Pakistan Textile Journal – October 2021 by Pakistan Textile Journal

Calendar of Events

Index 2021 Dates: October 19th to 22th, 2021. Venue: Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland

Apparel Sourcing Paris Autumn th

Dates: February 7 to 9

2022.

INTEX SOUTH ASIA 2022 Dates: July 27th to 29th 2022. Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Venue: Paris

FESPA 2021

IGATEX Pakistan 2022, Lahore

Dates: October 12th to 15th 2021.

Dates: September 1st to 4th 2022.

Venue: Amsterdam.

Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

Istanbul Yarn Fair Dates: February 22nd to 26th 2022. Venue: Istanbul, Turkey.

iCADEX Pakistan 2022, Lahore

Textile Asia 2021, Lahore

Dates: September 1st to 4th 2022.

Dates: October 22th to 24th 2021. Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

Textile Asia 2022, Karachi Dates: March 26th to 28th 2022. Venue: Expo Centre, Karachi.

Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

FILTECH 2022 Dates: March 8th to 10th, 2022 Venue: Cologne, Germany.

Cinte Techtextil China International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens

Heimtextil 2022 Dates: January 11th to 14th 2022. Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

DOMOTEX asiaCHINAFLOOR 2022 th

Dates: May 27

to 27 2022.

Venue: NECC ,Shanghai, China.

DOMOTEX Hannover 2022 th

Dates: January 13 to 16

2022.

Venue: Hannover, Germany.

Dates: September 6th to 8th, 2022. Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2022 ITM 2022

Dates: November 20th to 24th, 2022. Venue: NECC, Shanghai, China.

Dates: June 14th to 18th, 2022. Venue: Istanbul, Turkey.

Apparel Sourcing Paris Autumn

Techtextil 2022, Frankfurt

ITMA 2023

Dates: February 7th to 9th 2022.

Dates: June 21st to 24th, 2022

Dates: June 8th to 14th, 2023.

Venue: Paris

Venue: Frankfurt am Main.

Venue: Milan, Italy.

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - September2021

Founded in 1951 by Mazhar Yusuf (1924-2009) Vol. LXX No. 10 October 2021

Publisher Nadeem Mazhar

Rs. 450.00

EDITOR’S PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Rupee decline and its implications for the textile industry

Editor in Chief Amina Baqai

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

Associate Editor Dr. Noor Ahmed Memon

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

Production Manager Mazhar Ali

AROUND THE WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 CORPORATE NEWS Italian Textile Machinery: Sharp rebound in orders intake for second quarter 2021 . . . . .22

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

DSM to showcase high-performing, lightweight ballistic armor solutions made with Dyneema® at Milipol Paris 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Suntech enters the field of weaving machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 New Benninger Laboratory Single End Cord Line put into operation at Intercord

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

Thueringen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

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

PERSONALIA Ivonne Seifert the new marketing director in the textile division of Messe Frankfurt . . . .30

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

FIBRES AND YARNS Breaking new ground in Turkey’s textile industry

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Korteks, one of the world’s biggest yarn producers based in Bursa, Turkey, has started the production of recycled polyester filament yarn in its production facility using a Starlinger recycling line.

Südwolle Spring/Summer 2023 Collection Let’s embrace our future and move Registered Office: Dairy House, Money Row Green, Holyport, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 2ND, UK Registered no. 09141989

forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Available on Gale and Factiva affiliated international databases through Asianet Pakistan

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

45 56 FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS Textile Industry eagerly awaits for IGATEX PAKISTAN Exhibition to be held from 1st 4th September 2022 at Expo Centre Lahore and meet with industry peers . . . .36 FESPA Brings Business back with first live events in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Denim Première vision confirms the sector’s buoyant recovery with a hybrid, dynamic and inspiring event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

FEATURES Regenerative agriculture aims for more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 The LYCRA Company launches online customer portal, driving digital transformation for the apparel industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

CONFERENCE Textile Nexus 2021: An International Conference to Mobilize Industry-Academia Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

DYEING, PRINTING AND FINISHING EFI Reggiani launches new digital textile printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Always one step ahead of the state of the art - WEIDMANN and BRÜCKNER set new standards in stenter technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 GOLLER Sintensa Cyclone Washing Range - First wet process of synthetic fabric

production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Taking automated finishing to the next level at Knopf’s Sohn . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 ARCHROMA Celebrates 8 years of creating positive impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Jeanologia transforming physical stores into digital and sustainable experience centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Ferraro offers X - Slit the latest development for fabric slitting . . . . . . . . . . . .59 AQUARIA® marks the beginning of a new era for Biancalani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Innovatec invests in non-contact fluid application system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Production COVID-19 rapid test devices possible thanks to innovative printing process SPGPrints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

60 62

EDITOR’S PAGE

Rupee decline and its implications for the textile industry The downward trajectory of Pakistan's rupee has continued in the month of October. The PKR has lost 12.5% of its value against the greenback since its recent high in May. It has depreciated by 9.5% during the ongoing fiscal year alone, raising concerns over inflation.

Established 1951 October 2021

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing II

The basic problem is the structural gap between exports and imports and the underlying factors responsible for this trade deficit. The flexible market-based exchange rate regime was introduced by the central bank in June 2019. Under this regime, the SBP does not suppress an underlying trend in the exchange rate and any interventions are limited to address disorderly market conditions. Flexible exchange rate ideally should could enhance the competitive advantage of a country and can increase exports significantly while discouraging imports.

October 2021.

However, the government has come under criticism over the recent rupee depreciation with the opposition stating that this has affected the common person who has had to deal with higher inflation. CPI inflation already hit a three-month high at 9% in September 2021, up from 8.4% in August and expected to rise even higher. The CPI has averaged 8.6% for the first quarter (July-September) of the ongoing fiscal year. The argument against a flexible exchange system is that a developing country such as Pakistan needs stable currency to ensure growth in the economy. The gains from devaluation are expected to be short term and detrimental to the economy. The imports when they are in the form of essential items such as petroleum and the raw material are not affected by a devalued currency. That is why the current account deficit keeps on increasign despite the Pakistani Rupee having gone through record breaking devaluation in the last four years. It is fime to pay atetntion to the fundamentals before blaming the currency exchange as a reason for the economic woes. Our exports are already facing a decline in terms of quantity. The stability of the exchange rate depends on the exchange rate management. The managed floating exchange rate may ensure stability but consequently lower the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan. While marketbased flexible exchange rate may not turn up stability unless exports and imports of goods and services did not align. Currently, imports outstrip exports and the value of imports of Pakistan is two-fold exports, which are witnessed by the higher trade deficit. A reduction in the trade deficit over time is required because remittances are not sufficient to feed the widening gap of the trade deficit. Policy measures are needed to tackle the trade deficit in order to achieve exchange rate stability and ensuring long-run economic growth. 

Textile Briefs National

Adviser to Prime

Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul

Razak Dawood has welcomed the planned investment of US$ 5 billion in the textile sector of Pakistan aimed at establishing 100 new units. In H2 FY2021,

Pakistan’s monthly average clothing

exports are anticipated to rise 13.44 percent to $ 641.60 million, up from $565.60 million in H1 FY 2021. Pakistan’s textile and apparel exports are anticipated to rise 9.12% from US$1237.55 million in the first half of fiscal year

2021 to US$ 1350.40 million in the second half of fiscal year 2021. Pakistan plans to establish cotton cluster villages, as Cotton has helped Pakistan economy and provided work opportunities for millions of people. According to Federal Minister one million bales contributed approximately Rs. 97.5 billion in revenue, and that the government had set a target of 10 million bales for the current season.

Pak-China cottonrelated cooperation is in full swing. As they both are mixing the advan-

tages of their cotton to create new cotton varieties.

Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed recently.

Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese has said that Italy can share its expertise in the fashion industry with Pakistan to help meet international standards. He said the Italian fashion, textile, and accessories sector is also popular worldwide.

According to PCGA, cotton arrivals were recorded at 2.68 million bales, higher by 1.65 million bales against last year’s 1.035 million bales. Cotton buying in local market increased 159 percent by mid-September, raising hopes of a harvest of around 9.0 million bales this season.

Pakistan’s textile and clothing exports posted impressive growth in the first quarter of this year, increasing by 27.41 per cent to $4.42 billion compared to US$ 3.46bn over the year, data released by the Pakistan

ABPUMA appealed to the government to permit cotton import and yarn from India, Uzbekistan and Turkey through land routes in wake of raw material shortage. 

Textile Briefs International Summer exports from Bangladesh vendors are likely to climb by 20 to 30 percent when retailers throughout Europe and the United States reopen.

particular the approach of

exhibited at INDEX, the refer-

combining the goals for the

ence trade fair for the nonwo-

Prices of textiles and garments made in China are likely to rise by 30 to 40 per cent in the coming weeks on account of planned shutdowns in industrial provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong. The shutdowns are due to the government’s effort to reduce carbon emissions and shortage of electricity production.

EU textile and clothing indus-

vens sector which takes place

try into a sector-specific strat-

in Geneva from October 19-

egy.

22 2021.

1 2

According to Chairperson, Federation of Egyptian Industries’ Ready-Made Garments Chamber, Egypt’s apparel trade has greatly improved and now surpasses EGP 300 billion per year.

3 8

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

VDMA has published a position paper welcoming the EU ambitions to

promote climate protection, in

According to preliminary

More than a hundred Italian companies, of whom about eighty are

machinery manufacturers,

The Sri Lankan textile

13.99 percent to US$1.235

local value addition through

billion in August this year,

initiatives like as the fabric

compared to US$ 1.083 billion

park in Eravur, Sri Lanka is well

in August last year.

positioned to expand.

statistics on India’s merchandise trade for the

month, RMG exports climbed

The Indian Union gov-

sector may exceed US$ 8 billion in garment

exports by 2025, with further

Turkey’s ready to wear

parks with plug-and-play facil-

percent to over US$11.1 bil-

ities covering more than 1,000

lion on an annual basis from

acres apiece throughout India.

January to July this year.

ernment is giving tax breaks to investors who

build projected giant textile

and confection shipments to foreign mar-

kets grew by a robust 27

The import of textiles and apparel by the United States increased by 28.14 per cent to US$71.365 billion in the first eight months of 2021, compared to US$55.695 billion in January-August 2020.

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released their October crop reports, and Becky Sommer with NASS in Washington D.C. says the U.S. cotton production estimate is up 23 percent from last year’s crop.

Over 68 per cent of garment and footwear enterprises in Vietnam have been penalised by their foreign clients for late delivery, some with cancellation and compensation demands.

News & Views those of cotton cloth rose by 21.88pc in value and dipped by 75.32pc in quantity. Among primary commodities, cotton yarn exports surged by 69.30pc, while yarn other than cotton by 122.53pc. The export of made-up articles — excluding towels — rose by 14.38pc, and tents, canvas and tarpaulin dipped by a massive 24.87pc during the months under review. The export of raw cotton declined by 100pc during the months under review. The import of textile machinery increased by 144.53pc in July-Sept FY22 — a sign that expansion or modernisation projects were taken up by the textile industry during the months.

Textile, clothing exports post impressive growth Pakistan’s textile and clothing exports posted impressive growth in the first quarter of this year, increasing by 27.41 per cent to US$ 4.42 billion compared to US$ 3.46bn over the year, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed recently.

In the last budget, the government had drastically reduced duty and taxes on imports of several hundred raw materials to bring down the input cost of exportable products. Liquidity issues were also resolved to a large extent by timely releasing refunds as well as payment of cash subsidies. The government is also finalising a proposal to give subsidy on gas, LNG and electricity to the export-oriented industries. The PBS data showed readymade garments exports jumped by 22.77pc in value and in quantity by 19.76pc during July-Sept FY22, while those of knitwear edged up 32.97pc in value and 1.30pc in quantity, bed wear posted positive growth of 23.30pc in value and 23.41pc in quantity. Towel exports were up by 17.94pc in value and 13.98pc in quantity, whereas

The growth momentum is steady in the export proceeds on the back of rising demand from global market coupled with massive depreciation of the rupee as exports posted a growth of over 25pc in September from a year ago. It is believed that the easing of lockdown in North America and European countries — top markets for Pakistani textile goods — will help boost the exports. The demand for textiles collapsed during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, but eventually recovered in the outgoing fiscal year.

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

To bridge the shortfall in the domestic sector, the industry imported 166,524 tonnes of raw cotton in July-Sept FY22 against 131,360 tonnes last year, an increase of 26.77pc. Similarly, the import of synthetic fibre posted growth of 7.30pc as industry imported 133,902 tonnes this year as against 124,791 tonnes. The import of synthetic and artificial silk yarn stood at 118,287 tonnes this year as against 95,367 tonnes last year, a rise of 24.03pc.

US$ 5 billion investment in textiles to boost exports Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood has welcomed the planned investment of US$ 5 billion in the textile sector of Pakistan aimed at establishing 100 new units. “Our Make in Pakistan policy is beginning to bear fruit,” he said. “We have been informed that investment of

approximately US$ 5 billion is in the pipeline under which 100 new textile units are expected to be established.” He added that apart from enhancing the export capacity, the new units would jointly create around 500,000 jobs, he said. The government has reversed the de-industrialisation process in Pakistan and placed the country’s industrial sector on the path of sustainable growth, said Dawood. Elaborating the “Make in Pakistan” policy, he emphasised that new investment under the initiative would steer a turnaround in Pakistan’s textile industry. “It will increase the number of textile units and reduce unemployment by creating around half a million employment opportunities,”

Pakistan’s monthly average domestic textile exports are anticipated to increase to USD 448.23 M by the second half of 2021. In H2 FY2021, Pakistan’s monthly average clothing exports are anticipated to rise 13.44 percent to US$ 641.60 million, up from US$ 565.60 million in H1 FY 2021. Pakistan’s textile and apparel exports are anticipated to rise 9.12% from US$ 1237.55 million in the first half of fiscal year 2021 to US$ 1350.40 million in the second half of fiscal year 2021.

