In its first year of participation at the Yarn Expo Autumn 2018, Novetex has brought eye-catching booth decorations to the fair.

Novotex has been in business for 50 years, starting in Hong Kong with our spinning machines, and eventually moving to Macau and then China. The company is known for its spinning yarns, and every year it researches and develops new colors and qualities.

The US decision to withdraw GSP benefits will not have a significant impact on Indian exports to America.
India mainly exports raw materials and intermediate goods such as organic chemicals to the US.

The US decided to end the preferential trade status granted to India under the justification that India failed to assure America of equitable and reasonable access to its markets. Apparently the US is also unhappy with the recent tightening of foreign direct investment rules on e-commerce.

Removing India from the GSP program would not take effect for at least 60 days after notifications to Congress and the Indian government, and it will be enacted by a presidential proclamation. As many as 1,900 Indian products from sectors such as chemicals and engineering get duty free access to the US market under the GSP introduced in 1976.

India is the largest beneficiary of the United States’ GSP scheme, which is devised to promote exports of developing countries and which allows duty-free access to about 3,500 products.

Continuation of GSP benefits in fact is expected to help boost the competitiveness of American manufacturers too by lowering their costs. About two thirds of US imports under GSP are raw materials, components, or machinery and equipment used for manufacturing goods for domestic consumption or for exports.

Grasim India is buying Soktas India. This is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Soktas, based in Turkey, a producer and marketer of fabrics. At present, Soktas is in the business of manufacturing and distribution of premium cotton fabrics with its manufacturing facility in Maharashtra. The company posted a revenue and ebitda of Rs 186 crores(US$26.54million) and Rs 31 crores(US$4.42million) , respectively, for the fiscal ended March 2018. It sells premium fabrics in India under the Soktas, Giza House and Excellence by Soktas brands. The company is also a supplier to leading Indian and global menswear brands.

The acquisition is in line with Grasim’s business strategy to strengthen its presence in the premium fabric market. Grasim’s aim is to strengthen its leadership in the premium cotton and linen fabric market in India. Increasing disposable income, fashion and quality orientation of Indian consumers has resulted in an increase in the demand for premium fabric over the years. The company is known for its fabric brand Liva introduced in 2015.

Grasim, a part of Aditya Birla, is the world’s fourth largest pulp producer and one of India’s largest viscose staple fiber (VSF) producers. In India, the demand growth for VSF at eight per cent is higher than global demand growth.

Coats Global Services (CGS), received phenomenal response to its first series of Apparel Tech Up in Bangladesh . The event was held on February 26 and 28, 2019 in Dhaka and Chittagong respectively. It was attended by over 100+ top level stakeholders of the Bangladesh RMG industry. The seminar centered around the concept of data being the key for business success.

The event began with a note by David Berry, Director – Sales &Marketing for GSD, a part of CGS. He talked about the vision of CGS for the upcoming year. He elaborated on the intent of CGS to be a complete end to end manufacturing supply excellence solution provider. This was followed by a talk by Terry Broderick, global manufacturing & tech services leader, Kiabi. He talked about Kiabi’s perspective towards industry 4.0 and its 5 year growth strategy.

The event concluded with a panel discussion between Manasij Ganguli (CGS), Tram Anh Tran(Coats),. Mithu (Epyllion), Terry Broderick (Kiabi) and Dave Berry (CGS) to discuss the current challenges and opportunities for RMG manufacturer in terms of data.

E-commerce has revolutionised the retail sector in India and will play a major role in the country’s growth story going forward.
Driven by the growth in India’s retail market, the country’s GDP will also witness an increase and result in more job opportunities.

India is currently growing at over seven per cent and if the country has to grow at nine per cent then the e-commerce market will have to play a major role.

Traditional retail market and modern retail market (e-commerce) will co-exist in India even as consumer behavior is changing.

Given the strong retail and consumer outlook, India is expected to witness redefining trends in the consumer market which will shape the future of the retail industry. Further, as the internet penetration in the country increases and more international retailers start operating in India, the share of the organised retail market is expected to increase from 12 per cent in 2017 to about 25 per cent by 2021.

This will also be driven by the growth of the e-commerce market from 24 billion dollars in 2017 to 84 billion dollars in 2021. Increasing online shopping, smart phone use and internet penetration across semi-urban and rural segments would also help boost sales.

C.L.A.S.S will organise the third edition of “Rethinking Fashion Sustainability” conference at the Boston Consulting Group on March 7, 2019. The event will feature some of the most relevant initiatives undertaken by key opinion leaders in this field, including Zalando, The North Face, OVS and Caudalie.

