TEXtalks International - April/May 2021 by TEXtalks International

April / May 2021

The reutilization of polyester waste into high-end textile filament and fiber products

The exports of textile commodities surge 17.35%; Amazon brings opportunities to Pakistan's textile sector Editor-in-Chief Yousaf Fareed Editor Hassan Saeed Sub-Editor Dr Sharjeel Abid Dr Shagufta Riaz Noor Amjad Advisory Board: Dr. Tanveer Hussain Dr. Muhammad Tausif Marketing Manager Memoona Karim Abdul Haseeb Layouts Faizan Khan Marketing Incharge Memoona Irum Tanveer Ahmed Address C-302, City Towers Main Boulevard, Gulberg II Lahore-Pakistan Phone: + 92 42 35 788 700 Fax: + 92 42 35 788 700 Email: info@textalks.com Skype: textalks www.textalks.com

The textile exports were recorded at $12692.840 million in July-April (2020-21) against the exports of $10816.276 million in July-April (2019-20), showing a growth of 17.35 percent, according to the latest data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The textile commodities that contributed to trade growth included knitwear, which increased from $2392.064 million last year to $3126.095 million during the current year, showing growth of 30.69 percent. Likewise, the yarn exports (other than cotton yarn) increased by 22.42 percent, from $22.051 million to $26.995 million whereas, exports of bed wear increased by 24.66 percent from $1838.449 million to $2291.779 million. The exports of towels increased by 27.18 percent, from $610.696 million to $776.708 million; exports of tents, canvas, and tarpaulin grew by 21.86 percent, from $78.556 million to $95.725 million; readymade garments by 12.56 percent, from $2231.697 million to $2512.021 million; made-up articles, excluding towels and bedwear by 22.22 percent, from $513.405 million to $627.479 million while the exports of art, silk, and synthetic textile increased from $272.919 to $301.634 million, showing growth of 10.52 percent. Often, one needed some connection abroad — a brother in the US or an old friend — to manage some of this nitty-gritty specific to the geography they were trying to sell in. However, with Pakistan's addition to Amazon's list of seller countries, it's this barrier that has been put down. With the promise of making it big by

tapping on the opportunities abroad, the quintessential Pakistani dream, hundreds of thousands of people are looking for avenues. The Google search volume of "how to sell on Amazon" from the country has jumped from 165,000 queries in May 2020 to 246,000 in the outgoing April, indicating a high interest. The big manufacturers, especially in the export-oriented sectors such as textile, also seem to be excited. But as primarily B2B companies that play on a corporate model, it remains to be seen how much they are willing to open themselves up to the wild west of the consumer market, where margins can be thinner and demand much more unpredictable. People are hopeful that the new development would put Pakistan on the global e-commerce map, opening up a new era of business boom by connecting it across the world. Like other international companies and brands, Amazon is a highly consumer-centric marketplace where consumer reviews are taken very seriously. Therefore, Pakistan entrepreneurs will have to be very careful if they desire to benefit from this opportunity. Pakistan's e-commerce market has grown dramatically over the last year. It is estimated to have expanded by 35 percent in this quarter of the current fiscal to Rs 96 billion from Rs 71 billion a year ago. The Government is planning to involve our SMEs to join this gateway with the best quality products of international standards.

April/May 2021

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April/May 2021

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April/May 2021

Textile Exports of Pakistan: Current Scenario and Future Potential The year 2021 has been impressive so far for Pakistan's Textile Industry and other exports. Pakistan performed better than India in apparel exports to the United States in the first quarter of this year. According to a report released by Apparel Resources, Pakistan was in top position in the list of countries that export textile, another international platform that gives insights into apparel industry exports. The first surge in bulk textile orders for Pakistan's Textile Sector was observed when the first wave of the pandemic resulted in lockdowns across countries, including crucial textile exporters like India and Bangladesh. Orders were diverted and poured into Pakistan's textile industry. As the lockdown was easing, the new and deadly wave of covid-19 in India, along with a decline in textile exports from China, is expected to give Pakistan's textile exports another boost. Usually, India and Bangladesh perform better than Pakistan, but this time Pakistan has fared better than its neighboring countries despite all the challenges of Covid-19. Although the apparel import value of the US, a prominent destination for textile exports, decreased 8.7% year-on-year to $5.39 billion in February 2021, its volume increased 3.2%, and Pakistan was on top of the list of countries that witnessed a hike in their apparel exports for the USA. Other countries that recorded growth in exports included China, Bangladesh, and Egypt. Pakistan and China managed to increase their apparel shipments to the US in terms of value and volumes.

In March 2021, Pakistan's exports increased to $ 2.345 Billion/month, which was the highest monthly increase in the last ten years. Over the past 9 months, Pakistan's exports amounted to $ 18.669 billion compared to $ 17.451 billion in the corresponding period last year 2019- 20. Up to April 2021, Pakistan's exports hit records. Pakistan's exports have crossed the $2-billion mark for seven successive months (Oct-April) of FY21. However, Pakistan's exports have declined to $2.191 billion in April, 7.36 percent less than the previous month. Although the exports for Jul-April 2021 grew by 13 percent to $20.879 billion compared to $18.408 billion during the same period last year. The decline in April could be due to the shortage of cotton yarn, fear of COVID-19's current wave, and lockdown news. On the other hand, Pakistan enjoys zero duties on exports of hundreds of products to China under the free trade deal. On the scale of trade balance, Pakistan is yet importing more than exports. The massive difference between exports and imports creates an unfavorable balance of trade that is not suitable for the country's economy. Pakistan should focus on increasing its exports while keeping imports minimum. Pakistan should seize the opportunity to increase its exports due to the current scenario of COVID-19 in India and Bangladesh. The Government should support the local industries to grab more orders from the international market.

April/May 2021

Pakistan’s export to the EU is on the rise Pakistan’s exports to European Union (EU) countries increased by $ 1.1 billion during the last ten months of the current Fiscal Year 2020-21. The exports have increased by 17.4 percent to $ 7.474 billion compared to $6.367 billion from July to April 2020. EU is an important market for Pakistan’s textile industries, and the Government greatly appreciates the tireless efforts of exporters in making this possible under challenging conditions. In July-April, some of the significant markets showing an increase in Pakistani exports are Poland with 23 percent, Sweden (21pc), Netherlands (21pc), Germany (19 pc), France (14 pc), Belgium (12 pc), Italy (4 pc), and Spain (2 pc). Before the

April/May 2021

Brexit, Pakistan’s major export destination was the United Kingdom. In the post-Brexit period, Pakistan’s exports continued to grow by 31 pc to $1.709 bn from July 2020 to April 2021 from $1.309 bn in the same period of the previous financial year. In terms of market penetration, the UK is now replaced by Germany. The second biggest market for Pakistan’s exports is the Netherland. The third biggest market for Pakistani export goods is Spain. Exports to Italy increased by 4pc to $640.11m against $615.22m. Exports to Belgium increased by 12pc to $523.11m against $465.39m, followed by 14pc growth to France as export value reached to $337.02m against $296.20m over the last year.

Pakistan economy has the potential to grow at a faster pace The State Bank of Pakistan projects three percent GDP growth in the financial year 2020-21 and four percent in 2021-22. Pakistan's economy is on a solid growth path and can grow at much higher rate in the next five years despite a challenging environment across the globe. The analysts and corporate leaders reposed trust in a growing economy. The higher GDP growth in 5-6 percent per annum would be a 'new normal in next five years amid considering solid economic indicators of the country. The IMF had projected four percent GDP growth for Pakistan during 2021-22, starting in July. Islamabad is expected to post a 1.5 percent expansion during the current fiscal year ending (June 30) after an irregular contraction (-0.4 percent) last year. While referring to rising foreign exchange reserves, orderly rupee-dollar parity, improving current account balance, and other economic indicators such as large-scale manufacturing, cement, automobiles, and fast-moving consumer goods, the governor of state band said that the economy was moving in the right direction and will perform better in coming years.

Pakistan’s cotton imports expected to exceed domestic production The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts that Pakistan’s cotton imports are forecast at a record 5.3 million bales and are expected to exceed domestic production for the first time. Significantly lower domestic supplies have driven imports to a second consecutive record needed to support higher consumption. Successive year shortfalls in domestic production have depleted supplies seriously. The 2019/20 Pakistan harvest was the lowest in over three decades, and the 2020/21 crop is down 27 percent. Back-to-back declines have propelled imports, supplied mainly by Brazil and the United States. Historically, India was a significant supplier to Pakistan. However, after a 2019 border closure between the two countries, Pakistan’s mills have been barred from importing the world’s lowest-priced cotton.

Despite no official direct access to India’s competitively priced supplies, imports are nonetheless projected at a record to support a recovering textile and garment sector. COVID-19 significantly lowered global demand for cotton yarn, fabric, and products in 2019/20. In the first eight months of Pakistan’s fiscal year (July 2020 – February 2021), the country recorded larger export values of knitwear, bedwear, towels, and readymade garment (RMG) compared with the previous year. Pakistan’s more robust exports of textiles and garments are expected to support record 2020/21 cotton imports. The country’s cotton supply chain is essential to its economic recovery from COVID-19; textiles and garments are the largest export revenue source and comprise 46pc of Pakistan’s manufacturing sector and 40pc of the total labor force.

April/May 2021

WRAP launches new textile 2030 initiative Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the UK to introduce the "Textiles 2030". The Textiles 2030 is a new ground-breaking, expert-led initiative, harnessing UK leaders' knowledge and expertise in sustainability to accelerate the whole fashion and textiles industry's move towards circularity and system change in the UK.

Commitment to collectively reduce their products' impacts. Therefore, the WRAP's initiative Textiles 2030 is the big game-changer in the world of Textiles. SCAP has successfully brought together fashion retailers, charity retailers, and textile recyclers to reduce the impacts of clothing consumed in the UK.

Textiles 2030 is a voluntary agreement to be funded by its signatories and government. Signatories will collaborate on carbon, water, and circular textile targets and contribute to national policy discussions with UK governments to shape Extended Producer Responsibility and other critical regulatory developments.

From 2012 to 2020, the pioneering industry-led action plan has delivered positive environmental and economic outcomes for forward-looking UK fashion and textiles organizations. WRAP has convened working groups, helped signatories identify improvement actions, set targets, measured and verified progress, and shared expertise and best practice, enabling a significant proportion of the UK textiles industry to reduce the carbon, water, and textile waste impacts.

Over 90 organizations representing more than 48% of UK retail clothing sales made the voluntary SCAP

Mustaqim Textile bags IKEA's 'Affordable Sustainability' award IKEA has awarded Mustaqim Dyeing and Printing Industries Private Limited the prestigious affordability sustainability award. By transforming recycle plastic bottles into sheets and covers, Mustaqim has decreased CO2 emission and saved thousands of barrels of oil while still reducing the cost, said IKEA during the award ceremony. IKEA is a Swedish multinational conglomerate that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, and home accessories, among other valuable goods and occasionally home

April/May 2021

services. Founded in Sweden in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been the world's largest furniture retailer since 2008. The brand used by the group is an acronym that consists of the founder's initials (Ingvar Kamprad), and those of Elmtaryd, the family farm where he was born, and the nearby village Agunnaryd (his hometown in Smaland, southern Sweden). Winning such a prestigious award is an outstanding achievement for Pakistan's textile industry. Mustaqim Pakistan is the only textile company globally, getting this award from IKEA for this particular category.

Amazon brings opportunities to Pakistan's textile sector Amazon comes to Pakistan! Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company based in Seattle, Washington, which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, and Investment Abdul Razzaq Dawood announced on 21 May 2021 that e-commerce giant Amazon had added Pakistan to its sellers' list. The inclusion of Pakistan in Amazon's list is an excellent opportunity for Pakistani youth, small and medium enterprises, and entrepreneurs. Until recently, local entrepreneurs looking to sell their products internationally through online channels and earn a higher buck had to go through various unofficial methods such as registering an LLC in the US (usually Delaware). This came with its own cost, usually upwards of $300 for incorporation, by no means spare change for an average Pakistani, plus setting bank accounts. For Europe, that cost can go more than $2,000. Often, one needed some connection abroad — a brother in the US or an old friend — to manage some of this nitty-gritty specific to the geography they were trying to sell in. However, with Pakistan's addition to Amazon's list of seller countries, it's this barrier that has been put down. With the promise of making it big by tapping on the opportunities abroad, the quintessential Pakistani dream, hundreds of thousands of people are looking for

avenues. The Google search volume of "how to sell on Amazon" from the country has jumped from 165,000 queries in May 2020 to 246,000 in the outgoing April, indicating a high interest. The big manufacturers, especially in the export-oriented sectors such as textile, also seem to be excited. But as primarily B2B companies that play on a corporate model, it remains to be seen how much they are willing to open themselves up to the wild west of the consumer market, where margins can be thinner and demand much more unpredictable. People are hopeful that the new development would put Pakistan on the global e-commerce map, opening up a new era of business boom by connecting it across the world. Like other international companies and brands, Amazon is a highly consumer-centric marketplace where consumer reviews are taken very seriously. Therefore, Pakistan entrepreneurs will have to be very careful if they desire to benefit from this opportunity. Pakistan's e-commerce market has grown dramatically over the last year. It is estimated to have expanded by 35 percent in this quarter of the current fiscal to Rs 96 billion from Rs 71 billion a year ago. The Government is planning to involve our SMEs to join this gateway with the best quality products of international standards. April/May 2021

The exports of textile commodities surge 17.35% during the last ten months The exports of textile commodities witnessed an increase of 17.35 percent during the first ten months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period of last year and surged by 213 percent on a year-on-year basis (YoY). The textile exports were recorded at $12692.840 million in July-April (2020-21) against the exports of $10816.276 million in July-April (2019-20), showing a growth of 17.35 percent, according to the latest data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The textile commodities that contributed to trade growth included knitwear, which increased from $2392.064 million last year to $3126.095 million during the current year, showing growth of 30.69 percent. Likewise, the yarn exports (other than cotton yarn) increased by 22.42 percent, from $22.051 million to $26.995 million whereas, exports of bed wear increased by 24.66 percent from $1838.449 million to $2291.779 million. The exports of towels increased by 27.18 percent, from $610.696 million to $776.708 million; exports of tents, canvas, and tarpaulin grew by 21.86 percent, from $78.556 million to $95.725 million; readymade garments by 12.56 percent, from $2231.697 million to $2512.021 million; made-up articles, excluding towels and bedwear by 22.22 percent, from $513.405 million to $627.479 million while the exports of art, silk, and synthetic textile increased from $272.919 to $301.634 million, showing growth of 10.52 percent. The commodities that witnessed negative growth in April/May 2021

trade included raw cotton, exports of which decreased by 96.51 percent, from $17.002 million to $0.593 million; cotton yarn decreased by 4.03 percent, from $858.580 million to $823.948 million, whereas the exports of cotton cloth also reduced by 1.24 percent, from $1601.650 million to $1581.564 million. The exports of all other textile materials also increased by 39.24 percent, from $379.362 million to $528.225 million, the PBS data revealed. Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, the textile exports increased by 213.17 percent during April 2021 compared to the same month of last year. During April 2021 were recorded at $1,337.385 million against the exports of $403.833 million during April 2020. On a month-on-month basis, the country's exports witnessed a decrease of 3.21 percent during April 2021 compared to the exports of $1355.542 million in March 2021. It is pertinent to mention here that the merchandise exports from the country increased by 13.49 percent during the first ten months of the current fiscal year. The exports from the country were recorded at $20.881 billion during July-April (2020-21) against the exports of $18.399 billion in July-April (2019-20). On the other hand, the merchandise imports into the country also increased by 17.67 percent by going up from $37.992 billion last year to $44.706 billion during the current year. Based on the figures, the trade deficit increased by 21.60 percent by swelling from $19.593 billion last year to $23.825 billion during the current fiscal year.

