ITMA 2019 Ends on high note with large number of quality buyers

CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and owner of ITMA and ITMA ASIA, reported that the industry support from visitors and exhibitors was tremendous, resulting in record-breaking number of exhibitors since its inception.

Fritz P Mayer, President of CEMATEX said, “The digital transformation of the textile and garment manufacturing value chain and sustainability concerns of the industry have driven up visitor interests in ITMA 2019. We had a strong turnout, despite trade tensions and poor business sentiments. Many of our exhibitors were pleasantly surprised with the large number of serious buyers attending the exhibition.

“They were also impressed with presence of new visitor segments, such as bigger numbers of fashion and sports brands. Considering that for this ITMA edition, the exhibition duration has been shortened from 8 to 7 days, we still enjoyed good visitorship.” ITMA 2019 attracted visitorship of over 105,000 from 137 countries. The top 5 countries where visitors came from were Spain (11 per cent), Italy (10 per cent), India (8 per cent), Turkey and Germany (7 per cent). They were followed by France, United States, Portugal, Brazil, Pakistan, China and the United Kingdom.

One of the exhibitors who was pleased with the visitor quality was Johan Verstraete, Vice-President Weaving Machines of Picanol. He explained, “Overall, it has been a good ITMA for us. We came with low expectations, but they have been considerably exceeded. Although we did not get a large number of visitors, the quality was very high. We had many conversations and negotiations, which was somewhat contradictory to the ongoing negative market sentiments.”

An excited Paolo Milini, President & CEO of MS Printing Solutions, agreed: “We are very satisfied with the show. The positive results of ITMA 2019 were made possible thanks to a large number of visitors who came to our stand. We have had over 600 contacts a day, and they come from over 90 countries!”

Launched as a dedicated sector at ITMA 2019, the printing and inks chapter had grown by 40 per cent compared with ITMA 2015, and featured many established and new exhibitors who were keen to exploit the digital printing sector.

VDMA Textile Machinery Association members were also happy with the visitor quality. Regina Brückner, CEO of Brückner Group and Chairperson of the Association, enthused: “A VDMA survey conducted at ITMA 2019 showed that almost 90 per cent of our exhibiting member companies considered both the quantity and quality of visitors as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Visitors from all over the world came to ITMA Barcelona to discuss new projects.”

ITMA 2019 also provided the platform for the announcement of a comprehensive modernisation programme for Egypt’s textile industry valued at around 1 bn euro from exhibitors including Benninger, Brückner, EFI Reggiani, Itema, Karl Mayer, Rieter, Savio and Thies.

The innovation place

Many new technologies were launched, ranging from 3D weaving and knitting to hi-tech nonwovens processes, sustainable chemicals and state-of-the-art garment-making technologies, and wide range of software-powered automation solutions.

“I missed the last ITMA in Milan. After eight years, I find there is a big jump in technology. There are many interesting new developments, such as digitalisation and automation, as well as more eco-friendly products. I came here to also buy equipment for my factories, so this has been a fruitful trip for me,” said Kihak Sung, Founder of Youngone Corporation and President of International Textile Manufacturers Federation.

Another leading industry player, RakhiI Hirdaramani, Director of Hirdaramani and the Manufacturers Committee Chair of the World Federation of Sporting Goods International, said: “ITMA is a meeting of the minds. As much as it is a machinery fair, it’s also about understanding new technologies; meeting with your peers and colleagues from various sectors of the industry to understand the challenges and how to address them. One of the key trends we’ve seen this year, is about sustainability and Industry 4.0.”

Mayer & Cie team

Hirdaramani participated in a panel discussion held at the Speakers Platform, one of the components of the ITMA Innovation Lab which was launched at this year’s exhibition. The Platform drew strong interest and participation. It featured about 60 presentations, and was attended by over 900 participants.

In addition, a number of ITMA and co-located events drew over 1,000 delegates. Among the events were the ITMAEDANA Nonwovens Forum, Textile Colourant and Chemical Leaders Forum, Better Cotton Initiative Seminar, European Digital Textile Conference, Tex-Summit Global, Planet Textiles, SAC & ZDHC Manufacturer Forum and Texmeeting by TEXFOR.

ITMA collaborated with supporting organisations, many of which sent visiting delegations from Central Asia, South Asia, Turkey and the Mediterranean countries. Among the high-level

R. Sarvanan (R), from Stoll India Pvt. Ltd. with Thomas Hoffmann (C), from H. Stoll Gmbh & Co. KG with customers

government delegations that were at ITMA included Catalan Minister of Business and Knowledge Ángels Chacon i Feixás; Governor of West Flanders Carl Decaluwé who led a press delegation from Flanders, Belgium; and the Uzbekistan Vice Minister of Silk Jumaev Olimjon and Vice Minister of Textile Jumaniyazov Fahriddin who led a delegation of 40 people.

Charles Beauduin, Chairman of ITMA Services, which organises ITMA 2019, said: “We are extremely glad that many industry stakeholders see ITMA as an excellent platform for collaboration and sharing of ideas to make the industry more competitive in the face of digital transformation and to explore cutting-edge solutions to future proof their business.”

Alex Zucchi, President of ACIMIT also shares Beauduin’s view. He said, “This Barcelona edition has confirmed ITMA as the main B2B platform in the textile industry. The many innovations seen here, especially in the field of sustainability and digitalisation, have increased the interest of visitors. It is essential to focus on these issues also for the next edition of ITMA to be held in Milan in 2023.”

Deepak Sabarad (R) from Voltas Ltd. with Ajay Dattani (L), from Sanathan Textiles Pvt. Ltd. at Shima Seiki stall

The next ITMA will be held in Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy, from 8 to 14 June 2023. Some exhibitors, happy with their participation, have already started making plans for the next show.

ITMA sustainable innovation award

One of Europe’s largest denim producers, Candiani SpA has won the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award, held in conjunction with ITMA 2019. Its innovative product, Candiani Re-Gen is a ‘circular denim’ fabric created from regenerated and recycled raw materials.

Fifty per cent of the Re-Gen fabric comprises Tencel x Refibra Lyocell made of pulp from cotton scraps and wood pulp using Lenzing’s efficient closed-loop process; the other 50 per cent consists of post-industrial recycled Candiani fibres. Candiani’s fabrics are also dyed using green technologies, resulting in substantial reduction in the use of water and chemicals in the fabric production and jean washing process.

Navin Agrawal from A.T.E. Enterprises with Christine Wolters from Karl Mayer (L-R)

According to Alberto Candiani, President of Candiani SpA, the fabric was created to commemorate Candiani’s 80th anniversary. He said, “We are a strong believer in sustainability. In creating the Re-Gen fabric, we leveraged Lenzing’s Tencel Lyocell fibres with Refibra technology, and combined it with our inhouse expertise to create an innovative product that is fashionable and environmentally friendly at the same time.”

Nominated for the award by ITMA 2019 exhibitor Lenzing Ag, Candiani SpA received the trophy from CEMATEX President Fritz P Mayer, at a presentation ceremony on the opening day of ITMA 2019.

Mayer said, “We would like to congratulate both Candiani and Lenzing for their excellent collaboration. CEMATEX launched the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award in 2015 as we would like to encourage greater industry collaboration and synergies, as well as spur more research and development efforts. Ultimately, we need innovation to drive our business and contribute to a more circular economy.”

The two other finalists of the ITMA Industry Excellence Award – Levi Strauss & Co, and Lee – were also praised for their efforts to introduce green innovations into their products and processes. Winner of the first ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award in 2015, Levi Strauss & Co launched FLX Customisation Studio which revolutionalises in-store customisation by allowing customers to pick their denim finish and create a unique pair of jeans in less than two hours. The mobile studio uses sustainable garment finishing technologies and operates on 100 per cent recycled water. It leverages ITMA exhibitor Jeanologia’s water recycling system, H2Zero.

Established denim jeans brand Lee leverages Tonello’s innovative garment finishing system for its denim jeans. The All-in-One System combines four technologies that drastically reduces the water needed in the finishing stages of jean manufacturing thus reducing processing time and total production cost.

Research & Innovation Excellence Award

Fritz P Mayer, President of CEMATEX and the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), handed over the prize money of 10,000 euro with certificate to the lucky winner at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. The 3D braiding machine consists of an existing conventional mechanical system. It has now been digitised and rebuilt according to industry 4.0 standard. With the help of the digital control, e.g. three-dimensionally reinforced ceramic turbine components can be manufactured as prototypes and subsequently produced in series. Together with the company ark industrie AG, Aachen, Germany, and 2C-Composites GmbH & Co. KG, Heinsberg, Germany, the control system was completely redesigned so that the machine can be monitored and operated from anywhere.

“Every machine manufacturer is looking for ways to update its existing machinery before replacing it. We provide him with a good solution in the field of digitisation and Industry 4.0,” says Professor Dr Thomas Gries, Head of ITA. At ITMA 2015, ITA doctoral candidate Jan Jordan had already won the R&I Excellence Award for his master thesis “Development & assembly of a test bench for the analysis of magnetic weft insertion.”

The ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award was created by CEMATEX to recognize the joint efforts of the global textile industry to promote corporate sustainability through innovative solutions and outstanding industry-specific research. The award comprises two categories: An Industry Excellence Award for textile and apparel manufacturers and a Research & Innovation Excellence Award open to Master’s students.

In the next few pages we are covering second part
of some of the latest technologies, which were
introduced during ITMA Barcelona 2019.

Shima Seiki presents latest knitting technologies

Leading computerized knitting machine manufacturer Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd. of Wakayama, Japan, participated in the International Textile Machinery exhibition (ITMA 2019). The company displayed following innovations at the show:

Wholegarment® Capability with Flexibility and Versatility- (MACH2VS)

Evolved from the MACH2®S, Shima Seiki’s MACH2®VS is an extremely versatile machine which realizes quality knitting in a range of production styles. As a conventional shaping machine, it is capable of all-needle knitting in its available range of 8 to 16 gauge, while WholeGarment® knitwear can be produced in halfgauge fabrics. The range of usable yarn and material has increased as well, thanks to i-DSCS+DTC® as standard equipment. The R2CARRIAGE® system that yields quicker carriage returns for greater efficiency, now features a lighter carriage for even higher productivity. For versatility, MACH2®VS is even capable of gaugeless knitting whereby a number of different gauges can be knit into a single garment. A new fullcolour touch-screen monitor improves operability over the previous monochromatic one. Other standard features include USB memory interface and a backup power supply. The great flexibility of MACH2®VS makes it the perfect choice for adopting high quality WholeGarment® production while maintaining flexible support of varying market demands.

Lighter, More Compact Carriage: The R2CARRIAGE® (R2=Rapid Response) System features an advanced carriage mechanism combined with improved software programming that achieves quicker carriage returns after each course. Together with an improved knitting system, and a lighter, more compact carriage, higher overall productivity can be achieved.

i-DSCS+DTC®: Standard on MACH2®VS is i-DSCS+DTC® Digital Stitch Control System “with Intelligence” and Dynamic Tension Control. i-DSCS+DTC® carries over the benefits of DSCS® while achieving the ultimate performance in digital knitting. Whereas DSCS® is a passive system which controls stitch length by mechanically limiting yarn-feed, i-DSCS+DTC® has the capability to actively control yarn-feed in both feed and retrieval directions as necessary, through variable electronic control of yarn tension. This results in even higher quality and greater productivity using a wider variety of yarns, including high-speed knitting of challenging yarns and delicate yarns. Precise electronic control means i-DSCS+DTC® provides consistent quality among different machines, production batches and repeat orders, and is crucial to the precision knitting required in WholeGarment® production.

