types of yarn, such as industrial yarn, pre-oriented yarn and fully-drawn yarn.
“We thank Oerlikon Barmag for the generous partial gifting and the support during the set-up of the new take-up winder”, says Prof. Dr Thomas Gries. “The new equipment will keep the institute’s machine park on a high and powerful level.” The head of ITA’s chemical fibre department Dr Thorsten Anders adds: “This winder is designed for the needs of chemical yarn research. It allows state of the art technology research and development and pilot-scale production. We will use it for the melt spinning plants in the single- and bi-component spinning process. This way, we can access a wide variety of producible yarn types.“

With less than four months to go before Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles takes place, the domestic market is showing strong signs of rejuvenation. China’s economy has stabilised recently, with 2016 GDP recording a 6.7% increase and reaching USD 10.7 trillion, while the National Bureau of Statistics also stated that the total sales of consumer goods last year rose 10.4% to nearly USD 4.8 trillion. Not only will the estimated 10 million couples getting married every year contribute to the strong demand for home textiles products, but the ascending living standards resulting from increased urbanisation together with the flourishing hospitality industry are also driving forces for the market. Apart from the domestic market, the Chinese home textiles industry is also actively opening up new markets around the world, particularly in the ASEAN region where exports continue to increase.

Along with the national 13th Five-Year Plan, the home textiles industry has also set its own development plan for the coming five years. Industry leaders, the China National Textile and Apparel Council and the China Home Textile Association, have announced that the home textiles industry is to be modernised by incorporating more innovative, technological and artistic elements. Annual growth of 5.5% and 3.2% for revenue and exports, respectively, are targeted, while automation is to be further promoted to enhance productivity.
Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd added that the prevalent whole-home trend in China will also stimulate the market as a whole. “More and more companies are starting to promote the whole-home concept which emphasises unified styles of decoration throughout the entire home to customers. Compared to demonstrating home textile products separately, showcasing whole-home furnishing is more appealing to Chinese buyers and will encourage sales. The synergy among products, especially those between home textile products and furniture is the emerging trend at present,” said Ms Wen.