From the Sector

Svegea of Sweden – a member of TMAS, the Swedish Textile Machinery Association – has recently installed an EC300-S collarette cutter for the high speed production of tubular apparel components as well as an FA350 automatic roll slitter at the plant of Löffler, in Ried im Innkreis, Austria.

The EC 300-S collarette cutter is equipped with the computer-controlled True-Drive II and high pre-feed device, which is used by garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular apparel components such as cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements. It operates at speeds of up to 20,000 metres per hour. The integrated, fully automatic FA350 roll slitter FA500 roll slitter is equipped with three separately adjustable settings enabling three different band widths to be cut within the same cutting cycle. Automatic tube sewing units are provided for sewn tubes in optional rolled or flat folded forms, depending on customer preference.

Sports and knitwear specialist Löffler is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. Its plant in Ried houses 25 circular knitting machines and three seamless knitting machines with an annual output of around 905,000 square metres of fabric, and in addition to product development, design, cutting and some sewing are all carried out in-house.

Löffler is known for its transtex under garments, which ushered in the two-layer principle of structures combining hydrophobic polypropylene and other fibres like cotton, Modal, Tencel or merino wool.

Before transtex, endurance athletes usually wore pure cotton underwear next to their skin, which became wet over time and cooled the body down. Löffler’s two-layer fabric prevented this, since the polypropylene does not absorb moisture and instead wicks it to the outside, where it can evaporate to keep the skin dry.

Innovation has been ongoing ever since, and in December, Löffler received an ISPO Award 2022 for transtex Retr’x – its latest functional underwear made from recycled polypropylene from textile waste and a combination of recycled and GOTS-certified organic cotton. Transtex Retr’x is neither dyed or bleached and is Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex as well as Made In Green by Oeko-Tex approved.

In addition to its own branded products, the plant makes sports garments for sister company Fischer, which is also based in Ried, and is at the same time involved in significant government tender projects, including the supply of polo shirts for the Austrian Red Cross and for the German and Austrian police forces. Combined, Löffler and Fischer employ approximately 700 people in the region of Upper Austria.

The American company WPT Nonwovens invests in a new thermobonding line for filter media. Trützschler Nonwovens teamed up with Schott & Meissner to deliver a state-of-the-art, high-capacity line including the T-BLEND fiber preparation system, two TWF-NC roller cards and Schott&Meissner’s high-speed “Speedliner” belt oven.

Air conditioning systems are not only an integral part of many buildings all over the world. They are vital components in cars, trucks, planes and other. Home and Vehicle Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems often rely on thermo- or through-air bonded nonwovens for air filtering.

WPT Nonwovens is a specialist not only for filtration media but also for nonwovens used in the medical, hygiene and industrial sectors. The US-based company started its business in 2008 and quickly became a trusted supplier of spunbonded, needle-punched, wet-laid and carded nonwovens.

To enable further growth, WPT Nonwovens now decided to invest in a new through-air bonding line. The Trützschler machinery has been selected to ensure reliable fiber preparation and web forming processes for various special, technically demanding filtration media.

The start-up of the through-air bonding line is planned for the 3rd quarter 2023.

Art meets sustainable fashion in the third edition of the project "CirculART", the initiative that sees companies, artists and fashion designers working together with Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto, showing how new balanced forms of production, design and sharing can be explored through a careful choice of materials and of sustainable supply chains. Three key concepts underpin the circularity of sustainable fashion and therefore this project: Reduce - reducing the consumption of raw materials, Reuse - reuse of raw materials, Recycling - regeneration.

The project CirculART is conceived and developed in collaboration between Fashion B.E.S.T. and UNIDEE Residency Programs, and led by the Foundation's team of curators.

Fashion B.E.S.T. - Better Ethical Sustainable Think-Tank, Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto’ sustainable fashion office, was created by artist Michelangelo Pistoletto and Franca Sozzani. Since 2009, B.E.S.T. has been working on the development of sustainability in the textile sector, to lead to a contamination between art, which assumes social responsibility, and the world of fashion, which is looking to define a new ethical and sustainable model.

CirculART proposes a new link between fashion and art, engaging both in a conscious and innovative combination of sustainability, sensitivity, beauty and union. The project links territory and production factories, bringing together actors from the different sectors making up the textile supply chain that work on the basis of a circular economy with companies that have chosen to embrace the ideal of sustainability and develop an innovative business model.

The protagonists of this year’s edition are two international artists and two international fashion designers, selected through an open call launched by Cittadellarte: Augustina Bottoni, Lucia Chain, Huge Sillytoe and Rebecca Sforzani, young talents called upon to create a work with fabrics produced by partner companies, focusing on dialogue and on the enhancement of the textile industry production chain.