A User-Friendlier Knitting Machine: MACH2®VS features an all-new full-color LCD touch-sensitive control panel with a larger screen that greatly improves on the previous monochromatic display. Still at eye-level, the new control panel maintains established ergonomic benefits by carrying over function buttons for simultaneous use of both hands. Easily accessible USB interface and network connection continue to provide improved access in data transfer. For those moments when power suddenly becomes unavailable, a backup power supply allows work to resume after power failures. This offers peace of mind that an entire garment will not be lost due to blackouts.

N.SVR123SP-SV 14G (New)

Shima Seiki’s benchmark SVR-series computerized shaping machines have undergone an overhaul resulting in the new N.SVR series. The SVR123SP likewise adds adopts the “N.” designation becoming the N.SVR123SP. A special loop presser bed mounted above the rear needle bed makes it capable of unique designs in knit fabrics—especially inlay patterns—which allow hybrid textiles that combine both knit and weave characteristics in the same fabric. In addition, the i-Plating option can alternate yarn colours in any pattern, producing jacquardlike designs using plain jersey stitch. Plating can be performed within the same course and for individual needles. In combination with the loop presser and patented spring-type moveable sinker system even greater diversity in knit design is possible. Meanwhile a lighter, more compact carriage combines with highspeed carriage turnaround of the R2CARRIAGE system as well as a maximum knitting speed of 1.4m/sec to yield higher productivity. N.SVR123SP carries over other established Shima Seiki technology such as the Digital Stitch Control System (DSCS), stitch presser, takedown comb and yarn gripper and cutter system as well as WideGauge knitting capability. An allnew full-colour LCD touch-screen control panel greatly improves on the previous monochromatic display as well. At ITMA N.SVR123SP showed knitting chair fabric using velvet-like tape yarn which has a natural tendency to twist. Otherwise impossible to knit correctly, it is fed into the machine with the aid of the special Yarn Unwinding Device which helps to handle such challenging material.

N.SIR183-SV 18G (New)

Shima Seiki’s global standard for intarsia shaped knitting—the SIR series—has undergone renewal and is joined by the longbed N.SIR183 featuring a 72-inch (183cm) knitting width. Improvement in productivity is achieved with a lighter, more compact carriage combined with a maximum knitting speed of 1.4 mtr per second and the R2CARRIAGE System that improves efficiency in each course through quicker carriage returns. It also carries over proven Shima Seiki technology such as renowned Digital Stitch Control System (DSCS), spring-type moveable sinker system, stitch presser, takedown comb and yarn gripper and cutter, as well as an all-new full-colour LCD touchsensitive control panel. With a maximum capacity for 30 intarsia carriers, N.SIR183 at ITMA uses 10 carriers to produce an ultrafine gauge one-piece dress that is knit while oriented on its side featuring flechage, pintuck and other techniques. The machine also features a top tension device that automatically adjusts tension as a prototype option.

SDS-ONE APEX4 (New)

Shima Seiki debuted its latest design system SDS-ONE APEX4 at ITMA. SDS-ONE APEX4 continues as a comprehensive allin allin- one system that offers complete support of the knit supply chain, from planning and design to production and sales promotion. As such, SDS-ONE APEX4 provides all the functions you need in taking advantage of the integrated workflow that is the Total Fashion System. Not limited to the knit apparel industry, textile design and production requires the diversity to support ever-changing market needs, with increasing emphasis placed on speed from design to market and sustainability. SDS-ONE APEX4 responds to such requirements by providing up to a 5x increase in programming and simulation speeds as compared to SDS-ONE APEX3. As part of its full support of planning and design needs, SDS-ONE APEX4 features the latest search functions using Artificial Intelligence (AI). High-quality virtual sampling for circular knitting, flat knitting, weaving and pile weaving reduces waste of time, cost and material associated with sampling. It can furthermore be used for e-commerce as well as pre-ordering to forecast demand and optimize inventory through smart, speedy and sustainable production.

Vanguard shows high-speed knitting machines

American-made Vanguard circular knitting machines are known internationally for their speed and efficiency and the Monroe, North Carolina, based company has over 100 years of experience, Established in 1916 as the Vanguard Supreme Machinery Company, the company was acquired by Taiwan’s PaiLung Machinery in 2009, creating an international organization headed by knitting innovator and visionary James Wang, whose guidance propelled PaiLung into one of the biggest circular knitting machine manufacturers in the world. Under James Wang’s Chairmanship, a new management team and an expanded network of agents are making strides in global textile markets. Besides the company’s strong presence in Central America and Mexico, where Vanguard PaiLung also operates an office for customer service, the company has successfully placed many machines in fast-growing markets such as Bangladesh, India and Southeast Asia. The company also has a solid customer base in South America, where growing sales in Brazil are an important focus for the future.

“High-volume knitting technology is in demand in these markets, and there is vast potential for our machines,” says Uwe Heintel, recently appointed VP, international sales. According to Vanguard Pailung, its machines are firmly established as the choice for major North American brands such as Hanesbrands, Gildan, and Fruit of the Loom. “True American manufacturing starts with American machinery,” says Heintel. “Vanguard is a true American story, still manufactured in North Carolina.”

Vanguard specializes in high-speed machines producing single jersey, including 4-track pattern possibilities, elastic jersey, rib, and three-end fleece models, with an emphasis on full-range machines up to 42”. Years of innovation and ongoing research have resulted in machinery with increased production volumes and unique features. Vanguard’s high-speed machines perform in body sizes as well as in large diameters on highest speed factors up to 1900.

According to Heintel, Vanguard’s highspeed jersey machines are capable of knitting plain jersey at 60 rpm. The company’s jumbo high-frame machines can churn out 230 kilo rolls. “It’s not how fast you knit; it’s how well you knit fast,” Heintel comments. In an era of uncertain tariffs, shifting sourcing patterns, rising prices, and narrow profit margins, Vanguard’s speed and efficiency offers mills, manufacturers, and brands a unique opportunity to be successful, the company says.

Vanguard PaiLung exhibited its latest innovations, including a recentlydeveloped high-speed open-width machine for elastic jersey fabrics. “We welcome ITMA attendees to visit the booth and discover how Vanguard’s speed and efficiency can increase profit margins,” says Heintel.

Monforts presents new yarn dyeing system

At ITMA, Monforts introduced a revolutionary new system for yarn dyeing based on the Econtrol dyeing system for fabrics. This latest CYD denim processing technology integrates new functions and processes into the weaving preparatory processes – spinning, direct beaming, warping and assembly beaming, followed by sizing and dyeing – in order to increase quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity.

“Denim finishing is a field in which Monforts has an undisputed lead and we have been working closely with our many partners in the key denim manufacturing countries of China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Mexico and Brazil to develop new advanced solutions,” says Monforts’ head of Denim, Hans Gerhard Wroblowski. “The CYD system has been developed in response to a very strong market demand.”

According to the company, Econtrol is a pad-dry process employed in Monforts continuous dyeing in which the reactive dyestuff is fixed to the cellulose fibres during drying and the CYD multi-colour yarn dyeing system introduces a number of new concepts based on it, including the unique Eco Bleach process.

This is the first bleaching system for yarn treatment available on the market and is of particular interest to denim manufacturers, says Monforts. The Eco Bleach system is combined with the washing units and the fabric is then dyed immediately, resulting in considerable savings in wastewater and chemicals.

The most effective dyeing process for fabrics is now being applied for yarn dyeing and it is possible to process short batches of 5-10,000 metres of yarn in order to produce 2-300 mtr of fabrics in a single continuous process. In its raw state, cotton has a light brownish/yellow tinge and bleaching is necessary to ensure its pure whiteness prior to dyeing. On conventional systems, this involves a separate process step, but with the CYD multi-colour yarn dyeing system, it is now integrated into the Econtrol process for full dyeing pretreatment, the company adds.

Fukuhara Single Knit machine and Double Knit Jacquard Eyelet Machine

Fukuhara manufactures not only the circular knitting machines but also the knitting needles of high precision for knitting machines.

OD7” Frame Series for Single Knit machine

The OD7 frame is special open-width frame which includes an open width take-up device newly developed for single-knit openwidth machine models. This new design based on years of cultivated know-how results in beautiful fabric rolls with minimized bowing and edge curling. The take-up device itself is lighter and stronger than conventional devices, thereby making it possible to safely stop from high speeds without placing an excessive load on the machine.

Main function and features

A servo motor driven type (Standard) and mechanically driven type (option) can be selected. The OD7 frame uses a newly develops servo motor driven take-up as the standard device. Settings such as the take-up production amount, et cetera can be carried out easily on a motorized take-up than a mechanical one and so it is a highly convenient take-up when changing stitch densities or fabric constructions. The take-up roller is driven by a servo motor that is also used for control in robotics, thereby making it possible to accurately take up set production amount in the same manner as mechanically driven type takeups. Also, the side frame of the take-up device was modified from a steel construction to one made of lighter aluminum alloy to lessen the effect of inertia during high-speed operation and reduce vibration when braking from high-speed for smoother stopping. A newly developed mechanical take-up is also available as an optional specification.

Newly developed open width fabric device

The OD7 is fitted with a newly developed open-with fabric device. The triangular guide bar mechanism can be more freely adjusted (height, angle, front/back positioning, et cetera) to reduce bowing on various types of fabric rolls.

Improved workability

The OD7 frame has been designed with a lower take-up height than conventional machines. As a result, the guard net platforms are also lower than conventional machines. Thereby making the knitting head easier to approach and improving overall workability.

Computerized Double Knit Jacquard Eyelet Machine

M-LEC7EP is an eyelet Jacquard machine developed as a new proposal for the existing M-LEC7EP model series. A variety of eyelet constructions can be knitted by using the electronic needle selection mechanism to utilize the pelerine jacks. Further, the machine can be used as a normal Jacquard machine by converting it to the M-LEC7BSC model.

Special features

Electronic jacquard machine with pelerine jack system: Pelerine jacks are inserted into the cylinder side of the machine and utilized by the electronic needle selection mechanism to knit a variety of eyelet constructions such as normal eyelet, diagonal closed eyelet construction such as normal eyelet, diagonal closed eyelet, et cetera.

High performance SS actuators: An “individual needle selection system” has been employed to ensure needles are precisely selected one by one. Key to this precision are the Fukuhara original SS actuators installed in the cylinder to ensure twoposition (K-W) selection is carried out stably at both slow and fast speeds.

FMC-50 controller: The machine controller is the newly designed FMC-50 which supports high speed operation. Being capable of transmitting necessary data accurately and reliably to knitting machines operating at high speeds, it demonstrates a stabilized needle selection performance. Also, optional KNIT Server Software (Option) is Windows application software for use in a LAN (TCP/IP) environment. PC Windows 7/8/10 HUB and LAN cables are separately required.

Operation panel fitted with color LCD touch panel (FCP-60): The high-luminance and clear color LCD touch panel allows for precise operation as well as clear confirmation of inputted machine information and striper data. Each function is shown as an icon display on the simply touching the icons. Also, a USB memory slot equipped as Standard allows for high speed transfer of even large patterns to the controller.

Double-Knit Bothside Needle Selection Jacquard Machine with 5-colour Auto-striper (M-LEC4DSCFY5)

M-LEC4DSCFY5 is a double needle selection model on which the auto-striper was changed from a four colour setup like on the conventional M-LEC4DFY4 to a five colour setup. Moreover, a stitch cancelling mechanism has been equipped to ensure needles which are selected to the welt position do not draw yarn while passing the stitch portion of the cams. These mechanism better stabilizers the knitting of multi-colour striper patterns, which use numerous feeders take-offs.

