Africa & Middle East Textiles issue 1 2012

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ISSUE ONE/2012 PREMIERE EDITION/2012

Spotlight on Egypt Fabric testing Heimtextil 2012 review Pleins feux sur l ‘Egypte Machines de contrôle Révue de Heimtextil 2012

Dyebath monitoring Les teintures

James Heal Martindale 900

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CONTENTS DEVELOPMENTS

4

News of textile projects, markets, and contracts

DEVELOPPEMENTS

4

Revue des récents projets textiles, marchés, contrats et compagnies

SPOTLIGHT ON EGYPT

7

New era dawns in Egypt

PLEINS FEUX SUR L’EGYPTE

7

Une nouvelle époque en Egypte

DYES AND CHEMICALS

10

Dyebath monitoring aids right-first-time dyeing

COLORANTS ET PRODUITS CHIMIQUES

10

La surveillance du bain de teinture aide à obtenir une teinture réussie dès la première fois

DIGITAL PRINTING

13

Digital printing comes of age

L’IMPRESSION NUMERIQUE

13

L’impression numérique amorce une ère nouvelle

APPAREL AFRICA/ SEWING MACHINES

17

Fabric testing – a constantly evolving science

REVUE D’HABILLEMENT/MACHINES A COUDRE

17

Machines de contrôle – une science en développement incessant

HEIMTEXTIL 2012

21

Review of the mega home and contract textiles expo

HEIMTEXTIL 2012

21

Revue de l’expo énorme pour les textiles de maison et de contrat

Couverture: Colorants et produits chimiques Inset: James Heal Martindale 900

Cover: Dyes and chemicals Inset: James Heal Martindale 900

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TEXTILE NEWS Cotton International 2012 Global Summit in April THE COTTON INTERNATIONAL 2012 Global Summit will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 - 27 April, 2012.

The Summit, in cooperation with International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and other industry associations around the globe, brings together the leading mills and merchants from key markets along with industry partners' to connect, engage and transact business. Better risk management strategies, more efficient logistics, trade relations, and strategic business opportunities are among the primary topics that will be discussed by the cotton industry's most prominent experts and panels of speakers. The Cotton International Global Summit will provide a platform for networking opportunities designed to foster new business relationships.

Ethiopia invites textile investments from India ETHIOPIAN AMBASSADOR TO India, Gennet Zewide, during her recent visit to the sub-continent sought investments in the areas of textiles, leather, and chemicals to catch up with fastest growing countries such as India and China.

Addressing government officials, business leaders and chamber representatives to mark the opening of the Honorary Consulate in Chennai, India she said the new office would enable them to attract more Indian businesses and investments in priority sectors such as textile, leather, pharma, chemicals, manufacturing and automobile.

While announcing Manikam Ramaswami, chairman and managing director of Loyal Textiles Mills, as Ethiopia's Honorary Consul in Chennai, she said that he had not only invested in cotton agriculture and ginning, but also had spent his time and resources, experiences and expertise to make Ethiopia's textile industry a thriving one.

TEXTILE CALENDAR / CALENDRIER March 2012 1-3

MEGATECH Pakistan 2012

6-8

SpinExpo 2012

HUNTSMAN CORPORATION ANNOUNCED recently that it has acquired EMA Kimya Sistemleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., a polyurethanes systems house in Istanbul, Turkey. The EMA systems house has the capacity to manufacture polyester polyols and blend MDI polyurethane systems used primarily in the insulation, automotive, adhesives, coatings, elastomers and furniture industries.

Commenting on the sale, Anthony P. Hankins, President of the Polyurethanes division, said, “This acquisition is part of our global strategy to strengthen our presence in key growth markets. In 2010, Turkey’s MDI polyurethane systems grew at a rate of 13-15 per cent. We look forward to leveraging this demand and providing a broader product offering to customers in this region.”

Crisis looms large for Zimbabwe textile giant ZIMBABWE’S LEADING TEXTILE company Modzone Enterprises requires US$16 million for recapitalisation to achieve viable productivity levels to meet both the local and export markets, according to a recent report in The Herald.

The company, which operates two units in Chitungwiza and one in Norton, has suffered over the years from operating ageing and obsolete machinery.

Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe Limited spokesperson Derek Sibanda said the main challenge facing Modzone Enterprises was shortage of cash resources to finance rehabilitation to restore operational capacity to cater for the supply gap in local and exports markets. “The traditional source of financing was the local financial institutions but they are currently unable to provide meaningful funding as they are undercapitalised and offering short tenors of between 90 to 180 days for working capital and long-term loans for capex,” he said.

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SHANGHAI, CHINA

Visit www.spinexpo.com/shanghai 10 - 12

Textile Asia 2012

KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Visit www.textileasia.com.pk 11 - 13

MIDO 2012

MILANO, ITALY

Visit www.mido.it 20 - 23

Tissue World Americas 2012

FLORIDA, USA

Visit www.tissueworld.com 21 - 23

AATCC International Conference

CHARLOTTE, USA

Visit http://www.aatcc.org/ic/2012/Call_for_Papers_2012_AATCC_IC 29 - 30

IFAI Canada Expo 2012

MISSISSAUGA, CANADA

Visit www.ifai.com/events

April 2012 21 - 24

ITM 2012

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Visit www.itm2012.com 21 - 24

Hightex 2012

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Visit www.hightex2012.com 24 - 26

Texprocess Americas 2012

ATLANTA, USA

Visit www.texprocessamericas.com 25 - 27

Cotton International 2012 Global Summit

BANGKOK, THAILAND

http://cottonglobalsummit.com

May 2012 1-4

Huntsman acquires Turkish polyurethanes systems house

LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Visit www.megatechpakistan.com

GeoAmericas 2012

LIMA, PERU

Visit www.geoamericas2012.com 17 - 18

EGE MEDITEX 2012

IZMIR, TURKEY

www.egemeditex.ege.edu.tr

June 2012 1-4

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012

SHANGHAI, CHINA

Visit www.itmaasia.com 13 - 15

ANEX 2012 - Asia Nonwovens Exhibition and Conference

SEOUL, KOREA

www.anex2012.com 13 -14

Citext Europe 2012

TROYES, FRANCE

www.citext.fr 21 - 24

GFT 2012

BANGKOK, THAILAND

www.garmenttextile.com

July 2012 24 -26

International Apparel Sourcing Show

NEW YORK, USA

www.apparelsourcingshow.com

October 2012 3-6

IGATEX Pakistan 2012

LAHORE, PAKISTAN

www.igatex.pk 22 - 24

Cinte Techtextil China

SHANGHAI, CHINA

www.messefrankfurt.com.hk

November 2012 4-6

ITMF Annual Conference 2012

HANOI, VIETNAM

wwww.itmf.org Further information on these events can usually be obtained from the Embassy (Commercial Office) of the country in question.

Des renseignements plus complets sur ces évènements peuvent être demandés de l’Ambassade (Bureau Commerciel) du pays en question

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TEXTILES ISSUE ONE/2012

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TEXTILE NEWS China eyes Africa as alternative site for cotton production CHINA IS EYEING the African Commerce Minister Chen Deming. countries of Benin, Mali, Chad and “We have been providing African Burkina Faso to help the world's countries with aid and technical second-largest economy develop its training for many years,” said Du cotton-planting operations.

Min, director of the Chinese China will supply the seeds, Ministry of Agriculture's research machinery, fertilizer and other center for rural economy. “Further materials needed to help promote cooperation will help to improve cotton planting in the four African their production capacity.” nations, according to a statement “China's decision is promoting fair posted by China's Ministry of cotton trade in the world. African Commerce on its website. economies will benefit from the The campaign, according to analysts cooperation.”

During the first 11 months of and experts, will not only strengthen During the first 11 months of 2011, 2011, China's cotton imports ties among the five countries, but China's cotton imports grew 8.4 per grew 8.4 per cent to 2.57 million tons compared a year ago also allow cotton trade to take place cent to 2.57 million tons compared a under fairer conditions in year ago, data from the General accordance with standards set by the World Trade Administration of Customs showed.

Organization, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The cotton trade does much to reduce poverty in a number Training will be provided for technical and management of African countries. To boost their economic growth, personnel in both China and Africa, to encourage many of these countries have adopted reforms meant to cooperation, innovation and improvement of production improve the quality of the cotton and make them more capabilities in the textile industry, the MOC said. effective competitors in the international market. Those West Africa may become another source of cotton for efforts, though, have been frustrated by the hefty cotton China, which imports and consumes more of the fiber subsidies that have been adopted in the United States and than any other country in the world. other countries, which are believed to have distorted "China's market is always open to African countries," said world cotton prices, according to trade analysts.

Brother Internationale Industriemaschinen GmbH Düsseldorfer Strasse 7-9 46446 Emmerich am Rhein Germany

Ethiopia earns US$44mn from textile exports ETHIOPIA EARNED ABOUT US$44mn from textile exports in the last two quarters, according to the country’s Textile Industry Development Institute.

A significant percentage of the money earned was generated by garments, weaving products and yarn. The revenue was 87 per cent more than the target set for this period. The revenue is also US$18.6mn more than the amount earned in the corresponding period last fiscal year.

Leading exporters over the past six months included Aika Addis Textile and Investment Group, Almeda Textile, Kombolcha Textile Share Company, Elsie Addis Textile Factory, NovaStar Garment plc, and Ma Textile and Garment Factory.

Ethiopian textile and textile products were primarily exported to Belgium, China, Djibouti, Germany, Italy, Sudan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the US.

