Textile-Apparels-Fashions-Textile Machinery-Dyestuffs & Chemicals. Publishers: Parvathi TVR Chandran Publications December

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1 Transforming India s Textile & Apparel Industry Textile-Apparels-Fashions-Textile Machinery-Dyestuffs & Chemicals Publishers: Parvathi TVR Chandran Publications December Lenzing Modal Fibers is a Permanent Feature in International Collections in Fashion Industry Opens State-of-the art application Innovation Centre in Hong Kong Lenzing/E.Grebe Modal Gina Tricot Successful in figure-hugging products such as day and night wear and home wear Well suited to baby and children s clothing, a future market for Lenzing Modal Fibers Expanding offering of speciality fibers to be closer to customers and business partners Gina Tricot

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3 In Memory Of Mr. TVR Chandran & Mrs. Parvathi TVR Chandran Publishers: Parvathi TVR Chandran Publications Textile India Transforming India s Textile & Apparel Industry Textiles - Apparel - Fashion - Synthetic Fibres & Filament Yarns - Textile Machinery & Technologies - Accessories & Components - Dyestuffs & Chemicals Editor Publisher: Viswanath Chandran Vicha Managing Editor: Raju Chandran Printed At: Supressa Graphics Pvt. Ltd. Registered Office: Textile India Asheervad Ground Floor, 3/49 Sion, Road No. 2, Scheme No. 6, East, Mumbai , India. Tel: , , textileindia@vsnl.com Published by Viswanath Chandran Vicha for and on behalf of Parvathi TVR Chandran Publications at Asheerwad Ground Floor, 3/49 Sion, Road No. 2, Scheme No. 6, Sion East, Mumbai and printed by him at M/s Supressa Graphics Pvt. Ltd., 258/259, A to Z Industrial Estate, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai , Maharashtra. Editor: Viswanath Chandran Vicha Managing Editor: Raju Chandran Textile India is Registered with Registrar of Newspapers, Government of India, New Delhi, under Registration No 43692/82. Textile India We have received a communication from Government of India, Ministry of Textiles dated 24th November, 2017, stating that: We are grateful for your suggestions on Textile Policy. We are seized of the issues facing the Textile Industry and are pursuing the same at the appropriate levels. Textile India is preparing its Pre- Budget Memorandum to Government of India. Textile businessmen are invited to let us have their ideas and suggestions. This would help us incorporate the same, while we make our recommendations to Government of India. We have been asked by Government of India to submit our ideas and recommendations. Our Vision is to serve the country to attain US$350 billion textile output and create 35 million jobs by 2025, as against current textile output of US$150 billion. Textile India takes great pleasure in profiling Lenzing of Austria, the largest viscose staple fibre manufacture in the world. Lenzing Modal Fibres is a permanent feature in international collections in Fashion Industry. The company has recently opened its State-of-the-art Application Innovation Center in Hong Kong. Lenzing has been highly successful in its figure-hugging products, such as day and night wear and home wear. Lenzing Modal Fibres is well suited to baby and children s clothing. The company is further expanding its offering of speciality fibers, to be closer to customers and business partners. Lenzing Group attained a revenue of EUR 2.3 billion in calendar year 2016, with fiber sales volume of 978,000 metric tonnes. The Lenzing Group employs 6,218 persons. The Lenzing Group generated a substantial increase in revenue and earnings in the first nine months of 2017, compared to the prior-year period. The company is continuing implementation of its Group strategy Core TEN in order to further expand the offering of speciality fibers and be even closer to its customers and business partners. Textile India is pleased to cover Q2FY18 performance of Indo Count Industries Ltd, Himatsingka Seide Ltd., Trident Ltd., Welspun India Ltd. and Grasim Industries Ltd. Mr B.K. Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group, said We have increased our focus on branding initiatives with new teams across geographies. Our new campaign for Spaces and Christy have been well received. We believe our unwavering focus on innovation, branding and sustainability will strengthen the company s leadership position. Mr Anil Kumar Jain, Executive Chairman, Indo Count Industries Ltd, commenting on the performance stated We faced headwinds in the last few quarters but now we are witnessing improving trend. Our Q-o-Q performance has reaffirmed the same. Mr Shrikant Himatsingka, Managing Director, Himatsingka Seide Ltd said We have had a robust operating performance for Q2FY18 and H1FY18. Looking forward, we endeavour to enhance revenues from brands, sweat manufacturing capacities and cement our vertical integrated model with bringing on stream our new Spinning facility by end of Q3FY18. Mr Rajinder Gupta, Chairman of Trident said Last quarter was a stress test for our company with challenges seen from product pricing in textiles to adverse impact of GST in the domestic market. Inspite of these, the company demonstrated high resilience by having increased capacity utilisation in the Bed segment, generating industry leading margins in the paper business, improving cash flows and following prudent capital allocation policy by reducing debt. Viswanath Chandran Vicha Letter From Publisher December

4 Transforming India s Textile & Apparel Industry Textiles - Apparel - Fashion - Synthetic Fibres & Filament Yarns - Textile Machinery & Technologies - Accessories & Components - Dyestuffs & Chemicals Committed to Values And Excellence Textile India Mission for Transforming India s Textile and Apparel Industry to Attain US$350 billion output and create 35 million jobs by 2025 Textile India is dedicated to taking up the cause of Indian textile and apparel industry with Government of India, with the objective of realising its Vision of attaining US$350 billion textile and apparel output and creating 35 million jobs by The journal is published bi-monthly in months of January, February, April, June, August, October and December, every year. In response to numerous recommendations made by Textile India, to Honourable Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and Secretaries of Government of India, the Government stepped in to provide a boost to ready-made garments and made-ups to help manufacturers to tide over the adverse impact of GST and provide a thrust to shipments of these two major segments of the textile sector. We have received a communication from Government of India, Ministry of Textiles dated 24th November, 2017, stating that: We are grateful for your suggestions on Textile Policy. We are seized of the issues facing the Textile Industry and are pursuing the same at the appropriate levels. On 24th November, 2017, Government of India doubled incentive under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) to 4%, while refund of state levies will be increased to 1.6% soon, compared to 0.9% presently. The benefits had been reduced after GST was rolled out and exporters have been bitterly complaining about massive job losses and closure of units due to loss of competitiveness. With the restoration of these benefits, exporters can hope to compete more favourably with Vietnam, Bangladesh and others from which global buyers source products. Textile India is preparing its Pre-Budget Memorandum to Government of India. Textile businessmen are invited to let us have their ideas and suggestions. This would help us incorporate the same, while we make our recommendations to Government of India. We have been asked by Government of India to submit our ideas and recommendations. Our Vision is to serve the country to attain US$350 billion textile output and create 35 million jobs by 2025, as against current textile output of US$150 billion. Textile India is grateful to Honourable Prime Minister of India, Union Finance Minister, Union Textile Minister, Union Commerce Minister, Secretaries of all Ministries and their entire team, for giving us an opportunity and involving us, right from the beginning in the consultation and discussion process with regard to the Strategies and Policies for Growth of Indian Textile Industry. We are committed to fulfilling our Vision to attain US$ 350 billion textile output and create 35 million jobs by Editorial Textile India CONTENTS Textile India Grateful to Government of India for accepting our Recommendations to double Incentive under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme to 4% from 2% Company News Himatsingka Q2 FY18 Income Increases by 12.11% and EBITDA by 19.1%... 6 Special Feature Lenzing Modal Fibres a Permanent Feature in International Collections in Fashion Industry... 7 The fashion industry requires more transparency - The answer is Lenzing EcoVero the new standard in eco-responsible viscose... 8 Lenzing Group with substantial earnings increase in the first nine months of Lenzing Invests in Thailand...12 Textiles News Indo Count Industries Ltd registers growth inspite of demand slackness Welspun India Ltd Our Focus on Innovation, Branding and Sustainability will strengthen Company s leadership position B.K. Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group Trident Ltd registers Volume growth of 23% with Sales growth of 30% Q-o-Q...20 Grasim Industries Ltd Q2FY18 Net Revenue Up by 63 per cent: EBITDA up by 34 per cent Rieter s - A 12 UNIfloc The Art of Modern Automatic Bale Opening Karl Mayer s - Speed up production of TongDe Knitting...26 Karl Mayer s - The wheels of fashion keep on turning...27 Karl Mayer s - Onwards and upwards...28 Karl Mayer s Webshop Spare Parts continues to be a talking point...29 Karl Mayer s RDS 11 - Securely packaged Karl Mayer s - The fabric makes a sofa...32 Karl Mayer s - A terry warp knitting machine writing headlines...33 Karl Mayer s - Using large sectional warp beams to produce warp-knitted cotton terry towels efficiently...34 Specialty Chemiclas for Denim Triblend Uster - Total Contamination Control helps Texhong Group to be recognized in a new market...38 Uster Technology Ltd...40 USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD removes contamination and minimizes waste quality critical for spunlace nonwovens...42 Colombiatex 2018: Italian Textile Machinery Sector Marks Significant Presence...43 Italian Textile Machinery: Positive Trend Continues Through Third Quarter...44 Huber s Solar Sludge Dryer GOTS Pre - Conference to IFOAM Organic World, Congress - Hot Spots on Social Compliance VMT Spinning Company Installed JetSpray Humidification System...50 Truetzschler Technology in India German Technology Successfully Met US and Mexican Textiles and Nonwovens...54 The Editor is in no way responsible for the views expressed by the Authors and for the authencity of write-ups of products published in this issue. The articles, news items, editorials published in this Issue are meant for information purposes only and thus cannot be considered as soliciting and offer for sale or purchase of textiles, textile machineries, dyestuffs and chemicals or any other products. No material should be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor. 2 December 2017

5 The right parts, right when you need them Preventive Maintenance Packages Preventive Maintenance Packages are bundles of parts offered for use in overhauls of Rieter machines. Recommended for machines which have been running for a specific period of time, they ensure maximum uptime and offer the best original quality at considerable low costs. The Comfort of Competence

6 EDITORIAL Textile India Grateful to Government of India for accepting our Recommendations to double Incentive under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme to 4% from 2% In response to numerous recommendations from Textile India, to Honourable Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and Secretaries of Government of India, the Government stepped in to provide a boost to readymade garments and made-ups to help manufacturers to tide over the adverse impact of GST and provide a thrust to shipments of these two major segments of the textile sector. On 24th November, 2017, Government of India doubled incentive under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) to 4%, while refund of state levies will be increased to 1.6% soon, compared to 0.9% presently. The benefits had been reduced after GST was rolled out and exporters have been bitterly complaining about massive job losses and closure of units due to loss of competitiveness. With the restoration of these benefits, exporters can hope to compete more favourably with Vietnam, Bangladesh and others from which global buyer s source products. India s exports of readymade garments had declined nearly 40% to US$829 million in October. The move on MEIS is expected to cost the exchequer around Rs 1,200 crore, during the current financial year and Rs 700 crore in FY This measure will incentivise the exports of labour incentivise sectors of ready-made garments and made-ups and contribute to employment generation, stated Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. Under MEIS, the Ministry of Commerce offers duty benefit of between 2 and 5 per cent, depending upon the product and country. Mr Raju Chandran, Managing Editor, Textile India is grateful to Honourable Prime Minister, Union Finance Minister, Union Textile Minister and Union Commerce Minister and the entire team in different Ministries Government of India, for accepting most of the recommendations made by Textile India, in the last three years, with the objective of growth of textile industry. We have received a communication from Government of India, Ministry of Textiles dated 24th November, 2017, stating that: We are grateful for your suggestions on Textile Policy. We are seized of the issues facing the Textile Industry and are pursuing the same at the appropriate levels. Our Mission is to continue to work with Government of India and Indian textile industry, by periodically recommending Strategies and Policies for Growth of Indian Textile and Apparel Industry. Mr Raju Chandran, has recommended to Government of India, that we must have a long-term policy, for growth of Indian Textile and Apparel Industry. India has more than 1,000 textile mills Mr Raju Chandran - Managing Editor and is a major exporter of spun yarn, cotton yarn and man made fibres and filament yarns. Indian Textile Industry has Tremendous Growth Potential The Indian textile and clothing industry has tremendous potential for growth from the current level of US$150 billion output per annum, to US$350 billion output per annum and create 35 million jobs, by the year India s textile export market size is today US$40 billion and domestic market size US$110 billion. India is facing severe competition from other countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. India continues to be one of the largest markets of textiles in terms of domestic demand, because of growing population. This a big hope and textile industry should take advantage of consumerism and 4 December 2017

7 the increasing incomes of Indian consumers. Need to Improve Downstream Value Added Opportunities India has attained a mark in production of raw cotton and synthetic fibres and filament yarns, but has yet to realise the downstream value-added opportunities both for exports and domestic market. More brands need to be created in consumer product categories, making them aspirational for Indian consumers. For example, India is exporting US$9 billion worth of cotton yarn, spun yarn and polyester filament yarn and if these products were to be converted into value added products, India could export US$90 billion worth of finished textile products. We need a strategic policy and its quick implementation, for us to realise this value added opportunities in the global market. Declining Global Textile Demand India s Foreign Trade Policy , should be made encouraging, making India s export competitiveness attractive. China s excess capacity in synthetic fibres, filament yarns and garments, will lead to high imports into India. Strategic Policy Implementation for attaining US$350 billion Textile Output Textile India India can attain US$350 billion textile and clothing output. India is blessed with abundant quantity of textile raw materials, such as raw cotton and synthetic fibres and filament yarns. However, with limited growth opportunities in cotton, most of the growth is expected to come to come from synthetic fibres and filament yarns. The scale of production and efficiency needs to be improved. Cotton yarn, synthetic fibres and filament yarns sector, should look more for value-added opportunities, where there is adequate profitability, and not just capture market for commodity products. Commodity products are not going to give adequate profitability to the industry and that is not going to help in the investment process. Need to Set up Integrated Textile Parks In the light of cotton yarns, spun yarns, synthetic fibres and filament yarns products tremendous export opportunities for value added products, it is necessary to set up Integrated Textile Parks, near the Sea Coast, with a view to having fully integrated textile mills, comprising of spinning, weaving, processing, knitting, printing, dyeing and finishing and finally garmenting. Although, this involves large investments, this is essential, if India has to mature into producing higher-value added products, thus getting out of the commodity products like fibres and yarns. India has already lost enough opportunities in the global market and we should attempt to reverse this situation, through appropriate policies and its quick implementation. Recommendations for Implementation 1. GST rate on all categories of textiles namely, cotton yarn of all categories, synthetic fibres of all categories, filament yarns of all categories should be the lowest, to avoid cost escalation at fabric stage and increase consumption. 2. Attractive Foreign Trade Policy for , to improve export competitiveness. 3. Duty drawback rates for all textiles, namely, cotton yarn, synthetic fibres, filament yarns, of all categories should be increased to increase our export competitiveness. 4. Setting up Integrated Textile Parks near Sea Cost to realise value added opportunities in all categories of cotton yarn and synthetic fibres and filament yarns, consumed by handloom, power loom and organized mill sector. 5. Liberal FDI in Textile Value Chain to be allowed 6. Special manufacturing zones for textile machineries and accessories should be set up Our recommendations are made for the overall growth of Indian textile and clothing industry, covering all categories. We are grateful to Honourable Prime Minister, Honourable Textile Minister, Secretary, Revenue, Government of India and Secretary, Textiles, Government of India, for inviting our Ideas and Recommendations, for revival and rapid growth of Indian textile and clothing industry. We are committed to serving the Government of India, with the objective of attaining US$ 350 billion textile and clothing output and creating 35 million jobs by December

8 Himatsingka Q2 FY18 Income Increases by 12.11% and EBITDA by 19.1% Company to commence vertical integrated model with new Spinning Facility to commence in Q3 FY18 Himatsingka Group is a vertically integrated home textile major, with a global footprint. The Group focuses on the manufacture, retail and distribution of Home Textile products. On the manufacturing front, the Group operates amongst the largest capacities in the world for bed linen products, upholstery & drapery fabrics and Ultra-fine cotton yarn. Spread across Asia, Europe and North America, Himatsingka s retail and wholesale distribution divisions carry some of the most prestigious brands in the Home Textile space and cater to Private Label programs of major retailers across these geographies. With over 5,000 people, the Group continues to expand its reach and build capacities in the Home Textile space. Commenting on the Company s performance, Mr Shrikant Himatsingka, Managing Director & CEO said: We have had a robust operating performance for Q2 and H1 FY18. Looking forward, we endeavour to enhance revenues from brands, sweat L to R: Mr Shrikant Himatsingka Managing Director & CEO, Mr Dinesh Himatsingka Chairman, Himatsingka Seide Ltd. manufacturing capacities and cement our vertical integrated model with bringing on stream our new Spinning facility by end of Q3FY18. Himatsingka Seide Ltd s consolidated financial highlights for the quarter ended 30th September 2017, is as follows:- Consolidated Total Income for Q2 FY 2018 stood at Rs Crores vs Rs Crores in Q2 FY 2017, an increase of 12.11%. Consolidated EBITDA for Q2 FY 2018 increased 21.6% to Rs Crores vs Rs Crores in Q2 FY EBITDA Margin stood at 19.1% in Q2 FY 2018 vs 17.7% in Q2 FY Consolidated EBIT for Q2 FY 2018 up by 19.1% to Rs Crores vs Rs Crores in Q2 FY Consolidated PBT for Q2 FY 2018 up by 17.3% to Rs Crores vs Rs Crores in Q2 FY Consolidated PAT for Q2 FY 2018 up by 9.7% to Rs Crores vs Rs Crores in Q2 FY Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share (EPS) for Q2 FY 2018 stood at Rs 5.14 vs Rs 4.68 in Q2 FY Consolidate Financial Summary Q2 FY 18 and H1 FY 18 Particulars (in INR crs) Q2 FY18 Q2 FY17 % Change H1 FY18 H1 FY17 % Change Total Income % 1, , % EBITDA % % EBITDA Margin 19.1% 17.6% 20.4% 18.2% EBIT % % EBIT Margin 16.1% 15.2% 17.2% 15.7% PBT % % PBT Margin 11.9% 11.4% 12.7% 11.4% PAT % PAT Margin 8.5% 8.7% 9.1% 9.0% 6 December 2017

