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| Issue date:01/10/2008 |
| ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Oct 2008 Issue |
| Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel |
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Technical innovations are not only expected but required in today’s fast-changing market
by Yang Chaoyu and Staff Reporters
The clothing retailing business is increasingly looking for rich product variety and fast delivery, giving rise to small-batch production and a growing level of mass customization. All these market demands act as stimulus for an ongoing technical evolution in the global textile and apparel supply chain.
An array of innovative printing and dyeing technologies have been introduced to the market to cater for these emerging demands. Enterprises proactively moving forward by technically upgrading themselves will have a larger chance to outperform competitors.
In the meantime, governments in Asia are also aware of this need. In particular, the Chinese government has been actively promoting the need of industry optimization in machinery and technology terms in recent years. The private sector of India and other Asian countries are also upgrading, providing opportunities to advanced machinery builders, often from Europe and the US.
First-time-right dyeing with full color control
Color approval from the client is often a major hurdle for Asian dyeing and printing manufacturers. Instead of depending on a dyeing master to handle all color matters by naked eye, textile machinery builders have been developing new approaches to minimize human intervention, to increase accuracy and to protect the safety of workers, as some industrial chemicals and dyes contain hazardous substances harmful to people.
Datacolor, for instance, has optimized open-ended solutions, under the brand name of Spectrum, to integrate complex production recipes with a third-party’s dye machine supervisor system through the Internet.
"Our proven colour management solutions offer better efficiency through Digital Colour Communications which help reduce the need for reprocessing while improving overall production, reducing costs, and minimizing waste, which is good for the bottom line and the environment," said Terry Downes, chief executive officer of Datacolor.
Germany-based Penn Elastic, a member of the Dogi Group, introduced a variety of products from the Datacolor Spectrum solution to complete their dye-house automation project and increased their production capacity by 30% without adding any additional machinery. Penn Elastic reported a significant reduction in re-dyeing, and first-time production was accurately delivered 85%.
Shrinkage is another area of concerns for fabric and garment makers. Shrinkage often occurs with fabric and garment during the drying process. A variance of approximately 5% more or less are accepted in the industry, which can be assessed through testing.
Sanforising is the shrinkage of cotton fabric, and is achieved by controlled dampening and drying of the relaxed fabric to remove tensions and distortions as a result of earlier processing.
Latest dryers and sanforising systems are, therefore, designed to avoid various fallouts in the dyeing, printing and finishing process.
Morrison’s S7 rubber belt unit for compressive shrinking ranges feature centrifugally cast stainless steel shrinking drum with a maximum operating pressure of 8.96 bar (130psi) and a high processing speed. Equipped with large-diameter palmers and multiple blanket drying cylinders, the system ensures good shrink quality at high production speeds, the company says.
Online quality control speeds up production
Extensive application of advanced camera technologies has given birth to a new generation of control systems for the textile and apparel industry.
Mahlo’s Webscan WIS-12 online perching system |
Mahlo’s Webscan WIS-12 online perching system is able to detect quickly and reliably defaults on a piece of fabric, achieving up to 100% fault-detection quota. This saves substantial labuor costs and time. A high-resolution detection of faults of over 0.5mm in size is obtained.
The WIS-12 system is furnished with eight line-cameras, and is suitable for line-speeds of up to 100m/min. Justification is made to suit individual needs.
In addition, general printing and dyeing machinery is improved constantly to meet the higher expectation for a higher level of energy saving, efficiency and quality processing.
Some suppliers of dyeing, finishing and printing machinery
Energy-saving solutions from A. Monforts
Monformatic from A. Monforts is a controlling tool for combined continuous drying, fixing or condensation processes and is well received in the market. The unit "knows" the zone in which the fabric has obtained the process temperature and automatically calculates the fabric transport speed so that a predefined time for fixing or condensation is maintained.
The newly designed Monformatic Plus automatically reduces the speed of the stenter fans in the respective compartments, when the fabric attains process temperature and the heat setting process (fixing and condensation) begins.
In addition, the new DynAir relaxation dryer for knitted fabrics offers a new continuous tumbling action to provide improved performance, shrinkage and hand of fabric.
Whilst retaining its "sinowave" fabric flow through the DynAir’s chambers, a tumble action is introduced by vibrating the chambers upper and lower transport belt. These are both synchronised to ensure the optimum tumbling effect.