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SPOTLIGHT ON EGYPT

New era dawns in Egypt Foreign direct investment and the pace of privatisation remain the critical issues for the Arab world’s largest garment market after a tumultuous year.

Egypt’s hugely important textile and clothing industries will remain in limbo until the Arab Republic’s future economic direction becomes clear

C

AIRO’S NEWLY elected Parliament met for the first time in more than half a century in January, under the aegis of Military Council. A new constitution will soon be ratified and new President installed.

It all means that Egypt’s hugely important textile and clothing industries, which generated combined exports of US$2.25bn in 2009 (excluding premium-grade raw cotton exports), will remain in limbo until the Arab Republic’s future economic direction becomes clear.

All sorts of decisions have to be taken, such as whether to continue with nuclear generation plans and how much gas to allocate to profitable exports. Shortages of power in Lower Egypt have been a constraint on business expansion in recent years, especially affecting the very time-sensitive apparel export trade.

The key question is: will the privatisation of the spinning and weaving industries be speeded up? The slow progress of this programme is one of the main reasons why the thriving readymade garment industries have been sucking in so many

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imports in recent years. This has been encouraged by Egypt’s plethora of free trade agreements, including those with key suppliers such as Turkey.

This country passed through a period of major change in 2011, but the effect on the textile and clothing industries and their export business remains to be seen. Indeed the Arab world’s most heavily populated state is still settling down. The level of disruption was serious enough, but now the industries’ key export markets in Europe’s Euro Area are in disarray too. It appears that only exports to the USA, supported by the Qualifying Industrial Zone pact, are holding up well. In 2008, Egypt sold finished textile goods worth nearly US$0.7bn there. The US is Egypt’s largest single trading partner by far.

Yet the basic macro economic fundamentals remain good. The E£ has stood up well to the dollar at a time when the Euro has been very visibly crumbling. Economic growth in 2010 was in excess of five per cent, although less than half this looks more realistic for 2011.

Unemployment is not high by African standards, and the clothing industry is a particularly important source of skilled jobs for women.

Inflation is running at around 10 per cent, not bad in the circumstances as numerous essential commodities ran scarce while there was trouble on the streets. And the state is paying just one quarter for the funds it has to borrow internationally compared with Greece just across the eastern Mediterranean. All in all, not a bad record given the traumas this huge country has been through since January last year.

Both the Cairo and Alexandria stock markets took a serious dip in 2011, however; for years the clothing industry has been a major beneficiary of foreign direct investment, and this is bound to be impacted until the future direction of the new Islamist-dominated government is determined. The return of Nasser-style socialism is still a possibility.

Foreign buyers are always wary of circumstances like these; they do business with Egypt primarily because of the quick turnaround they know the Delta’s fleet-of-foot, well-

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TEXTILES ISSUE ONE/2012

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SPOTLIGHT ON EGYPT capitalised and -integrated garment producers can deliver. Low-cost labour and high manufacturing standards also come into the equation. Already the tourism industry is suffering; the garment trades are likely to follow.

It all encourages entrepreneurs to look again at the domestic market, which had been growing nicely before the Arab Spring came along, with a flush of new local clothing brands appearing that expressed pride in what Egypt can produce. International brand owners cashed in on this mood.

Both the Cairo and Alexandria stock markets took a serious dip in 2011, however; for years the clothing industry has been a major beneficiary of foreign direct investment, and this is bound to be impacted until the future direction of the new Islamistdominated government is determined.

It was the middle classes – teachers, engineers, medium-grade civil servants – who supported this segment, and it is these folk who are reportedly feeling the economic pinch most now. Nearly one-third of Egypt’s population is considered middle class according to the African Development Bank.

“Stuck in the middle” wrote Alison Tahmizian Meuse in the October edition of AmCham Egypt’s influential Business Monthly. Others warn of weak trends in the receipt of remittances from abroad.

However, none of this detracts from the reasons why Egypt has done so well in developing its textile and garment exports, so unexpectedly since the end of the Multi Fibre Arrangement and all within the past 10 years. This country remains a fundamentally sound and well-balanced economy, and crucially one which is right at the heart of the Middle East peace process.

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Egyptian companies to increase exports to US markets ALAA ARAFA, HEAD of Egypt's Textiles Export Council, has been holding negotiations with several US department store chains with a view to boosting sales of Egyptian textiles products, according to a report in Egypt Independent news daily.

Arafa pointed to the council's target of exporting some LE16 billion worth of Egyptian textiles products to US markets by 2013.

“Ready-made garment exports in 2009 stood at LE7.4 billion,” Arafa said at a meeting with officials from Nygard Stores, which has branches both in the US and Canada and boasts an overall sales volume of US$2 billion a year.

Arafa went on to predict that exports would reach LE10 billion in 2012. “This would create 200,000 jobs in Egypt,” he said, calling on the government to support the industry by improving local transport and logistical facilities.

Egypt currently ranks 17th in terms of overall textiles exports to the US, according to Egypt's commercial attaché in Washington.

Rise in exports may create 200,000 jobs in Egypt

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TEXTILES ISSUE ONE/2012

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TEXTILE NEWS New dye to lower cost of textile production A NEWLY INVENTED natural dye is expected to reduce the cost of textile production in Kenya.

According to Moi University Vice Chancellor Richard Mibey, who is the principal researcher, the dye will considerably cut operational costs since local producers have been relying on imported varieties.

“This innovation will go a long way in the revitalisation of the textile industry in Kenya that has remained threatened by the second-hand clothes (mitumba) industry over the years, due to the latter’s affordability,” Prof Mibey was quoted as saying by the Daily Nation.

Rivatex East Africa Textile Mills launched the natural dye that is produced from a local herb — tagetes minuta, commonly referred to as Stinking Roger, a herb that grows naturally in various parts of the country.

It took the university three years to Moi University Vice Chancellor make the discovery that is expected to Richard Mibey save the industry at least Sh18 million.

Other co-inventors were Dr David Tuigong, the Rivatex East Africa managing director, and Mr Billy Makumba, an employee of the university.

Brother offers sneak peek at its new digital garment printer BROTHER OFFERED A sneak peek at their upcoming digital garment printer at the recently-held Viscom Milano 2011 Expo.

The machine garnered considerable attention as interested attendees inquired about its specifications and were able to see live demonstrations that showcased the printer’s high quality printing capabilities.

“The new model will be priced very competitively and the machine will be faster than competitor machines in the same The new model will replace price range. This new model will the Brother GT-541 be offered with White Ink-ready subclasses. The machines have been designed with a modular concept. The entry level ‘CMYK’ model will have a built-in upgrade path to high performance with White Ink. The ‘Grow as Your Business Grows’ theme certainly rings true with Brother’s latest offering,” a company official said.

The new model will replace the Brother GT-541, which will be discontinued.

However, the GT-541 will still be available as a factory-refurbished product in the U.S. market. The Brother GT-782 is expected to remain in the market as Brother will offer special options to compliment that machine’s high productivity capability, including the larger 16”x18” dual platens, bulk white ink option, and proven reliability.

Continued growth for Italian textile machinery sector IN SPITE OF an increase in production for 2011

by Italian textile machinery manufacturers, forecasts remain cautious for the current year.

Provisional figures for 2011 for Italy's textile machinery sector show a further increase in manufacturing production and exports, following a good recovery in 2010 and a recession hit 2009.

The value of Italian textile machinery production for 2011 registered a 9 per cent increase compared to 2010, from 2.4 to 2.6 billion Euros.

A similar increase was recorded for exports (+10 per cent), which reached a value of just over 2.1 billion Euros.

"Exports remain the driving force behind the sector growth in Italy. The dynamism of major textile markets combined with the ability of Italian machinery manufacturers to assert themselves on a global scale, has contributed to sustaining Italian exports," ACIMIT, the Italian textile machinery association said in a statement.

"Fully 25 per cent of the sector's sales abroad are directed to China, with Asian markets generally accounting for 50 per cent of all foreign sales."

The latest National Institute of Statistics data on Italian exports for the first 10 months of 2011 show significant growth in all markets, whether European (France +44 per cent, Germany +56 per cent); non-European (Russia +88 per cent, Turkey +83 per cent); American (United States +81 per cent, Brazil +15 per cent, Peru +15 per cent); and Asian (Bangladesh +49 per cent, China +11 per cent, South Korea +53 per cent, Japan+30 per cent, India +22 per cent, Indonesia +58 per cent).

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ACIMIT says these are all countries where Italian exports also experienced strong growth in 2010.

Demand has remained weak in the domestic market as Italy, like other European Union countries suffer from poor recovery in investments due to the current economic uncertainty.

According to ACIMIT, in spite of the growth experienced in 2011, Italian machinery manufacturers remain extremely cautious for the current year.

"Global demand for textile machinery began slowing last summer. The latter months of 2011 and the beginning of this year have confirmed a setback in new orders for many producers. This is a consequence of the current difficult economic conditions," said Sandro Salmoiraghi, president of ACIMIT. "The positive outcome of ITMA Barcelona, the industry's primary trade fair held last September, provided us with some reasons to be optimistic.

However, many deals which had been initiated at the trade fair have not yet been finalized, given the state of uncertainty hovering over the future outlook of the markets."

"Let's just say 2012 hasn't started off with the best of prospects. The evolution of the economy over the course of the next quarter will provide a more accurate description of what the future holds for us: whether to expect a recovery or renewed stagnation."