9 Cover Feature Lenzing Modal Fibers is a Permanent Feature in International Collections in Fashion Industry Lenzing Continues to Invest in Modal Towards Technological Leadership Lenzing Modal Fibers has been a global success. For fifty years Lenzing Modal Fibers have been a permanent feature in international collections in the fashion industry. Lenzing Modal Fibers are particularly successful in figure-hugging products such as day and night wear and homewear. Certification according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX Class 1, makes the fibers particularly well suited to baby and children s clothing, which could be a future market for Lenzing Modal Fibers. Lenzing Modal branded fibers are an important part in Lenzing fiber portfolio. The fibers specialists stand out with 50 years of experience in Lenzing s fiber portfolio. The fiber specialists stand out with 50 years experience in the production and marketing of the fibers. By adapting the Modal production process, Lenzing is further underscoring its work towards technological leadership. Textile India takes great pleasure in profiling this great Austrian company Lenzing, for the information of its readers. Textile India is privileged and happy in doing this Editorial Cover Feature on this great organization, which would complete 80 years of fiber production in the year The Lenzing Group is a world market leader headquartered in Austria, which operates sites in all the major markets as well as a worldwide network of sales and marketing offices. Lenzing supplies the global textiles and nonwovens industry with high-quality botanic cellulose fibers. Its portfolio ranges from dissolving wood pulp to standard and speciality cellulose fibers. Lenzing s quality and innovative strength set global standards for cellulose fibers. With 79 years of experience in fiber production, the Lenzing Group is the only company in the world which is able to produce significant volumes of of all three cellulose fiber generations from the classic Lenzing Viscose branded fibers to the Lenzing Modal branded fibers and the TENCEL branded lyocell fibers. In 2016 Lenzing introduced the Refibra TM branded lyocell fibers, a product innovation based on recycled cotton scraps. The Lenzing Group s success is based on a consistent customer orientation combined with innovation, technology and quality leadership. Lenzing, a reputed world leader is committed to the principles of sustainable management with very high environmental standards and can underscore this commitment with numerous international sustainability certifications for its business processes as the most sustainable company in the sector. In addition to fibers, which form the core business, the Lenzing Group is also active to a December

10 lesser extent in the fields of engineering and plant construction. The Lenzing Group attained a revenue of EUR 2.3 billion in calendar year 2016, with fiber sales volume of 978,000 metric tonnes. The Lenzing Group employs 6,218 persons. Indian textile and clothing industry has targeted to attain an output of US$350 billion and create 35 million jobs from the current US$150 billion textile and clothing output. India s standalone spinning mills, could focus on producing value added products, by using the appropriate fiber mix, as value added products, provides ten times, value addition, rather than exporting cotton yarn. Specialization is the key element of Lenzing s strategy. The share of speciality fibers at Lenzing is expected to be increased to 50% of turnover by the year Lenzing Modal fibers and the MicroModal branded fibers play an important part in this. According to Lenzing management, the company is and shall continue to be one of the technological leaders in the field of Modal production even after fifty years. We are working continuously on improvements to our processes and have set further benchmark in Modal production with the adaptation of our production steps, explains Mr Robert van de Kerkhof CCO of the Lenzing Group. The advantages of adapting the Modal production process are clear. Customers benefit from the very good processability which makes it easier to produce high-quality yarns. Different climatic zones, which can lead to problems with processing, play a less important role. Even different spinning technologies play a lesser role when processing the new Lenzing Modal fibers. Moreover higher production efficiency could be reached in the spinning mill. A patent has been filed for this new technology making Lenzing Modal fibers universally applicable in the fiber processing industry. Edelweiss fiber technology stands for innovative environmental technology. The Lenzing Modal fibers production is largely on beech wood anmd the fibers are bio-degradable. Thanks to the eco-friendly production at the site in Lenzing with high recovery rates of process ingredients and very low air emissions Lenzing Modal fibers are the Edelweiss fiber technology fibers. Lenzing Modal fibers were awarded the EU Label AT/016/001. Lenzing fibers have an exponential potential in growth, considering its acceptance in the international collections in fashion industry. Indian textile and clothing industry has targeted to attain an output of US$350 billion and create 35 million jobs from the current US$150 billion textile and clothing output. India s standalone spinning mills, could focus on producing value added products, by using the appropriate fiber mix, as value added products, provides ten times, value addition, rather than exporting cotton yarn. The fashion industry requires more transparency - The answer is Lenzing EcoVero the new standard in eco-responsible viscose Lenzing EcoVero TM branded viscose fibers from Lenzing, with its state-of-the-art identification technology, supports eco-responsible fashion retailers and brands to become more transparent, especially with sustainability-minded consumers. Well known retailers are teaming up with Lenzing to advance their sustainability strategies with traceable Lenzing EcoVero fibers. Transparency trending up in the textile industry Society s environmental aware- Lenzing/E.Grebe 8 December 2017

11 ness has been growing steadily over the last decade, especially in the fashion and textile industry. Consumers today expect responsible retailers and brands to know their supply chains and to be able to trace product origins. To meet these increasing consumer demands, the industry is anxiously looking for more sustainable and transparent supply chain solutions. With Lenzing EcoVero fibers, Lenzing launches unique environmentally friendly and traceable viscose fibers. A special manufacturing system enables Lenzing to identify Lenzing EcoVero fibers in the final product, long after the textile processing and conversion steps have been completed. This ability to easily verify the original fibers means that retailers and brands can be sure that they are indeed incorporating Lenzing s ecoresponsible viscose fibers, and not just any generic viscose that might not be in line with their sustainability goals. With this special identification technology for Lenzing EcoVero fibers, Lenzing provides an one-of-its-kind solution for the fashion industry and its supply chain to respond to consumer demands for reliable visibility of product origins that can be traced back to the fiber. Lenzing EcoVero fibers the new benchmark in viscose fibers What makes Lenzing EcoVero fibers so eco-responsible? Lenzing enforces strict Gina Tricot environmental standards during viscose production and has invested millions over the years to achieve eco-resposible production processes. Lenzing s viscose production sites where Lenzing EcoVero fibers are made comply with the stringent guidelines of the EU Ecolabel, a world-leading environmental manufacturing standard. Lenzing is also very transparent regarding raw material sourcing practices. Lenzing EcoVero fibers are made from wood. The wood comes from sustainable forestry plantations that are independently certified by industry-leading associations. Lenzing has a comprehensive wood sourcing policy that goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the most sustainable wood sources are used for viscose production. Lenzing EcoVero TM fibers set a new industry standard in sustainable viscose based on the use of these sustainable wood sources (FSC or PEFC certified) and an ecological production process with significantly lower emissions and water impacts than conventional viscose. Retailers and brands teaming up with Lenzing Leading industry brands and retailers are teaming up with Lenzing and are using Lenzing EcoVero fibers in their collections to improve transparency and traceability, two critical components of a verifiable sustainability strategy that is in line with the demands of today s market. For Gina Tricot, a Scandinavian retailer, Lenzing EcoVero fibers are the solution for viscose fibers. With the viscose fiber EcoVero from Lenzing, we can offer our customers an eco-friendly solution for the viscose segment. We appreciate the high standard in Lenzing s ecofriendly fiber production. Also, supply chain transparency is getting to be for us more and more important as customers want to know which kind of material is used for their garments. With the new identification technology from Lenzing, which is used in EcoVero fibers, we have full December

12 supply chain transparency. Our consumers can be sure that they are buying eco-responsible viscose garments, says Brand Director Anna Appelqvist. Another retailer from Sweden, Lindex consider to take Lenzing EcoVero fibers into their collection. We support Lenzing in their efforts of transitioning towards more sustainable viscose production. EcoVero fibers show concern for the origin of raw material as well as having a reduced environmental impact in the production process. We hope that this initiative will drive the development towards producing more sustainable viscose in the industry, explains Production Sustainability Manager Anna- Karin Dahlberg. Gina Tricot The German brand ARMED- ANGELS Viscose fiber production had been taking the wrong way for long time. We are more than happy to see Lenzing taking now the right step and being a pioneer in the industry by offering the first clean and sustainable viscose fiber made from certified wood in a new and clean process with the highest standards. Allowing brands to identify the use of Lenzing EcoVero fibers in the final product is adding an increased level of trust in the supply chain, thus ensuring full traceability. As a radically responsible fashion brand this is a great match for us and we are excited to be working with Lenzing to include EcoVero in our future product range, CEO Martin Höfeler is convinced. Following yarn and fabric producers offering Lenzing EcoVero fibers Yarn manufacturers Jiangsu Dasheng Group Co. Ltd, China Dezhou Huayuan Eco-Technology Co. Ltd, China Revenue up 9.4 percent to EUR 1,726.6 mn EBITDA improvement of 23.9 percent to EUR mn Retail bond of EUR 120 mn redeemed Lenzing with net liquidity as at end of September State-of-the-art application Botou Jinglun Textile Co. Ltd, China Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn Co. Ltd, China Karsu Textile, Turkey Filasa, Portugal Inovafil - Fiação S.A., Portugal Linz Textil Ges.m.b.H, Austria Riopele Têxteis, S.A., Portugal Textil Santanderina S.A., Spain Fabric producers Tatfung Textile Co. Ltd, China Barutçu Tekstil San. ve Tic. A.Ş., Turkey For more information please contact: Mag. Christina Kreuzwieser, MBA Head of Marketing Communication Europe & Americas Phone: +43 (0) press@lenzing.com Lenzing Group with substantial earnings increase in the first nine months of 2017 innovation center opened in Hong Kong The Lenzing Group generated a substantial increase in revenue and earnings in the first nine months of the 2017 financial year compared to the prior-year period. The company is continuing the implementation of its Group strategy score TEN in order to 10 December 2017

13 further expand the offering of specialty fibers and be even closer to its customers and business partners. Consolidated revenue climbed 9.4 percent year-on-year to EUR 1,726.6 mn. This increase is mainly attributable to higher prices for all three fiber generations. Consolidated earnings before tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 23.9 percent to EUR mn, corresponding to an EBITDA margin of 23 percent, up from 20.3 percent in the prior-year period. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increased by 34.6 percent to EUR mn, resulting in a higher EBIT margin of 17.3 percent (Q : 14 percent). The profit for the period improved by 35.3 percent to EUR mn, and earnings per share rose 36 percent to EUR 8.12 per share. In September Lenzing redeemed the retail bond of EUR 120 mn. At the end of the reporting period the Group had net liquidity of EUR 16.9 mn. In the first three quarters of 2017, we successfully captured value in a very positive market environment and we continue to implement the score TEN strategy with great discipline. The opening of our new application innovation center in Hong Kong is an important step to boost our regional innovation capabilities. We were particularly proud to launch TENCEL TM Luxe as a sign of Lenzing s ongoing commitment to innovation and sustainability, states Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group. After three excellent quarters we are confident to deliver substantially better op- Management board v.l.n.r.: Heiko Arnold (CTO), Stefan Doboczky (CEO), Robert van de Kerkhof (CCO), Thomas Obendrauf (CFO) erating results in 2017 compared to 2016, but at the same time we do expect more headwinds in Focus on customer intimacy In September 2017, the Lenzing Group opened a new application innovation center (AIC) in Hong Kong, thus setting a further milestone in strengthening its innovation offering to all partners along the value chain. New applications for Lenzing fibers will be developed and tested at the new facility, among them applications for recent innovations such as the TENCEL TM Luxe branded lyocell filament, the Refibra TM branded lyocell fiber and the EcoVero TM branded viscose fiber. Furthermore, new sales and marketing offices were opened in Turkey and South Korea in the first half of The direct contact to customers and well-equipped showrooms featuring products made of Lenzing TM fibers serve as the basis for providing even better customer support. Investment program in progress The Lenzing Group aims to increase the share of specialty fibers as a percentage of revenue to 50 percent by Following the capacity expansion initiatives in Heiligenkreuz (Austria) and Mobile, Alabama (USA) which are both underway, Lenzing announced its intention to construct the next plant to produce TEN- CEL fibers in Thailand. A new era of sustainable production In October 2017, the Lenzing Group presented a new product, TENCEL TM Luxe, at an exclusive event held in Paris. The TENCEL TM Luxe branded filament yarn represents Lenzing s entry in the filament market. This fiber will support the Lenzing Group s path towards becoming a true specialty player in the market for botanic materials derived from the sus- December

14 tainable raw material wood. The launch volumes of TENCEL TM Luxe are being produced at the Lenzing site. The basic engineering for a commercial scale plant was commenced. Outlook Demand development on the global fiber market remains positive within the context of a generally friendly macroeconomic environment. Lenzing expects wood-based cellulose fibers to grow at an even higher rate than the overall fiber market. After three excellent quarters, the Lenzing Group will achieve an operating result in 2017 that is significantly better than For 2018, Lenzing sees a number of somewhat opposing factors that limit visibility regarding fiber price developments. Overall market demand is expected to remain high. However, the Group expects a substantial increase on the supply side, especially for viscose but also for cotton. Price trends for selected key raw materials, especially caustic soda, are difficult to predict. Against this background the Lenzing Group expects a much more challenging market environment for standard viscose during the upcoming quarters. The above-mentioned development reassures the Lenzing Group in its chosen corporate strategy score TEN. The Group initiated its transformation from a volume-oriented viscose player to a value-oriented specialty fiber player at the end of 2015, and will continue the disciplined implementation of its business strategy. Key Group indicators (IFRS) in EUR mn 1-9/ /2016 Revenue 1, ,578.4 EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) EBITDA margin in % EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) EBIT margin in % Net profit for the period CAPEX /09/ /12/2016 Adjusted equity ratio in % Number of employees 6,440 6,218 1) Capital expenditures: acquisition of intangible assets, property, plant and equipment as per statement of cash flows. Lenzing Invests in Thailand The Lenzing Group aims to substantially increase its share of specialty fibers as a proportion of total revenue. Following the expansion drive already underway in Lenzing and Heiligenkreuz (both in Austria), Grimsby (Great Britain) and Mobile, Alabama (USA), the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG approved the proposal of the Management Board to build the next state-of-the-art facility to produce lyocell fibers in Thailand. For this purpose, Lenzing is establishing a subsidiary in Thailand and purchasing a commercial property in Industrial Park 304 located in Prachinburi near Bangkok. In the coming months, the required permits and licenses as well as technical planning will be finalized. A definitive decision on constructing the new production plant will be made in the first quarter of Completion is scheduled for the end of The selection of Industrial Park 304 in Prachinburi was based on its excellent overall infrastructure, outstanding expansion opportunities and the sustainable biogenic energy supply. Similar to the plant in Mobile, the planned production facility will be constructed on the basis of the latest state-of-the-art technology and feature a capacity of up to 100,000 tons annually. This site will strengthen the worldwide lyocell network of the Lenzing Group and enable its global customers to source TENCEL branded fibers from Europe, North America and Asia. The planned expansion underscores our commitment to support the business growth of our customers, which will result in their offering even more environmentally friendly products by using TENCEL fibers, the world s most sustainable botanic fibers, says Lenzing CEO Stefan Doboczky. The expansion to Thailand represents the next consistent step in the implementation of ours Core TEN strategy as a means of increasing the share of specialty fibers and expanding our geographical footprint. With Asia accounting for 70 percent of total Lenzing Group revenue, it is logical that we will construct the next production plant for TENCEL fibers in Asia, Doboczky adds. For more information, please contact: Waltraud Kaserer Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Phone: +43 (0) w.kaserer@lenzing.com 12 December 2017