Pakistan’s monthly average textile exports were US$ 278.77 million in the first half of fiscal year 2021. In H2 FY2021, it is anticipated to decline 6.52 percent to US$ 260.58 million on a monthly average. In the first half of 2021, Bangladesh, the United States, Turkey, Italy, and Sri Lanka were the top five buyers of Pakistani fabrics, accounting for around 46.64 percent of the country’s total fabric exports. In the first half of 2021, China, Bangladesh, Portugal, the United States, and Turkey were the top five customers for Pakistani textile yarns, accounting for about 85.63 percent of the country’s total textile yarn exports. Pakistan’s monthly average domestic textile exports are anticipated to increase from US$ 393.22 million in the second fiscal year of 2021 to US$ 448.23 million in the second fiscal year of 2021.

News & Views

Pakistan plans to establish cotton cluster villages To boost the crop, Pakistan plans to establish cotton cluster villages, said Syed Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research. According to Imam, Cotton has helped Pakistan economy and provided work opportunities for millions of people. He stated that one million bales contributed approximately Rs97.5 billion in revenue, and that the government had set a target of 10 million bales for the current season. Pakistan used to export textile products worth over US$ 15 billion annually. Last year, the country had to import 4.5 million bales of cotton for the local industry. The government is paying keen attention to white gold (cotton) and hopefully cotton would become a strategic crop in the future, he stated. He said modern farming techniques would be introduced to motivate other farmers. The minister said that the government was striving to enhance cotton production by focusing on the seed quality, enhancing sowing area, mechanization and upgrading the research institutes.

Pak-China cooperation to revive cotton fields in Pakistan Last season, Pakistan harvested 5.6 million bales of cotton, which is the lowest point in the past 30 years. Meanwhile, Pak-China cotton-related cooperation is in full swing. “We are

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

mixing the advantages of China cotton and Pakistan cotton to create new cotton varieties,” said Shahid Iqbal, PhD scholar of Cotton Research Institute in Henan, China. This is one of the microcosms of the ongoing China-Pakistan cotton collaboration. “Last year, we had to import more than 50% of cotton,” said Muhammad Abdullah, executive director of Sapphire Fiber, one of the largest textile companies in Pakistan. He complained that low production and quality force the local industry to choose imports. “Presently, the domestic consumption of cotton is 14 million bales. However, Pakistan harvested 5.6 million bales of cotton in the last season only.” He added. Cotton production in Pakistan is in a vicious circle. According to the research of Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), low production of cotton lead to the low profitability of cotton planting. Cotton farmers turn to grow sugarcane in cotton-growing areas for better income. Sugarcane plants robbed water from cotton plants and humidified the whole area. The high humidity leads to more insects which are deadly to the cotton plants and farmers have no technology to deal with them. What makes it worse is the climate change in the past few years, which is also weakening cotton’s strength and staple elongation. Another quality problem is the impurity which is caused by 100% manual picking.

To break the vicious circle of low cotton production, higher quality seed is the top demand, which can also help in quality improvement. “The heat resistance of Pakistani cotton is excellent. The high-yield and high-quality traits of Chinese cotton are also what Pakistan seeds need. The germplasm resources of China and Pakistan are complementary,” said Shahid Iqbal, the guy who appeared at the beginning of the article, who used to be a scientific officer of Cotton Research Institute in Multan. ” We have a plan to send new cotton seeds to Pakistan next year for adaptability test and select the best ones and use them for production..” Xinjiang Agricultural University and University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) have also been cooperating in cotton cultivation for a few years. They have experimental fields in Faisalabad and plans to test mechanical picking in Pakistan.

Textile industry needs digitisation Pakistan’s textile industry is lagging behind in adoption of digitisation compared to other sectors which is driving inefficiency and low productivity among units, said Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) former president Majyd Aziz, EFP Majyd Aziz. former president

News & Views Addressing a session on the textile industry, he stressed that the textile sector must embrace digital transformation to channelise its potential. “To be digital or not to be digital is no longer an option,” he said. According to him, some of the reasons hindering digitisation in the textile sector included the nebulous nature of the industry, lack of awareness of digital tools and absence of a proper business environment to enable the digital transformation. He was of the view that modern technologies not only aid the establishment of new business models by responding to changing customers’ needs but also enhance working conditions and production processes. “They ensure better management of hazardous stock, safer working environment, better workforce coordination and improved equipment monitoring,” he said. Aziz directed the garment manufacturers of the Asia-Pacific region to share better practices and display unity despite the intense intra-regional competition and race to grab large chunks of global market share.

Citing examples of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations, he emphasised the need to establish a shared platform to promote, protect and project common interests. According to him, it would ensure sustainability, resilience and productivity of the industry. The import of worn clothing recorded a growth of 219 pc to 266,747 tonnes this year as against 83,552 tonnes last year. The overall country’s exports posted a growth of over 27.87pc year-on-year to US$ 6.996bn in July-Sept FY22 compared to US$ 5,471bn in the corresponding period last year.

Cotton stockpiling surges 159pc by mid Sept Cotton buying in local market increased 159 percent by mid-September, raising hopes of a harvest of around 9.0 million bales this season, traders said. According to the fortnightly cotton arrival report of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), cotton arrivals were recorded at 2.68 million

bales, higher by 1.65 million bales against last year’s 1.035 million bales. Out of arrivals, only 1,000 bales were exported against 10,800 bales of the previous year. Around 2.35 million bales were sold to the mills, higher by 1.52 million bales, compared with 0.82 million bales of the last year. Fortnightly flow remained at 895,412 bales, down by 139,782 bales to last year’s fortnightly arrivals of 1.03 million bales. During this period, cotton production in Sindh was recorded at 1.72 million bales, up over one million bales compared with 0.7 million last year. Cotton production in Punjab came at 0.96 million bales, up 0.62 million, compared with 0.33 million bales of the last year. On the other hand, prices in the local market remained stable during the outgoing week, as mills remained cautious while buying in the oversold market. Stable prices in the local market are a reason for an increase in the value of the US dollar against rupee, as import of cotton becomes expensive compared with the local lint and as a result import

News & Views

Flanked by Vice Chairman, Ghalib Haider Qureshi and Executive body member, Tariq Sajid, Shah informed that the association’s chairman, Arif Ehsan Malik had written a letter to the advisor to PM on Commerce and investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, in this connection. Cotton yarn prices have increased approximately 40 to 70 percent for different yarn counts 20/s and 30/s etc., he said and regretted that even at these exorbitant rates it was unavailable. The situation has compelled the exports not to take new orders which will divert these orders from Pakistan to other regional countries.

added that estimated time for ECO freight time to travel from Islamabad to Turkey is ten days.

All Pakistan Bedsheets and Upholstery Manufacturer Association (ABPUMA) appealed to the government to permit cotton import and yarn from India, Uzbekistan and Turkey through land routes in wake of raw material shortage.

Additionally, high sea freight rates and shortage of containers have added to the miseries of the exporters by multiplying deliveries time from 45 to 90 days, Shah disclosed. He requested the govt to support garments and home textile exporters about the growing crisis of unavailability of containers and vessels on war footings.

The All Pakistan Textile Manufacturing Association (APTMA) has said due to higher cotton output, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was set to surpass the 5% mark during fiscal year 2021-22.

Ex-chairman APBUMA, Syed Asim Shah, while briefing media has said that value added garments and home textile exporters were facing the shortage of cotton yarn which was basic raw material.

In view of the existing scenario, it is important to explore and use the shortest possible routes to import cotton and yarn and possible land routes are from India, Uzbekistan and Turkey, he stated and

orders decreased. However, traders said import orders for 3.0 million bales had been finalised. “The local mills have to import at least 6.5 million bales, as consumption demand is around 16 million bales while cotton production, according to the government estimates, would be around 8.5 million bales,” They said. However, independent analysts said if weather conditions remained favourable with no more rains and proper sprays were adopted over pests, the production could reach 9.5 million bales.

APBUMA calls for permitting cotton, yarn import from Turkey, India, and Uzbekistan

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

Similarly, it takes about 3 days for transportation by road from Pakistan to Turkey while 2 days for Uzbekistan from our country, he explained. The textile sector contributes to more than 60 percent share in the total national exports and earns the highest foreign exchange, Shah maintained.

GDP likely to surpass 5pc growth due to higher cotton output

“Cotton arrivals up by 100% to 3.8m bales,” the Association said in a statement, adding that this could not only help Pakistan achieve more than 5% GDP growth but would also increase the exports significantly. By October 2021 over 3.846 million bales had arrived in local markets as

News & Views compared to the arrival of 1.907 million bales of corresponding period of last year.

current year, showing growth of 67.97 percent.

According to an APTMA official, over 100 new state of the art textile mills are expected to be established in the country under the new Textile Policy which would help raising the country’s exports by over US$ 20 billion.

Likewise, the exports of yarn cotton cloth increased by 24.74 percent, from US$ 294.724 million to US$ 367.624 million whereas, exports of cotton (carded of combed) increased by 100 percent to 0.770 million.

The new industrial units in textile industry would also help attracting foreign investment of over US$ 5 billion besides providing more than 500,000 jobs to the local people, the APTMA official said.

The exports of towels during the period under review increased by 20.67 percent, from US$ 133.104 million to US$ 160.612 million, readymade garments by 22.57 percent, from US$ 477.216 million to US$ 584.913 million, art, silk and synthetic textile by 34.08 percent, from US$ 51.613 million to US$ 69.202 million, made up articles (excluding towels and bed wear) by 21.26 percent from US$ 109.846 million to US$ 133.194 million whereas exports of other textile materials increased by 37.44 million, form US$ 86.743 million to US$ 119.222 million.

Meanwhile, according to latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the exports of textile commodities surged by 28.67 percent during the first two months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year and surged by 45.19 percent on year-on-year basis (YoY). The textile exports were recorded at US$ 2.934 billion in July-August (202122) against the exports of US$ 2.28 billion in July-August (2020-21), showing growth of 28.67 percent. The textile commodities that contributed in trade growth included cotton yarn, the exports of which increased from US$ 115.136 million last year to US$ 193.389 million during the

Pak exports to China continuously surging despite pandemic Pakistan’s exports to China have shown impressive double-digit growth in the fiscal year 2021, going above US$ 2 billion. Impact of the FTA phase 2 between the two iron brothers is evident

from the fact that Pakistan’s exports to China are continuously surging despite the pandemic and there is still huge potential to be explored. “Pakistan largely drives its competitiveness from home grown cotton. Unfortunately local cotton production is declining and has to rely on imported cotton, says a report published by Gwadar Pro on Friday. Hopefully, with Chinese intervention in agriculture R&D, technology and machinery, we will be competing all again,” Mr. Engn: Bilal Jamil, Senior Vice President, APBUMA said in an interview with Gwadar Pro. Pakistan’s home textile sector largely comprises of SMEs and is directly dependent on local cotton yarn supply which relies on local cotton production. Engn: Bilal Jamil explained that Pakistan’s cotton production has steeply declined over the past years. “A sustainable cotton production is imperative to the competitive advantage of textile industry. Last year, yarn price steadily increased due to shrieked cotton production and increases yarn demand which hampered home textile sector.

Around the World

BANGLADESH Summer exports from Bangladesh are likely to climb by 20 to 30 percent Summer exports from Bangladesh vendors are likely to climb by 20 to 30 percent when retailers throughout Europe and the United States reopen. According to Bakhtiar Uddin Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer of Fakir Apparels, summer orders are often higher than

winter orders. Because people are spending more time indoors, the firm exports cozy knitted goods, which have a higher demand than woven things. Bangladesh is currently receiving more orders than Myanmar and China as a result of its low costs. As production prices in the world’s second-largest economy have risen, many western consumers are shifting work orders from China to Bangladesh and Vietnam. Kappa Fashion Wear, situated in Narayanganj, has received approximately 25% more work orders for the next season from its

buyers. T-shirts and polo shirts are available for purchase. According to Faruque Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), trust in Bangladesh has been restored since local manufacturers have been able to provide products to foreign merchants and brands even during the epidemic. Increased work orders, on the other hand, are driving up yarn demand. A year ago, the Viyellatex Group, a major garment exporter and yarn manufacturer, sold about 30 tonnes of yarn each day.

CHINA Chinese textile prices may go up 30-40pc due to power cuts Prices of textiles and garments made in China are likely to rise by 30 to 40 per cent in the coming weeks on account of planned shutdowns in industrial provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong. The shutdowns are due to the government’s effort to reduce carbon emissions and shortage of electricity production owing to short supply of coal from Australia. “As per new government rules, factories in china cannot work more than

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3 days a week. Some of them are permitted to open only 1 or 2 days a week, as on the remaining days there will be power cut across the entire industrial city(ies). As a result, prices are expected to rise by 30-40 percent in the coming weeks,” a person directly dealing with Chinese textile factories told to media. The planned shutdowns are to the extent of 40-60 per cent, and are likely to continue till December 2021, as the Chinese government is serious about curbing emissions ahead of the Winter Olympics scheduled for February 4 to 22, 2022, in Beijing. It is to be noted that almost half of China’s provinces missed their energy consumption targets set by the Central government. These regions are now taking steps like cutting energy supply to reach their annual target for 2021. Another reason for planned power blackouts is the extremely tight supply globally, as there is a boost in demand after lifting of COVID-19 induced lockdowns that is seeing an economic rebound the world over. However, in case of China, “there is a short supply of coal from Australia on account of its strained relations with that country,” another source told Fibre2Fashion. China is a major supplier of several products, including textiles and apparel, to countries across the world. Hence, the continuing power crisis would result in shortage of those products, disrupting global supply chains. On the domestic front, China’s GDP growth rate may falter to around 6 percent in the second half of 2021, after growing at over 12 percent in the first half.

EGYPT Egypt’s apparel trade has greatly improved and now surpasses EGP 300 billion per year Egypt’s apparel trade has greatly improved and now surpasses EGP 300 billion per year. This, according to Mohamed Abdel Salem, Chairperson, Federation of Egyptian Industries’ Ready-Made Garments Chamber, is attributable to a drop in imports as a result of Decree No. 42, which required importers to register with the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC). In addition, the

Around the World Ready-Made Garment Chamber and Gahez Digital Marketing recently inked a collaboration pact. According to Salem, these factors aided local businesses in improving their products and producing high-quality clothes to meet market demands. The Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) is one of the country’s largest employers’ associations, with 20 industrial chambers as members, representing over 60,000 industrial enterprises, with over 90pc of them belonging to the private sector, which employs over 7 million people and accounts for 20pc of the country’s GDP.

