OCT / NOV 2009 CONTENTS VOL. 20 NO.5 ■ ISSN 1015-8138 Feature Story 26 Greener machinery advances point to the future More eco-efficient ways of processing textiles are being developed due to the rising demand from end consumers, governments and textile machinery users 28 Intra-ASEAN alliance may boost textile and apparel industry Market Focus 32 Denim positioned as all-time fashionable item Machinery Technology 36 Knitting machine advances cater for fashion and production needs 40 Approaching zero discharge with optimised resource management Material Technology 44 Office wear and performance apparel woven with luxurious fibres The use of wool is increasingly found in some new areas such as corporate workwear and performance apparel Chemical & Auxiliaries 48 Finishing chemicals provide technical textiles enhancements Environmental Watch 23 Cotton as source of fiber and even food Cotton Incorporated continually finds ways to fully utilize the entire cotton plant from a fiber source for apparel to potential food with the cottonseed Nonwovens / Technical Textiles 50 Multi-layered fabrics offer more technical possibilities Three-dimensional distance fabrics, often made on rapier weaving machines, are increasingly popular in recent years partly due to the maturity of the manufacturing process China Focus 54 Chinese firms seek technology and product upgrade The second part of the 2009 Adsale Textile Industry Survey discusses attitudes and behaviours of different Chinese textile enterprises in their investment and business decisions amid the slowed economy 58 Wuxi boosts R&D and domestic sales to weather crisis Retail Scene 60 Fabric trends of Autumn/Winter 2010-11 unveiled in New York 64 An European taste of premium textiles for fall 2010/11 Corporate Profile 70 Quality is key to keep growing in quieter times Dang Trieu Hoa at Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation says the private firm had won more orders for quality products in hard market circumstances Regular columns 6 Editor's note 8 Industry news 68 Show watcher 72 Company bulletin 75 New product guide 79 Coming events calendar 80 Advertisers' index On cover (part): Benninger Cover Advertisement Enquiry code: 101 TESTEX® is an independent Swiss Textile Testing Institute which serving the textile industry for over 160 years, also one of the official institutes to perform the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification. Our range of services extends from physical and chemical textile tests through residue and harmful substance analysis to factual investigation, consulting on environmental and quality issues etc. TESTEX Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd. Unit 1102, Mirror Tower, 61 Mody Road, TST East, Hong Kong Tel: 2368 1718 Fax: 2369 5527 Email: hongkong@testex.com Website: www.testex.com

OCT / NOV 2009 Editor's Note The challenge of global warming has led to the incessant development of textile technology that puts emphasis on eco-friendliness. "Feature Story" in this issue reports on textile technology research that responds to this trend and machinery suppliers who intensified their efforts to provide greener processing systems for the industry. The discussion is complemented by a presentation of zero discharge technology development, an ultimate goal in eco-efficient textile manufacturing. Also featured is a report that discusses intra-ASEAN textile trade, which is encouraged by the umbrella organization of the ASEAN textile and apparel trade associations (AFTEX) to boost the ASEAN economy as well as to reduce the dependence of Asian exporters on traditional markets in the West. A recent study on the ASEAN competitiveness confirms that economic opportunities are available in the intra-ASEAN textile trade. This is because the ASEAN countries have more than 560 million people in total while the economic activities in these countries are getting more active. The "Machinery Technology" column presents a Knitting Technology Supplement, where a number of latest knitting machinery systems and knits finishing machines with enhanced performances are introduced. And denim, an all-season favourite of many consumers, is the topic for discussion in "Market Focus" this time. The story unveils the latest design, fabrics, dyeing and finishing techniques for this unique segment. Turning to China market, the current issue continues with the second part of this year's Chinese textile industry survey conducted by Adsale Publishing Ltd. The survey aimed to understand the impact of the global financial crisis on the Chinese textile players and their counteracting measures. The global economic downturn has affected many textile manufacturers in Asia to various extents. A Vietnamese firm shares with ATA Journal its experience in going through the tough times, and how consistent quality helped the company win more orders in the first half of this year. “Nonwovens / Technical Textiles”, in the meantime, highlights the multi-layered fabrics that may unlock new possibilities for technical textiles, while “Chemicals and Auxiliaries” reports on some finishing chemicals that are especially suitable for applying on technical textiles. 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 Industry Portal: AdsaleATA.com General Manager: Annie Chu Senior Executive Editor: Naomi Lee Associate Editor: Michelle Phong China Editor: Joany Hao Assistant Editor (China): Amy Xiao Editorial Emails cta.ata.edit@adsale.com.hk cta.ata@sz.adsale.com.hk Contributors Adrian Wilson (Europe) Ajay Sinha (India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka) 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) Marketing and Advertising Janet Tong Advertising Sales Offices See page 80 Production Sonia Lai Circulation Circulation Department Publication Frequency 6 times in 2009 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 © 2009 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.

Industry News East Asia China Textile and apparel exports drop less than national average The Chinese Customs announced that the textile and apparel exports dropped, but less than national average. China's total textile and apparel exports reached US$67.46 billion in the first eight months of 2009, down 10.4% than a year ago. Exports of textile yarns and textile products were US$37.43 billion, sliding 14.9% from last year. The weaker export performance in China was mainly due to a diminished consumer demand for textile and apparel goods in North America and Europe, following the global financial crisis that broke out last September. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China announced that production of yarns, fabrics, apparel and chemical fibers by sizable enterprises (with an annual operating revenue of at least RMB5 million) increased 10%, 1.1%, 4.8% and 11.8% respectively in the first seven months of 2009, compared to the same period of last year. Projects investing fixed asset more than RMB5 million reached RMB162.5 billion in the January-July period this year, up 5.9% from last year, but the growth rate was 7.2 percentage points lower than that of 2008. The number of new projects climbed 20.1% year-on-year to 4,557. China's consumer price index (CPI) was 97.6 (-2.4% y-o-y) , while the producer price index (PPI) was 99.4 (-0.6% y-o-y) in July. ASEAN+6 countries approaching to intra-regional FTA Tighter economic ties were encouraged at the 41st ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting among ASEAN members and six Asian nations held in Bangkok, Thailand, this August. Free trade agreements were signed between ASEAN with China and India respectively. The negotiation process of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) was completed with the two sides agreeing on investment projects in addition to trade in goods and services. The FTA will take effect by January 1, 2010. Under the agreement, about 93% of goods (or some 7,000 products including textiles and apparel) traded between China and ASEAN are tariff-free. In addition, the ASEAN economic ministers and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma signed a free trade agreement (FTA) for trade in goods after a six-year negotiation. The ASEAN and Korea signed a letter of understanding on the product specific rules of origin to facilitate trade between two sides. Talks were also held between the ASEAN and Australia and New Zealand respectively. Taiwan sees production drop Total textile and apparel production of Taiwan was projected to reach about NT$400 billion in 2009, shrinking 8% from last year, the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) said this August. Data of the Department of Statistics of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs showed that the total textile and apparel production value reached NT$167.8 billion in the first half (H1) of 2009, down 29% from the same period of last year. The manmade fiber segment, taking up 24% of the total textile and apparel industry, took a hard blow in the current economic recession. Production value of this segment plunged 38% from the last year to NT$43.37 billion in 2009 H1. Textiles, the biggest segment of Taiwan's textile and apparel industry, were also hard hit, recording a production decrease of 26% from last year to NT$112.18 billion in 2009 H1. Apparel and accessories, accounting for 7% of the total textile and apparel industry, fell 21% year-on-year. The decrease rate of this segment narrowed in the second quarter compared to that of the Q1. The TTRI estimated that the external trade environment would look better in the second half this year. South East Asia Indonesia Exports to EU slow down As European markets declined in recent months, Asian textile and apparel makers were adversely affected, including those in Indonesia. Vice chairman of Indonesian Textile Association, Ade Sudradjat, said that the market share of apparel originating from Indonesia to the European Union (EU) fell due to the failure of Indonesia to attract orders from apparel investors of South Korea, Taiwan and China. Indonesia's share in the international textile and apparel trade was forecast to descend. Weaknesses were observed in the areas of inadequate access to buyers, as well as low skills of design to meet needs from Germany, Italy and UK clients, who turned to Vietnam, Bangladesh and elsewhere. Against the background, he urged the Indonesian government to support the textile and apparel industry by building adequate infrastructure, maintaining stable prices of raw materials, training more productive workers and so forth. In addition, the industry needed to diversify its export markets, reducing the dependence on Europe. Signs of recovery seen in Q2 Exports of textile and apparel of Indonesia in the second quarter started to show good signs. The slowdown remained but the drop in the second quarter narrowed, according to the Indonesian Textile Association. Total textile and apparel exports of Indonesia dropped 14% in the first quarter of 2009, and further 8% in the second quarter, making the averaged decrease in the first half 11% compared to the same period of last year. "In terms of month-on-month comparison, export recovery in the textile and apparel trade showed good signs in the second quarter of the year," said vice chairman of Indonesian Textile Association, Ade Sudradjat.

Industry News The export slowdown was partly offset by the increase of domestic sales. Domestic textile and apparel sales in Indonesia reached US$4.02 billion in the first half of 2009, or up 15% from US$3.5 billion in the same period last year. Mr Ade predicted that both textile and apparel exports and domestic sales were more likely to increase in the later period of the year. Festival may boost local demand Apparel consumption in Indonesia was expected to increase 15-20% during the fasting month and Lebaran Day this September, making some producers anticipating a two-fold jump of their production, although they would also compete with imports from other Asian countries such as China, India and Thailand, the Indonesian Textile Association said. The association's Secretary Executive, Ernovian G. Ismy, said that illegal imports of apparel were serious. Thus, a new regulation starting this January restricted textile and apparel imports through five seaports in Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Tanjung Emas (Semarang), Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), Belawan (Medan), and Soekarno Hatta (Makasar). Based on data from the Indonesian Textile Association, the total domestic apparel market reached 1.24 million tons valued at US$7.18 billion in 2008. Of which, 16% was detected illegal imports at a value of US$1.149 billion. The domestic market share was forecast to increase about 10% this year, or to 1.362 million tons at US$7.56 billion from 1.238 million tons last year. Asking to delay free trade with China Indonesian industry association commented that the country is not yet ready for ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreenment (FTA) scheduled to be effective starting January 2010. "ASEAN-China FTA will implement zero tariff for textile and apparel, which is currently ranging from 5% to 15%. For Indonesia, this will result in the flooding of textile and apparel originating from China in the domestic market. The number of import will double from US$900 million to US$1.8 billion next year," said Vice Chairman of Indonesian Textile Association, Ade Sudradjat. “Industry is not involved in the discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of the agreement,” said Benny Soetrisno, Chairman of Indonesian Textile Association, adding that imports of textile and apparel from China to Indonesia are currently worth US$900 million annually, which represents 13% of the total market of Indonesia at US$7 billion. Other manufacturing players also voiced out concerns. Vice Chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Rachmat Gobel, considered that the manufacturing sectors of Indonesia including textile and apparel are lag behind China and some other ASEAN countries. Hence, the country should slow down the process of trade liberalization as its internal industries need time to prepare themselves. Vietnam Textile and garment exports to exceed US$9 billion this year Vietnamese textile and apparel industry is forecast to reach an export turnover of US$9.2 billion in fiscal year 2009, slightly lower than the initial US$9.5 billion target. Chairman of Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), Le Quoc An made the above prediction this August during a meeting of Ministry of Industry and Trade with textile and apparel industry on plans for industry development in 2009 and 2010. The target was adjusted mainly due to impacts of the global economic turmoil since late 2008, although the country witnessed recovery in these months, especially in exports, he said. Textile and apparel exports turnover of the country fetched US$ 5.91 billion until this August, down 1.4% year on year and accounting for 56.2% of the 2009 target. The export of August alone was US$870 million, representing a 5.8% drop from the same period of last year. At the meeting, representatives from the VITAS set its export turnover target of US$10.5 billion in 2010 and US$17 billion in 2015. Expanding exports to Chile Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) in August led a delegation of leading apparel enterprises to Chile in a bid to look for partners, as well as to pave better ways in exporting textile and apparel products to this market. Among 13 enterprises of the delegation, three signed contracted with the local partners, namely Protrade Garment company for a T-shirt contract, Hanoximex for a contract of Polo shirt and Tien Tien Garment with a veston suit and kidswear contract. The delegation also met Chile's leading apparel importer and distributor Cencosud, which planned to import apparel products from Vietnam. Enterprises in Chile imported US$14 million of textile and apparel products from Vietnam in 2008, accounting for 0.7% of its local market. Textile material imports fall in H1 Statistics of the Vietnamese General Department of Customs showed that imports of some materials for textile and apparel manufacturing declined sharply in June as well as in the first half this year because of the decreased production of local enterprises. In the first half this year, cotton imports turnover stood at 1.09 million tones for US$137.2 million, down 26% and 39% respectively over the same period of 2008. Similarly, imports of yarns for local production experienced an 11.5% decline to US$351.8 million. Accounting for 61.3% of imported cotton to Vietnam with 66,475 tons at US$84.24 million in the first half, the US was the biggest cotton supplier to the country, followed by Brazil with 4,868 tons at US$6.5 million. Fabric imports also dropped 11% in the first six months of

Industry News Country Focus: India Seeking to diversify markets to Japan and ASEAN by Staff Reporters and Ajay Sinha The Indian textile and apparel industry is currently one of the largest and most important industries in the Indian economy in terms of output, foreign exchange earnings and employment. The industry contributes 4% to the country's GDP, 14% to the country's industrial production and around 12% to the country's foreign exchange earnings, according to a report commissioned by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) issued this June. Due to the current economic slowdown of major advanced regions, the Indian textile and apparel industry may not reach the 2009 targets previously set by the Ministry of Textiles, such as a 16% annual growth of the industry to reach US$115 billion by the end of 11th Five Year Plan (i.e. 2012). India's textile and apparel market reached estimated Rs 2.55 trillion in 2007-08, with exports accounting for 35% of the total market value. The industry depended heavily on exports to the 27 European Union members (EU27), which took up 33% of the total exports by value in 2007-08, the report mentioned. Among the EU members, the UK was the largest buyer for Indian textile and apparel, or 7.5% of India's total textile and apparel exports by value in 2007-08. The US was the second largest export market for Indian textile and apparel industry, purchasing 21% of India's total textile and apparel exports by value in 2007-08. The US registered negative economic growth in the second half of last year and retail sales of apparel in US shrank significantly as a consequence. Product Export destinations Europe UK US Yarn -13% -17% -9% Fabric -13% -19% -7% Garments 0.3% -9% -3% Made-ups -2% -12% -2% Total textiles and apparel -2.9% -10% -3.30% Caption: Percentage change in Indian textile and apparel export value in 2008 As the EU, US and other major overseas buyers were substantially affected by the global financial crisis, overseas demand for exports plunged in the last quarter of 2008, followed by a textile and apparel production decline in India. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for cotton textiles declined 3.7% (year-on-year) in December 2008, 6.2% (y-o-y) in January 2009 and 12.1% (y-o-y) in February 2009. Apparel production also dropped 2.3% this February compared to the same period of last year. Bottom line was hurt Profit margins of Indian textile and apparel firms declined significantly from the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2007 to 2008 Q4, based on an analysis of a sample of 81 such firms in the CITI/Texprocil June 2009 report. It reflected the stressful situation faced by the Indian players, partly because a number of them had engaged in debt-funded capacity expansion under the Textile Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) over the last few years. The recent drop in production resulted in under utilisation of capacities leading to inadequate absorption of fixed costs and weak debt coverage indicators, the report observed. Under the TUFS, the Indian authorities provided interest subvention and/or capital subsidy for specified processing machinery. The scheme was introduced to encourage technological upgrade to enhance the competitiveness of Indian textiles at home and markets abroad. With such issues as pressure on working capital and debt interest that are unfavorable to financial viability, the Indian textile industry was under pressure at least until the first quarter this year. 2008 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Spinning companies -8% -5% -9% -18% Weaving companies 5% 4% 4% 3% Garment companies 7% 6% 5% 1% Made-ups companies 0% -4% -4% -2% Caption: Net profit margin of 81 sampled Indian textile and apparel companies in 2008 (source: CITI/Texprocil June 2009 report) Expects textile industry to revive in months The situation gradually improved in the second and third quarter as some fabric and garment production units reported a pick-up in international demand. It was expected to translate into a higher demand for spun yarns. While spinners reported a slack demand for cotton and polyester cotton yarns, polyester viscose yarn manufacturers continued to receive export orders. Another recent study by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimated an 8% decline in cotton production in the country to about 29 million bales during the current year. There can be a 5% decline in domestic cotton consumption in 2009. However, the consumption can pick up slightly in 2010. The country's cotton acreage might increase from 9.37 Mha (million hectares) in the current year to 9.5 Mha in 2010. Domestic raw cotton prices increased significantly during 2007-2008 due to strong export demand. In spite of the Central government raising the minimum support price of different varieties of cottonseed by 39-45%, cotton prices have declined sharply during 2009 because

Industry News of weaker international prices and less favourable demand prospects. To further revitalize the export-oriented textile industry of India that ships overseas about 60%of its products, the CII study recommended government incentives for the industry in order to make it more competitive internationally. Pointing out that Indian cotton was cheaper in the international market than in the domestic market, the study suggested the government taking steps to stabilise raw cotton prices on par with neighbouring countries like China, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Besides, improvement on cost competitiveness in the areas of technology and economies of scale for the Indian fabric and garment sectors to improve profitability was also beneficial to the industry. Selling to Japan and ASEAN Lastly, industry observers believe that Indian apparel exporters should explore more markets, reducing trade dependence on EU27 and the US. Japan as a large apparel exporter, as well as Russia, is a good prospect. Japan accounts for 1% of India's total textile and apparel export value in 2007-08. China being the major exporter to Japan in this field, shares over 70% of Japan's total textile and apparel imports, in accordance to the CITI/Texprocil June 2009 report. To facilitate the trade, India's Union Minister for Textiles Dayanidhi Maran led a delegation to Japan this July, with representatives of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the Texprocil, the Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Promotion Council (SRTEPC), Knitwear Technology Mission, and leading textiles manufacturers and exporters from Tirupur and Coimbatore textiles clusters. The Indian minister invited Japanese textiles industry, during the delegation, to collaborate with their Indian counterparts in manufacturing fabrics and setting up of greenfield units of textiles machinery in India. In the addition to the cost advantage in terms of cheap labour, he highlighted the multiple advantages India has in the form of highly skilled workforce, high capital-employment ratio and a diverse raw material base. Effective from January 2010, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the ASEAN paves the way for the creation of one of the world’s largest free trade areas, of almost 1.8 billion people with a combined GDP of US$2.75 trillion, the ASEAN Secretariat stated. Under the agreement, tariffs on more than 80% of total imported goods will be reduced to zero by 2013, and another small proportion of goods will be given zero tariff by 2016, involving totally over 4,000 product items. India and ASEAN targeted to achieve bilateral trade of US$50 billion by 2010 from US$40 billion in 2007-08, the Indian Department of Commerce said. It is expected to bring economic benefits to the Indian industries including textile and apparel. 2009 to US$1.98 billion. In the meantime, there was a strong growth in volume of imported yarns totaling 2.367 million tons, up 15% from last year, according to the Vietnamese Customs. World organizations help improve labour relations Better Work Vietnam (a partnership between International Labour Organization and International Finance Company) was officially launched this July, providing services to textile and apparel enterprises in Ho Chi Minh city and surrounding provinces. With objectives to help local enterprises in Vietnam improve relations with labour and to set up cooperation with international partners, Better Work Vietnam offers training to local senior officers, consulting services in labor issues as well as carrying assessment on standards of international and national labour laws. Advised to target fashionable clothing Vietnamese apparel makers were advised not to target low-end segment when exporting to Japan, but to improve their designing skills to produce fashionable apparel. In a seminar held this July by the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) and Vietnamese Commercial Affair, a Japanese designer, Horikoshi, participated the seminar and provided information of market trends for fashionable apparel products in Japan. He added that branding is also important along with the offerings of high-quality products with varied styles. Vietnamese apparel exporters were not advised to market cheap products to Japan as that market share is mainly dominated by made-in-China products. With the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) effective since July 2009, more Vietnamese apparel exporters showed interest in exploring the Japan market. Under the agreement, Vietnamese enterprises using fabrics sourced from Japan enjoy a free market access to Japan instead of 5-10% tariff as stated previously. Materials trading center to be reopened The Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) bought 20% shares of Lien Anh Trading Center for materials of textile, garment and footwear in order to re-open it. Being the first of its kind in Vietnam, the US$12 million-center closed its door in June after one month into operation, as there were insufficient material suppliers to hire stalls in the center and attract buyers. Situated in the southern Binh Duong Province, the center is expected to re-open in mid-2010. Under the new plan, Vinatex will use this center to showcase textile products made by its subsidy companies like Hanosimex, Phong Phu Corporation,

Industry News Viettien, Viet Thang Textile and Phu Bai Spinning. The group also hopes to bring more materials suppliers to attract more buyers. Foreign suppliers are welcomed to exhibit their textile and apparel goods in the center, Vinatex adds. Vinatex to invest US$198 million in cotton cultivation Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) announced to invest VND3,500 billion, equivalent to US$198 million, in cotton plantation in the 2009-2020 period to revive the cotton planting industry. Vinatex will focus on three provinces in the Central Highland, namely Dac Nong, Dac Lac and Gia Lai. Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, earlier announced a government decision on distributing free cotton seed to cotton farmers in five provinces across the country in an attempt to revitalize the domestic cotton plantation industry. Separately, Vinatex revealed in September its plan to carry out an initial public offering early next year and would complete the process of corporate value evaluation in the fourth quarter of 2009, said its Group Chairman, Le Quoc An. South Asia India EU eco-compliance on chemicals arouse concerns Indian textile and apparel manufacturers could face hurdles exporting to the European Union (EU) in future when a law on chemicals and their safe use becomes effective in 2011, experts said. By December 1, 2011, producers or exporters will have to notify the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) if their goods contain hazardous properties of a substance (including dyes and pigments) listed in the candidate list of a new law called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH), which came into force in June 2007 and is being rolled out in phases. Enterprises manufacturing or importing more than one tonne of a chemical substance per year are required to register the chemical in a central database. The general aim of REACH is to replace these potentially hazardous substances by safer alternatives whenever possible. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is authorised to define restrictions for the use of specific chemicals. Experts in India mentioned it might have significant implication on exports of apparel, textiles and textile polymers to the EU. Indian players are advised to pay more attention to the eco-compliance and the penalty could be as high as 75,000 euros per consignment or having the entire shipment burnt. India exported nearly 47% of its apparel production to the EU worth US$5 billion in 2008-09. Apparel sector picking up Major vendors in India believed that the worst was behind them and apparel exports might be turning around, though perhaps under pricing pressure. They did not expect a big shift to the domestic sector due to slack demand and low margins. Apparel exporters in Bangalore commented that indications showed that the order situation would improve by next March. As for the potential of the domestic market, consumption was believed to be down 20-30% in higher price segments. Demand in mass segments was steady, but not many players were entering those areas in view of low profit margins. Rajendra Hinduja, Executive Director (Finance) of Gokaldas Exports Ltd, said: "The scenario is certainly better than what it was six months ago, thanks to a pick-up in the European and US demand. It is likely to improve in the next six months, as orders for Christmas and the next summer start coming in." "The April-June period is always lean. The situation improved after this June. Volume has increased but value is down. There has been no shift in making garments for the domestic market, because there is demand only in the urban areas," said Jayaram K.R., Vice-President, Garment and Textiles Workers Union. The index of industrial production for textile products turned positive after April 2009, registering a year-on-year growth of 2.5%. This increased to 9.8% in May and later 11.7% in June this year. In 2008-09, apparel exports out of India were 14% short of the US$11.62 billion target and leveled at US$10.17 billion, or 4% higher than US$9.68 billion in the previous year, according to the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) of India. Pakistan New five-year textile policy announced The government of Pakistan unveiled the first-ever five-year National Textile Policy, setting an export target of US$25 billion. Federal Minister for Textile Industry, Rana Farooq Saeed Khan, announcing the incentives-laden textile policy for 2009-2014, said that the government would take immediate measures on a priority basis to help fix problems faced by the textile industry, including improvement on gas and electricity load management, export refinance at lower rates and relief on existing long-term loans. He added that restructuring and reorganisation of the textile sector was also on the cards. The key initiatives taken under the policy include the creation of a textile investment support fund, a technology upgradation fund (TUF), development on infrastructure and skill of workers, zero rating of exports, as well as tax free import of machinery and rationalisation of tariff structure. The policy announced also envisages the removal of regulatory bottlenecks, such as export market access, marketing support, marketing insurance scheme and improving information and communication

