From the Sector

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a company that develops, designs and markets innovative digital printing solutions for the global printed textile industry, today announced it has received an order from DTG2Go, a Delta Apparel, Inc (NYSE American: DLA) company and leader in the direct-to-garment printing and fulfillment marketplace.  
 
The order follows several months of beta-testing of the recently released Kornit Atlas system by DTG2Go, during which Kornit was able to showcase the enhanced features of the most advanced industrial direct-to-garment solution available on the market.  Key features of the Atlas include high volume throughput, attractive cost of ownership and featuring the new NeoPigment™ Eco-Rapid inkset specifically designed for sustainability and retail-quality digital textile printing. Per the agreement, DTG2Go will take delivery of 10 Atlas systems in 2019, along with a significant number of HD upgrades for DTG2Go’s existing Kornit Avalanche systems.  
 
Kornit’s Chief Executive Officer, Ronen Samuel commented, “We are honored to expand our partnership with Delta Apparel as a key technology supplier as they expand their reach with digital printing. Delta’s unique platform strikes at the core of the changing needs in the retail supply chain, by offering a vertically-integrated digital print fulfillment model with quick delivery at an affordable price. The inclusion of the Atlas will greatly enhance the options and capabilities that Delta will be able to offer its customers. The all-new industrial Atlas has leading-edge technology with annual production capacity of over 350,000 impressions and optimizes production efficiency at the best cost of ownership available. We look forward to working collaboratively with Delta to deliver on this order and expand on this important relationship.

• Lectra provides fashion companies with breakthrough solution that enables them to personalize at ready-to-wear production speed

Paris – Lectra launches its ‘Fashion On Demand’ offer, empowering industry players to uncover new business opportunities brought about by the strong demand for personalization in the fashion industry. Lectra is enabling its customers to produce on demand for the first time ever with an end-to-end offer that automates the entire personalization process from product development to final cutting stages. ‘Fashion On Demand by Lectra’, based on Industry 4.0 principles, is a fruition of four years of R&D with a hundred-strong team of experts, as part of Lectra’s strategic roadmap announced in 2017. There will be a progressive global rollout starting from January 2019.

The digital revolution has prompted consumers to demand personalized products and experiences nowadays. This is an advantageous business model for fashion companies, as it allows them to accurately match supply with demand, and solve a host of problems that regular business models usually face. By simply knowing ahead of time what and how much their consumers want, companies can produce in precise quantities and avoid overstocking and markdowns. In addition, as consumers pay upfront for their orders it improves cash flow for businesses. Fashion companies can use personalization as a way to outshine their competitors and earn consumer loyalty, by offering one-of-a-kind products that make their customers feel exclusive.

While on-demand production is an attractive business model that presents little financial risk, today, fashion companies are encountering huge barriers to entry for this market. Without the savoir-faire and appropriate technology, many companies have to rely on their standard supply-chain infrastructure that lacks the flexibility to create and produce these products. As a result, they have to develop independent workflows for each product, incurring additional production costs, prolonging lead times and even jeopardizing their existing production lines. By having longer delivery times, they face the risk of upsetting their loyal customers who have paid premium prices for their personalized products.

‘Fashion On Demand by Lectra’, is a game changer for the industry. Drawing from 45 years’ experience of working with international retailers, manufacturers and brands, Lectra developed this offer to break down these barriers and empower fashion companies to meet the specific needs of their digitally savvy clientele with best-in-class solutions. ‘Fashion On Demand by Lectra’, available in the form of two packages, one dedicated to made to measure, and the other to customization, is a turnkey solution that automates on-demand production right from order reception to production development stages and the cutting room. Companies can define the product customization criteria and range for each item depending on the package (such as altering product characteristics for customization and pattern adjustments for made to measure) and launch production processes right from the get-go, without interfering with their standard workflows.