Also, research from Politecnico di Milano will present the best practices for corporates to approach sustainability in a strategic way. C.L.A.S.S. CEO and founder Giusy Bettoni will share her expertise through the presentation "Integrate Sustainability into your brands" providing her expert insights on the integration of responsible innovation, circular economy within the textile and fashion sector.

Moreover, the results from the "Circularity Ideathon" developed by fashion and business students and coordinated by Milano Fashion Institute will be presented to give a flavour of the appetite of Millennials for a more sustainable fashion.

The UKFT British Textile Trends presentation will display fabric swatches from over 20 British companies, ranging from the finest luxury cashmeres and wools for tailoring, colorful tartans, tweeds, through to elegant silks and laces for eveningwear and occasion wear

The presentation will focus on new, innovative and exciting fabrics. Textile consultant Beryl Gibson will talk through the process of how these trends are developed. Attendees will also have the opportunity to find out more about the unique strengths of UK mills, as well as the diversity of fabric on offer. There will also be the chance to find out about exhibiting at Première Vision and grants which may be available to you.

Linda Laderman from Textile Forum will introduce the London Fabric Sourcing Show, which showcases luxury fashion fabrics with small minimums and both stock and short-order collections.

Bangladesh is likely to grow at a rate of 7.5 per cent in the ongoing fiscal year.
Domestic demand will be the main driver of this growth. Steps have been taken to ensure a fair wage and better working environment for workers in the readymade garment sector.

There are a number of challenges for the economy that can impact its growth in the short and long term. One is the high interest rate on bank loans, which is causing a massive capital flight from the country. Also, there is a possibility of global economic instability once Brexit gets implemented. This can have a negative impact on the country’s economy. In addition, the price of oil may increase further in the near future due to global economic unrest. At the same time, there are possibilities of job losses in the readymade garment sector due to technological changes, which may put the national economy at further risk.

But although the ongoing US-China trade war may have some negative impact on the economy, the country can benefit from this trade war by taking appropriate initiatives. Increased diversification of export items can increase Bangladesh’s share in the global trade. At the same time, the country needs to tap into the increased domestic demand to continue the growth momentum.

Compared to warp knitting machines, circular knitting machines create shoe upper material that offers better breathability, more design possibilities and less waste. Even when used for more casual physical activity, athletic shoes must be designed in a way that keeps feet cool and dry. Because of this, the vast majority of shoe upper material is made using spacer fabric. This is an incredibly breathable fabric that is highly adept at dissipating heat and moisture, due to a 3D structure that interconnects two pieces of textile with yarn in a way that induces airflow.

Unlike its toxic, laminated-layer foam predecessor, spacer fabric is made using a single, synthetic fiber-type fabric. This not only enables shoe uppers to be easily up-cycled at the end of their life, but also reduces the cost of processing while simultaneously making shoes more lightweight.

In recent years, there has been a palpable global trend towards athletic footwear, and the shoe upper manufacturing industry has responded accordingly. However, most space fabric manufacturing has been limited to production on warp knitting machines. While warp knitting machines are 8-9 times more productive than circular knitting machines, they offer several distinct disadvantages and present a clear barrier to entry for anyone looking to carve out a piece of the athletic footwear market or for manufacturers who operate on a smaller scale.

Higher performing spacer fabric

Spacer fabric performs extremely well in terms of breathability. The reason for this lies in its sandwich-like structure that combines two textile substrates with interconnected monofilament yarn. The hollow structure creates a ventilation effect that increases airflow, while the thick fabric adds an extra layer of comfort.

Until relatively recently, the majority of spacer fabric was produced on warp knitting machines. While more efficient in terms of production value, the spacer fabric produced on a warp knitting machine tends to be rather stiff and sturdy, lacking an element of comfort that is essential for athletic shoe wearers. In contrast, circular knitting machines produce a spacer fabric that is much softer and more flexible, offering a snug, almost sock-like fit, while also providing comprehensive foot protection and abrasion resistance.

More design possibilities

Unlike warp knitting machines that can only knit different colored patterns by changing the beams – a process that requires several hours – circular knitting machines can easily match various yarns and knits to produce different textures and patterns. As such, manufacturers can quickly and easily satiate market demand for more shoe design options.

There are several benefits to being able to execute different design possibilities on a single machine. First of all, manufacturers are able to produce certain styles on a smaller scale. Not only is this essential for first-time shoe upper manufacturers, but is also ideal for those who want to test a certain style on a smaller scale before ramping up production.