Industry News technology. Initiatives concerning a number of textile sub-sectors were announced as well. The policy also includes support of employment among women, the disabled and the handicapped. The new policy was prepared to address such industry challenges as lack of updated machinery, shortage of electricity, gas and water, as well as skilled manpower. Under the TUF programme, the government will pay 50% of the markup on the investment in new plants and machinery to encourage the adoption of new technology in the country. Moreover, industrial estates with necessary facilities will be built in line with the development of garment and apparel cities in Pakistan. Research centers, product development centers and laboratories will be erected in the textile manufacturing regions. On the front of human resources, the minister said that training will be provided to about 500,00 people in the next five years with the help of the textile and apparel industry to overcome the shortage of skilled manpower. A funding of Rs1 billion for the skill development is allocated by the government. Export target likely unmet this year The textile export target of US$10.5 billion set by the Pakistani government might be missed this fiscal year, and a number of remedies were announced by the Ministry of Textile. These remedies include a 3% rebate given to the apparel sector, 2% to the home textile sector and 1% to the fabric making sector. However, industry observers said that it may not help significantly in boosting exports to meet the target. Chairman of the standing committee on textiles at the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Dr Shahzad Arhsad said that textile manufacturers and exporters had tabled a demand of 6% rebate for the sector of apparel, 5% for home textile and 3% for fabric making, but the demand was not fully accepted. A relaxation of 2.5% is also given in the interest rate under the export financing scheme. The government gave one-year relaxation to pay back the long-term loan, whereas the interest rate, up to 5%, is exempted. However, Dr Shazad urged the government to work to obtain a duty-free entry of textile goods from Pakistan to the US and the European Union markets, in addition to achieving a Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status. Interruptions in electricity and gas supply, as well as prices of energy and water are areas of concerns as well, he added. Bangladesh Garment sector faces unrest Leaders of the textile Engineers and Technologists were concerned about recent labour unrest in the readymade garments sector of Bangladesh. Following the global economic slowdown, orders declined among apparel making factories in Bangladesh. Low and delayed wage payments, in addition to some layoffs, were believed to have caused a number of labour unrest incidents in the country in July and August this year, according to local media reports. Factory owners, on the other hand, blamed "jhut" (garment waste) traders and vested quarters for the unrest. The Institute of Textile Engineers and Technologists (ITET) Bangladesh demanded the government to form industry police to protect law and order in readymade garment making factories. Turkish firm interested in local factory Turkey-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TBCCI) showed interest in reopening the Rajshahi Textile Mills, which remained idle for last few years. Interest was shown when a TBCCI delegation called on Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, at the latter's office this July. The delegation members during the discussion expressed their keen interest in fostering development of trade and business relations between Bangladesh and Turkey. Necessary facilities would be important to facilitate entrepreneurs to invest in the region, they added. There is a large demand of garment and different other fancy products especially handicrafts and silk items in the Turkish markets. Better working condition called for Bangladeshi knitwear manufacturers were advised to further improve labour conditions and ensure safety in factories in order to develop itself as a top apparel exporter in the world. During a meeting with knitwear factory owners from the country, President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Fazlul Hoque, said: "Wage hike of workers alone will not improve compliance situation in the country. There are other areas to be addressed. Mutual trust between workers and owners has to be strengthened to maintain congenial working environment in the factory, which in turn will boost growth." Mr Hoque held the opinion that Bangladesh would be able to surpass Turkey, the second largest knitwear exporter after China, within the next one year. However, it will take time to outdo China. Chinese investment in Comilla A Chinese company, M/s Bangladesh Textile and Fibre Industry Limited, will set up a fibre and nonwoven fabric manufacturing industry in Comilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ), 97 km from Dhaka. An agreement was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and the company this August. The Chinese company planned to make an investment of US$25.52 million in setting up its manufacturing unit and produce different types of fibres and nonwoven fabrics. The operation will create employment opportunity of 895 workers in Bangladesh, including 21 foreign nationals, the company revealed. For daily news of the textile industry, please visit AdsaleATA.com

Industry News Indian associations link the industry with governments and international community by Ajay Sinha With a total market size of US$52 billion (including domestic household consumption at US$32 billion and exports at US$20 billion), the textile and apparel industry is one of the economic pillars of India, directly employing over 33.17 million people, the second largest provider of employment after agriculture. A number of industry associations were, therefore, founded to represent the industry's interests and to foster its development. CITI provides feedback to government policies The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) was first formed as the Indian Cotton Mills' Federation (ICMF) in 1958, representing the organized textile units in spinning and composite sectors comprising mills producing cotton yarns, blended and man-made spun yarns, fabrics and home furnishings. The need for an umbrella organization representing the entire textile chain was felt by various segments of the industry so as to properly project the potentials, problems and requirements of the industry in a holistic and comprehensive way within the country and internationally. After extensive consultations, ICMF initiated the process of establishing an umbrella organization for the textile industry in 2000 with a broad base of member associations, in addition to independent weavers and processors, and later textile segments other than cotton spinning. New members included manufacturers of technical textiles and garments. The name of ICMF was subsequently changed to CITI in 2005 to better reflect the wide range of textile segments it represents. Today, the confederation encompasses numerous important sub-sectors of the Indian textile industry with a number of associate members and corporate members. While talking to ATA Journal, the current CITI Chairman, Rajendra Kumar Dalmia, highlighted the efforts made by CITI to provide feedback that have helped shape government initiatives like the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS), the Technology Mission on Cotton, the Debt Restructuring Package and significant rationalization of the excise duty structure for the textile and apparel sector in the country. The Confederation has also sub-committees on market access, investment and skill development for monitoring development and activities relating to the respective subjects and to give focused attention to topical issues facing its members and provide proper feedback to government, Mr Dalmia said. In regard to the recent budget, Mr Dalmia said: “The initial sentiments were a mixed one. The budget has taken care of some of the immediate needs of the industry, but a lot more needs to be done.” “The substantial allocation of Rs 3140 crore for TUFS is expected to clear the entire backlog in the scheme so far, though additional allocation will be necessary for the remaining months of the current year,” he said, adding that on the tax rationalization front, the extension of 2% interest subvention for export credit up to the end of the fiscal is a welcome feature of the government budget. Mr Dalmia, however, was concerned over the doubling of the excise burden on man-made fibers, which would lead to cost escalations and fall in demand in both domestic and international markets. He said that CITI had brought this to the notice of the Ministry of Textiles, which agreed to take up the issue with the Finance Ministry. "In our post budget memorandum, we have repeated our pre-budget request that excise duty on man-made fibres may be removed in order to encourage higher utilisation of man-made fibres by the textile and clothing industry," he said. Key textile-related areas in Union Budget Proposal FY09-10 • Excise duty on manmade fibre and yarn to be increased from 4% to 8% • The scheme of optional excise duty of 4% for pure cotton to be restored • Excise duty for man-made and natural fibres other than pure cotton, beyond the fibre and yarn stage, to be increased from 4% to 8% • an interest subvention of 2% on pre-shipment credit for oriented export sectors including textiles being extended to March 31, 2010 • Increased allocation for integrated textile parks In addition, he commented that the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) announced by the government this August received a mixed reaction from the Indian textile and apparel industry and exporters. "Although the primary objective laid out in the policy is to arrest the exports decline and provide additional incentives to sectors severely impacted by the global slowdown, the cosmetic measures included in the policy may not give requisite relief to the textile and clothing industry, which has been one of the worst victims of the global economic crisis,"said Mr Dalmia. "CITI had given a series of important suggestions in its meetings with the Department of Commerce and the Ministry of Textiles, prior to the announcement of the policy. Unfortunately, apart from

Industry News Association News including a few more countries in the Focus Market Scheme (FMS), none of the important suggestions submitted by CITI was incorporated in the FTP. Inclusion of the 17 technical textile products in the Focus Product Scheme is a welcome step, however, production facilities in many of these products remain to be established in the country," he concluded. CITI Secretary General, D K Nair, encouraged the industry players to pay increased attention on innovation, especially for product diversification and marketing. He said that while the international markets would recover from the present slowdown, sooner or later, the Indian textile and apparel industry needed to upgrade so as to recover along with the markets. Looking for new apparel export markets: AEPC says Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) is the official body in India that provides assistance to Indian apparel exporters as well as importers/international buyers who choose India as their preferred sourcing destination for garment products. It is an active body in India for the promotion and facilitation of apparel manufacturing and exports. AEPC's Chairman, Rakesh Vaid, said that AEPC serves as a one-stop shop for information, advice, technical guidance, workforce and market intelligence for Indian apparel exporters. ©Indian Fashion Week Caption: AEPC considers Japan, Russia and China as some potential apparel export destinations Members have access to updated trade statistics, potential markets, information on international fairs and assistance in participating at these fairs. It also plays a large role in identifying new markets and leading trade delegations to various countries. "In recent years, AEPC has worked tirelessly in integrating the entire industry, starting at the grass-root level of training the workforce and supplying a steady stream of manpower to the industry; identifying the best countries to source machinery and other infrastructure and brokering several path breaking deals for its members; and helping exporters to showcase their best at home fairs as well as be highly visible at international fairs in the world,"said Mr Vaid. He added that AEPC showcases the best of India's apparel export capabilities through the prestigious India International Garment Fair twice a year, playing host to over 350 exhibitors displaying exotic, haute, contemporary clothing products. In face of the current slowdown in the trade due to the global economic recession, he called for a shifting strategy away from India's traditional markets, and AEPC identified non-traditional markets of Japan, Russia, China, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, to reduce dependence on the US and the EU. He believed that the Indian apparel industry should work to increase the share of these markets from the current 12-15% over the next five years. Caption: Rakesh Vaid, AEPC's Chairman Meanwhile, AEPC organized a number of awareness programmes on the recently signed India-ASEAN free trade agreement. He also noted a recent IMF forecast that the global recession had seen its worst and there were signs of recovery in the US in these months. Nonetheless, the Indian apparel export was reported to have declined at 8-15%, indicating that the industry was still under pressure. In addition, the APEC actively participated in the formulation of the new Foreign Trade Policy 2009-2014. He recommended more attention on apparel development in the policy making. The council also suggested strengthening of the Market Linked Focus Products Scheme (MLFPS), duty free imports of critical inputs and more. Association Year of establishment Website Current chairman Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) 1958 as ICMF; 2005 reorganized as CITI www.citiindia.com Rajendra Kumar Dalmia Member associations Southern India Mills Association (Coimbatore) Ahmedabad Textile Mills' Association (Ahmedabad) The Millowners' Association (Mumbai) Northern India Textile Mills' Association (New Delhi) Eastern India Textile Mills' Association (Kolkata) Saurashtra Textile Mills' Association (Mumbai) Rajasthan Textile Mills Association (Jaipur) Federation of Gujarat Industries (Vadodara) Madhya Pradesh Textile Mills Association (Indore) Maharashtra Mofussil Mills Association (Nagpur) The Employers' Association of Northern India (Kanpur) The Upper India Chamber of Commerce (Kanpur) Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) 1978 www.aepcindia.in Rakesh Vaid

Environmental Watch Cotton as source of fiber and even food By finding more uses for the entire cotton plant — including the potential of cottonseed as a nourishing food source and the use of other parts of the cotton plant in everything from construction materials to plasma screens — the future of cotton is limited only by the imagination, Cotton Incorporated says There are many different definitions of sustainability. At Cotton Incorporated, it is a goal, an ideal of perfection that can be approached, but never fully reached. With that in mind, a more practical definition of sustainability is a product or process that: 1) minimizes the environmental footprint; 2) is economical and profitable; and 3) enhances the quality of life. This three-pronged definition can be applied to every link on the cotton supply chain and to the research and development performed by the company. Funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, Cotton Incorporated is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton. Broad examples of research include the testing and implementation of modern precision agricultural practices that continue to reduce the inputs used to grow cotton, while increasing yields. Another example is the analyses and promotion of new and cleaner manufacturing processes that help reduce the quantity of natural resources and chemicals needed, without sacrificing the quality of the end product. Rounding out the examples are investigations of innovative ways to transform the non-fiber parts of the cotton plant into practical, commercial products. The holistic approach of Cotton Incorporated helps the industry move nearer to sustainability, and to make more informed decisions along the way. Caption: Cotton seeds and fiber More efficient, more sustainable It is easy to see that sustainability is a byproduct of efficiency. Brands and industries that use less energy and fewer inputs to produce quality products will naturally be more profitable; and their efforts will profit the environment, as well. This simple logic is a guiding principle at Cotton Incorporated. To illustrate this point, consider that Cotton Incorporated oversees an average of 400 agricultural research projects each year. Over the past few decades, these projects and their findings have enabled U.S. cotton growers to reduce pesticide applications by 50%. It has helped growers produce double the volume of cotton produced — without increasing the amount of water. And, cotton producers in the U.S. have maintained the same level of fiber volume while planting on two-thirds less land. These practices save the growers money, reduce the volume of chemicals entering the environment, and help to conserve natural resources like land and water that will soon be in short supply. Improved management of agricultural practices are helping cotton growers in the United States significantly reduce the negative effects of greenhouse gases. A practice called reduced tillage increases sequestration rates of soil carbon – as much as 400 pounds of carbon per acre, per year. Improved agricultural practices The carbon footprint from the cotton planting stage to the ginning phase is fairly small, approximately 300 pounds of carbon equivalent emissions per acre. In a no-tillage production environment, if credit is taken for the 400 pounds of carbon in the soil, cotton production actually stores 100 pounds more carbon than its production emits. Taking additional credit for the carbon in the fiber, an acre of no-till cotton actually stores 450 pounds more of atmospheric carbon than was emitted in its production. Carbon sequestered in the world

Environmental Watch cotton fiber supply is the oil equivalent of permanently removing 7.25 million passenger vehicles. Reduced tillage also decreases dust emissions from the field, which improves air quality, and reduces the amount of diesel fuel needed to power tilling equipment. Reducing eco-footprint in manufacturing In the manufacturing arena, techniques and technologies are explored to help the industry and the environment at the same time. The manufacturing process of textile and apparel involve the use of water, energy and chemicals. Ways to minimize the use of these resources are better for the environment, and they are best achieved in fabric preparation, dyeing and finishing processes rather than yarn production, fabric production or garment production, according to Cotton Incorporated. Wet processing for fabric preparation, dyeing and finishing account for 85% of all water used, 80% of all energy used and 65% of all chemicals used. During the winter of 2008 and 2009, in-depth interviews were made at over 40 cotton textile processing companies in regions of China, India, Turkey and elsewhere representing over 75% of global textile processing. These companies process a wide range of woven, knits, denim, and yarn products and have adopted proven commercial technology that significantly reduces the required water, energy and chemicals. Each plant had incorporated a selection of processes, equipment, dyes and chemicals, and control systems that reduced the above resources. In May this year, the company hosted the "Cotton Textile Processing: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Future" conference in Hong Kong. The conference presented 28 existing and immediately implementable technologies to 200 attending textile decision makers from Southeast Asia. These technologies are divided into: 1) processes; 2) chemicals and dyes; 3) equipment; 4) systems, control, management; and 5) waste water treatment. They can be applied to varying degrees to piece-dyed wovens, piece-dyed knits, denim, and yarn-dyed operations. Caption: About 200 people learned practical, greener textile processing technologies at a conference organized by Cotton Inc in Hong Kong Processes • Cold Pad Batch preparation and dyeing • Continuous processing of knits • 1 & 2 stage vs. 3-stage preparation of wovens • Combined scour & bleach for knit and yarn • Foam dyeing, finishing and coating • Pad/dry vs. pad/dry/pad/steam • Right First Time (RFT) dyeing Equipment • Low liquor ratio jets with LR <8/1 • Low liquor ratio package dyeing with LR <6/1 • Filtratin of process water for recycle • Caustic recovery and re-use • Insulated dyeing, drying & stenter machines • Solar heating of water Chemicals and Dyes • Cat ionization for salt-free dyeing • Stable chemistries for 1 or 2-stage vs. 3-stage prep • Hight fixation dyeing with reduced salt • Enzymatic desizing and scouring • Size recovery and recycle • Liquid indigo and sulfur dyes • Pigment printing and dyein Systems, Control & Management • Empowered environmental teams • Automatic dyes and chemicals dispensing • Advanced equipment and process control • Various system approaches to reduce water, energy and chemicals Waste Water Treatment • Physical, biological and activated carbon systems • High technology filtration systems • Recycle internal process water • Waste water treatment sludge used/sold for fuel Caption: Categories of 28 technologies that reduce the use of water, energy and chemicals Genencor, for instance, presented a breakthrough biotechnology solution for the textile processing industry with its PrimaGreen products. Genencor's PrimaGreen EcoWhite is an innovative enzyme, which powers a novel bleaching system that will be sold by Huntsman Textile Effects under the name Gentle Power Bleach. Jointly developed by Huntsman and Genencor, the new technology suits for pretreatment of textiles, particularly cottons. It allows low temperature bleaching of textiles at a neutral pH range and can process various fibers in a more sustainable way whilst delivering textile goods with an enhanced quality. Many of the sustainable advances in agriculture −and some in manufacturing −are products of biotechnology. Few things are more misunderstood than the potential of biotechnology to improve the planet and the well-being of its inhabitants. It is a popular misconception that genetically-modified organisms are inherently dangerous. Providing rational and fact-based information on

Environmental Watch biotechnology, as it relates to cotton, is another way Cotton Incorporated serves the global cotton industry. With respect to genetically-modified cotton, the bt variety enhances the plant's natural ability to fend off pests. This is a good thing since enhanced natural protection reduces the necessity for pesticide applications. Scientific evidence indicates that bt cotton is also a safe option; in fact, the proteins produced inside the bt cotton plant are the same pesticides applied topically by organic cotton growers. Researches into the development of heat- and drought-resistant cotton varieties, as well as those requiring less nitrogen to prosper, show great promise and are on the Cotton Incorporated agenda of research projects. Biotechnology benefits textile manufacturing as well. Bleaching and scouring are necessary, but chemical-heavy steps in the creation of a garment. Recently, some innovative companies have brought to market an effective, gentler alternative — enzymes. Enzymatic bleaching and scouring achieves a comparable result to the chemical-based process, but is significantly easier on the environment. A companion best practices manual published by Cotton Incorporated is available by this September including eco-friendly technologies using enzyme. Making cottonseed eatable One of the most exciting biotech developments may position cotton as a nutritious and plentiful food source for future generations. For every pound of cotton fiber, cotton plants produce 1.5 pounds of seed. Cottonseed, which is more like a nut than a typical seed, is rich in protein and low in fat. However, the presence of a chemical called gossypol had rendered cottonseed inedible by humans. In the leaves of the plant, gossypol acts a natural pest deterrent. The trick for researchers was to find a way to keep gossypol in the leaves, but eliminate it from the seed. It took nearly 20 years of research, but the first crop of gossypol-free cottonseed was harvested in early September in the United States. Pending analysis and the perpetuation of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed over successive generations of plantings, cotton may become as well known as something to eat as something to wear. Caption: For every pound of cotton fiber, there is 1.5 pounds of cottonseed People understand that cotton is soft and that cotton is comfortable. These simple truths have contributed to the appeal of cotton across six millennia, and may explain why it remains among the most widely used textile fibers. But the future of cotton is linked to the well-being of the planet and the implementation of practices that treat the Earth with care. The future of cotton is in its potential to provide more than textiles to future generations. Source: Cotton Incorporated Teijin introduces polyester recycling program into China The Teijin Group announced this September the first-ever closed-loop polyester-recycling program in China for collecting and recycling used garments, in collaboration with Li Ning Company Limited, a sports apparel company in China. As part of the program, Li Ning designed tennis and training wear using Teijin Fibers' chemically recycled Eco Circle Fibers, which are woven into textiles and dyed by Nantong Teijin Co Limited, a Teijin group company in China. The inaugural 2009-10 winter lineup will be sold at 11 stores managed by Li Ning beginning this October. The Li Ning stores will accept these garments after they are worn out, from where they will be sent via Nantong Teijin to Teijin Fibers' Matsuyama plant in Japan. After chemical decomposition, they will be converted into polyester raw material offering purity comparable to that derived from petroleum. The raw material will then be turned into high-quality Eco Circle Fibers, which will be used to manufacture new recyclable products. Li Ning aims to expand its lineup of clothing made with environmentally friendly Eco Circle Fibers, as well as increase its sales locations to more than 100 within three years. Introduced in 2002 by Teijin Fibers, the Eco Circle recycling program has now more than 120 participating companies. India builds first eco-textile park An eco-textile park with common wastage treatment systems was inaugurated at Surat of Gujarat province in India in September. The Gujarat Eco-Textile Park Ltd (GETP) is promoted by the Luthra Group of Companies approved under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP). It has an area of 73 acre, and is about 22 km from Surat. About 72 existing textile entrepreneurs comprising of 34 weavers, 12 embroiderers, 24 processing houses and two composite factories (with weaving, processing and embroidery facilities) propose to set up facilities in the park, GETP says. While inaugurating the Gujarat Eco Textile Park, Dayanidhi Maran, Union Textiles Minister said that the Park is an example of industrial growth and environmental sustainability. The Park, at a cost of Rs. 129 crore, will attract an investment of Rs. 705 crore, and annually produce textiles products worth Rs. 850 crore, and, more importantly, will provide employment to 25,000 people, he added. GETP features a range of facilities, including a common effluent treatment plant, a common solid waste management & disposal system, a treated water supply system, a captive power project and a centre of excellence.