In early 2023, the programme will give the four selected artists the opportunity to visit and work actively with the partner companies that have joined the initiative.
These are: Achille Pinto S.p.a, manufacturer of textiles and textile accessories for the main international fashion brands; Albini Group, Europe's largest manufacturer of cotton fabrics for shirts; Erica Industria Tessile, a leading company in the creation of textile prints, original and customised designs; Filatura Astro, eco-sustainable regenerated yarns; G2B S.r.l., a chemical and environmental analysis laboratory working with vertical cultivation from which indigo is obtained; Lampo by Ditta Giovanni Lanfranchi S.p.A., leader in the creation and production of zips for fashion; Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti, a Biella-based weaver for haute couture; Lenzing, world leader in the production of fabrics made from fibres derived from renewable wood raw material; Milior, a producer of high quality fabrics; Officina +39 – Chemistry plus creativity, a chemical company with thirty years' experience dedicated to research and chemical application in textiles; Tessuti di Sondrio, a factory inspired by the century-old local textile tradition of processing cotton, linen, hemp and wool; Tintoria Emiliana, garment-dyed production and sustainable practices; Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia, a manufacturer of 100% Made in Italy fine combed and carded yarns.

SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., Italian subsidiary of leading Japanese computerized knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., will exhibit at the 92nd edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy. Products exhibited will include the new SWG-XR®154 and N.SVR®183 computerized flat knitting machines as well as APEXFiz® design software.

As pioneer of seam-free WHOLEGARMENT® knitting, SHIMA SEIKI has been setting the standard almost exclusively with nearly 30 years of experience in complete garment technology. Now that benchmark has been raised once again with its new SWG-XR® flagship WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. SWG-XR® features 4 needle beds for all-needle knitting of high quality WHOLEGARMENT® products using the company's original SlideNeedle®. SWG-XR® features a renewed sinker system and a compact, light-weight carriage featuring 4 systems as well as auto yarn carriers. All contribute to increased productivity of more than 25% over the previous MACH2®XS machine, as well as increased product range using a wider variety of yarn for supporting knits for all seasons, and higher quality for knitting beautiful fabrics and silhouettes; even items that were impossible to knit with the MACH2® series. SWG-XR® sets new standards for the next generation of waste-free, sustainable WHOLEGARMENT® knitting.

A new proposal in WHOLEGARMENT® knitting will also be introduced in the form of the N.SVR®183 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. SHIMA SEIKI's global standard in shaped knitting, the N.SVR® series now features a model for producing WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear using every other needle in ultrafine gauge. N.SVR®183 is equipped with the R2CARRIAGE® system and a compact, lightweight carriage for even higher productivity. Shown in 21G at Pitti Filati 92, N.SVR®183 is the ideal machine for flexible, entry-level WHOLEGARMENT® production, with the versatility to respond to fluctuating market demand.

APEXFiz® subscription-based design 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.

As of the beginning of 2023, Zünd Systemtechnik AG acquired its long-standing sales partner Sign-Tronic S.A, which is based in Barcelona.

Sign-Tronic S.A. has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Zünd Systemtechnik AG since the start of 2023 and now operates under the name Zund Ibérica. Sign-Tronic S.A. was established in 1990 and has been an official sales and service partner of Zünd Systemtechnik AG since 1994. Zund Ibérica serves numerous customers in Spain, Portugal and Andorra.

Jordi Lorente is the new CEO of Zund Ibérica. For the time being, he will be actively supported by the previous co-owner and Managing Director Flemming Jensen. Rosa Miralles, also a co-owner, will continue to work in an executive capacity at Zund Ibérica.

Zund Ibérica currently employs 15 people. With more than 1,000 cutters installed, Zund Ibérica is one of the most experienced distributors of both digital cutting systems and software and workflow solutions on the Iberian market. It has its own showroom, which allows customers and interested parties to experience the many possibilities of Zünd’s digital cutting technology in person. Its staff consists of proven experts in consulting, training, installation, and service.

The 11^th edition of India ITME 2022, a textile engineering and technology B2B Exhibition, was hosted in IEML, Greater Noida, U.P. under participation from 68 countries. It showcased more than 1600  Live machinery and unveiled 69 new products.

After a gap of six years, the event recorded a high flow of quality visitors - approx. 87,400 unique visitors - which included industry members, technocrats, academicians, students and government officials apart from the delegations from 13 countries lead by senior officials of respective country who are looking to engage with India as sourcing and trade partner for developing their textile industry.

The high-profile technology & engineering exhibition for textiles witnessed participation from leading Indian institutes for textile engineering such as VJTI Mumbai, DKTE Ichalkaranji where MOU’s were signed for knowledge exchange with Swiss Textile Machinery Association and Italian Textile Machinery Association, paving way for collaboration not only in business but also in technical education.

The six-day event carried forward its theme “Empowering Textile Through Technology” encouraging indigenously developed innovations and research by Indian companies.

The six-day event set the foundation for upgradation and modernization of the textile industry of India which is the 2nd largest employment generation sector after agriculture.

Textile companies could take full advantage of expanded print opportunities with EFI™ Reggiani textile solutions presented at the 8-13 December India ITME Exhibition in Greater Noida.

The EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver printer was shown at ITME 2022: a solution to enter the industrial printing segment with a short, smart and green process. The EFI Reggiani TERRA Solution eliminates the need for steaming or washing on direct-to-textile applications, using a greener, more efficient polymerisation process that takes place as the printed textile goes through the printer’s on-board dryer. As a result, users can achieve superior printing results while using less time, water, and energy.

The EFI Reggiani exhibit at ITME was also promoting:

•  EFI Reggiani HYPER printer, a scanning printer available in 1.8-metre, 2.4-metre or 3.4-metre widths that prints at up to 20 linear metres per minute peak speed, making it the fastest textile scanning printer on the market;
• Mezzera Concord, the continuous rope washing line from the specialist in washing solutions that transports fabric by overflow for tensionless running with an independent squeezing mangle for each channel;
• One of the industry’s broadest line-ups of high-end, superior-quality textile inks, including EFI Reggiani AQUA and EFI Reggiani Diamond reactive, IRIS dye-sublimation, ARIA direct disperse, FUOCO acid, and GEA and TERRA pigment inks; and
• Inèdit, recently acquired by EFI Reggiani, a developer of raster image processors (RIPs) and related software for digital industrial textile printing with their product portfolio that features proven, highly advanced workflow solutions for textile profiling, calibration, design integration and much more.

The UK’s new Business Secretary, Grant Shapps has visited the Henry Royce Institute’ hub in Manchester to seal the second phase of R&D investment in the institute of £95 million. Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) of Leeds, England had previously installed its FET-200LAB wet spinning system at the University of Manchester site and this proved to be a focus for the Business Secretary’s interest, as he discussed the project with FET’s Research and Development Manager, Mark Smith.

This wet spinning technology enables fibres to be derived from sustainable wood pulp to produce high quality apparel and trials are now underway to perfect this process. FET is a world leading supplier of laboratory and pilot melt spinning systems, having successfully processed more than 35 different polymer types in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats.

During his visit, Shapps spoke of the investment programme as a means of reinforcing the UK’s standing as a leader in advanced materials research, development and innovation.

“R&D investment is a critical way to turbocharge Britain’s growth. Growing an economy fit for the future means harnessing the full potential of advanced materials, making science fiction a reality by supporting projects from regenerative medicine to robots developing new recycling capabilities, right across the country. Today’s £95 million investment will do just that, bringing together the brightest minds across our businesses and institutions to help future-proof sectors from healthcare to nuclear energy.”

The Henry Royce Institute was established in 2015 with an initial £235 million government investment through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the latest £95 million sum represents the second phase of the investment.

Opportunities being investigated by Royce include lightweight materials and structures, biomaterials and materials designed for reuse, recycling and remanufacture. Advanced materials are critical to the UK future in various industries, such as health, transport, energy, electronics and utilities.

Montex Maschinenfabrik – the key site for the manufacturing of Monforts finishing machines in Austria – has celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022.

Located in St. Stefan, in the centre of Austria’s Lavant Valley in Carinthia, the advanced manufacturing hub was founded by Monforts in 1982.

“From the outset, we have specialised in all aspects of machine production, including high-precision sheet metal working, laser cutting and welding, and the pre-assembly of machines and components, , along with a well-organised quality management and spare parts service,” says Montex plant manager Gert Hanzl.

“We work very closely with the Monforts research and development team in Mönchengladbach, Germany, to take the latest new ideas through testing and prototyping, in readiness for future series production,” Hanzl says. “We are fully exploiting the many new possibilities in the continuous development of design and manufacturing methods. The respective electrical switch cabinets for the machines are delivered just-in-time from Monforts in Germany according to our production schedules.”

While there is standardisation in series-produced Monforts machines, Montex is also increasingly called upon to construct bespoke machines with unique designs, according to the special needs of customers in technical textile or special textiles, he adds.

The core Monforts machine range, including the industry standard Montex stenters, along with relaxation dryers, Thermex dyeing ranges, Monfortex compressive shrinking ranges and Montex®Coat coating units is built at the Austrian site.

RecyOuest, France, has successfully started up the world's first recycling line for agricultural plastic waste nets at its mill in Argentan. The innovative recycling line featuring a unique dry-cleaning system was delivered, installed and commissioned by the international technology group ANDRITZ in August 2022.

RecyOuest, based in Argentan, France, is a green economy company that handles the recycling contaminated filamentary thermoplastics such as round bale nets and twines. With its recycling process, RecyOuest is part of a circular economy approach.

The ANDRITZ recycling line can process up to 8,000 tons of waste and produce recycling fibers for nonwoven applications and also for pellets made of waste from agricultural single-use plastic nets and twines. These pellets are then returned to the plastics industry by mixing both recycled and virgin raw materials, thus reducing the amount of virgin plastic used.

This line, inspired by the techniques from textile wastes recycling, is equipped with a unique mechanical dry-cleaning system that allows resource savings by avoiding the use of water and chemicals. This state-of-the-art ANDRITZ equipment allows RecyOuest to produce recycling fibers for nonwoven applications and also pellets for ever new eco-designed nets and twines for the agricultural sector, with the lowest possible environmental impact.