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Japan’s apparel industry is turning to state-of-the-art technology in a bold bid to cut labour costs and secure its future, from ready-to-wear knits manufactured instantly to customized dresses produced on inkjet printers. At Shima Seiki’s factory in Western Japan, garments materialise in minutes, thanks to digitally-programmed automated machines that can turn out a sample seam-free pullover in half an hour with a push of a button.
Patented by the Japanese manufacturer, the WholeGarment system and sold to knitwear companies like Italian luxury brand Max Mara includes a digital design system that allows users to choose patterns, colors and cuts. Known for glove-making machinery, Shima Seiki took a technological leap in the 1990s in an effort to revive the flagging fortunes of Japanese apparel manufacturers.
The WholeGarment system allows one worker to operate ten machines - thereby lowering labor costs - and uses limited raw material to create seam-free garments that generate no waste, since they require no cutting. The initiative is part of a push by Japan’s knitwear industry to capitalize on its technical know-how to create garments that cannot be replicated elsewhere at a lower cost.
The focus on technique and technology has already paid off, with Japan’s knitwear sector registering a 40 percent increase in exports over a 10-year period beginning in 2006, a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal picture for textile and apparel exports from the country.
At the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam this week Invista, owner of the Lycra brand, and Garmon S.p.A., a leading denim finishing house, debuted a collection of knit denim concept garments. The collection integrated fabrics made with Invista’s Lycra Hybrid technology together with Garmon’s latest finishing techniques including chemical formulations assessed using GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals.
Last introduced at the Kingpins Show in October 2015, Lycra Hybrid technology enables mills to create denim fabrics that combine the comfort and flexibility of a knit with the authentic aesthetics and performance typically found in woven denim. Through its collaboration with Garmon S.p.A. Invista aims to show the variety of aesthetic possibilities that can be achieved with knit denim fabrics using Lycra Hybrid technology.
According to Jean Hegedus, Global Segment Director for Denim at Invista, they are excited to demonstrate the finishing options available with Lycra Hybrid technology. Knit denim, while growing, is still at the early stages of development, and it’s important to understand best practices for wet and dry processing. Given Garmon’s unique chemical processes and Italian inspired design, he felt they would be the perfect company to help us with this initiative.
Today’s urbanite seeks apparels that balances form and function with fabrics that absorb moisture, provide year-round comfort, are light weight and packable, and have a sustainable profile. Textile mills and product developers are increasingly finding these characteristics in the 21st century polypropylene fiber, CoolVisions® dyeable polypropylene.
CoolVisions® works well with complementary fibers and dyes easily in fabric form, in the latest colors and patterns; unlike earlier versions of polypropylene fiber, which were limited by the necessity to solution dye at the spinning source.
The features of CoolVisions® dyeable polypropylene fibers are inherently soft, and among the lightest of all commercial fibers; yet provide excellent insulation. CoolVisions® outperforms all other fibers when it comes to moisture management, moving moisture and drying quickly, to keep the wearer dry and comfortable. In addition, CoolVisions® polypropylene is durable, abrasion resistant, and resists stains and bleach.
So, apparel made with CoolVisions® has the potential for a longer life, and an excellent sustainability profile. The cradle-to-factory gate carbon footprint of the CoolVisions® polymer is the lowest of all synthetic fibers. Leading the way in today’s urban apparel is performance denim; recent NPD data shows denim jeans with performance attributes winning back dollars that have been lost to athletic apparel. CoolVisions® dyeable polypropylene staple fiber has been chosen by Taiwan weaver Da Kong for its line of cotton-blend denims, including a Shanghai Innovation Award-winning 3.5 oz shirting weight.
According to explained Susan Lynn, CoolVisions® global marketing manager, most CoolVisions® denims use the polypropylene fiber in the fill, so while the denims look like regular denim, you get the same coverage at a lighter weight. Typically you end up with 30 to 35 per cent polypropylene, enough to add a lot of performance attributes such as moisture management, thermal regulation, and abrasion resistance.
Panos Sofianos, former creative director at Tejidos Royo has been appointed exhibition manager for Bluezone and new business with immediate effect at the Munich Fabric Start show.
Sofianos, apart from being in charge of Bluezone - the show-in-show concept of Munich Fabric Start focusing on denim and sportswear will also be responsible for the content and conceptual design of the newly established Key House, a 2,500-square-meter area that will host an innovative creative project serving as a link between the two trade fair segments - Fabrics and Additionals. Besides, the denim and sportswear market insider will keep a close communication with suppliers and brands in order to react to new developments close to the market.