Empowering customers through industrial intelligence 2/2

“Personalization, or rather, on-demand production, is going to be an industry-wide phenomenon. It is hence Lectra’s duty, as an Industry 4.0 pioneer, to think ahead of time, and spearhead this movement. Keeping our customers’ best interests in mind, we’ve worked with renowned personalization specialists from different countries to develop this solution. With ‘Fashion On Demand by Lectra’ we’re doing the unthinkable. For the first time in the fashion industry, there will be a comprehensive personalization solution that will be able to perform under the same market conditions as the ready-to-wear segment and produce the same, if not better, results,” says Daniel Harari, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lectra.

This disruptive offer gives fashion companies a 360°-view of the entire personalization process, providing them with the visibility to streamline multiple production processes and manage complex individual demands from custom order to cut piece. Thanks to the supply-chain flexibility that companies gain with this innovative Lectra solution, they will be able to expand their product range and offer more variety, be it womenswear, menswear or childrenswear, and appeal to a broader audience and jump on trends without interrupting their existing production processes. They will not have to waste time on consolidating and communicating information from one production stage to another. This ensures smooth process flows and hence, quick delivery times that can compete with those of standard products.

To receive an award at PERFORMANCE DAYS is the ultimate industry recognition. In selecting the winners of the (ECO) PERFORMANCE AWARDS, the jury handles with total integrity with no outside influence and is absolutely free in making its decisions. This season there are so many outstanding innovations at the exhibition that two awards are announced!

WATER – OUR RESPONSIBILITY, the current FOCUS TOPIC for the next trade fair on November 28-29th, seems to have spurred the PERFORMANCE DAYS exhibitors to peak performances. The trade fair has highlighted innovations every season for the past ten years, but seldom have there been so many outstanding new developments. So many in fact, that two awards are to be presented: the ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD for best sustainable development, and the PERFORMANCE AWARD for a new functional highlight.  

And the winner of the ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD is:
The jury is highly enthusiastic about the nomination of the ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD winner and described the award-winning fabric as the best ecological solution currently available on the market. This extraordinary laminate from Jou Jou Fish combines various sustainable technologies. Article "JYRNP0002 307" consists of 100% recycled nylon and is designed with a micro-porous membrane (functional performance 15K/10K) that is produced without solvents. This saves a lot of water, plus the fabric is made from pre-dyed fibres (solution-dyeing) and the DWR coating is applied using a dry-finish treatment. The only thing that could improve it: as the polyamide is currently produced from postindustrial waste products, it would be nice to have option of using post-consumer polyamides in the future.

And the winner of the PERFORMANCE AWARD is:
The PERFORMANCE AWARD recognizes another pioneering development. Never before has there been such a fine, yet still tear resistant, highly functional fabric. The winner is article "DPQ 1092 DWR" from Green Threads and with only 17g/m² an absolute lightweight. Particularly fine nylon yarns are used (7d and 4d); a 4d yarn has never before been used in functional fabrics. This plus the extremely good tear resistance clinched it for the jury. Another plus for the winner: this lightweight fabric can achieve with just 17 g comparable performance values to a 50g fabric; thereby, not only is the weight significantly reduced, but also the amount of raw materials and energy consumed in production. This is also a factor that protects the environment when the garment is disposed at the end of its useful life.

• HUB 1922, the fashion division of the RUDOLF GROUP, takes the stage at the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam and presents new technologies that make it possible to move away from environmentally questionable industrial practices.
• HUB 1922 also announces the opening of the new company building in an ancient textile factory near Milan.

Amsterdam/Geretsried/Milan. It was only six months ago that the RUDOLF GROUP, with its fashion Division named HUB 1922, began its journey through the fascinating world of garment finishing. Since then, the team has made significant progress and has moved from being a newcomer to the business to a solid and reliable reality. “HUB 1922 introduces the Rudolf Group to design thinking,” says Alberto De Conti, Head of Fashion Division at Rudolf Group. “And when you break perceived restrictions and paradigms within a strongly science-driven organization, only sky is the limit.”

