From the Sector

Mimaki, a leading manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, has announced that Arjen Evertse has been appointed as General Manager Sales, EMEA, effective 1st September 2021. After founding a business to support the adoption of Mimaki technology in Eurasia, this increased responsibility and exciting new challenge is the latest step forward in Evertse’s successful 12-year long Mimaki career.

Evertse has held a variety of roles at Mimaki, including technical operator and senior management, but most recently, he has overseen Mimaki Eurasia, a Mimaki subsidiary. He will succeed Ronald van den Broek, who has accepted a partner position at valued Mimaki customer and 3D print specialist, Marketiger.

• Xinfengming Group invests in innovative staple fiber technology from Oerlikon Neumag

Neumuenster/Shanghai – In the context of the ITMA ASIA + CITME currently taking place in Shanghai, Oerlikon has now announced that it has concluded the largest staple fiber plant order in the history of Oerlikon Neumag with the major Chinese group Xinfengming in the run-up to the trade fair. This involves eight complete staple fiber lines with a total of 320 spinning positions for the production of synthetic staple fibers. Oerlikon will not only supply the technology, but will also take over the engineering of the lines. Delivery is scheduled for 2022.

With a total capacity of 1,800 t/d, the project is Oerlikon Neumag's largest staple fiber plant order to date. The eight two-step lines will produce cotton-type staple fibers in a titer range of 1.0 - 1.4 denier. With this investment, the Xinfengming Group is expanding its product portfolio. As one of the world's leading FDY and POY polyester filament yarn producers, the Chinese company has relied on Oerlikon Barmag technologies for decades and now also on those of Oerlikon Neumag.

Although affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, ITMA ASIA + CITME, which takes place mid-June in Shanghai, will see a convincing participation of VDMA member companies. 56 exhibitors from Germany will exhibit at this year’s edition of Asia’s major fair for textile machinery. Due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, this is much less than in 2018, when 99 exhibitors from Germany were present. The booked space of German companies has almost halved compared to 2018. Nevertheless, Germany is still the second largest exhibitor nation after China.

At a virtual VDMA press conference early June, these renowned VDMA member companies* presented their highlights for the Asian market:

• Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division
• Truetzschler Group
• Neuenhauser
• Saurer
• Karl Mayer
• Groz-Beckert
• Herzog
• Lenze
• Mahlo
• Sedo Treepoint
• Thies

Instead of visiting the show personally, the VDMA offers a virtual trip to Asia. The established "Textile Machinery Webtalk" series via the newsroom IndustryArena will focus on ITMA ASIA in the run-up to the fair: VDMA Webtalks meet ITMA ASIA.

*See attached document for more information.

On the occasion of the VDMA press conference, André Wissenberg, Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division, presented the company's concept for ITMA Asia with the claim: Clean Technology. Smart Factory.

Due to the Corona pandemic, Oerlikon has decided to concentrate with their Chinese sales and service teams on guests primarily from China and greater Asia. However, some experts from Germany, who are working in China at our locations anyway, will be live on site at the booth. Other experts from Germany, India and US will be available online for the entire 5 days of the trade fair and will simply be connected by video conference to the discussion with the visitors on site if there is a need for.

At ITMA Asia 2021, Oerlikon will present the next generation of an automatic texturing solution with up to 25 % energy saving and up to 30 % higher production speed, easy maintenance and best yarn quality. The core of this machine, the socalled EvoCooler, will be shown as an exhibit in combination with digital solutions like AIM4DTY. In the field of high-precision flow control solutions components, the two new gear metering pumps developments for the production of aramid and spandex will be presented as well.

• CO₂ emissions will be reduced by 320,000 tons per year
• First supplier of wood-based cellulosic fibers in China to completely eliminate coal
• Share in eco-responsible specialty fibers will be significantly increased
• Lenzing is strategically well on track with these investments

The Lenzing Group, the leading global supplier of wood-based specialty fibers, will invest more than EUR 200 mn in its production sites in Purwakarta (Indonesia) and Nanjing (China) to convert existing standard viscose capacity into environmentally responsible specialty fibers.