Special features

Double side needle selection mechanism: An “individual needle selection system” is utilized to precisely select each individual needle. The high performance SS actuators fitted at both the cylinder and dial ensure stable two-position (K-W) needle selection is possible at various speeds (slow to fast) on both the cylinder and dial of the machine. In addition, a needle-jack coupling method is used for the dial selection method in order to ensure needle movement is well-regulated at the time of the knit on conventional electronic double needle selection models can now be made more easily, thereby increasing possibilities for new fabric developments.

Stitch cancelling mechanism (patent pending): Normally jacquard machines are fitted with only one stitch cam per knitting feeder and so all needles, regardless of their selected position (knit or welt), will draw slightly via the stitch cam when passing through the stitch area. Needle which are selected to welt are still holding an old loop which has yet to be cleared from the needle hook. There are cases in which this old loop will break when the welt needle draws slightly while passing the stitch area. This problem becomes even more prominent as the number of colours in the knitting construction increase. Also, all needles will draw slightly in the stitch area during the many take-off feeders in place when using multi-colour stripers and yarn breaks can more easily occur. To remedy this a newly designed stitch cancelling mechanism is equipped on the cylinder side of the M-LEC4DSCFY to prevent needles selected to welt from slightly drawing in the feeder’s stitch area. This mechanism thereby greatly reduces the risk of yarn breaks as a result of the slight draw in the stitch area.

5 colour striper: Our proprietary F-type striper known for its high stability has been develop so far for three colour, four colour and six colour specifications. In response to a demand to knit with more colours than was possible on conventional LEC4D series models, a five colour striper is newly setup on the machine to further expand the creative range of possible colour patterns.

Monarch unveils new knitting machine and app technology

The Monarch Knitting Machinery UK stand at recent ITMA remained busy throughout the show with visitors able to explore a new mattress striper machine and discover the company’s latest mobile app. The M-LEC4DSCFY5 is an electronic double knit jacquard machine with needle selection on the cylinder and on the dial with a five colour auto striper.

This machine is a continuation from the previous model which was a four colour system but that was two way selection with a fixed cam system on the dial. On this new model there is two way selection on the dial as well as two way selection on the cylinder. A further key feature of this new model is a patent pending welt stitch mechanism. As Monarch’s Matthew Brunton explained, on a normal striper machine in the cam boxes there is a stitch cam, and when the machine welts, sometimes the needles rise which can cause yarn breakages.

To alleviate that issue, Monarch has developed a new welt stitch cancelling mechanism which means that when the needles go up the cam race, or when the machine is welting, the new mechanism stops the needle from raising which reduces the issues with yarn breakages. Essentially, the welt stitch mechanism ensures that needles which are selected to the welt position do not draw yarn while passing the stitch portion of the cams.

The result of this new innovation is that less technical intervention is required when setting the machine. It also has less downtime and can run for longer as it is able to cope with lower quality yarns – if for example a poorer batch of yarn is used – as the risk of breakages is significantly reduced. The MLEC4DSCFY5 is available in 60/30 feeds, a range of diameters from 34 to 38 ins and in gauges ranging from 18 to 28G.

It is also equipped with the latest yarn feeding system from Italy’s LGL. In fact, Monarch was the only company at ITMA demonstrating the Twin, an electronic positive feeder with yarn retrieving function, which is suitable for naked and covered elastomers as well as for rigid yarn.

This system is modular with up to 4 feeders able to be stacked – which offers significant space saving options – and also includes a yarn measurement system, offers a quick reaction to speed variations of the machine, a ceramic tensor sensor ensuring precision, accuracy and quick response, maximum torque at low speeds and low power consumption. At the show, Monarch was also demonstrating the launch of its new app which boosts the company’s ability to quickly and efficiency meet its customers’ requirements.

The brand new app offers a range of services including comprehensive details of Monarch knitting machines as well as high definition fabric samples. Further services include a yarn converter which can be used to compare different yarn counts across from dtex to Nm whilst on the go and a Specification Sheet Generator which can be used by technicians to create, save and print fabric specification sheets across a number of machines in the Monarch database.

Navis TubeTex reveals Air-Lok technology

Navis TubeTex, a leading manufacturer of finishing machinery, launched its patent-pending Air-Lok technology at ITMA 2019. The technology is to be incorporated into the company’s M&W brand stenters. The company says its ‘revolutionary’ technology was developed with computer airflow models using proprietary visualisation software and was engineered to prevent cold air leaks into the stenter, keep the heat in the dryer, and maintain airflow and dryer balance during production. All the while, the fabric and chain can continue to pass through unaffected, the company says. Parallel to the increased demand for sustainability and energy-efficient processes, Navis TubeTex says the Air-Lok system also ‘dramatically reduces’ efficiency loss and energy waste by over 200 kW during the drying process.

Additionally, the company says that, like all Navis technologies, Air-Lok is Industry 4.0 compliant. Will Motchar, President and CEO of Navis TubeTex says: “We have been very strategic in investing in our technology. As we design and engineer new components, Navis TubeTex and its branded companies continue to stay attune to our customers’ requirements. “We continue to design for improved efficiencies across the textile manufacturing spectrum.” The product launch followed the appointment of Todd Dickson as Executive Vice President (EVP) of the company in February, with the aim to further develop and build its growing business portfolio.

Santex Rimar Group present latest solutions

Santex Rimar Group, together with SMIT participated in ITMA. In a new era where sustainability and the production processes speed are the hardest challenges and, at the same time, the biggest opportunities to develop new business models, Santex Rimar Group presented new solutions for the textile industry.

Sperotto Rimar COMPAS

The compacting revolution

The compacting concept is based on a revolutionary idea/system which exploits the use of a special belt with specific elasticity values. Such elasticity is exploited in order to enhance the fabrics compacting. The belt is in fact pre-tensioned at a controlled and settable value. The fabric comes in contact with the belt at the point when it is at its maximum tension. When such tension is released and the belt comes back to its original position, the fabric follows its movement being compacted lengthwise.

Objectives

• Optimum compacting capability with both knitted and woven fabrics
• Outstanding residual shrinkage values with all fabrics type including extremely difficult ones such as 100 per cent viscose knitted and woven articles
• Natural stretch effect on the fabric weft
• Silky and smooth touch
• Dull or shiny appearance according to the final desired effect

Solwa DRYWA – Green Sludge Dryer

DRYWA: Innovative integrated system for drying sewage sludge

DryWa technology is developed to make sludge management efficient and cost-effective, respecting the environment and climate. Drywa is the only low temperature belt dryer equipped with a CO2 heat pump.

Compact design, no operative costs for filters and the lowest energy consumption make Drywa 100 per cent green and ecofriendly. Sewage sludge and sludge from ETP (particularly from Dyeing companies) are perfectly treated by DryWa without odours and air emissions, even without filters.

The process is based on a compact technology which can be used also in a series of joint modules. DryWa is a revolutionary thermal stand-alone system to dry sewage sludge, achieving a 95 per cent of weight reduction in only 15 m² surface (20 ft naval container). DryWa is a system to dry sewage sludge, where the input is the wet sludge (around 25 percent DM) and the outputs are ashes and emissions into the atmosphere.

A high performance heater inside the system generates the drying process, allowing DryWa to be a stand-alone system in terms of thermal energy. It can be placed directly inside the wastewater treatment plant without any modification. DryWa modules can be stacked into vertical systems, to increase the drying production.

Ichinose showcases digital textile printing innovations

Ichinose has improved its iugo hybrid textile printer, developments of which were displayed at ITMA. The printer, which does screen printing for special effects and digital printing, previously had Ricoh print heads and works as a multi-pass printer. The machine has been improved so it now runs on a Konica Minolta Nassenger 10 engine, which provides a more synchronised movement. As a result, any bottlenecks in the process are alleviated. The iugo, which can use any type of inks, can also pre-treat the fabric inline. It has three screen stations for three different added value effects, such as metallics – which digital cannot yet achieve.

Enrico Verga, Chief Operating Officer, Konica Minolta IJ Textile Europe, says: “Inkjet has some limitations. It can’t print gold, metallic etc. The hybrid combination uses screen and digital. As a result this kind of hybrid machine increases and meets market demands by providing flexibility.” However, if the machine isn’t needed for a special design at any time, so if screens aren’t needed for a certain print run, the printer can just print digitally as the Konica Minolta Nassenger 10. “Ichinose and Konica Minolta have a very good relationship,” says Verga.

The technology has good prospects in Europe, having received positive feedback at ITMA. Ideal applications for the printer are high value-added textile products like accessories such as cushions.

Another interesting technology that made its European debut at ITMA was its GINGA digital printing machine. The machine digitally prints on socks, using either dye-sublimation, acid or reactive inks, depending on the substrate.

A finished, unprinted sock is placed onto a carbon fibre tube (carbon fibre can withstand the high temperatures in the printer) and it is loaded onto the machine then moves into the printer. Seconds later the tube comes out with the sock fully printed. The sock is then put into an oven for less than two minutes to fix the ink and bring out the colour vibrancy. The process is completely dry.

Three machines have currently been sold and installed: One in Japan and two in the US. The company is looking to develop robotic technology to put the sock on the tube, the tube in the machine, and to place in and out of the oven to bake it, to further streamline the process in the future.

Dover Digital Printing showcases new technologies

Dover Digital Printing, part of Dover, exhibited a range of new and enhanced products and technologies. Dover Digital Printing brands MS Printing Solutions, JK Group and Caldera showcased new printing technology, specialised textile inks and latest developments in raster image processor (RIP) software.

MS Printing Solutions presented the new Mini LaRio. This 8- colour, 64-printhead printer has been developed to fill an existing gap in the market between the LaRio and the JPK-EVO in terms of speed and return on investment, said Dover Digital. With the innovative positioning of the printing heads unit, the Mini LaRio has a 2xCMYK maximum speed of 1500/3000 – 1094 mtr/hour for both fabric and paper. MS Printing Solutions also presented the new in-line fabric pre-treatment that has allowed the LaRio to take a new leap forward – set-up times are cut in half, automaticdosage reduces raw materials used and waste produced, and a reduction in water and energy consumption makes for an improved environmental impact.

JK Group showcased their range of Kiian Digital Digistar inks. The new Digistar Bellagio reactive inks range is further expanded by the addition of two new colours. Also on display was Digistar Bravo disperse ink, developed for high runability and excellent quality, and Digistar K-Choice pigment inks, designed for Kyocera printheads, providing a huge gamut of spot colours. Caldera brought the latest version of its textile RIP suite, TextilePro, to ITMA. This is Caldera’s intuitive production suite for textile printing. Key features included RGB Workflow, which guarantees full fidelity to original colours, Custom Inkset, which allows for the addition of a new colour mode to NColor printers, Tex&Repeat module for creating repeatable and aligned patterns, and colour management, for excellent colour consistency.

Dover Digital Printing is comprised of the brands of Caldera, Kiian Digital, J-Teck, MS Printing Solutions and Sawgrass Industrial, and provides a complete solution of digital printing needs while driving efficiency for customers and leading to greater speed, accuracy and profitability.