For an entire semester, the organisation remained focused on one, single goal without getting distracted from it: to become the partner of choice for environmentally conscious advancements in garment processing that are rooted in real experience and science.

Emphasis was put on listening attentively to the market and on engineering solutions proactively, without being prompted.
When it comes to Denim, two separate yet correlated calls for action were heard:
1. the need for a serious departure from established industrial practices that are environmentally questionable
2. the opportunity to change the current rules and stir toward enhanced product quality.

Departure from the environmentally questionable

• HypNO: The next generation of bleach

Many attempts to technical alternatives to local and total denim bleaching have been launched in the market, over the past five years, by a number of competing players. Originality and innovation are at the base of HypNO technical uniqueness that can be injected into traditional denim processing, but that can also be used to create whole new processes and aesthetics.
Birth child of relentless dedication to science, HypNO is the latest alternative to the traditional denim bleaching agents currently under the spotlight because of their alleged safety issues. HypNO is the next generation of bleach.

- HypNO is based on the application of a whole new family of RUCORIT compounds, which are halogene-free and heavy metal-free
- HypNO can replace both potassium permanganate and sodium hypochlorite with one more eco-friendly solution
- HypNO is free from unpleasant smells; it is production friendly and suitable for both spray and bath applications
- HypNO does not require neutralisation with agents such as sodium metabisulphite or peroxides, hence reducing the need for chemicals significantly
- HypNO is GOTS approved. Bluesign and ZDHC Chemical Gateway certifications are intended
- HypNO further helps in the elimination of pumice stones
- HypNO is highly efficient and has been engineered to be cost competitive compared to other existing bleaching solutions

Toward enhanced product quality

• SoSoft, RawLong, DuraBlue

Durability over time still builds a brands’ reputation for quality. The notion of “durability” has changed over the years and has moved from sturdy workwear to the product's ability to retain its characteristics and structural properties.

“It goes against the whole denim philosophy, but, jeans are increasingly bought for what they look like at the time of purchase and are expected to evolve as little as possible. It is what it is; you can’t argue with consumers” says De Conti.

SoSoft, RawLong, DuraBlue, the three new technical concepts launched at Kingpins Amsterdam by the RUDOLF GROUP all sit under the umbrella wings of enhanced quality and specifically address long-lasting softness, preservation of original look and depth of blue.

• SoSoft

All appreciate the softness and suppleness of used/worn denim and the comfort benefit it delivers. It is a generic denim truth, and it is even stronger when it can extend over time. SoSsoft is about softeners carefully engineered for an enduring emotion, one that lives along favourite clothes.

Tried and tested to over 15 home washes, these marvels of chemical engineering allow consumers to toss domestic fabric softeners to the benefit of environmental sustainability.

• RawLong

Denim lovers want raw jeans to fade with time, soften and transform into what feels like an extension of their body. More often, people just want to prolong the look they chose. In both cases, home washing is a headache.

Years of testing have identified RawLong innovative, highly durable and natural solution that keep wearers fresh and at ease in their jeans allowing for long-wearing without washing. Moreover, less home washing means much less impact on the environment.

• DuraBlue

The role of designers is to come up with the bluest of blue jeans in a spectrum of fantastic new blue finishes and supporting textures. The role of DuraBlue is to ensure a continuously updated collection of technical solutions that keep that rich, deep, dark blueness of jeans for much longer while limiting the quality issues that come with denim rubbing. In other words, light underwear, snowy shoes, and white sofas no longer live in fear.

The launch of HUB 1922

• Busto Arsizio, Italy.

On a discreet street of Busto Arsizio, a village at the North of Milan is a red-brick building which in the 1800’s was the house of a textile mill. This 150-year-old structure is where the RUDOLF GROUP, the 100-year-old leader of textile, functional, responsible chemistry, is about to open its Fashion Division. Or, better, it’s HUB 1922.

