TEXtalks International - April/May 2018 by TEXtalks International

April/May 2018

Inspired By Expertise

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Editor-in-Chief Yousaf Fareed Editor Hassan Saeed Sub-Editor Ezzah Aqeel Alexandros Ali Khan Advisory Board: Dr. Tanveer Hussain Dr. Muhammad Tausif Marketing Manager Saeed Ahmed Kainat Khan Layouts Faizan Khan Marketing Incharge Abdul Mughees Abdullah Khalid Adddress C-302, City Towers Main Boulevard, Gulberg II Lahore-Pakistan Phone: + 92 42 35 788 700 Fax: + 92 42 35 788 700 Email: info@textalks.com Skype: textalks www.textalks.com

Inspiring Change Conference; Textile Sector neglected in Budget 2018-19; IGATEX 2018, ITM Turkey “Inspiring Change” conference organized by TEXtalks magazine was the first of a series of conferences held on April 24-25, 2018 at Lahore (Pakistan) to provide an enabling environment to the local textile industry. It brought together all stakeholders to identify, recognize and propose solutions to the problems faced and exploit the untapped potential of the local textile industry in line with the global trends. The event included presentations, panel discussions and interactive dialogue. The conference proved to be more than just an intellectual activity, it turned out to be a channel of information to decision makers and influencers to inform the future policies and direction. Federal Secretary for Textile division, Govt of Pakistan (Mr Hassan Iqbal) was the Guest of Honor for the first day. On the second day, Federal Minister for Commerce and Textiles (Mr Mohammad Pervaiz Malik), the Chief Guest of Inspiring Change conference, addressed the conference and distributed souvenirs to august speakers. Textile sector voiced their discontent with the textile budget 2018-19. Stakeholders are concerned about export oriented sectors of textile as the budget is not as per their expectations. The budget should have been prepared focusing on the scenario of the declining textile exports that are constantly falling. Several amendments in the budget would be required by the National

Assembly to improve growth rate of textile. Pakistan’s share in global exports has fallen to 0.13 percent hence; exports should have been a primary focus of the budget. Proper implementation of the budget and incentives can be very beneficial but the resources are hardly utilized to their full potential. IGATEX exhibition was held on 26th – 29th of April at Expo Center, Lahore. The event provided an opportunity for exhibitors to display and demonstrate their latest technology and product innovation. Mr Ahmed Bakhsh Narejo, Mr. Gohar Ejaz, President ACIMIT (Mr Alessandro Zucchi) were the chief guests attending the event. In four days exhibition latest machinery, technology, tools, chemicals and equipment were displayed. IGATEX provided a platform to build strong relations within the textile industry. More than 500 exhibitors from 32 countries. ITM exhibition 2018 was held on 14-17 April in Istanbul, Turkey. From 64 countries more than 1150 textile machinery manufacturers participated at this exhibition, displaying and demonstrating their innovative products and technologies. Exhibition 2018 broke a record of approximately 59,000 visitors from 94 countries amid all ITM exhibitions, raising the bar of success. ITM 2018 provided a productive platform enabling company representatives’ astounding commercial opportunities making sales of millions of dollars from the first day of the exhibition.

April/May 2018

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Cover Story Michel Van de Wiele nv - Innovations

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Corporate Highlights

Reports Inspiring Change Conference

Textile Learning Factory 4.0

ITM 2018

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TEX Events

April/May 2018

TRUE PROXIMITY MEANS MORE THAN JUST SHORT DISTANCES. Pakistani customer day at TrÃ¼tzschler

April/May 2018

Textile Sector neglected in Budget 2018-19 Textile sector voiced their discontent with the textile budget 2018-19. Stakeholders are concerned about export oriented sectors of textile as the budget is not as per their expectations. The budget should have been prepared focusing on the scenario of the declining textile exports that are constantly falling. Several amendments in the budget would be required by the National Assembly to improve growth rate of textile. By the start of April, in the budgetary proposal, APTMA had emphasized on relevant measures that can help achieve sustainable growth. APTMA suggested that the government should focus on a tripartite strategy which included availability of electricity and gas at affordable cost of Rs.7/Kwh and Rs.600/MMBtu from Rs.11.40/kwh and Rs.1300/MMBtu respectively, since it plays an important role in reducing cost of doing business. It was further suggested to remove custom duty for the local manufacturers to be able to import coal to generate energy. It was also indicated that FBR needs to systemize an upfront automated payment by allocating funds in the budget for the State Bank of Pakistan for duty drawback as well as refund of sales tax and income tax to resolve liquidity crisis of manufacturers. Also, the Long-Term Financing Facility (LTFF) should be available to indirect export manufacturers as well to encourage the valuechain for producing Textile goods meant for export. The State Minister Mr. Akram Ansari termed the 2018-19 budget people friendly; but the textile stakeholders have expressed disappointment with the budget unveiling. Mr. Ijaz Khokhar, chief coordinator Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) said, “We are exporters and nothing was announced for exports. Only the previously announced Rs.180 billion Prime Minister’s package was mentioned again and again, there was no direct relief for the textile sector and exporters.” He also added that the exporters had no idea when they would be given their previous refunds.

Mr. Jawed Bilwani, leader of Pakistan Apparel Sector stressed that the government should release long withheld refunds of approximately Rs.200 billion for a major breakthrough and unsurpassed exports, otherwise, the situation is already heading towards alarming scenario. He also mentioned that the trade deficit had reached approximately USD 33 billion, the highest in the 70-year history of the country. “They should have done something for exports. They did not utter a word for an increase in the exports,” Bilwani said. Textiles industrialists are concerned that Textiles were kept among the zero rated sectors but it should have been done through legislation. They also fear, in case of shortfall, sales tax will again be collected from the textile sector. Mr. Gohar Ejaz, Senior APTMA group leader expressing his dismay over the budget said, “It is a disappointing budget for the textile industry. The government has neither announced any policy measures on energy pricing nor has it continued the export package. How is the government planning to meet the current account deficit when it has discontinued the current policy, which resulted in a 10 percent growth last year after four years of continuous fall?” Pakistan’s share in global exports has fallen to 0.13 percent hence; exports should have been a primary focus of the budget. Proper implementation of the budget and incentives can be very beneficial but the resources are hardly utilized to their full potential. Although major dissatisfaction was expressed by industry but some positive steps were taken to facilitate trade and industry like reduction in tax slabs, restriction in power of tax collectors regressing back to Federal government, reduced custom duties on certain items, rationalization and reduction of tax rates for individuals, AOPs and companies, removal of regulatory duty on important raw materials, increase in development budget, allocations for agriculture cotton sectors, continuation of LTFF and Export Refinance Facility at lower rates for textile sector is appreciable.

April/May 2018

News

A Lapse in Budgetary Reforms

Tariffs would undermine U.S. Cotton trade with China The NCC seems to be seriously concerned about that China’s announcement of significantly higher proposed tariffs on U.S. raw cotton shipped to that country would significantly harm the economic health of the U.S. cotton industry. According to the official sources the National Cotton Council is concerned that China’s announcement of significantly higher proposed tariffs on U.S. raw cotton shipped to that country would significantly harm the economic health of the U.S. cotton industry. For the current 2017 crop year, China stands as the second largest export market with purchases of approximately 2.5 million bales of U.S. cotton. "I cannot overstate the importance of China’s market to U.S. cotton farmers and the importance of U.S. cotton in meeting the needs of China’s textile industry," NCC Chairman Ron Craft said. "The cotton industries of the United States and China enjoy a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship." According to the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service

GAIN Report, cotton has been listed among multiple U.S. agricultural products that could potentially be hit with higher tariffs from China -specifically an in-quota tariff that would increase from one percent to 26 percent. Following the announcement, the cotton market reacted accordingly – almost limit down on nearby contracts. The GAIN Report noted that China's proposal of retaliatory tariffs on selected U.S. agricultural products is in response to the recent U.S. proposed tariffs on Chinese imports resulting from the Section 301 investigation into the forced transfer of U.S. technology and intellectual property. Craft said the NCC strongly encourages the two governments to engage in immediate discussions "that can resolve trade tensions and preserve this long-term collaborative relationship. The U.S. cotton industry stands ready to assist the U.S. government and our trading partners in China to find a resolution to this damaging trade dispute.”

Denim Première Vision to unveil new Denim Collection The denim supply show will exhibit new denim collections at Parc Floral in Paris. For the first time Designer Lutz Huelle has been elected to take charge of the Denim Trends Area. The event also includes an inspirational seminar dedicated to autumn winter 2019 – 20 denim fashion trends and on the second day spring/summer denim fashion trends will be in focus. The exhibitors will also be communicated initiatives of responsible production and creation and will be demonstrated a special area, the Denim Smart Square, through the Smart Creation Programme. Denim Première Vision will also be hosting a master class on the theme, The Future Is Bright.

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Textile buying companies propose national compliance center The foreign textile buying companies has recently suggested the government to set up a central compliance center in Pakistan in order to improve manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compliance with social standards which is a key determinant to clothing imports from the country. Commerce Division of commerce ministry and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan hosted the first buying and sourcing houses symposium in which a large number of representatives from foreign buying houses, including Ikea, H&M, Marks and Spencer and Inditex participated. The buying houses, sharing proposals to make Pakistan an attractive destination for sourcing by the international buyers, said the government may consider setting up sourcing parks to ensure all

facilities through a one-window facility. According to the buyers a national compliance centre may be set up which coordinates the improvement of compliances on cooperative model to improve social compliances by the manufacturers, which are increasingly becoming an important critical determinant of sourcing decisions. Ministry of commerce has been in the process of formulation of strategic trade policy framework for the period 2018-23 and the objective of the symposium is to consult the buying and sourcing houses for the policy formulation. The information is provided by the official sources. The Gov. has showed hope on textile exports, which account for more than 60 percent of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total annual exports, to give impetus to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exports.

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GOTS hosts roundtable for textile industry in US The Global Organic Textile Standard has recently hosted a popular roundtable for the textile sector in Charleston, SC, US. The GOTS roundtable takes place around the globe to connect the stakeholders and to help them with the opportunities and facilitate a feedback to the GOTS GOTS on specific sectorial or regional needs. The roundtable attracted brands, trade associations, textile manufacturers, organic certification agencies, and organic cotton farmers. The attendees heard and discussed presentations on topics ranging from general 2017 GOTS progress, particularly in the apparel and home textiles sector, to supply chain integrity, current and future markets, and international opportunities. From the Organic Trade Association (OTA), one of the GOTS founding organizations and co-host of the roundtable, Gwendolyn Wyard talked about how GOTS intersects with United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program and Monique Marez reported on OTA’s recent marketing survey; why today’s millennial consumer is tomorrow’s organic parent. Best practice examples how GOTS strengthens the US textile and apparel industry were presented by Marci Zaroff (Metawear) and Eileen Mockus (Coyuchi), both US pioneer enterprises. Furthermore, Angela Wartes-Kahl from Oregon Tilth Certification Organisation (OTCO), one of the GOTS accredited third party certifiers

Government to support the modernization of textile sector in Pakistan The Federal Secretary for Textile Division (Ministry of Commerce and Textile) Hassan Iqbal has said that the government will ensure technological up gradation of the textile industry. He said that advanced technology had become vital to flourish Pakistan's textile sector by encouraging the textile and garments' exporters at every level. He gave these remarks while addressing the "Interactive Session of Business Community" held at the PRGMEA House Sialkot under the auspices of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA). Central Chairman PRGMEA Ejaz A Khokhar presided over the session where a large number of the textile and garments exporters were present. The federal secretary also announced 2% cash bonus for the textile and garments exporters for April/May 2018

developing new product for the international markets. He further added that the government was striving to boom the country's textile and garments sector and continued by saying that the government would also encourage the products under Prime Minister's Incentive Package. He showed his faith in the need that all the processing of the textile material is done in Pakistan. "We could produce the best cotton in Pakistan by utilising the advanced research and technology," he added. He also urged the exporters to ensure early diversification of their traditional and non-traditional export products with the competitive prices in the international trade markets. While addressing the exporters, he suggested to improve the quality of export products as per international standards for better success of textile export sector of Pakistan.