In Nanjing (China) Lenzing will establish the first wood-based fiber complex in China that is independent from coal as an energy source. By using natural gas based cogeneration, Lenzing will reduce CO₂ emissions at the site by more than 200,000 tons. At the same time a line of standard viscose will be converted to a 35.000 tons TENCEL™ branded modal fibers line making Lenzing (Nanjing) Fibers Co., Ltd a 100 percent wood-based specialty fiber site by the end of 2022.

In Purwakarta (Indonesia), Lenzing will reduce its CO₂ emissions by increasingly using biogenic fuels. Additional investments to reduce emissions to air and water will make this facility fully compliant with the EU Ecolabel by the end of 2022. That will allow converting standard viscose capacity into LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers for textile applications as well as LENZING™ Viscose Eco fibers for personal care and hygiene applications. As a result, the site in Indonesia will also become a pure specialty viscose supplier as of 2023.

Both investments are fully in line with Lenzing’s target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions per ton of product by 50 percent by 2030. By avoiding or reducing the use of fossil fuels at the two sites, the Lenzing Group will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 320,000 tons in total, or 18 percent, compared to 2017. In addition, this investment allows Lenzing also to reduce its total sulfur emissions by more than 50 percent, compared to 2019.

Together with its major lyocell fiber project in Thailand, Lenzing will also boost its share in specialty fibers as a percentage of fiber revenues to well above the targeted 75 percent already by 2023, which in turn is an important step towards achieving the company’s EBITDA target of EUR 800 mn by 2024.

• Several members of TMAS – the Swedish Textile Machinery Association – are actively advancing new coloration technologies as part of a wave of innovation that is currently sweeping out from Scandinavia.

New manufacturers of regenerated cellulosic fibers as alternatives to cotton and synthetics, for example, have been gaining a lot of attention recently, as they scale up to meet demands for a circular approach to the manufacturing of textiles and garments.

These companies have, in turn, been embraced by major Scandinavian brands such as the Danish clothing company Bestseller, Finnish fashion house Marimekko, Norwegian outdoor brand Bergans and Sweden’s own H&M Group.

Fiber journey
From the field or the forest to the retail shelves, however, the journey of every single textile fiber is currently a long one, in which it passes through many hands and moves around the world. The good news is that many of these individual stages are now being greatly simplified by digitalization.

“Digitalization will lead to a significant reduction in garments that for one reason or another are never sold and end up in landfill,” says Therese Premler-Andersson, Secretary General of TMAS. “There will of course, be a huge ecological benefit.”

At the very center of any fiber’s journey, once it has become part of a knitted or woven fabric, are the dyeing and finishing stages of textile production. Dyeing and finishing currently involves many washing and drying process steps which add a huge burden to the overall carbon footprint of finished garments and textile products.

Coloreel expansion
Here is where the latest fully digital technologies of TMAS member companies are making a dramatic difference, such as the instant thread coloration technology, of Coloreel, which has just raised SEK 100 in new financing to support its market expansion and growth.

Initially targeting the embroidery market, Coloreel technology enables the high-quality and instant coloring 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.

Based on a CMYK ink system, Coloreel’s advanced rapid color formulation software and high-speed drive technology allow a single needle to carry out what previously required many multiples of them to do – and with much more consistent stitch quality,

In addition, existing thread dyeing plants can add a single solid color to a thread, but by instantly coloring a white base thread during production, Coloreel enables complete freedom to create unique embroideries without any limitations in the use of colors. Color changes along the thread can either be made rapidly from one solid color to another, or gradually, to make smooth transitions or any coloring effect desired.

This provides big benefits when it comes to sustainability. There is a significant reduction in wasted inks, while water usage is minimized, and production speeds are increased. The technology allows set-up and lead times to be reduced as well as significant flexibility in production schedules, while eliminating the need for large thread inventories.