Preferring plastic over natural fibers is no option: Natural Fiber Alliance British fashion designers have recently called the United Kingdom to ban the sale of natural fur. Following lobbying efforts from a small group of activists, several British designers, including Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Erdem Moralioglu, recently requested British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ban the sale of natural fur in the United Kingdom. The Natural fiber Alliance (NFA) criticized their statement and said that plastic is no choice due to enhanced environmental concerns. NFA noted that

the move could be seen as a 'cynical attempt' by businesses to use the government to harm their competition. The Natural Fibers Alliance is a coalition of producers and associations that support natural, sustainable materials in clothing, accessories, and other goods. Synthetic materials and the "fast fashion" industry put plastic pollution in our oceans and dump non-biodegradable clothes into landfills. At the same time, misguided activist groups seek to curtail the use of sustainable, natural materials.

CertainT® for Cotton Traceability CertainT® for Cotton Traceability is an approach to authenticate goods within large and complex supply chains offered by Applied DNA Sciences. With this technique, materials such as cotton and leather, home textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, personal care, cannabis, and other products. CertainT® has ensured the authenticity of approximately 300 million pounds of North American Pima and Upland cotton and has been deployed to secure Egyptian and Australian cotton. The testing begins by authenticating the fiber content in cotton to confirm its origin. The platform then employs a unique molecular identifier produced by the Company's LinearDNA™ platform to mark cotton fibers in bulk. The cotton fiber travels throughout a global supply chain and is converted into yarn, fabric, and finished goods. The identifier's detection confirms origin and authenticity; its absence can signal to blend with illicit cotton, including cotton potentially produced using forced labor. The CertainT® logo signifies to consumers of cotton products that they can trust the products they buy with said trust grounded in forensic, science-based authentication.

April/May 2021

Cameroon to witness a new record of cotton production

Cameroon, the Central African country, is expected to witness a new record of cotton production aiming at 350,000 tons, according to the country's cotton development corporation Sodecoton. Cameroon's cotton production was 328,000 tons in the previous season, mainly exported to various countries, including Asian countries, with China being the leading destination. Other Asian countries importing Cameroon cotton are Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Last year, as part of its 2020-30 National Development Strategy, the Cameroon government merged Sodecoton and Cotonnière Industrielle du Cameroun (Cicam) to boost its cotton textiles industry. Before

the merger, Sodecoton organized the production and marketing of cotton in Cameroon, while Cicam specialized in manufacturing 100 percent cotton loincloths and towels. In 2019, 18.4 percent of Cameroon's cotton production was exported to China (compared to 22 percent in 2018), followed by 12.2 percent to Italy and 11 percent to India. Sodecoton is planning to increase the country's annual cotton production to 600,000 tons by 2025. Sodecoton plans to develop high-yielding seed varieties to reach the ambitious target, instead of the earlier planned introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops.

H&M introduces an e-commerce system H&M is the second biggest clothing retailer in the world. Now the brand has eyes on South Asian countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The brand, in collaboration with Zalora, has launched on the e-commerce platform in these countries. The tie-up debuted in Indonesia in mid-March, April 1, 2021, in Malaysia, and on April 14, 2021, in Singapore. The announcement has been made following the success of the e-commerce system in the Philippines during the past months. H&M is trying to strengthen its partnership with Zalora by further extending the footprint across Southeast Asia. Backed by its substantial presence in crucial markets, Zalora complements the extensive physical store portfolio and the digital stores at hm.com. H&M sees excellent potential for significant future growth, and Zalora will be an important part of catering to customers' evolving needs and demands. Zalora brand also showed tremendous excitement to continue working with a globally renowned fashion brand like H&M. April/May 2021

Pakistan to continue the regionally competitive energy tariffs for the textiles Pakistan’s uncompetitive and inefficient energy mix has rendered economic growth elusive and raised pertinent affordability questions. The regionally competitive energy tariffs provided in 2018 to support the textile sector, Pakistan’s largest manufacturing and exporting sector, reaped benefits instantly and led to impressive expansion and growth, both within the industry and for Pakistan’s economy as a whole. Despite unreliable energy supply and higher tariffs, the textile sector has been operating at full capacity and receiving increased orders, leading to the revival of non-operational units and creating new jobs. Textiles have been heavily supporting the economy, yet illogical energy tariff hikes and policies hamper the industry’s profitability. In the past, the textile sector commended the Prime Minister for making Pakistan’s energy tariffs competitive with those in Bangladesh and India. Still, the current rate is 9 cents/Kwh, which is well above the average of 7 cents in the region. According to APTMA, the country will witness an increase in the textile exports by up to $16.5 billion in June 2021 and $20 billion in June 2022 if the Government assures the continuation of Regionally Competitive Energy Tariffs of $6.5 per MMBtu of Gas/RLNG and 7.5 cents per unit of electricity. The April/May 2021

current increase in exports demonstrates the competitiveness of Pakistan’s exports; when inputs are provided at regionally competitive prices, exports were achieved despite an unfavorable international environment. Keeping in view the overall aspects of exports, a relief package worth Rs. 26 billion has been approved for the textile sector of Pakistan. The news has been highly appreciated by the textile industries all over the country. The Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCOE) approved this package by extending the tariff scheme. The package was initially approved in November 2020 and was set to expire on April 30, 2021. The Government had initially introduced the gas supply scheme at a discounted rate for the export-oriented industry. But later, the Petroleum Division said that all sectors, including those not exporting textile products, were availing the subsidy. The Petroleum Division also proposed that only the export-oriented industry should benefit from the support on gas supply. Interestingly, the textile industry was not only availing the subsidy on gas supply but also receiving electricity at discounted rates. It is believed that such a huge relief could be beneficial for the textile industries, and they could perform well to meet their targets regarding exports.

COVID-19 hits demanding Indian Textiles Industry The textile industry of India, especially Gujrat, is suffering badly from the current spike of COVID-19 cases in the country. The Federation of Gujarat Weavers Association (FOGWA) told the media that fabric production has declined by around 22 percent compared to March 2021. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) have requested the state chief minister Vijay Rupani to impose a complete lockdown for one week. According to these trade bodies, the voluntary 2-day lockdown on weekends is not enough to break the chain of the coronavirus. Restriction of working hours, migration of workers, and textile traders testing positive factors adversely affect textile production and trade in the manmade textile hub. Though the government is yet to announce a full-fledged lockdown, several workers migrate from Surat due to the fear that it might be imposed. As a result, workers' strength in factories has gone down by 25-30 percent.

PTEA to get a new head office The Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) will set up its new head office in M3 Industrial City of Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC). Spread across an area of 150 acres, the new office will help promote the country’s textile industry in the economic zones of FIEDMC. The land will be provided at a subsidized rate. According to Pakistani media reports, a virtual meeting was recently held between Mian Kashif Ashfaq, chairman of FIEDMC, and PTEA chairman Muhammad Ahmed to make this decision. The FIEDMC chairman said that assistance would be provided to the association for the revival and development of the textile industry. In an address to the representatives from Denmark, Norway, and Finland in a virtual roadshow organized by Pakistan’s ministry of commerce, Ashfaq said that there are many opportunities in the FIEDMC economic zones for investors. He also noted that companies investing in the FIEDMC economic zones would be given special incentives such as exemptions in income tax for 10 years and importing duty-free machines.

April/May 2021

APTMA defended the high yarn prices in Pakistan

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) defended the high yarn prices across the country. APTMA said that failure to hedge against exchange rate fluctuation is a business decision, and neither the Government nor anyone else can be held responsible. It is deplorable that some of the more minor trade associations have politicized a purely economic issue. The actual financial problem that has caused such an uncalled outburst is the fluctuating dollar price. Spinners imported cotton when cotton prices were high (90 cents/lb), and the exchange rate was 165. Currently, cotton is at 80 cents, and the exchange rate is 153. The combined effect is that raw material (cotton) that has been imported is 22% more expensive. Still, the yarn manufacturers had to adjust pricing in line with the lower cotton price and exchange rate, taking a hit of approximately 10% on yarn's realized value. In a business that is volume-based with small margins, large-scale unforeseen appreciation has wiped out profitability. Failure to hedge against exchange rate fluctuation is a business decision, and neither the Government nor anyone else can be held responsible. There is no question of shortage of yarn or fabric as it is in surplus. As per the free market mechanism, the buyers only need to pay international prices to

the value chain, but the so-called value-added sector of knitwear and woven garments is crying as they do not want to pay global yarn prices fabric. Import of yarn without duty and taxes from anywhere is free for export purposes of the final product. Sources point out that cotton and yarn prices from India are temporarily lower as Indian producers currently do not have access to the Pakistani market, which does not require shipment by sea. Also, as Indian exports were not as vibrant during the pandemic, they have a temporary stockpile. Commerce and ECC of the cabinet had almost submitted to the demands of garment manufacturers for the import of cotton from India. However, this would have compromised Pakistan's principled stance on Kashmir PM in full cabinet meeting ruled it out. But there is no stock of yarn or fabric currently available, with the companies suggesting that the funds were utilized elsewhere. Export Refinance availed by the value-added sector must be audited to see whether the credit is being used for the purpose it was meant to be. Cheaper yarn, as is claimed, could have been imported but was not done so. It would be interesting to find out what items this concessional finance has spent – there will be nasty surprises, APTMA argues. April/May 2021

GSP+ status commotion: Threats and developments EU parliament’s resolution for reviewing the preferential scheme for imports from Pakistan has triggered some panic across the country, especially in the textile sector of Pakistan. The European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding Pakistan to allow space for religious freedom. It urged the EU authorities to review GSP plus status for Pakistan amid the increasing number of blasphemy cases. With the spread of Covid-19 in India and Bangladesh, Pakistan received the bulk of export orders from the US and other European countries. Trade numbers best tell this story. Though Pakistan’s textile industry also showed some concerns due to the lockdown threats, the following month saw a quick recovery as textile units were allowed to reopen and exports from the sector reported a steady pace. The EU is a prominent destination and trading partner for Pakistan as it contributes nearly 34 percent of Pakistan’s total exports. Due to the GSP+ status, almost 80 percent of Pakistan’s exports go to the EU. The textile sector is the dominant player in rising exports to the EU with linen items, towels, garments, and yarns. The textile industry contributes over 60 percent to the country’s exports. Hence, it is no surprise that the business community is alarmed over the development and underperformed sector at the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a critical meeting to discuss a resolution passed by the European Parliament a few days ago which calls for a review of Pakistan’s GSP Plus status. Addressing the gatherApril/May 2021

ing, Prime Minister stressed that the government would not compromise on the laws about the finality of Prophethood. The participants, during the meeting, decided to address the reservations of the European Union. It was also unanimously agreed that the protection of minorities in the country would be ensured. The participants, according to reports, said the GSP Plus trade agreement has nothing to with the blasphemy laws. The meeting was briefed that Pakistan could lose $3 billion if the GSP Plus status is revoked. In reaction to the development mentioned above, Pakistan had said it was disappointed at adopting the resolution at the European Parliament on blasphemy laws in the country. Though there is panic in the business community, yet the future is bright. Pakistan’s textile industry is providing textile items at a cheap rate than other countries. The brands switching to other countries in this pandemic have fewer opportunities available due to the worst scenario of COVID-19 among competitors like India and Bangladesh. Pakistan’s exports are increasing with other countries, including the USA and China. There is enormous potential to expand the exports further if the EU market continues to losing interest or ask for non-realistic actions. Another important strategy shift could be the customer driving approach of the textile industry. The textile sector should introduce technical products and market them with appropriate strategies instead of being customer-driven. Though it is time taking, such a shift is inevitable for the survival of the industry.

