INNOVATION LEADS THE WAY AT ITMA 2019 –
Ends on high note with large number of quality buyers
Themed ‘Innovating the World of Textiles’, the 18th edition of ITMA, the world’s most established textile and garment technology exhibition, concluded successfully in Barcelona, Spain. The global textile and garment manufacturing industry converged at ITMA 2019, chalking up new records for the exhibition which has been held every four years since 1951. It featured many exciting new product launches and innovative technologies and products, including those that leverage the Internet of Things, by 1717 exhibitors from 45 countries. CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and owner of ITMA and ITMA ASIA, reported that the industry support from visitors and exhibitors was tremendous, resulting in record-breaking number of exhibitors since its inception. 
ITMA collaborated with supporting organizations, many of which sent visiting delegations from Central Asia, South Asia, Turkey and the Mediterranean countries. The exhibits are showcased over 114,500 square metres of net exhibit space, a 9% increase over the previous edition in 2015.
Textile Focus technical team talked with some exhibitors for their feedback on ITMA 2019. Key points of the feedback is mention bellow for our readers-
A large audience showed interest in the bluesign® CUBE, the newly launched science gateway for responsibly produced textiles– Christian DRESZIG, Head Marketing & Communication,
Bluesign Technologies AG
Textile Focus: What lasts technologies presented in ITMA 2019?
Christian: Bluesign invited its visitors to follow THE BLUE WAY and reduce impact to people and the environment with a set of sustainability services including the bluesign® SYSTEM. In 2019, Bluesign is fully integrating its powerful set of applications from the system partner area, taking the system to the next level with a cloud-based platform called bluesign® CUBE. The Bluesign cloud computing solution, launched at the ITMA, is the science gateway to responsible consumer textile products. Furthermore, Bluesign grants from now on the access to its web-based bluesign® FINDER, the most comprehensive chemical products positive list verified on highest level for free.
Textile Focus: What is the response in this session?
Christian: A large audience showed interest in the bluesign® CUBE, the newly launched science gateway for responsibly produced textiles. The industry’s needs to reduce impact and increase transparency and traceability requires new solutions and digitalization brings new opportunities with it. The announcement of the public available bluesign® FINDER was well received as it is a toll to drive chemicals change management.
Textile Focus: How do you see Bangladesh textile market in coming days?
Christian: The Bangladesh textile market possesses all the prerequisites to implement latest solution to drive sustainability in the industry. Chemicals management, resource productivity as well as transparency will be in the main focus to strengthen its position as important and responsible manufacturing market. The bluesign® SYSTEM as holistic solution and our further services will support the industry on this way.
USTER’s innovations gained very high interest at ITMA from mill owners, managers and
indeed most machine manufacturers
– Sivakumar Narayanan, Executive Vice President Marketing & Business Development, Uster Technologies AG
Textile Focus: What lasts technologies presented in ITMA 2019?
Sivakumar Narayanan: USTER presented many innovations across its portfolio from fiber to fabric. On the yarn manufacturing stage, one major topic was about a greater emphasis on automated prevention of bad quality production. A world in which substandard quality is actually prevented – in addition to being monitored and removed. It is delivered exclusively by Uster Technologies through USTER® QUALITY EXPERT, the ultimate Quality Management Platform for textile mills.
Another major innovation was the USTER® Q-BAR 2, a fiber inspection system for process monitoring installed on the loom and warp knitting machines to detect long running defects and map the same for reducing post weaving handling. In line with the theme of prevention, this instrument prevents by stopping or alarming when quality is out of control.
Textile Focus: What is the response in this session?
Sivakumar Narayanan: USTER’s innovations gained very high interest at ITMA from mill owners, managers and indeed most machine manufacturers. In general, we experienced that mill owners were very keen to understand the future and new technologies that enhance quality and automation. We did generate quite a lot of business interest and orders during the show, I must say well beyond our expectations.
Textile Focus: How do you see Bangladesh textile market in coming days?
Sivakumar Narayanan: Due to many fundamental advantages, we believe that Bangladesh’ textile market is expected to do very well in the coming years. The established garment industry, the wealth of textile skilled people besides labor and trade will drive the growth of the 2nd biggest garments export of the world. USTER has been and will be with the industry as an enabling partner.
Loepfe Presents Brand-New Yarn Clearer Generation
The Yarnmaster Prisma Opens up a New World at ITMA 2019
Loepfe Brothers Ltd. has been pioneering yarn clearing technology since almost 30 years. At ITMA 2019, the Swiss company presents a brand-new yarn clearer – the YarnMaster PRISMA. With multi-sensor measurement design and new functionalities this next generation of yarn clearers will support spinners all around the world in mastering daily quality control. For the first time, the YarnMaster PRISMA combines new and established sensor technologies in one device. Four sensor technologies interact intelligently and ensure unprecedented fault visibility and data quality. The unconventional new concept addresses all yarn quality problems related to material and the spinning process with an universal and multi-dimensional approach.
