From the Sector

At the forthcoming Texprocess, Techtextil and Heimtextil shows taking place in Frankfurt from June 21-24 – members of the Swedish Textile Machinery Association TMAS will be showcasing a range of solutions aligning with the growing trend for more localised and automated textile manufacturing.

Digitalisation and the push for more sustainable, shorter and less expensive supply chains are currently making manufacturing in high-cost countries within Europe more attractive and there have been many other contributing factors to this over the past two years.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of many countries to shortages of essential items like PPE while at the same time making the full exploitation of new digital options essential during national lock-downs and long periods of restricted travel. The escalating cost of global transportation, as well as the growth of online retailing and the associated benefits of on-demand digital manufacturing, are further reinforcing the many benefits of short-run and near-shore new operations.

Secure supply
At Texprocess, for example, Eton Systems will be unveiling its latest Ingenious software solution which further enhances the company’s Opta Unit Production System (UPS) introduced in 2021.

“Our automated technology has already had a great impact on the productivity of thousands of garment production lines,” says Eton’s Managing Director Jerker Krabbe. “Our systems help producers across the world to reduce repetitive manual tasks and increase efficiency, which evens out some of the differences between production in high and low-cost countries, making reshoring a feasible option. Creating a diversified production portfolio with a mix of production facilities, some closer to home, makes for a more secure product supply.”

Flexibility
Imogo meanwhile recently installed the first industrial scale dyeing system in Sweden for many years. The Dye-Max spray dyeing line has the potential to slash the use of fresh water, wastewater, energy and chemicals by as much as 90% compared to conventional jet dyeing systems. It is capable of carrying out the application of a wide range of fabric pre-treatments and finishing processes, providing users with unbeatable flexibility in production.

“Here in Scandinavia, we are currently seeing an explosion of companies developing sustainable new cellulosic fibres – many from waste clothing – but a problem is that all of the environmental benefits they deliver can potentially be lost in the further processing, and especially in conventional dyeing,” observes the company’s Founding Partner Per Stenflo. “The Dye-Max system positively addresses this, but interest in it has not just been confined to Europe. We are currently seeing a lot of activity in Turkey – largely as a near-shore partner to European brands – but also in Bangladesh.”

Robotics at Heimtextil
ACG Kinna Automatic specialises in automation solutions for filled products such as quilts, pillows and mattresses and its live demonstrations of robotics in action have proved a magnet for visitors to Heimtextil. This year’s show will be no exception.

“The use of robotics is now standard across many industries dealing in solid goods, but the handling of soft materials such as textiles is a little more complex,” says Managing Director Christian Moore. “Nevertheless, it’s something we have successfully mastered, and our robotic systems are proving highly beneficial to their users. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution when it comes to automation and our approach is always to carefully examine where it will make the difference in each bespoke system. A focus is on identifying and eliminating bottlenecks which will increase product flows.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, ACG Kinna drew on all of its automation know-how and extensive network of contacts to build a new nonwovens fabric converting and single-use garment making-up plant in a matter of weeks, in order to supply the Swedish authorities with urgently-needed medical gowns.

Instant colour
Localised textile production is also booming in the USA, where Coloreel has recently secured multiple orders for its instant thread colouration technology via its US partner Hirsch.

“Coloreel technology enables the high-quality and instant colouring of a textile thread while it is actually being used in production and can be paired with any existing embroidery machine without modification, while also making it possible to produce gradients in an embroidery for the first time,” explains VP of Sales Sven Öquist.

“Advanced rapid colour formulation software and high-speed drive technology allow a single needle to carry out what it previously required many multiples of them to do – and with much more consistent stitch quality. By instantly colouring a recycled white base thread during production, our system enables complete freedom to create unique embroideries without any limitations. Colour changes along the thread can either be made rapidly from one solid colour to another, or gradually, to make smooth transitions or any colouring effect desired. This provides big benefits when it comes to sustainability and design creativity.”