EU seems to be targeting the US items in tariff war In response to the recent US announcement to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, its European allies have warned that they could retaliate, with American products like blue jeans, Harley-Davidson motorbikes and bourbon being possible targets. The European Union (EU) has published a ten-page list of US products that could be subject to tariffs. The list also includes T-shirts, singlets and other vests of wool or fine animal hair or man-made fibres, women's footwear with outer soles and uppers of leather, peanut butter, orange juice, cranberries and household articles of stainless steel, according to a report published by the US National Public Radio. Europe will not sit idly while its industry is hit with unfair measures, putting thousands of jobs at risk; European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was quoted as saying. The EU is seeking comments from industries affected by the US tariffs.

Bringing together Cotton Buyers and Sellers at CCI Hong Kong fair On April 10 and 11, 2018 in Hong Kong, the third Cotton USA fair was held providing a huge global sales network to buy US cotton fiber and yarns. Six cotton friendly technologies were displayed at the fair to develop high quality textile products, as well as, new fabric developments. According to Barry Evans, the CCI guest speaker, the fair provided mills, manufacturers, brands and retailers an international business platform and opportunity to build important corporate

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relationships throughout the supply chain. He also emphasized how Cotton USA uses the latest technologies to deliver superior quality yarn, fabric and products. Approximately 350 participants from 18 countries including Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, The United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam were brought together at the event and held over 2000 meetings over the two day period.

Vietnam’s textile & garment industry expect big benefits from EVFTA VietNamNet Bridge, previously known as the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA) is signed and the tariff is cut to 0%, textile and garment exports to the market may obtain 7-8% growth rate per annum. The statement is given by the experts.

Vuong Dinh Hue said at a recent event that only some technical issues need to be fixed. “I believe that with goodwill on both sides, the issues will be settled before the summer so that the agreement can be inked,” he said.

Vo Van Kien Nhan from Viet Tien Garment JSC said that he is looking forward to the signing of EVFTA and puts high hopes on the agreement, though he anticipates serious competition from foreign brands such as Zara and H&M. The preparations for the signing of EVFTA are nearly completed. Deputy PM

Vitas’ chair Vu Duc Giang said the target of $36 billion worth of exports this year is within reach thanks to the FTAs. A research team from Rong Viet emphasized the big benefits of EVFTA in the immediate time, saying that Vietnam will also enjoy benefits from CPTPP, but it will take time. April/May 2018

Increase in cotton consumption globally Recovery continues in cotton production for 2017/18 with a projected 11% growth due to increased area to a projected 25.4 million tons. Following the sharp drop in production in 2015/16, the 2016/17 production recovered by 7% to 23 million tons. Production in the USA for the current season is expected to increase 25% to 4.7 million tons, a 930 thousand increase. India remains the world’s largest producer with 2017/18 production expected to be 6.2 million tons with 8.7% growth. The second largest producer, China, has production currently projected at 5.2 million tons with a 7.1% increase. Pakistan’s production projections for 2017/18 show a 11.5% increase to 1.9 million tons. Production increase in Turkey is estimated to grow 18% to 829,000 tons. Other major cotton producing countries are expected to have positive growth attributed to increased area and yields.

over the last few months as the season has been underway. From the season low of 77 cents per pound at the start of season, prices are at a season high at the end of this calendar year up to 88 cents per pound. The current season average of 80 cents per pound is lower than the 2016/17 average of 83 cents per pound. With a lower international price from the previous season and the rising price of competing fibers, global consumption is expected to grow. After stagnating in 2016/17, global cotton demand is expected to increase 3% in 2017/18 to 25.2 million tons. Chinese mill use is expected to remain stable at 8.1 million tons, while India and Pakistan are expected to increase 3% and 4% respectively. Consumption in Vietnam is expected to grow 12% to 1.3 million tons. Moderate growth of 2-3% is expected for other major consumers including Bangladesh, Turkey and the United States.

Cotton prices have remained high in 2017/18 at an average of 83.5 cents per pound. Higher prices are again expected to impact planting decisions to expand area under cotton for the 2018/19 season. World area under cotton has averaged 32.4 million hectares over the last ten years and is projected to grow moderately during the next season with support policies being passed in the US. Planted cotton area is expected to increase in 2018/19 by 11% in the US to 5.08 million hectares, however drought conditions remain a concern for the cotton area in West Texas which represents approximately 25% of the US production. Planted area in India is expected to decrease to 11.9 million hectares in 2018/19. Chinese planted area is expected to remain stable based on the continuation of support policies.

The production of cotton has been decreasing this year with 11.581 million bales produced, but with a consumption of 11.3 million bales. Cotton is a major cash crop and the lifeline of textile industry. It accounts for 8.2 per cent of the value-added in the agriculture sector and about two per cent to GDP, adds over $2.8 billion to the national economy. Concentrating on basic issues of Pakistan “The canals of cotton growing areas including Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan are dry, government should do something to provide irrigation water, this will help in improving yield,”.

International cotton prices have continued to rise

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Only option is to increase production by applying modern cotton technologies that have successfully been adopted in many countries to improve crop yield. Need to commercialize and extension department should pay its role in dissemination of BT seed and growing technology.

Daniel Link has been appointed CEO of Loepfe Mr. Daniel Link (left), Mr. Maurizio Wermelinger (right)

Loepfe Brothers Ltd. announces the appointment of Daniel Link as Chief Executive Officer with effect from May 1st 2018. Maurizio Wermelinger, the current CEO, will retire but will remain as an advisor for a limited period of time to ensure a smooth transition. The management of Loepfe takes the opportunity to thank Maurizio Wermelinger for his valuable contribution for the company. Maurizio Wermelinger has guided Loepfe successfully over the past ten years, particularly during periods of difficult economic situations in the textile industry. As former production manager, he focussed strongly on Swiss quality in manufacturing – an approach, which has been proven to be a big success. Under his aegis several new instruments and services have been successfully developed and integrated into the portfolio. Daniel Link is an experienced leader in the textile industry. He holds a Master in Engineering from EPFL, Lausanne, and an MBA in General Management from the University of St. Gallen. Daniel Link held several management positions in R&D and Product Management at OC Oerlikon, before he joined Rieter Management AG in 2007 as a Senior Project Manager Corporate Planning & Development. In the last 8 years, he successfully served as CEO of Bräcker AG. Loepfe is excited to welcome Daniel Link. With his well-founded skills and long-standing competences, he is the ideal person to join the team and drive the next phase of growth for the company.

Russia to increase the technical fiber production by 2020 The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced their plans to double the country’s technical fibres production by 2020. To implement these plans, Russia will expand the use of its large reserves of oil and other resources, including timber and other raw materials for the production of synthetics. Currently, the domestic production of technical fibres can meet only 30% of Russia’s annual demand, however, as part of the government plans, this might change. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov stated that “We are planning to use the experience of some foreign countries in this field, one of which is UAE, which in recent years

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has mobilised its fuel and energy resources for the needs of the domestic technical textiles market.” According to the Vice-President of the Russian Union of Chemists Sergei Golubkov, currently, chemical industry accounts for about 1.8% in the Russian GDP, which is significantly lower than the average rate of 10-14% for developed countries. Golubkov also said that reaching the EU levels would contribute to the growth of the Russian technical textiles industry. Thus, the government plans to solve the problem of a shortage of long term funds, which in recent years has become one of the most pressing problems for domestic producers.

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Budget 2018-19: Government allocated funds for textile schemes

Rs.1500 million has been allotted by the government to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2018-19 for the progress of exports, to develop and promote the fashion industry and to attract the foreign and local investment in the sector. In Karachi for the establishment of a sub-campus and in Lahore for the student provisions, faculty hostel and transport facilities Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design have been allocated Rs.100 million each. Rs.500 million has been designated to Karachi expo center for renovation and expansion

and Rs.700 million for establishing an expo center in Peshawar. Rs. 280.437 million has been allocated to the textile sector for two ongoing and two new schemes. For the establishment of one thousand industrial stitching units and Faisalabad garment city training projects, the government intends to spend Rs.154 million and Rs.18 million respectively, while on the contrary Rs.58 million will be spent on standardization system of the production of high quality clean cotton.

Research on Cotton in the Space Station The Sustainable Cotton Initiative

Twenty-five million metric tons of cotton is grown worldwide each year and each kilogram requires thousands of litres of water to produce. A competition was organized by US non-profit Centre for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to focus on the environmental and cotton impact. Award winning projects by Gilroy and Christopher Saski were based on the research to increase sustainability by generation of cotton with roots that collect water more efficiently and regeneration of cotton plant tissue in micro and normal gravity environments, respectively. Gilroyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research is based on cotton variety that has roots with drought resistance stems using soil and water efficiently. The research will help understand the plants growth, stress response and root behavior in the absence of gravity. Another innovative approach by Christopher Saski, will be a biological revolution in terms of genetic regeneration of plant species critical to global agricultural sustainability by examining genes, DNA patterns and gnomes sequences of embryogenic callus material that responds differently under micro and normal gravity.

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Germany to host Sustainable Textile School in September 2018 The second edition of the Sustainable Textile School (STS) is planned to be held in Chemnitz, Germany, from September 10-12, 2018. The intended ten lectures and five accompanying presentations in the expo will focus on recycling and sourcing issues that the textile industry faces today. It will be a forum for innovation with a focus on sustainability in textiles. As compared to the first event held in 2017, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition will have longer and more intense lectures combined with workshops, which were the most popular formats last year. Just like the first the environmental Innovation Prize will also be awarded for the second time. The focus of the assessment is set on practically and environmentally friendly subsequent utilization processes and ground-breaking recycling, enabling to save

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resources and transferring to closed loops. Moreover, new sources and business models for producing high-quality and sustainable textile products having a long-life and usage are part of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prize. Many international experts will join the Advisory Board of the expo. Charlotte Turner (Eco Age), Dr. Pamela Ravasio (European Outdoor Group), Karla Magruder (Fabricology), Christina Raab (ZDHC), Sonja Amport (STF), Giuseppe Gherzi (Gherzi Organisation), Mark Jarvis (World Textile Information Network), Dr. Reiner Hengstmann (go4more.global), and Mag. Lorenz Wied will work together with the STS organization and the STFI, represented by its executive scientific director, Yves-Simon Gloy, to build a valuable program and connect players from the global textile value chains.

13pc growth in exports, credit goes to the GSP Plus extension The European Union’s extension in the GSP-Plus status (Generalized System of Preferences) to Pakistan has resulted in increasing the exports of value-added textile goods by up to 90%, leading to exports growth by 13% during last eight months. Addressing the launching ceremony of International Apparel Federation (IAF) membership in Pakistan held at regional office of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), Federal Commerce Secretary Younus Dhaga said the PM package in the shape of Duty Drawback on Taxes (DDT) for the exporters had also helped growth of textile exports. He added that government was working on five-year Strategic Trade Framework, according which branding, gender equality and promotion of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) to achieve exports target.

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Appreciating PRGMEA’s role, he said the government had identified textile as a key priority area and was striving to set the right policies and incentives that encouraged the private sector investment in value-addition. He assured the members of PRGMEA of resolving all their issues at the earliest. While in his initial speech the PRGMEA Senior Vice Chairman Sheikh Luqman Amin treasured the extension in the GSP-Plus. He said that “We have succeeded in reaching this landmark simply due to serious efforts of Ministry of Commerce and Textile. Renewal of GSP-Plus status is a golden opportunity for us to enhance our exports.” While he also stressed on the need for formulating a clear policy in this regard, at the same time he called for ease of business to jack up country’s industry to a much competitive level.

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Raw cotton worth US$ 55.551 million exported in 8 months According to the official new resources of Pakistan raw cotton exports from the country during eight months of current financial year grew by 38.0% as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

of cotton yarn increased by 1.87 % as about 332,325 metric tons of the cotton yarn worth US$ 859.716 million exported as against the exports of 302,652 metric tons valuing US$ 843.953 million of the same period of last year, the data reveled.

During the period from July-February, 2017-18, about 33,683 metric tons of raw cotton worth US$ 55.551 million exported as compared the exports of 23,476 metric tons valuing US$ 40.225 million of same period of last year. According to PBS exports

It may be recalled that textile group exports from the country grew by 7.17 % during the period under review as textile products worth US$ 8.793 billion were exported as against the exports of US$ 8.205 billion of same period last year.

Pantone and X-Rite appoint Ondrej Kruk as new President X-Rite Incorporated, a global leader in color science and technology, and Pantone LLC, announce the appointment of Ondrej Kruk to the role of president. A proven Danaher executive, Kruk brings a combination of commercial and operational experience to Pantone and X-Rite. Kruk will lead the continued expansion of Pantone and X-Rite’s product and solution portfolio beyond color to material appearance. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lead a company with such a legacy of innovation in

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creating tools and technologies for color selection, communication, formulation and measurement,” said Kruk. For the last three years, Kruk has been the General Manager of Alltec, a Danaher business offering laser marking and engraving technology under the Alltec and FOBA brands. Kruk earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated from the University of Economics in Prague with a Master’s Degree in Economics.