HUB 1922 is committed to research and develop innovation within garment processing for the privately held mother company. HUB 1922, whose doors are expected to open during fourth quarter of 2018, will foster collaborative efforts with international fashion brands and retailers, will provide product innovation ideas at the crossroad of fashion and utilitarian functionality and will introduce elements of unorthodox diversity rooted in deep scientific knowledge, true environmental responsibility, technical innovation and creativity. “At a time when science plays such a powerful role in the life of society, it is incumbent on fashion to be dealing with scientific research. HUB 1922 facilitates that reunion” concludes De Conti.

• Textile Exchange’s Sustainability Conference - Milan, October 22-24, 2018
• The theme of the 2018 conference is United by Action: Accelerating Sustainability in Textiles and Fashion.

The conference offers an opportunity to connect with industry pioneers and learn about cutting edge solutions and innovations in textile and apparel sustainability. As a result, C.L.A.S.S., headquartered in Milan, the global resource for smart material innovation, education, marketing and communication, will be on hand to support this year’s theme.

Many of the materials the C.L.A.S.S. team will showcase speak to circular economy such as Re.VerSo™, Bemberg™ and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, Iluna Group and TINTEX Textiles and many others that use technological breakthroughs to offer fashion materials that provide significant reductions in water during the manufacturing process, an important step toward responsible future fashion systems.

During Textile Exchange’s Sustainability Conference, Giusy Bettoni, C.L.A.S.S. CEO and Founder and her team will have a dedicated space to engage attendees in an open discussion regarding the importance of fashion business strategies. The experience in the space, that will reflect an New York event created for C.L.A.S.S. by Ginger Design, will start with the vision of a film by Cristina Picchi that represents harmony between the various phases of the textile process and the cycles of natural elements. Visitors will walk through a three-dimensional installation designed by Cécile Feilchenfeldt to inspire creativity and explore the limitless possibilities using innovative smart materials.

“We are always proud to have a presence at international events including this year’s Textile Exchange’s Sustainability Conference. It is a great way for us to share our expertise regarding responsible innovation and new business model strategies. As C.L.A.S.S. is headquartered in Milan, we are proud that they selected our city for this year’s conference. Being held in Milan provides a chance for us to support Textile Exchange regarding smart material innovation, many of them produced in Italy.” said Bettoni.

Just off their return from Première Vision in Paris, Bettoni who is also the Sustainability Consultant for Smart Creation, recognizes the importance for her company to have a strong international presence to spread C.L.A.S.S.’ message to a global audience regarding responsible creation. 

As C.L.A.S.S. enters their second decade of business, they have expanded their business activities to include e-commerce that provides an opportunity for fashion start-up to purchase up to a maximum of 50, an initiative launched to support fashion start-ups. And a new division, C.L.A.S.S. Education, an initiative Bettoni co-founded with James Mendolia, also a Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology. Mendolia has been visiting universities to speak to fashion design, business, textiles and production students in Europe, Asia and North America to encourage attendees to infuse a new way of design thinking and move from a linear to a circular business model.   

• Italian expertise, research and green innovation.
• METALBOTTONI ups the stakes with one-of-a-kind interpretations, to enhance its market presence.

At Première Vision Accessories (Paris, 19-21 September) the company presents the new collection VÀNITA, a mix of leatherwear and sportswear, based on Made in Italy craft, with an increasingly wide and coordinated range.

Based on product experience, combining new trends in accessories. The METALBOTTONI strategy is enriched with product novelties which aim at exploring new existing market segments. A strategy which increasingly leads great artisan production skills to meet constant research and expansion of the range, with the world of sportswear becoming more and more pivotal; without forgetting the important sustainable innovations of the NO IMPACT protocol.

No Impact becomes “Committed Accessories”

The guideline for restyling the METALBOTTONI range over the past two years has been the recent implementation of the NO IMPACT corporate sustainability protocol, which has just acquired a new “dress”, associated with the following pay-off: “Committed Accessories”. It is a way of underscoring the constant green development of the company over the past few years, in terms of process and product: use of recycled raw materials, development of finishing without chemicals, implementation of processes which today have allowed to reduce electricity and water consumption to almost zero.

