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Forum
- Cotton Textile Processing: Sustainable solutions for a better
future: Representatives of leading companies in the textile supply chain
around the world gathered in Hong Kong in mid-May for a two-day conference
organised by Cotton Incorporated to discuss innovative technologies
and sustainable solutions that can help reduce the environmental impact
of cotton textile processing. Addressing this conference, called Cotton
Textile Processing: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Future, Pat-Nie
Woo, who is the chairman of the Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium
(SFBC) as well as director of the Hong Kong-based Central Textiles,
went straight to the heart of the issue. Sustainability, he said, could
not be attained alone in isolation; sustainability is about partnership;
about ownership; meaning that it is something that each of us needs
to do simultaneously. And he was convinced that sustainability is here
to stay with governments demanding industries to comply with stricter
conditions about environmental protection.
Also addressing the conference, Mark Messura, the executive vice
president of Cotton Inc., explained Cotton Inc's position on matters
related to environmental issues and the role it is playing and will
continue to play for environmental protection. He made clear at the
outset that cotton textile processing is facing unprecedented challenges
towards the use of natural resources; water and energy in particular.
This, he pointed out, critically affects textile processing. "The
way we respond to these challenges, as individual organisations and
as a collective industry, will determine how we, as a global corporation
and global industry, fare in the decades ahead." Describing textile
industry as a tremendously creative industry in design, manufacturing
and logistics as well as one of the very best of all the consumer
products industries in marketing and advertising, he said that the
industry has the capacity for excellence, and it shared "a common
responsibility to address sustainable issues." He cited a study commissioned
by the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and Cotton Inc.
The study found that many of the innovative technologies needed to
reduce pollution emission from cotton textile processing already exist.
Therefore, he said, "We do not have to wait and invest in the creation
of new technology. Rather, we need to find out the way to get the
industry to make use of the existing technologies." This, Mr Messura
said, was the primary objective of the conference as there is a dire
need "to raise the awareness level among the industry on these leading-edge
technologies and solutions to bridge the gap between technology and
implementation."
By C.K. Chow
Special
Reports
- European textile research needs quantum leap: The European
Textile Technology Platform, founded in 2004, is a flourishing organisation.
At its latest annual conference (Brussels, April 1-2, 2009), participating
researchers presented more than 30 collective R&D projects. Up to 150
million euros of the 220 million euros of R&D related investments were
covered by European subvention programs. Nice presentations and scientific
reports are not the goal of research efforts. The European textile and
clothing industry is eagerly waiting for commercially relevant results.
Dick Hendriks (TenCate Advanced Textiles), president of the European
Textile Technology Platform, looked back at the five years since the
foundation of the Platform. He summed up several reasons to be satisfied.
The Platform has given birth to an active network of more than 600
European textile researchers. Collective research programs such as
Leapfrog (aiming at revolutionary productivity enhancement in garment
production) or BioTex (integration of biosensors in textiles) have
opened new, promising avenues.
By Jozef De Coster, Bruges
- Suppliers' share shifts in sluggish US apparel market: With
the exception of Wal-Mart, most US retailers selling apparel saw same
store sales (stores open at least one year) fall during the first quarter
of 2009. While April sales show some signs of improvement, weak retail
sales continued to be reflected in the import market. Total imports
of apparel fell by 10.7% to $15.199 billion, compared with the first
quarter of 2008. The value of first quarter imports was 13.8% lower
than fourth quarter 2008 results. First quarter 2008 to fourth quarter
2007 results, in comparison, had a difference of only 3.5%. The quantity
of garments import was 8.2% lower at 5.213 billion pieces of garments,
and the average price per garment fell 2.7% from 2008 levels.
Imports from China were higher. The value of imports from China
climbed 1.7% to $4.087 billion from first quarter 2008 levels. Given
the overall decline in the import market, Chinese market share climbed
from 27.7% to 31.6%. The quantity imported from China was 7.6% higher
at 1.642 billion pieces of garments. Market share in terms of quantity
climbed from 26.9% to 31.4%.
