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APR / MAY 2012 CONTENTS VOL. 23 NO. 2 ■ ISSN 1015-8138 Frontline 24 Spotting the demand trends for cotton and manmade fiber Due to the fluctuation in cotton prices, some textile companies have turned to use manmade fibers in the past two years; one might wonder what the demand trend would be like for cotton and manmade fibers in the coming years 28 Cutting-edge solutions for knitters and dyers Market Focus 30 Denim wearers crave new elements in fabric The traditional approach to selling denim is evolving, and producers are pushing innovation, technological advances and energy-saving sustainability processes to drive the denim market forward Machinery Technology 34 Eurasian rendezvous aims to attract more than 50,000 visitors The advanced textile machinery to be displayed at the ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 will attract more than 50,000 visitors from around the world Material Technology 50 Natural diversions 52 German smartfiber subcontracts production to Lenzing to achieve a “win-win” situation Environmental Watch 54 Advanced solutions for wastewater treatment and reuse Nonwovens / Technical Textiles 58 Medical textiles advance for healing or antimicrobial effects Retail Scene 64 Fashion designers show off their talents in Hong Kong 68 Nouveau Couture evening knitwear collection Special Edition: Textile Chemicals Textile Technology Feature 42 Dyestuffs and chemicals: Sustainability and functionalities reign Major trends in dyestuff manufacture are towards more innovative, eco-friendly products, while the development of textile chemicals focuses on functionalities 43 Some dyestuffs and chemicals suppliers and their products 48 Innovative finishes meet market demand for multi-functionality Chemical & Auxiliaries 56 Dyestuffs designed for automotive textiles to perform China Focus 60 Qingshanhu: Shaping the largest knitwear export base in Central China 62 A review of China’s textile and garment industry 2011 Corporate Profile 74 Printing smaller runs with more designs and flexibility Israel-based Kornit Digital is developing towards smaller runs with more number of designs 76 R&D efforts and domestic market emphasized Other columns 8 Editor’s Note 10 Industry News 72 Show Watcher 78 Company Bulletin 80 New Products Guide 81 Reader’s Comments 83 Coming Events Calendar 84 Advertiser’s Index Cover Advertisement Enquiry code: 101 Save Money with Körting Hannover AG During the mercerizing process diluted caustic soda (weak lye) is generated. This diluted caustic soda can be re-concentrated by evaporating water in a Caustic Recovery Plant (CRP). This recovered lye has to be cleaned from some impurities and can be reused in the mercerisation process. So huge savings of fresh lye are possible. This technology has already been used successfully for denim and yarn fabrics. The pay-back time is usually less than one year, for big factories even less than half a year. After that the CRP reduces the operating costs of the mercerising process significantly. Website: www.koerting.de Register now! AdsaleATA.com/members Free subscriptionof “Weekly eNewsletter” and members’ benefits AdsaleATA.com/eBook eBook of all issues are available With over 100 reporters & contributors’ support

APR / MAY 2012 Editor’s Note During the past two years when cotton prices were fluctuating, some companies had turned to manmade fibers. One might wonder what the demand trend is in the use of cotton and manmade fibers in the next two years. And what is the reason for companies to stick to cotton? Likewise, what makes manmade fibers more preferable to cotton for some companies? Industry experts told ATA Journal their opinions. Besides, denim has come a long way from being a rugged cotton twill textile, beloved of tough-looking manual workers, to a staple for all walks of life in modern society. While recent surveys show that consumers’ love affair with denim has not diminished over the years, the traditional approach to selling denim is evolving, and producers are pushing innovation, technological advances and energy-saving sustainability processes as consumers now demand new elements in denim fabrics. “Market Focus” looks at the trends. This edition presents a special supplement on textile chemicals. According to recent report on the textile dyes markets by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. in the US, major trends in dyestuff manufacture are innovative, eco-friendly dyestuffs that can be applied more economically, saving on all utilities such as water and energy, and generating less colored effluent that requires waste water treatment, while the development of textile chemicals will focus on enhancing products’ functionalities. Also included in the special supplement is China Interdye 2012 preview. The show to be held on April 11-13 features Chinese and international textile dyestuffs and chemicals suppliers. Textile manufacturers are on the lookout for new machinery and technology that could help them bolster productivity. To be held during April 21-24 in Istanbul, Turkey, the fourth edition of the International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITM) will be named “ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012” after being joined by a yearly Turkish show, the “Texpo Eurasia International Textile, Weaving, Yarn, Finishing, Knitting, Hosiery Machines, Side Industries and Chemicals Exhibition”. We present a preview of a wide variety of cutting-edge technologies to be showcased in this fair. ATA JOURNAL for Asia on Textile & Apparel is published by Adsale Publishing Limited (a member of the Adsale Group) Address: 6th Floor, 321 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2811 8897 Fax: (852) 2516 5119 Email: cta.ata@adsale.com.hk Web-site(Adsale Group): www.adsale.com.hk Adsale Textile Website: www.AdsaleATA.com General Manager: Annie Chu Senior Executive Editor: Naomi Lee Editor: Kelvin Yau China Editor: Joany Hao AdsaleATA.com Senior Editor: Wong Hok Tak Editorial Emails cta.ata.edit@adsale.com.hk cta.ata@sz.adsale.com.hk Contributors Adrian Wilson (Europe) Ajay Sinha (South Asia) Asep Setiaharja (S E Asia) Baari Inggi (S E Asia) Gail Taylor (Hong Kong) Ian Holme (Europe) Lucia Carpio (Europe) Manik Mehta (US & Europe) Ngo Tuan (Vietnam) Sanjay Gupta (India) Seshadri Ramkumar (US) Sunil Kumar Puri (India) Marketing and Advertising Janet Tong email: ata@adsale.com.hk Advertising Sales Offices See page 84 Production Sonia Lai Circulation Circulation Department Publication Frequency 6 times in 2012 Distribution ATA JOURNAL is distributed free to individuals who meet the publisher’s registered terms of control. Fill in the reader’s form to apply for qualified readership. Subscription Rates (annual incl postage) Hong Kong: HK$455 Asia (surface mail): US$75 All Other Regions (surface mail): US$85 Cover Price: HK$76 / US$13 / US$15 Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher is not responsible for statements or opinions expressed herein nor do such statements necessarily express the views of the publisher unless stated as such. Printing Elite Printing (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. Address: Room 1401-8 14/F Hong Man Ind Centre, 2 Hong Man St, Chai Wan, HK

Industry News Southeast Asia China China’s textile machinery foreign trade reaches US$7.6 billion China Customs statistics reveal that during January to December of 2011, China’s foreign trade in textile machinery amounted to US$7.6 billion, registering a year-on-year growth of 25.6%. To this sum, exports contributed US$2.25 billion, up by 27.8% year on year, and imports US$5.36 billion, up by 24.7% compared with 2010. By category, knitting machinery was the top exported item last year. In 2011, China’s exports in knitting machinery hit US$613 million, up by 27.81% year on year, accounting for 27.31% of the respective total. It was followed by auxiliary equipment and spare parts (US$564 million), printing, dyeing and post-treatment machinery (US$340 million), spinning machinery (US$266 million), chemical fiber machinery (US$204 million), weaving machinery (US$163 million), nonwoven machinery (US$75 million), and weaving preparation machinery (US$21 million). Statistics also revealed that knitting machinery was also the top imported item last year, with its imports reaching US$1.14 billion in value, up by 12.16%, making up 21.31% of the respective total. In 2011, China exported textile machinery to 170 countries and regions. Its top five export markets were India, Japan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan. Among them, exports to India were valued at US$523 million, up by 47.55%, making up 23.31% of its total exports. During January to December of last year, China imported textile machinery from 61 countries and regions. The top five suppliers were Japan, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Taiwan. Japan, being China’s top supplier of textile machinery, sold US$1.74 billion worth of textile machinery to China, up by 23.39%, making up 32.37% of China’s total textile machinery imports. Vietnam Vietnamese textile and garment exports drop In January, Vietnam’s textile and garment exports reached US$1.08 billion, representing a decrease of 17.05% as compared with December 2011 and a fall of 14.05% as compared with January 2011. It is noteworthy that the negative growth in exports was seen in all its major export markets during the month under review. While Vietnam’s exports to the US and Japan were US$558.7 million (-15.23% year on year) and US$124.49 million (-6.71% year on year) respectively, its exports to Korea were US$77.45 million (-2.22% year on year), despite skyrocketed growth in 2011. The downtrend also occurred in Vietnam’s exports to countries in the EU. For instance, it exported US$46.54 million worth of textiles and garments to Germany, down by 20.85% year on year, while its exports to the UK were valued at US$30.38 million (-19.53% year on year). According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas), the country’s local enterprises are lacking in export orders, with only 10% of large manufacturers anticipated to be receiving orders for exports till the third quarter. The Vitas forecasts a 10% export growth of the textile and garment industry this year, while for 2011, export growth of 30% was anticipated. Domestic revenue up 15% in 2011 Vietnam’s apparel revenue in its domestic market rose by 15% in 2011 compared with previous year to reach VND 17.2 trillion (about US$819 million), according to a statement recently released by the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex). Such remarkable growth was led from enterprises improving the quality and diversification of products as well as expanding their retails network and more promotion. Le Tien Truong, Deputy General Director of the Vinatex opined that in the year, local consumers tightened their spending because of economic turmoil, but apparel sales still rose strongly, meaning that the locally made apparel products have been well received by local market. Vinatex’s revenue up 20% in 2011 During the fiscal year 2011, Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) saw a 20% year-on-year increase in total revenue to reach VND 35.67 trillion (about US$ 1.72 billion). The Vinatex also reserved VND 741.9 billion (US$35.3 million) from the revenue it earned in the year to enhance productivity and reduce production cost. For 2012, the group targets to reduce its managerial and production costs by 5-9% to bring in profits of VND1.6 trillion (US$76 million). Last year, it provided 120,000 jobs. It plans to complete its acquisition in year-end 2012 and will operate as a joint-stock company since the beginning of 2013. VTEC to expand regional network Vietnam’s leading garment manufacturer Viet Tien Garment JSC (VTEC) plans to expand its retail sales network in six countries including Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and China by signing contracts with local distributors there. This is VTEC’s strategy to diversify its exporting markets to reduce risk of heavily relying on big markets, according to Bui Van Tien, CEO of the VTEC. The VTEC will focus on the markets in the Asian region besides its three major markets, the US, the EU and Japan. With apparel brands such as TT-up, SanSciaro, Manhattan and VietTien SmartCasual, since 2009, the VTEC has opened 1,300 distribution stores across the country, and expanded its stores to Cambodia and Laos. ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News Thailand Thai PK Garment to invest 1 billion baht Thailand’s leading jeans maker PK Garment, which has a brand for local jeans market named Mc Jeans, recently announced to invest 1 billion baht (approximately US$32.47 million) in order to double its business size and to improve its competitiveness within the next five years. The Bangkok-based manufacturer plans to spend about 300 million baht (approximately US$9.74 million) for improving logistic efficiency, which it says is very important to improve its supply chain efficiency to offset increases in wages and raw material prices, especially the price of cotton. According to Sunee Seripanu, Chief Executive of the company, wage rise will cost them an additional cost of 60 million baht (approximately US$1.95 million) each year. Therefore, increasing productivity by investing in new machinery, improving the product quality by establishing a new design center as well as reducing production cost will help the company stay competitive. Mc Jeans is one of Thailand’s biggest jeans brands mostly for the domestic market. In 2011, Mc Jeans achieved sales of 2.3 billion baht (approximately US$74.69 million), which are expected to increase to 3 billion baht (approximately US$97.42 million) this year for a 30% market share. South Asia India Lifted challenges Ratings agency Crisil said that over 180 rated garments manufacturers are ready to tide over the challenges posed by the prevailing global crisis as they have performed well in the previous years. Though dependence on overseas (especially EU and US-based) customers increases the industry’s vulnerability to global economic conditions, steady margins and cost efficiencies will help the firms withstand demand decline, it said. The US and Europe together accounted for over 60% of the country’s garments exports worth US$11 billion in 2010-11. The company has rated 181 apparel players accounting for a fifth of India’s garments exports in value terms, CRISIL said. Further, it said the industry is highly fragmented and exposed to risks relating to small-scale operations and customer concentration. Besides, the rating firm said Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS), if extended beyond March 2012 will serve as a fillip to the apparel sector and result in fresh capex over the medium term. “We expect the rated players to buck the industry trends, and maintain growth of 4-5% over the medium-term, supported by their ability to closely align internal processes and quality standards,” CRISIL Ratings Director Gurpreet Chhatwal said. Besides, the rating firm said TUFS, if extended beyond March 2012 will serve as a fillip to the apparel sector and result in fresh capex over the medium term. SIMA: ban on cotton export is timely Union Government’s decision to ban export of cotton is ‘timely’ as it would ensure availability of cotton to the domestic mills till the end of the cotton season, said S. Dinakaran, Chairman of the Southern India Mills Association (SIMA). He described as “shocking news for the entire textile industry” that during the past 10 days “speculative bulk registration of cotton export contracts took place”. He said during the current season, though cotton exports were steady till January, 2012, there was a “sudden unusual rush” in the rate of registration that reached almost to 135 lakh bales within a month and 95 lakh bales were shipped physically. Describing the Government decision as ‘timely’ in ensuring adequate availability of cotton for the domestic sector till the end of the season, Mr Dinakaran said the industry was now expecting for relief package to avoid NPAs. The SIMA Chief said already the export of 95 lakh bales of cotton was far in excess of the Cotton Advisory Board’s estimate of 84 lakh bales. The speculative bulk registration of cotton export contracts in the last 10 days was ‘a shocking news for the entire textile industry’ and felt that the cotton export would have crossed even 150 lakh bales leading to serious shortage in the domestic market. While seeking investigation into the sudden spurt in the cotton contract registration and launch of preventive steps to avoid them in the future, he wanted the cotton export registration details made available on the DGFT Web site on a daily basis as it was done earlier by the Office of the Textile Commissioner to enable the industry to know the supply-demand position and also help the Government take appropriate, timely steps. Pakistan Pakistan approves technology upgradation fund The Ministry of Textile Industry of Pakistan has approved the Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) for increasing its textile industry’s production capacity and upgrading small-sized and large-sized textile companies, according to local media reports. An official of the ministry was quoted as saying that small-sized companies with investment up to Rs10 million (about US$200,000) will be offered discount of 20% on loan, since the government will bear 20% of their loan shares, while large-sized investors will be given 5% discount for upgrading their technology, which is expected to assist in raising Pakistani textile sector’s output capacity and the country’s textile and garment exports. As reported, by increasing the country’s domestic production and exports, the initiatives will help take advantage of trade concession from the EU in the WTO. According to the official, about 2,000 small and large companies have been ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News registered with the ministry during the country’s Textiles Policy 2009-14. Critical time for Pakistan In an interview with ATA Journal at the recent Heimtextil 2012 show of Frankfurt, Rizwan Tariq, the Karachi-based Director of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), underscored the textile industry’s significance: “Textiles account for roughly 55% of Pakistan’s exports.” Avoiding the use of the term “crisis” when describing the state of Pakistan’s textile industry, TDAP Director said that the industry was passing through “uncertainties” attributed to the global economic downturn and other factors. “Earlier, Pakistan’s cotton crop was destroyed because of the flooding but we maintained sufficient cotton stocks, thanks to the bumper crop harvested earlier. The cotton produced in Pakistan is good for home-textile articles such as bed linens and the like, but the cotton used for manufacture of garments has to be imported. Pakistan imports much of its cotton from China and, to a less extent, from India,” Tariq explained. Pakistan textile industry’s malaise is further aggravated by production bottlenecks created by energy shortages. “But our main strength is quality which allows us to compete against the low-value products from China, Vietnam and elsewhere. Our bed linens, usually, sell well at Frankfurt’s Heimtextil show. Our global annual bed-linen exports worldwide amount in value terms to roughly US$2 billion. Pakistan-made curtains, drapery, and so on are also popular,” Tariq added. Asked why some Pakistani manufacturers were migrating to low-cost producing sites in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and so on, Tariq said that they wanted to benefit under the generalized scheme of preferences (GSP) allowing them to export without duty in the importing market. Foreign buyers avoid visiting Pakistani suppliers Pakistani suppliers are irked by foreign buyers’ hesitation to visit them to place orders. Many Pakistani exporters therefore meet their buyers in neighboring countries - a cumbersome process causing dissipation of time and resources. Tariq emphasized that Pakistan is a “very safe and hospitable place”. Polani Textiles of Karachi, which manufactures terry towels, bathrobes and made-ups which are shipped, mainly, to Europe and the US and, also, to the Gulf countries, succinctly summed up Pakistan’s problems: “Pakistan’s textile industry faces major problems, including energy shortages, the deteriorating law and order situation, and so on. We need buyers to come to our country which they are avoiding because of security concerns. Besides, many cotton growers in Pakistan tend to hoard cotton which can create a steep rise in prices,” a representative of Polani Exteils told ATA Journal at the Heimtextil 2012. AD: CLARIANT AG ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com

Industry News Meanwhile, Pakistan’s exports of textiles and clothing declined sharply for the fourth consecutive month in January 2012 from a year ago, attributed to the continuing downturn in demand in Pakistan’s major markets in Europe and the US. Textile and clothing exports in January 2012 amounted to US$982.42 million, down 16% from US$1.18 billion from the year-earlier period, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Indeed, the overall volume of textile and clothing in the first seven months from January to July dropped to US$6.94 billion, down 6.73% from US$7.44 billion over the year-earlier period. In his recent comments, Chairman of the All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Mohsin Aziz, sounded pessimistic about achieving the industry’s export targets. Pakistani textile exhibitors interviewed at Heimtextil show confided that they expected a decline of “at least” 25% in exports to Europe this year because of the Eurozone debt crisis. Many Pakistani experts had hoped that the Pakistani rupee’s 12% depreciation would make Pakistan’s textile and clothing exports cheaper and arrest the downward trend in exports to Europe and the US. The decline is conspicuous, particularly, in the exports of cotton yarn, cotton cloth, made-up articles, knitwear, bed requisites, towels and other value-added products. However, a Pakistani textile trader told ATA Journal that export of raw cotton, tents and yarn, other than cotton yarn, had increased in January over the year-earlier month. Pakistan pins hopes on EU’s duty exemption Most Pakistani exhibitors at Frankfurt’s Heimtextil pinned hopes on the projected exemption of duty on some 75 Pakistan-made textile base and finished products by the European Union. There is also the prospect of the EU granting a generalized system of preferences for Pakistani products, a move that could see exports to the EU rising in the future. The EU, as Pakistan’s biggest market, absorbs nearly 30% of its exports; the prospect of EU allowing duty-free imports of Pakistani textiles and garments has raised Pakistani hopes of increasing exports to the EU which agreed to honour the World Trade Organisation’s decision recommending a waiver as an unprecedented concession to help Pakistan recover from the floods. Pakistani textiles currently attract 7.19% import duty in the EU. The waiver will apply until end 2013. Reacting to the news, Shehzad Salim, the chairman of Pakistan Ready Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), said that the exemption would “bring life to our dying industry”. However, many industry experts believe that this would help increase textile exports only by modest 1.5%. The package of 75 duty-exempt items includes over 30 products of non-value added textiles such as gray cloth, cotton yarn and fabric, 23 of textile garments, and the rest made up of home textiles, value-added leather, footwear and other non-textile products. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s textile suppliers could face a nightmarish scenario if the EU crackdowns on the suspected use of toxic Azo dyes in Pakistani textile and leather products. Azo dyes, used in coloring of textiles and leather, can release certain amines that can pose cancer risks. Chairman of Pakistan Bedwear Exporters’ Association (PBEA), Shabir Ahmed, recently told journalists in Karachi that many association members had complained about the use of the banned Azo substances by some textile processing mills in the country. The PBEA is planning to form an enquiry committee to stop such violators who could damage the county’s exports by using such dyes that are cheap in price but are hazardous to human health. Bangladesh Concern from India’s ban on cotton export Bangladesh’s apparel manufacturers have expressed concern over India’s export ban on cotton, saying that it would cause an adverse impact both on production and export of local textiles and readymade garments. They expressed the fear that, as a result, the prices of imported cotton and yarn will increase significantly, thus affecting the competitiveness of locally-made apparel items. The Indian Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on imposed ban on cotton export with immediate effect to conserve supplies for local mills. Last time in April 2010 India imposed similar ban on cotton export but withdrew it before the year end. “It is very shocking news for us. The ban will put very negative impact on our industry,” President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Jahangir Alamin told the Media. Bangladesh meets nearly 45 per cent of its cotton needs through importing from India, the second-largest cotton exporter in the world. “A similar ban by India in April 2010 raised global cotton price to US$2.40 per pound from US$0.6 causing sufferings to our mills,” said Mr Alamin. He said as the news of Indian cotton export ban spread, demand in the other sources will go up significantly raising its price manifold. “Even if we go for other sources like Uzbekistan, the US or Burkina Faso, lead time will be a factor. Thus, many spinning mills will go out of stock,” he said. Mr Alamin said the Indian government should allow export of cotton for which contracts were signed and letters of credit (LCs) were opened before the announcement. India’s textile companies have been complaining that they are losing competitiveness versus their rivals in Bangladesh and Pakistan because of rising cotton prices in India. The Indian trade regulator’s move is expected to push down cotton prices in the country. Jute export to China to rise China will boost its import of jute and jute products from Bangladesh in the next few years, said a Chinese official. The 15-member delegation led by Chairman of China Bast and Leaf Fibers ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News Textile Association (CBLFTA) Xu Jixiang expressed hope that the Chinese jute import from Bangladesh would be doubled in 2012 compared with 2011. Mr Xu said China wants to import Bangladeshi raw jute and jute yarns due to its quality and cost effectiveness. China Jute Textile Industry Association Vice President Chen Pingnan said, “Our country imports around 51000 tons of jute yarn from Bangladesh in 2011, which was a 281.69% rise from 2010.” He expressed that the figure would be double in the current year. Mr Chen said demand for jute products has been increasing in China for its eco-friendliness. He said China will invest a huge amount of money until 2015 to conduct equipment transform and to improve its automation level and production efficiency of the country’s jute industry. ‘’Cooperation with jute countries like Bangladesh will promote our jute industry development,” he added. However, Chinese delegation showed special interest on jute yarn and raw jute to scale up the production of more value added jute products in China. Sri Lanka US$5 billion target by 2015 Sri Lanka’s apparel industry reached US$4.09 billion in export earnings in 2011, registering a 22% growth compared with US$3.2 billion in 2010. This shows that the country’s apparel industry is resilient and we need to take measures to sustain the growth, expressed M P T Cooray, Secretary General of the Joint Apparel Association Forum. He said that the industry has now a bigger challenge to sustain the US$4 billion level, due to the recession in US and Europe, its biggest markets. “However, we do not consider this as a serious threat as during the past we have overcome many difficulties successfully,” he said. The apparel industry continues to aggressively penetrate new markets, and it has focused on a number of markets outside traditional markets. The country is also looking at identifying growing markets such as India, China, Japan and Brazil and also looking at entering Turkey and Spain. “Though these markets are available there are certain barriers to penetrate. India has restricted our export by allowing only 3 million pieces of unconditional quota and 5 million pieces based on Indian fabric. Japan on the other hand has a number of bilateral agreements which provide tax concessions to our competitors. China and Brazil has higher tariff on a global basis this will also be a concern for Sri Lanka,” said Cooray. “We are working hard to becoming an apparel hub and will promote introducing legislation to set up international operations shortly to facilitate this effort. We are hopeful that the Act will be introduced by next month. With the target to become a US$5 billion plus industry by 2015, Sri Lanka’s apparel industry is focusing on a continuous high growth trajectory,” he added. World Global textile trade is “cautiously optimistic” Notwithstanding the global economic uncertainties, an expert on the global textile trade says that he is “cautiously optimistic” about the global textile trade which will get strong impulses from Asia. Explaining his optimism in an interview with ATA Journal at the recent Heimtextil 2012 show, Olaf Schmidt, Vice President (Textiles and Textile Technologies) of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, pointed out that Germany’s home textile trade, for example, had recorded a 4.6% growth last year and the growth could flow into 2012, with the product categories of bed linens and wall-coverings having performed very well in particular. Messe Frankfurt GmbH is an organizer of textile trade fairs such as Heimtextil, Techtextil. “Another development that vindicates my optimism is the revival of investments in the building and construction sector which will mean that there will be more buying of home textile and decoration materials. Textile associations are optimistic too, though they say that growth will be down to one to two percent this year,” Mr Schmidt added. European textile suppliers were, increasingly, looking to Asian markets, particularly China, for increasing their exports and a “very encouraging sign” seen at Heimtextil 2012 was that an Italian brand company got an “impressive order” from a Chinese buyer as early as 10am on the first day of the show, revealed Mr Schmidt, who, however, did not reveal the name of the company or the buyer. He explained, although cheap products and large volumes continued to pour into the West from Asia, the increasingly prosperous middle-class of the region was showing an interest to buy upper-end products from the West. The textile expert also emphasized a good chance for European companies to export their products to China, and Messe Frankfurt had already received confirmation from 80 Italian companies to participate in the next Intertextile show in Beijing. The Euro crisis was on everyone’s lips at the show, and many textile exhibitors, particularly those from Asia, wondered whether they would get any orders after the Euro’s depreciation, making their imports more expensive. Mr Schmidt was, however, unfazed by the Euro’s fate: “Germany is working towards the stabilization of the Euro to avoid any further turmoil in the market.” US-Korea trade agreement confirmed to take effect The United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced that the US-Korea trade agreement took effect on March 15. Under the US-Korea trade agreement, almost 80% of US exports of industrial products to Korea became duty-free on March 15, including aerospace equipment, agricultural equipment, auto parts, building ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News products, chemicals, consumer goods, electrical equipment, environmental goods, all footwear and travel goods, paper products, scientific equipment and shipping and transportation equipment. On the same date, almost two-thirds of US exports of agricultural products to Korea became duty-free, including wheat, corn, soybeans for crushing, whey for feed use, hides and skins, cotton, cherries, pistachios, almonds, orange juice, grape juice, and wine. The US-Korea trade agreement also includes a number of significant commitments related to non-tariff measures, including obligations related to motor vehicle safety and environmental standards, enhanced regulatory transparency, standard-setting, technology neutrality, and customs administration. Strengthened protections for intellectual property rights benefiting American creators and innovators will also come into force on that day. The commitments opening up Korea’s US$580 billion services market also became effective beginning March 15. EU to update GSP and safeguard EU textiles International Trade Committee MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) said in a vote on plans to update the scheme on March 1 that high and upper-middle income countries should be taken off the EU’s generalized trade preferences (GSP) list, so that more can be done to help developing countries most in need. At the same time, MEPs stiffened safeguards to prevent textile imports from disrupting the EU market. MEPs backed a European Commission plan to update the GSP scheme to reflect recent shifts in world trade patterns, by removing preferences for EU imports from countries on the World Bank’s high or upper middle per capita income list, including Russia, Brazil, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The changes would reduce the number of countries that enjoy preferential access to EU markets from 176 to about 80. Imports qualifying for preferences would be reduced from 60 billion euros in 2009 (4% of total EU imports) to about 37.7 billion euros. According to the parliament, this is the first time that it has exercised its power, introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, to legislate on the GSP. The committee also voted to extend the range of products covered by the GSP to include some raw metals (aluminum oxide, lead, cadmium and others), that are of particular value to countries (most in Africa) that would remain in the GSP scheme. MEPs also amended the proposals to stiffen safeguards to protect the EU textile and clothing industries against very low-cost imports from third countries. Tariff preferences for these products would be removed if EU imports grew by 12.5% in a year (down from the European Commission’s proposal of 15%), or if imports of specific products exceed 6% of total EU imports (down from the European Commission’s proposal of 8%). ■ For daily news of the textile industry, please visit www.AdsaleATA.com AD: NIT ÖRME KNITTING AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES CO., LTD ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com