Second, the circular knitting machine eliminates the labor- and time-intensive post-production dyeing step, allowing manufacturers to streamline production and cut costs.

While warp knitting machines cost around $500,000, the average cost of a circular knitting machines is just $180,000. Established shoemakers can more easily transition into knitting spacer fabrics by investing in circular knitting machines to either replace or complement any existing warp knitting machines.

For those who want to produce shoes on a smaller scale – for example, apparel manufacturers looking to expand further into footwear or new entrants to the industry – the substantial cost of a warp knitting machine may be dissuasive enough to avoid making the investment. By investing in the relatively more affordable circular knitting machine instead, manufacturers are able to more easily transition into shoe upper manufacturing without sacrificing a hefty sum.

More sustainable

Warp knitting machines produce large stretches of fabric at a time, which means the fabric still needs to be cut and sewn after production. This process is not only time consuming, but also generates a significant amount of waste – as much as 25%, according to some estimates. In comparison, circular knitting machines only waste approximately 10% of the original fabric.

Furthermore, as companies around the world are scrambling to improve their sustainability scores, transitioning to less energy-intensive circular machines is one way to reduce electricity consumption – not only helping to improve corporate image, but also presenting attractive savings possibilities on manufacturers’ utility bills.

The future of spacer fabrics

While spacer fabric all but dominates the industry in terms of breathability, knitting specialists continue to explore new ways to make spacer fabric even more breathable. A recent innovation in circular knitting technology enables spacer fabrics with fully perforated holes, further increasing airflow, to produce the world’s most breathable shoe upper material. In comparison, warp knitting machines are currently only able to produce spacer fabric with blind holes. As the spacer fabric technology continues to develop, this new innovation will help initiate even more possibilities for the future of footwear.

Pailung Products and Solutions

Pailung, one of the world’s largest knitting machinery companies, is the sole manufacturer of circular knitting machines that produce spacers with knitted eyelets. The knitted eyelet is breaking through the spacer fabric bottleneck to create the world’s most breathable shoe upper material. ShupperKnit circular knitting machines can knit spacers up to 6 mm thick.

While circular knitting machines generally create fabrics with enhanced breathability, the addition of knitted eyelets further increases airflow for an even more comfortable wearing experience. This new technology allows shoemakers to increase breathability, while incorporating all the benefits of circular knitting technology – lower initial cost, less environmental impact, and more design possibilities – into spacer shoe uppers.

Moreover, with an exclusive conversion kit, double-sided fabrics can also be knitted using the same machine without making any other changes to the knitting machine – offering a future-proof solution and further increasing application possibilities.

Zünd UK returns to Sign & Digital UK with a showcase of its precision cutting systems. © Zünd UK

Zünd UK will once again return to Sign & Digital UK from 2-4 April in Birmingham with a showcase of its precision cutting solutions. Built in Switzerland, every Zünd cutting machine is modular and can be retrofitted with new modules, tools and software at any time – enabling customers to future-proof their investment.

“We're delighted to return to Sign & Digital UK to once again demonstrate the versatility of our products and the future-proofed nature of Zünd technology. Along with their robust build, the innovation of Zünd digital cutting tables lies in their modular construction, which allows users to install the exact machine they need at the time of purchase and to make alterations later to accommodate the changing requirements of their business,” commented Nicki Kay, Managing Director of Zünd UK.

“We look forward to meeting with current and potential customers at Sign & Digital and discussing how Zünd's innovative technology can help them explore new and complementary markets.”

Zünd UK will demonstrate two different Zünd cutters at the show. © Zünd UK

Sign and Digital UK is a must-visit event for all professionals in the signage, display and graphics sector. At the show, Zünd UK will demonstrate two different Zünd cutters: the 3.2m x 3.2m Zünd G3 3XL3200 and the more compact Zünd S3 L1200, which has a working area of 1.8m x 1.2m. The machines will be configured to highlight the flexibility of Zünd's solutions.

The Zünd G3 can process a wide variety of roll media such as textiles, vinyls, banners as well as rigid media including acrylic, MDF, ACM and expanded PVC. Designed for high volume production, this large-format cutting system is uniquely qualified for industrial use and multi-shift, 24/7 operation.

The company will also be demonstrating a Zünd S3 L1200 machine, configured for the cutting and creasing of carton and corrugated sheets, as well as roll media such as vinyl. The cutter will be fitted with a robotic arm to show its productivity and accuracy in automatically picking cut parts off the machine bed, accelerating processes for a range of applications within the sign industry and freeing up operators’ time to work on other tasks.