By Douglas Smith, Columbia, SC
- Weak global economy drags down machinery sales and textile output:
The global economic meltdown is making its telling impact on every segment
of the textile manufacturing sector. Textile production declined worldwide
in the last quarter of 2008 compared with the previous two quarters.
Together with it came down production of yarn and fabric as well as
investment in machinery.
According to the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF),
in the fourth quarter of 2008 yarn production globally reduced by
2.8% as all regions recorded declines; and fabric production similarly
fell by 1.2%. As yarn and fabric production receded, reflecting the
shrinking market for clothing, the strong trend towards investment
in the textile sector seen during 2003-2007 for starting new plants
and modernising existing ones also came to an abrupt end in 2008.
All textile machinery segments reported shipments shrinking by 3-66%
in 2008 from their 2007level, according to the 31st annual international
textile machinery shipment statistics released by the ITMF.
- Indian exports will drive up global cotton trade this year: World
cotton trade is expected to recover by some 8% in 2009-10, although
world cotton production during the period is projected to decline by
1% to 23.4 million tons, according to estimates of the International
Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).
Most of the export growth, ICAC says, would come from India that
has displaced the United States as the world's second largest cotton
producer after China since 2006. Indian shipments in 2009-10 could
almost triple to l.1 million tons as the country's cotton production
expands significantly. With such growth in production and exports,
India's share of world exports is expected to rebound to 16% in 2009-10,
compared with only 6% in the previous year. The US share of the world
cotton market, at the same time, will drop to 36% from 43% in 2008-09.
Among other producers enjoying export growth will be Uzbekistan which
will regain its 2007-08 level of 700,000 tons and Australia (340,000
tons).
Techtextil/Avantex
- 2009 Report: Growing from strength to strength: Techtextil,
the world's leading international trade fair for technical textiles,
offered its 13th edition in Frankfurt this month (June 16-18). This
event, held biennially in Frankfurt since 1986 (except for 1987), is
organised by Messe Frankfurt. Over a period of two decades, Techtextil
had grown steadily from 195 exhibitors and 5,900 visitors in 1986 to
1,086 exhibitors and 22,876 visitors in 2007. This year it grew even
bigger, 1,201 exhibitors and 23,300 visitors.
The definition of technical textiles-originally, textile materials
and products intended for end-uses other than non-protective clothing,
home and household furnishings-has since expanded to include twelve
application areas as categorised by Messe Frankfurt. These areas of
application include traditional technical textiles in agriculture
(Agrotech), construction (Buildtech), geo-textiles (Geotech), domestic
uses (Hometech), industrial uses (Indutech), transporation (Mobiltech),
packing (Packtech), protective garments (Protech), as well as extension
into areas involving clothing (Clothtech), sports (Sporttech), eco-friendly
textiles (Oekotech) and medical textiles (Medtech). This is to be
expected since the technology that drives technical textiles is also
applicable in these other areas.
Avantex, the innovative apparel textile show sponsored by the European
Commission and debuted as an independent show at Messe Frankfurt in
2000, has since 2005 been held in parallel with Techtextil in response
to exhibitor demand, since many companies who exhibit at Avantex also
do so at Techtextil. This year, instead of occupying a separate exhibit
space adjacent to Techtextil, Avantex exhibits were fully integrated
into the Techtextil exhibit space.
From Max W. Sung, Frankfurt
Exhibitions
and Conferences
- HK showcase for next big fashion wave: Hong Kong Fashion Week
for 2010 spring/summer collections (www.hktdc.com/hkfashionweekss),
a four-day gala of fashion shows and professional seminars opening on
July 6 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, will provide,
according to its organiser the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC),
a marvellous venue to source the latest designs from international suppliers
for riding the next big fashion wave.
- Textile Bio engineering symposium: The fourth congress of the
World Association for Chinese Biomedical Engineers (WACBE) will take
place in Hong Kong with a special symposium on textile bioengineering.
This gathering scheduled at the Polytechnic University (HK Poly U) from
July 26 to 29 this year will provide a forum for bioengineering researchers
to communicate with each other.