Industry News - Regional Focus Global uncertainties cause trepidations in India’s textile industry by Manik Mehta Like their counterparts in other countries, India’s textile and garment exporters are nervously watching the ongoing Euro debt crisis. Europe, India’s second largest market after the US, has added to the woes of India’s textile and apparel exporters who already faced difficulties selling their products to the US. Indeed, Frankfurt’s recent Heimtextil show, which attracted over 350 Indian exhibitors, became a platform for some Indian exhibitors to vent their worries over the situation in Europe. “We are deeply concerned with the situation both in the US and Europe. Our company, in fact, sells more to Europe than the United States,” Deepak Shah, a senior executive of a Mumbai-based textile company told ATA Journal. He observed that his German importers were ordering less than before. “The future of the Euro has created uncertainties and dampened the importers’ mood. The Euro uncertainties are weighing heavily on Indian textile and garment exporters,” Mr Shah added. The Euro crisis has also created some confusion with India’s statistics compiling agencies. The Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), for example, recently released figures for apparel exports during the first half of the fiscal year that were obviously inflated. The DGCIS figures suggested that apparel exports from India during the April-September 2011 period had posted a 30% growth to US$6.7 billion, a figure challenged by exporters who said that they faced declining orders. The export figures for both the US and Europe were exaggerated, Indian exporters said, as buyers in both these markets had slowed down their imports or even cancelled confirmed orders. Caption: India’s textile machinery sector is expected to grow to meet its domestic demand Noticing the statistical anomaly, Premal Udani, Chairman of India’s Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), asked the government to check the figures because the “picture is not so rosy as the figures state”. For the entire fiscal year 2011-12, exports were expected to rise by 10 to 20%, he said. Similar sentiments were also echoed by A. Sakhtivel, President of the Tirupur Exporters’ Association, who said that in the knitwear category, there had been no growth in the last few months. Tirupur, a knitwear producing site, has been hit by the Eurozone crisis. Indian textile industry likely to reach US$115 billion According to a recent report of the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), the total turnover value of India’s textile industry is estimated to reach US$115 billion by the year end with an annual projected 16% growth which will also generate demand in the ancillary industry, including machinery and accessories, apart from demand from the emerging rural market. The increased exports of some US$50 billion would underline the need for increased production, the report entitled “Textile Industry in India” said. An estimated growth of 11 to 13% in nonwovens sector will require new Rank in 2010-11 Country 2010-11 Apr-Oct 2010 Apr-Oct 2011 % Change 2010-11/2009-10 1 The EU 5296.6 2568.9 3421.6 33.2 2 The US 2853.7 1531.1 1737.7 13.5 3 Canada 239.8 120.1 147.4 22.7 4 Latin America 234.9 133.6 263.8 97.5 5 ASEAN 143.0 94.8 100.0 5.6 5.a Singapore 77.0 52.8 53.5 1.3 5.b Malaysia 53.3 35.4 36.1 1.9 5.c Thailand 4.3 2.4 3.4 39.3 6 Japan 137.6 63.3 103.2 63.1 7 South Africa 88.5 55.9 74.8 33.8 8 Russia 17.7 6.5 21.6 231.2 Grand Total 11216.7 5842.5 7513.9 28.6 Caption: India’s apparel export in major markets in US$ million (Source: DGCIS, 2011-12) ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News - Regional Focus technology, machinery and accessories in India, it said. India’s textile machinery sector presently meets 45-50% of the overall demand of the domestic textile industry whose main constituent is ginning, spinning, weaving and processing, the report stated. Tamil Nadu specialises in production of spinning and allied machinery followed by textile testing equipment, while Gujarat is the leader in synthetic filament yarn machinery production. According to the Textile Engineering Industry (TEI) Census conducted by the Government of India, the country has over 1,446 units of which 598 units produce complete machines while 848 units produce parts and accessories as well as equipment for testing and monitoring of fibers and textiles. The 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012) projected India securing a 7% share in the global textiles trade by 2012. Cotton exports to top 10 million bales this year From being a former net importer, India has now become the world’s second largest cotton exporter. Its cotton exports will cross 10 million bales this year, representing a third of the projected cotton crop of a record 34.50 million bales. India is also the world’s largest producer of organic cotton, with annual production exceeding 75,000 tons. India’s cotton cultivation land area is said to be between 10 and 11 million hectares. Meanwhile, the Indian government contemplates imposing an export duty on traders, many of whom are doing good business with China. Although many traders believe that the duty will not significantly impact exports, given the steeply-discounted sale of Indian cotton to China, there are some who question its prudence. Bhadresh Mehta, Managing Director of Bhadresh Trading Company, has been saying that such a duty would anger farmers who had still not disposed half the crop. China is India’s main cotton market. China and India are the two world’s largest producers and consumers of cotton. China is expected to import 16 million bales in 2012/13, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Since cotton is currently sold in China at 117 cents per pound, Indian cotton priced at 97 cents per pound appears attractive to Chinese buyers. India was a net cotton importer until 2003-04 after which it started to export the commodity, thanks to improved cultivation methods, new technology (BT cotton) which increased production and export liberalization. India’s cotton textile sector 2011 was “good in parts” Siddhartha Rajagopal, Executive Director of the Mumbai-based Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council of India (Texprocil), said in an interview with ATA Journal at the Heimtextil 2012 show that the year 2011 had been “good in parts”. “The first and second quarters were slow but the last half of the year was better,” he maintained. Texprocil’s Executive Director said that India’s cotton textile exports during 2010-11 (April-March) amounted to US$7.2 billion, a 25% increase over the earlier year. Discerning good demand for cotton textile products, Mr Rajagopal said that there were challenges such as rising raw material prices, instability in many overseas markets, fluctuating markets, financial crisis in the US and, now, also in Europe. “The Euro crisis has indeed affected India’s exports. The EU absorbs some 30% of India’s export of yarn.” “People in the traditional markets of Europe and the US keeping their purchases to the minimum. However, India, which is growing at an annual rate of 7%, has a large domestic market which helps offset the loss in the export markets. The products that are selling well include cotton yarn, denim, gray fabrics, curtains, towels, bed linens and so on,” he added. He envisaged the first three months of 2012 to show some improvement in India’s exports, also buoyed by the Indian rupee’s depreciation. Last year’s momentum came in the January-March period. US cracks down on child labor in India’s garment sector India has been making representations to the US Department of Labor to remove non-tariff barriers in the way of Indian apparel exports, imposed because of alleged child labor employed in some garment-producing factories. Caption: The year 2011 had been “good in parts”, notes Siddhartha Rajagopal An Indian team, including representatives of Northern India Textile Research Association and the Tirupur Exporters’ Association, recently met with representatives of the US Labor Department and urged them to remove the restrictions. Amarendra Sahoo, Secretary General of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), said that the industry has managed, by and large, to eradicate child labor. AEPC has started an initiative called Driving Industry Towards Sustainable Human Capital Advancement (DISHA), which will make garment manufacturers comply with global social standards and norms, and educate apparel exporters on code of ethics covering issues such as child labor, freedom of association wages, health and industrial safety and so on, and push garment manufacturers and exporters to clean up their “sweat-shop image”. The DISHA initiative is headed by Anil Sahai, CEO of T-Group Solutions which monitors labor standards. Mr Sahai maintained that although children are no longer employed at factories that are often audited by international buyers, the practice may exist in the cotton fields about which many exporters are not aware of. DISHA, Sahai said, will enable exporters plan their supply chain and take corrective action, if necessary. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News - Association News Staying competitive with differentiation Anticipating 2012 to be an unpredictable year for textile chemicals and dyestuffs industry, the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) underscores the importance of maintaining margins, as opposed to short term discounting to buy business The poor or weak outlook in the US and Europe started not by fall in demand per se, but in sudden changes in risk exposure from previously acceptable financial mechanisms becoming unsustainable, according to the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC), and companies sometimes found themselves suffering lower sales, but the issue that broke most so far was an inability to support financially over stretched practice. The society added that some responded by heavily discounting goods in store, but this resulted in lower profit margins, further exacerbating their already stressed financial borrowing, and bringing the whole tower of cards tumbling down. “The impact on textile chemists and colorists is therefore not dissimilar to the impact on many other sectors and disciplines. In operation of business, cash flow is crucial, and products need to be high quality and competitively priced - not necessarily cheap but value for money,” noted Dr Graham Clayton, who recently joined SDC as its Chief Executive. He added that consumers are wanting textiles to last longer. “So low cost garments may not have been designed with high quality color fastness in mind, whereas now consumers are expecting, or hoping, for it to make cash go further.” Staying competitive amid challenges A list of the biggest challenges in Asia can be indicated in the titles of monthly seminars for dyers and finishers in Asia, said Dr Clayton. These events are organized by local organizations and well attended by local people indicating a thirst for the subject matter presented. “And these challenges include: green cotton; optimize, automate or perish; exhaustion of dyes; and perhaps most important of all, the reduction in huge water usage volumes.” In order to stay competitive, Asian companies are doing many of the things one would do in the EU or US: improving performance, reducing costs, and strengthening customer relations, he stated. “These issues cover a very broad range of tactics though, and some, such as ethical and sustainable practices are driven by the retailers purchasing Asian goods. The Asian dyers and finishers are changing fast, and whilst there is much distance to travel in changes, to remain competitive, they are getting there at a quicker rate now than their western counterparts did.” This does beg the question about what happens once they reach competitive parity. “Costs may have risen by then, as retailers request (at consumer demand) changes in environmental, sustainable and ethical practices, and accept the cost implications. Where then will be the Asian competitive edge over the West? Already retailers are starting to question the ability to respond to market demand over such great distances. If Asian dyers and finishers become more competitive on more fronts than just price, will that eventually erode their competitive edge with the West completely?,” said Dr Clayton, stressing that “competitiveness is about differentiation, and if that should erode, then surely so does its advantage”. Caption: New SDC chief executive, Dr Graham Clayton Uncertain outlook for 2012 According to the SDC, the overall outlook for many sectors worldwide is of course driven by actual or potential recession in economies, and these are now so intertwined that changes in one economy can have serious consequences in several others. SDC Chief Executive said that the Western demand for Asian products has experienced many stresses, and much of this has resulted in lower cost prices and reduction in avoidable costs (such as a focus on right first time) for Asian producers, while Asian markets themselves have been very buoyant in comparison to the west and previous Asian levels, but this too may crumble or at least falter. “So one has to say the outlook for 2012 for textile and dyestuffs is predictable in perhaps one aspect alone, that of its unpredictability. When looking at specific parts of the market, there will be specific golden nuggets as good product design, production and supply coincides with good market demand. A wise industry operator would be able to move under demand on certain lines, in certain markets, to alternative markets seeking product to feed demand. Rarely is such switching practical though,” emphasized Dr Clayton. In the current trading conditions, there are huge pressures to reduce prices in order to buy sales. “This reduction is 100% off the profit line and weakens overall company performance. It would be wise therefore of the textile chemicals and dyestuffs industry to keep their nerve and maintain margins, as this will support longevity of their business, as opposed to short term discounting to buy business that will keep business afloat for the short term, but see it falling off, a cash flow cliff afterwards.” ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline Spotting the demand trends of cotton and manmade fibers by Staff Reporters During the past two years when the cotton prices fluctuated, some companies in the textile industry have turned to use manmade fibers. Whether the move is temporary or permanent, one might wonder what the demand trend would be like for cotton and manmade fibers in the coming years, and what makes a company prefer one to the other. ATA Journal has asked some industry experts for their opinions. According to the preview of “The Fiber Year 2012” report to be published by Lenzing Group and The Fiber Year Consulting in May, the latest estimation about the 2011 world fiber usage amounts to more than 51 million tons of manmade fibers and almost 30 million tons of natural fibers, and this represents a new record high of roughly 81 million tons, equal to a 1.0% increase over 2010. Thus, the average per capita consumption accounts for nearly 12 kg. The chart shows that demand for all major fiber types with the exception of cotton was up. Natural fibers consumption is anticipated to decline by 1.9%. The report’s preview also indicates that cotton use is expected to decrease despite significantly higher production spurred by drastic price increases since August 2010, and in contrast, synthetic fibers rose by 2.8% and cellulosic fibers by 4.2% to a new all-time high. million tonnes 50 40 30 20 10 0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2011 Natural Cellulosic Synthetic Caption: The chart shows the world’s consumption of fibers (Source: Lenzing Group) Temporary or permanent? When asked whether the increasing use of manmade fiber will continue, Walter Leung, Sales Director (Overseas) of Fong’s National Engineering Co., Ltd., a Hong Kong-based textile dyeing and finishing machinery maker, said that the trend of shifting from cotton to manmade fiber started as a temporary solution, but has changed into a permanent one. Caption: The increasing use of manmade fibers in the textile industry is expected to continue although cotton is preferred by many consumers (Image source: Cotton Incorporated) “We believe that it’s due to the economic situation in both the US and Europe markets, which put tremendous pressure on garment pricing. By shifting to manmade fiber, the garment supply chain can ease the pressure of pricing right from the cost of material to processing, especially in dyeing and finishing.” Mr Leung predicted that demand for manmade fiber would grow steadily in the next two years, but companies in countries with good cotton crop like India and Pakistan are expected to stick to cotton. Peter Untersperger, Chief Executive Officer of Lenzing Group, an Austria-based supplier of manmade cellulose fiber, confirmed that the demand for high quality, absorbent manmade fibers like viscose is on the rise. “In our opinion, we are at the starting point of a long-term upward development in the manmade cellulose fiber industry, which is based on a structural transformation of the global demand for fibers. Cotton, the most important cellulose fiber, can only meet rising demand to a limited extent,” he said. According to him, some market analysts have predicted a shortage of cellulosic fibers of around 5 million tons in the next decade. “In our view, the development of the cotton market in 2011 was not a one-time event. The transformation of the global fiber ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline market due to the ‘cellulose gap’ will be permanent.” Jon Devine, Senior Economist of Cotton Incorporated, the US-based research and promotional organization for cotton, admitted that cotton had lost some market share to the competing fibers after last year’s spike in cotton prices. The shift can be observed from the figures of the US import. While the majority of apparel sold in the US was imported, the import volume of cotton-dominant apparel (garments with more than 50% cotton fiber content) in 2011 were 11.8% lower than that of 2010. Meanwhile, import volume of man-made-dominant apparel increased 8.3%. With cotton-dominant items representing the majority of apparel sold in the US, this implied a loss of cotton’s market share of about 5%, said Mr Devine. However, prices for other fibers also increased last year, he continued. The increases, along with the collapse in cotton prices during the spring and summer months, have made cotton products more competitive than they were a year ago. Data collected by the Global Lifestyle Monitor indicated that consumers around the world preferred cotton in the clothes and home textiles. More than 80% of the consumers surveyed in China and the US indicated that they preferred their clothing to be made of cotton and cotton blends. Mr Devine said these preferences, combined with more competitive prices, could eventually bring some market share back to cotton. Cotton vs manmade fibers Comparing the pros and cons of cotton and manmade fiber, Mr Untersperger of Lenzing Group said: “As a cellulose-based fiber, cotton is easy to handle, has a broad range of uses, and most importantly, it is an absorbent fiber. On the other hand, cotton has a number of disadvantages. As a natural product, its quality and cleanliness differs. Dyeing and finishing sometimes is more expensive than by the use of manmade fibers. “In contrast, manmade cellulose fibers combine the absorbency of all cellulose fibers with technical advantages of industrial manmade fibers: Constant fiber properties allow a higher spinning speed with viscose than with cotton. Besides, manmade fibers can be produced for special customer’s requirements with constant quality.” Ryutaro Miyatake, Manager of Marketing planning at Teijin Fibers Limited, a Japanese producer of aramid fibers, carbon fibers and polyester fibers, said that polyester could be chemically recycled into new raw material, offering purity and quality comparable to those derived directly from petroleum. This helps to reduce waste, energy consumption and CO₂ emission. “By modifying polymers, various new functions can be added to fibers. Last year, we developed the world’s first commercial polyester fabric to offer pH control. The fabric’s mild acidity was achieved by modifying polyester polymer.” Mr Miyatake saw a growing demand globally for functional materials and eco-friendly materials in the polyester fiber, and expects the trend to continue. “Even though we do not have any statistics to support this view, a growing number of partners have participated in Teijin’s Eco Circle closed-loop recycling system for polyester. As of now, over 150 companies are taking part in closed-loop recycling, including a leading sports apparel brand in China, Li Ning. Demand trends Swiss Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG. anticipated that the demand for cotton would grow by 2-3% in the next two years, compared with 4-5% growth for manmade fiber, according to André Wissenberg, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications. During ITMA 2011 in Barcelona last September, Dr Michael Buscher, Chief Executive Officer of the Oerlikon Group, said that the chemical fiber market had ongoing high demand due to replacement investments, substitution of natural fiber capacities and investments in high-tech solutions, especially in China. He perceived that natural fiber market began to slow down due to the volatility of the cotton price. “The chemical fiber market remains at high level, and the company’s sales are expected to increase due to strong orders with sustainably high profitability,” he said. In fact, the increasing orders for Oerlikon Textile machines indicated that chemical fibers are enjoying a boom. During ShanghaiTex 2011 last June, Wang Jun, President of Oerlikon Textile China, told ATA Journal that although natural fiber and chemical fiber were both seeing an investment boom, chemical fiber obviously outperformed cotton textile in growth rate. Delivery of Schlafhorst’s cotton textile equipment has been scheduled until the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012, depending on product type, while deliveries of Barmag chemical fiber equipment are scheduled until the end of 2014. Mr Wang commented that chemical fiber grew faster than natural fiber because limited agricultural acreage in China had to meet the food demand, thus restricting large-scale cotton plantation. Besides, chemical fiber products are finding extensive applications from traditional garment to home textiles and technical textiles, such as geotechnical fabrics and chemical fiber products for building, medical and automobile purposes. In a recent visit to Hong Kong, Yang Shibin, Vice Secretary-General of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, acknowledged the trend of fabric manufacturers in China changing to produce with chemical fibers. “Production Caption: Lenzing Group notes that manmade cellulose fibers combine the absorbency of all cellulose fibers and technical advantages of industrial manmade fibers (Image source: Lenzing Group) ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline cost is the key factor behind this trend. The major problem is that cotton’s price rocketed and quickly dropped, putting pressure on the manufacturers. On the other hand, the price of global crude oil is now relatively stable. But there may be changes later this year due to uncertainties in the crude oil issue in Iran, and this may push up the price of chemical fibers in the future.” Mr Yang believes that consumers would not change easily their preference while more and more people are starting to accept chemical fibers. In the meantime, China’s production capacity for chemical fibers has been greatly upgraded, with more diverse variety of products being introduced to the market at a fast pace. Drivers of fiber demand The world economy has seen some significant changes in the last few years, and growth in developed economies has slowed, leading to reduction in consumption. Mr Devine of Cotton Incorporated analysed that: “Compounding the effects of slow growth is the fact that retail apparel prices have been increasing. Since August 2010, or before the steepest increases in fiber prices, the CPI for apparel sold at retail in the US has risen 6%. This represents the first major increase in retail apparel prices in more than a decade, and consumers have proven to be sensitive to the increases, reducing their spending as prices have increased. “In countries like China, where both incomes and the middle class are expanding, demand for finished apparel and textile goods could be expected to continue to increase. The degree to which potentially increased demand in emerging markets might offset weakness in developed markets will help shape our understanding of all fiber consumption trends in the coming years.” Mr Untersperger of Lenzing Group concluded that the long-term megatrends driving the global fiber demand included population growth, rising prosperity and personal wealth. “One has to be aware that the per capita fiber consumption in Europe is currently about 25 kg per year, compared with 12 kg in China, and in India, only 5 kg per year. That is why we are convinced that the demand for high quality, absorbent fibers generating high wearing comfort has to grow further,” he said. “In the last two decades, the manmade cellulose fiber market changed its character. Manmade cellulosics are not a cotton substitute, but they form a high-end market segment both in the textile and nowovens industry with dynamic growth perspectives for the future.” In response to the rising demand for manmade cellulose fibers, Lenzing Group started an expansion program in 2010 in hopes to boost its total annual production capacity from 770,000 tons to 1.2 million tons by 2015. ■ Increasing foreign matters, stickiness and seed-coat fragments in raw cotton After some improvements in the recent past, foreign matters, stickiness and seed-coat fragments in raw cotton is posing serious challenges to the cotton spinning industry worldwide, according to the “Cotton Contamination Survey 2011” recently released by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF). According to the survey, the level of cotton modestly or seriously contaminated as perceived by the spinning mills from around the world rose slightly from 22% to 23%, compared with the last survey in 2009. A closer look at the extent of the contamination shows that 7% (2009: 6%) of all cotton evaluated were seriously contaminated by some sort of foreign matter whereas 16% (2009: 15%) were only moderately contaminated. And contaminants range from 5% for “tar” (2009: 4%) to 51% of all cotton processed being moderately or seriously contaminated by “organic matters”, such as leaves, feathers, paper and leather (2009: 42%). Other serious contaminants are “inorganic matters” (31%), “fabrics made of cotton” (30%), “strings made of woven plastic” (29%) as well as “fabrics made of woven plastic” and “strings made of plastic film” (28% each). The survey notes that the most contaminated cotton originated in India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, China and Turkey. In contrast, very clean raw cotton was produced in the US (Texas High Plains, Arizona, Pima, USA-Others, Memphis and California), Syria, Benin, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Greece and Australia. On the other hand, the presence of sticky cotton as perceived by the spinning mills increased in 2011 significantly from the record low of 16% in 2009 to 20%, according to the survey. While this level is still lower than the long-term average, the level of stickiness is still considerably high, and remains a major challenge to the global cotton spinning industry. Descriptions that were affected most by stickiness were those from India (DCH, MCU-5, India-Others), Syria, the US (California, Pima), Spain, Mali and Uzbekistan (Medium-Staples). On the other end of the range, cotton from Argentina, Turkey (Izmir), the US (Arizona), Egypt (Giza), India (J-34) and the US (Texas High Plaines) were not or hardly affected by stickiness. With regard to seed-coat fragments, ITMF’s survey shows that their appearance in cotton growths remains an issue for spinners around the world. 38% of cotton spinners (2009: 31%) claim that they have encountered seed-coat fragments in the cotton growths consumed. This is a jump of 7 percentage points, up from only 31% in 2009. The origins affected most by seed-coat fragments are those cotton from Nigeria, India (India-Others, MCU-5, Shankar-4/6, J-34), the US (South Eastern, California), Ivory Coast and Turkey (Turkey-Others). Cotton descriptions for which the existence of seed-coat fragments was negligible (prevalence of less than 20%) included those from Australia, Benin, India (Others), Pakistan (Others), and the US (California, Texas High Plains). The survey is carried out every other year, the 2011 edition being the twelfth in the series since the changeover to a new methodology in 1989. In the 2011 report, 119 spinning mills located in 24 countries evaluated 71 different cotton growths. ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline Cutting-edge solutions for knitters and dyers by Kelvin Yau As raw materials and labor are getting more and more expensive, knitters and dyers are faced with hefty pressures on spiraling production costs. At the recent 2nd China International Forum on New Knitting Technologies & Improving First-time Success Rate of Dyeing, a number of industry experts from various companies and organizations gave presentations on the latest developments in the knitting and dyeing and finishing sectors, with focus on state-of-the-art knitting technologies and how to improve first-time success rate of dyeing. Advanced technology for knitters At the forum, Germany-based Memminger-IRO introduced its Networker Monitoring System for knitters, which is a complete system to control the production process and the programming of machine parameters with network based on Wifi TCP/IP technology. “Through our Networker Monitoring System, a user can monitor the operation status of his knitting factory located in Jiangsu and its machines when he is in Guangzhou,” said Derek Xu, Sales Director of Memminger-Iro (Taicang) Textile Machinery Co Ltd. The highlight of the system is that the operator can visualize the status of the knitting factory with the production statistics of its knitting machines, compared with other systems of its kind, he added. Testing equipment supplier SDL Atlas introduced its Moisture Management Tester (MMT) that it developed with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The special feature of it, as introduced by the company, is its capability to measure the whole liquid transfer process in the material “dynamically” in three dimensions. It can also generate data in a two-minute test for wetting time, absorption rate, maximum wetting radius, spreading speed, and accumulative one-way transport capability. Seeing many knitted garments are added with special functions such as moisture management, Robert K. Lattie, Product Management Director of SDL Atlas Ltd, anticipated at the forum that there will be more and better ways to measure and control the important added-value features that fabric and apparel manufacturers will be offering to the consumer. At the forum, Italian producer of yarn feeders LGL Electronics introduced its innovative technology in yarn feeding, Attivo, a series of yarn tension sensor with electronically adjustable tension control on yarns to ease the problem of tension variation faced by knitters. It can be applied to large diameter knitting machines, seamless machines, socks machines and flat knitting machines. As introduced, the system features a sensitive element called the load cell to measure the yarn tension in real time. It also drives the motor moving the TWM brake. The TWM brake is the part that is creating the required tension on the yarn. The yarn gets off the spool body and the friction between the spool body surface and the TWM cone produces the required tension. If the TWM brake is moved towards the spool body, the tension goes up, and if it is moved in the opposite direction, the tension goes down. Caption: About 300 industry professionals attended the 2nd China International Forum on New Knitting Technologies & Improving First-time Success Rate of Dyeing Xie Genbing, Sales Manager of LGL Electronics (Hangzhou) Co Ltd, emphasized: “With the system, yarn tension is constant from full to empty bobbin, and yarn tension won’t be changed by changing yarns, while there is no need to set tension for each yarn. According to our research, Attivo can increase machine speed from 10% to 40%, reduce defective fabric, and enhance a machine’s overall efficiency by up to 33%.” The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) presented its latest projects at the two-day forum. One of them was on advanced functional clothing CAD simulation system. Barry Dai, HKRITA’s Business Development Manager, said that the advanced clothing functional design CAD simulation technology provides a multi-style garment thermal functional design simulation which can estimate the best material and garment requirements needed for environment- and weathered-related situations. “It increases efficiency and decreases production costs by saving time and money invested on sample making,” he added. Caption: LGL Electronics’ Attivo ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline HKRITA also presented its project on developing smart functional clothing which is responsive or adaptive to the kinetics and physiological changes of human body and to changes of environmental conditions. According to Mr Dai, the project was about an innovative application of clothing physiology, biomimetics, nanotechnology and advanced apparel evaluation technology, through which various kinds of clothing, such as summer wear, sportswear and cold protective clothing for extreme conditions have been developed. Latest dyeing technologies Swiss chemicals supplier Clariant introduced Right First Time (RFT) dyeing on knits. RFT means achieving the quality during the dyeing process without reworking, providing dyehouses a solution to save water and energy, enhance productivity and reduce delivery time, which, in turn, can create higher profitability for dyeing houses and greater satisfaction for customers, according to Clariant. In RFT dyeing, Clariant offers the Swift exhaust dyeing process. The process was developed by Clariant for short dyeing of PES/cellulose blends. Orion Wu, Technical Service Manager of Clariant (China) Ltd, said, “The Swift exhaust dyeing process takes much shorter time than the conventional dyeing processes do, and the wet fastness of dyed textiles can also meet the highest requirements of the market, owing to Clariant’s innovation in dyes, Foron S-WF and Drimaren.” He stressed that without downgrading the dyeing quality, their innovative dyes can save one-third of water and energy, reduce one-third of processing time and improve the first-time success rate of dyeing. At the forum, Thies Textilmaschinen presented its iMaster H₂O dyeing machine. The company said that the high temperature fabric dyeing machine offers low water consumption. For cotton, it starts at a liquor ratio of 1:3.7, depending on the pick-up of water on the fabric. Caption: Thies iMaster H₂O dyeing machine The iMaster H₂O has been designed to handle a wide range of fabrics and knitted natural and synthetic fibers and blends, including viscose. With minimal rope lifting, it provides improved shrinkage control and less rope curling for elastic fabrics such as cotton and Lycra. Wang Xiaoyi, General Manager of Thies Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., noted, “The iMaster H₂O can significantly reduce the process time, while achieving improved quality in terms of both appearance and elongation of the fabric.” Fong’s Industries, on the other hand, presented its new TEC series of high temperature dyeing machines for the efficient, energy-saving and eco-friendly dyeing of various types of natural, synthetic, blended fibers. Caption: Fong’s TEC series of high temperature dyeing machines As introduced, Fong’s TEC series of high temperature dyeing machines is specially designed for fabrics of a tight and crease mark sensitive structure, such as 40S/2, 26S/1 and 20S/1; tightly knitted fabrics; and fabrics of sensitive shades like turquoise. Available in three models, the series offers a loading capacity of 300kg (Jumbotec), 250kg (Miditec) and 200kg (Minitec) per tube, and users can choose in range of 1-12 tubes. With the machines, Fong’s said that cotton reactive dyeing process takes approximately 248 minutes for light colors. Besides, the series can enable dyers to lower water consumption for reactive dyeing cotton fabric to 27.5L/kg, 37.8L/kg and 47.6L/kg for light, medium and dark shades respectively. The 2nd China International Forum on New Knitting Technologies & Improving First-time Success Rate of Dyeing was held on February 28-29 in Guangzhou, China. Organized by Adsale Publishing Ltd, publisher of China Textile & Apparel (CTA) and Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel (ATA Journal), and the China Textile Engineering Society (CTES), the two-day event featured a number of industry experts giving presentations on the latest developments in the knitting and dyeing and finishing sectors. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Market Focus Denim wearers crave new elements in fabric While consumers’ love affair with denim has not diminished over the years, the traditional approach to selling denim is evolving, and producers are pushing innovation and technological advances to drive the market forward, writes Lucia Carpio Denim has come a long way from being a rugged cotton twill textile beloved of tough-looking manual workers to become a staple for all walks of life in today’s modern societies and in recent years, the humble cloth has been elevated to luxury level in the hands of a few. However, with increased material costs, a shift towards sustainability, and the economic downturn, the demands on the denim market are more challenging than ever before. In many traditional markets the consumers’ appetite for denim remains strong, and prospects in new markets are growing. However, in certain sectors the consumers demand seems to have softened. The traditional approach to selling denim therefore is evolving, and innovation is key. Certainly there has been a concerted effort to expand the denim wardrobe beyond bottoms to include items like dresses and outerwear, but jeans remain the most popular denim item. According to industry experts, jeans are an acceptable choice for a whole host of social occasions for both men and women. Robert Hanson, Global President of the Levi’s brand said recently, “In today’s world, denim is the ultimate and most versatile fashion option for every possible occasion and we know shoppers want choices when it comes to finding the best style for them.” European consumers wear more denim In a recent survey of consumers in 10 countries carried out by the Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor, European consumers are wearing more denim than other regions surveyed, reflecting interesting facts about their lifestyle and ownership. In Germany, more than consumers in any other country surveyed, 88% enjoy or love wearing denim, compared with 78% of US consumers and the global average of 65%. Germans also own the most denim jeans and denim jackets, and also wear denim the most often (5.2 days a week, versus 3.5 globally, 4.3 in Italy and 4.2 in the US). These findings reflect the continued casual attitude towards dress code in today’s work place. UK consumers are also among the most denim-loving in the world, ranking behind only the Germans and the Americans, and have reported a large denim wardrobe not solely focused on denim jeans, owning an average of 21 denim garments in 2010, up from 17 in 2008. UK women have the highest ownership of denim dresses and skirts. However, UK consumers wear denim fewer days per week on average possibly because casual dress at work is less acceptable in the UK than in most countries. Additionally, according to Emma Clifford, Fashion Analyst at leading market researcher Mintel, while wearing jeans in the UK for office-based work is significantly less common (12%) than wearing jeans for non office-based work (21%), jeans are increasingly losing their appeal as people get older. Indeed British designer Wayne Hemmingway (campaigner for eco and vintage fashion and founder of the Red or Dead label) and Gordon Richardson, Fashion Director at Topman (a successful young fashion chain of the Arcadia Group) have both admitted recently that after the age of 35, they did not find it appropriate to be wearing jeans. Caption: Skinny jeans in hot summer colors from H&M Growth in non-traditional markets But Mintel’s Clifford said: “It is true that the tendency to wear jeans is lower among older consumers. However, data show that the proportion of over-55s usually wearing jeans has risen by nine percentage points between 2006 and 2011, and purchasing of jeans has also risen among over-55s. This indicates that the appeal of denim has broadened in recent years.” Denim ownership is growing also in non-traditional markets. Recent surveys by Cotton Incorporation reveal that Turkish consumers, for example, are just as denim-loving as the Germans and the British. In 2010, the Turkish dedicate 12% of all their clothing purchases to denim jeans, behind only underwear (26%) and T-shirts (16%). On the other side of the globe, Brazilian consumers also have ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Market Focus high denim ownership, especially among younger consumers aged 15-34. Over in India, where denim is not a mainstay of consumer wardrobes, the percentage of consumers reporting loving and enjoy wearing denim has more than doubled between 2001 and 2010, from 13% to 29% on average, especially among male consumers. The percentage of Indian consumers purchasing jeans during the same time period has tripled, from 10% to 30%. However in China, according to the China National Commercial Information Centre, denim sales remain low compared to other apparel categories. Denim wear made up just 1.2% of total sales volume of all apparel types in the first half of last year. Adding more interest to denim The main developments in the last 20 years or so have been not only to broaden the appeal of denim but also to add more interest to the fabric. As seen in recent trade fairs, producers drive “newness” by extending the range of colors, especially vibrant shades for young customers to more sophisticated shades for more mature consumers, creating more interest to the fabric surfaces by brushing, printing, and dyeing – dip-dyed, over-dyed and garment-dyed options – using advanced washing techniques, resins, tinting, pigment sprays and adding embellishments like Swarovski crystals, studs and embroidery. But equally there is a trend to hark back to authentic treatments and washes with raw-unwashed looks just like what it used to be. As one retail buyer said, if consumers buy heavy washes, the jeans need “to look just as if you had worn them in yourself with no artificial bleaching.” Brazilian denim producer Vicunha which has production bases around the world including Turkey and supplies to retailers such as H&M, offers denim in an intense China blue and hay-nature-coloured tones for 2012, while for the Spring/Summer 2013 season, Vicunha’s denims come in three main washes: Dark, including the authentic “rinse-wash”; middle, for a casual “used-wash” look; and light, with “bleach wash,” for a naturally-faded favourite jeans look, and their ‘lifestyle’ colors include “sky blue” , “pure indigo”, distressed light blue and beige. Caption: Jeans from German brand Mac Jeans, decorated with Swarovski Elements’s crystals, on show at the Bread & Butter fair in Berlin There are high density denims with a soft handle to give jeans a comfortable fit, which is increasingly important for men’s wear, and in blends with cotton, Tencel and linen for ladies’ jumpsuits, overalls and skirts that require good drapery. To achieve better slim fitting jeans, and the increasing popularity of authentic designs, Vicunha AD: TESTEX SWISS TEXTILE-TESTING LTD

Market Focus proposes super-stretch denims. At Premiere Vision Pluriel in February, Japanese denim experts at Kuroki showed selvage denim with “charcoal” neps, double weaved indigo denim with a herringbone texture, and denim made with silver metallic yarns, while Showa displayed denim with suppleness, lustre and a fine handle, using low-count yarns of Supima cotton. Established denim producer UCO Raymond showed off a range of yarn-dyed coloured denims, mainly in four bases: Comfort stretch at 9 ½ oz, Power Stretch (blending cotton and Lycra) at 9 oz, cotton-polyester-Lycra blend and light cloths of 8 ½ and 7 ½ oz that is dyed on both sides of the fabric. There was also heavy weight coated denim with stretch for a leather look. “Our customers are asking for more value-added options,” said David Tytgat, UCO’s Sales Manager for France and Belgium, who works with fashion as well as sportswear brands that want to include denim looks in their collections. Caption: Brazilian denim maker Vicunha’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection, showing jeans in a selection of washes and vintage effects Also at the Paris Premiere Vision fair were experts from Cotton Incorporated who predicted that for Autumn/Winter 2013/14, denim colors will range from black to indigo, and will include vibrant, bright colors, gradation effects and applique details. But they also emphasised that sustainability is addressed by many denim producers today, who are keen to offer newness that can be achieved through new technology and treatments geared for low environmental impact. Cotton Incorporated’s Director of Product Development, Yvonne Machilek Johnson said they are currently working with Jeanologia in Spain that uses laser technology and the G2 machine, which uses a gas blend (ozone and oxygen) to develop worn or aged looks, pattern designs and 3D effects to replace the use of water and energy in washes, blasting or bleaching. Thomas Dislich, Director of Vicunha Europe, said the company use Reactor Technology for dyeing denim which is a high fixation process that results in less dyestuff and auxiliaries used, thus conserving water and providing better environment protection. While the innovative fabrications and finishes are important factors especially for premium denim jeans, having a good fit is vital to entice consumers to make discretionary jeans purchases. Brands such as Salsa Life in Portugal which caters for both men and women, Bodymetrics in the UK which uses a body-mapping technology, Germany’s MAC Jeans with their second-skin “power denim” and the Los Angeles-based NYDJ (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans) all offer a wide selection of jeans shapes and fits with the promise to make consumers look good in their jeans. Christian Lawaczeck of NYPJ uses the term “shapewear” to describe their jeans. “We are a pioneer in shaping jeans. We use a patented Lift Tuck Technology. Our jeans are based on comfort. Our styles are not trendy and the best-selling shape is a high-waisted design that give mature women a comfortable fit.” Levi Strauss & Co. and American Rag founder, Mark Werts, recently collaborated on a new premium denim retail shop and online concept called INDUSTRIE DENIM in the US that provides consultation, alterations and a patent-pending fitting room Booty Cam technology, which allows shoppers to view how the jeans appear from behind, so as to ascertain the fit of the jeans. The stores showcase more than 100 denim collections, offering wide price points to appeal to a broad range of customers. Oscar Udeshi, Creative Director and Founder of Udeshi London said fit, comfort and looking good are very important for his customers. “The luxury fabrics we offer include ring spun denim, denim with stretch, denim with cashmere, linen denim, moleskin, corduroy, twill and camouflage. We offer very high quality construction, hidden details and individuality,” he said, adding that he also offers made-to-measure jeans in his London Mayfair store. “At our price point the finishes and colors tend to be on the more conservative side, so darker colors with a light rinse to soften up the fabric. Our clients prefer to age the jeans themselves. ” Premium brand Billionaire Italian Couture, which was established in 2005 by entrepreneur Flavio Briatore, transforms denim as luxurious eveningwear. His jeans, stitched with the brand’s embroidered tape and accessorised with leather details such as python, crocodile skin and ostrich, velvet pockets and gold thread stitching, are made with the Billionaire man in mind. He said: “Luxury is to feel good and comfortable in the item you wear: the cut, the fabric, and the details. I think that in today’s fast paced society denim is a key element in our wardrobe’s and needs to take us through the day straight into evening”. Caption: Jeans from UCO Raymond as seen at Premiere Vision Pluriel, showing a range of yarn-dyed coloured denim and new wash effects New York denim collector and entrepreneur Scott Morrison also recognizes the importance of offering a package of bespoke services and feels that by allowing the customer the opportunity to be part of the manufacturing experience is a premium that customers are willing to pay. In his 3x1 jeans emporium, the focus is on allowing shoppers to explore ways to make jeans individual. He offers customers an extensive range of jeans fabric and hardware options, while allowing customers to observe the production process on the same premises from behind glass. “Customization will play an important role,” said Morrison, who wrote recently in the SS2012 edition of Salt magazine (published by Swarovski Elements) that “people enjoy being unique and putting their stamp on things.” ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Machinery Technology Eurasian rendezvous aims to attract more than 50,000 visitors by Staff Reporters To be held during April 21-24 in Istanbul, Turkey, the fourth edition of the International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITM) will be joined with the yearly Texpo Eurasia International Textile, Weaving, Yarn, Finishing, Knitting, Hosiery Machines, Side Industries and Chemicals Exhibition under the umbrella of “ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012”. HIGHTEX 2012 Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Exhibition and Istanbul Yarn Fair will also be concurrently held. The ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 Exhibition is expected to be an exhibition visited by the Turkish textile manufacturers as well as visitors from the surrounding and neighboring countries. They will see cotton and fiber preparation, yarn preparation, yarn twisting, weaving preparation and weaving, flat and circular knitting, quilting, hosiery, embroidery, dyeing-printing-finishing machinery, textile chemicals, laboratory equipment and quality control systems, CAD- CAM- CIM application and automation systems, machinery spare parts and accessories at the exhibition. On the other hand, at HIGHTEX 2012, all related technology, raw material, chemicals and semi-products and end-products related with technical textiles and nonwovens will be presented. The organizers say that previous ITM were participated by exhibitors from the US, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, the Czech Republic, China, Denmark, France, Holland, India, the UK, Spain, Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Iran, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Egypt, Pakistan, Singapore, Turkey, Greece and Taiwan. For this year, more than 50,000 visitors, mainly coming from Middle East countries as well as the Balkans and African countries, are expected. Caption: A snapshot of previous edition of ITM According to the organizers, Turkey continues to be the location of interest in the international arena with its potential, experience, know-how, qualified human force, production capacity, quality, development in research and development, product and design and so on. The organizers say that Turkey maintains the leading position with the investments in textile industry, adding that it is one of the top five countries in investing textile machinery. In 2010, it purchased machines costing over US$1 billion in 2010, and is expected to invest more than US$2 billion in textile machinery in 2012. ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 is organized by Teknik Fuarcılık, Yayıncılık ve Reklamcılık Tic Ltd Şti and TÜYAP Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım AŞ, and supported by the Textile Machinery and Accessories Manufacturers Association (TEMSAD). Exhibit highlights AESA Air Engineering H2 214 AESA is a leader in the field of industrial air conditioning, which provides reliable solutions for textile air engineering, industrial ventilation as well as dust filtration, waste removal and collection in the textile, paper, tobacco and food industries. AESA main specialties are: spinning, weaving, knitting for cotton, manmade fiber, wool preparation and worsted spinning and nonwoven applications. Caption: AESA’s WEAVE DIRECT system For any fiber AESA is supplying complete systems in order to maintain the adequate condition of temperature and humidity through over the year as well as clean environment in conformity with all standard for health and dust content. The overall energy saving is becoming a competitiveness factor, AESA air conditioning plants are contributing in a big way to this goal. For spinning factories, the ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Machinery Technology state of the art is to drive all fans and pumps motors through inverters. For weavings, the latest development called WEAVE DIRECT is capable to reach up to 50% energy savings due to its supply air ducting system where unique and localized WDB type diffusers are placed above each loom. The DIGIVENT control system, with latest AESA logic is capable to have even more stable room condition between running and not running high speed machines. Durst H7 714A Durst, the specialist in industrial inkjet applications, is presenting its Kappa 180 high-performance digital inkjet printer at the ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012. Caption: Durst Kappa 180 The high-performance inkjet printer – from the printheads to the inks – was developed by Durst’s own designers and engineers and was hailed as a genuine alternative to flatbed screen printing systems when first demonstrated at the ITMA 2011 trade show, according to the company. With a printing speed of more than 600msq per hour (over 300 running meters), coupled with outstanding printing quality (1056 x 600 dpi), the Kappa 180 allows the on-demand production of between one and many thousands of running meters. Fong’s H7 710A At ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012, Fong’s Europe GmbH will present its Sintensa Plus range of innovative washing machines under the Goller brand, for gentle and low-tension processing of fabrics of all kinds. Caption: Goller Sintensa Plus According to Fong’s Europe, Sintensa Plus is the next generation of Sintensa. While Sintensa is a low-tension, crease-free and fiber-preserving continuous treatment system for all kinds of fabrics, Sintensa Plus claims to consume far less water, energy and chemicals, hence contributing to savings of both resources and costs. As load cells react more sensitively towards differences in tension, Sintensa Plus is applicable for processing most delicate fabrics with the lowest linear tension, from knitted goods to technical textiles, says Fong’s Europe. Sintensa Plus’ management of chemicals is based on a Multidata System. With a combination of flow meter and computerized dosing, it provides a high degree of automation, leading to savings of chemicals, higher quality and a safer work environment, notes Fong’s Europe. Fong’s Europe remarks that its portfolio covers the leading brands of both continuous and discontinuous processing in the range of pre-treatment, dyeing and after-treatment, including machines such as Then Airflow Synergy G2, Then Lotus, Fong's TEC series, Allwin yarn dyeing machines and Xorella XO Smart series. These machines are said to be “green innovations”, which save resources such as water and energy, and provide potential to save money with short setup times and improved washing techniques. Kern-Lieber H12 1210A The Kern-Liebers group was founded in 1888 in Germany. Since then, its product range has expanded continuously and now includes springs made from wire and steel strip, fineblanked and stamped parts, as well as needles and sinkers for the textile industry. Under the umbrella brand Kern-Liebers Textiles, it has thus created a corporate network that is capable of meeting the widest range of requirements within the textile industry. Through its rapid expansion, the company has steadily evolved into an expert in the field of knitted fabric technology and is now the alternative as a full-line supplier to the market. Caption: Kern-Lieber’s products In addition to needles, Kern-Liebers Textiles also offers a complete range of components for knitting and warp knitting machines. We also offer a range of products for tentering frames and combing machines. The complete Kern-Liebers range of products includes more than 55,000 needles and sinkers. Kern-Liebers Textiles is one of the world’s leading providers in terms of both quality and the range of products. Laroche H2 212B After one century dedicated to the design, manufacturing and commissioning of equipment for technical nonwoven products and complete textile waste recycling lines, Laroche is now proposing complete turnkey Airlay nonwoven lines from several raw material sources to make a huge range of nonwoven products. At ITM 2012, Laroche will show a full range of products made from their latest technologies. After 20 years of experience in Airlay technology Laroche will notably introduce the Caption: Laroche R-JUMBO 4+EXEL 2 ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Machinery Technology new “FLEXILOFT+” Airlay machine and the latest innovations in used clothes recycling processes. Application fields include nonwoven products for building insulation, automotive, bedding, furniture and floor coverings, geotextiles, sound and thermal insulation, horticultural, open-end using recycled fibers, natural fibers products (nonwovens and yarns), short staple bast fibers for spinning, nonwoven and paper, disposable products, pillows and toys stuffing and technical products. The company says it has been a strong partner to many major Turkish companies in the nonwoven and recycling industries for more than 30 years. NSC Fibre to Yarn H2 212B “NSC Fibre to Yarn” continues to develop and propose TOW TO TOP lines with a new model S200 of stretch breaker followed by the Defelter rebreaker model D5GC30 and GC30 chain gill. As finisher m/c, the FMV41/42 vertical rubbing frame takes place. Caption: NSC Fibre to Yarn stretch breaker Recently, the company has installed SEMI-WORSTED LINES with CA6 carding m/c model 225PP or B125PP (2.5m or 3.5m wide), supplied by Andritz Asselin Thibeau followed by preparation lines consisting of chain gills model GC 30 and finishers m/c model FMV41 / 42. Even more recently, it proposes to modernize recycling lines for acrylic fibers or blended ones by introducing its well-known combing m/c ERA between card and gills. The contribution of the combing m/c ERA is economically essential according to four aspects, including production of one ton per day in three deniers (3 shifts), 25% of neps less compared with PB family m/c in cleanliness, energy consummation with equipment with economic motors, and reduced consummation of spare parts owing to a new design of kinematic. Oerlikon Textile H2 210B Under the theme “Innovation has a name”, Swiss Oerlikon Textile will present its advanced spinning technology under its five brands at ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012. The Oerlikon Barmag brand will present its technology texturing and spinning of high-end filaments. It will be exhibiting its twelve-thread WINGS for polyamide 6, processing the demanding polymer to produce good yarn grades for the first time. It will also present eAFK, an automatic texturing machine, along with its manual sibling eFK. The Oerlikon Schlafhorst brand will present at ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 its innovations in spinning and winding. According to the company, its new Autocoro 8 is the first and only rotor spinning machine to spin a yarn at a rotor speed of 200,000rpm. As introduced, the new technology forms the basis for productivity increases of up to 25%, machine start-up in minutes instead of hours, an excellent multi-lot capability and much lower spinning costs. Besides, BD 448, which claims to be the longest semi-automatic rotor spinning machine, will also be on display. Caption: Oerlikon Barmag eAFK automatic texturing machine On the other hand, Oerlikon Neumag will present its advanced BCF carpet yarn machines at the exhibition. S+ with three yarns per position is now available for the up-and-coming carpet material polyester BCF. This, the company says, is a good substitute for polyester spinning yarn with its cost efficiency in production. Oerlikon notes that its production systems for polyester staple fibers permit maximum capacities of up to 300 tons per day while cutting operating costs at the same time, whereas for the manufacture of nonwovens, its compact inline systems have capacities of up to 80 tons per day. Moreover, Oerlikon Saurer, a brand for embroidery and twisting machinery, will present the new energy-saving Volkmann CT two-in-one twisting machine. Its eco-drive concept and spindles are complements to the e-save spindle family, and help to save up to 40% of energy costs, even for the finest yarn counts, according to Oerlikon. Besides, the new Allma TC2 two-for-one twisting