April/May 2018

Inspired By Expertise April/May 2018

Figure 1: VSi22 Velvet Smart Innovator for weaving plain velvet on 3 meters width

Van de Wiele proudly presented as a world’s first 3 meter execution of the Velvet Smart Innovator VSi for plain and jacquard velvets. The main specs of the machine include parallel reed motion, reinforced cross members, single beams over the full width and up to 24 servo driven smart frames. The VSi “345”-type now available for plain velvets as well as jacquard velvets including light viscose carpets and prayer rugs.

An important development for the Cobble tufting machines is the Individual Pile Delivery (IPD) on Colortec, giving a better pile surface of the tufted carpet, resulting in less yarn consumption. The Colortec, in combination with the in-house developed software TuftLink, is able to produce carpet with multiple density and color gradients. Also, it is perfectly suitable for imitation hand-tuft qualities up to 4.2 kg/m², even with combinations of different yarns.

The new showpiece in carpet weaving is the “HCiX2” in reed 1500 dents per meter, 8 colour frames (1500/8). This high density carpet weaving machine, available in 3 and 4 meters width, is able to weave carpets with up to 5 million points per square meter, creating niche high end products. The same machine is able to weave carpets in reed 750 dents per meter, with 16 colour frames. The HCiX2 is perfectly suited for picture weaving: instead of the traditional labor-intensive designing of woven carpet, a photo-realistic picture is processed in real time and converted to a design that fits the weaving machine. The HCiX2 is also available in the common configurations 1200/8, 1000/10, 1000/8… April/May 2018

Figure 2: Sample tufted on Colortec with a combination of standard acrylic yarn (white) and fancy polyester (black)

With the Myriad, designs of 240 m² without repeat are possible for wall-to-wall side matching. The Myriad is available up to 1/12” gauge and can be equipped with double sliding needlebar. All Cobble tufting machines are available up to 5 meters width.

To improve the service to the important Turkish market, BONAS sales and service now included in the Van de Wiele office in Istanbul. You can get the contact details on the new BONAS website, also available in Turkish at www.bonas.be/tr.

BONAS, trendsetter in jacquard weaving, is evidently present at ITM Istanbul. The Si range, known as trailblazer in jacquard weaving due to the most compact design, lightweight, low energy consumption and high efficiency is now available up to 31.104 hooks in a single jacquard machine.

SUPERBA, world leader in heat-setting and space-dyeing for carpet yarn, and member of the VAN DE WIELE family of companies are well established in Turkey with their agent SAMOTEKS in Istanbul, a permanent team of technicians in the field, and BILGE, their partner in Gaziantep, acting as the official distributor for spare parts with a large inventory immediately available.

The Ji range, already nested in many countries worldwide, is the ideal jacquard technology for the Turkish market. Based on the micro-selection technology and enriched with a state-of-the-art, maintenance-free drive mechanism with integrated dwell, the Ji is the reference for double width weaving. Superior technology at the best price. The Linux based BONAS Ci controller and software offered solutions for every weaving application. Use of icons on a 10.4” touch screen is user friendly, self-learning and makes operation very easy and self-evident. The Ci controller Industry 4.0 compliant and therefore ready for the future.

With more than 150 TVP3 lines to heat-set carpet yarn and over 60 LV3 lines for Acrylic running in Turkey, SUPERBA have established themselves as the benchmark in terms of quality for carpet yarn processing for all types of yarns (PET, PP, PA, PAN, Wool & blends). Recent developments have focused on Space-dyeing with the latest version of the MCD/3 machine capable to handle a layer of 72 ends with exclusive dyeing effects such as the bi-color printing or the tone-on-tone effect. The MCD/3 can space-dye with up to 6 colors, polyester or polyamide in combination with the TVP3 heatsetting line, but also acrylic fibers with the new high capacity DL/5 fixation line. The synergy and co-working with VAN DE WIELE weaving or tufting machines offered to the customers the possibility of new creations with a very efficient time-to-market.

Figure 3: Ji jacquard with 2.688 hooks on top of a rapier loom weaving designs on double width in 8 repeats

Figure 4: High capacity Si jacquard with 31.104 hooks

Figure 5: High capacity DL/5 fixation line for heatsetting and (space or solid) dyeing of acrylic yarns

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Happenings

Inspiring Change Conference Lahore, Pakistan

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Happenings

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Happenings

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Happenings

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IGATEX 2018 Lahore, Pakistan

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Happenings

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Happenings

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Corporate Highlights

presented rapier and airjet innovations at ITM Istanbul The ITM 2018 fair held at the TĂ&#x153;YAP Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul from 14 until 17 April. Underlining the importance of the Turkish market, the Picanol team exhibit two rapier and two airjet weaving machines. Picanol is since 1998 active in Turkey with an own organization and with offices in Istanbul and Bursa, employing a total of 26 people. Besides sales activities, they ensure local service, print repair and the availability of a strategic stock of spare parts.

Features Blue Box electronic platform GCv gripper, combining high speed and versatility Electronic Disc Cutter EDC Foreseen for Quick Style Change StĂ¤ubli dobby S3060

OptiMax-i

Picanol has an outstanding track record in production of high-tech rapier machines. Picanol has launched its very first weaving machine with rapier insertion in 1975. Since then Picanol has installed over 90,000 rapier machines throughout the world. With industrial speeds of up to 750 rpm, the OptiMax-i is unquestionably the world's fastest rapier weaving machine in industrial production. Highlights of the new rapier include increased performance, more rigid construction, new applications, smart energy efficiency, improved ergonomics and user-friendliness. The OptiMax-i is available in reed widths ranging from 190 to 540 centimeters. Furthermore, with its Guided Gripper system (GC) and Free Flight system (FF) it is also the most versatile. The Guided Positive Gripper (GPG) system has been developed for dedicated technical fabrics. Meanwhile, additional features have been developed to meet the ever-increasing demand for versatility include among others the Electronic Filling Tensioner (EFT), the SmartEye filling detector and the SmartCut filling cutter. OptiMax-i 4-R 190, fancy denim Machine configured showed the top speeds achievable with the OptiMax-i. Warp Co Ne 40/2 Density = 42 ends/cm Drawing-in width: 179 cm Weft Co/El Ne 20/1 Pa/El Ne 14/1 Density = 29 picks/cm April/May 2018

OptiMax-i 4-R 190denim

TerryMax-i

Picanol also presented its TerryMax-i rapier weaving machine, which has been developed for terry towel production. The direct electronic drive of the cloth fell mechanism guarantees a perfect pile formation and enables weavers not only to program the pile height loop by loop, but also to program the pre-beat-up distance of every single filling yarn, which in turn permits endless design possibilities. Special features included OptiSpeed, pile height monitoring and needle roller control. Besides the TerryMax-i, Picanol also has an airjet for terry production: the TERRYplus Summum weaving machine. It proves that Picanol is the only high-end provider on the market offering both airjet and rapier terry machines. TerryMax-i 8-R 260, terry Picanol also offered a terry machine on their proven rapier platform. Warp Ground: Co Ne 24/2 Pile: Co Ne 20/2 Density = 23 ends/cm Drawing-in width: 247 cm Weft Co Ne 14/1 Chenille Nm 4 PP 270 denier

Density = 18 - 22 - 144 picks/cm Features Blue Box electronic platform OptiSpeed Direct electronic driven cloth formation Pile height monitoring Needle roll control Mechanical Filling Cutter LED illumination Stäubli dobby S3020

Air tucking in continuous reed Blue22 prewinder PRA II Plus, the most performing pick repair system in the market AirMaster, for automated checkup of the air insertion system ARVD II Plus, for lowest air consumption.

OMNIplus summum 4-P 280 sheeting

TerryMax-i 8-R 260 terry

OMNIplus Summum

The OMNIplus Summum is Picanol’s high performing airjet weaving machine. It combines the latest technology with over 30 years of experience in airjet weaving. By introducing state-of-the-art technology in hardware and software, the OMNIplus Summum offers the next level to meet new market demands in terms of quality, performance and energy consumption. Built on the reliable BlueBox electronic platform, the OMNIplus Summum is packed with new features that enhance weaving performance and facilitate future improvements. The OMNIplus Summum is equipped with fully electronic pressure regulators, a separate built-in air tank for each weaving channel and a unique triple air tank configuration for the relay nozzles. This improves the user-friendliness and flexibility of the machine and significantly reduces energy consumption. OMNIplus Summum-4-P-280, sheeting Maximum speeds become possible without compromising on flexibility.

OMNIplus Summum- 4 - P – 190, bottom weight The “performance” execution that brings an answer to the needs of bottom weight as well as denim weavers. Warp Pes/CO Ne 10/1 Density = 23,7 ends/cm Drawing-in width: 167 cm Weft Pes/Co Ne 16,5/1 Density = 25 picks/cm Features BlueBox electronic controls HP, High Performance execution for unequalled industrial speed TwinJet, for top performance Blue22, prewinder PRA II Plus, the most performing pick repair system in the market AirMaster, for automated checkup of the air insertion system ARVD II Plus, for lowest air consumption. Hybrid harness frames ELSY Plus

Warp Co Ne 60/1 Density = 72 ends/cm Drawing-in width: 274 cm Weft Co Ne 40/1 Density = 42 picks/cm - double pick insertion Features BlueBox electronic controls

OMNIplus Summum 4-P-190 bottom weight

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New OEKO -TEX® Regulations for 2018 In 2018, the OEKO-TEX® Association endeavours to provide further targeted support on issues relating to consumer protection and sustainability throughout the textile value creation chain. The existing guidelines of the OEKO-TEX® product portfolio were updated on 02 January. The new regulations come into effect on April 2018 for all certification systems and other services, following a three-month transition period. Updates to the OEKO-TEX® standards and guidelines are based on the continuous exchange of experiences with industry stakeholders, cooperation in initiatives and monitoring of legal regulations. The work of OEKO-TEX® expert groups thus takes into account current scientific innovations and knowledge as well as latest market developments. You can find the most important changes regarding the individual OEKO-TEX® products below:

DETOX TO ZERO by OEKO-TEX® Thanks to the comparability of the DETOX TO ZERO MRSL with the valid MRSL for the STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification, DETOX TO ZERO can be fully integrated into STeP. DETOX TO ZERO customers can convert to STeP at any time. The restructuring of the DETOX TO ZERO April/May 2018

assessment tool and status report improves usability and clarity.

LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® Bisphenol A, the aromatic amine aniline and additional alkylphenols (pentyl- and heptylphenol) are now included in the LEATHER STANDARD.

ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® The ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) initiative accepts the ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® as an indicator of conformity with their MRSL (harmful substance exclusion list for textile production). Upon approval, companies can have their products certified by ECO PASSPORT listed in the OEKO-TEX® Buying Guide / and if they wish from now on also in the ZDHC Chemical Gateway.

MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® The minimum requirements and criteria for awarding the MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® product label have been updated. Advantages of the new definition are: improved comprehensibility and less time for label attainment.

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® The newly recorded harmful substances in the STANDARD 100 criteria catalogue are phenol, bisphenol A, the aromatic amine aniline as well as the additional alkylphenols, pentyl- and heptylphenol. The OEKO-TEX® Association henceforth places the substance quinoline under observation. Amended limit values also apply for short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCP) and ortho-phenylphenol (OPP). As of 1 April 2018, OEKO-TEX® plans to integrate the testing of organic cotton products for genetically modified organisms (GMO) into STANDARD 100.

STeP by OEKO-TEX® The scope of STeP assessments for the survey of required company data is significantly reduced by condensing the questionnaire. The integration of DETOX TO ZERO allows now to issue the STeP certificate and the status report additional with information on DETOX TO ZERO. AITEX is the official representative of OEKO-TEX® in Pakistan. The Textile Industry Research AssociationAITEX, is a private research association which performs characterisation trials and certification of textiles materials and articles for wide range of sectors including interior design, fashion, work wear, healthcare, sports and leisure, land and sea transport, aerospace and sports surfaces. The Institute promotes modernisation and the introduction of emering technologies through its ongoing R+D activities and other projects which contribute to the evolution of the textile industry, and issues the most appropriate product certifications to allow an article to compete in the international marketplace and facilitate its introductions into high-end niche markets.

