Pakistan Textile Journal, July 2023 by Pakistan Textile Journal

Established 1951 July 2023

Italian Review / ITMA 2023 Review

Calendar of Events

Heimtextil 2024, Frankfurt Dates: January 09th, to 12th, 2024

The 92nd Textile Institute World Conference, UK.

Venue: Frankfurt am Main.

IGATEX Pakistan 2024, Lahore Dates: May 1st to 4th 2024. Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

Dates: July 3rd to 6th 2023. Venue: Huddersfield, UK.

DOMOTEX Hannover 2024 DOMOTEX asiaCHINAFLOOR 2023 Dates: July 26th to 28th 2023.

Dates: January 11th to 14th 2024. Venue: Hannover, Germany.

ITM 2024 Dates: June 4th to 8th, 2024. Venue: Istanbul, Turkey.

Venue: NECC, Shanghai, China.

HIGHTEX 2024 62 Dornbirn GFC Global Fiber Congress th

Istanbul Yarn Fair Dates: February 22nd to 24th, 2023.

Dates: June 4th to 8th, 2024. Venue: Istanbul, Turkey.

Venue: Istanbul, Turkey.

Dates: September 13th to 15th 2023. Venue: Dornbirn Austria.

JIAM 2024 OSAKA FESPA 2024 Dates: March 19th to 22nd 2024.

Textile Asia 2023, Lahore

Dates: Nov. 27th to Nov. 30th 2024. Venue: Osaka, Japan.

Venue: Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Dates: October 13th to 15th 2023. Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

Techtextil 2024 Dates: April 23rd to 26th, 2024

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2023

Index 2026 Dates: April 21st to 24th, 2026. Venue: Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland.

Venue: Frankfurt, Germany.

Dates: November 19th to 23rd, 2023. Venue: NECC, Shanghai, China.

ShanghaiTex 2023 Dates: November 22nd to 25th 2023. Venue: SNIEC, Shanghai, China.

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

iCADEX Pakistan 2024, Lahore

ITMA 2027

Dates: May 1st to 4th 2024.

Dates: September 16th to 22nd, 2027.

Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

Venue: Hanover, Germany.

Vol. LXXII No. 07 July 2023

Founded in 1951 by Mazhar Yusuf (1924-2009)

Rs. 565.00

EDITOR’S PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Publisher Nadeem Mazhar

The textile industry facing daunting challenges despite remarkable performance in 2023

Editor in Chief Amina Baqai

TEXTILE BRIEFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Associate Editor Nimrah Nadeem

NEWS & VIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Production Manager Mazhar Ali

AROUND THE WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 CORPORATE NEWS

Hony-Editorial Board Dr. Hafizur Rehman Sheikh Ph.D (UK) F.T.I. (UK)

Amba Projex supports growth for India’s Candour Techtex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Recycling technology celebrates success at Indonesian yarn manufacturer . . . .20 Jeanologia pays homage to the 501 on its 150th anniversary as an icon of fashion, humankind and sustainability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Syed Mahfooz Qutab

Messe Frankfurt becomes shareholder of Kingpins Show, this collaboration

C.TEX, F.T.I (U.K), B.Sc. Fellow I.C.T.T Atlanta, GA; (USA)

strengthens the future of the denim industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 ITMF welcomes the BTMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Mian Iftkhar Afzal B.S.N.C State, M.Sc. (Leeds) C.TEXT.F.T.I (UK)

Dr. Zubair Bandukda PhD (Textiles), CText ATI

Editorial & Advertising Office B-4, 2nd Floor, 64/21, M.A.C.H, Miran M. Shah Road, Karachi - Pakistan Tel: +92-21-34311674-5 Fax: +92-21-34533616 Email: info@ptj.com.pk URL: http://www.ptj.com.pk

PTJ Europe Ltd. Correspondence & Mailing address: 93 Fleming Place, Bracknell, RG12 2GN, United Kingdom Tel: +44 792 2228 721

DYES AND CHEMICALS ARCHROMA and SOMELOS to Advance Textile Industry Sustainability with new Dyeing and Finishing Process for Water Savings of up to 97% . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Pulcra Chemicals together with Inditex develop Sustineri Coloring, an innovative

Registered Office: Dairy House, Money Row Green, Holyport, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 2ND, UK Registered no. 09141989

Available on Gale and Factiva affiliated international databases through Asianet Pakistan

dyeing process of cotton and polyester / cotton that reduces water consumption by up to 80% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 New production facility of CHT Group in Bangladesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

PERSONALIA Change of management at Heimtextil: Margit Herberth becomes new director of the household textiles segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Oliver Streuli New Chief Financial Officer of Rieter Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Printed at: Color Plus Korangi, Karachi. Published by Nadeem Mazhar from D-16, K.D.A. Scheme No.1. Karachi.

FET strengthens its technical team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Exciting News - we're expanding our UK team! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

38 34 FAIRS AND EXHIBITION ITMA ASIA + CITME show owners extend cooperation to launch combined exhibition in Singapore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 SaigonTex 2023 Vietnam Saigon Textile & Garment Industry Expo . . . . . . . . . .37

Special Report Sapphire Textile Mills and Sourcery Join Forces to Revolutionize Global Textile Trade with Sustainable and Transparent Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme . . . . . .38

PRACTICAL HINTS A Warranty That: Protects your Air Compressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Warranty for All Brands and Models of Screw Air Compressors Now Available in Pakistan.

ITALIAN REVIEW + ITMA 2023 Production of Italian textile machinery grew by 13% in FY22 . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 by Nadeem Mazhar, Managing Editor, Pakistan Textile Journal.

ITMA Milan: A Sucess for Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers . . . . . . . . . . .44 by ACIMIT

ALEPH at ITMA 20233 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 EFI Reggiani to Showcase Innovative Textile Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Tecnorama: ITMA 23 confirms the leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Savio winding and AIR-JET spinning innovations at ITMA 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Ferraro to showcase leadership in finishing at ITMA 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 MS Printing Solutions and the JK Group prepare their digital textile offerings as

they start on the road to ITMA 2023 in Milan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 ITMA 2023 The secret of Biancalani success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Marzoli at ITMA 2023: The state of the art FTM320 and the latest approach to tex .58 Cubotex at ITMA 2023: Displayed new patent pending dyeing machine . . . . . . .59 Tonello presents Laundry (R) Evolution, the winning concept that reinvents laundry 60 Pinter Group to launch automatic piecing Robot (APR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

EDITOR’S PAGE

Textile industry facing daunting challenges despite remarkable performance in 2023 Pakistan's textile and garment exports fell 14.63 per cent to $16.501 billion in 2022-23, down from $19.329 billion in 2021-22, according to the country's ministry of commerce.

Established 1951 July 2023

Italian Review / ITMA 2023 Review

In June 2023, textile exports reached $1.32 billion, indicating a 7% month-onmonth increase. In terms of Pakistani Rupees (PKR), the exports amounted to Rs377 billion, reflecting the same 7% month-on-month growth. Notably, valueadded textile exports recorded $889 million, showing a 3% increase from the previous month according to the authorities. Among the value-added products, towels, ready-made garments, and knitwear witnessed respective month-on-month increases of 10%, 8%, and 3%. However, bedwear experienced an 8% decline. On the other hand, basic textiles saw a

July 2023

remarkable 31% month-on-month increase, with cotton cloth alone increasing by 19%. In terms of volume, ready-made garments and towels increased by 8% and 5%, respectively. Furthermore, cotton yarn and cotton cloth surged by 64% and 22% in volume, respectively. This positive trend in basic textiles can be attributed to improved orders from countries such as China and Bangladesh. Despite this record-breaking performance which has surpassed all expectations last year, the industry is facing challenges that are certain to hinder the growth and impact the future of the textile industry. Unprecedented flooding during the month of July 2022 destroyed almost half of the cotton crop which has resulted in severe shortages of the raw material. Pakistan is the 5th largest cotton producer in the world and the destruction of the cotton crop will definitely impact the global cotton prices as the demand will surge with the increasing shortage of cotton. Dwindling foreign exchange reserves and severe restrictions on the opening of letters of credit have impeded the imports of machinery and raw materials needed to run the industry. According to Asif Inam, Chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association South Zone, the textile sector is facing a severe liquidity crunch, as well as issues with the opening letters of credit, as banks are reluctant to issue the necessary guarantee documents for the import of spare parts, machinery and raw materials. He pointed out that the issues were worse for the spinning sector, with units being closed down. The increase in energy costs and the gas crisis have contributed to an almost unmanageable high cost of production. When coupled with the shortage of recordbreaking flooding, destruction of the cotton crop, depleting foreign exchange reserves, and the global slowdown, the situation looks bleak and needs political and economic stability and the will to address these daunting challenges.

Textile Briefs National Pakistan's finance minister, Ishaq Dar, recently unveiled the budget for fiscal year 2023-24 as part of the country's efforts to secure additional bailout funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The budget aims to address key economic challenges and outlines various targets and allocations.

The budget targets a 3.5 percent economic growth rate for the fiscal year, reflecting a desire to stimulate and strengthen Pakistan's economy. To support this growth, the government plans for total spending of 14.46 trillion rupees during the fiscal year, outlining various allocations and expenditures.

During a meeting with a trade delegation led by Punjab Provincial Minister for Industry and Commerce and United Business Group (UBG) Patron General SM Tanveer at the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) head office, Zubair Motiwala, the Chief Executive Officer and Businessmen Group Chairman of TDAP, emphasized the importance of developing the country's industry, boosting exports, and improving the overall economic situation. Mr. Motiwala highlighted the efforts of TDAP in attracting global attention through the TEXPO Pakistan exhibition. The exhibition has served as a platform for signing over 500 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with delegations from various

countries, aiming to strengthen trade relations and promote exports. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has taken an initiative to safeguard Pakistan's cotton belt. In collaboration with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the FAO has selected five districts in South Punjab to install Automatic Weather Stations (AWS). These weather stations will assist cotton farmers in adapting to changing weather patterns during the cultivation period.

In a significant development, the Punjab government, led by Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi, has successfully revitalized cotton cultivation in the

region. After a decade-long decline, cotton has been cultivated on over 4.5 million acres of land, marking a substantial achievement for the province. Furthermore, the target of 5 million acres by June 15th is well within reach, showcasing the commitment and efficiency of the government's agricultural initiatives. Expressing contentment with the increase in cotton cultivation, Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the importance of effective management to ensure maximum productivity. Acknowledging the significance of fair price payments, the government aims to provide adequate compensation to cotton cultivators, fostering a mutually beneficial environment for all stakeholders involved.

Textile Briefs International In a significant development for the textile industry, Azerbaijani companies, including MKT IK, Azerpambig, and P-Agro, have initiated the export of cotton fiber to Turkmenistan, as confirmed by the Economic Zone Development Agency (EZDA). The endeavor aims to strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two countries and expand market access for Azerbaijani non-oil products.

A roundtable titled "Safety of Women Workers in Garment Industry and Institutional Accountability" was held at the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, in association with the Shojag Coalition and the European Union. During the discussion,

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

speakers emphasized the importance of creating a safe and discrimination-free environment for women workers. China's retail sales of consumer goods witnessed a solid growth of 12.7% year-on-year (YoY) in May 2023, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Although this figure represents a slight slowdown compared to April's 18.4% YoY growth, the overall retail sales in the first five months of 2023 continued their upward trajectory, surging by 9.3% YoY.

With total retail sales amounting to 18.76 trillion yuan ($2.62 trillion) in the January to May period, the Chinese consumer market showcased its

resilience despite the modest dip in May. The retail sector's performance holds significant importance as it serves as a crucial indicator of domestic demand and consumer spending, vital for China's economic growth and recovery. Chinese buyers have emerged as the top buyers of Egyptian cotton, surpassing India in 2022. The high-quality Egyptian cotton, known for its extra-long fibers and smooth yarn, has attracted Chinese buyers seeking an alternative to cotton produced in China's Xinjiang region.

The Robotics Living Lab (RoLL), a groundbreaking project situated at Manchester Metropolitan University's Manchester

Fashion Institute, aims to redefine fashion manufacturing and champion sustainability. With the industry's sluggish adoption of robotics, RoLL seeks to drive change by empowering micro-scale fashion businesses to harness robotic technologies for ecofriendly production. Morocco's textile industry is witnessing a remarkable surge in garment exports, driven by increasing demand from Northern Europe for corporate apparel and knitwear, according to the Association Marocaine des Industries du Textile et de l'Habillement (AMITH). Fatima-Zohra Alaoui, Director General of AMITH, revealed that after a slight dip in demand at the end of 2022, orders have rebounded significantly.

News & Views

Textile exports decline by 15% in FY23 In a substantial setback for Pakistan's economy, textile exports for the fiscal year 2022-2023 witnessed a notable decline of 15%, resulting in a loss of $2.8 billion, as per the latest data released by All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA). The country's earnings from the textile sector for FY22-23 stand at $16.5bn. This year's performance showed a significant obstruction compared to the previous fiscal year (FY22) when textile exports amounted to $19.32bn. The decline has raised fears among industry experts and policymakers, calling for imperative action to address the issues plaguing the textile sector. The latest data from June 2023 further composites the worrying trend, with textile exports deteriorating by 13% compared to June 2022. Moreover, June's export figures stood at $1.48bn, compared to $1.71bn during the same month the previous year. This drop indicated a nonstop downward trajectory for the sector, demanding immediate attention.

10 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

Several factors have contributed to this decline, including rising input costs, energy shortages, political instability, and global market fluctuations. The decrease in textile exports is of great concern as it directly affects Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves, employment opportunities, and overall economic growth.

Mr. Motiwala highlighted the efforts of TDAP in attracting global attention through the TEXPO Pakistan exhibition. The exhibition has served as a platform for signing over 500 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with delegations from various countries, aiming to strengthen trade relations and promote exports.

The textile sector is an important contributor to the country's GDP, and any adverse expansions in this industry have a ripple effect on the broader economy.

More than 500 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with the delegations of different countries signed at this year’s TEXPO. During a meeting with a trade delegation led by Punjab Provincial Minister for Industry and Commerce and United Business Group (UBG) Patron General SM Tanveer at the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) head office, Zubair Motiwala, the Chief Executive Officer and Businessmen Group Chairman of TDAP, emphasized the importance of developing the country's industry, boosting exports, and improving the overall economic situation.

