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"Textile experts unanimously believe growth will be driven by technical textiles with its widespread applications. Technical textiles used in the highly-specialised aerospace industry are now being tried for consumer applications. To bring this to the world, Messe Frankfurt is partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (GAC) to showcase highly-specialised textiles under its ‘Living in Space’ theme. And as Olaf Schmidt, VP– textiles and textile technologies, Messe Frankfurt, says, technical textiles will aid in future development of space travel and human habitation of nearby planets. Messe Frankfurt is the organizer of the twin Techtextil/Texprocess 2017 fairs in Frankfurt."
Textile experts unanimously believe growth will be driven by technical textiles with its widespread applications. Technical textiles used in the highly-specialised aerospace industry are now being tried for consumer applications. To bring this to the world, Messe Frankfurt is partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (GAC) to showcase highly-specialised textiles under its ‘Living in Space’ theme. And as Olaf Schmidt, VP– textiles and textile technologies, Messe Frankfurt, says, technical textiles will aid in future development of space travel and human habitation of nearby planets. Messe Frankfurt is the organizer of the twin Techtextil/Texprocess 2017 fairs in Frankfurt.
Digitalization is key
It’s the right time to harness the potential of digitalization in textile manufacturing. Michael Jaenecke, Messe Frankfurt, Director of brand management technical textiles and textile processing, points out digitalization has become a buzzword in the apparel industry, with new tools allowing data to flow seamlessly from digital design and development all the way through the supply chain to help garment manufacturers cut costs, improve quality, increase productivity, speed time to market, reduce waste and stay competitive.
Christian Kaiser, a researcher/scientist at the Denkendorf-based German Institute of Textile and Fibre Research, believes digital small factory is the emerging model concept for SMEs. Micro factories typically are about 300 to 400 sq. mt. in size. The micro factory deploys ‘smart machines,’ which perform cutting, sewing, welding, etc. Adidas used these machines for sports shirts. Calling it ‘smart designing’, Kaiser says the machines designed as per our R&D enable savings can cost from €300,000 to €400,000, this being the smallest version of the micro factory. These machines are already available in North America. The Chinese, Swiss, Japanese and Germans are making such machines.
Growing popularity of organic
Big companies like Trevira, Perlon, Polisiik, PHP Fibers, China’s Glory Tang Group, etc, have been producing improved versions of thermoplastic polymers derived from lactic acid. Germany's Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University has developed bio-based PLA-fibre blends whose mechanical properties result in lower shrinkage and greater tensile strength compared to the regular PLA. Flame and heat-resistant fibers are also finding space with small companies foraying in this market. Pyrotex Fibers, a small German company, has a patented Pyrotex-engineered acrylic-fiber.
Gerber technology
Visitors at the show were attracted towards Gerber Technology. Peter Morrissey, Senior VP (global sales and services) at Gerber Technology, says the YuniquePLM System enables the customers to easily install and automatically update features through the Adobe Add-Ons Marketplace. As a result, the designers can devote their time to designing new garment pieces. Gerber has also developed the latest Design Suite Plugin, which enhances the efficiency of the operations. Gerber’s Innovative Apparel Show at the Texprocess fair showcased designs created by fashion and design school students of design and fashion schools.
Stäubli’s innovative streak
Swiss company Stäubli offered machinery dedicated to production of technical textiles. Fritz Legler, a senior executive with the company informed weavers who count on Stäubli’s high-performance machinery benefit from features like high reliability and flexibility will be able to take the lead on the market of technical textiles with innovative and creative products for countless applications. The company displayed technical fabrics including spacers and multilayers with variable thickness that have been produced in conjunction with Stäubli products, such as TF weaving systems, dobbies, Jacquard machines, warp drawing-in, or tying equipment.
Stäubli’s Magma T12 warp tying machine has been developed for technical yarn ties monofilaments, coarse multi-filaments, PP ribbons, bast fibres, coarse staple fibres, and many other fibre types. It has been developed for universal application ranging from coarse technical yarns to medium yarn-count range. Its rigid design includes an optical double-end detection system.
The UNIVAL 100 single-end control Jacquard machine offers more benefits for sophisticated technical textiles, such as automotive and aeronautic textiles, technical textiles in the sports, industrial, medical sectors and new fabric constructions, even with glass fibre, carbon and Kevlar. Its new TF weaving system is designed to offer virtually unlimited weaving possibilities, whether for flat, spacer or complex multi-layer fabrics and 3D fabrics.
Jammu and Kashmir is promoting its textile sector especially silk and wool. A silk factory is being upgraded by replacing 44 looms, commissioning of finishing plant, boiler and other machinery.