"The economic slowdown has also affected and currently affects developing countries as well, including their textile sectors. The drop in consumer spending in developed markets has penalized major garment exporting countries — above all China. In 2012, it will be difficult to find markets capable of significantly increasing their installed production capacity," predicts Salmoiraghi.

ACIMIT says that in hard times such as these, institutions must be as supportive as ever.

"Roughly 80 per cent of production in our sector is directed at foreign markets," attests Salmoiraghi.

"This high propensity towards exports, combined with the comparatively small size of our manufacturers, means that they absolutely must be supported in order to face up to international competition."

Salmoiraghi's appraisal for the reconstruction of the ICE — Italian institute for foreign trade, is accompanied by the hope that the agency will rapidly return to full scale operations.

"The ICE is an essential element in a mosaic that must be completed with a greater level of support from the banking system, which many Italian SMEs have called upon to ease access to credit during these difficult times," he concludes.

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TEXTILES ISSUE ONE/2012

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TEXTILE FINISHING

Dyebath monitoring aids right-first-time dyeing T

EXTILE DYEHOUSES ARE under pressure globally as the demands of retailers for frequent and rapid delivery of repeat batches of material dyed to the same shade increase. Retailers use electronic point of sale information (EPOS) to establish which garments are selling more rapidly, so that they can specify the sizes, designs and colours that are demanded by consumers.

The pressures on the High Street are now great because of intense competition between retailers in the aftermath of Christmas spending by consumers. The effects of price reductions in order to attract consumers has exerted downward pressure on stockholding levels, and hence rapid delivery of styles, designs and colours of garments that are selling is important for retailers to maximise sales at this critical time in the market. Maximising sales and decreasing stock levels coupled with minimising working capital and minimising apparel markdowns can all increase the profitability and global competitiveness of the retailer.

Textile dyehouses can gain competitive advantages if they can successfully apply RFT (Right-First-Time) dyeing to their production.

RFT dyeing is recognised as the best approach to achieving short lead times in dyeing and, moreover, RFT dyeing is the most sustainable approach to conventional dyeing because it minimises the consumption of resources e.g. water, energy, dyestuffs and chemicals. In addition, it also minimises the volume of waste water to be released and also the cost of waste water treatment. Because textile dyeing and finishing is a service sector of the textile industry, it follows that RFT dyeing provides greater service to customers e.g. retailers, because of the shorter lead times and the greater consistency in terms of reproducibility of shade in repeat batches of the same colour.

RFT dyeing in textile dyehouses exerts a dramatic effect upon the production efficiency, production capacity and hence on delivery schedules. In addition RFT dyeing generates greater sales turnover and profitability. Blind dyeing i.e. dyeing in production without establishing the shade/recipe in the dyehouse laboratory is not practised in many dyehouses. But if the shade/recipe are established in the first production dyeing, then RFT dyeing can usually be carried out on repeat batches, provided that the dyeability of the textile fibres remains the same as

10

in the first batch.

Dyehouse profitability inevitably suffers if a shading addition or shading additions have to be made, while stripping and redyeing a batch impacts negatively with a massive effect on profitability.

Textile dyers therefore must consider carefully how additions etc. can be avoided by the correct selection of dyestuffs, chemicals and auxiliaries, coupled with close control over the production dyeing process. Dyehouses which are part of a vertical group are often better placed for operating RFT dyeing and blind dyeing because of the greater control over the dyeability of the textile material. Commission dyehouses have to cope with a greater variation in the dyeability of the materials despatched to them for dyeing.

RFT dyeing involves three main approaches that contribute to production dyeing, namely:• Standardisation of dyestuffs; • Shade reproducibility; and • Robust dyeing processes.

Dye standardisation All dyemakers have had to invest in dye standardisation procedures, and major dyemakers such as Clariant, Dohmen, DyStar and Huntsman standardise for hue, colour strength and moisture content, as well as on limits of impurities etc.

Dyestuffs such as the Dianix AM disperse dyestuffs from DyStar, for example, are manufactured to the latest state-of-the-art accuracy in standardisation, namely +-1.5% in colour strength / DE 0.2 CMC 2:1. These exacting production specifications apply to DyStar’s Dianix AM Classics, Dianix AM

by Ian Holme

Specialities and Dianix AM-SLR dyestuffs to ensure controlled coloration. Dianix AM dyestuffs also provide very good shade reproducibility because of their good stability to pH and state-ofthe-art standardising technology. Dyestuff standardisation is a key factor in transferring laboratory dyeing recipes into production dyeing using the RFT dyeing approach.

Close control of atmospheric temperature and relative humidity in the dyestore can be a potent factor in ensuring consistent weighing of dyestuffs, auxiliaries and chemicals. Robotised equipment for automated electronic check weighing of dyestuffs in powder form is available from many manufacturers such as Color Service, Lawer and Tecnorama. Automated dispensing of liquid products to high accuracy is also available from many manufacturers.

A major feature of the approach to RFT dyeing is the selection and use of compatible dyestuffs, i.e. dyestuffs that have very similar exhaustion / time curves. In this way, trichromatic mixtures of dyestuffs will exhaust at the same rate, building up the required shade on-tone. This is preferable to off-tone build-up of the colour. The major dyemakers have screened their dyestuff ranges to offer dyehouses optimised trichromats as well as optimised application procedures for exhaust, padsteam, pad-dry-thermofix or pad-batch dyeing.

An important step towards RFT dyeing is to understand how the dyestuffs selected exhaust onto the fibres. In this connection, the introduction of the Werner Mathis AG (Oberhasli/Zürich, Switzerland) Smart Liquor dyebath monitoring system offers textile dyers the possibility of Mathis Smart Liquor

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TEXTILE FINISHING monitoring, analysing and optimising both exhaust and continuous dyeing processes. The Mathis Smart Liquor dyebath monitoring system is an advanced state-of-the-art system that incorporates a fully fledged spectrophotometer with several accessories for continuous on-line as well as individual off-line measurements. This sophisticated dyebath measurement system is supported by a powerful software package that

calculation of the optimum temperature, and dosing gradients as well as the holding times.

ELCUT BT 80 Edge cutter

Software module An important feature especially for disperse dyeings on polyester fibres is the software module that calculates the so-called Dye Solubility Coefficient. This is the ratio of insoluble dye pigment to dissolved dye on-line under actual

Callebaut de Blicquy Optilab system

features the option of measuring up to six dyes in a dyebath simultaneously. Moreover the Mathis Smart Liquor system can, in principle be connected to any dyeing machine used in the laboratory or in production.

The Mathis Smart Liquor system was introduced at ITMA 2003 in Birmingham, UK, and since that time extensive development has been carried out. The many benefits of this advanced dyebath analysis system have been recognised globally and the system is used in 13 countries by textile dyehouses, dyestuffs and auxiliary manufacturers and research institutions.

The Mathis Smart Liquor system has been designed to work with all major dyestuff classes e.g. reactive, disperse, acid, metal-complex, direct, etc. and can be connected to any dyeing machine, either in the laboratory or in production, as long as there is some liquor circulation (as in exhaust dyeing) or a pad liquor (e.g. continuous dyeing).

The integrated measurement system for pH and conductivity utilises a dual channel instrument with an integrated multi-point calibration method. It incorporates automatic buffer recognition and electrode test, together with linear and non-linear temperature correction. The SmartMachine software provides algorithms for process optimisation, enabling for each dyeing machine and dyeing recipe

dyeing conditions. This permits a detailed analysis of both disperse dyestuff behaviour and also of the influence of auxiliaries on dyeing. It also enables the determination of when dyes start to diffuse into the fibre.

Another important feature of the Mathis Smart Liquor system is the SmartRinse software for optimising the washing off process after exhaust dyeing of cellulosic fibres with reactive dyes. The software utilises a physico-chemical model for the calculation and incorporates an optimisation method which enables the dyer to select the cheapest recipe-specific process. The Mathis Smart Liquor system also uses a SmartPad-Liquor software model which is integrated into SmartLiquor that eliminates tailing effects with reactive dyes. This is especially suitable for cold pad-batch and EControl dyeing processes. SmartManager software allows the user to document and prioritise optimisation steps and also incorporates the ability to generate reports using pre-defined templates.

The accumulated experience of users of this versatile, advanced dyebath analysis system has demonstrated productivity increases of 20-25 per cent using the existing dyeing machinery coupled with higher levels of RFT production.

Other benefits include cost reductions obtained via the analysis of exhaustion and wash-off curves which have resulted from reduced

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TEXTILES ISSUE ONE/2012

Ŷ Ultimate edge cutting system Ŷ Additional edge uncurling Ŷ Automatic Waste Control Ŷ Long Life Cutting Blades Ŷ Clean Cut Edge Ŷ Tensionless Cutting Ŷ Low Maintenance

Erhardt+Leimer GmbH Albert-Leimer-Platz 1 86391 Stadtbergen, Germany Phone +49 (0)821 2435-0 Fax +49 (0)821 2435-666 info@erhardt-leimer.com www.erhardt-leimer.com

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TEXTILE FINISHING expenditure on dyestuffs coupled with savings in water and energy consumption.

Another dye optimisation system that was shown at ITMA 2011 was the Callebaut de Blicquy (Tourcoing, France) Optilab system. This laboratory dyeing equipment allows the visualisation of the behaviour of the dyestuffs in an exhaust dyeing as a function of the physical and chemical dyeing conditions. Four solutions are available namely: • Optilab “Full” • Optilab with solid addition • Optilab with liquid addition • Optilab “Light” (without solid and liquid addition).