Four sensor technologies
Controlling the contamination in yarns is of greatest importance to the spinners. The YarnMaster PRISMA
utilizes a sensor for foreign matter detection based on a brand-new RGB-color measuring technology. The new RGB F-sensor illuminates the yarn in the full spectrum of light, enabling the recognition of even the slightest difference in shade and glossiness in any type of yarn and color. The contamination of raw material with white polypropylene from bale packaging is very challenging. To solve this difficult task, Loepfe developed the P4-Sensor, which utilizes the triboelectric effect. The sensor measures electric charge differences, which are caused during the winding process by different raw materials. This technology is able to detect contamination with white polypropylene very reliable. Beyond these, a world first dual measurement for basic clearing is presented to the visitors. On the YarnMaster PRISMA, the two dominant sensor technologies in yarn clearing are integrated into one single sensing head. This unconventional approach to use an optical and a mass sensor, functioning in perfect harmony, offers unprecedented possibilities and new levels of precision in yarn clearing. The fusion of four sensor technologies into one single sensing head –- YarnMaster PRISMA – guarantees previously unachieved performance and possibilities in quality control during the winding process.
A world of connectivity
The heart of the innovative yarn clearing concept is the simple and intuitive PRISMA operating system. The new PRISMA GUI offers a menu guidance by an intelligent wizard and enables straightforward and intuitive operation. As an extra benefit, Loepfe’s data management system MillMaster TOP 2.0 is an integral part of the new YarnMaster PRISMA and complements every Loepfe yarn clearer installation. 100% online monitoring of quality data produced by the yarn clearers reduces the need for routine laboratory tests. Effective online quality management is one of the key success factors for winding and results in efficiency and lower costs.
Savio Offers Innovative Industry 4.0 Solutions at Itma 2019
Savio, the leading supplier of winding, twisting and rotor spinning machines, with manufacturing plants spanning over Italy, China, India and Czech Republic, is exhibiting innovative, highly automated, energy saving Industry 4.0 solutions in all displayed machines at ITMA 2019. Industry 4.0 is the actual trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Connectivity, data management, remote machine set-up and operator real time interactivity: this is the Savio way for smart solutions for textile mills.
Nowadays, Savio is focusing on developing ‘smart’ components that transmit data online. The new possibilities offered by the connection of these machines translates into the different levels of Savio Industrial IoT, with the possibility of progressive sophistication (Basic, Business or Executive).
Three different levels of Savio Industrial IoT include different option levels, each corresponding to a different dose of Industry 4.0 applied to Savio textile winding machinery, from simple connectivity and machinery data downloading, to remote machine setup, to operator real-time interactivity. The leap in quality of textile machinery is evident in the new control systems, which allow for example employees to receive alarm signals directly to their wrist by smartwatch. When one of the winding machines present a problem, the anomaly signal is sent to the operator through a smartwatch, Savio Smart Bracelet, able to communicate also the type of intervention required, thus minimising the break downtimes of machine.
The textile and apparel industry invests in equipment
and advanced manufacturing technologies to continue its growth
More than 30 companies and organizations from Québec’s textile and apparel sectors have joined forces to participate in a special mission to ITMA 2019, the most important international exhibition for technological innovations in manufacturing that is taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from June 20 to 26, 2019. This initiative, led by TechniTextile Québec, the CTT Group, the Fashion Cluster mmode and the Workforce Sector Committee in Textile (CSMO Textile), will enable the companies to learn about the latest technological advances.
ITMA 2019 is bringing together under one roof more than 1,700 exhibitors and 120,000 participants from the textile and apparel industry global value chain. “We intend to take advantage of this unique opportunity to support companies in their 4.0 shift,” says Dany Charest, General Manager of TechniTextile Québec, the Technical Textile Materials Cluster. “Many company leaders are preparing to invest heavily in implementing advanced technologies that integrate digitalization to increase their productivity and meet the growing demand for new technical products. The purchase of high-performance equipment will allow companies to maintain their value-added manufacturing activities here in Québec, and to continue their growth.”
This initiative – carried out in partnership with the ACCORD initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) – represents a first concerted action for the industry and its members. “A team of experts from the CTT Group, a technology transfer leader specialized in research, development and analyses of technical textiles and advanced materials, will be on hand to guide companies in the strategic choice of equipment and textile materials that will enable them to stand out here and internationally,” says Valerio Izquierdo, Vice-President, Textile Laboratories and Expertise, CTT Group.
*The next ITMA will be held in Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy, from 8 to 14 June 2023.