Uzbekistan plans to add value and quality through textile technology investment

Company representatives and speakers at the Swiss Textile Machinery Uzbekistan symposium

Already a strong producer of raw cotton and yarns, Uzbekistan is now ready to take its textile manufacturing capabilities to the next stage, by investing in latest-technology for downstream processes of fabric manufacture, finishing and making-up.

representatives of the Uzbekistan textile industry is proof that there is great enthusiasm to take advantage of the new opportunities, especially in the development of business in the value-added areas of textile production, downstream from the established raw cotton and yarn sectors.”

The appetite for progress in these segments was demonstrated at a recent two-day symposium in Tashkent, staged by the Swiss Textile Machinery Association (Swissmem), showcasing the technology and know-how of 14 leading textile machinery manufacturers from Switzerland.

The member companies of Swissmem taking part in the symposium were: Amsler Tex, Benninger, ITEMA, Jakob Müller, Loepfe Brothers, Luwa, Maag Brothers, Rieter, Rieter Components (Bräcker, Graf, SSM), Saurer, Stäubli Sargans and Steiger.

The event was opened by the Swiss Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Olivier Chave, and Bakhodir Alikhanov, the First Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Association. It was attended by hundreds of delegates from the Uzbek textile and clothing sector, as well as a large contingent of students from the textile faculty of Tashkent University. Welcoming the delegates, Ernesto Maurer, President of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association, said it was clear that recent actions by the Uzbekistan government signalled its intent to foster advances in both the technology level and the extended range of textile-producing activities by its textile manufacturers. “The fact that the Uzbek currency is now convertible for international exchange is the foundation for a significant increase in foreign trade,” he said. “And the presence at the symposium of many important April/May 2018

According to Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary General of Swissmem, the machinery manufacturers presenting their technology at the event were gratified at the level of interest shown: “As well as the industrialists, it was especially pleasing to welcome many textile students to learn about the Swiss companies and their products,” she said. “After all, we are planning to create new partnerships and project for the future, and these are the people who will be involved in this process in the years to come.” Further positive reactions came from the individual Swiss company representatives. Boyd Higgins, Uzbekistan Sales Manager for Jakob Müller AG Frick, said the organisation of this event helped to create the right impression among attendees: “There was a very distinct recognition of Swiss quality and precision from the industry delegates present. This will certainly help us all in convincing customers that investing in Swiss Textile Machinery is always the right decision.”

19 Years of Successful Cooperation Loepfe talked to Mr Zafar Iqbal Rana, General Manager Ibrahim Fibres Limited From left to right: Mr. Tariq Nazir, Dy. General Manager IFL (TP1) – Mr. Syed Amer Akmal, Dy. General Manager IFL (TP3) – Mr. Joerg Mueller, Sales Manager Loepfe – Mr. Zafar Iqbal Rana, General Manager IFL (TP2) – Mr. Ayaz Kanjee, Director Service Traders Pvt. Ltd. – Mr. Sheikh Mansoor, Chief Executive Tekstil Corporation

Ibrahim Fibres Limited was founded by Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim together with his sons Sheikh Mukhtar Ahmed and Sheikh Sardar Ahmed in August 1968 as “Ibrahim Agency Pvt Ltd” that later became instrumental in establishing one of the largest textile businesses in Pakistan, the Ibrahim Group. Loepfe: What are IFL’s main products and on which key markets do you focus? Mr. Zafar Iqbal Rana: Main products of Ibrahim Fibres Limited include; Polyester-Cotton combed blends (count range Ne 10-45) and Polyester-Viscose blends (count range Ne 18-66). The products offered by Ibrahim Fibres Ltd. are known and appreciated for their versatility as the produced yarn is perfectly usable for the weaving and knitting process. The experts at IFL are focused on providing quality conscious customers in the local market with the best. At the same time, we pay attention to the quality demands of our clients including all major fabric manufacturers & exporters. Loepfe: What are the challenges to IFL today and in the future? Mr. Zafar Iqbal Rana: IFL believes that nowadays cost-effectiveness and market competitiveness are the two key factors for the growth of any organization. Overall, we can say that the lack of digitalization and modernization of plant equipment is the fundamental factor for crises in Pakistan Textile Industry. By adapting to modern equipment and techniques as well as the advanced philosophy at IFL, we are able to satisfy our customers with valued products while maintaining cost-effectiveness in operations. Moreover, IFL is also working purposely towards “Industry 4.0”. Other initiatives under consideration at IFL include multi-source self-power generation (HFO, Natural gas, Coal & National Grid). The possibility to mix sources for power generation April/May 2018

makes it more economical. Loepfe: IFL has a very interesting, for a spinning mill quite unusual, management philosophy. Could you please explain to us the main pillars of this philosophy? As an example, preventive maintenance is taken very seriously at your mill. What are the reasons and what kind of benefits results from it? Mr. Zafar Iqbal Rana: Ibrahim Fibres Limited is based on the philosophy of “Exceeding customer expectation and strive for excellence in all spheres of our activities, and to manufacture high quality products through the use of advanced technology operations.” IFL is proud to be known as the leading manufacturer of staple fibers and yarns with consistently excellent results. Achieved through the “no compromise on quality” philosophy. To deliver high quality, IFL places an emphasis on selecting the best raw materials available. For example, world’s best Viscose from Lenzing and PSF from Ibrahim Fibres are used and processed with European technology. At the same time, emphasis is placed on the development of staff. IFL carries out regular maintenance checks with routine observations and condition monitoring. The experts at IFL are keen to ensure and identify the problematic areas and parts to avoid any kind of technical issues which could lead to delivery delays or lower product quality. To ensure the quality standards, IFL also works with scheduled replacement of quality related genuine parts. Loepfe: Pakistani cotton has serious contamination issues, how do you see Loepfe will be effective for Pakistani cotton? Mr. Zafar Iqbal Rana: With no doubts, modern markets are concerned and highly sensitive about

the quality of products. In such situations, contamination in Pakistani cotton is nothing less than a nightmare for the spinners. Despite the integration of automatic contamination sorting machines in opening and cleaning lines, foreign matter are still making their way up to the winding process. Therefore, it is indispensable for us to include optical based foreign parts detection sensors of Loepfe within our winding process. Loepfe: Why have you continuously chosen to work with Loepfe? - Did the principal of optoelectronic yarn monitoring which measures, independent of changing ambient conditions, influence your decision? - Apart from the technology and development of the yarn clearers and related central monitoring systems, perhaps there are also other decisive factors (service, people and support)? Mr. Zafar Iqbal Rana: IFL believes that as a leading manufacturer of optical yarn clearing systems Loepfe is not only efficient in dealing with all types of yarn faults but also provides vital information regarding the yarn produced with precisely tailored reports which in turn leads to optimization of the entire process. Being a leading blended yarn manufacturer, we know that the optical yarn sensors made by

Loepfe are less affected by TDO (Titanium dioxide) which is present in the polyester fibers. Apart from all the technical product features and benefits, quick and easy access to support and service are also key factors enhancing the productivity of any plant. Loepfe: Being the top of the line mill in Pakistan, IFL never compromise on quality. Could you please share with us your approach to yarn quality? How do Loepfe yarn & mill monitoring systems impact to further enhance IFL yarn quality? Mr. Zafar Iqbal Rana: Consistent yarn quality with minimum defects has always remained a prime requirement of customers. For this reason, IFL always believes in using the latest quality control equipment on its machines. IFL believes that the detection and removal of yarn faults regardless of critical conditions and the unique foreign parts detection & removal technology will surely serve to fulfill our commitments. In this regard, standard reports from the MillMaster TOP system are quite helpful in terms of quality monitoring. Here, we compare the data in both tabular as well as graphical format.

Monforts presented Green solutions at Igatex Valued Monforts customer Artistic Milliners is the denim manufacturer behind the G-Star Elwood RFTPi jeans which are being launched by Dutch brand G-Star RAW for the Spring/Summer 2018 season. In a first for the sector, these are Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Gold level certified. As one of the world’s largest, vertically-integrated denim fabric and garment manufacturers with a capacity of 1.8 million finished garments per month, Karachi, Pakistan-based Artisitic Milliners has been in business for over 40 years. It is now equipped with a complete low energy and water-saving denim finishing line from Monforts, as well as an additional Monforts sanforizing unit. Monforts met its potential and existing denim customers at the Igatex show, which took place in Lahore, Pakistan, from April 26 – 29, and held interactive discussions on how to get the most sustainable results from its advanced finishing technologies. Impact G-Star RAW’s latest denims were developed by analyzing each part of the denim design process and exploring how to reduce the environmental impact at every step. Together with chemicals leader Dystar, G-Star RAW and Artistic Milliners formulated the cleanest indigo technology to date, employing an organic fixing agent to result in 70% fewer chemicals, no salts and producing no salt by-products during the reduction and dyeing process, consequently saving water and leaving clean and recyclable water effluent. Brilliant shades The process creates brilliant indigo shades with enhanced sheen, and is applicable to both indigo and sulphur dyeing. In conventional systems, Artistic Milliners reports that indigo dyestuff is stored after the dyeing process and only around 20% can be reused due to salt formation. The company’s Crystal Clear formulation involves pre-reduced liquid indigo that requires no additional water or salt and allows indigo recovery up to 100%. Additionally, there’s no April/May 2018

need for heating in the indigo fixation process, which means less energy consumption. G-Star also worked with long-standing partner Saitex to make and wash the garments. By employing sustainable technologies, good chemistry and renewable energies, 98% of the water will be recycled and re-used and the other 2% will be evaporated, leaving no water to be wasted or discharged into the local environment. Only 100% organic cotton was used and all other components not conducive to easy recycling were removed – rivets and zippers have been replaced with eco-finished metal buttons and all labelling and carton packaging is responsibly sourced. G-Star is now working with Artistic Milliners to provide open-source access to fabric development processes through Cradle to Cradle certification. “Our new denim fabric and its revolutionary indigo process will become an open source for the rest of the industry to use,” said Frouke Bruinsma, Corporate Responsibility Director at G-Star RAW. “We would like to invite others to join us towards cleaner and more ethical denim production globally.” Wider adoption “We are really proud to have collaborated with our partners in developing the most sustainable denim fabric ever made at Artistic Milliners,” added Artistic Milliners Director Omer Ahmed. “Together we have pioneered a radical new dyeing method which is water and salt-free and which we call Crystal Clear. This is perhaps the most radical change to the indigo dyeing process since its industrialisation. Even though this formula is in its infancy we are hopeful that in due time it will be adopted by the denim industry at large as there is an unprecedented environmental/water saving potential in using this method.” As one of the world’s largest, vertically-integrated denim fabric and garment manufacturers, the company has been in business for over 40 years and is equipped with a complete denim finishing line from Monforts, as well as an additional Monforts sanforizing unit.

Lenzing and Country Road make it easy to feel good about fashion The Sateen Jean will be available online and at 80 store locations across Australia and New Zealand. Sustainable Partnerships “Our partnership with Country Road is a key milestone to the development of the newly launched TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers using REFIBRA™ technology, as well as a major step forward in sustainable fashion,” said Tricia Carey, Global Business Development Director of Denim, Lenzing Group. “While retail brands pay more attention to supply chain transparency, consumers are becoming more conscious about choosing high quality products made with sustainable materials and green production process. Guided by the TENCEL™ brand promise of ‘Feels so right’, we will continue to innovate and identify ways to reduce the fashion industry’s ecological footprint while ensuring natural comfort. REFIBRA™ technology marks another step forward in our journey, and we’re grateful to work alongside Country Road to bring high quality and sustainable denim products to the market.”

The Lenzing Group (Lenzing) is pleased to announce a collaboration with Country Road an iconic Australian lifestyle brand. Under the collaboration Country Road will be the first major Australian retailer to introduce denim garments made from TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers with Lenzing’s innovative REFIBRA™ technology. Feel Good Innovation Country Road’s top selling Sateen Jean is now made from TENCEL™ Lyocell using REFIBRA™ technology by LENZING. The fabrication created by Spanish mill Tejidos Royo is smooth and gentle on the skin, while being strong and durable for everyday wear. Says Darren Todd, Managing Director, Country Road; “We actively look to partner with manufacturers who are driving innovation in this space. Lenzing continues to demonstrate how we can reduce our ecological footprint and reassess waste as a resource.”