Milestone
Svegea will be promoting its latest EC 300 collarette cutting machine at Texprocess 2022. This machine is used by garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular apparel components such as waistbands, cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements. With its E-Drive 2 system and fully automatic FA500 roll slitter, the EC 300 has an output of around 20,000 metres per hour.

“Advances in automation are only making the specialised, bespoke machines we engineer even more efficient and we are expecting a very busy year,” says Managing Director Håkan Steene. “The garment components our collarette cutters produce make it logical for them to be integrated into the operations of making-up operations, wherever they are.”

Sensors
The advanced yarn tension monitoring technologies of Eltex of Sweden meanwhile play an essential role in rectifying defects in  weaving, tufting and composite reinforcement operations.

“A correct tension of the warp and weft threads ensures proper machine operation,” explains Eltex Global Marketing and Sales Manager Anoop K. Sharma “The constant tension monitoring and automatic control of the tension of the thread help to overcome unnecessary problems.

“We continue to make advances in both the hardware and software of our tension monitoring systems, such as the EyE™ for the warping process. With the EyE™, the yarn tension values from all yarns are continuously updated and displayed on screen. In addition, tension values outside the warning level are indicated both on the sensor’s LEDs and on the screen for complete quality control. No fabric can be woven without the appropriate and correct tension.”

• Dye Sublimation Papers that bring colour to life

At the upcoming FESPA Global Print Expo 2022 (31 May to 3 June) in Berlin, leading specialty papers manufacturer Sappi will be showcasing its extensive portfolio of coated and uncoated dye sublimation papers, containerboard and silicone base papers. At Europe’s most significant trade fair for screen and digital printing, large-format printing and textile printing, visitors to stand 4.2-D20 will have an opportunity to see for themselves the many qualities and diverse applications of Sappi’s papers:

• Experience the comprehensive portfolio of sublimation papers
• Learn about Sappi’s plans to support further market growth
• See the benchmark products for corrugated board production
• Explore the full range of silicone base papers

Investment in increasing production capacities for sublimation papers
Sappi’s theme for this year’s FESPA Global Print Expo is “Seed. Thrive. Earn.” Sappi, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of speciality papers, has indeed planted a seed by recognising the rapidly growing importance of sublimation papers for digital transfer printing. The company recently announced that it will be investing a sum in the low double-digit million euros over the next two years in the expansion of its “Centre of Excellence” for speciality papers at its Carmignano site in northern Italy. The investment aims to increase production capacity to support further growth of the dye sublimation paper business. It will also further improve the company’s first-class service, while shortening delivery times.

Comprehensive product portfolio of sublimation papers for a multitude of applications
Thanks to previous investments, Sappi is ideally positioned to offer an extensive portfolio of dye sublimation papers for digital transfer printing. These are constantly being improved and adapted to the latest market requirements and ongoing developments in sustainability. Sublimation papers are used in the fashion, home textile, sportswear and sports equipment sectors as well as in the soft signage and hard substrates industries.

This year, all papers will be displayed with new designs and materials to give visitors the best possible overview and insight into the numerous application possibilities adapted to a variety of machine types and speeds. In addition to Sappi Basejet, an uncoated sublimation paper, the complete Transjet brand product family will be presented.

High-quality containerboard products for corrugated board applications
For applications such as promotion displays, high-quality packaging or e-commerce cartons, Sappi offers a portfolio of coated and uncoated liner qualities. These guarantee brilliant colour reproduction as well as excellent contrast and improved readability. The 100 per cent virgin fibre Fusion range liners are today’s premium solutions for displays, consumer packaging, shelf-ready packaging and trays. With their homogeneous surface and high whiteness, the virgin fibre liners fulfil all the requirements for strong brand impact at POS.

A full spectrum of silicone base papers
Silicone base paper products complement Sappi’s portfolio at this year’s FESPA. Developed as release liners for self-adhesive applications such as automotive foiling, outdoor advertising and office materials, they offer exceptional siliconization properties as well as easy and efficient processing.