“Our system is allowing customers to achieve color effects that have never been seen before – and at a new level of efficiency,” says VP of Sales and Marketing at Coloreel, Mats Sjögren. “We are setting the new benchmark for the embroidery industry.”

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Coloreel, has recently successfully delivered units to companies in Europe, the United States and Asia, and has also partnered with the world’s largest distributor of embroidery machines, American Hirsch Solutions, which has already installed the technology at a number of customers in the USA.

imogo
Another TMAS member achieving rapid progress is imogo, which is currently installing its first industrial scale Dye-Max spray dyeing line at the plant close to Borås of Swedish commission dyeing company 7H Färgeri – the Nordic region’s most complete dyeing and processing plant.

The new line has a working width of 1.8 meters with an operating speed of up to 50 meters for the reactive dyeing of cellulosic fiber-based fabrics. In addition, it can carry out the application of a wide range of fabric pre-treatments and finishing processes, providing the company with unbeatable flexibility in production.

A proven Mini-Max laboratory unit for pre-determining application volumes and color matching has also been installed at the 7H plant.

With the potential to slash the use of fresh water, wastewater, energy, and chemicals by as much as 90% compared to conventional jet dyeing systems, the DyeMax has gained considerable attention since the concept was outlined and a prototype machine constructed in 2019.

The application unit of the Dye-Max consists of a closed chamber containing a series of spray cassettes with precision nozzles for accurate and consistent coverage, in combination with the patented imogo Pro Speed valve that controls the volume to be applied.

“We are achieving an extremely low liquor ratio of around 0.5-1 liters per kilo of fabric and we fully control the pickup, applying precisely what is required to the specific fabric,” says imogo founding partner Per Stenflo. “Compared to traditional padders there is no contamination of the dyebath or dilution of the dye liquor to worry about.”
Fast changeovers with virtually no waste, together with a high production speed, enable a high productivity and unmatched production flexibility.

“The Dye-Max will be implemented in 7H daily production and producers and brands are welcome to visit when the Covid-19 situation allows. They are also welcome to do test productions at 7H to verify the performance on their fabrics.”

Perfect bridge
“Such new digital technologies from TMAS members represent the perfect bridge for sustainable new fibers on their route to the finished garments of responsible brands on the retail shelves,” concludes Therese Premler-Andersson. “There is now a real momentum building industry-wide for new circular manufacturing, and TMAS companies intend to be very much a part of it.”

Reflecting the pandemic-related drop in worldwide vehicle production, Autoneum’s revenue in local currencies fell by –18.7% in 2020, although the second half of the year saw a significant market recovery. Group revenue in Swiss francs fell by –24.2% year-on-year to CHF 1 740.6 million. For the full year 2020, the EBIT margin will be around 1.5% and the free cash flow slightly over CHF 100 million.
At the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021, the Board of Directors will propose Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli for election to the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding. Peter Spuhler will not stand for re-election.

At 74.5 million, the number of light vehicles produced globally in 2020 was down –16.2% compared to the previous year, where around 89 million vehicles were manufactured. Autoneum’s revenue in local currencies decreased by –18.7% in 2020, pretty much in line with the negative market dynamics. The somewhat stronger decline of revenue compared to the market results from a lower share of Asia in Autoneum's total revenue. Impacted by the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the most important currencies for Autoneum, the consolidated revenue dropped in 2020 by –24.2% to CHF 1 740.6 million. The heterogeneous development of the first and second half of the year was characteristic for the pandemic-driven automotive year 2020. Worldwide lockdowns and production stoppages at vehicle manufacturers led to a market slump in the first six months and a corresponding loss in revenue for Autoneum. Thanks to the subsequent market recovery and catch-up effects in the second half of the year, revenue improved considerably compared to the first half of the year.