GERMANY German association VDMA welcomes EU's ambitions for circular economy Textile Machinery Association has published a position paper welcoming the EU ambitions to promote climate protection, in particular the approach of combining the goals for the EU textile and clothing industry into a sectorspecific strategy. Mechanical engineering prepares the technical prerequisites for efficient further use and reuse of textile raw materials, be it natural or man-made fibres, according to the report. Up to now, the increasing textile consumption around the world, due to growing population and purchasing power has been accompanied by a rising use of resources. “The textile machinery companies organised in the VDMA are geared towards a functioning circular economy. With our highly efficient technologies we are an indispensable partner in this transition process,” Regina Brückner, chairwoman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association and managing associate of Brückner Trockentechnik, said in a press release. The executive board of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association emphasises that the new framework must be practicable. “The EU must strike the right balance between necessary, yet also minimal, legislative regulation. A successful transition requires a level playing field which sets out fair rules for sustainability, thereby enabling European companies to

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nonetheless increase their international competitiveness,” Brückner concluded.

INDIA India’s RMG export experienced high rise in August According to preliminary statistics on India’s merchandise trade for the month, RMG exports climbed 13.99 percent to US$1.235 billion in August this year, compared to US$1.083 billion in August last year. India’s cotton yarn, textiles, made-ups, and handloom goods exports climbed 55.62 percent to US$1.297 billion last month, compared to

US$833.95 million the previous month. In August 2021, India’s merchandise imports increased by 51.47 percent to US$47.01 billion, up from US$ 31.03 billion the previous month. India’s item imports grew by 81.75 percent to US$219.54 billion in April-August this year, compared to US$120.79 billion in April-August 2020. In August 2021, the trade imbalance was US$13.87 billion, compared to US$8.2 billion in August 2020, and US$55.9 billion from April to August 2021, compared to US$22.7 billion in the same period the previous year. The Indian government is giving tax breaks to investors for building projected MEGA Textiles parks

Around the World The Indian Union government is giving tax breaks to investors who build projected giant textile parks with plugand-play facilities covering more than 1,000 acres apiece throughout India. According to UP Singh, Textile Secretary, land for the project would be provided by the state. India will benefit from the move by gaining “scale” in the textile and apparel value chain. According to Singh, it would also complement the recently approved Rs 10,638 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) program for the man-made fiber and technical textiles industries. To establish a healthy eco-system, the parks will be located near ports and will contain a variety of textile and garment companies, as well as integrated facilities. The Center will award incentives in two payments, following completion of approximately 60pc and 100pc of the work, respectively. In addition to construction, investors will be responsible for the upkeep of these parks and other related amenities. They will run the park for 25-30 years and will be able to charge fees to the businesses who set up shop there. Because of the higher synergy among its resident businesses, these

mega parks will attract international customers by offering a diverse variety of products and catering to big orders

ITALY Strong Italian presence at INDEX More than a hundred Italian companies, of whom about eighty are machinery manufacturers, exhibited at INDEX, the reference trade fair for the nonwovens sector which takes place in Geneva from October 19-22 2021. As at past editions, the Italian Trade Agency is organising an Italian Pavilion, where 13 of the Italian manufacturers will exhibit. These are: A. Piovan, Bianco, Bombi, Color Service, Guarneri Technology, Monti-Mac, Officina Master, Ratti, Texera, Toscana Spazzole and Unitech. Many other ACIMIT members have their own booths. “Index is the leading trade fair for the nonwovens industry,” said Alex Zucchi, president of ACIMIT. “It is therefore particularly important for ACIMIT and the

Italian textile machinery industry to be present. The increased demand for nonwovens, especially those intended for the medical sector – surgical masks, but also other personal protective clothing and equipment – has rewarded Italy’s technology providers and spurred innovative new solutions.” The demand for nonwovens boosted the Italian production of nonwovens machinery during the past year. Italian exports of machines used for producing nonwovens (HS code 844900) reached a value of Euros 59 million in 2020. In the first six months of 2021, growth was up an impressive +142pc to Euros 37 million.

SRI LANKA Sri Lankan textile sector may exceed US$8 billion in garment exports by 2025 Aroon Hirdaramani, Director, Hirdaramani Group, stated during the American Chamber’s recent “Be Inspired” webinar series that the Sri Lankan textile sector may exceed US$8 billion in

Around the World announced a further GBP 1.1 million funding to 13 pioneering businesses that give priority to sustainability, innovation and social purpose. BFTT is a five-year UK industry-led project that focusses on delivering sustainable innovation within the entire fashion and textile supply chain. This new award brings the total investment by BFTT, including this R&D program and collaborative research funding of GBP 500,000 across three additional BFTT projects, to approximately GBP 2.8 million across 35 SMEs, with the creation of at least 20 new jobs, BFTT said in a press release.

garment exports by 2025. According to a story in the Daily News, Hirdaramani stated that with further local value addition through initiatives like as the fabric park in Eravur, Sri Lanka is well positioned to expand. The government’s immunization campaign is assisting BOI businesses in staying open. The first jab was given to over 90pc of the workers in the garment industry, while the second jab was given to over 70pc. The Hirdaramani Group has opted to cooperate with a few high-value partners in order to establish a more stable business environment. He admitted that policymakers were in communication with the sector and that the importance of the trading mechanism was recognized. According to Jeevith Senaratn, Senior Manager, Star Garments Group, the industry’s export numbers are still 10pc lower than in 2019. Hasib Omar, Director of Brandix Clothing Company, stated that the industry was extremely polluting, and that this would be a future source of concern for clients. The new manufacturing procedures, according to Shirendra Lawrence, Executive Director of MAS Holdings, may be putting additional burden on the workforce.

TURKEY 27pc growth in Turkey’s Garments Shipments from January – July 2021 Turkey’s ready to wear and confection shipments to foreign markets grew by a

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robust 27 percent to over US$11.1 billion on an annual basis from January to July this year. Exports to Germany grew to US$1.9 billion, followed by Spain to 1.5 billion and the UK to US$1.2 billion. Exports to the Czech Republic grew by over 200 per cent in the first seven months of the year to US$148 million and by 250 percent to Tunisia to $63.5 million. The industry’s exports are expected to hit US$20 billion at the end of this year, opines Burak Sertbaş, Chairperson, Aegean Ready Wear and Confection Exporters’ Union. At the start of the pandemic, local companies shifted to export more of medical textile products but now exports are producing mainly traditional outfits, such as suits, shirts, trousers, he adds. According to Sertbaş, local companies are presently working at full capacity and cannot take orders to be delivered in a short period of time.

UNITED KINGDOM British textile, fashion SMEs get GBP 2.8 mn for sustainable innovation Following an initial GBP 1.2-million investment in 2020 by the research and development (R&D) programme grants of the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology Partnership (BFTT) to 10 of the leading UK small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the fashion and textiles industry, BFTT recently

The projects will focus on specific R&D challenges and will launch in Autumn 2021 for 12 to 15 months. The SMEs cover a range of subsectors and R&D areas including: surface finishing processes and natural dyeing, embedded use of traceable raw materials, high-value recycling of fashion and textile industry waste, sensing technologies for healthcare, bio-materials, non-woven textiles, on-shoring of state-of-the-art manufacturing, novel digital solutions and sustainable chemical treatments of fabrics. Since the first round of awards made to ten fashion and textiles businesses last year, three new manufacturing facilities and physical services have been set up in the United Kingdom.

UNITED STATES US textiles & apparel imports up 28.14pc in Jan-August 2021 The import of textiles and apparel by the United States increased by 28.14 per cent to US$71.365 billion in the first eight months of 2021, compared to US$55.695 billion in January-August 2020. With 27.67 per cent share, China was the largest supplier of textiles and clothing to the US during the eight-month period, followed by Vietnam with 14.25 per cent share. Apparel constituted the bulk of textiles and garments imports made by the US during the initial eight months of this year, and were valued at US$50.439 billion, while non-apparel imports

Around the World accounted for the remaining US$20.925 billion, according to the latest Major Shippers Report, released by the US department of commerce. Segment-wise, among the top ten apparel suppliers to the US, imports from Pakistan, Honduras and Nicaragua shot up by 66.71 per cent, 65.69 per cent and 48.04 per cent year-on-year respectively. On the other hand, imports from Indonesia registered only a single-digit increase of 5.45 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year. In the non-apparel category, among the top ten suppliers, imports from India, Turkey and Italy soared by 68.30 per cent, 59.83 per cent and 58.22 per cent, respectively. The sharp rise in numbers is due to the base effect, as imports were disrupted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the total US textile and apparel imports of US$71.365 billion during the period under review, cotton products were worth US$31.193 billion, while man-made fibre products accounted for US$36.874 billion, followed by US$1.876 billion of wool products, and US$1.419 billion of products from silk and vegetable fibres. In 2020, the US textile and apparel imports had decreased sharply, mainly on account of the COVID-19 pandemic induced disruption, to USD 89.602 billion compared to imports of US$111.033 billion in 2019.

U.S. Cotton Production Forecast Up 23 Pc from Last Year USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released their October crop reports, and Becky Sommer with NASS in Washington D.C. says the U.S. cotton production estimate is up 23 percent from last year’s crop. All cotton production is forecast at 18.0 million 480 pound bales, down 3 percent from the previous forecast, but up 23 percent from 2020. Based on conditions as of October 1, yields are expected to average 871 pounds per harvested acre, down 24 pounds from the previous forecast but up 24 pounds from last year. All cotton area harvested is forecast at 9.92 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast, but up 20 percent from 2020.

As of October 3, 62 percent of the cotton acreage was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 40 percent at the same time last year. As of October 3, 70 percent of the cotton acreage had open bolls, 11 percent behind last year and 5 percent behind the 5 year average. Thirteen percent of the cotton acreage had been harvested by October 3, three percent behind last year and 6 percent behind the 5 year average. Cotton production in Georgia is forecast at 2.25 million bales, up 3percent from last year. In Alabama, production is forecast at 755,000 bales, up 3 percent from 2020. Florida production is expected to total 145,000 bales, 41 percent above last year. In summary, all cotton production is forecast at 18.0 million 480pound bales, up 23 percent from 2020.

VIETNAM 68pc of Vietnamese garment, footwear firms see cancellations, penalties Over 68 per cent of garment and footwear enterprises in Vietnam have been penalised by their foreign clients for late delivery, some with cancellation and compensation demands. A September survey by two industry bodies and a working group on public-private

partnership found more than 12 percent of such firms have faced cancellations and compensation for breach of contract. The two industry bodies are the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAs). Some 21 per cent said they have had orders canceled without other demands. The survey found nearly half of the respondent firms saying they had delivered goods late because of prolonged social distancing, according to a report in a Vietnamese newspaper. It took goods 80 days, instead of the previous 40 days, for goods to be shipped to the United States from Asia, the survey revealed. As a result, some foreign customers shifted orders to other countries, and such shifts can continue over the next five months, said Do Quynh Chi with the Research Centre for Employment Relations.However, the shift was temporary and related to serving orders and meeting shopping demand later this year in Europe and the United States, she added. Garment and textile exports fell by 9 per cent month-on-month in September to US$3 billion. The figure for the yearto-date was USD 29 billion. Vietnam’s footwear exports plunged 44.2 per cent year-on-year to about US$700 million in September, according to LEFASO.

Italian Textile Machinery: Sharp rebound in orders intake for second quarter 2021 The index of orders intake for Italian textile machinery, as processed by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian textile machinery manufacturers, for the period ranging from April-June 2021, was up 214% compared to the same 2020 period. The value of the index was attested at 150.7 points (basis: 2015 = 100), a result that was no doubt influenced by the comparison with a quarter, from April-June 2020, in which orders were obviously at a minimum, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. An analysis of the index of orders intake for the first six months of 2021 confirms a clearly positive business dynamic for Italian manufacturers. An overall growth rate of 122% compared to the first half of 2020 regarded both the domestic and export markets. Alessandro Zucchi, president ACIMIT, comments: "The data are certainly positive, bearing witness to a renewed climate of confidence.” On the domestic market, in addition to a physiological rebound following the collapse in 2020, the boost generated by 4.0 incentives is being felt. "The push towards digitalization in the business sector,” adds Zucchi, “is being perceived as creating a competitive edge for the entire textile

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

industry, especially here in Italy.” In spite of these encouraging signals,

travels of our staff persist, above all qualified assembly technicians.” These

a sense of uncertainty persists

are all issues that affect the sector's order

nonetheless on the actual solidity of this

forecasts for the third quarter of 2021. To

recovery. “There is no lack of obstacles

this end, ACIMIT’s survey have revealed a

facing our machinery producers during

substantial stability compared to the

this phase,” states ACIMIT’s president. “The sharp rise in the price of raw materials does not seem to be stopping, to which we can add the limited

previous three months for domestic orders (as expressed by 59% of companies), and a prevailing caution also

availability of components, making it

abroad, where forecasts of stable or

difficult for our manufacturers to fulfil the

decreasing orders make up 74% of the

many orders they’ve received. Finally, the

answers given by Italian companies in the

limitations imposed on the business

sector.

DSM to showcase high-performing, lightweight ballistic armour solutions made with Dyneema® at Milipol Paris 2021 Geleen (NL), 12 October 2021 Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, today announced participation at the leading event for homeland security and safety. DSM, the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema®, will be exhibiting at booth 5 P 098 from October 19-22 during Milipol Paris 2021 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in Paris, France. The performance characteristics of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™, make it ideal for a variety of applications, including soft and hard armor ballistics to protect against today’s advanced and emerging threats. In addition, Dyneema® combines next-generation fiber technology and unidirectional engineering to deliver armor solutions with unmatched ballistic stopping power in a lightweight and flexible composite. By implementing Dyneema®, body armour manufacturers are able to use less

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material in the development of their ballistic vests, plates and helmets. This leads to weight savings upwards of 30 percent when compared to competitive materials, without impacting ballistic performance. The lightweight construction of armor made with Dyneema® also mitigates injuries associated with the cumulative effects of daily armor use – while improving situational awareness, as well as cognitive and tactical performance. While decreasing the load on the wearer, Dyneema® is simultaneously able to reduce the impact of material manufacturing on our planet. In line with DSM’s commitment to protect people and the environment they live in, they have developed the first-ever bio-based ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber and unidirectional (UD) material. Bio-based Dyneema® boasts the same exact performance as conventional Dyneema® with a carbon footprint that is 90 percent lower than generic HMPE. “As the trend towards lightweight

ballistic armor drives changes in the personal protection market, DSM continues to innovate Dyneema® to help protect the men and women responsible for keeping communities around the world safe,” states Marcelo van de Kamp, Global Business Director, Personal Protection of DSM. “We’re proud that our broad product portfolio of unidirectional material provides solutions that sustain both people and planet.” Law enforcement, first responders and military service personnel risk their lives every day to keep communities around the world safe. Dyneema® is made to protect them while they protect us. Stop by booth 5 P 098 during Milipol Paris 2021 to learn more about the latest advancements in high-performing, lightweight ballistic armor solutions made with Dyneema®.