The visualisation of the dye exhaustion curves on the screen enables the user to determine the speed and extent of the dye exhaustion for an individual dye in a dye mixing as well as the compatibility of dyes used in a trichromat. In addition, the influence of auxiliary products such as levelling agents on the rate of exhaustion and the time of migration and fixation can both be measured. The Optilab laboratory system can also be used to assess the efficiency of rinsing and soaping.

Adaptive Control Solutions Ltd (Shipley, UK) are software and process control specialists that

provide advanced dyeing machine control systems, ranging from individual machine controllers to multi-machine control. These use touch-screen control technology and powerful software control that enable dyers to rapidly control and monitor each machine. The system provides a local realtime schedule of work, a complete list of running steps, live graph, animated machine-mimic and historical graphs that are stored for future analysis.

Integration is simple, with network links to Excel, Access, corporate networks and with the Adaptive Plant Explorer central control system. This multimachine control system enables users to run the dyeing machines separately or in multiple combination for maximum production efficiency and flexibility.

The Adaptive Plant Explorer central control system stores the control and monitoring information from around the plant and stores it in a standard Microsoft SQL Server database. A novel feature of this advanced central control system is the ability to download their free Plant Explorer app. Managers / supervisors who may be on the move thus have the facility to connect to the factory Wi-Fi or make a VPN connection which will link them on-line to the same screens on the office PC copy of Plant Explorer. Thus the progress of a batch through the dyeing plant can

be simply followed.

A new online monitoring system for indigo coloration was presented at ITMA 2011. This has been developed jointly by DyStar Colours Deutschland GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany, Becatron AG, Müllheim, Switzerland and Lilienwei GmbH, Remshalden, Germany. Based upon new technology, this novel IndiLine online monitoring system allows all important parameters to be analysed and monitored by a single device. Thus, critical process parameters such as: • Indigo concentration • Reducing agent concentration • Temperature • Electrolyte concentration • Alkalinity / pH-value, and • Redox potential can be monitored rapidly, enabling costeffective control of these important dyebath parameters. The new system incorporates autocalibration, is self-cleaning and there is no inaccuracy caused by sulfur dye contamination.

Clearly such a process monitoring and control system should be an important step in achieving higher levels of RFT production in indigo dyeing coupled with further improvement in dyeing quality. ❑

Rieter reports significant increase in sales

New cutting system from Erhardt+Leimer

T E X T I L E M AC H I N E RY MAJOR Rieter recorded significant growth in the 2011 financial year. Sales rose by 22 per cent to 1060.8 million CHF. Orders received were 34 per cent lower than the exceptionally strong outcome in the previous year, but remained at a healthy level (958.3 million CHF).

Rieter thus still has a good backlog of orders in hand.

The figures as of December 31, 2011, are the first Rieter still has a good backlog of orders in hand reported by Rieter for a full financial year in the new structure which came into effect on May 13, 2011, following the separation of the Rieter Group. Since then Rieter has been an industrially focused supplier of machinery and components for staple fiber spinning mills. Rieter will publish final figures and its annual report on March 21, 2012, according to a company press release.

The boom in demand on the world market for textile machinery and components experienced in 2010 continued in the first quarter of 2011.

The investment climate started to cool off as of the second quarter. The high cost of cotton and declining yarn prices intensified pressure on spinning mills’ margins and liquidity. The second half of the year was also dominated by uncertainty due to the trend in raw material prices and prospects for the global economy. As of the second quarter, the market retreated to a lower level compared with the previous year. Demand for yarns also declined in 2011. However, spinning mills were able to reduce yarn inventories to some extent again in the second half of the year.

WEB GUIDING SPECIALIST Erhardt+Leimer has launched ELCUT BTA 80, a new cutting system that meets the requirements of knitted fabric manufacturers: reduced cutting waste, minimum maintenance, long life, and easy retrofitting of old cutting devices.

“Quite a number of sophisticated details reflect more than 90 years of experience of Erhardt+Leimer in the field of web guiding and cutting systems. Long-life blades that can be used on both sides, an actuator allowing exact positioning of the system via two push buttons, or automatic follow-up control of the cutting devices by web edge via sensors guarantee top performance at minimum effort,” a company official said.

There are three versions of ELCUT BTA 80: The basic version is supplied with an actuator allowing Erhardt+Leimer exact manual positioning via ELCUT BTA 80 two push buttons. The second basic version includes a sensor with a captive range of +/- 3 mm. When the web width changes the sensor has to be positioned manually once, then the system automatically follows the web edge. The premium version is supplied with a wide band sensor that has a captive range of +/- 75 mm.

When the web width changes, the new position of the web edge is fixed at the push of a button. Due to its wide captive range, the web is always in the field view of the sensor.

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L’IMPRESSION NUMERIQUE

L’impression numérique amorce une ère nouvelle E MARCHÉ MONDIAL de l’impression sur tissus représente environ 27 milliards de mètres carrés et, selon un rapport publié par Global Industry Analysts, Inc (États-Unis), une augmentation annuelle de près de trois pour cent se traduirait par une croissance jusqu’à 30 à 32 milliards de mètres carrés d’ici 2015. La majeure partie de la production de ce marché repose sur des machines d’impression en sérigraphie à rotatives qui sont parfaitement adaptées aux longs cycles de production avec une même palette de couleurs.

Cependant, en raison de la croissance des demandes visant à réduire les délais d’impression et à proposer des conceptions plus innovantes tout en accélérant le rythme de production, ce marché commence à subir certaines pressions. Ces demandes favorisent en effet davantage l’impression numérique à jet d’encre qui permet de stocker les conceptions numérisées par voie informatique et d’imprimer à la demande, ce qui correspond parfaitement aux exigences du marché en matière de réactivité.

La répartition géographique du marché mondial de l’impression est la suivante : Chine (30 pour cent), Inde (17,5 pour cent), autre pays d’Asie (18,8 pour cent), Russie et CIS (11,1 pour cent), Amérique du Nord et du Sud (12,9 pour cent) et Moyen-Orient/Afrique (9,7 pour cent). Les grandes entreprises asiatiques d’impression sur textile occupent donc une position dominante sur le marché. Toutefois, en raison de l’augmentation des coûts salariaux en Chine, leur position de leader pourrait être remise en cause sous la pression de l’Inde et des autres pays d’Asie. L’Afrique et le MoyenOrient pourraient profiter des opportunités offertes par ces nouvelles préoccupations en matière d’impression en approvisionnant le marché européen, profitant ainsi de leur proximité géographique avec l’Europe par rapport à la Chine.

Au cours de l’année passée, les fabricants de machines d’impression numérique à jet d’encre et les fabricants de produits chimiques spécifiques pour les encres ont continué à proposer des développements majeurs destinés au marché de l’impression à jet d’encre. Pour le moment, le marché de l’impression numérique sur textile reste relativement confidentiel avec environ 200 millions de mètres carrés par an, soit 0,75 pour cent du marché mondial de l’impression traditionnelle. Toutefois, les avancées réalisées en matière de conception de têtes d’impression

L

Au cours de l’année passée, les fabricants de machines d’impression numérique à jet d’encre et les fabricants de produits chimiques spécifiques pour les encres ont continué à proposer des développements majeurs destinés au marché de l’impression à jet d’encre.

à grande vitesse pour l’impression numérique combinées aux nouvelles encres pour jet d’encre ont fait entrer l’impression numérique à jet d’encre dans une nouvelle ère et ouvrent la voie à une expansion majeure de cette technique dans le domaine de l’impression sur textile et de l’impression directe sur textile.

Impression en sérigraphie Stork Prints a présenté sa machine d’impression en sérigraphie par rotative Pegasus EVO, qui succède à la machine Pegasus CC déjà bien établie, lors du salon ITMA 2011. La machine Pegasus EVO est basée sur des technologies déjà éprouvées et intègre les développements les plus récents ainsi que toutes les fonctionnalités suscitées par la demande du marché afin de fournir une excellente qualité à un prix raisonnable.

Proposée en configuration à palier ouvert ou fermé, la machine Pegasus EVO peut être configurée pour des impressions de 1,85 à 3,20 mètres de large. La position des lames ou des racles magnétiques peut être précisément et automatiquement ajustée ainsi, que relevée immédiatement.

La souplesse d’exécution de la machine Pegasus EVO combinée au système de contrôle innovant proposé par Stork Prints est en passe de créer une nouvelle référence dans le domaine de l’impression en sérigraphie par rotative. La servo-technologie et les diagnostics à distance de pointe sont à la base de cette

TEXTILES AFRIQUE ET MOYEN ORIENT 1ERE EDITION/2012

réussite. Le principal avantage de cette machine est la possibilité de mettre à niveau une machine d’impression en sérigraphie par rotative existante avec les fonctionnalités d’impression Pegasus EVO. L’impression pigmentaire représente plus de 50 pour cent du marché de l’impression textile car elle permet d’imprimer sur tous les types de fibres et de mélanges de fibres sans avoir recours au vaporisage ou au lavage. Le traitement à haute température du liant permet d’obtenir de bonnes propriétés globales de solidité, notamment des pigments qui assurent une bonne solidité à la lumière.