DynAir of A. Monforts |
The tumbling effect loosens the crossing points of the knitted fabric generating further improved shrinkage and hand of fabric. The number of nozzle fingers within each chamber has also been increased from 16 to 24. This, together with the installation of more powerful fan motors, offers increased drying capacity and evaporation.
The company also offers a new soft coating solution, providing energy savings with reduced drying times and in some cases can eliminate the need for a conventional padder. The new process using trough and roller techniques, applies just the required amount of liquid/coating to the fabric via contact with the roller.
Benninger’s solutions help increase process reliability
Rubberised rollers are critical components in the textile finishing industry. High temperatures and large amounts of chemicals lead to rapid and uncontrollable wear. It is well known that washing efficiency at boiling temperature is considerably higher than in cold washing water. However, washing processes at boiling temperature create unfavorable conditions for rubber rollers.
Fortracta from Benninger |
In order to avoid quality risks associated with rubberised rollers, Benninger’s Fortracta washing unit was developed specially for the removal of surface impurities and high levels of chemical concentration.
In a Fortracta unit, fabric is fed upwards in two narrow shafts. The washing liquor flows downwards under the action of gravity. The countercurrent principle in the shaft produces a good washing effect and a self-cleaning action on the washing unit. The liquor separation is performed by stripper rollers and flat spray nozzles at the outlet of the Fortracta compartment. The pre-washed fabric can then be further washed in conventional roller vats.
Abrasion marks and hairy surface appearance are also quality defects. The continuous open-width finishing of knitwear, such as cold pad batch (CPB) dyeing, does not lead to these quality defects.
Benninger offers various services for open-width finishing of knitwear, which includes bleaching, mercerizing, CPB dyeing and washing out. The new Benninger Küsters DyePad system, for instance, guides the fabric under optimum tension and on the shortest path. Reproducible dyeing using the nip dyeing process is equally suitable for small (< 30 kg) as it is for large production batches (> 1,000 kg).
Brückner provides energy-efficient stenter
Brückner presents solutions for efficient energy saving in finishing processes. The stenter is energy consuming in the field of textile finishing; Brückner thus offers a range of energy-saving stenters.
Power-Frame is the latest stenter generation providing optimized split-flow process control technology that meets maximum capacity requirements to achieve optimum production results, high production output and minimum energy consumption.
With the new high-capacity generation of sanforizing lines, Power-Shrink, Brückner reworked the sanforizing process -- the last step in the textile finishing chain -- and developed a new generation of high-capacity sanforizing lines, which are officially certified under the Sanfor label.
CIMI focuses on woolen, cotton and technical textile finishing
Cimi’s Ecosystem line |
Cimi offers various systems for woolen, cotton and technical textile finishing. The Ecosystem line under the Lavanova range with specific versions for woven fabrics, bi-elastic woolen fabrics, cotton fabrics and technical textiles, as well as the Konfort System, which is a washing line dedicated to knitted fabrics, delicate woven, light and bi-elastic fabrics.
The company also provides the Flexifola rope-scouring, rapid scouring and milling-machines, in addition to the Rotordry cylinder drying-machines.
Dosing systems from Color Service reduce wastes and enhance safety
The SCC and TRS system of Color Service |
Color Service systems are designed to optimize performance in dyeing, printing and finishing mills and reduce wastes with a special regard on the hazardous resources as chemicals and dyestuffs.
The company offers dosing systems and dispensers of dyestuffs, liquid chemicals and powder chemicals, used at factory and in the laboratory.
Color Service’s DLVP-S system |
The SCC system minimizes water consumption for dyestuff dissolving and for washing cycles, reduces the load on water treatment plants and brings down the overall pollution. The TRS system, on the other hand, eliminates excessive dusting when dispensing dyestuffs, and thus helps protect workers’ health.
Additionally, the DLVP-S and DAP systems eliminate the need of handling manually those products that can be dangerous to people’s health.
Eco-friendly Erbatech ranges treat open-width knitted fabrics
The open-width Scout ranges by Germany-based Erbatech offer pretreatment, dyeing padders (CPB), washing after dyeing, and washing after printing.
The machine is designed to treat sensitive fabrics. Constant tension control avoids longitudinal stretching. A relaxed fabric run relaxes the fabric and minimizes residual shrinkage potential. The application of the counter-flow principle saves large amounts of water, stream and chemicals. In addition, the treatment in open-width form produces a good fabric surface with no crease-marks and no hairness.
The pretreatment of sensitive synthetic fabrics including polyester and nylon fabrics with up to 35% Lycra content is the specialty of Scout open-width pretreatment ranges. Constant tension control and effective spreading devices throughout the machine are ensured.