Feature Story Greener machinery advances point to the future by Sanjay Gupta Expectations from textile products in terms of functionality and variety have been on the rise in recent times. With a growing world population and the spread of the fashion industry, textile and apparel consumption has escalated. However, an increasing public attention on global warming and environmental protection has brought into sharp focus the ecologically damaging footprint of this industry. The primary concerns are related to the use of water and energy. The supply of water is finite and demand for water has outgrown the world's population in these decades. Livelihood of more people around the world is affected by water shortages and wastewater problems. According to the recent "Water in a Changing World" report on world water development published by the United Nations in March 2009, the world's population is growing by about 80 million people a year, implying increased freshwater demand of about 64 billion cubic metres a year. Population growth and rapid economic development have led to accelerated freshwater withdrawals, and the report explained the need to intensify water investment on infrastructure and various aspects to resolve the water issue. In the business world, new companies in urban areas of China and India have to meet the environmental standards before they can operate in order to reduce costs of treating water. Enterprises in Europe faced closure for the same reason years ago as the governments, like their peoples, became more conscious with environmental protection. Regulatory standards are getting stricter and fabric manufacturers are looking to new ways for times ahead. Little or no water scarcity Approaching physical water scarcity Physical water scarcity Economic water scarcity Not estimated Caption: Increasing water scarcity was observed by the UN Source: 2009 UN report of "Water in a Changing World" Cubic kilometres a year, most recent year available India United States China Bangladesh Pakistan Iran, Islamic Rep. Mexico Saudi Arabia Russian federation Japan France 250 200 150 100 50 0 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Caption: Groundwater use has grown rapidly in some countries Note: Countries with multiple lines have different datasets that do not reconcile Source: 2009 UN report of "Water in a Changing World" Almost half of the world's demand for textile fibers is fulfilled by cotton, which is preferred for its comfort and for being natural. It is also thought to be better for the environment. A number of studies, however, reveal that cotton does bring pollution: pesticides used during cultivation and a large consumption of water during cultivation and later during wet processing of fabrics, i.e. washing, de-sizing, bleaching, rinsing, dyeing, printing, coating and finishing. It takes an estimated 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilo of cotton, apart from chemicals and energy. The entire wet process on cotton (from pre-treatment to finishing) can consume up to 700 liters of fresh water/kg of fabric. About 600 liters of it becomes wastewater after the process. On polyester, the figure does not exceed 100 liters. In terms of energy, approximately 25% of energy in the total textile chain, i.e. fibre production to spinning, twisting, weaving, knitting, clothing manufacturing etc, is used in dyeing. About 34% of energy is consumed in spinning, 23% in weaving, 38% in chemical wet processing and rest in miscellaneous processes. Power dominates consumption pattern in spinning and

Feature Story weaving, while thermal energy is an area of concerns for chemical wet processing. It is clear that the option of switching from cotton to man-made fibers would be difficult in the short-term, and more attention has been put on improving wet processing, which might call for a drastic change in approach. Eco-efficiency pursued by Asian textile players Concerns over the Earth are likely to drive all machinery development in the next decade. There is a need to not only modify technology, machines, chemicals and dyestuffs to save water and energy; but to change the processes completely so that water and energy usage is minimized and wastewater discharge reduced to zero. The trend is visible in the choice of processing machinery from Asia. Shipping data of the 2007 international textile finishing machinery market showed an increase in global deliveries of mercerizing equipment, a process which increases a fabric's affinity for dye and thereby reduce percentage of colour in effluent, as well as the re-emergence of cold pad-batch dyeing ranges known to be more environmentally friendly than conventional dyeing methods. This underlying trend is likely to continue in years to come. Textile machine builders have been working on other improvements for preparation and pre-treatment processes like the separation of streams for the disposal of industrial effluents, which facilitates recycling of less polluted water. Producers of dyeing machines continue to come up with better machines consuming reduced energy and water, chemicals and dyestuffs consumption. Fong's ECO-6 high temperature dyeing machine, for example, has a reduced dyeing cycle of only 291 minutes, and the total water consumption is as little as 38 l/kg. Automation and process control is the focus, such as programmable process control of the machinery, automated dye weighing, dissolution and dispensing interfaced with computerized colour measurement and recipe formulation. Most solutions being offered can lead to 10-30% saving in water and energy consumption, in addition to improvements on quality, delivery times and pollution prevention. Another focus area is reusing and recycling of water. A good example is Benninger’s diaphragm filtration system that allows water, chemicals and waste thermal energy to be recovered and recycled. The multi-stage diaphragm system comprises of an ultrafiltration stage and downstream reverse osmosis stage. The ultrafiltration stage has a ceramic diaphragm that separates particulates and long-chain organic wastewater components at temperatures of up to 95°C. The reverse osmosis diaphragm almost completely separates water from dissolved dyestuffs and salts. The separated process water can be reused directly in all areas of the textile finishing plant without adversely affecting the quality of the end product. A recovery rate in excess of 80% for wastewater and 70% for thermal energy is achievable in desizing, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing and finishing. In addition, 80% of water-soluble size and caustic soda can be recovered as concentrate. These innovations or added value in terms of functionality are not likely to make a drastic reduction in the consumption of energy and/or water. Radical change is under research In the traditional processes, waiting times and distances between the processes are too long. They cost much money and energy (due to transport). We have to look for solutions that eliminate the use of water, not just minimize it. The three emerging technologies, i.e. information technology (IT), biotechnology and nanotechnology, are expected to bring new interventions on the front of textile systems and processing. IT-based process control systems for wet processing are well known for ensuring overall efficiency and quality along with savings in time, energy, water and other utilities. However, newer and more innovative applications of information technology are being developed. A German scientist Jan A. Craamer has proposed an innovation wherein dyeing has been carried out using the ink-jet printing technique. The process uses only about 2.4 liters of water per kilogram of fabric, only a tiny fraction of energy and reduces processing time by one tenth. Dyeing can be combined with printing and finishing as well. Lot size is inconsequential and there are no wastages or pollution. The use of biotechnology, meanwhile, involves the integration of natural and engineering sciences that offers the potential for new industrial processes requiring less energy, and renewable raw materials. It can replace harsh and energy demanding chemicals by enzymes in textile processing; provide environmentally friendly routes to manufacture of textile auxiliaries and dyestuffs; and help manage waste more effectively. By using enzymes in the bleaching process, for example, 6,300 to 19,000 liters of water per tonne of textiles can be saved. Moreover, by substituting the enzyme for a reducing agent in a hot rinse, additional 1.6 to 1.8 GJ/tonne of energy can be saved. Furthermore, owing to the reduced energy consumption, release of CO2 will be lowered by 100-120 kg/tonne of textiles produced. The third new technology, nanotechnology is often quoted as having the potential to revolutionize traditional production methods. Teijin Fibers has developed luminescent polyester where the fiber core is covered with about 60 layers of nylon and polyester with different refractive indices for light. Such fibers may lead to elimination of dyeing process altogether. Research institutes and enterprises involved in textiles are increasingly utilizing technological advancements in diverse fields of information technology, automation and robotics, biotechnology, nanotechnology and etc, in quest for more efficient and eco-efficent ways of manufacturing and processing textiles. Dr Sanjay Gupta is Professor of Textile Design and Development at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, India A discussion on zero discharge on page 41

Feature Story Intra-ASEAN alliance may boost textile and apparel industry ASEAN suppliers are exploring new ways to enhance competitiveness in multiple areas of manufacture, trade and product development, reports Asep Setiaharja The region covered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, is one of the manufacturing bases of the textile manufacturing, and major suppliers include Indonesia and Thailand. Vietnam and Cambodia have also risen to serve the global demand on clothing in recent years. For instance, Vietnam is among the major apparel suppliers to the US market in addition with China and other countries. Top five apparel exporters to the US market were China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Honduras and Indonesia in 2008, according to the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). Caption: Consisting Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, the ASEAN region has a population of over 560 million The intra-ASEAN trade on textiles was not as big as extra-ASEAN, and the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries (AFTEX) tried to find possibilities to upgrade ASEAN textile and apparel supply chain. Funded by the USAID, a study of the ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project was conducted for the period of March 2008-February 2013, involving the textile and apparel industry, as well as tourism. Intra-ASEAN textile supply chain reduces lead times The intra-ASEAN textile trade was US$300 million in 2003 and it grew at double-digit rates, ranging between 19% and 27% from 2003 to 2007, compared to growths in global textile exports from the same countries between 4% and 12% in the same period. In this respect, the intra-ASEAN trade was active. The textile and apparel trade has accelerated after the elimination of textile and apparel quotas since 2005. Malaysia and Thailand are major players in the intra-ASEAN textile trade and both countries demonstrate strong growths, according to the study. Indonesia lags behind; Singapore is an important hub for entrepôt trade. The study recommended improvement areas to enhance the competitiveness of the ASEAN textile and apparel industry. 1. Reducing lead times Today's textile industry requires shorter lead times. Six-month lead times for shipping an order were common ten years ago. The current benchmark is 45-60 days. The best turnaround time is approaching 28 to 35 days. As most ASEAN manufacturers ship fabrics from China or elsewhere in Asia, such short lead times are posing challenges to manufacturers located in the ASEAN. Against this background, ASEAN suppliers are exploring new ways to minimize lead times in multiple areas of manufacture, trade and product development, by means of: • Moving material and trim manufacturers closer to apparel factories; • Moving the final finishing of fabrics and apparel closer to apparel factories; • Reducing the time required by a factory to initiate a new style and ship an order; and • Improving factories' ability to increase manufacturing capacity rather than outsource production. 2. Improving manufacturing capabilities Improving product capabilities is important to both fabric and apparel producers. A growing trend since the elimination of quotas is mass customization. Most retailers and brands are offering new products in a shorter time, leading to the need of faster production of smaller orders. The mass market, including large retailers and department stores, also demands to more diverse garment design process. Variations on finish, color and trim under a single theme are getting popular to provide increased choices to consumers. To serve this segment of the market, ASEAN suppliers need a greater capability in fabric and garment finishing, and perhaps

Feature Story garment preproduction (sample, pattern and marker making). Upgrading of these capabilities has to be done. 3. Reducing costs While increasing capability and quality is essential, it is crucial to keep costs low, particularly averaged costs. Considering the potential benefits of integration in the ASEAN textile industry, textile associations gathered in Jakarta last year. There, the AFTEX and the ACE Project signed a joint partnership to enhance a vertical integration on textile among AFTEX members. The AFTEX is the umbrella organization of textile and apparel trade associations of the ASEAN, comprising 10 country members, namely Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Main objectives of the partnership are: • To promote ASEAN's image as a full-package source of quality textiles and apparel • To strengthen the competitiveness of existing ASEAN supply chains • To enhance the integration of ASEAN's textile and apparel sector. AFTEX and the ACE Project also organized joint action programs to: • Identify supply chain corridors • Offer supply chain corridors diagnosis • Develop marketing plan • Facilitate workforce development. One-stop manufacturing service gets more popular At a seminar in Bandung of Indonesia this April, Andrew Hong, Permanent Secretary General of AFTEX said that consumer behavior, especially that of organization consumers and brand owners, have changed in recent years. Caption: Andrew Hong Buyers are demanding to cut down the sourcing cost, and they increasingly hope for more than manufacturing services, but also design and finishing services, for example. Textile and apparel suppliers from ASEAN countries have to make anticipation of these market changes to avoid potential loss of buyers and brand owners, Mr Hong explained. Following the financial crisis, the global demand on textile and apparel products dropped drastically in late 2008 and early 2009.

Feature Story Jan-Jul 2008 Jan-Jul 2009 % Change Rank % Share Vietnam 847.122 895.475 5.71 2 7.28 Indonesia 659.076 624.595 -5.23 4 4.92 Cambodia 489.551 399.704 -18.35 8 3.69 Thailand 283.342 231.222 -18.39 11 2.03 Philippines 237.801 200.079 -15.86 12 1.61 Malaysia 138.935 80.135 -42.32 20 0.83 Lao 9.981 8.007 -19.78 38 0.07 Singapore 11.516 6.508 -43.49 39 0.06 Brunei 8.591 6.062 -29.43 40 0.05 Myanmar n/a n/a ASEAN 2,685.915 2,451.784 -8.72 20.54 World total 12,633.451 11,591.390 -8.25 100.00 Source: Office of Textile & Apparel, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce - USA Caption: US imports of garment from the ASEAN region (in million square meter equivalents) Consumers in the US, the prime exporting market of ASEAN suppliers, also tightened their pulse strings for apparel and other consumer goods. US imports of apparel from ASEAN dropped 5.88% in the first quarter of 2009, and continued to decrease 8.72% in July. However, Mr Hong believed that the decline of demand was not only a consequence of the financial crisis. "Whether there's the crisis or not, US imports from the ASEAN would have declined when consumers don't buy what you are selling or you don't sell what they are buying,"he said. He views that the vertical integration among suppliers is highly desirable. In reality, most ASEAN countries do not have a full textile and apparel supply chain on their own with all the needed sectors. Indonesia has established a relatively complete supply chain of textiles and apparel from upstream suppliers to downstream, e.g. from synthetic fiber making to garment making. Some other ASEAN members might not establish domestically a full supply chain, opening up an opportunity to integrate the textile and apparel industry among ASEAN countries. He added that the implementation of an ASEAN free trade agreement has a positive impact on integration as import duties among these countries are lifted. Through the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) scheme, fabric suppliers from Jakarta (in western part of Indonesia), for instance, can send products to Bangkok (Thailand) or Ho Chi Min City (Vietnam) as easy as to Papua (the easternmost part of Indonesia). The time factor was also stressed by Benny Soetrisno, Chairman of Indonesian Textile Association, who agreed that the current lead time has been getting tighter. Mr Soetrisno said: "Years ago we need at least 60 days to gain fabric samples approval from the buyer all the way to arranging shipment of the finished products. We are now able to go through the process in 30 days. An vertically integrated factory has a higher chance to gain an upper hand in the international competition." This integration is not confined to a single company or a group of companies; it is possible to build up such an integration and closer economic ties among companies and even across borders. The Indonesian textile and apparel sector is in support of the development of a virtual vertical integration. It will help not-yet-integrated companies to link up with others and stay competitive globally, he added. Developing virtual vertical integration The development of a virtual vertical integration in the ASEAN textile industry started with a joint marketing effort, called "Source ASEAN" according to the AFTEX. It integrates the textile supply chain of the ASEAN countries offering a variety of textile and apparel products and services under a single roof. Through "Source ASEAN", buyers can focus on the finished goods they demand and the upstream services and products can be sourced among ASEAN suppliers easily. On the supply side, ASEAN textile firms can introduce a strategic alliance with partners along the supply chain from fiber making, spinning, weaving and knitting to garment producing. The AFTEX also promoted this idea in trade events and exhibitions including the Vietnam Textile & Garment Expo this April, the Bangkok International Fashion Fair in August, and the Indonesia Textile and Apparel Fair in October 2009. Supported by ACE and USAID, the newly established www.SourceASEAN.com serves as the official website of the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries (AFTEX). It is a one-stop online shop or e-marketplace for regional and international buyers. Meetings with international buyers from North America and Europe were also planned by the AFTEX to further promote the ASEAN as a textile sourcing destination. Caption: The ASEAN Fashion Plus Fair was held concurrently with the BIFF & BIL 2009 this August Moreover, participating ministers of the 41st ASEAN Economic Ministers' (AEM) Meeting this August in Thailand welcomed the ASEAN Fashion Plus Fair that brought together various stakeholders such as textile and apparel manufacturers, department stores, fashion buyers and designers. As a next step, the Ministers agreed that ASEAN trade fairs could support outreach and the expansion of ASEAN trade. The ASEAN Fashion Plus Fair was held concurrently with the Bangkok International Fashion Fair 2009 and Bangkok International Leather Fair 2009 (BIFF & BIL 2009) on August 13-16 this year.

Market Focus Denim positioned as all-time fashionable item Denim, often a rugged cotton twill textile, continues to flourish in today's consumer market with endless efforts in the aspects of design, fabrics, dyeing and finishing, as well as marketing and branding, Lucia Carpio writes Nothing can be more American than faded blue jeans. If designer Ralph Lauren's recent showing of his Spring / Summer 2010 is anything to go by, denim is set to remain strong for the coming season. American jeans brands are returning to their roots. As Polo Ralph Lauren is relaunching its Polo Jeans brand, Gap is celebrating its 40 years with a relaunch of its upmarket denim line 1969 Premium Jeans. While Levi's (founded in 1853) is sticking to its classic American style, rooting its Red Tab brand to its heritage youthful and vintage collegiate looks, Hilfiger Denim is also delving into its archives for 1960s American and vintage inspired clothing. According to a recent survey by the Cotton Incorporated on consumer's habits, 77% of US consumers own at least seven pairs of denim jeans. "Consumers prefer denim because it is durable, versatile, and really takes on the personality of the wearer," said Norma Keyes, Director, Product Standards. Bart Van De Woestyne, Group Chief Marketing Officer of UCO Raymond, said trends are now led by brands originated from Los Angeles such as Current Elliot, a new successful brand that has popularised the Boyfriend jeans for women, resembling men's jeans with wider waist and much looser fits, giving the impression that the girl has borrowed it from her boyfriend's wardrobe. UCO Raymond is a joint venture between UCO NV of Belgium and Raymond Ltd, India's textile and apparel manufacturer, which supplies to many international retailers and brands. The current upwardly ride of denim is an international phenomenon experienced not only in the US. Caption: Levi's SS10 lifestyle jeans fashion UK jeans market to top £2 billion by 2012 Market research firm Mintel in a recent study predicts that the British jeans market alone will be worth over £2 billion by 2012. However, with the entrance of value retailers and supermarkets into the jeans arena, the jeans-buying public can spend less per pair while some purchasers will buy less frequently but invest in a more expensive pair when they do spend, according to Mintel analyst Katrin Magnussen. "I've seen jeans even on the red carpet as it's become more acceptable as a dressing-up item," said Ms Magnussen. Caption: Denim Wall in Selfridges' London store UK's leading department store, Selfridges, reported a 50% increase in sales of designer jeans this year, with average single denim spent at its highest for over a decade at £185 a pair. It is marking the denim revival by unveiling "the world's largest denim wall" at its London Oxford Street store. The wall measures 30 metres long and houses over 2,000 pairs of jeans. Selfridges' Director of Womenswear and Childrenswear, Anita Barr, said: "The recession has seen the need to power dress slip a little, and we're seeing customers who would normally buy a suit, snap up a pair of designer denim instead. We've bought 20% more designer jeans for Autumn/Winter 2009 as we believe the sales drive can only grow." Middle market retail chain, Marks & Spencer, launched a new label called Indigo Collection where denim is essential, whether used in jeans, dresses, skirts or jackets, according to Kate Bostock, M&S executive director of clothing & home. NEXT also relaunched its online jeans shop offering different fits and cuts. At Arcadia Group's Topman, jeans are selling well too. Design director Gordon Richardson said, "A skinny fit in various forms is the prevailing trend, whether it be an extreme spray on stretch or

Market Focus a more twisted and coated style. Rips and paler washes are ones to watch particularly for next Spring / Summer." London designer, Chloe Lonsdale of MiH (Made in Heaven) Jeans, said that jeans remain popular because it is "the only item in one's wardrobe that gets better with age." Many global premium brands are adding more value through design, inventive colour and finishes to distinguish themselves from high street offerings. "My MiH brand also offers a luxury version of jeans with such attention to detail and finishing that they can be worn in place of traditional tailored clothing," said Ms Lonsdale. Brazilian denim manufacturer Vicunha, working with H&M, Inditex, Tommy Hilfiger and Diesel, is promoting new indigo with a redcast as one of its new directions for fall 2010/11, according to managing director, Thomas Dislich at Première Vision in Paris. "Deep blue indigo colours remain important, with a characteristic red cast effect. Such fabrics have a strong position because the slim tight-fitting cuts will remain part of the fashionable core. Other new looks include laser effects and 3D-contrasts look," said Mr Dislich. He added that in difficult economic times, the rebellious "break-free" spirit is making a come-back, and vintage looks continue to reign, along with slub yarns and multi-layer finishes, with new grey and greenish over dyes and coatings, dirty washes with rusty effects complete the range of complex fabrics. Manufacturers such as UCO Raymond confirm that "super fitted" looks with "power-stretch" will be a major driving trend. At the Denim by Première Vision fair in June, Dow Fiber Solutions introduced Dow XLA "Re:FLRX4" a premium multi-dimensional stretch denim with four-way flexibility. Holiday Watson, Global Brand Communications Manager for Dow Fiber, said the elastic and high-performance olefin denim ensures long-lasting shapes, withstanding high temperatures and aggressive chemical treatments. New iconic Paige Premium Denim is one of the latest US brands using Dow XLA in its exclusive “Paigeaholic” jean retailed at US$198. Eco-friendlier denim begins with fiber source Nicolas Rouillon, Lenzing's merchandising manager for France & Benelux, said the skinny jeans look, for both men and women, need to be soft to the skin, and by adding Tencel to denim or cotton, especially in the weft in minimal content of 10-15% means the back side of the fabric touching the skin can be smooth and soft. "Tencel is also eco-label certified, when only 25% is blended into denim fabrics – organic or transitional cotton plus recycled cotton, the consumption of water can be reduced by over 20%. It is also a performance fibre, as it absorbs excess liquid and quickly releases it again into the atmosphere," said Mr Rouillon. Many jeans brands are using Supima for softness and durability, for better dye penetration and lighter weight, according to Marc A. Lewkowitz, Supima's Executive Vice President for Phoenix, Arizona (the US). He said Suprima is a desert plant grown in the US and is an extra long staple fibre, 35% longer than regular cotton that gives

Market Focus softness and lustre, making it a stronger and resilient fibre yet light-weight, absorbs and retains colour better than conventional cotton. At Première Vision in Paris this September, Hong Kong denim and cotton company, Central Fabrics, showcased Supima and Lycra T400 for the premium market. Marketing manager, Mina A. Rea, said Central deals with all kinds of developments and owns their own denim mill producing for the American, European and Asian markets. "While we use Tencel in blends for drape, Supima adds softness, yet it is more structured, light yet with bulk, clean-looking and has a natural shine, thus perfect also for shirting. Supima is more absorbing therefore uses less dyestuff," she said. Participating at Première Vision this year for the first time was A& A Textile from Taiwan. Representative Dollen Yao said the company offers fancy denim with PU coating to create patterns, different effects for pre and after wash, PU coating with stretch, flocking with stretch, at prices from 2-3 euros for basic denim to 4 euros per metre. "We work with many international brands. Customers want denim that are lighter so we use Tencel and Modal for much better hand feel and softness. They are also interested in eco-friendly denim, organic cotton with Tencel (20% or less) and linen/cotton blends, with stretch (20% Lycra) or without stretch," said Mr Yao. Manuel Ramirez, Cotton Incorporated's Manager of Product Development, Global Product Supply Chain, said new developments currently in progress to drive denim forward provide performance, such as the Storm Denim finish that is water-repellent without sacrificing any of cotton's natural breatheability or durability. Applied at the final step, it ensures that any wash or stylistic treatment previously applied is unaffected, said Mr Ramirez. A new technology as a reaction against the vintage worn-look is the Stay Rigid technology – to make denim feel and look rigid longer lasting 25 washes, keeping it rigid as a choice, looking clean rather than vintage, and going back to roots, said Mr Ramirez. In addition, some of the newest luxury denim developments emerged from Japan as shown at Première Vision in Paris in September. Japanese premium fabrics shown in Paris From Kuroki, President Tatsushi Kuroki showcased a double-face blanket denim in 100% cotton that was shortlisted for the PV Awards. Mr Kuroki said their other new developments included organic cotton in natural indigo dye of 8-10 ounce and extra lightweight 100% cotton of 4.9 ounce. Luxury items included selvedge (self-finished edges) denim with stretch, yarn-dyed selvage denim and a special range of Morphotex with light-reflecting effects "like wings of a butterfly" at 30 euros per metres with weft in silver, gold or copper metallic yarns, utilising a Japanese fabric technology for the Obi belt of Kimonos produced in Kyoto. And it was Showa of Japan that won the Handle Prize at Première Vision this year with a luxury denim made of 100% wool. Owned and designed by Emiko Katayama, Showa's new denim range includes organic denim range made with Tasmania organic wool twills and selvage denim in bio-stone, as well as cotton/linen blends. Caption: Jeans from Vicunha Caption: Men's jacket made with Kuroki’s new double-face blanket denim Caption: Storm Denim and Stretch Denim from Cotton Incorporated Caption: Denim fabrics with prints, coating and flocking effects from A&A Textiles Being sustainable and promoting responsible production are the latest concerns for consumers and those involved in denim making. Italian design duo, Le Jean de Marithe and Francois Girbaud, showcased recently their latest "Wattwash" (water free denim), demonstrating low energy/low water organic cotton denim. Italdenim and New Dimension, a new Dutch company, has devised a collection of organic suiting for the mainstream menswear market. Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, recently launched its new technology for more sustainable denim bleaching and shading, PrimaGreen EcoFade LT100. Glenn Nedwin, Executive Vice President of Genencor's Technical Enzyme Business Unit, said the new technology textile processors can save up to 90% of heating energy used today in denim bleaching and provides savings in rinsing water and neutralization chemicals. Spanish manufacturer, Textil Santanderina, uses Sandye, which is a textile solution based on a highly eco-friendly dyeing process for fading effects; and a Duosandye finish as the result of the application of a fadable print to a Sandye base, taking on a two-colour look that gives depth and highlights the structure without damaging fibres.