15 Indo Count Industries Ltd registers growth inspite of demand slackness Mr Anil Kumar Jain, Executive Chairman, Indo Count Industries Ltd commenting on the results of the company stated We faced headwinds in the last few quarters but now we are witnessing improving trend. Our Q-o-Q performance has reaffirmed the same. Our twin strategy of being customer centric and able to introduce new products and designs alongwith improved product mix gives us the confidence to achieve higher growth in times to come. This approach is aided by strong relationships with customers, which will strengthen our market position. Our domestic market continues to witness increased acceptance for our Brands and Designs. Global Economy is improving and with our capabilities and capacities, alongwith the right product offerings gives us immense confidence to capitalize on the growing opportunities in the Home Textile Industry. I am happy to share with you that Texprocil has awarded us the GOLD TROPHY the Highest Exports of Bed Linen/Bed Sheets/Quilts in Category III for the year This affirms our continuous growth story in Home Textiles segment in the last decade Mr Anil Kumar Jain, Executive Chairman, Indo Count Industries Ltd Indo Count Industries Ltd standalone unaudited financial results for Q2FY18 quarter and half year ended 30 September, 2017, indicate that the company did quite well, inspite of growing demand slackness. The company registered revenue growth of 14.1% on Q-o-Q basis, EBITDA growth of 8.9% on Q-o-Q basis, PAT growth of 12.2% on Q-o-Q basis. Textile India is delighted to give a detailed review of Indo Count Industries Ltd performance, as follows: Revenues Total Revenue stood at Rs crores for Q2FY 18 as against Rs crores in Q1FY 18; registered growth of 14.1% Q-o-Q. We are now witnessing improvement in trend and believe this to continue in the near future. Revenue for H1FY18 is Rs crores as against Rs. 1,069.0 crores in H1FY17. The volume for Q2FY18 is 14.46mn meters and H1FY18 is 26.30mn meters. EBIDTA The company reported an EBIDTA of Rs crores for Q2FY18 as against Rs crores in Q1 FY18; registered growth of 8.9% Q-o-Q. The EBITDA for H1FY18 is Rs crores as against Rs crores in H1FY17. Due to volatility in Raw material costs, changes in Forex, GST/ Government incentives in India, EBIDTA margin is getting redefined. Profit after Tax Profit after tax for Q2FY18 is Rs crores as against December

16 Rs crores in Q1FY18. Profit after tax for H1FY18 is Rs crores as against Rs crores in H1FY17. Capital Expenditure The phase II capex project is under progress and is likely to complete by March Domestic Business The company is witnessing a positive acceptance in our domestic brands, designs and promotions. As on 31st October 2017, Boutique Living is now present across 406 stores in India including Multi Brand Outlets (MBOs) and Large Format Stores (LFS). Texprocil Award - Bagged Gold Trophy Company has been awarded with GOLD TROPHY for the Highest Exports of Bed Linen/Bed Sheets/ Quilts in Category III for the year from The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL). This is a milestone which the company has reached in a decade, thus taking up the leadership position in this category in India. Credit Rating CARE vide its letter dated 16th August 2017 has upgraded credit rating of Long Term Bank Facilities to CARE AA (Double A) from CARE AA- (Double A minus), with Stable outlook. CARE has reaffirmed credit rating of CARE A1+ for Short Term Bank Facilities. The upgradation of rating and reaffirmations with revision in outlook by CARE are demonstrative of the Company s sustainable financial position. Profile of Indo Count Industries Ltd Indo Count Industries Ltd (ICIL) (part of S&P BSE 500), is one of India s largest Home Textile manufacturer. Under the leader ship of Mr. Anil Kumar Jain who has been awarded as one of the India s Best Top 100 CEO s 2016, the Company has focused on some of the world s finest fashion, institutional and utility bedding & sheets and has built significant presence across the globe. Over the years, the Company has successfully carved out a niche for itself and has become a total bedding resource. The company s current capacity is 90 million meters. The Company s product comprises the following:- Bed Sheets: Flat sheet, fitted sheet and pillow cases Fashion Bedding: Comforters, bed in bag, quilts and coverlets, decorative pillows, etc. Utility Bedding: mattress pads, protectors, comforters filled with poly fibre Institutional Linen: Basic white bedding, duvet covers and shams; cat ers to hotels, hospitals and others The Company has launched the following innovated products:- Infinity Cotton: Blend of a few finest cotton varieties in the world resulting in superior yarn Thermal Balance: Balances temperature between body and bed to deliver superior sleep characteristics ICIL has introduced three lifestyle brands Boutique Living, Revival and The Pure Collection in 2016 in US Market. Furth er 3 new brands viz Sanderson, Harlequin and Scion, licensed through Walker Greenbank PLC UK, having strong presence in UK & Australia were introduced in North America. It also forayed into the Indian market with the launch of its domestic B2B brand Boutique Living in October ICIL is second largest manufacturer and exporter of bed linen from India; amongst the top three bed sheet suppliers in USA and eleventh largest global home textiles supplier to USA. ICIL has a strong global clientele and ex- 14 December 2017

17 ports to more than 54 countries. Major revenues are derived from USA, the Company s largest market; its other prominent markets comprise UK, Canada, Europe, MENA and Australia etc. The Company enjoys long-term relationships with large global marquee retailers. ICIL has also been honoured in past with numerous prestigious awards from TEXPROCIL including Gold Trophy for highest exports of Cotton Made-ups in Category III for the year CARE recently upgraded credit rating to CARE AA (Double AA) with Stable Outlook in August ICRA s credit rating is ICRA AA- (Double AA minus) for Company s Long-Term Bank Facilities and CARE A1+/ ICRA A1+ for short term bank facilities. ICRA has upgraded the outlook to positive from stable. Profit & Loss Snapshot Particulars (Rs. Crore except EPS and Net Q2FY18 Q2FY17 Y-o-Y Q1FY18 Q-o-Q H1FY18 H1FY17 Y-o-Y Debt, Equity figures) Revenue (14.5%) % ,069.0 (13.5%) EBIDTA (38.9%) % (39.8%) Depreciation % % (1.9%) Finance cost (24.1%) % (20.6%) PBT (43.8%) % (45.0%) Income Tax (45.7%) % (45.4%) Profit After Tax (42.7%) % (44.8%) Cash profit (52.1%) % (50.1%) EPS (on Face Value of Rs. 2/- each) Net debt: Equity (x) Balance Sheet Snapshot Particulars (Rs. Crores) H1FY18 H1FY17 Net Worth Gross Debt Net Debt Net Fixed Assets (including CWIP) Net Current Assets (excl. cash & cash equivalent) Capital Employed 1, ,025.5 Net Debt/EBIDTA 0.78x 0.62x Net Debt/Equity 0.24x 0.38x ROCE (pre-tax)* 24.6% 44.2% ROE* 15.2% 33.5% *Figures have been annualized April

18 Welspun India Ltd Our Focus on Innovation, Branding and Sustainability will strengthen Company s leadership position B.K. Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group Mr B.K. Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group speaking about the company s Q2FY18 financial performance said that We have increased our focus on our branding initiatives with new teams across geographies. Our new campaign for Spaces and Christy have been well-received. We believe our unwavering focus on innovation, branding and sustainability will strengthen the Company s leadership position. Welspun India Ltd, part of the US$ 2.3 billion Welspun Group, is one of the world s largest home textile manufacturers. With a distribution network in more than 50 countries and world class manufacturing facilities in India, Welspun is the largest exporter of home textile products from India. Supplier to 17 of the Top 30 global retailers, the Company has marquee clients like Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, Kohl s Wal-Mart and Macy s to name a few. The company s expansion in Towels from 72K MT to 80K MT has been completed. Some part of the capex for flooring solutions planned for this year is expected to spill over to next year. Capex during H1FY18 was Rs 1.8 billion. Mr B.K. Goenka Chairman Welspun India Ltd. Welspun India s Ltd consolidated income was Rs. 16,299 million vs. Rs. 18,151 million in Q2FY17; the decrease was on account of a volume decline due to customer destocking, coupled with the base effect. Spaces brand growth at 47% YoY. Domestic e-commerce growth at 123% YoY ; Spaces won Best Home Brand Award from Myntra. Christy brand growth at 15% YoY; Presence in China expanded to 24 stores. EBITDA at Rs. 3,063 million vs. Rs. 4,569 million in Q2FY17. EBITDA margins were adversely impacted by lower volumes due to customer destocking as well as higher raw material and energy costs. Cotton prices have come down in recent weeks, which should be favourable for margins in the coming quarters. Finance cost stood at Rs. 325 million, 2% higher YoY (Rs. 320 million in Q2FY17). Depreciation was marginally higher YoY at Rs. 1,287 million (Rs. 1,264 million in Q2FY17). Profit before Tax stood at Rs. 1,451 million compared to the Q2FY17 figure of Rs. 2,985 million. Net worth stands at Rs. 24,865 million as on 30th Sept 2017 (Rs. 23,971 million at FY17- end). Net debt stands at Rs. 31,116 million as on 30th Sept 2017 (Rs. 30,389 million at FY17- end) implying a Net debt/equity of 1.25x (1.27x at FY17- end). Net debt/ebitda as on 30th Sept 2017 stands at 2.42x (1.83x in FY17). Pre-tax ROCE for Q2FY18 stands at 12.6% and ROE stands at 18.1%. Technical Textiles business approved by Automobile, Aerospace and Railways. Received Product Innovation Award from Kohl s. Long-term Credit rating upgraded to AA by CARE Ratings. 16 December 2017

19 Welspun India Brands Gaining Traction Spaces brand growth at 47%; Christy brand growth at 15% Technical Textiles approved by Automobile, Aerospace and Railways Long-term Credit rating upgraded to AA Welspun India Ltd., (WIL), part of the US$ 2.3 billion Welspun Group announced Q2FY18 / H1FY18 results recently. Consolidated Financial Summary - Q2FY18 & H1FY18 (Rs. Million) YoY QoQ YoY Particulars Q2FY18 Q2FY17 Q1FY18 H1FY18 H1FY17 Change Change Change Total Income 16,299 18, % 15, % 31,826 34, % EBITDA 3,063 4, % 3, % 6,437 8, % EBITDA Margin 18.8% 25.2% -638 bps 21.7% -350 bps 20.2% 26.2% -584 bps Finance Cost % % % Depreciation 1,287 1, % 1, % 2,469 2, % PBT 1,451 2, % 1, % 3,286 5, % Exceptional (Loss) - (4,895) - - (4,895) PAT Before Minority Interest 1,003 (1,510) 1, % 2, % PAT After Minority Interest 966 (1,475) 1, % 2, % Cash Profit* 2,284 4, % 2, % 4,970 7, % EPS (Rs.) 0.96 (1.47) % % * Cash Profit = PBDT before exceptionals Tax outflow; Prior-period figures have been restated for comparison purpose Balance Sheet Snapshot (Rs. million) 30th Sept st Mar 2017 Net worth 24,865 23,971 Gross debt 36,133 33,114 Net Debt 31,116 30,389 Net fixed assets (incl. CWIP) 35,034 35,713 Net current assets (excl. cash & cash equiv.) 22,246 20,114 Capital Employed (avg.) 63,225 58,189 Net Debt/EBITDA* 2.42x 1.83x Net debt/equity 1.25x 1.27x ROCE (pre-tax)* 12.6% 19.3% ROE* 18.1% 29.6% Note: Prior-period figures have been restated for comparison purpose * For H1FY18, P&L figures have been annualized; For FY17, figures adjusted for exceptional items December

20 Welspun India Limited Innovative Home Fashions Supplier Welspun is the leading home fashions supplier in the USA and amongst the top 3 global manufacturers of bed and bath linen. In 28 years, Welspun has grown from a small polyester yarn texturizing unit into a $750 million home textiles supplier with presence in over 32 countries. Welspun is known for developing innovative patented and patent-pending products. We innovate to make our products smarter, our processes more efficient and our environment better. Welspun s ecofriendly, zero-discharge manufacturing facilities are located in Vapi and Anjar in Gujarat, India. The company direct-to-consumer business via our UK Christy brand, with a legacy of over 150 years and our Spaces Home & Beyond, a decade old brand in India. We employ over 20,000 people globally. Bath and Bed Linen, Utility and Area Rug Assortment Cotton terry towels and terry products, beach towels, blended towels, bath rugs and mats, bath robes, cotton and blended sheets, comforters, decorative pillows and accessories, mattress pads and down-alternative comforters, accent and area rugs. An End-to-End Solutions Provider Our Mumbai corporate headquarters houses sales, merchandising, design and SCM teams providing expertise in merchandising and product planning. Our US Headquarters in NY houses expertise in sales, product design and marketing solutions. Our warehouse in Ohio provides domestic distribution solutions for major retailers and hospitality chains in the US. We also have warehousing and retail operations in the UK and Europe. State of the Art Manufacturing and Distribution Our owned textile manufacturing facilities are Asia s largest, completely vertically integrated lines in farm- to-finish production across diverse products. Our strategic warehousing facilities are in key markets-usa, UK, Europe and India to ensure seamless distribution. Accreditations & Certifications OEKO-TEX Standard 100 ISO (Environmental Management System) ISO 9001 (Quality Management System). ISO (Laboratory Management System Corporate Social Value Welspun is committed to socially responsible growth and adding value to the communities in and around our facilities. We are committed to the empowerment of women, education, health and the environment. Our zero discharge manufacturing facilities respect and maintain a delicate ecological balance. We recycle all the water that we use in our processes and practice rainwater harvesting. 85% of the water can be reused and the remaining 15% evaporates. We use the sludge from the recycling process to produce biogas. The company is also a Global Supplier to Major Retailers, Hospitality and HealthCare. Mr Balkrishan Goenka - Chairman Welspun Group Balkrishan Goenka is one of India s most dynamic businessmen and the founding Chairman of Welspun Group the $3.5 billion multinational conglomerate. Famously known as BKG, Goenka embarked on a journey which today, under his astute leadership has grown to bask in the glory at a global arena. Inspired by his father s (The late Mr. Gopi Ram Goenka) flair for business, BKG took upon himself to cultivate his dream. It was at a formative age of 19 when he choose a path to success with a vision to become a global leader in the businesses that he entered. With this drive to conquer, BKG has served a gigantic purveyor gap in the market within various verticals, owing to which Welspun has gathered immense momentum at mammoth proportions rather quickly. Almost obsessed with perfection to delivery, BKG has built one of the most resilient conglomerates to emerge from the late 20th century. The $3.5 billion Welspun Group comprises of its flagship businesses 18 December 2017

21 i.e. Welspun Corp Ltd. world s largest large diameter pipe company and Welspun India Ltd. world s leading home textile manufacturers and suppliers, amongst other fleet of companies. To add to his many credits, BKG has received the much applauded nomination for Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2 consecutive years in 2007 and 2008; while the then Prime Minister of India honored BKG with the Emerging Company of the Year Award in 2009, instituted by Economic Times. Recognized for his feisty leadership, he has also been roped in as a member for the Young Presidents Organization which further embodies his passion for business, while the World Economic Forum have successively invited BKG for his contributions to public initiative. With a guiding principle to give back to the society, BKG has also been proactively instrumental in hosting social initiatives to empower women, ensure health and safety, provide education for kids amongst other charitable work. BKG is passionate about vintage cars while he also enjoys adventure sports, spending quality time with family and believes in healthy living. BKG has never been afraid to try on different hats as he modestly describes himself to be, a simple merchant on a global scale. Determined and hard-working, BKG is a living growling proof that one can reach the top if there is a drive and passion and yet retain ones humility in all walks of life. Philip Van Heusen to merge Calvin Klein, Tommy ops New Co Partnering Arvind Eyes Rs 1,000-Crore Revenue American clothing giant Philip Van Heusen Corporation (PVH) plans to consolidate its two Indian joint ventures running Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein operations to create a company with retail sales topping Rs 1,000 crore, people directly aware of the matter said. The new legal entity, taking shape shortly, will have Arvind as an equal partner and managed by Tommy Hilfiger CEO Shailesh Chaturvedi, reporting to the board. The combined operations will emerge as New York-listed PVH s flagship business in Asia s thirdlargest economy, and a possible vehicle for future inroads into a key market. PVH reported $8.2-billion revenue from operations across 40 markets globally in The move to combine two joint ventures will PVH s most significant corporate action in the country, which it started tapping two decades ago. The new entity has over 450 point of sales. Tommy Hilfiger, including its licensed operations, reported Rs 750 crore in retail sales, while Calvin Klein posted around Rs 250 crore in revenue, sources said. When contacted, Arvind CFO Jayesh Shah declined to comments on the matter. PVH could not be reached for immediate comments over the weekend. Industry experts said combining Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein operations was a logical outcome, which PVH has effected in multiple global markets. This would help the clothing major to deliver focused growth for its two leading brands both offline and online and set the state for aggressive expansion plans. Incidentally, PVH also operates two other brands Arrow and IZOD though separate licensing deals with Arvind. It has a similar arrangement with Page Industries for swimwear and leisure brand Speedo, which has made rapid strides in the domestic market recently. While PVH had acquired Tommy Hilfiger from Apax Partners in a global transaction in 2010, it struck a separate deal with the Murjani family to buy into the Indian operations. Murjani, along with Arvind, had launched Tommy Hilfiger in India in PVH acquired Calvin Klein Jeans from Warnaco Group four years ago, also getting 51% ownership of the Indian operations. December

