FW
"Stäubli presented a wide range of its latest textile machinery at its two booths at ITMA 2019. Additionally, Stäubli solutions for frame and Jacquard weaving were also seen at other booths throughout the weaving hall. Visitors to these booths learned about Stäubli’s vision for Industry 4.0 and how this development offers a chance to intensify customer and partner relationships. They also learned how Stäubli’s machinery and systems can boost their mill’s weaving performance and overall efficiency."
Stäubli presented a wide range of its latest textile machinery at its two booths at ITMA 2019. Additionally, Stäubli solutions for frame and Jacquard weaving were also seen at other booths throughout the weaving hall. Visitors to these booths learned about Stäubli’s vision for Industry 4.0 and how this development offers a chance to intensify customer and partner relationships. They also learned how Stäubli’s machinery and systems can boost their mill’s weaving performance and overall efficiency. Stäubli machinery represents a long-lasting valuable investment offering an attractive ROI due to the extended service life of the equipment, long-term spare parts availability, and swift and comprehensive worldwide service.
The major Staubli products exhibited include:
New TIEPRO warp tying machine: This new machine features extremely fine mechanical precision supported by high-performance digital technology. Weavers profit from the unique yarn separation process, the auto-reverse function, and automatic double-end detection.
SAFIR S60 automatic drawing-in system with Active Warp Control: This exclusive yarn-repeat management system, known as AWC, is an ingenious technology that makes for more first-quality output and boosts the overall productivity of the weaving department.
New S1792 cam motion for air-jet applications: This high-speed cam motion features 10 levers and uses the new e32/e33 harness motion for even higher performance.
NOEMI: The entire LX/LXL/LXXL series of Jacquard machines for flat, terry, and velvet fabrics is now equipped with NOEMI, a new electronics concept. This compact, reliable, and suited to very large format machinery concept meets the requirements for high-speed weaving and handling the very high number of hooks to be lifted.
NEW N4L Name Selvedge Jacquard machine: This machine for name selvedge weaving offers easy positioning over the whole reed width, re-engineered quick links for quick style changes, and robust construction with Jacquard heads protected by aluminium beams. It is an ideal machine for weavers and haute couture brands to protect their valuable woven fabrics.
ALPHA 500 Series: With its Schönherr carpet systems, Stäubli showed a machine featuring two LX2493 carpet Jacquard heads, a new model of the UNIVAL 500 series of frame shedding machines handling 6 pile colors, a 4+4 weft selector, and various other interesting options. In a dedicated room, visitors observed how innovation, automation, and digitization support increased carpet output. The exhibit was completed by a carpet slider which allowed visitors to explore the many design possibilities offered by the flexibility of ALPHA machines. Visitors could also touch and feel a variety of carpet qualities, including a high-density carpet displaying a very sharp image of the Sagrada Familia cathedral with more than 4 million points/m2.
TF weaving system for technical fabrics: The Stäubli TF weaving system was set up in another dedicated area where the collection of technical carpet samples illustrated the broad range of possibilities this system offers in weaving ultra-complex fabrics.
D4S automatic toe-closing device: Visitors to Stäubli’s booth in the knitting hall watched this revolutionary device rapidly sew perfectly smooth seams to close the toes of high-quality sports socks. The D4S drastically reduces sock manufacturing time.
With its two booths, Stäubli provided a broad overview of its range of solutions for future-oriented weaving mills and sock knitters. These solutions are fully in line with the company’s vision of converting high-tech mechatronics into attractive products, services, and solutions that meet customers’ requirements. Stäubli has been living out its vision of innovation for 127 years and makes its passion for fast moving technology a reality every day.
Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen will move to the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center – the world’s largest exhibition venue – and as the fair prepares to upgrade to a larger space, this year’s exhibitors discussed the benefits of exhibiting in Shenzhen.
The 2019 edition of the fair, held from July 4 to 6, 2019 featured 1,065 international exhibitors from 11 countries and regions. It welcomed 17,745 visitors from 46 countries and regions. Exhibitors reported successful business outcomes in the promising South China market, thanks to the fair’s high buyer quality and location. After already expanding by one hall this year, venue and date changes are planned for the next edition in 2020 to further accommodate the fair’s consistent growth.
Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen offers an ideal place to meet and network with potential clients. At this year’s fair, exhibitors noted good potential from the visitors they met, with high demand for mid- to high-end ladieswear fabrics. With the fair conveniently located nearby local garment manufacturers, some overseas exhibitors noted that they use the fair as a way to promote their brand in the China market. Meanwhile, the focused nature of the fair enabled trade buyers to meet their sourcing targets, and they reported their satisfaction with the quality of the products on offer.
Cotton planted acreage in the US is down about three per cent from last year. While pima acreage increased 10 per cent, upland acreage decreased three per cent. A total of 96 per cent of American cotton acreage has been planted, which is slightly more than last year for that date. Quality also appears to be a bit better than last year, with 50 per cent of the total acreage being rated as good to excellent.
Compared to previous year, five states planted fewer upland cotton acres in 2019, including California. Upland cotton planted area is a record low in California. In California, planting started a little behind schedule due to rain and cooler spring temperatures. Weather conditions in May slowed crop progress and led to concerns of high insect pressure. Some farmers switched from upland to pima.
Last year, California growers planted 2,11,000 acres of pima cotton, harvesting a total of 210,000 acres. This year growers planted 2,40,000 acres of pima, an increase of nearly 14 per cent. Altogether California cotton growers have planted 2,80,000 acres for the 2019 crop. The total amount of biotechnology varieties that have been planted this year are 89 per cent, compared to 81 per cent in 2018. Of that total, ten per cent are insect resistant, 38 per cent are herbicide resistant and 41 per cent are stacked gene varieties.
The Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) 2019 show will introduce a number of new country pavilions at this year’s event to meet the needs of its expected 5,000 attendees. It will also feature a first-of-its-kind Testex Certified Factory Pavilion. ATSC — which returns for the fourth year from August 19 to 21 in Toronto and August 23 in Montreal — is the industry’s go-to event, experiencing year-over-year growth and featuring hundreds of factories from around the globe through world-class conference sessions and unmatched networking opportunities.
The Ghana Export Promotion Authority will feature some of its region’s top, adaptable textile and ready-made garment producers in the new Ghana Pavilion. An overview of the resources and benefits of partnering with Ghana-based suppliers and factories will be presented on the opening day as part of a panel discussion featuring Ghanaian government and private officials.
The Peru Pavilion will offer an opportunity to experience unique Peruvian textiles and apparel first-hand. In addition to visiting the Peru Pavilion, ATSC attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of sourcing from Peru in a Latin American panel discussion held during the trade show.
The delegation of Turkish exhibitors includes Abiteks and sister company Gaia-Sourcing.com, supplier to brands such as O’neill, Espirit, Laurel, Bogner Jeans, S.Oliver and many others. The Tureks Group will unveil their latest capabilities to the buyers in attendance.
The Swiss textile testing and certification organisation Testex will return to the show with a 10-booth pavilion as part of the first Testex Certified Factory Pavilion. The pavilion will feature a variety of textile mills and apparel factories for both knit and woven products.
Amid rising trade tensions, American importers of sports goods, toys, stationery, cables and electronics parts are turning to Indian sellers of these goods as Chinese products become expensive due to the US-China trade war. The US is planning to replace Chinese exports with Indian products in at least seven product lines including vulcanised rubber, footwear and kitchen accessories. India exported these items worth $1.5 billion in FY19 to the US, and the industry is keen to ramp up capacity to meet the potential demand.
India has a scope to increase its exports by 25 per cent since inquiries have increased since the US’ announcement to impose a 25 per cent duty on some Chinese products. In case of footwear, an American importer wants one million pairs annually.
The department of commerce has already identified 203 products where exports to the US could be increased by replacing Chinese exports as it already has market access for these items and is a competitor of China.
China’s textile and garment exports fell 2.88 per cent in January to April this year compared to the same period last year. Exports of yarns, fabric and related products were up 1.41 per cent year on year. Exports of garment and accessories were down 5.5 per cent year on year.
However, in May 2019 China’s textile and garment exports were up 1.65 per cent over the same period last year. Export of yarns, fabric and related products increased by 3.55 per cent compared with the same period of 2018. And exports of garment and accessories were down 0.11 per cent year on year.