Construction machinery rolls into action again. The ground-breaking ceremony at the EREMA site in Ansfelden on April, 6 signals the start of work on a new R&D centre. Two halls with a total area of 1,550 square metres and a new office building with 50 workplaces will be built. The R&D centre will offer cross-departmental and cross-company test machines and laboratory for research and development of plastics recycling technologies to further advance the circular economy. Completion is scheduled for February 2023.

Plastics recycling is currently evolving very rapidly from a niche to a trend. This is driven by the legislative targets for plastics recycling that the European Union and many countries around the world have enacted, as well as by the European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent and in which the circular economy plays a very central role.

However, there is not just one recycling solution for all types of plastic waste, but rather different solutions depending on the type of plastic, the product and the application intended for the recycled plastic. While some plastics processing loops, such as for PET bottles, have already been closed, many other plastic waste streams still require a great deal of R&D in cooperation with everyone involved in the value chain to produce recycled pellets that meet the very highest standards for the production of new products. More space will be available for this in the new centre.

R&D is decentralised at EREMA. In recent years, approximately 5 percent of turnover was reinvested annually in research and development. Employees from different departments handle process engineering challenges, innovations in mechanical engineering and automation technology, and special technologies with a view to further improving the quality of recycled pellets. They also focus on new recycling technologies for waste plastic materials for which there is currently no satisfactory circular economy solution. The decisive factor here is also to exploit the potential of digitalisation. By collecting and analysing machine data, not only can recycling processes and product quality be further improved, but we can also develop our digital service offering for our customers. Such offerings include customer-specific information tools that feature plant and process data, predictive maintenance and online support as well as commissioning via remote access.

For material tests, which are necessary for research and development work, an expanded machine park will be available following completion of the new R&D centre. Here, the recycling process can be evaluated end-to-end, including upstream and downstream processes such as shredding and further processing of the recycled pellets. The material tests are supported by detailed analysis in the professionally equipped laboratory, which will be relocated to the new premises and upgraded where necessary with the very latest lab equipment.

Monforts and its Turkish representative Neotek are looking forward to the forthcoming ITM 22 international textile machinery show taking place from June 14-18 at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Centre in Istanbul, after a three-year break.

With the TwinAir heating chamber system within a Montex stenter, top and bottom airflows can be regulated completely independently of each other, ensuring heat is only applied when and where it is required. The Optiscan balancing system ensures continuous automatic evaluation of the distance between the nozzles and the fabric for highly economical and contact-free drying. The resulting constant evaporation rate within the stenter ensures optimum energy utilisation and also avoids markings on the fabric.

With the latest Montex stenters, overall energy savings of up to 40% can now be achieved compared to a conventional stenter with no heat recovery or energy optimisation measures like high-quality chamber insulation.

The Montex stenter also benefits from full digital control, with the Qualitex 800 PLC control system providing ease of operation and rapid access to line and management data, including full operating cost overviews, as well as maintenance monitoring.

Advances in digital technology mean that there are also now significant gains to be made in the retrofitting of existing Monforts machines with the latest automatic drives and control systems, going far beyond the basic replacement of spare parts.

“We will be emphasising the robustness and versatility of the Montex stenter for essential processes such as drying, stretching, heatsetting and coating at the Istanbul show,” said Monforts Area Sales Manager Thomas Päffgen.

“With energy prices rising steeply everywhere, features such as the MonforClean system, or the EcoBooster, in which waste heat from the drying process is used to pre-heat the drying air, are proving more invaluable than ever,” added Ahmet Kilic of Neotek. “Monforts can provide a range of further resource-saving and energy recovery options tailored to each individual line installation.”