- Technical textile workshop: A two-day international workshop
on marketing and technology of technical textiles will be held in Coimbatore,
Tamil Nadu, India, on July 3-4, 2009, with the support of the Texas
Tech University (USA), as well as the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute
of Textile Management (SVPITM) and the South India Mill Owners Association
(SIMA).
- Prima and Pitti Filati in July: The forthcoming Pitti Filati
65 (www.pittimmagine.com) scheduled at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence,
Italy, from July 7 to 9, will have a complementing show called Prima
Moda Tessuto (www. primamodatessuto.com) taking place at the same venue
on the same dates. Prima is a new platform organised by Pratotrade textile
consortium for fabric and yarn manufacturers from various districts
of Italy and some of their foreign counterparts, particularly from Germany
and Japan, to display their high quality products.
- Première Vision Preview New York: The next Première Vision
Preview New York (www.premierevision-newyork.com) is scheduled to be
held on July 15 and 16, 2009, at the same location as the previous edition
Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Bldg, 125/135 West 18th Street (between
6th and 7th Avenues).
- Textile conference: The International Textile Educational
Consortium (ITEC) is organising its third international textile conference
on August 28-30, 2009, in collaboration with SSM College of Engineering
in Komarapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Première Vision Pluriel in Sept: The Première Vision Pluriel
for the autumn/winter 2010-11 fashion season (www.premierevision-pluriel.com)
is to be held at Parc d'Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte on September,
15-18, 2009. It will comprise six events - Expofil, Première Vision,
Le Cuir à Paris, Indigo, ModAmont, Zoom by Fatex.
- India garment fair: The 43rd India International Garment Fair
(www.indiaapparelfair.com), to be held on July 15-17 in New Delhi, will
present buyers a breathtaking array of garments, fabrics and fashion
accessories to choose from, says the organiser, International Garment
Fair Association. Exhibits will range from casual wear to city wear,
high-fashion, lingerie, sportswear, leather and fur garments, maternity
wear, uniforms, work clothes, etc., all made in India.
- Nonwovens tech confab in Denver: An international nonwovens
technical conference co-sponsored by the association of the nonwoven
fabrics industry, INDA (www.inda.org), and the nonwovens division of
the Technical Association of the Pulp, Paper, Packaging and Converting
Industries, TAPPI, is scheduled to take place in Denver, Colorado, USA,
from September 21 to 24.
- Textile and tech solution fair in LA: The California Market
Center (www.californiamarketcenter.com) and Urban Expositions (www.urban-expositions.com)
will jointly hold an exhibition of textiles and technology solutions
in Los Angeles, USA, from September 30 to October 2, this year. This
fair, the LA International Textile Show and Material World & Technology
Solutions (www.material-world. com), scheduled at the California Market
Center in Los Angeles, will repeat thereafter every spring and fall.
- Fashion fair Arabia: A trade fair called Fashion Expo Arabia
(www.fashionexpoarabia.com) which is promoted as the first platform
dedicated to bringing medium- to high-end manufacturers of fashion products
in the Middle East to display their goods to buyers from the region
as well as from North Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, will be held
in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on October 26-28.
- A new name and a new motto: The next edition of the international
trade fair for textile printing, embroidery, transfer and flocking,
which is known hitherto as TV, will take place from February 4 to 6,
next year in Stuttgart, Germany, but with a new name, TV TecStyle Visions
(www.tv-textilmesse.de) and a new motto, Join the Textile Community!.
- Textile, garment fair in Vietnam: Vietnam is scheduling again
a textile and garment exhibition: the 9th edition of what's known as
the Vietnam International Textile and Garment Industry Exhibition. Organised
by the Ministry of Industry and Trade with the support of various government
departments and trade and industry organisations, it will take place
at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City from
November 5 to 8, 2009.
- IAF silver jubilee convention: The International Apparel Federation
(www.iafnet.com) will hold its 25th world apparel convention in New
Delhi, India, on November 17-20, 2009.
- Sewn products fair: An exhibition of sewn products equipment
is scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from May 18 to
20, next year. Organised by the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers
of the Americas (SPESA), it is rated as a very important event for manufacturers
and suppliers of textiles and sewn products.