L’impression pigmentaire utilise des dispersions de pigments, des liants et des agents de réticulation, ainsi que des épaississants et des adjuvants. Les liants utilisés sont des polymères filmogènes qui adhèrent à la surface de la fibre et sont fixés au film du liant après traitement thermique des pigments. Le liant utilisé peut être de type autoréticulé ou réticulé par réaction avec un agent de réticulation approprié. Il est essentiel que le film du liant soit flexible et extensible. Par ailleurs, le marché est de plus en plus demandeurs d’impressions au toucher plus doux. Les épaississants et autres adjuvants sont généralement ajoutés pour s’assurer que la rhéologie de la pâte d’impression est appropriée pour l’impression en sérigraphie par rotative ou une autre méthode d’impression.

Infa (qui fait partie du Groupe Prochimica

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L’IMPRESSION NUMERIQUE Novarese en Italie) a récemment introduit un système d’impression utilisant des pigments ultradoux qui offrent une sensation au toucher ne présentant aucune différence avec l’impression à l’aide de colorants selon la plupart des utilisateurs. Le liant B2113 (IGS Chemical Ind Co., Aleppo, Syrie) est un autre type de liant. Ce produit liquide blanc présente la caractéristique d'être non-ionique. Il est le résultat de la dispersion thermoréactive aqueuse d’un polymère acrylique. Le liant Tephabind NF-B de Pulcra Chemicals (Allemagne) est basé sur un copolymère acrylonitrile butadiène styrène et est spécialement conçu pour l’impression pigmentaire.

Le système d’impression écologique de Clariant (Suisse) repose sur un ensemble complet de composants GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) : des adjuvants et des colorants approuvés exempts de formaldéhyde.

Ainsi, les impressions textiles produites à l’aide de ce système ne requièrent aucun test visant à vérifier l’absence de formaldéhyde (requise notamment par la loi japonaise 112), ce qui représente un gain de temps et de coût.

Le système d’impression écologique de Clariant est basé sur les liants Printofix Binder NF liq et Printofix Fixing Agent ZF liq. Ce dernier est exempt de formaldéhyde ainsi que d’APEO (alkylphénols éthoxylés) et est basé sur un copolymère acrylique autoréticulé conçu pour fournir d’excellentes performances d’exécution des impressions en sérigraphie.

Clariant propose aussi des épaississants exempts de formaldéhyde comme Printofix Thickener CN, Printofix Thickener CSN et Printofix CSFN. Ceux-ci sont utilisés avec l’assouplisseur Printofix Softener SFT, l’agent de fixage Printofix Fixing Agent ZF liq et des dispersions de pigments (Printofix T et Printofix A).

Pour produire des impressions douces au toucher, Clariant a récemment introduit Printofix Binder SFT qui permet d’obtenir un fini

le marché des impressions numériques pourrait atteindre près de 1,3 milliard de dollars d’ici 2014.

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éclatant avec un superbe rendement des couleurs. Printofix Binder SFT produit des impressions pigmentaires offrant une excellente résistance au lavage et au frottement. Sa composition chimique permet par ailleurs d’obtenir des impressions au toucher doux.

Le liant Printofix Binder LTC de Clariant promet de réaliser des économies d’énergie non négligeables.

Pour ce concept d’impression spécial, le traitement thermique dure seulement deux minutes à 120° C. Ce système de traitement thermique à basse température a été conçu pour les imprimantes de table. Printofix Binder LTC est classé conforme à la norme Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Classe 1, et contient très peu de formaldéhyde.

Il présente d’excellentes propriétés de vieillissement à la lumière et produit des impressions au toucher doux et aux couleurs éclatantes.

Impression numérique à jet d’encre Une étude menée conjointement par PIRA International et FESPA indique que le marché des impressions numériques pourrait atteindre près de 1,3 milliard de dollars d’ici 2014. Cette technologie d’impression évolue rapidement et a déjà réalisé quelques percées dans le secteur des vêtements, des textiles ménagers, des textiles techniques et des signalétiques (comme les signalétiques sur textile), ainsi que des drapeaux et des bannières. Les textiles automobiles pourraient également devenir un secteur porteur pour l’impression numérique.

Les formulations des encres destinées à l’impression numérique à jet d’encre jouent également un rôle crucial dans l’obtention d’une excellente capacité d’impression. Les encres FLARE de Stork Prints sont conçues pour les imprimantes utilisant des têtes d’impression Epson. Elles comprennent des encres réactives pour toutes les fibres naturelles, des encres acides pour les tissus en polyamide/Lycra, la laine et la soie, des encres

dispersées pour l’impression directe des tissus en polyester et des encres de sublimation et mélangées pour l’impression sur du papier pour sublimation permettant ensuite l’impression par transfert. Les encres ReAcid sont des encres modifiées spéciales qui permettent l’impression sur toutes les fibres naturelles ainsi que sur le polyamide et le Lycra. Les cartouches d’encre dégazées et exemptes d’air brevetées par Stork Prints sont conçues pour produire des impressions autonomes à la vitesse la plus élevée du marché.

La série d’encres NEBULA de Stork Prints est conçue pour satisfaire les exigences strictes de viscosité des têtes d’impression Kyocera et sont disponibles en bidons de 10 kg.

La tête d’impression Kyocera KJ4B est dotée de 2 656 buses offrant une résolution de 600 x 600 ppp (points par pouce) et fonctionne selon le procédé piézoélectrique d’impression par goutte à la demande. Avec ces têtes d’impression, les imprimantes numériques peuvent atteindre des vitesses d’impression sur tissu à l’heure actuellement fournies par les équipements d’impression automatique en sérigraphie à plat.

Le jeu d’encres réactives NEBULA de Stork Prints convient à la machine Stork Sphene 24 équipée de têtes d’impression Kyocera KJ4B, imprimant en huit couleurs (trois têtes/couleur) pour atteindre une production maximale de 500 m2/h. Le jeu d’encres QualJet K16 de La Meccanica fonctionne avec les mêmes têtes d’impression Kyocera, pour des impressions en huit couleurs (deux têtes/couleur) avec une production maximale de 490 m2/h.

Les autres imprimantes numériques à jet d’encre utilisant les têtes d’impression Kyocera KJ4B sont les machines Honghua Vega 600(16) et Vega 700 qui peuvent imprimer jusqu’à 450 et 1 000 m2/h respectivement en utilisant huit couleurs. L’imprimante JP38K de MS Italy imprime en huit couleurs (trois têtes/couleur) pour atteindre une production maximale de 550 m2/h. La machine Renoir de Reggiani (huit couleurs, deux têtes/couleur) peut atteindre 400 m2/h.

La Durst Kappa 180 exploite la technologie de tête d’impression propriétaire de Durst, Quadro. Le système Durst QuadroZ Array modifié utilise des encres à base d’eau projetées à travers une plaque de buses spécialement durcie et résistante aux éraillures.

La taille des gouttes est de 7 à 21 picolitres. Par conséquent, 6 144 projections par couleur permettent d’obtenir une résolution maximale de 1 680 ppp. Il est possible d’imprimer huit couleurs (CMJN, orange, rouge, bleu et gris) sans modulations ni fluctuation de la densité grâce au système de nettoyage automatique des buses de Durst. Par ailleurs, le système de filtrage à osmose élimine les bulles de gaz

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5484 IDC

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L’IMPRESSION NUMERIQUE présentes dans les encres. Avec une largeur d’impression maximale de 1 950 mm sur des matériaux jusqu’à 10 mm d’épaisseur, la production pour une résolution de 1 056 x 600 ppp est de 606 m2/h à la vitesse de 311 m/h.

La Nassenger Pro 1000 de Konica Minolta fournit une résolution de 540 x 360 ppp et propose la vitesse d’impression la plus rapide du marché avec 1 000 m2/h. Cette imprimante est équipée d’un nouveau chariot de tête d’impression comportant des têtes d’impression indépendantes récemment développées, toutes pourvues de 1 024 buses avec une densité de 360 buses par pouce. La Nassenger Pro 1000 de Konica Minolta utilise des encres réactives, dispersées et à base de colorants acides de qualité supérieure. Neuf jeux d’encre de couleur sont fournis dans des bidons de 20 litres. Deux bidons d’encre par couleur fournissent une capacité totale de 40 litres permettant de nombreuses impressions.

Si la Nassenger Pro 1000 convient parfaitement aux impressions de production, la

Nassenger Pro 60 de Konica Minolta dont la vitesse d’impression est de 60 m2/h est tout à fait adaptée à la production d’épreuves.

L’Osiris de Xennia Technology Ltd est une imprimante textile numérique au rendement extrêmement élevé qui utilise jusqu’à huit couleurs (couleurs de quadrichromie ou d’accompagnement) avec possibilité de mise à niveau jusqu’à 12 couleurs. Cette imprimante permet des largeurs d’impression jusqu’à 1,85 mètres avec une qualité dite supérieur à celle des impressions en sérigraphie à rotatives. Il est possible d’atteindre des vitesses de production de 30 m/min avec une couverture totale (équivalente à la couverture d’une surface de 3 330 m2/h).

Cette couverture d’encre élevée permet de décorer des tissus très épais comme ceux utilisés pour la mode ou pour l’ameublement.

La machine Colaris de Zimmer peut être configurée pour imprimer sur des épaisseurs de 1 800, 2 600 ou 3 200 mm en utilisant quatre, six ou huit couleurs. Cette machine

utilise les têtes d’impression en niveaux de gris AQ-508-GS de SII Printek (Seiko) qui fournissent une résolution de 360 à 1 400 ppp selon la configuration de l’imprimante. Le système d’application Magnoroll de Zimmer permet de prétraiter les tissus en ligne. Les encres utilisées peuvent être CMJN, CMJN+2 ou CMJN+4 ou 2 x CMJN pour doubler la vitesse d’impression. L’imprimante Colaris de Zimmer est adaptée à l’impression de tous types de tissus, des soies les plus légères aux serviettes éponges les plus épaisses.