Moreover the range of NO IMPACT proposals for this season has expanded to include not only new metal finishing but also leather label completely made from processing scrap, thus establishing Metalbottoni as “partner for branding elements” also in terms of sustainability. Pure Made in Italy and constant expansion of collections towards sportswear The great skill in metal processing, which for sixty years now has characterised the top-of-the-range quality of METALBOTTONI products, is now combined with constant research work conducted by our in-house Style Office, resulting in new collections which are more and more in line with the trends emerging from major trade fairs. Maintaining a presence on strong markets (central Europe, Northern Europe and United States), increasing the depth of segments and intercepting new ones. This is the main goal also chosen for the Première Vision Accessories Exhibition where, alongside the autumn-winter 2019/2020 collections, there will be a preview of VÀNITA, the new collection dedicated to leatherwear and more.

METALBOTTONI is proving to be one of the most dynamic companies in the accessory industry.

Over the past two years, in fact, it has introduced numerous product and process innovations, aiming at increasing its range especially as regards sportswear accessories. This trend was driven by a substantial increase in demand by read-to-wear and luxury brands in the past two seasons, and today it means new proposals which account for 35% of the range for METALBOTTONI. New collections have been presented in the past two seasons expressly dedicated to the sportswear world, namely GRAVITA, the first line designed by the company for pressure buttons, and MÀRYA, the new beachwear collection. Also the line called LABORA, the classic collection of accessories for fashion and ready-to-wear has been constantly enhanced with proposals combining style and technical performance. This mix of fashion and sport elements is increasingly evident in the company’s product range, for example in the combination of different materials, using metal with nylon or other resins to create new and unique accessories.

Vànita: beyond leatherwear, a world of accessories

The meeting between fashion, luxury and sportswear has produced VÀNITA, the brand new collection which presents a new approach to accessories dedicated to leatherwear, from an allround perspective from luxury to sportswear. Developed starting from solid product research by the company’s in-house Style Office, VÀNITA is a true meeting of styles and elements, a combination of high product standards with unique elegance. This line introduces one-of-a-kind visions for accessories, exploring highly original pathways dedicated to the world of leather. The VÀNITA proposal ranges from accessories for leatherwear and small leatherwear, to those for shoes, bags and the sportswear worlds. There are two main lines within this collection: one is expressly designed for the world of luxury, the other has a more technical and sporty approach. A true mix between artisan metal processing, based on the great METALBOTTONI expertise in this sector, and “ingredients” such as nylon, rubber finishes or innovative 3D processing, which are often combined together.

“Our goal is to offer an increasingly comprehensive range which allows us to explore new segments on the markets where we are present” - says Gregorio Valli, CEO and President of METALBOTTONI S.P.A – “a ‘recipe’ which should be able to integrate our unmatched product expertise with a constant expansion of our range and continuous implementation of our pathway towards corporate responsibility and sustainability”.

California Linen Services of Pasadena, Calif. has been recertified Clean Green, reflecting the company’s dedication to standards for operational efficiency and sustainability. The certification quantifies linen, uniform and facility services’ environmentally friendly performance by confirming an operation launders within TRSA-designated water and energy use thresholds; and verifies use of best management practices (BMPs) in line with the ASTM International environmental laundering standard.
 