Zubair Motiwala Chief Executive (TDAP)

Recognizing the significance of unity, Mr. Motiwala emphasized the need for the business community, irrespective of their regional affiliations, to come together and address common challenges collectively. By fostering a unified approach, joint problems can be effectively solved, leading to enhanced economic growth and prosperity. The statement underlines the TDAP's commitment to driving economic

development by facilitating international trade, fostering collaborations, and encouraging a cohesive business community that works towards shared goals. By leveraging such partnerships and focusing on export-oriented strategies, Pakistan can strive to improve its economic situation and promote sustainable growth.

United Nation (NU) & Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to help Pakistan protect its Cotton belt The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has taken an initiative to safeguard Pakistan's cotton belt. In collaboration with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the FAO has selected five districts in South Punjab to install Automatic Weather Stations (AWS). These weather stations will assist cotton farmers in adapting to changing weather patterns during the cultivation period. Cotton production in Pakistan has declined from a record 14 million bales about a decade ago to 8 million bales last year. This reduction can be attributed to various factors, including unusual rains during the monsoon season and a shift in preference towards sugarcane by local farmers due to the expansion of sugar mills in the region. Additionally, maize production has encroached upon the cotton belt. The FAO aims to enhance the per-acre yield and improve the quality of cotton. To achieve this, the organization has collaborated with the PMD, Agriculture, and Irrigation departments to establish automatic weather stations that will provide timely weather updates to farmers. A team of Japanese technicians has recently visited the region to identify suitable sites for setting up these stations, conducting surveys at the Tehsil level to gather data on rainfall and moisture levels for effective crop protection. Under the plan, the FAO and local partners will provide weather advisories to cotton farmers through agriculture extension teams from the agriculture department. This

News & Views information will guide farmers in making informed decisions, such as applying timely sprays to combat pests, avoiding wastage of resources, and maximizing output for each acre of farmland. This collaboration between the FAO, PMD, and local agricultural departments signifies a concerted effort to support cotton farmers in Pakistan, ensuring they receive crucial weather-related information and guidance. By leveraging technology and expertise, the FAO aims to contribute to the revitalization of Pakistan's cotton industry, increasing productivity and improving the livelihoods of cotton farmers in the country.

Pakistan gears up to improve cotton production after low yield last year As the fifth-largest cotton producer after India, China, the United States, and Brazil, Pakistan heavily relies on its cotton industry, a source of significant revenue. However, after experiencing shockingly low production last year, stakeholders in the cotton sector are now striving to recover lost ground, with hopes that vast countryside fields will soon be adorned with abundant white, fluffy cotton flowers. Floods in KP, South Punjab, and Sindh last year led to the destruction of hundreds of acres of crops, causing substantial losses for farmers and impacting the national treasury, particularly affecting cotton crops. Although Pakistan has never reached its goal of producing 20 million bales of cotton, it did surpass 14 million bales in 2004-05 and came just below this mark (13.96 million bales) in 2014-15 during the government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), according to statistics from the Ministry of Finance. The country's average annual cotton production has remained between 10-12 million bales, but it hit an unprecedented low in 2022 due to the floods, which not only washed away crops but also inundated rural and urban areas, as noted by Asim Saeed Sheikh, Vice President of the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NMCCI). Efforts to increase cotton yield are deemed essential, as emphasized by

12 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

Saqib Ali Ateel, South Punjab Secretary of Agriculture. Ateel mentioned that 98 percent of the 5 million-acre sowing target had been achieved in Punjab, and this achievement was attributed to the federal government's announcement of an Rs 8500 per Maund cotton support price. He added that the Additional Chief Secretary of South Punjab, Captain (Retired) Saqib Zafar, had made it clear and issued directives that the agricultural advisory staff would exclusively focus on tasks related to cotton. The crop production was so deficient last year that textile sector industrialists had to import significant amounts of lint to meet their production cycles, according to Khawaja Muhammad Usman, former president of the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). The federal government has set the overall national cotton production target at 12.77 million bales from 6.834 million acres in Pakistan, including 4.986 million acres in Punjab, 1.659 million acres in Sindh, 5000 acres in KPK, and 181,000 acres in Balochistan, revealed Sajid Mahmood, the Technology Transfer head for the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan.

reduction in gas and power tariffs, another 25% of textile mills might face the same fate. The cost of electricity for textile mills has surged from Rs 20 to Rs 39.5 per unit, and the current fiscal year budget has pushed it further to Rs 49.5 per unit. This is putting considerable financial pressure on struggling textile businesses. In response, APTMA is urging a substantial allocation of funds in the budget to support the textile industry – specifically, Rs 104 billion, with Rs 40 billion for gas supply and Rs 64 billion for electricity. APTMA is also raising concerns about the high gas and electricity rates faced by textile industries in Punjab, which is adding to their financial burdens. The association had previously warned that the textile sector is close to default, underscoring the need for immediate action.

APTMA warns of catastrophic disaster if immediate actions not taken

In a letter to the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, APTMA outlines three major challenges faced by the textile industry. Firstly, production capacity has dropped by 50%, resulting in about 7 million job losses within the sector. The potential closure of the textile industry could push this number to over 10 million job losses across the country, with an estimated annual import loss of 10 billion.

round 40% of textile mills have closed their doors in the last 11 months, highlighting a severe crisis in the sector. The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has issued a stern warning, stating that unless there's an immediate

Additionally, dwindling cotton production poses a significant challenge, with only 5 million bales produced. Meeting the industry's demand would require importing an additional 10 million bales.

News & Views These challenges highlight the urgent need for comprehensive measures to revive the textile industry. Immediate attention from the government, including tariff reduction, increased funding, and initiatives to boost cotton production, is essential to prevent further job losses and protect the industry's contribution to the national economy.

Queen of Netherlands choose Pakistani designer Mahpara Khan to design her a dress for a royal wedding Pakistani designer Mahpara Khan has proudly represented her nation by creating a dress worn by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands at a significant Jordanian royal wedding. Queen Maxima chose to don this exquisite dress during the marriage of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and Saudi citizen Rajwa Khalid Al-Saif. The Embassy of Pakistan in the Netherlands shared the news on its official Twitter account, stating, “Glad to know HRH Queen Maxima of the Netherlands chose Pakistani designer Mahpara Khan to craft her dress for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan!”

Overflowing with pride for herself and her accomplishment, Khan added, “I take immense pride in the fact that the craftsmanship and creativity of Pakistan and its artisans were represented on a global scale alongside the likes of fashion giants such as Elie Saab, Jenny Packham, Prada, and others.” She expressed her hope to witness more South Asian artists gaining global prominence. Khan's work has garnered widespread acclaim and praise on social media platforms.

APTMA invites Primark to open office in Pakistan The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has extended an invitation to Primark, an international fashion retailer, to establish offices in Pakistan. A delegation from Primark visited the APTMA Matthew Rhodes Lahore office Head of Sourcing at Primark on Thursday. The delegation comprised Mathew Rhodes, Head of Sourcing, and John Steven, Director of Supply Chain. Patronin-Chief of APTMA, Gohar Ejaz, Chairman of APTMA North Zone, Hamid Zaman, Senior Vice Chairman, Kamran Arshad, former Chairman, Aamir Fayyaz, former Chairman, Adil Bashir, and Habib Anwar warmly received the delegation. The head of the visiting delegation remarked that Pakistan possesses immense potential to export various textile products due to its diversified exports. He highlighted the substantial benefits that the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) facility offers European importers, facilitating imports from Pakistan.

Khan herself took to her Instagram account to share images of Queen Maxima in her creation. She expressed her privilege in designing a customcrafted formal dress for the Queen. The dress intricately merges Mughal patterns with traditional dapka, naqshi, resham, and gota work.

Speaking during the event, Patron-inChief of APTMA, Gohar Ejaz, emphasized that the European Union (EU) stands as Pakistan's largest trading partner. He elaborated that the GSP+ status enables Pakistani exports to compete with countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,

which are already beneficiaries of the GSP+ arrangement. Gohar Ejaz clarified that GSP+ status empowers Pakistan to export 78% of its products duty-free to the EU, ultimately encouraging increased foreign investment. Gohar Ejaz stated that GSP+ provides Pakistan with an opportune moment for exports, particularly as China's market influence wanes. He affirmed that Pakistan complies with 27 conventions related to human rights, the environment, labor rights, narcotics control, corruption control, and gender rights. Further compliance with six additional conventions is poised to elevate Pakistan's global standing. Chairman of APTMA North Zone, Hamid Zaman, projected substantial export potential, envisioning exports reaching $50 billion through a stitching revolution in Pakistan. Hamid Zaman articulated plans for setting up 1000 garment plants, each equipped with 500 stitching machines, requiring an investment of $7 million. These plants would be capable of generating garment exports amounting to $20 million annually while creating employment for 700 workers. The total investment would amass to US $7 billion, yielding annual exports of $20 billion and providing employment opportunities for more than 700,000 workers. Prior to this, Senior Vice Chairman Kamran Arshad presented a comprehensive overview of the significance of the textile industry in Pakistan. He highlighted that APTMA member mills are fully compliant corporate entities, with their performance being meticulously monitored by international and national agencies. Kamran Arshad emphasized the industry's adherence to international and local sustainability standards such as SA 8000, Oeko Tex (geared towards environmentally friendly practices), and Step (Sustainable Textile Production). He affirmed the industry's commitment to adopting an action plan aimed at investing in pollution-control technologies, transitioning away from fossil fuels, establishing effluent and water treatment plants, investing in material innovations, and promoting a Green Environment and Socially Responsible industry.

Around the World AZERBAIJAN Azerbaijani Companies Commence Cotton Fiber Exports to Turkmenistan In a significant development for the textile industry, Azerbaijani companies, including MKT IK, Azerpambig, and PAgro, have initiated the export of cotton fiber to Turkmenistan, as confirmed by the Economic Zone Development Agency (EZDA). The endeavor aims to strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two countries and expand market access for Azerbaijani non-oil products. The initial phase of the venture involves the shipment of 30,000 tonnes of cotton fiber from Baku International Sea Trade Port to Turkmenistan, facilitated by maritime transportation. As the partnership progresses, additional products derived from cotton processing will also be exported to Turkmenistan in the future, fostering economic cooperation and diversification. The EZDA highlighted the ongoing efforts to enhance the production and export of competitive non-oil products while emphasizing the expansion of the processing industry. These initiatives align with Azerbaijan's strategic goals of increasing its presence in traditional and new markets and reducing dependence on oil revenues. Within the framework of textile industry development, work is currently underway in the Mingachevir Industrial Park, focusing on the establishment of cotton clusters in the country. This

endeavor signifies a concerted effort to bolster the domestic textile sector, enhance production capabilities, and promote sustainable economic growth. The initiation of cotton fiber exports to Turkmenistan marks a milestone in Azerbaijani trade, presenting an opportunity for further collaboration and economic advancement. As both nations strive to strengthen their positions in the textile industry, this venture opens doors for mutually beneficial partnerships and paves the way for increased regional cooperation. The expansion of Azerbaijan's non-oil exports, particularly in the textile sector, reflects the country's commitment to diversifying its economy and reducing reliance on hydrocarbon resources. The successful implementation of these initiatives contributes to the overall economic development and resilience of Azerbaijan, fostering a more sustainable and prosperous future.

BANGLADESH Roundtable Emphasizes Safety and Empowerment of Women Workers in Bangladesh's Garment Industry A roundtable titled "Safety of Women Workers in Garment Industry and Institutional Accountability" was held at the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, in association with the Shojag Coalition and the European Union. During the discussion, speakers emphasized the importance of creating a safe and discrimination-free environment for women workers. According to Mujibul Haque, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Labour and Employment, "Once factory owners, workers, and their leaders become aware, problems of garment factories will be resolved. Foreign buyers emphasize increasing facilities at factories, but they don’t want to increase price. All must work together to save factories. Number of women workers must not decrease, and for that, a better environment has to be created at factories." Shahidullah Azim, Vice President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA), stated, "Factory authorities remain alert to prevent sexual harassment for the protection of women workers. At present, women should at least begin their job with technical training in order to prevent the decline of women workers due to automation."

14 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

Joly Talukder, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Trade Union Centre (GWTUC), highlighted the need for functioning sexual harassment complaint committees and increased representation of women in higher positions. She said, "On the one hand, the number of women workers is decreasing, and on the other hand, women are not seen at higher positions." Afsana Chowdhury, Training Officer of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Better Work Bangladesh Programme (BWB), stressed the importance of identifying and addressing sexual harassment and discrimination in factories. She stated, "Only 10 per cent of women are in leadership positions at garment factories, and the ILO is emphasizing on identifying sexual harassment and discrimination." The roundtable provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss the safety and well-being of women workers in the garment industry. Participants emphasized the need for a safe working environment, increased production capacity, and empowerment of women in leadership roles. The event aimed to foster collaboration and develop strategies to protect the rights of women workers in a sector crucial to Bangladesh's economy.

CHINA China's Retail Sales Show Resilience with 12.7% YoY Growth in May China's retail sales of consumer goods witnessed a solid growth of 12.7% year-on-year (YoY) in May 2023, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Although this figure represents a slight slowdown compared to April's 18.4% YoY growth, the overall retail sales in the first five months of 2023 continued their upward trajectory, surging by 9.3% YoY. With total retail sales amounting to 18.76 trillion yuan ($2.62 trillion) in the January to May period, the Chinese consumer market showcased its resilience despite the modest dip in May. The retail sector's performance holds significant importance as it serves as a crucial indicator of domestic demand and consumer spending, vital for China's economic growth and recovery. Experts attribute the moderation in May's YoY growth to the high base effect stemming from the remarkable rebound witnessed during the same period last year, following the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the solid growth in retail sales over the first five months of 2023 indicates a sustained positive momentum for China's retail industry. China's government has been proactively implementing measures to bolster domestic consumption, including targeted policies aimed at boosting income levels and promoting household spending. Furthermore, the development of e-commerce platforms has played a pivotal role in driving retail sales and creating a conducive environment for businesses and consumers alike.

Around the World Analysts remain optimistic about the future prospects of China's retail sector, anticipating continued steady growth. The government's ongoing efforts to promote sustainable economic development, coupled with supportive policies, are expected to foster consumer confidence and drive further expansion in retail sales.

EGYPT Chinese Demand for Egyptian Cotton Surpasses India in 2022 Chinese buyers have emerged as the top buyers of Egyptian cotton, surpassing India in 2022. The high-quality Egyptian cotton, known for its extra-long fibers and smooth yarn, has attracted Chinese buyers seeking an alternative to cotton produced in China's Xinjiang region. Egypt witnessed a significant decline in cotton exports to India, while exports to China experienced a substantial increase. In 2022, Egyptian cotton exports to China reached $116.93 million, compared to $75.15 million exported to India. China and India together accounted for 70.78 percent of the total exports of Egyptian cotton, with China holding a share of 43.09 percent and India 27.69 percent. Other top buyers included Pakistan (14.17 percent), Vietnam (5.37 percent), and Bangladesh (3.77 percent). The shift in demand marks a significant change from 2021 when India dominated Egyptian cotton imports with a 68.68 percent share, while China accounted for only 2.34 percent. The increase in Chinese purchases can be

attributed to concerns over using cotton produced in China's Xinjiang region, as it came under scrutiny for human rights violations. Indian importers, however, attribute the decline in Egyptian cotton imports to issues related to erratic shipping operations. This change in market dynamics highlights the growing preference for Egyptian cotton by Chinese buyers seeking high-quality fibers for their textile industry while adhering to international standards and ethical sourcing practices.

UNITED KINGDOM Revolutionizing the textile industry, a cutting-edge robotic fashion production facility has made its debut. The Robotics Living Lab (RoLL), a groundbreaking project situated at Manchester Metropolitan University's Manchester Fashion Institute, aims to redefine fashion manufacturing and champion sustainability. With the industry's sluggish adoption of robotics, RoLL seeks to drive change by empowering micro-scale fashion businesses to harness robotic technologies for eco-friendly production. Functioning as a collaborative hub, RoLL invites fashion researchers, designers, and manufacturers to delve into the realm of advanced robotics, paving the way for high-value, lowvolume fashion production. This strategic emphasis on reduced volumes aligns

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perfectly with Europe's waste reduction agenda and sustainability objectives. RoLL will spearhead the development of innovative tools for stitching, cutting, pressing, and repairing garments, equipping small fashion design businesses with the means to embrace sustainable manufacturing processes. By actively supporting the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's ambitious target of achieving net zero manufacturing by 2038, this facility plays a pivotal role in driving sustainability practices within the fashion industry. The funding for RoLL forms part of an impressive £103 million investment in digital research and infrastructure, as recently announced by the Science and Technology Secretary. RoLL will inhabit two repurposed office spaces within the prestigious Manchester Fashion Institute, boasting a dedicated robotics lab and a dynamic working area. It is projected to commence full operations by the summer of 2024. This trailblazing initiative fosters collaboration among fashion visionaries, manufacturers, and cutting-edge technology, significantly benefitting micro and small-to-medium-sized businesses. Accompanied by "cobots," collaborative robots devised in partnership with codesign residency program fellows, RoLL's human counterparts will wield interchangeable tools for stitching, cutting, pressing, and repair tasks. As a prominent fixture within the Fashion Institute, RoLL will open its doors to fashion students, researchers, and small enterprises, inviting them to embrace unconventional practices. This

Around the World transformative lab boldly leads the way towards a sustainable future in the fashion manufacturing realm, fundamentally revolutionizing the very fabric of garment creation.

INDIA Indian Spinning Mills on the Brink of Production Closure amidst Deepening Losses India's spinning mills are teetering on the edge of complete production closure as a result of abysmal demand for garments in the global market. This dire situation has led to a drastic decline in the purchase of cotton yarn and fabric, pushing mills in Tamil Nadu and other southern regions to announce a distressing 50 percent reduction in production. Mounting losses of approximately 20-25 per kg have driven these mills to the brink of collapse. Representatives from Tamil Nadu's spinning mills recently took to the media in Coimbatore to shed light on the harrowing predicament engulfing the industry amidst a gloomy global landscape. They exposed the harsh reality that the global economic recession has dealt a severe blow to yarn and fabric exports, inundating the domestic market with cut-rate yarn peddled by exporters. As a result, spinning mills are left grappling with woefully inadequate prices for their yarn, plunging them into staggering losses. The influx of cheaper imports from China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh has further compounded their woes. Operating at alarmingly low capacity utilization, the spinning industry now stares down the abyss of potential irreparable damage. Industry representatives forcefully underscored the substantial losses suffered by spinning mills in yarn production, aggravated by the alarming disparity between cotton yarn prices and exorbitant production costs. In response, mill owners have reluctantly resorted to operating at a meager 50 percent capacity, with the looming specter of complete shutdowns hanging ominously over their heads. While cotton prices may currently seem marginally favorable, the crushing weight of exorbitant bank loan interest rates, electricity charges, and

skyrocketing labor wages have catastrophically driven up production costs. Desperate for a lifeline, the industry has implored the central government to urgently intervene with measures to alleviate the unfolding crisis. Their pleas include demands to slash bank interest rates, resuscitate yarn exports, and restructure short-term loans. Additionally, they have beseeched the government for a much-needed loan repayment holiday and an extended seven-year repayment period. Moreover, the industry has passionately beseeched the state government not to further exacerbate their predicament by raising electricity tariffs, while simultaneously urging the promotion of green energy through substantial capital subsidies and the abolishment of exorbitant rooftop solar network charges. As if the looming closure of spinning mills wasn't alarming enough, cotton yarn traders find themselves mired in an atmosphere of deep uncertainty. The purchasing decisions of garment brands and retailers remain shrouded in ambiguity, perpetuating a profound slowdown in the already beleaguered garment and fabric industry. Faced with incessant demands from brands and retailers to slash prices, spinning mills now confront the bleak possibility of a complete halt in production. The current crisis casts a grim shadow over the entire industry, raising fears of an impending industrial catastrophe.

MOROCCO Textile Industry Bounces Back with Surging Orders from Northern Europe Morocco's textile industry is witnessing a remarkable surge in garment exports, driven by increasing demand from Northern Europe for corporate apparel and knitwear, according to the Association Marocaine des Industries du Textile et de l'Habillement (AMITH). Fatima-Zohra Alaoui, Director General of AMITH, revealed that after a slight dip in demand at the end of 2022, orders have rebounded significantly. In 2022 alone, Morocco exported textiles worth a staggering $4.06 billion,

with Europe and the United States serving as vital markets for its products. Notably, about 60% of the country's exports are destined for Spain, primarily from renowned brands like Zara and Bershka, owned by Inditex. Alaoui emphasized the positive shift in the industry, stating, "Starting from January, orders started coming up again." This resurgence highlights Morocco's ability to adapt and cater to market demands. Alaoui believes the country's advantageous proximity to Europe enables brands and retailers to place smaller, more flexible orders, thereby responding swiftly to customer needs. Looking ahead, sustainability remains a key focus for Morocco's textile sector. Alaoui stressed the importance of developing a robust yarn and fabric industry within the country to reduce reliance on imports and enhance sustainability efforts. To achieve this, AMITH is collaborating with the Moroccan government to establish ecofriendly industrial zones. These zones will not only reduce the industry's carbon footprint but also serve as a solid foundation for future growth. Foreign investment is also pivotal in strengthening Morocco's textile industry. Alaoui expressed AMITH's aim to attract both Moroccan and foreign investors, particularly through joint ventures, to foster knowledge transfer and bolster the value chain. She highlighted the role of foreign expertise in enhancing capabilities in printing, dyeing, and finishing processes, ultimately adding value to Morocco's textile exports. One noteworthy collaboration is the recent memorandum of understanding signed with Portuguese textile company Valerius Texteis. This agreement, valued at 1 billion Moroccan dirhams ($97.98 million), aims to strengthen and sustainably develop Morocco's textile sector, focusing on textile recycling. The project is set to create 1,500 jobs, further contributing to Morocco's export growth and economic development. With Morocco's commitment to sustainability and its strong position in garment exports, the country is poised for continued success in the global textile market. Alaoui concluded, "We are confident that our industry will thrive and solidify its position as a key player in the international textile landscape."

Corporate News

Amba Projex supports growth for India’s Candour Techtex Candour Techtex, a Melegaon JR Group company, is so happy with the latest coating and lamination line supplied by the UK’s Amba Projex it has immediately ordered a second, wider one to meet booming demand.

years’ experience in the design and manufacture of special purpose technical textile machines, with coating and laminating installations around the world.

“We are very pleased with how this installation went,” says Amba Managing Director Barry Goodwin. “Our team installed the machine and got it running from Day One, producing three-pass blackout thermal linings and technical laminations to a quality never before seen in India.”

“We serve manufacturers in many different countries with an experienced network of agents on the ground and in India we are brilliantly supported by Jayessh S Nanavati and his team at Sainite Exports,” says Goodwin. “They have been

Based in High Peak near Manchester, BTMA member Amba Projex has over 40

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Amba Managing Director Barry Goodwin

Corporate News instrumental in securing sales for us in India. We strive to provide the most effective machinery, on time and within budget and also provide consultation services for customers based on our extensive process know-how.” Amba will be working closely with Candour over the next five years, to establish an Indian technical textiles powerhouse capitalising on the UK technology provider’s long experience in the field.

Focus Formerly Chandni Textiles Engineering Industries, Candour Techtex of the Malegaon JR Group assumed its new name in 2022 to reflect its focus on a wide range of technical textiles at its new plant in Malegaon in the Nashik District of Maharashtra. The company was founded in 1986 and at its existing plant in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, produces an annual 1.2 million metres of light velvet fabrics mainly for the domestic market for apparel and light home furnishings. In 2020 it also began operations at a plastic moulded components division in Gonde, Nashik, with a capacity of 4,500 tons per annum. Candour Techtex is already seeing growing demand for a number of its new products. “The future for the technical textile industry in India is very positive with increasingly strong consumption rates in the domestic market, as well as a growing demand for exports,” says Managing Director J R Mehta. “Currently a lot of coated and laminated technical textiles are being imported to India so we see big potential in manufacturing them here, but we also have a competitive advantage in exports, and Amba is assisting us in identifying these market opportunities.”

Blackout fabrics In particular, the new Amba Projex system enables blackout fabrics to be produced efficiently and at scale. Blackout fabrics are installed in rooms where complete light shielding is required, such as in public institutions like hospitals, and retirement homes, in hotels and conference rooms, and also in the home, especially in bedrooms.

They obtain their light impermeability by a special three-layer blackout coating which works on textiles of all colours. Only the middle layer of the three coatings needs to be black for obtaining the necessary light absorption. The fabrics are usually also treated for permanent flame-retardancy, and also with water or stain-repellent finishes. In addition to locking out light and providing maximum privacy, blackout curtains also help to insulate a home and reduce energy costs, in addition to protecting furniture and carpets from fading due to sunlight exposure.

Rapid installation With its two-metre-wide new coating and lamination unit now in full operation, Candour has ordered a second Amba

Projex machine, with a wider working width of 3.5-metres. “We are extremely pleased with the rapid installation of this machine and its faultless commissioning by Amba and Sainite Exports,” Mr Mehta says. “They have proved to be partners we can solidly rely on as we continue to expand our business.” “Companies looking to enter new areas of advanced textile production have a lot to gain from partnering with British technology suppliers with a lot of experience in the field like Amba Projex,” adds Jason Kent, Managing Director of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA). “This is a perfect example of an ongoing win-win cooperation between machine builder and manufacturer, at a very exciting time for India’s growth.”

Corporate News

Recycling technology celebrates success at Indonesian yarn manufacturer It is already operating at PT. Kahatex – one of Indonesia’s largest manufacturers of woven and circular-knitted fabrics: Oerlikon Barmag Huitong Engineering’s homogenization technology for mechanically recycling prepared polyester (PET) waste such as post-industrial waste (popcorn), bottle flakes and films. This key component ensures an evenly-homogeneous melt, influences the increase in viscosity and hence enables the production of defined rPET preliminary products for further processing such as melt, chips and fiber materials for direct spinning. Reusing waste is increasingly becoming a trend within the textile industry as well: in May 2022, PT. Kahatex commissioned a system with a daily capacity of 25 tons for recycling popcorn and bottle flakes into textile-quality chips for manufacturing POY and DTY. Traditionally, Southeast Asia’s largest familyrun business is committed to ecological responsibility and is focused on manufacturing high-end textiles for the Asian, US and European markets. Here, the Indonesian fiber manufacturer is utilizing the homogenization technology provided by Oerlikon Barmag Huitong Engineering (OBHE), a joint venture between Oerlikon Barmag and Yangzhou Huitong Chemical Engineering Technique Co., Ltd. Using the corresponding thermomechanical recycling process, the waste material is extruded and the larger, more solid components filtered out before the homogenizer swings into action. It is in this reactor that the actual mechanical recycling and polycondensation take place. The technology generates a high surface area and – in conjunction with the precisely-defined dwell time – provides more options for influencing the melt. This creates an even, homogeneous melt, while the technology also simplifies the removal of volatile components. In turn, this enables targeted adjustment of the viscosity, which is necessary as the waste material to be processed does not always have the same viscosity. In this way, spinning system yarn waste – in the form of knotted balls or tangled threads, for instance – is processed into popcorn-shaped

agglomerates for extrusion. This popcorn can have viscosity values of 0.6, but also lower values of 0.4. No problem: the homogenizer’s increase in viscosity adjusts this.

Also operating in China After exiting the reactor, the melt is once again filtered and finer, gel-containing components are removed. Subsequently, it can be further processed as required: in the form of chips or – using a directspinning process – in the manufacture of filament yarns, staple fibers and nonwovens. Applicable to all applications: the recycling result can only be as good as the processed starting material, as mechanical recycling processes are unable to improve the starting materials. And chemical recycling is still in its infancy. For this reason, the homogenization technology remains attractive and is already being utilized by both Kahatex and Chinese fiber manufacturers recycling bottle flakes and yarn waste into staple fibers and filament yarns by means of directspinning processes. And the more the industry focuses on recycling systems, the greater the interest: “We are currently registering enquiries from Bangladesh, but also from China”, states Michael Mächtig, Product Manager at Oerlikon Barmag. For the purpose of more intensive global marketing, the OBHE technology has therefore been integrated into the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions product portfolio. 

20 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

Corporate News

Jeanologia pays homage to the 501 on its 150th anniversary as an icon of fashion, humankind and sustainability. From May 18th to the 27th at the San Francisco Armory, Levi's pays tribute to the 501 as part of the commemorative events celebrating the 150th birthday of this iconic garment.  A symbol of rebellion, it has been

present in every major cultural revolution this century as the most symbolic garment throughout four generations.  Nowadays, the new 501 has transformed into an icon of sustainability, bringing together authenticity, comfort and quality with respect for the environment. San Francisco (23-05-2023). Jeanologia extends special congratulations to its friends at Levi Strauss on the 150th anniversary of the 501 and shows its appreciation for bringing the world this iconic garment

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Corporate News

that represents passion for the product, authenticity, attention to detail, and highquality work.

501 is to become a symbol of respect for the environment and responsible consumption".

What initially began as clothing for miners and later for cowboys, soon became a revolution that crossed borders, generations and cultures to become one of the most influential garments in history.

The 501 celebrates its 150th anniversary in the San Francisco Armory with a focus on sustainability.

A symbol of rebellion, the 501 has been present in every major cultural revolution of our century as the most symbolic garment over four generations: from hippies, to rockers or yuppies, up to the present day.

As part of the commemorative events for the 150th anniversary of the 501, Levi's is holding a main event from May 18th to the 27th at the San Francisco Armory, which will bring together

numerous personalities and international celebrities at its inauguration. A space that shows the story of how the 501 is manufactured from scratch in an environmentally friendly way. As a technological partner of Levi's, Jeanologia is proud to participate in this event with its customization center where the public will have the opportunity to customize their 501s during the month of May using the company's technologies, seeing live and in-person how ecosustainable production is achieved.

For 150 years, the 501 has been able to adapt to the passage of time, responding to the needs of each era and representing the values of humanity. An evolution that has resulted in its current position as a symbol of new rebels who care for the environment, bringing together authenticity, comfort and quality with respect for the planet. For Enrique Silla, President at Jeanologia, "it is incredible what this iconic product can express just by being in your closet or by dyeing your legs indigo blue". In his opinion, "thanks to technology 501 first were strong and resistant, almost unbreakable, and with today’s technology we age them by imitating the effect of the passage of time and respecting the environment". That’s why, he stressed that "the next mission of the

Corporate News

Messe Frankfurt becomes shareholder of Kingpins Show. This collaboration strengthens the future of the denim industry.

Messe Frankfurt's extensive experience and resources will combine with the Kingpins Show's unique expertise, amplifying global reach and industry influence.

shareholder in the Kingpins Show elevates the textile portfolio’s presence in the denim industry as well as solidifies their dedication to supporting the industry's development.

Messe Frankfurt, a global leader in trade fair organization, and Kingpins Show, the premier tradeshow specializing in the denim industry, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership that will further strengthen their commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth within the denim community. Messe Frankfurt’s new role as a

Messe Frankfurt is the world market leader in trade fairs for the textile industry. With a unique portfolio currently comprising around 50 international trade fairs in 11 countries. These form the core of Texpertise, the textile business network, which stands for Messe Frankfurt's entire textile commitment. Texpertise Network covers the entire

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value chain of the textile industry and, as a central communication platform, provides valuable information on the textile trade fair brands. The Kingpins Show will continue to operate independently, maintaining its distinct identity and the essence that has made it a must-attend event for denim enthusiasts worldwide. As a shareholder, Messe Frankfurt brings its global network, unparalleled resources, and industry- leading expertise to strengthen the Kingpins Show's position as a premier denim platform.

Corporate News Already today, the denim segment is served at Messe Frankfurt's own events such as Beyond Denim (Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics) and Denimworld (as part of Texworld Evolution Paris). Andrew Olah, Founder and CEO of Kingpins, states “Since the day we started Kingpins in 2004, we aspired to one day sell our show or partner with Messe Frankfurt - we were never ‘show people’, we were ‘industry people’ where as Messe Frankfurt is an 800-yearold exhibition company with all the knowledge, technique, and data needed. Now almost 20 years later, a kind of dream has occurred - now we are both ‘show people’ and ‘industry people’. We know this collaboration will really grow each other’s opportunities and quality.” "Our partnership with the Kingpins Show is rooted in our admiration for their distinct vision and innovative approach to the denim industry. We recognize the opportunity to learn from Kingpins, and together with our expertise we believe we can continue to be the stage for business encounters in the denim industry.” – Constantin von Vieregge, President & CEO, Messe Frankfurt Inc. Messe Frankfurt and Kingpins share a deep commitment to fostering

sustainability within the industry. The partnership aims to drive positive change by encouraging responsible production methods, promoting circular economy initiatives, and supporting sustainable sourcing practices and will serve as a catalyst for collaborative efforts that prioritize environmental stewardship and social responsibility, ensuring a more sustainable future for the denim industry. Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the German parent company, emphasizes: "We are pleased that with Kingpins we are strategically complementing our worldwide textile trade fair portfolio in a meaningful way. The international events of our textile business network "Texpertise" cover the

entire textile value chain. With the planned participation of Messe Frankfurt Inc. in Kingpins, we are adding an important premium brand in the denim sector and rounding off our existing portfolio." Attendees and exhibitors can anticipate an enhanced platform that combines the Kingpins Show's signature flair with Messe Frankfurt's extensive network, global reach, and unrivaled resources. This synergy promises expanded business prospects, increased market visibility, and accelerated industry innovation. Stay tuned for further updates on the dynamic developments and novel opportunities that will arise from this transformative partnership.

ITMF welcomes the BTMA The British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) has joined the Zurich-headquartered International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) – revitalising a historic connection and reflecting an increased push to expand the international reach of UK companies. “The announcement was made at the ITMA 2023 textile machinery exhibition in Milan from June 8-14. “We are pleased to welcome the BTMA as our latest association member and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership going forward,” said ITMF Director General Dr Christian Schindler. “The ITMF was actually headquartered in Manchester in the UK up until the 1960s, so we share long-standing roots. Today, ITMF members are from across the entire textile supply chain which enables them

ITMF Director General Dr Christian Schindler (left) and BTMA CEO Jason Kent announce the agreement at ITMA 2023.

to gain a better understanding of the full complexity and dynamics of the industry and to fully respond to the opportunities and challenges it faces.” “Members of our association have had a fantastic time at ITMA this week,

and I view joining the ITMF as essential to building on their success internationally going forward,” added BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “We also look forward to participating in the ITMF’s 2023 Annual Conference in Keqiao, China in November this year.”

Dyes and Chemicals

ARCHROMA and SOMELOS to Advance Textile Industry Sustainability with new Dyeing and Finishing Process for Water Savings of up to 97% Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and Somelos, a world-renowned vertically integrated textile group in Portugal, have joined forces to advance sustainable cotton processing with a new water-saving dyeing and finishing process that generates no wastewater. Conventional cotton dyeing and finishing requires substantial water and chemical inputs and produces a large volume of wastewater. Long-lasting wash-down effects in particular, traditionally require two water-intensive processes: one to get the color intensity and one to achieve the washed-down contrast. Relying on such resourceintensive processes is of particular concern in nations affected by drought and water scarcity, like Portugal, the home of Somelos since its founding in 1958.

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To address this challenge, Archroma and Somelos have now developed the New Dry Dyeing/Ox Finishing process for the production of bottoms and shirting in cotton fabrics. Based on Archroma’s Pad-Ox dyeing process, which combines oxidation and fixation into one step, and the latest technologies for washdown effects, including ozone and laser treatments, it delivers water savings of up to 97% compared to conventional cotton dyeing and finishing. The New Dry Dyeing/Ox Finishing process only uses water to prepare the dye and oxidation baths. Archroma Diresul® RDT liquid pre-reduced sulfur dyes ensure easy washdown and direct fixation—with no need for pre-washing— delivering shorter processing, cleaner production and high wash -fastness. “Archroma and Somelos both believe that sustainability adds value for textile and apparel brands, helping them save

resources while they tap into new markets. Together, we have developed a water-saving dyeing and finishing process that not only represents a significant advance in sustainability for the textile industry, but that also empowers brands to protect the environment and deliver eco-friendlier products to an eager buying public,” Umberto De Vita, Director, Denim Market Segment, Textile Effects Division, Archroma, said. “At Somelos, we know that cleaner textiles make a better world. We have invested heavily over the years to achieve eco-friendly production and a zerocarbon footprint, installing our own solar energy park for clean energy and treating and re-using our wastewater. We are delighted to be working with Archroma as we take another step on our sustainability journey and prioritize water saving with our new and innovative cotton dyeing and finishing process,” Sofia Vale, R&D Manager, Somelos, said.

Dyes and Chemicals

Pulcra Chemicals together with Inditex develop Sustineri Coloring, an innovative dyeing process of cotton and polyester / cotton that reduces water consumption by up to 80% Pulcra Chemicals and Inditex develop Sustineri Coloring, a combined pretreatment and dyeing process for cotton and polyester/cotton resulting in water, time and energy savings. This process is the result of a joint research between Pulcra Chemicals and Inditex with the goal to mitigate the impact of standard dyeing processes and to reduce the use of natural resources. Sustineri Coloring is based on newly engineered process chemicals which allow a one bath pretreatment and dyeing process for dark, medium and light shades of cotton and polyester/cotton fabrics by exhaust method. This results in shorter processing time and less use of water and energy. Sustineri Coloring is based on newly engineered process chemicals which allow

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a one bath pretreatment and dyeing process for dark, medium and light shades of cotton and polyester/cotton fabrics by exhaust method. This results in shorter processing time and less use of water and energy. “We are incredibly proud to work together with Inditex, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers,” says Ümit Yaldiz, CEO of Pulcra Chemicals Group. “This partnership is a significant step toward realizing our ambition of bringing environmentally friendly solutions to the worldwide textile market.” Pulcra Chemicals is active in development, production and sales of textile, fiber and leather auxiliaries. Headquartered in Geretsried, Germany, Pulcra operates production and laboratory facilities, service centers and

sales offices around the world. Its global network covers 13 different locations, a workforce of 1000 employees, with around 300 engineers and chemists that services more than 3000 customers globally. Based on its more than 145 years of partnering with textile, fiber and leather producers Pulcra has a long heritage and tradition in being the solution provider of choice for its customers. Inditex is one of the world's largest fashion retailers, operating in more than 200 markets through its online platform and stores. With a business model focused on meeting customer desires, Inditex is committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2040.

Dyes and Chemicals

New production facility of CHT Group in Bangladesh CHT Group, the global player for sustainable specialty chemicals, has built a new production facility in Meghna Industrial Economic Zone (MIEZ), Narayanganj, Bangladesh which was inaugurated on May 9th, 2023. In these challenging times CHT Group remains eager to expand furthermore and to increase its tailor-made customer service. That’s why the worldwide company for chemical specialties has built a new production facility in Meghna Industrial Economic Zone (MIEZ), Narayanganj which was inaugurated on May 9th, 2023. Prodip Kumar Dhar, General Manager of CHT Bangladesh, is looking forward to contributing to Bangladesh’s economic success by providing not only sustainable, sophisticated products but also exceptional tailor-made customer service for which CHT Group is valued: "CHT Group has always been committed to quality. As a subsidiary of CHT Group, CHT Bangladesh has clearly positioned itself to manufacture world-class quality products while keeping sustainability and safety as top priorities. CHT Bangladesh's goal is to be closer to our customers in Bangladesh, and we promise to provide world-class service to our customers. With this investment, CHT Group aims to be part of the country's economic growth and development."

This increased commitment in Bangladesh is confirmed by Martin Stangs, Regional Sales Manager APAC Auxiliaries at CHT: “The long-term success story with RH Corporation now comes to an even higher level. In addition to the decade-long service provided by motivated colleagues of RH Corporation and constant visits by well-experienced CHT application field colleagues, CHT products will now be made available locally by our new production facility at CHT Bangladesh. This will further enhance our current high-end offer with in-time deliveries which are now possible. The well-known services provided by our up-to-date laboratory facility in Dhaka will continue to prevail. This is all supported by the profound analytical and technical equipment at CHT Germany as well as CHT Switzerland. Less water, less energy, less time, but still “fit-for-purpose performance”: these requirements are no strangers to us. In alignment with our CHT Group policy ‘We take care’, we will solve these problems, too”. Benoit Moutault, Group Vice President Textile of CHT Group and Head of CHT Switzerland AG, the CHT Center of Competence for Dyestuffs, emphasizes CHT’s customer proximity and sustainability: “The textile industry has recently become even more agile than before. The needs of speed and quality

require competent, reliable, and more sustainable suppliers of chemicals. With our new textile auxiliaries plant located in Narayanganj-Bangladesh, CHT Group brings its sustainable solutions and its products closer to our valued customers. CHT is the partner of choice for the finishing of textiles in Bangladesh”. Besides customer proximity, sustainability and environmental protection are additionally big topics for chemical companies. Sustainability is deeply anchored at CHT Group and plays an important role in Bangladesh, too. As CHT’s Chief Sustainability Officer Dr. Annegret Vester states: “The local production facility in Bangladesh will enable us to supply our customers in this important textile market with our sustainable products and solutions – faster and with a smaller carbon footprint.” The new facility of the CHT Group in Bangladesh contributes to sustainability in more ways: The roofs of two buildings are fully covered with solar photovoltaic modules. For a proper use of natural light all the other buildings have periphery glass and transparent roofs There are additionally a ground water tank to harvest rainwater as well as a biological effluent treatment plant to reuse treated water as process water in the plant. 

Personalia

Change of management at Heimtextil: Margit Herberth becomes new director of the household textiles segment Change of personnel at Heimtextil: Margit Herberth will be responsible for the household textiles segment of Heimtextil as director from 1 September 2023 and, together with Bettina Bär, will form the new dual leadership of the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles. Herberth, previously Director Marketing Consumer Goods / Multimedia & Data at Messe Frankfurt, succeeds Meike Kern, who is leaving the company of her own volition after 22 years to take on a new professional challenge. Margit Herberth will take over as Director Heimtextil for the household textiles segment from September 1, 2023. She thus complements Bettina Bär, who has been responsible for the home textiles segment since September 2022. "We are delighted to have won Margit Herberth, a proven sales strategist with a strong global sales as well as marketing background, as Director Heimtextil," says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies.

Herberth has more than ten years of sales expertise as Senior Sales Manager for Messe Frankfurt's international consumer goods fairs Beautyworld, Hair & Beauty and Christmasworld. Since 2018, as Director Marketing Communications, she has managed all marketing activities for the Paperworld, Christmasworld and Creativeworld brands and was responsible for the design of global brand campaigns in the consumer goods sector, for example for Beautyworld. Most recently, as Head of Multimedia & Data, she decisively drove strategic performance marketing, including the implementation of targeted smart data campaigns, as well as the further development of audio and video formats for consumer goods trade shows - including Ambiente.

Margit Herberth; New Director Heimtextil

Margit Herberth will in future be responsible for the household textiles segment and thus for the world's largest brand and private label exhibitor range of bedding, bed linen, bathroom textiles, table and kitchen linen, mattresses, sleep systems, home accessories, blankets, pillows and textile processing machinery. Another important component is the further expansion of the textile sustainability content strategy as well as an even stronger internationalization of the Heimtextil Conference Sleep & More.

Meike Kern leaves Messe Frankfurt after 22 years Herberth replaces Meike Kern as long-time director, who is leaving the company for a new professional challenge. "In addition to the significant expansion of national as well as global sales structures, Meike Kern has also played a trend-setting role in the further development of Heimtextil into a content platform and global condensate of environmentally friendly textile innovations - not least in 2011 with the initiation of the first green formats. We wish her all the best for her new professional station," Schmidt continues. In her 15 years as Director, Meike Kern built strategic partnerships with customers on a global level, expanded sales channels and increased the market presence of exhibitors from core markets. In 2019, she also played a leading role in shaping the restructuring of Heimtextil and achieved an even clearer and more efficient visitor orientation at the trade fair with the targeted bundling and placement of the product range.

Meike Kern initiated sustainable formats at Heimtextil back in 2011

32 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

In addition to several sustainable formats, she also established the Heimtextil Conference Sleep & More as a knowledge platform for the bedding trade as well as the industry and helped young startups to gain worldwide visibility at Heimtextil as part of New & Next. 

Personalia

Oliver Streuli New Chief Financial Officer of Rieter Group The Board of Directors of Rieter Holding Ltd. has appointed Oliver Streuli to the Group Executive Committee of Rieter Group as Chief Financial Officer, effective August 1, 2023.

and financial portfolio companies of PCS Holding AG in Switzerland, in Austria and in Türkiye, which are active in fields of electric propulsion systems, green mobility and rolling stock leasing.

Oliver Streuli was from June 2019 until April 2023 CEO at PCS Holding AG in Frauenfeld (Switzerland), a private institutional investment company, where he was responsible for developing the investment strategy as well as the financial and strategic supervision of the industrial portfolio companies. He was also project manager for the IPO on the SIX Swiss Exchange at Stadler Rail AG, Bussnang (Switzerland). Previously, he held different positions at UBS.

AG, Lucerne (Switzerland), and of Autoneum Holding AG, Winterthur (Switzerland).

The Board of Directors of Rieter voted unanimously to elect Oliver Streuli as Chief Financial Officer. “Rieter has gained with the election of Oliver Streuli an expert for the function of Chief Financial Officer whose skills are an excellent complement to the Group Executive Committee,” says Thomas Oetterli, member of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.

He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Swiss Steel Holding

Oliver Streuli was a member of the Board of Directors of several industrial

Oliver Streuli Chief Financial Officer

Oliver Streuli was born in 1988 and is a Swiss citizen. He holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from University St. Gallen (HSG). 

FET strengthens its technical team Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK has significantly strengthened its technical team with the appointment of Dr. Jonny Hunter as Research & Development Manager. Hunter brings an enormous wealth of academic credentials to the department, including a Master’s in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry and a PhD in Sustainable Chemistry. This solid academic background is complemented by over 10 years’ R&D experience in industry, including FMCG and, in particular, medical devices, which encompasses wound care, the medical device manufacturing process and regulatory environment.

FET’s Director of Technology, Mark Smith and new R&D Manager, Dr Jonny Hunter

FET designs, develops and manufactures extrusion equipment for a wide range of high value textile material applications, so the above research and industrial sectors have great relevance to the company’s focus on the international stage. A significant market for FET’s meltspinning equipment is medical devices, so in-house expertise in this area is a vital commodity. FET is also at the forefront of innovation to promote and develop sustainable fibres, so technical knowhow in sustainability is also essential. In this, Jonny Hunter has considerable experience and has in the past lead a number of innovation projects in sustainable chemistry and management. This fresh input of knowledge and experience will benefit FET’s customers in their own drive for sustainable innovation in

34 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

fibre technology. Mark Smith, the previous R&D Manager, is taking a short sabbatical and will be returning in a more strategic role as FET’s Director of Technology, so his continued presence will further contribute to FET’s breadth of technical expertise. FET has also expanded in a number of other departments to reflect the rapid growth in sales over recent years. Mike Urey is the new Sales Engineer, bringing a wide industrial experience and strengthening all aspects of business development. Three new mechanical and electronic engineers and a new appointment in the design department all combine to take the company forward and sustain growth.

Exciting News - we're expanding our UK team! I'd like to introduce you to some new and existing contacts within the James Heal team, that are here to support you. We have made some really positive changes within the team here at James Heal, and are investing in additional resources to cover our global markets including the UK, to meet continued growth and demand for our products and services.

David Buxton, International Sales Manager Having recently joined the team, David is incredibly knowledgeable with 40 years experience in the textiles industry. David will be working directly with our UK and Ireland customer base to offer support and advice on testing requirements.

Nicole will continue to be your internal sales contact, assisting all of our customers based in the UK and Ireland with orders and enquiries.

Emmanuelle will hand over her UK responsibilities to David. She will however, continue to provide support to ensure a smooth transition.

Jenna Hooson-Maguire - Service & Calibration

A word from Emmanuelle...

As a member of the James Heal Customer Service team for the past six years, Jenna has a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of our customer needs. Working alongside our team of expert engineers, Jenna will continue to manage the Service and Calibration requirements for UK and Ireland customers.

Emmanuelle Pagot - ISM EMEA Region

Nicole Davison, Sales Operations Coordinator

In her role as International Sales Manager for the EMEA region, Emmanuelle has looked after our UK and Ireland customers for almost 10 years.

Many of our UK customers will already know Nicole who has worked in our Internal Sales team for over four years.

As our European and Middle Eastern territories continue to grow, and we welcome additional new sales partners,

I would really like to thank you for your support during the time I have been the sales manager for the UK. It has been a pleasure and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you. I will still be working closely with the entire James Heal sales and marketing team, so will be on hand when needed to ensure you receive continuity and excellence in the service we provide.

Sam Tissington, Commercial Director Finally, having moved to the role of Commercial Director, I would like to introduce myself to those of you I have not had the pleasure of speaking with yet. I hope to meet with many more of you in time, and as always we would love to welcome you to James Heal in Halifax to show you around our manufacturing facilities, demo labs, and introduce you to the wider team.

Faris and Exhibitions

ITMA ASIA + CITME show owners extend cooperation to launch combined exhibition in Singapore The show owners of ITMA ASIA + CITME have extended their collaboration to organise the combined textile machinery exhibition in a second Asian location. The combined exhibition has been held biennially in Shanghai since 2008. Show owners - CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and its Chinese partners comprising China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex) - have selected Singapore to host the exhibition in 2025. ITMA ASIA + CITME, Singapore 2025 will be held at the Singapore Expo from 28 to 31 October 2025. It will be organised by ITMA Services and coorganised by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co. Mr Ernesto Maurer, President of CEMATEX, said: “We have successfully held seven editions of ITMA ASIA + CITME in Shanghai. As part of our strategy to support the aspirations of local manufacturers in South Asia, South East and the Middle East to modernise their operations, we are augmenting the series with a second location in Asia to better reach out to the textile hubs in these regions.” Mr Gu Ping, President of CTMA, said: “Asia is the world’s biggest textile manufacturer and exporter. We are delighted to extend our cooperation with CEMATEX to bring ITMA ASIA and CITME to other parts of Asia to support our members’ marketing efforts.” Billed as The Leading Textile Technology Exhibition Driving Regional Growth, ITMA ASIA + CITME, Singapore 2025 is expected to gross 60,000 square metres. It aims to attract over 700 exhibitors and a visitorship of 30,000. Mr Maurer added: “Singapore is no stranger to hosting a huge textile machinery exhibition. ITMA ASIA was

36 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

held in Singapore in 2001 and 2005 before it combined with CITME. We moved the exhibition to Shanghai to enable our members to take advantage of the buoyant textile sector in China after the country joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001.”

A Vibrant Destination Due to its world-class facilities and business-friendly environment, Singapore is an attractive destination for exhibitions and conferences. Mr Charles Beauduin, Chairman of ITMA Services, explained: “Singapore is an attractive MICE destination and well connected to the growing textile hubs in South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as the Middle East. Its extensive airlinks and visa-friendly policies make it an accessible destination for these visitors. The exhibition also requires robust infrastructural and technical facilities to support live machinery demonstrations, which Singapore's exhibition venue can provide.” The decision to host the second combined exhibition in the island republic

is welcomed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Mr Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive of STB, said: “We are pleased to host ITMA Asia + CITME for the first time in Singapore. ITMA Asia + CITME is an important Asian and global platform for growth, connectivity, and trade integration in the textile market. The choice of Singapore as host affirms our position as a global hub for MICE and business, where entrepreneurs and forward-thinking partners meet. We look forward to welcoming ITMA Asia + CITME participants to Singapore in 2025.” The upcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition will be held in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre from 19 to 23 November 2023. It was postponed from last year due to the pandemic. Grossing 160,000 square metres, the combined exhibition has, to date, attracted over 1,400 exhibitors. The ITMA ASIA + CITME series will continue to be held biennially on even years in Shanghai. The 2024 combined exhibition will be held from 14 to 18 October 2024.

Faris and Exhibitions

SaigonTex 2023 Vietnam Saigon Textile & Garment Industry Expo Including Textile, Garment, Dye and Non-woven Industries Vietnam Textile & Garment Industry Expo is the biggest and the most influential event in the textile and garment industry of Vietnam. As the only textile & garment industry expo approved by UFI (international exhibitor assurance of quality-www.ufi.org), this expo held concurrently with the Vietnam Saigon Fabric & Garment Accessories Expo. These 2 expos are aimed to provide a one

stop market for all buyers in Vietnam and the neighboring countries. Next event will be held during 10 – 13 April, 2024 at SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

2019 Show Highlights 



The biggest and leading textile and garment industry exhibition in Vietnam since 1990s. The biggest international exhibition



 

(in all industries) in Vietnam. Exhibition Scale: 33,000 sqm, with 12 exhibition halls (increased 17% compare with 2018). No. of buyers: 28,802 (increased 10% compare with 2018). No. of exhibitors: 1,042 exhibitors from 25 countries / regions.

National pavilions organized by: 

Korea Sewing Machinery Industrial Association (KOSMIA)  Korea Textile Trade Association (KTTA)  Korea Textile Center (KTC)  Korea Textile Machinery Research Institute (KOTMI)  Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI)  Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)  China Jiangsu Province Pavilion  Hong Kong Apparel Machinery Association  Concurrent events: Seminars, Lucky Draw, VIP Tour, Factory visit, Press meeting, opening Ceremony. 

Nabeel Abdullah, COO at Sapphire Textile Mills

Sapphire Textile Mills and Sourcery Join Forces to Revolutionize Global Textile Trade with Sustainable and Transparent Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme Sapphire Textile Mills, a leading textile manufacturer in Pakistan renowned for its premium quality products and global exports, has taken a momentous step towards fostering sustainability and traceability in the global textile sector. Embracing the vision of advancing commercial and environmental excellence, Sapphire has partnered with Sourcery, the pioneering full-service global sourcing platform, for their transformative Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme. The Direct-to-GrowerTM Program is a groundbreaking approach that connects brands, manufacturers, and growers in a commercially neutral ecosystem, ensuring transparency, fairness, and efficiency at all stages of the value chain, from fibers and yarns to fabrics and finished goods. By joining this program, Sapphire seeks to cement its commitment to responsible sourcing and sustainable practices in the textile industry. "Sapphire Textile Mills is thrilled to embark on this strategic partnership with Sourcery," said Nabeel Abdullah, COO at Sapphire Textile Mills. "Through this collaboration, we aim to revolutionize the way we source raw materials and build a more sustainable and traceable supply

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

chain. Our combined efforts will empower growers, strengthen local communities, and promote eco-friendly practices across the textile sector." The Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme is rooted in the belief that manufacturers play a pivotal role in driving the industry forward towards both commercial success and environmental stewardship. With Sapphire taking the lead as the exclusive strategic supplier for home and nondenim materials, including yarn and fabric, this partnership will extend to other strategic manufacturers in Pakistan,

solidifying Sourcery's position as a firstmover in this transformative movement. "Sourcery is excited to have Sapphire Textile Mills on board as a key partner in our Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme," stated Crispin Argento, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Sourcery. "We envision a future of digital cotton trade and sustainable sourcing, and Sapphire's expertise and reputation in the textile industry make them an invaluable ally in realizing this vision. Together, we will create a more ethical and environmentally responsible textile sector."

Special Report

As part of the programme, Sourcery will work closely with Sapphire and growers to establish direct sourcing relationships, ensuring clear demand signals. By streamlining the supply chain and promoting direct trade, Sourcery aims to offer a transparent and secure platform for sustainable sourcing, thereby encouraging more growers to adopt responsible practices. Moreover, the partnership between Sapphire and Sourcery extends beyond Pakistan, with plans to expand the Directto-GrowerTM Programme to include growers from Brazil, Australia, East Africa, and other regions. This global outreach will provide Sapphire with access to diverse and responsible fiber sources,

ensuring a steady supply of environmentally friendly raw materials in the seasons to come. The collaboration between Sapphire and Sourcery signifies not only a strategic partnership but also a shared commitment towards a sustainable future for the textile industry. By embracing the Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme, Sapphire Textile Mills will play a pivotal role in transforming trade for good, driving positive change, and paving the way for a more sustainable and transparent global textile sector. About Sapphire Textile Mills: Sapphire Textile Mills is a leading textile manufacturer based in Pakistan, known

for producing wide range of premium quality products and exporting them to discerning customers worldwide. With a strong focus on innovation, sustainability, and ethical practices, Sapphire has earned a reputation as a responsible industry leader. About Sourcery: Sourcery is a fullservice global sourcing platform that connects brands, manufacturers, and growers in a commercially neutral ecosystem, facilitating transparent and sustainable trade practices. By pioneering the Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme, Sourcery aims to reshape the textile industry and promote responsible sourcing and sustainability.

Practical Hints

A Warranty That: Protects your Air Compressor Warranty for All Brands and Models of Screw Air Compressors Now Available in Pakistan. The textile industry is a bustling sector that heavily relies on efficient machinery to meet production demands and remaining profitable. One company that has been serving this industry for over four decades is Rastgar Air Compressors. With an unmatched commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, Rastgar has established itself as a trusted name in the supply and service of air compressors in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Building on their rich legacy, Rastgar is proud to introduce its newly launched Warranty Program, aimed at further enhancing the value and support provided to its esteemed customers.

43 Years of Dedication For 43 years, Rastgar Air Compressors has been at the forefront of the industry, supplying top-notch air compressors that have powered countless textile manufacturing processes. Their unwavering dedication to excellence and customer service has earned them a stellar reputation and a loyal customer base. Over the years, Rastgar has constantly adapted to changing industry needs, ensuring their customers have access to cutting-edge technology and reliable equipment.

Introducing the Warranty Program Recognizing the importance of customer satisfaction and the need for comprehensive after-sales support, Rastgar Air Compressors is excited to introduce its newly launched Warranty Program. This program is designed to provide customers with unparalleled benefits and peace of mind throughout their ownership experience.

Key Benefits of the Warranty Program: 1.

Extended Protection: The OEM warranty usually covers a limited period, typically one to three years. However, unexpected issues may arise even after the OEM warranty expires. By choosing a compressor warranty from

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

Rastgar, you extend your protection, safeguarding your investment against potential malfunctions and breakdowns. Equipment Protection: The Warranty Program offers extensive coverage, protecting customers against unexpected breakdowns, defects, and malfunctions. Rastgar will handle all necessary repairs or replacements, minimizing downtime and associated costs. Cost Savings: Machinery repairs can be financially burdensome, especially after the initial purchase. With the Warranty Program, customers can avoid the full impact of these expenses. Rastgar's warranty covers the costs, allowing customers to save money and allocate resources more effectively. Enhanced Lifespan: The Warranty Program encourages proper maintenance and care of the air compressors. Regular servicing and adherence to manufacturer guidelines can extend the lifespan of the equipment. Rastgar provides access to service and maintenance support, enabling customers to maximize the longevity of their investment. Reliable Support: With the Warranty Program, customers have access to a dedicated customer support team that specializes in handling warrantyrelated matters. Rastgar's knowledgeable professionals ensure prompt and effective assistance whenever customers encounter any issues. Increased Resale Value: The inclusion of a warranty significantly enhances the resale value of air compressors. Prospective buyers often consider the availability of a warranty as a crucial factor when purchasing used equipment. By offering a transferable warranty, Rastgar enables its customers to attract more buyers and negotiate better prices when upgrading or selling their air compressors. The Trust Factor: The Warranty Program is a testament to Rastgar's confidence in the quality and reliability of its air compressors service and support. It demonstrates the company's commitment to its customers. Customers can rest assured, knowing

that their equipment is checked out and backed by a comprehensive warranty from a trusted, specialized, company. Peace of Mind: A compressor warranty gives you peace of mind, knowing that any repairs or replacements needed will be taken care of by the professionals at Rastgar Air Compressors. It eliminates the stress and financial burden that can arise from unexpected repair costs, allowing you to focus on your operations without interruptions.

Conclusion As Rastgar Air Compressors celebrates 43 years of dedicated service to the textile industry, it continues to innovate and prioritize customer satisfaction. The newly launched Warranty Program is a testament to their unwavering commitment to providing value, support, and peace of mind to their customers. With Rastgar by their side, textile manufacturers in Pakistan and Afghanistan can now experience the benefits of an exceptional warranty program, ensuring smooth operations and uninterrupted productivity.

Italian Review

Production of Italian textile machinery grew by 13% in FY22 by Nadeem Mazhar, Managing Editor, Pakistan Textile Journal. The economy of Italy is the 3rd-largest national economy in the Eurozone, the 8th-largest by nominal GDP in the world, and the 12th-largest by GDP (PPP). Italy is the eighth largest exporter in the world with US$ 2.97 billion exported in 2022. That dollar amount reflects a 10% increase compared to $2.67 billion during 2021.

Italian Textile Machinery Exports To Pakistan By Categories 202

Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, Italy uses the euro which depreciated by roughly 20% against the US dollar. The weaker EU currency in 2022 made Italy’s exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers compared to the previous year. In the year of 2022 the main destination of Italian exports of textile machines was Asia (44%), followed by Europe extra EU (18%) and European Union (17%). The biggest contribution to the Italian exports of textile machinery came from Turkiye, In the year 2022 Italian sales towards Turkiye market

Source: ACIMIT.

amounted to a value of 309 million euro. Other main markets are China, India and United States of America. The textile machine market consists of players that manufacture basic machines for labour intensive textile manufacturing

Italian textile machinery sector (Million Euro) 2019

2020

2021

2022

2022/21 Change

Production

2,266

1,775

2,394

2,709

+13%

Export

1,865

1,481

2,036

2,335

-15%

Domestic Sales

401

294

385

374

-5%

Import

478

412

525

616

-17%

Domestic Consumption Source: ACIMIT

879

706

883

991

-12%

Table 2: Italian textile machinery exports (Main Countries) Value: Million Euro Countries

2019

2020

2021

2022

China Turkey India United States Bangladesh Pakistan Germany All others Total Source: ACIMIT

304 161 106 92 88 80 61 973 1,853

150 119 46 62 38 52 37 977 1481

244 242 153 132 89 78 59 1,039 2,036

296 309 200 164 113 92 76 1,085 2,335

42 PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

countries and machines for advanced and developed countries producing textile products, where labour is expensive. Automation just like in any other industry helps in bringing down the operation cost and provides better products. Now Italy is one of the main producers and exporters of textile machinery in the world. The Italian textile industry still plays an important role in the fashion sector and in the entire national manufacturing, although deeply resized compared to the first half of the last decade. On the European scale, Italy stands on the podium of the main producers with a high level of specialization in the different stages of the value chain. There are approximately 300 companies who produce textile machines and related accessories, for a total of about 12,900 employees. A majority of Italian manufacturers are actually small to medium-sized enterprises that provide custom-made spinning, weaving, knitting, finishing, laundry and dry cleaning machines to the market. These machines are designed to process natural as well as manmade fibres, in order to provide the right solution for its global customers. According to the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), creativity, sustainable technology, reliability and quality are the

Italian Review characteristics that have made Italy a leader in the manufacturing of textile machinery. Currently, Italy holds a strong position as one of the main suppliers of textile machinery in the world.

Italian Textile Machinery Exports by Area -2022 (Million Euro) 44%

Among the top producers of textile machinery manufacturers in Europe Italy holds second place after Germany and the technological level of its production is considered of the highest standard even by their competitors themselves.

18%

17%

Production of Italian textile machinery increased from Euro 2,394 million in 2021 to Euro 2,709 million in 2022, thus showing an increase of 13%. As per ACIMIT, the orders index for textile machinery drawn for the period from 2022 showed a 15% increase compared to the same period for 2021. On the other hand, export of Italian textile machinery increased from Euro 2 billion in 2021 to Euro 2.3 billion in 2022, thus showing increase of 15%. The wide supply of Italian textile machinery manufacturers let them face the needs of all the potential customers. Exports represent 87% of total sales, realized in about 130 destination countries. This process of internationalization, together with the vocation for innovation in the sector, allowed Italian companies to consolidate and further improve the leading position held by the Italian textile machinery industry all over the world. Production and exports of Italian textile machinery for the past four years are given in Table 1.

4% Source: ACIMIT

The supply of Italian manufacturers covers all the classic sectors into which we can divide textile machines. Italian sales abroad are divided among these main sectors: 29% finishing machines, 21% accessories, 22% spinning machines, 11% knitting machines, 8% weaving machines and 9% other machines. In 2022 Italian exports of textile machines was divided as follows: Asia (44%), followed by Europe (35%), Italian Textile Machinery Foreign Orders declined in 2nd quarter of 2023 North America (9%), Latin America (8%) and Africa (4%).

Italian Textile Machinery Exports to Main Countries 2022 (Million Euro)

The biggest contribution to the Italian exports of textile machinery came from Turikye. In 2022 period Italian exports toward Turkiye market amounted to a value of Euro 309 million. Other markets are Turkey, India and the United States of America.

Future prospects Italian textile machinery manufacturers have long been committed to providing sustainable technological solutions both from an environmental has been committed since 2010 with the "Sustainable Technologies" project and an economic standpoint, capable of effectively reducing consumption and production costs. The digitalization of production

309 (+15%) processes in the textile sector is an

Turkey China

296 (-2%)

India

200 (+91%)

USA

164 (+31%)

Bangladesh

113 (+32%)

Pakistan

92 (-32%)

Germany

76 (-2%)

Vietnam

61 (+122%)

Uzbekistan

57 (+123%)

France

50 (-9%)

Source: ACIMIT

indispensable response to new trends requiring faster time-to-market and just-intime production. Italian product ranges are increasingly compliant with 4.0 technologies. There are numerous examples of these types of technologies in Italian machinery offerings on display at ITMA Milan. Among these the use of intelligent management platforms, on-board machine sensors for data acquisition allowing the monitoring of both the machine and products, predictive maintenance, for a reduction in costs obtained through less downtime, and augmented reality applications supporting the operator in the various production phases.

Italian Review

ITMA Milan: A Sucess for Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers The 19th edition of ITMA proved to be a great success for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. ACIMIT president Zucchi noted, “So many satisfied visitors and exhibitors, confirming the vitality of the global textile machinery industry, and of the sector in Italy particularly.” ITMA 2023, which was held in Milan from June 8 to 14 at the exhibition fairgrounds of Fiera Milano – Rho, closed with some impressive figures. Hosting 1709 exhibitors in total, the seven-day fair registered an attendance of over 111,000 people hailing from 143 Countries. With 422 companies exhibiting their wares, Italy was by far the Country with the largest contingent, coming in first for the number of visitors as well at 29% of the total in attendance, followed by Turkey, India and Germany (6% each), France (4%) and Brazil (3%). “ITMA remains a must event for the industry, and the figures for the edition in Milan speak for themselves, confirming the resilience of the textile sector worldwide” comments Alessandro Zucchi, president of ACIMIT. “As far as our Country is concerned, the number of exhibitors and visitors testifies to the vitality of the entire Italian textile supply

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

chain. Italy’s success, both in terms of visitors in attendance and orders acquired during the fair, is the consequence of a deep rooted commitment – which is also an economic investment – put forward by our manufacturers, and the indispensable support in implementing promotional initiatives for ITMA with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and by the Italian Trade Agency”. Solutions were being proposed for more sustainable textile productions by most of the exhibitors, and here too

Italian manufacturers were absolutely at the forefront, with solutions catering to saving water, energy and raw materials. Sustainability was also the main focus of the ACIMIT press conference, in which the ACIMIT Green Label Award was assigned to two Italian manufacturers, Pafasystem S.r.l and Brazzoli S.r.l., who among ACIMIT’s associated members have proved to be the most committed to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions produced during the operation of their machinery over the past few years.

Italian Review

Among the many government representatives in attendance, ITMA 2023 hosted high-level delegations from two of the world’s major textile producing countries, India and Uzbekistan. ACIMIT’s top management thus met with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Indian Minister of Textiles, Mrs. Darshana Vikram Jardosh, showcasing the excellence of Italian technology on offer. Other significant encounters took place with the Ambassador of Iran Mohammad Reza Sabouri, as well as with representatives of the Italian

Government, such as the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Honourable Giorgio Silli.

and which I am sure will see new developments at ITMA’s next edition, to be held in Hannover (Germany) from September 16 to 22, 2027.”

In conclusion, a comment by ACIMIT president Zucchi: “This edition will be remembered for the message it conveyed, as exhibitors presented numerous technological innovations focusing on a search for greater sustainability and a more decisive digitization of textile production processes. Sustainability and digitization: a combination that constitutes the key to success for the entire textile supply chain,

ACIMIT – Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, represents an industrial sector that comprises roughly 300 manufacturers (employing around 13,000 people), which produce machinery for an overall worth of around 2.7 billion euro, of which 86% are exported. Creativity, sustainable technology, reliability and quality are the hallmarks that have made Italian textile machinery worldwide leaders.

Italian Review

“ALEPH at ITMA 2023” Aleph, a leading Italian manufacturer of sublimation and direct-to-fabric inkjet printers for the textile and visual communication industries, will use ITMA 2023 (Milan, Italy – 8th – 14th June 2023) to launch new feature-rich products engineered to drive customer differentiation and profitability. In line with ITMA 2023’s tagline, ‘Transforming the World of Textiles”, aleph will demonstrate how the company’s advanced technologies enable users to enhance their product portfolio and address new and promising market segments, while also contributing to improve their ecological footprint and make a positive impact on a sustainable future. Through continued R&D investment and efforts, aleph has established a broad portfolio offering that addresses the everchanging market demand and actual needs of print service providers. Debuting worldwide at ITMA on aleph’s booth (Hall 7 – Stand D50) will be the brand-new LAFORTE 400 Fabric H, a hybrid model that enables to perform the pre-treatment of the fabric in line. The printer is equipped with extra special printheads engineered to complete the pretreatment of the fabric, just before the actual printing. This enables to achieve the highest speed OF 480 sqm/h and an easy-to-handle three-step processing. The printer utilises aleph’ GOTS certified pigment inks for improved sustainability. Highlighted on aleph’s booth will also be the company’s top-of-the-range solution LAFORTE 600 Paper, one the

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

fastest industrial printers in the ublimation fashion market, achieving an industrial speed of up to 1,000 sqm/h. This printer is equipped with the company’s ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® certified sublimation inks and powerful proprietary vacuum transport system that eradicates the use of glues, while also enabling to print on sublimation paper from 25gsm. In addition, the latest model showcased at ITMA will feature 4 mirrored colours +2 mirrored light colours, resulting in improved quality, enhanced efficiency, and a cost-effective printing process for sustainable fashion and home textile applications on polyester fabric. Standout technology on the show also includes the LAFORTE 100 Paper, a roll-to-roll waterbased dye-sublimation printer with fluorescent inks. The printer achieves a maximum speed of 160 sqm/h in high-quality mode and dual-channelled printheads for each colour, enabling even higher performances. The latest version features ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® Level 3 certified water-based sublimation inks, in CMYK + spot colours and fluorescent dye-sublimation inks. The LAFORTE 100 Paper can handle low-weighted paper, from coated paper of 18gsm and is designed to enable top-quality, efficient, cost-effective, and green production in the sportswear and apparel markets. “We return to ITMA with a broader, smarter portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, which has been enabled by some of aleph’s key business strengths – our R&D expertise, our close proximity to

customers and our commitment to the environment. We keep a strong focus on the market and this allows us to adapt quickly to market changes and customer opportunities to deliver constant system improvements or brand-new innovations,” comments Alessandro Manes, CEO at aleph. “Visitors to our booth in Milan will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the superior performances of our LAFORTE printing platforms, which can deliver top print quality in a cost-effective way while offering at the same time superior application flexibility.”

About Aleph aleph is a leading manufacturer of digital printers for sublimation and directto-fabric textile printing. Headquartered at the heart of Italian textile district of Como, the company has grown to become a leading international player in inkjet printing, with a dedicated sales force and a distribution network covering key textile regions. aleph addresses the fashion and home textile markets, as well as the visual communication industry. The company’s product portfolio includes flagship series LAFORTE Fabric and LAFORTE Paper, proprietary software, drying systems and dedicated inks – developed in partnership with a specialist ink producer. Building on a customer-centred approach, costeffective solutions and an efficient service, aleph provides its customers with efficient integrated printing processes, ensuring maximum return on investments.

Italian Review

EFI Reggiani to Showcase Innovative Textile Solutions That Deliver True Sustainability and Enable the Move of Mass Production to Digital On-demand Workflows EFI™ Reggiani is showcasing the true sustainability and digital workflow advantages of its market-leading textile solutions at ITMA 2023, the world’s largest international textile and garment technology exhibition, taking place 8-14 June at Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy. Located in Hall 7, stand C101, EFI Reggiani is proudly presenting its revolutionary and truly sustainable Reggiani ecoTERRA pigment printing line up, the super-highspeed EFI Reggiani HYPER and Reggiani BOLT XS direct-to-fabric printing solutions, and EFI Inèdit end-to-end digital textile workflows. The EFI Reggiani ecoTERRA solution is an all-in-one solution for water-based pigment printing that requires no ancillary equipment for pre- and post-treatment. By significantly reducing water, energy and chemicals consumption in the overall process, customers can now obtain a truly sustainable, direct-to-fabric printing solution. For the first time at ITMA, EFI Reggiani is presenting its full ecoTERRA line up of four models, including a 340 printing width, with speeds ranging from 150 to 600 sqm/hour. This allows customers to choose the best TCO/ROI based on output volume and speed range. The company is now taking orders with standard delivery lead times. Reggiani ecoTERRA water-based pigment inks deliver excellent wet and dry fastness properties, incredible sharpness in detail, and outstanding durability while also ensuring printhead longevity with reduced maintenance costs. Thanks to the enhanced polymerisation and finishing unit, EFI

Reggiani ecoTERRA also provides an enhanced tactile experience and fabric softness.

unparalleled printing accuracy, and minimal maintenance needs, is a true digital replacement for rotary printing.

In addition to highlighting EFI Reggiani’s truly sustainable product offering, the company will also demonstrate the significant productivity and efficiency advantages offered by its portfolio of high-speed, highperformance digital textile printers at ITMA 2023. Attendees will discover how mass production can transition to a digital, on-demand workflow with the super-high speeds and ultra-high print quality of the EFI Reggiani HYPER scanning printer and the next-generation EFI Reggiani BOLT XS single-pass textile printer.

Operational efficiencies move to the next level with integrated workflows

Hyper-fast textile printing with unparalleled image quality The EFI Reggiani HYPER is the fastest scan digital textile printer in the market. Available in 1.8-, 2.4- or 3.4-metre-wide models, the Reggiani HYPER printer delivers extraordinary printing quality with unmatched productivity. Equipped with 72 printheads and ink recirculation up to the nozzle plate, it can print two pass, production quality at speeds up to 13 linear metres per minute on a 1.5metre-wide roll. Using the dual-roll capability on the 3.4-metre model, users can achieve throughput speeds up to 20 metres per minute, comparable to some single-pass machines. The new EFI Reggiani BOLT XS printer, with speeds up to 100 linear metres per minute, boosted uptime and reliability, high performance throughout,

Visitors to the booth also will see EFI Reggiani’s new proprietary end-to-end digital printing workflow and the latest enhancements to EFI Inèdit digital textile software. Inèdit, now part of EFI Reggiani, is one of the leading developers of raster image processors (RIPs) and related software for digital industrial textile printing. The EFI Reggiani end-toend workflow with Inèdit integration boosts productivity and production capabilities for digital textile print operations while ensuring maximum security for customer’s designs thanks to two-level encryption. “ITMA is the largest textile printing showcase in the world and is the perfect stage to present our market leading EFI Reggiani portfolio – from super-fast digital textile printing equipment to endto-end workflow solutions, to superior-quality aqueous inks and more,” said Scott Schinlever, Chief Operating Officer, EFI. “It is also the perfect opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to sustainable printing, demonstrating our innovative ecoTERRA pigment printing line up, our new BOLT XS printer, and a number of productivity enhancements – all backed by industry-leading service – that pay dividends for business profits as well as the planet.”

Italian Review

Tecnorama: ITMA 23 confirms the leadership Tecnorama is the leader in dyeing laboratory automation thanks to its patented Dos&Dye® systems that allows to obtain the exact recipe (RIGHT FIRST TIME) to be replicated in bulk machines that drastically reduce corrections in production and re-dyeing with significant time savings and increased productivity. For more than 35 years, the company has been developing high-tech products with a strong innovative connotation: it acknowledges and analyses market needs and develops products to meet the highest market expectations. Tecnorama has seen steady growth over the years because its proposed values have always been appreciated by customers who recognize its cutting-edge technology, innovative results, attention to the environment, customer care with tailor-made solutions, and pre- and after-sales support. The leadership position is also corroborated by being considered as a benchmark by the market so that the machines developed and built in Tecnorama are often emulated by companies that cannot count on the same expertise and are therefore unable to offer equally reliable products of comparable quality. Being competitive for dyehouses means adopting strategies and processes that improve production efficiency, that's the plus of the original Dos&Dye® systems: cutting lab costs, avoiding errors, optimizing reliability and reproducibility to improve production. The company pursues its goals with continuous and significant investment in R&D and by developing in-house departments capable of responding to demands for product innovation and commercial follow-up. It's been a while since the founders have, with foresight, adopted a strategy to continue growing and maintaining market leadership. In this spirit, Mario Scatizzi and Romana Barni have set up a management team capable of continuing to run the company with the same energy they always expressed. ITMA 2023 was an opportunity to confirm Alessandro Giugni as CEO and the entire management team formed by the

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professional figures who have contributed to the company's success for many years. The new products that Tecnorama exhibited at the fair also made their mark at this ITMA. Perfectly integrated into the Dos&Dye® systems for the laboratory, the high-performance Dosorama MASTER and the Dyrama 4R/1000 for dyeing yarns with a capacity of 1 kg were the major innovations physically present in the booth. There was also great resonance for the Dos&Dye® 6000 Just in Time system for dyeing small batches, which has already been chosen by prestigious internationally recognized companies.

Italian Review

Savio winding and AIR-JET spinning innovations at ITMA 2023 The newest automatic winder Proxima Smartconer® and air-jet spinning machine LYBRA Smartspinner® were presented at ITMA 2023 exhibition, taking place in Milan, Italy from 2023 June 8th14th. At ITMA Milan 2023, Savio launched two new machines for winding and air-jet spinning: Proxima Smartconer® and Lybra Smartspinner®. These two machines are the result of the commitment of Savio R&D team in the last 4 years. It testifies Savio’s dedication to innovation technology and strong partnerships across the industry. It has been a successful edition with an excellent response from customers and visitors, a high-end showcase of our technology and innovations. We are extremely satisfied and grateful for the excellent feedback from customers and visitors.

NEXT DESTINATION: PROXIMA Smartconer® The new winding machine Proxima Smartconer® is setting the benchmark in Savio automatic winding. We have combined the name Proxima with Smartconer®: it stands for a hightech winding machine, capable of

perfectly adapting to demands of Connectivity, Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things. Thanks to the innovations, spinners will get a machine featuring high-tech capabilities, thanks to a design with a strong focus on the main benefits for customer’s competitive advantage: high productivity, low energy consumption, premium yarn quality, automation, and data connectivity. Proxima Smartconer® has been designed with the foremost attention to the customer’s needs in the optimal utilization of a winding machine. Investing in equipment that enables to work faster and reduces manual and repetitive tasks, can increase both efficiencies and overall productivity. The same applies to a new equipment that does more of what is needed, faster, safer, with better quality but with less waste, less maintenance and less resource usage.

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Italian Review The team at Savio is steadfast to provide textile solutions for spinning business growth with unsurpassed customer service, response time, and technical expertise.

WE SPIN DIFFERENT: LYBRA Smartspinner® We spin different with a versatile and smart machine: Savio’s new air-jet spinning machine Lybra Smartspinner® has been developed with an original spinning technology to serve our customers in specific applications of textile production: knitting, home textiles, sunshades. Air-jet spun yarn has a soft and smooth character, perfectly adapting to creating functional & fashionable fabrics. With LYBRA Smartspinner®, we want to offer our customer a versatile, flexible, cost saving and easy-to-use machine. Airjet spinning offers to yarn manufacturers the opportunity to produce yarn at high production rates and low processing costs.

One important technology of LYBRA Smartspinner® is the MULTI BLEND SYSTEM. This onboarding system allows to use two separate slivers, instead of a preblended one, directly fed into the spinning unit; inside the spinning chamber, the fibres are mixed together producing a final yarn of same aspect and features as the standard one. Moreover, the system can modify the composition of

the blend directly from the machine PC, without changing the feeding slivers. This allows a reduction in production costs and an optimization of the preparation lines. We can obtain different material blends but also different colour mixtures. This application will be highly appreciated especially for knitting and home textile applications, producing melange knits and fabrics.

Ferraro to showcase leadership in finishing at ITMA 2023 Ferraro SPA, one of the key players globally in the textile finishing domain, is all excited about ITMA 2023 ITMA has always been important for the company. In an exclusive interaction, while throwing light on Ferraro’s preparations for the forthcoming ITMA 2023, the company’s CEO Alex Zucchi said: “There is great expectation for what promises to be the largest and most attended ITMA ever (almost 1,800 exhibitors and 120,000 square metres of exhibition space) and preparations are in full swing. At this stage we are busy defining the details of the stand and the new products we will present with the sole objective of showing our customers why their choice should be Ferraro.” It would be business as usual for Ferraro for it is once again all set to showcase its leadership in finishing at the event. “Ferraro is a company that has made the history of finishing in the world and this is our specialisation where we can boast of the best technology, reliability and value over time.

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The aim is to remain faithful to this and to the market we know best, while at the same time presenting new technologies that can better adapt to a market that is constantly evolving, also thanks to the arrival of new materials,” Zucchi said.

Wide Product Range Elaborating on the product range that the company offers to the global market, Zucchi said: “The market associates the Ferraro Alex Zucchi, CEO, Ferraro SpA brand with open and tubular knitting compactors, for which we fabric scouring and oil removal, tubular scouring cutters, tubular squeezing are the absolute market leader, but over systems, padders, enzyme washers, entry the years our catalogue has grown a lot devices with centring and widening with rubber sanfor for knitting and devices, slitters and winding units, and woven, where we also have dedicated high productivity lines. We are also many accessories such as rotary cutters, manufacturers of washing systems for sprayers, etc.”

Italian Review Answering a question on the key global markets for the company, Zucchi stated: “We work on a global scale and are present in all the major markets both with local service staff and representative agents. Asia is certainly our target market and its importance continues to grow. For our finishing sector, countries such as India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Thailand, represent a very important slice of world textile production. In terms of emerging markets, we find a lot of interest for our products in countries such as Uzbekistan and Vietnam.”

Sustainability Thrust Sustainability will be an important topic of focus at ITMA 2023. Explaining how Ferraro supports its customers’ sustainability goals through its products and solutions, Alex Zucchi said: “Sustainability is now our main driver in designing and manufacturing new products. Our manufacturing plant has been equipped with solar panels with the capability to provide all the needed electric energy for production and offices. More than that, Ferraro has been one of the first companies to join the consumption reduction and 100% recyclable components programme set up by ACIMIT (Italian Association of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) called ‘Green Label’, designed to encourage textile machinery manufacturers to design and build machines that are more efficient in consumption and more recyclable. Thanks to these policies, Ferraro Spa has achieved remarkable results that can be

summarised as a reduction in overall energy consumption by 47 per cent, a reduction in overall steam consumption by 62 per cent, and a reduction in overall air consumption by 37 per cent.” “Never before has the theme of sustainability become an integral part of our daily lives,” explained Zucchi, while adding, “And it is even more of a protagonist in the current and future industrial development. Today, every Ferraro machine responds to this labelling.” Highlighting the key strengths of the company, he mentioned: “Ferraro’s experience in the sector is unique, having started manufacturing textile machinery over 70 years ago. This translates into security for a customer who can always count on a solid company that is present and attentive to market demands, with

thousands of customers and units all around the world. Ferraro is also focused on innovation: now the emphasis is on the digitisation of all our machinery with full integration in digital flows, such as Industry 4.0, cloud technology and predictive maintenance for remote assistance.”

Partnership with Batliboi Ferraro has forged a successful partnership with Batliboi, which represents it in the Indian market over the years. Going into details regarding the successful partnership, Zucchi said: “Indeed India has a key role in the development of our strategy and working side by side over a long time with Batliboi in the Indian market has proven to work exceptionally well, as it combines the characteristics of a technologically excellent and reliable product, designed and built entirely in Italy, with the expertise and widespread presence of a large and specialised local Indian company. It is truly the case to say that in unity lies strength. This partnership pushes us to provide powerful yet reliable technology, equipped with the latest features especially in the area of remote assistance and workflow integration and management. As India is predicted to strengthen furthermore its positioning in worldwide ranking for textile production, we have prioritised the country in our plan of initiatives and focus, intensifying furthermore our interaction with our strategic partner Batliboi.”

Italian Review

MS Printing Solutions and the JK Group prepare their digital textile offerings as they start on the road to ITMA 2023 in Milan The ITMA event only five months away, MS Printing Solution and the JK Group, both subsidiaries of the Dover Corporation, have started preparations for ITMA, the quadrennial showcase for the Textile Industry.

With 64 printheads, 8 colors – it is one of the fastest scanning machines in the world earmarked for a textile industry that wants to carry on the revolution within its production chain to face and overcome the new challenges.

MS Printing Solutions is exhibiting, together with JK Group in Hall 5/7 at the show, which will take place from June 8th to 14th 2023 at the Fiera Milano Rho Exhibition Centre on Strada Statale Sempione.

MS also have the JP4 EVO, which is a compact scanning machine able to meet today's efficiency targets thanks to its lifespan, easy installation, and low maintenance.

These worldwide Italian providers of tailor-made, original and cost-effective solutions of digital printing for textiles, will highlight their latest developments. and with a wide range of solutions available this will be a must-visit exhibition.

At MS printing solutions all the digital textile bases are covered. Their revolutionary printing machine, the MS Mini Lario, at 800 linear metres per hour, is the fastest scanning machine that has the best flexibility, quality, and speed.

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The JP4 EVO is the choice for those searching for reliable solution, low running cost and less capital investment.

JK Group has the complete range of inks for digital textile printing JK Group, with headquarters in Novedrate, Italy, is an innovative digital ink company serving the textile market. JK serves its global customers under the two independent brands. JK is a recognized leader in dye sublimation and pigment ink technologies for textile printing.

Digistar K-Choice 4.0. is the third generation of pigment ink, an ink that reaches top performances in reliability and printability, an indispensable condition of the current printing standards. The Digistar Bellagio Series of Reactive inks is specially developed for direct printing onto cellulosic fibres, dedicated to Home Textile, Fashion & Accessories markets, giving vibrant colours and top fastness standards. The Digistar Bravo Series is a complete range of disperse inks, ideal for direct printing onto synthetic fabrics (polyester), giving high ink penetration, where the high penetration into the fibre allows the ink to create much stronger chemical bonds and to give to the printing a strong double face effect. Finally the Digistar HiPro Sublimation range of inks are ideal on medium and large format machines, it fully exploits their productive capacities. Speed, reliability and reproducibility of the processes over time meet the criteria of industrial textile production.

ITMA 2023: The secret of Biancalani success The ITMA 2023 trade fair ended recently, and it was a real success for Biancalani Textile Machinery After the last edition in Barcelona in 2019, the quadrennial exhibition was held in Milan from 8 to 14 June and had a great international appeal. Several editions were held between Italy and Spain while the next European event will be in Hannover, Germany, in 2027. This edition had a large number of visitors: 111,000 people from 143 countries around the world and 1709 exhibitors who arrive from 47 states covering an exhibition space of more than 200,000 square meters. ITMA has always been the global benchmark in the textile field for innovations and new technologies, and even this edition satisfied all the most demanding visitors.

Biancalani met with more than 300 companies Textile machinery quality and style innovations were presented to textile industry insiders, and Biancalani met with more than 300 companies including potential and existing customers. It was the high quality of Biancalani’s technological offerings that most attracted companies from textile industry

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experts interested in the Prato-based company’s stand. A strong incentive was provided by the constant traditional and online promotional work done by Biancalani in the preceding months. This information work raised the awareness of client companies from all over the world to attend the important kermesse in order to meet, exchange ideas and develop projects for the future together. During ITMA 2023 the innovations presented to the textile market by this important Italian company are very interesting. Biancalani, has confirmed itself as a market leader and as an innovative

manufacturer specializing in sustainable textile finishing machinery whose strength lies in its experience of more than 60 years, as well as its propensity for innovation, for the development of machinery that is often revolutionary that meets and frequently anticipates new market needs. The company’s goal has always been to offer its customers the best quality of machinery and processes allowing special processing that can give great added value to their textile products, as well as to be competitive in the market and allow them to test all possible innovations in their textile field. This time, too, the goal

Italian Review was achieved thanks to the machines presented at the fair: one with completely new technical solutions and another that is Biancalani’s best seller with a great innovation.

AQUARIA® AQUARIA® was presented four years ago at ITMA Barcelona and was a validation from the point of view of both technicians’ interest and sustainability. The trade show motto for Biancalani was “We are open“, and AQUARIA® represented the slogan perfectly, being an open-width washing range that is used in both cellulosics (i.e., cottons, polyester/modal for cupro effect, terry, etc. ), denim (for the AQUAFIX and AQUASTONE treatments, that help to cut down cost and save the time of subsequent washes and thus save a great amount of water), and for the ECOBLEACHING treatment, which is an extremely interesting and sustainable alternative to traditional bleaching, both ecologically and economically. In fact, it is possible to do bleaching in a totally green mode with no extra cost. The great water saving – Zero Water – is enabled by the almost total optimization and recycling of rinse water. So, the water consumption of the washing process corresponds almost exactly to the pick-up that remains on the fabric as it exits the line.

AIRO®24 DUETTO Also, AIRO®24 DUETTO had great success, continuous open-width tumbler, for its incredible combination of very high production capacity (practically twice as high as a standard Biancalani tumbler),

without compromising the level of quality to which customers of Biancalani machines are used, and extremely small dimensions. One of the features that appealed most to the public who visited the fair in Milan is the convenience of having the entrance and exit on the same side of the machine for additional space savings that are contained besides the double production capacity: there are as many as two AIRO®24 tumblers in the same space as one. Even machines not physically exposed at the fair received a lot of attention: in particular AIRBOX, a continuous openwidth and versatile drying unit, the perfect partner for all types of dryers, now also available in versions with multiple drying sections to offer high evaporation capacities and with high energy efficiency, no tension, in little space. Potential and existing customers came to visit Biancalani from all over the world, and in order of interest the main countries were: India, Turkey, Pakistan,

Brazil, Italy, Egypt and the United States. However, for each country the assistance and presence of the exclusive local agents who look after the company’s interests, both on the sales and service aspects, has been invaluable, with a great satisfaction of the users. In addition to the machines and ranges sold there were many serious contacts which sealed important agreements that had been lacking during the pandemic and are now already giving financial confirmation for new projects. The potential turnover of projects generated during ITMA 2023 In Milan at the Biancalani stands is about 15 million euros in contracts.

A great success not only from a numerical point of view but also from a human perspective: The forced distance was filled by confirmed agreements, handshakes and free exchanges of opinions, to get back to the missed normality and to mutual trust. All this physical and emotional movement contributed to the enthusiasm that Biancalani will bring to his headquarters and also to the upcoming ITMA Asia + CITME event in Shanghai, next November and ITME Africa & Middle East in November/December. During such an important trade show the human contact and the exchange of ideas are lifeblood and source of energy for the company and its research and development staff, and they also give great help in finding information and giving rise to important and innovative projects for Biancalani’s future and to grow, at the same time, the relationship with customers and their businesses.

Italian Review

Marzoli at ITMA 2023: The state of the art FTM320 and the latest approach to tex Marzoli a Camozzi Group company and leader in the supply of complete spinning lines, components and digitalised solutions that optimise the performance in the spinning process, will exhibit at ITMA (Hall 1 – Booth D109) in Milan from 8 to 14 of June 2023. The company will be showcasing a range of new solutions at the event, which are designed to deliver higher levels of performance and are aligned with the standards of the Camozzi Group, whose approach and values the company shares. The concept of “Textile Engineering” – a key part of the Marzoli identity – encapsulates our goal to produce innovative textiles solutions. We also work closely with our customers, supporting them at every stage in the acquisition and operation cycle: from preliminary studies to plant construction, line start-up, production optimisation, plant management and digitalisation. It is this combination that marks out Marzoli as a unique global partner in the creation of manufacturing solutions and

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underscores our mission to shape the future of the textile industry. At ITMA, the focus will be on the new Roving Frame FTM320: The longest machine. The latest and greatest. The innovative roving frame with a central headstock and independent double side modules works simultaneously, to allow spinners to increase efficiency by up to 5%. The CMX – our state-of-the-art 10 combing heads comber – and the MDS2 ring frame with Active Flute energy consumption reduction system, comprise the spinning solutions customers will be able to experience first-hand at Marzoli’s booth. The long-term vision and innovative digital journey that Marzoli and Camozzi Group designed several years ago, have made it possible to develop the first A.I. enabled** platform dedicated to the textile industry. This, combined with solutions for remote maintenance, advanced software for the integration of management tools and apps for the

analysis of cotton waste, allow spinners to benefit from a significant increase in production (up to 5.5%) and efficiency (up to 8%), while at the same time reducing maintenance and failure costs by up to 30%. At ITMA an area of the booth will be dedicated to nonwoven solutions. Visitors will have the opportunity to find out about the C702NW card and the web condenser, a special unit able to increase the standard web weight up to 60 gsm, satisfying an emerging trend in nonwoven production. Since 2012, Marzoli has focused research on continuous innovation in the mechanical regeneration of textile fibres for our customers. This international event will be the first opportunity to highlight the developments made in this pressing and fundamental change in the textile industry. During the exhibition, visitors will also have the opportunity to visit the Technology Accelerator Centre, located at Marzoli’s headquarters in Palazzolo sull’Oglio.

Italian Review

Cubotex at ITMA 2023: Displayed new patent pending dyeing machine

Cubotex has been presenting new machines in all ITMA exhibitions since 2015, also in Milan. This year, DyeFlex is showcased its new innovative yarn and fibre dyeing machine that combines two machines in one. Patent pending, it has the unique capability to receive material holders with different diameters, which allows it to perform up to 12 different loading configurations in yarn dyeing. Thus, keeping an almost constant liquor ratio. It also has reversible circulation. Always keeping in view efficiency and utility savings, the new machine is intended to be the answer to customers’ requirement for more and more flexibility to follow market unpredictable demands, said the company. With the use of fibre dyeing carriers, loading different sizes of cakes, customers will be able to use the same machine to process four different dyelot sizes. In tops dyeing, up to six loading configurations are possible. The company said, with ITMA being the first ever showcasing of the machine, the response from customers in the first

days of the exhibition “has been extremely positive with great interest”.

on a specific article, specific customer or any other parameters.

Like all the other Cubotex machines, Dyeflex systems will be provided with capability to be connected to Cubotex EMS (Energy Management System). This is a new cloud-based software, developed by Cubotex, able to collect and analyse utility consumption and efficiency of machines. The software will also perform a utility cost calculation for each dyeing cycle with possibility to filter data based

In today’s fast-changing and challenging textile market, flexibility is one of the key factors of success in every company and it is one of the leading topics in all marketing strategies. Investing in DyeFlex technology, will definitely help customers to be more flexible and responsive to market demands.

Italian Review

Tonello presents Laundry (R) Evolution, the winning concept that reinvents laundry The Laundry (R)Evolution is the laundry concept of the present and the future, once again redefining standards and pointing the way for the evolution of the entire industry. Only a few machines are needed to manage the entire production flow, which thus becomes even smoother and more lean, allowing productivity to be matched with the utmost care for the environment. New computer vision systems also control the cycle and thus make work even easier and safer.

Laser, washing, dyeing: Tonello means excellence At ITMA we will decline the concept of the new laundry around the three major “pillars” of our core business: THE Laser, washing and dyeing.

THE Laser From the smallest and coolest THE Laser Lab, to THE Laser T, developed for horizontal working on a table that can be divided into two sections and equipped with the latest version of our automatic garment detection system, B.O.P., which is even more powerful and precise. Tonello also present the novelty of THE Laser DUAL, designed for large productions and equipped with a double laser head for particularly effective and fast processing. It is in fact capable of processing both legs of the jeans simultaneously.

Laundry (R)Evolution Tonello present three washing systems, from sampling, to production, in the All-in-One configuration, the concept of the “perfect machine,” that is, equipped with all sustainable finishing technologies: EGO: the new ozone treatment system that incorporates 3 technologies in one, allowing garments to be treated simultaneously on multiple machines,

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improving performance and further reducing consumption

model, again equipped with the newest Core 2.0 and with:

NoStone®: the abrasive drum that allows you to say goodbye to pumice stone forever. Reusable and applicable/removable in an instant thanks to the “easy-lock” function, it allows for authentic stone-wash effects, responsibly and ergonomically

Wake, the patented system for natural dyeing using only plants and vegetable waste, with no chemical additives of any kind

UP: the patented system that, among other things, drastically cuts water and energy consumption, reduces the liquor ratio to 1:2, and is now fully automated Core 2.0: 20 years after the invention of Batik, the first in-machine nebulization technology, and of Core in 2015, the system evolves and becomes even more flexible, efficient, and more maintainable

The DYEING AREA will also see big news The G1 Lab, Tonello’s smallest machine ever, which will be unveiled with incredible ultrasonic technology that shortens process times, decreases the amount of dyestuffs and usage temperatures, while boosting dyeing performance The All-in-One system for dyeing, here applied to the G1 325 production

The sensational innovation of DyeMate, the first indigo garment dyeing system that revolutionizes and reinterprets the traditional process, taking it to a new evolutionary stage and making it automatic and repeatable, efficient and sustainable ThermoShell, the special membrane that thermally insulates the washing machine, ensuring a constant temperature during any type of process, and that optimizes and makes washing and dyeing processes more efficient, with energy savings of up to 40%

Tonello’s new software releases: everything is under control ITMA 2023 will be the ideal stage to also unveil a preview of new versions of Tonello software, such as for example Metro, for measuring actual laundry consumption, including garment and process consumption, and for centralized management and analysis of all Tonello machines.

Italian Review

Pinter Group to launch automatic piecing Robot (APR) Customers will be able to see a robot on the ring frame that pieces the yarns without any human intervention The Pinter Group has always been at the forefront when it comes to product innovation. It has made rapid inroads into key global markets with its spindle monitoring systems and roving stops. Come ITMA 2023, the company has lined up yet another exciting product for visitors. According to Josep Torrent, Managing Director of the Pinter Group, ITMA is the most important exhibition for the Pinter Group. “We are preparing a stand with a working ring frame to show how our automatic piecing robot works in real conditions,” he said.

Quality Product Range Listing down the product range that the group currently offers in the global market, Torrent said, “We have four family products with all their variations: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Core yarn systems Slub and colour effect systems Monitoring systems Automatic piecing robot.”

Sharing insights on the group’s participation at ITMA and the products that it will be showcasing at the event, he men-

tioned: “We are going to show core yarn systems applied on normal, compact and siro yarns. Our ring frame is going to be equipped with our Optifil monitoring system and we are going to make presentations of our Smart-Dragon monitoring software.”

Star Attraction “Our star launch product will be the automatic piecing robot (APR). Our customers will be able to see a robot on the ring frame that pieces the yarns without any human intervention. The APR can thread itself the yarn when the feeding yarn is broken and make several tries if the piecing is not successful. In doing so, the APR is 100% autonomous. The APR is a piece of technology that can be applied on any type or brand of ring frame as it is not a constraint to any geometry of the machine. The different geometries can be simply adjusted by changing the parameters of the robot coordinates,” Torrent explained. According to Torrent, In India domestic sales account for 80% of the sales while exports constitute the rest 20%. Industry 4.0 was the big theme at ITMA 2019. Over the years, automation and digitisation have become increasingly important. Elaborating on Pinter Group’s

initiatives on this front, Torrent said, “Our APR goes precisely in this direction. Piecing yarns is a Josep Torrent, Managing Director cumbersome task that employs a lot of labour. Even in low wage countries, finding labour ready to work in a spinning mill has become difficult. By automating the piecing, labour will be a great deal relieved of it.”

Key Strengths Sharing insights about the advantages offered by the company over its competitors, Torrent noted: “We can offer quality products because of the long experience behind us. We are present in all the world textile markets with agents and technical service back-up. We can also produce in three key locations, namely, Italy, India and China, and so competitive prices can be offered. We offer tailored solutions for each customer. We are trendsetters in our sector as we prioritise research and development. We listen to customers as they are our inspiration for new developments.”

Italian Review

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - July 2023

Italian Review

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