EURATEX releases the Quarterly Economic Update

EURATEX released its quarterly economic update on the 9th of April 2021. EURATEX showed concerns that the Covid19 crisis may soon be followed by disruptions in our global supply chains, affecting our industry's competitiveness. Over the full year 2020, EU sales of textiles fell by –9.3% and clothing sales by –17.7%, compared with 2019. Economic data up to December 2020 reflects a dramatic contraction in both the demand and production of textile and clothing caused by the pandemic. The crisis was particularly severe in the middle of the year, with production losses of over 50%. EU imports increased by +5.5% in 2020. This increase was primarily due to the import of personal protective equipment, including facemasks, especially from China – up from a value of €1 billion in 2019 to €20 billion in 2020. Towards the last quarter of 2020, business activity recovered for the textile industry (+1.6% compared with the previous quarter) but further deteriorated in the clothing sector (-6.8%) due to the decline in consumption expenditure slowdown in non-essential activities. In March 2021, EU Business Confidence Indicator showed an upward trend in the textile industry (+3.8 points) and a modest recovery in the clothing April/May 2021

industry (+1.6 points). The Employment Expectations Indicator also revealed an increase. However, these signs of recovery are being jeopardized by recent turmoil in the textile and clothing supply chain, raising the prices of textile fibers and dyestuffs and transport costs. Also, there is a negative impact on CO2 prices and political turmoil in some important sourcing countries such as China and Myanmar, which creates uncertainty, adding to the challenges of the corona pandemic. Euratex believes 2021 will be a critical year for the competitiveness of the European textile and clothing industry. A forward-looking EU textiles strategy, which offers the right policy mix and support instruments for SMEs, is essential. The EU Textiles strategy is expected to be issued in the third quarter of 2021. While it will put a strong focus on sustainability and circularity, Euratex believes the system must take a broader perspective and ensure long-term competitiveness. With around 160,000 companies employing 1.5 million workers, the EU textile and clothing industry is an essential pillar of the local economy across many EU regions. With over €61 billion of exports, the industry is a global player successfully commercializing highly value-added products on growing markets worldwide.

Partnership for Cleaner Textile saves a massive amount of water

Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) is a flagship program of the private sector lending arm of the World Bank Group. Bangladesh's textile and garment factories have significantly cut water and energy consumption and saved 28.7 billion liters of water per year. About 338 washing, dyeing, spinning, weaving, and garment factories in Bangladesh have adopting low-cost and cleaner production processes and installing new technologies under a program initiated by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Under the PaCT-2 program, the mills and factories slashed wastewater discharge by 24.1 billion liters. Participating mills and factories invested $44 million for the purpose. Similarly, the factories are saving 2.9 million megawatt-hours (MGh) of electricity annually and avoiding 558,391 tonnes of carbon emission, according to data from the PaCT. Urmi Group of textiles Bangladesh currently consumes 60 liters of water to dye one kg knit fabrics, way down from 100 liters to 105 liters needed two years ago. The PaCT supports the entire textile value chain – spinning, weaving, wet processing, and garment factories -- in adopting cleaner production practices. It focuses on reducing the environmental impact and resource consumption. The PaCT is the first program ever to incorporate cutting-edge innovations to address the

environmental and sustainability challenges related to the textile sector. Envoy Textile Ltd, the export-oriented company, used 60.47 liters of water to produce one kilogram of denim fabrics in 2016. The water use has gone down to 44.9 liters thanks to installing the full-water metering technology in collaboration with the PaCT. It has cut water consumption for processing fabrics. It can process one kg denim fabrics using 55.63 liters of water, which was 85.76 liters earlier. The Bhaluka-based factory has targeted to reduce water consumption by 34.91 percent by 2021 compared to 2016. Urmi Group of garment exporter currently consumes 60 liters of water to dye one kg knit fabrics, way down from 100 liters to 105 liters needed two years ago. Apart from the sector's participation in the initiatives regarding climate change and circularity, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has also pledged to sustainability, said Rubana Huq, the immediate past president of the association. In collaboration with the UNDP and the Global Reporting Initiative, a survey to develop a report highlighting the impact of ready-made garment factories on the Sustainable Development Goals was conducted. The BGMEA has joined the UN Climate Change and the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action with an ambition to reduce GHG emissions by 30 percent by 2030. April/May 2021

CPEC promoting regional and global trade integration The bilateral economic cooperation between China and Pakistan would go a long way in promoting regional and global trade integration. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pak-China Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA- II) are the two critical milestones that strengthened trade and investment. It is pertinent to mention that both the countries had signed the 2nd Phase of China Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) during the Prime Minister’s visit in April 2019, which became operational from 1st January 2020. The CPFTA-II has a very positive impact on Pakistan’s exports in all potential sectors, which indicates that it is going in the right direction, for which the credit goes to exporters. CPFTA-II had bought down tariffs to zero for Pakistan on 313 high-priority tariff lines, which benefited the country as almost half of the Pakistani exports to China were covered within these lines. In recent years, the bilateral trade volume between China and Pakistan has increased rapidly with a stable commodity structure, though the balance was much in favor of China. According to the latest data of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, Pakistan overall exports to China were recorded at $1407.743 million against exports of $1298.531 million during the same period of last year, showing growth of 8.41 percent, SBP data revealed. On the other hand, the imports from China into the country during the period under review were recorded at $9074.105 million against $6967.724 million last year, showing an increase of 30.23 percent in the first three quarters of this year. China also April/May 2021

topped the list of countries from where Pakistan imported different products during the first three quarters of the financial year (2020-21), followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore, according to SBP data. China is currently Pakistan’s largest single trading partner, while Pakistan is China’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia. Major imports from China include electrical and electronic equipment, machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers, consumer goods, organic chemicals, iron and steel, iron or steel, manmade filaments, plastics, fertilizers, and manmade staple fibers. According to the Board of Investment data, China also topped the countries on the investment side by bringing Pakistan US$944.54 million Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year (2020-21). The FDI during the last year (2019-20) was recorded at $973.53 million and $701.61 million in 2018-19, official sources said. With the initiation of CPEC, there has been an upsurge in investment flows into Pakistan, especially in the infrastructure and energy sectors. Chinese and Pakistani officials and business people also initiated advance business-to-business (B2B) matchmaking in the textile industry under CPEC. The development of an online B2B portal will assist potential domestic and foreign investors and serve as a one-stop database of available public and private sector investment projects. Thus, there is excellent potential to be tapped in China-Pakistan economic cooperation, mainly because of the concept of the CPEC.

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Customized polyester thanks to viscosity build-up in the VacuFil recycling line The BB Engineering VacuFil process enables the reutilization of polyester waste into high-end textile filament and fiber products

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Visco+ filter components – the heart of the BB Engineering’s VacuFil recycling system

Sustainable handling of natural resources is a global task, something that needs to be addressed now and not just in the future. This relates in particular to the further development of the circular economy for post-consumer or post-production waste. For this reason, the recyclability of PET products made by the manmade fiber industry is attributed special significance. Modern resource-friendly packaging would not be conceivable without manmade PET fibers and commodities generally made from chemicals, such

as beverage bottles, cleaning materials, etc. As a raw material that is – along with polyolefins and polyamide – such a dominant raw material, it is essential that polyester is also recycled. For PET bottle material, the recycling of polyester materials and the possibilities for converting the waste into new high-end products within the polyester filaments, fibers and nonwovens market are state-of-the-art. Across the globe, consumers in the markets are demanding sustainable products April/May 2021

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and the careful utilization of resources – increasingly in the textile sector as well. Leading fashion companies, sports apparel and furniture manufacturers and the automobile industry, i.e. for car seats and interior cladding components, are increasingly focusing on sustainable products and products made from recycled materials. Today, they are already telling suppliers of filaments, fibers and nonwovens that they will be switching from exclusively virgin polyester to recycled polyester – in some cases up to 100 percent – for the manufacture of their textile products in the near future. Consumers’ social awareness has been the trigger for this development. The original idea – namely to manufacture sub-premium goods using recycled polyester raw material, i.e. for use in insulating materials – is short-sighted from today’s perspective. Recycled polyester has long been prevalent within the high-end textile segment. Viewing polyester as a valuable resource rather than as waste is an important and proper development. Manmade fibers and filaments made from recycled bottle flake material require corresponding single-variety collection or pre-sorting of the bottle material being recycled and comprehensive cleaning before they are shredded into polyester flakes. It is then possible to spin these flakes directly into POY filaments (DTY in the downstream process), staple April/May 2021

fibers, nonwovens and BCF endless filaments. Today, the technology is so refined that the products achieve a quality standard that corresponds to virgin material in many applications. However, there are also many cases in which the material quality and/or property achieved does not comply with the market requirements. For numerous textile applications, parameters such as viscosity and homogeneity are crucial and must be subject to virtually no fluctuations. In other words, to enable recycled polyester to be used here in the first

place necessitates its pre-treatment. And this is carried out by the VacuFil recycling process, a BB Engineering GmbH development. The VacuFil enables the manufacture of extremely homogeneous, viscosity-stable rPET melt and hence a precisely definable and reproducible raw material for downstream processes (i.e. spinning plant). As a manufacturer of components and systems for producing manmade fibers, BB Engineering (BBE) is familiar with the dire impact that even the smallest viscosity deviation has on the spinning plant process. With the VacuFil, the company has succeeded, depending on the intended end application, in aligning the melt with the process in

a targeted manner. Macro- and microscopic melt homogeneity is achieved by means of homogenization drying, controlled plasticizing, gentle filtration and controlled vacuum degassing.

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Matthias Schmitz, VacuFil Product Manager, and Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Managing Director

In the downstream processes, the melt can either be first granulated or fed directly into the end product’s manufacturing process. Recycled polyester, produced using the BBE VacuFil process, can even be used for more challenging downstream processes, including the manufacture of FDY filaments, for example. Here the material is subjected to extreme loads throughout the entire manufacturing process. In the FDY single-stage process, the filaments are drawn and taken up at speeds of up to 4,500 m/min. BBE is headquartered in Remscheid/Germany and is a joint venture between Brückner Group GmbH, the world market leader for machines for the polyester foil industry and headquartered in

Siegsdorf/Germany, and Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG, one of the leading provider for systems for the manmade fiber industry and headquartered in Remscheid/Germany. BBE is a pioneer in the development of processes for using recycled materials, particularly polyester flakes, and converting them into contemporary, market-appropriate products for filaments, fibers and nonwovens for manmade fiber industry consumers. “Our decades of competence kicked in while we were developing the VacuFil. What Oerlikon Barmag brings to the table as a technological leader in the field of filament yarn spinning systems, BBE complements with considerable know-how in the area of extrusion and filtration and in systems construction and engineering!”, states Dr. Klaus Schäfer, CEO of BBE.

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BBE is the exclusive supplier of extrusion filter technology for various manmade fiber industry polymers, particularly polyester, for its parent companies. As a result of its association with the Brückner and Oerlikon Textile groups, BBE is always aware of the requirements of the further-processing industry in terms of granulate and melt made from recycled polyester. It is also, and particularly, for this reason that the further development of post-consumer PET material and post-production PET material is of special interest to BBE’s parent companies and the reason for them bundling their recycling know-how to form the BBE joint venture. BBE is located at the same site in Remscheid as Oerlikon Barmag. When it comes to the downstream processes with the VarioFil spinning system – the basis for spinning high-end manmade POY and FDY fiber filaments for textile and industrial applications that has been tried-and-tested for decades now – BBE is already an established manufacturer of compact and flexible systems for the manmade fiber industry. VarioFil R spinning systems have been used for converting PET regranulates and – directly – PET flakes into POY/DTY for both textile and carpet applications. And spin-dyed products made from PET recycled granulates are also being produced April/May 2021

using VarioFil systems. The development, construction and assembly of VacuFil and VarioFil units are carried out exclusively in Remscheid, very much in line with the company’s tried-and-tested ‘Made in Germany’ machine construction philosophy. VacuFil premiered at the ITMA 2019 in Barcelona, garnering considerable attention at the trade fair. Since then, numerous tests have been conducted on the pilot system at the Remscheid site using authentic waste material supplied by various customers. The polyester recycled using the VacuFil has been successfully spun into POY and FDY. Various target viscosities and starting materials are not a problem for the VacuFil thanks to the innovative key component, the Visco+ vacuum filter. A reactor is not required. The VacuFil unites gentle large-scale filtration and swift intrinsic viscosity build-up for consistently-outstanding melt quality. The attached vacuum unit, which is automatically regulated between 1 and 30 mbar, removes volatile contamination, ensures a controlled IV increase and additionally achieves an ideal melt homogeneity, which is vital for the downstream spinning performance. Comprising an inline viscosity measuring unit connected to the vacuum system, the IV can be continuously and reliably adjusted. Hence,

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producers are able to generate the specific kind of recycled polyester they require for their application. The excellent degasification performance additionally relieves energy-intensive pre-drying. With their modular structure and a performance spectrum of between 300 kg/h and maximum 3,000 kg/h, VacuFil systems open up various possibilities for processing polyester waste. Bottle flakes, agglomerated spinning waste or a mixture of both can be processed into high-quality PET granulate or fed directly into downstream processes (i.e. the spinning plant). The entire recycling process is controlled and monitored by Oerlikon Barmag’s GUIDE system, guaranteeing the accustomed reliability. With an optional 3DD mixer, the market-proven mixing technology manufactured by BBE, producers can not only add additives to the melt, they can also easily change rPET ratios in the main melt from between 5 and 50 percent stream in order to comply with legal standards.

