Smartex, the manufacturer of systems that detect fabric defects on circular knitting machines, has launched a new, all-in-one digital factory management solution. Branded as Smartex Fact, the system is designed to ensure that knitting mill managers no longer a need to be physically present to oversee and control their production. Benefits include boosting factory operations, gaining real-time visibility, improving quality with automatic roll grading, and receiving instant production notifications – accessible anywhere on mobile devices.
“Manufacturers often struggle with inefficiencies, quality issues, and the need for manual inspections, which can lead to increased costs and decreased competitiveness,” says Smartex, adding that the new system steps in to address these challenges by providing automated performance insights into machine data, roll production statistics and quality. “You can also personalise settings for quality control and even utilize a ‘fast track’ option for Grade A rolls (high-quality rolls that can go straight to your customer without any manual inspection).
“With data-driven decision-making at their fingertips, knitting manufacturers can now elevate factory operations, ensure consistent quality, boost overall efficiency, and outpace the ever-evolving competitive landscape of the textile industry.”
A key feature of Smartex Fact is the Automatic Roll Grading system. With this feature, Smartex FACT enables users to set up their own quality standards to determine the automatic grading of knitted rolls based on the severity of detected defects. With a defined grading system in place, knitting mills are said to be able to guarantee uniform quality standards throughout their production process, thanks to Smartex CORE’s AI-driven quality control.
Typically, in the case of knitted fabric rolls, only about 10% undergo inspection. With Smartex, each roll will undergo automatic inspection and grading, with grade-A rolls receiving a fast track label that can be printed and applied to rolls with Smartex Loop.
With the Digital Factory page, users gain a complete overview of their factory including the number of machines currently running and rolls produced on that day. The My Machines page, on the other hand, provides in-depth, precise data about the performance of every machine powered with Smartex within the factory, including RPM speed and operating time.
Users will have tools to comprehensively assess each machine’s performance allowing operators to fine-tune machine operations, boosting both quality and productivity across the knitting floor.
As well the importance of speed and performance, Smartex says it also places a high priority on quality. The My Rolls page grants clients access to a whole month of their production history. Here, you can zoom into each roll’s production details to assess quality and even review where defects were detected in the digital roll map.
A further benefit is staying in the know with real-time notifications tailored to specific knitting mill’s priorities. This could be machines operating at a lower RPM, excessive machine downtime, or the identification of poor-quality rolls. As a result, operators can make data-informed decisions around increasing RPM speed, inspecting lower-quality rolls, and responding to other machine-related issues.
Launching the new system, Gilberto Loureiro, co-founder and CEO of Smartex.ai, explained: “Our new product takes manufacturing and quality control to the next level. With Smartex Fact, users will be able to know when rolls don’t meet the requested quality or when production issues arise. And with the platform being easily accessible via desktop or any smartphone, it is basically your textile factory in your pocket.”
As an award-winning company, Smartex says it has consistently been at the forefront of transforming textile factories through hardware-based software solutions and the creation of essential tools for the modern textile factory.
“Today, we take immense pride in unveiling our latest innovation to the world: Smartex Fact,” Loureiro added. “This cutting-edge platform opens the door to undeniable data for factory operations, equipping clients to fortify their businesses for the future. With the power of data-driven decision-making, enhanced efficiency, and elevated quality, Smartex Fact is set to redefine the knitting textile industry landscape.”