Cubotex presents new hank dyeing machine

A dyeing machinery manufacturer since 1985, Cubotex introduced a new generation of hank dyeing machines model – Ecomat. After the last innovation in hank dyeing presented at ITMA 2015 (the Unimat model – a double technology machine for cabinet dyeing and spray dyeing patented), the company displayed a new machine suitable for processing hanks in a standard cabinet machine carrier and up to 140°C. In addition to that, the machine performs a lower liquor ratio compared to traditional cabinet machines and offers obvious advantages also for those customers not processing polyester but who are focused on the reduction of machines’ utility consumption, says Cubotex. The Ecomat machine is available in all sizes, from sampling to production, and it can easily be integrated into existing dye houses due to inter-changeability of material holders with traditional cabinet machines. At the company’s stand it also displayed machines for yarn dyeing, spray dyeing and drum dyeing.

Zeller + Gmelin provide latest solution for knitting industry

Lubricant Specialist Zeller + Gmelin from Eislingen, Swabia (Germany) presented its Textol product range for textile companies. The international textile machinery exhibition (ITMA) takes place every four years; it is an international industry meeting point for companies from the textile and garment technology.

“With our Textol lubricants we offer needle and sinker oils for circular knitting, flat knit and sock and hosiery knitting machines, special ring oils, high temperature chain oils, as well as greases, gears and hydraulic oils. By this we would like to present ourselves to a broad specialist audience at the ITMA in Barcelona,” Andreas Flehmig says, Head of Business Unit Textol at Zeller + Gmelin. ITMA aspires to be the trendsetting platform for the textile and garment industry. The industry meets every four years in changing European locations. In 2015, around 1,600 exhibitors from 46 countries were represented.

Spinning and knitting machines for industrial use must perform highest precision work, with enormous speed. Typical loads of the textile industry are high temperatures, moisture, dust and lint formation. Textile companies process several tonne of yarn or textile surfaces every day. During the individual manufacturing processes, reliable interaction of bearings, gears, slide elements, as well as chains is essential. Even the smallest discrepancy of the machines is reflected immediately in the quality of the manufactured textile products. According to manufacturer Zeller+Gmelin, the Textol high-performance lubricants ensure precision and durability for the machine components. They support the low-maintenance manufacturing process and reduce production costs considerably, as less rejects are produced and the service lives of the machines and units are increased.

“High-performance lubricants of the Textol brand for knitting machines are available in 29 different versions,” Andreas Flehmig explains. “They are tailor-made for the use in the most different machine types, oiler systems, different fineness ranges, as well for diverse yarn qualities.” The Textol C comprises of special needle and sinker oils with different viscosities that offer high corrosion and wear protection. Thus, they guarantee a long life time of the loop forming elements. Textol C ISO 10 is suitable for both, industrial and household sewing machines. Textol CF Premium is available with a viscosity of 260 mm²/s for chain lubrication during high temperatures (flash point according to Cleveland) / DIN ISO 2592 260 °C). Furthermore, Textol CF Premium is a lubricant based on fully synthetic ester, which offers enormous advantages in efficiency compared to mineral based lubricants, for instance lower soiling tendency, longer service intervals and reduced down times.

Maintenance during ongoing operation

For a long life time and short machine down times, however, not only optimal lubrication is necessary, but maintenance and cleaning are crucial too. For this purpose the special product Textol R is used. It is a highly effective cleaning oil, which is compatible with plastics and paint. It can be used to remove persistent incrustations not only on knitting machines, but also other textile machines. For circular knitting machines, the product can be applied in small amounts during ongoing operation to clean soiling in the area of the loop forming elements. The two lubricants Textol WX ISO 22 and ISO 32 are mineral oil based high-performance lubricants. They are especially applied, if already dyed yarns are used in large diameter circular knitting machines. During the development of this new needle and sinker lubricant, next to the necessary minimum requirements for the machine operation, special attention was also paid to the washing out ability of the needle oil in the subsequent equipment. Thus, with the use of Textol WX ISO 32 excellent washing results can be achieved, even with a low surfactant concentration and short treatment time. Thereby malfunctions in the subsequent dyeing and finishing processes are reduced to a minimum.

New scanning printing systems and flagship solutions by ALEPH

Innovation and environmental sustainability in digital textile printing were central to Aleph’s showcase at ITMA 2019. A leading Italian manufacturer of sublimation and direct-to-fabric inkjet printers for the textile and visual communication industries, headquartered in the textile district of Como, Aleph unveiled a range of brand-new scanning printing systems aimed at enhancing and integrating its flagship series, LaForte. Designed as a fashion boutique, the company’s booth hosted the latest cutting-edge technologies developed by Aleph and a wealth of textile applications, including textiles printed with modern and trendy patterns and designs, aiming to demonstrate how advanced digital printing technologies are transforming the high-end fashion, fast fashion, sportswear and athleisure, home textile industries.

LaForte series, ranging from entry-level to flagship models

LaForte 600 Fabric is an industrial inkjet direct-to-textile printer designed to deliver high-volume manufacturing of extremely high-quality printed textiles. Enabling a print speed from 600 up to 1000 sq mtr/hour at a print resolution up to 1200 dpi, LaForte 600 Fabric almost reaches the same productivity as single-pass inkjet presses but featuring scanning technology. Aleph’s printer features a compact design, which facilitates its integration into various production environments, and a waterless process that reduces the consumption of water and energy, resulting in drastically lowered production costs and environmental impact.

Aleph exhibited a complete production line, featuring: A fabric feeding system that supports jumbo reels (up to 1 m roll diameter and 1.000 kg roll weight), LaForte 600 Fabric (equipped with 48 printheads), a proprietary drying system and an exit plater including optional winding unit. Both the feeding system and the plater are from Italian company Bianco Group, partnering with Aleph. Aleph also used ITMA to showcase its flagship solutions addressing different textile market segments. These include:

• LaForte 200 Fabric, a direct-to-fabric inkjet printer featuring a compact design and a patented rotary belt. The printer is designed to address mid to high print volume production (up to 400 sqm/h with 3400 mm print width in one pass and up to 300 sqm/h with 1800 mm print width in one pass). At the show in Barcelona, Aleph showcased a LaForte 200 Fabric model equipped with 8 dual-module printheads (dual channel, two colours per head) and with pigment inks, and ran live demonstrations of direct printing onto wide ranges of fibres

• LaForte 100 Paper is a versatile inkjet printing system. A water-based dye-sublimation entry-level solution with production speed up to 200 sq mtr/h, LaForte 100 features 4 to 8 printheads and is equipped with a patented rotary belt with vacuum system, which enables to print on paper with grammage starting from 10 gsm.

Another highlight at Aleph’s boutique was the showcase of high-quality printed fabrics and textiles. The brand-new advanced pigment inks and direct disperse dyes developed by Aleph don’t require pre and post treatments – enabling a significant reduction in water consumption – and guarantee durability and colour vibrancy thanks to an innovative binder with ultra-clinging-to-the-fibre capability. In addition, Aleph has recently developed new pre and post treatment solutions that help further enhance the solidity and colour vibrancy also on special fibres.

Strayfield showcases its ‘big small’ dryer

Strayfield, a manufacturer of textile dryers, showcased its radio frequency textile yarn dryer, SO200TS, for the first time at ITMA. The machine is known by the company as being the world’s ‘big small’ dryer as it is Strayfield’s largest model, yet it is half the size of the equivalent on offer from competitors. “It is the only dryer in the world that can process eight tonnes of cotton per day, using just 125 kW of energy,” says Strayfield’s Managing Director, Rakesh Monga.

“The technology can save people a significant amount of money, around $160,000 per year. We base that on a quote we made last year where we quoted 320 kW for a particular application and a competitor quoted 440 kW for the same application. “So, when we did the sums, we told them how much we could save them in energy costs alone.” Monga adds that the running costs are so low that the cost of buying the dryer and running it is less than the cost of running a competitor’s dryer for three years.

“If you use a competitor’s dryer for free and you bought this from us for the market value and ran it, within three to four years you would still be better off,” he says. The company says that the machine has had a very good response from visitors. “Everyone is quite excited with the numbers that we have presented them. “It is creating quite a buzz.” The new dryer is able to process both tops and hanks and it does not need to be manually altered to change between the two. Strayfield Limited was founded in 1968, and the first equipment manufactured by the company was for the biscuit and cracker industry. Now, the UK-based company is associated with conveyorised dryers for the textile industry.

First 16 colour digital textile printer by Epson

Digital fabric printing technology pioneer, Epson displayed its 16 channel Monna Lisa Evo Tre 32, the first digital printer capable of hosting up to 16 different colours. This important technological evolution provides printers with a colour range that comes close to traditional printing.

The 16 channel Monna Lisa Evo Tre 32 has an external rack which can be positioned adjacent to the machine wherever is most convenient. This rack houses up to 16 different Genesta Acid ink packs and allows the printer to use a wide range of colours, including special colours or custom treatments.

Expanded colour range and increased customisation. The first digital printer to provide up to 16 colours, the 16 channel Monna Lisa Evo Tre 32 offers a free and wide colour-selection. It is possible to use standard Genesta Acid inks (Yellow, Orange, Red, Magenta, Rubine, Blue, Cobalt, Cyan, Grey, Black), with Genesta Fluorescent colours (Flavine and Pink) and the new Genesta Brown and Navy Blue. In this way printing companies can produce both sportswear and beachwear (Fluorescent colours) and other textile markets (spot colours) with the same printer.

Those who use Across liquid to obtain perfect colour penetration on fabrics that require equal colour brightness on either side (such as silk scarves) can still use all colours available and the finished product’s quality will be far higher.

The 16 channel Monna Lisa Evo Tre 32 – Key Points:

16 channel configuration: The external rack can be loaded with up to 16 Genesta Acid inks.

Maximum versatility: Having 16 different channels enables a wider colour range and avoids losing colours when using special inks (such as Genesta Fluorescent), spot colours (such as Genesta Brown and Navy Blue) or ink penetration liquid (Across)

• Print quality: New inks further improve to the print’s appearance – especially in critical tones and large single-colour areas
• Adaptability: Ability to use two black channels while keeping all other colours
• Printheads: 32 Epson PrecisionCore Printheads. PrecisionCore printing technology is the latest evolution of Epson’s Micro Piezo proprietary printing technology. The latest generation MicroTFP print chip combines quality, accuracy and speed
• Productivity: Standard 8 colour configuration up to 692 sqm/ h (300x600dpi, 1 pass); 16 channel configuration up to 440 sqm/h (300×600 dpi)
• Resolution: Up to 1200dpi. • Width: 180cm /220cm/320cm
• Ink channels: Up to 16 • Ink capacity: 3 litres
• Ink types: Genesta Acid, Reactive, Disperse and Pigment. Genesta water-based inks allow precision and colour fastness in fabric prints. Genesta inks obtain the highest quality on any fabric type

EFI Reggiani presents latest innovations in digital textile

Electronics for Imaging, Inc. showcased the advanced, leading-edge technologies that make EFI™ Reggiani a textile innovator, including the game-changing EFI Reggiani BOLT single-pass inkjet printer – the first digital textile solution capable of high-quality output at record production speeds of up to 90 linear mtr (295 linear feet) per minute.

Leading innovation in digital textile

EFI presented one of the most important showcases of new digital textile printing technology in the industry, emphasizing leading-edge innovations that make EFI customers successful in the global textile industry.