Customer requirements can be optimally catered for with various system configurations. “The close collaboration between the future operators of the system and our experts ensures that projects are successful. Tests carried out using authentic raw material supplied by customers in our small-scale production system guarantee a sophisticated process that complies with the mentioned requirements. With our process visualization system, customers always have a close eye on the broad operating window and the optimum operating point. And if this is occasionally not the case, our software supplies useful process optimization information. This saves costs and increases productivity!”, explains Matthias Schmitz, VacuFil Product Manager. BBE’s customer-centric approach has also been apparent throughout the coronavirus pandemic. BBE offers digital videoconferencing to continue providing access to their technology for their global customers. And this offer is being willingly accepted. April/May 2021

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High-tech behind historic walls

TextielMuseum in the Netherlands buys P2 rapier weaving machine from

The world-renowned aircraft manufacturer Dornier began building textile machinery after the Second World War. The reason for this realignment: The Allies had prohibited the company from building aircraft in Germany. In 1950, Lindauer DORNIER GmbH was founded by Peter Dornier, son of the famous aviation pioneer Claude Dornier, in the same building in Lindau-Rickenbach which still serves as the company headquarters. The first result of his search for a new field of activity was the manufacture of shuttle weaving machines. April/May 2021

With corporate divisions, weaving machines and specialty machines, today DORNIER has established itself as a global technology leader. Only introduced to the market in 2019 and already worth exhibiting: The well-known "TextielMuseum" in Tilburg, the Netherlands, has acquired a P2 rapier weaving machine from Lindauer DORNIER for its textile laboratory. According to its director “a long-cherished dream" came true with the purchase of the weaving machine from the Lindau-based

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machine and plant manufacturer. The official tourism website for the Netherlands says Tilburg, which lies about 100 kilometers south of Amsterdam, is a "cosy town". If you click through online travel guides, the city's textile museum is at the top of the list of recommended sights. It is part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage, which connects important historical economic sites in Europe. Located in a 19th century textile factory, the museum sees itself as a "dynamic and creative place". Not only knowledge about the history of the textile industry is passed on here, in fact the areas of design, art, fashion and innovation are interwoven within the construct of textiles. Textile research in the museum The "TextielLab" is connected to the museum. Here, students, architects, young artists and established designers from all over the world work on textile research, development and design projects using state-of-the-art technology. Recently, the museum's machine park was extended by a brand new P2 rapier weaving machine from DORNIER. Although the museum already owns three weaving machines, says Hebe Verstappen, head of the textile laboratory, the acquisition of the P2 "fulfilled a long-cherished dream", as the wide range of applications of the machine offers to innovative students, artists and designers completely new technical possibilities to realise their textile ideas and concepts. Tapestries for exhibition in Bregenz The first user of the new acquisition will be Otobong Nkanga. "I'm really looking forward to experimenting April/May 2021

on the P2," says the performance artist, whose work has already been on show at London's Tate Gallery of Modern Art. The flexibility of the rapier weaving machines on which DORNIER's customers produce fabrics for home textiles, clothing and technical textiles opens up all kinds of possibilities for her to experiment with different yarns, colours and textures. The artist's first project will be a four-part tapestry series that will celebrate its premiere at a solo exhibition at Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria, this autumn. Woven creativity in today's world DORNIER is proud to see the variety of creative woven innovations that are produced on the weaving machines from Lake Constance in the Tilburg "TextielMuseum", but also at many universities, research institutes and design studios. "Weaving is a textile technology that is over 10,000 years old. As a weaving machine manufacturer, we have seen a lot over the decades, but we never cease to be surprised at how great the diversity of ideas in fabric production still is," says Florian Boch, Head of Central Marketing and Communication at DORNIER. The P2 has also been very well received by DORNIER's industrial customers since its introduction in 2019. Weaving mills in Europe, Asia and the USA are ensuring very satisfactory sales figures despite Corona's impact on the global economy. According to the family-owned company DORNIER, this is mainly due to the fact that the P2, as the successor to the rapier weaving machine introduced in 1967, continues to demonstrate its quality as the most flexible rapier weaving machine in the world, which is much-vaunted in expert circles..

A breakthrough for break drafts Modern draw frame machines offer a fantastic range of settings that can be adjusted to meet each spinners’ unique needs. But adjusting the break draft has still been difficult, unpredictable and very slow. The AUTO DRAFT function from Truetzschler, which is part of our successful autoleveller draw frame TD 10, uses an innovative measuring method to automatically optimize the break draft during production conditions. And it takes less than two minutes. For many decades, spinners have been wrestling with the awkward problem of how to adjust the break draft on the draw frame. This is partly because adjusting the break draft involves changing a wide range of settings on the draw frame – and each setting needs to be adapted in line with every other setting. As a result, many spinners simply leave their break draft settings untouched because they don’t have time to interrupt their busy production schedule. On top of this, there is currently no laboratory test or measured variable that provides clear information Yarn US Denim Mills. Lahore. Pakistan about the optimal break draft settings. Even fiber and draw frame manufacturers are only able to provide rough guidelines, which means spinners can only tell if their break draft settings are suitable when they inspect the finished yarn. Many spinners try to adjust the break draft using the Coefficient of Variation (CV) value. But while low break drafts often improve sliver evenness, this approach can open up additional problems (as shown in the graphic below). Setting the break draft too low can reduce yarn strength and elongation. And it can also increase the number of imperfections and have a negative effect on the running behavior and efficiency of the machines operating at later stages in the spinning process. This means optimization is only possible in the very long term, if at all. April/May 2021

Influence of the break draft

Faster and better than anything else on the market Our innovative AUTO DRAFT function provides a high-impact solution to this awkward problem in the production of carded ring yarns, including polyester. It uses a state-of-the-art measuring method to calculate the best possible break draft setting automatically – within real production conditions. The method considers all fiber and sliver parameters, as well as the settings on the specific model of draw frame and the relevant external boundary conditions. The user can then choose whether to apply the recommended setting in the software of their machine. AUTO DRAFT is able to identify the optimal break draft setting in less than two minutes. This accelerates the process of adjusting the break draft and creates meaningful clarity about how to optimize those adjustments. Put very simply: It is faster and better than everything else that is currently available on the market.

An unbeatable combination: The TD 10 with AUTO DRAFT

A massive range of attractive benefits Our customers across the textile industry around the world are already benefitting from AUTO DRAFT, a feature in our autoleveller draw frame TD 10. The major advantages include: • Optimal adjustment of the break draft – including selecting the best possible settings for new materials at the first attempt. • Correct drafting distribution in the drafting system. • Less adjustment and shorter process times. • Better basic settings for the machine – which reduces the negative effects of sub-optimal machine setting and provides a better, more uniform sliver quality. • Reduction of costs related to quality control. • Easy monitoring and adjustment of the machine settings when the quality of the raw material changes. • And improvements at later stages in the production process. How it works When activated, the AUTO DRAFT function continuously changes the break draft from 1.00 to 1.95, and then measures the draft forces within the drafting system.

AUTO DRAFT begins calculating the break draft

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It measures the break draft force over the entire draft zone

And it displays the results of the automatic break draft calculation process

Conclusion The AUTO DRAFT function is a truly game-changing technology for break draft optimization. It makes it possible to adjust the break draft quickly and easily, using an innovative and automatic method that operates within real production conditions – and that

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takes all relevant factors into consideration. In this way, it is enabling spinners to save time and money, while improving quality and making their processes more efficient. It’s a major breakthrough for the break draft. And it’s empowering Truetzschler’s customers worldwide to grab a valuable competitive advantage.

Klaus Heinrichs

Monforts says goodbye to Klaus Heinrichs After almost 30 years with the company, Monforts Vice-President Klaus Heinrichs retire at the end of May A very well-known and respected figure in the industry, Klaus began working in marketing for the company in 1992. “From the very beginning until today Klaus used his great flair and networking skills to secure and improve the company’s international presence and public relations, especially at seven successive ITMA textile machinery exhibitions, beginning with the show in Milan in 1995,” said Monforts Marketing Manager Nicole Croonenbroek. “Later, he also took care of customer service, sales administration and exports in his uniquely calm and quietly-spoken style.” “He has always been a guarantor of successful product launches for Monforts technical and technological highlights such as the TwinAir principle of independent airflow regulation, the Hercules LTM stenter chain, the Econtrol® dyeing technology or the Montex®Coat device - to mention only a few.”

Klaus has also been active on the VDMA’s Exhibition and Marketing Committee since 1993, which he chaired from 2005 to 2008. “Klaus always enriched the industry discussions with practical and future-oriented proposals and thus also advanced ITMA,” said Thomas Waldmann, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association. “We sincerely thank him and wish him all the best for this new chapter of his life.” “We will miss Klaus as a colleague and as a manager because of his skills, character and his engagement,” added Monforts Managing Director Stefan Flöth. “He truly represents the Monforts commitment to our customers to be helpful, accurate, fast and reliable, and we keep him as a friend. I’m sure the many friends he made throughout the world during his career with the company will join us in wishing him all the best for his next phase of life together with his family.” April/May 2021

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and TextileGenesis™ announce collaboration The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a new science-based sustainability program that collects robust farm-level data against six key sustainability metrics, is pleased to announce that it is further enhancing the value of its program by delivering unparalleled supply chain transparency through its Protocol Credit Management System (PCMS). Recognizing the growing importance of increased supply chain visibility to brand and retail members, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is joining the TextileGenesis™ platform as the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber to offer full transparency across the supply chain on the platform. “Today, having a holistic view of every step throughout the supply chain is imperative for brands and retailers,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “We are proud to announce our collaboration with TextileGenesis™ to address this need as the Trust Protocol aims to set a new standard for more sustainable and trackable cotton production.” In combination with the existing Protocol Platform, developed by Memphis-based technology partner The Seam LLC., the TextileGenesis™ platform will allow the PCMS to record and verify the movement of U.S. cotton fiber through the entire process by capturing and verifying article level transactions between the multiple participants along the complete supply chain. Upon receipt of their finished products, Trust Protocol brand and retail members will be able

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to claim Protocol Credits, digital tokens equivalent to the physical cotton produced under the program, and make corresponding claims related to the environmental metrics and sustainable practices adopted by participating Trust Protocol growers. “We have engineered our platform to leverage the latest technology and industry-specific best-practices, with a heavy emphasis on strong data methodologies,” said Amit Gautam, CEO and founder of TextileGenesis™. “Collaborating with the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, with its clear focus on robust data and the strength of its verification practices, creates a powerful solution for brands and retailers worldwide in their search for more sustainable fibers and enhanced visibility in their supply chains.” The collaboration will result in initial pilot trials with selected brands and mills in early June 2021, with full deployment of the PCMS envisioned for early 2022. The Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 300 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members since its launch in 2020. It is included on the Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibers and materials that more than 170 participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index program. The Trust Protocol also is working to align with existing standards in the cotton industry and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Forum for the Future Cotton 2040, and the CottonUp guide.

100 percent success in a post pandemic world After a turbulent year, it seems strange to be thinking about ‘after the pandemic’, but with millions of vaccinations underway, the light at the end of the tunnel is visible. As we turn the corner, choosing technology partners that understand how to proactively respond to changing market needs and support the evolving requirements of print businesses and end customers will be vital. The printers in Mimaki’s ‘100 series’ portfolio, which consists of the high quality, high productivity entry level roll-to-roll inkjet printers the UJV100-160 UV and the JV100-160 solvent, and the high performance textile printer, the TS100-1600, are a perfect reflection of the way technology requirements are adapting in line with the industry as we look to the future. To demonstrate this, we have identified three post-pandemic technology touchpoints that will help print businesses target success amid uncertainty. Productivity The pandemic has served as a major catalyst for existing trends, and our growing appetite for everything on-demand has been given a huge COVID-related boost. For printers, a digital solution April/May 2021

that offers premium productivity, quality and efficiency at an entry-level price point is sure to be an invaluable investment to meet evolving ‘on-demand demands’. Adding a digital production element to your business doesn’t need to be daunting, complicated or overpriced – the Mimaki ‘100 series’ truly lives up to the tagline ‘Expert Printing Made Easy’, offering an incredibly intuitive user experience for streamlined, ultra-efficient printing, high-quality output, and cost-effective implementation. The powerful and productive new textile printer in the ‘100 series’, the TS100-1600, is a shining example of equipment developed with the future of the market in mind – the textile industry is fast-paced and constantly innovating, and the printer you invest in needs to keep up with your creativity. Diversity 2021 is set to be a period of transition. While that will mean navigating uncertainty, the ‘glass half full’ approach is to view the year ahead in terms of opportunities such as expanding your business, exploring alternative revenue streams, and taking the plunge into new markets. In the past, it may have felt

as if the barriers to entry when it came to looking beyond your core business were too great. However, in a post-pandemic world, we need to break some of those barriers down and demonstrate that success with digital print is within reach if you invest in the right equipment. With the ‘100 series’ portfolio, Mimaki is acknowledging what print service providers need from their technology partners – the UJV100-160 and the JV100-160 are suitable for a wide range of applications that will allow you to easily and affordably diversify your offering, and with the TS100-1600 textile printer, it has never been easier to target growth in the thriving textile sector, even in challenging times. Affordability Affordability is one of the most significant barriers to entry into new markets. 2020 was a year of unprecedented economic challenges, so it’s more important than ever to be thinking about gaining a competitive edge, and the printers in the ‘100 series’ from Mimaki have been specifically formulated to help you ramp up productivity while keeping running costs low. Whether you want to take your first foray into digital print production, expand the services you offer or simply grow your customer base, cost can be a major sticking point, which is why supporting customers is Mimaki’s number one priority, designing the ‘100 series’ around your needs and continuing to listen to how those needs are developing. Making an investment in the JV100-160 in order to move into outdoor graphics; meeting demand for faster turnaround times by adding the instantly curable UJV100-160 to your production setup; or taking a leap into new revenue streams with the TS100-160 – it’s all ‘100’ percent accessible.