Corporate News

New Benninger Laboratory Single End Cord Line put into operation at Intercord Thueringen After 18 months of joint development, the new Benninger Laboratory Single End Cord Line is successfully in operation at Intercord Thueringen. The line runs at a speed of up to 30 m/min and is used for the development and small series production of technical yarns of the highest quality. The latest generation of the Benninger Laboratory Line is based on the concept of a modular system that can be extended as required. This system offers almost endless possibilities for the development of innovative technical yarns and technologies. The Laboratory machine was developed and implemented together with the company Intercord and takes into account special

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customer requirements. Yarns are impregnated, coated, dried and heat-set on the new versatile system. The masterpiece from Benninger offers excellent convertibility from laboratory to production scale. In addition, the Laboratory machine offers the possibility to conveniently test new processes, recipes and processes. Intercord Thueringen is a German manufacturer of high-quality technical yarns for special applications. Intercord yarns are used, among other things, as reinforcing material in drive belts, hoses, tires and air suspension systems. Benninger is a Swiss textile machinery manufacturer and specialist in tire cord system solutions. The two companies

have maintained a trusting professional business relationship for more than 20 years. The inauguration ceremony of the new development center with the Benninger high-tech plant at Intercord Muehlhausen GmbH took place on June 9, 2021. In his laudation, Mr. Ramazan Yasbay, the Managing Director of Intercord Muhlhausen GmbH, emphasized: "A heartfelt thank you goes to, among others, our long-standing partner, Benninger Zell GmbH, for the trust shown over many years and the successful cooperation. These are the foundations on which we can present the new generation of laboratory lines to the world today.”

Corporate News

Suntech enters the field of weaving machines Zhejiang Strength Machinery Co., Ltd. is one of the leaders in the field of textile machinery in China. Headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the company owns Suntech and other internationally renowned brands, focusing on the intelligent design of textile machinery. Suntech's business scope spans over 80 countries, with 4,500 regular customers and 15,000 installation cases worldwide. In recent years, its subsidiary Suntech has invested capital and technology in the field of looms. Suntech made this decision because of two reasons: Firstly weaving is a closely connected product of its main series of products, like the fabric inspection and packaging line. Secondly, the market for looms in China has reached saturation, but most looms developed by Chinese manufacturers lack innovative technology and high precision technology. In line with its mission, Suntech strives to create high-capacity and high-value-added looms belonging to China. Suntech is not only limited to its success and growth in the domestic market. It has more than 4,500 customers and 15,000 machine installation cases around the world, and in Italy, Germany, Russia, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Thailand,

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Philippines, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Iran, Egypt, South Africa, Syria, Mauritius and other countries have agency networks. Suntech pays attention to consumer acceptance and satisfaction, takes into account product performance and price advantages, realizes equipment automation with technological innovation and intelligent design, guarantees product performance and ease of use, and provides excellent service and quality assurance, with customized equipment designed to meet the special needs of customers.

Suntech's development history In 1970, Suntech was formally established as China’s very first stateowned "automatic packaging machine" manufacturer. With the mission of revitalizing China’s textile industry and relying on technological innovation, it specializes in R&D and production of textile industry finishing equipment, and in the field of textile machinery. The company became one of the leading mechanical experts in China at that time, with automatic packaging machine as the core product, and later developed star products such as cloth inspection machine and packaging lines. In 2000, after more than 30 years of in-depth development of the textile

machinery, to meet domestic textile storage needs. This followed by industrial integration and upgrading, and expansion of the "warehouse handling equipment" production lines. In 2004, facing the spring breeze of reform and opening up of Chinese economy, to better integrate into the market economy and go international, it transformed into a technology-based manufacturing company through "national reform to private ownership." In 2016, a new factory was established to produce warehouse handling equipment, independent research and development of intelligent storage equipment and other patented technologies. At the beginning of 2020, when the epidemic broke out, realizing that traditional industries rely on manual labor, and Chinese manufacturing must become intelligent manufacturing entities. Suntech began to develop "automated" intelligent products, including laserguided AGVs and intelligent three-dimensional warehouses. At the beginning of 2021, Suntech entered the field of looms and soon developed ST series rapier looms. The company introduced the super-start rapier loom with the fastest speed on the market, which solved many problems of traditional looms.

Personalia

Ivonne Seifert the new marketing director in the textile division of Messe Frankfurt Ivonne Seifert was appointed Director of Marketing Communication in the Textiles & Textile Technologies Business Unit of Messe Frankfurt with effect from 1st October 2021. In her new position, Ivonne Seifert is in charge of marketing communication for the leading international trade fairs, Heimtextil, Techtextil and Texprocess, and the Neonyt and Val:ue fashion fairs, as well as communication activities for the international brand management of around 60 events worldwide covering the entire value chain of the textile and fashion industry. She replaces Thimo Schwenzfeier, who is leaving Messe Frankfurt after more than eight years, to take up new professional challenges. Her duties include the communication activities relating to the successful resumption of fairs in the textile sector

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and the establishment of the fashion brands of Messe Frankfurt as part of the Frankfurt Fashion Week. Additionally, she is responsible for the further expansion of smart-data-driven marketing for the textile fairs and the communication activities of the worldwide Texpertise Network. Ivonne Seifert joined Messe Frankfurt ten years ago and, during this time, has held a variety of positions in marketing. She has extensive marketing expertise in both the B2B and B2C fields. Over the last seven years, Ivonne Seifert has greatly intensified the international topvisitor marketing and augmented her expertise in the consumer-goods and textile segment. In this connection, she paid particular attention to national and international key-account retention for, e.g., the Heimtextil, Ambiente, ISH and

Christmasworld fairs. Moreover, she played a major role in establishing smart data for new-customer acquisition in the top visitor segment. Before joining Messe Frankfurt, the graduate in politics and media sciences was marketing manager with Lagardère Travel Retail Deutschland in Wiesbaden. There, she was responsible for the marketing and communication activities for the German market with a particular focus on POS marketing, key-account management and press activities. An enthusiastic globetrotter, Ivonne Seifert developed her interest in the fair and exhibition business while working in the marketing department of the Toy Fair in Nuremberg, where her duties included exhibitor marketing, event management and key-account management. 

Starlinger recoSTAR universal 165 H-VAC iV+. ©Starlinger

Breaking new ground in Turkey’s textile industry Korteks, one of the world’s biggest yarn producers based in Bursa, Turkey, has started the production of recycled polyester filament yarn in its production facility using a Starlinger recycling line. The Starlinger recoSTAR universal 165 H-VAC iV+, which is part of Korteks’ 10 million dollars investment in a new polymer recycling facility, took up operation in May 2021. It has a production capacity of 7,200 tons per

year and currently processes clean inhouse polyester fibers from production scrap together with washed postconsumer PET flakes at a ratio of 50/50. Korteks uses the polyester regranulate at a share of 100 % for its new polyester

filament yarn line it is going to market under the name “TAÇ Reborn”. With this investment, the company has made an important step towards establishing a circular economy in the Turkish textile industry. “We have been in extensive cooperation with Starlinger for a long time” said Barı Mert, General Manager of Korteks. “Thanks to their unique and innovative recycling technology we can offer new products in line with the circular economy model. That's why, as Europe's largest integrated and innovative polyester yarn producer, we are very pleased to work with Starlinger, the market leader in PET and polyester recycling and refining.”

Rapid Sleeve Changer: Finest melt filtration for perfect yarn

Korteks recycles polyester filament yarn waste and PET bottle flakes. ©Korteks

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

The Starlinger recycling line is the first of its kind in Turkey and is equipped with special components for filament yarn recycling. A RSC (Rapid Sleeve Changer) candle filter developed by Starlinger

Fibre and Yarns ensures finest melt filtration down to 15 μm. It has been specially designed for polyester recycling and reaches an output of 1000 kg/h. For continuous operation the filter elements are changed “on the fly” without interrupting production, which significantly limits melt loss.

Korteks expects the recycling market in general to grow as there is increased acceptance for recycled products in the society, and predicts the need for recycling solutions also for other synthetic and natural fibers.

The viscoSTAR SSP unit at the end of the recycling process guarantees consistent IV increase according to the first-in-first-out principle. This makes sure that the produced regranulate has the ideal properties required for filament yarn production. The technical configuration of the line does not only allow the processing of a polyester fiber/PET flake mix as input materials, but also 100 % polyester filament scrap or 100 % PET bottle flakes.

“At Korteks, we always aim at sustainable growth that reduces environmental impact and creates value. For this reason, we are gradually expanding our product range in sustainable and smart textiles every day”, said Barı Mert. “The period of the pandemic that the world has been going through has once again strikingly revealed the necessity of building a sustainable living together. The textile industry is also deeply affected by this big transformation on the globe. We believe that those who can manage this change well will also set the global textile agenda in the future. With this belief, we carried out the polyester Filter change on the fly: The RSC candle filter before the recycling facility project with an strand pelletizer operates continuously and has a throughput investment of 10 million dollars. of 1000 kg/h. ©Starlinger Thanks to this project, we broke in Europe and employs nearly 2.300 new ground in Turkey and can produce people. Operating on a total polyester filament yarn from 100 % PET manufacturing area of 335,000 ㎡, bottles. Having Starlinger at our side as a Korteks has an annual production business partner gives us strength in our capacity of 170,000 tons, meeting 17 % long-term journey towards sustainability.” of Turkey’s yarn demand and exporting to almost 60 countries on 5 continents. About Korteks Mensucat San. The yarns offered by Korteks are used in Ve Tic. A. S. a wide range of areas, for example home textile products, apparel, automotive A member of Turkish Zorlu Holding products, or garden furniture. Group, Korteks started its operations in

With the new recycling facility, which comprises a total closed area of 17,000 m² and has a monthly production capacity of 600 tons, Korteks was able to reduce the production waste at its virgin PES yarn site to zero.

A paradigm shift in synthetic fiber production “We are proud to be a partner in Korteks’ quest for more sustainability in the textile business”, said Paul Niedl, Commercial Head of Starlinger recycling technology. “Turkey is a significant global player in this industry. If more and more Turkish textile manufacturers start using recycled materials, this will be an important signal for the sector and a big step towards a circular economy. We support this development with our extensive know-how in synthetic fiber recycling and supply the fine-tuned and reliable recycling technology required in this field.”

Bursa, Turkey, in 1989. Today the company is the largest integrated polyester yarn manufacturer and exporter

About Starlinger recycling technology Starlinger recycling technology is a division of Austrian-based Starlinger & Co GmbH, world market leader in the field of machinery and complete lines for woven plastic packaging production. For more than 30 years Starlinger recycling technology has been providing machinery solutions for the recycling and refining of a wide scope of plastics such as PE, PP, PA, PS, BOPP and PET. Starlinger PET recycling systems produce food-safe rPET and are approved for use in food applications by many brand owners as well as various national and international authorities. The worldwide sales and service support network and technical consulting service help customers to achieve optimum results in the manufacturing process.

TAÇ polyester yarns are used in a wide variety of applications. ©Korteks

Südwolle Spring / Summer 2023 Collection Let’s embrace our future and move forward Free once again to make plans, travel, share important moments with others, choose what we do with our days, enjoy outdoor life in harmony with nature and our own emotions. The new normal will not be just a return to our previous lives. This complicated period the whole world has gone through has planted many seeds of change. Südwolle Group wants to contribute to this awareness, offering state-of-the-art proposals for a new lifestyle in line with our emerging sensibility. Sustainable innovation is a central value for all Südwolle Group collections. The company has long been engaged in researching raw materials that are natural, recycled and eco-friendly and offer high-performance alternatives with low environmental impact, helping the transition towards an environmentally responsible textile sector.

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

The yarns used in the Südwolle SS2023 weaving collection are pure wool or wool blends, in line with the new mood that is taking hold among consumers. Nowadays fashion works for wellbeing and everyday activities in a fluid and personal manner, increasingly detached from passing trends and predetermined codes of elegance that are becoming ever less appropriate as an expression of the way we live and feel. The new formal replaces the conventional suit with tailored jackets and trousers: comfortable, casual and well cut in high-quality materials that guarantee fit, comfort and durability. The general focus on these factors makes clothes purchases more informed and reasoned, and less impulsive.

Fibre and Yarns A renewed interest in heritage finds a response in Südwolle’s knowledge of wool and its essential properties, updated for sustainability with the introduction of certified fibres, chlorinefree anti-shrinkage treatments and long lasting products that are easy to care for and wash at home at low temperature.

Overview of the collection The textile collection is enriched by the line of OTW® yarns, resulting from the development of the patented Omega Twist® spinning technology, which gives the yarns great performances in terms of reduced pilling, increased elasticity, resistance and durability. The range of OTW® includes yarns in the finest pure wool, such as OTW® Campiglia Nm 120/2 (100% Wool 17,2 μ) and OTW Volturno Fine Nm 76/2 (100% Wool 19,3 μ) which emphasise the clean style and technical hand of superior quality wools. The focus is on the origin of fibres and environmentally responsible materials. There is a wider and more varied range of products in RWS-certified wools (Responsible Wool Standard) which guarantee a traceable production chain,

animal welfare and sustainability for workers and the environment. Blends of wool and viscose, FSC®,certified and sourced from responsibly-managed forests, make it real to produce clothes that are biodegradable at the end of their life cycle. The use of completely biodegradable and FSC® or PEFC™ certified cationic Danufil® Deep Dye Viscose, means a reduction of energy required for dyeing processes. These viscose fibres can be dyed when blended with wool, eliminating the need for double dyeing and therefore saving water, energy and time. Moreover, they create interesting melange effects, thanks to the variation in colour absorption between the different fibres. Technical, GRS certified wool blends feature an increased presence of recycled polyesters and polyamides from pre- and post-consumer sources, and are available on request for customized yarns. Other sustainable new materials include SEAQUAL®, a polyester derived by upcycling Marine Plastic recovered from the oceans. Q-NOVA® is a recycled, extremely durable polyamide filament with excellent dyeing effects. It is used in

our crêpes like Tenda Crespino Eco Nm 120/2 (85% Wool 19,3 μ -15% QNOVA® Polyamide), with a cool, light hand. An eco-friendly reinterpretation of a classic yarn, Cile Crespino Eco Nm 76/2 (35% Wool 23,5 μ - 50% Viscose FSC® certified-15% Q-NOVA® Polyamide) is a pleasant, soft blend. The H.Fancy line presents bestselling summer fancy yarns, featuring experimental textures and natural 3D effects.

About Südwolle Group Südwolle Group is a global producer of worsted yarn in pure wool and wool blends for weaving, circular, flat knitting and technical applications. The company’s collections Südwolle, Biella Yarn, Yarn in Motion, Richter, HF, Stöhr and Soey are focused on different segments of the global textile market. Located in the Nuremberg metropolitan area of Germany, Südwolle Group employs more than 3000 people globally with production facilities in Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, China and Vietnam. Sustainable excellence in all its dimensions is a philosophy that drives the organization’s operations, planning and investment actions.

Fairs and Exhibitions

IGATEX PAKISTAN Exhibition to be held from 1st - 4th September 2022 at Expo Centre Lahore amid high expectations IGATEX PAKISTAN 2022 organized by FAKT Exhibitions (Pvt.) Ltd. marks 20 years of innovative solutions for the textile industry and has proved to be a platform providing opportunities, innovation, commitment, trust and reliability over the years. Being Region’s Biggest and Leading Textile Machinery Exhibition and Conference, the textile industry is ecstatic and enthusiastic for participating in this grand event. The new dates will ensure optimal revival of trade and provide additional time for exhibitors to plan their exhibits and product launches more effectively in the current environment. The decision was taken on the basis of feedback from exhibitors, partners, stake holders and aims to ensure that the tradeshow serves

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - August 2021

its objectives of business, knowledge and tech-exchange in a more meaningful way when the entire textile industry comes together.

for the textile industry that sees IGATEX PAKISTAN as an indispensable channel for marketing, showcasing and introducing innovations.

IGATEX PAKISTAN is a significant textile event with its scale setting records year by year. DENIM WORLD PAKISTAN and DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING is being introduced in this event, along with the concurrent event ICADEX PAKISTAN International Chemical & Dyes Exhibition and Conference which will further strengthen the industry with state-of-theart technology and practices.

Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, such big scale exhibition will take place after a gap of almost three years. The tradeshow have already started receiving overwhelming response, existing exhibiting companies have rebooked their spaces and new companies are booking too on regular intervals.

Exhibitions are a crucial tool to revive businesses and boost economy. Networking in a safe and controlled environment is an effective way for industries to get back on track, especially

IGATEX PAKISTAN is once again all set to be a worthy and rewarding platform for textile industry to introduce latest technology, machinery and turn ideas into possibilities. The tradeshow will open its doors from 1st - 4th September 2022 at Expo Centre Lahore.

Fairs and Exhibitions

FESPA BRINGS BUSINESS BACK WITH FIRST LIVE EVENTS IN EUROPE Speciality print and signage communities kick-start recovery at FESPA Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo 2021 in Amsterdam FESPA has kick-started business recovery in the speciality print and signage communities with the successful return of FESPA Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo 2021 (12 – 15 October 2021) after a two-year gap. The first live FESPA events in Europe since Spring 2019 attracted a strong audience dominated by business leaders, who came with an appetite to update their industry knowledge with a view to short- and medium-term investment. Neil Felton, FESPA CEO comments: “Feedback from exhibitors was effusive, with many commenting on the upbeat mood among visitors, the unmatched value of face-to-face conversations with senior decision-makers, the enthusiasm for the new technologies and consumables on display, and the overriding sense of optimism for the

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - November 2021

future. The buzz in the halls was energising and the impression was that delegates felt very confident and happy to be in a live event environment again after such a long time.” Reflecting Neil’s observations, Danna Drion, EMEA General Marketing Manager at FESPA Gold Sponsor Mimaki Europe comments, “We were thrilled to be back at FESPA Global Print Expo after such a long and difficult period. To finally be able to meet everyone in person was both exciting and reinvigorating. During the four days, the general atmosphere was overwhelmingly positive. We could see how the industry is not only alive but back to running at full speed, with all the players looking into new, innovative applications, as well as into the cutting-edge technologies. Not only did we exceed our targets, but we also welcomed high-profile, decisionmaking visitors, who came to plan their next investments and showed huge interest in our latest products.”

International audience of senior decision-makers Visitors came from more than 100 countries, with a strong emphasis on the Benelux region and Germany which accounted for 49% of the audience, in line with expectations given the location in Amsterdam. Other strongly represented countries were Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Poland. As anticipated, the challenges for longhaul travellers due to COVID-related restrictions resulted in fewer visitors from outside Europe than usual for a Global Print Expo event. In total, the events attracted 7,850 unique visitors, 42% of whom attended for more than one day, bringing total visits to 11,130. Close to half of all visitors (44%) were owners or managing directors, reinforcing the significance of the event as a springboard for business recovery

Fairs and Exhibitions and forward planning. Two in three visitors influence or make final purchasing decisions in their business. 54% of visitors stated that they were visiting FESPA for the first time, indicating a thirst for market knowledge, insight and inspiration following the commercial challenges of the pandemic.

Sources of inspiration Printeriors was once again a popular attraction for visitors. Inspired by nature and curated by FESPA’s Textile Ambassador, Debbie McKeegan, the feature highlighted digitally printed applications targeted at printers operating in or looking to expand into interior décor. In collaboration with industry suppliers including Imageco, Kornit Digital, PONGS, swissQprint and TTS, the products displayed were produced using a series of high-end technologies, print processes and materials. The European leg of the Wrap Masters competition was also a key area of interest. In addition to a series of demonstrations and workshops from wrap experts, visitors saw competitors battle it out for the title of “Wrap Master Europe 2021”. On day four, Norman Brübach from Germany was crowned the winner and will go on to compete against regional champions in the World Wrap Masters final at FESPA Global Print Expo 2022 in Berlin. For members of the community unable to attend the event in person, FESPA and its exhibitors provided an array of live-streamed and virtual content. The FESPA Live sessions involved conversations with key exhibitors, printers and print experts on the latest trends and innovations and these attracted 5,125 views throughout the four-day event. The recordings of the sessions are also still available to watch on demand. Neil Felton concludes: “The past two years have undoubtedly been challenging for everyone in our community. To move forward, printers and signmakers need to unearth new opportunities, explore the latest technologies and meet with peers to share ideas. This year’s events were an important milestone in our collective recovery and we hope that our next Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo, which will return to Messe Berlin, Germany, from 31 May – 3 June 2022,

European Sign Expo 2021

will finally put our whole global community back in motion.”

About FESPA Founded in 1962, FESPA is a global federation of Associations for the screen printing, digital printing and textile printing community. FESPA’s dual aim is to promote screen printing and digital imaging and to share knowledge about screen and digital printing with its members across the world, helping them to grow their businesses and learn about the latest developments in their fast growing industries.

FESPA Profit for Purpose Profit for Purpose is FESPA’s international reinvestment programme, which uses revenue from FESPA events to support the global speciality print community to achieve sustainable and profitable growth through four key pillars - education, inspiration, expansion and connection. The programme delivers high quality products and services for printers worldwide, including market research, seminars, summits, congresses, educational guides and features, in addition to supporting grassroots projects in developing markets.

A hall from FESPA Global Print Expo 2021

Fairs and Exhibitions

Denim Première Vision confirms the sector’s buoyant recovery with a hybrid, dynamic and inspiring event 

A Digital Denim Week from October 11 to 15 on the www.premierevision.com website which brought together a program of digital events and the Première Vision Marketplace offer. After several seasons marked by constraints, the joy in reuniting, the thirst for inspiration and the need to share ideas with key partners to build the new spring-summer 23 collections all helped the hybrid Denim Première Vision show bring together some 3,750 visitors, 57% of whom were Italian and 43% of whom were international, primarily European (from France, the UK, Spain) as well as Turkish and American. In a positive, buoyant and businessoriented atmosphere, Denim Première Vision welcomed - both online and at the show - a visitorship comprised of designers, order writers and decisionmakers, distinguished by their high-quality positioning: fashion and luxury brands, retailers, jeanswear pure players and web players.

After two years of Digital Denim Weeks, Denim Première Vision held its first hybrid event, which included: 

The return of a physical, ecodesigned show at Superstudio Più in Milan, October 13 and 14 (organized in full compliance with existing health regulations).

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

Visitors Included… 7 FOR ALL MANKIND / ALEXANDER MCQUEEN / AMERICAN EAGLE / AND OTHER STORIES / ARCADIA / ASOS / BALENCIAGA / BENETTON / BONPOINT / BROOKS BROTHERS / CELIO / CHANEL / CHLOE / COS / COTELAC / DIESEL / DOLCE & GABBANA / DONDUP JEANS / ERMANNO SCERVINO / ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA / ESPRIT / GIANNI VERSACE / GIORGIO ARMANI / GROUPE BEAUMANOIR / GUCC I / GUESS / HUGO BOSS / INDITEX / JACK&JONES / KERING / KI A B I / KOCCA / L ANVIN / LC WAIKI K I / L E E COOPER / MAISON BALZAC / MAJE / MARINA RINALDI / MAX MARA / PAUL SMITH / PEPE JEANS / PROMOD / PULL&BEAR / RALPH LAUREN / SANDRO / SISLEY / STELLA MCCARTNEY / STRADIVARIUS / TEDDY / TOMMY HILFIGER / VALENTINO / VERSACE / VICTORIA BECKHAM

Key highlights from this new hybrid edition: 

Première Vision Marketplace and in person at the show. These include weavers, fashion manufacturers/laundries/finishers, accessory makers and technology developers from Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Morocco, Pakistan, Egypt and China, among others.

Denim Première Vision in figures 

3,749 international visitors, including 1,226 buyers, attended the physical show  65,500 page-views during Digital Denim Week  3,065 product sheets consulted  450+ participants at the Digital Talks

A selective offer and the latyest developments from 50 leading companies found online on the



Networking, with primarily business meetings between buyers and suppliers, at the show’s always-full

Fairs and Exhibitions

stands, and also online, thanks to the optimized services and tools of the Première Vision Marketplace.  Inspiration and trends for spring summer 23 denims: The Trends Agora: an inspiring and informative space in the heart of the show to soak up the season, discover the key products from Denim Première Vision’s exhibitors through fabric samples, finished products and accessories.

Informative in-person and online fashion seminars, led by Manon Mangin, Denim Product Head at Première Vision and widely applauded for their incisive content :

A daily fashion seminar to decode the season’s inspiration, designed as a guided visit through the products and materials found in the Trends Agora.

Two complementary online fashion Digital Talks to understand the spring summer 23 influences, and discover the season’s key products in direct via a Denim Live Sourcing session from the Trends Agora. 

The engagement of Denim Premiere Vision and its exhibitors to support the sector’s sustainable transformation and to propose product developments and services on the cutting edge of eco-friendly issues. Innovations presented at the show in

the Trends Agora, and online in the Marketplace and via specific articles found on the website www.premierevision.com

Two Smart Denim Digital Talks to take stock of the industry eco-friendly advances and innovations in terms of sustainable materials (now available for replay on the Première Vision website). A Workshop during the show dedicated to sustainable dyeing processes presented by Tintes Egara in collaboration with Emina Batik.  The city of Milan an international city undergoing a remarkable transformation, and one of Europe’s most dynamic hotspots was the venue of the show.

Feature

Regenerative agriculture aims for more Sustainability has been a focus of U.S. cotton growers for generations. Case in point, just over the past 35 years, U.S. cotton producers have used 79% less water per bale and 54% less energy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 40%, all while reducing land use per bale by 49%. The adoption of practices such as minimal tillage, GPS and sensor-driven precision agriculture, and the growing of winter cover crops have further improved soil health, reducing loss and erosion by 37% per acre and increasing soil carbon levels. Yet. U.S. cotton growers understand that sustainability is a moving target and they must constantly improve in order to take care of the land and environment-to ultimately help create the more sustainable clothing. That's where regenerative agriculture comes in. It goes a step further and aims for net positives, as opposed to simply having a neutral impact on the environment, regenerative practices aim to better the land.

Today more than ever before, consumers across the globe desire to know that the clothes in their closets are sustainably sourced. So much so, that recent research conducted by the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a farm level, science based program that is setting a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton, found that 61% of brands and retailers have witnessed increased demand for sustainable products from consumers. While consumer demand for more sustainable fashion is pushing global brands and retailers to provide transparency and evidence that sustainable practices are being implemented and followed throughout the supply chain-we're left wondering, is it enough? 

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

U.S. cotton growers' efforts towards continuous improvement are central to the Trust Protocol and the U.S. cotton industry taking sustainability to the next level. Practices such as conservation tillage and growing cover crops have helped soil health and increased soil carbon levels. Although U.S. cotton growers have been implementing these techniques for decades, these practices have recently been grouped into a manner of farming called regenerative agriculture. While regenerative agriculture is still being widely defined across the agriculture industry, the process aims to positively influence bio-sequestration, biodiversity,

ecotoxicity,climate resilience, water systems, micronutrients, and ecosystem services. 

The LYCRA Company launches online customer portal, driving digital transformation for the apparel industry The LYCRA ONE™ portal includes the latest innovations, fabric library, knowledge center, certification services, and merchandising assets, allowing mills and retailers to collaborate digitally The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, today announced the launch of their LYCRA ONE™ Online Network Exchange. The new online customer portal empowers brands, retailers, and garment makers to connect to a global network of mills all in one convenient platform focused around the science of comfort, fit and performance. Prior to the pandemic, there was already a need in the marketplace for a digital experience allowing brands and retailers to connect with mills and manufacturers in a virtual capacity without losing the inherent advantages of an in-person connection. Through the LYCRA ONE™ portal, users can source innovative fiber solutions using the digital fabric library. Users can also directly connect with mills to begin or expand on business relationships, learn about capabilities, and view product catalogs. “The LYCRA Company has a rich legacy of innovation, and we must embrace digital transformation. The launch of the LYCRA ONE™ portal leverages our connectivity across the apparel and personal care value chains and offers a one-stop seamless solution to rapidly move our customers’ ideas from concept to launch,” said CEO of The LYCRA Company, Julien Born. LYCRA ONE™ features a knowledge center where users can access exclusive content such as webinars, white papers,

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

and videos covering new fiber technologies, industry trends, marketing, sustainability, and more. These resources help educate users on maximizing the value of The LYCRA Company and its innovative solutions to deliver products that can meet their consumers’ needs and provide inspiration for new ideas. Customers will discover innovative marketing and merchandising solutions through the LYCRA ONE™ portal, including brand assets and garment hang tags. Additionally, requests can be submitted for trademark license agreements and fiber certifications that help to reinforce the quality of products backed by the power of the LYCRA® brand. To learn more and register for the LYCRA ONE™ portal, visit one.lycra.com and select the signup button, or contact info@itextiles.com.pk to know more about the LYCRA ONE® portal.

About The LYCRA Company The LYCRA Company innovates and produces fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, The LYCRA Company is recognized worldwide for its innovative products, technical expertise, sustainable solutions, and unmatched marketing support. The LYCRA Company owns leading consumer and trade brands: LYCRA®, LYCRA HyFit®, LYCRA® T400®,

COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, ELASPAN®, SUPPLEX®, and TACTEL®. The LYCRA Company’s legacy stretches back to 1958 with the invention of the original spandex yarn, LYCRA® fiber. Today, The LYCRA Company focuses on adding value to its customers’ products by developing unique innovations designed to meet the consumer’s need for comfort and lasting performance. For more information, visit www.thelycracompany.com.

About iTextiles® iTextiles® is the sales representative of The LYCRA Company in Pakistan. It is a multi-disciplinary textile solutions company that creates, manages and innovates the entire value chain in performance textiles. Started in 2006 as a trading concern for fibers, the company has rapidly evolved to become a leading value chain manager in the region, supplying raw material to and representing some of the biggest international companies and their brands.

LYCRA® and LYCRA ONE™ are trademarks of The LYCRA Company. 

Textile Nexus 2021: An International Conference to Mobilize Industry-Academia Connectivity Awais Khatria, Iftikhar Ali Sahitob, Zeeshan Khatric, Shamshad Alid a. Conference Chairman, b. Conference Co-Chairman, c. Conference Advisor, d. Conference Co-Editor Department of Textile Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan

Aim The Textile Nexus 2021[1] aimed to provide a hybrid platform for textile industry experts and professionals, national and international academicians for exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas which would help academic prosperity and sustainable growth of the textiles sector in the post Covid-19 era.

Introduction The conference was held at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, and organized by the Department of Textile Engineering of the university in a hybrid mode (physical and online) and was attended by textile industry professionals, national and international academicians, and students. Textile Nexus is a series of international conferences for the textile sector launched in 2021. The Theme of the first conference was to Mobilize Industry-Academia Connectivity and aimed at exchanging knowledge, experiences and ideas which could help

academic prosperity and sustainable growth of the textile sector in the post Covid-19 era. The first conference was partnered by the Soorty Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (one of the leading denim industries and top 10 exporters in Pakistan) and WWF-Pakistan, and was sponsored by NanoCLO (one of the start-up companies of the university). Renowned international industry academicians, leading national industry experts, and research papers/abstracts were invited for conference speeches, in (but not limited to) the following themes.  Innovation and economy  Sustainable development  Clothing and textiles  Manufacturing and processing  Nanomaterials and nanotechnology  Functional and high performance textiles  Healthcare and medical textiles and PPEs  Smart textiles  Composites and advanced materials  Fashion and branding

Conference Proceedings Physical participation of the event was kept limited due to post pandemic situation. Only 80 audience participants were registered for an auditorium of 200 seating capacity (at US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water). And, for online participation via ZOOM, around 400 participants registered from all around the world. The event proceeded with invited talks by the international academicians and professionals and the national industry experts. The event sessions covered the topics of post covid19 challenges for textile businesses, economic growth through innovation, collaboration and industry services, functional materials and materials for healthcare and medical applications, nanotechnology and smart textiles. Additionally, the conference had a research track too, where research papers of various topics related to textile applications were presented. The proceedings book of the conference was also published and released on first day of the conference, i.e. 09 June 2020 [2].

Speakers

Prof. Monica Ferraris, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Italy, spoke on ‘virucidal effect against coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 of a silver nanocluster/silica composite sputtered coating on textiles’.

Prof. Sung Hoon Jeong, Management Vice President, Department of Organic and Nano Engineering, Hanyang University, South Korea, spoke on ‘smart textiles and their applications’.

Prof. Lieva Van Langenhove, Department of Textiles, Ghent University, Belgium, spoke on ‘smart

International Academicians and Professionals (Online) 1.

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed Memon, Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency and Switch-Asia Rpac Project Manager, United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, spoke on ‘circular economy in textile sector for achieving SDGs: climate action, nature action, and pollution and chemical action’.

textiles: from idea to market’. 5.

Prof. Thomas Rosenau, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria, spoke on ‘intelligent fibers, based on modified cellulosic fibers/textiles with a tuneable slowrelease effect’. Prof. Xianfeng Wang, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Textiles, Donghua University, China, spoke on ‘smart micro-nano fibrous materials for ultrahigh moisture and thermal management textiles’. Prof. Kai Wei, National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, China, spoke on ‘development of nanofiber based protective materials for antiviral and antibacterial performance’. Prof. Cheng-Yu Hong, Shenzen University, CHINA, spoke on ‘study on interaction mechanism between geo-textiles and optical fiber sensors’.

Prof. Lu Wang, Key Laboratory of Textile Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, China, spoke on ‘construction and application of the textile-based regeneration scaffold’.

10. Prof. Zhaoling Li, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Textiles, Donghua University, China, spoke on ‘flexible pressure sensor and electronic skin constructed with fibrous materials’. 11. Mr. Christian Schimper, Managing Director, Acticell GmbH, Vienna, Austria, spoke on ‘modern chemicals support technologies of the future’.

Pakistan’. 2.

Mr. Imtiaz Rastgar, Chairman, Rastgar Group of Companies, Islamabad Pakistan, spoke on ‘nut bolts of an innovation economy’.

Dr. Athar Osama, CEO, Pakistan Innovation Foundation, and Former Member SandT Planning Commission, Islamabad Pakistan, spoke on ‘entrepreneurial growth of the industry and role of universities’.

Mr. Muneer S. Godil, Managing Director, M.M.G. Engineering Associates, Karachi Sindh Pakistan, spoke on ‘combined heat and power (CHP) applications in textile industry’.

Mr. Sohail Ali Naqvi, Sr. Manager, Fresh Water Program, WWF-Pakistan (Event Partner), Lahore Punjab Pakistan, spoke ‘textile sector challenges and sustainable solutions’.

Mr. Adnan Malik, Head Customer Services, Tti Testing Laboratories, Lahore Punjab Pakistan, spoke on ‘relationship between textile sustainability and testing’.

Mr. Taqerrub Raza Syeed, DGM Technical Marketing, iTextiles Pvt. Ltd., KARACHI Sindh Pakistan, spoke on ‘innovation in performance textiles as a post-covid trends opportunity for Pakistan textile industry’.

Mr. Salman Akhter, Sr. Manager Processing, Soorty Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (Event Partner), Unit-13, Nooriabad Sindh Pakistan, spoke on ‘challenges faced by denim textile industries in the post-covid scenario’.

Mr. Sirajuddin Memon, Director Operations, Sardar Group of Companies Karachi Sindh Pakistan, spoke on ‘challenges and opportunities for textile industry in post covid-

National Industry Experts (Hybrid) 1.

Dr. Tauqeer Tariq, Chairman, Quetta Textile Mills Ltd., Kotri Sindh Pakistan, spoke on ‘role of industryacademia-government collaborations for the growth of textile industry of

Conference and AgCl on cotton fabric’.

19 era’. 10. Mr. Rana Liaquat Ali, Technical Director, Saphhire Textile Mills Ltd., Kotri Sindh Pakistan, spoke on ‘current challenges for the growth of textile industry and business’.

Mr. Abdul Rahim Narejo, Nanomaterials Resarch Lab, Department of Textile Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘fabrication of co-electro spun poly (4-methyl-1pentene)/Cellulose nanofibers (PMP/CEL) with enhanced mechanical properties’.

11. Mr. Muhammad Omer Sheikh, Sr. Technical Manager, Afroze Textile Industries Pvt. Ltd., Karachi Sindh Pakistan, spoke on ‘challenges in towels industry especially in the post covid-19 era’. Research Scholars (Hybrid) 1.

Ms. Alishba Javeed, Colour Research Lab, Department of Textile Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘screen printing of electrospun nanofibers membrane with PDA polymer’.

Ms. Saima Brohi, Department of Textile Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘copper and cotton composite fabric for transparent and conductive woven structure for dye sensitized solar cell’.

Mr. Raza Ali, Colour Research Lab, Department of Textile Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘sustainable reactive dyeing process for readymade garments’.

Ms. Adeela Nasreen, Department of Weaving, National Textile University, Faisalabad Punjab Pakistan, presented research abstract on ‘development and characterization of thermoplastic composites using novel commingled weaving technique’.

Ms. Javeria Mughal, Department of Textile Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘density optimization of stainless steel and cotton composite fabric as transparent and conductive substrate for dye sensitized solar cell’.

10. Mr. Mujahid Mehdi, Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology and Materials, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research abstract on ‘fabrication of electrospun silk nanofibers and reassembled into ultralight 3D structured silk nanofiber’.

Mr. S. Qutaba Bin Tariq, Department of Textile Engineering, Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta Balochistan Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘a study on green composite made from waste sugarcane bagasse fiber’.

11. Mr. Faraz Khan Mahar, Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology and Materials, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research abstract on ‘fabrication of bio-polymeric nanofibers incorporated natural drugs honey and AloeVera for wound dressing application’.

Mr. Amir Akram, Institute of Environment Engineering and Management, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘application of copper nanocluster for acid red dye removal via precipitation method’. Ms. Kanwal Fatima Ansari, Department of Textile Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, presented research paper on ‘investigation of antibacterial activity of Aloe-Vera, neem extract

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

Recommendations As part of conclusions, following key recommendations were summed-up. 1. The academic institutes should be transformed to the universities of relevance focused at businesses around them. It was emphasized that the business schools of universities should take the lead role in devising the policies for the management of research projects, industry collaborations and entrepreneurial activities.

The triple as well as quadruple helix collaboration models should be practiced in a true spirit to improve the socio-economic and socio-environmental growth. Government funding should be dispersed to private sectors too, and the multidisciplinary research is the need of today’s complicated post pandemic scenario. Government policies and regulations should also be developed in a true collaboration with the industry and the universities to create a feasible business environment in all respects.

The industry and academia should collaborate to develop indigenous raw materials and technologies to reduce imports and increase value added exports. Further, sustainable technologies, functional and high performance materials, nanofiber based medical and healthcare devices, and smart textiles should be developed indigenously and may be improved in the production line of the industry for increasing export to the international markets.

Follow-up Second Textile Nexus has been announced to be held in 2022. Follow-up and progress on recommendations of the first conference will be reviewed in the second conference. Couple of MoUs are also matured after the first conference, such as with Kotri Association of Trade and Industry Pakistan and Tti Testing Laboratories.

References 1.

https://textile-nexus.muet.edu.pk/

Awais Khatri, Shamshad Ali, Iftikhar Ali Sahito: Textile Nexus 2021 Proceedings. Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan, 2021[ISBN: 978-969-7710-04-1].

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing

EFI Reggiani launches new digital textile printer EFI Reggiani has launched a new scanning digital textile printer, available in 1.8-metre, 2.4-metre or 3.4-metre widths, which it says is the fastest machine of this kind on the market. Unveiled at the TME Exhibition Textile Machinery Fair in Istanbul this week, the new Reggiani Hyper is the company’s third new digital textile printer launch of 2021, the most recent being the Blaze model in June.

knitted or woven fabrics and is designed

printheads, which can print two passes

with smart technology that enables it to

with production quality at speeds up to

be integrated into Industry 4.0 projects.

13 metres per minute for a 1.5-metre-

The printer’s carriage contains 72

for a 3-metre-wide roll. On a 3.4-metre Reggiani Hyper

“Our track record of accelerated innovation continues, as we make good on our promises to deliver a third new textile printer this year,” said EFI Reggiani senior vice president and general manager Adele Genoni. “And, with the new Hyper model, our R&D team has outdone itself, bringing even more innovation to digital textile printing despite the constraints of the pandemic. We have learned from our customers how productivity and sustainability are key drivers to support their business through the digital transformation.” With an up to eight-colour configuration, EFI says the new printer is suitable for high-quality production on

wide roll, or up to 10 metres per minute

printer, users can print a pair of 1.5metre-wide rolls in parallel, delivering a total throughput of up to 20 metres per minute, which EFI says is comparable to some single-pass printers currently in the market. The printer is powered by EFI Reggiani genuine inks, which the manufacturer says “ensures the best performance in terms of runnability and longer printhead life while producing astonishing colour depth and brightness, Adele Genoni EFI Reggiani’s senior vice president and general manager

as well as excellent fastness properties.”

EFI Reggiani Hyper: third new digital textile printer EFI has launched this year

View of the stenter dryer

Always one step ahead of the state of the art - WEIDMANN and BRÜCKNER set new standards in stenter technology One hundred and seventeen years ago, the WEIDMANN weaving mill was founded in the tranquil Filstal valley in the district of Göppingen near Stuttgart. Today, WEIDMANN GmbH in Suessen is known worldwide as a specialist for the finishing of fiber and down-proof articles and woven industrial fabrics. WEIDMANN's customers particularly appreciate the company's reliability and flexibility with regard to their individual requirements, and consistently high quality of its products. The Swabian textile manufacturer finishes premium fabrics, mainly for the bedding industry, using the latest technology and in an environmentally conscious manner. The complex production and finishing processes for high-quality fabrics require a reliable and efficient machine technology. With this in mind, WEIDMANN has always relied on the proven stenter technology from BRÜCKNER. For many decades, the German textile machinery manufacturer has been a world leader in the construction of production lines for the finishing of classical textiles, woven

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

industrial fabrics, nonwovens, glass fabrics and floor coverings. In addition to stenters, the company's production program also includes coating lines, relaxation dryers, sanfor lines, continuous dyeing lines as well as ovens for the bonding of nonwovens and other special lines. All machines are produced 100% in-house in Germany. Both companies continuously invest in new and innovative technology in order to be successful and competitive today and in the future. Only Recently, a completely newly developed BRÜCKNER

Stenter entry

stenter was installed in the ultra-modern plant at WEIDMANN. During the intensive project engineering phase it soon became clear which features are of special importance for their daily production requirements:  uniform moisture distribution in the

machine entry and during pick-up of the specialized chemicals in the finishing padder before the thermoprocess  weft-straight fabric flow with mini-

mized residual distortion

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing 

very good accessibility for maintenance and daily cleaning



sensor technology and automation of setting parameters for energy optimization



heat-recovery with hot water generation for the dye house



the line must be fully Industry 4.0 capable

The new line is equipped with two padders, a weft straightener and 6 drying compartments. The two padders arranged one behind the other with automatic squeezing pressure adjustment and special roller covering allow an absolutely uniform liquor application and produce a pleasantly soft fabric handle. A differential moisture measurement by microwave sensors continuously checks the fabric moisture and thus the pick-up during running production, so that the squeezing pressure can be adjusted automatically if necessary. The straightening unit in special design in front of the stenter entry ensures the correct and straight fabric flow. Possible bow or skew distortions are reduced to a minimum by an intelligent drive system. The newly developed stenter dryer is specially designed for textiles which produce a large amount of lint during the drying process. The lint is collected on horizontally arranged double lint screens, which can easily be cleaned during ongoing production. The interior of the dryer can also be cleaned very easily and quickly by means of a suction probe and it is easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance work on the nozzles, width adjustment and chain rails. Energy-saving motors of the highest efficiency have been used for the dryer. The air circulation fans and motors can be easily removed from the outside of the dryer as one unit for maintenance work. The newly developed horizontal fabric transport chain is characterized by its high robustness and easy maintenance or lubrication with high tempera-ture grease. Due to the large chain rolls, very long lubrication intervals are possible even at high pro-duction speeds. Of course, the new BRÜCKNER line is also Industry 4.0 capable. Via OPC-UA the stenter is directly connected to WEIDMANN’S ERP system. All production and quality data are recorded

per batch, hour, day, week and year. Electricity and gas consumption are accurately measured and logged. The current machine status can also be monitored from an external device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Maintenance and servicing is supported by digital and interactive maintenance programmes. To enhance the servicing of the machine the customer can use the newly developed feature of a visual link between the machine and Henrike Weidmann BRÜCKNER technicians, third generation to run the family this can be used as an addition to the standard teleservice function. This business. They are positive about the enables BRÜCKNER to provide support future. and to eliminate malfunctions remotely Mrs Weidmann says "The Brückner much faster and more directly targeted. company, like us, has very high quality Furthermore, the simulation software standards. The direct communication with ExPertex, which is newly developed by Sales, Service and Design made it easy for BRÜCKNER, is installed on the new line at us to implement our many requests for WEIDMANN. On the basis of fabric type optimization. and process parameters, this tool gives At Brückner, as always, we found the line operator valuable hints as to which settings can make the current reliability and the best support. Qualities finishing process even more energy that we, as a family run company have efficient and productive. The software also anchored in our company maps the technical processes on the line philosophy. Another criteria in our and helps the line operator to determine purchase decision was that the company the optimum machine recipe and settings manufactures in Germany. This increases for the respective process. confidence in the quality and helps to Mrs Henrike Weidmann, together maintain our textile know-how "Made in with her husband Michael Rapp, are the Germany"."

General view of the new line at WEIDMANN.

GOLLER Sintensa Cyclone Washing Range - First wet process of synthetic fabric production The world-wide athletic apparel market grew significantly between 2009 and 2020. This market is further estimated to grow due to peoples growing awareness on sport and exercise in daily life, that will bring in US$ 207 billion in sales by 2025 (Source: https://www.statista.com). There are many new synthetic fabric manufactures set up and increased their production capacity in the last decade. These growth statistics of athleisure products are encouraging knit processors to consider expansions and diversifications to meet the needs of this segment including new players from India and Bangladesh. Many investments are therefore being planned to tap the huge potential presented by this segment. Garment properties like protection, insulation, moisture permeability, stretch, shape retention, optimum heat and moisture regulation, rapid drying, dimensional stability even when wet, durable, easy care, light weight, soft touch, etc., are intrinsic to active wear

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

garments. However, these properties are not readily achievable in 100% cotton, circular knitted fabrics. Hence the need for synthetic circular or warp knitted fabric production and processing becomes inevitable for addressing the opportunities in the active wear segment. The very first step in synthetic active wear processing or spandex processing is spun oil washing (refer to diagram 1). Goller is a major international player in this segment and a major supplier in wet finishing lines for high end synthetic fabric manufacturers worldwide.

GOLLER – A brief introduction Goller was founded in Germany and produced first open width textile processing ranges in 1948. Goller became a member of the CHTC Fong’s Group in 2006. The integration of Goller into the CHTC Fong’s Group helped it to develop and spread at a tremendous rate with its highly engineered textile wet finishing ranges for the textile industry. Nowadays, Goller is one of global market leaders in

the manufacturing of open width textile processing ranges and her wet processing ranges including those for spun oil washing are widely used to produce high quality woven and knitted fabric in world-wide textile dyeing factories.

Objectives of spun oil washing Spun oil washing is a pre-treatment wet processing of synthetic woven or knitted (circular/warp knit) fabrics with appropriate de-oiling chemical agent to remove spun oils from yarn & fabric surface. These lubricants are applied in spinning process which remains on the fabric through the knitting process. The purpose of open width spun oil washing process is to make fabric pre-shrinkage, reduce and keep certain levelling of oil distribution on the fabric, and to thus ensure uniform dyeing and finishing results in subsequent finishing steps. If a grey fabric with oils on it is heat set, there is an accumulation of these oils in the stenter. This creates chances of fire in the exhaust pipelines and in the heat

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing exchangers. Oil dripping further creates quality problems in subsequent processing. But after spun oil washing, if the washed fabric is pre-heated and set, the stenter will remain oil-free and safe, eliminating risks of fire and improving fabric quality.

The benefits of Goller spun oil washing ranges: 

Avoids fire hazard in stenter while pre-setting



Even dyeing results



Pre shrinkage of fabric



Suitable for wide range of fabrics from light to heavy gsm



Environment-friendly process

Success story Thanks for the input of different users which helped Goller to design a versatile range for various application and process. Goller has successfully installed more than hundreds of high productivity spun oil washing ranges worldwide for processing under garment, swimming and active wear, including a modular unit installed in front of the Monfongs stenter. The spun oil washing ranges from Goller are suitable for wide varieties of fabric from

micro fiber to spacer fabric. Some fabrics have a Lycra content of 40% or more, and weight of the fabric is between 40gsm to 500gsm in general. End users of fabric includes Adidas, Calvin Klein, M&S, Nike, UA, Uniqlo, Victoria’s secret, Wacoal …and other top clothing brand in the fashion market. Investment in continuous open-width processing requires a lot of knowledge, such as how to control the tension and shrinkage of the fabric. Goller has a wide

range of different modules and a team of skilled engineers that can customize her ranges to meet the specific needs of customers in the field of continuous open-width processing. A long history, global experience, continuous innovations make Goller a popular choice for continuous open-width processing of both woven and knitted products in the industry.

high scaffolding was required for the installation of the line which benefits from two integrated ECO Booster modules to provide significant energy savings.

Taking automated finishing to the next level at Knopf’s Sohn Knopf’s Sohn, a leading contract finisher of technical textiles, has installed a fully automated Montex stenter at its plant in Helmbrechts, Germany. The Montex machinery range is constantly being upgraded to meet evolving customer needs for greater automation, ease of operation and energy optimisation. The latest ten chamber line at Knopf’s Sohn, with a working width of up to 2.0 metres, was engineered to specific requirements in order to accelerate the company’s move to fully automatic control of its

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

production, and high scaffolding was required for its installation.

Monforts Qualitex control unit, ensures

The line benefits from two integrated ECO Booster modules to provide high energy savings. These compact, air-to-air heat exchangers, installed within the roof structure of the line, exploit energy from the exhaust gas to preheat up to 60% of the incoming fresh air entering the stenter.

machine operator.

The use of a single ECO Booster unit has been calculated to save up to 35% in energy costs, based on fixation processes. Fully automatic operation, set at the

Conticlean circulating air filter system for

there is no additional burden on the The line is powered by Exxotherm indirect heating, which practically eliminates the yellowing which can be experienced during the treatment of certain polyamide and elastane-based fabrics, and is also equipped with a constant high drying capacity, thanks to the automatic cleaning of fluff from the filter system during production.

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing Software Knopf’s Sohn operates a total of five stenters, but the Montex takes automated finishing for the company to a new level. The latest Qualitex visualisation software offers operators reliability and easy control with its full HD multi-touch monitor and slider function, dashboard function with individual adaptation to operating states and faster access to comprehensive recipe data management. With the Monformatic control system, the exact maintenance of the dwell time in combined treatment processes (drying and heat-setting) can be monitored. When the heat-setting point is reached, the fan speed is

automatically adjusted, keeping energy consumption fully under control. In general, Knopf’s Sohn is processing technical textiles for the automotive, aerospace, home furnishings and workwear markets, based on wool, cellulose, polyamide and polyester fabrics, along with elastane blends, in weights of 80-800gsm. Founded in 1809 in a region wellknown for textiles production, the company can draw on two centuries of accumulated know-how in all of the many processes. It is certified to ISO 9001, 14001 and 50001, as well as the bluesign standard for sustainable production.

“The ongoing success of our company is down to a combination of our many long-term, hardworking and loyal employees, loyal and innovative customers, and market and futureoriented business decisions,” said the company’s Managing Director Uwe Zuleg. “With the new Monforts Montex line we can now push ahead with our automation goals. The uniformity of the process temperature that can be achieved, as well as the overall concept of the line, convinced us to opt for this technology. From the first consultation to operator training, Monforts provided competent and service-oriented assistance, and delivery and installation remained on schedule despite the corona pandemic. The entire process was exemplary.”

Knopf’s Sohn Managing Director Uwe Zuleg at the new Montex controls.

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing

Heike van de Kerkhof, CEO at Archroma.

ARCHROMA Celebrates 8 years of creating positive impact Reinach, Switzerland, 1st October 2021 - Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today celebrates 8 years of leading the way to a sustainable world, with break-through innovations and solutions aimed at creating added value sustainable for its partners, consumers and the planet.

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

Archroma came to life on 1st October 2013 from textile, paper and emulsions businesses acquired from Clariant by SK Capital Partners. Building on decades of commitment to developing safer eco-friendlier chemistry, Archroma has become in the past 8 years a prominent name for more sustainable colors and performance,

collaborating with leading brands such as Primark, G-Star, Patagonia, Esprit and many more. More recently the Ellen McArthur Foundation selected Archroma's plantwaste based EarthColors® for its online Biodiversity and Circular Economy case study library.

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing "Such impact cannot be created overnight", comments Heike van de Kerkhof, CEO. She explains: "Just a few years ago sustainability was considered by most industries as a 'compliance' topic. We at Archroma have always had a vision that sustainability is the right thing to do, and that it doesn't have to come at the expense of cost efficiency or performance." Years after the Greenpeace 'Detox' campaign in 2011, and more recent events such as the climate school strikes of Greta Thunberg, the fast-growing plant-based movement and the pandemic, the general public has finally recognized the reality of the climate crisis and is demanding more responsible policies and supply chains, and safer products. In this context, Archroma has become the go-to partner for many brands in fashion, outerwear, packaging or home decoration, looking to integrate sustainable innovations and solutions in their products. In its very short life span, Archroma has introduced game-changing innovations, such as the EarthColors® made from non-edible plant waste from the food and herbal industry, Denisol® Pure, an indigo for aniline-free* denim, aniline being a category 2 carcinogen substance, and Smartrepel®, a PFC-free* water repellent solution. The company is also about to launch a new plant-based softener. In parallel, Archroma has been helping its customers in addressing the growing expectations of the public in terms of keeping consumers, and the environment, safe, under the umbrella of "The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced, it's our nature". The company started to develop holistic solutions designed to bring innovation and performance, whilst reducing the impacts on water, energy and other natural resources. The savings generated by these 70+ system solutions are demonstrated by Archroma's proprietary ONE WAY Impact Calculator, a ground-breaking tool launched in 2012

and continuously upgraded to simulate and optimize the footprint of application processes. For instance, Archroma recently launched CASUAL X SMART, a sulfur dyeing system for trendy wash-down effects to make clothes that look smart at home and at work. The colors won't fade in the washing cycle, and the application process allows resource savings of up to 33% water, 21% energy and 35% chemical usage compared to a benchmark reactive & pigment garment dyeing. With ONE WAY, a brand can calculate how much impact their current production and the Archroma Way collection will have on water, energy, chemical, raw material or CO2 footprint. Meanwhile, fashion, online shopping, food packaging, etc., are increasingly associated with air and water pollution. Brands are eager to implement sustainable solutions and demonstrate their impacts, especially CO2 reduction, in particular in a post-pandemic world where we can expect consumers to have no tolerance for green washing. Heike van de Kerkhof: "Brands in fashion, food, home decor, or sportwear make ambitious pledges, and they want to honor them. They are therefore eager to understand how they can introduce new, exciting innovations with safer ingredients and a lower impact on resources. That is where we can help, with our eco-advanced ingredients and demonstrated resource-saving solutions. We can help them make a difference." For instance, Archroma estimate that the company helped**:  Divert 1,250,000 kg of formaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance, from the textile supply chain with its systems BRIGHT DREAM and STAMP IT SAFE;  Remove 25,000 kg of aniline, a substance toxic for aquatic life and for denim workers, from the environment, with its PURE INDIGO ICON system based on Denisol® Pure;  Replace 450,000 kg of fossil fuel based products, with its NATURE BOUND, RAG N'ROLL and LOVE NATURE x EARTHCOLORS® systems that use plant-based renewable ingredients;

 Save 7,740,000,000 liters of water and reduce 420,000,000 Kg of CO2 with its DEEP DIVE 2.0, DARK BLISS 2.0, SMART START and SMOOTH AS IRON (FASHION) systems that allow massive resource savings in cotton items;  Divert 21,000 tons of chemicals and 14,000 tons of acetic acid, a hazardous substance, from the packaging supply chain, with its BOXING CLEVER dyeing solution.

"We calculated all these savings with the ONE WAY Impact Calculator", Heike van de Kerkhof explains. "We are very proud of these very tangible positive impacts for the consumers and the planet, and we are looking forward to creating many more in the years to come. Because it's our nature." ** The company will share more impact examples, during its anniversary month of October 2021, in its social media channels. See e.g., LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/archroma. ® Trademarks of Archroma registered in many countries.

* Below limits of detection according to industry standard test methods. ** Based on 2013-2021 sales volume of systems and their core components and technologies, when used by our customer as defined by the system compared to an industry benchmark

About Archroma Archroma is a global, diversified provider of specialty chemicals serving the branded and performance textiles, packaging and paper, and coatings, adhesives and sealants markets. Headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland, Archroma operates in over 100 countries, with 3,000 employees located in 35 countries and 26 production sites. Archroma is passionate about delivering leading and innovative solutions, enhancing people’s lives and respecting the planet. The company is committed to the principles of "The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, Efficient, Enhanced. It's our nature!"; an approach reflected in its innovations, world-class quality standards, high service levels and costefficiency.

Jeanologia transforming physical stores into digital and sustainable experience centers 

For the company, the future of retail must be about consumer experience, sustainability and the omnichannel that connects the physical world with the digital.



Consumer experience must be based on the co-creation, transformation, and customization of a product live and in real-time.



Levi's® Haus in Miami y Bershka Denim Lab in Milan are two success cases using Jeanologia’s technology to give the experience of personalization to consumers in front of the consumer and in realtime.

Jeanologia has developed an innovation laboratory to transform physical stores into digital and sustainable experience centers for consumers. Through the “Retail Innovation Lab” the company works together with the top brands and retailers in a new in-store model focused on eco-efficiency, personalization, and digitalization. For Jeanologia, the three pillars for the future of retail are consumer experience, sustainability, and the omnichannel that connects the physical world with the digital. Consumers are at the center as participants in the sustainable finishing of their garments. Jeanologia CEO, Enrique Silla, believes that the consumer experience must be based on the co-creation,

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

Jeanologia CEO, Enrique Silla transformation and customization of the product in-person and in real-time “creating and developing the product together with the consumer. Doing the finishing of the garment physically in front of the customer, by taking a product from the store, transforming, and customizing it with the customer present in the actual stores. And at the same time creating sustainable product.” Through its “Retail Innovation Lab”, Jeanologia, leaders in sustainable technologies and eco-efficient development, brings to retail its disruptive technology for a new in-store model where personalization, digitalization and eco-efficient production are the main drivers.

Two success cases showing the future. Jeanologia has two success cases developed using its technology to bring to retail the experience of real-time personalization in front of the consumer.

The pop-up store by Levi's® Haus in Miami is an example of the future of garment finishing that demonstrates the next level of personalization powered by Jeanologia’s laser. The consumer can customize every detail of the garment. For the Jeanologia CEO Enrique Silla, Levi's® Haus in Miami “has marked a retail milestone, bringing together jean design and production physically in-store with the fun of the in-person experience for the consumer.” Another Jeanologia case study is the Bershka Denim Lab during the Milan Design Week. A project where Jeanologia installed a digital corner in Bershka’s flagship store on Corso Vittorio Emmanuele transforming it into a digital denim customization laboratory. This initiative meant that consumers could have a unique experience in real-time, designing their own garments in a quick and sustainable way with laser technology, in only 45 minutes and being present during the whole live process.

About Jeanologia Since 1994 Jeanologia’ s mission has been to create an ethical, sustainable, and eco-efficient industry through their disruptive technology and know-how. Their laser, G2 ozone, e-flow, Smart Boxes and H2Zero, have revolutionized the textile industry. They offer infinite design and garment finishing possibilities, while saving water, energy, and chemicals, eliminating discharge and toxic emissions. 

Dyeing, Printing and Finishing

Ferraro offers X - Slit the latest development for fabric slitting X-SLIT represents Ferraro’s top brand slitting line for opening and squeezing of tubular knitted fabrics coming from the dying process. It is completely made in stainless steel (AISI 304) and studied to satisfy the needs of low-energy impact processes. The line is composed of rope squeezer, detwisting system, manually adjustable opening basket, the cutting system with optical detection of the drop stitch, selvedges opening system with double motorized cylinders, double transport rollers covered by rubber, opening and centering system managed by all – width photocell, impregnation tank and squeezing rollers, with the adjustable folding system at the exit. The machine, in all its configurations, can be equipped with patented residual enzymes washer.

The heart of the machine is represented by its squeezing rollers, covered by special rubber. Squeezing pressure is programmed by the operator through the touch screen. The centering system is composed by: double selvedges opening rollers manually adjustable, all width photocell for the continuous detection of fabric’s position, dogal cylinder entirely made in stainless steel to ensure high quality and long life. Automatic rope detwister, mounted on an automatic latch structure that allows an easy and fast pass to avoid excessive fabric tensions. X-SLIT is provided with a Top Brand cutting system; the device is operated through an optic technology for the detection of the drop stitch, with a minimum thickness of 0.55 mm.

Mr. Alex Zucchi,

AQUARIA® marks the beginning of a new era for Biancalani Everyone has his own personal point of view about the current global economic re-start. The meaning of the word “re-start” is starting again after a period of – usually forced – standstill. Before that period, many companies may have been ready to deliver new solutions to the international market and Biancalani Textile Machinery is no exception. Also, Biancalani is a longtime mechano-textile company that has seen a lot and whose point of view can help understanding the above-mentioned re-start topic. How can a company figure out when an actual re-start is happening? The first hint is traveling abroad. With every imaginable precaution, people are recently booking flights and trains again, traveling for business. Biancalani is getting back to traveling to clients who need installation and maintenance service, second one also provided by the

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

so-called safest parachute ever: Biancalani Service Centers. Another sign of re-start is actually sort of retrospective: if the latest turnover of a company is more consistent when compared to the previous three years and if it is so after and despite a period of global economic crisis, then we can definitely talk about re-start. Ultimately, this may result in new hiring, which is what is happening at Biancalani, with more than one department involved in the hiring process. Of course, a rich order backlog is the ultimate sign of re-start. It allows to identify market trends and to use them for making predictions. Biancalani is starting new negotiations both in Italy and abroad, with clients visiting Biancalani headquarters for on-site textile testing, obviously in complete safety. It totally recalls the positive, productive, pre-pandemic atmosphere.

Finally, a re-start is picking up where we left off. AQUARIA®, the brand new textile machinery by Biancalani, was presented at ITMA trade show and is currently already present in a number of countries while other AQUARIA® machineries are on the go. This is actually a double re-start, because AQUARIA® marks the beginning of a new era for Biancalani, as the company makes its entry into the dynamic market of after digital/rotative printing washing processes. All of this is totally in line with the global economic recovery, as evidenced by textile exhibitions cautiously but definitely taking place again all over the world, starting past September with Première Vision and up to next events in the United States and Asia. Biancalani is totally part of all of this. Have a good restart, textile world.

Innovatec invests in non-contact fluid application system Innovatec, the world's leading producer and quality leader of meltblown nonwovens, is investing in a WEKO fluidapplication system for the functionalization of meltblown nonwovens. After several series of tests in the WEKO-Technology Center as well as further tests in the running production conditions with a loaner, the system was convincing. “The WEKO fluid application system is an economical as well as ecological

system, which push Innovatec in the position to produce high quality products. By using this system, the amount of additives and their emissions are greatly reduced, ”said Mr. Jaeger in response to the question “Why WEKO?”. Innovatec Microfibre Technology GmbH & Co. KG, founded in 1995, is one of the most modern and largest manufacturers in meltblown production,

with around 110 employees. In addition to a large machine park for the production of meltblown nonwovens, Innovatec also has the most modern spunbond systems at its disposal, which optimally complement the product portfolio. The consistently high quality of the products can be guaranteed through constant quality control in the in-house laboratory. Thanks to continuous innovation and investment in the latest technologies, Innovatec maintains its role as the world's leading producer of meltblown nonwovens. "We are pleased to be able to win a renowned and future-oriented customer in the field of nonwovens production with Innovatec and we look forward to a good cooperation", says Christian Heinle, Key Account Manager at WEKO.

Production COVID-19 rapid test devices possible thanks to innovative printing process SPGPrints Due to the immense pressure COVID19 puts on societies worldwide, pharmaceutical companies strive to make rapid test devices available to the public as soon as possible. However, to do so, innovative techniques have to be used to meet the necessary medical requirements. Due to their experience with biosensors and their reputation of creating foolproof, reliable systems, SPGPrints was asked to be involved in the development and delivery of several production lines to produce COVID-19 rapid test strips. Millions of test strips are expected to be produced on both production lines, in which way SPGPrints contributes to a

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - October 2021

solution for the increased global demand for more test capacity.

The use of biosensors in rapid medical testing Hank Guitjens, Commercial Manager Label & Industrial printing at SPGPrints explains that the usage of biosensors around the world is not new. For over 30 years, biosensors are a quick tool for analyzing diseases, using just a strip and body fluids. A common application of biosensors in the medical industry are the glucose test strips for diabetes patients. They use these strips to test if their blood

sugar levels are deviating from normal. To provide the patient with quick test results, the blood is dripped on a test strip which is then examined by a diagnostic test device. Within minutes, the patient can see what their exact levels are. These biosensor test strips contain an advanced piece of technology. The film used for the test strips must be printed in such a way that it can absorb the body fluid and provide the optimal conditions for this reagent to react with the body fluid. SPGPrints specializes in and holds the correct innovative technique to print the film with the level of precision that is required for these test strips.

Dyeing Printing Finishing The creation of COVID-19 rapid test devices For this exact reason, SPGPrints was invited by an international pharmaceutical company to be involved in the production of COVID-19 rapid test strips. The goal was to produce a diagnostic test system that — with use of a patient’s saliva — could quickly indicate if a patient suffered from COVID-19 or not. In this international cooperation, it was up to SPGPrints to develop a process for printing on film. In the printing process, high levels of accuracy were crucial since the newly developed chemical reagent could only function properly under optimal conditions. The collaboration turned out to be very successful. Within less than a year, SPGPrints managed to develop, produce and deliver a custom-made system for their pharmaceutical partner. Despite it being a new, custom-made system, the startup phase was very successful, and a yield was achieved above expectation within weeks. On top of that, newly hired operators needed limited training due to the user-friendliness of the system. Which means the partner could start producing directly. This enabled the pharmaceutical partner to reach their ideal production levels within weeks after the new system had been delivered.

Custom label printing by SPGPrints SPGPrints’ specialization in rotary screen printing made them the right partner for this project and due to their expertise on biosensors the project started quickly. Rotary screen printing provides users with several advantages over other screen-printing techniques. It provides great accuracy, high quality levels and helps users to increase their productivity. But most importantly, it enables users to quickly scale up their printing process. For that reason, some users start out with flatbed printing but switch to rotary screen printing once their product has to be produced on a greater scale. Due to its many advantages, rotary screen printing proves to be the ideal technique for many applications. Besides biosensors, SPGPrints uses its rotary screen-printing techniques for the creation of — amongst others — printed electronics, flexible solar cells, RFID tags and printed batteries. The possibilities are endless. Over the years, SPGPrints has helped many customers with a custommade printing process suitable for their application. Due to their years of experience, SPGPrints can provide its customers with advantages no other supplier can. SPGPrints is well known for its unique

mesh material, a 100% electroformed nickel mesh which gives it its unique stability and print performance. For the graphical and industrial market printing modules can be supplied in width from 250 mm to 1400 mm. If total solutions are needed SPGPrints can supply complete line configurations including hot air dryers, NIR, IR and UV. The systems are equipped with a sophisticated tension control system and can reach a register accuracy of at least 100 microns. At SPGPrints, each project is considered as being unique and therefore receives a custom-made solution that matches all requirements. During a rotary screen-printing project, SPGPrints works closely together with the client’s team so their engineers truly understand their wishes and expectations. After which SPGPrints will convert these wishes into a custom-made solution. As was successfully done in the COVID-19 rapid test devices project. Due to a close collaboration between SPGPrints and the client, millions of test strips are expected to be produced in the upcoming months.

Classified

ADVERTISERS INDEX OCTOBER 2021

Archroma ..................................................................FC AVM Chemicals ...................................................6 & 64 Benninger....................................................................17 Biancalani .................................................................IFC Brueckner ..................................................................20 Chhipasons................................................................64 Cotton USA................................................................3 DyStar .......................................................................23 Epson .........................................................................1 Graf...........................................................................25 IGATEX Pakistan 2022...............................................IBC ICADEX Pakistan 2022...............................................43 iTextiles .....................................................................29 Jet Logistics................................................................64 Monforts.....................................................................9 Rastgar.............................................................. 31 & 64 Santex Rimar Group...................................................13 Swissmem ..................................................................11 WEKO........................................................................27 Zhejiang Rifa ..............................................................BC

Established 1951

Established 1951 August 2021

September 2021

FESPA / INDEX

Pakistan Textile Journal – October 2021

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