• The EFI Reggiani COLORS printer, a high-quality, highly productive solution that prints with up to 12 colours and offers unmatched printing quality and uniformity with an extended colour gamut, superior colour depth and increased penetration into fabric
• EFI Mezzera indigo dyeing and finishing technology that reduces chemical usage by up to 40 per cent compared with other dyeing technologies and ensures deeper shades and superior fastness
• New EFI Reggiani FUOCO water-based acid inks, specifically designed to deliver amazing prints for highly demanding textile applications and incomparable colour depth and vibrancy
• A new EFI Fiery® BT-1000 digital front end (DFE), that streams jobs directly to the Reggiani BOLT printer at engine-rated speed for top-quality print results and increased profitability
• The newly launched version of EFI Optitex® 2D/3D textile CAD software offering streamlined Print & Cut workflow integration with Reggiani printers for up to 15 per cent greater efficiency in textile usage
• Fiery DesignPro, a suite of Adobe® Creative Cloud® plug-ins that streamline design of textile repeats, colourways, wovens and knits, plus communicate colour consistently from design to production.

Transformational technology for the industry’s digital migration

The new, 1.8-mtr (71-inch) wide Reggiani BOLT printer is designed to give textile manufacturers high uptime and reliability, high performance throughout and unparalleled printing uniformity and accuracy, in addition to superior printhead life and minimal maintenance needs. Thanks to its cutting-edge printhead concept and high-performance ink delivery system, the Reggiani BOLT reaches a record throughput speed of 90 mtr/minute at a 600 x 600 dots per inch (dpi) resolution. It features high-end imaging in drop sizes from 5 to 30 picoliters, and also provides premium-quality 600 x 4,800 maximum-dpi resolution printing, allowing customers to address their full range of design needs.

A robust, industrial platform designed for 24/7 operation, the Reggiani BOLT printer offers an innovative, low-maintenance, fast-startup recirculation printhead that delivers more-uniform, high-quality printing with superior uptime. Users can reduce the cost per meter of digitally printed textiles with the Reggiani BOLT while creating a broader range of designs quickly and efficiently. The printer also has another remarkable advantage in its ability to include one or more analog printing stations as an option, integrated into the digital printer for special effects.

The Fiery BT-1000 DFE is a professional colour management and RIP solution that enables efficient job management and streams jobs directly to the Reggiani BOLT printer in real time. It is purposebuilt to deliver fine detail, smooth gradations, clean solid colours, deep blacks, and high saturation. Superior screening and fine dithering algorithms provide high-quality print results.

Time-to-market miracles: Design and sampling solutions

EFI’s stand featured one of the industry’s most-advanced workflows for design through production. The newest-version EFI Optitex software featured in the EFI exhibit addresses retailers’ and brands’ urgent need to bring new products to market faster. The new release delivers true-to-life fabric simulations, enabling custom views of designs for consistent and adaptable 3D sample displays, minimizing the need for physical samples and costly photo shoots across the design and production workflow. A new EFI Optitex Print & Cut feature enables complete garment printing on a single roll, creating significant savings in fabric roll inventory, with typically 15-40 per cent greater efficiency compared to traditional methods. Fashion and apparel manufacturers also benefit from an improved nesting algorithm in the software that increases fabric utilization.

The Fiery DesignPro textile design software tools EFI showed at ITMA work seamlessly with Adobe® Photoshop® and Illustrator® in Mac® or Microsoft® Windows® environments. This set of powerful textile and fashion design plug-ins are efficient to use, fast to learn, and make it easy to switch between DesignPro and native Photoshop or Illustrator software during the design process. The plug-ins significantly reduce the time and effort needed to create repeat patterns, colorways, separations, weaves, knits, or garment sketches. Plus, Fiery DesignPro gives designers the ability to effectively and efficiently communicate colours and seasonal palettes through the entire design team, all the way to production.

EFI also announced a new EFI Reggiani BOLT Capsule proofing printer model, designed to perfectly match Reggiani BOLT print results to let users preview them before moving to production. This high-end scanning/multi-pass printer delivers high coverage and uniform printing with highly accurate fabric feeding. It features the same special, high-quality, highly reliable inkjet heads as the Reggiani BOLT model, with an efficient, innovative recirculation feature to ensure that it stays ready to print without extensive preventive maintenance.

Memminger displays machinery upgrades

Memminger-Iro is a world market leader in the development, production and sale of yarn feeders, monitoring and lubrication systems for knitting machines. Among its machinery highlights, the Memminger Elastane Roller MER 4 was presented, which featured a newly developed stop motion system. The Memminger Needle Controller MNC 3 was also on display, which monitors the quality of fabric on large circular knitting machines. The control unit and the sensor for monitoring broken needles have been revised.

The Pulsonic 6 pressure lubricator and the PJ 419 F spray lubricator for lubricating circular knitting machines were also on display. Pulsonic 6 is a further development of the well-known pressure oiler Pulsonic 5.2, which has been equipped with CANBUS capable electronics. As a result, the settings on the lubricator can optionally be made directly via the machine control, if the machine has been prepared from the machine builder side. What’s more, the functionality of the well-known Networker Monitoring System has been significantly extended; innovations of which were presented at ITMA.

Digital transfer paper for printing on natural fibres by Neenah

Neenah Coldenhove unveiled its Texcol digital pigment transfer paper at this year’s edition of ITMA. The newly developed Neenah Coldenhove digital transfer paper allows users to print on a wide range of natural fibre textiles, such as cotton, using a waterless process. Texcol digital transfer paper eliminates complex pre or post-treatments of textiles, and reduces the user’s cost and carbon footprint, according to the company.

Willem Jan Bannink, New Business Engineer, Neenah Coldenhove says, “In the past, other companies have tried to create a digital pigment transfer paper, but the quality hasn’t been good. We have been able to achieve the quality. “We know the market, previously dye-sub, has only been possible on polyester, not on natural fibres, but this is only a percentage of the market. We wanted a similar process for natural fibres.” This way, Neenah Coldenhove can offer its products to a wider range of markets.

Development of the Texcol transfer paper began in 2017. It is a coated paper that has been tested with a number of inks, including Dupont Artistri inks. There is no need for pre-treatment, with no binder required and after printing, the only step left is to transfer with the use of a calender or a press.

“It takes out a step in the production process,” says Pepijn Bourgonje, Marketing and Sales at Neenah Coldenhove. “Therefore, it’s quicker, a cheaper investment and reduces the carbon footprint. “There are no chemicals, washing off of chemicals or wastewater,” adds Bannink. The process is consequently much more sustainable and reduces costs in terms of energy, water usage and wastewater recycling or removal. As the process is completely dry.

“The biggest advantage of the technology is the reduction of investment costs,” says Bannink. Pigment inks are traditionally more expensive than dye-sublimation inks, so the reduction in other costs makes pigments a more affordable option. The technology also uses 25 per cent less ink compared to direct printing.

“We are digitalising the printing process for natural fibres,” continues Bannink. “Printing on natural fibres has traditionally been an analogue process and any direct to textile printing technologies have a high initial investment cost.” Neenah Coldenhove says that Texcol guarantees a wider colour gamut with deeper, more brilliant colours in comparison to digital direct pigment printing. The light fastness of the product is outstanding, adds the company, and the paper’s special coating makes it highly resistant to crocking. It’s this coating that also allows users to generate ink savings of up to 25 per cent on their current jobs, the company adds.

The wet rubbing of the product achieved an ISO standard of 4, dry rubbing 5 and washing 4. Texcol is designed to run on most plotter printers and allows for easy transfer when using the currently available technologies. Users can transition to this new way of printing without having to make large investments.

Adelco launches new range of Carousels

Adelco launched the new range of Automatic Cyclone Automatic Printing Presses. It demonstrated the ease of use, fast loading times and unbeatable ink stability. It also demonstrated range of Adelco dryers, all exceptionally economical, with advanced airflow, and extraction hoods, making them the most advanced textile dryers in the world.

Adelco’s range of cyclone high speed automatic printing presses are based upon robust, heavy duty foundations to which bespoke lightweight aluminium extrusions and precision CNC parts are fitted with meticulous attention to detail. Adding to this our advanced control system enables our Cyclone Carousel to run pin point accuracy at extreme speeds whilst still offering incredible value for money.

This cutting-edge press comes with a whole host of features including:
• Pin point registration of <+ 0.02mm, designed for the most challenging screen and digital printing.
• Optional built in LED lights integrated into the print heads provide unmatched visibility of screens during set up and production
• Three-way micro screen adjustment for easy set up
• Standard solid high-grade lightweight CNC aluminium pallets with unique tool free quick release system and CNC print arms with unmatched pallet level tolerances
• Quick lock, tool free squeegees with angle adjustment and flood bars
• Twin chopper squeegee pressure cylinders provide tool free control of print pressures even with the most viscous ink systems
• Individual horizontal screen lift at each print head – provides maximum ink stability, better screen visibility and faster loading times as pallets remain at a constant height.
• Rapid lock high-lift screen system provides easy screen cleaning access and loading of flashes into any print head position
• Servo driven main drive gives a fast, smooth index providing speeds more than 1,000 pieces per hour
• PLC controlled with HD touchscreen interface incorporating advanced features, simple set up and full machine self-diagnosis
• Auto start, stop, sample and rotovate flash programmes
• Strong and light custom extruded aluminum print heads and pallet arms give the perfect strength to weight ratio.
• AC servo motors drive the print head for high torque fast smooth print strokes even at the slowest speed.
• Load delay foot pedal
• Various high-speed digital hybrid options

New James Heal range makes its global debut

James Heal, a leading manufacturer of premium quality textile testing instruments and consumables worldwide, launched a new collection of precision testing instruments. As well as James Heal’s well-known and established range of quality products, four new James Heal testing instruments are being showcased at the exhibition. The new instruments were unveiled on the James Heal stand for the first time, with guests able to get hands-on and see the products demonstrated. Focusing on the emerging theme of performance textile and comfort testing, these products enabled much greater understanding of how garments behaved in different conditions. This will bring textile professionals “A whole new level of insight into their products,” according to James Heal. The new products cover several essential testing criteria, and always in an improved and innovative way, says the company.

For example, AquAbrasion is a class-leading hybrid Martindale, which allows users to perform controlled wet abrasion testing for the first time; ideal for outdoor wear and textiles expected to perform when wet or damp. TruRain is a definitive water repellency tester, allowing users to test for this in a tightly controlled and repeatable way, with the test closely replicating real-life conditions. ProDry provides unparalleled insight into evaporation and how garments such as activewear or athleisure products will dry if damp through rain or sweat. Finally, WickView is an instrument that uses an advanced imaging system to track and record the transfer of moisture through a garment, helping understand its effectiveness at moisture management and wicking behaviour, the company says. Amanda McLaren, Managing Director of James Heal says, “We’re really looking forward to welcoming customers old and new onto our stand at ITMA Europe, and particularly excited to invite attendees to put the James Heal product range on show to the test. This is our 12th time at ITMA Europe and it’s great to be returning with such an exciting new range of instruments to exclusively unveil.

“As well as showcasing these new additions, some of our bestselling innovations from our core product range was on show. These are testing instruments developed as solutions to some of the biggest problems faced by brands and manufacturers, from a wide range of sectors. We are constantly listening to the needs of the industry we serve, and as a progressive business we are totally committed to producing products that best meet the needs of our customers, providing them with the quality that will give them the edge over their competitors.

“One particularly exciting area we are focused on is the performance wear and athleisure sector, which is a real growth area in the textile industry. However, as the provision of instruments to test in this sector is lacking and outdated at present, there is a huge opportunity to innovate. As a result, we’re confident we have come up with the latest testing solutions that will benefit the industry and create a real competitive advantage for those materials and garment manufacturers willing to embrace it.”