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A testament to Lenzing’s commitment to driving sustainability, REFIBRA™ technology transforms a supplemental proportion of cotton scraps collected from garment production and wood pulp from responsibly managed forests into new virgin TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers. The fibers are produced via a closed-loop production process using bioenergy and can be used for fabric and garment production. Denim garments made with REFIBRA™ technology are smooth and gentle on skin, yet versatile, strong and durable for everyday wear. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers produced by REFIBRATM technology recently achieved the Recycled Claim Standard, which certifies that production processes in its entire supply chain having undergone proper steps to ensure integrity of the final product. TENCEL™ Denim is a branded offer under TENCEL ™, the textile specialty brand of the Lenzing Group that covers textile specialty product offerings for apparel and home. TENCEL™ Denim cellulosic fibers of botanic origin are tailored for a sustainable lifestyle, liberating personal expression through movement by their natural comfort, smoothness and versatility.

breakthrough developments for denim weaving Official launch of the Itema R95002denim second generation featuring never-seen in the industry innovations Itema, the world’s largest privately held provider of advanced weaving solutions, including best-in-class weaving machines, spare parts and integrated services, exhibited at ITM 2018 at the Istanbul TÜYAP Fair Convention and Congress Center on April 14-17. Turkey and the surrounding area represents for Itema one of the most strategically important regions in the world. Present in these markets for more than 30 years, Itema technology is very well represented and loved by Customers as confirmed by the excellent 2017 sales results. In the largest booth in the weaving hall (Hall 2, Booth 214), Itema displayed four weaving machines: one airjet and three rapier looms, including an absolute new launch in the market featuring innovative and breakthrough devices. Furthermore, the Company highlighted benefits and latest developments in its OEM spare parts in a dedicated corner. Visitors also got the chance to learn more about Itema successful case histories through the interviews made with 8 among the top Turkish weaving mills active in multiple fabric segments (Berteks Tekstil, Ipeker Tekstil, Koton Tekstil, Osman Canlı Tekstil, Ozanteks Tekstil, RB Karesi, Sürü Tekstil, Yedeks Tekstil). Weaving machines on display in the Itema booth no doubt captivated the attention of visitors by weaving the most common fabrics woven in the region. Let’s take a detailed look at the Company line-up: R95002denim Itema chose ITM as the official stage to introduce in the market the second generation of the Company’s denim-dedicated rapier weaving machine, the R95002denim. April/May 2018

The R95002denim is set to define a new benchmark in denim weaving delivering extraordinary, yet tangible benefits to denim weavers guaranteeing unparalleled cost savings, superior fabric quality and outstanding user-experience. Featuring breakthrough devices and enhanced skills, the R95002denim puts Itema - once again - one step ahead in the field of denim, guaranteeing an unrivalled competitive advantage in the market to denim mills. The weft insertion system achieves here the highest performance levels in terms of fabric quality and components wear resistance, both key targets when it comes to denim weaving. The new SK UltraLight Rapiers, specially designed to meet specific indigo fabric needs, feature a revolutionary design which ensure their reduced dimensions and maximum lightness. Streamlined and lightweight, the SK UltraLight rapiers further enhance the Itema Shed Geometry - widely recognized in the industry as the best-in-class -allowing an even smaller shed opening leading to unsurpassed fabric quality. Redesigned and optimized, the tape-hook system provides the remarkable benefit of significantly extending components’ lifetime. The new Itema tapes developed by Lamiflex, an Itema Group company specializing in composite materials, feature an innovative configuration with a triple layer of carbon fiber leading to maximum reliability and represent the first result of the research and development cooperation between the two companies after the acquisition of Lamiflex by Itema. Great strides have also been made to guarantee an outstanding user-experience, such as the optimized machine ergonomy with a lowered front frame to

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facilitate loom accessibility, the new ergonomic rapier opener and, last but not least, the new Itema Textile Help dedicated to denim fabrics, a troubleshooting software that - loaded directly on the machine console - provides real-time support to the weaver to quickly overcome the most common textile difficultiesthat may occur during the weaving cycle. Saving is the crucial point of the R95002denim. Not only the optimization of the main mechanical components allows a considerable energy consumption reduction but the machine is equipped – in world premiere – with a revolutionary, never-before-seen in the industry device that eliminates the waste selvedge on the left-hand side of the fabric thus leading to unparalleled savings. Designed and developed by ItemaLab – the Itema advanced innovation department, the iSAVERTM combines the most innovative mechatronic principles and provides the saving that the weaver never expected that would have been possible to get. Working up to 4 weft colors and ensuring maximum user-friendliness, the device was admired during ITM. R9500terry The champion of the worldwide high-end terry weaving market came to ITM fully loaded with its famous and unique advantages. The R9500terry – at ITM in dobby version – represents an absolute best-seller carrying on the rich heritage and reputation in terry weaving of historic Sulzer, Vamatex and now Itema brands. The Itema positive pile back rest roller, unique in the market, guarantees a significant optimization of the pile warp tension, drastically reducing the friction during cloth displacement. Driven by a single motor, the new pile formation unit ensures an easy pile height setting directly from the user interface, guaranteeing superior fabric quality due to the pick-per-pick loop adjustment and cloth displacement up to 28mm (the most advanced in the market), leading to endless creative possibilities. The new ground back-rest roller, equipped with light weight cylinders and a load cell to control the tension, perfectly drives the yarn movement facilitating the shed formation. This innovative winning trio of advanced devices featured on the R9500terry provides unparalleled textile quality and utmost versatility. Furthermore, the R9500terry on show feature a 380cm weaving width which is an undeniable unique proposition of Itema being the only weaving machine supplier to provide this version in the market. A9500 The A9500 on display at ITM is enjoying a worldwide boom in demand due to growing number of enlightened

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Customers who understand and appreciate the unique winning characteristics of the Itema airjet machines. When developing new technological devices for its weaving machines, Itema focuses on most innovative tools with the highest added value for the Customer, to assure reliability, user-friendliness and reduced maintenance and operational costs. The A9500 is designed for high productivity, whilst ensuring reduced levels of energy consumption and guaranteeing air savings, as well as top machine reliability. A popular recent trend to weave stretch and super stretch fabrics with dedicated weft yarns inspired Itema to create and patent the innovative BLC – Brush Lycra Clamp® – nozzle to weave elastic weft yarns. Thanks to the BLC nozzle, the weft is held without movable parts to ensure superior fabric quality and reliability. Another Itema patented feature – the ELD Electronic Leno Device – with its innovative design, self-cleaning and no need to wind the leno spools, provides a perfect leno binding even at highest speeds, whilst reducing significantly operational costs. Thanks to the electronic NCP New Common Platform, the new benchmark for reliability and easy control of all the technical parameters, the A9500 provides immediate, easy and perfect control of the weft insertion parameters. Courtesy of the Itema customer OZ-Eli, the A9500 will run a typical Turkish apparel style demonstrating real production speed and performance just as experienced in Customer’s mill.

R9500 Wide Version for Curtain Fabrics The last machine on show at ITM was the wide version of the most successful rapier machine in recent history, the Itema R9500. Traditionally renowned as the preferred supplier for furnishing and upholstery fabrics weaving machines, Itema did not miss the opportunity to demonstrate the superior versatility of the R9500 by weaving sophisticated curtain fabrics. The R9500 fully loaded with best-in-class Itema devices comes directly from Berteks Tekstil, leading producer of high-quality curtain fabrics. The Motorized Weft Cutter, an Itema innovation designed more than 15 years ago ahead of any other textile machinery supplier, ensures superior textile efficiency due to the possibility to set independent cutting times for each weft, leading to utmost versatility and reduced fabric waste. The Itema SK Rapiers coupled with the Motorized Weft Cutter make the R9500 by far the most versatile and flexible rapier machine on the market.

Mimaki Bompan Textile brings a total solutions approach to digital textile printing The joint venture caps two decades of collaboration in delivering industry-leading digital solutions

Mimaki, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting systems, is focused on promoting the analog-to-digital transformation of printing processes in the textile and apparel market. This includes developing a total solutions approach, from pre-processing through printing and post-processing of digitally printed textiles. To that end, Mimaki Europe has established a joint venture April/May 2018

with BOMPAN S.r.l., a leading distributor in Italy that has longstanding experience in the textile industry and has had a trusted business relationship with Mimaki Europe for more than two decades. Mimaki Europe retains a 51% ownership of the joint venture, known as Mimaki Bompan Textile S.r.l., and the majority of directors, including the CEO, Hirokazu Hayashi. Massimo Bompan is serving as Chairman

of the joint venture company. “This joint venture is a critical element of our strategic approach to the textiles and apparel market,” Hayashi said. “Mimaki Bompan will be responsible for marketing the entire Mimaki portfolio for textile printing in Italy. In addition to this joint venture, Mimaki Europe has also pursued partnerships and acquisitions that will help round out our textiles portfolio, including most recently Rimslow, a manufacturer of post-treatment solutions for textiles. This expansion will help us provide our clients with a complete solution for high volume textile production.” The establishment of Mimaki Bompan Textile followed the launch of Tiger-1800B, the brand’s production-class textile printer, which is available in direct-to-textile and sublimation transfer models. With a maximum printing speed of 385m2/h, the Tiger-1800B fits high-volume production environments that have traditionally printed using analog printing methods, bringing the benefits of digital printing to these higher volume applications and making it more efficient and cost-effective to produce short runs, customized fabrics and garments, and samples. “Mimaki Bompan Textile aspires to be an international one-stop center for the textile market,” said Massimo Bompan, Chairman. “Our priorities are client satisfaction with an all-encompassing vision, and a range of solutions that include entry level systems and industrial machines. The company is operationing as a Total Solutions Provider, offering a complete solution that includes inks, software, pre- and post-treatment systems, as well as technical services. This makes it easier for textile producers to add digital to their production platform, and it provides a single-source entry path for new businesses who wish to take advantage of the significant opportunities the digital textile transformation offers.”

Aleph and Saga Digital join hands to enter the booming Pakistani digital print market

Times are changing and so are the market trends and perceptions about working with different businesses. Being one of the most versatile and appreciated markets of the world, the textile sector of Pakistan is becoming a major attraction for companies around the globe.

Printers for Textile in Pakistan, Middle East and Africa. Mr. Massoud Saad and Mr. Mehdi Berrada Baby (Sagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founders and directors) have pledged their utmost support to make this collaboration another success as it has been for the other divisions of Saga Digital.

The MOU between Saga Digital DMCC and Aleph was signed in September 2017, whereby Saga Digital will distribute and service the LaForte Digital Injkjet

Saga Digital DMCC is a relatively young company that started its operations back in 2012 in Dubai, U.A.E, and has since built an amazing reputation in

April/May 2018

the industrial inkjet printing and finishing market. True to its name, SAGA was built on the innate skills and vast experiences of its partners in the Inkjet industry. The history of the company is dated back to 1987 when they started signage supplies and equipment sourcing. Later in 1992 their attention shifted towards the digital printing business, mainly focusing on the billboard industry where hundreds of printers were sold and installed under their belt in the regions of Middle East and Africa. In its quest to widen the spectrum of printers to work with and to experience new markets and industries, Saga entered the Inkjet for textile market, including Direct to Garment (DTG), Direct to Fabric and Paper with reactive and dye sublimation inks. On the other hand, Aleph was established in 1999 in Como in the heart of Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s textiles district and today considered as the Digital Valley of Textiles. Aleph boasts a solid know-how in the construction of printers for the textile digital inkjet printing and the development of supporting software. From large format textile digital inkjet printers to drying systems, from proprietary software to consumables, Aleph develops and produces technologically advanced products for all printing processes and offers reliable post-sales technical support. One of the major achievements of Aleph in 2015 was the launch of LaForte printers at ITMA 2015 in Milan that laid foundation to the development of new markets internationally including Korea, Turkey, Greece, India and UK. The Aleph and the WISE sgr fund joined forces for the development of digital printing. LaForte printers received the Future Textile Award for the Best Product category Industrial Textiles 2017. While at the same time numerous installations were made and still in progress in Italy, Europe and other parts of the world. Previously, in the year 2017, Aleph launched the STUDIO version (medium productions) of LaForte Fabric and Sublimation printers, developed for emerging markets, that was as usual, a great success. Mr. Andrea Negretti, the International Sales Manager for Aleph, is all excited to visit the Pakistan textile mills in Karachi, Lahore and Faislabad in May 2018. With the start of year 2018, Mr. Imran Zafar, a seasoned professional and a specialist in Industrial Inkjet Printing, joined hands with Saga Digital as their Managing Director for Pakistan. Mr. Zafar volunteered to relocate to Pakistan after seeing the scope of Aleph in the booming textile sector of Pakistan. According to Mr. Zafar, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are a little late in entering the Pakistan market, but we are glad that we have brought the best from the Italian digital printers for textile that I believe my fellow Pakistanis deserve. I am sure Aleph will change the perception of what we call a True Industrial Printer that is future-readyâ&#x20AC;?. For more info: imran@sagadg.com