22 Trident Ltd registers Volume growth of 23% with Sales growth of 30% Q-o-Q Trident Ltd, which is having a vertically integrated world class infrastructure in Bath & Bed Linen and Paper (Wheat Straw-based), registered a volume growth of 23%, with sales growth of 30% Q-o-Q, in Q2 & H1 FY18. The company achieved the highest ever EBITDA margin of 48%, in the Paper Business, Profit after Tax for Q2 stood at INR 50.9 crore and Net Debt declined by INR 343 crore, including repayment of High Cost Debt of INR 74 crore. The cash generated from operations was INR 623 crore in H1FY18. Commenting on the performance of the company, Mr Rajinder Gupta, Chairman at Trident Group said Last quarter was a stress test for our Company with challenges seen from product pricing in textiles to adverse impact of GST in the domestic business. In spite of these, the company has demonstrated high resilience by having increased capacity utilisation in the Bed segment, generating industry leading margins in the paper business, improving cash flows and following prudent capital allocation policy by reducing debt. With things started improving in the current quarter, we believe worst is behind us and Trident will keep on leveraging its intrinsic strengths to fortify position as a leading player in Bed and Bath Linen segment. Trident Ltd is the flagship of Trident Group a US$ 1 billion Indian business conglomerate and a global player. Headquartered in Ludhiana, Punjab, Trident Limited is a vertically integrated textile (Yarn, Bath & Bed Linen) and Paper (Wheat Strawbased) manufacturer and is one of the largest players in Home Textile Space in India. With the establishment of the state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and systems, coupled with appropriate human capital and credentials, Trident has frequently received accolades from its patrons in recognition for delivering high quality standards and for its customer-centric approach. The company operates in two major segments: Textiles and Paper & Chemicals with its manufacturing facilities located in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. In Fiscal 2017, the company exported its products to 98 countries across six continents. Performance Overview (Textile) Last Quarter witnessed many challenges Sales stood at INR 952 crores in Q2 FY18 compared to INR 942 crores in the corresponding quarter of last financial year. EBIT declined by 65% to INR 36 crores in Q2 FY18 compared to INR 102 crores in Q2 FY17. As spreads widened between spot and forward prices of cotton, yarn prices adjusted itself to the lower forward price, impacting profitability adversely. EBIT Margin stood at 3.7% in Q2 FY18 vis-à-vis 10.9% in Q2 FY17. Blip in Bath Linen Volume Sales by 11% Q-o-Q due to uneven vendor procurement cycle and change in product mix. The company demonstrated resilience Bed Linen gained healthy Volume growth of 23% with Sales growth of 30% Q-o-Q. Added new customers in Bed Linen segment. With presence in around 450 Multi Brand Outlets and e-commerce platforms, our domestic Bed and Bath business revenues grew at a healthy rate of 23.6% Y-o-Y to INR 157 crores in H1 FY 18. Retain our full Year guidance on EBITDA margins. The things have started improving in the current ongoing quarter: Cotton price spreads have narrowed. Yarn product prices have stabilized. Captive Consumption of Yarn volume increased by 24.6% in H1 FY18 compared to H1 FY17, bringing down product price risks. Mr Rajinder Gupta Chairman Trident Group Performance Overview (Paper) Sales declined by 7% on Y-o-Y to INR 204 crores in Q2 FY18 compared to INR 218 crores in Q2 FY17 Previous quarter witnessed adverse impact of GST. Utilization has improved to 87% in Q2 FY18 from 83% in Q1 FY18. EBIT as increased by 76% to INR 76 crores Q-o-Q. EBITDA Margin stood at 48%. The company is textile to increase capacity utilization with better Product Mix, thereby benefit from operating leverage. Increase in Yarn s captive utilization, which will reduce price volatility risk and improve margins. Keep focus on de-risking in multiple dimensions Focus on Cashflows and prudent Capital Allocation Cash generated from Operations INR 623 Crore in H1 FY18 Keep reducing debt. Long Term Debt came down by INR 359 Crore in H1 FY18, including High Cost Debt of INR 163 Cr. High Interest Coverage ratio 7.2x in H1 FY18 20 December 2017

23 Grasim Industries Ltd Q2FY18 Net Revenue Up by 63 per cent: EBITDA up by 34 per cent Grasim Industries Ltd attained increase in its net revenue by 63 per cent and EBITDA by 34 per cent, for the quarter ended 30 September 2017, post-merger of erstwhile of erstwhile Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited (ABNL), with effect from 1 July Consolidated revenue for Q2FY18 grew 63 per cent at Rs 13,646 crore and EBITDA was up by 34 per cent at Rs 2,805 crore compared to Rs 2,098 crore in Q2 last year. The previous year financial results, does not include the erstwhile ABNL numbers, hence, they are not comparable. Viscose staple fibre prices globally remained firm during the year, driven by tighter supply ex- China, on account of output curtailment due to environmental factors. The domestic VSF market saw restocking of the inventory leading to increase in sales volume by 5 per cent Y-o-Y. EBITDA for the quarter was at Rs 464 crore, on the back of higher realization and improved operational results for the quarter, which include Rs 200 crore and EBITDA of Rs 61 crore of VFY part of Grasim Industries Ltd post-merger. The domestic caustic soda prices witnessed an uptrend driven by healthy demand and supply constraints in the global market arising from environmental consideration in China and weather related disruptions in U.S. The production from the company s Veraval plant (erstwhile ABNL) contributed to 7 per cent YoY growth in caustic soda sales volume during the quarter. The ECU realisation was up by 19 per cent on YoY basis in line with global price trend. However chlorine prices continued to stay weak. The management remains focussed on increasing the volume of chlorine based value added products. EBITDA for the quarter registered an increase of 34 per cent YoY to Rs. 285 crore. The brownfield expansion of 144K TPA at Vilayat, Gujarat is on schedule and expected to be commissioned by Q4FY18. UltraTech reported an increase in net sales (consolidated) by 20 Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla Chairman, Aditya Birla Group and Grasim Industries Ltd. per cent (Y-o-Y) to Rs.6,936 crore. EBITDA increased by 13 per cent to Rs.1,550 crore. Post-acquisition of the 21.2 mtpa from Jaypee Cement, our cement capacity stands augmented to 93 mtpa. This acquisition will enhance the company s footprint into high growth markets of India. Financial Services Subsidiary Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL) ABCL (formerly known as Aditya Birla Financial Services Ltd) was listed on the stock exchanges on 1 September 2017 as the culmination of the composite scheme of arrangement under which Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited (ABNL) merged with Grasim Industries Limited (Grasim), and the financial services undertaking was subsequently demerged into ABCL. December

24 ABCL has launched a single brand Aditya Birla Capital encompassing all the financial services entities of the Aditya Birla Group. ABCL reported a robust financial performance for Q2FY18 with consolidated revenue of Rs. 2,677 crore, EBT of Rs. 373 crore and PAT of Rs. 217 crore as per IND AS. Long term issuer rating for Aditya Birla Finance Ltd and Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd has been upgraded to IND AAA from IND AA+ reflecting, strength of the parent. The NBFC lending book (Incl. Textile India housing) was at Rs.44,675 crore. Total assets under management (AUM) at Rs.244,609 crore. Asset Management business achieved highest ever domestic market share of 10.7 per cent and highest ever equity market share of 9.0 per cent. The VSF business will continue to focus on expanding the market in India by partnering with the textile value chain, achieving better customer connect through Brand Liva and enriching the product mix through a larger share of specialty fibre. The demand for caustic soda in India is expected to grow with rising consumption from the alumina and textile sectors. However, the increase in supply on account of new capacities in the pipeline may create a temporary imbalance in the demand supply situation. Chlorine continues to remain in the oversupply mode. In cement, government spending on infrastructure, rural and affordable housing will be the key demand drivers. The company is well positioned across the country to cater this growth in demand. In Financial Services, ABCL is well positioned to provide universal financial solutions to meet customer s money need for life. Sweden Minister & Grasim Managing Director discuss plans for setting-up smart textile project Mr. Sven-Erik Bucht, Minister for Rural Affairs from the Ministry Of Enterprise and Innovation of Sweden met with Mr. Dilip Gaur, Managing Director, Grasim Industries Limited and Mr. Vinod Tiwari, COO, Pulp and Fibre Business of Grasim of Aditya Birla Group in Mumbai and discussed an innovative smart textile project and how to best to keep up with the growing demand for textiles with an alternate sustainable solution to cotton. The Swedish Minister also visited the Aditya Birla Group s Textile Research & Application Development Centre at Kharach, in Gujarat recently which is India s pioneer in viscose staple fibre (VSF), a manmade, biodegradable fibre with characteristics akin to cotton. The prime aim of this visit is to boost development on smart textiles from using viscose staple fibre (VSF), cellulosic fibre and pulp as an alternative to cotton and hence the Aditya Birla group is a natural fit with its easily blendable cellulosic fibre. Addressing select media in Mumbai, Mr. Sven-Erik Bucht informed that Sweden strongly believes that the textile industry is about to take a giant step from being a supplier of fabrics to becoming a positive force in the development of a responsible society. Sustainable textiles are necessary to improve people s everyday lives, the health care sector and the environment. It takes an open environment where people from many different backgrounds can meet, get involved and collaborate to find a sought-after solution and this is exactly what we are hoping for from this visit by coming together for the betterment of the society and lessen the environmental impact of the textile industry he emphasised. It may be noted here that the Swedish Minister visit to India is part of the follow up to the joint statement by Prime Minister Stefan Löfvén and Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and its implementation in the areas of innovations and research. It is also a follow up to the Make in India event in Stockholm where Mr. Dilip Gaur Managing Director of Grasim Industries Ltd was a part of the Indian delegation led by Mr. Suresh Prabhu Minister of Commerce & Industry of India, 22 December 2017

25 which aimed at exploring synergies and avenues of partnership between Indian and Swedish industries. Speaking about the collaboration between India and Sweden, Consul General for Sweden Ms. Ulrika Sundberg said It is inspiring to see the broad range of engagement between Sweden and India particularly Maharashtra, stretching from business and infrastructure to environment, health, skills development, culture and in this instance smart textile. Textile and other closely related industries today have an important challenge when it comes to R&D and production in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible way. With a joint project on smart textiles we will prioritize the environment and work actively to integrate this in all parts of the production line. For us, sustainability, durability, quality Grasim Industries Ltd - Aditya Birla Group Aditya Birla Group is a USD 41 billion multinational, in the league of Fortune 500, anchored by an extraordinary force of over 120,000 employees, belonging to 42 nationalities with operations in 36 countries across the globe. and functionality are all important factors for developing a circular bio-economy and I truly hope this visit enhances cooperation in tackling the same for a sustainable and healthy future. Speaking about his visit, Minister Sven-Erik Bucht said We are keen to explore the possibility of a joint project within the area of smart textiles using viscose staple fibre (VSF), cellulosic fibre and pulp as an alternative to cotton. Together, we need a broader approach to address the challenge of climate change and we would like to share our experiences, thoughts and ideas about the practice of a circu- lar bio economy which will help us assume our common responsibility to the environment. My visit to the Aditya Birla group is a part of the bilateral ambition to increase cooperation and trade as well as create synergies and partnerships between the two countries. The Swedish government is heavily involved in developing textile based on sustainable raw materials and we are very interested in supporting the further development of a globally successful textile industry. This in turn will help create jobs in both countries and will also lead to a sustainable and healthy future. Government doubles export incentive rates for garments, made-ups The Government has doubled the rates of incentives under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for garments and made-ups exporters for a period of eight months. The move is expected to bring major relief to the two sectors that took a beating after the implementation of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) regime. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued a notification New Delhi, November 24 by which raes for incentives under the MEIS for two sub-sectors of textiles industry, that is readymade garments and made ps, have been enhanced from two per cent to four per centof value of exports with effect from November till June , according to a Commerce Ministry release. The estimated annual incentives will be Rs 1, crore for and Rs crore for This measure will incentivise the exports of labour intensive sectors of readymade garments and made ups and contribute to eimployment generation, the release added. Garment exporters have been attributing the fall in exports to te erosion of their competitiveness due to the sharp reduction in the drawback and RoSL (rebate of State levies) rates. December

26 A 12 UNIfloc The Art of Modern Automatic Bale Opening The A 12 UNIfloc is an extremely robust and stable new development with a previously unrealized machine concept. The machine has been newly designed from scratch and offers the customer high productivity, flexibility and easy handling. In 1978, Rieter revolutionized the principle of automatic bale opening and thus the blowroom process with the A 1 UNIfloc. Then, for the first time, bales were processed from above with a take-off unit mounted on a mobile tower. Since then, Rieter has successively developed this machine in line with market requirements. The new A 12 UNIfloc sets new standards in terms of performance, stable construction, modern safety technology and energy efficiency (Fig. 1). Solid and maintenance-friendly The construction basis for the A 12 is the monocoque design. This was developed for the aircraft industry to allow a light, robust and torsion-free construction. This method was also used to build the cockpit of the Formula 1 vehicles, to reliably protect the pilot. The new, innovative construction with the A 12 UNIfloc is especially shown by the self-supporting construction of the tower and the take-off unit. In comparison to the previous generation, the number of individual parts has been massively reduced, as no profiles and covers are necessary. The focus was on a robust, maintenancefriendly machine designed for highest production. Bale profiling innovative bale scanning With the new design of the A 12, a new control technique has been realized. Alongside the new servo-drive concept, it also includes an innovative and efficient bale Fig. 1 A 12 UNIfloc the modern and efficient method of opening bales. 24 December 2017

27 makes the A 12 UNIfloc extremely energy-efficient. Safety is prioritized With the design of the new model, personal safety has been given high priority. Especially with the 2D scanner, significant progress has been achieved in terms of safety standards. Fig. 2 High production after bale group change thanks to patented bale scanning. profiling. The take-off unit determines the bale height and bale condition by means of scanning force measurement. This allows rapid equalization of the bale laydown. Quick changeover with multiassortment operation The UNIfloc with innovative bale scanning (Fig. 2) rapidly achieves high production after changing to a new bale group. With kg/h line production, it reliably supplies the cards. Furthermore, the multi-assortment operation provides flexibility by processing up to three different assortments simultaneously. In cotton processing, the VARIOset function on all Rieter cleaning machines allows a maximal raw material yield to be achieved, as every assortment is allocated an optimal machine setting. Therefore, the subsequent B 12 UNIclean precleaner is automatically adjusted via VARIOset to the properties of the material type being fed. Energy efficiency with the latest drive technology To fulfill the strictest energy standards, drives belonging to the highest efficiency class are used. The future-oriented drive concept of the A 12 has been systematically developed on torque-controlled servomotors. A servo unit with the latest technology enables energy to be recovered. So, for example, the brake power which is generated during reversal of the take-off roller is fed back into the electricity grid. A further refinement that Fig. 3 Gentle, continuous extraction of the microtufts - thanks to patented wobble disc take-off roller. The 2D scanner is immune to external influences such as temperature and air currents and immediately recognizes when a person enters the danger area. Additional mechanical devices secure the working area of the A 12 UNIfloc. By measuring of the volume flow rate, the process is monitored and congestion of the machine is prevented. In this way, all prerequisites for safe and smooth production are complied with. Microtufts the basis for good cleaning The interplay between the scanning force measurement and the patented wobble disc take-off roller with 312 double teeth ensures a continuous extraction to small, uniform fiber tufts, the so-called microtufts (Fig. 3). Opening bales to microtufts is the basis for effective cleaning and dedusting by the subsequent blowroom process. The new A 12 is the absolute highlight and innovation in the technology of automatic bale opening and offers Rieter quality right from the start of the production process. December