Few details have been unveiled from the project at Key House, which will take place at the Kesselhaus and Kohlebunker venues. Show visitors can expect an area where ‘content and design goes far beyond conventional presentation formats,’ according to Wolfgang Klinder, managing director at Munich Fabric Start, a new, impulse-generating innovation area. The coming edition starting from August 30 until 1 September 2016 of the trade fair awaits suppliers and visitors with an optimally designed information project for all exhibitions segments.
China is about to open the floodgates of huge supplies of cotton, sparking a rout in prices. The auction sales come as China’s crop is set to shrink this year to the lowest in more than a decade. That’s reducing global output by more than 16 per cent, the biggest annual slide since at least 1961.
The country plans to auction about two million metric tons from May through August. That’s almost equal to total shipments expected this season from American growers, the world’s top exporters.
Cotton futures fell the most in six weeks. The price slid more than seven per cent in the past year in part because the large Chinese inventories curbed overseas purchases from the Asian nation, the biggest consumer of the fiber.
Adding to the outlook for bigger supplies is favorable growing weather in US cotton areas. Rains in the next few days will boost soil moisture in Texas, the country’s top producer. American farmers are expected to increase plantings in the season that starts in August as low prices for competing crops leave farmers with few options.
Any increase in production, as well as any volume pushed out of Chinese reserves, will be added to globally available supply in the coming crop year. High levels of available supply can be expected to keep downward pressure on prices.
China will put a stop to export subsidies it has been granting for years to a host of industries, giving them an unfair advantage when competing with other companies around the world. China ended a program which provided export subsidies of some billion dollars over three years to Chinese companies in seven economic sectors including apparel, textiles and footwear, hardware and building materials, light industry and agriculture.
China is supposed to be subsidizing billions more in exports through its support for state-controlled behemoths that ship low-cost products around the world, threatening rivals in the US and other countries.
Export subsidies are prohibited under WTO rules. China’s export subsidies were not consistent with international trade obligations and a balanced business model. The US felt Chinese subsidies were hurting American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses, who wanted to play by the rules and wanted to compete fairly, on the merits of their hard work and the quality of their products. Americans employed in seven diverse sectors that run the gamut from agriculture to textiles to medical products will benefit from a more level playing field on which to compete.
China’s rise to become the world’s largest exporter of textile and apparel products was aided a lot by a pervasive series of state-sponsored subsidies.
Ahead of the International Digital Printing Industry Fair (TPF 2016) at Shanghai, a one day conference on digital printing titled - ‘Fast growing Textile printing to co-exist with the traditional printing source,’ held as a precursor to the event. At the conference, Edri Baggi, Business Development Officer Inks Europe, Sensient imaging technologies SA and Katja Ebers, Reggiani Machine Spa were the speakers among others.
In her presentation Baggi said, the social and environmental aspects have to be well addressed to make digital printing a globally sustainable story. Thanks to textile digital printing industry, we can expect a much faster turnaround, resultant less wastage/water requirement. Therefore today we can sell what we make based on consumers insights than what are forced to and be more judicious to our stakeholders and in turn society and environment, she observed.
Baggi mentioned that we can be more responsive to ever tightening regulatory restrictions coming up from different global brands and retailers’ season in season out, especially in the backdrop of growing global consciousness about sustainability and the impact it may have on society and environment.
Speaking by introducing Reggaiani, Katja Ebers said that Reggaiani has always been at the forefront to lead the industry to new age production and processing.
She also mentioned about the opportunities for the global textile digital printing by pointing out that the digital printing technology currently is below is 5 per cent and that itself speaks the volumes of the upside possible in the story.
Traditionally, textile is always been a key application area for digital printing. She identified the upcoming application areas - upholstery, flooring carpets, wall coverings etc. where opportunities are waiting to be explored. Ebers concluded by saying that the digital printing in textiles is an improved technology of natural first preference.
"The one day conference on Digital Printing held in Shanghai as a precursor to the International Digital Printing Industry Fair (TPF 2016, 17-19 April) started on a positive note. With the theme that ‘Fast growing Textile printing to co-exist with the traditional printing source,’ James Rankin, Market Intelligence Lead-WTiN set the motion as a keynote speaker."
The one day conference on Digital Printing held in Shanghai as a precursor to the International Digital Printing Industry Fair (TPF 2016, 17-19 April) started on a positive note. With the theme that ‘Fast growing Textile printing to co-exist with the traditional printing source,’ James Rankin, Market Intelligence Lead-WTiN set the motion as a keynote speaker.
Digital advantages
Rankin emphasized amongst other things the growing global market for textile digital printing where the new normal versus conventional printing. Even though digital printing is still in early days, it’s only since last 5-7 years it’s coming of age, he observed. These are some of the key advantages it offers over the conventional to make it a winner. Short delivery time; no need of plate making and sizing, delivers identical production, short run, more ecological and sustainable, a faster process and preparation process is short. There is much better consistency in quality, helps avoid production waste and response time is less, speed to market is faster. Digital printing allows to run your imagination wild, allows design freedom, unique patterns and colour spectrums are quite wide. And of course this can be used for large scale as well. There’s almost no water used and it works on water conservative technology.