April/May 2018

Epson and For.Tex Innovate Pre-treatment for Pigment Printing Grade 4 rubbing fastness and colour performance improved by 20%: the new formula from Pregen PCC offers state-of-the-art pre-treatment of fabrics for digital printing with pigment inks. Continuous improvement that combines high performance, efficiency and low environmental impact

For.Tex Lab Test

Epson, a pioneer in digital textile printing, and its subsidiary For.Tex, a leading producer of dye, thickeners and textile pre/post-treatment products, are launching Pregen PCC, the innovative textile pre-treatment formula for digital pigment-printed fabrics that allows them to reach a grade 4 rating for fastness to rubbing along with unprecedented brilliance and colour intensity. Pregen PCC is already available and is suitable for fabrics used for both clothing and interior decorating. Brilliant colours lasting longer This is the result achieved with the new formula Pregen PCC. Compared to current pre-treatment products, it guarantees improved colour performance (20% higher intensity) and better rubbing fastness in both dry and wet tests (grade 4). Pigment printing is also environment-friendly: it does not require steaming or washing units, thereby reducing water and energy consumption. “We are happy to see that the market is learning to appreciate pigment technology. We were the first to believe in it – with the first Genesta PG pigment inks launched in 2005 - and we are convinced that the new pre-treatment formula will facilitate the adoption of this technique,” explained Pietro Roncoroni,

April/May 2018

chairman of For.Tex.. “Pregen PCC is another step forward in the simplification and efficiency of the printing process, as it considerably reduces time and costs. In reaching a higher level of colour fastness, switching from traditional to digital printing is becoming increasingly more convenient.” Monna Lisa, Genesta pigment inks, and Pregen: the integrated system that guarantees reliable, high-quality digital printing Pregen PCC, the new pre-treatment for pigment-printed textiles, is only the latest product developed by For.Tex as they work continuously to improve the chemical component of digital printing. Since the introduction in 2005 of Genesta PG pigment inks, with over 6 million square meters printed to date, Monna Lisa has ensured a level of quality and reliability that are unmatched in this sector. The ongoing research has now produced Pregen PCC, another target achieved in improving quality while reducing time and costs (no particular treatment is required after printing to obtain maximum results) for digital pigment-printed textiles. This is an indispensable pre-condition for a sector that promises significant growth rates in coming years, and new efforts towards a reduced environmental impact.

Reports

Inspiring Change Conference 2018

Ministry of Textile Industry

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inspiring Changeâ&#x20AC;? conference organized by TEXtalks magazine was the first of a series of conferences held on April 24-25, 2018 at Lahore (Pakistan) to provide an enabling environment to the local textile industry. It brought together all stakeholders to identify, recognize and propose solutions to the problems faced and exploit the untapped potential of the local textile industry in line with the global trends. The event included presentations, panel discussions and interactive dialogue. The conference proved to be more than just an intellectual activity, it turned out to be a channel of information to decision makers and influencers to inform the future policies and direction. Federal Secretary for Textile division, Govt of Pakistan (Mr Hassan Iqbal) was the Guest of Honor

April/May 2018

for the first day. On the second day, Federal Minister for Commerce and Textiles (Mr Mohammad Pervaiz Malik), the Chief Guest of Inspiring Change conference, addressed the conference and distributed souvenirs to august speakers. On the first day, the conference began with the opening remarks by Mr Mazhar Mirza, CEO of Sypher and Pakistan representative for Cotton Council International USA. Mr Mazhar Mirza, highlighted that textile is the premier industry and backbone of Pakistani economy. It contributes 9.5% to GDP, is 63% of total exports and provides employment to 30% population of country. He said that Pakistan textile industry has potential to grow because it has the longest production chain with inherent potential to add value to each processing stage.

Presentations In two days conference, the overview of some of the Key Speakers informative presentations are as Mr Mohammad Pervaiz Malik, Honorable Federal Minister for Commerce and Textiles, while addressing the conference said that Pakistan economy has recorded a remarkable revival in the past 5 years and today Pakistan is on the cusp of high growth trajectory. He further briefed about the facilitations provided to the Pakistan textile sector which included reduced markup rate on LTFF, duty free import of textile machinery, enactment of plant breeder’s right bill, duty drawbacks and refunds and much more. He said that the government has been considering various other facilitations for the federal budget. Such measures will provide long term sustainability in the textile sector. He assured that the textile sector is their top most priority in the forthcoming budget for the next financial year. Mr Hassan Iqbal, Federal Secretary for Textile Division, expressed his dismay on the 18th amendment through which the agriculture sector was transferred from federal to provincial government. He stressed on extension of export growth rate package to 2 years and that the government will take measures to rationalize cost of doing business. He stated, “It is no more era of aid, it’s the era of trade”. He said that policies can’t be made single handedly; the stakeholder’s and government have to work together like hand in glove. Dr Gian Paolo Bruno, Trade Commissioner Italy, talked about a bilateral strategic project to enhance value addition of textile in Pakistan. Italy is

establishing technological sectors in Pakistan facilitating them with top notch Italian machinery for training. Mr Alessandro Zucchi, President of ACIMIT, accentuated that Italian companies are leader in providing textile technology solutions and can match the machinery requirement of Pakistan industry. He further stated that their technology is based on sustainability standards and that ACIMIT is the pioneer to introduce eco-friendly technology. The main focus of their machinery is to reduce the cost of production which ACIMIT has proudly achieved. Their machinery reduces the consumption of energy up to 40%. ACIMIT is certified green label technology. The companies that use green label technologies consume 27% less water. ACIMIT is looking forward to improving their position in the Pakistani industry. Mr Bruce Atherley, Executive Director of Cotton Council International USA, gave a talk on the global Cotton trends, U.S. Cotton Update and what’s new in Cotton USA. He illustrated about Global Cotton and Man Made Fibers demand, US Cotton production, Global US Cotton exports and US sustainable agriculture. As per his presentation, since 2000, total cotton consumption has grown only by 1.3% per year. Whereas, over the same time period, total fiber consumption has grown by 3.3% per year. Manmade fiber has taken 87% share of

April/May 2018

fiber growth by an increasing demand and an average growth rate of 4.6%. However, since the global economy is growing and as more consumers achieve middle class status, they will buy more cotton clothing. China is closing factories that making polyester and viscose which do not meet environmental standards and will be resulting in increase of cotton demand.

Chinese market for textile exports is not ideal since it’s just a $30 billion market. China seeks to develop its textile market by producing 500 million garments per year by 2020. Availability of locally manufactured machinery and chemicals, energy supply price, rail network to Europe, production capacity are some of the challenges that CPEC will bring for Pakistan industry.

Mr Aamir Fayyaz Sheikh, Chairman of APTMA and CEO of Kohinoor textile mills limited, talked about APTMAs initiatives for sustainability. He added that export led growth is the only way forward to be able to finance balance of payment of deficit but exports have decreased by 10% because of lack of technological investment and the industry has lost its technological competitiveness. He told that APTMA has proposed the government to create an enabling environment where over the next 5-7 years we should establish up to 1000 garment and made-up stitching facility. 10,000 garments a day will produce average 3 million garments and by taking $6.5 as an average price will result in approximately $19.5 million worth of exports. Where, 1000 such factories can create $20 billion worth of exports.

Mr Jos Notermans, SPGPrints B.V., gave a presentation on digital printing and it being an enabler for fast fashion. Digital printing provides a range of over 15 million colors. Digital printing is expensive compared to conventional printing, however, its cost saving in operations and sustainable. He briefed about two main products of SPGPrints, Pike and Javelin. Their digital printing machines use archer technology and provide a relief from ink mist. Referring to speed he added, The Pike can print 35 meters per minute. He further illustrated by an example, “suppose if we print 20 hours a day, print 20 meters in a minute producing 1200 meters per hour, in 20 hours we get 24000 meters per day and by the end of 360 days, we get approximately 9 million meters per year”. He further informed that SPGPrints is also a key ink manufacturer for the digital printing.

Mr Azfar Hassan, CEO Matrix Sourcing Pakistan, highlighted that the only way to grow is to embrace change. New technology providing tools for transparency, real time information and data analytics should be invested in. Our industries should be adopting industry 4.0. He mentioned, we need to create a vision that is unique to Pakistan and addresses the uniqueness of our situation to draw policies that will guide our industry. Dr Tanveer Hussain, Rector – NTU Pakistan, presented on the significance of CPEC. He stated that Pakistan import from China is more than exports. Considering April/May 2018

Mr Ralf Muller, Sales Manager Trützschler, in the beginning gave a brief introduction of Trützschler. He said that in the last 10 years Pakistan’s ranking is 3rd in the number of carts delivered from their manufacturing company in Germany. He gave a presentation on process cutting and quality improvement in rotor spinning. Product range of Trutzschler includes blowrooms, carts, draw frames and comber for spinning, turnkey solutions and non-woven bonding technologies in their program for non-woven, roller carts and fled carts for card clothing, and manufacturing machinery for technical yarns and carpet yarns for man-made fibers. He further emphasized on IDF2 (integrated draw frame 2) better performance, higher flexibility and efficiency, low investment cost, low space requirement and low cans transport expenditure. IDF2 is being used widely for open loop spinning

and since its focus is on automation, it requires less labor, resulting in less labor cost. Mr Rodger John Gilmartin, Managing Director Triblend Consultants, compared the technical and financial performance of US Cotton versus Cotton Fibers from India and the CIS in the manufacturing of knitted garments. The data showed that US yarn performed better during spinning at half the frequency of machine stops per hour compared to Indian yarn and outperformed Indian Cotton in waste loss at all stages of yarn manufacturing process. Also, at the stage of manufacturing, US Cotton was 10 cents per pound cheaper than CIS fiber. After garment manufacturing, US cotton has a 21cents per pound advantage over the use of Indian cotton and 31 cents per pound advantage over the CIS fiber. He emphasized the advantages of US Cotton as lower fiber loss, Improved Operating Performance, Higher Quality and Considerable Financial Advantages. Mr Hammad Naqi Khan, CEO WWF Pakistan, on the topic of sustainable raw material for textile – responsible choices for sustainable production, highlighted that since the textile industry can’t run without water and the industrial issues of water are increasing rapidly, adoption of water efficient technologies can reduce the water consumption by 40%. Farmers should be given proper training to use water efficiently. Industries are encouraged to adopt Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) and Zero Liquid Discharge business (ZLD) consortiums for sustainability. Mr Navaid Baqai, Global Director of CCI, revealed that US fiber is easier to process resulting in 2-5% spinning efficiency gain, 8-20% energy savings in carding,

9% maintenance savings and gives a total cost advantage of 18.5% which can be higher with optimization of spinning process. Mr Peter Spirgi, Sales Manager Rieter Machine Works, informed that Rieter is the only manufacturer of all four compact, ring, rotor and air-jet yarn spinning machines. Every Rieter machine can be controlled and optimized based on the mill requirements supported by industry 4.0. Dr Muhammad Tausif, academic and applied researcher at University of Leeds, talked about what’s new in textile. He raised the topic of circular economy where our goal should be to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns to extract maximum value from resources already in use. He suggested that the industry should focus more on close loop and upcycling methodology. He defined upcycling as a recycle process in which we obtain a higher end product using a different product as its resource. He further discussed, that overseas production being a long term threat, industries should adopt Reshoring, which can further help in better optimization of Industry 4.0 and on demand manufacturing. Mr Amjad Baig, CEO Lead International, highlighted that the economy is changing and change is fast. We should be ready to adopt the new technological advancements, digitalize business and manufacturing operations and ensure that they are properly connected with the ecosystem, customer, suppliers and other stakeholders. He added that innovation not only needs research but also needs to be commercialized. Mr Ayub Asghar, Assistant Professor – National Textile University, enlightened us that it’s the new era of spacer fabrics which is a replacement of foam April/May 2018

mattress because it is more functional compared to conventional looms. High performance fibers like carbon, glass, Kevlar are woven to form technical fabrics which are used in composites. He added, imported fabrics 3k carbon prices are

Mr Yousaf Fareed Publisher of TEXtalks International

Rs.2500 – Rs.6000 per square meter depending upon the origin whether it is Chinese or Japanese. If we manufacture it in Pakistan, then the price is going to come down 40-50% of the imported fabric price. Mr Sheikh Moazzam Ahmed, emphasized on a strategy of developing agro economic zones across the province of Punjab so they can focus on value generation for each zone based on the geographical crop enhancement values.