Erbatech Scout ranges |
It is also an eco-friendly system using cold pad batch (CPB). It has been adopted across Europe, India and Turkey. Dyeing on a cold pad batch padder is recommendable for productions of up to 50,000 m/per day or smaller average dye lots per color. The Scout CPB dye padder is of the latest technology and features an advances control system with operator guidance and graphical process visualization. Alternatively, pad-steam dye ranges are available for larger capacities.
The Erbatech Scout ranges are distributed in China through Chemtax Industrial Co Ltd.
Fong’s systems dye synthetic fibers with high quality
ECO-88D Ropefast high-temperature dyeing machine from Fong’s National Engineering Company Limited is suitable for the processing of light to medium weight fabric made from synthetic fiber. Fabric structure suitable for the dyeing process inside the ECO-88D includes woven, warp knit and knitted goods made from Lycra, nylon, rayon, polyester and other fibers.
ECO-88D has two storage compartments inside the machine tube. The maximum loading capacity of each tube is up to 450kg, or each storage compartment has a maximum capacity of up to 225kg.
The storage compartments are independent of each other but the liquor is common to each other. Each storage compartment has its own fabric conveyance tube, which is arranged inside the machine tube. There is no heat lost by the conveyance tube, and the liquor temperature inside is thereby maintained at the same temperature as the liquor inside the storage chamber. The dispersion of dyestuff is improved.
Fong’s ECO-88D Ropefast high-temperature dyeing machine |
The fabric travels through an LN nozzle, allowing the smooth running of the fabric inside the conveyance tube and exits to the back of the storage chamber at the rear of the machine. The fabric is then supported by a Hydroski system, an array of PTFE line bars submersed under the liquor. The smooth forward movement of the fabric from the rear to the front part of the storage compartment is thus ensured.
Along the machine tube, there are specially designed CU spray nozzles, which help prevent the fabric from direct contact with dry metal surface. The liquor sprayed form the nozzle also flushes away the dirt on the top of the fabric pile to give a good finish effect.
Fong’s National Engineering Company Limited also offers Jumboflow high-temperature dyeing machines, which are economical and suitable for processing light to heavy weight fabrics.
Precision blades from Heusch
Heusch produces complete high-capacity shearing cylinders for any kind of shearing machine. It achieves highest precision and truth of running by manufacturing them on up-to-date CNC turning lathes, balancing and circular grinding machines.
Heusch’s concave or caulked-in spiral blades are also available in any length required. By means of the serial number imprinted in the spiral foot, users can easily identify the correct dimensions and are able to supply identical spare blades within a few days.
Heusch offers superior blades |
Made of a wear-resistant alloyed knife steel Heusch ledger blades meet all demands of the shearing process and guarantee a long edge life. Depending on the thickness and hardness of the textile fibers sheared, we offer special high-capacity ledger blades made of high-alloyed steels.
For special cases of shearing and cutting application, the company offers complete shearing or cutting units. Its brush and rope shearing units can be integrated into production lines as ready-to-cut components.
Santex Group offers high-performance dryer
The Santashrink Super Jumbo dryer from Santex Group is equipped with advanced technologies concerning software and operating processes. The newly engineered air nozzle system combined with intelligent process management achieves high evaporation capacities and good residual shrinkage results.
The new Santex design creates a higher drying capacity while using less energy. It achieves higher productivity at lower drying costs per kilogram fabric comparing to other dryers in the market. The energy savings is around 35%.
A Santashrink Super Jumbo was recently installed at Ari Tekstil in Turkey, which processes tubular knits as well as open width knits. It adopts the Santashrink Super Jumbo for higher productivity, lower production costs, and better quality in shrinkage values and hand feel.
The EnAirSave energy saving system of Santex achieves thermo efficiencies of over 74%. The system based on a rotating disc equipped with lamellae with a high surface leads the exhaust air through it. This passes through the rotating disc in a laminar flow, hence avoiding pressure loss and contaminations.
By these means, the temperature drop is minimized, the thermo exchange is maximized and the fresh air can be heated up in an optimal way. It has also a self-cleaning device, which activates itself whenever a pressure drop due to initial plugging is detected. The moderately higher initial cost achieves a return of investment of 1.5-2.5 years, according to Santex Group.
Innovative fabric dyeing machine from Sclavos
Sclavos’ pH-TDS monitoring unit |
Sclavos follows its own way to dyeing as far as fabric quality, color repeatability, water and energy consumptions are concerned.