On completion of the project, silk production at the factory is projected to increase from the current 50,000 meters to five lakh meters annually, taking the total silk production of the state from 2.80 lakh hectares to 6.80 lakh meters a year. The addition of four lakh meters will be of high-end fabric, which will increase the value from Rs 5 crores to Rs 32 crores.
The modernization project is also expected to benefit some 20,000 cocoon growers and other ancillary workers in the Kashmir valley. Most of the cocoon produced locally would be bought here, thereby stabilizing cocoon prices and also raising the demand for more cocoon production in the state.
A woolen mill is also being upgraded with the installation of a high-speed plant, a carding machine, a boiler and rapier looms. With this, wool production in the state is projected to increase from five lakh meters to nine lakh meters a year, with an increase in the value of the high-end fabric from Rs 2.50 crores to Rs 34 crores.
For the second quarter of fiscal 2018 US chain stores Walmart’s total revenue rose 2.1 per cent. Comparative sales also increased 1.8 per cent with a traffic growth of 1.3 per cent, marking the 12th consecutive quarter with positive comparable sales.
Nine of 11 markets posted positive comparable sales. For the reported period, there was a decline of one per cent in net sales at Walmart International. Excluding currency, net sales increased 2.5 per cent.
E-commerce growth at Walmart US remained strong in the second quarter of 2018, with 67 per cent rise in online gross merchandise value for the period. The organic growth was led through Walmart.com. Net sales stood at 60 per cent, as customers continued to respond well to new initiatives and an expanded assortment of more than 67 million stock keeping units.
Customers responded to the improvements in stores and online. Traffic increases at the store level and the e-commerce growth rate were the key highlights. The company is moving faster and becoming more creative as it strives to make every day easier for busy families.
For the period, the American retailer recorded GAAP EPS of $0.96 and adjusted EPS of $1.08. Second quarter EPS included a charge of $0.17 for loss on extinguishment of debt in connection with the company's recently completed debt tender offers.
Tirupur’s textile industry has set a target of exports worth Rs 40,000 crores this year. The industry had to face a series of downs due to: Brexit, demonetisation and GST. In fact, GST has hit all industries hard. In the case of textiles, there were anomalies, especially the 18 per cent tax levied on job work. This was later reduced to five per cent and brought on par with other jobs like dyeing and compacting. Otherwise, the survival of the industry, especially knitwear, would have been a question mark.
Since knitwear industry has to handle cash every week for disbursing wages, operations were hit after demonetisation. But soon Tirupur bounced back following other modes of transaction. The industry fell Rs 4,000 crores short of its target Rs 30,000 crores. But the prime reason was Brexit because the international value of the pound fell by 25 per cent.
Half of the knitwear exports from India are contributed by Tirupur. But in the last five years, domestic business has grown five times faster than exports. This has happened because of a huge rise in demand for dresses. The average Indian changes clothes four times a day.
Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) is being held from August 21 to 23, 2017. There are more than 300 exhibitors from over 20 countries. The exhibition has brought to Canada hundreds of apparel and textile manufacturers from around the world, including China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the US, the UK, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and more.
Through an impressive platform of seminars and sessions at the exhibition, attendees can make global industry connections, and gain the insights needed to navigate the international sourcing process. Featuring a wide range of Canadia-made products soon to be launched in the Canadian market as well as products from Chinese and other international manufacturers, the showcase include latest innovations by industry leaders.
Among the products on display are self-heating winter coats and boot insoles, T-shirts that monitor a person’s heart and breathing, leg bands that measure muscle performance and help prevent injuries, LED-backlit apparel and socks that improve balance.
The show is an unprecedented opportunity for Canadian importers, manufacturers, retailers, designers and small businesses to get a first-hand look at the global fashions, fabrics and textures that consumers will be after in the coming year. ATSC debuted in 2016 with more than 200 booths of merchandise and in excess of 1,800 attendees.
From January to May 2017 Japan saw a 1.98 per cent rise in its import volume. The value of imports fell by 0.54 per cent. During the first five months, both knitted and woven categories recorded a rise in volume terms (2.19 per cent and 1.38 per cent) and a decline in value terms (0.97 per cent and 0.15 per cent) respectively.
China, Vietnam and Bangladesh were the top apparel exporters to Japan among Asian countries. Volume-wise apparel exports from China and Vietnam were up by 0.36 per cent and 12.65 per cent, respectively, whereas Bangladesh’s garment exports dipped 3.95 per cent on a year-on-year basis.