Mr Mazhar Mirza Pakistan representative of Cotton Council International USA

Panel Discussions Panel discussion Day 1– What are the challenges Pakistan faces and how do we overcome these challenges? [Mr Azfar Hassan-moderator (CEO Matrix Sourcing), Dr Tanveer Hussain (Rector – NTU Pakistan), Mr Roger Gilmartin (Managing Director TriBlend Consultants USA), Mr Anees Khawaja (Director Mahmood Group), Mr Navaid Baqai (Global Director – Cotton Council International USA), Mr Imtiaz Rastgar (Chairman Rastgar Group), Mr Anis-ul-Haq (Secretary General APTMA)] In the panel discussion Mr Roger Gilmartin April/May 2018

highlighted that the advantages of low cost labor will diminish because of advanced automated machinery and since energy is a main cost, industries will be established in America, China and India, countries where energy is cheaper. The machinery used in Pakistan is obsolete and there isn’t much investment happening in technology and that Pakistan factories are grossly overstaffed by unprofessional and lazy labor. Furthermore, he suggested that Pakistani market should focus more on local or underdeveloped markets rather than the over saturated markets of the west. Dr Tanveer noted that Pakistani industry needs to focus on diversification of fiber, product mix and technology.

Mr Rana Mahmood ul Hassan (Senator & Member Senate Standing Committee on Commerce and Textiles)

Mr Salman Hydrie Managing Director of SPGPrints Pakistan presenting the souvenir to Mr Mohammad Pervaiz Malik - Federal Minister for Commerce and Textiles

They should produce more finished products for exports and invest in research and development. He provided examples of university industry linkages of

having a stronger infrastructure compared to Bangladesh, Bangladesh growth rate in better? To which Mr Azfar Hassan replied, it is because of the

Pak army camouflage uniforms and bullet proof vests. Mr Navaid Baqai informed us that synthetic fiber is high in demand in the market because of innovation and functionality. The functionality is intrinsically present in cotton but there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough research or innovation to make it better. Mr Roger Gilmartin questioned, how is it that despite Pakistan

disconnection between stakeholders of the industry. Pakistan industry doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep record of its performance to inject or deject incentives depending on the competitiveness. He advised that industries and universities should collaborate to form neutral bodies for such development. Platforms, such as Inspiring Change are vital for the industry to grow. April/May 2018

In the panel discussion Mr Ralf Muller told that the demand is shifting from productivity to automation. Since the labor cost is increasing clients are demanding machines with more automation and industry 4.0. Mr Jos Notermans added high quality digital printing is demanded on high quality fabric rather than a low quality or cheaper fabric. In further

development has its own significance. Also, they need to focus on transparent business model since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an ecommerce era and transparency is the key to building trust. Mr Amjad Baig talked about opportunities to embrace digital technologies through innovation and corporate venturing to cover the gaps and take advantage and integrate these technologies in existing or new business. He stated that our industry should decide whether to be on a cost leadership business model and take advantage of the economies of scale or take advantage of the new technologies and serve the niche markets and gradually build it. New economy demands new strategy and modified operations. Outdated infrastructure cannot meet the demands of new economy. Furthermore, Mr Khurram Iqbal shed light on global cotton production and its global challenges from supply chain perspective. He explained that

discussion, Dr Tauseef said the local textile industry needs to understand the key difference between research and development and product development. The local textile industry is focusing more on product development when research and

textile begins with fibers, May it be manmade or cotton. Buying patterns are crucial when it comes to cotton since its 70% of the cost. In the last 10 years the pattern has changed from fixed prices to fluctuating trend because of digitalization and easy

Panel Discussion Day 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; What are the key global trends steering the textile industry? [Mr Haroon Ellahi Sheikh-moderator (Director Nagina Group), Mr Jos Noterman (SPGPrints B.V., The Netherlands), Mr Ralf Muller (Sales Manager Trutzschler), Mr Khurram Iqbal (CEO GS Group), Dr Muhammad Tauseef (Academic and Applied Researcher University of Leeds, United Kingdom), Mr Amjad Baig (Textile Consultant)]

April/May 2018

global access. Stakeholders with good insight make profit and others go bankrupt. Over the years local industry has come down to 400-500 spinning mills from 1000. Spinning industrialists need to take adoptive measures and proper risk management. He spoke about global production surges in near future. Chinese reserves are low and at some point the China may be entering spinning to replenish their stocks which will have a huge impact on Pakistan textile industry. Since China is also feeling the heat of US and China trade war, to take their command back into the world cotton pricing they might enter the market and if they buy more than half of the stocks the prices will go up which will have a direct impact on Pakistan textile industry which can go either ways keeping in mind the Xinjiang Project. Closing the conference, Mr Yousaf Fareed, Editor in chief of TEXtalks International, expressed his gratitude to the sponsors, key speakers and participants who made this conference a success. In his feedback Mr Hassan Iqbal (Federal Secretary for Textile Division, Govt of Pakistan) remarked that the suggestions provided in the conference will be contemplated in the making of forthcoming policies. Such platforms should be held frequently so that

international and local textile stakeholders can make propositions for the prosperity of textile industry and the government, after careful consideration can bring them into motion. Mr Anees Khawaja (Director Mahmood Group of Companies) acknowledged the significance of the conference and how imperative it was for all the stakeholders to forgather and discuss solutions for the imminent challenges. Mr Haroon Ellahi Sheikh (Director Nagina Group) congratulated TEXtalks for such a successful event. He said that for the first time in Pakistan such an initiative was taken at such altitude, with active participation from the government, proving itself advantageous for the local industry and that it will play a key role in policy making in the future which is the need of hour. For TEXtalks, it was a learned experience. The team TEXtalks put all the efforts to bring together all the key stake holders on one platform to discuss and find the solutions for upcoming challenges. We look forward to host the next session in the following year with higher dedication to make it more fruitful for the industry. April/May 2018

Textile Learning Factory 4.0 Textile Learning Factory 4.0 building in Aachen

The rapid advance of digital operations technologies and Industry 4.0 solutions represents a great opportunity to increase the competitiveness of manufacturing industry. The increasing connectivity of functions across the value chain (smart factory and operations), smart connected products and data-driven services promise productivity increases of over 20 percent, savings in servicing and maintenance costs of 10 to 40 percent, as well as an increase in "time-to-market" of 20 to 50 percent. In addition, smart connected products serve as a technological foundation for incorporating new business models such as platforms, "as-a-service" models, or data-driven business models and thereby exploit new revenue pools. There is some level of reluctance in the textile industry to start the digital transformation process. According to a McKinsey study, the hesitation has to do with a number of implementation barriers faced by manufacturers with no/limited progress in Industry 4.0: • Uncertainties about financial benefits due to a lack of demonstrated business cases justifying investments • No strategy to coordinate actions across different organizational units • Missing talent and capabilities, e.g. data scientists • A lack of courage to push through radical transformation • Cybersecurity concerns with third-party providers The Textile Learning Factory 4.0 at the Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany is a world-class training, demonstration and research facility for digital transformation which is

April/May 2018

opened and is continuously upgraded in collaboration with leading technology and industry partners. The factory is a central location for capability building in a real-life demonstration and learning environment as well as a test base for piloting and scaling-up new digital solutions. There are a broad range of services on offer tailored to the specific needs of company executives, managers, and digital “change agents” in charge of driving the digital transformation process within their companies. The service offering is divided in four main categories: • Inform about Industry 4.0 and digital transformation topics and how to benefit from the various solutions • Experience state-of-the-art applications and technologies of leading manufactures and technology providers • Learn the tools, methods and technologies required to start the digital transformation process • Kick-start the transformation and generate lasting impact with the support of experienced consultants and the use of the learning factory as an accelerator for building internal capabilities at scale Dimentions

Features

Purpose

Demonstration and capibility building , test and pilot enviroment, enabler for research focousing on digital transformation/industry 4.0 Targeting (Senior) exuctives, managers, and change agents across all industries, own offering targeting mainly textile industry

Process

End to end products & order life cycles including R&D, production scheduling, manufacturing, intra-logistics, service etc. Hybrid, partly auto mated production, Continuous, batch as well as discrate process steps

Setting

Physical, life-size factory enviroment Process layout and logistics changeable between two development stages (Lean & industry 4.0) IT systems/applications for before, during & after SOP ( CAD, PLM, MES, ERP, IoT platform, ...)

Product

Physical product, Smart, customizable textile product consisting of 3 main components Product available on market but tailored to specific needs Product customizable by participant with product configuration application

Didactics

Operating model

Tailored workshops with 10-150 participants based on standard building blocks (learning modules) Technical and methodological as well as activity and implementation oriented competencies Onsite learning in the factory enviroment complemented by online modules for prepration and follow-up Set up and continucusly upgrated in collaboration with various technology and industry partners Operated by institute, workshop conducted by institute and/or industry partners Financed mainly by partner investments and incoming profiles from service offering

Key features of the Textile Learning Factory 4.0

Based on a standard set of learning modules, workshops and trainings can be tailored to the participants’ individual requirements and needs. These workshops and trainings enable anticipation of change required along the three dimensions of a digital transformation:

Product smart customizable wristband 3

The Textile Learning Factory will feature an integrated end-to-end value chain covering Industry 4.0 topics across all operations-related functions and departments and not just focus on manufacturing-related Industry 4.0 solutions. The factory will therefore showcase how a company of the future will operate along its entire value chain. Suppliers

customer specific order

Procurement

Production ( incl. planning)

Customer service

Product Development

Advanced Analytics including Cyber Security

In order to allow experimental capability building a hands-on realistic factory environment that features an integrated end-to-end value chain for the production of a smart, customizable wristband. The wristband can be individually configured by the participants prior to a training or workshop, and will be produced during the course of the workshop and participants can personalize their own wristbands as well as purchase them from home by using an online product configurator. After the order is placed, the development and adjustment of the product is initiated, followed by production planning and operation scheduling. The next step is the manufacturing of the product from yarn production to final assembly. Manufacturing includes weaving, coating, thermosetting, printing and cutting of the main strap, as well as the final assembly, which includes sewing, testing and packaging of the final product.

Warping creel

Warping machine

Weaving machine

Light table

5 6

coating & thermosetting device Inkjet printer

• The technical system (processes & tools), with a paradigm shift towards smart, connected plants leading to a shift to real-time, data-driven decisions across networks, integrated process optimization, and changes in the physical process execution (e.g., collaborative man-machine interaction, and smart, in-line quality control) • The management system (organization, IT, performance management), with a need to not only focus on identifying visible waste on the shop floor but also “digital waste” along the end-to-end process • The people system (capabilities and mindset & behaviors), with significant changes in job profiles across all plant functions, as well as new roles (e.g., data analysts, IT integrators)

Cutting machine

sewing machine

Testing station

8 9

The main aim of the factory environment is to foster hands-on, experimental capability building. Hence, the factory infrastructure needs to meet certain requirements that differentiate it from a real-life factory. One of the Sewing station in the factory 4.0 key differentiators is the ability to change between two implementation levels of the process: • Level 1 – Current State Operation (Lean) • Level 2 – Future State Operation (Industry 4.0) Level 1 serves as a realistic, good practice industry environment in which main Lean tools and methods such as SMED, value stream mapping, Five S, Kanban (pull systems) and poka-yoke (error-proofing) have been implemented, but the potential of Industry 4.0 applications has not been utilized. Level 1 is used to train and teach participants the required methods and tools to conduct a digital transformation in a realistic factory environment. Level 2 on the other hand is used to showcase the potential of state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 applications directly after the hands-on trainings in Level 1. Industry 4.0 applications Train & teach

Level 1 Current State Operation (Lean)

Level 2 Future State Operation (Industry 4.0)

participants required method & tools in a realistic industry enviorment

Demonstrate

digital solutions & industry 4.0 applications

Description

1st wave implementation

Condition monitring

Real-time status of the process steps parameters

Product shadow

Tracking of a product production cycle

Digital assistant system

Digital Work instruction for operators

Digital performance mgmt

Digital KPI board with enabled problem solving

AGV in logistics

Automated material supply

YET

Advanced analytics for yield, Energy & Throughput

icycle time

Real-time line balancing

Real-time WIP

Real-time tracking of the stocks (incl. WIP)

Predictive maintenance

Advanced analytics for breakdown prevention

Self-adjusting work stations

Smart routing & work station setup In-line QC & adaptive machining

Human machine collaboration

Human Robot collaboration

3D printing

Tailored production components

In-line qualitycontrol with machines feedback

April/May 2018

A Global Textile Show With 59 Thousand Visitors From 94 Countries

For two years, the textile industry has been looking forward with great interest to ITM 2018 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, held on April 14-17. From the moment ITM 2018 opened its doors to the sector members from Turkey and many countries around the world, flocked to ITM 2018 Exhibition, make an indelible impression on visitors throughout the four days. World premieres of textile technology leaders turned the ITM Exhibition into a textile show April/May 2018

and put a smile on the participants' face with 58.942 visitors from 94 countries. ITM 2018 Exhibition, being organized by Teknik Fairs Inc. and TÜYAP, Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım Inc. in partnership and with cooperation of TEMSAD (Textile Machinery and Accessories Industrialists’ Association) hosted textile technology leaders for four days.