Machinery Technology Knitting machine advances cater for fashion and production needs Comparing to other textile sectors, knitting is considered an area less hit by the current economic recession. Industry players observe that middle to premium knitted fabrics in the China market may be an area for optimism by Staff Reporters Knitwear products have got more popular among the large population of Chinese consumers, thanks to the increasing number of the affluent households in the country over the past few years. Amid a weak export environment, more textile and apparel manufacturers now target the China market in a bid to compensate the decreased orders from Europe and North America. Industry players at the Shanghaitex 2009 textile machinery exhibition this June mentioned that weak exports of the Chinese knit goods are partially offset by the domestic sales. The shift of hand-driven machines to electronic flat-knitting machines in the country is also a positive trend. Moreover, a number of Asian users showed interest in higher end systems for the manufacture of premium knitted fabrics, according to business manager of Tayu Knitting Machinery, Frank Shao, at the fair. Impact felt by retailers in US and Europe Retail markets of major advanced economies are, however, more affected by the financial turmoil, altering the market environment of knits suppliers around the world. On the European continent, Italy has been a major country showing signs of a return to production, observed Shima Seiki, a Japanese flat knitting supplier. In the quarterly report covering from April to June this year, Shima Seiki expected a growing demand for its latest MACH2 system as Italy is a market sensitive to color and creative design. The MACH2 system is said to be capable of producing premium, high-value-added knits in quick response. In general, the European market polarizes into high-end and mass-market products. High-end items are more often produced within Europe, mainly in Italy, as well as Eastern Europe for lower production costs. The market of mass products, on the other hand, is largely shared by makers in less developed countries across Asia and other parts of the globe. The United States, the world's largest knitwear market with an estimated sales of more than one billion units, had been hard hit by the global financial crisis. Though economists believed that the US economy had passed the worst days, consumers became more reserved in spending. In view of the current export market environment, knitting machinery builders have developed and improved their technologies to better suit today's market needs in terms of quality, price and performance. Caption: Knitting machinery building is increasingly interwoven with fashion trends (Photo: 2010-11 knit style presented by Shima Seiki) An upgrade from manual systems to computerized knitting machines is being promoted to reduce labor costs and improve quality. Moreover, machines capable of making seamless apparel, hosiery and more are gaining popularity. With the introduction of Karl Mayer DJ 4/2 (EL) system, users can manufacture seamless articles such as pantyhose, underwear and sportswear. Karl Mayer sees a huge potential in the market for seamless products and it is consolidating and extending its expertise in this area, as well as stepping up its research efforts in the field. Santoni is another established textile machine builder in the area of seamless wear, whose clients include Adidas, Marks & Spencer, Tommy Hilfiger and Victoria's Secret. In the meantime, Stoll has launched a number of models with an emphasis on the high productivity. Design is another crucial element in the knitting industry, and Stoll regularly publishes its trend collections for users and set up the 15,000-square feet Stoll Fashion & Technology showroom in New York of the US this April to offer services such as prototype sampling, yarn sourcing and trends information. In the field of circular knitting machinery, Mayer & Cie and more machinery builders develop systems to accommodate various market segments, such as the manufacture of mattress fabrics.

Machinery Technology On the other hand, Asian knitting machine suppliers are advancing themselves with research efforts and imported parts and components. For instance, a new high-speed four-track single jersey knitting machine from Tayu Knitting Machinery (TY-S32-GT model) adopts the core knitting part provided by Groz-Beckert KG. The new system produces knit fabric in single jersey, in two or four needle structures and in plated single jersey, according to Tayu Knitting Machinery based in Taiwan. In addition to manufacturing various weight ranges in the apparel sector, the new system can be reset for three-thread fleece production. A high output of 35 rpm with a 30-inch diameter is offered, the company says. Caption: The TY-S32-GT machine of Tayu In future, changing end-user knitwear market demands will continue directing the development of machinery. Shima Seiki, for example, is developing an innovative business model, Ordermade, to contribute to the spread of its WholeGarment systems. The company explains that it helps facilitate speedy production of original seamless knitwear in-store. Suppliers in the knitting field Double-faced articles with new Comez machine Comez, a supplier of advanced narrow fabric technology from Italy, launched a new electronic double needle bed warp knitting machine for the manufacture of a wide range of articles. With two needle beds and the pattern guide bars, it is possible to obtain double-face articles, with identical structure and specifications on both sides. Possible application areas include technical uses (netting for sports equipment, high resistance ribbons in special fibres, ribbons and fabrics for applications in the geo-textile, automotive, building and industrial sectors); medical uses (e.g. emergency bandages and dressings, disposable underwear); and women's apparel (mesh stockings and pantyhose) and fashion fabrics. Caption: The new Comez DNB-EL 1270 system Caption: Spacer fabrics This new Comez DNB/EL-1270 features a 1270 mm working width, comes in several gauges from 5 to 18 n.p.i., uses individual latch needles and can work any type of yarn. It is equipped with 12 pattern guide bars, with electronic control, and knockover sinker groups can be supplied on request. It is also fitted with a new Data Control Controller to manage machine functions, monitors production data and allows for the realisation of lengthy pattern repeats. With regard to technical articles, one of the most interesting possibilities is that of the so-called spacer fabrics which basically comprise two distinct fabrics, constituting the two faces of the whole (and can be presenting different appearances), connected by woven threads of a special consistency, so that the two faces are kept at a certain distance by connecting threads. Structures obtained using this process feature high voluminosity, and good elasticity to pressure (due to pressure absorption effect). The electronic programming allows articles with alternating three-dimensional and flat areas to be made easily, the company explains. Additionally, the company offers Chinese users prompt services and spare parts supply from Guangzhou Comez Textile Machinery Manufacturing situated in Panyu city, Guangdong province. Groz-Beckert cylinders ensure maximum precision High-grade Groz-Beckert circular knitting cylinders provide complement to the company's premium range of needles and system parts to create an ideal knitting system from a single, reliable supplier. The company explains the use of quality cylinders and components helps ensure durability of circular knitting machines and allow them to reach full potential for high-performance operation on the factory floor. Groz-Beckert KG also emphasizes the high precision of individual elements to simplify the workflow and improve capacity utilization in production. A selection of 60,000 knitting cylinders and around 50,000 different needles and system parts for the manufacture of textile Caption: Groz-Beckert circular knitting cylinder

Machinery Technology surfaces are offered. Standard cylinder diameters of 7-60 inches. With needles available in thicknesses from 0.21 mm in gauge E68 knitting cylinders, Groz-Beckert KG provides machine constructors and users the widest product spectrum. Seamless wear made on Karl Mayer's latest system The newly launched 44-inch DJ 4/2 (EL) system is Karl Mayer's latest narrow, double-bar raschel machine, which can manufacture seamless articles from pantyhose and stockings to underwear and sportswear. Unveiled at the Shanghaitex 2009 trade fair this June in Shanghai, the new system provides a satisfactory price/performance ratio. It is available in gauges E 24 and E 28 with more ground guide bars, and can be fitted with electronic guide bar drive (EL). These features have extended the range of patterns that can be produced and the machine's flexibility, according to Karl Mayer. Caption: Fashionable apparel made on the DJ series (photo by Jean-Luc Valentin) The EL system enables patterning to be carried out with a high degree of flexibility, and small batches can be processed efficiently. This simplifies the processes involved in product development. Large repeats can also be worked, enabling new products to be produced, for instance, cycling shorts with integrated body and leg openings. Moreover, a jacquard system with two jacquard guide bars, piezo technology for control of the jacquard needles, the Kamcos system with Multi-Speed facility and electronic beam drives enable the user to produce high-quality, jacquard-patterned, seamless clothing or garment with fewer seams efficiently on one machine. Mayer & Cie high-gauge machines suit niche market Two circular knitting machines of Mayer & Cie are able to produce silk-like elastic fabrics for niche segments including top-quality underwear, shirts, blouses and exclusive outerwear. The MV4-3.2 II is the specialist in the single jersey range up to gauge E 60. Ultra-fine fabrics in the double jersey range up to gauge E 50 are produced on the IG 3.2 QC interlock machine which offers the benefit of Quick-Change technology for fast gauge conversion. Caption: Silk-like elastic fabrics can be made on Mayer & Cie's IG 3.2 QC system The MV 4-3.2 II offers gauges of E 44 and upward, featuring a new CONI++ feeder and temperature control and additional sinker cam. In addition, feeders no longer need to be reset and press-off reliability is increased, particularly when working with lightweight fabrics. The flexible IG 3.2 QC provides a wide range of knitted constructions on an interlock basis. Synchronous and delayed timing can also be regulated using exchange cams to produce a wide spectrum from loose to extremely tight-knit fabrics. It is capable of producing fabrics from both cotton and synthetic yarns at high output rates, benefiting from a needle shape and positive needle guidance geared specifically to high-performance operation, the company says. Organ Needle specializes in needles Organ Needle from Japan specializes in the manufacture of needles used in the fields of sewing machines, knitting machines, felting and tufting. The company shares about 80% of the Japanese market and 15% of the international market, it says. To cater for the diverse and higher market needs in the fashion and fiber sectors, the company has adopted a small-batch production of a wide range of products, which are characterized by high precision and durability. Organ Needle also works with various steel suppliers to develop materials for the manufacture of needles. Varied seamless apparel made possible with Santoni Santoni, a member of Lonati Group, provides an extensive range of textile machinery to meet today's needs of clients around the world. The company says it meets 97% of the worldwide demand for seamless machines, whose use, make possible the development of a growing success diversified in various sectors of the garments market (underwear, sportswear, beachwear, outerwear, medical wear). It markets the products across Europe, North and South America, as well as emergent markets like China, Turkey, India and Pakistan. The company opened a manufacturing facility in Shanghai industrial area two years ago. Santoni currently offers 14 different models of electronic circular knitting machines for seamless wear. Its single jersey electronic circular knitting machine can produce seamless single garments, including underwear, outwear, swimwear, sportswear and sanitary garment. Double knit electronical circular knitting machine for rib knitting fabric for underwear, as well as for outwear, beachwear, sportswear and sanitary wear are offered by Santoni. The fabrics produced can be in continuous tubular fabric or separated pieces. Additionally, the company in recent times has introduced electronic warp knitting machines for seamless garments.

Machinery Technology Shima Seiki unveils MACH2X system The MACH2X, an advanced computerized flat knitting machine, is the latest offering from Shima Seiki. A WholeGarment specialty machine that features four needle beds and Shima Seiki's original SlideNeedle, the new system can knit beautifully shaped, high-quality WholeGarment knitwear, which conform well to the body for improved fit and comfort and an elegant silhouette. What sets the MACH2X apart is its speed and productivity, the company says. Caption: MACH2X of Shima Seiki Maximum knitting speed is increased to 1.6m/sec. Moreover, the new R2Carriage system permits quicker carriage returns for higher efficiency per knitted course. New Split Stitch technique furthermore allows efficient knitting by eliminating empty courses. Additionally, on the 15L gauge machine a special large-hook version of the SlideNeedle is used for knitting 12-gauge fabrics at 15-gauge needle pitch for higher productivity. These improvements combine to yield more than twice as much productivity than before. With this increase in productivity, Shima Seiki provides WholeGarment production supporting China's manufacturing base. Stoll underscores highly productive knitting machines Stoll offers several models of the CMS machine range, bearing "HP" in their machine designation to indicate its characteristics of high productivity. Productivity of these systems increases up to 14% depending on parameters and gauge. Besides faster carriage reversal and higher carriage speed, there are shorter knitting systems that afford this increase, the company explains. The fast carriage return with Stoll machines thanks to Power-RCR guarantees short knitting times, especially fabric pieces with a large amount of short strokes. The low overall height makes important machine elements easy to reach and a CMS an ergonomic workplace. Other practical details provide operating convenience, including the Stoll-touchcontrol and USB ports. Due to the .2 gauges and Stoll-multi gauges, it is possible to

Machinery Technology Caption: CMS 530 HP of Stoll partly realize different gauges on one and the same CMS without needle replacements or gauge conversions. Another Stoll upgrade is the new entry models named CMS 502 and CMS 502 multi gauge. They offer two knitting systems, 45-inch working width, take-down comb and cutting&clamping on the right hand side. Additionally, Stoll provides practical accessories for various operational areas and machine applications. In the area of intarsia knitting, the machines are equipped with the so called intarsia kit enabling intarsia knitting with up to 32 optimized intarsia yarn carriers and optional 2x16 clamping and cutting points. The company has also introduced a new yarn measuring device, Automatic stitch control (ASCON) and an upgraded pattern software M1plus. Quanzhou Classic Precision highlights durability Chinese suppliers are getting more active in the knitting machinery market. Quanzhou Classic Precision, a manufacturer built by a Taiwanese investor, supplies a range of circular knitting machinery used for the production of apparel, medical and technical textiles. The company has multiple patents registered in Taiwan and received the ISO9001:2000 International Quality System certification in 2002. The size of knitting machinery being made ranges from 4-68 inches with up to 68 gauges. Major products of the company include single/double-side needle cylinders; single/double-side jacquard (computerized) needle cylinders; and needle cylinders to produce towels, apparel, seamless intimate wear and more. Made of quality materials, these equipments are durable. They are used by such industry players as Haitian, Youngor, Hongdou and Jifa, Quanzhou Classic Precision says. Taifan Machinery promotes Chinese systems The TF-D2F2 high-speed double-side knitting machine is a recent technological advancement of Taifan Machinery. The system is able to produce a variety of fabrics, including air-filled textiles, double-side pique and elastic fabrics. The needle cylinder diameter ranges between 16-35 inches. Another recently developed single-side open width machine produces crease-free fabrics to minimize fabric wastage. This system works efficiently and reliably, with CAXA software (from a Beijing software supplier) and a computer numerical controlled (CNC) system, Taifan Machinery states. Furthermore, the TF-SML2 knitting machine is suitable for knitting different long and short staple fibers, as well as Lycra fabrics with additional accessories. Besides, several knit finishing machines are introduced. Improved benefits for knitted fabrics from Monforts In optimizing its stenter ranges for knitted fabrics, Monforts introduced a number of benefits such as reduced wastage, including Toptex that improves shrinkage of knitted fabrics. The newly improved pinning, glueing and trimming devices for knitted fabrics from Monforts offer a reduction in wastage by up to 60%. New optical sensors ensure that the knitted fabric is pinned as close to the fabric edge as possible reading 4,000 measurements per second even at the maximum machine speed, the company says. Being a newly new redesigned compressive shrinkage sanforisor for knitted fabrics, Toptex offers increased residual shrinkage, higher production speeds, automatic grinding of the rubber blanket, reduced water consumption for cooling and substantial time savings for blanket changes. Moreover, a new soft coating process suitable for many knitted fabrics provides energy savings with reduced liquor application. The new process, using trough and roller techniques, applies a required amount of liquid/coating to the fabric via contact with the roller Applications include nano coating, water repellency, softeners and pigment dyeing. In view of the rising costs of heat energy, the company offers the Monformatic, a controlling tool for continuous drying, fixing or condensation processes. Navis Global system controls knit finishing Navis TubeTex Delta-Nit Pad can operate at 80 m/min with maximum water extraction and uniform chemical application without edge marking. The latest design incorporates stainless steel frame, stainless steel guards, and super-energy efficient motors/drive components. The newest option is the Constant Quality Control (CQC) System. The CQC mixes chemical applications on demand at the pad to conserve finishing products and to improve fabric quality. It is integrated into the Delta-Nit Pad control system for easy operation and minimal floor space. The system also measures the pad bath and automatically mixes the finishing chemicals to maintain the correct application set point to +/- 0.1% In addition, Navis TubeTex Ultra-Nit Dryer is a productive and efficient system. The six-zone 3200mm dryer is capable of up to 65 tons per day of production. The latest design incorporates super-efficient oven panels and end closures, and super-energy efficient motors/drive components, according to Navis Global. Navis TubeTex also offers a newly-developed, open width knit compactor TM-100, featuring a production speed of over 40 meter per minute and compaction over 25%.

Machinery Technology Approaching zero discharge with optimised resource management With mounting expectation of protecting our planet, textile machinery manufacturers, such as Benninger, have emphasised on resource management in the area of wet finishing by Stephan Kehry There is no doubt that the increased environmental awareness all around the world has its roots in commercial considerations: Polluted rivers keep tourists away, dried- out fields hardly attract investors, over-salted lakes do not help to accelerate development aid. Whether the motivating factors are commercial by nature or not, textile finishing has a special responsibility as a "water consuming industry". It is now time to meet this responsibility. The available technology is useful and makes good commercial sense. Growing water shortages Only around 10% of total water consumption is accounted for by direct human needs in the world. The lion's share of 70% is used in agriculture, and the remaining 20% is used in industry. Regional variations give an indication of the degree of industrialisation of the different national economies. For example, China uses 80% of its water to irrigate fields, whereas in Europe half of the water is pumped into factories. All this is in stark contrast to the geographical distribution of the water resource. While China is home to around 20% of the world's population, it only has access to around 5% of world's freshwater supplies. Conflicts in this area are already (pre-) programmed. A large amount of our drinking water is already used during the production of food. For example, it takes 5,000 litres of water to produce just one kilogram of meat for human consumption. But also vegetarians have an impact: The production of both one kilogram of bread or one litre of orange juice entails the use of 1,000 litres of water. In the light of this, daily water consumption of an average household in Switzerland seems to be rather modest at approximately 162 litres per head (including showers, toilet flushing, washing machine, cooking, drinking and washing). Water and energy always have been the two main components in the production of textile fabrics. The majority of it goes into the production of the natural fibres (e.g. cotton, wool or linen), the plants need to be watered throughout their entire lifecycle, and the sheep need to be fed and watered. In the case of cotton, this can sum up to as much as 20,000 litres of water per kilogram (in Sudan as much as 29,000L). Against the background of worsening shortages of global resources, these are alarming figures, but they can be dramatically reduced through innovative irrigation techniques (plantation cultivation / "drip irrigation"). With these new techniques, the production of one kilogram of cotton still requires between 7,000 and 9,000 litres of water, but the downward trend at least gives some cause for hope. Water is also crucial in the Middle East. The intensive water consumption of the cotton growing industry has strained relations between Turkey, Iraq, Israel and Syria. By contrast, sophisticated irrigation of cotton fields is up to now uncommon in West African countries. The consequences of irrigation lead the world to salinisation, erosion of the soils, the depletion of water reserves and contamination of groundwater. In view of the expected shortages of the increasingly valuable resource of water, it seems inevitable that the amount of water used to grow cotton will have to be reduced rather in the short term than long term, especially as more and more fields will have to be irrigated as a consequence of climate change. Besides irrigation of cotton fields, wet finishing is the undisputed number two in the list of resource waste. Starting with sizing and desizing, washing, bleaching, mercerising, then dyeing and printing, perhaps even coating, all along in these processes there is always a washing cycle involved, which may require as much as 20 litre of water per each cycle per kilogram of material. As a result, water consumption may add to as much as 200 litre of water during the wet finishing processes for just one kilogram of grey cotton. By the time a standard men’s shirt is tailored and displayed in a shop, more than 2,000 litres of water have gone into its production and processing (basis: 100% CO, 125 g/m²). Minimising resources The scenario described above clearly shows that measures are needed. Benninger has developed a new concept to address the problem on two levels: • Minimisation • Recycling

Machinery Technology The minimisation of resources consumed is based on the optimisation of processes and machinery. Improved processes and modified recipes lead to improved quality and reproducibility and thus a lower consumption (of resources). The change from exhaust dyeing to a continuous process illustrates a good example. Based on the optimised consumption, water, energy and other resources then can be recycled. The result is a form of textile production that is both commercially and environmentally sustainable. Even the longest journey starts with a first step. In the case of resource management, a first step may also be a small one. An effective way to save energy in textile finishing is to enclose steam valves in a housing (pictured). The costs are minimal to allow a short payback period of less than eight months. Caption: Enveloped steam valves minimise energy loss A step further would be to enclose an entire cylinder drier in a housing. The insulation not only reduces dissipation, but at the same time the drying efficiency is increased. As a result, the same performance can be achieved with less heating cylinders and thus reduces the total investment outlays for the cylinder dryer. The steam savings add up to more than 15%, therefore the total costs can be recovered in less than two years. 15% cost savings via counter-flow optimisation More cost savings can be achieved along the liquor path. The magic word here is "counter-flow": The grey fabric runs through the washing compartments from the entry to the exit, the clean water is passed through the plant from the rear to the front. This means that the cleanest fabric comes into contact with the cleanest washing liquor. By rigorously applying this counter-flow principle, it is possible to save both water and energy. An example is cold pad batch (CPB) dye washing. During dyeing with the CPB method, a padder with nip-controlled rollers (so-called "swimming") is used to apply dyestuff to the fabric in a defined manner. After a dwelling time that varies depending on the dyestuff, the excess dyestuff needs to be washed out. A distinction is made between the following processes: 1.Rinsing out dyestuff from the surface 2.Soaping (here, the dyes are moved from the core of the fibres to the surface) 3.Neutralization 4.Washing out of the salts produced during neutralization This process normally requires 20 litres of water and 1.6kg of steam per kilogram of fabric. In a first step the counter-flow principle can be rigorously applied to the individual processes. The water used to wash out the salts in the rear compartment is directed around the soaping compartments and is then used again when the surface dyestuffs are rinsed out. As the level of soil is low in the rear part of the washing range, this liquor can be used effectively to wash in the front. In addition, less heating of the water is required for the soaping process, which saves energy in the form of steam. Caption: Less heating of the water is required for the soaping process, which saves energy in the form of steam The consumption of resources in this process amounts to 9 litres of water and 0.95 kg of steam for one kilo of fabric. Less energy is required in the downstream drying process, as the temperature is already 40°C higher than in conventional processes. Following savings can be achieved on the basis of average costs: • Water savings 55% • Steam savings 41% • Overall cost savings 15% It is clearly possible to improve the internal cost without new considerable investment. The key to these improvements is process know-how and modern open width plant concepts. Innovative concepts in handling knitted goods The choice of the correct plant concept also plays an important role. In the past, knitwear finishing was largely performed in rope form. The fabric tension and curling of the edges made a continuous handling of these goods impossible and therefore an efficient handling impossible. New drive concepts and adapted fabric guidance systems permit companies for new investments to revert to an open width fabric guidance system based on the Trikoflex principle from Benninger. The quality benefits of open width treatment are felt in texture and consistency of the surface of the fabric. While jet treatment is a mechanical process, continuous treatment in the Trikoflex washing modules is a gentler method. No creasing or abrasive surface damage (pilling) is expected. Additionally, the individual processes are separated from each other, and with the modern plant controls a clear overview is maintained at all times. Apart from an improved user guidance, this results in an excellent reproducibility, improved quality and reduced subsequent costs. Major savings of continuous treatment, however, are found in the variable costs.