28 In 2003 FuJian TongDe Knitting Co. Ltd purchased their very first chain link lace machine for producing lace bands. By 2011, they had gradually expanded their lace production capacity to a total of 37 sets of various types of KARL MAYER lace machines. Textile India Speed up production of TongDe Knitting KARL MAYER chain link lace machine to LACE.EXPRESS, FuJian TongDe Knitting Co. Ltd In late 2012, when the lace business was booming, Mr. Chen Guang Cheng, the managing director of FuJian TongDe Knitting Co. Ltd, decided to upgrade their production line by investing in KARL MAYER 134 MJ59/1B High Performance Jacquard Lace machines and at the same time they successfully sold most of the old generation KARL MAYER SU lace machines. In 2014, when no one could imagine that the allover lace would become so fashionable as it is today, Mr. Chen Guang Cheng made a prudent decision to step into this new field, producing allover lace incorporating Bourdon yarns. As a result of intensive development in Designing, Draughting, Yarn qualities and machine settings combined with the right machine, allover lace finally became a new highlight in the market. At the end of 2016, KARL MAYER launched the first LACE. EXPRESS machine, OJ 59/1 B, 210, a wider lace machine for the production of Allover Laces. That was the machine Mr. Chen Guang Cheng requested from KARL KARL MAYER Lace.Express Machine MAYER for a long time. Since the machine was introduced, he has shown confidence in the machine and has steadily placed orders for a total 20 machines. In 2017, the production capacity from TongDe Knitting has reached 400 tons per month. The massive innovative output from their large R&D team has made TongDe Knitting become one of the leading manufacturers in the commodity sector for Allover Lace. Why LACE.EXPRESS? The main reasons for choosing KARL MAYER machine was high production rate combined with operational stability and reliability of the machine. We can learn directly from the experience of TongDe Knitting by comparing the performance statistic of the KARL MAY- ER OJ 59/1 B, 210, and a locally manufactured lace machine from the competition. In a direct comparison between the OJ 59/1 B 210 and 268 locally manufactured lace machine, the output from both machine types is in the range of tons (The production output can also be higher than this depending on the article being produced). Considering those strong figures on KARL MAYER OJ 59/1 B, 210, is as below: 1. The KARL MAYER Machine can run at a steady high speed of 900 rpm for actual production when using good quality yarns, prepared correctly for the machine and with the right settings. 2. This in turn gives stable quality with less material wastage and second quality machine has a smaller 26 December 2017

29 footprint and uses less floor space than a 268 machines and lowers the air conditioning requirements which helps lower the production cost. 4. A more stable running machine requires less operators to look after the workshop reducing the total operating cost. We can learn why Mr. Chen Guang Cheng chose LACE.EX- PRESS! A further brilliant idea from TongDe Knitting was to connect the operating platforms of all machines to a closed construction. This makes it easier to load the high level creels for all the machines in the whole workshop using a dedicated team of workers. The Lace Machine operator only has to look after the knitting area. By separating the function of machine operation and Yarn loading, there is a great increase in efficiency for the whole workshop which helps to bring down the manufacturing cost. Sad but true! In 2014, the focus of TongDe Knitting was on the allover market, they knew the wider machine would be more suitable for supplying fabrics to the allover market. However, KARL MAYER only launched LACE.EXPRESS in To cope with the immediate need in the early days of this rising market, TongDe Knitting had to purchase a few sets locally made 3-panel and 4-panel Lace machines for trial use. With the benefit received from using the OJ 59/1 B, 210, Mr. Chen Guang Cheng sold the locally made lace machines from the competition very quickly, replacing them with KARL MAYER machines. With the locally made machines, he learned that there are many mechanical problems with these machines which occurred frequently and totally at random. There were many defects on the fabric produced on the locally made machines, the root causes of which were not always possible to eliminate making it difficult to improve the fabric quality to the required level. The downtime for changing pattern is also significantly longer on the locally made machines with increased fabric losses due to problems with getting the patterns to run right, this is different to the experience with KARL MAYER machine where pattern changes can be done quickly and efficiently enabling the KARL MAYER machines to produce good quality fabric after the pattern change. To keep up with the rapidly changing, highly demanding commodity lace market, the KARL MAYER OJ 59/1 B, 210, is one of the keys to winning market share. The wheels of fashion keep on turning The LACE.EXPRESS shows off all its features with this attractive apparel lace The long vest dress shown on this page is a stylish, comfortable garment for virtually every occasion. This attractive lace throw-over brings a touch of vibrancy to everyday wear and ensures that the woman wearing it also looks good in the evening - without going to too much expense. The styling and the textile are what make this garment so versatile. With its long slits at the sides and the zip that runs from the neck to the thigh, the full-length smock dress can be a tunic or a waistcoat, depending on what is worn with it. The style is based on a tried-and-tested design but with an unconventional twist. The lace - which is usually intricate and delicate and a guarantee of success in the world of women s fashion - has been given a striking interpretation here, and features large pattern elements and bold lines. The motifs harmoniously combine graphic patterns, flowers and stars, and are brought to life by matt/shiny effects, discreetly structured liners and two-colour effects. Details of the pattern, together with a fabric sample, can be found in the Patterns section of Kettenwirk-Praxis, issue 1/2017. An OJ 59/1 B was used to produce the lace with its extravagant design. This electronic lace raschel machine is an extremely efficient machine catering for the versatile, high-volume apparel sector. It was only launched onto the market last year as the first representative of the new LACE.EXPRESS series, and has been attracting a great deal of interest ever since. December

30 Onwards and upwards KARL MAYER is supporting the Vietnamese warp knitting sector along its path towards modernisation and refurbishment Vietnam s textile and clothing companies are currently being upgraded. Last year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) presented the government with a general restructuring plan for the period covering 2016 to The document cites numerous objectives, which relate to the geographic relocation of companies, as well as the closure of fibre- and textile-producing companies working with out-dated technology, and increasing the productivity of the Vietnamese textile industry by for example using fewer highly efficient machines. KARL MAYER is assisting Vietnamese companies with the installation of more up-to-date machines and equipment in the warp knitting sector. This innovative global market leader in the building of warp knitting machines, among others, has detected this increasing demand from the state of its order books. A great deal of money is being invested in Vietnam, confirms Rainer Müller, the Sales Director for Asia. Many domestic manufacturers are currently modernising and extending their plants. Companies have specialised in the production of The HKS 3-M, the training machinery of the Karl Mayer Workshop Vietnam mosquito nets and are now looking for new applications. Italian, Korean, Taiwanese and Chinese companies are also investing in Vietnamese subsidiaries. There will be a KARL MAYER Workshop Vietnam in November 2017 to support this modernisation and expansion process, not only by supplying high-tech machines, but also by providing the necessary know-how. The event is presented by the sole agent of KARL MAYER in Vietnam, ILLIES Engineering Vietnam Co., Ltd. The topic of the workshop is the introduction to the principles of warp knitting on Tricot Machines with focus on HKS 3-M. It is providing following Services: Display of KARL MAYER s Machinery Explanation of KARL MAYER s Machinery functions based on the KARL MAYER s guidelines Guidance for installation services of KARL MAYER s Machinery Guidance for exchanging spare parts of KARL MAYER s Machinery The workshop is taking place from 13 to 17 November and 20 to 24 November More information on the training courses is available at Ms. Phuong, ILLIES Engineering Vietnam Co. Ltd, under the phone number +84 (28) or under KarlMayer_Workshop_Vietnam@illies.com. 28 December 2017

31 The KARL MAYER WEBSHOP SPARE PARTS continues to be a talking point New features and feedback from KARL MAYER s online platform for ordering spare parts. Whenever KARL MAYER s customers need to buy wearing parts, standard spare parts or specialised components, they can order them easily and conveniently using the state-of-the-art KARL MAYER WEB- SHOP SPARE PARTS. This B2B platform for rapid, convenient, errorfree ordering has been available from KARL MAYER since ITMA 2015, and has been continuously improved and revised since then. The number of visible components that are available to order has been almost doubled as a result of the latest webshop upgrade. Just under 3,000 items are now available to order. The webshop now also offers two additional functions, which simplify the day-to-day ordering process. One new feature is that the weight and volume of the ordered parts are displayed, which provides the customer with important shipping information. It is now also possible to print out a pre-order list with details that are relevant to the decision-making process, such as the number and price of all the items, before placing an order. Supervisors can use this document as a basis for approving the order, for example. The next extended function concerns the linking of the WEBSHOP SPARE PARTS with the KARL MAYER CHECK PARTS app. As before, this digital link enables the authenticity of the spare parts to be verified and, if required, a new order can be placed in the WEBSHOP for the item that has just been selected. The Sales Manager, Marion Högg, is certain that these new features will extend the scope of the WEBSHOP SPARE PARTS even further. KARL Fig.: Marion Högg from KARL MAYER visiting Georg+Otto Friedrich GmbH talking to the Production Manager, Walery Albert (2nd from the left), Tobias Falk (1st from the left) and Werner Steiger who are members of his team. MAYER already generates more than 10% of its turnover through its spare parts business via this modern and innovative online platform. Marion Högg is always keen to know what customers like about the WEBSHOP SPARE PARTS and what they would like to see, and she does this by keeping in direct contact with clients. In August 2017, she visited Georg+Otto Friedrich GmbH to get some feedback. This specialist in warp-knitted textiles, which has more than 65 years of experience in the sector, has been ordering via the WEBSHOP SPARE PARTS since November We are aiming to digitise many of the processing sequences in our company, and have tried out the webshop, says the Production Manager, Walery Albert, when he began using this ordering platform. This experienced specialist was impressed by the self-explanatory menu navigation system and layout. The pictures in particular which are extremely sharp and clear, are useful for identifying and ordering spare parts, especially for older machines whose designations are no longer current. Walery Albert and his team now order a range of products online from KARL MAYER, from guide units, sinkers and tongues to threading hooks and oil filters, including wearing and standard parts. The possibility of ordering pattern discs via the webshop is also being used enthusiastically. It is much easier to place an order now. The information is automatically checked by the program after the data has been input, and the pattern discs can be ordered directly. We are really impressed, says Walery Albert. The WEBSHOP SPARE PARTS also has an impressive zero-fail rate - what has been ordered, arrives. December

32 An online process for the non-stop production of sacks on KARL MAYER s RDS 11 EL machine KARL MAYER has revamped its machine technology for producing packaging sacks. As before, this fully integrated system enables ready-to-use, high-quality products to be manufactured non-stop from film at maximum efficiency. What is new, however, is the machine s level of flexibility. As the most important element, the double-bar raschel machine has been equipped with an EL pattern drive, which enables variable sack lengths and lappings to be worked. Five blades per inch produce tape yarns from film An FTL unit is located at the beginning of the processing chain for producing sacks. This element in the production line has a cutting bar for cutting a double-layered, primary polyolefin film into tape yams and drawing them in a heating zone to produce monoaxial flat film yarns. These yarns are delivered to the Double-bar raschel machine, in depending of the demand. The needs-based delivery of the tape yarns is a decisive factor for online process control, just as is the exact harmonisation of the machine technology as a whole (Fig. 1). With this non-stop sequence, everything must function perfectly and all the components have to be in perfect harmony, rather like an orchestra, says Rainer Baier, a product developer, at the machine presentation. Textile India Karl Mayer s RDS 11 - Securely packaged Fig. 1: The whole line with the FTL unit, the RDS 11 EL and the batching unit for automatic sacks A tried-and-tested basic design An RDS 11 EL is used to knit (Fig. 2) the tape yarns to produce complete sacks. The machine is supplied with a width of 193, a gauge of E 6, a threading arrangement of 1 in, 2 out, and a set of warp knitting elements comprising two compound needle bars, two knock-over comb bars, four ground guide bars and seven pattern bars. With this configuration, the RDS 11 EL works a combination of a pillar stitch and weft lapping. Two separate webs are produced, one by ground guide bars, GB 4 and GB 5, on the rear needle bar and one by GB 7 and GB 8 on the front needle bar. The two mesh webs are joined together on one side in the working direction by pattern bar, PB 6. The seam forms the base of the packaging sack. The opposite side is Fig. 2: The knitting elements on the RDS 11 EL 30 December 2017

33 open to enable the sack to be filled. The openings in the horizontal direction are also closed, by changing the lapping, to produce the side seams of the sack. The EL facility produces customised sacks The RDS 11 EL offers a number of options for the efficient production of ready-to-use sacks, including the incorporation of sealing tapes, flaps for automatic filling, an adhesive strip for the subsequent application of labels, and contact yarns for subsequent process control. Above all, the dimensions of the product can be varied. For example, the opening widths of the nets can be varied via the stitch density, i.e. via the take-down, and by the lapping. The depth of the sack can also be changed via the threading arrangement of the guide bars as a function of the number of webs produced in parallel. The width of the sacks can also be varied as required. The width is determined by the repeat length, which can be freely selected and changed easily. The reason for this is that, unlike its predecessor, the RSD 11 EL has been equipped with a new feature, the EL pattern drive (Fig. 3). This electronic system replaces the old, mechanical NNC type. It does not use pattern chains or discs and enables the pattern to be changed easily. The repeat lengths can also be changed easily to adjust the size of the sacks. The RDS 11 EL has also been newly equipped with the tried-and-tested KAMCOS -system, so that its extensive potential can be easily exploited. Textile India Stacks or rolls both types of take-up are possible Two systems are available for taking-up the warp-knitted sacks, Fig. 3: The EL pattern drive on the RDS 11 EL Fig. 4: Swivel-mounted delivery frame with the sacking web Fig. 5: Marking thread for initiating the cutting process Fig. 6: Laying table with conveyor belt and finished piles of sacks i.e. the 26/6 batching unit and the STMR sack separating machine. The batching unit produces rolls from the sack webs which, as automatic sacks, are fed fully automatically to the filling machine. Alternatively, the STMR process produces piles of individual sacks that are ready to be filled. In this case, the textile webs run via a roller feed unit to a thermal cutting unit on a swivel-mounted frame (Fig. 4). Once the predetermined width of the sack has been reached, it is cut by a horizontal stroke of the cutting unit along the side seams. The RDS 11 EL incorporates a marking thread (Fig. 5), so that sensor technology can be used to detect the cutting points. The separated sacks are then stacked using the swivel-mounted frame until the set number has been reached. They are then removed via a conveyor belt (Fig. 6). A machine that is ideally suited to the market Thanks to online process control and the high efficiency of the RDS 11 EL, KARL MAYER s line for producing sacks operates at an extremely high production rate. At a speed of 900 courses/min, an average of about 900 sacks per hour can be produced depending on the dimensions selected and the stitch density. The market is extremely impressed by this high productivity and flexibility. The first complete line with FTL unit and batching unit for automatic sacks left KARL MAYER s headquarters in Obertshausen in September This delivery was the result of two years of successful development work. December

34 Since the emergence of the athleisure trend, it has become clear that various synergies existing between specific segments of the textile sector can be exploited. For example, lingerie lace is being incorporated into the shirts of women runners, and functional materials are being used in sexy briefs. Home and household textiles can also profit from the transfer of ideas from one sector to another. For example, the possibilities offered by typical warp knitting machines used in the clothing sector are now bringing a touch of flamboyance to the home. KARL MAYER has taken up this trend of transferring ideas from one sector to another in the textile industry and has used its triedand-tested RASCHELTRONIC machine to produce stable upholstery fabrics. This high-speed jacquard raschel machine has been a firm favourite among producers of sportswear and lingerie fabrics for some time now. These companies Textile India The fabric makes a sofa A high-fashion look for upholstery fabrics produced on the new RASCHELTRONIC are using the RASCHELTRONIC to produce stretch and non-stretch textiles with functional zones. The model used is designated the RSJC 5/1 EL, and this new collection has made it an interesting proposition for manufacturers of home textiles as well. The fabrics feature an attractive, graphic design with open-work constructions, and are extremely heavy for RASCHEL- TRONIC fabrics. The final fabrics weigh between 330 and 400 g/m², depending on the arrangement of the weft lapping. In some designs, the weft runs along the holes, which therefore remain open, and does not join any stitch wales. In other patterns, the ground bars with the weft add to the openings, which affects the appearance and characteristics of the textile. The warp-knitted textiles, with the partially filled-in openings, are denser and more stable in every direction. All the fabrics also have the appropriate abrasion resistance values for use as upholstery fabrics. The results of abrasion tests carried out by textile developers at KARL MAYER lie within the average range of the specific requirements of most manufacturers. The performance of these durable warp-knitted fabrics has also attracted the attention of shoe fabric producers. The machines are selling very well globally, says Stefan Gross from the Product Development, Textile Technology Department at KARL MAYER. Further reasons for the success of the RASCHELTRONIC include its high level of flexibility, since the EL feature enables different patterns to be worked easily one after the other at an exceptional production rate. At a maximum speed of 1,000 min-1, this new high-speed jacquard raschel machine can produce an average of 48 metres of this new upholstery fabric per hour. The machine gauge is E 18 and the working width is 130. Textured, tanglelaced polyester is used as the yarn. 32 December 2017

