From the Sector

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhäuser Group, was awarded the prestigious Georg Menges Prize 2022 at the 31st International Colloquium on Plastics Technology in Aachen from September 7-8, 2022. The prize recognizes individuals or groups who have rendered outstanding services to the transfer of research results into industrial practice. The sponsors of the award are the Plastics and Rubber section of Germany's Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), together with PlasticsEurope Deutschland and the Association of Sponsors of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Craft at RWTH University. The award is traditionally presented every two years during the colloquium organized by the IKV. Ulrich Reifenhäuser is the first businessman to receive the Georg Menges Award.

The award was presented by Professor Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann, Director of the IKV and Dr.-Ing. Herbert Müller, Chairman of the Board of the IKV Sponsors' Association. In his laudatory speech, Professor Hopmann highlighted Ulrich Reifenhäuser's great and successful commitment to the industry and his tireless search for optimal solutions that are sustainable in the best sense of the word, and praised him as a personality of integrity and integration. "The Georg Menges Prize is awarded for the consistent implementation of research and innovation in industry. The previously described achievements of our prizewinner would certainly have been enough to receive the award but, for the sponsors of the Prize, what was especially important and the key argument for their decision was Ulrich Reifenhäuser’s honorary dedication to the K tradefair," explained Professor Hopmann.

Ulrich Reifenhäuser has been a member of the Reifenhäuser Group management since 1992 and is responsible for international line sales. Together with his brother Bernd Reifenhäuser, he manages the company in the third generation. Ulrich Reifenhäuser has been a board member of the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association for more than 25 years and has been its chairman since 2010. In 2020, he was inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame, as was the award's namesake, and in 2022 he will be co-chairing the world's leading plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf for the seventh time in a row as "President of K show."

Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) has launched a new international edition of Global Fashion Summit. Traditionally held in Copenhagen, the new edition in Singapore will further focus on the perspectives of manufacturers and supply chain partners to deeper understand how the industry can collaborate to reduce social and environmental impact in the entire value chain. Global Fashion Summit: Singapore Edition will take place on 3 November 2022 at Hilton Singapore Orchard.

The theme of Global Fashion Summit: Singapore Edition continues GFA’s focus on ‘Alliances For a New Era’. Under this theme, the Summit will call on the industry to accelerate change - encouraging more alliances between manufacturers, suppliers, investors, brands, NGOs, policymakers and more. It will also examine cross-industry alliances, in a bid to accelerate the transition to a net positive reality.
 
By bringing the forum to Asia, the new edition will include even more manufacturer and supply chain partner voices in the programme to discuss sustainability challenges, differences, and opportunities to collaborate with brand executives on equal terms. Plenary sessions will consider topics such as:

• Renewable energy transformation – what does concrete transformation look like from tier 1-3 perspectives and what measures are needed to implement it?
• Better wage systems – how can the industry establish fair compensation, underpinned by fair purchasing practices that will help end poverty for millions of garment workers?
• Performance measurement – how can the industry accurately measure sustainability performance and tackle data credibility challenges?

Half of the programme will be dedicated to educational and action-oriented business case studies with options for direct interaction and live reactions. These will include tangible learnings and concrete recommendations to mobilise guests to take immediate action following the event.
 
The event will foster further collaboration across stakeholder groups through productive roundtable sessions that create an exchange of views among key decision makers in both the public and private sectors. These meetings will be designed and set up to drive commitments and new alliances for concrete action.

Leading computerized knitting machine manufacturer SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Turkish sales representative TETAS A.S., will participate in the CAITME 2022 Central Asian International Textile Machinery Exhibition in Tashkent, Uzbekistan next month.

This is the first time SHIMA SEIKI products are shown at the exhibition. Uzbekistan has been keen to convert its industry from raw material supplier to garment exporter, and therefore its market offers new opportunities for development and implementation of new technology.

To that end, SHIMA SEIKI will exhibit its WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology that can knit an entire garment and requires no post-process sewing. On display will be the MACH2VS WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. The flexible and versatile MACH2VS is capable of knitting a range of production styles. As a conventional shaping machine, it is capable of all-needle knitting in its available range of 8 to 18 gauge, while WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear can be produced in half-gauge fabrics. The range of usable yarn and material has increased as well, thanks to i-DSCS＋DTC® as standard equipment. The R2CARRIAGE® system that yields quicker carriage returns for greater efficiency, now features a lighter carriage for even higher productivity. MACH2VS is even capable of gaugeless knitting whereby a number of different gauges can be knit into a single garment.