A radical leap in fabric inspection Uster Q-Bar 2 becomes the unique formation monitoring system

Uster Q-Bar 2 – The formation monitoring system

The best way to avoid off-quality is simply not to make it. Uster Q-Bar 2 introduces a radical leap in fabric inspection. It monitors the fabric additionally at the earliest point – the critical stage in fabric formation – with automatic, in-line inspection. Identifying problems here brings enormous benefits, preventing defects and enabling weavers to deliver constant quality and stay competitive in the market. Q-Bar 2 is best described as a formation monitoring system, because of its ingenious positioning directly at the interface of warp and weft threads. That allows rapid response as soon as a defect appears, avoiding long-running or repeating faults. Alarm and stop signals alert the operator to correct problems immediately – and early detection reduces second quality and material loss, as well as minimizing the need for post-production checks. For weavers, these advantages represent genuine April/May 2021

The system displays the fault image and position in real time

and long-awaited innovations with a positive impact on both productivity and quality. Formation monitoring Weaving defects can have various root causes, so Uster Q-Bar 2 provides different algorithms to identify specific defects and their causes. This inbuilt knowledge can prevent defects within the weft insertion cycle. Its enhanced detection position in the fabric formation zone means the warp is monitored even before it is traversed by the weft – a truly unique benefit. It allows detection of incorrect warp positions, missing warp, loose warp ends and even pattern irregularities. “Formation monitoring is the answer to market requests. Weavers demand zero defect standards, increased sustainability by waste reduction and they

want to produce the fabric meeting specific quality requirements,” says Michelle Salg, Product Manager Fabric Inspection at Uster. Total supervision Defects that become visible only in the woven fabric are the nastiest threat. Often, it’s too late when defects such as reed marks, dirty yarns or floats are spotted – but it can’t happen with Uster Q-Bar 2. Its fabric inspection algorithms detect even ‘invisible’ defects in the fabric. It’s the simple solution to improving fabric yield by automated formation monitoring. Q-Bar 2 also monitors critical machine units in the formation zone. If there is a problem here, the system makes it easy to identify and eliminate it, preventing further defects and again maximizing fabric yield. Last but not least, the system has a permanent eye on the fabric width, an essential factor for further processing. For this reason, Q-Bar 2 provides continuous width measurement of the woven fabric, from loom setup to full roll. Designed for users The technology in this new formation monitoring system is impressive, but Q-Bar 2 is highly developed in many other aspects too. Its attractive industrial design is also ergonomic, so users have easy access to all important parts. Weavers appreciate its simple installation on existing weaving machines. And operators like the integrated LEDs used by Q-Bar 2: system status is indicated and the positions of detected defects shown by red lights. The improved hardware platform is capable of handling high loom speeds and is ready for future innovations. First-quality production, to customer specifications, is the overall goal. That is especially important in demanding applications such as industrial and safety textiles. In apparel and home textiles too, it is vital to avoid seconds and minimize waste fabric. “Independent of the fabric application, Uster Q-Bar 2 is a game-changer. For the first time, weavers can actually prevent weaving defects instead of only reacting to them,” says Salg.

EFI Reggiani TERRA pigment

A fast, smooth and eco-friendly choice for digital printing

EFI Reggiani has introduced its new pigment range named TERRA pigment. The digital printing pigments do not require steam, stenter, or washing and yet provide optimum fixation and washing fastness. EFI Reggiani TERRA solution eliminates the need for steaming or washing on direct-to-textile applications using a greener, more efficient polymerization process that takes place as printed textile goes through the printer’s on-board dryer. As a result, users can achieve superior printing results while using less time, water, and energy. EFI™ Reggiani binder technology delivers an environmentally friendly and short process. The inline polymerization guarantees less water, less energy, and less processing time, no washing, and no steaming needed. Furthermore, excellent fastness properties and high printability sharpness allow printing even the most delicate designs on the broadest range of fabrics. The TERRA offers superior results, including excellent wet and dry fastness, while using less time, water, and energy are the key benefits of EFI Reggiani TERRA pigment solution. TERRA also provides perfect printing definition and color intensity with an eight-color configuration that includes red, blue, orange, and green inks in addition to the April/May 2021

standard cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The shelf life of the TERRA pigment range is one year. The inks are light sensitive and should be stored away from heat and direct exposure to sunlight. The recommended humidity is 50-60%. The benefits of the FEI Reggiani’s TERRA pigment include: • High printability sharpness to print even the most delicate designs • Superior dry and wet rubbing fastness • Higher light fastness and printing definition • A broad range of applications (fashion, accessories, outdoor, home decor) • The environmental-friendly and short process with the inline polymerization that guarantees less water, less energy, and less processing time: no washing and no steaming needed • Quicker process and in compliance with new pollution and wastewater environmental restrictive regulations (GOTS certified and accredited with Eco-Passport by OEKO-TEX®) • A solution for cellulosic fibers and poly-cotton blends • No need for post-treatment • Safe for print heads nozzles • Scalable as your business thank to EFI Reggiani TERRA digital printers line up

Ready for more productivity? Reduce your cut-rate by up to 20% with Loepfe YarnMaster PRISMA YarnMaster PRISMA® offers spinners FOUR sensor technologies integrated into ONE single sensing head. The fusion of all its advantages brings a whole new level of precision to yarn clearing - and thus maximum productivity. The increase in productivity is already massive during basic yarn clearing. Loepfe's unique and intelligent Dual Measurement technology provides unprecedented defect visibility and data quality. The various yarn faults are detected more accurately than ever before by intelligently combining the signals of the two measurement methods. This ensures optimized performance for all yarn types, as only the most precise measurement offers the great advantage of accurately distinguishing between an objectionable and a non-objectionable yarn defect. In this

Quality makes the difference!

FASCINATING TEXTILE MACHINERY www.brueckner-textile.com

way, the spinner can decide whether to reduce the cut-rate by up to 20% while maintaining the same yarn quality or to achieve a higher yarn quality with the same cut-rate. Open up new worlds - The Yarnmaster® Prisma Generation! This next-generation yarn clearer focuses entirely on the spinners’ needs. The four-sensor technology guarantees the four key benefits - Productivity, Profitability, Versatility and Reliability - at all times. YarnMaster PRISMA® represents the new benchmark that opens up new worlds where efficiency and quality are in balance, yarn waste and energy are reduced, one device covers all challenges and Swiss-made quality is the standard.

State-of-theart, high-end technologies and software solutions at ITMA Asia SAFIR S40 automatic drawing-in machine. Featuring Active Warp Control technology for yarn sorting

At ITMA Asia 2021 Stäubli will present its wide range of machinery equipped with state-of-the-art, high-end technologies and software solutions that offer new and expanded benefits to textile mills. Visitors to the Stäubli booth at C21 in Hall 3 will learn how Stäubli solutions can boost weaving or sock-knitting performance and their overall mill efficiency. The optimal course of a weaving process depends on many various prerequisites resulting as well from upstream processes, including yarn processing and warp preparation. With its SAFIR series of drawing-in systems, Stäubli offers unique advantages, such as the preparation of top-quality warps with perfectly aligned yarns. The secret is AWC (Active Warp Control), Stäubli’s exclusive yarn sorting technology, which handles both single and multiple yarn types. Visitors to the Stäubli booth will experience how the precision and ingenious technology of the SAFIR S40 automatic drawing-in machine leads to more first-quality output and supports on-time delivery. Frame weaving – new Stäubli developments expand the range of solutions Thanks to its continual R&D activities, Stäubli delivers machinery that perfectly meets evolving market demands and the associated customer April/May 2021

requirements. Stäubli frame-weaving solutions are renowned for reliable high-speed weaving and adaptability to any kind of plain or patterned fabric and any kind of weaving machine. Robustness and high quality have made the broad range of 1600/1700 series of cam motions and the S3000/S3200 series of electronic rotary dobbies well known as extremely reliable workhorses with a very long service life. These machines form a perfect system in combination with dedicated maintenance-free Stäubli transmissions, which are built to the highest quality standards. Jacquard weaving – Stäubli covers the spectrum

LXM electronic Jacquard machine. Available in formats up to 5,376 hooks

From large-format machines (up to 25,600 hooks) to name selvedge Jacquard machines, weavers can choose from a wide range of Stäubli electronic

Carpet weaving – ALPHA 500 series of Schönherr carpet systems Area rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting. Low pile, lightweight loops, flat, cut pile, or high density – whatever the next carpet-weaving challenge may be, the ALPHA 500 carpet weaving system adds immense flexibility to any carpet-weaving mill. It weaves the highest-quality applications and enables swift response to rapidly changing market demands.

N4L name selvedge Jacquard machine. Available in formats of 80 and 128 hooks

Jacquard weaving solutions. The LXM Jacquard machine will be presented at ITMA Asia. It is available in two formats (2,688 and 5,376 hooks) and thus meets the requirements of a wide range of applications and assures reliable operation at high weaving speeds. Stäubli’s convincing answer to the growing need to protect premium proprietary fabrics with brand-name selvedges is the N4L name Jacquard machine, which is being shown for the first time in Asia at ITMA. This machine boasts easy handling, high availability, and reduced maintenance needs. It stands for quality brand-name weaving.

Sock knitting – D4S toe-closing device increases Sock manufacturers face tough challenges. They must be able to rapidly adjust to market demands and meet tight delivery schedules. In sock knitting, toe closing is the critical step. It is very time consuming and helps determine the quality. This is where the D4S toe-closing device comes into play. Installed directly on the circular knitting machine, it closes one sock whilst the machine is already knitting the next one. Visitors to the Stäubli booth will see the impressive efficiency of this device in action. Besides offering many decisive functional advantages, Stäubli machines promise a very long lifespan, especially when original replacement parts are used. Stäubli keeps these in stock for many years after the sale. This is in keeping with the company’s mission: offering advantages and benefits to customers and providing genuine partnership for successful and sustainable business.

D4S toe-closing device. Automated knitting solution by Stäubli

April/May 2021

Solutions-oriented portfolio to maximize machinery return on investment Savio will be attending “ITMA ASIA+CITME 2020” exhibition, taking place in Shanghai/China, from 12 to 16 June 2021. It is very important be back to physical events in the biggest textile market like China and meet in person our customers again. Savio is soon exhibiting in Shanghai solutions-oriented portfolio to maximize machinery return on investment, both for machinery and for technical service. Savio will have on display at ITMA ASIA the winding solutions especially studied for processing cotton/spandex, modal and lyocell yarns. Savio offers numerous machinery solutions to support the quality of the final yarn product: winding, winding for continuous shrinkage, bulking and heat setting; TFO twisting; Open-End rotor spinning. Another main exhibit is the “Savio 4.0” digital solutions for data exchange in manufacturing technologies. The new possibilities offered by the connection of the machines translates into the different levels of Savio Industrial IoT, with the possibility of progressive sophistication. Different option levels, each corresponding to a different dose of Industry 4.0 applied to Savio textile winding machinery, from simple connectivity and machinery data downloading, to remote machine setup, to operator real-time interactivity. April/May 2021

Automation and digital solutions have been two big drives for Savio in the last years. The requirement for integrated automation in the spinning process is increasing, because of yarn quality and productivity advantages that such solution offers. This integrated automation drive has led Savio to offer customers new bespoke solutions, to increase flexibility to/fro winder. The latest automated solution from Savio is the Multi-Link, that connects multiple ring spinning frames (RSF) to one Savio winder, becoming a tailor-made circuit to link up to four RSFs to one winding machine. This solution optimizes space, reduces energy-consumption and production costs. This automatic bobbin transport shortens servicing paths for the operators and allows an ergonomic material flow. The costs for production, space and energy are reduced, while keeping the quality consistent even with long and multi-connected machines. Savio After-Sales service has also a new and innovative Augmented Reality tool to fast trouble shoot, improve processes and increase machine utilization time. Due to the current travel restrictions, in order to ensure machinery effectiveness, Savio is offering remote assistance powered by TeamViewer Pilot, an application that allows interaction in augmented reality. Thanks to this application, Savio experts from their Italian headquarters can support field technicians at the customer site, in real time, through video sessions for faster troubleshooting.

April/May 2021

One-stop supplier of top technology Santex Rimar shows fabric manufacturers’ favorites at ITMA Asia + CITME 2021

SANTAFRAME - high-quality processing

For fabric manufacturers, Santex Rimar Group is the favored one-stop supplier of machinery, meeting many production needs. The Group unites leading players in the world of textile machinery for weaving, finishing, technical textiles, and green technologies for water treatment and drying processes. Three of these well-known brands will show their novelties and flagship ranges with an impressive technology presentation at ITMA Asia + CITME 2021.

The new Santaframe stenter features ingenious solutions for heated air distribution and exhaust. Its heating element is uniquely positioned, after the circulating air turbine (on the pressure side), in a sealed chamber above the fabric track. This avoids the risk of condensation dropping onto the fabric. Improved loading of the circulating and exhaust air with humidity results in less exhaust air than conventional stenter frames.

The exhibition in Shanghai is not only a great opportunity for the Group to present its innovations – but also to spread the news about the recently opened production site in Qingpu District, Shanghai on the 50th anniversary of Santex Rimar Shanghai, in November 2020. The modern and highly automated plant comprises three production halls, employing nearly 100 people. All the machines to be shown at ITMA Asia + CITME will be newly produced in China.

Further highlights of the new Santaframe include a built-in exhaust ducting device, an emergency standstill system and the choice of heating devices. The renowned Aero-Surf Nozzle System is still a key element, promoting softest handle, excellent shrinkage and uniform heat-setting.

Ingenious solutions The famous Santex brand in textile finishing has developed a novel air-flow technique for high-quality processing. The fabric is carried on a cushion of air, giving a softer handle and better shrinkage values. April/May 2021

At its original launch in the late 1990s, the Santaframe offered already unmatched performance and ground-breaking technology, which was widely appreciated by finishers. Best investment choice for weavers SMIT is a renowned producer of weaving machines, known for developing the world’s first flexible-ribbon

2FAST – compact design for competitive performance

weaving machine in 1958. Today, the Free Flight Ribbons System works without ribbon guide hooks, to ensure the ‘cleanest shed, and the 2FAST compact weaving machine offers many more technical innovations for competitive performance. Top weavers fully appreciate the new patented grippers, with a reduced cross-section which guarantees top efficiency for every yarn type. Optimized shed geometry ensures perfect fabric construction and high efficiency at the greatest production rates. Further advantages come from the short mechanical transmission, ensuring highest running regularity, and low energy consumption. The high-efficiency brushless motor with permanent magnets delivers the highest power factor with lowest heat generation. 2FAST is a long-term investment that is built to last, with its ‘Robust Design’ methodology assuring long service life and minimum spare parts use. Its solid construction is based on a 20% increase in frame stiffness. Like all SMIT machines, its overall investment appeal combines innovation, productivity and versatility, for maximum competitiveness across a wide variety of applications. Perfect for laminating Cavitec gives fabric the final touch, with sophisticated machinery for coating, laminating, impregnation and prepreg. Finest laminating is provided by Cavimelt’s

CAVIMELT - The rotogravure system for fabric lamination

rotogravure system – actually a printing technique. Using the hot-melt process this textile laminating machine applies adhesive as dots or in predefined patterns, using an engraved roller, on film, web and textile substrates. Hot-melt technology offers many advantages over conventional coating and laminating processes. Its wide application range, flexibility and high production reliability means producers can choose from a large selection of adhesives and substrates. The Cavimelt process is user-friendly, as well as sustainable, since it’s free of solvents and water and doesn’t need auxiliary equipment to evaporate exhaust air and any questionable emissions. Cavimelt is gentle to the environment, laminating with a soft touch and performing surface treatments to suit many application-specific requirements.