machine can process every conceivable material in the titer range from 235 to 60,000 dtex. For components for filament and staple fiber spinning machinery, Oerlikon Textile Components will present at the show in Istanbul its Texparts PK 2630 SE weighting arms, Texparts Zero underwinding system, and Daytex Shrinkage Belt. Rieter H2 213A Rieter will present the latest news about all four end spinning systems, G 35 ring spinning machine, K 45 compact spinning machine, R 60 and R 923 rotor spinning machine and J 20 air-jet spinning machine. End products made of the four Rieter yarns will also be displayed. Among its exhibits was K 45 compact spinning machine. The K 45 compact spinning machine is a further development of its successful predecessor, the K 44. With machine length up to 1,632 spindles, it sets standards for ideal compacting, machine length and economy. In addition, the K 45 offers great flexibility for quality yarns. Its compacting process has been further increased by additional technical spinning solutions for extended applications. The concept ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Machinery Technology for the compacting system with perforated metal cylinders requires energy and maintenance costs substantially lower compared to any other compacting systems, says Rieter. Caption: Rieter’s K 45 compact spinning machine Thanks to longer machines, the production costs per kilogram yarn have been reduced and thereby the economy substantially increased. The Rieter compacting system with air-guide element guarantees highest consistency in the yarn quality. That positively affects the running properties and consequently increases the production. Santex H3 303A Santex Group will present at ITM Texpo Eurasian 2012 products from its four brands, Santex, Cavitec, SperottoRimar and Isotex. The latest additions to the Santex product group is first a special drying chamber which acts as an energy saving device, while at the same time increasing productivity of new and existing Santex dryers. The new ESC-Energy Saving Chamber intelligently exploits the heat of the exhaust air to provide an extra production capacity of more than 15%. Caption: Santex Synpact compacting machine Santex’s new Synpact is said the fastest compacting machine in the market: A continuous two-stage compacting machine which combines the virtues of the rubber belt with the superior handle of the felt shrinking technique. This compactor delivers at high speeds up to double than those achievable with the felt technology, while maintaining the same residual shrinkage, luster finish and excellent touch of the knits. Besides, Cavitec offers quality machinery in the sector of coating, laminating and prepreg, where fine accuracy and reproducibility is needed such as automotive, furniture, shoe industry, medical textiles, high-tech garmenting and many others. The new coating and laminating machine, called CAVI 2 COAT, is Cavitec’s latest addition to its already extensive range of hotmelt coating and lamination solutions. A masterfully designed arrangement allows the user to coat films, membranes or textiles with one of the following selectable techniques: Full Coating, Reverse Coating, Both side coating, plus the by now traditional Gravure (Dot) Coating. As in all Cavitec products, several configurations are possible: from coating only with small batches up to non-stop lines combining coating and laminating in one process. Savio H2 211B Savio will showcase in Istanbul three machines: Polar/I automatic link winder and two Sirius machines equipped with different technologies. In fact, further the standard configuration, Sirius can be equipped with the new Twist&Twist device, which makes possible “two twisting operations”, instead of the usual single. The T&T solution is expected to turn upside down the twisting capability and opens a path in this sector, which seemed to be inexorably bound to the Two-for-One (single twist). It is an innovation, since this technology allows an increase of process productivity of 33%, with the same energy consumption as the standard double twist spindle. The system generates a twisted yarn through two yarn ballons, one external with “S” twist direction, and one internal with “Z” twist direction, a differential speed motor bearing, consequently generates a triple twist at each spindle turn. Caption: Savio’s Polar/I automatic link winder Shima Seiki H12 1214A Japanese flat knitting machinery maker Shima Seiki will exhibit at ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 in cooperation with our Turkish agent Tetas A.S., with a wide range of machines to cater to the growing needs of the Turkish market which requires more diversity for remaining competitive. Caption: MACH2X 18L machine Exhibits range from its work-horse computerized shaping machines SSR112 and NSSG122 to the sophisticated MACH2X and MACH2S WHOLEGARMENT machines. Gauges range from coarse gauge in the form of our SCG122SN machine to ultrafine gauge presented in both shaping (NSSG122-SC 18G machine) and WHOLEGARMENT (MACH2X18L machine) applications. Also on display will be SWG091N machine for producing WHOLEGARMENT accessory items. Its latest SDS-ONE APEX3 3D design system will demonstrate the benefits of virtual sampling for reducing time and costs associated with sample making. Shima Network Solutions will also demonstrate factory production management software. ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Machinery Technology Spoolex H2 213 At ITM 2012, Spoolex will present its Calemard and Decoup+ product lines for web products processing and handling, on the stand of its Turkish agent TEKSTIL SERVIS. Calemard is a well-known slitter/rewinder and spooling line manufacturer which produces proven solutions synonymous with quality and highly technical for major textile and nonwoven players. Caption: Spoolex Calemard slitter The range of machines covers all the slitting needs: from compact slitter able to convert secondary rolls into narrow tapes or tubes up to 6mm wide, to XXL slitter rewinder up to 3.4 m working width or Jumbo spooling line for ADL products. In the ultrasonic area, theDecoup+ brand will propose different cutting and welding equipment, applicable at any stage of the textile production and converting process. SSM H2 212A The Swiss based SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG, the inventor of the electronic yarn traverse system, will continue their tradition of trend-setting with the presentation of breakthrough technologies. Its focus of the show will be the exhibition of new solutions for cost effective winding and yarn processing. For the first time, SSM will show a machine created by their new subsidiary company SSM GIUDICI S.r.l. With them, SSM got a strong market position in the field of false twist texturing of high quality fine count Nylon yarns, an application that complements SSM’s established leadership in air texturing, will further expand SSM’s business in the chemical fiber processing industry. Caption: SSM GIUDICI S.r.l.’s TG30 AEG machine With two new product launches and a number of new innovations and applications for their well-known product range, SSM will exhibit a total of seven machines. On display will be AD: TAINING MACHINE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Machinery Technology machines for the applications of dyeing / rewinding, air texturing, false twist texturing, air covering, draw winding, assembly winding, yarn singeing, and sewing thread. Stäubli H12 1213C Stäubli will exhibit a selection of the most modern products of the complete textile machinery range. These include cam motions and dobby machines, electronic Jacquard machines and harnesses, and weaving preparation systems products. Group member Schönherr carpet systems will show its exclusive carpet samples - produced on ALPHA 400 series carpet-weaving machines - and Group member DEIMO will present state-of-the-art electronic control solutions mainly for textile machinery. Caption: Stäubli SX Jacquard machine One of the company’s exhibits is most modern SX type electronic Jacquard machine - an extremely versatile machine for a wide application range - will be exhibited in a 2688-hook format together with harness as a demonstration unit. This new machine is also available in a version SX V for velour weaving and can be offered with individual drive without cardan shaft to the weaving machine. It will also present the newly developed generation rotary dobby type S3060/S3260 that comes with an evolutionary new locking system. The principle features enhanced security for the selection of the heald frames, allowing higher running speeds as well as superior reliability. Also on display is its warp tying machine MAGMA T12 for medium to coarse yarn types, ideal for tying technical fabrics. MAGMA, equipped with optical system for double-end detection and patented thread separation, ties monofilaments, coarse multifilaments, PP ribbons, bast fibers, coarse staple fibers, and many other fiber types. Stork Prints H7 712A On display at the booth of Dutch textile printing solutions provider Stork Prints will be the new digital textile printer Sphene as well as consumables like rotary screens and digital ink. Stork Prints is one of the leading digital ink producers to the industry who also builds and sells printing machines and RIP software. Besides the complete digital ink portfolio, visitors can witness live demonstrations of the brand new digital textile printer Sphene. Stork Prints’ Sphene is the future for digital textile printing with print speeds up to an amazing amount of 555sqm/hr. The Sphene makes it easy and cost-effective - to carry out top-class digital textile printing. Its industrial fabric feeding system allows virtually any fabric imaginable to be used, at widths of up to 1.85 meters. There will also be plenty printing samples of Stork Prints’ new NEBULA reactive, acid and disperse ink sets for Kyocera print heads. With the special Reactive Deep Black ink, you get a profoundly intense and dark black that really has to be seen to be believed. Stork Prints will also presents its complete range of FLARE inks that run on all printers using Epson print heads, including Robustelli Monna Lisa printers. Stork Prints inks are not just suited for the new printer Sphene, but can also run on the Reggiani Renoir, MS JP and MS JPK-series printers and the La Meccanica Qualijet K-series. Caption: Stork Prints Sphere digital textile printer Recently, Stork Prints has developed a dedicated range of inks, known as QUASAR, for the MS LaRio, for partner and leading Italian manufacturer MS. The suitability of QUASAR inks for the LaRio stems from Stork Prints’ considerable experience in developing inks for its own single-pass digital printing machines for label printing, the DSI. SwissTex France H2 210A The UT, UTC and UTW machines of SwissTex France are known for their flexibility. Different products can be twisted on each spindle thanks to fully individual driven positions, from spindle to take-up. Its new machines are focusing on energy saving and keeping the same perfect ergonomics. The CP machines are dedicated to Tire cord markets. The new CP 20 has a complete new design from the frame to the textile equipment, energy saving and easy ergonomics. Caption: CP 20 machine SwissTex France is a major player supplying machinery in the field of cabling and twisting for synthetic filaments and spun yarns. For the cabling and twisting process, the company offers a wide range of machines with mechanical spindles: CD, DT and CDDT, as that carpets and rugs are more and more diversified in their style, look, structure, colors, patterns and presentations. In glass yarns, it offers today a complete range of twisting machines, single and double covering machines, air covering machines and combined machines. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature - Textile Chemicals Dystuffs and chemicals: Sustainability and functionalities reign by Staff Reporters According to the recent global report on the textile dyes markets published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., California, the US, the global market for textile dyes is now projected to reach US$5.5 billion by 2015, and major drivers will be the development of innovative eco-friendly dyes and chemicals coupled with spiraling demand from textile manufacturers. According to the report, Asia-Pacific region will become the largest and fastest growing market for textile dyes due to its dominance of textile manufacturing. The two major classes of dyestuffs are disperse dyestuffs for polyester dyeing and reactive dyestuffs for cellulosic fiber dyeing. China, Taiwan and Korea are strong in disperse dyestuffs while India is a major producer of reactive dyestuffs. In volume terms disperse dyestuffs dominate Europe but reactive dyestuffs are the largest product segment in value terms. In fact, the increasing demand for sustainable value chain is propelling companies to focus on reducing the use of water, energy and chemicals in textile processing with practical and effective technologies and methodologies. According to Singapore-based dyestuffs and auxiliaries supplier Matex International Ltd, this is faced by textile chemicals users and is forming the overwhelming trends in the development of suitable textile chemicals seen today. The company said that a collaborative approach is needed to reduce environmental and social impacts with a shared vision of sustainability practices to establish consistent expectations for brands, retailers, manufacturers and ultimately the end consumer. “The textile chemicals industry faces challenges in several dimensions from ecological, raw material costs, compliance with safety and environmental legislations to intense market competition as well as evolving consumer demands. The biggest challenge is to continuously maintain or improve production efficiency through new, innovative products and technologies, while meeting all the requirements and standards in safety and environmental regulations,” Lutfu Okman, Vice President, Global Business Management, BASF Textile Chemicals told ATA Journal. Trends for development Major trends in dyestuff manufacture are towards more innovative, eco-friendly dyestuffs that can be applied more economically, saving on all utilities such as water and energy, and generating less colored effluent that requires waste water treatment, according to the global report of Global Industry Analysts, Inc. “As resource and energy cost continue to rise and be depleted, it has become a massive pressure for dye houses to stay sustainable. In addition, we have to consider the resulting environmental impact, whereby in order to reduce our carbon footprint, it is essential that the use of such precious resources especially from non-renewable sources is managed properly in the entire value chain,” Dro Tan, Executive Director of Matex, told ATA Journal. According to German chemicals supplier BASF, on a higher level, the trend is rapidly moving towards sustainability, particularly eco-friendly and resource saving properties as environmental concerns gain importance. “But along with this, there is the element of safety – consumer safety with respect to the raw materials used. At the other end of the spectrum, we see increasing demand for both form and function combined – “functional fashion” – to suit the modern lifestyle of today. Textile chemical companies are focusing on R&D and innovative solutions to help textile producers meet the evolving market demands,” noted Mr Okman. The textile chemicals sector, on the other hand, covers a very wide range of chemicals, formulated products, and chemical specialities and increasingly the chemical finishing sector is seeking ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature - Textile Chemicals Image source: Clariant to innovate to produce enhanced levels of aesthetics, properties and functional performance. Both the apparel and the technical textiles markets will drive demands for novelty and innovation using eco-friendly products and systems that are more sustainable. Some dyestuffs and chemicals suppliers and their products In response to the trends of sustainability and functionality, dyestuffs and chemicals suppliers have endeavored to develop products to help the dyeing and finishing industry grow. Presented below are some suppliers and their products: BASF’s Dekol RSA To maintain color fastness of clothes during wash and wear, chemicals supplier BASF has introduced Dekol RSA (Resource Saving Agent), ensuring that the color in clothes don’t come off during wash and don’t stain other fabric during wear, and lowering overall textile processing time and cost. Caption: BASF’s Dekol RSA maintains color fastness of clothes during wash and wear As introduced, Dekol RSA is an after-soaping agent for removing unfixed dye stuff from cellulosic materials like cotton and knits. It is an innovative product based on BASF’s special polymers that offers great functional applications and provides a new window of opportunity for the textile and relevant industries. According to the company, Dekol RSA’s ecological characteristics are compliant with the standards textile processing, meeting all ECO requirements – REACH, Oeko-tex and GOTS (3). Dekol RSA lowers overall processing costs for textile producers Water consumption -30% Energy (electricity) consumption -20% Processing time -30% Steam -24% The functionality of Dekol RSA enables textile producers to lower overall processing cost, thus bringing quality and comfort to end-consumers at effective pricing. The cost-efficiency is achieved through lower water consumption, lower energy consumption (lower soaping temperature from 98℃ to 80℃) and shorter processing time. Clariant’s Pekoflam Clariant has launched a new Pekoflam system, a new generation Flame Retardant (FR). The company describes it as a fundamental breakthrough in durable FR finishes. A bi-component system comprising Pekoflam ECO (ECO for ecological and economic) and Pekoflam SYN (SYN for synergy), it is said to offer a more sustainable and high performance FR application that can be used with existing equipment and is free of Oeko-Tex restricted materials, which is still commonly found in certain FRs. Caption: Fabric treated with Pekoflam Based on a synergistic application of phosphorus and nitrogen, the new bi-component Pekoflam system has a very low impact on the fabric strength to which it is applied. It also has excellent wash fastness in domestic laundry situations and good performance in industrial applications, and processing can be done on common finishing lines with High Temperature (HT) curing and a suitable wash range. Clariant notes that the new Pekoflam system is especially suited to cotton and cotton-rich blends, and the problem of formaldehyde and amine emissions has also been eliminated in FR systems. Moreover, while the current FR systems also can affect the residual tensile strength of fabrics, which places severe limitations on the weights of fabric that could be produced, Clariant’s new chemistry is not simply another product on the market, it provides a fundamental and far-reaching change to the way the producers of FR fabric have been forced to work. The new system doesn’t contain any SVHC restricted chemicals, commonly used in FR. Daikin’s UNIDYNE Japanese Daikin’s UNIDYNE is a fluorinated water and oil repellent that imparts excellent water and oil repellency as well as stain release ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature - Textile Chemicals during laundering, while maintaining the original qualities of the treated substrate. Because of its excellent water and oil repellent properties and wide-ranging product line-up, UNIDYNE is used across diverse array of applications in industries including textiles, carpet, and the automotive and medical industries. Offering improved hand-feel, it is available in four series, namely TG-2000 series (for carpet), TG-5000 series (for textiles), TG-8000 series (for paper) and TG-9000 series (SR agent). TG-5000 series is suitable for textiles and fabrics. This mixed auxiliary needs no addition of crosslinking agent, and has good compound stability with other fiber auxiliaries. The recommended models TG-5221, TG-5262, TG-5261 and TG-5263 for textiles are permanent and emulsion-type water- and oil repellent. TG-9000 can be divided into two categories: environment-friendly textile detergent, which is incombustible and low-VOC product with outstanding waterproof performance, oil resistance and easy decontamination; environment-friendly hydrophile SR agent, which has excellent hydrophilicity and easy decontamination. DyStar’s Remazol Ultra RGB DyStar’s Remazol Ultra RGB reactive dyestuffs are especially useful for dyeing deep shades on cellulosic materials. While commodity reactive dyes are often used because they are cheap per unit and meet most general fastness requirements, the strong tinctorial nature of Remazol Ultra RGB dyes results, in many cases, in only 50-60 per cent of the Remazol Ultra RGB dye being necessary to achieve the same depth of shade as the commodity ternary reactive dye. Additional benefits of using the reduced amount of Remazol Ultra RGB dyes are that the amount of electrolyte necessary for dyeing may be decreased by up to 40%. In addition the residual color in the effluent may be up to 70% lower. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) may also be decreased by up to 50 per cent. Both these factors, namely less electrolyte and less color in the residual dyebath, result in a decreased amount of hydrolysed dyestuff. As a result the rinsing and soaping stages of the washing off treatment can be accomplished in a shorter processing time. To facilitate the wash off process DyStar has introduced an auxiliary product with a special chemistry. With Sera Fast C-RD the hydrolysed reactive dyestuffs are removed more effectively than by conventional products. The effectiveness of DyStar’s Sera Fast C-RD is not impaired by the presence of electrolyte carried over from the dyebath, nor by the presence of water hardness. The resource savings potential of Sera Fast C-RD has been calculated compared with a conventional soaping for dark shades (two soaping stages at 95°C). The resource savings potential were assessed as 17% in process time, 14% (water) 17% (electricity) and 30% (steam). Huntsman’s new products At the China Interdye 2012, Huntsman Textile Effects will present the latest offerings that are tailor-made to help textile businesses make real savings and environmental impact. Caption: TERATOP HL is designed for high performance automotive fabrics Its PHOBOL for nonwovens is a new range of high performance repellent products for the automotive, medical, building and filtration segments. The PHOBOL products offer a number of benefits such as high temperature stability, low curing temperature and higher production speeds. Its TERATOP HL for high performance automotive fabrics is a cost-effective disperse dye for colors that last even under high temperatures, while its UV-FAST is designed for optimum light-fastness and fiber stabilization to promote light absorption and UV radiation At the exhibition, the company will introduce its Productivity Improvement Program (PIP), which it says to offer customers operational excellence and differentiation for economic, technological and environmental sustainability. The PIP claims to help customers significantly reduce water, energy and time consumption during production, considerably boost output and enhance right first time results through use of best available technologies – with no additional capital investment required. Matex’s new dyestuffs Singapore-based supplier of dyestuffs and auxiliaries Matex focuses on developing green and clean technologies. Caption: Megaperse SP is a comprehensive robust color range of special disperse dyes Matex has also introduced Megaperse SP, a comprehensive robust color range of special disperse dyes complemented by its existing Megaperse system for polyester and polyester/elastane blends textile processing and a selective set of high performing specialty chemicals use across pretreatment, dyeing and finishing: - Melube LA, a silicone free, anti-creasing agent which doubles as a good dye bath lubricant with soft handle. - Mescour SOR Conc, a low foaming, low temperature, high performance scouring surfactant with good degreasing effects and wetting properties, to emulsify silicone oil. - Melevel LAP/LF, an APEO-free excellent leveling, low foaming dispersing and retarding agent - Melenol BSDA, a well-balanced, multi functioned blend of acid donors, buffers, sequestrants and dispersing agent - Meclear R H/C, an effective reduction clearing agent - Melis SRWN, a hydrophilic polymer that imparts soft, antistatic, lubricity and soil release properties. Moreover, its Megapro CF system provides a new approach ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature - Textile Chemicals to dye this fast growing blend of fabric substrate by introducing Megaperse CF, a robust comprehensive range of special disperse dyes and complimentary specialty chemicals listed below. This allows pretreatment, bleaching of the fabric and dyeing to happen in a single combined bath process. With this extra efficiency, not only is a better and brighter tone being achieved, due to the polyester part allowed to be dyed in alkaline medium, a more efficient removal process for oligomer elements can result in better overall fastness properties. The cotton dyeing part in a second bath is further optimized with using the Megapro RE system, which allows dyeing at 40 degrees. A total tangible and intangible possible combined savings of 30% and more, in particular reduced process time, chemical dosages, water additions, reduced waste treatment and energy, improves mill productivity. This innovative greener shorten process system is thus value adding and suitable for environmentally conscious mills who want to remain at the forefront of sustainability with its carbon footprint. Its Megapro RE is a system employed for energy and time savings in the dyeing and textile effect process. The Megafix RE range of poly-functional reactive dyes reportedly reduces the dyeing temperature of reactive dyes to 40°C from the traditional 60°C or even 80°C. As a result, it can help achieve energy savings and reduction in the carbon footprint of dye houses. Protex’s Rexamine CP 9194 AL Produced by Synthron plant (France) and sold by Protex, the new Rexamine CP 9194 AL is a new softening agent for finishing natural and synthetic fibers. As Protex introduces, Rexamine CP 9194 AL helps to impart the bulk and slip which are frequently required for finishing many articles. It is especially useful when the finish is required to have a soft, full handle with an excellent slip. Caption: The image shows the difference of towels with and without treatment of Rexamine CP 9194 AL Rexamine CP 9194 AL also helps to improve a number of other properties including abrasion resistance, tear strength, plus suitability for cutting or sewing. The new softening agent can be used on all natural or synthetic fibres by padding, licking or exhaustion processes. Protex adds that the slightly cationic Rexamine CP 9194 AL does not modify whites or induce shade changes of the finished articles under normal conditions of use. It improves hydrophilicity of the treated cellulosic textile support. Rexamine CP 9194 AL is compliant with the Öko-Tex Standard 100 Class I to IV. ■ China Interdye 2012 to open new product zone The 12th edition of China International Dye Industry, Pigments and Textile Chemicals Exhibition (China Interdye 2012) will be held during April 11-13 in Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. Compared with the fair’s last edition, exhibits at China Interdye 2012 are more diverse and segmented, covering various advanced eco-friendly dye, organic pigments and intermediates, the show organizers say, adding that a new “Auxiliary, Environmental Protection & Printing Equipment and Instruments Zone” will be set up at the exhibition. Caption: Past edition of China Interdye According to the organizers, about 30,000sqm of exhibition space have been booked by some 500 exhibitors. About 83% of them are producers of dyestuffs and organic pigment, and the rest are suppliers of auxiliary and printing equipment. Overseas and domestic leading enterprises including DyStar, BASF, Tanatex, Huntsman, Yorkshire, Clariant, Lamberti, Bozzetto, Rudolf, M.Dohmen, Lonsen, Runtu, Jihua Group, YABANG, Hwalle, Transfar, Dymatic, Anoky, Meilida and JECO will exhibit at the fair. Besides, while four pavilions of India, Korea, Taiwan and Tianjin have enlarged their exhibition scale this year, many other overseas enterprises from Holland, Spain, Singapore and the UK will participate in the fair for the first time, say the organizers. Professional seminars will be concurrently held by the China Dyeing and Printing Industry Association, the China Wool Textile Industry Association, the China Knitting Industry Association, the China Bast and Leaf Fibers Textile Association, the Ink Branch of the China Daily-used Chemical Industry Association, the Masterbatches Speciality Committee and the Textile Printing Auxiliaries Speciality Committee of China Dyestuff Industry Association (CDIA). China Interdye 2012 is organized by the CDIA, the China Dyeing and Printing Association, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Shanghai Sub-Council and the China Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, and co-organized by the Shanghai International Exhibition Service Co Ltd. ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature - Textile Chemicals Innovative finishes meet market demand for multi-functionality by Ian Holme A very wide range of chemical finishes are now available for apparel, household textiles, and technical textile end uses. Of especial interest are chemical finishes that improve the aesthetic properties of apparel, as well as functional finishes for household and technical textiles. Multi-functionality is now increasingly sought by textile finishers wherein improvement in functional performance is accompanied with enhancement of the aesthetic properties. The use of a single finishing product simplifies textile wet processing during application, avoiding compatibility problems that can arise where more than one product is co-applied in the same finishing liquor. In the important sportswear, activewear and causualwear markets the moisture management performance of a garment can be critical for imparting the appropriate level of thermophysiological comfort. Sarex Chemicals (Mumbai, India) has introduced three novel moisture management finishes, each of which has been chemically engineered to provide a high level of performance on a specific fibre type. All three finishes are designed to enhance the wicking characteristics of the textile. Sarex Chemicals Moisture Guard finish is normally applied via a pad-dry process to cotton fabrics. This chemical finish enables textiles to pass both the global brand Nike’s wicking test as well as Marks & Spencer’s 136B test. Sarex has also introduced Coolcot Dry which is designed for the important polyester garment sector, and Sarawick PSR for polyamide fabrics. Both these finishes for synthetic fibres promote wicking and enhance the moisture management performance. There is now considerable interest in the application of microencapsulated chemical finishes which can be applied to garments worn next to the skin. These are particularly favoured for so-called cosmeto-textiles in which high performance active cosmetics can be delivered over time to the skin, adding value to the garments and adding a feel-good factor to the wearer in everyday living. Clariant (Switzerland) and Lipotec (Spain) have combined in a unique partnership to produce Quiospheres technology. This innovative approach introduces two main types of microencapsulated cosmetic actives, namely Quiospheres moist and Quiospheres slim. Caption: Active ingredients are gradually released while the finished garment or product is worn Both of these products are bluesign-registered and the cosmetic actives are gradually released during wear. Quiospheres moist offers skin-hydrating / moisturising properties while Quiospheres slim imparts skin firmness and elasticity. Garments treated with Quiospheres technology can be tumbled and ironed at warm temperatures up to 70°C, but sensitive laundering is recommended in order to provide a long-lasting effect. LJ Specialities (UK) have introduced their Aroma Granule range of microencapsulated finishes. These contain a very wide range of fragrances accredited by IFRA (International Fragrance Association) and RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials). The fragrance range includes both fruity and floral aromas, and the microencapsulated oils used offer aroma benefits widely accepted by the aromatherapy world. Other microencapsulated materials include aloe vera, Itofinish kelp and vitamin E. The microcapsules from LJ Specialities are normally applied via padding, exhaust, or screen printing methods, using Binder AG to ensure the adhesion of the microcapsules to the fibres. Tanatex Chemicals BV (The Netherlands) has introduced additions to its Bayscent range of fragrance and cosmetic finishes. Bayscent Relief is an innovative finishing process which provides refreshing / vitalising properties through moisturising. The active components used are designed to provide an anti-irritating effect on the upper layer of the skin, helping to decrease redness and burning. Another new product from Tanatex Chemicals is Tastex Cool-Ex 03 which is a skin-care treatment agent that utilises bound water in multi-layer micelles to impart a special cool sensation. Tastex Cool-Ex 03 gives a soft handle and offers good affinity to fibres as well as good reproducibility. A novel and versatile finish, Itoguard LJC 60R, has been introduced by LJ Specialities (UK) as a multifunctional finishing product. Itoguard LJC 60R is unusual in that it confers both durable water absorbance as well as oil-repellency properties, a rare combination of performance properties. The finish is applied via a pad-dry-cure application method and also imparts soil release properties to treated fabrics. Described as a nonionic fluorinated compound, Itoguard LJC 60R is free of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate). This innovative finish is normally applied by padding together with Itoresin LJLF and Itocatalyst LJ33, followed by drying at 100°C for one minute and curing at 160°C for 1-2 minutes. Baygard TT6, from Tanatex Chemicals BV (The Netherlands) is a novel concentrated water- and oil-repellent finish that offers a high hydrostatic head performance as well as good abrasion resistance. This finishing product has been chemically engineered for high functional performance and is thus particularly suited to technical textile end use applications. Baygard TT6 has less than 5 ppb PFOA- ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature - Textile Chemicals containing C6-based fluorocarbon resin, and is thus claimed to show enhanced environmental performance as well as imparting high water- and oil-repellency properties to polyester and other technical textile materials. Clariant (Switzerland) have introduced a newly-developed fluorine-free water repellent agent, Arkophob FFR liq. This product imparts a very good and wash-durable effect. In addition the finish also improves the technical performance of the treated fabric, especially in respect of abrasion resistance and tear strength. Another finish for passive ecological stain management is based upon Clariant’s C6 fluorocarbon chemistry. Nuva N4547 liq is PFOA-free (below the limit of detection) and is termed ideal for modern soil release finishes, especially on cellulosic-based textiles. Nuva N4547 liq offers good oil repellency coupled with very high durability of all effects. It can be co-applied with glyoxal resins such as Clariant’s Arkofix ELF liq c. Nuva N1811 liq from Clariant is based upon a novel microcapsule composite blend. This innovative technology allows further cross-linking coupled with efficient crystallisation of the fluorinated sidechains and therefore ensures that this finish is highly effective and durable. Nuva N1811 liq enhances the softness of treated fabrics, more than with other products because of the microcapsule technology. Other technological advantages include high Bundesmann values and superior performance in terms of repellency, stain protection and durability coupled with no adverse impact upon the abrasion resistance and tear strength of Nuva N1811 liq finished materials. There are now pressures upon brominated flame retardants such as decabromodiphenyl oxide which has for many years been applied with antimony trioxide in a latex binder via back coating to flame retard upholstery fabric. This has stimulated research into halogen-free flame retardant finishes, and new products are starting to emerge for commercial use. Avocet Dye & Chemical Co Ltd (UK) have a wide range of flame retardants for different fibres / fabrics. A recent innovation from Avocet is their Cetaflam DB EXL, which is not only halogen-free, but also antimony-free and solvent-free. Cetaflam DB EXL is REACH-compliant and because it is applied in the dyebath to flame retard polyester this avoids high temperature curing and eliminates the potential for shade change or loss in fastness. This novel flame retardant for polyester materials is durable to repeated laundering, has a low environmental impact, and does not release any toxic effluent. Compared with alternative pad-dry-cure systems it is claimed by Avocet that the use of Cetaflam DB EXL saves over 40 per cent in processing time, energy and resources. This flame retardant is also suitable for application with fluorescent brightening agents and fluorescent dyestuffs. Cetaflam DB EXL has been developed for application in important markets such as automotive fabrics, domestic and contract upholstery, mass transit fabrics, workwear and tent fabrics. ■ AD: TAIWAN GIU CHUN TRADING CO., LTD ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Material Technology Natural diversions As the global population swells, fiber demand will ensure there are many chances for the increased use of natural fibers other than cotton, in a range of new applications, reports Adrian Wilson The use of both cotton and its petrochemically-derived rivals – polyester, polyamide, acrylics, polyolefins and others – as fibers for the textile industry, have all been under examination in respect of their long-term environmental credentials in recent years, and found wanting in certain respects. Synthetic fibers suffer from their association with oil – perhaps unfairly. “The fact that most petrochemical fibers are currently oil-based is often used as an argument that their role will diminish over time,” says Colin Purvis, former director general of both CIRFS (the European Man-made Fibers Association) and EATP (the European Association for Textile Polyolefins) from 2000 to 2010 and now of Purvis Consulting SCS. “However, this has to be seen in perspective – less than 1% of world oil production goes into fibers, and this high-value use of oil can be more easily defended than its use in low-value applications such as transport. In addition, natural gas, which is much more plentiful than oil – even without including new and much-debated gas sources – is a valid alternative feedstock. Coal is also being used as a fibers feedstock in China, although it is too early to judge its economic and environmental viability.” Nevertheless, there is no doubt that synthetic fibers suffer from an image problem, and in Europe certainly, their manufacture is increasingly the focus of punishing legislative measures. Unrivalled association with comfort and quality Cotton, meanwhile, has an unrivalled association with wear comfort and quality among consumers and from an industry viewpoint in the processes perfected over many centuries for turning it into textiles. Its downside, from an ecological point of view, is primarily the use of fertilizers and pesticides required in its cultivation and in the future its use of land that could be used for food crops may become a problem. “As a result of anticipated population growth, land which used to be reserved for the growth of this natural fiber will be needed to nourish the growing population, which will increasingly result in a battle for arable land,” predicts Wolfgang Plasser, general manager of the nonwovens business for Austria-headquartered Lenzing. In addition, the volatility of the cotton market during the first half of 2011 resulted in an unprecedented demand for manmade cellulosic fibers (MMCs). Cotton prices peaked at US$2.5 per pound during the second quarter of the year, falling to US$1.6 per pound in June and subsequently to US$1.1, in anticipation of a good global harvest. Nevertheless, cotton prices remain significantly higher than they have been at any point over the past decade, and this, Lenzing believes, is an indication of the long-term structural change that is taking place in the fiber market – the so-called ‘Cellulosic Gap’. At the start of the 1960s, synthetic fibers represented just 5%, or 750,000 tons of the total 14.9 million tons of fibers produced in 1960. By 1965, the share of synthetics had climbed to 8%, then to 17% in 1970 and to 24% in 1975. Growth has continued ever since and today, of the 80.8 million tons of fiber produced globally, synthetics represent 56%, or around 45.2 million tons. Polyester has been largely responsible for this growth, and is likely to remain the driver in years to come. In addition to being the leader in terms of volume and growth, polyester production technology is now well-understood, effective and easily available, as are the raw materials for making it – although there are short-term bottlenecks from time to time. Cellulosic gap The fortunes of cellulosic fibers, however, have by comparison dwindled since representing 18% of all fiber production in 1960. By 1965, they had fallen to 14% and by 1975 represented 10%. Today the share of cellulosics is just 5%. Many, however, believe this is about to rapidly change Lenzing’s Dieter Eichinger, general manager of textile fibers, has outlined the company’s belief in what is referred to as ‘The Cellulosic Gap’. The global fiber market has grown steadily at approximately 3% over the last 30 years, he observes, and the demand gap now opening due to the limitations of cotton supply – as a result of such factors as available land and water – can best be filled by MMCs. Lenzing is currently Caption: Edelweiss is derived from naturally replenishing beech wood in a process based solely on oxygen chemistry ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Material Technology expanding the capacities of nearly all of its locations worldwide and the group plans to increase its total capacity for MMCs from 710,000 tons at the beginning of 2010 to over 1.1 million tons by 2015. In addition, the company is making its processes more ecologically pure than ever before. At the first trade shows of 2012, it has introduced Edelweiss, which is derived from naturally replenishing beech wood and is produced by the most advanced manufacturing process developed in Austria. This is based solely on oxygen chemistry, starting with the pulp, which is prepared without any bleaching or hydrochloride. All of the by-products from this pulping process are used elsewhere, partly to provide energy for the subsequent fiber production step. “The fiber plant at Lenzing in Austria is the only one in the world which is fully integrated,” says Susanne Jarry, Lenzing’s head of marketing for home textiles. “Throughout the entire process, attention is paid to environmental protection.” While being produced differently to the market-accepted Modal, all of that fiber’s properties, such as its softness and colour brilliance, are retained with Edelweiss. The integrated CO₂-neutral process at the Lenzing site, in combination with other processes, results in both excess energy generation and the production of high quality chemicals from the wood. Biomass and castor Another exciting development so far in 2012, has been the success of Japan’s Toray in developing polyamide fibers and yarns from biomass – via a process it calls Hybrid Engineering. The company initially announced some polyester biomass variants during 2011 but now says the first functional performance textiles based on biomass will be ready by the 2013/14 season. For sports apparel in particular, it is envisaged the biomass polyamide-based fabrics will be combined with Toray’s Dermizax EC and Entrant EC coatings and membranes – also made from biomass – to produce effective ‘eco-shells’. Caption: At the 2012 ISPO sports show in Munich, Toray revealed the first performance apparel samples based on its Hybrid Engineering biomass concept Toray claims that the technical features of its biomass polyester and polyamide fibers are equal in performance profiles to conventionally-manufactured versions – on a laboratory scale, at least. They are already being produced with a substantial ratio of biomass, but 100% is on its way, the company promises. However, organic production is not always synonymous with sustainability and the conservation of natural resources – as is borne out by traditional cotton fiber cultivation. Toray’s Hybrid Engineering fibers, however, are based on the castor plant (ricinus communis), grown primarily in India and traditionally used both for medicinal purposes and for industrial and hydraulic oils, cosmetics and coatings. The castor plant is very robust, growing in dry farming areas and requiring significantly fewer pesticides and herbicides than other crops. Its cultivation is not in conflict with other agriculture in the region and the recovered oil can be used sparingly. The castor plant is non-edible and harvested several times per year. Its bean contains a large amount of oil and is therefore ideal for efficient production. Caption: Cassava is likely to be the feedstock for Ingeo biofibers produced at a new plant in Thailand by 2015. Picture: The International Starch Institute Steffen Meiler, Toray’s European Brand Communication Manager said: “With our biomass products, we can protect fossil sources while still offering maximum performance. Our Hybrid Engineering programme will set entirely new standards in combining innovation and sustainability. But we will go even further. Toray works 100% vertically – everything comes from one source. In a specialised manufacturing facility in Kyoto, all of the fabrication steps – from the polymer itself to the final product, are combined under one roof. This guarantees the utmost quality through continuous monitoring and production.” Automotive: new opportunity Other natural fibers are now finding new opportunities outside the traditional apparel/home textiles markets, such as in automotive fabrics. Ford, for example, is not only making extensive use of recycled polyester in some of its latest vehicles, but also such materials as wheat straw and castor oil foam. Johnson Controls Automotive Experience (AE), which following the acquisition of the Michel Thierry Group in 2010 has become the number one supplier worldwide of fabrics for automotive interiors, is also a champion of the use of natural fibers. (Continued on p81) ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Material Technology German smartfiber subcontracts production to Lenzing to achieve a “win-win” situation by Manik Mehta from Frankfurt The recent Frankfurt trade fair Heimtextil 2012 witnessed Rudolfstadt-based smartfiber AG make a strong pitch for its nature-based lyocell-specialty fibers smartcel and SeaCell, the supplies of which had been restricted in the past because of smartfiber’s limited production capacity. However, that obstacle seems to have been overcome with smartfiber joining forces with Austria-based Lenzing which calls itself the world-market leader in the segment man-made cellulose fibers. Lenzing has been subcontracted to exclusively produce smartcel and SeaCell fibers developed by smartfiber at the Lenzing production site in Upper Austria. The smartfiber-Lenzing cooperation is not new. Indeed, in 2007, Lenzing had already granted smartfiber a licence for the pilot production of new types of lyocell specialty fibers. Both have also been cooperating since many years to develop fabrics and on various research projects. For reasons of practicality, one of the significant changes of this cooperation, as Michael Kohne, smartfiber’s Chief Executive told ATA Journal at the show, was the relocation of smartfiber’s pilot plant from Rudolfstadt to Lenzing to facilitate the quick movement to sustain the commercial exploitation of smartcel and SeaCell fibers despite rising energy and raw-material prices. Caption: smartfiber’s cooperation with Lenzing is important and future-oriented step for customers’ benefits, says Natalia Kohne “The intengration of the facility at the Lenzing site will facilitate a significantly better cost structure. Besides, the smartfiber pilot plant had recently reached its capacity limits due to the continually increasing order volume which no longer made it possible to optimally coordinate incoming orders and accept large orders. Smartfiber will continue to be responsible for the sales and marketing of smartcel and SeaCell,” Mr Kohne explained. The smartcel and SeaCell fibers are used, primarily, in home textiles as well as in the fashion and medication segments. The SeCell fibers contain valuable active substances from seaweed which promotes health, nurtures the skin and protects against free radicals. Smartcel sensitive is the first anti-bacterial, natural fibre available on the market to which the essential trace element zinc is added, thus enabling regenerative skin care and hygiene in textiles, as representatives of SmartFiber highlighted the properties of these fibers. Important and future-oriented step Natalia Kohne, the company’s Marketing Director, described the cooperation with Lenzing as an “important and future-oriented step for the benefit of customers … making it a win-win situation for both partners”. Caption: Bedding products made of lyocell-specialty fiber SeaCell She revealed that smartfiber had sold its production operations to Lenzing on contractual basis though the arrangement is indefinite in duration. smartfiber stopped production in September 2011. “Test results of Lenzing’s production of our fibers were satisfactory in terms of quality,” she said, adding that smartfiber gave its knowhow to Lenzing to ensure quality standards. “We handed over the production to Lenzing because it was getting too expensive at Rudofstadt where energy prices and other costs have sharply risen and also because we could produce only a maximum of upto 500 tons. Lenzing, on the other hand, can produce unlimited quantities of smartcel and SeaCell fibers,” Ms Kohne said. SmartFiber’s big market is North America where the company supplies fibre for socks made in that region. Besides Europe, where Germany, Italy and some other countries absorb a substantial part of its production, Asia is a very promising market region. China, Japan and India will be in the company’s focus, as far as Asia is concerned. The company will intensify its contacts with the two giant markets – China and India – and Kohne confirmed that company representatives will be visiting these countries. “We have contacts with business associates there,” she said without, however, revealing more details. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Environmental Watch Advanced solutions for wastewater treatment and reuse The dyeing and finishing sector is always thought of as the culprit of the polluting the environment. One of the reasons is the enormous amount of toxic wastewater emitted by dyehouses and finishing mills. Nowadays, wastewater treatment solutions providers have developed technologies in hopes of wiping off their negative image. In Cotton Incorporated’s report named “A world of ideas: Technologies for sustainable cotton textile manufacturing”, there is a section on wastewater treatment. The section discusses four solutions for wastewater treatment, namely high-technology filtration systems, recycling of internal process water, use or sale of wastewater treatment sludge for fuel, and physical, biological and activated-carbon systems. High-technology filtration systems Conventionally, water coming into a textile manufacturing plant is filtered to remove contaminants. Significant water savings can be achieved through the use of advanced filtration systems to filter and recycle wastewater, in both industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants. These systems are based on the appropriate use of high-technology micro, ultra, nano, and reverse-osmosis filters. Systems are designed for the specific fine particles, molecules, ions, or pathogens that must be removed. Most installations use stages of filters, each with finer porosity, to selectively remove materials. High-technology filtration systems are commercially proven to meet a wide range of filtration requirements. Applications include ultrafiltration for size recovery; ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis for bleaching and scouring process streams; ultrafiltration and evaporation for mercerizing streams; and ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis for dyeing streams. Caption: Fong’s Water Technology’s Ultra Filtration system Depending on technology used, up to 95% of water can be recycled, and zero discharge is considered feasible. Some high-technology filter systems offer self-cleaning capability, to extend the life of the filter. Current installations typically are in regions where water availability is restricted or increasingly threatened. One of the wastewater treatment solutions providers Fong’s Water Technology Co., Ltd. (FWT) provides the dyeing industry with an effective water reuse treatment system by adopting its advanced Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Ultra Filtration (UF) technologies. FWT notes that membrane technology enables dyehouses to remove impurities in water, helping them to meet wastewater discharge standard, remove organic substances, color, and reduce the hardness, and most of the ions. Recycling of internal process water Water currently discarded after one use can be re-piped into process vessels for reuse one or more times. The recycle stream can be used directly, with or without dilution with fresh water. Recycling of water can also be combined with recycling of heat. Recycling of internal process water has been commercially proven in many plants. For example, in-plant water recycling has been used for: • Counter-flowing water from the last washboxes to the first washboxes of a continuous range; • Capturing water from bleach rinsing to use as make-up water to reconstitute the bleach bath; this allows recovery of caustic and surfactant, thus saving water and chemicals (A holding tank may be required); • Recovering the heat from recycled process water by means of heat exchangers But it is noteworthy that successful implementation of in-plant water recycling may require some additional adjustments: • Process adjustments to accommodate the use of less-pure water; • Chemical neutralizations or pH control; • Additional product quality checks; • Monitoring of discharge water for color and for biological and chemical oxygen demand ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Environmental Watch Use or sale of wastewater treatment sludge for fuel Dry sludge retrieved from the wastewater treatment facility can be consolidated and burned in the plant boiler. In addition, local markets for sludge as fuel are growing in both developing and developed economies. Use of sludge from wastewater treatment is increasing in China and India. Sales or use of sludge for fuel typically more than offset the added costs for consolidation and retrieval. Caption: Use of sludge from wastewater treatment is increasing in China and India Use of sludge as fuel requires certain environmental precautions: - Release of emissions-restricted gases into the atmosphere must be avoided; - The sludge must be free of metals, to avoid release of metal oxides or other hazardous by-products; - Stack gas filters or segregation of some chemicals from the sludge may be required. Physical, biological and activated-carbon systems Current individual plant, industrial park, or community wastewater and sludge treatment installations can be upgraded with additional processing steps based on physical, biological, and activated-carbon technologies. These technologies are well-established and can be engineered and sized to the specific requirements of the effluent streams. Caption: Physical, biological and activated-carbon systems can be engineered and sized to the specific requirements of the effluent streams These technologies are used broadly in a wide variety of municipal and industrial venues and applications, and are applicable to all textile manufacturing installations. They reduce color, toxicity, chemical oxygen demand, and biological oxygen demand of water returned to the environment. Commercially available technologies include the new anaerobic/aerobic biomass degradation systems. ■ Source: Cotton Incorporated Oeko-Tex updates test criteria The Oeko-Tex Association recently announced to have updated the applicable test criteria and limit values for testing textiles for harmful substances according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 with effect as of January 1, 2012. The Oeko-Tex criteria catalogue stipulates the following amendments: With respect to the current version of the REACH candidate list and the current consultations, wet spun fibers and coatings will in future be tested for n-methylpyrrolidone and dimethylacetamide. Both chemicals are listed in the new category “Solvent residues” and must not exceed a limit value of 0.1% weight by weight. In addition, relevant test samples must also be tested for four new plasticizers: di-C6-8-chain alkyl phthalates, di-C7-11-chain alkyl phthalates, di-n-hexyl phthalates (DHP) and bis (2-methoxyethyl) phthalates. These will be incorporated with the phthalates already listed in the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. The total limit value of 0.1% weight by weight shall remain unchanged. In analogy to the already existing ban on alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) within the framework of certification of environmentally friendly production sites according to Oeko-Tex Standard 1000, the successful testing for nonylphenols, nonylphenol-(1-9)-ethoxylates, octylphenols and octylphenol-(1-2)-ethoxylates will in future also form a prerequisite for product certification according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100. The following limit values apply to all four product classes: - nonylphenols: 100ppm - octylphenols: 100ppm - Total nonylphenol-(1-9)-ethoxylates: 1,000ppm - Total Octylphenol-(1-2)-ethoxylates: 1,000ppm In order to allow companies an adequate time frame to implement any necessary changes in their production, the requirements will only come into force definitively after a transition period on April 1, 2013. This regulation does not apply to companies certified according to Oeko-Tex Standard 1000, as they already comply with the required criteria, says the association. The limit value for extractable chromium is set at 10mg/kg for leather products in product class IV. This exception to the usual chromium limit values for textile articles corresponds to the best available technology on the market at the current time and does not pose any toxicological risk when such products are used as intended. According to the Oeko-Tex Association, the scope of the control tests on Oeko-Tex certified products is being extended to cover 20% of all certificates issued annually in future, as opposed to the minimum 15% tested to date. In practice, in recent years, an average of 18% of certificates have been tested using product samples taken from the shops. ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Chemical & Auxiliaries Dyestuffs designed for automotive textiles to perform by Ian Holme While North America and the European Union are large markets for automotive textiles, the demands for cars in China and India are now a major growth area, and the South American market is also experiencing significant growth. The use of textiles in motor vehicles continues to expand, and many types of fabrics are now to be found in cars, such as woven, knitted and nonwoven fabrics, coated fabrics and fabric composites. One estimate puts the total annual amount of automotive textiles used at around 2.7 million tons, with some two thirds of the consumption used in interior applications. These include textiles for floorcoverings, interior trims, headliners, seating fabrics, seat belts, airbags and filters. Other exterior uses for textiles include tires, wheel housing and sub-floor applications. Increasingly motor cars are not garaged but left out in the open air. As a result, there is a requirement for interior fabrics to have good resistance to fiber photodegradation which is catalyzed by the ultraviolet radiation component of sunlight, as well as for high color fastness to light for the dyestuffs used on automotive textiles. Accordingly fiber and dyestuff manufacturers have had to select appropriate products to meet the exacting conditions often experienced in the US, Middle East and Asian countries, where vehicle interior temperatures can climb in hot sunshine. Auxiliaries and finishes must be selected to avoid the phenomenon of fogging, where traces of finishes can evaporate and condense on cooler interior surfaces such as windows, causing fogging or partial obscuration of the viewing conditions. The major fiber used for automotive seating fabrics is polyester which has a greater resistance to photodegradation than nylon. Polyester is dyed with specially selected disperse dyestuffs which are often based upon anthraquinone derivatives that exhibit high colour fastness to light. Another important property is good color fastness to sublimation because of the use of heat treatments during the moulding of door panels and headliners. Special dyestuffs for automotive textiles The Bipoaron AU range of disperse dyestuffs from PT Biporin Agung, Jakarta, Indonesia, consists of a specially selected trichromat, namely Bipoaron Yellow AU-776, Bipoaron Red AU-976, and Bipoaron Blue AU-276. These dyestuffs exhibit very high light fastness, especially for long exposure at the elevated temperatures that are often experienced in automotive interiors. The Bipoaron AU trichromat may be dyed along with selected UV absorbers to increase the light fastness even further to meet the severe test conditions in test methods such as VDA 75202. Besides, LJ Specialities Ltd (Chesterfield, England) promotes and supplies five ranges of disperse dyestuffs including the Itosperse Auto range of high light and sublimation fastness dyestuffs. The Itosperse Auto range consists of ten specially selected disperse dyestuffs, namely: • Itosperse Auto Yellow AGL • Itosperse Auto Yellow HLSF • Itosperse Auto Red A2G • Itosperse Auto Violet BL 150% • Itosperse Auto Blue ABL 150% • Itosperse Auto Blue SUN 200% (also as 100%) • Itosperse Auto Blue AHLB • Itosperse Auto Turq Blue AG • Itosperse Auto Navy HLN • Itosperse Auto Black LFN7 The Itosperse Auto range consists of mixtures of anthraquinone dyes with the highest batch to batch quality control specifications and good reproducibility. Careful dye selection is required for the best on-tone fading. Different shades and depth of shade and fastness tests may require the use of a different dye selection and the use of a UV absorber. The best trichromatic dye recipe is based upon Itosperse Auto Yellow HLSF, Itosperse Auto Red A2G and Itosperse Auto Blue SUN 200%, using either 2-3% Itosorb AF 20PS (UV absorber based upon a benzotriazole derivative) or 2-3% Itosorb LJ643 Caption: LJ Specialities introduces ltosperse Auto range consisting of mixtures of anthraquinone dyes with the highest batch to batch quality control specifications and good reproducibility ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Chemical & Auxiliaries (UV absorber based upon a benzophenone derivative). For attaining non-metameric matches a four-colour combination has been proposed. This utilises the standard Itosperse Auto trichromat together with a fourth component, either Itosperse Auto Violet BL 150% or Itosperse Auto Turq Blue AG. To avoid the problems of oligomer deposition that can occur when dyeing under acid conditions, this Itosperse Auto dyestuff combination has been designed also for dyeing under alkaline conditions. To protect the dye chromophore from hydrolysis during alkaline dyeing an alkaline buffer such as Itobuffer PH85 Conc is recommended. Itosperse Auto dyestuffs are normally dyed at pH 4.5 for 40-60 minutes at 135°C, followed by rinsing and reduction clearing (if required). The dyebath is set with 0.5g/l of Itoquest LJ3-12, 0.5g/l Itolube 30D and 0.5g/l Itosolt LJ550, together with 2% Itosorb AF 20PS as the UV absorber. On the other hand, the Dianix AM ranges of disperse dyes from DyStar are divided into three groups, namely: • Dianix AM Classics • Dianix AM Specialities and • Dianix AM-SLR dyes These offer the dyer of polyester automotive fabrics high light fastness with economical standard dyes and speciality problem solvers. Dianix AM Classics are based upon six dyestuffs: • Dianix Yellow AM-42 • Dianix Yellow AM-HM • Dianix Red AM-86 • Dianix Pink AM-REL • Dianix Blue AM-77 and • Dianix Brilliant Blue AM-60 These dyestuffs provide economical dye recipes together with very good automotive light fastness and are highly suitable for applications that demand high colour fastness to light and weathering. The Dianix AM Speciality range (DyStar) is a new generation Caption: Dystar’s Dianix AM Specialty range provides dye combinations with excellent colour fastness to light at elevated temperatures of disperse dyestuffs that provide dye combinations with excellent colour fastness to light at elevated temperatures. They are carefully matched to ensure the best on-tone fading performance and exhibit minimal shade deviation under different light sources. Their good all-round wet fastness properties are accompanied by the highest sublimation fastness for package dyeing. The dyeing properties have been carefully matched to ensure good levelling and reproducibility and in order to decrease oligomer formation may be dyed via the alkaline dyeing method. The Dianix AM Speciality dyes have been developed in order to meet the changing market requirements which are for a general increase in light fastness and a high demand for colour constancy. The trend towards light shades and the use of certain fibre substrates such as multilobal, deep dull, texturised and low decitex per filament yarns has made it more difficult for textile dyers to achieve the exacting light fastness requirements. Dianix AM Speciality dyestuffs offer tight colour tolerance limits (DE≤0.2). The Dianix AM-SLR dyestuffs from DyStar are the latest generation of Super Light Resistant disperse dyestuffs. These are based upon novel dye chemistry developed in co-operation with the automotive industry and engineered to meet the new automotive light fastness requirements of the General Motors Solar Test / GMW 3414. These dyestuffs offer excellent levelling and shade reproducibility and their properties render them suitable as problem-solvers in other fields of application. The recipe cost may also be lower by virtue of a reduction in the use of UV absorber. Dianix AM-SLR dyestuffs may be dyed by the alkaline dyeing method using Diaserver AD-95 (or in America with Diaserver JPH99). The range includes: • Dianix Yellow AM-SLR • Dianix Orange AM-SLR • Dianix Red AM-SLR and • Dianix Blue AM-SLR It is important to realize that a one year exposure to extreme climates such as Arizona (hot / dry) or Florida (hot / humid) is roughly equivalent to a Southern European exposure of three-four years or six-eight years exposure in Central Europe. The solar test followed by GMW 3414 was developed to obtain better correlation between the required light fastness performance and the results in cars exposed to Arizona conditions. Dianix Black AM-R is a reddish black suitable for alkaline dyeing and recommended for all the automotive light fastness requirements excluding GMW 3414. Dianix Black AM-SLR is a brownish black suitable for all automotive light fastness requirements and is also suitable for application via the alkaline dyeing method. Dianix Grey AM-SLR is a new natural grey providing excellent on-tone buildup and suitable for a wide range of shades from pale to dark grey. It exhibits excellent colour fastness to light in all depths of shade in all automotive test methods as well as offering potential for improving the shade reproducibility under production dyeing conditions. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Nonwovens / Technical Textiles Medical textiles advance for healing or antimicrobial effects Medical textiles has come a long way from being a nonsterile wipe to a human body part, thanks to multidisciplinary research efforts undertaken by different stakeholders in the field, writes Seshadri Ramkumar Medical textiles is an important product category within technical textiles. Technical textiles are non-commodity textiles which are predominantly used in non-apparel applications such as automotive textiles, medical textiles, geotextiles, sport textiles, to name a few. Even in this tighter global economy, technical textile sector is a fast growing one. According to a recent report by US-based Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), the specialty fabrics industry is expected to grow about 2.5%. Jeff Rasmussen, IFAI’s Market Research Manager opines that with the global GDP growth edging towards 4%, the specialty fabrics industry is expected to maintain a growth rate of about 2.5%. Most recently, the UK-based Textile Media Services has estimated the global market value for technical textiles to be about US$127.2 billion. More importantly, in 2010, China consumed technical textiles worth about US$29 billion. Besides, India is projected to have a double-digit growth of over 15% per annum in the technical textiles sector. A recent report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India has estimated the market size to be about US$20 billion. The government of India is also supporting the growth of technical textiles sector in India by creating a National Technological Mission on Technical Textiles (NTMT) with a budget outlay of US$40 million, and medical textiles is an important part of this NTMT. To promote the growth of medical textiles in India, the Government has established a Center of Excellence in medical textiles at the South India Textile Association located in the textile city, Coimbatore, in Southern India. Among the many different product categories in the technical textiles sector, medical and hygiene textiles offer tremendous growth opportunities both in terms of consumption and value. A couple of reasons can be attributed to this phenomenon: (a) increase in global population, (b) increased life expectancy, and (c) improved life style. The use of medical textiles that contribute to the wellness and health of human beings is more prevalent in the developed economies. However, in developing economies such as China and India, the acceptance of single use medical and hygiene products is slowly catching up. In these countries, cost issues related to the use of high quality single use products still dominate the decisions towards their acceptance and usage. Medical textiles can be broadly classified into: (a) in vivo and (b) in vitro. In vitro products are commodity/general items whereas; in vivo products have specialty applications and requirements. From the requirements and applications points of view, most of the in vivo items should be single use products. However, in the case of in vitro general products, they could be either single use or multiple uses. These products are normally non-sterile items such as hospital drapes and bed linens. However, in the developed economies, most people prefer even the general use medical items to be single use. A recent discussion with an internal medicine specialist at the Oshawa General Hospital, Toronto, Canada, revealed that, even with the use of high level sterilization techniques involving gamma rays, well-resourced hospital systems in major cities in the developed world prefer to adopt single use disposable medical products to provide highest quality medical service and to avoid even minor human errors in using reusable medical textiles. Recent advancements in medical textile sector The use of nonwovens in developing cost-effective single use medical and hygiene products is well-established. In recent years, the focus in this sector has been to enhance the functionality of these single use products by making them reactive to cater to specific applications. For example, the use of 50-100 GSM Spunbond-Meltblown-Spunbond (SMS) polypropylene fabrics as a medical barrier, in other words surgical gowns is well established. The medical textiles sector has been looking into making these garments surgeon friendlier and microbe non-friendlier. These are being accomplished in different ways such as by the addition of membranes, which allow vapors to pass through and not the bodily liquids. Some membranes have the capacity to even block micron sized microbes. Ahlstrom Corporation has been a leader in this field, and has developed breathable viral barrier fabrics. Caption: Vestex garments use a proprietary blend of three patented technologies in a single fabric (Image source: Vestagen) Most recently, US-based Vestagen Technical Textiles, LLC, is marketing Vestex Active Barrier Protective medical uniforms. Research carried out by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University on these fabrics ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Nonwovens / Technical Textiles have shown that the antimicrobial component in these active barrier scrubs is capable of reducing drug resistant microbes such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The medical and the textiles community are actively working to develop barrier fabrics and methods that can tackle drug resistant bacteria and even viruses. A patent pending technology, SERQET Technology marketed by Research Triangle Park-NC, USA based LAAMScience, Inc. is claimed to inactivate 99 % of viruses and bacteria which were evaluated by LAAMScience. This technology is based on photo activation of the coating that releases singlet oxygen to inactivate viruses and bacteria. Another aspect that is gaining more attention and interest by the first responder and medical community is to have specialty fabrics that can decontaminate and clean toxic chemical contaminated human skin. Such products are of immense importance in case of any terrorist attacks. Certain unique aspects of textiles such as its flexibility and high porous structure help with the absorption and adsorption of toxic chemicals and vapors. Chantilly-VA, US-ed First Line Tech, LLC, has taken Fibertect fabric technology to the market place. Fibertect is finding applications in spill decon, oil absorption and aerosol filter markets. Nanoscience and impact on medical textiles Nanotechnology has also found its usage in textiles in developing nanofiber based high efficiency filters, anti-repellent textiles and in many tissue engineering applications. It has been widely known from the nanoscience and materials community that the reduction in the size of particles significantly alters the bulk characteristics. Medical textiles sector has been harnessing the advantages of nanoscience by incorporating nanofibers and nanoparticles to develop next generation face masks, surgical gowns and medical drapes. Nanosized alkoxides such as magnesium oxides have been proven to protect human beings from toxic chemical spills. Nanosized silver and copper particles are known to provide higher antimicrobial efficacies. However, recently, there has been serious interest in the medical community to look into the toxic effects of nanoparticles. Caption: Medical textiles is incorporating nanofibers and nanoparti cles to develop next generation surgical gowns, medical drapes and face masks (Image source: DiloGroup) The textile community has to have a thorough understanding on the toxicity of nanomaterials on human health. Recently, the Natural Resources Defense Council in the United States has filed a federal lawsuit to curtail the public exposure of antimicrobial nanosilver that is used in baby blankets and many other products. The lawsuit claims that the small sized particle could penetrate into tissues in human body and cause catastrophic damages. This particular aspect is worth looking into, which may have some serious implications for the use of nanomaterials in medical and hygiene textiles. Nanofibers impregnated filters and face masks are being developed that will have higher filtration efficiency and lower pressure drop. In this regard, there is an ongoing collaborative project between the Nonwoven Laboratories at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) and Texas Tech University (TTU). Submicron-sized nanofibers developed at the UTK are being evaluated at TTU in hopes that a highly efficient barrier mask could be developed. New developments in nanofiber production technologies such as needleless electrospinning and centrifugal nanofiber production may help with the development of highly productive and functional nanowebs that can find applications in the medical field. The development of cell culture media, tissues and organs have been occupying academic and industrial researchers for a decade or so with the view that textile fibers and structures can find solutions to some complicated diseases. Medical textiles has come a long way from being a nonsterile wipe to being a human body part - this has become possible due to multidisciplinary research efforts undertaken by different stakeholders in the field. ■ Seshadri Ramkumar is Manager at Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory, Texas Tech University, the US Buckeye sells Merfin business to National Tissue A US-based manufacturer and marketer of specialty fibers and nonwoven materials, Buckeye Technologies Inc recently signed a definitive agreement to sell the assets and ongoing operations of its Merfin Systems converting business to the US-based National Tissue Company, LLC. Merfin Systems, located in North Carolina, the US, is a converter of towels, tissue and napkins which it sells along with proprietary paper product dispensers into the away from home market. National Tissue is a privately owned converter located in Wisconsin, the US, marketing and selling its broad product line primarily through small and mid-sized distributors located in the Midwest. National Tissue’s President, Mike Graverson, said, “Merfin is an excellent fit and will complement National Tissue’s core business. Merfin brings their proprietary dispensing systems and other product extensions to our basic offering. Adding a second and expandable operating location is a big step in our strategic roadmap.” Buckeye’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Crowe said, “While it (Merfin) has not been a core business for Buckeye, we have been pleased with our 15 year ownership of Merfin Systems. We believe this opens up new horizons for this fine company, and enables Buckeye to deploy the proceeds into its strategic operations.” He added, “We expect to incur non-cash goodwill and fixed asset impairment charges of about US$4 million in the October-December 2011 quarter. The sale along with associated liquidation of working capital is expected to generate approximately US$6 million in cash.” ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report Qingshanhu: Shaping the largest knitwear export base in Central China 青山湖區：打造華中最大的針織服裝出口加工基地 by Staff Reporters Located in the east of Nanchang (南昌), the provincial capital of Jiangxi Province (江西省), Qingshanhu District (青山湖區) currently governs five towns, one township, three subdistricts, 75 villages, and 79 neighborhoods. The district covers 160 sqkm in land area and a resident population of 589,000. In 2010, Qingshanhu District reached the total output value of RMB 30.01 billion, and per capita GDP of more than US$10,000, ranking first in the province. It also accomplished RMB 2.41 billion in financial revenue and exceeded US$550 million in total export, ranking first in Jiangxi and Nanchang in terms of economic value. Qingshanhu’s knitwear industry originated in the 1990s. Through rapid development in the past decade, the knitwear industry has fostered some leading enterprises, including Huaxing Knitting (華興針織), Hengsheng Garment (恒生制衣), Jingdong Industrial (京東實業) and Xinyu Garment (新宇制衣), and some 750 small- to medium-sized enterprises. Specifically, Qingshanhu has initially shaped an industrial pattern focusing on knitwear and supported by t-shirt processing and export, making it an important processing and export base in China for t-shirt, jeans and other knitwear. In 2008, Qingshanhu won the title of “Famous Knitwear Town in China” (“中國針織服裝名城”) granted by the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC); in 2011, Qingshanhu’s knitwear industrial cluster was listed as “Key Industrial Cluster in China Knitwear Industry of Over RMB 10 billion” (“中國針織行業超百億元重點集群”). Export-oriented economy and private economy With industrial relocation of the knitwear industry, knitwear has become a vital part in the industrial economy of Qingshanhu District. In 2011, Qingshanhu knitwear industry reached a total industrial output of RMB 21.03 billion, accounting for 60% the district’s economic value, with more than 32,000 employees in the industry. Qingshanhu’s knitwear enterprises are mainly distributed in Changdong Industrial Park (昌東工業園區) and three towns such as Hufang (湖坊), Luojia (羅家) and Jingdong (京東). By late 2011, the district had more than 750 knitwear enterprises, including 13 textile enterprises, 739 knitting and garment enterprises, and five printing and dyeing enterprises. It also had 110 above-scale enterprises (enterprises of yearly sales revenue of more than RMB 20 million), accounting for 75% in the city and 17.5% in the province of the respective total. The district also had 82 enterprises with income from main operation of more than RMB 50 million and 56 enterprises of more than RMB 100 million. In 2011, the knitwear enterprises in the district produced 346,100 pieces of T-shirts of various types (including casualwear and sportswear) and 81,000 pairs of jeans. Caption: In 2011, knitting and textile enterprises in Qingshanhu District produced 346,100 T-shirts According to Qin Anfu, Deputy Director of Qingshanhu District Industrial and Trade Information Commission (青山湖區工業商貿和資訊化委員會副主任秦安福), Qingshanhu’s knitwear industry, as the largest backbone industry for the region, exhibits the following development features: - Private economy plays an important role, accounting for 97.1%; - Small- to medium-sized knitwear enterprises constitute an important part and below-scale enterprises account for higher than 85%; - Export plays an important role and over 95% of enterprises there export their products to overseas markets in Middle East, South Africa, Europe and the US; - Most enterprises are “young” enterprises established within the decade. Knitwear export accounts for one-third of total export of town and township enterprises in the province. In 2011 when faced with challenging export environment, above-scale knitwear enterprises in the district hit RMB 3.06 billion in export delivery value. Probably, this is the foundation supporting the ambition of Qingshanhu District to build the largest knitwear export and processing base in Central China. Nanchang Huaxing Knitwear Industrial Co., Ltd. (南昌華興針織實業有限公司) produces 2500 pieces of knitwear per year and their products are 100% exported to overseas markets. In 2009, Huaxing Knitwear was listed as one of the top 10 textile enterprises in Jiangxi Province by Jiangxi Industrial and Information Commission (江西省工信委). “Nanchang’s knitwear export accounts for 20% of the country’s total export and our export accounts for 7% of the total export in Nanchang. In other words, 1.4% of China’s knitwear export comes from Huaxing Knitwear,” explained Lin Hancong, General Manager of Huaxing Knitwear (南昌華興針織實業有限公司總經理林漢聰). In ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report 2011, Huaxing Knitwear earned RMB 450 million of operation revenue, and all of this was from export. However, for an export-oriented knitwear cluster, Qingshanhu District is far from seaports such as Xiamen (廈門), Shenzhen (深圳) and Ningbo (寧波), and enterprises have to bear high logistic costs. To some extent, this has counteracted the low-cost advantage of Qingshanhu District in low land and labor costs. Key projects promoting extension of industrial chain The knitwear industry is the largest backbone industry for Qingshanhu District, and zippers, linings, shoulder bracings, buttons, ribbons, fabrics and accessories they use in production feature high volume, extensive applications and product diversity. Previously, individual garment factories sourced their these materials from different regions, making it difficult to ensure product quality and reduce production cost. “You source cotton in Xinjiang (新疆), buttons in Zhejiang (浙江), and printing in Guangdong (廣東). It is really time-consuming and costly for enterprises to purchase raw materials,” explained Guo Xiaoyuan, General Manager of Hengsheng Garment (江西恒生制衣有限公司總經理郭曉源). He said that it takes at least one week for knitwear enterprises in Qingshanhu District to get all the raw materials required to make a sample of knitwear. To deal with the shortage of local raw material supply, Jiangxi provincial and Nanchang municipal governments have jointly sponsored the South China Town Project in Nanchang with RMB 8 billion in total investment. The project integrated such activities as raw material marketing, trading, logistics, exhibition, conference and forum regarding textile, garment, leather and leather products. According to Mr Qin, Phase I of the project is expected to begin operation in May this year, including mall 1 as the trading center for garment, accessory, leather product and raw material, covering the market space of 200,000 sqm. And it is expected that garment enterprises in Qingshanhu District will accomplish local purchase of raw materials and accessories, thus effectively reducing purchase time and logistic costs. Meanwhile, Qingshanhu Government has formulated policies to support local farmers and investors to engage in knitwear-related sectors. Particularly, the purpose is to attract prestigious enterprises and brand from China and overseas. The government also aims to introduce some printing and dyeing projects currently unavailable in the local knitwear industrial chain in an attempt to make up unavailable sectors and improve the industrial chain. In 2012 alone, according to Qingshanhu Government Information Network, nine textile-related key projects will be completed in the district with total investment of more than RMB 2.4 billion. Transformation and upgrading Since 2011, financial crisis in the US and debt crisis in Europe have led to shrinking market demand there. Besides, RMB appreciation aggravates the business environment for export enterprises, and the rise of the textile industry in neighboring countries imposes negative impact on export orders. On the other hand, tight credit policy imposed by the government makes it more difficult for enterprises to finance, while hiking material prices and labor cost further narrow down the profit margin for enterprises. For small- to medium-sized enterprises in Qingshanhu’s knitwear industry that largely depend on export, this has presented hefty challenges. Caption: Rising labor cost imposes significant impact on labor-intensive industrial clusters Compared with eastern coastal regions, Jiangxi has much cheaper labor. However, as verified by Qingshanhu District Government, labor cost for knitwear enterprises in this region has gone up by 15-20% in recent two years, thus narrowing the difference in labor cost. As estimated, an enterprise with about RMB 80 million in annual output value is expected to suffer economic loss of RMB 1 million due to increase in labor cost. To deal with these challenges, companies such as Huaxing Knitwear and Hengsheng Garment have enhanced the automation level of their factories and adopated automatic machinery to improve their efficiency and productivity. Exceeding RMB 45 billion in output value During the 12th five-year period, Qingshanhu District will be created as a textile and garment hub integrating a full range of sectors from fiber, spinning, weaving, knitting, textile machinery, technical development to logistic services, and ultimately, be groomed to be the largest knitwear export and processing base in Central China. By 2015, Qingshanhu’s knitting industry is expected to exceed RMB 45 billion in total industrial output, and 750 million pieces in total garment output. Meanwhile, Qingshanhu District is expected to foster its own prestigious garment brands by 2015, complete the transformation from “brandless” production to OEM production to proprietary brands and promote the prestige of Qingshanhu District as “Famous Knitwear Town in China” (“中國針織服裝名城”) and “National-Level Textile and Garment Industrial Base” (“國家級紡織服裝產業基地”), thus fundamentally changing the current production mode of processing based on customers’ samples. According to industrial insiders, shortage of brands is a general trend in Jiangxi textile industry. Of the total garment output in Jiangxi, export accounts for 85%, but share of its own brands is less than 1%. Qingshanhu District will also impose rigorous environmental threshold and implement centralized planning for high-pollution sectors such as printing and dyeing to promote the development mode of cyclic economy. As one of the key projects planned for the 12th five-year period in Qingshanhu District, the Luojia Town Banxi Eco Industrial Park (“羅家鎮板溪生態環保產業園”) arranges a 500mu “Textile and Garment Printing & Dyeing Zone” (“紡織服裝產業印染分區”) to accommodate such sectors as bleaching, dyeing, washing and printing. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report A review of China’s textile and garment industry 2011 中國紡織服裝行業回顧2011 by Staff Reporters In 2011, the first year of China’s 12th Five-year Plan (第十二個五年計劃), the country’s textile industry encountered a number of obstacles, including economic slowdown, changes in Renminbi exchange rate, raw material price fluctuation and rising costs. However, the total output value of above-scale enterprises, or enterprises with yearly sales revenues of more than RMB 20 million, has reached more than RMB 5 trillion, and the positive trend is expected to continue in 2012. Affected by the overseas markets’ lackluster demand, China’s textile and apparel exports showed signs of slowing down, and some small- to medium-sized enterprises faced difficulty in operation. Despite that, according to Gao Yong, Vice President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) (中國紡織工業聯合會副會長高勇), in 2011, the production output value of Chinese textile above-scale enterprises exceeded RMB 5 trillion, and production volume of cotton yarn was beyond 28 million tons, while chemical fiber’s output exceeded 33 million tons, and textile export reached more than US$250 billion. Textile industry’s overall performance In 2011, Chinese textile industry faced several adverse factors such as global economic slowdown, fluctuation of raw materials prices, as well as elevating labor and energy costs. However, Chinese textile industry’s performance did not seem to be severely affected. According to latest statistics, in 2011, China’s production output of yarn reached 28.95 million tons, up by 12.4% year on year. China also produced 62 billion meters of fabric, up by 11.6% year on year. China’s production output of chemical fiber reached 33.62 million tons, up by 13.9% year on year, while the country produced 25.4 billion pieces of garments, up by 8.1% year on year. Caption: In 2011, Chinese textile industry faced fluctuation of raw materials prices, and elevating labor and energy costs In 2011, the total investment of Chinese textile industry amounted to RMB 679.91 billion, which saw a year-on-year growth of 36.3%. To this sum, cotton industry invested RMB 150.3 billion, up by 37% year on year and chemical fiber industry invested RMB 73.41 billion, up by 47.87% year on year, while garment industry’s investment saw a 40% increase to reach RMB 185.2 billion. By region, the investment from central region and western region saw significant year-on-year growth of 56.7% and 49.3% respectively. China Customs statistics revealed that in 2011, China’s cumulative export in textile and garment for the entire year reached US$247.89 billion, up by 20.04% year on year, although compared with 21.2% in November, it saw a drop of 1.16 percentage points, and it is also noteworthy that it witnessed a downtrend in four consecutive months. To this sum, cumulative export in textile hit US$94.67 billion, which registered a growth of 22.88% compared with US$77.04 billion in 2010. Meanwhile, in 2011, China exported US$153.22 billion worth of garment, which saw a growth of 18.35%, compared with US$129.47 billion in 2010. In 2011, the industry’s sales revenue reached RMB 5.34 trillion, which saw a year-on-year growth of 26.6%, although its growth rate witnessed a drop of 3.1 percentage points. The industry also generated gross profit of RMB 295.6 billion, up by 25.9%, but its growth rate saw a drop of 15.3 percentage points. On the other hand, the number of enterprises in loss grew by 28.7%, with growth rate that saw an increase of 30.4 percentage points. Gross loss was up by 75.9% year on year, and its growth rate saw a growth of 69.8 percentage points. Analysis of textile sub-sectors in 2011 To have a glimpse at the textile and garment industry’s development in 2011, it is worthwhile to look closely at its significant sub-sectors, knitting sector, garment sector and textile machinery sector. Knitting sector According to Yang Shibin, President of the China Knitting Industry Association (中國針織工業協會會長楊世濱), during the 11th Five-year Plan, China’s knitting industry saw a significant sales volume, but stepping into the 12th Five-year Plan, the sector witnessed a remarkable slowdown in growth both in volume and amount. He analyzed that in 2011, the global knitwear market was lackluster, and the rapid development of knitting industry in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh, which are gaining more market shares, has created pressure to Chinese knitting industry. Statistics showed that in the first nine months of last year, China’s knitwear industry reached output value of RMB 424.27 billion, up by 23.08%, while it obtained sales revenue ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report of RMB 404.22 billion, up by 23.27%. The industry also earned gross profit of RMB 18.1 billion, up by 22.2%, and invested RMB 43.33 billion, up by 77.44%. Meanwhile, it exported US$68.03 billion worth of knitwear and garment, up by 25.07%, making up 35.68% of the total textile and garment export. On the other hand, its import in knitwear and garment hit US$2.7 billion, up by 15.91%, accounting for 15.75% of its respective total. Garment sector In 2011, appreciating value of Renminbi and rising raw materials prices created massive pressure to China’s garment industry. According to statistics, in 2011, China’s garment export amounted to US$153.24 billion, which represented a year-on-year growth of 18.4%, but its growth rate saw a downtrend. In the first 11 months last year, China’s garment export to the US reached US$25.9, up by 11.6%, while it exported to the EU and Japan garments worth of US$38.42 billion and US$20.06 billion respectively, up by 22.6% and 21.1% year on year. Besides, its garment export to markets such as Russia, Korea and the UAE saw a rather high growth rate, ranging between 22% and 29%. By category, China’s export in knitted garment reached US$65.19 billion, up by 20.9% year on year, although it saw a slight drop (0.4%) in export volume. Its export in woven garment hit US$54.81 billion, up by 17.3% year on year, while its export volume fell by 3.7%, and its unit price grew by 21.7%. Textile machinery sector In the first three quarters of 2011, sales in textile machinery didn’t significantly reflect how China’s textile industry had been affected by various external factors. But from second half year onward, enterprises tended to postpone the delivery time, especially after October where there seemed to be remarkably less new orders placed. Southeast Asian countries remain China’s key export markets in textile machinery. Its top five export markets were India, Japan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan. Among them, exports to India were valued at US$523 million, up by 47.55%, making up 23.31% of its total exports. Caption: After October last year, China seems to receive less new orders in textile machinery By category, China’s exports in knitting machinery reached US$613 million, up by 27.81% year on year, accounting for 27.31% of the respective total. It was followed by auxiliary equipment and spare parts (US$564 million), printing, dyeing and post-treatment machinery (US$340 million), spinning machinery (US$266 million), chemical fiber machinery (US$204 million), weaving machinery (US$163 million), nonwoven machinery (US$75 million), as well as weaving preparation machinery (US$21 million). 