However, in terms of value, China and Bangladesh felt the heat as both countries got lesser prices on exported apparels’ when compared to the corresponding period of last year. The value of China’s apparel exports plunged 2.46 per cent while Bangladesh saw a drop of 5.16 per cent. On the other hand, Vietnam saw an impressive value-wise rise in exports by 10.15 per cent. The year 2017 is projected to remain progressive for Japan as far as clothing demand is concerned.
Texworld Apparel Sourcing will be held in France from September 18 to 21, 2017. This is one of the world’s leading fabrics and apparel exhibitions. Texworld Apparel Sourcing is France’s biggest apparel sourcing fair. It has pavilions for countries like Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, China, Ethiopia, among a host of others.
No other fair provides this wide a choice. Purchasers and visitors will be arriving from UK and the European Union countries. Texworld features international manufacturers specialising in fabrics, trimmings and accessories. Over 100 exhibitors will be coming to Texworld to attend the show for the very first time.
There will be a new segment in this edition, Texworld Denim. It will assemble 80 textile and clothing exhibitors who are experts in denim. Planned around a concept for stands that are easier to view and are variable in size, this new segment will have a new trends forum and a social village enlivened by a diverse program of meetings and presentations.
A series of lectures about latest developments in the sector, news from exhibitors, catwalk shows and the trends forum go to make up a varied and imaginative program. Over 1530 exhibitors from 110 countries took part in the exhibition in 2016. The range of sourcing countries included UK, France, Turkey, Spain, Italy and Germany.
Over the last four years, raw silk production in India has increased but we are yet to become self-sufficient on account of growing demand for silk products. Raw silk production saw an increase of 30,348 tonnes during 2016-17 from 28,523 tonnes as compared to 2016 previous after a marginal slump in production during 2015-16.
The country continues to import no less than 6,000 tonnes of silk every year from China while the government’s ambition to become self-supporting in production remains unfulfilled. Central Silk Board (CSB) chairman K M Hanumantharayappa says demand (for silk) continues to grow every year.
The demand for silk products particularly saris and readymade garments are also increasing. Due to promotion of sericulture in the country, a number of organised players had set up modern silk goods production units. Till a few years ago, most weavers preferred Chinese silk for its superior quality and would use imported silk along with indigenous silk. In terms of quality there is no need of imported silk in terms of quality. Production of bivoltine silk has increased in recent times to constitute 25 per cent of the mulberry silk variety produced in India. According to the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSR&TI) Bivoltine silk is as good if not better than imported silk.
The difference between imported and indigenous silk was not much even after decrease in import duty. As per the (CSR&TI) if imported silk is available to weavers for Rs 3,500 a kg, indigenous silk is available for Rs 3,200.
Caprolactam (CPL) supply in China increased rapidly as the average operation rate of CPL plants rebounded to a high level. CPL and nylon 6 CS chip markets began to dip from August 10. Nylon 6 HS chip and nylon 6 filament markets did not follow the downtrend, but prices are bound to decline later as downstream purchases reduce.
The average operation rate of CPL plants rebounded from 58 per cent to 70 per cent rapidly by end-July. Shandong Haili and Lubao’s units also restarted in August. Meanwhile, Nanjing Fibrant, Tianchen Yaolong and Risun’s units also recovered running at full capacity or at 90 per cent. As a result, the average operation rate increased to 84 per cent.
Besides, with expectations of a bearish market, downstream plants would only lower and not increase operation rates. Therefore, CPL supply may be in surplus while demand would stay weak, which is bound to suppress CPL prices.
Nylon 6 textile filament plants are behaving more cautiously at present. As a whole, CPL supply is large while downstream demand is weak, so nylon markets would keep slipping up short. But the turning point may come when downstream demand rebounds in the traditional peak season and feedstock prices reach the bottom line.
The Chinese polyester market strongly pushed up in July, a typical slack season, which triggered downstream rejection. Meanwhile, scorching weather slowed down momentum. End-user demand seems strong but strength has weakened from July levels. This round of stock build-up by end-users is on the premise of low-pricing plus the spur of possible stricter environmental regulation.
Purchasing strength is restrained, reflecting a downstream cautious mood.
However, environmental protection issue has created a big uncertainty in the market. In the knitting and weaving sector, water jet looms that generate more pollution may get impacted. Shaoxing is a major region but affected looms are limited since the region mainly focuses on circular knitting. As for printing and dyeing, Shaoxing has been rectified intensively during G20 last year, which looks quite effective.
The polyester sales ratio continued to be low in early August, putting producers under stock pressure. Plants then cut price to promote sales, but downstream has not budged. In all, the polyester market in August has revived somewhat from end-July. Initially the market is likely to fluctuate, but environmental regulation as a big uncertainty plus the psychological effect may interact and give the market a chance to rebound around September.