Ginga presents Industrial Spiral Printer for next generation

Have you imagine a printer for socks? That was a completely new challenge, Spiral Print System. Equipped with the latest industrial print head and exclusive image processing software. Looking ahead to the future, it’s possible for automation by introducing an optional device. No one knows this ink jet model for world’s first mass production for socks, it’s GINGA.

Four innovative features

High-speed spiral print

The design is generated and printed spirally by software independently developed. Compatibility of the speed and the quality became possible.

• For the start of the print and the end to become a dot, there are no line-like joint as in like the past. A print overlap and white getting away disappear
• GINGA doesn’t have bidirectional print and no differences in ink drop jetting

Fixed head print system

Print head and ink tube don’t move to the time of print, and sock is moved on the catapult and printed. Therefore behaviour of a head and ink jetting is stable also, a head isn’t exposed to a wind, and the maintenance improves because dryness can also be stopped.

One-pass head arrangement

It’s possible to perform high speed and efficient prints because head arrangement is different from a usual ink-jet printer. Head arrangement is lengthwise in line. It can be said a small 1 Pass machine.

Tube System

After socks are set in tube (cylinder), tube is set in machine. There it became possible to divide into print work and preliminary set work, and the productivity improved dramatically. A tube can be customized according to the kind of socks. When socks is polyester, hot colouring can be treated with a tube made of developed carbon wholly for sublimation ink. A tube can be customized according to the kind of product.

DGI introduces nylon sublimation transfer printer

DGI introduced its innovative nylon transfer sublimation technology at ITMA. According to the company, the new solution is the result of extensive development into nylon sublimation transfer printing based on experience and customer needs. Historically, digital transfer printing (DTP) has only been able to apply polyester — making it difficult to apply the technology to other synthetic fibres such as nylon, and natural fibres such as cotton. That said, DTP technology has been developed continuously over the past 10 years, especially for nylon; although the quality is not perfect for mass production. Furthermore, since the current nylon transfer sublimation adapts to the method of gravure printing, lots of water is used in manufacturing gravure cylinder and colour paste in the process. So, it cannot be said that gravure printing is eco-friendly. However, the technology developed by DGI can ‘dramatically’ improve the environmental problem, meaning that nylon can replace polyester fabric in digital transfer printing. In particular, nylon has less static electricity than PET as well as good stretchability and low friction with skin, enhancing its commodity value.

For the past two years, through various experiments and trial and error, DGI says it has found the most optimised conditions for nylon sublimation with an exclusive ink, transfer paper and fabric pre-treatment recipe. It realises fastness provisions of over Level 3, such as washing, rubbing, perspiration and light. Although some items have relatively low fastness compared to polyesters, DGI’s solution means that nylon’s coverage can be expanded into applications for massproduction. The company also focuses on the continuous enhancement of printing performance with nylon. Besides the sample of DGI’s nylon sublimation, visitors also saw the high-speed direct to textile printer APOLLON, high-speed transfer printer HS FT Ill, and FH-3204 – a 3.2 m hybrid soft signage printer.

Colorjet launches 16 Head Vastrajet® Digital Textile Printer

Building up on the success of the Vastrajet®- 8824, ColorJet India Ltd, the biggest Indian manufacturer of digital printers launched Vastrajet®- 8164, a digital textile printer with 16 heads at ITMA. The advanced, high speed direct to fabric printer Vastrajet®- 8164 has the ability to become a commercial winner by providing users with outstanding performance, increased productivity, superior printing accuracy with minimal maintenance needs.

The latest Vastrajet®- 8164 comes with the latest technological innovation from ColorJet –AiS™ (Adaptive Ink System). The AiS™ provides the customer flexibility to use ink of their choice to address his various issues of logistics, procurement, colour consistency, etc. ColorJet has always strived to support their partners by bringing technological modifications by fine tuning the machine as per the inks. The new Vastrajet®- 8164 also comes equipped with AIVC™ technology which provides consistent print performance at varying environmental conditions. With these technological innovations and additional refinements, the Vastrajet®- 8164 is in true sense, a Commercial Winner.

“Being the leader of textile digital printing industry in India it comes as a responsibility for us to create state of the art products while keeping in mind the demands of the customers and ColorJet is dedicated to being at the forefront of fulfilling customer needs,” Jitender Pal Singh Vice President (Textiles) at ColorJet India said. “When developing the Vastrajet® 8164, our R&D team aimed to increase productivity, performance, and reliability, which ultimately resulted in a product whose performance increased by up to 70 per cent from its predecessor, making it one of the fastest printers in the market in this category,” he added.

ColorJet also demonstrated high-speed Metro-8166 which delivers industrial-level production with speeds of up to 294 sq. mtr per hour. The Metro-8166 was operated at ITMA 2019 on reactive ink, whereas the Vastrajet® – 8164 ran on pigment ink on cotton blended fabrics. As per the latest IDC report with more than 34 per cent market share in India, which is the second fastest growing digital textile printing industry in the world, ColorJet gears up to command a strong position in the textile industry globally.

ColorJet supplies the very best in digital textile technologies in the industry, whereby, ColorJet printers have production speeds which are 45 per cent more than the nearest competition, takes up 47 per cent lesser space and consumes 42 per cent less power as compared to other machines. Additionally, other digital textile printers consume 51 times more water as compared to ColorJet printers, making it the most sought after brand with its products starting at $59,000. These improvements and the development of AiS™ technology is further proof of ColorJet’s commitment to address the global digital textile printing industry’s most urgent needs.

ColorJet India markets its products in 25 countries worldwide and has installed and implemented over 4,000 of its printing solutions and products across 450 cities around the world backed by a strong 278-member team, of which almost 100 are in technical related functions.

Pointcarre moves into digital printing

Pointcarre offered a new software solution for digital printing — a new module it calls ColorSep. “This technological choice is the result of a year of development. As we come from weaving, we look at printing with a new eye,” says Freddy Brault, President of Pointcarre. The company, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, originally designed products for weaving. Thus, it has developed a textile design software that allows the design of different kinds of printed patterns, stripes, tiles or mesh. The fabrics are simulated on a computer using CAD software, which is the only one in the world to be Mac and PC compatible, says Pointcarre. Integrating several modular solutions has proved to be an indispensable tool for very big names in fashion and home. Customers at Pointcarre include Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, as well as Timberland, Paul Smith, Nautica, Ralph Lauren, and Martha Stewart. Thanks to these international collaborations, Pointcarre realises 70 per cent of its turnover with exports. In general, there are two types of printing: Conventional rotary frame printing and digital printing. In both cases, the work process is complex, especially because it is necessary to separate the colours. And the more the design is rich in detail, the slower the process. Sometimes, it can even be tedious. One of the direct consequences is that costs tend to go up as the process gets longer, says Pointcarre.

What makes the difference with the new ColorSep software is that it automatically separates colours. Calculations are optimised to increase efficiency in a minimum amount of time and at a lower cost. Besides this, the software is first and foremost a tool to help with design creation, the company continues. It stimulates creativity by increasing the possibilities of making colour variants. “Our job is to imagine how to simplify the work of our customers to let their inspiration express itself naturally. This requires creative solutions that are each time more innovative,” explains Brault. Digital is the printing system of the future. Its rapid growth has already begun to change the practices of designers in fashion and home, but also the creation itself. It is enough to see the podiums of the fashion shows as well as the shop windows, to realise that the revolution is in progress. One of the current strong trends is that of the Baroque, comprising an ultra-visual side and lush patterns and a variety of colours and details. According to the company, the digital world allowed the creation of exceptional pieces. But to develop such ideas, it is still necessary to have adequate tools. It is in this sense that ColorSep is perfectly adapted to the new digital challenges. To support its customers and allow them to optimise the potential of its software, Pointcarre offers a full range of services, with assistance available in several languages, as well as updates, training situations and a platform of interactive e-learning.

Mouvent unveils new textile machine

Mouvent unveiled its new textile machine – the TX802 – for the very first time at ITMA 2019. The new TX802 builds on the success of Mouvent’s popular inaugural digital textile printer, the TX801. TX802 is a 8-colour multi-pass digital textile printer producing the highest print quality on textiles with up to 2,000 DPI optical resolution, and is associated with very high printing speeds of up to 100 linear m/min. It has double the output of the TX801, producing up to 400 sqm per hour of perfectly printed fabrics. It achieves this with only 20 per cent additional space required compared with the TX801.

“The TX802 really demonstrates the benefits of the Mouvent Cluster technology,” said Ghislain Segard, Marketing & Sales Manager, Textile Machines at Mouvent. “It is the reason why we can develop a machine that has doubled the output of the TX801 with minimal extra floor space required. By simply duplicating the clusters, each colour is jetted by two printing heads, providing the highest-quality result with the greatest efficiency of space and cost.”

The Mouvent Cluster is an ingenious digital printing technology, which uses clusters instead of fixed size print bars by colour, arranging them in a modular, scalable matrix. The result is one system that can be simply adapted for all substrates, of all widths, for all markets. The innovative cluster design is the base building block for all systems, current and in development and was the centerpiece of Mouvent machines for a wide variety of other markets beyond textiles, such as labels, corrugated board, flexible packaging, folding carton and more.

Like TX802, Mouvent also revealed its own Digital Front End – titled Mouvent DFE – for the first time at the fair. Mouvent DFE enables seamless, simple preparation of print data and excellent print results.

The TX801 was also at the Mouvent stand. It is a very durable, compact and accessible printer, which has proven to be very popular with customers worldwide since its launch in 2017. The machine runs special applications with acid-inks.

Software suite for automated textile cutting by Zünd

Zünd presented its latest technology including its automated cutting workflows with state-of-the-art software tools. With its MindCUT Studio, Zünd offers a powerful, modular software suite for automated textile cutting. The company says that the MindCUT Studio excels in flexibility and modularity, offering highly efficient nesting for plain fabrics as well as pattern matching and a seamless print and cut workflow for digitally printed textiles. As is the case in many other industries, the proliferation of digital technology has had a profound impact on the textile industry. Consumers enjoy the affordability of tailor-made clothing and custom-made upholstered furniture. With more design and configuration options available, manufacturers are streamlining their production processes through automation and increased flexibility, thereby finding ways to successfully deal with increasing market pressures and ever shorter product Iifecycles.

With MindCUT Studio, Zünd offers a modular software solution that largely automates digital textile cutting — from capturing materials, to creating production markers and facilitating parts removal — in a thoroughly integrated, comprehensive digital workflow, a:ind says. In the first step of the process, a camera system captures the material, its exact position and dimensions. It makes no difference whether the fabric is patterned, plain, or digitally printed. For printed textile applications, an Over-Cutter Camera (OCC) system captures all registration marks simultaneously. In case there are no register marks, the OCC can alternatively record the position of images based on printed outlines. If no cut data is available, there is an option to generate it automatically in MindCUT Studio. Material defects can be marked in advance to avoid being noticed only after cutting, the company explains.

It adds that the system can also automatically recognise patterns and any distortions that may have occurred. When compensating for distortions, the dimensional accuracy of the parts and their exact placement on patterned fabric are precisely maintained. The software also provides pattern-matching options, regardless of whether the textile has a stripe pattern or is plaid. MindCUT Studio is able to automatically import standardised data and process it. The system recognises both part and marker-based data. In addition, MindCUT Studio lets the user create individual markers. The software uses powerful nesting algorithms to lay out parts on the fabric for maximum material usage and automatically creates production markers, the company continues. For efficient parts removal, the operator must be able to quickly and unmistakably identify each piece. MinciCut Studio provides colour coding and parts information both projected onto the cut pieces and displayed on the monitor. MindCUT Studio Production contains all essential functions for the different processing phases in digital textile cutting. With a variety of additional options, the software can be tailored to individual needs, Zünd adds.