California Linen Service’s customers can be assured their reusable healthcare textiles are washed, dried and finished with processes that maximize sustainability and reduce greenhouse emissions. Clean Green certified operations demonstrate significant commitment to conservation and green operations through these BMPs:

• Recovering heat from drained hot water and heat dispersed from the process of warming water
• Recapturing drained water from rinses for reuse
• Using environmentally friendly detergents
• Removing solids and liquids from wastewater
• Solar energy and energy-efficient lighting
• Recycling programs
• Re-routing trucks to save vehicle fuel
• Spill prevention plans

California Linen Service earned the Clean Green certification initially in 2015. The designation is valid for three years at a time. TRSA inspects laundry facilities seeking certification and approves documentation of their water and energy use and BMP deployment through production reports they submit to auditors during the inspections. TRSA’s certification management protocol includes auditor training by the association’s inspection program administrator.
Clean Green aligns with the ASTM International standard, Guide for Sustainable Laundry Practices, which recognizes key criteria for the certification as universal indicators of maximum sustainability in commercial laundry work. ASTM’s review of TRSA BMPs verified these as the most effective and practical techniques for a laundry to achieve green objectives.
TRSA members prompted development of the standard, which was vetted in the sustainability subcommittee of the ASTM Committee on Textiles. Top technical experts, scientists and environmental professionals from outside the linen, uniform and facility services industry reviewed the BMPs. ASTM is the global leader in developing and delivering voluntary consensus standards unparalleled in building consumer confidence in product and service quality.
 
“I applaud California Linen Services for their ongoing sustainability efforts and maintaining the highest standards in their production and delivery operations,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “Meeting all the criteria for certification is not easy, but the company is committed to industry-leading processes and technologies.”

• China-based Yanfeng Global Automotive Interiors improves cutting precision with Lectra’s Vector® iX6

Paris – Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, is pleased to announce that Yanfeng Global Automotive Interiors (YFAI), the world’s largest supplier of vehicle interior components, has adopted the Vector iX6® advanced fabric-cutting solution to stay apace of evolving production needs.

YFAI supplies a broad range of products spanning instrument panels, cockpit systems, door panels, floor consoles and overhead consoles—the majority of which incorporate vinyl and laminated woven fabric pieces.

Growing consumer demand for personalization and customization is contributing to an overall increase in soft trim content in vehicle interior components. The Vector iX6 provided by Lectra is intended to help YFAI increase the capacity and fabric-cutting efficiency of its new vehicle program in Anting.

In the manufacturing of vehicle interiors, cutting level precision is of the utmost importance because pieces must fit into door panel designs with a high degree of accuracy. Equipped with a special cutting blade, Vector iX6’s ultra-precise cutting improves material utilization by minimizing buffer between parts. The solution’s superior cutting control software and high-frequency vibration cutting also enable a considerable improvement in productivity.

“As vehicle interior designs become increasingly complex, process requirements change accordingly,” remarks Guan Qinghua, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, YFAI. “The ability to achieve greater productivity and precision for the smaller fabric and vinyl pieces becomes particularly critical. Lectra’s Vector iX6 satisfies this need while also improving fabric utilization and cutting efficiency.”

“Understanding evolving market trends lies at the heart of what we do,” states Javier Garcia, Senior Vice-President, Automotive Sales, Lectra. “Since its launch, Vector iX6 has been quickly adopted by interior component suppliers like YFAI. VectorAuto iX6 contributes to a drastic reduction in the manufacturing cost per set, especially for small parts produced using vinyl and other materials complex to cut.

• Product development and production teams are on cloud nine, thanks to Lectra’s all-new Quick Estimate and Quick Nest apps

Paris – Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather releases its first of a series of cloud-based applications conceptualized for product development and production teams. Quick Estimate and Quick Nest will be launched in France and Italy and will then become available progressively in other countries.

As part of Lectra’s Industry 4.0 strategy, Lectra collaborated with its leading, digitally-attuned customers to develop apps that empower decision-makers to respond in an instant. Quick Estimate revs up product development efficiency and is instrumental to managing costs. Quick Nest provides easy access to automatic marker making and capitalizes on cloud technology to handle heavy volumes of calculations in parallel, maximizing productivity and marker efficiency.

Leveraging the industrial Internet of Things, lean development principles and cloud-based computing, Lectra aims to provide anytime, anywhere access to business enhancing applications. Gone are the days of limited storage space and slow calculation speed. These well-packaged, light cloud applications will redefine the way fashion customers store and process data.