Machinery Technology While the exhaustion dyeing process requires between 70-90 litres on average to dye and wash one kilogram of knitwear, a modern Trikoflex plant uses 18 litres for the same process, which corresponds to a saving of nearly 75%. It also saves in terms of energy consumption. With the facility, continuous treatment uses 4500 kJ per kilo of dyed knit goods compared to the previous 19,100 kJ. Further savings are possible with water recovery and recirculation. Water flow in textile finishing plants A wastewater treatment and a recovery system for selected types of wastewater from textile processes consists of two components: ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. The difference between the two systems is largely in the pore size of the filter systems used. While ultrafiltration retains particles of less than 10 to 100 nm (this corresponds to 0.00001 to 0.0001mm), reverse osmosis filters out particles less than 1 nm in size. In comparison, cigarette smoke particles are in the order of magnitude of around 1000 nm, and a human hair is 100,000 nm thick. Wastewater from the washing process is directed to the ultrafiltration stage. This cleaning stage is made up of tiny, self-cleaning ceramic tubes, which are highly resistant to chemicals and have a service life of around 10 years. High temperatures are no problem for this module. This process leads to a reduction of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) — which acts as an indicator of organic substances in the bath — of 63% during desizing, 80% during bleaching and still 48% during reactive dyeing. ZERO DISCHARGE fresh-water recycled-water waste-water Ultrafiltration Module filtrated-water Reverse Osmosis Module concentrate Exaporation Module solids Caption: Wastewater treatment system suggested by Benninger Caption: Wastewater samples show effects of the treatment system (Pictured from left: the original wastewater in sample 1 is cleaned in subsequent samples on the right) After the ultrafiltration stage, the wastewater passes through the reverse osmosis stage. Here, the remaining dyes and dissolved salts are separated from the remaining liquor. This effect is the result of a spirally rolled-up polymer, which operates at a pressure of 25 bar. The service life here is three years, and the component is cleaned according to the “Cleaning in Place” method (CIP). In this method, the surfaces of the system in contact with products are cleaned without major disassembly work. The effect of reverse osmosis can be seen in the difference between sample 2 and sample 3 in water samples shown above. Sample 4 shows normal tap water as a direct comparison. In order to protect the reverse osmosis process, the hot water from the washing baths is cooled in a heat exchanger after the ultrafiltration stage. After the reverse osmosis, the water can then be heated using this energy. As a result, 70% of the employed energy can be reused. Depending on the level of soil, up to 85% of the water can be recovered. Restrictions only apply to substances that would cause the filters to block up. These include silicates if the pH value is less than 7, printing paste, silicone oil, fluorocarbons and a few other particular specialities, which can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and need to be verified for each individual chemical. Aiming at zero discharge Given the current pricing pressure in the textile industry, regional and national environmental regulations can often make all the difference between commercial success and failure. Meeting waste disposal requirements brings potential financial benefits. By combining ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, plants can operate without any wastewater altogether, a concept known as "Zero Discharge". The highly concentrated contaminants accumulated from both filtration stages are collected and transferred to a solidification process. The resulting solids usually have an organic basis and often have an excellent calorific value. This is an opportunity to improve the image of textile finishing and, at the same time, reduce the potential conflict between a company's own production and the requirements of the community. How does this filtration impact on cost calculations? In the example of a washing process as mentioned earlier on, the amount of freshwater is reduced to just 1.5 litres per treated kilogram of fabric. This corresponds to a saving of nearly 92%. More impressive is the potential savings with the investment in a modern open width installation for knitted goods in combination with ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. Instead of the 70-90 litres consumption in a discontinued process, a modern and more efficient Trikoflex plant uses 4 litres only, achieving a saving of 94%. Source: Benninger AG

Material Technology Office wear and performance apparel are targeted growth markets Corporate workwear and performance apparel are among new areas being explored for wool, as demand from its traditional markets diminishes, Adrian Wilson writes The demand for wool, both as a signifier of quality in high-end men's suits and haute couture women's fashions, as well as the ultimate in luxury carpeting, appears to be at an all-time low. World wool production continued its long-term downward trend in 2008, falling by another 3% to 1.16 million tonnes clean weight, the lowest level since the 1940s. This was in part because disappointing Spring rain in southeast Australia, following a dry Winter and Autumn, took its toll on the national wool clip. However, at the same time the wool used in apparel production in 2008 dipped 2.3% to about 560,000 tonnes, and wool used for carpets also fell 5.3% to approximately 480,000 tonnes, according to a recent report by textile machinery manufacturer, Oerlikon Textile. Given the global recession, perhaps this was only to be expected. Wool prices for coarse crossbred wool, a heavy grade accounting for about 80% of New Zealand's output, dropped to their lowest in 30 years as the slump in construction around the world eroded the demand for wool carpets in both new buildings and home renovations. European closures Having a notable impact on the European woollen industry in 2008 was the closure of the BWK Elders wool top production plants in Germany and Turkey. The German plant in Bremen was a substantial wool topmaker and one of the last remaining large wool topmakers outside China. A topmaker takes different farm lots and blends them to meet specifications and price restraints placed on him by the combing mill. The closure marks the end of 125 years of wool processing at BWK Germany. This means that in terms of volume, the relocation of the wool topmaking industry to China has continued, with some remaining in other Asian countries and in Latin America, but only a few processors left in Europe. About a third of all wool was processed at the spinning stage in Europe in 2000, with Italy being the second largest wool spinning country in the world, using 177,000 tonnes, a share of 12% of world use. By 2008 that had fallen by more than half to below 70,000 tonnes, and Italy's spinning industry is now shifting away from Italy due to high labour costs, notably to Central Europe. In addition, other world-famous companies in the wool business have discontinued operations in Australia and New Zealand. Production shifts from Australia and New Zealand The closure of Western Australia's last wool washing plant, Jandakot Wool Washing, obliged leading wool fibres exporter, Michell, to reopen its own wool scouring plant in Adelaide. Wool processor, Chargeurs New Zealand, closed the country's last medium-grade wool mill. In addition, the New Zealand Commerce Commission has approved a restructuring proposal in respect of merging some wool scouring units and reducing overall capacity by about a third. Things don't look any better this year either. The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee (AWPFC) says that the country's premium fibre continues to be in short supply as a result of poor rainfall across southeast Australia and lower than expected fleece weights. "Even though there has been good rain in northern Australia and in Western Australia, fleece weights there have not been as good as expected," said AWPFC chairman, Russell Pattinson. "The significant shift in the structure of the flock, with a greater proportion of ewes and lambs and a much smaller proportion of wethers, has meant that even in states where rainfall and seasonal conditions have been reasonable, fleece weights have remained below historical levels." Statistics on sheep numbers, slaughterings and live sheep exports, all point to a further reduction in the supply of Australian wool for this season, he added. "Another contributing factor is the reduced use of fertiliser on pastures due to its significant price increase, which has reduced carrying capacity. "The recent softer wool prices in comparison to continued good prices for sheep meat and lamb are causing growers to consider their options. However, from a positive perspective, Australian farmers are largely remaining with sheep and Merino ewes as the base of their operation."

Material Technology A recent survey, he said, found that 67% of Merino ewes will be mated to Merino rams this season, which will help the Australian wool industry recover — once seasonal conditions improve across Australia and wool prices pick up. Production is forecast to fall in every state of Australia in 2008/09, with the smallest percentage declines compared with 2007/08 expected in Queensland and New South Wales, and the largest declines expected in South Australia and Tasmania. New markets for wool The push continues to find new markets for wool, beyond its traditional areas. One of the latest introductions from Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is the new Merino Perform range of extra-fine Merino performance fabrics designed for next-to-skin wear. The natural qualities of Australian Merino – such as natural breathability and elasticity, odour resistance, sweat and moisture control and suitability for multi-climatic environments – mean that Merino Perform fabrics provide an unrivalled level of next-to-skin comfort for everyday, active and sports wear in all climates. The Merino Perform programme is a global partnership with some of the world's best circular knitters. Its supply chain currently includes market leading companies in Australia, China, Europe, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, with plans to expand this network as demand grows. The supply chain offers a selection of Merino Perform fabrics suitable for a diverse range of active and sports activities. Merino Perform is produced in accordance with Woolmark standards ensuring high quality, fit-for-purpose and ultimate next-to-skin comfort. Office wear offers business opportunities Fine worsted wool and tailoring manufacturer C&J Antich and Sons, meanwhile, based in Huddersfield, UK, believes the corporate suitings market could be further exploited and has launched a new suit for the corporate market called Antec. It is said to set a new benchmark for office wear as a result of its five key properties which produce a comfortable, cool, crease free, machine-washable suit. Caption: Antec machine washable suit of C&J Antich and Sons Each Antec suit is distinguished by the following proprietary technologies: • Flextec, enabling maximum comfort and support; • Cooltec moisture-wicking technology; • Climatec, which regulates body temperature; • Creasetec, which improves the natural shedding of creases; and • Washtec, employing specialised components and a machine-washable bag, making dry cleaning a thing of the past. The British woollen and suitings market is admired by the world for its sartorial style, splendor, and elegance, but until recently it has not been linked with corporate wear. C & J Antich says its new suit will out-perform other products in the corporate wear market, including on price. Having supplied in excess of four million metres of Bengaline poly wool/Lycra to the corporate and retail market, C & J Antich has built up a considerable reputation, with customers including Marks & Spencer, Moss, John Lewis and British Airways. "In Huddersfield, we know how to weave a quality piece of fabric, whether it's for the fashion houses of London, Paris or Milan or the corporate and retail markets," said company director Chris Antich. "We feel Antec is the new benchmark for the corporate and retail sector." New chrome-free dyes introduced Improvements continue to be made to wool processing and one notable introduction is the Lanasol CE range chrome-free dyes by Huntsman Textile Effects. Chrome dyes have traditionally been the standard for wool dyeing, but they are known to be hazardous since they require the handling of carcinogenic potassium dichromate by workers in the dyehouse and mistakes in dosing can cause serious environmental problems. Huntsman made a clear decision to move away from this outdated technique in response to the demands of a number of retailers banning the use of chrome dyes on their products. Caption: New Huntsman Lanasol Blacks reactive dyes have a high fixation and levelness Its alternative, Lanasol CE, displays very good fibre levelness and high fastness, including wet fastness, as well as excellent reproducibility. In addition, the dyes ensure that the wool fibre is fully preserved and leave the finished article with a fresh fee. The range is designed for the exhaust dyeing of untreated, chlorinated and machine-washable wool at all processing stages, especially loose stock, slubbing and yarn. Huntsman's latest Lanasol Blacks range of chrome free dyes for wool and other fine animal fibres can be applied by a simple and robust dyeing process which ensures excellent reproducibility and significantly shorter processing, making them more economical than chrome dyes. （Countinued on p53)

Chemicals & Auxiliaries Finishing chemicals provide technical textiles enhancements Finishing chemicals are expected to manifest fast growth especially in the Asia Pacific region; drivers for growth include an increasing market for industrial and technical textiles, Ian Holme writes According to a report on the "World Textile Chemicals Market" published by Freedonia in December 2008, the global demand for textile chemicals was projected to increase by 2.8% per year, to reach US$19 billion by 2012. While colorants and auxiliaries were considered to remain the largest product sector, finishing chemicals were expected to exhibit faster growth especially in the Asia Pacific region, e.g. in China and India. The drivers for growth are product quality, comfort and durability in apparel, as well as in the increasing markets for industrial and technical textiles. In the industrial and technical textiles sector there is now increasing demand for a variety of functional finishes that can boost performance, enhance protection and confer higher levels of durability. Superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties, water-, oil- and stain-repellency, and flame retardancy are all performance criteria that can be enhanced by the application of chemicals and finishes, or by surface coatings. Antistatic and antimicrobial finishes, phase-change materials (PCM) and microencapsulated finishes (e.g. mosquito-repellent finishes) also have much to offer in the technical textiles field. Self-cleaning textiles need minimal care The natural self-cleaning action of the lotus leaf has stimulated a number of approaches to produce finishes with a combination of nano- and micro-roughness on the fibre surface. BASF developed its Mincor TX TT finish based upon the application of nanoparticles with a diameter less than 100 nanometres, which are embedded in a polymer matrix on the fibre surface. Engineered especially for use on technical textile fabrics such as flags, sails, sunshades and tents this durable nanostructured finish from BASF has received the Institute of Textile and Process Engineering (Denkendorf, Germany) seal of quality "Self-cleaning inspired by nature". This quality seal is only awarded to textile products proven to have a genuine self-cleaning action based upon nanostructured surfaces like its model in nature. Caption: Self-cleaning sunshades, flags and sails made of finished synthetic fabric are possible with BASF Mincor TX TT The patented NanoSphere finishing technology, reformulated by research teams from Schoeller Technologies AG and Clariant International Ltd using C6 fluorocarbon technology, avoids the pitfalls of the possibility of giving rise to perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which can be present from C8 fluorocarbon technology. Nanosphere self-cleaning technology can be utilised to make cotton and natural fibre blend fabrics that will repel dirt, water and oils. Caption: Finishing with BASF Mincor TX TT has been applied on polyester awning fabrics

Chemicals & Auxiliaries Caption: NanoSphere self-cleaning technology can be utilised to repel dirt, water and oils Finished textiles resist flame and bacteria A new non-halogenated flame retardant, Cetaflam BC8380, was developed by Avocet Dye & Chemical Co. Ltd, Brighouse, UK. Cetaflam BC8380 developed to provide a non-halogenated flame retardant treatment can be back coated on to polyester automotive fabrics. It can be applied in combination with a polyurethane, acrylic, or SBR (styrene butadiene resin) binder / resin system and a major advantage is that the product requires only low application levels. Typically application levels in the 30-60 gsm range are required dependent upon the construction and weight of the polyester fabric. When liquid is spotted on the coated side of a flame retardant-coated polyester automotive fabric and the material is subsequently dried some products can migrate to the fabric surface by leaching, giving rise to the production of a white ring. A major advantage of Cetaflam BC8380 is that this leaching effect is greatly minimised and, in the majority of cases, a white ring does not develop. This leaching problem has been overcome by careful component selection and blending of the Cetaflam BC8380. Clariant introduced its range of Appretan E dispersions for finishing technical fabrics such as coated textiles and nonwoven fabrics. Appretan E dispersions are APEO (alkyl phenol ethylene oxide)-free and can be applied without the need for a formaldehyde-containing external crosslinker such as a melamine formaldehyde resin. The Appretan E polymers also comply with the zero formaldehyde requirements stipulated by Japan Law 112, Oeko-Tex and the European Union Ecolabel and can be combined with flame retardants, fluorotelomers and thickeners to impart resistance to water, alcohol and solvents. Appretan E dispersions are used to enhance the technical performance of technical textiles. The permanent flame retardant finishing of cotton and cotton-rich blends can be achieved using Pekoflam DPN.CN liq conc from Clariant. This flame retardant system can provide excellent fastness to washing, and depending on the crosslinker system used is effective at wash temperatures up to 95°C. The product is a low yellowing flame retardant. Sanitized AG launched its novel Sanitized Silver antimicrobial finish, which is based upon silver salt, and is not based upon nanoparticulate silver. Sanitized Silver can be applied by the exhaust method or by padding, and does not require the use of a binder. The silver salt acts on the bacterial cell membranes preventing their growth, and thereby hindering cell reproduction. Many fabrics that are soft and stretchable cannot be treated by the exhaust process; hence the Sanitized Silver finish, which can be applied by padding, allows a wider range of fabrics to be given an antimicrobial finish. Sanitized Silver is approved under Bluesign and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 registration (Classes I-IV). This antimicrobial finish is claimed to offer a high resistance to washing, e.g. 50 or more wash cycles at 140°F (78°C). Many technical fabrics must retain antistatic properties within the environment of the end use, e.g. in the electronics industry. Static generation in polyester fabrics, especially in dry atmospheres, can be a problem, but Sarex (India) offers a new antistatic finish specially developed for polyester termed Fabfeel Conc. This product not only confers antistatic properties but also, because of the hydrophilic nature of Fabfeel Conc, is also claimed to promote improved levels of wearer comfort in apparel. Maximum performance combined with a minimum environmental footprint are features of Oleophobol CP from Huntsman Textile Effects. It is based upon short chain chemistry from DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise and cannot break down to PFOA in the environment. DuPont Capstone for textile finishes are the chemical basis for Oleophobol CP. It also complies with Oeko-Tex standard 100 and is a Bluesign-approved finish. Specially treated sailcloth repel water Adding water repellency to textiles is another popular area of special finishes used on industrial and technical textiles. A number of treatments can help prevent the passage of water through fabric to better repel water, to allow the fabric to last longer, to enhance tear strength of the fabric, and to achieve better weathering properties. Ravlex provides benefits mentioned above, according to a US-based finishes and coatings supplier, Whitford Corporation. The waterborne system (Ravlex 60-620 and Ravlex 60-420) is applicable for sailcloth and tents. The Ravlex 60-620/60-420 system is waterborne; capable of achieving in excess of two-meter hydrostatic head; and suitable for cotton, polyester, polyamide fabrics. It can also be used for breathable textiles. Varied finishes are used for two ranges of substrates. Low-temperature materials include polyester, polyamide and polyurethane, whereas Kevlar, Nomex and fibreglass are high-temperature materials. All in all, a number of functionality can be attained with the use of special textile finishes/coatings, including low friction; high resistance to abrasion; water repellency; combination of tensile strength and flexibility; and resistance to oils.

Nonwovens/Technical Textiles Multi-layered fabrics offer more technical possibilities Often made on rapier weaving machines, three-dimensional distance fabrics are increasingly popular in recent years, partly due to the maturity of the manufacturing process. Being lightweight but reinforcement composites, distance fabrics have found uses in construction, transportation and more fields. The same rapier weavers are able to perform other duties such as the production of multi-layer materials for extended technical textile applications by Dominique Maes NV Michel van de Wiele, an international supplier of carpet and velvet weaving machines, offers machinery and know-how on the double cloth weaving principle. Double cloth fabrics have three yarn systems: pile warp, backing warp and weft. With the double cloth weaving process, two superimposed backing fabrics are woven simultaneously, while the pile warp is connecting both fabrics together. Such double fabric is split on the double rapier weaving machine by the pile cutting motion into a top and bottom fabric. When the pile cutting motion is not used, the weaving machines are able to produce distance fabrics, transportation fabrics and other technical fabrics. The weaving process gives the opportunity to create dense top and bottom layers with almost stretched fibers, and with connections between those layers. 3D distance fabrics allow more applications Distance fabrics are often produced by velvet weaving technique, which is typically performed on a multiplayer weaving process. Two or more wefts are inserted simultaneously in superimposed sheds. The distance warp, which is equivalent to the pile warp in the double cloth principle, is interlacing top and bottom fabrics, which are not split. The entire fabric is taken-up and is wound on one roll. A Van de Wiele double rapier weaving machine, for instance, inserts two wefts simultaneously and lancets fix the distance between the two fabrics to produce distance fabrics. The backing warp ends and wefts form the textile faces and the distance warp ends connect both textile faces together. Some special precautions have to be made, to allow trouble-free weaving. To form clean sheds and to keep their distance at constant level, in some cases gauges or lancets are used. Lancets are metallic strips which are inserted from the spread rolls into the harness and reed, between top and bottom fabric into the jaw of top and bottom rail. The height of the gauges determines the lowest fabric face distance and forms the step by which the textile face distance can be changed. The textile face distance is programmed with the binding sequence of the distance warp ends. This programming is done by a three position shedding by dobby or Jacquard head. The distance warp ends are woven into the face fabrics on a sequence of a number of picks. These picks are designated as face connecting points. Between this face connecting points, the distance warp ends are not woven into the face fabrics, but interlaced on catching wefts or false picks laying on the top and bottom of the lancets. Caption: A Van de Wiele double rapier weaving machine cross-section Caption: Weave structure with false picks or catching wefts withdrawn from the double fabric after weaving, allowing the textile faces to take their programmed distance Two-face fabrics are defined by the choice of warp yarn type, weave structure, connecting warp system and the finishing matching the respective field of application. The space between the two faces can remain empty or can be filled. Nowadays, two-face fabrics with face distance of 15 mm up to 1000 mm are produced. Many finishing operations are available: impregnation, plastic and metallic coating and foaming. Thermo hardening and thermoplastic resins can be applied. Sandwich fabrics Sandwich fabrics find applications in partition walls and covering systems as noise or as heat barriers. The distance and backing materials are polyester HT yarns. The distance between faces is 50 mm to 200 mm. The space between the face fabrics can be filled with foam or with quartz sand.