- Cotton conference: A conference to promote collaboration within
the fields of organic and fair trade cotton from fashion to sustainability
will be held in Switzerland on September 21-25. The conference taking
place in conjunction with the UN Year of Natural Fibres 2009 is organised
by the Swiss association for international cooperation, Helvetas, in
collaboration with the international partners, Organic Exchange Institute
for Market Ecology( IMO), International Trade Centre (ITC), Max Havelaar
and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Technical
Features
- Protecting fabrics against microbes causing discolouration and
bad odour: The need to protect fabrics against rotting and mildew
stain, particularly in the individual usage has now been recognised.
Clothing and textile materials are not only the carriers of microorganisms
such as pathogenic bacteria, odour-generating bacteria and mould fungi,
but inherent properties of the textile fibres also provide room for
the growth of microorganisms. Besides, the structure of the substrates
and the chemical processes may also induce the growth of microbes. Humid
and warm environment aggravate the problem even further.
In this study, it was found that Copper sulphate, Nickel sulphate,
Zinc sulphate and Copper acetate can be effectively used as antimicrobial
agent.
By A. I. Wasif and S. K. Laga, both of the Textile & Engg. Institute,
Ichalkaranji, India
- Can contact with textiles spread herpes simplex: Herpes cold
sores are as despised as they are common. The ailment is one of the
most prevalent skin diseases in Germany, says a recent report of the
Hohenstein Institute of Boennigheim, Germany. It is also a major skin
ailment in many other parts of the world.
Research conducted at Hohenstein's Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology
(IHB), suggests that contaminated textiles may be one of the pathways
for the spread of herpes pathogens besides other well known means
like contact with saliva and by touching surfaces after scratching
open herpes sores around the mouth.
With the help of molecular biological analysis, scientists at the
Hohenstein Institute have successfully demonstrated that the herpes-simplex
virus (HSV-1) adheres strongly to textile fibres. The results clearly
indicate that spread of infection may also be possible via, for example,
hand towels, serviettes, and dish and cleaning cloths which a herpes
sufferer previously used.
- Eco printing of cotton with Indian Rhubard dye: Until the
second half of the nineteenth century, all dyes used in textiles were
naturally derived. However, with the synthesis of mauveine by Perkin
in 1856, the synthetic dye industry grew at a vigorous rate and eradicated
the use of natural dyes. A large number of synthetic dyes in use today
bear witness to the creativity and innovation of textile chemist in
successfully satisfying the dyers demands; for simple, reproducible
application processes, and the consumers demand for quality products
at a reasonable price. Thus, even though the availability of natural
dyes has been known for centuries, there are reasons for synthetic dyes
to be so popular: synthetic dyes are simple to produce in large quantity,
they can be manufactured at reasonable price, and they provide a variety
of colours to satisfy consumer demand and high colourfastness.
In this study the printing procedure using natural dye (Indian
Rhubarb or Rheum emodi) has been standardised. It involves optimisation
of printing process to improve dye uptake and increase the colour
fastness properties of fabric. The mordant concentrations have also
been standardised to produce varied colours. The after-treatment is
another step, imparted to the cotton fabric to improve the dye uptake
and colour fastness properties (Shenai 1997). Thus after-treatments
have also been given to the fabric to see the change in fastness properties
and CIE Lab values.
By Sandeep Bains, Neelam Grewal, Manideep Kaur and Jastesh Grewal,
Department of Clothing and Textiles, Punjab Agricultural University,
Ludhiana, India
- Fabric factors, their effect on clothes: Consumers today are
particular about the quality - especially drape, feel and comfort -
of the fabric used for the clothing they buy. These characteristics
of fabrics, which also determine the durability and serviceability of
any piece of garment, are determined by the basic raw material - fibre
or fibre mix-used for yarn and fabric production. Specially profiled
fibres are known to make fabrics with modified and improved properties.