L’imprimante Allegro de Kornit peut imprimer jusqu’à 280 m2/h avec une résolution de 500 x 500 ppp sur une épaisseur de 1 800 mm. Elle utilise des têtes d’impression Spectra (32 têtes d’impression maximum, quatre par couleur) et fournit une résolution de 363 à 800 ppp. Le système de prétraitement des tissus PreT de Kornit utilise un agent de fixage inodore pour lier les encres à base d’eau sur les tissus en cours d’impression. ❑

Domotex Middle East moves to Istanbul

OEKO-TEX test criteria for 2012

DOMOTEX MIDDLE EAST— one of the leading trade fairs for carpets and floor coverings in the MENA Region (Middle East/North Africa)— is moving to Istanbul, Turkey after six successful years in Dubai, The fair will now be staged at the CNR EXPO Center in Istanbul from this year.

Domotex Middle East 2012 runs from 8 to 11 November.

"Regrettably, the Emirate of Dubai was unable to reach the ambitious goals it had set itself," explained Martin Folkerts, Director Global Fairs at Deutsche Messe. However, the Middle East remains a highly promising market for foreign companies, thanks to its many large-scale building projects. For instance, Saudi Arabia is planning a major expansion of infrastructure services in and around the city of Mecca to cater for everincreasing pilgrim numbers, while Qatar is

THE OEKO-TEX ASSOCIATION has as usual updated the applicable test criteria and limit values for testing textiles for harmful substances according to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 at their annual meeting, with effect as of 1 January 2012. The new requirements will come into force on 1 April. The regular re-evaluation of the test parameters is based on current market and product developments, new toxicological findings and new legal requirements, also taking into consideration the REACh legislation, including the SVHC substances relevant to textile manufacturing which have been added in 2011.

In addition to introducing new test parameters, the scope of the control tests on OEKO-TEX certified products carried out throughout the world is being extended to cover 20 per cent of all certificates issued annually in future, as opposed to the minimum 15 per cent tested to date. In practice, over recent years, an average of 18 per cent of certificates have been tested using product samples taken from the shops at the expense of the OEKO-TEX Association.

A new complement to the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is now also available, on the basis of which it will be possible to certify special products such as tents, prams, office chairs or rucksacks according to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 in future.

More detailed information on the new version of the OEKO-TEX criteria catalogue can be obtained from the OEKO-TEX Secretariat, email: info@oeko-tex.com. A complete overview of all limit values and test criteria can be found at www.oeko-tex.com/limitvalues.

erecting new office and residential buildings as well as hotels in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which it will be hosting.

These are just two of the many major development projects in the region.

At the same time, Turkey, with its population of around 73 million, now ranks as the world's 17th largest economy and also boasts economic growth that is well above the global average. In the second quarter of 2011, Turkey's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a stunning 8.8 per cent year on year. The country's economic growth rate for 2010 as a whole was an impressive 8.9 per cent growth.

Economists expect the country's rapid economic expansion to continue, especially in the building and construction sector.

Forecasts say that around 210 million square meters (2.26 billion sq. ft) of carpets and floor coverings will be laid in Turkey in 2012 alone.

Domotex Middle East 2012 will be held at the CNR EXPO Center in Istanbul, from 8 to 11 November

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APPAREL Africa and the Middle East James Heal Martindale 900

Fabric testing : a constantly evolving science Niki Tait looks at some of the new testing methods and advanced equipment available today

T

HE CLOTHING AND textile industry is extremely competitive and highly fragmented.

Differentiating products and brands is therefore important and this can be facilitated through improving and maintaining consistency in quality.

Testing can be used to measure various aspects of objective quality, to make sure the garment or other textile product is fit for the purpose it is intended, to what degree, and ensuring compliance to defined standards.

There is a plethora of different standards, any particular product may need to adhere to depending on the end use that product is intended for.

Although there are internationally recognized ISO standards, many countries, such as America, Australia and the European Union, or trade blocks have their own standards. On top of this, many key retailers and brands insist on their own dedicated standards, such as Next, Marks and Spencer and Limited, to ensure consistency of quality through their brands.

There is also a wide range of tests available to the textile industry to ascertain the compliance of a fabric or finished product. These include tensile, bursting, button / snap pull and tearing strength measurements, abrasion and pilling assessment,

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TEXTILES ISSUE ONE/2012

stretch and recovery measurements, flammability measurements, rub, wash and perspiration fastness, shrinkage and much else.

There are many companies in the market who specialize in making fabric testing equipment, and others who provide specialist testing services through dedicated laboratories. UK-based SDL Atlas claims to offer the largest range of textile testing products, supplies, consumables, and services available from a single source. It has over 600 textile testing solutions within its portfolio. The India-based company MAG Solvics Private Limited supplies over 130 pieces of test equipment for fibres, yarns and fabrics, all compliant with the appropriate international test standards including ISO, AATCC, ASTM, BS, IS, SDC, IWS, IWTO, ITF. It has more than 7000 installations and 3600 customers. Italian Mesdan offers a wide range of equipment for the analysis of fibres, yarns, traditional and technical textile fabrics, nonwovens, leather, etc, in compliance with international standards.

The more functional a garment, the more testing is required. As both fabrics and garments see technologies advances, test methods and equipment too should keep up with the progress.

Martindale Test The Martindale Test is used to check fabric durability and suitability for various uses as it tests for abrasion and pilling on woven, nonwoven and knitted fabrics. A circular specimen, mounted in a specimen holder and subjected to a defined load, is rubbed against a defined abrasive medium in a translational movement tracing a Lissajous figure, the specimen holder being additionally freely rotatable around its own axis perpendicular to the plane of the specimen. The normal end point of the test is when two threads are broken or in the case of pile fabrics when the pile has completely worn off.

Nearly all test equipment companies supply such equipment, though that supplied by James Heal has been recently updated and modernised.

There are now three models in its Martindale 900 series, with nine, five or two stations. Each station is easily accessible from the front of the machine with unobstructed access; each has finger grips for easy removal of the top plates providing tool free change between motions. Constructed from light weight, hard wearing materials, the top plates are precision engineered from aircraft grade hard anodised aluminium. There is a versatile and intuitive control panel with optional voice prompts, a comprehensive range of sample holding options

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FABRIC TESTING and the machine complies with all known Martindale test standards.

Also within James Heal’s updated range is the Titan 4 Universal Strength Tester which can test the strength of yarns, fabrics, garments and the security of attachments by applying a constant rate of extension (CRE test). Standards-compliant, it can operate in both tension and compression modes using an extensive range of tool-free, interchangeable specimen grips, and a choice of three load cells— up to 3000N (approximately 300kg). The single TestWise test analysis software package for yarn, leather, fabric and nonwovens includes analysis of tensile strength, seam slippage, security of attachments, button strength, pile loop extraction, tear strength, peel bond (delamination), stretch and recovery (cyclic), ball burst, puncture and crushing. It contains an extensive library of preloaded, national and international standards, and retailers’ test methods, with a ‘Standards Editor’ which makes it easy to modify existing standards or create new methods. After selection of the required standard or method test, parameters (including gauge length) can be automatic set.

James Heal’s TruBurst 3, is a fully pneumatic bursting and 3D fatigue tester, which comfortably exceeds the exacting requirements of ISO 13938-2, ASTM D3786 and of many other national and

international standards. The inherent flexibility of TruBurst 3 gives it the capability to test a broad range of materials including textiles, nonwovens, paper, board, plastics and medical products. Key features include non-contact laser distension measurement for accurate results, automatic diaphragm correction to improve precision, adjustable clamping pressure to avoid slippage or specimen damage, automatic burst detect system, illuminated viewing area, automatic recognition of test dome with tool free change over to accelerate testing and reduce downtime. It comes with intuitive software for experienced and inexperienced users which enables the machine to cycle up to 500 times to a pressure or distension, and test method configuration enabling up to 50 customer definable tests. The dual control model has been approved by both Marks and Spencer and adidas.

Tearing strength testers Elmendorf type tearing strength testers are used to determine the tearing strength of fabrics, plastic films or other similar materials. Many companies supply this type of tester; including India-based BTex Engineering. Conforming with the international standards its Elmendorf Type Tester determines the tearing strength by measuring the work done in tearing through a fixed length of the

James Heal Titan 4

test specimen. It consists of a sector pendulum pivoted on anti-friction ball bearings on a vertical bracket fixed on a rigid metallic base.

The pendulum is raised till it rests against the release block pin. Both the jaws have to be opened and the test specimen is inserted between the jaws.

The cutting lever is pushed to make the slit in the test specimen; raising it till the knife goes up to the maximum extent possible. The knife has to be lowered to its initial position and the pointer has to be moved till it rests against the pointer stopper screw. The pendulum is then released. The lever has to be held until the tear is completed and then released on the return swing. The scale is then read to the nearest whole division. The process is then repeated five times and average is taken out. The result is calculated by using the formula: Tearing Strength (g) = K x mean value of scale reading.

MAG Solvics Private Limited also offers an Elmendorf Type Tearing Strength Tester it calls ‘MecTear’ which uses the Elmendorf method to determine the ballistic tearing strength of fabric.