Fabric often accounts for as much as 60% to 70% of the cost of a garment. Quick Estimate allows product development teams to calculate fabric requirements instantly from their Modaris®—Lectra’s 2D/3D patternmaking and grading solution—working environment with direct access to the cloud applications. Pattern developers now have the flexibility to make pattern adjustments more quickly to optimize costs, while protecting the brand’s quality and assuring speed-to-market.

Quick Nest can be accessed through Diamino®, Lectra’s marker-making solution. During the production development stages, Quick Nest users will be able to process more detailed markers faster. Quick Nest can also be used by production teams to treat lists of markers automatically in record time via the cloud.

These apps will also ensure enterprise-wide transparency as management teams gain full visibility of consumption needs for all products in development and production, thanks to viewable access of consolidated data for approval and reporting purposes.

“The end-goal of our new strategy is clear: we want to put our customers at the core of our business. We want them to thrive in this new digital era. Our latest Industry 4.0-friendly apps will serve as growth catalysts for their businesses by enabling them to make sound decisions based on real-time information,” explains Daniel Harari, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lectra. “And this is just the beginning. More innovative apps are yet to come.”

• A unique partnership enabled Lectra to test its revolutionary laser-cutting technology in a real production environment while delivering sustainable competitive advantage to the world’s leading supplier of airbag cushions.

Reaching the next level of growth and performance
Global Safety Textiles (GST) is the leading independent producer of airbag fabric and airbag cushions and supplier to the majority of airbag manufacturers.
Recognized for its long tradition of research and development, GST uses stateof- the-art technology to manufacture technical textiles for a variety of passive safety applications.
With operations on four continents, the German group has a workforce of more than 5,000.
The company’s worldwide operations and resources enable it to fulfill high volumes of orders promptly, providing the global automotive industry with a steady supply of airbag fabrics and cushions.To address GST’s main business challenges and meet their demanding manufacturing specifications, the group evaluated the performance of FocusQuantum OPW for one-piece-woven (OPW) airbag fabric together with Lectra in the pre-launch phase of the advanced laser airbag cutting solution. Following successful testing of Lectra’s advanced airbag cutting technology in a real production environment in Poland, the group then decided to acquire FocusQuantum OPW for implementation in China.

A one-off join testing collaboration on customer premise
The result of a mutually beneficial collaboration between Lectra and its longstanding customer, specifications for laser OPW airbag cutting solution FocusQuantum took into account GST’s exacting requirements. Once the development of FocusQuantum OPW was completed, both companies agreed to conduct joint
testing. “We came to the idea of joint testing when we visited Lectra’s R&D center in Bordeaux,” says Uwe Zimmermann, COO, GST.
“We discussed taking validation of our specifications to the next level. The idea came up to do it directly in a manufacturing environment.”
The extensive testing enabled GST’s experts to certify FocusQuantum as a proven technological platform for the mass production of airbags. “Process capability was a formal part of validations at GST Poland,” recalls Piotr Siwek. Manufacturing Engineering Manager. “It was verified and confirmed that FocusQuantum meets GST’s targets. The biggest improvement over the previous solution was the software, which we also helped Lectra develop. FocusQuantum Suite is one of the biggest advantages.”

Worldwide standartisation and rollout in China
As a result of the successful joint testing, GST decided to proceed with implementation in China. “Because GST aims to become a major player in Asia,
implementation of FocusQuantum in China is the next logical step for us,” explains Zimmermann. “Standardization of all our equipment worldwide is mandatory for us. That’s why we decided to work with a global player like Lectra.” With more than twice the productivity of the previous solution, FocusQuantum
has exceeded GST’s performance targets. The significantly higher level of process capability has both improved cutting quality and reduced the number
of defective cut parts.
“When we compare the unit output and unit cutting cost, we see a real improvement over the previous generation, so we are quite satisfied with the machine,” notes Sky Yang, General Manager, GST China. “It’s more reliable and productivity is significantly higher.”