Nonwovens/Technical Textiles Cement bags Cement bags are used in concrete constructions, in dike and slope constructions. Textile face distance ranges from 10 to 20 cm. For backing warp and distance warp yarns polypropylene is used in low tenacity applications and nylon HT is used for high tenacity applications. Caption: Flexible distance fabrics (a) of 200mm filled with concrete for dike and slope constructions (b); filled with foam for insulation (c) Bending resistant sandwich panels Bending resistant sandwich panels find application in automotive, marine and aviation construction as reinforced light weight walls. Warp and weft are glass. This fabric is impregnated with resin and is cured. The thickness ranges from 3 to 28 mm. The panels have a light specific weight and have excellent bending strength and stiffness. This distance fabrics are also applied in the field of gas and fluid containers and in ‘in situ’ transformation of single wall fuel reservoirs into double wall versions, as demanded by local legislation. The intermediate space may serve as a leak by-pass zone, which can be monitored. Caption: Automotive application of sandwich panels: fiberglass woven wheel cover, impregnated with resin Caption: Application in aviation: wing panel, light and strong Flexible two-face fabrics Flexible two-face fabrics find application as air duct for air-conditioning. The two-face fabric air duct system hangs on the ceiling and is easily adjusted to the form of the ceiling. Low temperature storage buildings are also isolated with two-face fabrics. Flexible two-face fabrics also find application in the waste industry as protective layer against penetration of harmful materials into the ground. Other industrial applications are the inflatable air bags for lifting heavy loads as pressing forms and air crafts, or inflatable tumbling mats for gymnastics. Caption: Machine set up for weaving inflatable boat panels with specially shaped spoon lancets Temporary inflatable structures as boats and shelters are also made of flexible two-face fabrics. For the bottom panel of a inflatable boat a special setup can be used. Distances of up to 70 mm are woven without false picks or catching wefts. Specially shaped spoon lancets are used. Caption: Tumbling mat for gymnastics: air is blown in the two-face fabric. The distance warps keep the two faces on a uniform distance Two-face fabrics with elastic compression properties By choosing the right material and number of connections for the distance warp, a two-face fabric with elastic compression properties can be made. Advantages are: reduction of confection steps, stability of the product, possibility to add other functions. Applications are in the field of sports (shoes, saddle fabrics for horse and etc), in the medical field (mattresses with extra functions, e.g. cooling or heating). Multi-layer weaves add value with sandwich construction The multiple rapier machine is very suitable for the production of multiple layer weaves for strengthening of conveyer-belts, light weight plates and ballistic protection plates. The multiple rapier weaving machines have a great advantage in production, because typically in this case production speed is defined by the materials used, so by having more than one weft inserted simultaneously, the weaving production is multiplied without change of machine speed. Also in some cases the use of multiple rapier allows to let some critical yarns pass into the fabric between the rapiers, so without lifting the yarns up and down. Multiple layers Caption: Multiple layer weave produced with a double rapier weaving machine

Nonwovens/Technical Textiles weaves can also be woven in special constructions. Out of these constructions textile profiles are made. In this way a multiple layer weave is changed into a profile after impregnation and then hardened. Recently, TU Dresden used a Van de Wiele double rapier weaving machine to produce a sandwich construction, where the connecting points between the other layers are made of woven fabric. A special technique is applied in which the connecting parts are woven in a normal way, but then the fabric is moved backwards to bring together the picks of the outer layers. Structures with triangle shaped cross sections are possible and have an increased stiffness. Weaving of outer layers Weaving of crosslinks Pulling-back of floatings Caption: Sandwich construction by TU Dresden on Van de Wiele double rapier weaving machine has woven structures in all directions, including in the crosslink part Subsequently, long pile fabrics are made on multiple rapier weaving machines. The connecting yarns are cut on the machine by the integrated cutting system. Typically two fabrics of up to 40 mm pile height can be made simultaneously without lancets. Apart from the application in clothing, long pile fabrics have technical applications in the production of paint rollers, cleaning brushes and polishing mats for automotive and machinery industry. Caption: Artificial grass can be woven on a weaving machine Other technical textile applications In addition to NV Michel van de Wiele, members of the Van de Wiele Group also offer a range of machinery applied to the manufacture of technical textiles. The IRO and ROJ companies are suppliers of feeders for the weaving industry. Recent developments include the XD X2 and HD X2 range, for aramid, carbon or glass fiber, or even for steel or aluminum wire. The Super Elf X2 HD for PP/PE tape and coarse yarns is installed on air jet looms. The low twist unit, specifically designed to weave metal-polyester film yarn or the tape yarn has proven to be an effective solution. The IRO-Memminger company provides feeders and other accessories for knitting, with a growing market in technical applications. The Bonas company introduced MJ, LJ and ZJ to allow applications in the technical textiles field, including airbags. Other specific adaptations include optimal springs for the harness, adapted drive system, special coating on the selector boards, covers with connection means for clean air systems. Griffith Textile Machines has developed machines or machine parts for making technical textiles: machines for geo textiles, for joining paper maker felts, for making scrims, for 3D narrow composites. Artificial grass is woven on a specially designed version of Van de Wiele double shed carpet weaving machine in 5m or 15' pile width. Two grass carpets, each up to 70mm pile height, are woven simultaneously. Advantages of this process, compared to other production methods, are: better pile fixation (no extra backing needed), better water infiltration, straight pile, design possibilities (jacquard weaving), better pile distribution so that less pile material (-15%) is needed to obtain a product with comparable properties. Dominique Maes is Manager Technology & Intellectual Property of the Van de Wiele Group (Continued from "Machinery Technology" p45) Complementing the black dyes is Miralan LTD, the first low temperature dyeing auxiliary that facilitates the application of Lanasol Black dyes for deepest black shades at reduced temperature and shorter dyeing times with minimal fibre damage. The frequently heard arguments that deep black shades are not achievable with metal free dyes are now history, the company says. Lanasol Blacks reactive dyes are said to produce the same or even deeper black shades than the mordant blacks, with high fixation and satisfactory levelness that match and exceed the qualities of chrome dyes. Chinese firm buys UK cashmere producers In another major change in the luxury fibres market, famous Scottish cashmere manufacturer, Todd and Duncan, was acquired by Chinese company, Ningxia Zhongyin, this September. Todd and Duncan, based in Kinross, Scotland, is a manufacturer of highest quality cashmere, blended and woollen yarns. It sources most of its raw materials from China and exports about 60% of its product to the European market. Ningxia Zhongyin is a major supplier of cashmere fibre to Todd & Duncan. In 2008, Todd and Duncan reported an operating loss of £500,000 on a turnover of £22.2 million. "Todd and Duncan has experienced challenging trading conditions in recent years, resulting from increasing raw material costs and intense competition in Europe," said Dawson International CEO, Andy Bartmess. "Ningxia Zhongyin is committed to manufacturing cashmere yarns from a Scottish manufacturing base and maintaining a Scottish workforce."

China Focus Chinese firms seek technology and product upgrade 中國企業尋求技術及產品升級 by Staff Reporters Due to various adverse factors in the domestic and overseas markets in 2009, China textile and apparel economy is facing a number of new challenges. However, instead of seeing the present hardship as sign of a weakening industry, many of those in the field in China regarded it as a call for readjustment as the country's textile industry tries to reach a higher level in the global market. This survey aimed to find out the attitudes and behaviors of different textile enterprises in China in terms of making investment decisions, applying new technologies, product research and development, extending market reach, addressing manpower needs and so on as they ride through the waves of the global financial crisis. Profile of respondents Of all the 554 respondents who participated in this part of the survey, 25.63% were owners, chairmen, general managers and/or factory directors with extensive industrial experience; 26.17% were from sales departments who are particularly sensitive to market change and future development trend; 14.62% were from research and development (R&D) departments who tend to have proactive perspective about popular trend. These three types of respondents account for more than half of all respondents, making the results of this survey substantially representative. Of these respondents, nearly 45% are equipment/technical suppliers and 43% are textile product production or processing enterprises, while close to 8% are textile material suppliers. About one-fourth of respondents have 11-20 years of experience in the textile industry, and over 42% have 3-10 years of experience, accounting for the highest percentage in this survey, while another 16% have less than three years of experience. In terms of years of incorporation, about 40% of respondents' enterprises were established 6-10 years ago, another 40% were established more than 10 years. Since about 80% of the responding enterprises are producers in the textile industry, the results of this survey are more applicable to the manufacturing sector. In this survey, over half (57.04%) of respondents are from private enterprises, 15% from foreign-owned enterprises, 13% from state-owned/state-controlled enterprises, and 11% from Sino-foreign joint venture/cooperative enterprises. Of these responding enterprises, 68% have a workforce of less than 500 employees and 12% are listed companies. In terms of business scope, 69.13% are engaged in export business. % of respondents 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 6.86% Fibers 11.55% Yarns 9.93% Fabrics 10.11% Printing & dyeing / finishing 0.90% Dyes / auxiliaries 13.54% Knitwear / accessories 2.88% Nonwovens / industrial textiles 45.67% Equipment / machines 3.79% Apparel 1.44% Retail 4.33% Others Caption: Key product areas of responding enterprises Technology upgrade important in next two years Being one of the biggest textile industrial bases and markets in the world, China relies heavily on imported technologies. By the end of the previous century, constant industry growth combined with the speeding up of technical development has helped China's textile industry to increase its ability in technology research and development in both "hardware" and "software". Technical contribution is playing an increasingly important role in the industry. When asked about the main sources of technology used, one third of the responding enterprises indicated that they used foreign imported technology while the rest used domestic technology, either introduced or invented in the domestic market. Among the textile processing enterprises, 43.8% mainly used leading technology introduced in domestic market, about 15 percentage points higher than the other types of enterprises. Moreover, 42% of equipment and technology suppliers mainly used domestic self-developed technology.

China Focus In terms of enterprise ownership, 52.5% of foreign-owned enterprises and 40.63% of Sino-foreign joint venture/cooperative enterprises mainly use foreign imported technology. As for collective and private enterprises, 42.11% and 40.19% respectively, mainly used domestic technology, while state-owned and state-controlled enterprises use foreign imported technology, domestically leading technology and domestic self-developed technology evenly. Secondly, it was found that textile processing enterprises were most enthusiastic in purchasing new technology. When asked about the intention to renew or purchase technology in the next two to three years, it was found that textile processing enterprises showed the biggest enthusiasm, 72.31% said they intended to do so. In terms of enterprise ownership, at least half of the enterprises in all categories indicated their intention to install new technology in the coming two to three years, especially the collective enterprises (73.68%). In terms of enterprise scale, about 80% of the enterprises with more than 3,000 people indicated such intention, followed by about 79% of enterprises with 1,001 to 3,000 people, and about 72% of those with 101 to 500 people. When asked whether they have purchased or upgraded technology recently, over 70% of textile material suppliers, textile processing enterprises and equipment/technology suppliers indicated that they have had the plan of technology upgrade recently. Specifically, nearly 80% raw material suppliers indicated this intent. For enterprises of various ownership patterns, 83.56% state-owned/state-controlled enterprises had purchased new technology recently, followed by sino-foreign joint venture/cooperative enterprises (79.69%) and private enterprises (72.78%). Thirdly, quality is key factor when importing textile equipments. When purchasing China-made or imported equipments, quality reliability is deemed foremost important. Among the responding enterprises in this survey, 54.87% indicated that equipment quality reliability was the foremost consideration while 25.63% and 14.26% indicated that productivity and functionality respectively was the foremost consideration in selecting equipments. Other factors included after-sales serves, equipment appearance, equipment precision/performance, and functions. Fourthly, nearly 70% of enterprises expected to increase inputs of research and development. R&D input is an important indicator to measure the efforts of an enterprise or an industry in technical innovation. % of respondents 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Textile raw material suppliers Textile manufacturers or processing units Equipment / technology suppliers Others Price Production efficiency Performance / functionality Reliability & durability User-friendliness Brand name of equipment / suppliers' goodwill Choice of competitors Others Caption: Considerations of textile enterprises when purchasing equipment Currently, R&D input of textile enterprises in developed countries accounts for 3-5% or even up to 10% of their turnover. China is a latecomer in this respect, but exhibits high-speed growth and its textile R&D input is increasing year after year. As indicated in this survey, over half of the responding enterprises used 2-5% of their turnover in R&D while 22.74% indicated more than 5%, gradually getting closer to the international level. The survey found that about 67% of respondents intended to increase R&D input in the next two years, among them, about 45% came from the textile machinery production sector, especially those Sino-foreign joint venture/ cooperative enterprises and private enterprises, about 69% and 70% of them respectively intended to increase R&D input. Up to 80.69% of responding enterprises have set up technical research centers and/or specialized departments for R&D purposes. Expected investment return within 2-4 years When asked about their expectation in investing in fixed assets, 55.78% of responding enterprises indicated that they expect to obtain investment return within two to four years while only 18.41% expected the period to be more than four years. Compared with state-owned enterprises and foreign-owned enterprises, private enterprises are more sensitive to market changes and more flexible in making readjustment. Of all private enterprises in this survey, 62.45% expected to get return for investment in fixed assets within two to four years. Also shown in the survey, 93.32% of responding enterprises found the service quality of existing equipment suppliers "Very good" or "Fairly good"; 69.31% had their own mechanism to handle customer complaints. However, some concerns were also raised, including high equipment maintenance cost, insufficient or inefficient after-sales services. However, respondents were aware of investment risks, and over 63% indicated that primarily came from the ever-changing export environment. About 30% respondents found that the macro-economic control measures in China had a significant impact on the market. Approximately 27% indicated that substandard industrial operation and market immaturity formed a severe bottleneck. Other investment risks faced by the textile industry at present include chaotic price competition and slow transformation of small- to medium-sized enterprises in China. Despite these risks, Chinese industry players have continued investing and about 86% respondents indicated that they would "maintain" or "expand" their production scale in the coming two to three years. To do so, they said they would intensify technical innovation, strengthen marketing efforts, increase brand-building efforts and introduce advanced technology and equipment.

China Focus Bottlenecks exist in brand building When asked about the challenges they meet in brand building, 34% of respondents said the key challenges included the pressure on net profit and 34.77% indicated that counterfeiting brought about negative impacts. About 26% said the sources of pressure were funding and time. Specifically, 43.14% of textile material suppliers indicated that counterfeiting brought great challenges. Additionally, to open up overseas marketing channels, 53.25% respondents said that they would appoint local agents, 38.99% would form joint venture companies with local enterprises, while 38.99% would establish local production bases. Therefore, working through local agencies remains the most favoured option when it comes to exploring new markets overseas. At home, nearly half of the respondents believed that the China market would be shared by varied products from different countries in years ahead. While about 30% indicated that domestic products would dominate, 13.72% felt rather uncertain about the future market. Product quality deemed lifeline of enterprises Enterprises, pressed by intense market competition, are more eager than ever to seek sustained development. When asked about key issues in developing their enterprises in the next three years, 86.46% of respondents considered product quality "very important", which is 11 percentage points higher than it was found two years ago (75.11% of respondents in the Adsale Textile Industry Survey 2006/07). Restrictive measures (e.g. safeguard and antidumping measures) Price Awareness of China-made products Shrinking market / purchasing power Others % of respondents 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 25% 38.64% 27.27% 9.09% Textile raw material suppliers 24.79% 38.43% 34.71% 9.09% Textile manufacturers or processing units 30.80% 21.20% 40% 23.60% 11.20% Equipment / Technology suppliers 33.89% 27.78% 22.22% Others Caption: Obstacles faced by textile enterprises when opening up markets in developed regions % of respondents 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 50% 45.45% 9.09% Textile raw material suppliers 47.52% 40.08% 16.12% Textile manufacturers / processing units 58.80% 36% 12.40% Equipment / technology suppliers 61.11% 50% Others Through a local distributor Joint venture with local enterprises Establish own production facilities Caption: Ways to open up overseas markets Other important factors included cost control (64.42%) and market development (61.19%). These factors became more important for Chinese textile enterprises compared to of what respondents answered two years ago (56.6% and 48.72% of respondents respectively in the 2006/07 Survey). Talent shortage gets more serious To achieve industrial upgrading, the textile and apparel industry needs knowledgeable employees to contribute to its development. The survey found that close to 65% of the respondents wanted to recruit more R&D professionals urgently, while about 45% said market development/ marketing professionals, and 33% said corporate management professionals. Specifically, almost 70% of the equipment/technology suppliers reported they most urgently needed R&D professionals, while about 40% of textile processing enterprises most urgently needed management professionals. Different types of enterprises vary in their human resources needs. The survey found that about 72% of respondents expected the shortage of R&D professionals in their enterprises to become more serious in the next three years. In particular, more than 80% of the textile material suppliers anticipated such a trend. The shortages of middle-level technical professionals, management professionals and workers are also foreseen for the next three years, though not as severe. Lastly, East China region (six provinces and one city: Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and Shanghai) was found to face the biggest shortage of various types of professionals, including management professionals, market development/marketing professionals, R&D technical professionals, medium-level technicians and workers. % of respondents 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 72.02% 7.40% 16.97% Technological researchers 41.52% 16.61% 33.94% Corporate managers 67.33% 7.40% 18.23% Marketers and business developers 44.40% 16.06% 29.78% Mid-level management executives 41.16% 20.94% 28.16% Workers Increasing shortage Decreasing shortage No change Caption: Talent shortage of the textile industry in the next three years Disclaimer This article aims to reflect the respondents' general views, which may be used as reference by fellow industrialists. However, we will not assume any responsibility in the event that the report is used as the basis for any investment decisions or market activities.

China Focus Wuxi boosts R&D and domestic sales to weather crisis 無錫推動科研及內銷保增長 by Amy Xiao The city of Wuxi (無錫), located in Jiangsu province (江蘇省), is an important production and export area in East China for medium- to high-end textile and apparel products. There were 1,044 sizable textile and garment enterprises in the city last year with a total workforce of 283,000 people, according to statistic data of Wuxi Statistics Bureau. Sizable enterprises are those having an annual principal operating revenue of RMB 5 million or more, according to the Department of Statistics of China. These enterprises earned an annual revenue of RMB 142.3 billion in 2008, registering an average yearly growth of 11.1%. Profit reached RMB 5.56 billion. Strong growths recorded were partly attributed by the advantageous position of the city itself, which is centrally located in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. With five expressways and other transportation, Wuxi is well connected with nearby cities (e.g. Suzhou, Changzhou, Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Shanghai), serving as a hub in not only textile and apparel production but also logistics. Product Output % Change from same period of last year Yarn 210628.32 tons -2.14 Fabrics 174,454,200 meters +0.53 Dyed/printed fabrics 277,600,000 meters -5.4 Wool fabrics 33,715,600 meters -9.3 Garment 192,819,900 pieces +8.77 Chemical fiber 1166505.15 tons +9.38 Caption: Output of key textile and garment products in Wuxi in January-May 2009 Moreover, many textile enterprises in Wuxi are characterized with an extensive use of advanced textile machinery to manufacture quality yarns and fabrics, for instance, combed yarns, knotless cotton yarns and yarns made on shuttleless looms. Caption: Apparel is a major export of Wuxi city Among them are a new generation of strong enterprises. In 2008, three large enterprises in Wuxi recorded an annual sales income exceeding RMB10 billion, another six earned more than RMB5 billion a year, and 17 others over RMB1 billion. The total capital registered of sizable textile enterprises in Wuxi was RMB11.877 billion last year. There are five world-class brands, 11 famous Chinese brands and five prestigious Chinese trademarks in the city. Jiangsu Sunshine (江蘇陽光), Hongdou Group (紅豆股份), Huaxicun (華西村) and Sanjiaxiang (三房巷) are some of the renowned names in Wuxi. R&D spurred by talents The Wuxi textile and apparel industry is growing in an astonishing speed, said vice secretary-general of the Wuxi Textile Industry Association (WTIA) (無錫市紡織工業學會), Chen Zhengming (陳正明). From 2000 to 2008, the total industrial output value and profit of the industry expanded in an averaged rate of 18% per annum. Furthermore, the city's textile and apparel product portfolio is comprehensive and marketed at a higher end of the price spectrum. It is one of the leading manufacturing areas for numerous types of fabrics (except silk), ensuring a higher profit margin level of the enterprises. Profit margin of the Wuxi textile industry was 3.87% in 2008 despite the economic challenges during the year. Another strength of Wuxi lies in the availability of talents, which supports product research and technological development. More than 3,000 intermediate and senior technical professionals are working in the Wuxi textile industry. Education and training is also available in the Jiangsu Wool Textile & Garment Technical Development Center (省級毛紡和服裝技術開發中心), Wuxi Textile Machinery Research Institute and Testing Center of China Textile Machinery Group (中國紡機總公司無錫紡機研究所和紡機試驗中心), Jiangsu Textile Research Institute (江蘇省紡織研究所) and Textile & Garment College of Jiangnan University (江南大學紡織服裝學院). "Industrial development is inseparable from technical and research support," concluded Mr Chen. "The Wuxi textile industry started early in its development in the country, and has established a relatively stable customer base and sales network among developed areas such as the EU, the US, Japan, Australia and Canada. In addition to a large volume of exports, wool textile products made in Wuxi are also a frequent winner in bidding for tenders of manufacturing military uniforms and workwear in China," said Mr Chen. The establishment of a wholesale market by Wuxi Municipal Government has facilitated both local and international trade of textile and apparel products. "The wholesale market has attracted large flocks of local and overseas buyers," said Textile Chief Engineer of Jiangsu Kanghe Textile (江蘇康和), Zhou Minghui (周明惠).

China Focus Responding economic crisis with varied strategies About 60% of the Wuxi textile and apparel production is exported, thus it was substantially affected by the current global economic recession. The Wuxi textile industry saw only a 2% growth in industrial output value at the current price last year and drops in profits and investment. Business strategies of Chinese enterprises were also modified to accommodate market changes. Fabrics enterprises such as Yixing Lucky G&L Dyeing and Finishing (宜興樂祺) and Wuxi Shuangmao (無錫雙毛) sought cooperation with apparel distributors in Italy, France and South Korea this year to jointly develop products that target the branded segment of these overseas markets. Home market becomes more crucial. Export-laden Jiangsu Kanghe Textile (江蘇康和) has shifted to emphasize the domestic market, which was projected to contribute 30% of the company's business, Mr Zhou told ATA Journal. "In July and August, we began to receive more export orders while experiencing booming sales in the domestic market. Sales of thermal underwear will get more active in these months. Product expectation in the domestic market is lower, and the market appetite remains good compared to those abroad, so we are optimistic with the home market," he said. Some enterprises in Wuxi see product development as their key to future success. Yixing Lucky G&L Dyeing and Finishing (宜興樂祺) recently developed functional fabrics that better absorbs and evaporates moisture. Wuxi Pacific Group (無錫太平洋集團) invited Chinese famous designers to develop fashionable fabrics, thereby boosting the gross profit of these products to around 25%. Efforts done by the textile and apparel industry has been encouraged by the Wuxi Municipal Government, as stated in the "Wuxi Textile & Garment Industrial Readjustment and Promotion Program (2009-2011)", which pledged to advance the Wuxi textile industry up into a textile industrial base and a research and development center, by intensifying its strengths in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of higher end apparel (e.g. using worsted wool fabrics and special chemical fibers), for markets at home and abroad. Revenue from principal operations RMB 180 billion Fiber consumption ratio of apparel, home textile and industrial textiles 65:20:15 Foreign exchange earning from per-ton fiber exported +20% compared to 2008 Ratio of new-type differential fiber >50% Self-sufficiency rate of China-made face fabrics for apparel export >90% Newly recognized brands of China 3~5 Caption: Targets laid down in the Wuxi Textile & Garment Industrial Readjustment and Promotion Program (2009-2011) Background information was provided by the Wuxi Textile Industry Association

Retail Scene Fabric trends of Autumn/Winter 2010-11 unveiled in New York Five trends were proposed by SpinExpo New York under a theme of "Develop Your Eye Autumn/Winter 2010-11", offering sources of inspiration, choices of yarns, and details through to the development of the samples. Held at Metropolitan Pavilion & Altman Building in New York City, the US, this July, the fair was the first yarn exhibition in USA in more than five years. It hosted 75 exhibiting companies from 16 countries and received 1,534 selected visitors. About 75% visitors were originated from the USA, including 38.75% from New York. Central and South America represented 4%, Canada 1% and Europe 9%. Asian countries represented 11%, indicating the importance of the relationship of US buyers with their Hong Kong or Shanghai trading companies when it comes to production, the organizer of SpinExpo New York commented. Simulation A gentle range evokes snowscapes, drawing inspiration from ecology and sustainability. In terms of handle and yarns, brushing, felting and washing revive the sophistication of the materials. The worn aspect is transformed with three-dimensional works. Mixed yarn counts, layering of different fibres due to the twist, and a touch of naturalness are underscored. Yarns can be fine or bulky. . Compact but soft wools (Merino) . Boiled wools . Mohair . Combed cottons . Hand knitting wools (cable stitch, ribs) . Ultra matte and light Interpretation This highly coloured range offers a healthy look and evokes the folklore associated with country life. The challenge is to adapt it for life in the city. Yarns become thicker, leading to a renewal of classic knits and fabrics, from tweeds to tartans. Tradition and innovation are interwoven. . Soft handles . Order/disorder . Alpaca camel hair . Compact mohair - Angora . Renewed cashmere (cable, round, boucle - higher yarn counts) . Wool in all its forms - carded, combed, blended; shiny cottons; shearing and combing for increased brilliance . Round yarns - two colour yarns (fibre blends). Tone on tone printed yarn . Granité - ratiné - hairy . Jacquards are re-embroidered and re-worked