35 A terry warp knitting machine writing headlines The TMJ 4/1-T - a terry warp knitting machine with a jacquard bar, is bringing a touch of pizzazz to towels Its terry business continues to be a focus of innovation at KARL MAYER. Following the revamp of the TM 4 TS terry warp knitting machine for processing staple-fibre yarns and its technical upgrade, together with various new textile developments, this company is now launching a new machine, which can produce an even greater range of patterns. The designation of the new TMJ 4/1-T alone shows that it is something quite unique. This terry warp knitting machine for processing filament yarns is the first of its kind with a jacquard bar included in the set of knitting elements, so that even lettering can be worked into towels, bathrobes and facecloths. Lettering, logos and more The jacquard bar on the TMJ 4/1-T enables new designs to be produced that have not been possible until now. Logos, lettering and floral effects can be worked, as well as geometric patterns and sweeping, decorative effects. Despite their fluffy surface structure, the pattern elements are extremely clear. They are worked and placed much more easily and flexibly than on the standard machine on one side of the fabric. The design is worked exclusively by the jacquard bar, whilst the ground lappings and main machine settings remain constant. The simple design of the knitting element produces loopfree, smooth areas on an otherwise three-dimensional fabric construction. The associated brushing unit produces a perfect, voluminous, fluffy surface. As the fabric passes this unit, the loops, which Fig. 1: Examples of patterns produced on the TMJ 4/1-T were formed by GB 1, are made more prominent and the underlaps on the other side of the fabric are raised up. A tried-and-tested basic concept The technology of the TMJ 4/1-T is based on the standard machine, the TM 4-T, and thus delivers the same high level of performance. For example, this new tricot machine operates at a maximum speed of 1,200 min-1. It is very easy to operate and produces high-quality products. During the course of the modification work, the jacquard bar has taken on the position of ground guide bar GB 4 on the original version to increase the range of patterns that can be worked. Certain new features have also been incorporated. For example, the control box with the oil cooling system forms a compact unit, which takes up less space, and the colour and warp beam frame meet the new corporate design specifications of the company group. An affordable patterning system developed by EAT is available for carrying out patterning efficiently. It has been adapted to suit the specific requirements of the TMJ 4/1-T The TMJ 4/1-T, with its designdriven configuration, is definitely arousing interest. Delivery of the first machines has already been arranged, and is scheduled for October December

36 Using large sectional warp beams to produce warp-knitted cotton terry towels efficiently A tandem system, consisting of the WKD-SP and the TM 4 TS EL, is revolutionising the terry business KARL MAYER develops and manufactures high-performance warp preparation machines for both weaving and warp knitting and, in order to do this, uses the synergies that exist between the two sectors. The WKD-SP is the latest result of this know-how and technology transfer. This direct warping machine is based on the WARPDIRECT machine for the weaving sector, and processes staple-fibre yarns. Producers of warp-knitted, cotton terry towels should find this particularly interesting. This new machine delivers all the performance features of its predecessor but, above all, its advantages can be exploited by using back beams, with their wider widths, as sectional warp beams (SWBs) in the warp knitting sector. Efficient warping with the WARPDIRECT Die WARPDIRECT is a universal direct warping machine for processing every type of staple-fibre yarn. It produces high-quality beams for the slasher dyeing process in denim dyeing, for combining all the yarns on the warp beams on the assembling machine, and for processing in a sizing machine with subsequent warp beam production. The back beams for these various processes are of the highest quality. The beams are completely cylindrical, thanks to an intelligent press roller system and optimum yarn laying, and the yarns are arranged extremely accurately. A computer-controlled length measuring system delivers a length accuracy of 0.1 %. The yarns are also handled very gently. Other advantages of the WARPDIRECT include its low maintenance costs and high productivity. The maximum warping Fig. 1: The WARPDIRECT and the WKD-SP look identical speed is 1,200 m/min. The easy-to-use, graphic touchscreen guarantees optimum machine usage. All these advantages enable the WKD-SP to now be used for the production of SWBs for the warp knitting sector as well. Efficient production of towels using the WKD-SP and TM 4 TS EL The starting point for modifying the WARPDIRECT to create the WKD-SP were the demands made by the TM 4 TS EL during use. An efficient direct warping machine was needed to match this efficient machine for producing warp-knitted cotton terry towels. The modifications that were needed relate mainly to the software. The program changes enable constant yarn tension levels and completely uniform SWB circumferences to be produced. SWBs with the same circumferences and yarn tension levels are needed, since several of them are processed at the same time on the TM 4 TS EL. The SWBs of the new direct warping machine have the same width as back beams. This means that the number can be reduced when loading the machine, and the direct beaming process becomes more efficient. For example, with a TM 4 TS EL with a gauge of E 24, a working width of 186 and the normal threading arrangement of 1 in, 1 out, eight SWBs per axle of the beam frame can be reduced to two large-format ones. KARL MAYER is putting the emphasis on flexibility by concentrating specifically on the width of the SWBs. For example, the extra-wide SWBs can also be used on its tried-and-tested direct warping machine and, for the WKD-SP, this manufacturer enables back beams to be processed to suit customer requirements. Customers are, therefore, able to use beams supplied by both local and global suppliers. 34 December 2017

37 Specialty Chemiclas for Denim Triblend By - Mr. C.N. Sivaramakrishnan Bsc Tech CCol FSDC {UK} Mail id: cns8024@gmail.com Textiles are present everywhere in daily life. The production of manmade fibers like polyester and viscose and modified viscose in fiber blends has significantly increased in recent years, mainly in response to the textile market s growing demand and limitations in expanding production of cotton and other natural fibers. Consumer demands have necessitated new fabric and style development using a wide variety of different organic and synthetic fibers. With a wide range of innovative textiles being developed and introduced today, there is an increased recognition of the importance of textiles as building block materials for new product development. The industry has also witnessed spectacular developments in machine engineering, coupled with large scale applications of electronics and information technology. Fiber and textile processing facilities have also undergone enormous improvements in automation and simplification. Micro fibers and nano fibers have become the order of the day. The benefits of nano and Bio technologies are made use of in the up gradation of chemical finishes. A Greener Face for Regenerated fibers: In India viscose fabric was initially expected to be a replacement for cotton. The market began to develop heavily in the early 1970s when there was an acute shortage of cotton. The Government of India made it obligatory that at least 10% of Viscose fabric should be blended with cotton. Since then, the demand for Viscose has increased due to its special attributes like high absorbency and light weight. Viscose and Rayon are regenerated cellulosic fibers; however, the use of harsh chemicals which is environmentally damaging is a subject of great concern. Tencel from Lenzing is considered a more environmentally friendly regenerated fiber, as it has different properties from that of rayon. It is a solvent spun fiber in which the cellulose is directly dissolved keeping the cellulose much closer to that found in nature. Special features of Viscose fiber are high moisture regain of 13% (cotton - 7% and Polyester - 0.4%) and increased dye uptake. These features enable unique comfort, cool feel, bright and brilliant shades of the final processed fabric. Viscose is the first generation fiber, Modal is a 2 nd generation and Excel from Grasim is the third generation viscose fiber having high dry ad wet strength and good dimensional stability and clean manufacturing technology. Pulp in cellulose regeneration: Most of the dialogue on sustainability of viscose processing has been around the source fibers used as part of the process, and there- fore, the overall footprint of the end product. Traditionally wood or cotton was used with viscose process to produce rayon fabric. However, in 2003, manufacturers began using bamboo as an eco-friendly alternative to wood and cotton. This later received push back for falsely labeling bamboo-based rayon fabric as coming from bamboo. Indeed, the rayon is so far removed from bamboo due to the viscose process that the two materials are completely different. At present, there is a push for using viscose processing where eucalyptus is used as a source fiber. Currently, there are multiple ways to make rayon but the most common and considered the least eco-friendly is the viscose process. Sustainability concerns often arise in the disposal of untreated effluent - sodium hydroxide; Also, December

38 carbon disulfide and sulfuric acid are some harmful waste products. Not all viscose producers have improper effluent disposal but the process inherently discharges a large amount of effluent so the chances of improper disposal greatly increases in markets with weak regulatory control. Further, the cost of treating the effluent is relatively high in the viscose process. Asian markets like China and India have had periods of accelerated development of viscose fiber. The demand for viscose fabric shows no signs of decreasing so the question becomes how we can reduce the resource consumption and effluent waste. Cellulose has immense importance as a renewable material. In the textile industry renewable cellulose is used to manufacture a variety of fibers including rayon, acetate, triacetate and Lyocell. However, out of the 40 billion tons renewed each year, only about 2 million tons are used for further processing. The main obstacle is the lack of suitable solvents for the chemical dissolution process. Cellulose is non-soluble in water as well as conventional organic solvents because of its welldeveloped intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Because cellulose burns as opposed to melting when exposed to high heat, it cannot be processed via melt spinning. In order to process cellulose the solvent must either cause a chemical derivatization (a technique used to transform a chemical compound into a product of similar chemical Textile India structure) or physical dissolution of the cellulose. Cellulose processing has traditionally been complex and expensive compared to other synthetic fiber processes. The viscose method is used to process 95% of the cellulose. Although there have been improvements to the method in the last 20 years, more than 2 tons of auxiliaries (carbon disulphide, sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid) and significant volumes of fresh water are required to produce one ton of cellulose fiber. Although 70-75% of the carbon disulphide can be recycled, the process is complex. Carbon di sulphide is still the most established route for viscose mainly because of its economics. Cellulose in fibrous or in chemically modified form plays an important part for industrial applications and in products which are used in daily life. Besides wood, cotton is a source for cellulose. Linters are a by product of the oil mills. The raw linters can be purified mechanically and chemically which can result in cotton linters pulp having alpha cellulose of about 99%. Due to their purity and properties, cotton linters can a renewable raw material for viscose manufacturing. Attempts were made to use of ionic liquids as solvent - for viscose fiber manufacturing - which can be almost entirely recycled. Ionic liquids have been coined green solvents because of their excellent solvency properties for a broad range of organic compounds. Sadly, there is only one manufacturer of Ionic liquids globally making the process highly uneconomical. Another drawback with Ionic liquids is the tenacity loss of the fiber. Use of Tri Blends in Denim: Denim is one of the oldest types of fabric that is available in the fashion world. Denim is a firm durable twill cotton fabric which woven with colored warp and white filling threads. Technically speaking, denim is a warp faced twill weave fabric and known for its durability and comfort. Coarse and lower yarn count is used, thus making it a heavy fabric. One of the results of this consumer-driven demand is the triblend which is fabricated with a combination of cotton, polyester and rayon. Ideal Tri blend is composed of 50% Polyester, 25% cotton and 25% Rayon. The latter has a comfortable fit with excellent stretch or elongation; polyester allows for excellent wash fastness and the ability to hold its color; and cellulosic component allows a soft feel. Tri-blend came to the market over a decade ago, and caught on quickly because of its versatility and classic look. Tri-blend offers the comfort of cotton paired with superior durability and breathability: a modern take on the classic t-shirt. Besides tri-blend s basic, physical characteristics, it also works well to screen print. Tri blend fabric properties are better than a conventionally produced fabric and this new fabric enables bright 36 December 2017

39 colours with better fastness, low pilling and excellent drape properties. Determining the sustainability of end product in textiles is an extremely difficult task. Many variables along a supply chain can affect resource consumption. Fibers are spun, woven/ knitted, dyed and finished before they become fabric. Further, wet processing of textiles is water and chemicals intensive and hence, the resource footprint is extremely specific to water hydrology, regulatory controls, and environmental management in the specific location where production is undertaken. Handling Tri Blends: Because of Rayon in its composition, Tri blend comes under the category of delicate fabrics when dyeing modulated viscosecontaining Tri blend denim, it is very important to preserve the aesthetic properties. Dyes whose application procedures are prone to reprocessing due to un levelness or poor shade reproducibility and inevitably have an adverse effect on the physical properties of Denim. Special dyeing techniques with high degree of fabric care need to be carried out to avoid damages due to rope marks, creases, shrinkage and fibrillation. Severe chemical treatment of Tri blend results in substantial reduction in strength loss as the broken or loose fibers are washed away with each wash. Specialty chemicals for Tri Blend: Indigo and Sulphur still repre- sent the choice of dyes for cotton and cellulosic fibers involving reduction and oxidation mechanisms. The purpose of the reduction step is to change the dyestuff from a water-insoluble form, using a suitable reducing agent with an alkali, to a water-soluble form. The oxidation step converts the soluble dye back to the insoluble form thereby fixing the dye to the dyed material. Until now in most industrial processes, vat dyes especially Indigo are reduced by sodium dithionite Na2S2O4. When the leuco Indigo is achieved, the textile is dipped with the reduced dye, following by exposure to air to reoxidize the dye. These two steps (dipping/exposing) are repeated many times to obtain the desired shade. Likewise, the conventional method of application of sulphur dyes is from a dye-bath containing sodium sulphide as a reducing agent. Ring dyeing creates a fabric to considerable and persistent wash-down or loss of color during extended use, as the outer layer of the yarn is dyed while the inner remains white. The ring dyeing effect results in low abrasion and washing resistance giving the denim producers a huge challenge. Heavier the depth, lower the crocking fastness rating which are unacceptable in the official crocking test scales. Many chemicals are used in the finishing process to give to fabrics special effects at the same time to counter fastness to crocking of dyed fabric. Due to the fact that vat dyes are not chemical-bonded to the yarn, any emulsifier acts like a solvent for the dye increasing its thermo migration and staining of the adjacent yarns (bleeding). The crock fastness and wash fastness of the fabric decreases as the dyes migrate to the fabric surface. Acrylic and Poly urethanes which are used as hand builders at high and low concentrations improve the crock fastness of the Indigo dyed fabric. Another problem faced in Tri blend processing is the strength loss of the fabric mainly due to alkali and thermal treatments. Silicone waxes based on advanced co polymer system in combination with high melting point Polyethylene waxes are ideally suited to enhance the tensile strength loss during pre treatment and dyeing operations. Other specialty chemicals used for Tri blend are: 1. Anti back staining compounds 2. Anti ozone softeners 3. Low formaldehyde resins for easy care 4. Silicone softeners having elastomeric and stretch back effects Conclusion: Thus, Processing of Denim Tri Blend calls for a deeper understanding of blend composition, fiber properties, temperature profile during processing, cleaning operations and selection of right type chemicals and auxiliaries and processing equipments. December

40 Total Contamination Control helps Texhong Group to be recognized in a new market One of the top ten spinning mills in China, Texhong Group has grown steadily since its establishment in 1997, building a reputation for high value-added products in challenging market sectors such as core-spun yarns, as well as grey fabrics and fashion materials. The group s strong quality ethic is the basis for its progress in the production of yarns for bleached fabric, where defect-free standards are absolutely critical. Here, the unique USTER dual control approach to removing cotton contamination at both blowroom and winding machine has delivered remarkable results. Texhong s ambition in yarns for bleaching are underpinned by its continuing successes over the past 20 years. The group operates 3.2 million spindles including 1.25 million in Vietnam and 10,000 weaving machines, making it one of China s largest and fastestgrowing textile enterprises. The depth of Texhong s quality commitment is shown by the fact that it has five fully-equipped USTER laboratories for fiber and yarn testing. Equipment includes USTER HVI1000 and USTER AFIS PRO 2 for fiber tests, USTER TESTER 5 and 6, USTER TENSORAPID 4 and TENSOJET 4 for yarn tests, and USTER CLASSIMAT 5 for yarn classification. Raw material challenges Accepted industry standards to define contamination-free fabrics stipulate 20 foreign fiber defects (FD) per 20 kilograms of fabric. Texhong s results initially found 30 to 40 defects for this weight clearly an unacceptable level, calling for an urgent remedy. Purchasing better-quality raw cotton would seem to be the simplest solution, but the sheer volume of Texhong s requirements means that there will inevitably need to be a mix of incoming cottons from Australia, the USA and local Chinese growers. Most of Texhong s Chinese cotton supplies come from the Xinjiang region, which is both the largest and best-quality source in the country. Even so, Xinjiang cotton is high in contamination especially the filmy plastic pieces cause headaches to spinners. Reception at Texhong headquarters in Shanghai The next obvious solution to reducing contamination was 100% control of production by yarn clearing in the winding room an existing option in Texhong s yarn production processes, but not a satisfying answer to the foreign matter problem: it would lead to excessive levels of 38 December 2017

41 cuts at the clearers, creating too much waste and reducing efficiency, while the number of splices would ultimately damage fabric quality. The two-stage solution The special needs of spinners such as Texhong require a different approach, taking account of both quality and productivity demands. USTER s solution is based on the concept of stopping contamination at two vital stages of production in the blowroom and at winding using a coordinated approach. This is Total Contamination Control, enabling the spinner to balance precise quality standards against process efficiency in a unique dual control method which guarantees satisfaction for both spinner and customer, using world-leading USTER technologies. The first control point is at the preparation stage, as the USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD removes foreign matter after the fine cleaner in the blowroom. The second control point comes at the end of the production process, as USTER QUAN- TUM 3 yarn clearers check the yarn during winding. At this point, the clearing settings can be adjusted to give exactly the required tolerance of defect levels, matched to the mill s productivity targets. These two control systems, acting in tandem, have the technological sophistication to identify all types of foreign matter defects in raw cotton and yarn, whether the contamination is natural or synthetic material. Even white polypropylene (PP) is detected by the USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD and USTER QUANTUM 3. Together, these systems assure a maximum efficient way to eliminate USTER QUANTUM 3 yarn clearers installed on winding machines at Texhong all contamination. Solution and conclusion At Texhong, the application of Total Contamination Control made an impressive impact. Results now showed only 15 foreign fiber defects per 20 kilograms of fabric. Today the group has a total of 22 USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD 2 units with USTER JOSSI MAGIC EYE installed in its various plants. In winding, 600 of its 700 machines are equipped with USTER QUANTUM 3 with FD detection all connected to the USTER QUANTUM EXPERT. This system integrates all central control units (CCU) at Texhong, which means that clearing settings for each article need only be defined once, and can then be distributed to the multiple clearing units. Consistent quality is an important side-effect of this facility. Texhong s management is delighted at the improvements: The achieved quality of only 15 foreign fiber defects in 20 kilograms of fabric is better than expected and this achievement gave us confidence for major investments, said a spokesperson. As a conclusion Texhong dedicated an extra capacity of 400,000 spindles to the production of `contamination-free yarn. This shift created a well noticed impact in the yarn market for bleached fabric. Win-win for Total Contamination Control The winning combination of USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD 2 with the USTER JOSSI MAGIC EYE and the USTER QUANTUM 3 yarn clearers have helped Texhong to develop its business in a quality-sensitive and challenging market sector, without risking either quality claims or customer discontent. Said the spokesperson: Thanks to USTER, yarn for bleached fabric is a successful product for our company. Without this solution, producing this kind of article could be a potential threat to Texhong s great reputation for top quality. USTER s Total Contamination Control is a solution which has become an essential. December