• Kornit Digital Introduces High-Volume Digital Production Solution for Vibrant Decorative Designs on Polyester and Polyester-Blended Apparel
• Kornit Atlas MAX Poly to Transform Professional and Recreational Sportswear, Teamwear, and Sports Brands; Injecting Life into Apparel with Power of Design Across Full Color Gamut

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT) (“Kornit”), a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand digital fashionx and textile production, introduced today its distinctive Kornit Atlas MAX Poly system – an industry-first direct-to-garment (DTG) solution delivering superior-quality digital decoration for vibrant, colorful design on polyester and poly-blended apparel.

Kornit’s Atlas MAX Poly capitalizes on the demand for fashionable, unique sportswear and apparel. As the industry emerges from a post-pandemic environment in which athletic and leisurewear became mainstream, there is increasing demand for apparel combining polyester and poly-blends with vivid designs across a range of colors. Atlas MAX Poly can transform the multi-billion-dollar professional and recreational sports apparel and teamwear markets, limited today by limitations in mass customization of polyester.

“Kornit Atlas MAX Poly is a game-changer,” said Omer Kulka, Chief Marketing Officer at Kornit Digital. “As fashion and sports apparel merge, there’s new opportunity for innovative fashion on polyester, currently the fastest-growing textile vertical. For the first time, recreational sportswear, promotional, and sports brands can embrace vibrant and colorful design with Kornit’s proven MAX technology – setting superior quality standards for on-demand production previously not possible.”

Unveiled during Kornit Fashion Week Tel Aviv 2022, Atlas MAX Poly incorporates Kornit’s field-proven MAX technology for high-quality premium decoration, process automation, and smart autonomous quality control. With Kornit’s XDi decorative applications, Atlas MAX Poly enables endless designs and creativity on polyester, and empowers new styles for multiple effects and unlimited combinations such as emulating threadless embroidery, high-density vinyl, screen transfer emulations, and 3D effects.

The solution is compatible with mesh and plain fabrics, including brushed polyester, while maintaining durability and breathability. It brings the highest throughput for on-demand polyester decoration, reducing total cost of ownership to drive profitability. Customers gain competitive advantage via Pantone color-matching and a wide color gamut including neon colors for bright and vibrant impressions, using single-step mechanisms minimizing production footprints while maximizing versatility.

Beyond superior quality, graphics, color, and application variety, Kornit Atlas MAX Poly offers efficient, reliable, profitable end-to-end polyester production via:

• Kornit’s ActiveLoad automated garment-loading and pallet adjustment for repeatable, high-quality output with minimal errors reducing time and waste, eliminating operator ramp-up and boosting throughput up to 20%.
• Seamless integration with KornitX Global Fulfillment Network, enabling a pixel-to-parcel-to-doorstep experience. This unleashes untapped demand for polyester short-run production, personalization, and disruptive direct-to-fan and direct-to-recreational business models.
• Integration with KornitX’s workflow ecosystem and Kornit Konnect™ dashboard, optimizing process visibility and control, adding data-driven insights for production floor efficiencies.

• Innovation begins with creativity
• A pioneer of the manmade fiber industry

When the manmade fiber age began a century ago, a German company was responsible for the pioneering work involved. Barmag, established in 1922, was one of the world’s first companies to construct machines for the large-scale production of synthetic staple fibers. To this day, the leading manufacturer of manmade fiber spinning systems and texturing machines in Remscheid – a brand under the aegis of the Swiss Oerlikon Group since 2007 – has shaped technological progress in this sector; in future, with ever more innovations focusing on sustainability and digitalization.

Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft (Barmag) is founded in Barmen, located in the Bergische Land region, on March 27, 1922. The German and Dutch founders enter unchartered technological territory, one created as the result of a groundbreaking invention: in 1884, French chemist Count Hilaire Bernigaud de Chardonnet used nitrocellulose to produce the first so-called artificial silk, later known as rayon. The following decades see rapid development focusing on the search for synthetic textile fibers and their manufacturing technologies. As one of the first machine factories, Barmag battles its way through the eventful early years of the manmade fiber industry, the ‘Roaring Twenties’ and the Great Depression – and suffers the extensive destruction of its factories at the end of World War Two. Rebuilding is successful. With the unstoppable success story of purely synthetic plastic fibers such as polyamide, the company flourishes from the 1950s through to the 1970s, establishing sites in all international, for the textile industry at the time important, industrial regions and garnering prestige across the globe in the process. In the ups and downs of expansion, global competition and crises, Barmag reaches the very pinnacle of the market and becomes the preferred technological development partner for the manmade fiber industries in China, India and Turkey. The company has been a high-impact brand under the umbrella of the Oerlikon Group since 2007.