Supplied with calibration weights and augmenting mass, this Elmendorf Tearing Strength Tester has an Applicable Standard(s) ± 1 per cent of FSR and complies with standards ASTM D1424, BS 4253/4468, ISO 9290/13937 & IS 6489. It has a capacity/sample size of up to 1600 / 3200 / 6400 grams.

PresoHot XT is MAG Solvics’ sublimation tester, which is used to determine colour fastness against hot pressing or dry heat on textiles. Three pairs of pressure heads are used. Different temperatures can be set for each pair enabling three samples to be tested at a time. It uses a modular heating system with pre-programmable electronic temperature controllers, each thermally isolated for effective and safe usage. It measures from ambient temperature to 250°C with ± 1°C accuracy and adheres to standards AATCC 92 / 114 / 117 / 133, BS 1006, ISO 105 and IS 689.

Another example of the testing equipment from MAG Solvics is its PerspiRator DX which measures colour fastness to water and perspiration.

With a sample size of 60 x 60 or 40 x 100 mm, up to 40 samples at a time can be tested to BS, AAT and ISO standards. Dual plates, compensating springs and loading weights ensure standard operation. It is made from 100 per cent stainless steel.

Measuring comfort levels Recent studies have revealed that for most active wear purchasers, the comfort of their apparel’s fabric is closely linked to its ability to handle moisture such as perspiration. Researchers have therefore been seeking to develop various means for objectively measuring and documenting comfort levels and moisture handling. Although some test methods exist for evaluating absorbency, wicking and strike-through time, existing standards have been unable to measure the behaviour of liquid transfer in clothing materials dynamically.

SDL Atlas has developed a new moisture

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FABRIC TESTING size and included casters permit the instrument to be setup quickly and easily wherever testing needs to be done, from the laboratory to the production floor.

Turn-key thermal manikin system

The SDL Atlas Air Permeability Tester

management tester for measuring the moisture handling properties of performance fabrics for active wear and other apparels. This has recently earned approval from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC).

The unit dynamically measures liquid transfer behaviour in knitted, woven and non-woven textile fabrics using upper and lower concentric moisture sensors. It generates six key indexes— wetting time top/bottom, absorption rate top/bottom, maximum wetted radius top/bottom, spreading speed top/bottom, accumulative one-way transport capacity, overall moisture management capacity— and a quantifiable one-way moisture movement index value.

MMT consists of upper and lower concentric moisture sensors. The specimen is held flat under fixed pressure between the sensors while standard test solution is introduced on to the top surface of the fabric. Electrical resistance changes between the upper and lower sensors are then recorded dynamically on computer.

The SDL Atlas Sweating Guarded Hotplate measures thermal and water vapour resistance, simulating the heat and mass transfer processes of human skin. The specimen to be tested is placed on an electronically heated porous plate with conditioned air ducted to flow across and parallel to its upper surface.

Housed in a conditioned cabinet, the instrument operates with user-friendly Windows software and prints out standard test reports. This test conforms to ISO 11092 standards. The SDL Atlas Hydrostatic Head Tester measures the resistance of a fabric to penetration by water under hydrostatic pressure. This new instrument is applicable to all types of woven, knitted, and nonwoven fabrics, including those with water repellent and waterproof finishes and complies with AATCC, ISO and 68 testing standard. Specimens are subjected to increasing (dynamic] or static hydrostatic pressure, until three points of leakage occur. After a minimum of three specimens are tested, calculation of the average maximum hydrostatic pressure is reported in mBars or cm H2O, to rate the fabric. This new Hydrostatic Head Tester offers increased capacities in both hydrostatic pressure and fabric thickness, greater efficiency through end-of-test alarms and auto head refills, preloaded test standards, and downloadable results.

The SDL Atlas Air Permeability Tester automatically measures the flow of air through a given area of a fabric (set by a selected standard orifice) at a given pressure drop over this test area during the time called out by the accepted standard. Exclusive features include automatic detection of the test head size and an automatic ranging system that eliminates the need for a pre-test to discover and then set the instrument range. The 50 cm test arm allows for simple testing on a large sample without having to cut multiple small specimens. The compact

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TEXTILES ISSUE ONE/2012

Measurement Technology Northwest in the USA have developed a complete turn-key thermal manikin system, called Newton, which can be used for a wide range of clothing and environmental testing. The system is constructed from a carbon-epoxy shell. The shell has embedded resistance wire heating and sensor wire elements, and it is filled with thermally conductive aluminium. Newton was developed using advanced computer-aided design (CAD) digital modelling to ensure accuracy and repeatability in both manufacturing and in testing. It is available in 20-zone, 26-zone or 34-zone configurations, but the number of zones and other thermal properties can be customised for faster transient response, greater sensitivity or easier handling. Two adult body forms are available, Western Male or Asian Male, in either a dry format or a sweating format. A child version is also available. All packages include a computer with the company’s exclusive ThermDAC control software.

Also available from Measurement Technology Northwest is a submersible thermal manikin called Nemo. It is an advanced, fully immersible aluminium manikin with embedded heating and thermistor sensor elements. All of the electronics for heating and control are located inside the manikin for maximum accuracy and easy maintenance. The manikin is completely waterproof and weighs 155 lb (70 kg), which approximates to the average weight of a human being. It is rated for immersion testing to depths of 10 ft (3 m), which means that it can be used to conduct realistic testing of diving gear, marine survival suits, and other protective garments. Nemo features sealed joints with adjustable friction settings at the ankles, elbows, knees and hips. These joints will maintain their watertight integrity in any pose.

Salzmann AG St. Gallen produces and sells the MST Professional, a pressure measuring device for medical compression and support stockings which can measure standard production as well as custom made stockings. It can also record the elastic properties and contains a test programme for quality assurance. Pressure gradients can be measured for standardized and individual

Salzmann AG St. Gallen produces the MST Professional pressure measuring device for medical compression and support stockings

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FABRIC TESTING leg measurements with strength/stretch diagrams simultaneously produced for several measuring points. A variable leg form is used which can cover 95 per cent of known sizes. Correlation with HOSY, HATRA and CEN (ITFH) is possible. The flat measuring probe does not bulge, therefore the material is not overstretched before measurement, and no faulty measurement is possible, as is the case with a bulky probe. The results can be read off directly, and do not need to be converted using tables and formulae. The MST is mobile and can be used anywhere. Measurements can be fully reproduced when made by different operators.

Although not new, the WIRA Steaming Cylinder is claimed by WIRA to be ‘the tested and trusted industry standard’ in extensive use throughout industry and large retailers. It facilitates the prediction of cloth shrinkage in making-up and provides a reproducible measure of 'relaxation' shrinkage using an international standard test method, whilst providing a rapid routine test for process control.

The cylinder has a double walled thermally insulated steaming chamber into which the cloth specimens are placed on a stainless steel supporting frame of low heat capacity and surface area. Steam is fed to the equipment by an integral steam generator. This is connected to a water supply, thus making the operation automatic.

The WIRA Steaming Cylinder subjects four cloth specimens at a time to dry saturated steam at atmospheric pressure. The specimens are given no mechanical restraint and there is no subsequent vacuum cooling. The device provides a reproducible measure of the component of shrinkage occurring in steam pressing attributable to latent strains in the cloth supplied. Any further shrinkage that may occur arises from the characteristics of the pressing process itself. An automatic timer is incorporated in the apparatus to give an indication of the 30-second cycle required for BS4323 and ISO3005.

Standard test In the standard test, the specimens are preconditioned in the standard atmosphere for testing textiles. They are then marked using the measuring device and then measured. Steamed for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest outside the cylinder, this cycle is performed three times in all. The specimens are then re-measured.

WIRA also manufactures a wide range of instruments for the testing of traditional and nonwoven fabrics used in PPE materials and protective clothing including radiant heat and flame test apparatus. In the metal industries, protective clothing is expected to protect against heat and molten metal. The WIRA molten test apparatus, PCT:003, subjects the sample to a controlled application of molten metal. An embossed PVC film is placed behind the test specimen. The small quantity of molten metal is poured into the specimen that is supported at an angle. The PVC film is then inspected for damage.

The test is repeated using greater or smaller amounts of molten metal until minimum damage to the film is observed.

Clothing designed for protecting wearers against small splashes of molten metal is often submitted to high thermal loads and so an important function is the resistance to heat transfer through the protective material. Using the WIRA Small Drops Molten Metal Test Apparatus, PCT:004, drops of molten metal are formed by melting the end of a steel rod by means of an oxyacetylene torch. A rod is lowered at a controlled speed to create a steady stream of drops. The drops fall vertically into a funnel which guides the metal drops onto the test specimen. Behind the specimen a tem¬perature sensor monitors the temperature. The number of drops is counted as the temperature is monitored and the temperature rises by 40 °C. Protective clothing such as hand protectors are designed to protect against high contact temperatures. In the WIRA Contact Heat Testing

The Mesdam Static Lab

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Apparatus - PCT:005, the heating cylinder is heated up to the desired contact temperature. The temperature, normally in the range 100˚C to 500˚ C is set by means of a temperature controller. Circular specimens are cut from the product and placed on the Calorimeter. The calorimeter is then raised until contact is made the heater and the temperature is recorded over time. The time for a temperature rise of 10°C is recorded.