April/May 2021

Experience Groz-Beckert in person and virtually at ITMA Asia Groz-Beckert ITMA Asia 2021 Booth

Groz-Beckert presents the new products from all six product areas. The products are presented both physically as exhibits and in extended form via augmented reality. Groz-Beckert welcomes guests on-site at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hall 4, Booth C31. In addition to the face-to-face event, the company is inviting industry visitors to its virtual booth. In 2021, around 1,650 exhibitors from 24 countries are expected at the 7th edition of ITMA Asia + CITME. Groz-Beckert is offering all visitors who cannot travel to the trade fair the opportunity to visit their virtual booth. It matches the original booth and has a three-dimensional design. The company has developed the digital service especially for the trade fair. Visitors can move through the virtual space alone or together with a Groz-Beckert employee and view all exhibits in 3D. Free registration is required to attend the digital trade fair, which is possible approximately two weeks before the start of the trade fair. The Knitting: The SANTM SF staple fiber needle and the SNK SF staple fiber sinker, which is specially designed for use on large diameter circular knitting machines. The durTM needle, which is particularly suitable for high loads on sock machines thanks to its optimized geometries. The SANTM TT for application-specific use in the field of technical textiles for flat knitting machines and a needle that enables new dimensions of fineness to be achieved in the flat knitting area. April/May 2021

SNK SF The Weaving: The new WarpMasterPlus will be presenting an optimal solution for every weaving mill. All properties of the proven WarpMaster concept are illustrated in detail using a 3D model and augmented reality. The miniature weaving mill illustrates the interaction of all products in the area: from cleaning machines and weaving accessories to the KnotMaster.

WarpMasterPlus

Carding Cylinder wire

The Felting: The patented GEBECON® felting needle is one of the highlights of the Felting product area. The Tufting: Coordinated combination of materials and the functional interaction of all tools ensure the quality and economic results of the tufting process. The Carding: The further developments for the spinning industry. These include the new stationary flat series, the TV56 revolving top and the cylinder card clothing with special tooth geometry. The new stationary flat series is distinguished by an innovative

tooth geometry and a new kind of tooth distribution. The new TV56 revolving top features a new setting pattern and 560 points per square inch, making it particularly easy to clean. The Sewing: The focus is on technical textiles. The SAN® 5.2 special application needle is the answer to high demands when sewing car seats. The GEBEDUR® titanium nitride coating increases wear protection. The Sewing customer portal is another digital service on offer. The specialist area is presenting its functions and content.

Alessandro Zucchi . President . ACIMIT

Italian companies return to exhibit at ITMA Asia+CITME Shanghai 66 Italian textile machinery manufacturers will participate in the upcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020, which will take place in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Center from June 12 to 16, 2021. Of these, 21 manufacturers will be presenting their technology offerings within National Sector Groups organized by ACIMIT, the Italian Association of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and the Italian Trade Agency. With an occupied area of about 3,200 square meters, Italy is among the main exhibiting Countries attending the event, as it has been the case in the previous editions. ITMA ASIA + CITME is, then, a first step towards normality for many companies in the sector, after more than a year in which even the exhibition activity has stopped. Asia represents the main destination for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. In 2020 38% of Italian textile machines exports went to Asia. Moreover, China is an absolutely important market for Italian companies: the first in Asia and the second worldwide behind only Turkey. In 2020 Italian machinery exports to China accounted for 14% of Italian exports in the sector (over 190 million euros). The main destinations in the area also include Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. "The outlook for the Asian market remains positive, despite the fact that demand for machinery slowed April/May 2021

considerably during 2020 due to the pandemic, says ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi. China, before many other Countries, has resumed its path of economic growth. In the textile sector, investments have never stopped. On the Chinese market, therefore, there is no lack of opportunities and I believe that ITMA ASIA + CITME will confirm expectations of a recovery in demand". Unfortunately, the health emergency still causes limitations for the full mobility abroad of the companies’ staff, both commercial and technical, and not only the Italian ones, thus preventing a greater participation in this edition of ITMA ASIA + CITME. Zucchi concludes: "Waiting for a return to a situation of normality with a more numerous collective attendance at the trade fairs, I am convinced that the Italian manufacturers exhibiting in Shanghai will be able to testify to the high level of innovation achieved by the Made in Italy offer, proposing some technological innovations, especially in terms of sustainability and digitalization of the textile production process". Mr. Massimiliano Tremiterra, Trade Commissioner of Italian Trade Agency Shanghai Office, commented that Italian cutting-edge technology can contribute greatly in terms of innovation and development of the flourishing Chinese textile industry.

Articles

Modern Compressed Air Systems

Imtiaz Rastgar Rastgar & Co, Islamabad

Modern Compressed Air Systems for Spinning Mills in Pakistan

Compressed Air System, generally, consumes up to 35% of any industry’s electricity bill. The modernization of the compressed air system in spinning mills will pay for it-self by eliminating potential wastage at plant, there-by converting savings into your profit. Rastgar Air Compressors prepares solutions with the strategic goal of delivering a state-of-the art compressed air system, incorporating the latest advances in compressed air production, distribution, management and cost apportionment, pleasing optics, environment friendly and also contributing to carbon credits for your company.

Avoidable compressed air losses in spinning mills in Pakistan Area of Concern

Estimated Losses

Compressor Air Leakages Waste

24.90%

Off Load Running Cost

19.20%

Compressor Room Related Wastages

6.00%

Reduced Electricity Cost

43.80%

Piping Layout and Engineering Related Waste

0.50%

Depreciated Air End Related Wastages

5.40%

Moisture Related Waste

0.20%

Following table presents avoidable compressed air losses in spinning mills in Pakistan, which can easily be avoided by proper selection, designing and installations of compressed air equipment.

entire system will be more advisable and an assured route to sustainable good compressed air practices while stemming the losses being incurred currently.

Modernizing Existing Compressed Air System of Spinning Mills Rastgar Air Compressors recommends that instead of piece-meal improvements, a project to revamp the

Modern Compressed Air System for New Spinning Mills With availability and combination of products, technologies and techniques together with our

April/May 2021

experience of 40 years in compressed air production and distribution, Rastgar will ensure the most optimum and economic compressed air with right compressed air quality, pressure and flow at point of use Pressure Profile of Spinning Mills Sections

Section

Gauge Pressure

Blow Room

6 bar

Carding

6 bar

Drawing

6 bar

AutoCone

7 bar

Waste Area

6 bar

Doubling

7 bar

Fixed and Variable Speed, Best Compressed Air Solution for Spinning Mills For all section of spinning mills (From Ring to Auto Cone Section, Back Process and Doubling Section) in Pakistan, a combination of fixed and variable speed drive Air Compressor will yield maximum benefits in terms of productivity, Energy and costs savings. The Variable Speed compressor can efficiently handle the varying air demand by varying motor speed according to plant’s air requirement, there by cutting down off-load hours running cost to almost negligible. Rastgar can execute projects of identifying all types of inefficiencies in existing compressed air system of spinning mills with proposed remedies to make it optimum efficient or install new project for the compressed air system, the result will be the overall efficiency of compressed air system and there will be no losses on account of leakages, negligible off-load running hours, less breakdowns with a result in a sustainable increase in production and profitability. Learn more about us www.rastgar-co.com

April/May 2021

Reports

Recent Developments in the Denim World 'Denim' originated as a contraction of the French phrase serge de Nimes. Denim initially gained popularity in 1873, but still, it is one of the preferred fabrics irrespective of the buyer's gender. Though this is the era of innovation, and denim has seen a lot of

technological advancements recently. This report highlights a few recent advances regarding denim fabric around the globe and in Pakistan. Jeans of Tomorrow collection has recently been launched by Adriano Goldschmied (AG). The new collection is 100% biodegradable made of organic cotton, Tencel, and Hemp. All garments in the collection are stitched with sustainable thread made from Tencel, and all use corozo buttons derived from

nuts, which are known for their scratch- and fade-resistant properties. Hemp is all over the denim industry. Kontoor Brands Inc., with a brand portfolio led by Lee and Wrangler, announced an expansion of its collaboration with Dallas-based Panda Biotech, an emerging leader in the industrial hemp fiber industry. AGI Denim, Pakistan, announced its latest hemp-based innovation, and it has the accolades to back it up. The company announced its new HempX material received a Cradle to Cradle Gold certification. HempX features a blend of organic cotton, Hemp, and elastane made from recycled components. Its material health and water stewardship assessments showed significant water savings: AGI recycles 300,000 gallons of water each day and can save 4.4 million gallons of water each month. Its material reuse assessment showed that thanks to its DoubleZero dyeing and finishing technology, it can use just half a liter of water per meter of material and save 85 percent more fresh water than conventional methods. HempX material is made with 50 percent renewable energy, which helped it earn accolades in its energy and carbon management assessment. AGI has helped provide medical care to more than 90,000 people in the community and ensures employees receive fair wages and personal and professional development opportunities in the social fairness category. Lenzing's new Bast Recast collection features a Tencel lyocell hemp blend and environmentally friendly solutions from leaders throughout the denim supply chain that underscore Hemp's sustainable properties. Covid-19 drives the development in denim: The

April/May 2021

Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the demand for technological advancements. During Kingpins24, held in April 2021, a panel of industry experts shared how the global crisis placed a newfound pressure to adapt to digital platforms. More than 650 organizations such as PVH, VF Corporation, and Columbia Sportswear use Browzwear's 3D solutions. Pakistan-based denim mill Artistic Milliners recently partnered with the company in the hopes that more customers will join. Already, the mill has experienced more efficiency in fit development and sample approval processes, and is working with Browzwear's e-learning platform, Browzwear University, to internally scale the technology. Artistic Milliners recently introduced Cordura Denim made with French-sourced Hemp in two key blue stretch denim qualities – 11oz and 12oz – with soft comfort handles and a natural slub character. Invista is this year marking the tenth anniversary of the Cordura Denim brand with new fabrics featuring Hemp. Technology company Jeanologia has also digitally enhanced its services with Handman, a finishing system equipped with two robots and eight lasers. The process renders 10,000 finished jeans in 24 hours with zero waste. The technology also improves collaboration, as brands can communicate their digital designs directly to Handman. Jeanologia joined forces with Cone Denim to launch Mission Zero Goal. The Mission Zero challenge is 100% eliminating waste and pollution in a single pair of jeans by 2025. Devan, a leader in sustainable and functional textile finishes, has been working together with Jeanologia to reduce further water consumption during the application of Devan's awarded BI-OME® antimicrobial and R-Vital® skincare range. The technology uses micronization and nebulization to substitute traditional abrasion processes and deliver performance chemistry using nano-bubbles instead of water. It reduces the cost of application, saves the amount of water used, and ensures that the correct amount of chemistry stays in the garment and not in the water. e-Flow is the perfect fit for every industrial washing machine. This allows mills and brands to apply Devan's technologies more sustainable than traditional application equipment, even for smaller production runs and direct garments. Recently, ISKO has proudly announced the launch of bluesign® APPROVED fabrics. With this, ISKO becomes the only denim company in Europe with bluesing® APPROVED fabrics. This hard-won honor is only awarded to those that meet the strict safety

and environmental requirements of the bluesign® CRITERIA. This latest development is part of ISKO ™'s central sustainability strategy, including a plan to certify additional bluesign® APPROVED articles in ISKO™'s collection. Byron Bay-born label Spell and sustainable B-Corp Outland Denim have partnered to launch a limited-edition capsule denim collection. The partnership marks the beginning of a long-term relationship between the labels, with Outland Denim set to produce different denim designs for Spell. The new collection has been made in Outland Denim's stand-alone production and finishing facilities in Cambodia, employing young women who have experienced exploitation and manufactures denim in innovative and sustainable ways. Advance Denim is introducing its newest dyeing innovation, BioBlue Indigo. After recently signing an exclusive agreement with BioBlue's chemical supplier, Advance Denim is now the only denim mill that uses this technology. The traditional indigo April/May 2021

dyeing process has considerable room for improvement, especially given how manufacturers often use substantial amounts of chemicals, water, and energy to infuse yarns with the pigment. Some of the chemicals used in the process, like sodium hydrosulfite, are harmful to the environment and hazardous to health. BioBlue is a groundbreaking indigo dye method that puts indigo into reduction—a process that changes the indigo dyes from powder form to liquid form makes the dyestuff soluble in water, and improves the surface appearance of the indigo-dyed yarn—without the use of sodium hydrosulfite. BioBlue uses proprietary FDA-approved chemistry that reduces harmful chemical values of wastewater after dyeing. Prada launches organic denim for Pre-Fall 2021 on 5th May 2021, and the collection is the debut of the brand in the denim world. The collection uses certified 100% Global Organic Textile Standard cotton that has been harvested from an organic farm that minimizes its impact on the environment by avoiding fertilizers and pesticides. The brand then uses an "Acquasave" process to dye the denim that requires a below-average amount of water, saving 10 liters per meter of fabric. The collection is made exclusively from natural materials—a trait that reduces water waste and washing time and improves the brand's EIM (environmental impact measurement). The recent developments show that there has been a lot of innovation in denim, and the future is promising, with a lot more to come. Stay tuned for further developments. April/May 2021