On the wings of innovation
Today, Oerlikon Barmag is a leading supplier of manmade fiber filament spinning systems and part of the Manmade Fibers Solutions business unit of the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division. And our aspirations have not diminished: “The striving towards innovation and technological leadership has been, is and will always be part of our DNA”, emphasizes Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions. In the past, this has been observable in such trailblazing innovations as the revolutionary WINGS generation of winders for POY in 2007 and WINGS for FDY in 2012. Currently, the focus of new and further developments is very much on digitalization and sustainability. Here, Oerlikon Barmag has – as one of the world’s first systems manufacturers – been implementing fully-networked smart factories for globally-leading polyester manufacturers since the end of the last decade. Within this context, digital solutions and automation are also helping to provide greater climate and environmental compatibility. This sustainability commitment is not only evidenced by the e-save label introduced for all products back in 2004: Oerlikon is endeavoring to also make all its sites carbon-neutral by 2030 and to acquire its energy exclusively from renewable sources. An ambitious target, whose achievement could be helped by the Oerlikon Barmag anniversary, states Georg Stausberg: “Innovation begins with creativity. And remembering the past provides plenty of motivation and inspiration for the future.”

Die Krankenhäuser in Deutschland stehen noch am Anfang der Digitalisierung. Das verdeutlichten die Expert:innen der digitalen KrankenhausZukunftsKonferenz (KhZK) der BVMed-Akademie am 24. März 2022. Die Konferenz blickte auf ein Jahr Krankenhaus-Zukunftsfonds zurück. Prof. Dr. Sylvia Thun, Direktorin der Core-Unit „eHealth und Interoperabilität“ am Berliner Institut für Gesundheitsforschung, stellte auf dem BVMed-Event den aktuell erhobenen digitalen Reifegrad in deutschen Krankenhäusern vor: „Durchschnittlich haben die deutschen Krankenhäuser 33,25 Punkte von 100 erreicht, was nicht viel ist.“ Besonders ausbaufähig sei die Interoperabilität und Patient:inneneinbindung. „Wir brauchen die Industrie, um Interoperabilität gemeinsam zu entwickeln“, so Thun. Um mehr Akzeptanz für die Digitalisierung zu ermöglichen, sei es außerdem wichtig, „Patient:innen und Klinikpersonal von den Potenzialen der Digitalisierung zu überzeugen“, so Markus Holzbrecher-Morys, Geschäftsführer IT, Datenaustausch und eHealth der Deutschen Krankenhausgesellschaft. Er plädierte dafür, dass die Betriebskosten auch nach 2025 gefördert werden. Um Prozesse und Produkte optimieren zu können, müsste die Industrie beim Datenzugang besser einbezogen werden, hob Marcus Wiegmann, BVMed-Vorstandsmitglied und Geschäftsführer von Stryker, hervor.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier.

• “The Atlas MAX technology provides a marked improvement in quality; it gives you that edge and something different."

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand, digital textile production technologies, announced today that Peterborough, United Kingdom-based print provider Snuggle has installed two Kornit Atlas MAX systems for superior versatility in their on-demand fulfilment production operations. A Kornit customer since 2017, the addition of Kornit’s most advanced direct-to-garment production systems reflects Snuggle’s sustained profitability and growth since that time.

