CASA DA MALHA JOINS SMARTEX AND ELIMINATES WASTE

Sid Nios Combines Sustainability And Seamless

A 100% biobased seamless coordinate led Sidónios an ISPO Award at the last edition of ISPO Munich. Comprising leggings and a top, suitable for yoga and pilates, the set incorporates tencel luxe, a new yarn created by Lenzing that does not contain petroleum derivatives in its composition.

The product derives from wood from controlled forests and is made with cellulose pulp. “Until now, seamless items used blends where 10% to 20% of the mesh had to be synthetic. In partnership with Lenzing, we tried a new yarn that guaranteed quality knitting and was sustainable”, says Bruno Silva, manager and commercial director of Sidónios.

In five months, the Smartex system allowed Casa da Malha to make relevant savings on manufacturing and environmental costs and waste. After a pilot project, the knitwear manufacturer announced a partnership with the technology focused on efficiency in textile manufacturing.

Between April 1st and September 1st, Casa da Malha saved 1,858 kg of raw material, 208,170 liters of water, 16,728 kWh of electricity, and 4,165 kg of Co2. These numbers were presented in a statement where the two companies announce “a new partnership that exemplifies how Casa da Malha invests in cutting-edge technology, in sophistication of processes and always improving quality of production”.

According to the manager of the Barcelos company, Carlos Dias, the system “avoided major losses in our production chain, so obviously we intend to continue this promising partnership and cover our entire production system”. On the Smartex side, CEO Gilberto Loureiro expresses his satisfaction “for having concluded a successful pilot project, and now we are working alongside Casa da Malha, setting a precedent here in Portugal and Europe for a super modern and efficient factory”.

Smartex’s goal is to help the textile industry become more sustainable by using Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI helps to eliminate defective productions through sensors, cameras, and accelerometers with computer vision and artificial intelligence systems, which can detect fabric defects right from the weaving process.

Focused on creating value through innovation and development of technical, functional, comfortable, and highly differentiated knitwear, Casa da Malha is a company that invests in efficiency and cutting-edge technology. “With a wide production area with state-of-the-art circular looms, both electronic and mechanical, capable of transforming various types of fibers (natural and synthetic) into different knitted structures such as jersey, piqué, terry, interlock, rib, honeycomb, among others”.

Knitters in countries such as Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan already have adopted Smartex’s system to eliminate waste at the origin of the textile manufacturing process. In Portugal, Casa da Malha now joins manufacturers such as Impetus, Tintex, and Familitex, already using the Smartex platform. t

“As far as I am aware, this is the first time seamless has a natural base. The pieces presented at the fair are just an example. We already have international brands interested in it”, adds the manager. And that was precisely the aspect highlighted by the competition jury: “this is proof that it is possible to find a 100% plant-based solution, even for leggings and sports bras”, reads the ISPO Textrends Awards magazine. t

From Portugal