Mimaki Hybrid Printer demonstration emphasises accessibility of textile printing

Mimaki Engineering, a leading manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, recently did first global technology demonstration of a brand-new hybrid digital textile printer from the TX300P series at ITMA 2019. Uniquely featuring both directto- textile and direct-to-transfer print capabilities, the new printer achieves unparalleled flexibility in ink combinations and substrates – opening new profitable opportunities for businesses.

The new printer is an evolution of the Mimaki TX300P-1800, with the added capability of printing direct-to-transfer. Crucially, print service providers will benefit from enhanced versatility in terms of fabrics, applications and targeted markets. This affords smaller print service providers with an opportunity to provide a full range of textile printing applications with just one system. Aligned with Mimaki’s Total Solution Provider approach, the printer is compatible with Mimaki’s full range of pre-treating, steaming and washing equipment.

“The textile market is still relatively early-on in the adoption of digital printers, with most textiles being printed in the conventional way and a lot of large players dominating the market. With this new hybrid printer, Mimaki has provided an affordable solution that lowers the barriers to entry for smaller print providers,” says Ronald van den Broek, General Manager Sales EMEA. “For larger volume production houses, the printer is valuable for smaller runs and the myriad benefits digital production provides.”

Interchangeable platens enable the hybrid nature of the printer. When printing direct-to-textile, excess ink that penetrates through the fabric is drained by a platen with an ink-receiving ditch. This can quickly be swapped out for a vacuum platen, suitable for printing onto heat transfer paper. The printer can also be configured with three different ink combinations, comprising textile pigment/direct sublimation or textile pigment sublimation transfer or direct sublimation/sublimation transfer. This means more versatility and more possibilities, making it an ideal entry model.

Reliable productivity is assured with Mimaki Core Technology including a Nozzle Check Unit and Nozzle Recovery System. This enables the printer to automatically clean print heads when nozzles malfunction, and when nozzles are not repairable, switch any missing or damaged nozzles with working nozzles without stopping production and without affecting final print quality. An adjustable head gap also means the distance from print head to substrate can be changed preventing print heads from touching substrates.

“The feature of this new hybrid printer enables textile and garment manufacturers to achieve unparalleled flexibility and enhanced application opportunities for increased business growth. With this product Mimaki is effectively democratizing accessibility to textile printing, and with solutions like this in the market, we expect to see improved growth of digital printing in textiles,” Van Den Broek concludes.

HP Stitch S300 Printer – Dye-sub printing and colour matching made easy

HP Inc. creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through its portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions, it engineers experiences that amaze.

Colour made easy with HP SmartColor

• Confidently distribute jobs across your fleet with best-in-class colour consistency from printer to printer
• Get accurate colours over time, even as environmental conditions change, with the built-in spectrophotometer
• Automatically detect when a colour is out of gamut and get the closest visual match with PANTONE® emulation
• Easily create colour profiles in half the time, or use finished profiles from cloud-based library

A versatile, safe investment

• With a single device, print on both transfer paper and directto-fabric with great results
• If you’ve got limited room, this front media loading printer can save you 30 per cent floor space.
• Stay ready for production and avoid unexpected costs with preventive maintenance from HP Smart Services.

Rely on the complete solution from HP

• For your peace of mind, the printer, ink, media, and software are designed to work together perfectly
• Get the print quality you expect with 1200 dpi resolution and the Smart Nozzle Compensation system
• Reduce downtime and service costs. For the first time, you can replace the printheads yourself

Archroma presents 5 Innovations and 24 System Solutions

Archroma, a global leader in colour and speciality chemicals towards sustainable solutions, was at ITMA to launch its latest innovations and system solutions aimed to help textile manufacturers with optimised productivity and/or value creation in their markets. Archroma offers a wide portfolio of dyes and chemicals aiming to increase sustainability and innovation along the entire value chain, from fibre to finish.

Archroma is reputed for its continuous flow of groundbreaking innovations, such as the EarthColors®, a range of dyes made from non-edible natural waste from the agricultural and herbal industry, Inkpresso®, a digital printing system that enables ink mixing on site and on demand, Smartrepel® Hydro, a nature-friendlier protection that keeps cotton, polyester and polyamide textiles dry, the Color Atlas, a revolutionary colour system comprising of a physical and online library of 4,320 new colours developed on cotton poplin.

More recently, Archroma introduced the purest indigo, Denisol® Pure Indigo, an aniline-free* synthetic prereduced liquid indigo launched in 2018, Appretan® NTR, a new nature-based binder for nonwovens, and Fadex® AS New, a new “super UV protector” for automotive & transportation textiles, both introduced in May 2019.

At ITMA, Archroma presented 24 solution systems and 5 innovations, and held “Innovation & Solutions Sessions” at its booth to present them. The systems and innovations presented by Archroma have all been selected for their compliance with “The Archroma Way: Safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature.” The approach finds its origin in Archroma’s deep belief that it is possible to make the textile industry sustainable. At ITMA, visitors were able to discover how the innovations and ingredients selected in each system are combining to help create value in their application process and end market: • Denim & casual wear • Home & intimate textiles • Fashion & formal wear; • Automotive & transportation • Outdoor & active wear •Workwear & uniforms

Uster launches Q-Bar 2 and Fabriq Expert

Uster launched the Uster Q-Bar 2 and Uster Fabriq Expert for fabric manufacturers at ITMA. Uster, from Switzerland, is the leading provider of quality management solutions from fibre to fabric. Uster Fabriq Expert and Uster Q-Bar 2 aim to support textile mills in guaranteeing the delivery of the desired roll quality, using the best technology available for monitoring and improving production at the earliest-possible stage. That includes locating any defects quickly, supporting identification of the root causes and initiating corrective action. The expertise of EVS technology – with intelligent visual detection and fault-recognition algorithms – is now enhanced by Uster’s overall experience in quality management systems for the wider textile industry, the company said.

Uster Q-Bar 2 represents the next generation of the original on-loom monitoring and inspection system, offering user-friendly design and operational improvements for weaving. An inspiring Uster design built on years of EVS experience brings many advantages, including indication of the defect location, and better access to make maintenance tasks easier. The Uster Q-Bar 2 is positioned immediately behind the reed on each machine – the ideal location for earliest detection of fabric defects. This means the operator can respond quickly to alarms and stop signals, to correct problems immediately and prevent quality issues from continuing, thus minimising material waste.

A red LED guides the operator to the exact position of defects, and lights at the side of the unit show system status. Fabric faults are categorised and saved, creating a ‘defect map’ for each roll which can be recalled and reviewed later via the intuitive touchscreen. The system reduces the need for post-weaving inspection for most applications. Uster QBar is already making a significant impact on the business success of users. The advantage of Uster Q-Bar 2 here is the rapid stop of weaving when it identifies a defect – before it reaches the critical size for the subsequent processes.

Uster Fabriq Expert is the key to early detection of quality issues, based on comprehensive quality data gathered during on-loom inspection of fabrics. It provides weavers with an overview of their entire installation, via Uster Q-Bar 2 systems fitted over each machine. The quality data can be used to compare the performance of the same styles on different machines, for example. Another benefit is an indication of when to replace spare parts, preventing faults which could occur with worn-out parts. Importantly, this knowledge is a considerable scale-up on the ‘normal’ weaving operator’s ability to feedback observations over several looms. The whole-mill picture from Uster Fabriq Expert makes the results more representative of the true picture in the mill. It follows the Uster ‘Think Quality’ concept – supporting customers to make informed decisions for long-term business success through increased productive efficiency and effective quality management.

Combining the industry-leading technology of automated vision-based inspection with Uster’s unrivalled stature in quality management systems and services creates the perfect ‘dream team’ for fabric manufacturers. They can now have access to highly-effective automated fault detection, as well as total transparency of weaving quality performance, provided during on-loom inspection. Uster Fabric Inspection offers real benefits for weavers in terms of both customer satisfaction and their own long-term business success.

Eurecat shows Blackbelt 3D textile printer

Eurecat, the industrial technology provider of Catalonia that offers business services applied R&D, technology services, and technology consulting, showed its new Blackbelt 3D textile printer at the recently. The innovative adaptation of the Blackbelt 3D textile printer is distributed in Spain by the Uniqo Custom Engineering company. This new development makes it possible to print designs onto fabric continuously, thereby achieving theoretically infinite lengths, according to Eurecat. The system, which has been developed by Eurecat and is in the process of being patented, sends a computerised three-dimensional design to the printer, which is able to print the design onto any type of fabric in any texture and colour.

“This innovative application means that the Blackbelt 3D textile printer is the first in the world to be capable of printing in “infinite length” formats. In turn, this enables 3D printing to move into the world of mass-produced textiles; or in other words, the world of continuous manufacturing. Eurecat has developed a system that applies additive manufacturing to the field of fabrics, thereby integrating 3D printing technology into the textile industry,” Xavier Plantà, Eurecat’s Director of industrial technologies said.

“This innovative development makes it possible to create threedimensional designs and reliefs and print them onto rolls of fabric that subsequently be used to make garments. It is a pioneering development that contributes to the optimisation of the entire production process,” Virginia Garcia, the Director of Eurecat’s functional fabrics unit said.

Communicating colour instantly with VeriVide

VeriVide, a British company that develops colour assessment equipment, exhibited its DigiView technology at ITMA this year. Traditionally, it can take somewhere between eight and 15 days to complete a colour submission. First, the supplier has to prepare the sample. It is then posted to the buyer who then assesses it, and then the supplier receives the results. However, if the submission does not pass, the timeline is then repeated, further delaying the process. Now, with VeriVide’s DigiView colour assessment tool, the timeline can be reduced to less than a day.

“DigiView is a new system that we’ve been rolling out for around a year,” says Paul Dakin, Director, VeriVide.”It’s all about time saving; you can do everything in less than 24 hours.” Russel Thorpe, colour consultant and application support, adds: “You could just pick up the phone and say that you’ve sent a submission over and you could assess and confirm it there and then!’ Using the DigiView tool, batches are imaged with VeriVide’s well-established DigiEye Imaging Cube together with colour standards. The colour calibrated images are then sent to viewing stations at the retailers, where buyers open up the images and assess onscreen the accuracy of the batch colour against the standard. Smart tools within the DigiView software allow the user to ‘cut out’ the standards and move them over or adjacent to the corresponding colour area.

This allows the user to remotely assess colour without the need for physical samples. In addition to reducing lead times, DigiView can improve speed to market, reduce courier costs, minimise late production, and enable companies to gain a competitive advantage. “At the moment, we primarily work with UK retailers such as Next, Marks & Spencer and River Island, but what we really want is international traction,” says Dakin. VeriVide’s DigiEye equipment has been around since 2003. The imaging cubes have a selection of different lights to test colour samples under conditions such as daylight and store lighting. The five light boxes now have an additional LED setting because stores are now moving over to this energy-saving alternative.

Sensient sets standard for digital inkjet tech

Sensient Imaging Technologies, a leading supplier of inkjet inks for digital textile, demonstrated its commitment to a safer and more sustainable future for the textiles industry with its range of innovative digital inkjet technology. Sensient highlighted its new water-based sublimation ink ElvaJet Coral, which has been developed to reduce water usage, without compromising on quality or colour. The latest addition to Sensient’s portfolio of sublimation inks, ElvaJet Coral, is a highperformance ink for direct printing onto polyester fabrics commonly used in sport and apparel applications.