42 Uster Technology Ltd USTER Sensor FA TESTER 6 undergoes exhaustive mill trials The Uster Group is the leading high-technology instrument manufacturer of products for quality measurement and certification for the textile industry. The Group provides testing and monitoring instruments, systems and services that allow optimization of quality through each individual stage of textile production. This includes raw textile fibers, such as cotton or wool, all staple fiber and filament yarns, as well as downstream services to the final finished fabric. The Uster Group provides benchmarks that are a basis for the trading of textile products at assured levels of quality across global markets. The Group s aim is to forward know-how on quality, productivity and cost to the textile industry. The Group is headquartered in Uster, Switzerland and operates through a worldwide Market Organization complemented by Technology Centers. It has sales and service subsidiaries in the major textile markets and Technology Centers in Uster (Switzerland), Knoxville (USA) and Suzhou (China). USTER Sensor FA TESTER 6 undergoes exhaustive mill trials Total transparency and accuracy in yarn count is regarded as one of the most crucial quality parameter for yarn trading and yarn processing. Even the slightest variations in yarn count can cause serious fabric defects such as striping, ruining the finished product. So, it s obvious that control of this parameter is important. Any control is better than none at all, and standard manual methods fall into this category. Automatic measurement of absolute yarn count and its variations is therefore much faster, reliable and easier, using the Sensor FA with the USTER TESTER 6. But how accurate is this high-speed solution? Detailed testing regimes at two spinning mills, in Europe and the USA, provided the answer. Marketing of yarns requires careful control of the same three success factors as for any other product area: sourcing, costs and quality. When it comes to quality, yarn count is the key parameter which can make or break a successful deal, so spinners need to pay close attention to reliable monitoring of any potentially damaging variations. The classic manual method of count measurement requires two instruments: a yarn reel and a balance. The procedure is slow, laborintensive and subject to human error. The automatic option, using the USTER TESTER 6 with the Sensor FA for automatic fineness, is fast with testing speeds of 800 m/min. It also needs only one operator and there is no risk of human error. These advantages of automatic count measure- ment are immense, but the accuracy of the results is the all-important issue. This was the challenge taken up at two spinning mills. Long-term trial at a European mill It is only to be expected that the test results for a crucial quality parameter such as yarn count will be questioned closely, says Wolfram Soell, Textile Technologist within Uster Technologies, who executed the trial on the accuracy of the USTER TESTER 6 in a spinning mill in Europe. This customer has a reference yarn, which was tested every week for a long-term observation of the 40 December 2017

43 yarn count accuracy in the mill s laboratory. The trial ran from January to August 2017, and during the first month the tests were carried out at speeds of both 400 m/min and 800 m/min. It was quickly seen that the measurement results were independent of the testing speed, so the tests continued only at 800 m/min. During the testing period, results for the 100% combed cotton Ne 30 ring yarn showed minimal variation. On the graph with data for the absolute count the red line indicates the insignificant variation from tex (Ne 29.8) to tex (Ne 29.3). Comparing manual and automatic methods Expert analysis of these results demonstrated the excellent accuracy of the Sensor FA for yarn count measurement. The ideal proof of its reliable accuracy, however, would come from a direct comparison with the standard manual method. This was organized when a US customer initiated a trial after a new USTER TESTER 6 installation, measuring 32 different yarns with five packages each over a four-week period. In a pre-test of 13 samples, the Sensor FA averaged Ne 0.1 counts heavier than the standard count determination method. When repeating the test the average count was Ne 0.1 lighter. So overall the two methods were extremely close, says Raul Thomas, Textile Lab and Training Manager within the USTER subsidiary based in North Carolina. Thomas is familiar with the detailed conditions in this mill and knows that data for these tests was taken from cones as well as from bobbins. With respect to count variation, the Sensor FA had much lower variation than the standard method in almost every test. Accuracy and more All the parties involved were well satisfied with the conduct and outcome of these trials. To USTER, it was gratifying that feedback from customers was very positive regarding the ease of use. The spinners in the trials appreciated the integration of international standards for selection of the predefined yarn length for the tests. This ensured the most accurate yarn count determination, without error-prone human interaction, while also giving the option of customized setting of the predefined yarn length. The USTER STATIS- TICS worldwide benchmarks also provide enhanced and built-in knowledge for the automatic comparison of yarn count variations. With the USTER TESTER 6, the FA measurement is carried out simultaneously with other measurements such as evenness, imperfection and hairiness. Consequently, the yarn count tests are based on a large number of measurements, giving even greater precision. Passing this extensive double challenge, the Sensor FA can provide spinners and their customers with the ultimate guarantee of optimum fabric appearance. For details write to: Uster Technologies AG Sonnenbergstrasse 10 CH Uster / Switzerland Direct Mobile Fax December

44 When textile products are intended for critical end-uses, there can be no compromises on quality. Nonwovens manufacturers, for example, must deliver the highest levels of quality when supplying fabrics for medical, personal care and hygiene applications. These products must both look and feel virtually perfect, to meet the expected standards for cleanliness and comfort, especially when they come into contact with human skin in use. Textile India USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD removes contamination and minimizes waste Quality critical for spunlace nonwovens So, any contamination in these fabrics is a potentially disastrous quality risk, leading to claims and returned rejects. Zero tolerance levels for defect larger than 1 mm are standard. Tiny fragments of foreign matter in the fiber could remain visible as unsightly blemishes, as well as scratching or abrading the user s skin. Typically, fabrics for these sensitive applications are made by the spunlacing process, which starts with the fiber raw material in loose stock form. This is where it is crucial to remove any contaminants, before they reach the fabrication process. At the same time, the nonwovens producers must preserve as much valuable good fiber as possible, minimizing waste to maintain plant efficiency and profitability. Powerful technology The USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD fiber cleaning system is the solution. It provides maximum detection of contaminants with minimal waste. Located in the ideal position, after fine opening in the blowroom, the system uses latest-technology spectroscopes to pinpoint even the smallest particles of foreign matter in the cotton or manmade fiber raw material. Covering a much wider wavelength than conventional camera systems, USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD has the power to identify and remove fragments as fine as a single human hair. At this stage in the fiber preparation routine, detection is enhanced, since the fiber tufts have the optimum opening to prevent any small contaminants being hidden inside them. Once identified, the foreign matter pieces are automatically ejected by the system, preventing contamination of the spunlaced fabric. Some waste here is inevitable, but USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD controls this by continuously measuring the speed at which the fiber tufts pass through. It then uses precision valves to time each ejection perfectly, so that only the unwanted contaminant is removed, with an absolute minimum of good fiber being lost. The cost savings for the producer can be significant. Security against quality claims The quality demands facing nonwovens manufacturers in these key applications are stringent. For example, it is clearly unacceptable to allow any kind of stray material in hospital products such as absorbent cotton, alcohol swabs, or surgical gauze. Claims and complaints would certainly have a serious impact on the producer s reputation. USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD gives spunlace producers the confidence and security to avoid quality issues in this demanding marketplace. Its technology can cope with both IR and UV light ranges and it can reliably detect various types of foreign matter. All kind of synthetics and even the finest scraps of white polypropylene otherwise difficult to pick out are efficiently removed, using the USTER JOSSI MAGIC EYE in tandem with the USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD. This technology combination empowers nonwovens producers to take control of contamination at the highest levels of quality and efficiency, making investment USTER JOSSI VISION SHIELD a logical choice for fiber cleaning. 42 December 2017

45 The Colombian textile and garments industry is among the most important one in America, above all with respect to the fashion sector. Thanks to a number of trade agreements undertaken with neighboring Countries, as well as with the world s two major apparel markets (the United States and European Union), the industry has recorded further progress in recent years. At the upcoming edition of Colombiatex, the Country s main textile trade fair, to be held in Medellin from 23 to 25 January 2018, Italy s textile machinery manufacturers will once again play a prominent role. 24 companies will be exhibiting their latest technology in the common area set up by the Italian Trade Agency and ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers. Among Italian companies exhibiting at the common exhibition space are the following ACIMIT members: Beschi, Beta, Biancalani, Btsr, Caipo, Carù, Durst, Fadis, Itema, Laip, Mactec, Marzoli, Mcs, Monti-Mac, Noseda, Ratti, Reggiani, Salvadè, Santex Rimar Group, Simet, Smit and Tecnorama. Interest on the part of Italy s textile machinery industry for the Colombian market comes from the ongoing demand for technological updates by local manufacturers. Italian exports to the region in 2016 rose to a value of 13 million euros. Textile India Colombiatex 2018: Italian Textile Machinery Sector Marks Significant Presence Italy s textile machinery industry and ACIMIT represents an industrial sector comprising around 300 manufacturers (employing close to 12,000 people) and producing machinery for an overall value of about 2.7 billion euros, with exports amounting to more than 85% of total sales. Creativity, sustainable technology, reliability and quality are the characteristics which have made Italy a global leader in the manufacturing of textile machinery. Over the first six months of 2017, sales of Italian textile machinery to this market exceeded 6 million euros. Among Made in Italy production technology most in demand by Colombian textile and garments manufacturers are finishing machinery (58% of the total) and spinning machinery (16%). December

46 Italian Textile Machinery: Positive Trend Continues Through Third Quarter The positive trend in textile machinery orders continues through to the third quarter of ACIMIT president Alessandro Zucchi states, Growth for the Italian market is progressing, albeit following a more contained rhythm. The extended measures for Industry 4.0 will serve to keep this thrust going towards the digitalization of the entire Italian textile sector. According to data elaborated by ACIMIT, the Association Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers for the period from July to September, the orders index for textile machinery has risen by 6% compared to the same period in The index has a value of points (2010 basis = 100). In further detail, foreign markets have shown a 6% increase, with the index reaching a value of points. As for Italy s domestic front, the increase in- stead amounted to 8%, with an absolute value for the index of 51.5 points. Orders have continued their growth trend, making us confident that we will close out the year on a positive note, commented ACIMIT president Alessandro Zucchi. The primary foreign markets for Italian textile machinery have elicited a constant demand, while growth has been ongoing for Italy s domestic market, even if at a lower overall rhythm compared to the quarter from April to June. The measures relating to Industry 4.0, as envisaged in the upcoming Financial Budget Law, could very well keep the trend alive towards the digitalization process necessary for the entire Italian textile sector, confirmed Zucchi. 44 December 2017

47 Huber's Solar Sludge Dryer Around 15 years back, India embarked on its journey towards Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) for industrial units. Though ZLD units seemed far-fetched in the early days, today India has set an example for the world by successfully implementing ZLD projects in many states. While ZLD units by definition have no liquid waste, the disposal of solid waste (usually referred to as sludge in technical literature) is another important factor. Today, technology has moved from physicochemical treatment to biological treatment, thereby cutting down the sludge production substantially. But the quantity of sludge generated is still huge, and it is mandatory to send the dry sludge to government certified landfill sites. The cost for sludge disposal has increased multi-fold from Rs. 1/- per kg to Rs. 8/- per kg in the past 7-8 years, and in some regions it is as high as Rs. 16/- per kg. This upward trend is bound to continue in the coming years as well. This makes it all the more important for the industry to produce as little sludge as possible. The sludge produced in Effluent Treatment Plants or ETPs usually comprises of 20% solids + 80% water. Thus, the industry has to also pay for the safe disposal of the water present in the sludge. In view of this, it is also important to achieve maximum dryness of sludge to reduce the weight of the sludge and thus reduce the disposal cost. With conventional techniques, achieving more than 20% dryness itself is a task, and things only go from bad to worse in the monsoons. Around 10 years ago, HUBER launched its range of products to address comprehensively all sludge handling issues, and one of the products created then is the HUBER SRT system. Huber SRT system Since the middle of the past century, solar energy was used to dry and dewater sewage sludge in sludge drying beds. These sludge drying beds are sometimes covered with glass or transparent polythene sheets so that they can be used in the rains. Sometimes, at regular intervals, the sludge is manually turned/mixed on the sludge drying beds to improve drying performance. All this is very cumbersome and does not help in effectively drying the sludge below a water content of 40-45% round the year. In addition, the sludge drying beds emit a bad odour, attract flies, and are often unhygienic. It is against this background that we have to gauge the HUBER SRT system, which can dry sludge to a solid with only 10 to 15% water. The HUBER SRT system is constructed inside a greenhouse. It utilises the greenhouse effect to amplify natural solar heating. It provides for very efficient turning and aeration of sludge on a continuous basis, thus preventing odour emission and also ensuring consistent drying of the sludge. As the sludge turning happens inside the greenhouse, the SRT system is suitable for year-round operation. The turning system spreads and turns the sludge and also transports it within the warm greenhouse. The climate inside the greenhouse is controlled using an automated ventilation system which is actuated based on the greenhouse humidity and temperature. This helps in accelerated evaporation of water. The Sludge Turner The sludge turner is the heart of the active solar drying system. The December

48 turner operates continuously to ensure regular sludge feeding and removal. The unique sludge turning and transporting method ensures the sludge is completely restacked, mixed, and aerated. A loose wavelike sludge bed with a huge evaporation surface is produced. Efficient sludge aeration further keeps the sludge in an aerobic condition so that the odour emitting processes are eliminated. Another advantage of the SRT system is the ability of the turner to take up sludge in its shovels and transport the sludge to any place within the drying hall or greenhouse. This opens up new ways of application: for example, sludge feeding and removal can be selected to take place at the same side of the drying hall, making it unnecessary to build a road or a transport way. Constant sludge transport allows for the continuous addition of sludge, which significantly loses volume during the drying process. Dry sludge granulate is bulk material that is easy to store and transport. The sludge turning unit with shovels is a typical Huber quality product: sturdy stainless steel design with various features such as a forced-guided chain for even ganging, and long-life electric motors. Furthermore, the system is available in different sizes, which allows the utilisation of different hall widths. Aeration Depending on the prevailing temperature, the water absorption capacity of the air varies. To prevent a stagnant vapour layer formation just over the sludge surface, the air inside the greenhouse is regularly circulated by the ventilation system. When the indoor air is sufficiently saturated air exchange with ambient air takes place either via a discharge system or a ridge flap to ensure dry air is available again. Plant control is managed by measurement of the absolute humidity and the absorption potential of the air. Both the drying process and energy consumption are controlled and coordinated. The optimally adjusted ventilation system includes condensation control to prevent water condensation on the greenhouse film. Benefits of solar sludge drying Sustainable, eco-friendly process Best mixing and aeration of the complete sludge bed Minimized odour development and dust formation due to effective back mixing Optimised evaporation efficiency with low energy consumption Simple process as the required evaporation energy is provided for free by the sun Low operating cost Increased profitability Dried sludge can be used as fuel supplement if it is completely organic Summary With a record of more than ten years of running installations, solar sludge drying with the use of the HUBER SRT system has become the first choice of customers worldwide. HUBER s partner in India, A.T.E., offers not only these machines that meet the highest quality standards, but also brings to customer projects its extensive experience in building complete plants and in providing excellent service support. A.T.E. Enterprises Private Limited 46 December 2017