3D Weaving

The Future Weaving with a wide range of applications Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. With passing time, there has been a technological shift in weaving machines and patterns. ProWeave: Recently, Hong Kong-based company Texon has introduced a patented jacquard weaving technology called “ProWeave.” The new technology makes it possible to seamlessly integrate functional and design weaves into a single sheet of material. It enables the production of continuous woven substrates with the zonal features product designers want and exactly where they want them, the company says, allowing fabrics for the footwear, apparel, fashion, and luxury goods industries to be completely reimagined. Reimagining fabrics for the footwear, apparel, fashion, and luxury goods industries, ProWeave transforms how performance fabrics are made and how they look, feel, and function. Creating different elasticity, tenacity, and abrasion zones within the same weave, ProWeave can help brands bring new creative concepts to life. The innovative technology effortlessly blends diverse yarn thicknesses, weights, and fabric references– creating intricately designed fabrics with distinctive gradient, rib, waffle, color, stretch, transparency, and 3D effects. Creating different elasticity, tenacity, and abrasion zones within the same weave, ProWeave can help brands bring new creative concepts to life and the technology diverse yarn thicknesses, weights, and fabric references to be effortlessly combined to create a distinctive gradient, rib, waffle, color, stretch, transparency, and 3D effects. Texon can provide ProWeave for mass production projects, with multiple designs for uppers, garments, and accessories on one roll. The business can also offer ProWeave in small quantities for series or April/May 2021

limited-edition collections. ProWeave is produced at Texon’s plant in Prato, Italy, and at the company’s newest manufacturing center in Vietnam, which opened in mid-2020. With the ability to mix different high tenacity, flame retardant, stretch, and TPU coated yarns to create hard-wearing materials, Texon also sees significant opportunities for ProWeave in industrial footwear and safety apparel applications.

for various end uses, from manufacturing fabric for parachutes, automotive airbags, surgical bandages, tents, flags, and various other military uses. The company produced materials used in the parachute for the Mars Rover. 3D weaving: In 3-dimensional weaving, the goal is to create thickness by stacking multiple layers. On

WEAV3D: The WEAV3D process combines weaving and composite consolidation into an automated, continuous process that reduces waste, cycle times, and material handling costs. WEAV3D is a company based in Norcross, Georgia. The company’s ‘Rebar for Plastics’ approach improves part stiffness and strength while minimizing weight, enabling innovations in the automotive and construction markets at a fraction of the cost and cycle time associated with traditional composite manufacturing. Conventional composite manufacturing methods also rely on energy-intensive curing processes, which translate to high embodied energy, or energy per unit mass, and contribute to the overall CO2 footprint of the finished part. WEAV3D was previously awarded a $224,718 NSF SBIR Phase I grant to investigate alternative thermal consolidation methods to reduce embodied energy by at least 60% relative to the current infrared consolidation baseline. Of all the consolidation techniques evaluated, ultrasonic welding showed the best combination of speed, efficiency, and weld quality. Olympic uniforms: Alexander County mill weaves fabric for Olympic uniforms. Alexander County mill is

weaving fabric to be used in the uniforms of American athletes competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Schneider Mills has already finished about 30,000 yards of the 48,000 yards of woven fabric that will be used in the uniforms, said Curt Parker, Schneider’s vice president of operations. Schneider Mills is a weaver of synthetic fiber goods

conventional weaving machines, the layering is achieved by dividing the warp into multiple, separate sets. On a given pass through the warp, the weft will not intersect the warp threads that belong to a different layer. Recently, there has been a surge in using 3D weaving. Fabric producer Antich and Sons have achieved a step-change in its manufacturing capability to produce finished 3D multi-layer woven preforms for advanced composites used in the aerospace and automotive industries through a project at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The 3D weaving of carbon fiber is a cost-effective method for producing high-quality, damage tolerant, large-scale, and high-thickness laminates for liquid resin injection processes to make lightweight composite materials. However, to create composite preforms suitable for resin transfer molding, several additional procedures are required to achieve widespread technology adoption. So, the future is 3D weaving for various applications. April/May 2021

A year into lockdown The higher demand for sustainable products

• 61% of brands and retailers say their customer demand has increased for environmentally sustainable business practices and goods/services. • Nearly two thirds (63%) believe that the pandemic has had a positive impact on their company’s proactive investment in sustainability. • Half of brands and retailers are expecting to see an increase in consumer spending on sustainable apparel over the next 12 months.

1,000 brands and retailers in the U.S. and UK to determine the impact the pandemic has had on the importance of and investment in sustainability initiatives. As brands and retailers look to the future, there is a sense of optimism for increased consumer spending and investment in environmentally friendly practices – with 28% of brands and retailers committed to setting new industry standards for sustainability.

Consumers around the world have adapted to social distancing measures and lockdowns over the last 12 months, with the way they dress, work, and shop changing dramatically. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol recently surveyed sustainability decision-makers at

As the one year of many countries going into lockdown approaches, the Trust Protocol’s research findings reveal that 69% of brands and retailers believe that the pandemic has emphasized the importance of environmentally friendly products to

April/May 2021

CONSUMER DEMAND IS LEADING BRANDS’ AND RETAILERS’ CONFIDENCE IN SUSTAINABILITY Future of sustainable business practices

The impact of COVID-19

Brand and retailer sustainability decision makers in U.S. and UK see greater demand for sustainable practices, predicting an increase in consumer spending in sustainable apparel. What are your company’s main areas of focus when it comes to environmental and sustainable initiatives for the next 12 months? Select up to 3

42%

40%

Despite COVID-19 brands and retailers have increased investments in sustainability initiatives believing that the pandemic has brought to light how important sustainable and environmentally friendly products are to customers. What kind of impact has COVID-19 had on your company’s proactive investments in or future commitments to sustainability initiatives, partnerships or standards?

63% 15% 23%

Positive No impact

Sustainable manufacturing – reducing impacts of chemicals, water and energy

Sourcing sustainably produced raw materials

Safe working conditions

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, how has your customer demand changed for environmentally sustainable business practices and goods/services?

To what degree is your organization planning to decrease or increase investments in external sustainability standards or protocols?

43%

Increase

40%

No change

11%

Increase

22%

No change

More demand than before

61%

No change

27%

Less demand than before

12%

Decrease

Over the next 12 months, do you expect an increase or decrease in customer spending in sustainable apparel?

50%

Negative

20%

Decrease

customers – with two-thirds (61%) also noting that there has been an increased demand for sustainable products. The research also found that 63% of brands and retailers stated that the pandemic has had a positive impact on their company’s proactive investment in sustainability with the following main areas of focus: • Sourcing sustainably produced raw materials (42%) • Manufacturing sustainability and reducing impacts of chemicals, water and energy (42%) • Safe working environments (40%) “It is undeniable that the pandemic has caused unforeseen challenges for brands, retailers and consumers alike – but this research reaffirms the commitment to a continued focus on sustainability,”

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? ‘I believe the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to light how important sustainable and environmentally friendly products are to customers.’

69% Agree

26%

Neither agree not disagree

Disagree

said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “We’re encouraged to learn that so many brands and retailers are looking to set new standards for the industry, instead of simply following what currently exists. As we work towards recovery in many sectors, systems like the Trust Protocol are available to provide the data needed to verify that sustainability targets are being met.” As the vaccine roll-out picks up pace across the world, consumers are beginning to think about the ‘new normal’, with half (50%) of brands and retailers expecting to see an increase in customer spending on sustainable apparel over the next 12 months. They attribute the most common drivers for this increased spending to a need for people to get back to normal (62%) and that some consumers will have saved April/May 2021

money during the pandemic (67%). As work continues towards delivering more sustainable options to meet growing consumer demand, findings show two thirds (65%) of brands and retailers agree that data is important to their future sustainability goals. The Trust Protocol will provide brands and retailers the critical assurances they need to show the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk. The Trust Protocol is a system for more responsibly grown cotton that has committed to six areas of sustainability in line with the U.N. Sustainability Development Goals. It underpins and verifies

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sustainability progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification, enabling members to better track the cotton entering their supply chain. Members also will have access to aggregate year-over-year data on water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon and land use efficiency. The Trust Protocol is included on the Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibers and materials that more than 170 participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index program. The Trust Protocol also is working to align with existing standards in the cotton industry and is part of the Forum for the Future Cotton 2040 and the CottonUp guide.

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The Lycra company introduces COOLMAX® and THERMOLITE® EcoMade fibers As the consumer's desire for stretch denim jeans continues to grow, so does their concern about our industry's impact on the environment. Increasingly, they're looking for denim with recycled materials to improve their ecological footprint. Therefore, the Lycra company has offered a unique solution by collecting the pre-consumer LYCRA® fiber waste at their manufacturing sites and blended it with virgin polymer at specific concentrations to create spandex (elastane) with the same performance as the original LYCRA® fiber. The Lycra company, USA, has just released its new COOLMAX® and THERMOLITE® EcoMade fibers made from 100% recycled materials. The new range is the joint venture of The LYCRA Company and ITOCHU Corporation. The ITOCHU Corporation is a general trading company with strength in consumer-related sectors, including the textile business. While the LYCRA Company is a global leader in fiber and textile solutions for the apparel industry. Pakistan is also a big consumer of Lycra yarns for making stretchable garments. Switching to the new innovative and environmentally friendly product with no compromise on the performance could be of massive importance for compliance in the textile industry, known to be a significant pollution-causing source. Integrating textile waste technology with COOLMAX® and THERMOLITE® fibers provides consumers with April/May 2021

the performance attributes they seek while making these industry-leading fibers in a new and responsible way. A unique depolymerization and refining process is used to convert textile waste, which consists of scraps from garment manufacturers, into fibers with properties comparable to virgin polyester. The new fibers are available in filament and staple forms, suitable for standard textile processes and insulations batting uses. This is the first of several innovations that The LYCRA Company is working on in textile and garment recycling. Laying the groundwork for a more circular future is one of the critical objectives of The LYCRA Company's Planet Agenda Sustainability platform. The LYCRA® brand logo is viewed worldwide as a symbol of quality assurance by consumers. Promote your use of LYCRA® fiber with free printed or virtual hangtags provided by The LYCRA Company. Swing tags are a simple and effective way to explain LYCRA® fiber's performance benefits to drive garment sales. The company also offers to complete Trademark Licensing Agreement to print your own co-branded POS materials. Whichever option you choose, we make it easy to leverage the LYCRA® brand's 87% global consumer awareness to trigger the purchase decision in stores or online. No other spandex manufacturer provides this level of marketing support to its customers.

KARL MAYER extends its range of Double Needle Bar Raschel Machines KARL MAYER has further extended its range of double needle bar raschel machines. The main highlight of the extension is RD 7 with a new knock-over comb bar distance (from 2 to 6 mm). The RD7 models can produce spacer fabrics in tried-and-tested thicknesses, but new working widths are now being launched on the market: the RD 7/2-12 EN and RD 6/1-12 EN are available now in a working width of 190. The seven-bar machine was previously available in working widths of 77 and 138, while the six-bar equivalent was available as a 138 variant.

By extending the working widths, the innovative textile machine manufacturer primarily supports its customers in the mattress sector. They can now produce not just more, but also more flexibly: two panels can now be made simultaneously next to each other instead of singularly, or three fabric lines instead of two, for example. The market has well-received this greater production scope. Several customers in Asia are already working with the 190 machines and are extremely satisfied with the performance.

Everfresh: An antimicrobial fiber with 97.48% efficiency Aksa Akrilik has developed Everfresh, an antimicrobial fiber that has been tested and proven to eliminate coronavirus on textiles by 97.48% within 30 minutes. Aksa Akrilik is a leading acrylic fiber producer Aksa Akrilik, headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. Unlike spray or coating products, the antimicrobial effect is due to an embedded zinc compound in the fiber, and it maintains its function after repeated washing. The Everfresh fabrics have been introduced to the market after four years of R&D work. Everfresh is suitable for a wide range of products, including masks, denim, active clothing, socks, carpets, and bedding. It is likely to be useful in crowded areas such as hotels, mosques, and dormitories. The need for social hygiene is at the highest level, especially in

carpets, because it also prevents the formation of bacteria, fungi, and mold. The active substance that gives Everfresh a strong antibacterial effect is included in the fiber, so it is not a finishing process. Thanks to this feature, which is not added to the product with a chemical process afterwards, Everfresh is distinguished from products with a finish process that emit heavy metals. Thanks to this prominent feature of Everfresh, it has been proven by tests that it does not harm your skin and does not release heavy metals during and after use. The products produced with Everfresh, which has a strong content, offer endless washing resistance and thus, it does not lose its strong antibacterial structure even after dozens of washing times, it remains like the first day.

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Econyl yarns in BMW Cars Sustainable textiles in automobiles

According to Capgemini, sustainability has become a strategic priority for the automotive industry, with automotive organizations increasingly using sustainable materials and 62% claiming to have a comprehensive sustainability strategy. Reusing nylon to make Econyl reduces the global warming impact of nylon by 80% compared with the material produced from oil. Further, the material can be continuously recycled without loss of quality in the finished product. Econyl nylon is now one of the most sought-after materials used by more than 1,000 brands, including Adidas, Breitling, Stella McCartney, Prada, and Gucci. Once the products made from Econyl yarn reach the end of their useful life, they can also be

recycled once again and made into other new products. BMW Group has used the Econyl yarn to make its floor and floor mats for the BMW i3, BMW iX, and other models since 2016. Econyl yarn is produced from recycled fishing nets and other nylon waste. Compared to petroleum-based nylons, manufacturing Econyl yarn from recycled materials makes 90% less global warming potential. Econyl regenerated nylon is a product introduced in 2011 by Aquafil. It is made entirely from the ocean and landfill waste, such as industrial plastic, fabric scraps from clothing manufacturing companies, old carpets, and "ghost nets" (lost or abandoned fishing nets).