Revenue development in Asia and SAMEA region significantly better than market
While revenues in local currencies of the highest-volume Business Groups Europe and North America decreased by –25.6% and –19.3% respectively, reflecting the regional, pandemic-driven market development (Europe: –22.9%; North America: –20.1%), Business Group Asia almost held its prior-year level with an organic decline of only –2.1% in 2020 thanks to the strong upturn in automobile production in China in the second half of the year and despite the fact that the number of vehicles produced in Asia fell by –11.4%.*

Personnel changes to the Board of Directors
At the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021, the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding will propose Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli for election as new members of the Board of Directors.
Liane Hirner has been CFO and member of the Management Board of Vienna Insurance Group, based in Vienna, Austria, since 2018.*

Oliver Streuli, a Swiss national, has been CEO of PCS Holding, based in Frauenfeld (Canton Thurgau), Switzerland, since 2019.*

Peter Spuhler has been a member of the Board of Directors of Autoneum since 2011 and will not stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021.*

*See attached document for further informationen

Underwear and loungewear specialist MEY announces the launch of its product series "Zzzleepwear,” developed to improve the quality of sleep for men and women. Setting new standards in the sleepwear category, functionality and technical innovation are the focus of the product styles that also offer stylish looks and wearer comfort.

People who sleep well recharge their batteries and can start the next day full of energy. However, many people suffer from sleep problems that can have a long-term negative impact on health and well-being. MEY’s Zzzleepwear was built to address that.

„Zzzleepwear“ reflects far-infrared rays
Fabrics of the "Zzzleepwear" series are equipped with energear™ technology from schoeller®. They reflect the body's own energy, which is emitted in the form of far-infrared rays. The textile finish is based on a titanium-mineral matrix, which reflects far-infrared rays back to the body. This effect can have a positive impact on the body and its energy balance. The understanding of far infrared rays and their positive properties has its origin in Asian healing medicine. Far Eastern medicine has incorporated life energy, "Qi" in Chinese, for centuries. More and more people are discovering that their performance increases when energy balance and energy flow are in harmony. schoeller® is transferring this function to textiles, and MEY is using the finish for the first time in nightwear.

Further fabric properties and design features
For the new "Zzzleepwear" series, the energear™ coating is applied to the inside of the fabric in a honeycomb-like form. It thus represents the core of the series. In addition, the fabric with melange structure is made of natural cotton and thermoregulating fibers that provide high breathability. The large proportion of natural cotton fibers increases the wearing comfort of this special nightwear. The "Zzzleepwear" series offers different color variations, as well as outstanding design features like flat seams and an interior print in the neck area.

Podcast with soporific effect
MEY wants to lull its customers to sleep in a particularly original way: A Spotify code is printed on every item in the series. By scanning this code, customers can listen to a sleep podcast created especially for the selected pair of pyjamas. In the eleven-part good night story, the products tell their own manufacturing story, from the cotton field to the fabric production in Albstadt to the store – so boring, it will have customers nodding off in no time.

• New level of transparency in the textile industry
• Building on several successful pilot projects with TextileGenesis™, the digital platform for the traceability across the textile supply chain has now been introduced.

The Lenzing Group, a leading company in the area of wood-based specialty fibers, celebrates another milestone on the way to making the textile and apparel industry more sustainable and transparent. Since 2019, Lenzing has been using the blockchain technology powered by the Hong Kong start-up TextileGenesis™ to ensure the traceability of textiles from fiber to production and distribution. After several successful pilot projects, the digital platform was launched on 5 November for TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers. The platform provides customers and partners as well as consumers with an overview across the entire textile supply chain.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, more changes have been brought to the already transforming fashion and textile industries. To date, supply chain traceability has become a top priority for apparel and home brands. With the blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform powered by TextileGenesis™, Lenzing supports the entire supply chain in meeting the increasing demand for transparency and sustainability.

Phased onboarding and new digital certificates

A follow-up of a 12-month pilot program and field trials with four leading sustainable brands (H&M, ArmedAngels, Mara Hoffman and Chicks) and supply chain players from 10 countries in three regions, the global roll-out of Lenzing’s blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform will be conducted in phases. During the first phase, Lenzing’s supply chain partners based in South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) will complete the onboarding process within Q4 2020. An estimated 300+ supply chain partners in China and Turkey will also join the program in Q1 2021. It is estimated that by Q2 2021,  most eligible Lenzing supply chain partners will be onboarded into the platform, ensuring full supply chain traceability.

One of the core components of the platform powered by TextileGenesis™ is integration with the Lenzing EBranding fabric certification system, which allows brands and retailers not only to access the full supply chain traceability for TENCELTM and LENZINGTM ECOVEROTM branded fibers but also to view the results of forensic (physical) verification of fabric samples via the digitally signed Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates. “

Over the past year, during the pilot program and field trials we have been receiving very positive feedback from brands and supply chain partners. Our brand partners have also been encouraging us to accelerate the global roll-out for traceability of Lenzing fibers. With this new system and the integration with Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates, the entire Lenzing ecosystem will create an unprecedented level of transparency. This will provide consumers with the most sustainable and climate-friendly clothing and home textile products that are made of TENCEL™ or LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers”, says Robert van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer and Member of the Board at Lenzing.

“With increasing compliance and reputational risks, CEOs and Boards of top 100 fashion brands have committed to using 100% sustainable and traceable fibers over the next 5 years, with transparency being a core part of business priorities. Sustainability and traceability are two sides of the same coin, and it’s great to see Lenzing paving the way for the entire fashion industry to follow. Our supply chain traceability platform will create digital accounting for Lenzing’s innovative and sustainable fibers across the entire supply chain using Fibercoins™ traceability technology”, says Amit Gautam, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of TextileGenesis™.

Fibercoin™ technology to ensure traceability across supply chain

Through using the innovative Fibercoin™ technology of the TextileGenesis™ platform, Lenzing and other brand
partners are now able to issue digital tokens (blockchain assets) in direct proportion to the physical shipments of TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers. These digital tokens provide a unique “fingerprint” and authentication mechanism, preventing adulteration, providing a more secure, trustworthy, digital chain-of custody across the entire textile supply chain, and most importantly, ensuring the materials are sustainably produced.

• Conservation and Biodiversity Information Now Available

Asia Pacific Rayon’s (APR) Follow Our Fibre is a blockchain-based tool that allows users access to information in real-time on the source of the raw materials in their garments and the origination of the fibre.

Launched in May 2019, the platform is now refreshed to include information of its suppliers’ conservation and biodiversity efforts, taking information transparency and richness to a new level. The refresh comes at a time when the fashion industry, through the Fashion Pact, is beginning to embrace biodiversity as a core focus on its agenda.

Follow Our Fibre now maps APR’s supply chain right down to locations of forest plantation concessions and conservation areas. The textile fibre producer’s suppliers are collectively responsible for the conservation of more than 3.12 million hectares of forests around the world, including boreal and peat swamp forests. These protected forests have rich biodiversity like the elusive Sumatran Tiger and Canadian Boreal Caribou, and provide ecosystem services, including 22 rivers and tributaries totalling over 900km.

“It is vital that we work with our supply partners to protect and strengthen forest landscape conservation areas rich in flora and fauna, and home to threatened and endangered species for today and future generations. These efforts are part of APR’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) 13 on Climate Action, and 15 on Life on Land,” said Cherie Tan, Vice President of Sustainability and Communications.

By providing a snapshot of the forest landscapes and biodiversity, APR hopes to quantify its ecological footprint and, as a next step, seek opportunities to partner its stakeholders to further strengthen forest conservation and enhance biodiversity in areas it sources from. Follow Our Fibre reflects the company’s long-term objectives for sustainable pulp sourcing and responsible manufacturing, and is a tool for its customers and stakeholders to trace finished products back to forest plantation origins, as well as monitor the environmental performance of APR’s supply chain.