ITM 2018 Exhibition is the meeting point of the sector professionals where both national and international companies made sales of millions of Euros and by being a platform where hundreds of various business connections were established, it has written its name in gold letters to the world textile history. Over 1150 textile technology manufacturers and company representatives from 64 countries participated at the ITM 2018 Exhibition, which took place in 11 different halls, and exhibited their products and technologies that have been introduced to the industry for the first time. ITM 2018 Exhibition has turned into a textile show with the participation of hundreds of textile machine producers and global investors who are developing leading technologies in their field, have realized world launches. Participating companies draw attention with larger number of machines exhibits in the larger booth. ITM 2018, beat a record with 14.248 international and a total of 58.942 visitors from 94 countries, among the ITM exhibitions. ITM 2018 has significantly enlarged in both country diversity and visitor numbers compared to the previous ITM

Exhibitions. It has raised the success level according to the very positive feedback that has been received from the companies and visitors. Strong Collaborations Generated during ITM 2018 The ITM 2018 Exhibition, which company owners, company representatives and visitors, will not erase from their memories, has also offered incredible commercial opportunities for all professionals who wanted to take the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pulse and follow the innovations. ITM has been a productive meeting point where companies made sales of millions of Euros from the first day of the event. The biggest factor behind this success is; the promotional activities carried out throughout the world for two years. Our team has participated in exhibitions and events from China to India, from Bangladesh to Pakistan, from Russia to Uzbekistan in all regions of the world textile producer; we have provided information about the developments and innovations which were foreseen to be presented during ITM 2018 to the company and sectoral associations. Thanks to promotion activities, ITM 2018 Exhibition was preferred as a great destination for textile investors. April/May 2018

Whats New

New solution for durable water repelling textile coatings

Nano-Care Deutschland, a leading specialist in the production of ready-to-use high-tech coatings, based in Saarwellingen, has developed Intelligent Hybrids, composed of PFC-free chemicals conforming with the Greenpeace campaign Detox and the ZDHC programme, to provide new hope for sustainability in the market for durable water repelling textile coatings (DWRs). The big advantage of hybrid technologies lies in their ability to combine positive features by eliminating the disadvantages as far as possible. The Intelligent Hybrids products are said to show an

outstanding resistance to washing cycles and to chemical cleaning. In addition, the combination of different base technologies allows special features such as LAD (laundry-air-dry), the company reports. “Nature itself provided us with the idea of developing hybrids from silicon dioxide nano-technology, paraffins, waxes, resins and silicones: as in evolution, genetic diversity leads to superior ways of living” said Oliver Sonntag, CEO. Besides water and dirt repellency, Intelligent Hybrids have further potential, according to the manufacturer – they are able to be used as a booster for oil and alcohol repellency to minimise fluorine usage.

Oritain to improve traceability of Egyptian cotton Oritain, a leading specialist in supply chain traceability, has partnered with Modern Nile Cotton Co. to verify the origin of Egyptian cotton and mitigate against risks in its supply chain. Modern Nile Cotton Co., Egypt’s largest cotton trader, specialises primarily in Egyptian cotton, which it exports locally and to international markets. The company is also the largest importer and supplier of foreign cottons to Egyptian spinners. Using Oritain’s innovative scientific method, the company will be able to verify the origin of its cotton throughout the supply chain to ensure it is supplying an authentic final product to its customers. Modern Nile Cotton Co. will also work with Oritain to reduce the risk of contamination and fraud in its supply chain.

April/May 2018

Whats New

Water-free denim by 2025 Jeanologia, a Spanish company specialising in the development of sustainable technologies for garments finishing, is celebrating World Water Day by highlighting the company’s capabilities, which could enable all jeans to be made “100% water free” by 2025, according to Enrique Silla, CEO. “With Jeanologia as the expert technology partner, it is possible, within a few years, for production to use zero water and create zero waste; increasing productivity and accelerating time to market,” he said. Thirty-five percent of the 5 billion jeans produced every year are made with Jeanologia technology. As

such, the company CEO explains: “If we develop products in an eco-efficient way, we will produce an eco-sustainable product and bring a sustainable product to the market, achieving one of our company’s objectives: to reduce environmental impact in its entirety, not partially mitigate it.” During the past month, Jeanologia says its technology has led to a saving of 800,000 cubic metres of water, the equivalent of water used to fill 283 Olympic swimming pools. “This saving has been possible thanks to the laser, ozone, and eflow technology being used in the 60 countries Jeanologia works in,” said Mr Silla.

Gore and Bonbouton to explore smart fabric technology

W. L. Gore & Associates has announced a collaboration with a digital health start-up Bonbouton to explore material solutions in advanced sensor technology and enable practical smart fabrics for assistive apparel and digital health applications. Bonbouton is a New York City-based team of innovators in inkjet-printed, low-cost graphene temperature sensors. With technology licensed from the Stevens Institute of Technology, Bonbouton has emerged as an industry leader in microsensor

technology, developing mechanically flexible and molecularly thin sensors for monitoring skin temperature with graphene oxide (GO).

The initial phase of the Gore-Bonbouton agreement will focus on collaborative research in the area of temperature sensing materials. This explorative process will lay a foundation for future applications of sensor technology and conductive inks in digital health, chronic care management and smart fabrics.

April/May 2018

Nike launches next generation 3D Flyknit

Nike, a leading designer and manufacturer of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment, is launching the next generation of Nike Flyknit. Nike Flyknit, which debuted at the 2012 London games with the Nike Flyknit Racer, is a digitally engineered knitting process best known for its role in lightweight, formfitting and virtually seamless shoe uppers. The traditional way to construct Nike Flyknit for a shoe is by knitting a flat upper, which is then attached to a midsole to create the shape of the shoe. Now, a major advancement in Nike Flyknit technology allows for a shoe upper to be constructed in a complete 360-degree form that wraps the entire foot, helping athletes feel more secure and controlled during their movements. To make the upper, engineers use complex knitting structures to create a closed anatomical form that mimics the shape of the foot. Following, the upper goes through a thermoforming process to provide shape and support underfoot. The result is a lighter, breathable shoe that offers a more precise, second-skin feel.

DyStar® Group recently launched a new concept of their resource saving module – Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous.

Cadira® for Resource Optimized Reactive/Disperse Continuous Dyeing April/May 2018

Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous is a modified pad-dry-thermosol-pad-steam dyeing process for open width PES/CO fabrics. In contrast to the standard PDTPS process, Cadira Reactive/Disperse Continuous does not require a separate reduction clearing process and thus saves more than 40% chemicals, water and energy. This effect is obtained by using a special dye choice of Dianix® XF/XF2 and SF disperse dyes in combination with selected Levafix® and Remazol® reactive dyes and a modified steaming and wash-off process with Sera® auxiliaries. The Cadira concepts considerably reduce process costs, water, waste and energy consumption and machine utilization. Cadira supports Brands & Retailers and their production partners in their effort to save valuable resources and to reduce the carbon footprint of their textile goods. The first Cadira module was developed in 2016. Since then DyStar has launched Cadira concepts for various substrates and applications. So far, the following Cadira concepts are available. Cadira Polyester, Cadira Recycled Polyester, Cadira Vat, Cadira Reactive, Cadira Procion PX, Cadira Wool, Cadira Denim

EFI adds Reggiani COLORS to textile print portfolio Boasting a top speed of 560sq m/hr, the device can print in up to 12 colours in a row and users can place the 12 colours in a high-productivity 6+6 configuration for what EFI describes as “superior imaging at much faster throughput speeds”. A continuous ink recirculation system ensures outstanding reliability, according to EFI, and lets users print with a wider variety of inks, including special inks, inks of different chemistry types, and chemistry for special treatments all at the same time. Speaking about the new EFI Reggiani COLORS, Adele Genoni, vice-president and general manager for EFI Reggiani, said that such is the flexibility of the printer that it will enable print service providers to expand into a number of profitable markets. “EFI Reggiani COLORS plays an essential role in the fashion industry, and an expanded gamut gives textile producers that competitive advantage,” Genoni said. “The printer therefore provides superior imaging at much faster throughput speeds, improving production workflows and including the ability to move to greener, environmentally friendly processes. “It is for industrial textile producers, particularly those working doing applications with very demanding colour requirements.” Genoni added: “The Reggiani COLORS can print a broader range of colours as well as use different types of inks making it a much more versatile production option. So, textile manufacturers can grow their business by producing designs that their competitors cannot produce cost-effectively.” Although the EFI Reggiani COLORS will not be on display at the FESPA Global Print Expo 2018 in Berlin, Germany, next month, Genoni said the manufacturer will showcase a range of other kit that can help printers expand their business.

New fabric technology for airline seats

ACME Mills has joined forces with Quantum Materials to launch the newest level of fabric innovation designed for aircraft seating applications – Comfort Zone powered by Quantum ZXT technology. This B-surface fabric technology is designed to provide long-term enhanced comfort to passengers and reduce or eliminate the need for foam commonly used in airline seating. Comfort Zone is a 100% polyester-based fabric made with a combination of high performing elastomeric monofilament and spun yarns. The Quantum ZXT technology provides the Comfort Zone fabric with enhanced conformability, comfort and durability, according to the manufacturer. Initial testing has shown that this new fabric can reduce weight by as much as 8 pounds per seat or a total of 1,512 pounds. In addition to weight reduction, and depending upon the size of the plane, there is the potential to add more than 10 seats without redesigning the interior cabin due to space savings. The fabric can be engineered or treated with the various performance requirements needed to pass standard FAA regulations.

Kraig produces largest spider silk cocoons

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, a leading developer of spider silk-based fibres, has successfully produced the first recombinant spider silk cocoons from the new line of hybrid transgenic silkworms recently created at its Michigan production and research facility. This new hybrid line was created by combining one of the company’s best performing recombinant spider silk lines with a commercial strain, resulting in the largest cocoons in the company’s history. The first-generation cocoons from this hybrid cross have exceeded the company’s expectations with some cocoons nearly twice as large as the original spider silk line cocoons. These larger cocoons are said to reduce operating and handling costs throughout the production process and yield longer silk threads. Mechanical performance testing of this new hybrid spider silk line is expected to begin shortly.

April/May 2018

CAITME 2018 International specialised textile machinery exhibition in Central Asia and CIS countries September 11-13, 2018 Venue: UzExpo Centre, Tashkent Uzbekistan.

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 An International Garment, Textile Machinery & Accessories exhibition October 15-19, 2018 Venue: National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) Shanghai, China.

DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR The second largest flooring trade exhibition worldwide March 26-28, 2019 Venue: New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC) Shanghai, China.

DPS World 2018 Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premium Digital Printing & Signage exhibition Novenber 2-4, 2018 Venue: Expo Center Lahore, Pakistan.

Techtextil 2019 Leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens May 14-17, 2019 Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

International Apparel & Textile Fair Sourcing Fair for Apparel and Textile industry November 12-14 , 2018 Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre.

ITMA 2019 The world's largest international textile machinery exhibition June 20-26, 2019 Venue: Barcelona, Spain.

GTex Global Expo Karachi An international Textile Machinery Brand Expo January 26-28, 2019 Venue: Expo Center Karachi, Pakistan.

February/March 2018

IGATEX Karachi 2019 International Garment, Textile Machinery & Accessories exhibition February 26-28, 2019 Venue: Expo Centre Karachi, Pakistan.

textalks.com/category/events.