Kornit Atlas MAX is the first digital direct-to-garment production system to feature XDi technology, which empowers users to simulate embroidery, dye sublimation, vinyl heat transfer, and 3D graphic effects with one single-step platform, using Kornit’s eco-friendly NeoPigment™ inks. Delivering superior graphic detail, consistent retail quality, and low and consistent cost per print to ensure profitability in any quantity, the system is engineered for adaptability to long-term automation needs, which helps businesses like Snuggle address the ongoing labour shortage.

With seven Kornit Digital systems in total, Snuggle is now able to produce up to 12,000 units daily, and has expanded its production space more than threefold since first investing in the technology. While the business does include an embroidery unit, Snuggle rejected screen printing due to its slow setup process, inefficient sampling for bulk orders, and the inability to generate profit from smaller custom orders. Furthermore, digitally-enabled production on demand was critical to their adapting when the pandemic economy caused many customers to cancel bulk orders suddenly.

• adidas expects double-digit sales growth in 2022

Major developments FY 2021

•    Currency-neutral revenues up 16% driven by growth in all markets
•    Excellent top-line momentum in EMEA, North America and Latin America with strong double-digit increases in each region
•    Double-digit growth in DTC reflecting improvements in both online and offline
•    Gross margin increases to 50.7% driven by higher full-price sales and better inventory management  
•    Operating margin increases 5.3 percentage points to 9.4%  
•    Net income from continuing operations grows more than € 1 billion to € 1.492 billion
•    Executive and Supervisory Boards propose dividend increase of 10% to € 3.30 per share

Outlook for FY 2022

•    Currency-neutral sales to increase at a rate between 11% and 13%, already reflecting up to € 250 million of risk in Russia/CIS business related to the war in Ukraine
•    Gross margin to increase to a level of between 51.5% and 52.0%
•    Operating margin to increase to a level of between 10.5% and 11.0%
•    Net income from continuing operations to grow to between € 1.8 billion and € 1.9 billion

Kasper Rorsted, CEO of adidas: “Unfortunately, we release our 2021 results in unsettling times. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people, our teams on the ground and everyone affected by the war. We strongly condemn any form of violence and stand in solidarity with all those calling for peace. We also provide immediate humanitarian aid to those in need of support. We will continue to follow the situation closely and take future business decisions and actions as needed, always prioritizing our employee’s safety and support.”

“In 2021, we delivered a strong set of results despite several external factors weighing on both demand and supply throughout the year”, Kasper Rorsted continued. “Wherever markets operated without major disruptions we have been experiencing strong top-line momentum. This is reflected in double-digit revenue growth in EMEA, North America and Latin America. While we continued to invest heavily into our brand, our direct-to-consumer business, and our digital transformation, we improved our bottom-line by more than € 1 billion. Taking it all together, 2021 was a successful first year within our new strategic cycle. In 2022, we will build on this momentum and continue to grow both our top- and bottom-line at double-digit rates amid heightened uncertainty.”

Tata Communications, ein globaler Anbieter von digitalen Ökosystemen, wird vom Gartner Magic Quadrant für Network Services, Global zum neunten Mal in Folge als 'Leader' ausgezeichnet. Gartner Magic Quadrant bewertet Tata Communications nach der Ganzheitlichkeit der Vision und deren Umsetzbarkeit.

Im Laufe des Jahres hat Tata Communications sein Netzwerk ausgebaut und verbessert, so dass Unternehmen widerstandsfähiger und sicherer gegenüber zukünftigen Unwägbarkeiten werden, indem Folgendes bereitgestellt wird:

• Zugang zu Geschäftsanwendungen vor Ort und in den Clouds, ortsunabhängig sicher und mit End-to-End-Netzwerkleistung
• Direkte Konnektivität zu neun der weltweit wichtigsten Cloud-Anbietern mit Tata Communications Cloud-Konnektivitätsdienst
• Zusätzliche Netzwerkkapazität im Pay-as-you-go-Modell mit 'Bandwidth-on-Demand', um kurzfristigen Bedarf bequem über ein Self-Service-Kundenportal zu decken