12th Five-year Plan: An important milestone for textile industry Under the guideline of scientific outlook on development, the 12th Five-year Plan on development of textile industry fully implements the “Program of the 12th Five-year Plan on Development of National Economy and Society” and “Program on Transformation and Upgrade of Industry (2011-2015)”, sets forth the guideline, development targets, key tasks, policies and measures on textile industry’s development during the 12th Five-year Plan. Development targets till 2015 1. Stable growth The industrial added value of above-scale textile enterprises will increase by 8% per year. By 2015, the industry’s export will reach US$300 billion and increase at a yearly growth rate of 7.5%. The gross fiber processing volume will be up to 51.5 million tons and increase at a yearly growth rate of 4.5%. The employees of the industry will remain at the level of 20 million. 2. Industrial restructuring By 2015, the development capacity of new products will be further improved, and the product categories will be widened. The total output value of the textile industry in the central and western region of China will make up 28% of the country’s total output value. And there be over 20 enterprises with yearly output value of more than RMB 10 billion. 3. Innovative capacity High technologies on fiber development and application and the core production technologies of advanced textile machines will be mastered, and the prevailing processes, technologies and machines in cotton spinning, chemical fiber and garment industry will reach internationally advanced level. 4. Brand establishment Products’ quality level will be further improved, and brand establishment capacity will also be significantly strengthened. About 10 brands with international influence and 100 well-known local brands will be produced. And there will be 50 brand enterprises with yearly sales revenue of more than over RMB 10 billion. 5. Energy conservation and emission reduction Compared with 2010, energy consumption will reduce by 20%, carbon emission will decrease by 20%, water consumption will reduce by 30%, and emission of major pollutants will decrease by 10%. Also, the textile fiber recycling system will be preliminarily established, and the volume of recycled fiber will reach about 8 million tons. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Retail Scene Luxury fashion market continuing to grow amid global economic slowdown Despite the global economic slowdown, the US luxury fashion market still continues to grow, said Marc Karimzadeh, Fashion Features Editor of American Women’s Wear Daily at the seminar on “Trends and opportunities: A view from the North American market” during the Hong Kong Fashion Week. Caption: Albeit the global economic slowdown, luxury fashion market continues to grow, notes Marc Karimzadeh He said that amid the pessimistic financial climate, New York remains a paradise for young fashion designers to realize their dreams, continuously attracting new designers from around the world to start their career there, and among them are a number of talented young designers who have risen to fame. “World renowned designers like Calvin Klein, Donna Karen, Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors represent the golden age of outstanding American fashion designs, while young designers such as Alexander Wang, Philip Lim and Jason Wu are the epitome of the new blood of New York’s fashion design, who are injecting new ideas and brand new operation models into the high fashion world.” According to Mr Karimzadesh, in order to succeed in New York, it is essential to establish a unique style to stand out in the competitive arena, and to open the eyes to the borderless vast market. Take Alexander Wang as an example, his charming dresses have high wearability and are well-received, whereas Jason Wu, who started as a Barbie dolls fashion designer, is a fashion designer whose designs are adored by Michelle Obama. Their unique style in design is one thing they have in common. New designers need to have diversified development to expand the source of income, he said, explaining that “besides designing high fashion, designers need to design fashion affordable to mass consumers, in order to meet the upcoming trend of ‘democratic fashion’ in the whole world.” More exchange and cooperation between Asian and American fashion designers will definitely bring more impacts to the entire fashion industry, he added. Mr Karimzadeh stressed that nowadays, consumers have become very savvy, and they prefer fashion items that can create emotions. Lady Gaga’s far-reaching influence to trend-conscious people is undeniable, making bold “experiment and trial” in mix-and-match a new power. Besides, he said that followed by the technological advancement, new fashion retail models and channels such as online shopping and mobile apps will become increasingly widespread. When it comes to the future fashion trend, he noted that feminine tender beauty in design, tough-looking sportive fashion as well as amusement park-inspired clothing and accessories will be a big hit. In conclusion, he emphasized that luxurious and exquisite and elegant fashion is of vast market potentials, and with Chinese consumers demanding more for luxury fashion, the market will become bigger and bigger. Old Navy president resigns Gap Inc. announced that Tom Wyatt, President of its Old Navy brand, has resigned in order to take a position at another company outside of the apparel retail business. The company has named two senior executives at Old Navy to lead the division, reporting to Gap Inc. Chairman and CEO Glenn Murphy, while a formal search for a new brand president is under way. “Tom Wyatt has been a passionate advocate for Old Navy over the past four years, and strengthened the brand by focusing on its core customers and unique value proposition,” said Glenn Murphy, chairman and CEO of Gap Inc. “We wish him the very best as he embarks upon this new phase of his career.” Mr Wyatt, 56, joined Gap Inc. in 2006, and served in roles leading the Gap Body and Outlet businesses. He was appointed president of the Old Navy brand in August 2008. During his tenure, Wyatt evolved the brand’s family-friendly shopping environment in remodeled Old Navy stores, oversaw the creation of the successful Supermodelquins marketing campaign, and laid the groundwork for the brand’s upcoming global expansion. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Gap Foundation, and was a staunch advocate for the company’s long-standing commitment to community involvement. Mr Wyatt said, “This was probably one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make. An opportunity came my way that allows me to devote myself to helping children get the education they deserve. Working with the strong leadership team at Old Navy, I’m both proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past four years and confident in the plans in place to improve the brand’s performance in 2012 and beyond.” During this transition period for Old Navy, two Old Navy executives with more than 50 years of combined experience in retail and 20 years of combined experience within Gap Inc. will report directly to Murphy and lead the brand. Nancy Green, EVP and Chief Creative Officer for Old Navy, will continue to guide product development for the brand. Tom Sands, EVP of Stores and Operations for Old Navy, will take on additional operational functions within the brand. Jones Group launches fashion office The Jones Group Inc. recently announced the creation of the Jones Group Fashion Office to support the growth of core and ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Retail Scene emerging brands under the direction of Chief Creative Officer Stefani Greenfield. As part of the Fashion Office, The Jones Group has appointed Wendy Hirschberg Clurman as Vice President & Fashion Director of Jones New York, Danielle de Marne as Vice President & Fashion Director of Designer & Contemporary Brands and Amanda Ross as Consulting Fashion Director of Anne Klein. “The addition of industry experts from world renowned fashion brands such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Scoop NYC reinforces our intent to transform The Jones Group into the leading global fashion company defined by premier brands and driven by exceptional talent,” said Richard Dickson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Branded Businesses at The Jones Group. “The editorial perspective and brand building expertise that Stefani Greenfield and her team will add to Jones is invaluable in our ongoing effort to infuse a stronger design driven point of view into new collections across our growing portfolio of brands.” Wendy Hirschberg Clurman and Amanda Ross will spearhead the Company’s plans to optimize the core brands of Jones New York and Anne Klein, respectively, and Danielle de Marne will oversee the fashion direction of the Company’s designer and contemporary brands. After nearly a decade at Vogue, where she rose to Fashion Market Director, Wendy Hirschberg Clurman has established herself as one of the most respected consultants in the fashion industry. She has recently worked with leading designer brands including Theory and Magaschoni in the development, production, and styling of collections. Amanda Ross is an internationally renowned fashion stylist, costume designer and consultant for celebrities, films, TV series and design houses. Her celebrity clients include Mariska Hargitay and Vera Farmiga. She was previously the Market Director at Harper’s Bazaar. In addition to her consulting position at Anne Klein, Ross will continue to act as an independent stylist. Danielle de Marne was most recently the Creative Director of Full Picture where she advised on the design and creative direction for the agency’s clients. She was previously the Head Buyer for Designer Brands at Intermix and the Fashion Director of Scoop NYC, two of the most well known retailers for contemporary design brands. “I am thrilled to welcome Wendy, Danielle and Amanda to The Jones Group and know that their passion, knowledge and experience in the fashion industry will be a tremendous asset to the Company and will add a re-energized creative direction to each of our brands,” said Stefani Greenfield, Chief Creative Officer of The Jones Group. The Jones Group Inc is a leading global designer, marketer and wholesaler of over 35 brands with product expertise in apparel, footwear, jeanswear, jewelry and handbags. The Jones Group has a reputation for innovation, excellence in product quality and value, operational execution and talent. Spain fashion chain Mango expands to Sri Lanka Spanish high-street clothing chain Mango has opened its first store in Sri Lanka, expanding its worldwide presence to a total of 106 countries. “Mango is pursuing its international expansion and staying true to its aim of being present in each of the main cities in the world with the opening of its first store in Sri Lanka,” in the capital Colombo, it said in a statement. The low-price fashion chain launched in the Barcelona area in 1984 and has expanded worldwide since its first stores outside Spain opened in Portugal in 1992. It now has 2,400 stores in 106 countries. Its stores outside Spain accounted for 81 percent of its turnover in 2010, according to its latest annual results. That year the Mango group logged sales of 1.27 billion euros ($1.67 billion). Caption: Mango store in Sri Lanka Mango is the second-biggest Spanish clothes exporter after Inditex, the world’s largest clothes retailer and owner of high-street competitor Zara. Inditex has more than 5.400 stores in 78 countries and has profited recently, despite an economic downturn in Spain, thanks to its overseas operations. Inditex said it opened hundreds of new stores overseas last year and reported turnover of 9.71 billion euros in the first nine months of its current financial year. Perry Ellis completes purchase of Ben Hogan Perry Ellis International Inc announced that it has completed the purchase of the world-wide intellectual property rights of the Ben Hogan family of brands from Callaway Golf Co. The Company will also assume all license arrangements, including South Korea and Japan, for apparel and accessories under the Ben Hogan brand name. Ben Hogan (1912 – 1997) “The Hawk” is one of the legendary giants of golf history with over 69 PGA Tour victories and 9 major championships. Following his most successful season, Hogan started his golf club company in the fall of 1953 in Fort Worth, TX. Today, the brand name remains renowned among players and fans around the world and still stands for the superior quality he demanded throughout his career. “We are extremely pleased with the addition of the Ben Hogan brand to our current golf portfolio as it reinforces our strategic focus on our core competency in golf lifestyle apparel. We are working to launch the Ben Hogan brand, within major retailers looking to capitalize on the white space on their floors and in the marketplace,” commented Oscar Feldenkreis, President and Chief Operating Officer of Perry Ellis International. ■ For the most updated news, please go to www.AdsaleATA.com ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Show Watcher Trade Fair Certification granted to IFAI Expo Asia The United States Department of Commerce has granted Trade Fair Certification to IFAI Expo Asia 2012, which will take place during June 26-28 at the Suntec Singapore International Exhibition Centre. Caption: IFAI Expo Asia 2012 will be held during June 26-28 Industrial Fabrics Association International President and CEO Stephen Warner, said: “Asia Pacific is the hottest growth market for technical textiles, and the US Department of Commerce recognizes the importance of IFAI Expo Asia 2012 in creating export opportunities. The Trade Fair Certification, through the efforts of the U.S. Commercial Service offices around the world, helps bring more buyers for the exhibitors.” He added: “The feedback by delegates and exhibitors on the first IFAI Expo Asia held this past March was extremely positive. Suppliers outside of Asia Pacific found not only individual customers, but many came away with new regional distributors for their products. Now IFAI Expo Asia 2012 will continue to provide a gateway for the industry’s suppliers to find business in Asia Pacific.” According to US Department of Commerce statistics, more than 70% of the world’s purchasing power is located outside of the US, so it makes sense to look at markets where demand is growing. Many US industry suppliers are small and medium businesses which can benefit from this partnership between IFAI and the US Commercial Service. The business support provided under the Trade Fair Certification Program creates tremendous advantages for companies interested in exhibiting and exporting. The National Expo Initiative’s export financing program can provide companies with loans to begin exporting; counseling about doing business abroad; and regulatory support in working with foreign governments to tackle trade barriers. Indo Intertex 2012 to be held with Inatex 2012 The tenth edition of Indo Intertex 2012 (Indonesia International Textile and Garment Machinery & Accessories Exhibition) is concurrently held with Inatex 2012 - Indonesia International Creative Textile Apparel Accessories Exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia during April, 19 – 22. Organizer expects it to attract more than 500 exhibiting company, 10,000 visitors, both from domestic and overseas. Support from the Indonesia Ministry of Industry, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Indonesian Textile Association, and other strategic partners from both local and overseas offer strength to the show. Ade Sudrajat, Chairman of Indonesian Textile Association said: “This event is held at the perfect moment, when Indonesia textile industry is expecting to benefit from the slowdown in Chinese textile sector. Indonesia continues to experience a period of strong economic growth with foreign investment at US$18 billion in 2010 targeted to increase to US$40 billion by 2015; Indonesia will be the main attraction for investors after China and India.” “We could see that Indonesia is getting more and more in focus regarding the potential for textile and textile products. Interest in textile and textile products technology improvement program is still booming as Indonesian government still concerned with the restructuring of industry machinery sector. ” says Budi Irmawan, Director of Textile and Multifarious Industry. Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics features four pavilions Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics featured more than 1,200 international and domestic Chinese apparel fabrics and accessories suppliers. At the fair, a number of the leading suppliers will participate in the country/region pavilions from Japan (11 exhibitors), Korea (59 exhibitors), Pakistan (seven exhibitors) and Taiwan (28 exhibitors). They target international and domestic buyers and accommodate a variety of sourcing needs including small quantities or high-volume orders. Caption: Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics features Japan, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan pavillions As the organizers introduced, the Korea Research Institute for Fashion Industry complements special buying requirements and offers a multitude of innovative fabrics using traditional Korean design. Other products on display at the Korean pavilion includes a variety of light weight cottons, modal, nylon, rayon, Tencel and wool and much more. Japanese brand Kurabo also provides flexible minimum orders and presents high-twisted yarn fabrics, cupro, composite fabrics of mixed yarns, plus some brand materials such as J-fiber and Eco-Wash. “Over the years of taking part in this fair, we have noticed a buying tendency towards distinct fabrics in look, texture, finish and function,” commented Ryo Hatakeyama, Vice President for their Shanghai branch. Mr Hatakeyama finds that Chinese buyers in particular prefer fabrics that are soft to touch and have even become more educated in their knowledge of texture technique, design and variation, which is why suppliers from Japan are turning their attention to this rapidly growing market by taking part in the exhibition, according to the organizers. Ruby Feng, Section Chief, Cross-Strait Marketing Section, Market Promotion ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Show Watcher Department for Taiwan Textile Federation, organizer of the Taiwan pavilion said that especially since there are so many textile import tariff reductions and exemptions from Taiwan to China, Taiwanese suppliers intend to promote their products to the domestic China market through the fair. The majority of the exhibitors in the Taiwan Pavilion featured high quality accessories, cotton, denim, embroidery, jacquard, knit, lace, polyester, spandex, wool blended and woven fabrics suitable for mass to luxury markets. Another fair feature is the Accessories Hall that showcases international and domestic suppliers of buttons, labels, lace and embroidery, hooks/loops/clips, zippers and many other items. The exhibition is organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the Sub-council of Textile Industry, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and the China Textile Information Centre. ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 to feature some 1,300 exhibitors Despite the current global economic slowdown, leading textile machinery manufacturers around the world are still attracted to prospects offered by China. This can be seen from the overwhelming response received by the combined textile machinery show, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012, to be held in Shanghai during June 12-16. At the close of space application, some 130,000sqm of exhibition space in 11 halls has been booked by leading industry names from some 30 economies. The exhibition is expected to feature some 1,300 local and international textile machinery makers who will showcase cutting-edge solutions, as well as sustainability and energy efficient machinery and processes. Chinese exhibitors make up the biggest country group, booking around 50% of the total exhibition space. Besides China, the top participating countries in terms of space applications are Germany, Italy, Japan and Switzerland. Sector-wise, spinning machinery forms the largest sector. This is followed by knitting, dyeing and finishing, weaving and winding. Maria Avery, Secretary General of CEMATEX, The European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, said: “The combined show is now well entrenched in the textile machinery exhibition calendar. It draws leading textile machinery manufacturers and is a must-attend showcase for the Asian market, offering plenty of business and networking opportunities.” ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 is owned by CEMATEX and its Chinese partners - the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC). It is organized by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co Ltd and co-organized by MP International Pte Ltd. Pakistan to become investors’ focal point Organized by Fakt Exhibitions (Pvt) Ltd. and Conference & Exhibitions Management Services (Pte) Ltd., the IGATEX Pakistan is one of the largest garment and textile machinery and accessories exhibitions in South Asia. Its seventh edition will take place in Lahore from October 3-6. According to the organizers, IGATEX Pakistan 2012 would be a professionally enriching experience for textile machinery manufacturers, providing them an opportunity to directly market their equipment to quality buyers and decision makers in an exceeding competitive global business environment. The show will include working and standalone demonstrations of various cutting edge industry tools and technology. Considered as one of the top 10 textile exporting countries of the world, Pakistan is the forth largest producer of cotton yarn and cloth, and the third largest player in Asia with a spinning capacity of 5% of total world production. It also ranks second in the export of yarn, third in the export of cloth and contributes 3% to the total textile trade of the world. ■ AD: ROSINK GMBH & CO. MASCHINENFABRIK ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile Printing smaller runs with more designs and flexibility Featured company: Kornit Digital Founded in 2003 in Israel by a group of professionals with extensive experience in the digital printing industry, Kornit Digital Ltd provides the digital textile printing industry with its integrated pre-treatment solution and its inks. With offices in the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific which operate a wide network of distribution channels around the globe, the company introduced its own line of high-speed direct-to-garment (DTG) printers, which it says to be the first industrial digital printers offering DTG printing. The Israeli company is now revolutionizing the roll fabric industry by enabling all kinds of fabrics to be printed with one set of inks. According to Kornit Digital, it is the first company to introduce white digital ink for garment printing, which provides the garment industry with the option to print on dark garments. Eyal Manzoor, Kornit Digital’s Asia Pacific General Manager, highlights that the company is developing towards the shift from printing volume runs to smaller runs with more number of designs. He also shared with ATA Journal his industry insights and the company’s latest developments. ATA: ATA Journal Mr Manzoor: Eyal Manzoor, Asia Pacific General Manager of Kornit Digital Ltd ATA: Kornit Digital was established in 2003. Could you share with us how the company was founded by the founding partners? Mr Manzoor: The founders of Kornit Digital are experts in the industrial digital printing field who worked for Scitex Vision (which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2005). After attending many digital printing shows all over the world, they were aware that although paper industry and signage industry had gone digital and replaced conventional printing very fast, textile printing was still done on cumbersome conventional technologies. This inspired to investigate and explore whether the timing was right to move textile printing into the digital age. Kornit Digital was founded in order to develop the way (via chemical solutions, capital and equipment) to print digitally on textiles. Since then, Kornit Digital has been focusing on both developing high-end machinery for digital printing on textiles, and developing a unique chemistry solution and special inks for digital printing on textiles. ATA: What are Kornit Digital’s strategies in its future growth? How will you achieve that? Mr Manzoor: Kornit Digital is known for its innovative approach. By leading the digital printing on textiles, Kornit Digital’s marketing team is very aware of the market demands and reacts accordingly. In the past seven years, Kornit has been responsible for new developments each year both in machinery and chemistry. Today, Kornit offers the market six different models. Kornit Digital’s future growth strategy is twofold. On one hand, we will continue to lead the direct-to-garment market by developing more robust solutions and improving the chemistry abilities with new sets of special inks like discharge ink, and on the other hand, we will penetrate into the digital roll fabric textile printing market by bringing to the market the Kornit Allegro, and the future solutions for this huge market. Also, we have a very strong R&D team in machinery and chemistry, and we will produce new innovative developments for the market. ATA: Could you tell us more about your latest product in direct-to-garment (DTG) printing? Mr Manzoor: Kornit Avalanche direct-on-garment printer is a dual-pallet industrial direct to garment printer for the high-volume production of light and dark garments and t-shirts. Kornit Avalanche has been designed to meet the printing demands for high quality, high speed and low cost of the garment printing industry. With an extremely innovative and robust industrial platform, designed for printing vast quantities in a high-level production environment, Kornit Caption: Eyal Manzoor, Kornit Digital’s Asia Pacific General Manager ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile Avalanche is capable of printing at an impressive rate of up to 300 garments per hour and has the largest print area on the market of 60 x 90 cm (23.5” x 35”). Featuring an advanced, fully automated system that insures a smooth and continuous production workflow, the printer enables garment decorators to produce remarkable multi-color prints on a wide range of textile applications and finished garments, and to efficiently and cost-effectively reach optimum digital printing results for 24/7 short and long-run production. Caption: Kornit Avalanche direct-on-garment printer Kornit Avalanche direct-on-garment printer is the optimum solution for massive-level production for DTG t-shirt businesses and traditional screen printers that are looking to expand towards hybrid apparel decoration enterprises. ATA: In developing printing technology, what are the biggest trends you have seen? Mr Manzoor: The most significant trend is the shift from printing volume runs to smaller runs with more designs. And this is a trend set by the textile and apparel retail chain. This trend calls for printing on more variety of textiles. While most digital textile printing enables short runs, none of them provides ‘flexibility’ of printing on different textile substrate without loss of inks and machine down time. Thus we felt that merely providing capability of ‘short runs – more designs’ is not enough for the Asian Printers. What the Asian Printers additionally need is “flexibility” in terms of printing on different textile substrates and blends, without changing the inks at reasonable rate of production enabling optimum utilization of the printing machine. All this would enable Asian Textile Printers to be competitive globally. Our latest development, Allegro enables users to print without separate pre-coating on a wide range of textile substrates. This can include cotton, cotton / polyester blends, or textiles of many other compositions, which may be with or without Lycra, in any form such as knits, woven or non-woven. You can print roll after roll of different textile compositions with same inks without bothering for various recipes of pre-coating and drying, to get optimum printing results. Also after printing, you don’t need to do the ‘steaming’. After printing the substrate goes through an in-line dryer, which is a part of Allegro. Post-printing washing is optional. Thus with Allegro, it is possible to have ‘flexibility’ of printing on wide range of textiles using minimal or in some cases with no water effluent generation at all. This is very important, as the Asian printers often find it difficult to install high capacity waste water effluent treatment plants and absorb its high running costs. ATA: In the textile sector, what are your major export markets? Mr Manzoor: Our major export market is Asia. We now have office and demonstration center in Hong Kong to provide more effective pre- and after- sales services. Besides China and India, several other Asian countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan are significant players for the world textile markets. Though for some reasons, one country’s loss in export is another country’s gain, what is significant for our business is that both China and India have vibrant and growing domestic textile and garment market, which is very important for these countries in view of uncertainties prevailing in the EU and the US markets. ATA: For textile and apparel industry, Asia is a significant manufacture base. How has it affected Kornit Digital’s strategy? Mr Manzoor: Asia is the world’s fastest growing economic region. China is the largest economy in Asia, and the second largest economy in the world. As in all world regions, the wealth of Asia differs widely between and within states. This is due to its vast size, diverse cultures, environments, historical, social and political ties and government systems. The largest economies in Asia in terms of both nominal and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are China, Japan, India, South Korea and Indonesia. For our products, we find that China meets with the objectives as broadly highlighted in the 12th Five-Year Plan, which is effective through 2015. China is no longer the cheapest producer of textiles and garments, as it was about five years ago. With the changing scenario, there is growing domestic consumption for value-added textiles and apparels, besides exports. Also for exports, there is an increasing shift towards higher value-added textiles and apparel. Particularly for printers, the preference is now for less labor-intensive, and/or less energy-consuming and more environmentally-friendly methods. Due to these factors, we are developing products in this direction, and so far Kornit’s products are very well-received. Kornit Digital’s key information Year of establishment 2003 Locations of offices Israel, the US, Hong Kong and Germany Models of DTG printers Kornit Storm, Kornit Thunder, Kornit Paradigm, Kornit Avalanche, Kornit Breeze and Kornit Allegro Applications Garment, fabric, accessory and combined application Export markets Asia, mainly China and India ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile R&D efforts and domestic market emphasized by Xiao Chuan Featured company: Yixing Lucky Textiles, China With a strong foothold in the international market, Yixing Lucky Textiles, targeting the medium to top-end fabric market, is stretching into the domestic retail sector with products of its own brand. The company notes that the industry could achieve long-term cost advantage through efficient management and energy use. Located in Jiangsu Yixing, China, Lucky Textile Group is a leading woven fabric manufacturer in China which is mainly engaged in the production of medium and high-end printed and dyed fabrics and denim fabrics. In 2010, the company’s total production