Textile waste into sports shoes and apparel The recycling of textile waste into another textile product is now the thing of the past. Asics has launched a new sustainable sports shoe collection made of around 5 tons of recycled textile waste. The collection is also comprised of apparel made from textile waste. The Earth Day Pack will be on sale globally in-store from 16th April 2021. The new Earth Day Pack is the ASICS brand’s most planet-friendly cross-category collection to date, having been created using a circular manufacturing approach that saw around 5 tons of textile waste, the equivalent of 25,000 t-shirts, recycled into new shoes. Yet, the Earth Day Pack’s smaller environmental footprint is not just down to the materials it is made April/May 2021

from but a lot more than that. The sock lining of the boots is developed using a resource-saving technology called solution dyeing that reduces CO2 emissions by around 45% and cuts water use by approximately 33% compared to conventional dyeing processes. Asics is a Japanese multinational corporation that produces sports equipment designed for a wide range of sports. In recent years their running shoes have often been ranked among the top performance footwear in the market. Products manufactured and marketed by Asics include footwear (sneakers, sandals), clothing (t-shirts, jackets, hoodies, compression garments, pants, shorts, socks), and accessories (bags, backpacks, caps).

Comfortemp Flexx: World’s first adaptive insulation having extremely air-permeability and breathability Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel introduced Comfortemp Flexx having awesome air-permeability and breathability, at the digital Performance Days exhibition from May 17 to 21, 2021. Comfortemp Flexx is meanwhile the first adaptive insulation comprising a warming and breathable padding with elastic reinforcement elements made from 97% recycled polyester. The comfortemp flex is ideal for use in outdoor sportswear designed for cycling, running, and skiing. When the wearer moves, the padding expands, and when movement stops, the padding contracts again. The high-performance thermal insulation even keeps the wearer warm when wet

and has a stretch content of up to 20%. The processing of the padding using reinforcement threads also prevents fiber migration through the outer fabric. Comfortemp Flexx complies with the Oeko-Tex standard and is supplied by the meter, reducing production time and processing costs for garment manufacturers. The high-performance, washable and fast-drying padding is very light and offers excellent insulation values and optimal breathability. This is because the fiber balls that give the product its name create a particular pore structure. Other plus points include very high-wearing comfort and an incredibly soft and fluffy feel.

Jeanologia’s e-flow technology boosting sustainability in denim Jeanologia’s e-Flow technology can accomplish many finishing effects with the highest quality, minimal water, and zero discharge. The technology uses micronization and nebulization instead of traditional abrasion processes for denim fabrics. The performance is even better to apply different finishes using nano-bubbles than water. Jeanologia is an innovative and multicultural company with over 20 years of experience developing sustainable and eco-efficient technologies for the finishing industry. The company was founded in 1994 by Jose Vidal and his nephew Enrique Silla, with innovation and human values as the primary columns. With a background in denim finishing consultancy, Jeanologia soon became a technology provider of sustainable textile solutions. Specialty chemicals producer Devan is also working with Jeanologia to reduce the water consumption required to apply Bi-Ome antimicrobial and R-Vital skincare ranges. The e-Flow is the perfect fit for industrial washing machines, allowing mills and brands to use Devan’s technologies more sustainably than traditional application equipment, even for smaller production runs and directly onto garments. This reduces the cost of application,

saves the amount of water used, and ensures that the correct amount of chemistry stays in the garment and not in the water. The e-Flow technology is the sustainable textile solution to transfer chemicals onto garments made of any fabric. Conventionally water is used as the carrier, and, at the end of every cycle, that water, still brimming with chemical products, goes to waste. Jeanologia has created an e-Flow Lab for testing and sampling. It functions just like the production machines but at a smaller scale and will enable you to experiment with all the finishing effects that can be accomplished in industrial conditions. A perfect reproducibility from lab to bulk is granted since the recipes can be transferred from one to the other, ensuring the same results. On the other hand, the e-Flow Mix allows you to expand the possibilities of your processes by having two separate tanks that can be filled with different chemicals that could never feature together in the same wash by conventional techniques, releasing them at the precise moment to get the perfect interaction and grant the desired results. This way, you will save both resources and time. April/May 2021

Multifunctional sustainable knitted undergarments

Confitex has introduced a multifunctional knitted undergarment that offers unique benefits to its consumers. An eco-friendly absorbent textile invented by Confitex gives people worldwide a discreet, effective, and sustainable alternative to single-use pads and liners. The revolutionary new material is unique in that it's fully waterproof without using a layer of PU plastic. The layer of PU usually used in waterproof fabrics isn't fit for purpose – not only because it takes centuries to break down in landfill, but because it can't be stitched, heat-sealed, molded, or tumble-dried is not breathable when worn. It was invented by Confitex founder Frantisek Riha-Scott, a designer with a passion for endurance ski racing. The absorbent and leakproof textile's multi-layered construction consists of a soft, fast-wicking inner

layer of hypoallergenic fabric, designed to quickly draw moisture away from the body, a second warp layer, to provide ultra-quick absorption for more significant leaks. This moisture-retaining inner layer soaks up liquid and holds it tight, even under pressure and a breathable leakproof outer layer. The Confitex textile also performs effectively when used in period underwear – providing a more eco-friendly alternative to single-use pads, tampons, and other brands of period pants, which almost invariably contain a layer of PU plastic. Confitex products don't include that PU plastic layer; they can safely be tumble dried without warping, scrunching, or losing their leakproof performance. International standards laboratory UL has independently tested the products.

ProWin: Your partner in Maximising the evenness of nonwoven fabrics ProWin is the latest development from Andritz for ensuring web evenness. As nonwoven webs are laid and processed, the fibers tend to move to the edges of transportation belts and individual machines, leading to the so-called ‘smile’ effect and a lack of homogeneity in the web if not constantly corrected. Andritz has developed ProWin that maximizes the evenness of nonwoven fabrics across the entire line. The new technology allows nonwoven producers to achieve optimum weight profiling at the crosslapper delivery and increase their running speed by up to 15%. The new unit complements the company’s existing ProDyn and ProWid profiling units. In the spunlacing process, better product quality can April/May 2021

be obtained by ensuring that the different equipment units in the production line are consistent. The Andritz TT card, Jetlace hydroentanglement unit, and neXdry through-air dryer combine to obtain premium visual quality and characteristics on the web. This set-up is designed to produce an even web with significant bulkiness and an excellent MD: CD ratio for an equivalent amount of fibers without impacting the production capacity. Andritz also offers a range of service apps for maximizing production. The Metris Cost Management app is used to track raw material consumption, allowing in-depth diagnosis of raw material losses and savings achieved in the different process areas.

ProWeave: A new jacquard weaving technology ProWeave is a patented new jacquard weaving technology developed by Texon at its plant in Prato, Italy. With the latest technology of ProWeave, it possible to seamlessly integrate functional and design weaves into a single sheet of material. It can help manufacturers pinpoint the physical characteristics, active zones, and visual patterns they want to achieve performance fabric.

Waste Programme supports ProWeave. ProWeave enables maximum safety, quality, and performance with materials designed to provide the most advanced individual protection. Breathable, waterproof, lightweight – also strong, durable, and comfortable. Designers can bring together in a single product everything needed to ensure more significant support and safety in every work activity.

ProWeave can help different brands to bring new creative concepts to life. It is easy to create different elasticity, tenacity, and abrasion zones within the same weave, diverse yarn thicknesses, weights, and fabrics. ProWeave fabrics are likely to prove popular in the fast-paced sports and outdoor sectors where woven footwear increases. The demand for innovative materials for garment manufacturing is continuous. The primary areas where ProWeave could be used include Luxury and branded footwear, Clothing, and Industrial Textiles.

The innovative material allows for multidirectional zonal stretching and personalized yarns to each designer’s specifications. The properties of ProWeave exceed those of dobby technical fabrics and offer greater design freedom within a single production process. ProWeave also provides better structural support – stronger than knitted uppers.

ProWeave is designed to support the industry’s sustainability drive. Using a single efficient process to create woven uppers with localized features means less energy consumption for manufacturers. We offer advice on using compatible fibers and recycled yarns to build recyclable structures for circular projects. All offcuts are suitable for recycling. Texon Group Zero

A novel innovation allowing designers to imagine, design, and develop zones with technical and aesthetic functionalities: 1) Patented zonal single or multidirectional stretch, zonal functionality, and design patterns per upper. 2) Specialty yarns, coated, monofilament, metallic, aramid, and recycled. 3) A wide array of designs, thickness, color variations, and gradients, including ribs, waffle, 3D effects, mesh, transparency, and stretch. 4) Localised introduction of yarn with recuts replaces the need for reinforcements. April/May 2021

Noble Biomaterial introduces durable antimicrobial finish Noble Biomaterials, based in Scranton, Philadelphia, is launching Ionic+ Durable as a new silver-based fabric finish that is an effective way to deliver antimicrobial benefits. Noble Biomaterials USA has announced the release of the new durable antimicrobial finish for textiles. The trade name of the new finish is Ionic+ Durable. The finish is a silver-based fabric finish that is a practical, reasonable way to deliver antimicrobial benefits. It is applied at the finishing stage, allowing for maximum design freedom and production flexibility.

healthcare, industrial, and emerging wearable technology markets. The novel solution meets or exceeds the state-of-market performance. While the application has achieved a 50x wash durability rating, the self-cleaning, odor-eliminating ionized silver will ensure fewer washes to conserve water, energy, and natural resources and reduce fabric degradation time.

Noble Biomaterial is a global leader in antimicrobial and conductivity finishing solutions for various soft surfaces. The company produces advanced material technologies designed for performance apparel,

The self-cleaning, odor-eliminating ionized silver is designed to ensure fewer washes to help conserve water, energy, and natural resources, as well as reduce fabric degradation over time. The new solution is the result of years of innovation and research into the benefits of ionic silver, according to Joel Furey, co-founder and chief commercial officer.

Smart clothes for athletic training, rehabilitation, and health monitoring At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), scientists have developed smart clothes for motion detection to be used in athletic training, rehabilitation, and health monitoring. Among the many benefits promised by the smart fabric, the revolution has been the "consumerization of health care." Wearables enable the remote monitoring of a wide range of chronic medical conditions, from diabetes, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure (CHF) to symptoms of disease, discomfort, and stress. In 2017, smart fabrics in the medical and health segment had a market size of $97 million, according to IFAI research. The MIT team has developed a range of prototypes, from socks and gloves to a full vest. The team's "tactile electronics" use a mix of

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more typical textile fibers alongside a small amount of custom-made functional fibers that sense pressure from the person wearing the garment. The team's clothes have a range of capabilities. Their socks predict motion by looking at how different sequences of tactile footprints correlate to varying poses as the user transitions from one pose to another. The full-sized vest can also detect the wearers' pose, activity, and texture of the contacted surfaces. The scientists feel a coach can use the sensor to analyze people's postures and improve improvement. An experienced athlete could also use it to record their posture so that beginners can learn from them. They even imagine that robots could be trained to know how to do different activities using data from the wearables in the long term.

World’s first highly absorbent nanostructures made from recycled polyester

Nanofront ultra-fine polyester from recycled materials is the innovation of Teijin Frontier, Japan. These are the World’s first highly absorbent nanostructures made from recycled polyesters. The created capillarity inside the structure enhances water absorption and diffusion. Its grip properties result from nano-sized irregularities on the fiber surface, which creates friction. In filter materials, its fine pores and high void structure also improve its functionalities. Key to the development is new polymer-control and spinning techniques for its proprietary ‘sea-island composite-fiber processing technology”. The technology distributes two types of polymers into the fiber’s sea and island parts. It then dissolves and removes the sea part using an alkaline treatment, extracting only the island part as raw yarn. Teijin Frontier believes this technology will enable it to produce all of its polyester fiber products with recycled raw materials in the future, including sportswear, functional clothing, industrial uniforms, and more. It forecasts sales from the development of 300 million yen in 2021 and 800 million yen in 2025. The demand for recycling raw materials is rapidly increasing. Still, it has been challenging to mass-produce ultra-fine fibers from recycled polyester due to the need for high-level polymer control and spinning. Teijin Limited is a Japanese chemical, pharmaceutical, and information technology company. Its primary operations are high-performance fibers such as aramid, carbon fibers & composites, healthcare, films, resin & plastic processing, polyester fibers, product converting, and IT products. The company is listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 stock index. April/May 2021

ITMA ASIA + CITME International Textile Machinery exhibition June 12-16, 2021 Venue: NECC, Shanghai, China.

GTex International B2B textile machinery, chemical and accessories brand expo September 04-06, 2021 Venue: Expo Centre Karachi, Pakistan.

Index World’s leading non-woven exhibition September 07-10, 2021 Venue: Geneva, Switzerland.

International Conference on Textiles

Inspiring Change Conference An international conference on textiles-Innovations and sustainable solutions September 13-14, 2021 Venue: Lahore, Pakistan.

IGATEX Pakistan The 13th International Garment, Textile Machinery exhibition September 15-18, 2021 Venue: Expo Centre Lahore, Pakistan.

April/May 2021

FESPA Global Print Expo Leading trade fair for screen, digital and textile printing October 12-15, 2021 Venue: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Heimtextil 2022 Int'l event for interior textiles, interior design and interior trends January 11-14, 2022 Venue: Messe Frankfurt, Germany.

ITM 2022 International Textile Machinery exhibition June 14-18, 2022 Venue: TÜYAP Center, Istanbul, Turkey.

Techtextil 2022 Int'l event for technical textiles and nonwovens June 21-24, 2022 Venue: Messe Frankfurt, Germany.

ITMA 2023 World’s leading textile and garment technology platform June 08-14, 2023 Venue: Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy.

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TEXtalks International - April/May 2021

Articles inside

The higher demand for sustainable products

3D Weaving - The Future Weaving

Recent Developments in the Denim World