49 GOTS Pre - Conference to IFOAM Organic World Congress - Hot Spots on Social Compliance GOTS is the stringent voluntary global standard for the entire postharvest processing (including spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing and manufacturing) of apparel and home textiles made with organic fibre (such as organic cotton and organic wool), and includes both environmental and social criteria. Key provisions include a ban on the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), highly hazardous chemicals (such as azo dyes and formaldehyde), and child labour, while requiring strong social compliance management systems and strict waste water treatment practices. GOTS was developed by leading international standard setters - Organic Trade Association (U.S.), Japan Organic Cotton Association, International Association Natural Textile Industry (Germany), and Soil Association (UK) - in order to define globally-recognized requirements that ensure the organic status of textiles. For more information on the Global Organic Textile Standard, please see Prominent players from field of social compliance gathered at the conference and discussed shaping a future landscape for textile supply chains. GOTS Pre-Conference to 19th Organic World Congress was organized by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) in India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India on 8th November, This conference was first of its kind, solely focused on theme Social Compliance Issues in the Organic Textile Supply Chain. It was attended by more than 85 high profile attendees from twelve countries. Attendees included CSR Managers of brands, HR Representatives, Certification Bodies, Standard Setters, Government, NGOs and other stakeholders from field of social compliance. In his Welcome Address, Herbert Ladwig, Managing Director, GOTS spoke about importance of corporate social responsibility in businesses and gave a background on Social Compliance Requirements starting with the 8 fundamental conventions of the ILO, the UNHCR Guiding Principles, the OECD Guidelines and the more recent UN Global Compact principles. Ladwig further stated that there is a case for inclusion of social compliance rules into voluntary sustainability standards, such as GOTS, which remains a valuable contribution towards safeguarding the rights of people at the workplace. Session 1: History and Overview of Social Compliances The session was moderated by Herbert Ladwig. The speakers were Joelle Katto- Andrighetto from IFOAM- Organics International, Germany and Dr. Elizabeth Bennett from Lewis & Clark College, USA. Welcome Address: Mr Herbert Ladwig, Managing Director, GOTS Ms. Katto-Andrighetto informed the delegates about history of social standards, including ethical trade standards of Soil Association, UK, which is one of the founders of GOTS. She also mentioned that since year 2005, Fairness has been included in the IFOAM Principles of Organic Agriculture as one of the four principles. In conclusion, she called upon international stakeholders to work on issues of living wages, fair pricing and land grabbing together with IFOAM. Dr Bennett in her presentation Overview of Social Criteria in Sustainability Standards emphasised upon the importance of social criteria in voluntary standards. She suggested that improving wages - especially for lowwage earners with little wealth - is the key to improving income equality both within countries and globally. She further presented a study from comparison of twenty five standards that include social compliance. She asked December

50 Session 1: Ladwing, Katto, Bennett all standards, including GOTS, to do more in areas of living wage, collective bargaining, inequality, etc. and bring in true sustainability. Session 2: Challenges in Social Compliance It was moderated by Christopher Stopes, GOTS Representative in UK. The speakers were Dr. Sandhya Barge, Global Living Wage Coalition, India; Simon Ferrigno, U.K. and Syam Sundar, ICEA, India. Dr. Barge provided a definition for a Living Wage and spoke about the Anker Methodology for calculating living wage benchmarks. Furthermore, she provided examples of benchmark studies in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Tiruppur, India. Ferrigno spoke on the burning issue of Land Grabbing. Simon noted that this problem is not specific to organic fibres or cotton cultivation. His talk showcased the importance of due diligence and gave some positive examples like OECD, Global Reporting Initiative, French corporate governance law, UK Modern slavery Act, etc. Syam spoke on Dealing with Non-Compliances in Social Aspects, which was aimed at discussing challenges faced by certifiers, working in field of social audits. Some of the common issues were noted as migrant labour, seasonal work, Forced over time, adolescent work force, fire safety etc. He also shared some informative images from the audits that gave an actual idea of challenges faced by workers as a part of their daily lives at workplace. Session 3: Beyond Certification Session was moderated by Rahul Bhajekar, Director Standards Development & Quality Assurance, GOTS. In part 1 of the session, Tim Zahn, NGO Coordinator in the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, Germany and Avedis Seferian, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), USA debated the topic Is Certification Outdated?. Zahn analysed the motivational structures behind social audits and argued that the current system where auditor is paid by the auditee is flawed and not well suited to reveal social non-compliances. Lastly, he spoke about wages, social dialogue and aspirations of the workers where he felt that certification failed to do much as it only works as a diagnostic tool. Supply chain transparency was identified as an aspect where certification systems can add value. Seferian countered by pointing out the importance of certification and explained the difference between a standard and certification. He gave several examples of professions where payment is done by beneficiaries and contended that this is an established international practice. He also explained that the certification can be performed only against a measurable and auditable standard and is not designed to address aspirations. Seferian did acknowledge that certification is essential- Session 2: Stopes, Barge, Ferrigno, Syam Session 3: Bhajekar, Zahn, Seferian, Gupta, Bakshi 48 December 2017

51 ly a diagnostic tool but is necessary to know where we stand, so that progress can be made and that certifications & audits would never be outdated. In the discussions that followed this debate, some common ground was noted such as the need for long term commitments within the supply chains; using constructive criticism for improvement; collaborations and encouraging trust in the partners. The second part of the session was a Panel Discussion on Initiatives Beyond Certification for Social Compliances in Textile Supply Chain. The panellists were Devhuti Bakshi, Trident Limited, India and Saurabh Gupta, AEON Commercial Pvt Ltd, India. Bakshi informed about Trident philosophy that entire ecosystem of social working has to be addressed. She spoke about some of their wide ranging initiatives that go beyond certification. Gupta spoke about initiatives by AEON where they have been supporting their clients with detailed technical support thereby working beyond certification. He suggested that buyers should incentivize the suppliers with higher level of compliances. Session 4: Besides Certification It was moderated by Claudia Kersten, Director Marketing & Finance, GOTS. The speakers were Mumin Can Eker, Egedeniz Textile, Turkey; Archana Panda, Social Accountability International (SAI), India and Mr. A. Narayansamy, Armstrong Spinning Mills (P) Ltd, India. Eker connected with the audience through a recorded video presentation, which gave details about living wage project in their company. The video included worker interviews, tour of the company and a lecture by Ekar. Panda explained the Social Fingerprint program, which helps companies measure and continually improve their social performance. SAI has developed several versions of Social Fingerprint in order to target all levels of the supply chain, including brands, licensees or vendors, and facilities. Narayansamy spoke about Social Compliance Management System with examples from his own organisation. He explained the functioning of Workers Committees, how representation to such are made equitable; other activities towards workers empowerment and a unique supervisory development programme that they operate for migrant workers. While Summing up, Mr. Herbert Ladwig informed delegates that GOTS will put forth outcomes of this conference to the 19th Organic World Congress (OWC). He Session 4: Kersten, Panda, Narayansamy suggested the following as major outcomes of the conference: 1. Social criteria in sustainability standards help improving working conditions. Improve standards with measurable criteria and keep inspection/ certification as a diagnostic tool. 2. In addition, or if possible in combination find and apply suitable aspirational approaches and tools. 3. Find and apply efficient means to draw the big brands and retailers into utilizing their responsibility for sustainability of the textile industry. The suggestion was unanimously endorsed by attending delegates. The outcomes from the conference were presented in Track 7.A of 19th Organic World Congress (OWC) by Christopher Stopes and Miyoshi Satoko, GOTS representative in Japan. Dr. Elisabeth Bennett, Assistant Professor of International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College (Portland, Oregon, US) said: The GOTS Pre-conference offered an important opportunity for supply chain actors, scholars, and sustainability advocates to discuss the most challenging problems and important opportunities in sustainability certifications for textile manufacturers. Perhaps most importantly, there was a robust discussion about the value of offering living wages to factory workers. The inclusion of social compliance rules into voluntary sustainability standards with their system of inspection and certification such as GOTS - is still and will remain a valuable contribution to safeguarding the rights of working people. We are pleased that our stakeholders very openly shared their views and suggestions for the further development of GOTS, said Herbert Ladwig, GOTS Managing Director. December

52 VMT Spinning Company has recently installed a JetSpray humidification system from Condair in its post winding section, at its state-ofthe-art cotton production facility in Baddi, to maintain yarn quality and strength. The JetSpray humidifier was supplied and installed by Condair s Indian representative, Regent Machine and Servicing, and is capable of delivering around 250 litres of moisture per hour to maintain the ideal air humidity. VMT is part of the well-known Vardhman Group and maintains the highest production standards at its Baddi factory to meet the demanding needs of its mainly Japanese and European customers. Textile India VMT Spinning Company Installed JetSpray Humidification System Gurpreet Singh, Unit Head at VMT, comments, The JetSpray has proved highly suitable for our requirements. It consistently maintains the required relative humidity in the area and has very hygienic operation. It is a sealed system with no circulation of water, so there is no scope for growth of micro-organisms. It is also user friendly and practically maintenance-free. Mr Singh continues, The humidifier is also excellent as an in-room top up system to supplement existing air washers fitted in air handling units. During the hot, dry summer season, the humidifier further benefits us by reducing the temperature in the area, creating a more pleasant and productive environment for staff. The JetSpray humidifier consists of rows of stainless steel nozzles, mounted high in the area to be humidified, which combine compressed air and water to produce very fine aerosols. The use of compressed air atomises the water so it evaporates very rapidly and guarantees drip-free humidification. As moisture is introduced across an area from many points of injection, the humidity level is very consistent and evenly spread throughout the room. This helps avoid high and low levels that some singular spot humidifiers can cause in a production area. Automatic flush and drain cycles ensure water cannot remain in the system to stagnate and combats microbial growth. Optional UV sterilisation or silver ion dosing offer additional hygiene safeguards for total peace-of-mind. The JetSpray humidifier uses standard plumbing fittings so is easy to install in busy industrial environments and the nozzles have a selfcleaning mechanism that minimises maintenance. A tiny pin pushes through the nozzle s spray orifice whenever the system stops operating to prevent blockages affecting performance. The innovative design makes the nozzles so robust in operation that they carry a 10-year warranty. VMT Spinning Company at Baddi was formed in 1993 when Vardhman entered into a joint venture with M/S Marubeni Corporation and Toho Rayon Co Ltd of Japan. The Condair Group is the world s leading specialist in humidification and evaporative cooling, with energy efficient, hygienic and innovative technologies for all commercial and industrial applications. Condair is represented in India by Regent Machine & Servicing, which offers system design, manufacture, supply, installation, commissioning, maintenance and spares. You can find out more by visiting the company s website at 50 December 2017

53 At Truetzschler, since the beginning, research and development has mattered the most, and short-term cost has been a secondary aspect. This philosophy has helped in developing long lasting world class products for the textile industry. As a result, Truetzschler machines are performing to the full satisfaction of the customers even 30 years after purchase! Textile India Truetzschler Technology in India Trust is a word synonymous with Truetzschler for over 125 years, and this is the main reason a small repair shop in Germany has grown into a company of global stature. The reasons Truetzschler is so trusted are simple: their products have tremendous longevity and have performed well for a period much longer than normally expected. Workmanship has always been emphasised as the basis for the solid engineering and quality of Truetzschler machines. The Germans are known to give rock solid products, and Truetzschler is a standard bearer in this regard. Right from the first card DK in 1967 running at 10 kg/hour to the present TC 10 and TC 15 cards running at 200 kg/hour, it has been a continuous journey surpassing customer expectations with trend-setting technology products and unmatched services. Arvind Mills in Ahmedabad is still running the first generation DK 740 cards which were delivered in Appropriate maintenance and re-clothing at proper intervals has helped the cards to still run at their optimum speeds. A visit to the carding department shows that the cards are running with 460 cylinder RPM and still no vibrations are felt. The mill is happy with the performance and it is in no hurry to replace the cards. This itself is a testimony to the robustness of the Truetzschler technology bought by the Arvind DK 740 card KOM PLATE Arvind DK 740 card December

54 Cheran BDT 013 mill almost 25 years ago. Cheran Synthetic Mills (Pallavaa Group), in the quiet town of Erode, near Coimbatore in South India, has a first generation automatic bale opener BDT 013 manufactured in The bale opener is running as well as the new version automatic bale openers in the group s nearby units. A closer look at the rail tracks reveal that there are hardly any deterioration marks on them. The maintenance team of the mill is happy with the performance. Mr Durai Palanisamy, Executive Director of the Pallava Group, is confident that the Blendomat can still run for at least 10 more years! Raviraj Industries in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, has the unique honour of having a DK 715 running at 30 kg/hour with a hank of Ne. The card processes 44 Cheran BDT 013 KOM PLATE mm 100% polyester fibres of 1.4 denier. Mr Mahesh Agarwal, Director, informed that the card was 52 December 2017

55 imported as a re-sale from and says even today that the cards are giving the best price-performance ratio to us". TT Limited (unit - Gajroula Spinning Mills) is a 15,000 spindle unit in Uttar Pradesh, having 8 DK 740 cards delivered in The cards are still running at production rates of 45 kg/ hour with a cylinder rpm of 480. The mill produces 8.5 tons of quality yarn every day. The mill also has 5 DK 780 cards delivered in 1995, running at similar production rates. Mr B C Jain, Vice-President proudly said, We are glad we took the decision to buy Truetzschler machines. The many examples above show that the technology sold by Truetzschler almost 25 years ago is still giving customers the satisfaction that they made the right decision of purchasing Truetzschler machinery. Textile India Truetzschler and A.T.E. to continue providing the best technology with innovative features that no others have. The DK 740 cards at TT were amongst the first lot made by Truetzschler India Private Limited, which was formerly known as Trumac Engineering Company Private Limited. In India, the manufacturing partnership of Truetzschler with A.T.E. is celebrating 40 years this year. The Customer First value of both the companies has always been the driving force for creating trust among Indian customers. Raviraj Industries DK 715 It is this trust shown by valuable customers that has inspired December

56 German Technology Successfully Met US and Mexican Textiles and Nonwovens The VDMA Textile Machinery Association has accomplished successful events for the textile industries in the US and Mexico. More than 80 decision-makers of the US textile, nonwoven and carpet industry as well as 25 leading textile machinery and accessories manufacturers participated in the VDMA textile machinery conference on November 6 in Charlotte (NC). The following two-day event on 8-9 November in Mexico City attracted nearly 450 customers and 30 textile machinery and accessories manufacturers, making it one of the most successful events of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association ever. In the light of the high number of participants and the intensity of the discussions regarding concrete investment intentions, the VDMA events have been a big success for our company, explains Hermann Selker, Head of Marketing, Trützschler. The conference in Mexico City was addressed by José Cohen Sitton, president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry CANAIN- TEX: German textile machinery and engineering are one of the best in the world, he stated. Sitton added that the Mexican textile industry has to invest in order to be on top of technology no matter what the outcome of the ongoing NAFTA negotiations will be. Whereas these two events focused on customers, the training session at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Textil) in Mexico City on November 10 aimed at future engineers. About 500 textile engineering students followed the technical presentations from 18 textile machinery and components manufacturers. The company delegates also visited the machinery department of the faculty. The VDMA s contribution to improve the education of future customers was very much appreciated. Very well-received VDMA conferences Commenting on the training session, Arturo Arauzo, Director of the Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Textil, said: The visit and the technology presentations of the well-known German machinery companies were very well received by our students and by the staff. We see this visit as the beginning of a partnership between our institute and the German textile machinery industry. In the US and Mexico, the VDMA member companies presented their latest production technologies from spinning to dyeing and finishing. Major topics addressed were digitalization of the textile and textile machinery industry (Industrie 4.0 / industrial internet), higher efficiency and profitability, energy, water and material savings, new applications with growth potential, such as composites and nonwovens, higher quality with measurement, control and testing devices, technical training centres. In 2018, the VDMA Textile Machinery Association will be supporting sales and marketing of the member companies through trade fairs (German pavilions), own technical conferences & B2B as well as official trade missions in the following countries: Indonesia, India, USA, Belarus, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Iran, China, Egypt. Participating VDMA member companies USA: A. Monforts Textilmaschinen, ANDRITZ Kuesters, Autefa Solutions, Brueckner Textile Technologies, DILO Systems + TEMAFA, Lindauer DORNIER, Erhardt+Leimer, Groz-Beckert, Interspare, Körting Hannover, Mahlo, Karl Mayer, Neuenhauser Maschinenbau, PLEVA, Reseda Binder, Georg Sahm, Saurer Components (Saurer Temco), Sedo Treepoint, Textechno Herbert Stein, Thies, Truetzschler, Welker Vakuum, Oerlikon Textile (Barmag and Neumag). Participating VDMA member companies Mexico: A. Monforts Textilmaschinen, Allma Volkmann Zweigniederlassung der Saurer Germany, ANDRITZ Asselin-Thibeau, Autefa Solutions, Brueckner Textile Technologies, DILO Systems + Temafa, Erhardt+Leimer, Groz-Beckert, Georg Sahm, Interspare, Jakob Mueller, Körting Hannover, Mahlo, Mayer & Cie., Karl Mayer, Neuenhauser Maschinenbau, Oerlikon Textile (Barmag + Neumag), PLEVA, Reseda Binder, Saurer Components GmbH Branch Hammelburg, Schlafhorst branch of Saurer Germany, Sedo Treepoint, SETEX Schermuly textile computer, Textechno Herbert Stein, Thies, Truetzschler, Welker Vakuum, Xetma Vollenweider. 54 December 2017

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