Static electricity on garment fabrics The Mesdan Static Lab is suitable for checking the static electricity on garment fabrics, protective fabrics, and leather and has a measuring range 105 – 1014 Ohms. The instrument is composed of an electronic console for the digital reading of static electricity values (Ohm), connecting cables and static electricity measuring heads for both the “surface” and “vertical” modes. It is built in accordance with ISO EN 1149-1 and ISO EN 1149-2.

The Mesdam Horizontal Flammability Tester 3392C can be used tester for all U.S. apparel fabrics, other than children’s sleepwear. It is also used to measure the burning rate of materials used in automotive, interiors and certain aircraft interiors. It is automatic, with a solid state digital timer and uses a stationary burner with gas pilot light.

SATRA develops, designs and manufactures a wide range of test equipment. Amongst these is a complete set of test equipment to allow the tests to be carried out for the requirements of EN 388: abrasion, cut, tear and puncture tests used, for example, on industrial protective gloves The SATRA STM 611 Circular Blade Cut Resistance Tester, for example, measures the cut resistance of a material in accordance with EN 388 (Clause 6.2). A test sample is clamped in an easily removed holder, which is then placed onto the machine. The circular blade is gently lowered so that it touches the test sample. With the counter set to zero, the ‘Start Test’ button is pressed to initialise the test. When the rotating blade penetrates the test sample, the machine will automatically stop. The number of cycles displayed on the counter screen is used to produce the cut index, which is a measure of the material’s cut resistance.

The SATRA STM 610 Cut Resistance Evaluator applies a cut to the sample with a straight blade. A number of cuts are made, each using a new blade. A graph is then plotted of cutting stroke length compared to blade loading, to predict the force at which the blade will just penetrate the material at a 20mm stroke. The resulting force in Newtons gives the cut index and EN 388:2003 includes a possible correlation with the blade cut index value such as produced by STM 611.

Other test methods using this equipment include ASTM F 1790-04 and ISO 13997. ❑ Niki Tait C. Text FCI FCFI heads Apparel Solutions (www.apparelsolutions,co,uk) which provides independent assistance and training to the Apparel Industry in the areas of manufacturing methods, industrial engineering, information technology, quick response, etc.

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HEIMTEXTIL 2012

With 2,634 exhibitors from 61 countries, the number of manufacturers of home and contract textiles taking part this year was up 2.4 per cent

Heimtextil showcases innovations and latest trends in home textiles The international trade fair for home and contract textiles presented an impressive spectrum of floor coverings, decorative and furnishing fabrics, blinds and sunshades, as well as wallpapers and wall coverings of all kinds.

N

ew designs and innovative functions were on show across all product groups at the recentlyheld Heimtextil 2012 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Exhibitors from all corners of the globe showcased various materials, colours, patterns and shapes that would dominate the fashion world in the coming season. With 2,634 exhibitors from 61 countries, the number of manufacturers of home and contract textiles taking part this year was up 2.4 per cent compared to the previous edition in 2011.

“The exhibitors were delighted with the large turn out of decision makers, the quality of the contacts, the orders placed and the number of new business contacts at Heimtextil 2012,” said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, summarising the opinion of exhibitors as reflected by the end-of-fair poll. “German exhibitors were particularly pleased with their results – no less than 84 per cent said their participation had been successful to very successful, a significant increase on the previous

year (77 per cent). Even higher was the level of satisfaction on the visitor side, where 92 per cent said they were very satisfied with the range of products on show and the course of business at the fair.”

Against this background of orders, product launches and new contacts, the sector nevertheless noted that many delegations from the distributive trades, the handicrafts trade, design and industry were no longer as big as in the past. This reduced the number of visitors by a good five per cent to around 70,000 (2011: 73,071, audited by the Society for the Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM)). “The decline is primarily due to a fall in numbers from those European nations that have been particularly hard hit by the debt crisis, especially Italy, Spain, Greece, France and The Netherlands,” explained Detlef Braun.

In contrast to this, there was an increase in the number of visitors from the Russian Federation,

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the Middle East, Turkey and the Far East. The biggest visitor countries after Germany were Italy, Turkey, China, Great Britain, the USA, France, Spain, the Russian Federation, The Netherlands and Poland. Altogether, the proportion of visitors from outside Germany amounted to 64.2 per cent (2011: 65.4 per cent).

Despite the prevailing economic uncertainties, positive signals came from Germany. Both visitors and exhibitors are beginning the new business year with a positive outlook. The good prognoses are based on a sales increase of 4.6 per cent at the end of 2011, the result of growth in domestic demand.

And, say the experts, demand will remain at a high level this year. Home and household textiles, e.g., bed, bathroom and table linen, textile floor coverings, curtains, decorative fabrics and wallpaper, are particularly popular among German consumers with demand having risen steadily since the 2009 financial crisis to a level that is higher than that for entertainment electronics.

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HEIMTEXTIL 2012 The international trade fair for home and contract textiles presented an impressive spectrum of floor coverings, decorative and furnishing fabrics, blinds and sunshades, as well as wallpapers and wall coverings of all kinds. Equally, the latest trends in bathroom fabrics and, indeed, for bed and table linen were on display. Once again, it was the sustainably manufactured products that grabbed all the attention at the event.

They were first to be seen in clothing fashions, now they have found their way into the home: colours such as plum, lime, raspberry red, aubergine or a pithy green are in frequent use for home textiles. Green was definitely the up-andcoming colour at Heimtextil, often combined with aqua, maize, beige or curry tones. The more elegant the fabric, the darker the colours, which are then, however, brightened up with subtle lustres to the material or with interwoven specialeffect threads and, as a result, shimmer discreetly.

Natural colour combinations such as brown, greige and beige or contrasts such as black and white are used mostly for fabrics with bold, clear

It was the sustainably manufactured products that grabbed all the attention at the event

patterns. Weave structure is more sophisticated than it has ever been. Decorative ribbing, embroidery, crushed finishes, ornaments, pleats, interwoven decorative yarns or tiny ribbons give materials greater definition. It is particularly fabrics with a uniform colour, or tone-in-tone patterning that make a stronger impression with their structured relief, without appearing to dominate the visual effect of the room. The pattern

palette for fabrics ranges from floral decoration and stripes of all sorts and kinds of width to huge blossoms and geometrical designs (up to 30 centimetres wide). Decoration is, however, on the whole, more delicate and the colour combinations more conservative than in previous years. Various natural and synthetic yarns are often mixed in subtle and sophisticated ways to achieve particular optical effects. ❑

Innovative yarn for sport and leisure wear WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP with Zwickauer Kammgarn GmbH and Helmut Peterseim Strickwaren GmbH in Mühlhausen, researchers at the Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim have developed an innovative new type of yarn for knitted textiles. The new hybrid yarn HP2G combines the benefits of synthetic fibres with those of wool fibres. This combination guarantees excellent thermal insulation, while sweat is transported away efficiently and the textile dries quickly.

Furthermore, the yarn is not prone to pilling, which is bound to please consumers. This all means that fashion garments made of the new hybrid yarn are easier to look after, do not suffer from felting and look as good as new even after being worn for a long time.

Project leader Martin Harnisch from the Hohenstein Institute sees excellent potential for the newly developed yarn, especially for sportswear: "Garments made from this yarn have very good sweat management properties and at the same time provide excellent thermal insulation. Being properly protected from the cold is really important, especially during rest periods after strenuous physical activity, when it has been found that the body loses a great

deal of heat. Endurance athletes such as runners and cyclists will particularly benefit from this innovation because they will find that it helps prevent the unpleasant sensation of cooling down and shivering after exercise, what is called 'post-exercise chill', which can be damaging to the health."

Even for less strenuous sports such as golf or hiking, or in certain jobs, clothing made from the newly developed yarn has great potential.

Knitted textiles have the ability to trap a great deal of air, which, when the fibres are combined with wool, gives good thermal insulation and enables them to absorb a great deal of moisture. However, when the moisture content reaches about 33 per cent, which is easily achieved during physical exertion, pure wool does not feel comfortable any more. The liquid perspiration cannot evaporate from the skin and is absorbed by the wool fibres. Very damp wool creates an unpleasantly wet, cold sensation on the skin.

This is where synthetic fibres can come in useful. The advantage of them is that they usually do not absorb water, or only very little.

This means that they can wick the liquid sweat away from the skin.

The innovative hybrid yarn HP2G combines the positive characteristics of synthetic and natural fibres: it absorbs sweat quickly and transports it away from the body. That keeps the wearer as comfortable as possible, with their skin feeling dry. During light exercise or after a long period of strenuous physical exertion, it also offers the necessary thermal insulation, and so keeps the body temperature constant.

The industrial companies involved in the project have created a new and complex textile family based on the functional yarn, ranging from jackets and pullovers to functional accessories such as caps, hats, wrist-warmers and gauntlets. Thanks to these functions and properties, using the new yarn for the uniforms of care home staff or other high-performance professional clothing meets a requirement from these users which could previously not be satisfied. Functional clothing such as this, which is positioned between sportswear and classic fashionable knitwear, is not currently available on the market.

Production and processing technologies have been adapted to suit the newly designed yarn and enable problem-free series production.

AD INDEX Brother Internationale Industriemachine GmbH................................................ 5

Loepfe Brothers Ltd..............................................................................................2

Erhardt+Leimer GmbH......................................................................................11

Oskar Dilo Maschinenfabrik KG ........................................................................7

Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC 2012) ................................9

Stäubli AG ..........................................................................................................23

Industrial Development Corporation ................................................................15

Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG ............................................................................24

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www.staubli.com

TEXTILE

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