Meanwhile the N.SSR112 computerized flat knitting machine offers leading technology in an economical yet reliable package. Featuring industry-leading innovations such as the R2CARRIAGE®, spring-type moveable sinker, DSCS® Digital Stitch Control System, stitch presser and takedown comb, Made-in-Japan quality, reliability, productivity, user-friendliness and cost-performance combine to satisfy the high expectations of the world's fashion industry.

Demonstrations will be performed on SHIMA SEIKI's SDS®-ONE APEX4 design system. At the core of the company’s "Total Fashion System" concept, SDS®-ONE APEX4 provides comprehensive support throughout the production supply chain, integrating production into one smooth and efficient workflow from yarn development, product planning and design, to production and even sales promotion. Especially effective is the way SDS®-ONE APEX4 improves on the design evaluation process with its ultra-realistic simulation capability, whereby virtual samples replace physical sampling, consequently reducing time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. Digital prototyping using virtual samples on SDS®-ONE APEX4 help to digitally transform the fashion supply chain for realizing sustainable manufacturing

For 2023, imm cologne is adapting its concept. The trade fair has been given a new schedule, which will see the international Interior Business Event host a new, one-off spring edition in 2023. The dates have been chosen in close consultation with its market partners.

“Today the imm cologne advisory board gave the concept proposed by Koelnmesse for the imm spring edition in June 2023 the green light unanimously. Our thanks go to the advisory board and in particular to the German industry, the retail sector and the purchasing associations for their support. This concept will ensure that imm cologne can take place again after a two-year break. The industry has given its backing to a strong interior design trade fair in Germany, the biggest market in Europe,” says Gerald Böse, Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. “I firmly believe in face-to-face exchanges. In my view, they are immensely important for the industry’s development, especially in challenging times. The sector needs an in-person platform in Germany, an event with international appeal and a strong communication reach like imm cologne,” he adds.

imm cologne’s new story will take shape in two steps
The imm cologne team presented its vision for a new concept at the start of June 2022. The new story for imm cologne will unfold in two steps. The first step will be the imm spring edition from 4 to 7 June 2023. “The spring edition is synonymous with a new beginning. imm cologne wants to use it to motivate and to show how it is experimenting with new ideas and leaving well-trodden paths behind,” explains Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse. “What’s more, the event in June gives our partners planning certainty.”

Four-day with a trade audience focus
The cornerstones of the new concept are clear: The imm spring edition will take place over four days, running from Sunday to Wednesday, and will be geared towards trade visitors. End consumers will be able to visit the trade fair by invitation, giving the spring event a clear business focus. “It’s also our goal to create new participation formats in the market,” says Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse. The kitchen segment will also be included in the imm 2023 spring edition. At the same time, the plan is to incorporate the city more closely into the spring edition as an event location.

Vision 2024+: imm cologne as the forum for future issues facing the industry
The second step will then follow in the summer of 2023. In close consultation with the industry and the associations involved in the event, the future dates for imm cologne and LivingKitchen will be set. The future vision for imm cologne conceives the interior event as more than just a key business platform. As a catalyst for the sector’s development, it addresses both industry and external issues of relevance to the imm cologne community.

Flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., Japan, together with its Korean subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI KOREA INC., will participate in the Preview in SEOUL exhibition in Seoul, Korea this month.

Taking advantage of new regulations at the show which allow for the display of textile equipment at the venue this year, SHIMA SEIKI will be showing its latest combination of WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology that allows a garment to be produced in its entirety without the need for linking or sewing afterward, and SDS®-ONE APEX series design software yields revolutionary game-changing flexibility and efficiency, not to mention sustainability.

Shown for the first time in Korea, whose flat knitting market has a strong following for WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear, is the SWG-XR next-generation WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. The SWG- name pays homage to the original SWG-X model of 1997, sharing with it the same 4-needlebed configuration featuring the company's own SlideNeedle™. Add to this a renewed spring-type moveable sinker system, a compact and lightweight carriage featuring 4 systems as well as auto yarn carriers. All contribute up to 25% higher efficiency, higher quality and increased product variety for supporting knits for all seasons. SWG-XR sets new standards for the next generation of waste-free, sustainable WHOLEGARMENT® knitting.

APEXFiz™ is subscription-based design software that maintains the proven functions that have made SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX series design systems so popular with fashion designers. Installed on personal computers, those strengths are now enhanced with the added versatility to adapt to different work styles and business environments including teleworking and telecommuting. APEXFiz™ software supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual samples are a digitized version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. APEXFiz™ thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

Munich Fabric Start presents a new project-area that will take place during the next edition.
BLUEZONE with CATALYZER and KEYHOUSE will be the place to be for the blue community on 30 and 31 August. As a global key event for the denim industry, 90 international denim mills, weavers, manufacturers and suppliers will show their latest innovations and trends in the Zenithhalle, the Kohlebunker and the Kesselhaus.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will offer all visitors a deep dive into the Made in Italy supply chain with companies that have turbocharged growth by focusing on quality, innovation and research. Well-known and international companies that can make an important contribution to European and global brands.

From the production of trimmings and accessories, to the creation of unique fabrics, to the inspiration of new collections and their realization to the finishing of the garments, Made in Italy still represents the reality par excellence focused on ethical and sustainable production.

"THE ITALIAN LUSTER" will allow all visitors an incredible journey into the Italian supply chain that has the ability to meet any demand of brands, from small to large production needs.

On the top floor of the Catalyzer Hall, it will be possible to view the individual collections of the companies in attendance and receive a beautiful gift specially created by the CADICA GROUP company from Carpi.

 
Participants
ACM - TRIMS AND ACCESSORIES PRODUCER
ACM was founded in 1982.
Since 1982, ACM has been providing the fashion world with unique, sought-after and customized details, guaranteeing prestigious and innovative workmanship. Each and every product is the result of the care we take at every stage of our production process: from the prototype, designed by putting the consumer's health first, to production with state-of-the-art machinery, which allows for fine workmanship and cutting-edge customization, while minimizing the impact on the environment (we are GRS certified) and complying with the strictest eco-toxicological regulations.

FASHION ART - LUXURY FASHION DESIGN
Fashionart is the brainchild of Andrea Rambaldi, who, after learning his trade from his parents, his mother a seamstress and his father the owner of a dye shop, decided to pursue a freelance career.
He began by collaborating with companies in the textile sector, where he deepened his knowledge in the field of chemistry and industrial processes, touching on the problems of processing cycles.
The real turning point came as a result of an important job for the Maison Chanel, which recognized the originality and effectiveness of his technical proposals. From that moment, this is 2008, FashionArt was born, a company focused on luxury fashion and design, expert in the design and production of garments.
From the idea to the final product, the company is able to support the client throughout the entire production process.
Since then, the company has grown and developed exponentially thanks to a team of managers, artists and experts whose experience makes them a benchmark in the high fashion industry. Fashionart operates exclusively in high fashion, a very difficult field in which to combine experience and technique with art and creativity, where our potential can be expressed to the fullest.

ELLETI - GARMENTS AND WASHING MAKER
Advocate of an approach that combines tradition, creativity, and innovation, for over 30 years Elleti Group has defined standards of absolute excellence for the denim industry. Born in the 80s in San Bonifacio, near Verona, the company developed in a one-of-a-kind context, a hotbed of ideas that led to the defining and establishing of new professions and skills in the field of denim treatment and garment personalization. Led by Luigi Lovato, right from the start the company established itself on the denim scene thanks to an ambitious and pioneering investment in new solutions. The following ten years mark an important growth which leads to the internationalization both of brand and production. After the implementing of a new department for garment dyeing, Elleti Group was ready to welcome the ever-increasing international demand, equipping itself with the first laundry in Tunisia, a country logistically central in the Mediterranean area, and as a result, ideal for the development of a complete textile supply chain. This successful story continues to unfold in the 2000s, a decade that marks the opening to the market of garment making thanks to two new structures in Romania, and peaks with the acquisition of Martelli Lavorazioni Tessili. Today Elleti Group stands firm in the market as a result of a complete offer that preserves the company’s artisanal vocation enriched through a constant process of responsible innovation.

In addition, companies BERTO INDUSTRIA TESSILE and OLIMPIAS GROUP will participate in the project by presenting their collections within their booths in the Catalyzer hall.

As a sub-exhibitor of Oerlikon, BB Engineering will present its product range in the fields of extrusion, mixing and filtration as well as PET recycling with the VacuFil and VarioFil R+ systems at the K show 2022.

BB Engineering has been focusing its development work increasingly on recycling technologies for several years. In addition to extruders, filters and mixers that are suitable for both recycling processes and the processing of recyclate, BB Engineering offers a complete PET recycling plant called VacuFil.

With VacuFil, BB Engineering has developed an innovative PET LSP recycling process. The process combines gentle large-scale filtration and targeted IV regulation for consistently outstanding rPET melt quality. Thus, much more than simple "downcycling" is possible with VacuFil. VacuFil processes a wide range of input materials - post-production and post-consumer. The patented key component Visco+ vacuum filter removes volatile impurities quickly and reliably. VacuFil is a modular system that can be designed for different recycling applications. Simple granulation is possible, but also direct feeding into further processing, e.g. in the synthetic fiber spinning mill. BBE offers VacuFil in combination with its own VarioFil compact spinning plant to produce polyester yarn.

At the K show 2022, visitors can experience the VacuFil Visco+ recycling technology in operation with a connected VarioFil spinning plant and see live how recycling yarn is produced from PET waste.

In light of the evolving pandemic circumstances in Shanghai, Cinte Techtextil China will no longer be taking place from 6 – 8 September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. A new date for the technical textile fair will be announced in due course.
 
Ms Wendy Wen, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, explained: “After discussions with stakeholders, and in support of the government’s pandemic control measures, we have decided to postpone Cinte Techtextil China 2022 to a later date. The safety of fairgoers is of paramount importance to the fair’s ongoing success, and we are working tirelessly to provide an efficient sourcing platform for the technical textile industry. I would like to thank all participants for their sustained support and understanding.”

Cinte Techtextil China’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which comprehensively span a full range of potential uses in modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also cover the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions. This scope of product groups and application areas ensures that the fair is an effective business platform for the entire industry. The 2021 edition attracted 366 exhibitors and recorded 14,868 visits. The fair is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA).

THE SOURCE, the new one-stop solution for integrated fashion sourcing by Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH, is fully booked. In the Lokhalle, one of the largest cantilevered historic steel halls in Europe, THE SOURCE offers flexible sourcing services and solutions for newly conceived value chains on around 2,500 m2 in direct connection to MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE.
 
65 selected international manufacturing companies will present their offerings from cut-make-trim (CMT) to high-end production at the new fair from 30 August to 1 September 2022. A cluster of key sourcing countries such as Portugal, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Bosnia and Vietnam will create a business-relevant mix for risk diversification, the right product mix and for every genre.
 
THE SOURCE will take place parallel to the MUNICH FABRIC START (30/08 – 01/09/2022) and BLUEZONE (30/08 – 31/08/2022) fairs, with a total of almost 900 exhibitors.

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT) (“Kornit”), a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand digital fashionx  and textile production technologies, has opened the doors to a new interactive booth  at one of the world’s largest virtual printing tradeshows – Printing Expo Online 2022. The exhibit offers all the benefits of a physical tradeshow, but with convenient, online access any time.

Printing Expo Online is one of the most popular online tradeshows for the printing industry. Tailored to meet the demands of evolving businesses, the show is open 24-7-365 days a year – and has welcomed over 60,000 global visitors since November 2020. Kornit’s virtual exhibit is fully aligned with customer requests for a more flexible tradeshow experience – allowing participation at their convenience.

The multi-story showroom makes it possible to self-navigate across Kornit’s game changing single-step, digital direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-fabric (DTF) solutions – unlocking new possibilities for on demand, sustainable digital fashion and textile production. Solutions on display include  Kornit Atlas MAX, the recently introduced Kornit Atlas MAX Poly, Kornit Presto MAX and the KornitX Workflow offering.