Retail Scene Transformation A bright and colourful range mixes basic colours with the classic bright tones. The world of sport influences this range. Layering, super impositions, embroidered aspects, lace are all possible. . Acrylic & blends . Synthetics . Woollens & wool/cotton blends . Metallic yarns . Burnout aspects . Variations in gauges . Double-faces . Raised crinkled surfaces . Bouclés Vibration In this range, everything is mixed together to give a kaleidoscope of colours and an unseen fashion. . Repetitions, geometric patterns, zigzag stripes, spirals, prisms. . Extra-fine merino . High twist crepe wools and cottons . Wool & silk blends . Fine gauges & twists . Tactile handle . Sporty feel . Structures . Silicon coating Reconstruction Variations of black are presented with different styles, such as matte and brilliant, iridescent finishes, geometric, graphic constructions and openwork. Associations of charcoal gray or white complement the graphic patterns. . Polyester . Polyamide . Extra-fine Merino . Silk . Synthetics . Lacquers . Embossed . Blistered . Irregular textures . Matte & shine contrasts . Thick & thin yarns Source: SpinExpo

Retail Scene An European taste of premium textiles for fall 2010/11 Made-in-Italy yarns and fabrics are known as a focal point of international reference for fine quality production. For Autumn/Winter 2010/11, classic but trendy yarns and fabrics from Italy are presented Zegna Baruffa stresses luxury Italy-based Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia presented the Autumn/Winter 2010/11 collection of top-quality yarns for knitwear, which is dedicated to superior luxury in four areas at the fair of SpinExpo Shanghai this September. A yarn that gives stitching a real "retro" feel and a recycled fashion look is presented with Sablé effects to reinterpret vintage with quality yarns, the company says. Superfine wools is an icon of luxury, which are represented by Cashwool, and Zegna Baruffa offers such yarns with various metric count numbers and 340 colours from solid, melanges, super-melange, mouliné and superwash. Caption: Knitted patterns of luxurious yarns by Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia Organic wool is an answer to eco-aware consumers. Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia offers ecowool that is eco-compatible at all stages of manufacture: breeding techniques consider environmental preservation and respect for the biological cycle. The transformation phase for attaining the yarn is achieved with biological and biodegradable systems, and without the use of chlorine. The dyeing takes place with respect for the Oeko-Tex standard. The finishing is undertaken with natural products, and is organic certified by IMO CH N° 28781. In addition, the company highlights technical luxury for the fall season of 2010-11 with its super-melange and air-spun technologies, which respectively achieve perfect colour blends and to offer very light and soft yarns. Color trends for fall 2010/11 Caption: Chic calm Caption: Sophisticated pride Caption: Gloomy atmosphere Caption: Harmonic elegance (Source: Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia)

Retail Scene Classic, refined look seen in Milan Shown at the Milano Unica exhibition, or the Italian Textile Exhibition, this September, the Botto Fila collection for Autumn/Winter 2010/11 features classic mood textiles with a pleasant handle and high performance utilizing their natural elasticity. Fabrics designed for suits with clean-cut harmonious lines for more ease of movement, materials that are warm yet lightweight, for a man who is more in tune with his personal comfort, aware of his surroundings. Fabric crossover blurs obsolete borders between male and female. Even the finest blends, like wool-cashmere and wool-silk-cashmere, get the stretch treatment, in a balanced sober mix of wearability and comfort. The company explains a unique lamination process helps transforms the natural wool into high-performance technical textiles, ideal for modern outerwear. Caption: Botto Fila men's collection for fall 2010/11 The company also exhibited its latest women's fabric collection for autumn winter 2010/2011. The elasticised and natural stretch fabrics that have become female wardrobe must-haves feature softer handles and even lighter weights. The main colours of the collection have been borrowed from the forest floor, with browns, burgundy, intense blue-green and petroleum. Wool-silk, textiles with a sateen look, and warm yet lightweight flannels are highlights for the coming fall. Additionally, the new women's collection of Botto Fila included fabrics for heavy jackets and coats in wool-angora and in wool-cashmere-silk. These are double, two-tone textiles with knit and degradé, smooth and raised effects. Caption: Botto Fila women's collection for fall 2010/11 Design firm promotes innovative knitwear Simona Fenaroli, an Italian fashion house presented its latest knitwear collection, which is knitted on special textile machines to create "intarsio" patterns in the gauges from 18 to 28. Quality yarns from cashmere, wool merinos, silk and cotton are used. Caption: Latest knits from Simona Fenaroli

Retail Scene Unique trends in China lingerie market identified China's lingerie, underwear, legwear and pajama market has grown at a rate from 5% to 7% since 2000 to 4.8 billion euros, according to international lingerie fair organizer Eurovet. Women's undergarments have enjoyed even more rapid growth, up 16% in 2007, though rapid growths turned more stable due to the economic crisis since late 2008. In China, shapewear remains a priority and the structuring, sublimating, and mastering of silhouettes is essential as well. Young Asian women are particularly interested in technical products that can improve their figure, according to Eurovet. This reflects in the fact that 90% of bras are sold with padding in the region. Sporty lingerie becomes more important and was worn during the 2008 Olympics. Recently introduced into the market, this category of lingerie has been available in department store counters mainly in urban China. Cotton remains the star fabric, favored by most young women, surpassing silk or silk/polyester blends. Eurovet organized the fifth edition of the Shanghai Mode Lingerie 2009 in Shanghai on October 19 and 20 this year. AWI outlines three trends of premium apparel With a slowing economy, consumers, especially those in major advanced economies, are more likely to pick up affordable and quiet luxurious items. They also became more eco-conscious when purchasing apparel, according to Australian Wool Innovation (AWI). At the SpinExpo Shanghai fair this September, AWI commented that consumers were increasingly driven by three key trends when purchasing apparel. • Conscious consumption – Consumers are becoming aware of the economic and environmental impact of their decisions; wool has low environmental impact and is long lasting. • Affordable luxury – Consumers are seeking products of better quality, service and experience. The notion of luxury is being redefined and is within reach of a much larger consumer segment. • Quiet luxury – Consumers do not want to appear ostentatious and want items that will last. The demand for lasting luxury at an affordable price is the key inspiration for the 2010/11. Chinese sportswear brand reports a 30% rise of revenue in first half Hong Kong-listed Li Ning Group Limited, a leading sports brand enterprise in China, reported a rise of 32.4% to RMB4,051.9 million in revenue during the six months of 2009. Caption: Li Ning Group registered a higher revenue in the first half this year “During the first half of 2009, the impact of the global financial crisis continued, and China's, as well as the world's economies, had been adjusting amid the turmoil. As the series of economic stimulus packages promulgated by the Central Government started to take effect, China's economy showed signs of recovery in the second quarter. Leading economic indicators are pointing to a recovery primarily driven by the government,” said Li Ning, company chairman. During the first half, the company went on expanding and improving the sales channel, and adjusted its product research and design to better align with consumer preferences in different market segments. Li Ning Group had 7,550 retail outlets in China by this June, 633 more from last year. It had approximately 130 distributors operating a total of 6,464 franchised retail stores nationwide as well as a total of 345 directly-managed retail stores in the nation. Additionally, the company opened its first flagship store in Singapore this July to expand into the badminton market in Southeast Asia. New Pantone cards help reduce color development time Pantone, a member of X-rite, recently launched an updated 4" x 4" Pantone Fashion + Home Smart double-layered cotton swatch cards, which can reduce the time and costs of a color development process by half. With a palette of 1,925 colors selected specifically for their relevance to the fashion and home furnishings markets, the cards serve as a tool to accurately specify, control and communicate color choices, Pantone says. Indian firm promotes tagless labels for apparel Star Labels Pvt Ltd from India commenced production of tag less labels, which is also known as heat transfer labels for the apparels and garments industry. It invested over Rs 10 million in plant and machinery. According to Nirav Thakkar, Managing Director of the company, the entire garment and apparel industry — from intimate apparel to industrial wear, from performance sport wear to high street fashion wear — needs tagging / labelling which bears information of size, wash-care, company logo. "The garment and apparel manufacturers in India are still using the woven neck labels which often causes itching or irritation especially during hot summer". The printing ink used in the production of these transfer labels is FDA approved. It does not contain harmful PVC, phthalate and lead in the ink. There is a lower risk of counterfeiting. It is cheaper to get the tagless label printed and heat transferred instead of making a tag label. And it is cost-effective for apparel and apparel manufactures in terms of materials and labour, the company explains. Some entrepreneurs in India have adopted this approach and slowly bigger companies are considering switching to heat transfer labels, Mr Thakkar added.

Show Watcher CISMA exhibits innovations for sewing industry Held in Shanghai this September, the China Int'l Sewing Machinery & Accessories Show (CISMA) welcomed a number of international and domestic exhibitors, as well as 5,000 professional visitors. Lectra launched a new version of Kaledo, its professional design software platform and demonstrated recent innovation including Kaledo (V2R1), Modaris, DiaminoFashion, VectorFashion FX and VectorFashion MX. Kaledo (V2R1) provides designers with advanced textile and fashion development and management capacities on the market, whereas the latest version of Modaris (V6R1) is a pattern-making solution for the apparel industry. Caption: Lectra presented Kaledo (V2R1) at CISMA 2009 In addition, Groz-Beckert KG showcased its diverse sewing needle product range for the entire industry at the CISMA fair. The company held practical product demonstrations in its own "sewing laboratory" at the show, as well as provided information on the environmentally compatible manufacture of its products. A foretaste of the Technology and Development Center currently being built on a 25,000-square-meter site at the company's headquarters in Albstadt, Germany, was seen by visitors in Shanghai. Enhanced training and further education, as well as visionary development and sustained innovation will be provided at the center upon commencing. QITMF brings textile machinery updates to North China The 10th China (Qingdao) International Textile Machinery Fair on Textile Machinery, Dyes, Auxiliaries and Textile Chemicals (QITMF 2009), held in Qingdao city of Shandong province this September, was attended by numerous Chinese trade visitors, including those from Shandong Deyuan, Yantai Pandex, Shandong Demain Group, Shandong Haulong Textile, Qingdao Xiyingmen Group, Shandong Ruyi Group, China Sunsay and Qingdao Jifa Group. During the three-day exhibition, Jakob Mueller, Wellknit, Nan Sing, Santex, Kyang Yhe, Huishun and more exhibited their latest textile technologies and systems. Quality services were offered to facilitate buyers' sourcing activities, one of the organizers, Hong Kong Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd added. ITMF holds annual conference in Shanghai The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) convened for its annual conference in Shanghai, China, from October 23-25. Under the theme of “Structural Adjustments in the World Textile Industry”, the ITMF Annual Conference discussed ongoing structural change and delegates exchanged views on important topics along the entire value chain in the current economic slowdown. The keynote speaker of the Conference was Gerhard Schröder, former Chancellor of Germany (1998-2005). Various renowned international speakers from ICAC of the USA, China Cotton Association, Lenzing Group, UNIDO, Walt-Mart of China, CNTAC, Bosiden International Holdings, Shangtex Holdings, Royal Ten Cate, and Devanlay Lacoste, presented their views. Topics in the conference included the outlook for cotton and man-made fibers with special focus on China; the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on the global textile industry; interdependence between the textile and retail industry; adjustment and revitalization of the Chinese textile industry; and technical textiles as a potential growth segment. Yiwu H&G to highlight knitting and hosiery machinery A number of renowned textile machinery manufacturers will exhibit their latest technologies and machinery at the China (Yiwu) International Exhibition on Hosiery, Knitting, Dyeing & Finishing Machinery (Yiwu H&G), held on November 18-20 in Yiwu city of Zhejiang province. Exhibitors from the knitting machinery sector will include Best Yield Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Chemtax (Hong Kong), Macpi Group (Hong Kong), Sangiacomo (Italy), Yamagen (Japan), LGL (Italy), Dakong (Taiwan), Wellknit (Taiwan), Aurora (China) and Cixi (China). Those from the finishing sector, such as Cortese (Italy), Cubotex (Italy) and Alome-Shenyi (China) will exhibit at the fair, as well as Jakob Mueller (Switzerland) and Groz-Beckert KG (Germany). Stäubli will double its booth area compared to that in the last edition. Newcomers to the exhibition will include Comoli (Italy), Heliot (Turkey), Will Corporation (Japan) and Samsung Knitting Needle (Korea), according to Hong Kong Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. Yiwu H&G is the first UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) approved hosiery, knitting and braiding machinery exhibition in China. Première Vision to present in Japan and Brazil next year Première Vision will bring the fabric show to Japan and Brazil starting 2010. Première Vision will cooperate with Jitac (The Japan Imported Textiles Agency Council) to unveil a new fair, Première Vision Tokyo/Jitac in Japan next March. In Latin America, Première Vision will organize the first edition of Premiere Brasil by Première Vision on January 20-21, 2010. Created as a joint venture between Première Vision and the Brazilian company Fagga Eventos, a subsidiary of the GL Events Group, partner and shareholder in Première Vision, the new show is a major development for the Brazilian and Latin American textile sector.

Show Watcher Seminars at Intertextile Shanghai connect retailers and textile manufacturers by Staff Reporters More than 2,400 suppliers from 21 countries and regions confirmed their participation at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, running October 20-23 in Shanghai, China. The show features 10 halls with more than 115,000 square meters. The fair will debut its first international retailer/brand seminar sessions. Speakers include Chieh Chen, Fabric Director for Wal-Mart Global Procurement, on Wal-Mart's direction in sustainability and their expectations on responsible sourcing; Karin Ekberg, Head of Environmental Services for Adidas Group, on the company's background and achievements in holistic sustainability; and Erik Carlborg, Code of Conduct Manager for Hennes & Mauritz, on the company's code of conduct for different suppliers. Apart from seminars on fashion and trends, a number of technical presentations will also be staged. New textile solutions offer added value Peter Wu, Dow Corning's Asia Technical Manager for Textiles, will introduce Dow Corning DS-9000 Eco Repel, a new eco-friendly multifunctional encapsulated silicone additive for technical textiles. Jointly developed with Devan Chemicals, this technology allows apparel manufacturers to increase softness and hydrophobicity on existing flame-retardant finishes without impacting flame retardancy. "Most current flame-retardant chemicals negatively impact the softness of the textile, leading to very harsh fabrics, which then become uncomfortable-to-wear garments," Mr Wu said. "Moreover, the material type predominantly used in textile multifunctional treatment additives for flame retardancy contains fluorocarbon derivatives, which arouse increasing concerns of safety and environmental issues." In addition, Dow Corning will present the latest textile printing inks, which are durable, colorfast and suitable for tough-to-print, high-performance sports apparel; and the premium hydrophilic softener, which provides an environmentally sustainable solution to the textile finishing market and contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Hohenstein Institutes from Germany will hold a number of seminars at the Shanghai fair in on October 20-23, covering legal compliance of textile imports to Europe, quality standards of textile products, Oeko-Tex 100 Standard and harmful substances lists, as well as new technologies making various textile products more comfortable to wear. The Institutes will also provide project consultancy and application services at the fair. Moreover, the Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology (IHB) at the Hohenstein Institutes introduced two new labels to the market. The label “Tested Quality: Skin friendly” aims to exclude the possibility of damaging effects on skin cells with potentially harmful substances. The test is based on a method pursuant to standard DIN EN ISO 10993-5, which is also used by the laboratory to test the application of medical products on humans. Another label, “Tested Quality: Hypoallergenic”, can be given to textiles tested to be free of allergy-causing substances. Caption: Two new Hohenstein Institute product labels offer additional security when buying textile products On the fairground, a number of textile technology developers will exhibit updated technologies for users in China and other areas in Asia. Lenzing AG, a cellulose fiber manufacturer, will highlight the use of Tencel fiber as an ideal fiber for children with moisture management and skin-sensory properties. Young children frequently suffer from sensitive skin as a reaction to environmental pollution and chemicals, the company says. For this reason, the moisture management of Tencel absorbing 50% more moisture than cotton automatically supplies a natural hygiene. Caption: Lenzing introduces Tencel fiber that keeps children comfortable Thanks to the high moisture absorption of Tencel, the growth of bacteria can be nipped in the bud. The moisture is transported from the skin directly into the inside of the fiber. Thus no film of moisture, which can be the basis for bacterial growth, forms on the fiber, the company explains. This fiber can also be blended with cotton and is well suited to knitwear. Dow Coating Materials is a supplier of products and technologies to architectural and industrial coatings manufacturers worldwide. Combining the extensive resources of Dow and recently-acquired Rohm and Haas Company, the new business provides formulators a wide range of chemistries and support across different product lines, including core binder technologies, additives and solvents. The company continually develops sustainable products and technologies based on market trends and regional demands. Avery Dennison will present an array of eco-friendly solutions that can be substituted for trim items at no additional cost. For instance, its new label line is a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly brand identification solution. The new EcoFriendly polyester woven labels are available in several recycled polyester options, as well as various blended organic cotton and recycled polyester materials, according to Avery Dennison.

Corporate Profile Quality is key to keep growing in quieter times Featured company: Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation by Ngo Tuan In a recent exclusive interview with Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation (Century Corp), Dang Trieu Hoa, President and General Director told ATA Journal how the enterprise weathered the slowing global economy Situated in Ho Chi Minh city, Century Corp, otherwise known as the Ky Yarn Company, focuses on the manufacture of quality polyester draw textured yarn (DTY) and polyester partially oriented yarn (POY) to serve the local market that remains heavily dependent on imported yarn supplies. The privately owned company meets the accelerating domestic demand in recent years and has seen fast growths. First set up in 2000 with about 80 workers, the company expanded over the following years with three investment phases. Registered with a total capital of VND91.5 billion (about US$5.13 million) by July 2007, it is equipped with advanced technologies and equipment of Oerlikon Barmag from Germany. Century Corp currently has an annual production capacity of 14,500 tons of polyester POY and 14,500 tons of polyester DTY. It provides yarns to textile and apparel enterprises, for intance, Formosa Taffeta Vietnam, a subsidy of Taiwan-based Formosa Taffeta; VN Tiong Liong; Paiho; Huge Bamboo; and Promax Textile. They are fabric suppliers of internationally known brand names like Nike, Adidas, Decathlon, Guess and Columbia. Domestically, Vietnam's leading garment producers like Thanh Cong Textile, Garment JSC and Thai Tuan Textile. Yarns of Century Corp were recognized for its quality at home with national awards: Top Trade Services Award 2008, Top 100 leading Vietnamese Brand and Medal for Consumer Protection. Caption: Factory floor of Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation Caption: Advanced machinery at Century Corp ensures high quality and consistency Compared to its fellow companies in the region experiencing negative growths, Century Corp was able to keep expanding amid the current economic slowdown. Caption: Dang Trieu Hoa In the first six months this year, the company witnessed a 45.9% increase in revenue to VND194.037 billion (US$10.9 million). The whole-year revenue is estimated to reach VND400 billion (US$22.4 million). All of its 350 workers continue working with stable wage and social welfare, Mr Dang told ATA Journal. In spite of decline in global market and whole Vietnam textile and garment, Century Corp still recorded a big jump in revenue due to its success in local market. The local demand is big and many textile enterprises in Vietnam rely on the yarn supply of Century Corp because of the good yarn quality at a reasonable price. ATA: Why did Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation decide to invest into the development of polyester filament? How much has your company invested into the business? Mr Dang: For the last ten years, textile and apparel is one of the key industries of Vietnam, being one of the largest foreign currency earning industry. The environment for investment and business here offers a number of favorable conditions where the textile and apparel industry can benefit from. As the scale of the textile and apparel industry has been increasing sharply in these years, there is a strong and rising demand for the materials, of which polyester filament is a major one. Up to now, our current plant has been invested with US$17.5 million. We are now carrying out an expansion project with a plant that has capacity of 1.5 times more than the current plant. Thus, we planned to pour in additional US$19 million in 2010 and further US$13 million in 2011 to expand the plant and capacity. The expansion plan to increase production capacity is made as an increasing demand for our current products is expected in the near future.

Corporate Profile ATA: Being one of the two major producers of polyester filament yarn in Vietnam (the other major one is located in Tay Ninh province), what are the competitive edges of the yarn in the country? Mr Dang: There are more than two polyester filament yarn makers, but there are two major; Century Corp is one of these, possessing sufficient advanced technology to produce the high-quality products. Our main products are polyester textured yarn of international quality. Our special strength lies in the fiber supply for high quality machines to manufacture knitted and woven fabrics, accessories and footwear under the orders of multinational firms such as Nike, Adidas, Columbia, Ikea, Reebok, Guess and Decathlon. Finished products (of clients) include felted fabrics, microfiber cloth, cotton trousers and cotton shirt vest. At the moment, the competition of polyester textured yarn remains rather fierce in both local and overseas markets. The spinning sector now requires highly professional management; enterprises offering high-quality products and reasonable marketing pricing strategy will have a higher chance to grow sustainably. ATA: With a so far successful record in the industry, what are the major decisive factors for the success of your company? Mr Dang: We have not confirmed ourselves that we are successful, although our plant has been equipped well with advanced technologies and machines, in addition to receiving professional transfer and training from foreign experts. Our products are in stable quality, attaining international standards. Nonetheless, we go on striving better and improve our ability and power to reach higher heights. ATA: Has the company been affected in the current global economic recession and how? Mr Dang: The 2008 global economic crisis has affected seriously most industries in the region, including the textile and apparel. This is an economic law, but the market demand and supply is also being adjusted toward a balance. It is time, and there are opportunities, for enterprises to restructure their production and business operations to overcome such a harsh time. Enterprises having a solid foundation and a long-term business strategy are more likely to survive and further develop. Caption: Polyester DTY is a prime product of Century Corp ATA: Could you tell us how and what strategies is the company implementing to overcome such hard time? Mr Dang: Crisis offers a good chance for enterprises to review themselves, especially areas for improvement to achieve sustained development. At Century Corp, we focus on promoting our internal ability. For example, we restlessly enhance our way of thinking and doing to reduce costs, increase operation efficiency and product quality. In such difficult times, bettering the competitiveness is a "must-do" and our obligation. ATA: In your opinion, how will Vietnamese textile and apparel industry develop? Mr Dang: There is a bright outlook for the Vietnamese textile and apparel industry, including a bigger exporting market as it is gaining shares in the world market (with its advantages such as lower production costs). If we execute comprehensive investment policies in sectors of materials, dyeing and apparel making, we will enjoy more added value in each of our products for export. Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation Year of establishment 2000 Annual sales (est. 2009) US$ 22.4 million Sales in H1 2009 US$ 10.9 million Annual capacity 14,500 tons POY 14,500 tons DTY Annual output 14,000 tons POY 14,000 tons DTY Workforce 350 direct workers International certificates ISO 9001:2000 In The Next Issue ATA Journal will turn the focus to the functional apparel market; report on preparation auxiliaries; and introduce the recent development of weaving machinery.