From the end user’s perspective, with increasing pressure of shorter delivery time, fast turnaround in the fast fashion world is supporting the digital printing case. The client today wants best printed quality any which way. To control cost, we need to embrace this new age printing. It improves surface appeal and gets you the opportunity to better your pricing power and profitable sustenance, observed Rankin.
Johanny Zhao, Commercial Manger, SPG Prints, a co-presenter at the conference said, though analogue still enjoys maximum share but momentum is on the digital side, with an annual growth of 30 per cent plus and synthetic fiber will be a growth driver in the time to come and increasingly its share versus natural is improving through the period. Asia accounts for 40 per cent of global market and within Asia, China and India along with Pakistan are emerging blocks. Turkey is showing a steady growth and European demand is stabilizing and Central America is emerging. The revelation however was although as of now India ranks 6th largest market by size but by scope and growth rate, it is surprising many especially the width and the depth it offers
Emerging applications
In digital printing, garments as of now got a share of 2/3 rd of the pie and the rest comes from home textiles. Though home fashion application is very challenging but is retarded by global slowdown rather than its acceptance level, the speakers observed at the conference.
As far as the hardware part of the industry is concerned, Japanese and Italian markets are amongst the global front runners. But at the same time, the local manufacturing outcome witnessed in China and India cannot be ignored, the speakers said. Big players like HP are also waiting with a bated breath to see how the whole story unfolds before unleashing to make a good sense for them.
Meanwhile supply chain is also putting pressure for sustainable and responsible products with minimum environmental impact. The conference appreciated the initiatives of global brands/retailers like Levi’s to reduce water consumption across production line up. Uniqlo another global retailer stressing on the recycling and company called DYECOO intending to reduce water consumption also got appreciation from the conference.
As of now, growth of textile digital printing is between 2-3.6 per cent of the global printing market. In the existing scenario is rotary around 65 per cent, flat bed around 25 per cent. But going forward, it expects to go up to as high as 10 per cent by 2020, according to industry experts.
Challenges ahead
However, lack of real time understanding of the technology, mindset, under utilization of machinery, the need to create the right kind of environment for getting the best results are cited as the stumbling block in the growth of digital printing. The conference observed that the digital printing shall co-exist in the near to end term basis and with the conventional printing and will not really take over the traditional industry growth despite of being very competitive. Technology should follow the history. Digital technology should complement rather than replacing conventional methods to produce sustainable and environmental friendly products.
Taiwan showcased its industry’s artistry, including areas of eco-textiles, function and fashion textiles, dyes and trimmings at the Saigontex 2016 textile exhibition, concluded recently in Ho Chi Minh City. The Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) endorsed the island’s distinctive sample at this year’s exhibits, under the theme, Think Taiwan for Textiles.
Saigontex 2016, was held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) from March 30 to April 2, and witnessed participation of 1,063 exhibitors from across 24 countries /regions. At the exhibition, TTF promoted the island’s textile industry under three broad categories of fashion, functionality and eco-friendliness.
Export of Taiwanese products to Vietnam has seen a significant growth in the recent years, owing to the country’s trade ties under ASEAN. Moreover, Taiwan has also expressed interest in joining the TPP, of which Vietnam is already a member. Taiwan also hopes to promote a proposed Free Trade Agreement of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) amid multilateral efforts to boost economic integration in the region.
TTF’s Textile Export Promotion Project (TEPP), organised by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Foreign Trade, promotes the textile industry by organising trade missions, collaborating meetings and ensuring attendance at various international shows like Saigontex. The country’s textile product quality is evident in its partnerships with brands like Decathlon, Oasis, Thai Tuan, Garmex, Lime Orange, Vinatex, Poong In and Walmart.
In its recent report, ‘The Future of Dye Sublimation Printing to 2021’, Smithers Pira tracks the increased use of this technology across key end-use segments – signage, technical, household, and garments. The data demonstrates a strong year-on-year growth of 18.4% in the amount of material printed across the next five years. This in turn is projected to increase by over 100% of the volume and value of material that is dye sublimation printed across the study period.
Smithers Pira also forecasts approximately 900,000m2 of textiles be printed with the process by 2021, the global dye sublimation print market is anticipated to grow over double in the coming five years, creating a global market worth of nearly 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) by 2021. The increase is attributed to the broader rise of digital inkjet systems in the textile trade.
Eventually, as the dye sublimation market booms, it will create several opportunities for ink and textile suppliers, press builders, and partners across the value chain. In its analysis, Smithers also identifies five major factors that will determine the dye sublimation print market’s growth through to 2021.