ElvaJet Coral offers an environmentally low impact solution for textiles by printing directly onto the substrate, removing the waste from transfer paper and residual ink. Tests have shown that the ink can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent, and overall energy use by up to 60 per cent. When it comes to reducing water usage, ElvaJet Coral requires just 1 litre of water compared to the 50 litres required for direct disperse printing.

Sensient’s unique dispersion technology was harnessed during the development of the ink to deliver improvements in colour, sharpness, stability and performance. ElvaJet Coral has been formulated to include colour-free materials to remove the risk of staining when wet. The ink also demonstrates excellent stability over long production runs, minimal maintenance and an increased open time of more than an hour, helping to streamline the production process and eliminate downtime.

Other water-based inks including Xennia Amethyst, Xennia Agate and ElvaJet Opal are also being featured at the show, demonstrating the full range of solutions available from Sensient that deliver improved sustainability, quality and performance for the textiles industry. “With a firm focus on the future, Sensient spoke to visitors at ITMA about how it is driving market-leading digital inkjet solutions that are backed by proven R&D, market expertise and technical support,” the Switzerland-based company said.

“With our expert understanding of the chemistry of colour, the textiles industry can trust Sensient to deliver digital inkjet solutions that are environmentally responsible, highperformance, safe, protect the integrity of their brand and ultimately add value to their business. Having listened to the needs of our customers, our latest inks have been developed to address the need to reduce the use of chemicals, energy and water in the textiles printing process,” said Jerome Jeanneret, Managing Director at Sensient Imaging Technologies.

“Our proprietary technology continues to set the quality and safety standards in the chemistry of digital inkjet innovation. We have returned to ITMA to share the latest developments in our solutions for the textiles market and discuss with partners from across the textiles supply chain how we can partner together to deliver colour they can trust,” Jeanneret added.

Adobe Textile Designer debuts at ITMA

After performing live demonstrations of the Adobe Textile Designer plugin for Adobe Photoshop at the interactive Print-Make-Wear workshop at FESPA last month, Adobe exhibited Designer, for the very first time, at ITMA. “Adobe Textile Designer was conceived to help designer make prints for Fashion and fabrics for furnishing,” said Mike Scrutton, Director – Print Technology & Strategy for Adobe’s Print & Publishing Business Unit “Designers can be creative today, without worrying how they will print tomorrow. Adobe Textile Designer is flexible to allow traditional screen and engraved roller printing, as well as the latest digital techniques.”

Drawing from enthusiastic response from a broad range of textile designers, from major brands to independent professionals to part-timers and hobbyists, Adobe has developed the latest beta version of the product that it was unveiled at ITMA. With the latest beta version, Adobe also announced its collaboration with Datacolor, a global leader in colour management technology, and Color Solution International (CSI), a leading provider of colour standards and colour communication tools.

This collaboration connects Adobe Textile Designer with Datacolor’s professional colour lookup tool, ColorReaderPRO, and with the CSI ColorWall, a popular third-party colour standards library. The integration offers tremendous time and cost saving in the textile design process by eliminating the need to manually search and match textile colour samples with swatches or colour codes. Designers can now use Datacolor ColorReaderPRO to measure any source of colour inspiration and translate the colour data directly to photoshop.

Adobe Textile Designer helps fashion and décor artists to streamline the process of creating prints for fabrics. Designers can build and preview repeating patterns, define separations, and work with colorways, all within Photoshop, while keeping every element editable, and reversible, until the design is ready for printing. Like most Adobe Creative Cold applications, Adobe Textile Designer support non-destructive elements, with independent layers adjustments, filters, and allowing users to place an illustrator smart object (vector) in a Photoshop design that can be edited later. After a design is ready to print, designers can save their work in various formats, and can include XMP metadata in their output files that will be used in the fabric production process. Adobe Textile Designer is currently in beta and it invites textile designers to try out, test and provide feedback.

DyStar shows sustainable innovations for future proofing

Dyestuff and chemical manufacturer DyStar promoted its Cadira modules at ITMA, having expanded its application portfolio to encompass more materials. The company says its aim is to help the entire textile value chain save on water and energy, as well as cutting waste, greenhouse gas emissions and process time. The Cadira modules on display included: Cadira Polyester, a module that enables environmentallyfriendly exhaust processing of polyester fibres with Dianix dyes and Sera process auxiliaries; Cadira Reactive, an innovative dyeing technology for cellulosic fibres; Cadira Vat, a new dyeing concept for vat exhaust dyeing, complete with a new reduction agent that enables sulphur load elimination in wastewater by up to 85 per cent; Cadira Wool; Cadira Denim, a dyeing technique for indigo to reduce or eliminate the salt freight in wastewater streams; and Cadira Laundry.

Alongside the Cadira modules, DyStar presented its Dianix solution for high wet-fast textiles and its Remazol reactive dyes with advanced fastness properties. Forming part of the extensive Dianix range are the Dianix XF/XF2/SF dyes designed to meet the highest wet-fastness requirements for sportswear, apparel and workwear, and the Dianix AM/HLA dyes made to meet the highest light fastness requirements for automotive textiles, home furnishings and outdoor textiles.

It also introduced its Remazol MAP Black dyes, competitive MAK Amine Purified Reactive Blacks for cellulosic fibres, and new Remazol SAM items. These innovations are suitable for brands and retailers who require low amounts of parachloroaniline and other regulatory controlled aromatic amines on their finished garments, says DyStar. As a supplier of highquality water-based inks for digital textile printing, DyStar also presented a new generation of its Jettex reactive, acid, disperse and vat inks. All featured Jettex ink ranges are said to enable digital printers to achieve prints with high fastness levels, outstanding depth and sustainable process results, as well as extended printhead lifetimes on all major printheads.

DyStar also partnered with RotaSpray to jointly develop Pad- Spray Steam (PS2 Process), a new continuous dyeing process without intermediate drying for woven cellulosic fibre fabrics with Remazol, Levafix and Indanthren dyes, together with Sera auxiliaries. The company says this latest breakthrough helps to achieve low carbon footprint dyeing, significantly reducing environmental impact. Other key innovations from this partnership include: Single-side spray coating of Imperon pigment preparations to reduce water and energy consumption as a more sustainable solution; and novel dyeing technology on denim warp yarn sheet dyeing ranges to eliminate large dye baths by using different application methods.

A final introduction by the chemical company is the Optidye N Process Optimization product. The Optidye N tool is now integrated into eliot, DyStar’s free, internet-based tool, which provides quick access guidance on product selection and process optimisation. The Optidye N Process Optimization is said to determine the optimum dyeing conditions when using Telon and Isolan dyes, and Sera auxiliaries, in the exhaust dyeing process, helping textile producers achieve better results.

Versatility and cost saving in dyeing with Alliance Machines

Piece dyeing machine manufacturer, Alliance Machines Textiles, showed its Rotora dyeing machine with an integrated drying device this year. This combination allowed wet treatment for both standard and technical fabrics and to achieve drying inside the machine before offloading, says the company. Another machine in Alliance’s portfolio includes the Riviera Eco Green dyeing machine. This product has a very low liquor ratio (1:2 to 1:3), and thanks to its air blowing system, tubular, open knitted and woven fabrics, can be dyed free of crease marks. The Riviera Eco Green machines can deal with capacities from 10 kg to 1,000 kg and storage baskets in various widths can be delivered. This means that very light fabrics as well as very heavy ones can all be dyed, the company adds. Other machines like Futura (long-type dyeing), Zephyra (finishing machine for fabrics in rope form), and Labojet, as well as machines with very large capacities, were also on show.

Huntsman introduces new era of digital printing solutions

Huntsman Textile Effects launched the next-generation of high performance digital ink ranges to help customers achieve superior printing on cellulosic and polyester/cotton blends. As the industry’s focus on sustainability and performance increases coupled with the rising market demand for polyester/cotton blends, these two new product ranges offer state-of-the-art performance substantially enhancing sustainability and environmental standards.

Next-generation of digital inks: Novacron® Advance ink is the next generation of reactive inks for cellulosic with outstanding shade depth and colour gamut, developed for the latest industrial digital printing machines. The full range achieves remarkable deep shades with perfect reliability and reproducibility compared to currently available technologies.

“We are excited to introduce our next generation ink solution that deliver high performance in terms of remarkable brilliancy, gamut and colour depth,” said Mike Mordente, Business Unit Director for Digital Inks at Huntsman Textile Effects. “More efficient to use with higher mileage, these products require minimal maintenance and result in greater savings while meeting stringent industry standards.”

ERIOFAST® VISTA ink enables printers to achieve brilliant lasting designs on polyester/cotton blends and outperforms the best alternative solutions in digital printing in terms of brilliancy, colour depth, fabric handle and wash fastness. Using inks from this range enables printers to adopt a simple urea-free process with significantly reduced energy consumption, washing, machine maintenance and carbon dioxide emissions.

Unrivalled expertise and experience: Huntsman Textile Effects showcased its comprehensive portfolio of dyes, chemicals and digital inks. Featured products included, AVITERA® SE and TERASIL® W/WW high washfast dyes and HIGH IQ® Repel Durable Water Repellents.

BMSvision shows smart textile manufacturing

BMSvision, a supplier of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), focused on Industry 4.0, mobile MES solutions, and smart textile manufacturing. Through intelligent wireless networking of all production equipment in the mill, the BMSvision MES solution transfers the huge amount of data originating from the various production machines and processes into meaningful information for the managers. The BMSvision MES suite for the textile industry includes software modules for real time monitoring, reporting, scheduling, preventive maintenance, fabric inspection, and traceability. The ‘Management dashboard’ allows the combined presentation of data from different software modules into one single web based report showing important KPI’s at a glance. As such, the manager can have all information related to efficiencies, quality, and energy consumption displayed in real time in one single screen, either on PC, tablet, or mobile phone, the company said in a statement. The complete BMSvision MES suite is now available for both Oracle and SQL Server as database engine.

ITMA Barcelona saw the introduction of several new BMS products. MyMES is an app available for both Android and iOS and includes a cockpit and an alert module. The cockpit shows the KPI’s and most important production data of the plant while the alert module highlights problem areas that need immediate attention.

Smart Bracelet is a low cost wearable device that promptly informs operators when there is a need to intervene on a machine. As soon as the ‘Events & Alerts’ software of the MES system detects a warning or alarm condition on a certain machine, the operator in charge of the machine is informed as his bracelet starts vibrating and the machine number and type of alarm is displayed on the bracelet’s screen.

BI Connect is an optional extension to the BMS reporting tool, where all data in the BMS database is available for use in standard business analysis tools such as QlikView and Power BI. With these tools, the user can freely search and explore across all data, instantly pivoting his analysis when new ideas surface. Innovative visualisations put all data in the right context allowing fast and smart decisions.

With its Cyclops system, BMSvision has been a pioneer in the field of on-loom quality control for weaving mills. With its new product Argus, BMSvision again pushes the boundaries of automatic on loom inspection. For the first time ever, a system capable of inspecting unicolor Jacquard fabrics is now available for weavers of top quality products, such as OPW airbags, mattress ticking, and others.

The widely used QT fabric inspection terminal is now also available as a standalone unit, without the need for a QualiMaster central system. The QT standalone includes all software for inspecting and cutting pieces and for label printing. At the end of inspection, a piece map is created and is available for export to third party systems. As such, mills with a small number of inspection frames can have all benefits from this powerful device with a minimum investment.