Company Bulletin BRFL, DyStar seal dye and print deal DyStar and Bombay Rayon Fashion Limited co-operate to achieve best ecological and economical results for global customers. DyStar signed an agreement to be an exclusive partner in the field of dyeing and printing for the plants of Bombay Rayon Fashion Limited (BRFL) in Maharashtra and Karnataka, India. BRFL is India's largest shirt manufacturer with an annual net sale of 13.4 billion India rupees (about US$278 million). It has fabric processing capacity of 150,000 meters and garment production capacity of 100,000 units per day. Prashant Agarwal, Managing Director of BRFL, was upbeat about the agreement, and Rajesh Balakrishnan, Managing Director of DyStar India Private Limited appreciated BRFL's long term vision, awareness towards quality and ecological requirements. Caption: DyStar and Bombay Rayon Fashion Limited joined hands for greener textile production DyStar partners with Indian firm for training DyStar India Private Limited and A.T.E. Enterprises Private Limited (both located in Mumbai, India) entered into a broad co-operation agreement to provide training in various textile applications. Rajesh Balakrishnan, Managing Director of DyStar India said: "The co-operation with A.T.E. is an excellent fit with our objective to provide comprehensive end-to-end training to our customers through our independent business unit – Expert Solutions. We are looking forward to roll out the first module in fall 2009 in Tirupur, India". OC Oerlikon announces H1 results OC Oerlikon Group, parent company of Oerlikon Textile, announced its sales from continued operations in the first half-year 2009 declined to CHF 1.4 billion. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) decreased to CHF –164 million. Oerlikon Textile observed drops in sales and incoming orders in the textile segment in the first half of the year. In the second quarter, the textile business recorded higher orders received than sales, continuing the positive trend observed in the first quarter. The chemical fiber market appeared to show a sustainable upward trend. Taking this into account, sales were expected to improve in the second half of 2009, the company said. The Oerlikon Group declared the goal of returning to profitability by 2010. Rieter sees demand reviving Rieter Textile Systems, a division under the Rieter group, stated in its semi-annual report of January-June that order intake in the first half improved and signs of recovery emerged in the second quarter of 2009. The main markets were China, India, Turkey and Brazil. Machines in the mid-price segment were in most demand. The wearing and spare parts business began to recover in the second quarter, the firm stated. As China and India will be its main markets in future, demand for machines in the mid-price segment is projected to increase. The expansion of capacity in India and China therefore continued, however, at a reduced pace. Rieter completed the expansion of its plant in India and booked initial sales successes with the ring spinning machine produced locally. Despite the slowing economy, innovation at Rieter Textile Systems continues focusing on core projects such as the local production of additional machines specifically designed for the markets in India and China or the further development of the airjet spinning machine. The restructuring program already launched last year continued in the first half of 2009, the company mentioned in the semi-annual report. Two Asian apparel makers gain Oeko-Tex 100plus labels Two ready-to-wear makers in Asia – Suzhou Deylon Textile and Shangdong Lawrance Textiles – have become the first in the region to be issued the Oeko-Tex Standard 100plus label for their products this July. Suzhou Deylon Textile and Shandong Lawrance Textiles are Chinese subsidiaries of the Saudi Arabia-based investor Ajlan & Bros. The company has a total of 16 manufacturing plants in China that produce a broad range of textile products. The product certification in accordance with Oeko-Tex Standard 100, and the certification in accordance with the criteria of Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 were issued by the Swiss Textile Testing Institute (TETEX). Caption: Suzhou Deylon was given the Oeko-Tex Standard 100plus label this July Another company, Shandong Lawrance Textiles was established in 2003 as a production facility for all types of outerwear in Zaozhuang City, Shandong province. Since 2006, the underwear collections of the brands "Drosh", "Pioneer", and "Biyajeh" have met the humanecological requirements of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. The plant also passed the on-site audits of the Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 in December 2008. There are currently three companies worldwide whose ready-to-wear products are certified to bear the Oeko-Tex Standard 100plus label. Teijin's Indonesian fiber plant betters eco-management The Teijin Group announced that P.T. Teijin Indonesia Fiber Tbk. (TIFICO), a consolidated subsidiary that manufactures and distributes polyester fibers in Indonesia,

Company Bulletin was awarded "Award of Respect of Environmental Assessment" for its outstanding environmental management practices by the governor of Banten Province, Indonesia, where TIFICO's factory is located. Caption: TIFICO, a subsidiary of Teijin, was honored for its eco-management in Indonesia TIFICO was commended for its progressive environmental management practices, including strict adherence to standards concerning air and water pollution and hazardous chemical emissions. The provincial Department of Environment Health in Indonesia assesses the environmental practices of local corporations and organizations to select award winners annually. Of the 12 companies recognized this year, four were Japanese. Trützschler restructures to fine-tune business focus The Trützschler group, following its acquisition of Germany's Erko Truetzschler, reorganized its group structure to focus more on customers' needs and to optimize its services. Trützschler Spinning includes the headquarters in Moenchengladbach, as well as the plants of American Truetzschler in the US, Trumac in India, Truinco in Brazil and TTMS in China. The product range covers all of the equipment needed for fibre preparation in spinning mills, from the blow room to cards and draw frames, even combing machines. Trützschler Nonwovens is composed of the two German companies, Fleissner in Egelsbach (Managing Directors Hans-Georg Buckel and Dr. Dieter Zenker) and Erko Truetzschler in Duelmen (Managing Director Erwin Kock and Director Stefan Flöth), as well as American Truetzschler in the US. Trützschler Card Clothing manufactures and sells the entire range of card and roller card clothings. Metallic wires for openers or opening rollers for OE spinning machines and service machines round off the program. Trützschler Card Clothing is headquartered in Neubulach, southern Germany. Lower textile sales offset by electricity sales for Weiqiao Hong Kong-listed Weiqiao Textile Company Limited, the largest cotton textile producer in China in terms of volume, experienced declining export orders and revenue from exports in the first half this year, adversely affected by the global financial crisis and the shrinking export demand. The company reported a revenue of RMB6,380 million for the six months ended 30 June, 2009, down 28.2% from the same period last year, but its net profit increased 44.7% to RMB395 million due to sales of electricity and other revenues. Company chairman, Zhang Hongxia, said that during the first

Company Bulletin People Monforts appoints new head of sales A. Monforts appointed Gunnar Meyer as Sales Director making him responsible for the sales and forwarding department. Mr Meyer has been with Monforts for many years and is currently Area Sales Manager for Asia. He replaces Wolfgang Kaphahn, the former Sales Managing Director. Roland Hampel, previously Joint Managing Director, was appointed Managing Director. Caption: Gunnar Meyer Executive chairman appointed at Rieter The Board of Directors of Rieter Holding Ltd elected its Chairman Erwin Stoller as Executive Chairman. The heads of both operating divisions of Rieter, Textile Systems and Automotive Systems, and the head of the Corporate Center report directly to Erwin Stoller. In order to safeguard the principles of good corporate governance, E. Schneider, Vice-Chairman of the Board, was elected Lead Director. Hartmut Reuter, CEO of Rieter, left the company. The new organization takes immediate effect. With this move, Rieter's Board of Directors is assuming greater responsibility at the operating level and shortens the decision-making process. Caption: Erwin Stoller Division heads of BASF to change Division heads of BASF will change from November 1. Following the retirement of Dr. Bernhard Hofmann by the end of this year, Dr. Tilman Krauch will assume responsibility for BASF's Construction Chemicals division and Saori Dubourg will be appointed new head of BASF's division Regional Functions & Country Management Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong. Joining BASF in 1996, Ms Dubourg worked in strategic marketing in the Dispersions & Pigments division before gathering international experience in a variety of functions and heading the European business for acrylic monomers and superabsorbents. Since the end of 2007, she has been responsible for BASF's global Diversity & Inclusion project as senior vice president. Dr Krauch joined BASF's Polymer Laboratory in 1990 and later worked at BASF Corporation in the United States before heading the global business unit Polyamides & Intermediates from 2004 until 2006. Since 2006, he has been responsible for the division Regional Functions & Country Management Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong. OC Oerlikon names Hans Ziegler acting CEO The Board of Directors of OC Oerlikon Group unanimously designated Hans Ziegler as Delegate of the Board of Directors and acting Chief Executive Officer for OC Oerlikon. This appointment is effective immediately. Mr Ziegler has served on the board since 2008 and is familiar with the company. Dr. Uwe Krüger, CEO since 2007, left the company. half of 2009, the operating environment of the Chinese cotton textile industry remained challenging. Despite favorable measures taken by the Chinese government alleviated, the operational pressure on the Chinese textile industry, the shrinking export demand and slowdown in domestic demand had an adverse impact on the entire Chinese textile industry, she said. Weiqiao Textile was able to effectively curb the downward profit trends by consolidating business development, strengthening internal management and cost control, optimizing resource allocation, adjusting product mix in accordance with market demand and securing its market share through the establishment of a stable customer base, Ms Zhang added. During the first half of 2009, the company's production of cotton yarn, grey fabric and denim was about 291,000 tonnes, 550,000,000 meters and 54,000,000 meters, representing decreases of 31%, 26.8% and 38.6% respectively over the same period last year. Customers had become more selective and had higher requirements on the products. Hence, the company took measures to lower the rotation rate of equipment to ensure product quality, which affected the production output. It was able to reduce production costs and increase profit, by adopting thermal power after the acquisition of the thermal power assets from Shandong Weiqiao Chuangye Group Company and Zouping Gaoxin Thermal Power Company in 2008. ACIMIT publishes nonwovens textbook ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, published an English version of the textbook of nonwovens production technologies. The nonwovens textbook came after the publishing of the other five ACIMIT publications on technologies of spinning, man-made fibres, weaving, knitting and finishing, thus completing the series.

New Products Guide Fully biodegradable Ecoflex used in diapers Ecoflex, a fully biodegradable, compostable polyester provided by BASF, has been used as a breathable film on the outer layer of diapers. As Ecoflex is elastic, weldable, tear-resistant and puncture-resistant, the outer layer of diapers is just as durable as standard diapers. While the soft-touch Ecoflex is water vapor permeable, it also features special barrier properties that make it waterproof. "The disposable diaper industry has evolved over time. New, environmentally friendly ranges of diapers are now more popular than ever. As a breathable film due to its high water vapor permeability, Ecoflex provides more comfort for babies as it alleviates humidity" said Juergen Keck, Global Director of the Biodegradable Polymers Business at BASF. Caption: Diapers using BASF Ecoflex Ecoflex complies with the stringent requirements of the binding European standard for biodegradable plastics (EN 13432), US ASTM D 6400-04 specifications and the Japanese Standard GreenPla, with regard to complete biodegradability, compostability, compost quality, toxicity and soil compatibility. Swiss firm promotes natural hydrophilic polymer Beyond Surface Technologies AG from Switzerland launched an innovative line of truly sustainable effects for textile surfaces based entirely on natural substances derived oil seeds originating from industrial crops. A natural hydrophilic polymer based entirely on renewable, 100% natural source of non-food seed oils, MiDori E05 provides a durable, natural soft handle keeping the wearer comfortable, cool and dry. It is also GOTS approved. MiDori E05 is suited for use on natural fibres and synthetic blends of cotton, linen and wool to enhance or retain the soft natural feel of the substrate. Coatema highlights filament and yarn coating technologies Coatema Coating Machinery presented latest developments in machinery for the different areas of technical textiles this June in Germany. Coatema recorded an increase in inquiries for coating plants for yarn and filament coatings. It was Coatema's strategy to develop and offer new innovative plant technologies in this market segment, and the company offerspilot and production plants. In the area of pre-impregnated materials (prepregs), innovative plant layouts are sought after to coat textile surfaces as well as single rovings in a high quality with the most different resin coatings. In the end production, these are processed to fibre-reinforced plastics for high-end applications, according to the company. Caption: Coatema Coating Centre has machines offering working widths from 250mm up to 2,000mm Datacolor introduces new calibration service Datacolor introduced the industry's first support program specifically designed to address the demands of measuring the Whiteness of UV-enhanced materials for the textiles, paper, and plastics industries. The new UV Calibration service option is added to the company's existing Assured Support Program to provide all-inclusive coverage of critical components necessary for continued accuracy when measuring optically brightened materials, including optimizing the UV output and ensuring pristine sphere condition of spectrophotometers, the company says. The new UV Assured Calibration Option benefits users who use the Datacolor 400, 550, or 600-series reference grade instruments to measure optically brightened materials. When combined with Datacolor's Assured Support Program, it ensures optimum performance and uptime of the spectrophotometer while reducing costs, saving time, and increasing efficiency in the overall workflow process. Gerber unveils enhanced webPDM Gerber Technology, a business unit of Gerber Scientific Inc, the world leader in automated CAD/CAM and PLM solutions for the sewn products and flexible materials industry, released webPDM 6.0, the flagship module of their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Suite for the organization of data, images, processes and procedures. The new product functions as a globally-accessible, browser- based solution enabling development professionals to organize information, create tech packs and effectively communicate with employees, customers, vendors and suppliers. It enhances the end user experience allowing rapid global creation, collaboration and production execution for apparel and other consumer products. Advanced product development functionality within webPDM is incorporated to meet complex business demands allowing every

New Products Guide size company to utilize options that fit their needs, according to Elizabeth King, Director of Software Applications for Gerber Technology. Hong Kong-designed finishing system prototype launched A newly developed and economical finishing system for wet processing of garment and accessories has been introduced by Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) and Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC). Developed with a HK$1.5 million grant from the Hong Kong government's Innovation and Technology Fund, the new system was made under a project in collaboration of the private, public and academic sectors. The new system was designed to give a constant and gentle circulation of liquor to improve finishing effects such as peeling and shrinking on knitwear, according to M.L. Cheung, consultant of the project and a veteran in the finishing field of Hong Kong. "The machine keeps movement and agitation of the substrate under a controlled mode to minimize disturbance of the substrate conditions," said Mr Cheung. Contrary to side loading rotary drum machines and overhead machines, the new system is a front loading rotary drum at an potentially affordable price. Parameters such as water discharge, rotating speed and temperature change are programmable to enhance quality control on various fabrics, including delicate cashmere. Moreover, it works with 30% and 17% less water and detergent consumption respectively , compared to conventional systems being used in the market. The prototype is capable of processing 50-100 kg of fabric at a time. Multiple finishing machines can be centrally linked to standardize parameters among them. Mr Cheung explained that the easy-to-control system helps minimize human variations at the factory floor. The HKRITA is currently looking to commercialize the prototype of the finishing system with the private sector, Dr K.C. Ho, Director, Research and Development at the HKRITA added. Caption: Visitors were eager to try the new Hong Kong-designed finishing system this August Latest Huntsman reactive dyes give very deep shades Three new colors were added to the range of Novacron S of Huntsman Textile Effects to provide economical dark shades to respond market demands for fresh colors that provoke more emotions and effects. Thanks to strong chromophores, multiple reactive groups and concentrated formulations, Novacron Deep Orange S-4R, Deep Cherry S-D and Deep Night S-R deliver economical dark shades typical for fall/winter harmonies, the company says. Faster lace-making machines debuted by Karl Mayer Karl Mayer recently took to the market the faster JL 42/1 and the new JL 59/1 B in the Jaquardtronic Lace series, featuring higher levels of flexibility, productivity and technology. The revamped JL 42/1 machine works faster at a speed from 630 min-1 to roughly 850 min-1, creating optimum conditions for operating profitably and economically in the middle segment of the lace market. Karl Mayer explains that the machine's high speed have any adverse effect on the range of fabrics that can be produced. Designers can make full use of the shog paths of the string bars of up to 170 mm, and the machine is able to give them a huge amount of creative freedom when developing high-end designs. The pattern data can be loaded easily via an easy-to-use USB interface. On the other hand, the JL 59/1 B, which design was based on the high-speed JL 42/1 B, can work at a speed up to 850 min-1 and offer a high operating reliability, low maintenance requirements and exceptional user-friendliness, the company says. Caption: The new JL 59/1 B system developed by Karl Mayer Nexar polymer offers improved fabric breathability US-based engineered polymers producer, Kraton Polymers LLC, introduced Nexar polymers, which offers a set of new key performance attributes that can be used to improve high performance textiles and clothing. The new Nexar polymers allow large amounts of moisture to be moved away from the skin very quickly to maintain a comfortable microclimate for the human body. As the human body's temperature rises, the Nexar polymers' breathability performance allows the membranes to work better and become more efficient. Key benefits of Nexar polymers in breathable fabrics include good moisture transmission rates, flexible processing freedom and high strength in wet and dry environments.

New Products Guide New special fiber offers protection from sunshine Lenzing launched a new solar protection fiber on a Tencel basis this July for outdoor wear application. The new Tencel Sun fiber is effective due to permanent pigment integration. The latter comes from minerals and provides a long-term protection from solar radiation. Even after washing the clothing several times, the fiber maintains its effectiveness. Tests show that a sunscreen level of up to 110 SPF can be reached, according to Lenzing. One unique function is the swelling of the fiber which enables clothing made with Tencel Sun to maintain its solar protection during outdoor sporting activities. Conventional fabrics lose more than half of their solar protection when they become damp or stretched. Moisture management, optimum skin-sensory properties and reduced bacterial growth are fused with solar protection. Moreover, the Tencel Sun fiber is made from the natural raw material wood and is 100% biodegradable. Monforts offers faster non-iron and wrinkle-free finishing A process which allows non-iron, laundry fresh and wrinkle-free properties to be accomplished on cotton fabrics for shirts and bed sheets has been developed by A. Monforts and Huntsman Textile Effects; reducing processing times from more than 20 hours to less than three minutes. The MxL continuous moist crosslink process also offers greater flexibility and higher process safety by eliminating the batching process used in conventional moist crosslinking. MXL-Range II Ranges for non NH3 treated fabrics with good to very good‘easy care' values 1. Infeed section 2. Pre-wetting trough 3. Padder 4. Wetting device 5. Air passage 6. Stentering device 7. Treatment chamber 8. Residual moisture measuring device 9. Outlet section Caption: Monforts MXL-Range II Operating with drying temperatures of 100°C and 30% vol steam in the circulating air flow, allows the material to be finished within three minutes, A. Monforts says. The special drying conditions in the air/steam mixture also minimises the risk of over drying. Additional effects, in addition to non-iron and wrinkle-free properties, such as laundry freshness can also be achieved with simple recipe/process modification. Improved needle system suits embroidery processes Needle manufacturer from Germany, Schmetz, extended its range in the field of embroidery by developing new geometries for the needle system DBxK5, which is applicable in multi-head embroidery. Bursting of sequins by penetration of the needle is one of the problems in the embroidery industry. Additionally, the needle might clash with the sequin chain cutter, especially in the embroidery of very small sequins. For this reason, the company developed the new DBxK5 KK SERV 2 for the embroidery of very small sequins with a diameter down to 3 mm. These needles have a short shank combined with a shank flattening in the shoulder and lower shank area. As a result of the shank flattening, the sequin chain cutter can be set very close to the needle without collision of knife and needle avoiding wear and harm to any of the involved parts. Due to the round cross-section above of the upper shank area the needle can be used in multi-head embroidery machines with needle set screw positioned left-hand or right-hand, the company says. Caption: Schmetz DBxK5 KK SERV 2 permits embroidery of sequins with a diameter down to 3mm Thai textile researchers develop functional natural fibres Thai textile and apparel producers are looking ways to offer functional and eco-friendly apparel, which are desired by the market, according to the Thailand Textile Institute (THTI). THTI executive-director, Virat Tandaechanurat, commented that consumers used to emphasize fashion and design, but they now look more often at the overall function of clothing and its environmental footprint. Partly with funding by the Office of Industrial Economics, the THTI conducted research last year on two types of functional textiles using banana fibre and coconut shell charcoal-polyester fiber respectively, which earned the institute two honours under the Design Excellence Award 2009 (Fashion Products) held by the Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce of Thailand. Mr Varit explained that burnt coconut shells, when turned into activated carbon charcoal and mixed with polyester fibre, give textile 1% moisture absorption that can resist up to 80% of bacteria. This helps improve wearers' comfort and reduce odour from bacteria in apparel. The product was developed in six months jointly with private manufacturers including TTL Industries Plc, Salee Colour Plc and Sunflag (Thailand) Ltd.

Coming Events Calendar Date Event Location Organizer Tel/ Fax/ Email/ Website 2009 Oct 10-12 Techtextil India 2009 Mumbai / India Messe Frankfurt (91) 22 2202 7609 / (91) 22 2202 7243 meera.agrawal@india.messefrankfurt.com www.messefrankfurt.com 20-23 Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Shanghai / China Messe Frankfurt (852) 2238 9956 / (852) 2519 8632 info@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com www.messefrankfurt.com.hk 21-24 Indonesia Textile & Apparel Affair-ITAF 2009 Jakarta / Indonesia Antheus Indonesia (62) 21 530 3111 / (62) 21 530 3113 www.antheus.co.id 22-25 Asia + Tex 2009 Mumbai / India CEMS - Global (880) 2 8812 713 / (880) 2 9894 573 ssarwar@cemsonline.com / www.cemsonline.com Oct 31- Nov 4 Jinhan Fair for Apparel, Fabrics & Home Textiles Guangzhou / China Guangzhou Poly Jinhan Exhibition Co Ltd (86) 020 8989 9637 / (86) 020 8989 9111yangxuefen@polycn.com / www.jinhanfair.com Nov 5-8 Vietnam Int'l Textile & Garment Industry Exhibition Ho Chi Minh City / Vietnam Chan Chao Init'l Co Ltd (886) 2 2659 6000 (ext 173) / (886) 2 2659 7000 overseas@chanchao.com.tw / www.vtgvietnam.com 16-18 West China International Textile Industry Exhibition Chengdu / China Donnor Exhibition Company (86) 028 8545 1907 / (86) 028 8545 2299 donnorsc@126.com / www.cdtcs.com 18-20 Yiwu H&G 2009 Yiwu / China Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd (852) 2516 3363 / (852) 2516 5024 publicity@adsale.com.hk / www.2456.com/yiwu 2010 Jan 18-21 Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2010 Hong Kong / China Hong Kong Trade Development Council (852) 2240 4323 / (852) 2824 0026 exhibitions@hktdc.org / www.hkfashionweekfw.com Feb 2-5 The 7th Dhaka Textile & Garment 2010 Dhaka / Bangladesh Chan Chao Int'l Co Ltd (886) 2 2659 6000 (ext 173) / (886) 2 2659 7000 overseas@chanchao.com.tw / www.bangla-expo.com Mar 4-6 Megatech Pakistan 2010 Karachi / Pakistan Pegasus Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd (92) 21 1117 34266 / (92) 21 2410 723 info@megatechpakistan.com / www.megatechpakistan.com 4-6 Textech Sri Lanka Colombo / Sri Lanka CEMS - Global (880) 2 8812 713 / (880) 2 9894 573 ssarwar@cemsonline.com / www.cemsonline.com Mar 29-Apr 1 The 11th China (Dongguan) Int'l Textile & Clothing Industry Fair Dongguan / China Paper Communication Exhibition Services (852) 2950 1910 / (852) 2341 0379 connie@paper-com.com.hk / www.paper-com.com.hk Apr 4-7 The 7th International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition Karachi / Pakistan Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd (92) 21 111 222 444 / (92) 21 453 6330 info@ecgateway.net / www.ecgateway.net 14-17 Vietnam Saigon Garment & Accessories Machinery Expo Ho Chi Minh City / Vietnam CP Exhibition (852) 2511 7427 / (852) 2511 9692 jason@cpexhibition.com / www.cpexhibition.com 22-25 The 9th Bandung Int'l Textile & Garment Accessories Exhibition Jakarta / Indonesia P.T. Pergaga Nusantara Jaya Sakti (62) 21 649 3717 / (62) 21 639 0062 info@peragaexpo.com / www.peragaexpo.com Jun 22-26 ITMA Asia + CITME 2010 Shanghai / China CEMATEX, BJITME, CTMA and etc (86) 10 8522 9422 / (86) 10 8522 9026 www.itmaasia.com, www.citme.com.cn * 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