output of casualwear fabrics exceeded 100 million meters, and 70% of which were for export. Focus on US and Europe market while exploring domestic market The US and Europe are two major export markets for Yixing Lucky Textiles. About 70% of its products are exported to Europe, the US, Japan and Southeast Asia. In addition, the company has been working with many of the world’s prestigious garment brands and retailers, such as Gap, Levi’s, Lee, American Eagle, J. C. Penny and Target. “In overseas markets, we target medium and high-end markets, and work with prestigious garment brands and sizeable retailers. The market demand for medium-end goods is huge and stable,” explained Zhen Qiaoyuan, Managing Director of Yixing Lucky Textiles. Caption: Zhen Qiaoyuan, Managing Director of Yixing Lucky Textiles However, affected by a number of adverse factors in recent years such as financial crisis, gloomy US economic prospect and Europe’s debt crisis, traditional export market presents a gloomy prospect. According to Mr Zhen, the US and Europe markets become saturated, and the growth of their demand is slowing down. Besides, financial crisis has impaired consumers’ purchasing power in these two regions. In addition, their purchasing power is also affected by the gloomy economic prospect. “As for woven fabrics for casualwear, US and European consumers still prefer 100% cotton fabrics, but their purchasing habit is changing. Unlike 10 years ago, modern consumers are more prudent and rational in textile consumption. With shrinking purchase volume, they tend to choose products of higher quality or greater functionality, or choose products of other innovative features. On the one hand, their purchase volume is shrinking. On the other hand, they are intensifying their control on cost and product diversity,” explained Mr Zhen. Though overseas market still remains the key focus of Yixing Lucky Textiles, the company is inputting more resources to further develop the Chinese domestic market. “We are a latecomer in the domestic market, but we will intensify our development in this direction. Our sales performance in the domestic market sees a trend of gradual growth, especially after the financial crisis in 2008.” Stay competitive by intensifying management and R&D According to statistics of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), in the first five months in 2011, the unit export price for Chinese textiles increased by 21% and that for garments increased by 18%. Mr Zhen noted that higher export price doesn’t mean China’s textiles and garments have higher added-values. “For the time being, we can conclude that the current rise in export is driven by costs,” he added. “Without implementing high-quality strategy, China’s textile industry will find no way out, and cannot enhance competitiveness. However, it takes time to implement this strategy. Cotton price kept hiking in the past two years. For fabric enterprises with meager ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile profit margins, survival becomes a problem without raising prices. Retail price for garment in the overseas market is going up. The retail price for garment launched to market in last autumn and winter is expected to witness substantial rise of about 10%,” he explained. China’s textile industry is expected to witness a new round of rise in production costs in the years to come. According to a recent survey, price rise is mainly attributable to hiking labor wages and hiking costs for raw materials and energy. For China’s textile industry that still stays at the medium and low-end level of the global supply chain, pressure from hiking material price and labor cost makes it necessary for enterprises to find a way out. Mr Zhen said: “Hiking cost has significant impact on our operation. Fluctuation in raw material costs makes it more difficult for our quotation, placing orders and costing. Environmental cost is also becoming significant. In the past years, we invested heavily in wastewater control and environmental protection. On the other hand, our employees’ wages raised by 10-15% per year in the past two years.” He said that Yixing Lucky Textiles is mainly engaged in printing, dyeing, weaving and finishing. Compared with garment processing, these sectors require less labor involvement. Despite this, rising costs, including wages, remain a substantial pressure on enterprises. “Our counter-measure is to further intensify our management and improve productivity. For some sectors, it is difficult to accomplish automation. Therefore, we aim to increase unit output without increasing labor,” he added. Caption: Yixing Lucky Textiles produces denim fabrics mainly for export to Europe and US markets, but is now exploring the domestic market According to Mr Zhen, another approach to deal with increasingly fiercer market competition is to develop new fabrics based on specific market needs. Some new fabrics from Yixing Lucky Textiles in recent years are rated as high-tech products by Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology, including 100% cotton elastic non-spandex fabric, wash- and wear-resistant easy-care quick-dry cotton fabrics, double-sided foam-finished functional fabric, and cotton polyamide elastic denim. “Few years ago, we successfully developed 100% elastic non-spandex fabric for special markets such as business wear. One of its features is that fabric can accomplish specific elasticity without using spandex. Elasticity of spandex fiber may be diminished after repeated washing or high temperature bleaching, and this can be avoided when no spandex is used,” explained Mr Zhen. In addition to identifying what customers need, it is also required to meet the needs of the ultimate consumer market. To accurately identify market needs, Yixing Lucky Textiles has established a marketing team in the US. “We should say that our R&D team in the US is our mastermind for our R&D work to meets customer needs and responds to market change – the team plays an important role for us to develop new fabrics,” explained Mr Zhen. Energy-saving and emission-reduction projects As one of the largest printing and dyeing enterprises in China, Yixing Lucky Textiles is committed to promoting cleaner production and efficient use of resources. In 2008, Lucky invested RMB 25 million in purchasing state-of-the-art eco-friendly equipment. Today, the company has completed several energy-saving and emission-reduction projects, and won the title of “Excellent Enterprise in Energy Saving and Emission Reduction” granted by the China Dyeing and Printing Association (CDPA). For energy saving and emission reduction, as Mr Zhen emphasized, Yixing Lucky Textiles adopts the concept of “development and saving” to make efficient use of resources, and recover regenerated resources. Speaking of the implementation of differential pressure thermal power projects and wastewater residual heat recovering projects, he said: “Generally, the pressure of steam for production-purpose is about 13kg, but only 5-6kg of pressure is needed in specific production. After investing in differential pressure thermal power project, differential pressure can be used for power generation and the energy generated this way is networked into local power system. With this project, we can save up to RMB 7 million per year.” In the other project, residual heat recovering equipment performs heat exchange in the heat exchanger between 60°C wastewater and 20°C clean water. After heat exchange, outlet temperature of wastewater is 35°C and that of clean water is 45°C. This process cools down wastewater for subsequent treatment, and provides clean water of higher temperature for the dyehouse, thus saving steam of more than 20,000 m³. This will help save up to RMB 3.18 million per year. In addition, Yixing Lucky Textile has completed many residual heat recovering projects such as drum condensed water recovering, printing and dyeing wastewater residual heat recovering, recycling of cooling water from gassing frame and air compressor, waste hot water recycling, recovering of hot fume from hot fluid furnace and recovering of residual heat from sizing machine. The new workshop installs about 400 energy-saving LED lights, which it says has reduced power consumption by almost 50%. Key information of Yixing Lucky Textiles Number of employees 1,400 Total production output in 2010 Denim fabric of 30 million meters, and printed and dyed fabric of 80 million meters Sales revenues in 2010 Sales revenue of RMB 1.8 billion, including export of US$100 million ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Company Bulletin DyStar joins Sustainable Apparel Coalition Textile dyes and chemicals supplier DyStar recently announced in a press release that it has joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a collaborative venture established in 2011 by leading apparel retailers, suppliers and manufacturers with participation of academics and NGOs. The main objective of the SAC is to develop an Apparel Index which takes a full life-cycle view of an apparel product and identifies all major social and environmental impacts along the production chain, and dyes and chemicals are a key area of interest of the organization. Dystar emphasized that it has a long history of action to reduce the environmental impact of the supply chain, and recently issued its first corporate Sustainability Report prepared according to GRI principles. It also works closely with many of the brand and retailer members of the SAC in creating seasonal color palettes through its Color Solutions International business headquartered in North Carolina, the US, and in ensuring compliance of its products with Restricted Substance List requirements through its econfidence program. “Our membership of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition signifies our commitment to working together with our partners in the industry to deliver systemic change in the way that textiles are manufactured globally,” said Harry Dobrowolski, President of the DyStar Group. Lenzing takes legal action against Lyocell patents violation Manmade cellulose fibers supplier Lenzing AG is taking legal action against One-A’s violation of its Lyocell patents. According to Lenzing, preliminary but not yet legally binding injunction has been imposed on the Austrian engineering firm One-A Engineering Austria GmbH, and accordingly, One-A is prohibited from using the Lyocell spinning technology which has been patented by Lenzing. Lenzing noted that One-A is owned by four previous Lenzing-Lyocell employees, and received an engineering contract from the Chinese company Baoding Swan Ltd. Lenzing added that the corresponding evidence to back its claim was obtained within the context of a search warrant ordered by the Vienna Commercial Court and executed at One-A’s offices. Lenzing stated that it is the owner of process patents, in which, after the forming procedure in the spinning device, the Lyocell spinning solution is released into an air gap of a special gas or air stream, which enables the constant and high quality of Lyocell fibers. Lenzing stressed that as a result of the patents, the production processes may not be used without its express approval. Similarly, the fibers manufactured in accordance with this process may not be used, offered for sale or sold without Lenzing’s consent. Lenzing said that in line with the preliminary injunction, One-A is not permitted any longer to teach other individuals or parties, in particular Baoding Swan Ltd, how to use the patent-protected processes or support them in using this process. This injunction particularly relates to the supply of know-how, project concepts, process descriptions and plant design. Navis TubeTex sells new CQC System to Pakistani mill The US-based Navis TubeTex recently announced the sale of its new CQC (Constant Quality Concentration) System to Pakistani Masood Textile Mills, which makes it the first CQC System in Pakistan. According to the US textile finishing machinery maker, its CQC System, the first to be installed in Pakistan, is its latest development with benefits of reduced expenses and improved quality and profits. Introduced previously at ITMA Barcelona, it actively measures and controls chemical concentrations with a precision - it can measure the solids to an accuracy of 0.1% in any given wet process. It can also be utilized in any application where precise chemical concentration control is needed. Caption: Navis TubeTex CQC System Navis TubeTex stressed that the response for the CQC System has been strong from all segments of the textile market, and with the new installation of the system in Pakistan, it now has multiple installations in the US, China, Honduras, and El Salvador. SSM acquires Italian Giudici Switzerland-based SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG recently announced that as of February 1, it has taken over the activities of Giudici SpA. Based in Italy, Giudici has more than 50 years of experience in the development and production of high-end textile machines. Today, it offers an extensive range of machines for the processing of chemical fibers. SSM noted that the Italian company’s strong market position in false-twist texturing of high quality fine count nylon yarns will complement SSM’s leading position in air texturing to further expand its business in the chemical fiber processing industry. As a result of the acquisition, the Swiss company will offer machines/solutions for the count range of 5dtex up to 50,000dtex in processes and applications of dye packages/rewinding, air texturing, false-twist texturing, draw winding, air covering/intermingling, assembly winding, singeing, sewing thread finish winding, and preparation processes. Teijin makes uniforms for Asahi under recycling program Japanese Teijin Group recently announced that the first program in China for collecting and recycling used uniforms was launched in collaboration with Shandong ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Company Bulletin People AATCC issues Chapin Award to Ann Laidlaw The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) presented the 2011 Harold C Chapin Award to Ann Campbell Laidlaw in recognition for her outstanding service to the association. According to AATCC, Ms Laidlaw has been a member of the association since 1979, when she was a student, and has served in its research, education, and outreach functions. Through her involvement with color science research, education, and training programs, she continues to influence and promote the mission and vision of the association. Caption: Ann Campbell Laidlaw Presently, Ms Laidlaw is an active member of the AATCC research committees, administrative committees, and the Concept 2 Consumer (C2C) Interest Group, which she chaired for four years. She has served on the AATCC Board of Directors. She represents AATCC on the Inter-Society Color Council (ISCC) and she also headed the US delegation for the ISO/TC38/SC1 Meetings held in Paris, France, during July 2010. Clariant’s change of board of directors Swiss specialty chemicals supplier Clariant Ltd recently announced that at its 17th Annual General Meeting of on March 27, Dr Jürg Witmer stepped down from his roles as Chairman and Member of the company’s Board of Directors. The Board has appointed the current Vice-Chairman Dr Rudolf Wehrli as his successor. In the future, Dr Witmer will focus more on his longstanding directorship mandates as well as taking on new challenges in Asia. Hariolf Kottmann, Clariant’s CEO said: “As Chairman of the Board, Jürg Witmer’s has steered Clariant out of the crisis toward profitable growth in the last four years, despite the somewhat challenging conditions.” Dr Wehrli, born in 1949, began his professional career at McKinsey & Co. After working at Credit Suisse and the Silent Gliss Group, he moved on to the Gurit-Heberlein Group, eventually becoming its CEO. He has taken up office as Chairman of the Board of Clariant. Dr Klaus Jenny, born in 1942, will not be standing for re-election at the meeting. Dr Günter von Au, born in 1951, will take up his mandate as a Member of the Board of Directors on April 1, after stepping down from his position as CEO at Süd-Chemie AG. He was appointed to the Board of Directors during the company’s 16th Annual General Meeting in 2011. Asahi Green Source Hi-Tech Farm Co Ltd and Shandong Asahi Green Source Milk Products Co Ltd, both subsidiaries of Asahi Group Holdings. The uniforms will be recycled using Teijin’s Eco Circle, an environmentally friendly closed-loop system incorporating its technology for the chemical recycling of polyester introduced in 2002. As part of the program, Teijin Fibers’ chemically recyclable polyester fiber is woven into textiles and dyed by Nantong Teijin Co Ltd, a Teijin Group company in Nantong on the east coast of China. This month, high-warmth uniforms made with the recyclable textile were distributed to the some 200 employees of the two companies based in Shandong Province, also on the east coast, which produce and sell vegetables, fruits and milk. As explained, uniforms will be collected after their useful lives and sent to Teijin Fibers’ Matsuyama plant in Japan. After chemical decomposition, they will be converted into polyester raw materials offering purity comparable to polyester derived directly from petroleum. The raw materials will then be turned into high-quality polyester for the manufacture of new recyclable products. Repeated recycling achieved with the Eco Circle system is said to significantly reduce both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions compared with conventional petroleum-based processes for polyester production. Teijin said that it is working with more than 150 apparel and sportswear manufacturers worldwide to develop and manufacture products made from recyclable materials, as well as to collect and recycle these products at the end of their useful lives. The manufacturers include well-known brands such as Patagonia, Henri Lloyd and Quiksilver. In China, Teijin has been collaborating with Li Ning since 2009. “We are pleased to collaborate with Asahi Group Holdings’ two Shandong Asahi Green Source subsidiaries under a mutual commitment to sustainability through recycling,” commented Hirotaka Nakagawa, President of Nantong Teijin. “With environmental consciousness steadily rising in China, Teijin is witnessing a growing interest in its Eco Circle prog.” Wacker Polymers to raise prices for vinyl acetate-based dispersions in the Americas Wacker Polymers announces that it will increase the prices for its Vinnapas vinyl acetate-ethylene and ethylene-vinyl chloride-based copolymer dispersions in the Americas. Effective February 29, it will implement a price increase of US$0.03 per wet pound in the Americas, or as customer contracts allow. According to the company, this measure has been necessitated by the continued increase in raw-material and distribution cost. Wacker Polymers states that the price adjustment will enable it to continue providing customers a wide-range of innovative quality products and comprehensive technical, sales and customer support services. ■ For the most updated news, please go to www.AdsaleATA.com ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

New Products Guide Benninger launches plant performance tool A Swiss producer of textile finishing machinery and tire cord, Benninger has developed the BEN-iDATA tool to help managers check the performance of their Benninger plants at any time and from anywhere. Caption: A screenshot of the website provided by Benninger’s BEN-iDATA tool According to the company, when planning new projects, textile finishers often want to but find it very difficult to obtain a clearly structured overview of the current central production data to make sure that production is running correctly and initiate corrective action directly and quickly. Benninger says the BEN-iDATA tool was developed to help works managers, divisional managers and managing directors of textile finishing works obtain information on the status and performance of their production plants in their production facility. With BEN-iDATA, a web server installed on the control unit makes the relevant plant data available either on the company intranet or globally on the internet, and users can then access this information with a smart phone or notebook by means of their web browser. The website provides information on the fabric currently in production and also which method is being used for fabric processing. Also, users are given information on the capacity utilization and economy of the plant, such as the number of meters currently being produced and the degree of machine efficiency. In addition, necessary maintenance work is signaled to prevent machine downtimes and ensure plant availability. Another indicator, the carbon footprint, provides information on the ecological and economical use of the plant. For this, the current plant resource consumption is compared with the programmed reference data. Excessive deviations from the optimum values are signaled accordingly, says Benninger. Lenzing presents MicroModal Edelweiss Lenzing presents the newly developed “eco MicroModal” fiber, produced using Edelweiss technology. The latest eco fiber innovation is called MicroModal Edelweiss. Produced in an eco-friendly process known as Edelweiss, the micro fiber is particularly fine and luxurious. Caption: Lenzing presents new MicroModal Edelweiss According to the company, in addition to MicroModal, ProModal, Lenzing Modal LOFT and MicroModal AIR, this is the fifth Modal innovation it has created. Lenzing’s latest accomplishment in environmental fiber technology is known as Edelweiss. Edelweiss-technology is based on oxygen-based chemistry which is more eco-friendly than the conventional one. Thus Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is the only Modal fiber which satisfies the highest environmental standards and is CO₂-neutral. Stork introduces new NovaScreen Stork Prints has introduced a new NovaScreen type to the international textile printing world. Caption: Reactive print on viscose single jersey with Stork’s Nova 195-19% NovaScreens feature the top end of the Stork Prints’ textile screens collection. These screens are an established brand and are considered to deliver the best printability and printing definition by the industry. The new NovaScreen is a supplement to the current Nova program, combining the benefits of the existing Nova 165 and Nova 195 screens. The Nova 165 is known for its large open area (19%); where the Nova 195 offers a very high printing resolution. This unique combination allows printers who prefer Nova 165 for the voluminous paste supply purposes, to start working with the new high resolution NovaScreen 195-19%. The new screen has a number of benefits: a higher printing resolution; more printing definition; and improved surface printing. The NovaScreen 195-19% is suited for pigment and reactive printing, says the company. As introduced, the specific design of the NovaScreen allows better control of paste transfer. It is possible to keep the paste on the surface of the textile substrate by applying low shear stress inside the screen. On the other hand it is also possible to do penetrative printing, depending on the given print parameters.The NovaScreen 195-19% is therefore perfectly suited for pigment and reactive printing. The current NovaScreen 195 has a 16% open area. Increasing the open area has several technological advantages, such as better paste flow and printability. The pitch, which is the dimension of one hole and one dam together, stays the same at a given mesh count. The hole-size however gets bigger, resulting in a higher open area while the dam width becomes smaller in the same extent. ■ For the most updated news, please go to www.AdsaleATA.com ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Reader’s Comments Some comments received from our readers on www.AdsaleATA.com “Nice interview! As a matter of fact, many companies are moving their production bases to other low-cost countries.” ~ Berry Koo on article “Chinakey: Producing in Cambodia to stay competitive” (Feb 2012) “Very informative and insightful piece. Thanks!” ~ Kelly Dawson on article “Global economic uncertainties pose great challenges to Asian suppliers” (Feb 2012) “Thanks for an interesting report on the denim market’s development!” ~ Kenni Ajay on article “Versatility makes casual wear market thrive” (Feb 2012) “Thank you, editor and team for publishing the latest news of various fields of textile industry worldwide.” ~ Amit Gandhi on article “Global chemical fiber output hits 48.66 million tons in 2011” (Feb 2012) “Excellent story!” ~ Raghu on article “Loepfe’s YarnMaster Zenit yarn clearer on display at ITMA 2011” (Feb 2012) “All information provided in your magazine is very useful for people like us as manufacturer.” ~ Md. Nurul Haque on article “Automation trend fuels development of knitting technology” (Feb 2012) “I find that your presentation of textile wastewater treatment is very useful.” ~ Makesh on article “Wastewater treatment methods for textile mills” (Mar 2012) Share your thoughts about ATA Journal on www.AdsaleATA.com or by emailing us: cta.ata.edit@adsale.com.hk ■ (Continued from “Material Technology” p51) Ingeo PLA fiber sees steady growth Like MMCs, biopolymer-based fibers also fall into a league of their own between ‘natural’ and ‘synthetic’, and NatureWorks continues to make market advances with its plant-based Ingeo PLA (polylactic acid) fiber. Over the past few years, NatureWorks has seen a steady 25-30% increase in annual product demand for Ingeo. Over the last two years, it has doubled its Ingeo supply availability by bringing online additional production capacity at its plant in Blair, Nebraska, the US. In the latest development Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Chemical will invest US$150 million in NatureWorks, to establish a new manufacturing plant for Ingeo serving the Asian markets. “By attracting what could be the most advanced biopolymer processing plant in the world to Thailand, PTT Chemical has made a significant step in achieving the countrty’s strategic objectives of becoming a regional hub for green technologies and solutions,” said Thailand’s Minister of Energy Pichai Naripthaphan. “Biopolymers are already offering viable alternatives to fibers made from 100 per cent oil based fibers or typical blends with natural fibers such as viscose or cotton,” added Eamonn Tighe, NatureWorks’ European business development manager. “The supply chain continues to innovate by optimizing machinery, converting equipment and developing higher levels of processing expertise. Ingeo, has only been on the market for less than 10 years, and already NatureWorks is in the process of doubling production capability with a second plant scheduled to come online in 2015. The new plant will use cassava or sugarcane, offering both geographic and crop diversification from the field corn used in the US plant today. At NatureWorks, new developments are primarily market driven, making significant contributions to product innovation and diversification.” Synthetic fibers’s growth potentials Despite all of these developments, however, it is still expected that the consumption of synthetic fibers – and their share of the overall fiber market – will continue to grow in the coming years. “I am confident that, for many decades to come, petrochemical fibers will be the leading material for the world’s textile industry,” said Colin Purvis in summary. “Their price/performance ratio is outstanding, and for many purposes there are simply no alternatives.” He added that despite the reliance of petrochemical fibers on non-renewable feedstock, their environmental performance is strong, thanks to factors such as: • Their decreasing energy usage per unit of output; • Strict air and water emission controls; • The trend to lighter weight, while maintaining product performance, resulting in reduced raw material requirements; • Durability, with a longer life than most competing materials; and • The increasing use of recycled post-consumer waste as a raw material – giving second life to products such as bottles, fishing nets and carpets. ■ ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Coming Event Calendar Date Event Location Organizer Tel/ Fax/ Email/ Website 2011 Apr 11-13 Interdye 2012 - The 12th China Int’l Dye Industry Pigments and Textile Chemicals Exhibition Shanghai / China Shanghai International Exhibition Service Co., Ltd. (86 21) 627 92828 / chinainterdye@siec-ccpit.com / www.chinainterdye.com Apr 11-14 Vietnam Saigo Fabric & Garment Accessories Expo 2012 Ho Chi Minh City / Vietnam CP Exhibition (84) 839 634 388 / onquy@hcm.vnn.vn / www.vfabric.com Apr 19-22 InterTex 2012 - The 10th Indonesia Int’l Textile & Garment Accessories Exhibition Jakarta / Indonesia PT Peraga Nusantara Jaya Sakti (62) 649 3717 / peraga@peragaexpo.com / www.peragaexpo.com Apr 21-24 ITM Texpo Eurasia 2012 - International Textile Machinery Exhibition Istanbul / Turkey Teknik Fuarcilik Ltd. Sti. (90) 212 8767506 / info@teknikfuarcilik.com / www.itm2012.com Apr 27-30 China Sourcing Fair: Garments & Textiles, Underwear & Swimwear, and Fashion Accessories, India Sourcing Fair: Garments & Accessories Hong Kong / China Global Sources (852) 8199 7308 / visit@chinasourcingfair.com / www.chinasourcingfair.com May 31-Jun 3 Textech Indonesia 2012 International Expo Indonesia’s International Exhibition on Textile Apparel Technology & Machinery Jakarta / Indonesia CEMS - Global (1) 212 634 4833 / contact@textechindonesia.com / www.textechonline.org/textechinonesia/ Jun 12-16 ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 Shanghai / China Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co., Ltd (44) 796 747 7305 / info@cematex.com / www.itmaasia.com / Jun 13-15 ANEX 2012 Seoul / Korea Asia Nonwoven Fabrics Association (ANFA) (82) 267 155 400 / enoch.jeong@ubm.com / www.anex2012.com Jun 26-28 IFAI Expo Asia 2012 Marina Bay Sands / Singapore Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) (65) 6393 0227 / jasonng@mpinetwork.com / www.ifaiexpoasia.com Jun 26-28 The 13th China (Qingdao) Textile Machinery Exhibition Co., Ltd. Qingdao / China Qingdao Haiming International Exhibition 2012 (86) 532 850 11486 / fzjx@qdhaiming.com / www.qdhaiming.com Jul 3-6 Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring / Summer 2013 Hong Kong / China Hong Kong Trade Development Council (852) 183 0668 / exhibitions@hktdc.org / www.hkfashionweeks.hktdc.com Aug 17-20 CTG-Cambodia International Machinery Industrial Fair Phnom Penh / Cambodia Chan Chao International Co., Ltd (886) 226 596 000 / overseas@chanchao.com.tw / http://www.camboexpo.com/ Aug 28-30 Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles Shanghai / China Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Ltd (852) 2238 9938 / grace.lin@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com / www.messefrankfurt.com.hk Sept 19-20 JIAM 2012 - Japan International Apparel Machinery Trade Show Osaka / Japan Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association (JASMA) (81 6) 661 21666 / jiam2012@fair.or.jp / www.jiam2012.com Oct 3-6 IGATEX Pakistan 2012 Lahore / Pakistan FAKT Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd (92) 213 581 063739 / info@fakt.com.pk / www.igatex.pk Oct 22-24 CINTE Techtextil China Shanghai / China Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Ltd (852) 223 899 38 / grace.lin@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com / www.messefrankfurt.com.hk Nov 21-24 2012 VTG Saigon-The 11th Vietnam Int’l Textile & Garment Exhibition Ho Chi Minh City / Vietnam Chan Chao International Co., Ltd (886) 226 596 000 / textile@chanchao.com.tw / www.vtgvietnam.com Nov 27-30 The 13th China (Yiwu) International Exhibition on Hosiery, Knitting, Dyeing & Finishing Machinery Yiwu / China Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. (852) 2516 3354 / textile@adsale.com.hk / www.yiwutex.com Dec 2-7 India ITME 2012 - India International Textile Machinery Exhibition Mumbai / India The India International Textile Machinery Exhibitions Society (91) 222 202 0032 / itme@india-itme.com / www.india-itme.com * ATA Journal will be distributed at booth / media stand * These events are accurate to the best of our knowledge and are subject to change without prior notice. Event organizers are welcome to email information of their coming events to The Editor, ATA Journal cta.ata.edit@adsale.com.hk ATA JOURNAL•APR/MAY 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook