From the Sector

• Annual assembly of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers

• Digitalization and Sustainability Key to Resiliency for Italian Textile Machinery Sector

The objective critical issues faced by Italy as a whole throughout the course of 2021, primarily dictated by a pandemic that upset any and all pre-existing equilibriums, have not slowed or halted the Italian textile machinery sector.

Indeed, data presented during the annual assembly of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, held on 1 July proved decidedly positive, showing that in 2021 the sector recovered significantly compared to 2020, to the point of returning to pre-Covid levels.

Specifically, Italian textile machinery production amounted to 2.388 billion euros (+35% over 2020 and + 5% over 2019), with total exports amounting to 2.031 billion euros (+37% over 2020 and +9% over 2019).

However, these results do not cancel the obstacles that companies are still facing. Looking to the near future, expectations are for a rather uncertain outlook, as underscored by ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi: “2022 remains a year replete with unknown factors, starting with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, along with the persistence of the pandemic, which seriously risk delaying expected growth consolidation for businesses in the sector. Difficulties in finding raw materials and components negatively affect the completion and fulfilment of orders processed as far back as 2021. To boot, rising energy costs and inflationary trends affecting numerous commodities are depressing overall business confidence. So the outlook for the sector is not so good.”
As such, the two cornerstones through which ACIMIT aims to support the Italian textile machinery sector are digitilization and sustainability.

4.0: The textile machinery sector looks to the future
The road to digital transformation has already led numerous manufacturers to completely rethink their production processes, rendering them more efficient and l ess expensive. The digital world is moving ahead at a decisive rate in the textile machinery sector, where the buzzwords are increasingly, for instance, the Internet of Things connecting to a company’s ecosystem, machine learning algorithms applied to production, predictive maintenance, and the integrated cloud management of various production departments. It is no coincidence that ACIMIT has focused decisively on its Digital Ready project, through which Italian textile machinery that adopt a common set of data are certified, with the aim of facilitating integration with the operating systems of client companies (ERP, MES, CRM, etc.).

A green soul
Combining production efficiency and respect for the environment: a challenge ACIMIT has made its own and which it promotes among its members through the Sustainable Technologies project. Launched by the association as early as 2011, the project highlights the commitment of Italian textile machinery manufacturers in the area of sustainability. At the heart of the project is the Green Label, a form of certification specifically for Italian textile machinery which highlights its energy and environmental performance. An all-Italian seal of approval developed in collaboration with RINA, an international certification body.
The assembly held on 1 July provided an opportunity to take stock of the Sustainable Technologies project, more specifically, with the presentation of the Rina Consulting survey on the Green Label’s evolution and impact in recent years.

The results have confirmed the initiative’s extreme validity. The technological advances implemented by the association’s machinery producers participating in the project have effectively translated into benefits in terms of environmental impact (reduction of CO₂ equivalent emissions for machinery), as well as economic advantages for machinery users.

With reference to the year 2021, a total of 204,598 tons of CO₂ emissions avoided on an annual basis have been quantified, thanks to the implementation of improvements on machinery. This is a truly significant reduction which, for the sake of comparison, corresponds to the carbon dioxide emissions generated by 36,864 automobiles travelling an average of 35,000 km a year. In terms of energy savings, the use of green labeled textile machinery has provided excellent performances in allowing for a reduction of up to 84% in consumption.

A round table discussion on the Green Label’s primary purpose
The environmental and economic impact generated in production processes for Italian textile machinery through the use of Green Label technologies was the focus of the round table which concluded the ACIMIT assembly.

Moderated by Aurora Magni (professor of the Industrial Systems Sustainability course at the LIUC School of Engineering), the debate involved Gianluca Brenna (Lipomo Printing House administrator and Vice President of the Italian Fashion System for Welfare), Pietro Pin (Benetton Group consultant and President of UNI for the textile-clothing area), Giorgio Ravasio (Italy Country Manager for Vivienne Westwood), as well as ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi.

Called on to compare common factors in their experiences relating to environmental transition processes for their respective companies, the participants were unanimous: the future of Italian textile machinery can no longer ignore advanced technology developments capable of offering sustainable solutions with a low environmental impact while also reducing production costs. This philosophy has by now been consolidated, and has proven to lead directly to a circular economy outlook.

The upcoming ITMA 2023 exhibition
Lastly, a word on ITMA 2023, the most important international exhibition for textile machinery, to be held in Italy from 8 to 14 June 2023 at Fiera-Milano Rho. Marking the 19th edition of ITMA, this trade fair is an essential event for the entire industry worldwide, providing a global showcase for numerous innovative operational solutions on display. A marketplace that offers participants extraordinary business opportunities. The participation of Italian companies is managed by ACIMIT.

SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A. will exhibit at the 91st edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy from 29th June till 1st July, 2022. Products exhibited will include the SWG-FIRST124 and N.SIR123SP computerized flat knitting machines as well as APEXFiz™ design software.

The renewed SWG-FIRST124 is a synthesis of all of SHIMA SEIKI’s experience and know-how in computerized shaped knitting, realizing a tremendous range of knitting from full-fashioning and rib shaping to integral knitting. This all-purpose capability is made possible by the revolutionary SlideNeedle™, which, together with loop pressers and transfer jacks, offers remarkable variety, expanding the boundaries of flat knitting with the capability to produce garments that were previously impossible to produce.

The N.SIR123SP computerized knitting machine with intarsia capability features a special loop presser bed for producing hybrid inlay fabrics with both knit and weave characteristics. N.SIR123SP will also feature the special i-Plating option, capable of alternating yarn colors in any pattern, producing jacquard-like designs using plain jersey stitch. Plating can be performed within the same course and for individual needles. In combination with the loop presser and spring-type moveable sinker system even greater diversity in knit design is possible.

APEXFiz™ is subscription-based design software that 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.

Continuing from past editions of Pitti Filati are knit samples produced in collaboration with Italian designer Vittorio Branchizio. Staff at the SHIMA SEIKI booth will be donning knit uniforms produced as a collaborative effort between SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA, knitting companies and yarn companies.

ITM 2022, the first major international textile machinery exhibition to be held in the world after a 3-year hiatus during the pandemic process, is getting ready to open its doors. Bringing the leading brands of textile technologies together in Istanbul, ITM 2022 will host world launches and numerous collaborations for 5 days.

ITM 2022- International Textile Machinery Exhibition, organized in partnership with Teknik Fairs Inc. and Tüyap Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım Inc, will open its doors at Tüyap Fair and Congress Center between 14-18 June. For ITM 2022, which will be held in 12 halls on an area of 120,000 m2; hums of 1280 participating companies from more than 40 countries continues. Tüyap Fairground, where thousands of people sweat for stand setups, is getting ready for the big meeting. ITM 2022, where all halls have reached 100% occupancy rate and 1280 exhibitor companies are located, will also attract attention with the stand areas and machine parks that the manufacturers have enlarged compared to the previous exhibitions.

Companies will showcase their state-of-the-art technologies for the first time at ITM 2022
Many companies that focus on product development and new productions under pandemic conditions will have the opportunity to introduce their products to their customers for the first time in 3 years at the ITM 2022 Exhibition. Company owners, managers, employees and sector representatives visiting the exhibition will have the opportunity to see the latest technological innovations for the first time and witness their world launches.

Sector representatives, who will open up new horizons in their minds about textile technologies, will sign new products by transforming the extraordinary and original ideas that they have obtained at the ITM 2022 Exhibition into design. Participating companies will also update their machines in line with the demands and needs from the sector representatives and lead the development of new technologies.

Significant Contribution to Exports Aimed with Machine Sales and New Investment Decisions
The textile industry, which is among the locomotive sectors in Turkey's exports, has made a significant contribution to the Turkish economy, especially with the performance increase it has achieved during the pandemic period. Having achieved an increase of up to 40 percent in its exports of textiles and raw materials, Turkey also managed to increase its exports of medical textiles, technical textiles and home textiles. The industry will further increase this success with the collaborations to be realized at ITM 2022. The textile machinery industry will gain great momentum with the machinery sales and new investment decisions to be made at the exhibition.

ITM 2022, which will be attended by many domestic and foreign companies and visited by thousands of people, will be an organization where both domestic and foreign companies will make sales amounting to millions of Euros and many business connections will be realized.

Intense Interest from Trade Delegations
Trade delegations from dozens of countries are requesting to attend the ITM 2022 Exhibition, which is included in the ‘Domestic Organizations Covered by State Incentives’ list by the Ministry of Commerce. Bangladesh, India, Iran, Serbia, Czech Republic, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Mexico, Egypt and Vietnam are among the countries that requested procurement delegations. The intense application of visitors to consulates and commercial attachés from all over the world clearly reveals that ITM 2020 will host a large number of visitors.

ITM 2022 Exhibition Prepares to Break Both Exhibitor and Visitor Records
Company owners, company representatives and visitors left the 2018 edition of the ITM Exhibition very satisfied. ITM 2018 Exhibition, attended by 1150 companies and company representatives from 64 countries and visited by approximately 60 thousand people from 94 countries made a significant contribution to the export records of the textile industry that year. At the ITM 2022; It is getting ready to break new records with the number of participants and visitors coming from Turkey and abroad.

Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Industry Will Meet at HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition
On the other hand, HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition, which will be held simultaneously with the ITM 2022 Exhibition, will be an exhibition where Nonwoven products, raw materials used in their production and the state-of-the-art technologies will be exhibited. HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition, which is the first and only in its field in Turkey, will host a record number of participants and visitors in parallel with the increase in demand for technical textiles. At the HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition, companies operating in many sectors, from medical textiles to hygienic textiles, from agricultural textiles to geotextiles, will exhibit their latest products and production technologies. Nonwoven manufacturers will come together with the global players of the sector and have the opportunity to both invest in technology and introduce their newest products.

Organized by the partnership of Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc. and Teknik Fairs Inc., the ITM 2022 International Textile Machinery Exhibition will be held at Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center on 14-18 June 2022. Hundreds of domestic and international exhibitors are looking forward to presenting their newest technologies for the first time at the ITM 2O22 Exhibition. Leading textile machinery manufacturers, global sector investors, and professional visitors are planning to come to the ITM 2022 Exhibition to examine the latest technologies closely.

Trade committees from dozens of countries are requesting to attend the ITM 2022 Exhibition, which is included in the ‘Domestic Organizations Covered by State Incentives’ list by the Ministry of Commerce. Bangladesh, India, Iran, Serbia, Czech Republic, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Mexico, Egypt and Vietnam are among the countries that requested procurement delegations.

The ITM 2022 Exhibition is of great importance for Turkish textile machinery and accessories manufacturers to increase their competitiveness in exports and to sign collaborations that will result in worldwide exports. Leading textile technology brands, which focus on product development and new productions during the pandemic conditions, are looking forward to the ITM 2022 Exhibition to present their products to the market and introduce them to their customers face to face. More than 300 manufacturers will make the world launches of their latest technological innovations at the ITM 2022 Exhibition.

Swiss cutting system manufacturer Zünd Systemtechnik and Dutch composite automation company Airborne have expanded their collaboration. As a result of a new distribution agreement, customers will be able to benefit from state-of-the-art digital production solutions for automated processing of composite materials. Zünd and Airborne will jointly promote these production solutions through their sales and servicing networks.

Both companies are technology leaders offering solutions for composites manufacturing and processing – Zünd develops and manufactures digital flatbed cutting systems capable of processing reinforced fiber materials such as CFRP or GRP. Airborne, based in Den Haag in the Netherlands, provides fully integrated automation solutions for efficient composites processing.
 
The goal of this partnership is to make it easier than ever for customers to access state-of-the-art digital cutting and automation solutions. In that endeavor, the competencies of both companies complement each other perfectly. Their combined expertise manifests itself especially in the areas of fully automated cutting, preforming, offloading and sorting.

Airborne’s automated kitting solutions reduce operating costs by maximizing material yield through optimized nesting. At the same time, they resolve the challenges inherent in sorting and grouping cut parts from complex nested layouts into laminate-ready kits with minimal operator intervention. Airborne offer a portfolio of solutions tailored to meet the individual needs of customers from affordable entry-level semi-automated products through to fully integrated and high productivity systems. All systems are "plug and play" and require no additional special programming. Airborne’s software generates the required robotics code directly from information derived from the nesting data and permits static or dynamic nesting and a sorting solution that adapts “on the fly”.

Zünd has been designing, manufacturing, and marketing digital cutting systems for more than 30 years. Zünd high-performance modular cutters are now in use all over the world. The Swiss family-owned company now in its second generation has established a global network of Zünd sales and service organizations under the leadership of Oliver Zünd. “This is a situation where two strong partners complement each other in much the same way as in strong partnerships we have established in other industries. It is a continuation of a long-standing company strategy. Airborne has excellent know-how in developing and manufacturing automated solutions for processing composites. Together we can offer our customers state-of-the-art technology and provide a technological answer to the growing demand for high-performance, innovative production systems in the composites market."

Joe Summers, Commercial Director for Airborne agrees: "Our partnership with Zünd brings a great deal of added value to our customers. Zünd shares our goal of creating greater cutting-room productivity. The Zünd cutter is key to converting materials with the greatest possible efficiency and maximum material usage."

Kornit Digital Ltd. announced that Portuguese textile specialist Blur has installed the Kornit Presto S with Softener solution for sustainable, single-step direct-to-fabric production of multiple fabrics in any quantity. The print services provider, which supports the production needs of high fashion brands has previously installed multiple Kornit Atlas and Avalanche systems for industrial-scale digital direct-to-garment (DTG) production on demand.

Using Kornit’s efficient, eco-conscious, proprietary technology and consumables, Blur provides rapid fulfillment of orders ranging from a single piece to mass production, with an average order of about 500 items. Since implementing the Kornit Presto S, the system has been in operation day and night, producing samples during normal business hours and fulfilling diverse incoming orders overnight.

Mariano Dias, CEO at Blur, believes Kornit technology empowers his business to adapt quickly to the constantly evolving needs of his clients, which include both larger established brands seeking large quantities and ambitious designers seeking to build a brand with limited risk or investment. In many cases, they are fulfilling different types of designs for clients serving both Europe and North American markets.
“The quality is just outstanding, and some clients only want to print with Kornit technology”, said Dias. “We are extremely happy with Kornit’s collaboration, and our printers are working perfectly around the clock. Any textile printing company looking to move into fashion and work with famous brands will need both roll-to-roll and DTG capabilities. Our recommendation for success is to buy the Kornit Atlas and Kornit Presto printers.”

He added that Blur’s success with its current Kornit systems, as well as increased demand for sustainably-produced textiles, has the business considering the addition of a second Kornit Presto S to accommodate additional volumes.

“As with many of our customers, Blur was built around more traditional textile operations—in their case embroidery—before discovering the vast potential for growth and versatility offered by quick, efficient, digital production on demand,” said Chris Govier, Kornit Digital Europe, Middle East, and Africa President. “Whether you’re serving an internationally-known fashion house looking for more agile fulfillment and simpler supply chains, or the independent creator hoping to bring unique inspirations to life, Kornit’s product portfolio offers continuous opportunities to answer market needs, create new markets, and scale upwards under any conditions.”

• Composites in the construction industry - The lightweight construction material of the future

Building with fibre-reinforced materials opens up completely new possibilities. In terms of engineering, design, and organisation. This is due, on the one hand, to the excellent properties of fibre-reinforced materials (FRM) and, on the other hand, to the fact that the material – unlike wood or brick, for example – is not machined or processed for its use, but custom-produced.

Excellent properties – in terms of engineering, design, and organisation
Fibre-composite materials offer a whole range of technical properties for innovative and sustainable building:
•    High mechanical rigidity
•    Low weight
•    High corrosion resistance
•    Low material fatigue
•    Low heat transfer coefficient of the plastic matrix
•    Resistance to frost and de-icing salt
•    Good draping capability

In addition, fibre composites offer numerous design options for novel and exceptional new building and maintenance projects:
•    Unique variety of shapes
•    Different structures of the textiles
•    Large spectrum of colours and colour combinations
•    Translucency of the plastic matrix
Thanks to these properties, composites can be used to produce coloured, phosphorescent, thermochromic or – through the use of LEDs or light-conducting fibres permanently integrated into the matrix – luminescent components.

In addition, there are organisational benefits for planning, construction and maintenance work with fibre-reinforced materials:
•    Easier handling and assembly of the far lighter and more flexible components – compared with steel, concrete or wood
•    Faster installation
•    Shorter construction site times in road and bridge maintenance
•    Shorter delivery times
•    Ability to integrate electronic monitoring systems

Individual composite textiles – for every lightweight engineering project
The composites experts at vombaur develop and manufacture woven tapes and seamless round or shaped woven textiles from carbon, glass, flax or other high-performance fibres on special weaving lines for individually specified round and shaped woven textiles – and can therefore offer you the best possible fibre base for every lightweight construction project.

"Regardless of whether it's a new construction or a renovation project, a façade design, a bridge or a staircase – as your development partner for composite textiles, we have plenty of experience with composites for demanding tasks," emphasises Dr.-Ing. Sven Schöfer, Head of Development and Innovation at vombaur. "We develop, create samples and manufacture woven tapes and seamless round or shaped woven textiles – in collaboration with the customer enterprise development teams and individually for the respective projects." This is how novel and unique lightweight components made of high-performance textiles are created for visionary projects.