Take woven fabrics, for example. The performance requirements of woven
fabrics for each specific application are clearly laid down in many
standards, thus establishing the criteria of quality and serviceability
for each application. Numerous reports have also yielded insight into
how yarn and fabric factors influence clothing characteristics. And,
nowadays, blending polyester fibre with cellulosic fibres to give fabrics
the desired levels of comfort and performance has become common. Nonetheless,
attempts to develop modified structures are continuing and receiving
increasing attention. Despite such advances, the impact of fibre profile
on mechanical properties of woven polyester-viscose fabrics has not
yet been well documented.
This study examines the mechanical properties of woven polyester-viscose
fabrics and their association with process variables-linear density,
fibre profile, composition of fibre mix and weave pattern.
By G K Tyagi, Ashvani Goyal and K N Chatterjee, all of The Technological
Institute of Textile & Sciences, Bhiwani, India
- Beating cost pressures with high-performance machines: The
pace of technical progress is quickening as time in this fast changing
world marches on. As a new day dawns, yesterday's ultra-new development
is already old news. And competition nowadays is not between the Big
and the Small; it is between those companies that can meet the needs
of the changing times and others that are slow in adjusting to the changes.
An old adage in business that "the profit is in the purchasing" suddenly
takes on a whole new meaning. The amount invested is no longer the
yardstick in any purchasing decision, but the opportunities offered
for fast payback by optimum capacity utilisation, a high turnover
and consequently healthy profits. Here Mayer & Cie of Germany, a leading
circular knitting machine manufacturer, enjoys a decisive edge. Working
on the premise that "forewarned is forearmed", its development team
has come up with machines permitting outstanding speeds, for instance
of up to 2 m/s in continuous operation in the field of single jersey
production, without compromising quality standard. Speeds achieved
include for instance 50 rpm (Relanit 4.0) or 45 rpm (Relanit 3.2 II)
with a 30 inch diameter.
It is only through the use of relative movement technology, which
benefits from fewer deflection points in the stitch-forming area for
optimum care of the yarn, that speed factors (rpm x diameter) of up
to 1,500 can be reliably achieved in continuous operation.
Mayer & Cie. was responsible for developing relative movement technology
to the series production stage, and implementing this revolutionary
new method in its Relanit machine series. Extensive expertise gathered
over almost two decades, both during in-house further development
work and also from practical hands-on experience with over 7,000 sold
Relanit machines, has fed into the development to this high-speed
technology.
Management
- Outsourcing issues in the global marketplace: The apparel supply
chain is highly complex. It is so due to many factors - short product
life cycles of apparel, the volatile and unpredictable demand and great
product variety. The challenges these factors pose are compounded by
the long and inflexible production processes for converting raw materials
into finished garments and the global nature of the industry. Furthermore,
the enduring labour-intensive nature of the apparel manufacturing process
means that globally dispersed production networks now characterise the
typical apparel supply chain. Since the sewing process typically makes
up around 30% of a garment's cost, outsourcing production to lower-labour
rate countries enable brands to realise significant cost savings in
terms of supply chain costs as well as freeing up capital resources
by operating on a purely subcontracting basis with offshore suppliers.
However, since the 1990s, global apparel sourcing has experienced a
shift in emphasis from cost to quality, in terms of both product and
service.
Many Western sportswear brands have recognised that profits are driven
by design, marketing and logistics capabilities and have therefore
moved to a design/source/distribute business model which focuses on
the development of the brand in terms of design, innovation and marketing.
Strategic outsourcing recognises the broader organisational implications
of outsourcing rather than solely focusing on the financial aspect
in terms of labour-cost savings. By harnessing IT to facilitate the
development of strong collaborative partnerships across the global
supply chain, strategic outsourcing in the performance sportswear
industry seeks to improve supply chain agility, responsiveness and
accuracy of getting products to market.
This article is based on the analysis and findings of a report commissioned
by Lawson Software. The report was produced by Patsy Perry, Researcher
in the School of Management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh,
and Dr. Neil Towers, senior lecturer in supply chain management and
course director of MSc International Fashion Marketing at Heriot-Watt
University. Lawson has a strong presence in the sportswear industry.
For the full report, visit www.lawson.com/sportswearreport or contact
jeanne.lim@sg.lawson.com
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