This approach is manifested in the Athena2 fabric dyeing machine as well as various unique peripheral systems, which make the dye house operations more efficient.
Sclavos also answers the issue of reproducibility and more savings with a newly developed pH-TDS fully monitoring system, which is especially designed for Sclavos machines.
Advanced SDL Atlas tester evaluates dyeing effects
Atlas Ci3000 testing unit from SDL Atlas is equipped with an advanced digital control system, including a new simplified operating system. The new digital control system delivers precise and reliable control of various test parameters for repeatable, reproducible and reliable results.
Atlas Ci3000 from SDL Atlas |
It simulates solar radiation using xenon lamps and advanced filter systems specifically designed for weathering, which meet high performance criteria for their spectral power distribution, lifetime irradiance stability and lot-to-lot uniformity.
The Ci3000 uses interchangeable glass filters that tailor the xenon light spectrum to match light conditions in the tested products’ end use environment.
It is used and approved by a number of US and European retailers. It is a light fastness instrument that meets AATCC16E-1998, AATCC16E-2003, ISO105 B02, M&S C9 and C9A, according to the company.
Stork Prints unveils digital engraving system
Stork Prints’ ecoLEX 683X laser exposure integrates the advantages of the optical exposure of a screen with those of the digital laser technology.
The screen made by multibeam ecoLEX is coated with a photo-sensitive lacquer.
The new laser exposure carries out the exposure by hardening the lacquer covering the non-image areas of the lacquer by laser, while the screen revolves at a fast speed.
With a focused and steady UV-laser system, the image is created by direct exposure accurately in a single step. As a result of a low connecting load, no water-cooling is necessary.
The software of the multibeam ecoLEX is user-friendly and works with Windows-based multitasking software.
Pegasus OR rotary printing machine from Stork Prints combines efficiency, innovative features, speed and reliability with good reproducibility. It is available with open or closed bearings and has an individual stepping motor drive at each printing position to ensure a high degree of control, accuracy and reliability in operation.
RD 8 rotary printing machine of Stork Prints |
The RD 8 rotary printing machine is competitively priced printing machine, according to Stork Prints. It is ideal for high-volume operations without compromising quality. The system is compatible with demands of the modern printing process, allowing simple and rapid changeover between designs or colourways, straightforward operation and good reproducibility.
Since the establishment in 2000, Stork Textile Systems Wuxi has grown from a regional office for screens and spare parts, to a significant player in the Chinese textile market. Employing over 40 staff, Stork Wuxi offers a broadened program including technical service and screen engraving.
Then introduces improved airflow technology
The new Then-Airflow Synergy G2 system was recently launched. It offers 20% higher loading and thus a further commensurate reduction in liquor ratio.
The new Then-Airflow Synergy G2 system |
The Synergy G2 provides the following advantages:
Increases in load to a maximum of 300 kg per chamber
Process time reduction to enhance cost-efficiency
Water consumption reduction by 20% with corresponding energy savings
Shorter liquor ratio
Good reproducibility and right first time dyeing rates of up to 98%
Immense fabric range
The new system operates with a liquor ratio of 1:3.5 for cotton, and 1:2.5 for polyester. This low liquor ratio is possible even when underutilizing the vessel, as the total liquor volume required depends on the take-up of the fabric. There is around 100 to 200 liters of liquor required for circulation (i.e. in pumps and pipes) per port, and no requirement to fill a dye bath.
Tung Shing offers greener dyeing machinery solutions
Tung Shing Dyeing Machines offers eco-friendlier dyeing machinery solutions that meet today’s global market expectation with regard to environmental protection, by lowering the consumption of water, steam, energy, dyes and chemicals, the company says.
These machines are suitable for the processes of scouring, bleaching, dyeing and washing with natural fibers, synthetic fibers and/or their blends. They are also applicable with both woven and knitted fabrics.
Each machine is equipped with a specially designed liquid circulation system, which allows the fabric to run smoothly at a low liquor ratio of 1:5 within the capacity of 70%-100%.
The machine has also a drive reel, a round-shape dual-flow nozzle and a conveyance tube that work together efficiently to process the materials of various weights and sizes with good dyeing quality. It thus saves water, dyestuffs and chemicals as well as steam and energy in the dyeing process.
Yang Chaoyu is a senior engineer in China and a member of the Hubei Textile Engineering Society and the China Association for Standardization.
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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