Compared with the sharp growth and apparent slowdown in textile and apparel exports from January to April, China’s textile and garment exports stabilized in May, and the export performance was better than expected. Even in the face of the uncertainty brought about by the Sino-US trade war, the Chinese textile industry still reflects strong resilience and international competitiveness. China for instance continues to be a major supplier of innerwear like cotton and manmade fiber underwear as well as bras. This is likely attributable to the combination of the specialty manufacturing and materials needed to produce these items compared to more basic apparel.
Bemberg, the sole maker of this one-of-a-kind, matchless, high-tech natural material, opened its new Bemberg™ Lining Showroom in New York. This is the first showroom totally dedicated to unique, high quality Bemberg lining fabrics. The initial focus will be on a homeland supply of Japanese-made lining manufacturers, introducing them to the market in a new and dynamic way.
The showroom was hosted by CHH America, whose remit will be to communicate the advantage and values in choosing Bemberg™ for the best linings option, and how its unique, responsible profile can add quality and brand value appeal to tailoring based apparel brands, designers and upcoming fashion students. The unique offer from this showroom is a dedicated new stock service, managed by CHH, where they will deliver even small meterage on demand.
In addition to this service, Bemberg™ is presented a full range of new fabric innovations at Premiere Vision New York. These include manufacturers from around the world including SMI, Sidonios, Ekoten, Ipeker and Silver from the US, as well as the luxury linings already installed at the showroom.
Hohenstein has been presented the certificate for the Baden-Württemberg support programme ECOfit alongwith four other certified companies. The certificate was presented for the company’s new laboratory ventilation system which saves almost 100 tonne of carbon dioxide per year. Another unusual feature at Hohenstein is the installing of nesting aids for woodpeckers: these provide the birds with new habitats and at the same time prevent permanent damage to the building façades.
Since April 2018, Hohenstein has taken part in eight ECOfit workshops with companies from the Ludwigsburg region. Together they developed individual actions for better company environmental and climate protection. An inspection was then carried out by an independent commission.
Lectra has signed an agreement with shareholders of the Belgium company Retviews to acquire 100 per cent of capital and voting rights. The transaction involves the acquisition of 70 per cent of Retviews for €8 million today. The acquisition of the remainder of capital and voting rights will take place in three times in July 2020, July 2021 and July 2022 for amounts of about 0.9 times 2020 revenues, 0.7 times 2021 revenues and 0.5 times 2022 revenues, respectively. These amounts will come from Lectra’s available cash, with no financing from the bank.
Founded in 2017, Retviews has developed an innovative technological offer that enables fashion brands to analyse real-time market data, in order to increase their sales and margins. Today, more than 30 brands use Retviews in France and Belgium. By uniting with Retviews, Lectra aims to help customers to quickly enter the era of Industry 4.0. Thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms, Retviews’ offer enables brands to make the best decisions at every moment throughout the life cycle of a product, in order to optimise their collections Together, the two companies will create synergies with Lectra’s current offer, develop their technology and market their solution to fashion customers worldwide, thanks notably to Retviews 32 sales and services subsidiaries covering more than 100 countries.
The China-US trade war has adversely impacted the world cotton market. The trade war not only impacts the raw cotton market, it shifts the buying logistics for cotton yarn and the fabric markets as well. When the cotton market falls, demand is usually stimulated. Futures prices have moved with the progression of the trade war. For some reason, this drop in the futures market hasn’t stimulated that demand.
China needs cotton. In 2014, its stocks were approaching 67 million bales, of which 51 million were reserves. Those reserves have been reduced. Chinese cotton buyers are loving the huge crop Brazil had last year. Brazilian cotton producers grew 12.8 million bales of fiber — averaging almost 1,500 pounds an acre-- in 2018. From 2014 to 2016, Brazil was harvesting only six million to seven million bales but is anticipated to press 12 million bales this year. Brazil consumes only 3.7 million bales domestically, so much of its cotton is aimed at the export market. In 2016, Brazil exported 2.8 million bales, but this year is anticipating shipping over eight million bales. This has put a damper on Chinese demand for US cotton. Brazil will ship more cotton to China — once the United States’ largest cotton customer.
